We used to be afraid of teenagers. Now we’re afraid for them. Anxiety, depression, social media, school pressures, loneliness—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about what it means to raise or support a teenager today. But Lisa Damour has spent decades helping us understand what’s actually happening in the emotional lives of teenagers—and what they really need from the adults who care for them. If you’ve ever wanted to be a steady, loving presence in a teenager’s life (without making things weird), this one’s for you.

In this conversation, Kate and Lisa talk about:

• The difference between normal teenage emotions and when it’s time to worry
• Why “emotional does not equal fragile” (and why kids need us to believe that)
• How to talk to teenagers in a way that builds trust and connection
• The biggest factors that shape teen mental health (hint: sleep matters more than you think!)
• When social media becomes a problem—and how to set guardrails that actually work

If you liked this episode, you may enjoy:

• Lisa Damour Part 1, Understanding Today’s Teenagers
• Pamela Morris Perez on Suicide Prevention and Hope
• Our Talking to Kids Support Guide

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s an ache at the center of being human. The kind that doesn’t go away with a fresh to-do list or a good night’s sleep. It’s the longing for more. The grief of what wasn’t. The quiet ache of ordinary life—school pickups, grocery runs, scan results, and the slow accumulation of things we didn’t choose.

In this tender and deeply wise conversation, Kate Bowler speaks with Father Ron Rolheiser—beloved Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and bestselling author—about the ache that lives in all of us... and why it might be the most holy part of who we are. This episode is for anyone who feels a little restless, a little disappointed, or just plain tired—and is looking for a spirituality big enough to hold the beautiful, unfinished life they’re living.

In this conversation, Kate and Ron discuss:

• Why we all have an ache inside of us (and why that’s okay)
• The convalescence you may need from church communities that have hurt you
• How living in six-month intervals can teach us what really matters

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love:

• Nadia Bolz-Weber, “The Insight of Outsiders”

Richard Rohr, “Learning to Hold On, Learning to Let Go”

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are seasons when everything feels a bit undone. A marriage ends. A child grows up. A job shifts. And suddenly, we’re no longer who we were…and not yet who we’ll become.

Melinda French Gates has lived through some of life’s biggest transitions. In this conversation, she reflects on what it means to stay open when life is changing—quietly or all at once. To hold your own hand when everything feels uncertain. To lean on the people who tell you the truth. And to remember that good enough is more than just survival—it can be a way forward.

If you’re in the middle of something—grief, reinvention, or a season that feels like wandering—this conversation is a soft place to land.

In this conversation, Kate and Melinda discuss:

• Why transitions—chosen or not—ask us to be braver than we feel
• How to listen to the inner voice that won’t go quiet
• The beauty of being a “good enough” parent, partner, or person
• Why our friendships might be the most sacred thing we have
• What it means to be held—by community, by love, by something even bigger

If you liked this episode, you’ll also love:

• Nicholas Kristof, "Hope is a Muscle"
• Sharon McMahon, "Drops Make an Ocean"
• Gregory Boyle, "The Case for Hope"

Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts.

Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.