Raising Good Humans

Should your child get a neuropsychological evaluation? Neuropsychologist Dr. Joanna Jacobs explains what it reveals, who needs one, and why it's not scary.

If you've ever been told your child might need a neuropsychological evaluation and felt your stomach drop, this episode is for you. Dr. Aliza Pressman sits down with neuropsychologist Dr. Joanna Jacobs to demystify what a neuro psych evaluation actually is, what it can tell you about your child's learning profile, and why so many parents leave the process feeling relieved rather than devastated. Whether your child is struggling with reading, attention, executive functioning, or social communication — or whether they seem fine on paper but something feels off at home — this conversation will help you understand what the evaluation process looks like, what questions to ask, and how to make sense of what you find out.

What you'll learn:

What a neuropsychological evaluation actually measures and who it's designed for

Why a diagnosis is a tool for accessing support, not a life sentence — and how to talk about it with your child at any age

The critical difference between cognitive profile and disorder

How neurodivergent brains, including those with dyslexia and ADHD, carry genuine strengths that language-based school systems frequently fail to identify or nurture

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Why do constraints help kids thrive? Dr. Aliza Pressman & David Epstein reveal the counterintuitive science of raising resilient, confident children.

If you've ever wondered whether making things easier for your kids is actually holding them back, this episode will stop you in your tracks. Dr. Aliza Pressman sits down with bestselling science writer David Epstein, author of Inside the Box, to unpack the research-backed case for constraints as one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in child development. From the Harvard Study of Adult Development's landmark findings on chores and confidence, to the neuroscience of why frustration tolerance is a skill every parent should be actively building, this conversation gives you concrete strategies you can implement this week. Starting at the dinner table.

What you’ll learn:


Why assigning chores in kindergarten predicts higher self-confidence later, and how to frame them so kids actually want to do them


What the Constraints-Led Approach (used by elite sports coaches) can teach every parent about stepping back and letting kids self-organize


"Brain first, tool second," David's framework for navigating AI, screens, and the cognitive risks of passive consumption


Why anomie (normlessness) drives youth anxiety and how clear family values and rituals act as a protective anchor

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What if the hardest part of dating after divorce isn't whether you're ready, but whether your kids are?

This solo episode tackles one of the most-asked, least-discussed questions in the inbox: how to start dating again after divorce in a way that honors your own life and your children's emotional reality. It's a topic carrying guilt, grief, longing, worry, and the very real truth that you are still a living, breathing person who wants a romantic life. 

Drawing on listener-submitted questions, this conversation walks through the practical and emotional terrain of re-entering romantic life. We will discuss why your timeline almost never matches your child's, what inner work to do before your first date back, how to introduce a new partner without quietly handing your kids the job of approving them, and how to be honest about loneliness without making them feel responsible for filling it.

What you'll learn:


Why your child's timeline is on a totally different track than yours and the rough one-year guideline for keeping your dating life "off-stage"


The two moves to avoid when you introduce a new partner, including the one that quietly puts adult-sized weight on your child's shoulders


What to actually say when the blunt questions come and why your kids can never be the ones who fill your loneliness

This episode is brought to you by:

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Postpartum depression isn't just for moms. Dr. Darby Saxbe explores why new dads struggle, identifies the often unrecognized signs, and demystifies the science of paternal mental health.

Did you know that "dad brain" is a scientifically proven biological shift? Recent brain science shows that fatherhood literally changes and rewires men's brains--but unlike maternal shifts, a father's brain adapts primarily through the lived experience of hands-on caregiving. In this episode of Raising Good Humans, world-renowned researcher Dr. Darby Saxbe joins host Dr. Aliza Pressman to expose the hidden mental health crisis in new dads that modern culture completely ignores. 

🦋We discuss:


The neuroscience of fatherhood: How caregiving rewires a dad's brain to filter out distractions and focus on the baby.


Postpartum depression in men: What the signs look like and why it so often goes unrecognized.


"Maternal gatekeeping": How well-meaning moms accidentally shut dads out of the process.


The truth about paternity leave and why modern isolation is breaking the "village."


A fascinating look at why parenting is neuroprotective (and linked to a younger-looking brain later in life).

We also tackle a critical question: How much of father absence is actually driven by untreated perinatal mental health problems? Tune into this paradigm-shifting conversation on fatherhood and mental health.

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What does it actually mean to be a good parent and why does knowing the research make it harder, not easier?

This week I'm sharing an interview I did with Adam Grant on his show, ReThinking,  where we got into the framework I come back to constantly: all feelings are welcome, but all behaviors are not. We talked about gentle parenting, why asking your child to do something nine times is no better than asking twice, orchid vs. dandelion kids, and what I think the job of a parent actually is.

What you'll hear:


Why "all feelings are welcome, but all behaviors are not" is the organizing principle behind almost every parenting question


What orchid/dandelion research reveals about why some kids are more harmed by permissiveness than others


Why asking more than twice doesn't increase compliance and what to do instead


The one-sentence definition of the parenting job I keep coming back to

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