#141 Daniel Smith: The Episode that Might Make You a Better Father

Brooklyn-based psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Smith has a motto: Feel everything, don't look away. But how exactly are men supposed to confront some of the most challenging emotions in their lives, especially when society tells them to suppress or even ignore feelings like shame, envy or regret? On this episode of Paternal, Smith examines our relationship to what he calls "Hard Feelings," and why reconsidering how we relate to these emotions can be beneficial for men as they become fathers. He also recounts his own story of growing up with a father who lingered at an emotional distance, and why modeling that emotions are off-limits can lead to shame and anger in our kids. Smith is the author of the 2012 memoir Monkey Mind and the new release Hard Feelings , available wherever you buy books.

You can listen to #141 Daniel Smith: The Episode that Might Make You a Better Father online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

#141 Daniel Smith: The Episode that Might Make You a Better Father is an episode from Paternal by Nick Firchau.

This episode is 34:21 long.

This episode was published on Apr 9, 2026.

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