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On today's episode of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, I speak to author of “Carry On” @carryonthebook Shea Bart Andreone @shea_andreone . Shea shares her deeply personal journey through fertility challenges, pregnancy struggles, and the emotional rollercoaster of loss and hope. She discusses her desire to become a parent, the difficulties she faced with hyperemesis gravidarum, and the heartbreak of losing a pregnancy. Ultimately, Shea emphasizes the importance of resilience and the joy of welcoming her children into the world. In this heartfelt conversation, Shea Bart Andreone shares her journey through the challenges of parenthood, including loss, the search for control, and the importance of community support. She discusses her book 'Carry On', which compiles true stories of individuals navigating the complexities of starting a family. The conversation emphasizes the significance of hope and resilience in the face of adversity, and the need for emotional support in healing. Be sure to tune in as you won't want to miss our deeply touching and hope filled conversation!   Takeaways   Shea always wanted to be a parent and started her journey with high hopes. Fertility struggles are common and can be emotionally taxing. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of morning sickness that can lead to significant health challenges. Shea experienced extreme nausea and weight loss during her pregnancy. The emotional toll of pregnancy loss is profound and can lead to feelings of guilt and despair. Shea's journey highlights the unpredictability of pregnancy and the importance of being adaptable. The desire to have children can drive individuals to persevere through immense challenges. Finding peace is possible, even amidst uncertainty. Loss can lead to discovering new activities that provide control. Writing can be a powerful outlet for processing experiences. Community support is crucial for those facing fertility challenges. The journey of parenthood can be isolating without connection. Stories of others can provide comfort and understanding. It's important to seek out community and support during difficult times.   Guest Bio:   Shea Bart Andreone was raised in Queens, New York, but moved west and loves California. She is a writer of numerous plays, essays, and maintains a blog called Twig Hugger. Shea has written multiple articles for mom and parent-oriented platforms (The Next Family, Motherfigure, LA Parent, Your Teen Magazine, and Chicken Soup For The Soul). Carry On is her first book and she hopes that it can provide hope and comfort to those who are on the fertility journey.    Websites: https://sheabartandreone.com/  Instagram: @carryonthebook @shea_andreone  X: X.comCarryOnTheBook   For more information about Michelle, visit: www.michelleoravitz.com The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/ Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/     Transcript:   Michelle (00:00) Welcome to the podcast,   Shea Bart Andreone (00:01) Thank you. Thanks for having me.   Michelle (00:04) Yeah, it's a pleasure having you and I would love for you to share your story and what got you inspired to write your book Carry On. would love for you to share that with the listeners.   Shea Bart Andreone (00:17) I would love to. So I always loved kids. I always wanted a younger sibling. I wanted to babysit when my parents decided they were never gonna have another child. I'm the youngest with a big age gap. So I took on all things that could keep me around.   Michelle (00:36) Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (00:45) kids so that I felt like I could be a big sister or a babysat. And I taught kids and ran day camps and stuff like that. I always knew that I wanted to be a parent and start a family. So when I did finally find the person to do that with, I thought, okay, well, when we get to that moment, it's just gonna be easy peasy and   you know, that's so exciting. We make the decision and we go. And of course, like every listener of your podcast and many, many more people around the world, it doesn't always work that way. So it took me quite a bit of time to figure out what to do. You you're instructed pretty quickly to try for longer and   I just, think I knew something was going to stop me unless I got help, but I, I did see my regular OB at the time and she suggested that we do an HSG, where they flush the iodine up your fallopian tubes. And she discovered that, I, I, you can really feel that.   Michelle (02:04) Not a fun test.   Yeah, it's crazy, but I hear so many things, so many stories, and I just wish doctors would just let people know like what's coming.   