The Whinypaluza Podcast

Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering if you imagined what just happened? In this episode of Whinypaluza, host Rebecca Greene welcomes author, advocate, and survivor Deborah Griffiths for an honest conversation about gaslighting and emotional manipulation. Deborah, author of Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter, explains how gaslighting works slowly and quietly, chipping away at self esteem, confidence, and self trust over time. Drawing from her lived experience and healing journey, Deborah shares how red flags are often missed, why victims question themselves instead of the behavior, and how clarity begins when we listen to our bodies and instincts. This episode offers validation, language, and hope for anyone beginning to see the fog lift.  Key Takeaways → Gaslighting is emotional manipulation that causes self doubt over time → Confusion is often the first red flag → Love bombing can disguise manipulation → Healthy conflict leaves you feeling heard → Your body often recognizes truth before your mind → Clarity begins when the fog starts to lift Deborah Griffiths is an author, advocate, and survivor whose novel Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter draws from lived experience to illuminate the subtle and damaging effects of emotional manipulation. She hosts the podcast Bent, Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce and supports women navigating healing, boundaries, and rebuilding their lives after trauma.  Connect with Deborah Website: https://www.brokentoboldness.com Book: Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter Podcast: Bent, Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who may need language for what they are experiencing. Subscribe to Whinypaluza for honest conversations that validate, educate, and empower. https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eight nights of Hanukkah can feel like a marathon, especially when kids are away at college, packages arrive late, and the to-do list keeps growing. In this candid Whinypaluza Wednesday episode, Rebecca Greene and Seth Greene discuss what it really looks like to be in the Hanukkah weeds and why that feeling shows up every year. Rebecca shares the behind-the-scenes reality of wrapping presents nightly, juggling work, missing her son, and realizing how much her priorities have shifted. This conversation is about letting go of perfection, choosing presence over presents, and reminding ourselves that it all gets done in the end. Key Takeaways - Presence matters more than presents. - Being together outweighs any gift. - Eight nights is a lot. - Hanukkah comes with its own pressure. - Perfection is not required. - Good enough really is good enough. - Exhaustion makes everything more complicated. - Sleep changes perspective.Moms often do too much because they care. That comes from love, not failure. It always gets done. Even when it feels chaotic. Memorable Quote “I’m in the weeds, but I don’t really care. I’ve got better priorities.” Continue the Conversation Visit whinypaluza.com to read Rebecca’s blog and past reflections. Join the Whinypaluza Mom Group on Facebook for support and community. Subscribe to the Whinypaluza email newsletter for real-life parenting insights. https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom If you are in the weeds too, take a breath. You are doing more than enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you living your own story or the one you were programmed to follow? Rebecca sits down with the incredible Dr Gertrude Lyons for a robust and eye-opening conversation about rewriting the cultural coding that tells women to overextend, self-sacrifice, and disappear inside motherhood. Dr Lyons brings thirty years of transformational leadership work to this essential message. We are all mothering every day through the way we treat ourselves, our relationships, and our world. In this conversation, she guides us to awaken intuition, honor our emotions, reclaim our identity, and step into our own voice using her beautiful VOICE framework. This is a nurturing and inspiring episode for every woman who has ever lost herself while caring for everyone else. Six Key Takeaways → Rewrite the mother code by understanding that mothering is not limited to raising children. We are mothering careers, relationships, ideas, and our own inner child. → Our cultural programming wires women to prioritize everyone else first. Awareness and compassion begin the reprogramming process. → Intuition is a powerful internal compass. Slowing down and reconnecting with emotions brings it back online. → Vision and ownership anchor Dr Lyons' VOICE framework. Claiming our voice helps us navigate choices without guilt or comparison. → Community is a key part of healthy mothering. Women thrive when they support one another and release isolation. → A small daily practice can start the rewiring. Notice your feelings twice a day and acknowledge them with compassion. If this episode gave you a moment of breathing room or clarity, please follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with another woman who needs this message today. Website: drgertrudelyons.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever noticed that the moment you set a boundary, everything starts to shift, and people suddenly discover brand new feelings about it?  On this episode, Rebecca and Seth dig into how boundaries really work in real-life parenting, work, technology, friendships, and yes, even marriage. Rebecca and Seth unpack one of the most requested topics in the Whinypaluza community. Boundaries. The kind you set with your kids. The type you wish you could set with extended family. The kind you absolutely need with work. And the kind you forget to set with yourself until your inner critic hijacks the afternoon. This episode explores how boundaries protect time, energy, money, emotional bandwidth, and the flow of everyday life.  With humor stories and classic Greene honesty, they show how saying no opens the door to so many better yes moments. From not going to the neighborhood party because the couch was winning to forgetting to shut down work at night to teaching kids you mean it when you say no, Rebecca and Seth make boundaries understandable and doable for every mom tuning in. Six Key Takeaways → Time boundaries save your sanity. Your time is precious. Every yes to someone else is a no to something important to you. Know your priorities and stick to them. → Energy boundaries tell the truth. If your tank is empty, you are allowed to say Not tonight and notice who drains you and who fills you. Choose accordingly. → Parenting boundaries shape your home. Kids actually need your no. Especially when it involves safety, respect, and expectations. Rebecca reminds us that a fully developed brain is not on their ingredient list yet. → Relationship boundaries strengthen love. Sometimes the healthiest boundary is asking for space before a tough conversation. Seth learning to wait instead of diving right in is a prime example. → Technology boundaries help you breathe.  Social media can boost or drain your mood. Curate what you consume, and be willing to put the phone on silent. → Emotional boundaries protect your heart. Supporting people does not mean carrying their emotional baggage home with you. Check your capacity before taking on someone’s story. Connect with Rebecca: https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you staring down the college admissions maze and wondering how on earth you’re supposed to stay sane through it? Laurie Kopp Weingarten says there is a calmer way to do this. And yes, she makes it sound possible.  Rebecca sits down with Laurie Kopp Weingarten, CEP, President and Chief Educational Consultant at One-Stop College Counseling, for a masterclass in making the college admissions process less stressful and far more human. Laurie has decades of experience guiding students and families with clarity, strategy, and character-grounded wisdom. In this episode, she explains why uncertainty fuels family stress, how to help teens stay motivated, why parents need to stop rewriting their kids' essays, what demonstrated interest really means in 2026, and how character and likability now play as much of a role as GPA. This is the ultimate guide for parents who want to support their teens without taking over the entire process. Six Key Takeaways → Uncertainty fuels anxiety Focus only on what your teen can control instead of the entire admissions maze. → Character matters Colleges want kind, collaborative students who contribute to their community. → Demonstrated interest counts Most colleges track visits, interviews and engagement. It truly makes a difference. → Parents often add pressure Too much college talk overwhelms teens. Many families do better checking in once a week. → Never hinge everything on one dream school Build a balanced list of schools your teen would happily attend. → Let your teen lead the process Essays, interviews, and communication should come from them. Parents support, not steer. Quotes from Laurie “One of the biggest mistakes is when parents take over. Teens need to learn to advocate for themselves before they get to college.” “You want to show colleges that you will thrive academically and also contribute to the community.” How to Reach Laurie Website www.one-stopcc.com Email [email protected] Monthly Tips for Teens newsletter is available on her website  Like this episode Share it Leave Rebecca a review and tell another parent who needs this conversation today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices