Podcast Therapists

We all know there is a mental health crisis out there. We have real numbers that highlight elevated rates of anxiety and depression for kids, teenagers, people of color, men, working mothers. The numbers tell the story. The percentages, increases, and statistical significance are all important. Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by data,  as are our children. Their GPA's, instagram likes, rebounds, SAT Scores, tardies, goals, and more, are all measured and highlighted. “What is measured gets done.” The data tells the story. Numbers are concrete, clear, and feel important. Yet we don't keep data on what actually counts in life. There are no decimal points for kindness, helping others, empathy, or quality of relationships. And because there is no data to be analyzed for these qualities in this numbers-crazed world, we have learned not to value the qualities that make us healthy and whole. No wonder there is a mental health crisis. Let's have a closer look at this in today's episode! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/what-really-matters/

The holiday season is in full swing and for many of us, it all just looks and feels different than when we were kids. Over 40 million Americans have stopped going to church in the last 25 years,  meaning that communal Sundays and structured lessons in forgiveness and giving aren't as consistent anymore for us and our children. Although many Americans have found other communal organizations to replace church, a lot also haven't.  The longing for community and organized religion that so many of us feel right now shows us the sense of tradition, love, and belonging that we're looking for which is essential to our mental health. And it's completely related to the huge loneliness pandemic that is going on right now. As I always tell my kids: Loneliness is the new smoking. Let's listen to the absence of communities that we feel most now around the Holidays and do something different this year for our own and our kid's mental health. In this episode on community around the Holidays, we discuss: The ways we connect with people are changing and affecting our mental health; How the Holidays and our traditions around them look very different now from the ones we grew up with and how this affects us; Where's the longing for belonging and community coming from that we feel even more around the Holidays?; Our society promotes individualism over community; Simple ideas on how to teach our kids to give to others this Holiday season; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/community-holidays/

Gaining clarity on who we want to be as a person and as a parent feels hard in the confusing world we live in. Do we want to be the parent who's on their phone all the time or the parent who takes time for connection and does things that make us feel good? The answer is probably a no-brainer but how do we actually live up to this?  Today's guest on the podcast is Damon Eddy, a transformation coach specializing in helping people move from confusion to clarity and he's here to share his insights with us! In this episode on gaining clarity in a confusing world, we discuss: How our current world is set up to constantly grab our attention; The effect Social Media has on our well-being; How to start looking for clarity in our busy lives; Becoming aware of the person you want to be; In order to grow you have to learn; The difference between growing and being productive; Communicating our needs with our spouse; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/gaining-clarity/

We're about a month into being back to school and here's the issue that's been coming up for me: homework. I was a bit hesitant on releasing an episode on this topic because to be fair, it sounds boring. But I know I'm not the only one struggling with this right now! And luckily, my incredible guest, Lara Dawn, certified teacher and founder of The ADHD Village, knows just how to turn this topic into an interesting conversation! In this episode on homework issues, we cover: The brain chemicals that play a role in making homework (especially for ADHD kids); How do we figure out what's going to work for our kids with all the busy schedules of the family?; Strategies for when this feels hard to get done as a parent; Breaking the task of homework into smaller pieces; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/homework-issues/ 

As high-achieving moms, we're living hectic lives, reachting to every trigger, thought, text message and notification. How can we be more intentional about our lives as parents going into the new school year? If your first thought is, "I don't have time for that", I completely get it! There's so much pressure on us high-achieving women. But here are the facts: We see a mental health crisis among our children and a burnout crisis among women. If we continue to go with the norms, this is what we're choosing. It's a path we don't want to take. So what can we do differently? Dr. Leah Katz, clinical psychologist, is here to tell us all about it!  In this episode on how to start the school year with presence, we discuss: How do we separate from certain groups and norms that are impacting our lives?; The pressure on high-achieving women; How check-ins can help you to live a life that feels true to you; How to do a check-in with yourself; Taking space for yourself in a world that's telling you you can't; Where does the resistance come from we can feel around mindfulness? How values inform the decisions you make; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/start-school-with-presence/ 

If your kid might apply for college in the next ten years, you want to listen to this one! Margaret is an expert when it comes to supporting kids through the college application process. She has a particularly valuable perspective on how teenagers experience this crazy time and how parents can support them and today she's sharing her knowledge with us! In today's episode on supporting your teen through college, we discuss: Why not to rewrite your kid's college application essay; The three parts of finding a good-fit college; Trusting your kid to go through this process themselves; The top three ways parents can support their kid through college applications; How to foster a safe environment for your kid to talk to you about college; Some golden tips on scholarships; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

