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What happens when the mental health expert becomes the one navigating a family crisis? In this deep and deeply personal conversation, therapist and author Matthias Barker sits down with Miles at the Transform Trauma Conference –– Europe’s largest mental health and wellness conference in Oxford, England –– to open up about his own journey through family estrangement, grief, and reconciliation.   Together, they break down the real-world stuff we all deal with: why healing must come before forgiveness, the difference between setting a healthy boundary and running away, the traps of modern pop psychology, and what it actually takes to find "peace with what's possible." Whether you're a mental health professional or just trying to navigate your own family system, this conversation offers real tools for real life. Learn more about Transform Trauma and other Master’s Events: https://mastersevents.com/  Are you unfurling your own stories around family, trauma, and mental health? Onsite offers transformational experiences to help you live the life you deserve. Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04xQ6_l0    Episode Chapters:  00:00 - Welcome to Human School... LIVE! 01:45 - Meet Matthias Barker: From drama kid to building a platform 05:00 - The Family Crisis: Addiction, divorce, and estrangement 07:00 - Learning from Grief Expert David Kessler 11:00 - The Intersection of Trauma and Grief in Family Conflict 15:30 - Peace with What’s Possible: Rethinking reconciliation 26:30 - The Research on Contempt and Emotional Abuse 31:30 - Boundaries vs. Avoidance: When to engage and when to step back 39:30 - The Danger of Pop Psychology and Weaponized Therapy Speak 49:30 - The Trap of Rumination vs. True Psychological Healing 55:30 - The Hardest and Most Meaningful Parts of Being a Helper Stay connected to Human School  Substack: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ71f0 Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ6Y40 Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ71f0 Onsite: https://hubs.la/Q04xQ6_l0

What if the secret to improving your own life, health, and happiness had nothing to do with self-care and everything to do with giving back? In this episode of Human School, host Miles sits down with long-time music industry veteran and philanthropist Rondal Richardson to flip the script on how we think about generosity. Because you don't need millions of dollars or a massive platform to make a real impact. Today, Rondal shares remarkable behind-the-scenes stories from his 40-year journey in the music business—working alongside legends like The Judds, Garth Brooks, and Naomi Judd—and how an "almost Oprah moment" changed the trajectory of his life.   You’ll also discover practical ways to get involved in charity, how to know which organizations and causes to align with, and why the best way to heal your own life is often to show up for someone else.  If you're in middle Tennessee, join the Music Community Foundation for a Give Like Dolly event this weekend: https://www.giving9to5.com/ Stay Connected Follow Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04xQ4Zt0 Follow Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ50V0 Subscribe to Our Substack: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ55q0 Looking to dive deeper into your own story? Onsite offers the opportunity to come back to yourself. Learn more here: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ53Z0 In this episode: 00:00 – Introduction to Rondal Richardson and entertainment philanthropy  00:54 – Meet Rondal Richardson, founder and executive director of the Music Community Foundation  00:03:00 – The story of meeting Miles through Naomi Judd  00:15:30 – The Oprah Winfrey connection 00:23:40 – Rondal’s origin story: starting on the road at age 17  00:32:15 – Touring with Garth Brooks and country music history  00:40:50 – Making the pivot from the music industry to philanthropy  00:46:00 – The psychological and physical benefits of service  01:03:40 – Vetting charities: Charity Navigator, 990s, and finding your cause  01:17:40 – The impact: Raising $350M+ and the work of the Music Community Foundation  01:30:30 – Purpose through pain, community support, and looking forward

We spend an enormous amount of energy trying to learn how to be healthier, less stressed adults – but what if the answer isn't learning something new, but remembering what we knew before we got so complicated?  In this special solo episode of The Human School Podcast, host Miles Adcox hands the microphone to his seven-year-old daughter, Birdie Rose. With zero media training and absolute honesty, Birdie shares her thoughts on art, missing teeth, strawberries and ketchup, and what makes her feel closest to the people she loves. In this conversation and reflection, Miles unpacks four unexpected lessons on stress, curiosity, presence, and connection that children carry naturally — lessons that adults spend a lifetime trying to find their way back to. In this episode:  00:00 - Introducing Birdie Rose: The 7-Year-Old Podcast Guest   01:20 - Lesson 1: Curiosity Over Certainty (The Power of "I Don't Know")   04:00 - Lesson 2: Presence Over Productivity (Why Play Doesn't Need a Reason)   05:50 - Lesson 3: Expression Over Impression (Strawberries in Ketchup and PR Filters)   07:45 - Lesson 4: Relationship Over Performance (What Kids Actually Want From Us)   09:40 - Finding Courage: How We Regulate Fear Inside Relationships   11:45 - Final Encouragement from Birdie (And How to Keep Showing Up)  If you’re looking for ways to connect back to yourself, Onsite can help. Learn more about our experiences: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj150 Follow Human School: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj450 Follow Miles: https://hubs.la/Q04xch_N0 Subscribe to Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj3y0

