The Good Love with Steph & Jonah https://thegoodlove.podbean.com The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is a podcast about the beautiful mess of being human.

Hosted by mother and son Steph and Jonah, each episode explores the experiences, beliefs, and relationships that shape who we become. Through honest conversations, personal stories, psychological insight, and a healthy dose of humor, they tackle the questions so many of us carry—but rarely say out loud.

Together, they unpack the invisible lenses that influence how we love, parent, heal, communicate, and navigate life's biggest challenges. Along the way, you'll find thoughtful conversations about personal growth, mental health, family dynamics, resilience, purpose, and the courage to become more fully yourself.

Whether you're searching for hope, greater self-awareness, or simply a meaningful conversation that reminds you you're not alone, The Good Love with Steph & Jonah invites you to slow down, think deeply, and discover that healing often begins with understanding.

Because a better relationship with yourself changes every relationship that follows.

]]> Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0300 https://podbean.com/?v=5.5 en Copyright 2026 All rights reserved. Health & Fitness:Mental Health 1440 episodic The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is a podcast about the beautiful mess of being human. Hosted by mother and son Steph and Jonah, each week features honest conversations about the experiences, beliefs, and relationships that shape who we become. Together, they explore the stories we inherit, the wounds we carry, and the hope that comes from learning to see ourselves—and each other—with greater compassion. Blending personal stories, thoughtful reflection, psychological insight, and a healthy dose of humor, Steph and Jonah tackle life’s biggest questions with curiosity instead of certainty. From relationships and parenting to healing, mental health, purpose, and personal growth, every episode invites listeners to think more deeply, love more freely, and live more intentionally. Whether you’re navigating a difficult season or simply looking for meaningful conversations that remind you you’re not alone, The Good Love with Steph & Jonah offers a place to slow down, reflect, and grow. Because a better relationship with yourself changes every relationship that follows. Steph Campbell Steph Campbell No true https://feed.podbean.com/thegoodlove/feed.xml https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/21600025/TGL_PodcastLogo_v6.png The Good Love with Steph & Jonah https://thegoodlove.podbean.com 144 144 Protecting and Preserving the Collective Psyche of the Masses Protecting and Preserving the Collective Psyche of the Masses https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/protecting-and-preserving-the-collective-psyche-of-the-masses/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/protecting-and-preserving-the-collective-psyche-of-the-masses/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/aa571258-6b08-3259-85d8-3effb9b54495 Six weeks into his marriage and family therapy program, Jonah shares what he is learning with Steph—and how their own family has become part of his coursework. They discuss why siblings can have different experiences of the same parents, what it means to develop your own perspective within a family, and why working with children also involves the relationships around them.

Their conversation about trauma becomes personal when Steph notices her urge to fix something on her desk as a vulnerable subject comes up. She and Jonah consider the connection between discomfort and wanting control. Although there is no longer the possibility of a live streamed execution, they do discuss  the mass psyche and the damage it would endure by promoting that kind of extreme violence and its normalization.

The episode closes with an exchange about support and healing: when talking about pain helps, when it can become a repetitive loop, and why finding someone to tell may be an important first step.

]]> Six weeks into his marriage and family therapy program, Jonah shares what he is learning with Steph—and how their own family has become part of his coursework. They discuss why siblings can have different experiences of the same parents, what it means to develop your own perspective within a family, and why working with children also involves the relationships around them.

Their conversation about trauma becomes personal when Steph notices her urge to fix something on her desk as a vulnerable subject comes up. She and Jonah consider the connection between discomfort and wanting control. Although there is no longer the possibility of a live streamed execution, they do discuss  the mass psyche and the damage it would endure by promoting that kind of extreme violence and its normalization.

The episode closes with an exchange about support and healing: when talking about pain helps, when it can become a repetitive loop, and why finding someone to tell may be an important first step.

]]> Steph Campbell true No 2245 1 18 full Death and Dying: Why Showing Up Isn't Always Easy Death and Dying: Why Showing Up Isn't Always Easy https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/death-and-dying-why-showing-up-isnt-always-easy/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/death-and-dying-why-showing-up-isnt-always-easy/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/c0ddebb0-eec0-369d-bf21-0ae0ee5188db We know death is coming. We just don’t like getting close enough to see it. And sometimes, that means pulling away from the very people who need us. This episode reflects on the ideas of death and dying, with a powerful conversation about how we can show up for the dying. 

After the death of a dear friend, Steph reflects on the visits people meant to make, the messages that arrived too late, and the loneliness that serious illness can bring. Her friend was deeply loved. He also sometimes wished he saw more of the people he loved—a painful contradiction that gives this conversation its urgency. Steph knows what it means to be on the other side of that absence. After her father died when she was fifteen, and her dealing with her mother's chronic illness, she and her siblings were left struggling while the adults around them didn’t know how to help. The people who withdrew weren’t villains. They were overwhelmed, frightened, and unsure what to do. But the consequences were real.

Jonah challenges the idea that showing up is always the right answer. Having an open afternoon is not the same as having the emotional capacity to sit with someone else’s pain. Together, they distinguish honest boundaries from avoidance, and consistency from the impossible promise of always being available.

And Steph admits something that complicates the whole conversation: sometimes connecting is difficult because saying goodbye hurts so much. Facing that fear won’t make loss easy. It may, however, keep fear from deciding who gets left alone.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes.

]]> We know death is coming. We just don’t like getting close enough to see it. And sometimes, that means pulling away from the very people who need us. This episode reflects on the ideas of death and dying, with a powerful conversation about how we can show up for the dying. 


After the death of a dear friend, Steph reflects on the visits people meant to make, the messages that arrived too late, and the loneliness that serious illness can bring. Her friend was deeply loved. He also sometimes wished he saw more of the people he loved—a painful contradiction that gives this conversation its urgency. Steph knows what it means to be on the other side of that absence. After her father died when she was fifteen, and her dealing with her mother's chronic illness, she and her siblings were left struggling while the adults around them didn’t know how to help. The people who withdrew weren’t villains. They were overwhelmed, frightened, and unsure what to do. But the consequences were real.


Jonah challenges the idea that showing up is always the right answer. Having an open afternoon is not the same as having the emotional capacity to sit with someone else’s pain. Together, they distinguish honest boundaries from avoidance, and consistency from the impossible promise of always being available.


And Steph admits something that complicates the whole conversation: sometimes connecting is difficult because saying goodbye hurts so much. Facing that fear won’t make loss easy. It may, however, keep fear from deciding who gets left alone.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes.

