Parenting Well Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well source is Susan Caso.

Susan Caso, MA, LPC, serves as a consultant and community leader in the area of suicide prevention. Susan has provided psychotherapy to adolescents, college students, adults and families for nearly two decades. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado and has been a clinician in private practice in Colorado for 20 years She counsels clients with acute and chronic mental illnesses, earning a reputation for success in helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and unresolved issues affecting day-to-day lives. Susan imagines new tools, models, and resources to create open-hearted conversations. She works with individuals, families, and teams to eliminate the stigma of mental health issues and address the often taboo topic of suicide. A lifelong learner, Susan continues to study mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, adolescent issues, crisis management (ASSIST certified), suicidology, personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

In this podcast, we talk about:

1. What it means to truly feel connected.
2. How parenting has changed over time.
3. The impact of pressure on today’s youth.
4. Have you….? When are you going to….? You need to…. interactions.
5. Finding the balance between monitoring/instructing and being in relationship.
6. The difference between emotional transparency and vulnerability.
7. Fostering your connection with your children.
8. The importance of being present.
9. Healthy attachment

Resources:

Website: https://susancaso.com/about/

Book: The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

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Thank you for joining The Parenting Well Podcast for a live conversation with Isabelle Tierney. My name is Dr. Shelly Mahon and I’ll be your host today. Isabelle will be doing a 90 minute virtual workshop on December 18th, 12-1:30. It is titled: From Surviving to Thriving: Empowering Parents to Navigate Stress and Foster Connection. You can join via zoom here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88074983845...Meeting ID: 880 7498 3845Passcode: 950029Isabelle Tierney is a licensed therapist, stress management expert, and international speaker dedicated to helping individuals and teams thrive personally and professionally. Drawing on over two decades of experience in running a successful therapy practice, Isabelle developed the Choice Point Methodology—a simple, science-backed system that provides immediate stress relief and builds lasting resilience. Grounded in neuroscience, psychology, and mindfulness, this proven three-step approach empowers people to shift from stress and reactivity to calm, clarity, and presence within minutes, no matter the circumstances.

After experiencing burnout and the toll it took on her health and relationships, Isabelle turned her challenges into a mission to transform how people approach stress. Her methodology has helped thousands—including leaders and teams in corporate and entrepreneurial roles—prevent burnout, foster meaningful connections, and embrace a life of purpose and balance.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• Isabelle's Choice Point Methodology.
• How to move quickly out of stress.
• Managing stressful situations in a way the honors the relationship.
• Strategies for dealing with overwhelm and isolation.
• Teaching your children to recognize emotional cues and get themselves out the stress response.
• Navigating stress during the holiday season.

Resources:

Isabelle's Website

Book a call or apply for her program here

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well sources are Amanda Giguere and Sarah Goodrum.

Amanda Giguere has been on staff at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival for 20 years. As CSF’s Director of Outreach at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Dr. Giguere oversees all education programming, including summer camps, school programs, and public lectures. She holds a PhD in theatre from the University of Colorado Boulder and teaches regularly for CU Boulder’s Applied Shakespeare certificate program. Dr. Giguere’s research and work in developing CSF’s Shakespeare & Violence Prevention has been nationally recognized. Her forthcoming book, Shakespeare & Violence Prevention: A Practical Handbook for Educators, will be published in 2025 by University Press of Colorado.

Sarah Goodrum is a Research Professor in the Prevention Science Program in the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Goodrum’s research focuses on violence prevention, threat assessment, homicide victimization, domestic violence, and the criminal justice system, and for the last 25 years, she has taught sociology, criminology, and criminal justice courses at CU Boulder, University of Northern Colorado, and Centre College.

In this episode, we talk about:

• CO Shakespeare Theater - Much Ado About Nothing
• The humanness of going through difficult emotions and situations and how to share your concerns.
• The importance of being sensitive to and aware of aggressions.
• The concept of rehearsal - How practice makes something less scary and builds confidence.
• What it means to be an “upstanders” and take actions to prevent harm.
• Using presence to connect with your children.
• Creating a space where your child feels comfortable sharing with you.
• Warning signs of concerning violent behavior, like school shootings.
• Resources for handling moments of violence.

Resources:

• Contact Amanda: Amanda.Giguere@colorado.edu
• Contact Sarah: Sarah.goodrum@colorado.edu
• Center for the Study of the Prevention of Violence: www.colorado.edu/CSPV
• Colorado Shakespeare Festival: https://cupresents.org/series/shakespeare-festival/
• Safe2Tell phone number, app, website: https://safe2tell.org/
• 988: Talk to Someone Now — No matter what you're struggling with, other people have felt the way you do, call 988
• Kim Scott - The 5 D’s for Upstander Strategies

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well sources are Abbie Lewis and Ray Garcia.

Abbie is a youth violence prevention educator at Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN.) Abbie teaches the Peers Building Justice violence prevention curriculum to middle and high school students in Boulder Valley School District. Abbie has 10+ years of teaching experience and approaches youth violence prevention education with compassion and an excitement and joy to work alongside young people, while promoting equity and amplifying youth voice.

Ray is the Creating Protective Environments Project Coordinator with SPAN. A part of the Education team, Ray also teaches topics connected to dating and sexual violence prevention throughout Boulder Valley School District. Ray has been working with youth for over 12 years, and teaching for more than 6. Ray believes that people of all ages need skills and development surrounding relationships, boundaries, and consent in order to lead safe and healthy lives. Ray approaches his work with excitement, curiosity, and an eagerness to highlight the experiences of youth.

Abbie and Ray’s talk for the Human Kindness Initiative is on October 29, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 at the Want Boulder Location

In this podcast we talk about:

• Boulder Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
• Understanding the spectrum of healthy relationships
• Building communication, trust and empathy, while understanding warning signs
• Not living with gender stareotypes
• Undersatnding and defining boundaries with others - while taking accountability when you cross someone's boundaries
• Warning signs of an abusive relationship
• Understanding and applying consent

Resources:

• Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
  • Boulder and Broomfield counties’ domestic violence organization
  • www.safehousealliance.org
  • Crisis line: 303-444-2424
• Rocky Mountain Equality
  • LGBTQIA+ services for youth and adults in the Colorado Front Range
  • Support groups, ally groups, mental health counseling, peer community groups, adult trainings
  • https://www.rmequality.org/
• OASOS
  • Boulder County Public Health’s LGBTQIA+ youth-serving organization
  • Peer youth groups, leadership opportunities, advocacy, support, and referrals, adult trainings
  • OASOS@bouldercounty.org
• Boulder Valley Health Center
  • Reproductive and Sexual Health clinic and education for youth and adults.
  • https://bouldervalleyhealth.org/
• TGTHR
  • Youth shelter located in Boulder and Denver
  • Office: 303-447-1206
  • Shelter: 303-447-1207
• Moving to End Sexual Assault
  • Sexual violence resource network
  • movingtoendsexualassault.org
  • Crisis line: 303-443-7300
  • Text: BRAVE to 20121
• Colorado Crisis Line, 988, I Matter
  • Provides support with different mental health crises
  • Dial 988
• The Trevor Project
  • A national mental health and crisis support resource for LGBTQIA+ youth.
  • Text: START to 678-678
  • Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386
• LoveisRespect.org
  • Resources and activities about healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships, boundaries, consent and safety planning.
  • Text: LOVEIS to 22522
• Safe2Tell.org
  • Resource for anonymous reporting
• Title IX
  • This includes gender-based violence such as sexual violence (sexual harassment and sexual assault), dating violence and stalking.
  • A law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools and federally funded programs.
  • Entitles students to accommodations promoting safety and support in schools
  • BVSD Title IX information and reporting: https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/health-and-wellness/health-promotion-and-prevention/sexual-assault-prevention