Are you living the life you actually want, or are you just trying to please everyone around you?  In this episode of Human School, Miles sits down with world-renowned author, sociologist, and life coach Dr. Martha Beck for an exceptionally honest and deep conversation on human nature, breaking free from anxiety, and finding your true path.  Martha shares her personal journey — from her time writing for Oprah’s Magazine and earning degrees from Harvard, to radically transforming her life by committing to a full year of total honesty. Together, Miles and Martha explore the biological roots of anxiety, how societal expectations force us to sell out our true nature at an early age, and how simple creative acts can serve as a direct antidote to mental distress.  In this episode, you’ll discover:  The Root of Modern Anxiety: Why our current educational and social systems conflict with human evolution.  The "Visual Cliff" Study: How children learn to judge their own worth by watching the adults around them.  The Power of Caving Early: Why learning to apologize quickly and drop ego heals relationships faster than anything else.  Creativity vs. Anxiety: How engaging the creative parts of your brain actively shuts down panic and stress.  The "One-Degree Turn": How making tiny, honest shifts in your day-to-day choices can completely realign your life.  The K.I.S.T. Method: A practical, step-by-step tool using Kind Internal Self-Talk to navigate intense panic attacks and internal conflict.   Whether you’re feeling burned out, stuck in people-pleasing patterns, or simply searching for more peace in your daily routine, this episode provides a compassionate roadmap back to your whole self.  Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more at www.experienceonsite.com     Episode Chapters:  00:00:00 Welcome Martha Beck  00:02:46 What Comfort Means Today   00:04:41 Root Causes of Modern Anxiety   00:07:08 How Kids Learn Self-Worth   00:13:21 The "Cave Early" Practice   00:15:53 Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain   00:21:05 The Real Curriculum of Life   00:24:00 Ancestral Wisdom & Magic   00:28:13 African Hospitality & Ubuntu   00:34:52 Finite vs. Infinite Games   00:44:03 Using Art to Fight Anxiety   00:47:38 Guided Visualization Exercise   00:54:02 Finding Magic in Technology   01:00:52 Humanizing High Performers   01:08:18 Living One Year Without Lies    Connect with Human School:  YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q04wFHGz0  Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04wFHPK0  Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04wFJHn0  Follow Human School on Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04wFJZt0

What happens when life completely rewires your timeline overnight?  Six-time Grammy winner Amy Grant joins the show for an exceptionally raw and vulnerable conversation about navigating back-to-back life-altering health crises — from emergency open-heart surgery to a traumatic brain injury that forced her to pause everything.  Amy candidly opens up about the physical reality of memory loss, the emotional weight of starting over at 65, and why she ultimately decided to write a eulogy to her younger self. She also breaks down the worst advice she received early in her career, and how letting go of control allowed her to finally embrace the gift of unplanned interruptions.  Whether you are navigating your own unexpected life shift, recovering from trauma, or searching for margin in a chaotic world, this episode is a masterclass in grace, resilience, and true freedom.  Key Takeaways from This Episode  Interruptions are often invitations. Real growth happens when you stop viewing life's disruptions as obstacles and start viewing them as redirections. Release past versions of yourself. Holding onto who you used to be prevents you from accepting and healing who you are right now. Margin isn't extra time — it's intentional space. Recovery and peace require actively protecting your energy from external expectations.  Are you looking for support after your own season of change? Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more at www.experienceonsite.com    Episode Chapters:  00:00 - Dragging Old Suitcases: Amy Grant’s New Season  00:38 - "Don't Talk So Much, Just Sing"  06:01 - The First Recording at Age 15  08:24 - Overcoming Limits  12:22 - The "River of Life" & Facing the Waterfall  20:56 - Health Scares: Open-Heart Surgery & the Bike Accident  27:17 - Living with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)  31:02 - The Assignment: Writing a Eulogy to Her Younger Self  35:57 - Undoing Childhood Scripts and Deconstructing the Past  40:15 - Finding "Margin" and the Story of the Good Samaritan  45:24 - Morning Rituals: Unplugging from Autopilot  50:13 - Turning Pain into Grace and Finding Identity  01:10:53 - Rewiring the Brain: Neuroplasticity and Healing  01:12:24 - "Lead Me to Those I Need": Surplus and Need  01:19:00 - Post-Traumatic Growth and Repurposing Your Story  01:24:24 - Navigating Fame, Criticism, and Living off the Screen  01:31:17 - Collaborative Music and Embracing a Life Reset  01:37:19 Breathwork   01:40:09 Marriage is the Great Rock Tumbler  01:47:59 Closing Prayer Sendoff  Connect with Human School:  YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q04vZlYs0  Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04vB96T0  Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04vB9CJ0

When life throws loss, grief, and change your way, how do you allow the pain to transform you rather than destroy you?   In this episode of Human School, host Miles Adcox sits down with Judah Akers and Brian Macdonald of the alt-folk band Judah & the Lion on the release day of their album, Process. Together, they walk through a raw and vulnerable conversation about what it truly takes to heal.   Judah opens up about losing family members to mental health struggles, navigating divorce, and working through addiction while performing on major stages around the world. Brian shares his perspective on stepping into fatherhood while on tour, keeping the band's brotherhood intact through dark seasons, and learning to redefine identity. From the metaphor of a caterpillar in a cocoon to learning how to stop harsh self-judgment, this conversation is a grounded reminder that transformation is messy, but hope is always available.     In this episode, we discuss:  The Cocoon Metaphor: Why real emotional growth requires letting go of who you were.  Grief & Mental Health: Processing tragic loss, addressing addiction, and separating the symptom from the disease.  Self-Compassion: Overcoming shame, letting go of control, and learning to speak kindly to yourself. Parenting & Growth: Navigating big life transitions and raising kids while working through your own past.Behind the Songs: The spontaneous origin story behind their track "Prism".    Memorable Quotes:  "The caterpillar has no memory of wings." — Judah Akers   "We're not through the pain, but we're in it together, and there's hope." — Brian Macdonald   "Addiction is a symptom. Shame, guilt, and not knowing yourself... are the disease." — Judah Akers   "It's okay to be scared and brave at the same time. You can actually do both." — Miles Adcox     Episode Timestamps:  00:00:00 – Meet Judah & The Lion 00:04:42 – The Metaphor of Transformation 00:11:42 – Fatherhood & Evolving Identity 00:15:39 – Unpacking Rock Bottom & Vulnerability 00:21:44 – Growing Up & Early Influences 00:36:34 – The Band’s Origins & Personal Loss 00:47:31 – Brotherhood & Supporting Each Other Through the Storm 00:50:23 – Addressing Addiction, Shame, and Grief 00:00:21 – Mentors, Support Systems, & Encouraging Voices 01:07:33 – The Meaning Behind "Prism" 01:11:46 – "Open Your Eyes, Kid" 01:24:20 – "Scared and Brave at the Same Time"   Links & Resources:  Stream Judah & the Lion's Music  Learn more about emotional wellness intensives at Onsite Workshops  If you loved this episode, please rate and review Human School on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help us reach more people who need these conversations!  Follow Human School  Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04v8Q7K0 Follow Miles: https://hubs.la/Q04v8QcZ0 Human School YouTube:  https://hubs.la/Q04v8Qdh0

It seems like everyone is talking about stress. How to manage it. How to get rid of it. How to avoid it at all costs. But maybe in our journey to eradicate stress from our lives, we’re losing something far more valuable.  In this solo conversation, Miles Adcox reframes our entire relationship with stress. Instead of treating stress like an opponent to beat, what if we treated it like a system trying to protect us?   Join Miles as he shares the importance of building capacity over elimination, why meaningful living requires being stretched, and how to become a trusted partner to your own nervous system.  In this episode, we explore:  ​Why "trauma" can feel clinical, but stress is universal  ​ Stress as the body's brilliant system for adaptation The difference between removing stress and building capacity ​ How curiosity replaces shame when looking at our nervous systems  Looking to go deeper into your personal growth journey? The conversations on Human School are shaped by the work happening at Onsite Workshops. If you're looking to slow down, break patterns, and do the inner work, visit experienceonsite.com  Episode chapters:   00:00 Intro: Is stress really the enemy?   00:40 The room that changed how I view trauma vs. stress   01:45 How burnout and emotional exhaustion actually begin   02:35 Why modern wellness tools miss the mark   03:15 Stress is an adaptation system, not a design flaw   04:15 Every meaningful thing in life asks something stressful of you   05:10 Increasing capacity vs. eliminating stress   05:55 Everyday pressure vs. profound adversity   06:45 Stress is an experience, not an identity   07:20 Why modern nervous systems are carrying more than ever before   07:50 Swap shame for curiosity: Becoming a student of your nervous system   08:35 Stop playing tug-of-war with your body  Follow Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04tfRwT0