]]> After losing a close friend, Steph examines why people sometimes pull away from loved ones facing illness and death. Jonah pushes back on the idea that we should always be available, opening a candid conversation about avoidance, emotional limits, regret, and how even small acts of consistency can matter. Steph Campbell true No 4205 1 17 full Projection, Transference, and How Your Past Takes Over Projection, Transference, and How Your Past Takes Over https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/projection-transference-and-how-your-past-takes-over/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/projection-transference-and-how-your-past-takes-over/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/d39fe7df-1628-3694-81c4-bcb5aeeaf113 What happens when an old wound enters a conversation before you notice it? In Episode 16 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, a discussion of projection and transference becomes personal when Steph recognizes what was happening inside her during an exchange with her son. A meeting earlier that day had left her feeling overlooked. She connects that feeling to childhood exclusion, the fear of becoming invisible as she ages, and the complicated experience of being deeply proud of Jonah while worrying that people would rather listen to him. She also acknowledges that her reading of the meeting may not be what actually happened. Jonah starts with an everyday example of assuming someone else feels the way he would. Later, he describes his own anxiety and desire to keep everyone happy, despite having had a loving childhood. Together, they consider why reassurance sometimes fails to reach a painful feeling and why awareness still takes work. The conversation returns to what Steph hoped to give her son: enough steadiness to recover when life hurts.

Content note: This episode discusses childhood violence and emotional distress, and includes a brief mention of suicide.

]]> What happens when an old wound enters a conversation before you notice it? In Episode 16 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, a discussion of projection and transference becomes personal when Steph recognizes what was happening inside her during an exchange with her son.

A meeting earlier that day had left her feeling overlooked. She connects that feeling to childhood exclusion, the fear of becoming invisible as she ages, and the complicated experience of being deeply proud of Jonah while worrying that people would rather listen to him. She also acknowledges that her reading of the meeting may not be what actually happened.

Jonah starts with an everyday example of assuming someone else feels the way he would. Later, he describes his own anxiety and desire to keep everyone happy, despite having had a loving childhood. Together, they consider why reassurance sometimes fails to reach a painful feeling and why awareness still takes work.

The conversation returns to what Steph hoped to give her son: enough steadiness to recover when life hurts.

Content note: This episode discusses childhood violence and emotional distress, and includes a brief mention of suicide.

]]> A conversation about projection and transference becomes personal when Steph recognizes an old fear of being overlooked in her response to Jonah. They explore the gap between what happens and what we feel, why reassurance can fall short, and why even a good childhood still leaves room for self-examination. Content Note: Includes discussion of childhood violence, emotional distress, and a brief reference to suicide. Steph Campbell true No 3936 1 16 full When Righteousness Becomes a Weapon When Righteousness Becomes a Weapon https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/when-righteousness-becomes-a-weapon/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/when-righteousness-becomes-a-weapon/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:48:06 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/6278157d-639e-326d-a164-17eafc87a984 Righteousness can make cruelty feel justified. When a belief is used as proof that someone else is beneath you, the harm you cause can be rooted in, thus disguised by "the right thing to do." In Episode 15 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah examine that turn: how conviction becomes a weapon in families, relationships, and the wider world. Their conversation runs into a difficult contradiction. If someone’s certainty is hurting people, how do you challenge it without becoming just as certain that your own view is beyond question? Steph keeps pressing that tension as they move from public power and religion to the agreements people make with one another. “Going rogue” becomes one way to recognize the pattern: deciding that because your reason feels right, an agreement no longer applies to you. Jonah brings the problem closer to home. The belief that you must never quit, must fix every relationship, or must live by the rules you inherited can hold you hostage long after those rules stop helping. Righteousness can become a weapon against yourself, too, making an alternative seem wrong before you have even considered it. That raises another question: what are we protecting when we refuse to admit there might be something we do not know? The conversation ends with Steph reading a poem she wrote as a child about the world’s unanswered questions. After an hour of testing what it means to be right, that young voice leaves room for discovery. Steph and Jonah keep returning to the need to challenge harm; the ending asks whether we can do that while remaining curious enough to question ourselves.

]]> Righteousness can make cruelty feel justified. When a belief is used as proof that someone else is beneath you, the harm you cause can be rooted in, thus disguised by "the right thing to do." In Episode 15 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah examine that turn: how conviction becomes a weapon in families, relationships, and the wider world.

Their conversation runs into a difficult contradiction. If someone’s certainty is hurting people, how do you challenge it without becoming just as certain that your own view is beyond question? Steph keeps pressing that tension as they move from public power and religion to the agreements people make with one another. “Going rogue” becomes one way to recognize the pattern: deciding that because your reason feels right, an agreement no longer applies to you.

Jonah brings the problem closer to home. The belief that you must never quit, must fix every relationship, or must live by the rules you inherited can hold you hostage long after those rules stop helping. Righteousness can become a weapon against yourself, too, making an alternative seem wrong before you have even considered it. That raises another question: what are we protecting when we refuse to admit there might be something we do not know?

The conversation ends with Steph reading a poem she wrote as a child about the world’s unanswered questions. After an hour of testing what it means to be right, that young voice leaves room for discovery. Steph and Jonah keep returning to the need to challenge harm; the ending asks whether we can do that while remaining curious enough to question ourselves.

]]> When righteousness turns another person into someone beneath you, cruelty can start to feel justified. Steph and Jonah examine how that happens—and the uncomfortable question that follows: how do you challenge harmful certainty without making your own beliefs untouchable? In Episode 15 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, they move from public power and religion to broken agreements and the inherited rules that can keep us trapped. A poem Steph wrote as a child brings the conversation back to everything we still do not know, and the possibility of holding convictions without closing ourselves off to discovery. Steph Campbell true No 4171 1 15 full Childhood Needs: The Roots of Trust, Shame, and Self-Worth Childhood Needs: The Roots of Trust, Shame, and Self-Worth https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/the-childhood-roots-of-trust-shame-and-self-worth/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/the-childhood-roots-of-trust-shame-and-self-worth/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/fd0f38f0-9dec-35e2-bd24-07db67716e27 As a child, Steph was “screaming ouch” at the top of her lungs. It was sometimes referred to as drama. Her son Jonah grew up expecting that people would show up for him. In this episode, Steph and Jonah ask how two generations of the same family learned such different things about trust. Jonah starts with Erik Erikson’s model of childhood development from his psychology class, then brings the question home: what happens when a child’s needs are, ignored, or mistaken for bad behavior? Steph grew up amid her mother’s severe mental illness, learning to pretend she needed nothing, and trying to give other people the care she did not know to ask for herself. She can now clearly name the shame and distrust that became her defaults. Years of therapy have helped her respond to them differently, but old wounds are still painful. Jonah’s childhood offers another side of that family story. With Steph and his father’s care, he learned to know his worth and to assume there might be a reason when someone lets him down. He has had to learn that people will not always show up—and that being able to handle a problem alone does not mean he should have to. Their conversation widens beyond what any one parent can provide. Severe illness, money, work, and community support all shape what care is possible. They also challenge the reflex to dismiss a need because someone else “has it worse.” By the end, even the boy who cried wolf sounds different: instead of asking whether he deserved to be believed, Jonah asks why nobody stopped to find out what made him cry out in the first place. Episode 14 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah includes discussion of childhood neglect and severe mental illness. The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes. 