Shea Bart Andreone (02:19) Yeah, like exactly what you're gonna feel. Yeah, no, we have to experience it for ourselves. So that resulted in finding out that I had a fibroid right at the opening of my uterus. So I had scheduled the surgery to get it removed and somehow in...   Michelle (02:21) Yeah.   Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (02:48) that, well, not somehow. We know how making babies can work. I guess my husband and I were continuing to try and because of the HSG, it pushed the fibroid a little bit out of the way and I was able to actually conceive. But the fibroid and the pregnancy, they were fighting for the blood supply.   Michelle (03:16) So just backing up, were you about to do surgery for it, but then you stopped because you got pregnant?   Shea Bart Andreone (03:22) Yeah, so I scheduled a surgery and then ended up in crazy, crazy pain. like pain I'd never experienced before, like just shocking, like sharp, sharp pain. And I ended up calling the doctor and she said, go to the emergency room. And it was in the emergency room that I found out I was actually pregnant.   Michelle (03:30) Mm.   wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (03:52) And I was told basically, you gotta just kind of deal with this because they didn't know which one would win out. So I waited and I took whatever I could for pain, but not a lot, because I was like, well, I think I had a feeling like, no, no, no, I'm pregnant. Like, this is amazing.   Michelle (04:06) Got it.   wow, you felt it before they confirmed it?   Shea Bart Andreone (04:22) No, no, no. I definitely didn't know when I went in, but once I was, I was very protective. I was like, no, I don't, you can tell me all you want that like, there's a chance this won't stick, but I'm going to protect this. So I was very, very careful. And then in the end, that doctor was really not helpful. And I had like,   Michelle (04:25) Okay.   Yeah.   Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. For sure.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (04:51) crazy pain on the following Monday and ended up like my sister-in-law said, just go to my doctor, just go to my doctor. So I went to her doctor and I had a very like strong clear line in the sand that I would not go to a male doctor. And I felt like at that point I was like, okay, like we all have things on this journey that we think we're not gonna do. And we think we're gonna like,   Michelle (05:09) Mm-hmm.   Yes.   Shea Bart Andreone (05:19) okay, I'm never gonna do IVF or I'm never gonna do IUI and I'm not gonna, and then like, you're like, well, I'm gonna change that. So I started with him and I really do think that because of that situation, I ended up in the right hands. So luckily for me, like that pregnancy ended up sticking.   Michelle (05:22) It's true.   that's great.   Shea Bart Andreone (05:49) and that fibroid eventually just sort of died off. However, within, I think I felt good for like two weeks and then I started feeling symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum, which is, yeah, a few weeks in, I started feeling severely nauseous and,   Michelle (06:06) Mm-hmm. You mean early in the pregnancy.   Mm-hmm.   Right.   Shea Bart Andreone (06:18) I thought, okay, well, this will pass. This is what they tell people, like, know, morning sickness, but it's not morning sickness. Hyperamesis Gravidarum is like, if I threw up eight times in a day, that was a really good day. And I broke all the blood vessels in my face daily from the pressure of vomiting. And the blood vessels in my eyes were...   Michelle (06:35) Wow, yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (06:48) Like my, I had bloodshot eyes and just could not remember a time that I liked food. Like it was so awful to me. Like the idea of it, sipping water, anything. And originally, like...   Michelle (07:04) Yeah, that's that's a big thing, too, because people get dehydrated.   Shea Bart Andreone (07:08) Yeah, yeah, and I tried everything. tried like, you know, motion sickness bands and you know, there were lollipops that were supposed to help and ice pops and nothing, nothing, nothing. And I just didn't want anything. And that, you know, began the insane journey of my pregnancy because that led me to lose about 15 pounds.   Michelle (07:18) Mm-hmm.   Wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (07:37) And my doctor didn't quite realize how bad it was. And when he did, he was like, I am giving you medication that is going to stop the, you know, the vomiting for a few days and you have to eat. If you do not gain weight by Monday or stay the same, I have to admit you for a feeding tube. So we took the weekend.   Michelle (07:54) Yeah.   Wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (08:06) And my husband was like, can you think of anything, any food you ever liked? And I was like, pizza.   Michelle (08:18) Ha ha ha ha!   