What do you do when you go from singing at local bars to millions of video views, playing at Madison Square Garden with Morgan Wallen, and hearing 20,000 people sing your lyrics back to you? If you’re Larry Fleet, you still shop at Ace Hardware.  Larry Fleet writes the kind of country songs that feel like your own memories — jumping railroad tracks in a truck bed, learning how to tell stories in a barbershop chair, the sound of truck tires in the gravel. In this conversation, Larry opens up about the “simple” mistakes we’re making in modern storytelling, what fatherhood has changed in his songwriting, and how he's managed to tour and write with Willie Nelson, Morgan Wallen, and other heroes of the genre without losing the guy from White Bluff, Tennessee.  The conversations we have on Human School are shaped by the work happening every day at Onsite. If you feel stuck in the same patterns, Onsite's Living Centered Program helps you slow down, go deeper, and do the inner work that changes things. If you’d like to learn more about Onsite, visit us –– experienceonsite.com In this conversation:  Why “clutter” might be the enemy of great storytelling  The $5-a-head night Larry still keeps close, and why he never lets himself forget it  Why he built his newest record with zero radio in mind — and what happened when it hit anyway  The ways fatherhood has changed him, including teaching him new ways to communicate with others  The surprising place his storytelling voice actually comes from   What it actually takes to stay a person instead of becoming a product once people start paying attention  How to build a songwriting career one bad song (then a hundred more) at a time  How to stay "a normal dude" while touring arenas with Willie Nelson and Morgan Wallen  Why simple, honest storytelling can reach people that polished products can't    Episode timestamps:   00:00:00 — Welcome to Human School  00:06:30 — Small-town origins 00:25:30 — Another Year Older — the new record  01:01:30 — The true story behind "5:25"  01:04:00 — Why Larry stopped writing for the radio  01:07:30 — What We Can Learn from Kids 01:15:00 — $5 a head in North Georgia  01:19:30 — The Radio Said "No" to "Where I Find God" 01:20:30 — The call from Morgan Wallen, and Madison Square Garden  01:38:30 — What it means to stay human when you're a "product" 01:47:00 — The barbershop that taught him how to tell a story  01:51:30 — What "Where I Find God" means to the people who needed it  01:59:00 — Scotland, and the tears neither of them expected  02:07:30 — Larry on prison ministry and San Quentin    Follow Human School  YouTube:  @humanschoolofficial Instagram:  @humanschoolofficial  TikTok:  @humanschoolofficial

Why does being right feel so much better than being curious? And is our obsession with certainty the cause of our greatest divides? This episode breaks down the psychology behind certainty — why our brains default to it, what it costs us in our relationships, and why curiosity might be the more reliable path to actually feeling connected to other people. What you'll learn How confirmation bias shapes what we believe is true, without us noticing it happeningWhat the illusory truth effect is, and why repetition can make an opinion feel like factHow to tell the difference between healthy disagreement and contemptWhy algorithms and media incentives reward certainty over nuance — and what that does to us over timeA mindset shift for staying curious under pressure, borrowed from an unlikely place: horsemanshipWhy feeling understood does more for anxiety than winning an argument ever doesHow to hold strong beliefs without needing everyone around you to agree Building your curiosity muscles? Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more here. Timestamps 00:00 — This might be why you're feeling lonely02:30 — Illusory truth effect and confirmation bias05:30 — Making content in the age of outrage07:00 — The real product is Identity09:45 — A horse changed everything13:00 — Understanding vs. "winning"15:00 — Becoming harder to recruit Stay connected with Human School: YouTube - https://hubs.la/Q04rLNLl0 Instagram - https://hubs.la/Q04rLNVX0 Threads - https://hubs.la/Q04rLP6D0 TikTok - https://hubs.la/Q04rLPfY0

