In this first episode, Nina Frank, LMFT, sits down with her father, Dr. Craig Arthur Keebler, to trace the early experiences that formed his sense of self and the patterns he carried with him into adulthood.

Craig reflects on growing up as an only child with a “drill sergeant” mother, his complicated relationship with a beloved but possessive grandmother, and the painful unraveling of his parents’ marriage. During that turbulent period, he found refuge in the home of his closest friend, whose immigrant Jewish family offered a warmth and sense of belonging that contrasted sharply with his own upbringing.

Already drawn to Judaism, Craig found in it not only a place to belong, but a set of values and principles for how to live. Religion became a kind of moral compass—a framework for building an ethical, meaningful life and perhaps creating something different from what he had known growing up.

Together, Nina and Craig explore how childhood, divorce, religion, loyalty, and family mythology quietly shape who we become.

And along the way, a larger question emerges: What happens when the family we inherit isn’t the place where we feel most at home?

This is a conversation about childhood, belonging, the stories families tell, the things they don’t talk about, and the patterns we can carry for generations without realizing it.

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Hosted by Nina Frank, a licensed marriage and family therapist, the show brings together intimate family conversations, personal reflections, and therapeutic insight to explore how our earliest relationships continue to shape us.

From divorce and blended families to inherited roles, unresolved conflict, and the search for connection, Stepping Consciously asks what we carry forward—and what we have the power to change.

Follow the show for honest conversations about understanding where we come from and creating more conscious, connected relationships.