Shea Bart Andreone (08:21) For like kid food, I went to growing up, had, I think was, had Elio's frozen pizza and tater tots. And I was like, I don't even know where that came from, but okay, let's try that. And the medication was so intense that you basically like, you could eat and then you'd fall asleep. And so that started on a Friday and Saturday midday, I woke up and I felt like,   Michelle (08:23) Yeah.   The simple things.   Shea Bart Andreone (08:51) I couldn't stop moving. Like I was very restless. And I felt like this must be what restless leg syndrome is like, but it feels like this for my whole body. And that was crazy because I'd never experienced a situation like that before where you feel like it's out of control. Like you can't say kind of wreaks havoc on your mind because you don't want to keep moving, but you are.   Michelle (08:53) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (09:21) Yeah.   Michelle (09:21) Yeah, yeah. Is that from, was that from the medication side effect? my God, you poor thing. You got tortured.   Shea Bart Andreone (09:25) Yeah.   It's the yeah, it got worse too. Then I got jaw lock.   Michelle (09:31) no.   no.   Shea Bart Andreone (09:37) So like my entire jaw just locked to one side. And once that started, it didn't let go for 16 hours.   Michelle (09:42) no.   my God.   Shea Bart Andreone (09:51) And the only thing that would help is sometimes I could put all my upper body weight over my husband's shoulder and it would like kind of fall. And at one point in that time it moved to the other side, but it was so uncomfortable and so painful. And I remember walking to use the bathroom at some point and looking at the toilet and thinking, I'd actually rather throw up than this. Like, I'm like.   Michelle (10:01) Mm-hmm.   Mm.   poor thing. my gosh. And was that also from the medication? Wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (10:24) Yeah. And it's interesting how your brain can only focus on one thing at a time, because in the back of my mind, I was like, how could I remain pregnant through all of this? my body is going through so much trauma right now. I don't know how. And   Michelle (10:34) Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (10:49) I knew that my husband was thinking the same thing, but we weren't discussing it because I was so distracted by the pain and the discomfort. But I knew that he was calling the doctor and trying to find out like, would this baby be okay? And fortunately he got the answer that like, this, guess what you eat doesn't.   Michelle (11:08) Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (11:18) always and what you what medicine doesn't always go fully like you do filter those things out to a degree. And I remember the next, you know, that was over the weekend and I went back and I, I was able to maintain my weight. So he did not have to send me to the hospital. But I remember, like waiting with bated breath to see that ultrasound on Monday morning. And   Michelle (11:46) Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (11:46) there was the baby inside with its legs crossed and an arm back and like yeah I've been fine in here.   Michelle (11:55) lounging. That's amazing.   Shea Bart Andreone (12:00) Like, I know you've been in hell, but I'm having a vacation.   Michelle (12:03) I'm sure you tell the story. It's interesting because my mom actually reminded me again. You have stories that you just keep hearing over and over and over again. But truthfully, mean, suffered secondary infertility to conceive me. So I'm kind of a product of secondary infertility. And she's tried and tried and tried. She said every time I get my period, I cry.   Shea Bart Andreone (12:06) Yeah.   Michelle (12:28) And it was really the stories of the people that I treat. It's so crazy how that comes full circle. And I'm kind of like the proof that a woman can go through all of this and still have a baby. And she also had the same thing. I don't know how severe it was, but to the point where she lost so much weight, she was under a hundred pounds and her doctor said, listen, we got to abort this child. You're not going to survive. And she's like, no way.   You know, and it was, it's pretty crazy. You know, you go through this journey and then you advice that you're like, no, no, no, no, no, this is not happening.   Shea Bart Andreone (13:04) Yeah, you get advice and then also like you try again and willingly enter something this crazy because the power and the, you know, the need and the, yeah. Yeah. That desire to have children is, is pretty huge. pretty, it's, it's, it's quite magical and   Michelle (13:10) Mm-hmm.   The belief really, right? The belief in that desire.   Shea Bart Andreone (13:34) wondrous, I think. Yeah. Yeah.   