As we emerge from 'sugar season', I thought this would be a great time to revisit a very popular previous episode I did with Dr. Natasha Beck, lovingly known as Dr. Organic Mommy, on reducing sugar and simple strategies for improving nutrient density in our diets. With obesity and mental health skyrocketing in kids and adults, what are some simple swaps and better food choices we can make to improve our physical and mental health?  We start with the basics on how to realistically improve nutrition and lifestyle, including non-toxic living tips and how to get selective (or picky eaters) to ..read more

My guest this week is Jason Campbell. We are discussing how to avoid stress buildup and dysregulation in kids and ourselves by learning how to create more space in your life--and I don't just mean physical space--we're talking about the space we need in our minds, thoughts, feelings, bodies, and the environment around us. Learning how to create this space allows us to be more reflective and responsive when things happen, as opposed to being reactive. We explore practical ways to not only avoid the buildup of toxic stress, emotions and experiences, but also how to be more resilient, especially ..read more

My guest this week is Dr. Courtney Kowalczyk.  In this episode, Dr. Courtney and I are discussing a topic that I get asked about most, school! Specifically about getting the education and help at school your child needs. Issues can arise with kids of all ages, especially when a child has extra challenges that impact their learning or behavior. The school environment can be a tough thing to navigate, and parents often feel at a major disadvantage with not understanding how these systems work, or what is available to help their child. So to answer the many questions I receive around the top ..read more

My guest this week is Cheryl Cardall. In this episode, we are talking about an issue that isn’t covered or supported enough: the current systems are failing parents who are raising kids with mental health challenges and the immense struggle parents often face when trying to get them the help they need. This can create a lot of pain and difficulties in the lives of parents (and children), to the point where the disorders and challenges can take over the family. Unfortunately, there is a lot of social stigma around this topic and especially with the mental health piece, not just for children, bu ..read more

My guest this week is Jason Campbell. As the MOST downloaded episode to date and a prelude to part 2 that will be airing soon, I wanted to rerelease my episode with Jason.  If you tuned in the first time, I encourage you to re-listen as there are always great reminders and new nuggets of wisdom to be picked up! This is also a great topic to revisit in January as this re-airs; to reset, refocus, and remind ourselves about self regulation tools and how to be less reactive.  So in this episode, Jason and I discuss how to stay regulated and be less reactive when things don’t go your way ..read more

My guest this week is Lynn Cunningham. In this episode, Lynn and I discuss psychiatric medications and the information that doesn’t often get shared in either the doctor’s office or in mainstream media about the concerning impact of these drugs both temporarily and permanently on some children, teens, and adults. I want to be clear that this is not an anti-medication or anti-psychiatry show. If you follow my work, you know I take a very balanced approach, and believe that these medications can have their place in the treatment toolbox for a minority of people with mental health symptoms. Howev ..read more

My guest this week is Allie Casazza. In this episode, Allie and I discuss how to declutter our lives and environment so we can be happier and healthier. If you are listening to this episode as it airs, the start of the new year is the perfect time to cover this topic, as many of us are looking at our lives—homes, schedule, health, routines, etc. and saying, “Oh my goodness, I need to get things in order”, especially after the holiday hoopla. There is something about the blank slate of a new year that invites us to take a closer look at our environments and habits, and this can be a really good ..read more

My guest this week is Dr. Nicole LePera. In this episode, I've got my dear friend, Dr. Nicole LePera, The Holistic Psychologist, to do a dive into our personal and professional experiences in the world of mental health, kids, and parenting.  We talk about how we've come to understand mental health diagnoses and treatment differently over time, what we need to do to improve mental health for ourselves and children, how we can be better parents and to ourselves, and much more! When the two of us get together, there's never a shortage of topics so we go into other favorites, like what it mea ..read more

My guest this week is Kirsten Cobabe. In this episode, Kirsten and I discuss parenting teens. There are so many parts of parenting teens, tweens, and young adults during the developmental phases that can feel tricky to us, as well as for caregivers and kids. Teens are not adults; they're also not little kids. It can be tough to know when to intervene and support, or when to back off. And some days it can feel like we are wrong no matter what we do. Let’s explore what makes adolescents at this age tick, the ways we might be misunderstanding what's happening for them even when we have the best i ..read more

My guest this week is Dr. Wendy Suzuki. ​​In this episode Dr. Wendy and I discuss anxiety through perhaps a different lens. It’s no surprise most kids and adults are experiencing higher than typical levels of anxiety in recent years. We've talked about anxiety in various ways on the show previously. But today, I want to take a bit of a different approach and help normalize the experience of anxiety and the full realm of associated uncomfortable feelings that happen in our lives and in our kids’ lives. Believe it or not, anxiety is important for us to experience, and what we do with our anxiety ..read more