Do you ever wonder why your kids are fighting more than usual? Or do you worry about spending way more time with one kid over another?  With all the families I work with, and similarly in my own family, I notice patterns that can lead to difficulties. That's why today I'm sharing with you some easy family therapy hacks that are going to help with some of the most typical problems families are encountering and that can improve your kid's mental health! In this episode on improving your kid's mental health, we discuss: Examples of healthy family hierarchies; Two examples of common dysfunctional family hierarchies; Questions to ask yourself about your family's hierarchy; How to improve your family's hierarchies; The power of family therapy; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/improving-kids-mental-health/ 

Allowing our kids to choose their own path in life and pursue their dreams is a big topic in today's episode. How would you react if your child tells you they want to become a professional gamer?! That's exactly what one of Waki's kids chose as his own plan A, and with Waki's support, that's exactly what he has achieved.  I'm so excited to share the rest of my conversation with Waki Wynn with you about all things parenting. He's back with some golden nuggets from his own experiences raising his own kids and coaching many more. In this episode on allowing our kids to pursue their dreams, we discuss: Letting our kids choose their own path in life and supporting them in it; What if our kids don't want to work on school?; How to handle push-back from the people around you; Growing as a parent; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/allowing-our-kids-to-pursue-their-dreams/   

Today, we released one of those episodes that is full of knowledge gems and truth bombs for ALL parents out there. My conversation with Waki Wynn, in which he shares his invaluable insights into parenting, is truly one of my favorite conversations ever. We talk about finding your community as a parent, helping our high school boys develop lifelong friendships that will serve them for the rest of their lives, allowing our kids to eventually have their own family that's healthy and can move through sadness, grief and trauma together, and so much more! This episode with Waki is so fully packed with invaluable insights that we decided to release it in two parts. You can have a listen to part one today and we'll be back with the second part next week! In this episode filled with darn good parenting advice, we discuss: How Waki was able to create such strong, life-long friendships; How we're influenced by the people we spend time with; How your group of people defines your norms; Helping our kids develop healthy norms; Who's influencing your child beyond the doors of your house? Who else has their ear? And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/darn-good-parenting-advice-1/  

We all know that animals can have a profound impact on people's lives. But did you know pets can even promote social and emotional growth in our kids? Children use being with their pets as a very consistent coping skill and as a way to manage their emotions. As a parent, I started to wonder how and why this happens and how I can maximize the opportunities our pets bring into our homes. Today, we have Christine Bowers on the show who is an expert when it comes to animal-assisted therapy. We'll be talking about how to promote social and emotional development through our pets. Have a listen to learn how to be proactive with the pets in our families in order to help our kids grow and get the most out of the animals in our lives.  In this episode on how our pets promote social and emotional growth, we discuss: The health benefits of being in the company of animals; What the research shows on the effects pets and animals have on us; How our kids use their pets to regulate their emotions; Developing identity and building confidence with the help of our pets; Why it's important to involve our kids in the caretaking of our pets; How our kids can reap the benefits of their pet even when it's not always around; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/pets-promote-social-emotional-growth/ 

In just five days, Summer League Swimming season is starting across Virginia! I'm so excited - and not just for myself. The swim team is the most fruitful experience of social and emotional growth for my children I could wish for. Whether you're a pool rat or not at all, in this episode I will share with you what parts of the summer magic at the pool can be useful for you to integrate into parts of your kid's life, what parts you want to lean into and what parts might just not be a priority for your family right now.  In this episode on Summer League Swimming, we cover: Why Summer League Swimming is ripe with developmental opportunities for our kids; How the pool helps our kids develop their identity; The 'third place'; The opportunities for building community at the pool for both our kids and ourselves; Strategies to help you and your kids capitalize on this magical part of your lives; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/summer-league-swimming/ 

The skill of listening to our kids' feelings is such an important one for parents. When we listen well to our kids, we reinforce them to talk about their feelings. Besides, when our kids talk about their feelings with us, they are letting us closer to them. They are giving us a gift by allowing us to understand them and to see them. And isn't that what we all want as parents? Despite how important listening is, y'all, it's also a hard thing to do. So how can we learn this skill? How can we listen to our kids when they are talking about their feelings? Over the years, I've created a simple, step-by-step formula for how to listen to our kids when they are talking to us. I'm going to share all about it with you in today's episode! In this episode on how to listen to our kids' feelings, we cover: Why listening is such an important skill; How listening to our kids will help them; The guiding principles to keep in mind when listening to your kids; My easy-to-follow, step-by-step formula to listen to our kids; Why we don't always have to problem-solve for our kids; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/listen-to-our-kids-feelings/

