Episode 105: The Evolution of Parenting Teens and Beyond with Parent Coach Casey O'Rourty

Mother's Quest Podcast

I’m excited to share this conversation with my longtime fellow podcasting friend and parenting guide, Casey O’Rourty. Casey is a positive discipline trainer, certified coach and facilitator of personal growth and development, who encourages parents to discover the purpose of our journey. Through workshops, live and online classes, individual coaching, a published book, and her Joyful Courage Podcast, Casey helps us reconnect to our own empowerment and excitement in parenting, providing us with tools and a shift of mindset that allows us to deepen relationships with ourselves and our families. In recent years, as Casey’s own children have grown and flown, Casey has shifted her focus to supporting parents of tweens, teens and young adults. As I’m navigating fall school-year transitions—sending Ryan off to his junior year of college and guiding my youngest Jacob, now 12, as he starts middle school, I knew I wanted to interview Casey, so that I could anchor into her wisdom, humor and heart-centered approach to parenting during this pivotal time. In this episode, we dive into the heart of Casey’s E.P.I.C. life journey, from her experiences growing up as a child of divorce to her deep and supportive relationship with her daughter, Rowan. Casey shares openly about the ways that she had to evolve her own parenting and trust in the process, when Rowan’s mental health challenges in high school led Rowan to chart an untraditional path. We also talk about the gifts of midlife—self-awareness, personal growth, and the new adventures that come when we embrace our roles as “bird launchers” vs. empty nesters. This conversation left me deeply reflective about motherhood, the unpredictable twists and turns it brings, and the ways we can seek trust, connection, and even stillness in the midst of it all. I hope this conversation, and a Spark Session that Casey and I will collaborate on this fall, invite you to evolve your parenting, finding new ways to nurture connection with your children and within yourself.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• How Casey’s strained relationship with her mother transformed into a supportive one, with the birth of her first child as a catalyst for the transformation.

• Casey learned to embrace uncertainty and trust the evolving process of parenting when her daughter Rowan experienced mental health challenges and charted an untraditional path in high school and beyond.

• Casey’s positive discipline coaching practice has evolved to support parents of tween, teens and young adults, plus some of the tools she shares to help parents navigate tumultuous times.

• Casey’s refusal to fear a future that has not manifested or created suffering if it is not needed.

• The empowering perspective Casey holds on midlife, seeing it as a time of self-awareness, integrating personal growth with new life experiences.

About Casey O’Roarty

Casey O’Roarty, Med, is a facilitator of personal growth and development. Her work encourages parents to discover the purpose of their journey, while also providing them with tools and a shift of mindset that allows them to deepen their relationships with themselves and their families. As a Positive Discipline Trainer since 2007 and certified coach, Casey has led countless groups through workshops and classes that have left them feeling empowered and excited about parenting. She also offers an engaging podcast, live and online classes, and individual coaching at www.besproutable.com/teens. Her first book, Joyful Courage: Calming the Drama and Taking Control of YOUR Parenting Journey was published May 20th, 2019. Casey lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and loves any time she can get with her launched kiddos.

Connect with Casey:

• 6 week class starts Tuesday Sept 24th - www.besproutable.com/teens/positive-discipline-classes/#deep-dive-classes

• Parenting Classes: www.besproutable.com/elementary/parent-coaching/

• Website: www.besproutable.com/teens/

• IG: @joyful_courage

• FB Group for parents of teens: www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens

This Episode’s Challenge:

Casey invites us to dedicate space and time for self-reflection, whether through journaling, voice memos or using the Insight Timer. She also invited parents to join her six-week positive discipline class, which started September 24 but is still under way. Stay tuned for more details on a Spark Session we are organizing together “Nurturing Connection While Launching Our Kids.”

Related Episodes and Resources To Explore Next:

• An Honest Conversation with Rowan About Her Journey of Mental Health & Self Discovery with Casey and Rowan O’Roarty

• Ep 102: Milestone Hike Revisited: A Mother Son Neurodiversity Journey

• Alfred Adler: Theory and Application

• DBT: Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Book mentioned:

• "The Baby Catcher" by Peggy Vincent (memoir of a midwife)

This Episode is Dedicated by Elsie Escobar

Hello, I'm Elsie Escobar, and I'm honored to dedicate this episode of the Mother's Quest podcast to Casey O'Rourty. I met Casey for the first time in 2015 when she was part of a mastermind that I was co-running at the time. From 2015 to now, Casey has worked with me often, and I've been honored to continue to mentor her and really help her with her podcast, Joyful Courage. The gift of getting to know Casey has been incredible. I've always been a big believer that those I work with have something to teach me, and every time a new person comes to work with me directly, I feel there's something I need to learn as well. And this has never been more true than with Casey.

Casey has turned out to be my guide more than once, but more importantly recently, because I now have teenagers—two teenagers that I am a mama of. One of them, as Casey would say, is my teacher and continues to teach me the things I need to learn. At times, it's been scary, anxiety-inducing, dark, and hopeless. These are just some of the feelings that have come and gone lately. Really being able to listen to Casey's wisdom on parenting as my coach and hear her voice on her podcast, I'm not sure what I would have done, particularly this past year. She was instrumental in holding my hand across a very precarious bridge, and I just want to say thank you. I love you, Casey. You're amazing.

ABOUT ELSIE ESCOBAR

Elsie Escobar is a dedicated advocate, mentor, and a leading voice in the podcasting industry with over 17 years of experience. A fierce champion for diversity and representation, Elsie has consistently pushed the boundaries to elevate underrepresented voices in the space.

As the Director of Community and Content at Libsyn, she is the creative powerhouse behind “The Feed: The Official Libsyn Podcast,” which has just marked its 10th anniversary with over 1.6 million downloads. Elsie leads content strategy, concept development, and fosters meaningful engagement with podcasters across the globe.

Her impact extends beyond her role at Libsyn. Elsie has pioneered innovative content and social media strategies, inspired the creation of the society and culture track at Podcast Movement, and was honored with an induction into the Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame.

Elsie co-founded She Podcasts, the first large-scale community for women and non-binary podcasters, where her passion and commitment inspired a vibrant space for over 20,000 members to connect, learn, and nurture each other’s growth.

She is also known for her educational contributions, offering workshops, webinars, and meet-ups designed to empower podcasters at every stage of their journey. Through initiatives like #ClaimPodParity, she amplifies the voices of female audio creators, and as a spokesperson for Edison’s Latino Podcast Listening Report, she highlights the influence of Latino voices in podcasting. She is deeply involved with the BIPOC Podcast Creators initiative, supporting multicultural creators to find their footing and flourish in the industry.

Through all her efforts, Elsie has built and nurtured a vibrant podcasting community, inspiring countless individuals to discover their voice, embrace their unique journeys, and succeed in the ever-evolving podcasting landscape.

Connect with Elsie Escobar

• Website | elsieescobar.com

• Instagram | @theelsieescobar

• X (Twitter) @TheElsieEscobar

• LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/elsieescobar

BIG NEWS!

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