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“A lot can change when a parent recognizes when they might be acting from a place of - I want you to confide in me because it confirms my self image as a trusting, caring parent. Versus, when parents operate from a perspective of - I want you to confide in me to the extent that it affirms your own self-image and helps your own growth.” Ray Watson

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well sources are Ray Watson

Raye Watson (they/them) is a 23-year-old writer and designer living in the Denver metro area. Between grassroots nonprofits and student organizations, they’ve led hundreds of hours of workshops and fallen in love with storytelling for change. Drawn to social justice by their experiences as a queer student and artist, Raye lives happily in the intersection between art, academia, and advocacy. Their diverse body of work is connected by themes of design thinking, disability equity, and gender freedom. Their whole vibe is less "sex, drugs, rock and roll" and more "naps, meds, mellow jazz."

Raye Watson’s monologue - “Gender Play & Possibility” shares an experience of negotiating limiting and pathologizing narratives to access gender-affirming care. But on the other side of transition, their new freedom to expand into their true version of being nonbinary - an experience, not of neutrality, but multiplicity.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• The variety of narratives a person experiences in the transition to non-binary or transgender.
• The difference between body dysmorphia and dysphoria.
• Issues surrounding the medical necessity of having gender dysphoria to qualify for treatment
• Gender euphoria perspectives and how informed consent models put transgender people at the authority of their own experience.
• Movement from dysphoria to liberty and freedom
• Finding authenticity of gender alongside your humanity
• How parents and young people can work together to stop the cycle of invulnerability.
• Using progressive disclosure in your parenting.
• Creating spaces for young people to engage in support groups, leadership opportunities, etc as an invitation to try different things on and see what fits.

Resources:

1. Event: Transformative Stories from Transgender and Nonbinary Leaders
2. Website: Modus Theater
3. Email: Modus Theater
4. PFlag: Our Trans Loved Ones
5. All socials can be found at: @MotusTheater

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Welcome everyone and thank you for joining The Parenting Well Podcast for a live conversation with Rosalind Wiseman. My name is Dr. Shelly Mahon and I’ll be your host today.

Rosalind is the best-selling author of nine books, including the New York Times bestsellers Queen Bees and Wannabes—the inspiration for the Movie and Musical, Mean Girls. She also wrote Masterminds & Wingmen, which was named Best Parenting Book by Books for a Better Life. Currently, she serves as a senior leadership consultant at the US State Department’s Office for Overseas Schools which serves over 195 schools throughout the world. She has been interviewed, profiled, in or written for The New York Times, The London Times, Atlantic, the Chicago Tribune,The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR affiliates throughout the country and many others.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• Rosalind's presentation at PEN’s kickoff of their Human Kindness Initiative.
• Creating a Culture of Dignity: giving voice to young people’s experiences and supporting educators so they can better understand how the social and emotional complexities of adolescence impact young people’s academic engagement, social competency, and well-being.
• The current landscape for young people: Unique challenges and how adults can show up for them.
• The difference between dignity and respect, and why understanding this is essential for having a good relationship with the young people.
• Concrete strategies that support young people in developing resilience.
• Fostering good communication.
• How adults can best show up for the young people in their lives.

PEN’s mission is to support parents in raising healthy, happy humans. This year’s Human Kindness Initiative is supported by an ARPA grant from Boulder County. Please check out our calendar and get yourself registered for the programs and workshops PEN has planned throughout the year.

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Hi! I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today's Well Source is Karleen Savage.

Karleen is a sought-after speaker, trainer, hostage negotiator, and conflict resolution expert with a passion for fostering peaceful, harmonious environments. Through her Savage Theory of Resolution, she emphasizes the importance of communication and collaboration in order to achieve success. Through more than 15 years of professional experience, Karleen has learned that the conflicts we experience in business are usually a reflection of the conflicts happening at home. This belief inspired her to write her book The Confident Teen Blueprint. Throughout her career, Karleen has worked with corporations, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and government agencies, creating a positive environment for growth and development.


In this episode, we talk about:

• Strategies for building a healthy relationship with your child
• Overcoming conflict with the Savage Theory of Resolution
• Helping your teen share their authentic feelings rather than shifting to fit your expectations or reaction
• Listening and learning in conversations to hold the space
• Building confidence in your child by being a leader in your family
• A three pronged approach to being a leader
• Having follow through to build trust, confidence, and leadership

Resources:

Book: The Confident Teen Blueprint

Ted Talk: A Hostage negotiator on how to resolve conflict

Website: https://www.karleensavage.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karleensavage/

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Hi! I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today's Well Source is Jenn Wert. Jen has been an educator in Colorado for decades. She is a devoted parent, speaker, mentor of young teachers, writer and seeker. She has a Master’s in Education, teacher’s lens, doula’s experience, and extensive post-graduate social and emotional intelligence training. Jenn has run both for-profit and non-profit businesses built around empowering families and self-expression.

Jenn knows how to counsel parents who want to do their best by their children. She believes in not being committed not to perfection, but to a presence of mind. She has done her own deep personal work, which has allowed her to discern what really matters - authenticity, humility, and connection. As a coach, she weaves these attributes of consciousness together for families to help create parenting that’s honest, nurturing and transformative.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• Being attuned to highly emotional children.
• The importance of connection, communication, and advocacy in parenting.
• Healing your own childhood
• Practicing self-awareness
• Being mindful of acceptance, curiosity, separation, and healthy boundaries.
• the connection between shame and vulnerability.
• Bringing social emotional learning to your parenting.

Resources:

Website: www.jennwert.com

For a free consult with Jenn: www.jennwert.com/free-consult

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennwertparentcoach/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/consciousparentingsupportforparentsofyoungchildren

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-wert-a91175b5/

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Welcome! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and this episode is with Jan Reagan. Jane is a Boulder, CO based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who believes that food has the power to heal, and that understanding food choices, food quality and one’s relationship with food can lead to greater awareness, improved health and a more abundant life. She regularly helps individuals understand how food impacts them physically, mentally and emotionally with a “food first” philosophy.

Jane's provides incredible insights on how to recognize, address, and treat eating disorders. Please join us to learn more about:

• The importance of a holistic, mind/body approach to nutrition.
• Ways in which nutrition impacts physical and mental health.
• Tips for developing a healthy relationship with food.
• The pitfalls to dieting and what to do instead.
• Myths about eating disorders.
• Understanding eating disorders: contributing factors, signs, and treatment options.
• The importance of early intervention and how to support your child.