]]> As a child, Steph was “screaming ouch” at the top of her lungs. It was sometimes referred to as drama. Her son Jonah grew up expecting that people would show up for him. In this episode, Steph and Jonah ask how two generations of the same family learned such different things about trust.

Jonah starts with Erik Erikson’s model of childhood development from his psychology class, then brings the question home: what happens when a child’s needs are, ignored, or mistaken for bad behavior? Steph grew up amid her mother’s severe mental illness, learning to pretend she needed nothing, and trying to give other people the care she did not know to ask for herself. She can now clearly name the shame and distrust that became her defaults. Years of therapy have helped her respond to them differently, but old wounds are still painful.

Jonah’s childhood offers another side of that family story. With Steph and his father’s care, he learned to know his worth and to assume there might be a reason when someone lets him down. He has had to learn that people will not always show up—and that being able to handle a problem alone does not mean he should have to.

Their conversation widens beyond what any one parent can provide. Severe illness, money, work, and community support all shape what care is possible. They also challenge the reflex to dismiss a need because someone else “has it worse.” By the end, even the boy who cried wolf sounds different: instead of asking whether he deserved to be believed, Jonah asks why nobody stopped to find out what made him cry out in the first place.

Episode 14 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah includes discussion of childhood neglect and severe mental illness. The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes. 

]]> Steph says she learned to pretend she had no needs. Jonah says he grew up believing people would show up. They are mother and son—and neither account tells the whole story. In Episode 14 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, they trace their vastly different instincts through Steph’s childhood neglect, the care she and Jonah’s father gave him, and the years of help she sought along the way. Steph can now trust herself with or without being free of old pain; Jonah’s confidence has not always made it easy to ask for help. They talk about why old shame can still hurt after years of therapy, why having a good life does not cancel your needs, and why the better response to someone who keeps “crying wolf” might be to get curious about the incessant screaming. Steph Campbell true No 3852 1 14 full The Lindsay Clancy Trial: What It Reveals About How We Talk About Mental Health The Lindsay Clancy Trial: What It Reveals About How We Talk About Mental Health https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/the-lindsay-clancy-trial-what-it-reveals-about-how-we-talk-about-mental-health/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/the-lindsay-clancy-trial-what-it-reveals-about-how-we-talk-about-mental-health/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/8daa57bd-e1dc-3868-86a7-8f04756a2577 The Lindsay Clancy trial brings Steph and Jonah to a question about the conversation around it: what gets missed when public attention settles on blame? In Episode 13 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, they discuss psychosis, the appeal of true-crime spectacle, and the support they believe parents need before a crisis comes to fruition.

Steph speaks from her experience of surviving a mother who was was plagued with severe psychosis. Her memories of fear and of her mother’s remorse lead to a harder question: what happens to the children who live? She describes the lasting cost of that childhood and the difficulty of finding people who understood how to deal with mental illness.

Jonah examines the comments people leave about the case and argues that protecting children includes supporting their parents. Later, he challenges language that can encourage self-diagnosis. Their exchange considers how to make frightening experiences easier to talk about without treating every struggle as a diagnosis. And also how to be pro-active when something is a diagnosis.

They bring it all home discussing the help Steph received through her journey and the life Jonah has been able to build. This is a personal, intense conversation about mental illness and care, rather than a legal analysis of the case. It includes discussion of child deaths and childhood violence.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes.

]]> The Lindsay Clancy trial brings Steph and Jonah to a question about the conversation around it: what gets missed when public attention settles on blame? In Episode 13 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, they discuss psychosis, the appeal of true-crime spectacle, and the support they believe parents need before a crisis comes to fruition.

Steph speaks from her experience of surviving a mother who was was plagued with severe psychosis. Her memories of fear and of her mother’s remorse lead to a harder question: what happens to the children who live? She describes the lasting cost of that childhood and the difficulty of finding people who understood how to deal with mental illness.

Jonah examines the comments people leave about the case and argues that protecting children includes supporting their parents. Later, he challenges language that can encourage self-diagnosis. Their exchange considers how to make frightening experiences easier to talk about without treating every struggle as a diagnosis. And also how to be pro-active when something is a diagnosis.

They bring it all home discussing the help Steph received through her journey and the life Jonah has been able to build. This is a personal, intense conversation about mental illness and care, rather than a legal analysis of the case. It includes discussion of child deaths and childhood violence.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes.

]]> Steph and Jonah use the Lindsay Clancy trial to examine how people talk about mental illness, blame, and the help parents need. Steph’s own childhood makes the question of what happens to surviving children deeply personal. Episode 13 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah also considers stigma, self-diagnosis, and hope across generations. Includes discussion of child deaths and childhood violence. Steph Campbell true No 3724 1 13 full Miraculous Neuroplasticity — The Secret Sauce for a Cycle Breakers Healing Miraculous Neuroplasticity — The Secret Sauce for a Cycle Breakers Healing https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/breaking-the-cycle-while-you-re-still-healing/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/breaking-the-cycle-while-you-re-still-healing/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/05449b8c-3176-3b66-953a-6d7949cc73f4 Can you break a family cycle while you’re still healing from it? In Episode 12 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph brings a question she has spent decades living: why can so much of your life change while the voice inside still seems to be against you? Starting with neural pathways and the effort involved in changing old beliefs, Steph describes the gap between the life she has built and the self-worth she continues to struggle with. She recalls a therapist’s camera metaphor for distorted self-perception, and explains why radical self-acceptance has mattered even when self-love feels out of reach. Then the conversation turns to Jonah. Steph asks what her years of therapy meant for the child she raised. He remembers security, freedom to take risks, and someone in his corner. At her invitation, he also names what stayed with him: anxiety around anger and intensity. Their exchange gives the question of change a specific answer. Steph’s work mattered to Jonah, and it did not prevent every hurt - its not supposed to - thats not the point. As the conversation unveils the beauty of the healing between parent and child, they end with the responsibility to keep seeking support and remain open to what a child experienced.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes. 

]]> Can you break a family cycle while you’re still healing from it? In Episode 12 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph brings a question she has spent decades living: why can so much of your life change while the voice inside still seems to be against you?

Starting with neural pathways and the effort involved in changing old beliefs, Steph describes the gap between the life she has built and the self-worth she continues to struggle with. She recalls a therapist’s camera metaphor for distorted self-perception, and explains why radical self-acceptance has mattered even when self-love feels out of reach.

Then the conversation turns to Jonah. Steph asks what her years of therapy meant for the child she raised. He remembers security, freedom to take risks, and someone in his corner. At her invitation, he also names what stayed with him: anxiety around anger and intensity.

Their exchange gives the question of change a specific answer. Steph’s work mattered to Jonah, and it did not prevent every hurt - its not supposed to - thats not the point. As the conversation unveils the beauty of the healing between parent and child, they end with the responsibility to keep seeking support and remain open to what a child experienced.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes. 