Have you ever gotten a clean bill of health and still felt like something was wrong? What if the anxiety, the brain fog, the thing you can't explain isn't in your head, but a story your body inherited? Dr. Chris Motley is a functional medicine practitioner and acupuncturist based in Nashville, and the host of the Ancient Health Podcast. For over 22 years, he's blended Chinese medicine, kinesiology, and biofeedback with Western diagnostics to find what standard testing misses — the chronic weaknesses that don't show up on a bloodwork panel but show up in how we sleep, how we digest, and how we carry stress in our bodies. In this episode, Dr. Motley and Miles talk about how inflammation from food can weaken the blood-brain barrier and surface in surprising ways — and why the weakest organ in your body often maps straight back to how your parents and grandparents lived. Today, you'll learn how to read your body's own signals, why curiosity heals faster than fear, and what it actually looks like to get to the root of a problem instead of managing its symptoms. In this conversation, you'll learn: How chronic inflammation from food can weaken the blood-brain barrier and show up as anxiety, depression, or brain fogHow to read your body's own signals — sleep patterns, digestion, even facial features — the way a functional medicine practitioner doesHow your weakest organ can map directly back to how your parents and grandparents livedWhy processed food, not just screens, may be driving the rise in childhood behavioral changesHow the gut-brain axis connects what you eat to how you feel within hoursWhy getting curious about a weakness — instead of afraid of it — is the first step to healing itSimple, low-cost first steps to a more fulfilled, healthier life anyone can start today If this stirred something in you, Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and stored trauma that your body is asking for. Learn more at experienceonsite.com   Follow Human School: YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial   What We Discuss: 00:00:00 – Meet Dr. Chris Motley 00:02:41 – Why He Left a Growing Practice 00:08:19 – The Danger of Expertise Without Curiosity 00:12:04 – Meeting Overwhelmed Patients with Optimism 00:13:50 – How Motley Found His Interest in Medicine 00:17:51 – Motley’s Story Through His Gallbladder 00:23:30 – Where He Starts with Every New Patient 00:28:00 – Are Emotions Hiding Inside Our Organs? 00:33:54 – The Benefits of Integrated Medicine: Treating Mind & Body 00:42:36 – The Anxious Patient 00:47:51 – "What You Eat Is What You Think" 00:52:44 – The Health Goal Every Day 00:55:06 – Your Gut is Your Second Brain: Explaining Gut-Brain Axis 01:01:06 – Drivers of the Mental Health Crisis Happening Now 01:05:54 – Why Do We Have So Many Food Allergies? 01:06:45 – People, Food, & the ADD and ADHD Rise 01:08:51 – The Habit Change to Reset Your System 01:11:58 – Motley’s “Basic” Steps Towards Physical Wellness 01:14:01 – Miles’s Steps Toward Emotional Wellness 01:16:47 – What is behind Chronic Constipation? 01:17:54 – Getting Back into Your Body 01:25:22 – What Your Face Reveals About Your Story 01:27:50 – Ancient Practices over Modern Technology 01:33:06 – Motley Outside of Medicine 01:35:41 – The Lesson Weaving Throughout 22 Years Practicing This episode is a conversation between practitioners sharing personal experience and professional perspective — it is not medical advice. Please consult your own physician or healthcare provider before making any changes to your health, diet, or treatment plan.

Have you ever believed you're only worthy of attention when you're performing and perfect? What if the thing you fear your kid will inherit is the exact thing you've never worked through yourself?   Tori Kelly, a Grammy-winning vocalist who's been sharing her voice with the world since she was a kid, sits down with Miles for a conversation about identity, motherhood, and what happens when the performance stops.   Tori opens up about growing up in a mixed-race householdwhere she often felt othered, getting signed at 12 and "shelved" before she'd lived enough life to have something to say, and the lie she quietly believed for years: that she wasn't worthy of attention unless she was singing. She talks about touring stadiums with Ed Sheeran while pregnant, writing her new album, God Must Really Love Me, in two weeks while holding her newborn son, and why his first cry made the record.   Tori and Miles go deep into the perfectionism she traces back to her earliest days on stage, the phone cleanses she uses to fight comparison, and why motherhood has made her want her son to see her mess up, say sorry, and be human. Miles shares a mentor's metaphor about gratitude that reframes how you see whatever you're circling right now, and Tori tells the story of the drive where the phrase "God must really love me" came out of her mouth before it became an album title.   