Resources:

• Website: Jane Reagan
• Program for Parents of Children with Eating Disorders - Jane Reagan Nutrition
• Eating Disorder Myths
• Eating Disorder Support and Resources

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Welcome! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and I am excited to share my recent conversation with Jesse LeBeau. Jesse has a passion for supporting young people, supporting parents, and basketball. However, at 5’8” Jesse had nearly every odd stacked against him as a young and aspiring player. Despite his size and circumstances, he managed to rise above it all and became a name in the world of street ball. He's been featured on TV, film, international tours, and the Warner Brothers film “Thunderstruck". Currently, he plays himself on ‘The LeBeau Show’, a reality series that allows viewers to follow him around the country to see firsthand the major impact he is having on youth, particularly troubled teens.

While basketball is where his story began, I think what struck me the most is how he leverages his talents to serve young people and parents all over the globe. His story is one of humanity, resilience, and being your best self - even when life gets tough.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• How to really connect with your teen.
• The importance of listening and being authentic.
• How young people learn from example and ongoing communication.
• Why we can't protect our children from failure.
• How attitude and confidence are the source of getting through life's challenges.
• The importance of mentorship and purpose.
• Why you have to take action - even if it feels like you are stumbling forward.
• Strategies to leave your child with a sense of being seen and heard.
• Why we can't forget to have fun along the way.

Resources

• Website: https://www.jesselebeau.com/
• Speaking and information: https://www.jesselebeau.com/welcome
• Jesse in Action - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-IS9-a6bSQ
• The Attitude is Everything Project -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoda3EeYcCQ
• The LeBeau Show
• Jesse’s InterviewsNBC - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xlY8WX85qI

We Are Iowa Local 5 News - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUC1pEPmjJE * Jesse’s Other Podcasts

Darren Sugiyama - https://youtu.be/691V5_rS4Zo

David Meltzer - https://youtu.be/s5CSIxL4U2I

Charlie Rocket - https://youtu.be/Ws4Kc9q5QrA * YouTube * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * LinkedIn

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be.

Today's Well Source is Jenny Hecht. Jenny is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Yoga Teacher with over 20 years of experience working with middle and high school-aged youth and adults in a variety of settings. Her practice is grounded in strengthening distress tolerance skills through mindfulness practices and a supportive examination of the thought patterns that limit an individual's potential. Her approach is relational and client-centered, with a focus on the specific goals of each individual and working in partnership towards them. She has a passion for supporting the social-emotional needs of neurodivergent individuals and consulting with professionals who work with this population. Jenny participates in expert panels, provides workshops and parent presentations, professional development within school districts, and is a trainer for a curriculum called Sources of Strength. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Colie's Closet, a non-profit peer education organization that educate students about depression and suicide.

In this podcast, we talked about:

• What it means to feel safe and secure and how that has changed over the years
• Parenting in a world with endless access to information
• Being vulnerable and transparent to create trust and connection with children
• Enjoying the parts of life you can control
• Strategies for articulating emotions and self-regulation
• Finding meaning in the day-to-day and not just the long game.

Resources:

• Jenny Hecht - jennyhecht.com
• Facebook
• Book: Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of the Human Experience by Brene Brown
• Free App: How We Feel

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be.

Today’s well source is Meredith Ethington. Meredith is an award winning writer, and published author of The Mother Load just this last April 18, after her debut parenting book, Mom Life: Perfection Pending in 2018. She’s also a mom of three kids residing in Salt Lake City, UT. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is pursuing her Master’s in clinical mental health counseling. She began writing in 2007 as a way to document life as a new mom, but quickly realized that she had a passion for writing, and has turned it into her career. She believes it is important for moms to share the real, honest truth about motherhood so that moms can feel like it’s ok if they have a bad day.

In this podcast, we talked about:

• Listening to your gut and intuition.
• Breaking free from expectations and judgements.
• Creating a circle of support with authentic people.
• Self-care for moms and why it can be challenging.
• Strategies to strengthen mental health and when to seek additional services.
• Building authentic connections.

Resources

• Website: Perfection Pending
• Book: The Mother Load
• Book: Mom Life: Perfection Pending
• Instagram: @perfectpending
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerfectionPending/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-ethington-324013b4

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"Look for the gold in every child." Ryan Dawson

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host.

Today’s well source is Ryan Dawson. Ryan is a counselor, therapeutic mentor, life coach, and educator in Boulder, Colorado. He is passionate about helping people discover their true selves and create deeper relationships.

For the last 20+ years, Ryan has worked extensively with adolescents and families as a youth advocate, school counselor, and family therapist, with a focus on empowering his clients through clear reflection and powerful tools to facilitate change. He’s also worked as a camp counselor, fitness trainer, swim instructor, and basketball coach. In addition to being a sought-after therapist, Ryan is a teacher: He has taught psychology at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Naropa University, and speaks at high schools, treatment programs, and community organizations about psycho-social development, parenting strategies and the impact of technology on the developing brain. Ryan is currently inspired to “walk the talk” at home, where he lives with his supportive wife, Jill, and two young children, Ben and Avery.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• Changes in peer relationships due to technology.
• How to help your child find their "pod".
• The importance of staying in relationship with your children.
• The balance between monitoring and building independence and trust.
• Control versus teaching kids how to think through situations and potential risks.
• Approaching young people with curiosity instead of judgement
• The bi-directional nature of peer pressure.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.elevatedstatecounseling.com/
• Dunbar's number: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
• Book: Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind by Michael J. Bradly: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Your-Teen-Crazy-Without/dp/0936197447
• Podcast: Tristan Harris-Your Undivided Attention
• Book: Indistractible: How To Control Attention and Choose Your Life, by Nir Eyal

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“Comparison is the thief of joy. When I let go of all of that, and focused on what I needed to do for myself and my family, parenting became a joy.” Erin Soto

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Erin Soto.

Erin is the best-selling author of The Mother of all Fights, stage III cancer survivor, wellness coach and mother of four based in Orange County, California. She teaches life changing habits to reclaim control over your health for cancer thrivers and anyone wanting to know the most effective evidence-based preventive measures to protect against development and support recovery. Sign up for one of her popular online courses, receive free weekly tips on her website and check out her Living Well App for healthy habits, goal tracking and motivation.