]]> Steph has spent decades in therapy, and she still struggles with her own value. Jonah grew up feeling secure, and he still has things from childhood to work through. In Episode 12 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, they actively work with their own neuropasticity by putting those truths beside each other in a candid conversation about self-acceptance, persistence, and what it means to break a family cycle while you’re still healing. Steph Campbell true No 3663 1 12 full The Art of Service: Giving Without Controlling The Art of Service: Giving Without Controlling https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/the-art-of-service-giving-without-controlling/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/the-art-of-service-giving-without-controlling/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/5b5c74e5-3b54-3f39-9d5a-007bdddd0114 Can you help someone without deciding what they should do with the help? In Episode 11 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah talk about service, community, and the growing habit of looking after only our own. Jonah uses a small confession—he depends on Google reviews but rarely writes them—to show how easily people receive from shared systems without contributing back. From there, the conversation asks what makes service meaningful. Jonah describes contribution as a muscle tied to his own sense of balance. Steph argues that service can be as ordinary as listening without interrupting, and that giving from pity or superiority turns another person into someone beneath the giver rather than someone equal to them. The episode becomes most charged when they discuss giving money to a person experiencing homelessness. Jonah understands the fear that cash could enable harm; Steph challenges the assumption that a gift gives anyone the right to control another adult’s choice. Her stories about handing out cheeseburgers, letting her dying mother smoke, and being treated without shame by a doctor make the argument personal rather than abstract. What emerges is not a tidy definition of good service. It is a more demanding test: whether help recognizes another person’s humanity, whether community can survive without reciprocal participation, whether the giver can release the need to feel righteous about giving, and most importantly, regardless of whether a human being is in the position of giver or receiver, we are all equal as we are all headed to the same destination.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes.

]]> Can you help someone without deciding what they should do with the help? In Episode 11 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah talk about service, community, and the growing habit of looking after only our own. Jonah uses a small confession—he depends on Google reviews but rarely writes them—to show how easily people receive from shared systems without contributing back.

From there, the conversation asks what makes service meaningful. Jonah describes contribution as a muscle tied to his own sense of balance. Steph argues that service can be as ordinary as listening without interrupting, and that giving from pity or superiority turns another person into someone beneath the giver rather than someone equal to them.

The episode becomes most charged when they discuss giving money to a person experiencing homelessness. Jonah understands the fear that cash could enable harm; Steph challenges the assumption that a gift gives anyone the right to control another adult’s choice. Her stories about handing out cheeseburgers, letting her dying mother smoke, and being treated without shame by a doctor make the argument personal rather than abstract.

What emerges is not a tidy definition of good service. It is a more demanding test: whether help recognizes another person’s humanity, whether community can survive without reciprocal participation, whether the giver can release the need to feel righteous about giving, and most importantly, regardless of whether a human being is in the position of giver or receiver, we are all equal as we are all headed to the same destination.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son, Jonah Swotes.

]]> When does helping become control? Steph and Jonah talk about service as participation in community, the small acts that keep shared systems alive, and the superiority that can hide inside generosity. In Episode 11 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, a difference in perspective about giving cash to a person experiencing homelessness opens a candid conversation about pity, choice, consequences, addiction, equality, and what it means to give without keeping moral authority over the gift. Steph Campbell true No 3637 1 11 full Who Do You Become When Nothing Goes Your Way? Who Do You Become When Nothing Goes Your Way? https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/who-do-you-become-when-nothing-goes-your-way/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/who-do-you-become-when-nothing-goes-your-way/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/7b222299-4859-35b6-ad72-d5a3ef6360a2 Who do you become when nothing goes your way? In Episode 10 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Jonah brings in a morning of printer problems, paperwork, and the DMV, while Steph is exhausted in the middle of an unfinished move. Neither is discussing powerlessness from a safe distance; they are already inside it.

The conversation expands from daily aggravation into the systems and people everyone depends on, the comfort of believing that good choices guarantee good outcomes, and the fear that can sit underneath a quick “that’s too bad” response to someone else’s struggle. Jonah describes needing to put his experience in perspective and “emotionally pull the parachute and stop falling.”

Steph offers a less polished kind of reset: sometimes go to sleep, eat, shower, take a bath, or let tomorrow be the next attempt. From there, they move into self-compassion, the HALT check—hungry, angry, lonely, tired—and the surprising role of boundaries in making compassion sustainable.

What the episode ultimately reveals is not a method for taking control back. It is the version of a person that can surface when control disappears—and the small interventions that can keep a bad moment from deciding who that person will be.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Who do you become when nothing goes your way? In Episode 10 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Jonah brings in a morning of printer problems, paperwork, and the DMV, while Steph is exhausted in the middle of an unfinished move. Neither is discussing powerlessness from a safe distance; they are already inside it.

The conversation expands from daily aggravation into the systems and people everyone depends on, the comfort of believing that good choices guarantee good outcomes, and the fear that can sit underneath a quick “that’s too bad” response to someone else’s struggle. Jonah describes needing to put his experience in perspective and “emotionally pull the parachute and stop falling.”

Steph offers a less polished kind of reset: sometimes go to sleep, eat, shower, take a bath, or let tomorrow be the next attempt. From there, they move into self-compassion, the HALT check—hungry, angry, lonely, tired—and the surprising role of boundaries in making compassion sustainable.

What the episode ultimately reveals is not a method for taking control back. It is the version of a person that can surface when control disappears—and the small interventions that can keep a bad moment from deciding who that person will be.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> ”Who do you become when nothing goes your way? Jonah’s frustrating morning and Steph’s moving-day exhaustion open a candid conversation about powerlessness, the limits of persistence, and the version of us that can surface when control disappears. In Episode 10 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, they explore stopping, sleep, self-compassion, HALT, and the boundaries that can help someone interrupt the fall and remember who they are.” Steph Campbell true No 2403 01 10 full It’s Never Too Late to Change Your Life It’s Never Too Late to Change Your Life https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/it-s-never-too-late-to-change-your-life/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/it-s-never-too-late-to-change-your-life/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/249d9e1d-932a-3eb9-b45c-a13b3f8f6736 What if the change you need does not feel exciting all the time? In Episode 9 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah record from California after a demanding cross-country move—and use the upheaval to ask what it actually takes to choose a life that feels true.

Jonah explains how he worked through money, distance, and the fear of disrupting the people he loves before choosing graduate school in San Diego. Steph talks about following him west, letting difficult feelings exist without treating them as commands, and recognizing how much energy she had spent staying close and available to relationships that had already changed.

The conversation moves through geography as a catalyst, the difference between internal conflict and a wrong decision, the boundaries that let adult children leave home, and the cost of muting yourself in exchange for belonging. It is not a polished reinvention story. It is a candid conversation about discomfort, loyalty, grief, and the relief of finally allowing an answer to be the answer.

]]> What if the change you need does not feel exciting all the time? In Episode 9 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah record from California after a demanding cross-country move—and use the upheaval to ask what it actually takes to choose a life that feels true.

