Best ScreamFree Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Stop Looking at Me, Jim! #58 50:35

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10+ y ago50:35

50:35

Remember in the TV show The Office when Jim would look out at the viewers as if to say, "Look at the craziness I have to put up with! Help!" But what if Jim was part of the problem? This week Hal and John talk about taking ScreamFree to work.

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Validate Me, Please #57 48:46

10+ y ago48:46

48:46

So many of our relationship problems come about because we feel the need to be validated -- because we can't self-validate. This week Hal and John discuss the unhealthy need for validation and how to get past it.

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Be Yourself #56 47:37

10+ y ago47:37

47:37

We frequently tell kids, "Just be yourself." But do we mean it? And what exactly do we mean by it? Do kids even know who they are? Do adults? This week Hal and John discuss our ideas of identity.

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M-O-N-E-Y #55 44:42

10+ y ago44:42

44:42

Very few things in life trigger our anxiety the way money does. So, how does the ScreamFree Life change that? This week Hal and John discuss money, taxes, and why it's so difficult to remain calm.

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Choosing College #54 47:51

10+ y ago47:51

47:51

Choosing where to go to college is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make -- but maybe not for the reasons you suspect. John & Hal discuss how this is less about getting the right education and more about knowing how to make good decisions.

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Step Lightly #53 54:14

10+ y ago54:14

54:14

More and more families involve the word "step" at some level now -- step-father, step-mother, step-children. This week John and Hal discuss some of the unique challenges facing blended families.

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New You Revolutions #52 41:30

10+ y ago41:30

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Spring is here. Temperatures are climbing, and people are itching to get outside. What if we decided to make our New Year's Resolutions now? In this episode, Hal and John talk about why this could be a better time to try something new.

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Complaining Complainers and the Complaints They Complain #51 53:54

10+ y ago53:54

53:54

We all know someone who complains about it being cold in January but then complains about it being hot in August. People just love to complain. This week Hal and John talk about complaining -- why it's so addictive and what to do instead.

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Give War a Chance? #50 50:05

10+ y ago50:05

50:05

War is hell. You probably already know that, but why is war so hellish? And what are our alternatives? In this week's podcast, Hal and John discuss war, the casualties of war, and the alternative solutions we could try.

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50 Shades of Sexy #49 48:38

10+ y ago48:38

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The novel 50 Shades of Grey took the world by storm. Now, with the movie set to release in a few days, lots of people are wondering what all the fuss is about. Hal and John discuss the merits and potential drawbacks of spicing things up in the bedroom.

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ScreamFree Goes to the Movies -- Part 1 #48 50:35

10+ y ago50:35

50:35

The Academy Awards recently announced their annual list of nominees for Best Picture. In this week's episode, John and Hal discuss three of the movies in particular, and the big ideas these movies provoke.

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Joy to the World? #47 48:05

11y ago48:05

48:05

'Tis the season of joy and merriment...for most people. But, for some, the holidays seem like anything but a joyous time. Listen in as John and Hal share how joy and sorrow mingle during this Advent season.

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Episode 46 -- The Hopes and Fears of All the Years #46 49:12

11y ago49:12

49:12

The holidays are rarely as "perfect" as we want them to be, and that can cause some disappointment. Hal and John talk about how the theme of HOPE can change our perspective during this time of year.

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Peace on Earth #45 50:27

11y ago50:27

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This time of year reminds us of our deepest desires, and surely one of those is the longing for peace on earth. But what is peace exactly, and how do we find it? Listen in as Hal and John talk about that and more.

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A Matter of Life and Death #44 49:31

11y ago49:31

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Society has a love/hate relationship with death, but we all know it's inevitable. How should we live knowing that we're all gonna die? Hal and John discuss that and more on this week's episode of "You Must Chill".

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Spankfree Parenting? #43 53:54

11y ago53:54

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Spanking has become such a hot topic of late, with news reports of star athletes being arrested and people coming out on one side of the issue or the other. In this week's podcast, Hal and John attempt to have a ScreamFree conversation about spanking.

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Why Seeing Sexy Celebrity Selfies Is Never Enough #42 44:20

11y ago44:20

44:20

By now most everyone has heard about the awful breach of privacy that has leaked nude photos of some of Hollywood's young starlets. This week John and Hal discuss what this latest scandal says about us as a society.

