Episode 279: Stop Diagnosing Your Kids: Rethinking "Behavior Problems" Through Development and Love

The meltdown. The defiance. The constant "look at me." It's easy to wonder if something is wrong. But most of the time, these aren't signs of a disorder — they're signs of development still in progress.

In this episode, Dr. Greg explores what's really underneath "behavior problems," why children can't be diagnosed with personality disorders, and why the question that changes everything isn't "what's wrong with my child?" — but "what does my child need from me right now?"

Key Topics:

Why children cannot be diagnosed with personality disorders — and what's actually happening when their behavior looks like one
How emotional regulation is learned, not innate — and what co-regulation actually looks like
Why a child's dramatic, self-centered, or defiant behavior is often developmentally appropriate
What it means when a child borrows a parent's nervous system — and why that steadiness is the foundation
Why the patterns we see in our kids so often point back to something in us
How a parent's own unhealed wounds shape the environment a child grows up inside
Why admitting our own imperfection is one of the most formative things we can give our children

Learn More:

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