Jonah explains how he worked through money, distance, and the fear of disrupting the people he loves before choosing graduate school in San Diego. Steph talks about following him west, letting difficult feelings exist without treating them as commands, and recognizing how much energy she had spent staying close and available to relationships that had already changed.

The conversation moves through geography as a catalyst, the difference between internal conflict and a wrong decision, the boundaries that let adult children leave home, and the cost of muting yourself in exchange for belonging. It is not a polished reinvention story. It is a candid conversation about discomfort, loyalty, grief, and the relief of finally allowing an answer to be the answer.

]]> Steph and Jonah record from California after their cross-country move and ask what it takes to make a change when the right choice still feels frightening. They talk about feelings without letting feelings run the whole life, questioning the beliefs underneath resistance, setting family boundaries, and no longer trading your own voice for the hope of belonging. Steph Campbell true No 3266 1 9 full Trauma, Dissociation, and Learning to Feel Safe Again Trauma, Dissociation, and Learning to Feel Safe Again https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/trauma-dissociation-and-learning-to-feel-safe-again/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/trauma-dissociation-and-learning-to-feel-safe-again/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/80b94a85-5763-3eff-914d-9c27b517eb5a What happens when a coping mechanism that once helped you survive starts pulling you away from the life you're trying to live now?

In Episode 8 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, a listener's question about trauma-related dissociation opens a much larger conversation about healing. Steph and Jonah talk about grounding, therapy, nervous-system responses, self-compassion and why trying to force yourself to "snap out of it" may miss what the frightened part of you actually needs.

Then the conversation becomes personal. Jonah reflects on what it was like growing up with a mother carrying severe childhood trauma—moments when Steph's reactions could leave him feeling unstable, but also the repeated repair that taught him those moments would end. Together, they explore the difference between having trauma and surrendering responsibility for its impact, and what long-term healing can actually look like inside a relationship.

This isn't a conversation about finding a quick fix. It's about learning to understand the parts of ourselves that adapted to survive—and finding a different way to live with them.

]]> What happens when a coping mechanism that once helped you survive starts pulling you away from the life you're trying to live now?

In Episode 8 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, a listener's question about trauma-related dissociation opens a much larger conversation about healing. Steph and Jonah talk about grounding, therapy, nervous-system responses, self-compassion and why trying to force yourself to "snap out of it" may miss what the frightened part of you actually needs.

Then the conversation becomes personal. Jonah reflects on what it was like growing up with a mother carrying severe childhood trauma—moments when Steph's reactions could leave him feeling unstable, but also the repeated repair that taught him those moments would end. Together, they explore the difference between having trauma and surrendering responsibility for its impact, and what long-term healing can actually look like inside a relationship.

This isn't a conversation about finding a quick fix. It's about learning to understand the parts of ourselves that adapted to survive—and finding a different way to live with them.

]]> A listener’s question about trauma-related dissociation leads Steph and Jonah into a deeply personal conversation about grounding, therapy, nervous-system responses and why healing isn’t the same thing as forcing yourself to ”snap out of it.” Jonah also shares what it was like growing up around Steph’s trauma responses—and how her willingness to regulate, explain and repair ultimately changed what those moments meant to him. Steph Campbell true No 2598 1 8 full Grace Doesn’t Mean Letting People Off the Hook Grace Doesn’t Mean Letting People Off the Hook https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/grace-doesn-t-mean-letting-people-off-the-hook/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/grace-doesn-t-mean-letting-people-off-the-hook/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/94582cfd-d50a-3372-bce4-94a52e0cd7e5 What does it actually mean to give someone grace? And does extending grace mean ignoring what they did? In Episode 7 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah explore the difference between grace and graciousness—and what both look like when life is messy, uncertain, and very much in motion. With their home being packed up around them and a cross-country move to San Diego looming, the idea is anything but theoretical. Steph is confronting the dismantling of the home and life she knows, while Jonah is moving toward grad school and a new chapter he has actively chosen. The same transition feels very different from either side. They talk about the grace found in friends who genuinely show up, in someone who sees beyond your stress to remind you who you are, and in allowing another person to be exactly where they are—even when you wish they were somewhere else. But the conversation also pushes against the idea that grace means excusing behavior. Jonah argues that grace and accountability can—and sometimes must—exist together. A parent can provide safety in the moment while still having the difficult conversation later. Compassion can make room for someone’s story without pretending their choices have no consequences. Together, Steph and Jonah ask what it means to stay open to the grace life may be offering, especially when the path ahead feels unearned, unfamiliar, or completely outside our control.

In this episode: The difference between grace and graciousness Why grace is often described as something unearned What it looks like to receive grace, not just give it How friendship reveals whether people genuinely want to show up Why acceptance sometimes means allowing someone not to change How uncertainty can ask us to trust before we have evidence Why grace and accountability are not opposites What gracious parenting can look like in difficult moments How compassion can make room for someone’s story without excusing harmful choices Why it is never too late to offer—or receive—grace

Sometimes grace is gentle.

Sometimes grace looks like patience.

Sometimes it looks like a boundary, a difficult conversation, or the willingness to believe that life may still have something for us that we have not earned, predicted, or planned.

The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> What does it actually mean to give someone grace?
And does extending grace mean ignoring what they did?

In Episode 7 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah explore the difference between grace and graciousness—and what both look like when life is messy, uncertain, and very much in motion.
With their home being packed up around them and a cross-country move to San Diego looming, the idea is anything but theoretical. Steph is confronting the dismantling of the home and life she knows, while Jonah is moving toward grad school and a new chapter he has actively chosen. The same transition feels very different from either side.

They talk about the grace found in friends who genuinely show up, in someone who sees beyond your stress to remind you who you are, and in allowing another person to be exactly where they are—even when you wish they were somewhere else.

But the conversation also pushes against the idea that grace means excusing behavior.
Jonah argues that grace and accountability can—and sometimes must—exist together. A parent can provide safety in the moment while still having the difficult conversation later. Compassion can make room for someone’s story without pretending their choices have no consequences.
Together, Steph and Jonah ask what it means to stay open to the grace life may be offering, especially when the path ahead feels unearned, unfamiliar, or completely outside our control.

In this episode:
The difference between grace and graciousness
Why grace is often described as something unearned
What it looks like to receive grace, not just give it
How friendship reveals whether people genuinely want to show up
Why acceptance sometimes means allowing someone not to change
How uncertainty can ask us to trust before we have evidence
Why grace and accountability are not opposites
What gracious parenting can look like in difficult moments
How compassion can make room for someone’s story without excusing harmful choices
Why it is never too late to offer—or receive—grace

Sometimes grace is gentle.

Sometimes grace looks like patience.

Sometimes it looks like a boundary, a difficult conversation, or the willingness to believe that life may still have something for us that we have not earned, predicted, or planned.