It's May and that means it's almost swim-team season! With that, I notice the conversation around swimsuits, bodies, and body image coming up in my sessions more and more too. That's why we're-releasing an old episode on the toxic culture we live in around body image. In this episode, Caroline Megargel and I talk with Sarah Lewis from The Lewis Practice about the power we ourselves and our kids have when we start noticing the toxic messages we get around food and bodies.  If you want to be more empowered about your own food and body image journey and if you want to give your sons and daughters the opportunity to empower themselves as they walk around this world, I'm sure you're going to enjoy this episode! [And if you want to dive deeper into the topic, scroll back to our episodes from January 2022. This is just the first episode of a 6-episode series on disordered eating!] In this episode on the toxic culture around body image, we cover: How we see the culture negatively impacting adults and teens; The image (social) media paints about how we should look, act, and feel; The role of Social Media's algorithm in the images we see; How the way we talk about our bodies impacts our kids' body image; What we as parents can do and say about this; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!  Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/toxic-culture-body-image-2/  

The ability to talk about our feelings can literally change our lives. It's related to having closer relationships, longevity, physical health, stress reduction, and feeling better overall. But it can be complicated! Luckily, it's a skill we can all learn and I spend a lot of time working on this with my clients! In this episode on talking about our feelings, we discuss: Talking about your feelings is a skill you can learn; Why it's so important to talk about your feelings and the massive impact it can have on your life and relationships; The biggest mistakes we make when we are trying to express our feelings; Tips on how to get better at talking about your feelings; How you can help your teen get better at talking about their feelings; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!  Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!  And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!  More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/talking-about-feelings/

Today, we're talking about the basics of screen time. With these tips you will be able to develop a screen time plan that will help your whole family work a little more smoothly. Screen time expectations is one of the things I work most on with families that walk through my door. That's why we made this episode part of our Therapy Greatest Hits series, in which we share the tips we as therapist use most. Because in the end, all families go through the same things. We hope these tips will get you through some tough conversations with your teen you definitely will have to have around screen time. In this episode on screen time basics, we discuss: The effects screen usage has on our kids and families; The positive things screen usage brings us and our kids; My top tips about screen time; Four rules I help families implement from the get-go; Some pro-tips; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/screen-time-basics/

We're SO EXCITED to share with you that Virginia Family Therapy has now become Active & Connected Family Therapy! It's been a long process and we're so proud of what we've build over the years!  In today's episode, Caroline and I talk about the reasons behind the name change and what this new name means to us. You'll also hear about how we started Virginia Family Therapy years ago, which is a funny and crazy story! Thank you so much for listening and all of the support. We are truly grateful, shocked and proud and we just want to continue trying to help as many people as we can. In this episode on our rebrand to Active & Connected Family Therapy, we discuss: How we started Virginia Family Therapy and how it grew to Active & Connected Family Therapy; Why we decided to change the name; What Active & Connected means to us; What is important for us in our work with our clients; All the different ways 'active' shows up in our lives and how important it is; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://www.activeconnected.com/how-did-we-start-active-connected-family-therapy/ 

Today, we're starting our mini-series on the greatest therapy hits with the #1 thing I talk to parents about, no matter what their reason for coming into my office. Whether it's because their kid is having meltdowns, is feeling depressed, worries a lot, has difficulty following directions, … The very first thing I talk to the parents about is increasing the quality and frequency of the time we spend with our kids, i.e. strategies to enhance quality time. How do we as busy parents, with lots of demands and frequently raising multiple kids get the most bang for our buck when we're with them? The idea is to find something you can do EVERY DAY to truly connect with your children in a way that makes them feel seen and works for your family. Let's walk this through! In this episode on enhancing quality time with our kids, we cover: How to increase the quality and frequency of the time you spend with your kids; The 3 things to focus on during your special time with your kids; Leaning into your child's ‘love language'; How I implement these strategies with each of my children, specific to their own needs; And much more around enhancing quality time with your kids! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/enhance-quality-time/  

Today we're starting a series on our greatest hits and the tips and strategies we as therapists talk to parents the most about. We say the same things over and over again because so many of us struggle with the same things and I'm going to share them with you during the upcoming weeks!   In this rewind episode, Sarah Lewis from The Lewis Practice, Caroline and I talk about how and why parents should be talking to their kids about their OWN feelings. This is probably contrary to what you see on Instagram or have heard before, which is that we should hold it together to take care of our kids' feelings. And that's true. But it's equally true that we should be talking about our own feelings. Doing this will not only increase empathy and problem-solving for our kids, but we as adults will also feel closer to our kids and so much better in general.   In this episode on sharing your feelings with your kids, we cover: Why it's important to talk to your kids about your own feelings; What happens when we don't talk about our feelings; How to discuss your own feelings with your kids: what wording to use, the best timing, etc.; Tips on what not to do; And so much more!   We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!   And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/rewind-parents-have-feelings-too/