This podcast covers:

• How living through stage 3 cancer impacts the entire family
• Sharing your diagnosis with your children in a sensitive and honest way
• Ways it impacts your children
• The importance of getting access to help
• Building resilience and gaining wisdom together
• The 5 core integrative health practices that help treat and prevent cancer
• Changing your life to support healthy practices
• Living from a place of awareness instead of fear
• Showing up for your children as the unique parent that you are
• Why your wellness is too important to wait

Resources:

• Website: https://www.erinsoto.com. This includes family friendly, kid tested recipes.
• Book: Mother of All Fights - FREE COPY available on the website
• Program: Anti-Cancer, Five Week Wellness Program (Also available on the website)
• App: Think Dirty - Shop Clean
• Holmes Rahe Stress Inventory: https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Rachel Bailey. Rachel is a Parenting Specialist who has been serving families for over a decade. Besides being a mother of two, she also has a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, a certification in Positive Discipline, and has provided services as an ADHD Coach, in-home mentor, and therapist. Through her podcast, Your Parenting Long Game, programs, and services, Rachel teaches parents how to reduce negative interactions and drama for a more calm, peaceful home.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How big emotions are present for strong-willed, sensitive, and anxious children
• What kids need from their parents when they have big emotions
• Strategies to help kids deal with their feelings
• The role of drama in managing feelings
• Handling ourselves when we have a day full of “yuck”
• The difference between being emotionally intelligent and emotionally perceptive
• Allowing your child to travel the yuck curve when in conflict
• Making deposits that children WANT and NEED
• The difference between self-care and self-treatment
• The two components of self-esteem

Resources

• Website
• Podcast
• Free Guide on Handling Big Emotions
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook

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"I work with kids that I know have something special inside them but can't demonstrate it in the classroom". Brandon Slade

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network!  I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Brandon Slade. Brandon is the Founder of Untapped Learning. Brandon’s struggle with academics growing up caused him to have an overwhelming experience in college. After getting diagnosed with ADHD, he began to figure out ways to implement habits, routines, and learning strategies that enabled him to succeed as a student. Even after his academic setbacks, Brandon has made it his mission to figure out how the ADHD brain works, now helping other students with executive functioning challenges discipline their gifts at Untapped Learning.

In this episode, we: 

• Define executive functioning and the challenges for a child that is neurodiverse.
• Share ways young people can organize life and create a sense of freedom.
• Explain the brain of a child with ADD/ADHD.
• Discuss developmental approaches to understanding and supporting young people.
• Address considerations around the choice to medicate or not medicate.
• Identify barriers and strategies that set young people with ADD/ADHD up for success.
• Share the promising things the future holds for young people who are neurodiverse.

Resources

• Website: Untapped Learning
• Get connected to a coach
• Email: Brandon Slade

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Dr. Missy Gryder and we are going to talk about Three Steps to Help Children Develop a Positive Body Image.

Dr. Gryder serves as the Founder of Meeting Kids’ Needs, an online course for parents of kindergarten through fifth grade children that teaches parents how to help their children handle their feelings, especially the tough ones. Meeting Kids’ Needs gives parents the latest in research-based social and emotional learning so they can purposefully help build their children’s emotional intelligence. Her professional interests include social and emotional learning in schools and in homes, positive classroom and school climates, brain-based best classroom practices, and holistic health and wellness. Dr. Gryder is also the developer of The Body Safety Box, an evidence-based child abuse prevention educational kit offering children along with their parents, schools, and community groups a series of active, engaging, and age-appropriate learning opportunities to help prevent abuse and its often lifelong consequences. The Body Safety Box has served children in 31 states, Canada, Africa, India, and Papua New Guinea to date.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Social and emotional learning (SEL) perspectives around body image.
• Themes in the research
• Differences between males and females.
• Three specific strategies for helping your child create a positive body image, including (1) Being aware and intentional about your own body image story and eliminating fat talk, (2) Developing critical thinking about the media's role in body image, and (3) Developing a positive body image that is grounded in secure attachment.
• The importance of attachment and belonging.
• Treasuring your child for who they are as a unique human being.

Resources

• Website: Meeting Kids Needs
• Meeting Kids Needs: Course Enrollment
• Instagram for Meeting Kids Needs: @meetingkidsneeds
• Instagram for the Body Safety Box: @bodysafetybox
• Book: Mothers, Daughters & Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, by Hillary McBride, Ph.D.
• TEDxSanAntonio: Dr. Carolyn Becker, Combating Body Dissatisfaction, The Destructive Impact

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today’s well source is Nina Cruz. Nina is a certified Conscious Parent Coach, Social Worker (BSW), and Meditation Teacher who’s made it her mission to support parents through shifting archaic parental paradigms, many of which contribute to increased stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and feelings of disconnection for themselves, their partners, and their children. Her approach to coaching revolves around trauma-informed care that puts others at-ease, providing a safe space for everyone to facilitate their individual healing and growth.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The difference between conscious parenting and parenting from a place of control
• Holding onto a child's essence
• The danger of labels
• Learning to identify your own triggers
• Parenting from consequences vs. punishments
• Working with your child to set boundaries
• Helping your child process emotions
• Strategies for managing stress and anxiety
• Showing up for your child
• Recognizing negative patterns of behavior and creating positive ones
• Self care and self acceptance

Resources

• Nina's Website
• Email: nina@ninacruzconsciouscoaching.com
• Skype: live:b293f210b2ad1e38
• LinkedIn: /in/nina-cruz-351a6097
• Nina's Instagram: @ninacruzcoach
• Free Discovery Session
• 12 Days of Presence Program
• Book - Dear Mamma: Self Care Letters from One Mamma to Another
• Channel on "The Wild Network"
• Wild Network Masterclass on "How to Parent with Purpose
• Transformational 6 month Coaching Program: Creating the Parent You Want to Be
• Private Facebook Group: /ninacruzconsciouscoaching, with the following trainings:
• 5 day Conscious Parent Bootcamp
• 5 day Unlimited Unstoppable You Workshop
• 3 day Mindset Matters Masterclass
• Parenting with the Law- how to align with universal laws to turn parenting mayhem into magic.
• Pop Up training sessions on varied tops
• Guided Meditations

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“You have to treat people with dignity when it is hard. I didn’t say respect because I don’t respect someone’s actions when they are taking away the dignity of someone else. Being in a culture of dignity is being prepared to be forever changed by what you hear.” Rosalind Wiseman

I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today’s Well Source is Rosalind Wiseman. Rosalind is a parenting educator who fosters civil dialogues and inspires communities to build strength, courage, and purpose. As the founder of Cultures of Dignity, she works to shift the way that communities think about our physical and emotional wellbeing by working in close partnership with the experts of those communities, including young people, educators, policy makers and business / political leaders. Her Owning Up Curriculum teaches students and educators to take responsibility as bystanders, perpetrators, and victims of unethical behavior. She is the author of several books, including Queen Bees and Wannabes, which was the basis for the 2004 film Mean Girls. In May 2022, Rosalind and Shanterra McBride will publish Courageous Discomfort: How to Have Brave, Life Changing Conversations about Race and Racism. 

In this podcast, we talk about:

• Recognizing the challenges of young people

• Managing tough emotions

• Understanding how parents/caregivers play a role in the well-being of young people

• Increasing your awareness of the issues that parents and schools encounter together

• Treating people with dignity when its hard

• Recognizing social emotional learning in the teachable moments

RESOURCES

• Website: Cultures of Dignity

• Article: Teen Publication - My Great Expectations

• Amazon: Books by Rosalind Wiseman

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"You didn't have a choice in the loss of your child, but you do get to choose what you do from there. You have a choice in what you do with the rest of your life."

I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today's Well Source is Michele Benyo. Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele’s career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children’s grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele’s heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.

In this podcast, we discuss:

• Tips for recognizing when your child is grieving.

• Being equipped to support your child through grief and loss.

• Handling difficult feelings.

• How to manage your own grief so you can be there for your child.

• Creating space and simple ways to have important conversations.

• Trusting your instincts.

• Living FORWARD after the loss of a child.