The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Steph and Jonah explore what it really means to give and receive grace while navigating a stressful cross-country move. From friendship and uncertainty to parenting and accountability, they ask whether grace can make room for human mistakes without pretending our actions have no consequences. Steph Campbell true No 3709 1 7 full When Logic and Emotion Speak Different Languages When Logic and Emotion Speak Different Languages https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/when-logic-and-emotion-speak-different-languages/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/when-logic-and-emotion-speak-different-languages/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/e2ef765d-28a6-339b-aefa-6daabe67279d Why can two people care deeply about each other, participate in the same conversation, and still walk away feeling as though completely different things happened? In Episode 6 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah use Aristotle’s concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos to explore how credibility, emotion, and logic shape the way we communicate. Jonah naturally tends to approach conversations through logic. Steph often begins with emotion and the deeper meaning beneath an interaction. Both styles offer something valuable—but when logic and emotion speak different languages, even good intentions can lead to defensiveness, shame, and misunderstanding. As they discuss their contrasting communication styles, the theory unexpectedly becomes real. A small interruption creates tension between them: Jonah feels as though he is losing his voice and his train of thought, while Steph feels abruptly shut down and ashamed without understanding why. Instead of moving past the moment, they slow down and examine it together. Their disagreement becomes a live example of how conflict is shaped not only by what someone says, but by the fears, histories, and protective instincts each person brings into the conversation. Beneath Jonah’s defensiveness is a fear of not being heard. Beneath Steph’s reaction is a fear of being rejected or pushed away. Together, they explore what becomes possible when people stop defending their own interpretations long enough to become curious—about the other person and about themselves. In this episode:

What ethos, pathos, and logos mean How logic and emotion influence communication Why two people can experience the same conversation differently How defensiveness can interrupt connection The fear and shame beneath our reactions Why unresolved feelings often come out sideways How curiosity creates room for understanding Why healthy relationships need space for imperfection and repair How to balance emotional truth, logical thinking, and credibility Why understanding ourselves helps us understand one another Sometimes the problem is not simply what was said. It is that logic and emotion were speaking different languages. The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Why can two people care deeply about each other, participate in the same conversation, and still walk away feeling as though completely different things happened?


In Episode 6 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah use Aristotle’s concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos to explore how credibility, emotion, and logic shape the way we communicate.


Jonah naturally tends to approach conversations through logic. Steph often begins with emotion and the deeper meaning beneath an interaction. Both styles offer something valuable—but when logic and emotion speak different languages, even good intentions can lead to defensiveness, shame, and misunderstanding.


As they discuss their contrasting communication styles, the theory unexpectedly becomes real. A small interruption creates tension between them: Jonah feels as though he is losing his voice and his train of thought, while Steph feels abruptly shut down and ashamed without understanding why.
Instead of moving past the moment, they slow down and examine it together.
Their disagreement becomes a live example of how conflict is shaped not only by what someone says, but by the fears, histories, and protective instincts each person brings into the conversation. Beneath Jonah’s defensiveness is a fear of not being heard. Beneath Steph’s reaction is a fear of being rejected or pushed away.
Together, they explore what becomes possible when people stop defending their own interpretations long enough to become curious—about the other person and about themselves.
In this episode:


What ethos, pathos, and logos mean
How logic and emotion influence communication
Why two people can experience the same conversation differently
How defensiveness can interrupt connection
The fear and shame beneath our reactions
Why unresolved feelings often come out sideways
How curiosity creates room for understanding
Why healthy relationships need space for imperfection and repair
How to balance emotional truth, logical thinking, and credibility
Why understanding ourselves helps us understand one another

Sometimes the problem is not simply what was said. It is that logic and emotion were speaking different languages.


The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Steph and Jonah use ethos, pathos, and logos to explore what happens when one person communicates through logic and another through emotion. When a real misunderstanding unfolds between them, they slow down to uncover the fear, shame, and defensiveness beneath it—and show how curiosity can help people find their way back to one another. Steph Campbell true No 3346 1 6 full What's Really Behind Our Constant Sense of Urgency What's Really Behind Our Constant Sense of Urgency https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/whats-really-behind-our-constant-sense-of-urgency/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/whats-really-behind-our-constant-sense-of-urgency/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/dcd300f6-8504-37c3-b0ed-744ec80e3215 Why can an unanswered text, an unread email, or an unfinished task feel like an actual emergency? In Episode 5 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes explore what is really behind the constant sense of urgency that shapes so much of modern life. Our phones keep us perpetually reachable. Businesses compete for our immediate attention. Messages, notifications, responsibilities, and unresolved decisions can begin to feel far more threatening than they actually are. But urgency is not always just about technology or a busy schedule. For many of us, it is connected to something deeper: hypervigilance, childhood instability, abandonment wounds, difficulty trusting others, communication patterns, or the unconscious belief that if we do not handle everything ourselves, no one will. Drawing from their own experiences preparing for a major cross-country move, Steph and Jonah examine how the nervous system can struggle to distinguish between something important and a genuine emergency. They also discuss communication fatigue, anxious attachment, the limitations of texting, and why having more ways to reach one another has not necessarily made us better at understanding each other. In this episode, you’ll discover: • Why everyday tasks can activate a fight-or-flight response • How constant accessibility intensifies anxiety and communication wounds • Why unanswered messages can feel threatening or personal • The difference between frequent communication and meaningful communication • How unresolved childhood confusion can influence our need for certainty and control • Why rushing may distract us from feeling grief, fear, loneliness, or discomfort • How slowing down and checking in with yourself can interrupt urgency • Why learning to trust can make it easier to live with uncertainty • How flexibility and accountability can improve difficult conversations Urgency may be a familiar survival pattern, but it does not have to control every part of your life. Sometimes the first step is pausing long enough to ask whether something is truly an emergency—or whether an older wound is making it feel like one. Listen to The Good Love with Steph & Jonah wherever you get your podcasts. https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/ The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Why can an unanswered text, an unread email, or an unfinished task feel like an actual emergency?
In Episode 5 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes explore what is really behind the constant sense of urgency that shapes so much of modern life.
Our phones keep us perpetually reachable. Businesses compete for our immediate attention. Messages, notifications, responsibilities, and unresolved decisions can begin to feel far more threatening than they actually are.
But urgency is not always just about technology or a busy schedule.
For many of us, it is connected to something deeper: hypervigilance, childhood instability, abandonment wounds, difficulty trusting others, communication patterns, or the unconscious belief that if we do not handle everything ourselves, no one will.
Drawing from their own experiences preparing for a major cross-country move, Steph and Jonah examine how the nervous system can struggle to distinguish between something important and a genuine emergency. They also discuss communication fatigue, anxious attachment, the limitations of texting, and why having more ways to reach one another has not necessarily made us better at understanding each other.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why everyday tasks can activate a fight-or-flight response
• How constant accessibility intensifies anxiety and communication wounds
• Why unanswered messages can feel threatening or personal
• The difference between frequent communication and meaningful communication
• How unresolved childhood confusion can influence our need for certainty and control
• Why rushing may distract us from feeling grief, fear, loneliness, or discomfort
• How slowing down and checking in with yourself can interrupt urgency
• Why learning to trust can make it easier to live with uncertainty
• How flexibility and accountability can improve difficult conversations
Urgency may be a familiar survival pattern, but it does not have to control every part of your life. Sometimes the first step is pausing long enough to ask whether something is truly an emergency—or whether an older wound is making it feel like one.
Listen to The Good Love with Steph & Jonah wherever you get your podcasts.
https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/
The Good Love with Steph & Jonah is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Steph and Jonah explore what may be hiding beneath our constant sense of urgency, from modern technology and communication fatigue to hyper-vigilance, abandonment wounds, distrust, and the need to remain in control. They consider how slowing down and understanding our emotional patterns can help us respond to life without treating everything like an emergency, in this new world where everything might seem like one. Steph Campbell true No 3986 1 5 full Are We Ever Really Independent? Are We Ever Really Independent? https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/are-we-ever-really-independent/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/are-we-ever-really-independent/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/19203f4f-c598-3560-879f-70a50412a5cb Are we ever truly independent, or do healthy lives depend on knowing how to rely on one another without losing ourselves? In Episode 4 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah use Independence Day as the starting point for a much more personal conversation about dependency, independence, interdependence, and codependency. As Jonah prepares to move across the country and begin a new chapter, they reflect on what it means for an adult child to leave home—and what it asks of the parent who has to let them go. Jonah shares the excitement of building a life of his own, while Steph speaks candidly about the grief, fear, and unresolved wounds that can surface when a child becomes independent. Together, they explore why healthy independence does not mean never needing anyone, how a parent’s unprocessed fear can shape a child’s willingness to enter the world, and why parents need support that their children may never see. Steph also opens up about the difficult emotional work she has done behind the scenes throughout Jonah’s life. She explains how therapy, grief, and confronting her own abandonment wounds allowed her to encourage Jonah’s independence—even when letting him go caused her tremendous pain. This is an honest conversation about raising children, separating with love, healing old wounds, and recognizing that becoming independent is rarely a clean or painless process. In this episode, you’ll discover: • Why complete independence may be more myth than reality • The differences between dependency, interdependence, and codependency • How children and parents experience separation differently • Why parents must remain curious about a child’s temperament • How unresolved fear can unintentionally restrict a child • Why children often see the results of a parent’s healing—but not the work behind it • How therapy and support can help parents let their children grow • Why grief can be part of healthy separation • What it means to love someone without preventing their independence • Why healing yourself can change what becomes possible for the next generation Listen to The Good Love with Steph & Jonah wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Are we ever truly independent, or do healthy lives depend on knowing how to rely on one another without losing ourselves?