Ever notice the pattern you're trying to protect your kids from is usually the one you haven't fully worked through yourself? Onsite's Living Centered Program for parents and adults ready to finally do their own work, not just manage everyone else's. It's not about becoming a perfect parent; It's about becoming an honest one. Learn more at experienceonsite.com   In this conversation, you'll learn: How to Trace Perfectionism Back to the Stage Instead of the Story You Tell YourselfHow to Stop Performing for Approval and Start ActuallyFeeling ItHow Becoming a Parent Can Break a Pattern You Didn't Know You Were RepeatingHow to Use a Phone Cleanse to Get Your Voice Back FromComparisonHow to Write an Album in Two Weeks Once You Stop Editing YourselfHow to Let Your Kids Watch You Mess Up on PurposeHow to Reframe a Career "Setback" as the Setup for Something BetterHow Growing Up Feeling "Othered" Shapes the Way You Tell the Truth LaterHow to Turn Gratitude Into a Practice Instead of a MoodHow to Know the Difference Between Being a Vocalist andBeing Yourself  Follow Human School: YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial   What We Discuss: 00:00:00 – Meet Tori Kelly 00:01:51 – Her Grand Ole Opry Debut, One Night Before ThisConversation 00:05:34 – Genre-less on Purpose 00:08:41 – The Vocalist Everyone Expects, the Storyteller She's Becoming 00:10:51 – The Soundtrack of Her Childhood 00:12:43 – Signed at 12 & Promised the World 00:23:05 – A Career Built on Slow Builds, Not Big Breaks 00:28:24 – How Becoming a Mom Rewired Her as an Artist 00:29:24 – Touring Stadiums With Ed Sheeran While Pregnant 00:31:13 – What Motherhood Cracked Open 00:36:29 – She Doesn't Want Her Son Thinking He Has to BePerfect 00:38:46 – Tracing Her Perfectionism Back to the Root 00:40:59 – How Approval Got Tangled Up With Her Voice 00:47:31 – The Phone Cleanse That Gave Her Mind Back 00:56:06 – The Story Behind "God Must Really Love Me" 01:01:46 – The Vulture Metaphor: Reframing Gratitude 01:04:41 – Congruence, Not Perfection 01:09:25 – Her Husband and Life on Tour 01:13:34 – Ending on the Only Line That Fits

How do you help an anxious child build real confidence instead of just managing their fear? What if the very thing keeping your kid unsafe is how hard you're working to protect them?   Sissy Goff and David Thomas are two of the most trusted voices in child and adolescent mental health today, counselors at Daystar Counseling Ministries and hosts of the popular Raising Boys and Girls podcast. With more than three decades combined sitting across from kids and their families, they've become go-to resources for parents navigating anxiety, emotional development, and resilience in childhood. Their new New York Times Bestselling book, Capable, just carried them through a national press tour, including a stop on the Today Show, and for good reason: it takes on one of the most urgent questions facing parents right now.   In this conversation, Sissy, David, and Miles unpack why so many kids today aren't just anxious; they're increasingly unwilling to try, and what parents can actually do to build resilience instead of just managing symptoms. They talk through the difference between attunement and over-protection, why "trust your gut" might be the most important piece of parenting advice out there, and how to set healthy boundaries around technology and social media without shutting your kids out of the world they're growing up in. It's a grounded, hopeful conversation about childhood anxiety, parenting under pressure, and what it actually takes to raise capable, confident kids in an overwhelmed world.   Your kids are watching you more closely than they're listening to you. Onsite's Living Centered Program is a place for parents ready to do their own work, so the patterns they pass down are worth passing on. Learn more at experienceonsite.com.   Follow Human School: YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial   For more resources and tools from Sissy Goff & David Thomas, visit raisingboysandgirls.com or follow along on Instagram @raisingboysandgirls.   In this conversation, you'll learn: How to Tell Attunement From Rescuing Your KidHow to Read the Emergency Behind Their AnxietyHow to Stop Outsourcing Instincts to Strangers OnlineHow to Decide When They Get a Phone or Social AccountHow to Turn a Hard No Into a Creative YesHow to Use "Trust the Process" in Their Hardest StretchHow to Spot a Problem They Should Solve ThemselvesHow to Rebuild Your Resilience Before Teaching ItHow to Hold Grief and Purpose at the Same TimeHow to Give Your Kids a Front-Row Seat to Your GrowthHow to Raise a Capable Kid Without Raising an Anxious OneHow to Pick Two Parenting Voices You Actually Trust  What We Discuss: 00:00:00 – Meet Sissy Goff and David Thomas 00:04:21 – Over-Correction: the Field's New Blind Spot 00:05:35 – Catching Up & Life After the Capable Press Tour 00:08:31 – The Soap Opera Character & Camp Job that Shaped Careers 00:14:02 – A Working 32-Year Partnership 00:17:09 – Sissy’s Dog Who Came to Work & Comforted Teen's Tears 00:20:20 – Sammy, Onsite’s Beagle Who Escorted Every New Guest 00:30:15 – Backstage at the Today Show 00:36:58 – What This Work Taught Them About Being Human 00:41:55 – A National State of Emergency Hiding in Plain Sight 00:49:32 – Escape and Avoidance Feel Like Good Parenting 00:53:29 – What Attunement Actually Looks Like 00:59:25 – “Go in the Strength You Already Have” 01:03:22 – What's Really Underneath a Lack of Confidence 01:10:56 – Trust the Process, Even in Their Hardest Stretch 01:18:25 – Is my child ready for technology? 01:26:18 – Doing Your Own Work Is the Greatest Gift to Your Kids 01:27:16 – A Look Inside Daystar Counseling Ministries