Michelle (13:37) I agree. I think it's meant to be there. Like, I don't think that it's a random thing. People feel that really strong calling and I don't think it's random. It's not just something that was kind of planted there for no reason. I think it's because you're meant to find the baby in one way the other. Like you were saying before about how maybe you don't expect it to be IVF, but maybe it is, and then you can kind of go back and forth. But even with...   egg donor or embryo donor or even adoption. I've had people talk about that and they said I was meant to have that baby. Like it was that calling. just that I was trying to control how it was going to show up.   Shea Bart Andreone (14:17) Yeah, yeah, it's really wild. mean, the things when you listen to other people's stories, sometimes you're like, why didn't you stop? And like, mean, or how did you keep going? How did you persevere? like, I follow someone online who is pregnant right now. And this is the first positive pregnancy test that she's gotten in over eight, like in eight years of trying. While you wait.   Michelle (14:28) Mm-hmm.   I think I saw that one. Yes. It was amazing. It was really, my God, I got the chills with the video that she showed. was like, that was amazing.   Shea Bart Andreone (14:47) Yes, it was amazing!   Yeah, like to see that double line. yeah, that's a long time. And people go through a lot. And it is not something for anyone on the outside to judge or decide or advise on because that desire, like you said, it's pretty wild. Yeah, yeah.   Michelle (14:57) Yeah, after eight years.   Yeah.   It's real.   Shea Bart Andreone (15:22) So in the end, I did get a very healthy baby and a baby girl. did not find out the gender and in the middle of a contraction, my husband, we had names for both a boy and a girl and in the middle of a contraction, my husband goes, I gotta tell you something. I don't like the boy's name. And I was like, I can't talk to you right now.   Michelle (15:45) That's funny. That is so funny.   Shea Bart Andreone (15:52) So for that sake, we were very happy to have a girl. Like we were happy to have a girl anyway. think we admitted to each other we really wanted a girl, but like, obviously we would have been over the moon for anything except that I don't know what we would have named that boy. So, you know, when she was about...   Michelle (15:59) Yeah.   Yeah, that's so funny.   Shea Bart Andreone (16:17) close to three. I wanted some time. I was really, really enjoying just like feeling healthy and raising a baby and not rushed to have another one. And so I thought, okay, well, when she like goes into preschool, then I can try to do this again. And this time I did get pregnant right away. And   was pretty sick right away as well. And my doctor found this team that like sends an IV, like teaches you guys, like a couple to do their own IVs. And I was set up to give myself, to put a port into my belly every morning with an IV that I wore as a pack.   Michelle (17:01) Mm.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (17:16) that was to help me to stop throwing up. And unfortunately,   I feel like, you know, anything I deal with, like there's research that comes out like a year or two later that like, that could have helped me in that situation, but unfortunately it didn't. But the medicine that was given to me at the time is no longer on the market for pregnancies because it can stop the heart from beating. So in...   Michelle (17:33) wow.   Uh-huh.   my gosh, wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (17:55) you know, at our 12 week ultrasound, which I was hoping to celebrate, was, and talk about like power and instinct. That morning, I felt like something was wrong. And I don't know where that feeling came from, because it's too soon at that point to really feel anything, you know.   Michelle (18:15) my gosh.   Shea Bart Andreone (18:24) moving around, but I just felt like something was wrong. And I remember looking at the sky and it was like this perfect blue and telling myself that no matter what happens today, that sky is still going to be blue. And just to hold on to like, not everything is lost. And I don't, I really don't even know why I felt this like foreboding, foreshadowing feeling. but   Michelle (18:43) Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (18:54) know, the doctor was, we were waiting in the room for the doctor and my husband was joking around and I said, I don't know, I don't feel like joking around. you know, when the doctor came in all friendly right away, I said, don't feel, I feel like some, I was very straightforward in a way that I don't think I usually am. And I was right, there was no heartbeat.   Michelle (19:03) Mm-hmm.   Wow.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (19:21) and I was too far along to like have anything done in the office. So I had to get checked into the hospital and yeah, it was really, really rough and awful because I felt like...   