RESOURCES:

• Michele's website: Good Grief Parenting

• Resource: The Good Grief Guide

• Michele's LinkedIn Profile

• Michele's Instagram Account

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s well source is Kim Bevill. Kim is a speaker, author, and teacher. After spending 14 years teaching high school history and international baccalaureate (IB) psychology, she felt a calling to understand and improve health and wellness. She has conducted massive amounts of research on the brain and productivity, and how they can be used to heal your life.  Recently, she released a book called, Top Ten Things, which gives you the neuroscience to support behaviors that are key to excellence, academics and athletics. She also holds interactive, hands-on classes around subject like stress, happiness, and mental health. Her clients consistently report feeling a new passion, purpose, and inspiration to new endeavors.

In this podcast, Kim shares: 

• Strategies that support positive mental health
• How the brain works under stress
• What is really behind a child's behavior
• The role of artificial light in stress
• The truth about melatonin
• How inflammation impacts physical and mental health
• The relationship between stress, DNA, and aging
• Protecting yourself from stress, anxiety, and depression

Resources:

• Website: Neurostrategy Training
• Book: The Ten Things by Kim Bevill
• Resources: Strategies for Your Brain
• Article: Elizabeth Blackburn: Because Science is Worth It
• Resource: Dr. Susan Lazar on meditation

You can reach us, or make a donation to the Parent Engagement Network by visiting our website at www.penbv.org

Happy Parenting!

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Today’s well source is Dr. Dan Siegel. Dr. Siegel is one of the world’s leading neuroscientist and psychiatrists. He’s a graduate of Harvard Medical School and a professor at UCLA School of Medicine. He is also the founder of the field Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB). He has written a lot of books, is a co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, and the executive director of the Mindsight Institute – which is an educational organization that offers online learning and in-person seminars focused on how to develop mindsight.

In this podcast, we discuss:

• The importance of parental presence.
• What it means to have a secure attachment.
• The four S's of showing up for your child.
• The Wheel of Awareness as a way to access clarity , calmness, and presence.
• Facing challenges with peace and clarity.
• Creating a safe haven and a solid launching pad.
• Defining the self and belonging as part of community.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.drdansiegel.com
• The Mindsight Institute - http://mindsightinstitute.com
• Dr. Dan Siegels Books - https://drdansiegel.com/books/
• The Wheel of Awareness - https://drdansiegel.com/wheel-of-awareness/
• Book - Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
• Book - The Power of Discord: Why the Ups and Downs of Relationships Are the Secret to Building Intimacy, Resilience and Trust by Claudia M. Gold and Ed Tronic
• Book - The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Christina Figueres

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Today’s well source is Deborah Farmer Kris. Deborah is a writer, teacher, parent educator, and school administrator. She writes for PBS KIDS, MindShift - an NPR learning blog, and Intrepid Ed News. She is the author of the book, “I Love You All the Time” which helps parents and caregivers communicate the one message children most need to hear: that they are unconditionally loved. Deborah has two kids of her own. As you can imagine they test her theories about child development all the time. She’s passionate about providing nuggets of practical wisdom that helps kids and families thrive.

In this podcast we discuss:

• Building an emotional vocabulary.
• Validating all children's emotions.
• Identifying, normalizing, and navigating emotions.
• Being curious about a child's behavior as a form of communication.
• Recognizing emotional reactions as an opportunity and an invitation to be closer.
• Using inductive discipline to link behaviors to natural consequences.
• Creating the context for children to express themselves when they are ready.
• Using the listen, limit, listen technique to curb misbehavior.
• Viewing stress as a natural human condition that can be productive.
• Understanding the brain's response to stress.
• Making children feel they are truly loved, welcomed, and appreciated.

We hope today’s conversation has added to your parenting well, and that the information and insights shared will help you in raising happy, healthy humans!  If you are inspired, there are also options to make a donation or become a sponsor on our website, www.penbv.org

It was an honor to have you join us and until next time, Happy Parenting!

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We all have a good heart and we all deserve to be trusted.

Today’s Well Source is Bill de la Cruz. Bill is an exceptional mediator and leader who has been guiding individuals and groups through the process of personal transformation for more than 30 years. He is passionate about helping individuals and groups build self-awareness, enhance relationships, and folstor positive and sustainable personal growth. His approach to bias work grew out of his own experiences attending hundreds of self-help trainings and self-help books that instructed him to “do the work”. However, they failed to define what “the work” should look like. From this, he has developed daily practices that continue to support his personal growth and self-awareness, and he is committed to sharing these with others.

This Podcast Covers:

• The “why” behind ending stereotypes, division, and judgements
• Doing your own work instead of blaming others
• Using self awareness and critical self reflection to have productive conversations
• Showing up with vulnerability
• Developing daily practices
• Understanding the difference between intentions and impact
• Developing strategies to let go of judgements and biases that lead to shame and blame
• Addressing situations that make you feel judged
• Finding the origination point of your biases
• Recognizing the narratives that drive your behavior
• Avoiding the defend, justify, or fix conversations
• Healing from trauma

Resources:

Website: Bill de la Cruz: Belonging and Inclusion Thought Leader

Book: Finding the Origination Point: Understanding Our Biases to Create a More Peaceful World

Podcast: Origination Point

You can email Bill at inclusiontalk@comcast.net

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Today’s well source is Tom McSheehy. Tom is a licensed social worker and licensed teacher in Colorado and Illinois. He is also the founder of the Teaching Heart Institute, an organization dedicated to connecting the worlds of education and mental health and supporting teachers and parents in developing children’s and teenagers’ Social Emotion Intelligence. Further, he is the author of the book, Infocus: Improving Social and Emotional Intelligence, One Day at a Time. This is a brain-based manual that guides teachers in doing quick, daily lessons that develop the Social Emotional Intelligence of their students. Tom is one of the presenters of our upcoming Stress & Anxiety Conference of May 1st and 2nd. We want to thank our sponsors, Premier Members Credit Union, Centennial Peaks Hospital, and Sandstone Care Addiction Treatment Center for their generous sponsorship. You can visit our website, www.penbv.org to get yourself registered

RESOURCES:

Tom’s Website: Teaching Heart Institute

Parent Book Resources from Tom

Books & Resources from Tom: Infocus: Parents can use books in conjunction with teachers

Study: Google Study on Soft Skills (SEL)

Study: Terrie Moffit study on impulse control or self-control

Economic Value of SEL

Book: The Development of the Unconscious Mind by Alan N. Schore, Ph.D.

Hayden Hurst Video

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be. The foundation for raising happy, healthy youth is for us as parents to fill our own well with useful, reliable, credible information, tools and strategies. This leaves us more engaged, educated and empowered to support our children in being strong, resourceful, confident and resilient in the face of life’s many challenges and adventures.

So, let’s fill that well!

Today’s well source is Isabelle Tierney. Isabelle is a licensed therapist, a stress management specialist, and an international speaker. She has two master’s degrees, a license in marriage and family therapy, and a certificate in energy healing. Over the last 25 years, she has maintained a thriving private practice and built an international speaking platform. After struggling with life-depleting stress herself, she discovered a path to the peace, love, and joy that lives at the core of all of us. Isabelle is committed to teaching this path to people all over the world with her “Feel Good Life” methodology.