What's the real difference between showing up for someone and rescuing them? Can a single pair of socks undo years of not letting yourself feel anything? Bobby Bones went from a campus radio station in Arkansas to the National Radio Hall of Fame, two #1 New York Times bestsellers, and a syndicated morning show heard by millions, turning his own story into a reason other people feel less alone in theirs. He sits down with Miles Adcox eight weeks into fatherhood, in a season that's forced him to slow down after two decades of never having to. Bobby opens up about being raised by a 16-year-old motherwho struggled with addiction his whole childhood, the trailer he bought her the first time he made real money, and the hard lesson in what enabling actually looks like when you love someone who's sick. He reveals the moment a stranger's kindness at a therapy intensive at Onsite finally broke him open, and shares the four-letter word his mother never said but it’s the one his grandmother said so consistently it became the only safety he knew. Miles and Bobby go deep into being triggered by both praise and criticism, why Bobby only checks hiscomments on Tuesdays, and the grief of having a daughter who'll never meet the grandmother who shaped him most.   In this conversation, you'll learn: How to Turn Your Own Insecurities Into a Bridge for Someone Else'sHow to Tell the Difference Between Supporting Someone in Addiction and Enabling ThemHow to Stay Consistent With Someone Even When It Feels Like Nothing Is ChangingHow to Recognize When Both Praise and Criticism Are Actuallya ThreatHow to Build Boundaries So Social Media Doesn't Run YourNervous SystemHow to Respond Instead of React When You Feel ChallengedHow to Find Safety in a Relationship After a ChildhoodWithout ItHow to Let a Stranger's Small Act of Kindness Actually LandHow to Talk to Your Kids About the Parts of Your Story ThatStill HurtHow to Know You Were Consistent Enough, Even When Nothing Else Felt Certain  Feeling stuck in patterns you can't quite name? Onsite'sLiving Centered Program is built for people ready to slow down and do the deeper work that creates real change. Learn more at experienceonsite.com. Follow Human School: YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial What We Discuss: 00:00:00 – Meet Bobby Bones 00:03:47 – Why every performer is secretly insecure 00:05:09 – The secret to connecting with people in interviews 00:15:47 – Finding the line between public and private life 00:17:56 – Getting rejected to 2 Bestsellers 00:22:32 – Bobby’s Mom: 16 years old, no support, and anaddiction that never let go 00:31:57 – What to say to someone who is supporting an addict 00:38:06 – "I wish our baby could meet my mom" 00:39:33 – The four-letter word his grandma never stoppedsaying 00:47:11 – Why compliments feel like threats to him 00:50:29 – The boundaries that keep him from spiraling online 00:53:35 – Property and therapy: the two best investments he'smade 00:58:27 – His Onsite story he's never told quite like this 01:07:03 – The TEDx talk that flopped & the one that gothim back on stage 01:11:06 – What watching his wife become a mom taught himabout love 01:13:43 – His message to his daughter, twenty years from now

Have you ever lived a dream so fully that you felt the quiettug to walk away?  Not because it failed you, but because something new was calling. What does it look like to anchor your identity in somethingthat can never be taken from you, even when everything you've built your life around closes a chapter?   Reece Weaver spent her entire third season as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (DCC) carrying a decision nobody outside her closest circle knew about yet. The preacher's granddaughter from Jacksonville, Florida who started dancing at three, earned a scholarship to the University of Alabama —where she also met her husband Will — and felt something shift in her chest the moment she walked into AT&T Stadium as a sophomore. In the years to follow she has become the most-followed DCC in the franchise's history, a breakout presence on Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,and then spent a year in therapy, prayer, and conversation with people she trusts, processing a feeling of “what’s next?” she couldn't explain and couldn't ignore. In this conversation, Miles Adcox and Reece gets to the story underneath her retirement announcement. Reece opens up about the mental and emotional toll that the spotlight created long before the headlines caught up. She talks about the comparison trap that quietly became perfectionism, not being able to ignore people’s opinions and critiques on social media, her mom's reminder that "if that crown ever gets too tight, we can easily take it off," and why the word "retirement" still doesn't sit right with her. Miles and Reece also get to explore the joy of this next season and what is to come: a book, new hometown, being a cheerleader to her friends, and open hands for more opportunities.   