Real Life with RDU Therapy
Real talk for real life. Parenting, work, relationships, and everything in between — with expert insight and a dose of humor.
Real Life with RDU Therapy is where modern parents, professionals, and families come to take a breath, get real, and find practical ways forward. Hosted by Dr. Melanie McCabe, a practicing licensed child and family psychologist, this podcast explores the everyday challenges that high-achieving parents face while raising kids in a world that rarely slows down.
From navigating burnout at work, juggling childcare, and managing aging parents—to handling big feelings, family chaos, and the constant pressure to “do it all”—this podcast is here to remind you that you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Each episode blends expert insights, real-life stories, and practical information you can use right away. Dr. McCabe also interviews thought leaders, business owners, and specialists across industries, giving listeners access to strategies that go beyond therapy and into whole-life well-being.
If you’re striving to raise resilient kids, care for yourself, and build a meaningful life (while still sneaking in a little humor and humanity), you’ll feel right at home here.
This podcast is an extension of the work we do at RDU Therapy
—helping families break cycles, build healthier patterns, and create more peace at home.
Connect with us on Instagram @rdutherapy or visit rdutherapy.com to learn more.
RDU Therapy from Raleigh, North Carolina.
Episodes
17 episodes
Behind the Decisions: How Local Policy Shapes Your Family’s Mental Health
Today’s conversation goes beyond the therapy room and into the decisions shaping mental health at a community level.I’m joined by Dr. Cheryl Stallings, Wake County Commissioner and licensed psychologist, along with psychologist Emily Kin...
Your Athlete’s Concussion Isn’t Treated Like It Was 10 Years Ago
If your child is an athlete, this is information you cannot afford to miss.Concussion treatment has changed significantly over the last decade, yet many parents, coaches, and even athletes are still following outdated advice that can del...
ADHD in Women: How Neurodivergent Women Can Thrive Not Just Survive with Peyton Gemmell
What does ADHD actually look like in women and why are so many high functioning, successful women just now getting diagnosed?In this episode, I sit down with Peyton Gemmell, founder of Lightminded, to talk about ADHD in women, late diagn...
Purity Culture, Sex, and Relationships: Healing Together with Jeremiah Gibson and Julia Postema
What happens when the messages you learned about sex, gender, and relationships long before adulthood still shape the way you connect today?In this episode of Real Life with RDU Therapy, I sit down with Jeremiah Gibson and Julia...
Dr. Matt on Gifted and Neurodivergent Kids: Emotional Intensity, ADHD, and Twice-Exceptional Truths
What if your “gifted” child is not just advanced, but overwhelmed, misunderstood, or struggling in ways no one is talking about?In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Matt Zaretsky, clinical psychologist and expert in gifted and neurodiver...
SoapBox Edition | WCPSS proposed budget cuts: Dr. Emily King, Dr. Matt Zakreski, and Dr. Melanie McCabe
We all need to be paying attention to what WCPSS (the largest school district in NC and 15th largest in the US) does in this moment.Today, Dr Emily King talks with myself and Dr. Matt Zakreski, all 3 psychologists who know schools and ne...
The Mom Burnout No One Sees | Amber Lynn Richardson | Seasonal Syning
In this episode of Real Life with RDU, I sit down with Amber Lynn Richardson, author, life coach, and speaker, for a thoughtful conversation about motherhood, burnout, women’s mental health, and what it means to reconnect with yourself when lif...
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The Truth About Moms and Medication with Dr. Priscilla Hidalgo
Moms are expected to emotionally regulate everyone in the house.But what happens when her own mental health is struggling?In this episode of Real Life with RDU, I sit down with Dr. Priscilla Hidalgo of Lux Psychiatry, PLLC to talk...
What Occupational Therapy Really Looks Like with Brittni Winslow, Clinician and Owner of Emerge Pediatric Therapy
In this episode of Real Life with RDU Therapy Dr Melanie McCabe sits down with Brittni Winslow owner and executive director of Emerge Pediatric Therapy to talk about what occupational therapy actually looks like in real family life. Together th...
Community Engagement and Family with City Council Member, Christina Jones
What does it look like when an elected leader puts community voice at the center of every decisionIn this episode Dr Melanie McCabe sits down with Raleigh City Council member Christina Jones a leader known for transparency compassion...
Raising Kids in a Food Obsessed World with Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, Marybeth Sullivan
What happens when a culture obsessed with body size and control meets a kid who is wired for perfectionism and anxiety.In this powerful conversation Dr Melanie McCabe sits down with Marybeth Sullivan, Carolyn Costin Institute certifi...
Grief, Trauma, and How It Moves Through Us (with Dr. Kat Bracken)
In this episode, Dr. Melanie McCabe sits down with Dr. Kat Bracken to explore what really happens inside us when we experience grief and trauma. Together, they talk about how loss shows up in the body, why certain reactions are completely norma...
Designing Your Life: The Real Life with RDU Take-Aways
What does “designing your life” actually look like when you’re balancing work, parenting, soccer practice, and sanity?Dr. Mel shares her personal take-aways from her conversation with Sabrina — how pneumonia changed her perspective, why fle...
Love and Control with Dr. Jessica Hayden
In this episode of Real Life with RDU Therapy, Dr. Melanie McCabe sits down with psychologist Dr. Jessica Hayden to unpack one of the most misunderstood dynamics in relationships: control disguised as care.We explore how love ...
Camp Counselor to Therapist with Kelly Sanderford
How lessons from summer camp shape emotional growth, belonging, and resilience — in therapy and in life.In this episode, Dr. Melanie McCabe sits down with Kelly Rusher Sanderford, licensed mental health counselor, mom, and former camp co...
Designing Your Life with Sabrina Ray: Turning Chaos Into Clarity
In this episode, I sit down with Sabrina, a human-centered design leader and mom of three, to explore how the principles of design thinking can be applied far beyond products and workflows — all the way into how we live, parent, and build famil...