In Episode 4 of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah, Steph and Jonah use Independence Day as the starting point for a much more personal conversation about dependency, independence, interdependence, and codependency.

As Jonah prepares to move across the country and begin a new chapter, they reflect on what it means for an adult child to leave home—and what it asks of the parent who has to let them go. Jonah shares the excitement of building a life of his own, while Steph speaks candidly about the grief, fear, and unresolved wounds that can surface when a child becomes independent.

Together, they explore why healthy independence does not mean never needing anyone, how a parent’s unprocessed fear can shape a child’s willingness to enter the world, and why parents need support that their children may never see.

Steph also opens up about the difficult emotional work she has done behind the scenes throughout Jonah’s life. She explains how therapy, grief, and confronting her own abandonment wounds allowed her to encourage Jonah’s independence—even when letting him go caused her tremendous pain.

This is an honest conversation about raising children, separating with love, healing old wounds, and recognizing that becoming independent is rarely a clean or painless process.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why complete independence may be more myth than reality
• The differences between dependency, interdependence, and codependency
• How children and parents experience separation differently
• Why parents must remain curious about a child’s temperament
• How unresolved fear can unintentionally restrict a child
• Why children often see the results of a parent’s healing—but not the work behind it
• How therapy and support can help parents let their children grow
• Why grief can be part of healthy separation
• What it means to love someone without preventing their independence
• Why healing yourself can change what becomes possible for the next generation

Listen to The Good Love with Steph & Jonah wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> Are we ever truly independent? As Jonah prepares to move across the country, he and Steph explore dependency, interdependence, codependency, and the complicated process of letting an adult child build a life of their own. Jonah reflects on the excitement of leaving home, while Steph opens up about the fear, grief, and abandonment wounds she has had to confront in order to support his independence. Together, they discuss why healthy independence does not mean never needing anyone, how a parent’s emotional healing affects a child’s freedom, and why the work parents do behind the scenes may only become visible through the trust and confidence their children carry into the world. Steph Campbell true No 2861 1 4 full Choose to Heal So Your Kids Don't Have To Choose to Heal So Your Kids Don't Have To https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/choose-to-heal-so-your-kids-dont-have-to/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/choose-to-heal-so-your-kids-dont-have-to/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/bb009c93-50b2-3f3d-94c6-59691cd6219b What if you didn’t have to prove that your life is worth something?

In Episode 3 of The Good Love, Steph and Jonah Pick A Card; Any Card! and start by picking affirmation cards for each other, but the conversation quickly becomes something deeper. When Jonah pulls the card “my existence pays for itself,” Steph reflects on worth, judgment, money, housing, single motherhood, and the exhaustion of constantly having to prove that you deserve a place in the world.

From there, the conversation opens into parenting, healing, and what it takes to raise a child without passing down your own unhealed pain. Steph shares the work she did to stay aware of her trauma, get support, and become the kind of parent who could give Jonah a solid foundation. Jonah reflects on what that felt like from the other side — and how it shaped his ability to see life, struggle, and uncertainty as something he could move through.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why affirmations only matter when you actually feel them

• What “my existence pays for itself” stirred up for Steph

• The pressure to prove your worth in a world full of judgment

• Why being poor, struggling, or needing help is not a crime

• How Jonah sees luck, blessings, and uncertainty in his own life

• What parents can and cannot control

• Why healing yourself matters when raising a child

• How kids absorb the emotional world around them

• Why it is never too late to become a healthier parent

Listen to The Good Love on Podbean: https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/

Follow, subscribe, and share The Good Love for more honest conversations about healing, family, relationships, self-understanding, and the beautiful mess of being human.

The Good Love is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> What if you didn’t have to prove that your life is worth something?

In Episode 3 of The Good Love, Steph and Jonah Pick A Card; Any Card! and start by picking affirmation cards for each other, but the conversation quickly becomes something deeper. When Jonah pulls the card “my existence pays for itself,” Steph reflects on worth, judgment, money, housing, single motherhood, and the exhaustion of constantly having to prove that you deserve a place in the world.