This podcast covers:

• Isabelle's Feel Good Methodology
• The impact of stress on your physical and mental health
• How to take control of your own well-being
• Concrete strategies for getting out of the "red zone"
• How to manage stress internally
• What to do if you can't get out of the "red zone"
• How to change the physiology of your brain so that you respond differently to stress
• Ways to model stress reduction and problem solving effectively

Resources

• Website: The Feel Good Life with Isabelle Tierney
• Course: The Feel Good Life Foundational Course
• Blog: The Feel Good Life Blog
• Challenge: Break Through Your Comfort Zone and Uplevel One Key Area of Your Life
• Blog Post: How to Stop Fighting in 5 Minutes or Less
• Book: Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Joe Dispenza
• Book: Relax More, Try Less: The Easy Path to Abundance by Tim Grimes & Neville Goddard

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be. The foundation for raising happy, healthy youth is for us as parents to fill our own well with useful, reliable, credible information, tools and strategies. This leaves us more engaged, educated and empowered to support our children in being strong, resourceful, confident and resilient in the face of life’s many challenges and adventures.

So, let’s fill that well!

Today’s well source is Karen Alonge. Karen is an Interpersonal Communication Consultant. She has been providing interpersonal and parenting consulting to volunteers, staff, management in education, social services, corrections, counseling, law, health care, and non-profits like PEN since 2006. Karen uses an evidence-based strategy called motivational interviewing to help her clients “choose their words wisely”

This podcast covers how to:

• use motivational interviewing techniques in your communication.
• recognize typical communication breakdowns.
• set age appropriate expectations.
• reduce power struggles in your relationship.
• use communication to manage behavior problems.
• articulate your concerns without telling your kids what to do.
• help kids develop and learn how to access strategies that work for them.
• raise a critical thinkers.
• navigate change.
• leave your child free to move, think, and change without judgement.

Resources:

• Karen's Website: Karen Alonge Interpersonal Communication Consultant
• Karen's Blog
• Website: Dr. Ross Greene
• Self-help book on motivational interviewing: Finding Your Way to Change
• Parenting Advice Website

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be. The foundation for raising happy, healthy youth is for us as parents to fill our own well with useful, reliable, credible information, tools and strategies. This leaves us more engaged, educated and empowered to support our children in being strong, resourceful, confident and resilient in the face of life’s many challenges and adventures.

So, let’s fill that well!

Today’s well source is Kathy Valentine. Kathy is the chairperson of the HOPE Coalition of Boulder County and has been on the coalition since its beginning in 2005. She is a retired school counselor and gave many workshops on depression and suicide awareness to various staffs while working. Kathy is also the Executive Director of Colie's Closet, a BVSD high school peer education program dealing with depression and suicide. Kathy is passionate about educating the entire community about risk factors around these issues and is excited to bring today’s panelists and community members together to begin the discussion about the importance of connection in our lives.

This podcast covers:

• Resources for managing depression
• The role stigma plays in support services
• How to recognize warning signs of depression and what to do about it
• Some of the risk factors of depression
• The difference between being sad and having clinical depression
• Strategies for managing depression when you feel like you are "spiraling"
• What to do if you are worried about your child
• How kids should respond to their friend's depression
• The importance of self care, modeling, and talking to your children regularly

Resources:

Website: The Hope Coalition of Boulder County

Resource: National Suicide Prevention Hotline

Resource: COVID-19 Mental Health Resources

Resource: Warning Signs of Depression

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be. The foundation for raising happy, healthy youth is for us as parents to fill our own well with useful, reliable, credible information, tools and strategies. This leaves us more engaged, educated and empowered to support our children in being strong, resourceful, confident and resilient in the face of life’s many challenges and adventures.

So, let’s fill that well!

Today’s well source is Paige Trevor. Paige is a Certified Parent Educator and the owner of a business called Balancing Act since 2010. This was inspired by a desire to help people clear the clutter from their life. Having seen the impact of disorganization within businesses and families, Paige used her blend of empathy, humor, cheerleading, and, as she likes to describe it, “a wee bit of tough love” to help families clear the way for more satisfying lives.

This episode covers:

• Finding the magic middle in discussions
• Solving problems together
• Supporting your kids mental health
• Establishing effective routines
• Planning vs. doing your day
• Managing conflict
• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Having fun together
• Building close relationships
• Taking care of yourself
• Holding a family meeting
• Parenting through challenging situations

RESOURCES

• Paige's Website: Balancing Act
• Paige on Twitter
• Paige on LinkedIn
• Book: The Opposite of Worry: The Playful Parenting Approach to Childhood Anxieties and Fears by Lawrence Cohen
• Book: Time to Parent: Organizing Your Life to Bring Out the Best in Your Child and You by Julie Morgenstern

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Today’s well source is Stephanie Small. Stephanie is a licensed clinical social worker and nutritionist. She believes that diet and supplements have a profound effect on our mood, clarity, sleep, and much more. Therefore, her work is a unique blend of nutrition, somatic, and intuitive practices. Stephanie is one of the speakers at our upcoming virtual stress & anxiety conference on January 29th and 30th. You can sign up for her workshop and others from our website, www.penbv.org

In this episode, we discuss:

• What mental health nutrition is.
• How physical and mental health are connected.
• How mental health nutrition is different than conventional treatment.
• The process of engaging in mental health nutrition.
• How mental health nutrition can support someone with disordered eating.
• The importance of gut health.
• What intuitive eating is and how gratitude supports healthy well-being.

Resources:

Website: Stephanie Small

Course: Stephanie Small - Mental Health Nutrition: Foundations

Podcast: Genetics, Mental Health & Nutrition with Christina Veselak and Dr. Dave Vigerust

Book: The True Power of Water: Healing and Discovering Ourselves

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Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, were we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be. We firmly believe that the foundation for raising happy, healthy youth is for us as parents to fill our own well with useful, reliable, credible information, tools and strategies.

So, let’s fill that well!

Today’s well source is Jonathan Mooney. Jonathon is an award winning writer, entrepreneur and activist. Jonathan didn’t learn to read until he was 12 years old. His new book is called Normal Sucks: How to Live Learn and Thrive Outside the Lines. As a neurodiverse writer, advocate and father, Jonathan shares a confessional and often hilarious story of his life, offering the radical message that we should stop trying to fix people and start empowering them to succeed.

Website: https://www.jonathanmooney.com

Book: Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive Outside the Lines

Program: Eye to Eye Mentoring Program

Book: The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.penbv.org

Happy Parenting

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Whitney Walpole. Whitney is the co-author of the book: “The Sweet Spot: Leveraging Your Talents in Leadership and Life.” She has been a trusted partner and professional leadership coach to hundreds of business owners and executive teams. Prior to this, she was a 7th grade English teacher and started her own private school focused on engaging children to take more responsibility for themselves, as well as their creativity and learning. She has a passion for children and parenting and raised two kids of her own using the tools from this book. You can reach her at whitney@culturecounts.biz

In this podcast, we talk about:

• What your sweet spot is and why it’s a powerful thing to know.

• The characteristics of the 7 Talents or Archetypes: Server, Priest, Artisan, Sage, Warrior King, & Scholar.

• How to use the book to identify your 3 archetypes.