Let's talk about setting boundaries today. Because I know setting boundaries is something so many people, especially women, struggle with. And I'm certainly one of them. Today's guest Meg Allan Cole is an expert in the field of going from people pleaser to setting healthy boundaries and I'm so excited to share her insights with you. She struggled with a chronic illness for the last 5-10 years and woke up and figured out what her priorities in life are. She realized that in order to honor them she had to learn to say no. And so she did. We can all learn how to set healthy boundaries in order to be the person we want to be. So let's dive and start learning how to do this! In this episode on setting healthy boundaries, we cover: Historical and cultural reasons why we people-please; Acknowledging your own boundaries; Strategies & specific examples on how to set healthy boundaries; How the patriarchy taught women to apologize all the time and how this plays into people-pleasing and setting healthy boundaries; Meditation; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/setting-healhty-boundaries/  

Let's talk about the importance of trying new things in your 40s and reflect on how doing so can really change our lives! Karen Murray's story is an incredible example of how trying something new in your 40s can change your life. She ran her first marathon at the age of 46. Now, ten years later, she's run 314 of them! Her story shows us that just a little bit of courage in taking a small step can truly make us happier and healthier and give our life meaning as we get older. In this episode on trying new things in your 40s, we discuss: Why it's so important to start something new in your 40s; Karen's story of how she did this and how it changed her life; What inspired her to pick up running in her mid-40s; How she had the courage to DO IT; How having something new changed her life; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/trying-new-things-in-your-40s/

Parents are still experiencing burnout after the pandemic. For those of you who are in your 40's, like me, this burnout is coinciding with a very natural increase in depression that hits most of us around this age. This shows how important it is for us to be proactive about how we're managing our stress! Today, I'm talking to Dr. Erik Korem, who's a sports scientist, entrepreneur, podcast host of The Blueprint, and father of three. We'll discuss what parents can learn from athletes about managing stress and burnout and how we can actually build our capacity to adapt to stress. I can't wait for you to learn more from him in today's episode! In this episode on parental burnout and managing stress, we cover: What happens physiologically with burnout and stress; Why so many people are experiencing burnout right now; What happens biologically when we experience stress; Living closer to our values; The 5 pillars to build the capacity to adapt to more stress; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:  https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/parental-burnout-managing-stress/

Raising feminist men is now more important than ever. I want my boys to push back against patriarchy AND at the same time feel proud of who they are as boys. If you are like me, and you are raising boys and identify as a feminist, this episode is for you! I'll start this episode by sharing some tips I've been mulling over for the past few years. Then, I'll be joined by Erin Spahr, LCPC, to talk more about what it means to raise boys as a feminist. Erin's mission is to challenge the oppressive societal norms that disempower moms. She's full of deep insights she brings to the table during the episode, so let's dive in! In this episode on raising boys as a feminist, we discuss: What does it mean to Erin to be a feminist and how does this show up in her parenting?; Starting the conversation with your boys; Helping them observe what they see in the world around them; How to talk to your kids about specific topics like toxic masculinity; The role fathers play in raising feminist boys; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:  https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/raising-boys-as-a-feminist/  

Now that we have a better understanding of why it is so hard for boys to talk about feelings, let's dive into what we can do to help our boys talk about their emotions. I'm continuing the conversation with Matt Browning, who shares actionable strategies for helping our boys verbally express their feelings more easily. So how do we go about this? What are some actionable tactics to help our boys? And when is actually the right time to talk about this? Matt has all the answers in today's episode. In this episode on helping boys talk about feelings, we discuss: Actionable strategies for helping boys talk about feelings; The importance of education around emotions and how to go about it; Why it's helpful to keep it general at first instead of going personal right away; Leaning into the resistance you feel from your kid instead of going against it; When's the right time to talk about feelings?; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/helping-boys-talk-about-feelings/  

We're continuing the conversation about raising boys with another guest expert. Together with Matt Browning, Licensed Professional Counselor at Virginia Family Therapy, we'll dive deeper into the topic of why it is so hard for our kids who identify as boys to talk about their feelings. In this episode on why it's hard for boys to talk about their feelings, we cover: The biological reasons why boys experience difficulty talking about their emotions; The social influences that make it hard for boys to talk about their feelings; Relatable, personal stories of feedback Matt received when he expressed his emotions growing up; The importance of developing relationships; Useful sports references that will help your kids; Sports heroes who talk about their emotions and show vulnerability on screen; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/why-hard-for-boys-to-talk-about-feelings/ 