In this conversation, you'll learn: How to Know When a Dream Is Finished vs. When You AreHow to Separate Your Identity from the Thing You're Best AtHow to Let "Two Things Can Be True" Change YourNext DecisionHow to Carry Perfectionism Without Being Carried By ItHow to Survive Being Watched Without Being Defined By ItHow to Hear the Tug Before It Becomes a RoarHow to Find Community That Tells You the TruthHow to Serve Something Bigger Than Your Own Highlight ReelHow to Take a Leap of Faith Into a Blank CanvasHow to Turn a Page Without Calling It Quitting  The conversations we have on Human School are shaped by thework happening every day at Onsite. Stuck in the same emotional patterns? Onsite's Living Centered Program helps you slow down, go deeper, and do the inner work that changes things. Learn more at experienceonsite.com.   Follow Human School: YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial   What We Discuss: 00:00:00 – Meet Reece Weaver 00:04:10 – Jacksonville, Florida & the Preacher's Granddaughter 00:09:39 – "I Was a Sponge" — How It All Started at Three 00:22:33 – Dance as an Expressive Therapy 00:24:34 – When Dance Becomes Your Whole Identity 00:27:44 – Who defines your identity? 00:32:42 – What Belonging Really Means 00:33:46 – One Song, Two Auditions, & Dreams She Didn't Know Yet 00:37:22 – Running Out on Bryant-Denny for the First Time 00:39:32 – Learning to Fail Well 00:42:21 – Where Perfectionism Really Comes From 00:50:18 – How Cutthroat Is It Inside the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders? 00:55:37 – Reminder from Mom: "If That Crown Ever Gets Too Tight" 00:59:17 – What to Tell a Young Girl in the Comparison Trap 01:02:18 – America’s Team: The Dallas Cowboys 01:06:52 – The Cotton Bowl Moment That Changed Everything 01:09:47 – The Mental Weight Nobody Talks About 01:17:05 – What’s next for Reece? 01:19:59 – Moving Onto the Next Phase of Life – Goodbye DCC 01:23:17 – Why She Refuses the Word "Retirement" 01:26:47 – What the Tears are Saying

Have you ever fought the hardest battle of your life and then not known what to do once it was over? What if the story you thought defined you was actually the prologue to something even bigger?   Clea Shearer is co-founder of The Home Edit — the brand, the Netflix show, the New York Times bestselling books. But the Clea in this conversation has spent four years navigating a cancer journey her own doctors call a medical anomaly. From her diagnosis to a double mastectomy, followed by many emergency surgeries, she has faced complications most people never encounter. And she's done it all publicly, because she made a promise in Paris the day after her diagnosis: she was going to make her cancer purposeful.   Miles and Clea go into all sides of facing a cancer treatment, especially the ones no one mentions. She opens up about the depression that hit after ringing the bell, being medically induced into menopause, losing her breast for the third time, and the first real fight she and her husband, John, had in 21 years. But she also shares how making her suffering public became the thing that saved her, why she considers cancer one of the great honors of her life, and what she's learned about building community and finding purpose on the other side.   In this conversation, you'll learn: How to find purpose in the middle of the worst thing that's ever happened to youHow the “ring the bell” moment can become its own kind of rock bottomHow illness fatigue affects even the most loving support systemsHow to receive help without guilt or resistanceHow sharing your story publicly can become the thing that heals youHow to tell the difference between relief and healing and why you need bothHow to rebuild meaning when you don't know what you were fighting for anymoreHow the community becomes your greatest medicine when nothing else worksHow to find the honor inside the hardest thing you've never asked forHow to keep going when you don't know if there's another side  Whether you're navigating grief, burnout, or a quiet sensethat something feels off, Onsite’s Living Centered experience gives you the tools, the community, and the space to change. Learn more at experienceonsite.com.   Follow Human School: YouTube - Human School Podcast Instagram - @humanschoolofficial Threads - @humanschoolofficial TikTok - @humanschoolofficial   What We Discuss: 00:00:00 – Meet Clea Shearer 00:03:31 – Hot Flashes & Getting Drop-Kicked Into Menopause 00:06:23 – Diagnosis Day: March 8, 2022 00:07:45 – What Happens After Active Treatment Ends 00:13:35 – The Medical Anomaly Nobody Wants to Be 00:17:52 – The Dark Month No One Saw Coming 00:21:05 – Eight Surgeries and a Year of Reconstruction 00:26:47 – Losing Her Breast for the Third Time 00:29:28 – The Undertow Nobody Else Could See 00:34:25 – The First Real Fight in 21 Years of Marriage 00:38:28 – 2026: The Year of the Fire Horse 00:42:48 – Presence Over Words: Horse Therapy 00:49:30 – The Two Things the Human Brain Fears Most 00:50:06 – Champagne, a Kindle, and Unconventional Coping 00:52:02 – Why She's Never Really Done Therapy 00:54:02 – Inner-Circle Friendship: Sitting Like a Chicken on an Egg 00:56:14 – Community Is the Most Powerful Antidote 01:00:30 – The Moment in Paris That Changed Everything 01:04:46 – Why Cancer Became the Honor of Her Lifetime 01:06:04 – A taste of what they didn’t get to