• Practical tips to live into your archetypes

• Why your archetypes impact the way you show up and function in the world.

• How we mask the archetypes of those around us.

• Why knowledge of archetypes impacts how you interact with your child, monitor your own emotions, and support your child in understanding of themselves.

• The importance of self – care and using your sweet spot to know what you need most.

• The journey of self-discovery and appreciating yourself and others.

Resources:

• Whitney’s Website: Culture Counts

• Book: The Sweet Spot: Leveraging Your Talents in Leadership and Life”

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Culum Walsh. Culum is a Professional Certified Coach with 21 years of classroom teaching experience. After retiring from teaching, he started his own coaching business, coaching students from 6th grade all the way up through graduate school. His mission is that they become happy and comfortable with themselves, because he knows that when they do, they can do anything they want in school and life. He grew up in Denver, and he currently lives in Thornton. He is married and has 2 children. You can reach Culum via his website below, by email at info@humanbyhumancoaching, or by phone at 303-656-7708

In this podcast, we talk about:

• Academic Life Coaching

• Unique issues facing families with the outbreak of COVID-19

• The challenge of everyone being home 24/7

• Default ways of parenting

• Using a coaching approach in your parenting

• Useful coaching questions

• How this approach helps children solve their own problems

• Using an example to compare default parenting with coaching

Resources:

• Culum's Website: Human by Human Coaching

• Tool: 100 Most Powerful Life Coaching Questions

• Website: The Gottman Institue: A Research Based Approach to Parenting

• Book: The Whole Brained Child by Daniel J. Siegel

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Brooks Witter. Brooks is the co-creator of Wise Roots Parenting, a set of online programs that support parents in successfully launching their child into adulthood. As a licensed professional counselor, he has the skills required to help parents who are both experiencing challenging times with their children and struggling to take care of themselves in the process. As a therapist, supervisor, coach, clinical director, and parent himself, Brooks looks to core values of courage, compassion and clarity as guideposts to measure his activities.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• The role of parents

• Modern challenges

• Perspective taking

• Regulating emotions

• Strategies for being in relationship with your child

• The importance of one-on-one time

• Setting clear expectations and boundaries

• Implementing predictable consequences

• Distinguishing normal from disruptive behavior

Resources:

• Article: Winnicott’s Good Enough Parenting

• Book: The Good Enough Parent by Bruno Bettelheim

• Book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.

• Online Parenting Programs for Successful Launch: Wise Roots Parenting

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Wendy Van Besien. Wendy is an inspiring positive psychology practitioner that weaves together critical examples, expertise, and easy to apply steps that will motivate you to reach your potential and live a flourishing life.

In this podcast, Wendy shares how to:

• Develop and foster resilience

• Deal with everyday disturbances

• Tap into people's strengths

• Relieve stress and anxiety

• Use neuroscience to understand our response to challenges

• Change limiting beliefs, assumptions and interpretations that impede your success and happiness

• Live a flourishing life

Resources:

• The father of Positive Psychology: Dr. Martin Seligman

• Ted Talk: Brené Brown - The Power of Vulnerability

• Brené Brown: Dare to Lead and other works

• Book: Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

• Ted Talk: Developing a Growth Mindset

• Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Co-founder of the Happiness Whole Being Institute

• Book: Kristin Neff - Self Compassion

• Ted Talk: Kristin Neff - The Three Components of Self Compassion

• Book: Reconstructing Amelia: A Novel

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Wendy Gossett. Wendy is a parenting and relationship coach based in the Denver metro area. Her primary focus is temperament psychology, which is a technique parents can use to understand what their child is doing and why they are doing it. By recognizing their brain functions, parents can learn to accept and pull the best out of their children.

This podcast focuses on:

• Understanding temperament and how it can be recognized in your child as early as infancy.

• Recognizing your own temperament and the temperament of other family members.

• The relationship between temperament and personality tests like the Meyers Briggs.

• The four brain functions and how they can help you see strengths that may have been invisible before.

• How your understanding of brain functions can expose underlying reasons for parent-child conflict.

• Strategies for capitalizing on your child's strengths and building self-esteem.

• How temperament type correlates with issues like sensory processing, impulse control, ADD/ADHD, high sensitivity, inflexibility, depression and stress & anxiety.

Resources

• Book: Your Child's Inner Drive: Parenting by Personality from Toddlers to Teens by Wendy Gossett

• Youtube: Denver Woman Dances in the Middle of Highway Traffic | Wendy Gossett

• Resource: Child's Inner Drive Assessment and Starter Packages

• The Meyers Briggs Foundation

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I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Shane Niemeyer. By the time Shane was 28 years old, he was a heroin addict and had been arrested 25 times. After a failed attempt to take his life by suicide, he transformed himself. Today, Shane is a motivational speaker, elite triathlete racing ironman and 70.3 distances, full-time strength and endurance coach, and author of The Hurt Artist: My Journey from Suicidal Junkie to Ironman. He has interacted with hundreds of parents and thousands of adolescents on topics related to substance abuse, wellness, fitness, criminal justice and mental/emotional well-being. We all have a lot to learn from Shane. At the heart of his message is the importance of respect for yourself and others, generosity, grit, and importance of constantly growing and learning to be a better steward of humanity.

In this podcast, Shane shares the life experiences, challenges, transformative moments, and ongoing personal growth that has made him who he is today. We dive deep into:

• What life was like for him growing up and into young adulthood
• Factors that led to his ability to heal and develop after prison
• Strategies for providing a healthy environment for your children can grow and develop
• Going beyond the disease model of mental disorders
• Identity development
• Handling your inner critic
• Having an authentic relationship with your child
• Being true to yourself
• The benefits of exercise to health and wellbeing
• The importance of learning and growing as a person so that you can give back

Resources

Book: The Hurt Artist: My Journey from Suicidal Junkie to Ironman

Jean Twenge: iGen: The Smartphone Generation

Jonathon Haidt: The Dark Psychology of Social Networks

Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Book: The Gulag of the Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Book: Flow: They Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Book: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche

Book: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor

Author: Thich Nhat Hanh

Podcast: The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Podcast: Making Sense Podcast with Sam Harris

Podcast: The Jordan B Peterson Podcast

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Christopher Lord. Chris works in the Health Promotion Office for The University of Colorado Boulder as the Assistant Director of Alcohol & Other Drug Programs. His job largely entails prevention and early intervention work around substance use and recover.

In today’s show, Chris will share more about his role at the University, and approaches to helping young people around substance use. Specifically, he will talk about

• Early intervention services
• How to talk to college students about vaping or other substances
• Understanding your personal relationship with substances
• Creating a space for students to explore their own relationship with substances while also maintaining boundaries and consequences
• Sharing your opinions while still allowing your child to grow into themselves
• Aligning your social environment with your values
• Supporting your child in having positive relationships with significant adults
• The Stages of Change Model
• Resource: Colorado Quit Line
• Resource: Nicotine Cessation Coaching at CU

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Megan Jacobs from The Truth Initiative: Inspiring Tobacco Free Lives. Megan is the managing director of product for the Innovations Center at Truth Initiative. She brings a user-centered approach to product design that is key to the quit-smoking and vaping programs that are used by hundreds of thousands of people who want to break free from addiction.