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ScreamFree Divorce? #41 51:59

11y ago51:59

51:59

The latest generation of young adults looks at the idea of marriage through a very different lens and wonders if a lifelong commitment is wise to make at such an early age. With a changed view of marriage, though, must come a changed view of divorce.

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Stereotypes are Always True...Except for When They're Not #40 50:04

11y ago50:04

50:04

Stereotypes don't just rise up out of nowhere. They're based in truth. But are they helpful? This week we talk about our perceptions of others (and ourselves) and how it all affects our relationships and our ability to adapt to change.

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Freedom FROM and Freedom FOR #39 47:09

11y ago47:09

47:09

It's that time of year again when Americans celebrate their independence by eating, drinking, and blowing things up! This week Hal and John discuss the two sides of freedom and how America serves as a metaphor for our teens' impending independence.

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Hey, Honey, You're Fat! #38 49:34

11+ y ago49:34

49:34

We all have awkward conversations from time to time, but there's got to be a better way of telling your spouse they've put on a few extra pounds than simply saying, "Hey, Honey, you're fat!" Still, maybe saying it like that isn't the worst thing.

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I Do What I Want #37 47:53

11+ y ago47:53

47:53

Ah, choices. We love them, but then we hate them at the same time. Choices always have consequences, and that's the rub. The best choices are made when we stop first to ask ourselves one simple question: What do I want?

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The Good Ole Summertime? #36 49:40

11+ y ago49:40

49:40

Summer vacation has changed quite a bit from when most of us were young. Gone are the days of playing outside until the street lamps light up. In this week's podcast, John and Hal discuss some productive ways to cope with your child's summer vacation.

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Communicating through Conflict #35 51:26

11+ y ago51:26

51:26

It's one thing to keep open channels of communication in your marriage when it's smooth sailing. But how do you communicate when the water gets choppy? This week Hal and John talk about the times when communication may require a little more courage. \

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I Think I'm Gonna Die #34 48:04

11+ y ago48:04

48:04

Everyone knows that one day they're going to die, but no one wants to think about it. But what if there are benefits to coming to terms with your own mortality? Hal and John discuss the topic of death on this week's episode of You Must Chill.

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Finding Rhythm #33 48:46

11+ y ago48:46

48:46

We all know our lives would be better if we balanced work and rest, service and play, alone time and time together. But what if balance is overrated? This week Hal and John discuss an alternative to balance.

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Gay Rights (and Wrongs) #32 51:27

11+ y ago51:27

51:27

The conversation over gay rights has become headline news recently, with both sides growing more and more heated. This week Hal and John try to demonstrate how to talk about things like this -- and how not to.

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Sex, Drugs, Violence, and Your Kids #31 45:01

11+ y ago45:01

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We live in a world where there is sex, drugs, and violence. This week, Hal and John talk about why (and how) they've chosen to expose their kids to things a little earlier than some of their friends.

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Snowpocalypse! #30 48:50

11+ y ago48:50

48:50

Hal and John recorded this week's podcast while snow was blanketing the metro-Atlanta area. It prompted an interesting discussion on how to best survive the snowpocalypse. (Hint: the first step is to just not freak out).

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Early Exposure #29 47:29

11+ y ago47:29

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This week we celebrated the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We tend to forget that he was, among other things, a father. As a father, he was determined not to protect his children from the world but to prepare them for it -- by exposing them to its r

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Do You Get High? #28 50:11

11+ y ago50:11

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With the recent legalization of marijuana, many people wonder about the ethics of getting high. Parents, especially, are concerned about how this impacts their teens. In this episode, Hal and John talk about whether or not to get on the pot.

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Smile #27 50:19

11+ y ago50:19

50:19

Many of us go through the annual exercise of making resolutions and setting goals. We reflect on how our lives are and imagine how we'd like them to be. In this episode Hal and John remind you of one simple thing we can all do: smile.

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Directing Christmas #26 45:56

12y ago45:56

45:56

So many of our struggles this time of year come from our desire to direct the perfect Christmas. What if we could just let that go? Hal and John talk about how to keep our anxiety from ruining Christmas.