When talking about raising boys, we have to look at and think about where men are right now and what men's mental health looks like. We need this insight to know what we need to keep doing and where we can shift a little bit. Jason Frishman is back to continue the conversation on men's mental health. He introduces the concept of ‘the man box', a way of describing the traits and components we expect from men in our culture, and how these traits are directly related to isolation, loneliness, depression, suicidality, anger, aggression and even being bullied or being a bully yourself. If we want a different life for our boys, we need change. In this episode on men's mental health, we cover: The man box: the traits and components we expect of men in our culture; How these traits are related to isolation, loneliness, depression, etc. The messages we (as a culture) send to men; What men need from connections; How wives can support their husbands in creating meaningful, regular, nourishing connections; And much more We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/mens-mental-health/  

You all know I've devoted my life to understanding how teenage girls develop. Today though,  I'm shifting my focus to the topic of raising boys. Men are put in a very difficult place in our society these days and if we want more for our boys and families and life, we have to teach young boys how to do better and offer more flexibility in who they become. The upcoming few episodes will all be around the topic of raising boys. We're starting this mini-series off today with a rewind episode of my interview with Jason Frishman, Psy.D., about fatherhood as social activism. I believe that what he has to say about fatherhood can ground us in this conversation about raising boys because fathers are many times the role models in our boys' lives. In this episode on fatherhood as social activism, we discuss: How the stories we grew up with shaped our view on fatherhood and masculinity; Redefining what it means to be a father; Why it's harder for men/fathers to find a community in which they can discuss these topics; The similarities and differences between motherhood and fatherhood from a cultural point of view; The importance of the small things for you and your family; How and why this all falls under social activism; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/fatherhood-social-activism/

Today, we'll be discussing a huge topic: how to raise our families in the midst of a mental health crisis. We're going to tackle this big idea from a place of theory and bring it down to steps of actions that parents can take to promote mental health for the whole family. During the pandemic, our teens' mental health took a dip and it hasn't rebounded. We're in the midst of a mental health crisis. Knowing that raises the question: what do we do about it? What do we do now that we know there's a mental health crisis and what does this mean for how we raise our families? In this episode on parenting during a mental health crisis, we discuss: Why I think there's a mental health crisis among teenagers specifically; How social norms work & promote unhealth; The downside of social norms; How the culture around us is toxic; We need to go against the norms, but how do we do this?; Experiencing anxiety because you're going against the norms vs anxiety because you're acting out of line with your values; Low & high stakes norms; Thoughts on parenting during a mental health crisis; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:  https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/parenting-during-mental-health-crisis/

When we think about OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, most folks think about hand-washing, lining things up perfectly, or really perfectionistic kids. But the truth is that OCD can present in many different ways and very frequently, it's confused with generalized anxiety or overall anxiety. Today, we have Jessie Dice, licensed clinical social worker, on the podcast to talk about OCD in kids. We're diving deep into all the ways OCD can come up for your child and what it can look like in the house and in your family system.  So what are the indicators to look out for? And what are the best steps to take when you think your child might be struggling with OCD? We talk all about it in today's episode! In this episode on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in kids, we discuss: Recognizing the difference between anxiety and OCD; Signs and symptoms of OCD in children; What OCD would actually look like in the house; How OCD works in the family system; Symptoms and systems parents might see themselves doing that are indicators that it's worth looking into therapy; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/ocd-in-kids/

It is that time of year again when we are bombarded with reflection, planning, changing, thinking, … and to be honest, hearing about all the different things that I should be doing makes me feel a little overwhelmed.  As human beings, we are social animals meaning that we get many of the cues about who we want to be and how we should be living our lives from the people around us. And even though we're often taught that peer pressure is a bad thing, this is not always the case. Peer pressure can actually be very helpful and beneficial. The issue for me personally, and I think for many of you too, is to identify what's a healthy influence and what's an unhealthy influence. I'm offering you my easy, 3-step strategy that helps me become who I want to be and stay aligned with my values. I'll share all about it in today's episode! In this episode, we cover: The different types of messages we get from all different kinds of places: Social Media, family, friends, …; How to decipher what messages to listen to; Peer pressure and why it's not always a bad thing; My easy, 3-step strategy to help me (and you) live more aligned with our values in 2023; A ton of examples from my own life; And more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/who-i-want-to-be-in-2023/

