Wow, Host Glass really hit a nerve in Season 8, thus far with the two interviews he’s conducted on Parental Alienation, featuring fathers, whose stories have all the makings of a Netflix series! He’s also shined a spotlight on Domestic Violence, giving TheHourGLASSpodcast fans a thorough understanding of what constitutes it. Domestic Violence is not always physical, mental, and emotional “violence,” it can include a host of offenses. In this season’s Episode 8, Glass covers Enmeshment with expert and author Dr. Kenneth Adams. This is a relatively new label assigned to an age-old problem. Enmeshment is when the parent leans on the child to become the surrogate “intimate partner” by making their child feel responsible for their emotional and often physical well-being, and overall, expects them to fill the void of their spouse or intimate partner. Sometimes a parent will do this unwittingly; other times a parent will knowingly manipulate the child, which can cause lifelong wounds that can be just as damaging as physical harm. Examples can range from making the child responsible for meal prep to being a sounding board for the parent’s most personal issues. In this new Episode 8, Host Glass, along with premier expert on Enmeshment, Dr. Kenneth Adams (best known for his groundbreaking work in sex addiction) and Glass, launch into an earnest conversation about this form of child abuse, which was not considered a “thing” until research categorized it as a form of child abuse. Adams and Host Glass unpack this pervasive problem carefully. During the interview, Adams often refers to his books’ content in When He’s Married to Mom; and Silently Seduced: When Parents Make Their Children Partners; and A Light In the Dark. Enmeshment is not exclusive to mothers and sons either, as Adams explains, it can be any parent/child combo. It’s a great conversation.

In case you need to catch up, binge earlier season episodes, where you can pick and choose from more than 200 interviews in the podcast’s Prior Seasons/Episodes section (links on the landing page). Thus far in Season 8, Glass zoomed in on Parental Alienation and Domestic Violence. His interviews featured: Ryan Hoffer, (EP 7) creator and founder of the Forged Fathers Movement, an organization geared to help the left-out father post breakup through his 7-Step Reset Program; and Victor Dohleman (EP 1) who shared his 25-year battle to reunite with his three kids. California State Sen. Susan Rubio, District 22 (EP 6), itemized some of the laws addressing Domestic Violence, breaking down what’s covered in Senate Bill 331, Piqui’s Law, a bill she authored. Also, psychologist, Dr. Richard Warshak (EP 2) pinpointed the psychological impact of the PAS syndrome. We also heard from “live to tell” assault victim Alesia Litteral (EP 3) whose husband shot her 7 times and stabbed her more than 33. Host Glass also had some serious banter with Matt Murphy (EP 4), former prosecutor for Orange County, CA D.A.’s office about relationship red flags and familial homicide. That was then followed with straight talk with legendary trial attorney, Mark Geragos (EP 5), as he weighed in on the consequences for the battering and homicidal intimate partner perpetrator. Coming up in Season 8’s Episode 9 is co-parent coach and author, Darlene Taylor, who talks about how she uprooted her daughter from their home in Cincinnati, Ohio, to move West so she could more effectively co-parent with her daughter’s father, UCLA’s head basketball coach, Mike Cronin. Following Taylor’s insightful interview, there will be some surprise guests during the remainder of Season 8 who discuss “gray divorce,” a trending norm now among older intimate partners, and kids having to live in two households, and how to make that regular arrangement less stressful. Tune in every second Saturday of the month for more new Episodes! They are always thought-provoking, enlightening, and jam-packed with sensible tips. You won’t want to miss any one of them. But, if you do, you can always access TheHourGLASSpodcast prior Seasons/Episodes section in the library below.