I tried so hard to do the right thing and to like keep everybody healthy. And it was awful doing like, you know, the port and injecting myself every day and all of that. And it still didn't work. So we ended up naming that baby, the name that I...   Michelle (19:43) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (20:08) show is with my, what I thought with my husband, but he didn't really like it. And I said, I know you didn't really like this name, but can I use it for this baby? And in that moment, he said, yep, but why don't you give all the other names that we're not gonna use next time. And that was the first time I heard him agree, like, we'll try again.   Michelle (20:13) you   wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (20:34) I hadn't thought that, like, guess it was, like, it was a lot for me, but I knew I wanted to try, but I kind of felt like, like I said about advice that came from others, like, it felt like everything in the universe was saying, you have gone through enough, take your one child, be grateful and move on. And for him to say, we will try again, it just gave me such a sense of relief that we were on the same page.   But we did agree that no matter what happened, this would be the last time because our daughter couldn't live through that again. And we couldn't, you know, do that. So we were gonna, so we tried again this time with no medication and only an IV for fluid. So I...   Michelle (20:59) Yeah.   Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (21:24) It's strange, hyperemesis is a weird thing. Like I definitely got it all three times that I was pregnant, but with the first one and the third one, the time of day that I could eat was totally different. I, with this, the last pregnancy, I could eat something in the morning, but once like one o'clock came, that's it. Like the gate was closed. Like there's no more putting any food or liquid into your body.   Michelle (21:30) Mm-hmm.   huh.   Shea Bart Andreone (21:54) so I did what I can, like I did what I could to eat before that time. and you know, we navigated it and, and I had a healthy baby boy. so I, I am very, very grateful and definitely, I'm aware, especially when I talk to others that are in the middle of their story.   Michelle (22:07) amazing.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (22:24) that   You don't know how your journey is going to end. really don't know how you're going to get to where you get to. But,   I know it's so cliche, like, whatever is supposed to happen, like the end of the story, it works out in the end. Like whether or not you get the biological child or adoption or foster or five dogs.   Michelle (22:56) Yeah. Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (22:58) you find peace at some point. I, my heart, yeah, my heart goes out to the people that are still in that journey and they don't have the ending yet.   Michelle (23:02) Yeah, I mean that makes sense.   Yeah, it's the ending. It's, things start to make sense at the end. And then you realize, had it not been for that exact moment, the genetics, all the alignment wouldn't be that exact child that you have. And, you know, obviously when you're holding that child in your hands, you're like, I wouldn't change this for anything. but sometimes it can be really scary because when you're going through it, you're walking into like a dark room, cause you have no idea how things are going to play out.   Shea Bart Andreone (23:37) Yeah. Yeah.   Michelle (23:38) And that the unknown, as we know, is like the scariest things for humans. all, nobody likes that. It's just the unknown. And especially when it comes to such a strong desire that is so primal. Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (23:43) Yeah.   Yeah, yeah. And so universal. mean, it's just procreating. That's what we think we're wired. I mean, we are wired and we think that we're meant to do it and it doesn't work out that way for everybody. So in all of that, for me though, especially in the miscarriage part, I felt like   Michelle (23:59) Yep.   Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (24:21) I didn't know who to go to and I didn't know where to, like, didn't feel, obviously I had at the time, like a three year old. And so either everyone around me in my circle at the time had a second child already or was trying to. And I didn't, I don't want to go to those people in that time.   So I ended up calling a friend of mine who had also lost several babies at the same week because I needed very specific support at that time. Like someone who really   Michelle (25:00) wow.   Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, that's somebody who can understand.   