If you're anything like me, when your kid starts showing anger, sadness, fear, or any other emotion in big form, you want to either fix the problem for them or send them away to deal with it on their own. But to raise emotionally healthy kids, we need to take a different approach.  Today's expert guest is Hilary Mandzik, Psy.D. We discuss all the ins and outs of how and why we as parents need to stop fixing our kids' feelings and start sitting with them when they're experiencing all the feels. Hilary helps us understand why this is what's going to lead to happier and emotionally healthier kids in the long run. In this episode on raising emotionally healthy kids, we discuss: How we can teach our kids to regulate their feelings, so they aren't expressed with violence, unkind words or improper behavior; How generational trauma influences how we deal with our kids' feelings; Acknowledging and dealing with our children's feelings while regulating our own; How to de-shame a moment with your child; Creating a safe space where kids can come to you with their problems; The influence of our education system on how kids deal with their emotions; Staying curious about your kid's feelings; How tools and talking about feelings can set up a better foundation for regulating them; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/raise-emotionally-healthy-kids/ 

Being connected to those around us improves the physical and mental health of both us parents and our kids. But many parents lack this sense of community or feel like they have to work incredibly hard to develop one. This is especially true for folks who move around a lot, like families of US Foreign Service Officers. Making new friends and developing a community while constantly starting anew is challenging, exhausting but also rewarding and life-giving. Our expert guest today is Jodi Harris (LCSW). Together with her husband and children, she lived in seven countries in fifteen years. As part of Virginia Family Therapy, Jodi is helping head up our international team offering therapy to those connected to US embassies abroad and in the States.  Jodi is a true expert on the highs and lows of putting yourself out there with new people, being vulnerable, asking for help, and knowing when it's time to lean into yourself and your family. The strategies she shares for building community resonate with those relocating abroad as well as those who haven't moved in years. In this episode on developing community abroad or at home, we discuss: The most important pieces of making friends (abroad or at home); Putting yourself out there and playing the yes-game; The importance of really knowing and understanding yourself in order to find likeminded people; Being vulnerable and honest with yourself and others; Acknowledging everyone's personal preferences in developing community; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/developing-community-abroad/

Let's stick with the topic of relationships for a little longer! Today, Caroline and Sarah are joining me to talk about the value of developing intergenerational relationships: the relationships we develop with folks who are of different ages than us. In our culture, it's not always encouraged but we promise there's so much to gain from these kinds of relationships!  In this episode on intergenerational relationships, we cover: The benefits of being friends with people of different ages; Our own experiences with intergenerational relationships; Your kids having relationships with people from older generations; How creating time and space will help both you and your kids; Things that might get in the way of creating those intergenerational relationships; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/intergenerational-relationships/

“It's the most wonderful time of the year!”  Today on the podcast, I'm talking about holiday traditions with actress, NYT bestselling author, director, and most importantly my longest and dearest friend, Casey Rose Wilson. We've spent over 25 Christmasses together and we're both over the top when it comes to Christmas so you're in for a treat today! There are two things I can say for sure:  Every time I talk to Casey, I learn more about how to love. This conversation made me think about Christmas in a whole new way. In this episode on Christmas traditions, we discuss: The meaning of tradition; Holding both grief and joy during the holidays; Our family holiday traditions & our favorite Christmas memories; Holding space to create new memories for ourselves and our kids; And much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!

Today, I have three young men with me that are true experts on community. Hussein Osman, Said Osman, and Ayat Mohamed are all refugees from Somalia and their Somali Bantu culture is one of inclusiveness, helping and wanting everyone to succeed. I know this because they've let me into their family and they are apart of mine. I've felt the differences with the American culture and their more collectivist communal stance over the past six years. I truly feel that my family's relationships with these young men are essential to our mental health. We have developed a true community that is rare in America these days. So this conversation is about us putting ideas around community into words. Take a listen -- I know you'll learn a lot from this episode, just like I did.   In this episode on community, we discuss: What community means to them;  Cultural differences and what we can learn from them; Why it is important to make friends with people who are different from you & what this looks like; Being intentional about getting to know people; And so, so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/what-is-community/

Compassion fatigue is the stress that people experience from helping or wanting to help others who are experiencing trauma or suffering. Parents, health care workers, teachers, people with big hearts, … almost everyone experiences compassion fatigue at some point in their lives. With everything that's going on in our communities right now, a lot of parents feel tasked with taking care of their community, family, themselves, the fear and sadness that we have while also trying to create some holiday magic and rituals and routines for our kids. How can we take care of ourselves and other caretakers? We discuss this and much more in today's episode. In this episode on taking care after trauma we discuss: How is trauma affecting people?; Burnout: What does it look like?; What is compassion fatigue and how do people experience it?; Signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue; Strategies to hold space; And so much more!   We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/care-after-trauma/