From there, the conversation opens into parenting, healing, and what it takes to raise a child without passing down your own unhealed pain. Steph shares the work she did to stay aware of her trauma, get support, and become the kind of parent who could give Jonah a solid foundation. Jonah reflects on what that felt like from the other side — and how it shaped his ability to see life, struggle, and uncertainty as something he could move through.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why affirmations only matter when you actually feel them

• What “my existence pays for itself” stirred up for Steph

• The pressure to prove your worth in a world full of judgment

• Why being poor, struggling, or needing help is not a crime

• How Jonah sees luck, blessings, and uncertainty in his own life

• What parents can and cannot control

• Why healing yourself matters when raising a child

• How kids absorb the emotional world around them

• Why it is never too late to become a healthier parent

Listen to The Good Love on Podbean:
https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/

Follow, subscribe, and share The Good Love for more honest conversations about healing, family, relationships, self-understanding, and the beautiful mess of being human.

The Good Love is hosted by Steph Campbell and her son Jonah Swotes.

]]> In Episode 3 of The Good Love, Steph and Jonah begin with a simple affirmation card exercise that opens into a deeper conversation about worth, judgment, parenting, and healing. When Jonah pulls the card “my existence pays for itself,” Steph reflects on the pressure to prove your value in a world that often measures worth through money, housing, productivity, and appearances. From there, they explore what it means to raise a child while still healing yourself — and how the work parents do on their own pain can shape what their children inherit - all of it - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Steph Campbell true No 4363 1 3 full Why We Believe People Get What They Deserve Why We Believe People Get What They Deserve https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/why-we-believe-people-get-what-they-deserve/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/why-we-believe-people-get-what-they-deserve/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0300 thegoodlove.podbean.com/3147b0bf-db21-39b4-9486-3384b247da3e Why do we so often assume that people get what they deserve?

In this conversation, Steph & Jonah explore the Just World Theory—the deeply ingrained belief that life is fundamentally fair and that people are rewarded or punished according to their choices.

Together, they examine how this mindset can influence the way we judge others, respond to suffering, interpret success, and even tell stories about ourselves. Through personal experiences, thoughtful discussion, and practical reflection, they invite listeners to question one of the most common—and often unconscious—beliefs we carry.

Whether you've struggled to make sense of your own pain or wondered why empathy can sometimes be so difficult, this episode offers a fresh perspective on fairness, compassion, and the stories that shape our lives.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Just World Theory is a cognitive bias that affects nearly everyone.
  • Fairness is a comforting belief—but it isn't always reality.
  • Blaming others (or ourselves) often comes from our need to make sense of suffering.
  • Compassion grows when we become aware of our unconscious assumptions.
  • Challenging our beliefs doesn't weaken us—it expands our understanding.
]]> Why do we so often assume that people get what they deserve?

In this conversation, Steph & Jonah explore the Just World Theory—the deeply ingrained belief that life is fundamentally fair and that people are rewarded or punished according to their choices.

Together, they examine how this mindset can influence the way we judge others, respond to suffering, interpret success, and even tell stories about ourselves. Through personal experiences, thoughtful discussion, and practical reflection, they invite listeners to question one of the most common—and often unconscious—beliefs we carry.

Whether you've struggled to make sense of your own pain or wondered why empathy can sometimes be so difficult, this episode offers a fresh perspective on fairness, compassion, and the stories that shape our lives.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Just World Theory is a cognitive bias that affects nearly everyone.
  • Fairness is a comforting belief—but it isn't always reality.
  • Blaming others (or ourselves) often comes from our need to make sense of suffering.
  • Compassion grows when we become aware of our unconscious assumptions.
  • Challenging our beliefs doesn't weaken us—it expands our understanding.
]]> People naturally want to believe the world is fair—that hard work is rewarded, kindness is returned, and people get what they deserve. But what happens when life isn’t fair? When tragedy strikes good people, injustice goes unanswered, or the outcomes simply don’t fit the effort? Our need to believe the world is fair can sometimes lead us to judge others, blame ourselves, and create stories that make suffering seem deserved rather than understood. In this episode, Steph and Jonah explore the Just World Theory and reveal how this deeply rooted belief can quietly influence our thoughts, relationships, compassion, and healing. Steph Campbell true No 4058 1 2 full How Your Past Shapes the Way You See the World How Your Past Shapes the Way You See the World https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/how-your-past-shapes-the-way-you-see-the-world/ https://thegoodlove.podbean.com/e/how-your-past-shapes-the-way-you-see-the-world/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2026 16:56:39 -0300 envisionarycreative.podbean.com/b8867945-1bc2-3074-a51c-f2cc1cf50fcc Welcome to the very first episode of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah.

We all see the world through a personal lens—one shaped by our childhood, relationships, heartbreaks, victories, and the stories we've come to believe about ourselves. But what if the way you experience life is shaped by the current lens you have on?

In this honest and deeply personal conversation, Steph and Jonah explore how our past can influence the way we interpret the present. Through stories of childhood trauma, healing, family dynamics, and even an unforgettable little dog named Bonkers, they unpack why two people can live through the same experience and walk away with entirely different realities.

Along the way, Steph and Jonah reflect on the beliefs we've inherited, the ones we've chosen, and the hope that comes from realizing those beliefs don't have to define the rest of our lives.

Whether you're navigating your own healing journey, trying to better understand someone you love, or simply curious about why we all see life so differently, this conversation offers compassion, perspective, and a reminder that change is always possible.

 

In this episode you'll discover:

  • How personal "lenses" are formed
  • Why childhood experiences continue to shape adult life
  • The surprising connection between beliefs and behavior
  • Why healing begins with awareness—not perfection
  • How hope can emerge from even the hardest experiences

Welcome to The Good Love with Steph & Jonah. We're so glad you're here.

]]> Welcome to the very first episode of The Good Love with Steph & Jonah.

We all see the world through a personal lens—one shaped by our childhood, relationships, heartbreaks, victories, and the stories we've come to believe about ourselves. But what if the way you experience life is shaped by the current lens you have on?

In this honest and deeply personal conversation, Steph and Jonah explore how our past can influence the way we interpret the present. Through stories of childhood trauma, healing, family dynamics, and even an unforgettable little dog named Bonkers, they unpack why two people can live through the same experience and walk away with entirely different realities.

Along the way, Steph and Jonah reflect on the beliefs we've inherited, the ones we've chosen, and the hope that comes from realizing those beliefs don't have to define the rest of our lives.

Whether you're navigating your own healing journey, trying to better understand someone you love, or simply curious about why we all see life so differently, this conversation offers compassion, perspective, and a reminder that change is always possible.

 

In this episode you'll discover:

  • How personal "lenses" are formed
  • Why childhood experiences continue to shape adult life
  • The surprising connection between beliefs and behavior
  • Why healing begins with awareness—not perfection
  • How hope can emerge from even the hardest experiences

Welcome to The Good Love with Steph & Jonah. We're so glad you're here.

]]> Steph Campbell true No 3952 1 1 full