In today’s show, Megan is going to talk about:

• Cessation programs for youth who want to quit smoking or vaping
• Support for the parents of youth who smoke or vape
• The difference between smoking and vaping, and the ways in which quit strategies differ
• The use of text messaging to reach youth who want to quit
• The power of engaging young people in creating quit messages
• Factors that make their cessation programs effective

RESOURCES

This is Quitting – first ever text-based quit program.

• Teens and young adults should text DITCHJUUL to 88709.
• Parents can text QUIT to (202) 899-7550 to sign up to receive text messages designed specifically for parents of vapers or visit BecomeAnEx at: https://www.becomeanex.org/helping-a-child-quit-vaping/
• Details: https://truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting
• Results: https://truthinitiative.org/press/press-release/new-study-reveals-breakthrough-texting-program-aids-young-vapers-quitting
• Launched in January, to date more than 57,000 young people have enrolled in the program.

Overview of the different challenges between quitting vaping and quitting smoking

• Cigarette-specific smoking programs don’t work because e-cigarette users don’t think of themselves as smokers. They also have some different barriers to quitting:
  • Unlike with cigarettes – most are using these products everywhere. For example, they are discrete and can be used in schools or public places with little notice.
  • Users don’t experience the negative effects from cigarettes (like bad smells) that may prompt them to quit.
  • Nicotine replacement products (like patches or gum) that make quitting more comfortable and increase your odds of success are over the counter for adults, but teens require a prescription and possibly also parental involvement. This adds another hurdle for teens trying to quit.

Misconceptions of nicotine present in e-cigs among youth

• JUUL and other e-cigarette manufacturers keeping consumers in the dark has led to widespread misconceptions about e-cigarette products, especially among young people.
• A lot of young people have been fooled by JUUL. Nearly two-thirds — 63 percent — of JUUL users between 15 and 24 years old did not know that the product always contains nicotine, a Truth Initiative study published in Tobacco Control found.
  • Press Release: JUUL e-cigarettes gain popularity among youth, but awareness of nicotine presence remains low

Tested on Humans

• truth educational campaign vaping prevention campaign
• https://truthinitiative.org/press/press-release/truth-confronts-juul-and-other-e-cigarette-manufacturers-new-campaign-tested

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Gabrielle French. Gabrielle is a sophomore at Stargate High School in Thornton. She has been working with Broomfield Communities that Care on preventing teen substance for almost two years and is passionate about advocating for Colorado teens.

In today’s show, Gabrielle will give us the facts about vaping and share a young person’s perspective on how we can make a difference for youth.

• A young person’s perspective of vaping and the harmful effects
• The healthy alternative to smoking debate
• How to talk to your kids about vaping
• Approaching a teen that is already vaping
• Protective factors
• How adults can show up for teens: Positive Youth Development
• Communities that Care
• Youth for Youth Facebook
• Youth for Youth Instagram
• Resource: Broomfield CO Facts & Ordinances
• Resource: Program: Coaching to Quit Vaping

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Dr. Ilona Jaspers. Dr. Jaspers has more than 15 years of experience as a professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology, and environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in the effects of ambient air pollutants on respiratory immune disfunction.

In today’s show, Dr. Jaspers shares:

• A general understanding of vaping
• Amount of nicotine and other contaminants in e-cigarettes
• Clinical manifestations of vaping
• Vaping plant-based products vs. oils
• Vaping associated lung injuries & common symptoms
• Individual differences in the harmful effects of vaping
• Regulations on vaping
• Impacts of secondhand e-cigarette exposure
• Prevention strategies for parents
• Resource: Cessation Resources
• Resource: American Academy for Pediatrics Prevention Toolkit
• Resource: Vaping likely has dangers that could take years for scientists to even know about
• Resource: Podcast: Inside the Mysterious Lung Illness Linked to Vaping

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Dr. Rob Valuck. Dr. Valuck is a Professor in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacy, Epidemiology, and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, and Medicine. He is also the Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research (CePOR) at the School of Pharmacy.  Finally, Dr. Valuck is the coordinator of the Center Director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, created by Governor Hickenlooper in 2013 to address the prescription drug abuse problem with a collaborative, statewide, interagency approach.

In today’s podcast, Dr. Valuck shares:

• The history of prescribing opioids
• The potential harm of over prescribing opioids
• Safe use of opioids for pain reduction
• Use and misuse of Benzodiazepines
• Details about the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
• Harm reduction strategies
• Take back system for returning unused meds
• Recognizing use of prescription drugs in the home
• Predictors of use disorders: ACES: Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Resource: Speak Now: A program for communicating with your child about drug use
• Resource: Take Meds Seriously
• Resource: Bring Naloxone Home

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Trina Faatz. Trina is an advocate for child welfare and family wholeness. She is certified as a Peer Recovery Coach to work with parents and teens struggling with the challenges of substance use.  Now, as the facilitator of the Boulder County Substance Advisory Group, and leader of young people in recovery panels, she brings a personal and humane approach to intervention and hope. 

In today’s show, Trina will talk about the challenges young people face and how a cutting-edge program called CRAFT is helping parents navigate substance use in today’s world. Specifically, we will discuss:

• The challenges young people face when it comes to substance use
• How social media can have positive and negative impacts on substance use
• Fentanyl
• Substance use and brain development
• Recognizing substance use in your child
• Skill building: understanding triggers, communicating, establishing rewards/consequences, and strengthening the parent-child relationship
• A parent’s role in increasing or decreasing a child’s substance use
• Resource: Chart: Understanding Substance Use Experimentation
• Resource: Natural Highs: Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol
• Resource: The CRAFT Program: Community Reinforcement and Family Training
• Resource: The Effekt Training: To increase parents’ attitudes, norm-setting and monitoring about alcohol
• Resource: Reach Out for Change – CRAFT Classes

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Avani Dilger, MEd, MA, LPC, CACIII. Avani is the founder and executive director of Natural Highs: Healthy Alternatives to Drug & Alcohol Use. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Addiction Counselor, a Somatic Psychotherapist, and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She specializes in substance abuse treatment with adults, teens-at-risk, and their families.

In today’s show, Avani shares her expertise around substance use, addiction, brain science and healthy alternatives for youth. Specifically, we will discuss:

• Alternative forms of treatment for substance use and addiction
• Why some people become addicted to substances and others do not
• Brain science
• Trauma and its relationship with addiction
• Treatments for symptoms of trauma that can lead to addiction
• The Icelandic Model
• Maintaining a relationship with your kids

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I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL guest is Dr. Rieder. He is a philosopher by training, bioethicist by profession, communicator by passion, and author of the book, “In Pain: A Bioethicist’s Personal Struggle with Opioids.” In Pain describes Dr. Rieder's sudden and intimate run-in with the health care system that left him dependent on oxycodone. In this podcast, we discuss:

• The nuances of pain
• Prescribing opioids for trauma, post-surgical pain, and long-term pain
• Opioid tolerance, dependence and addiction
• Naloxone
• Drug use and the developing brain
• How parents can advocate for their child if opioids are prescribed
• Parenting and building protective factors
• The moral obligation of the health care system to both manage pain and reduce harm.