We're a few days out of the tragedy that occurred at UVA. Today, we're going to talk about how community trauma can trigger trauma from the past. I'm joined by Sarah Lewis who, as always, anchors me while she explains why old traumas can be triggered, the signs and symptoms of trauma and what you can do about it. In this episode on the impact of community trauma, we cover: How does community trauma trigger our own old traumas and what does that look like?  What happens to our bodies when big T or little T trauma is triggered by community trauma? What can be helpful when old trauma is triggered? And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/community-trauma/

Parents across the United States are struggling with the question, “How do we help our kids feel safe when we worry we are living in an increasingly unsafe world?” It's a hard and sad question; one that many Americans have never had to face. In this episode, recorded one day after a mass shooting in Charlottesville, VA, we will discuss: Why is it so important for our kids to feel safe? What do we say to help them feel safe? How can they help themselves feel more safe? How can we turn our fear into action, at all ages? How do we continue to stay engaged in action to help people across all communities? Our hearts go out to the families of Devin Chandler, D'Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis.  We are devastated for you. Thanks so much for listening. If you'd like to connect, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and share your thoughts with us. - - - Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/help-kids-feel-safe/ 

Experiencing social anxiety is a big part of being a teenager. Thoughts like ‘How do people interpret me?', ‘How do I present myself?' and ‘Who am I away from my family?' are normal but they are also exhausting. Teens are spending so much energy figuring out who they are and worrying about whether people will judge them for it. Whether your teenager experiences social anxiety or social pressure within the realm of normal or on a more intense level, there are some things we can do to help our teens cope with it. In today's episode, we walk you through multiple strategies! In this episode on helping our teens cope with social anxiety, we cover: Signs and symptoms of social anxiety in teenagers; Overcompensating (coming in too hot) or coming in too cold (shutting down) in social interactions; Strategies to help our teens who are struggling with social anxiety or social pressure; The influence of Social Media on social anxiety; Ways to open up the conversation around social anxiety with your teen; How we help teens overcome social anxiety by channeling Tammy Taylor or Tony Bennett; Validating the experience; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/teens-social-anxiety/

Do you have a high-achieving teen at home? Expecting themselves to be the best athlete and student and the most popular kid all at the same time. How do we parent these teens that put so much pressure on themselves? In today's podcast episode I'm sharing my top strategies! In this episode on managing perfectionism and pressure in teens, we cover: Why do some teens put so much pressure on themselves?; Perfectionism from a biological perspective; The pressure we as parents subconsciously put on our teens; Parenting strategies for managing perfectionism and pressure in teens; Modeling making mistakes; And so much more! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode! Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much! And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes! More info? You can find the full show notes, links, and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/managing-perfectionism-pressure-teens/

One of the major strategies for managing anxiety is to get really good sleep. But getting good sleep isn't always the reality we live in. Not for ourselves and not for our teens. Google will offer you all the ins and outs on sleep hygiene but truth be told, most sleep hygiene tips are incredibly boring and therefore very hard to implement with your teen.   So in today's episode of Active & Connected Families, we're diving into some sleep hacks for teenagers (and adults) that are actually easy, realistic and doable to implement and won't leave you fighting with your teen.    In this episode on realistic sleep hacks for teens, we discuss: Why sleep is important; Easy, realistic, and doable sleep hacks for teenagers; What your teen needs to know about sleep; Modeling sleep hygiene habits as a parent; How to handle screen time in a way that gets your teen on board; Implementing small pattern shifts to help your teen sleep better; How sleep is all about habit and routine; Weekend strategies for better sleep throughout the week; Sleep debt;  And much more!   We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating, and then write your review. Thanks so much!   And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/realistic-sleep-hacks-teens/

Sleep is essential for anyone's ability to focus, remember things, solve problems, manage emotions, and feel good. The right amount of sleep reduces anxiety and depression. And did you know that when you're sleeping, everything you've learned during the day encodes in your brain? In a nutshell, sleep is everything for the way that we function in this world.   That's why I'm so excited to have Allison Egidi, a certified pediatric sleep & wellness coach, on Active & Connected Families today, talking about the basics of sleep for elementary school kids.   In this episode on sleep help for elementary school kids, we discuss: The basics of sleep for elementary school kids; The importance of a healthy bedtime routine; Common pitfalls; Teaching your kid that they can sleep independently; How much sleep does my kid actually need?; Rituals, habits and holding the structure of your family's bedtime routine; Screen usage; Teaching your child to understand that sleep is not perfect; And so much more!   You don't want to miss this one, so hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!   And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/sleep-help-for-e…tary-school-kids/

