In this heartfelt episode of Care Visions Family Talk, Public Health Doctor Dr Linda de Caestecker spoke with renowned family therapist and author Caroline Penney, who brought both professional expertise and personal insight to the conversation on parenting.

Drawing from her book The Parenting Toolkit, Caroline explored why self-care is essential—not selfish—and how caring for ourselves directly supports our children’s wellbeing. She also reflected on how our own childhood experiences shape the way we parent, often in unconscious ways, and offered gentle, practical guidance for breaking unhelpful patterns and parenting with more confidence, connection, and compassion.

What Listeners Took Away from the Episode:

• The importance of self-care as a foundation for effective parenting
• Insight into how generational patterns influence our approach to raising children
• Practical tools for navigating parenting with greater balance and ease
• Encouragement to reflect, learn, and grow in a supportive, non-judgemental space

About Our Guest:

Caroline Penney is a systemic family therapist and leading parenting expert with over 30 years’ experience. A descendant of Sigmund and Anna Freud, she has dedicated her career to supporting families through evidence-based parenting courses and therapeutic work. Caroline’s background spans nursing, teaching, and community-based parenting education, including her leadership of the Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities project at South London and Maudsley Hospital. Her programmes—such as Baby and Us, Being A Parent, and Understanding Teenagers—have reached families across the UK and internationally in countries including Australia, Nigeria, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

For more information, visit: Caroline Penney – Parenting Specialist and Family Therapist.