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Affluenza #25 47:48

12y ago47:48

47:48

For some reason, every Christmas we think we have to outdo what we did last year. But what if that's the worst thing we can do for our kids? This week Hal and John talk about how to avoid giving our kids a bad case of Affluenza.

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Merry Christmas to Us #24 48:25

12y ago48:25

48:25

Few things stress a marriage like the holidays. How are you supposed to survive without screaming? This week, John and Hal discuss how to have a ScreamFree marriage during the holidays -- it might surprise you how simple it is!

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Hopes and Fears #23 50:46

12y ago50:46

50:46

Everyone wishes for a happy holiday season, but things rarely turn out the way we wish they would. So, what do you do? How can you have a meaningful time even when you know it'll never be perfect?

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Where Were You When...? #22 49:25

12y ago49:25

49:25

Seminal events mark each generation. Pearl Harbor. JFK. 911. Tragedy draws us together like nothing else can, but can we use these things to help our kids learn how to cope with death? Only if we talk about them.

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Awkward #21 49:49

12y ago49:49

49:49

The holidays are the perfect time for that awkward moment when...you don't like your adult child's new boyfriend or the way your sister is raising her children. When is it okay to say something? And how?

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Man Up #20 49:37

12y ago49:37

49:37

Little boys are often told they need to "toughen up" -- but when does that approach cross the line into bullying? And what does being "tough" really mean? Hal and John talk about how to resolve conflict without resorting to playground

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The Big Event(s) #19 49:37

12y ago49:37

49:37

The ScreamFree Institute just hosted a big event, and we all know how much fun that can be. Dressing up and throwing a party creates memories. But is that always the best thing for your marriage?

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The Anxiety Channel #18 49:56

12y ago49:56

49:56

This week, sadly, we had more violence in schools. It's understandable that living in a violent culture can create anxiety in parents, but is there a way we can channel that anxiety into something positive?

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Fan or Fanatic? #17 49:38

12y ago49:38

49:38

It's one thing to root for your favorite team, but there's a line between being a fan and being a fanatic. In this episode, John & Hal discuss the difference and connect it to some bigger issues like identity, character and hope.

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Let's Talk about Sex #16 50:02

12y ago50:02

50:02

A recent email encouraging college students to ply women with alcohol in order to bed them, went viral. This week, Hal & John discuss how to help your daughter avoid being victimized and how to help you son avoid being the jerk who thinks like that.

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ScreamFree Politics #15 50:13

12y ago50:13

50:13

You're not supposed to talk about politics, but, when the government shuts down, how are Hal and John going to keep quiet? In this episode they talk about the possibility of ScreamFree politics and what lessons we can learn from what's going on in Washing

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Avoiding the Zombi-fi-cation of Your Kids #14 48:10

12y ago48:10

48:10

Lots of people have been upgrading the operating system of their smartphone recently. But is all this technology turning us into a world full of zombies? In this episode, Hal and John discuss how to avoid the zombification of your kids -- and yourself!

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ScreamFree or EmotionFree? #13 48:00

12y ago48:00

48:00

Sometimes people wonder if ScreamFree is really code for EmotionFree living. This is not the case. It is possible to feel your emotions and express them well by learning to be responsive without being reactive.

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Empty Nest or Broken Home? #12 50:55

12y ago50:55

50:55

So many marriages break up when the kids begin to leave the nest. But why? And how can we avoid it?

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Miley and Johnny and Justin...Oh My! #11 48:28

12y ago48:28

48:28

Miley Cyrus, Johnny Manziel and Justin Bieber have been in the news lately because of their bad behavior. And their behavior has been terrible. But do we share any of the responsibility? And could we be giving our own children permission to misbehave?

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The Power of Calm #10 48:35

12y ago48:35

48:35

ScreamFree's work with military families. Parents are responsible TO their kids instead of FOR them. The ability to remain calm AND connected has the power to revolutionize the world.

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What's in a Name? #9 50:25

12y ago50:25

50:25

The power of the names we give our children. Parenting adolescents is necessarily difficult -- and why that's a good thing. How much freedom should we give our children to choose their own identity and when?