If your kid might apply for college in the next ten years, you want to listen to this one! Margaret is an expert when it comes to supporting kids through the college application process. She has a particularly valuable perspective on how teenagers experience this crazy time and how parents can support them and today she's sharing her knowledge with us!   In today's episode on supporting your teen through college, we discuss: Why not to rewrite your kid's college application essay; The three parts of finding a good-fit college; Trusting your kid to go through this process themselves; The top three ways parents can support their kid through college applications; How to foster a safe environment for your kid to talk to you about college; Some golden tips on scholarships; And so much more!   Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you would leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating, and then write your review. Thanks so much!   And if you haven't done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don't miss any of our future episodes!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/supporting-your-teen-through-college-applications-with-margaret-baudinet-of-college-solutions-podcast-episode/

Let's face it, making and keeping friends as an adult is not easy. Research shows that we all need real-life connections (so not on our phones, y'all!) for the benefit of our mental health and to reduce anxiety and depression in adults.   In today's podcast episode, I'm sharing tips and strategies that will help you make friends easier. It's going to be a little awkward, but I can tell you this: it'll be worth it!   Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/making-friends-as-an-adult/

The trend we're seeing among athletes and other teenagers is a general increase in anxiety and depression. Coach Mike is back on the podcast today to talk about health beyond nutrition and exercise. He shares and explains the top four strategies to help athletes make the time and space to get their mental game together so they can be more well-rounded and perform better.   We're talking about society's expectations, identity crises, diversifying your identity, self-scouting, honoring your body aside from its performance, and much more!   Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/mental-fitness-for-athletes/

Collectively, we're coming out of an extremely hard, even traumatic time. We couldn't wait for life to go ‘back to normal' but instead of easily sliding back into that ‘normal life', many of us are struggling.    In this first episode under our new name, we're diving deeper into the topic of why parenting feels so hard right now and why so many parents and non-parents are feeling so stressed and anxious. We discuss developmental shifts, unrealistic expectations, emotional forecasting, scarcity complex, sensory overload and will share our advice on how to get through this tough time.   Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you, so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/why-parenting-feels-so-hard/

We're back with a rewind episode with coach Mike where we talk about the strong connection between mind and body, the contradictions regarding mental health for young athletes, and essential mental health strategies to implement for every athlete out there.    Michael believes that mental health should be an equally important part of sports training, as are warm-ups, strength training, and cardio and we couldn't agree more!   Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!     More info? You can find the full show notes, links & resources on: http://www.podcasttherapists.com/episode/mental-health-athletes-part2/

Recently, we've been hearing too many stories in the national news regarding college athletes struggling with their mental health and many of you have reached out to us. Sport is an amazing thing but we shouldn't forget about balance, identity, and a sense of well-being either.  That's why we're re-releasing our popular episode with coach Michael Atunrase, who will give you invaluable insights on how to keep your athlete mentally healthy. We talk about support systems, balance, identity, growth mindset, communication, vulnerability and so much more. Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links & resources on: http://www.podcasttherapists.com/episode/mental-health-for-athletes/

Apologizing, we do it all the time but it doesn't always have the effect we hope for, does it? We make a lot of mistakes when it comes to apologizing (yep, us included) and that isn't beneficial to our relationships.  In this episode, we go over the most common mistakes when it comes to apologizing, and most of all, this episode is about how to be a human being and apologize in a way that feels good to you and the other person and that's going to create some growth, repair and learning from the whole situation. Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links & resources on: http://www.podcasttherapists.com/episode/how-to-apologize/

How do we teach our kids to apologize in a healthier way that helps them feel good about themselves, learn from their mistakes, and improve and repair their relationships? That's the question we're discussing in today's episode. Teaching your kid how to apologize is one part of raising empathic children. Our kids have to learn that their actions and words can affect other people and what they can do when they make a mistake and don't feel good about it. Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links & resources on: http://www.podcasttherapists.com/episode/teach-kids-to-apologize/

A subject our kids are more knowledgeable and open-minded about than most of us adults are... Today we're talking gender diversity.  Oak Reed is our newest clinical psychologist at Virginia Family Therapy and on his first day with us(!), he joined us on Podcast Therapists to share his expertise. What is gender diversity? How can you recognize it as a parent? And how can you as a parent be the most helpful in responding when your child is exploring different gender identities? Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links & resources on: http://www.podcasttherapists.com/episode/gender-diversity/

Raising a child with ADHD, what does it actually look like?  Some parents might recognize some traits from other people in the family or even themselves. For others, it's a completely new world they're stepping into. We're very excited to be talking to pediatrician Carol Boersma, MD, today who shares some golden nuggets of insights around raising children with ADHD. Hop on and have a listen! We always love hearing from you so don't be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today's episode!   More info? You can find the full show notes, links & resources on: http://www.podcasttherapists.com/episode/raising-child-adhd/