Shea Bart Andreone (25:09) Yeah, like understand exactly. And I talked to her and then she maybe led me to someone else. And I discovered that each woman that I spoke to had felt such a loss of control with their trajectory of what they had planned.   that they found activities that they could control to keep them a little bit grounded. It's such an ungrounding time. And one of them was like painting pottery, you know, plant pots. One ran a marathon. One was cooking and started to become a chef.   Michelle (25:45) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (26:06) And I realized that there were these like stories of activities that have, and, you know, hobbies or whatnot that came out of this. And I, I was like, okay, I got to find my, activity. So, and, and like I said, like something I can control, something I can, you know, seek from start to finish and have an outcome.   Michelle (26:07) wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (26:36) because I can't do that with a baby.   Michelle (26:36) Mm-hmm.   That's so interesting. This is the first time I've ever heard anybody put it in that way. I find it so interesting and I think that is really powerful.   Shea Bart Andreone (26:48) Yeah, it made sense to me once I realized this common thread. I was like, I get it. So I took up sewing and realized really quickly that is not going to be my thing. was one of those things I was always curious about and I like maybe took an eighth grade and didn't totally understand it. And so I was like, I'm going to try it now. And I was like,   Michelle (26:57) Mm-hmm.   Which that happens too.   Shea Bart Andreone (27:18) Nope, don't have any control over this either. But I was writing and I decided, that is something that I can do and I really love it and it can be an outlet for me. And so I decided to, because I couldn't think about anything else, to compile these stories from people.   Michelle (27:19) Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (27:47) and their hurdles and their stories of trying to become a parent. And that is how the book, Carry On, came to be. And it is stories of infertility and adoption and fostering. And most stories in the book have a happy ending, but not all the stories in the book.   Michelle (27:57) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (28:18) And yeah, mean, a lot of them, like when you're in the, if you, before you get to the end of that chapter for that person, you're like, whew. But there, you know, every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. so it's been, it, it, it's been wild to, interview people and learn about people. And you know, it is, because it's.   Michelle (28:29) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (28:47) It's my book and I put it together with all these different people. I thought I was done with it a couple of years ago. And again, talk about control and you think you're going to put a deadline on yourself and it has a life of its own. But I made a fairly new friend in the last few years.   Michelle (28:56) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm. Things change.   Shea Bart Andreone (29:17) And we got to know each other over something completely unrelated to fertility. And it was actually like activism against violence for something. we just connected and realized like, we should be friends, but we were so busy focusing on the cause that it took like a couple of months for us to get together and go for a walk before I like.   looked at her and said, so what do you do? Who are you? And she asked the same of me and I said, you I'm working on this book. And she said, if I had known you before, I probably would have been a chapter in your book.   Michelle (29:49) Yeah.   my gosh, wow.   Shea Bart Andreone (30:05) And it took me another couple of months of getting to know her and realizing that like, actually her story really does belong in this book and it is my book. So even though it's been done for a while, I'm adding it. So her story is one of the chapters in the book and she's the one that drew the line in the sand and said, I am never doing IVF. Like that's as far as I'll go.   Michelle (30:16) Mmm. Wow.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (30:34) And if she didn't do IVF, she wouldn't have her child.   Michelle (30:41) Wow, it's amazing how that happens.   Shea Bart Andreone (30:44) Yeah, and she and her story is really fascinating too because   Like mine, her health was at risk, you know, in order to have her child, but she, you know, went through 20 weeks of pregnancy with twins via IVF and unfortunately she lost those babies. And then, you know, knew what to expect the next time around. But when she wanted a second child,   it was just too much for her to like endure again, but it wasn't an option for her to not have a second child. So her second child is actually adopted from Ethiopia.   Michelle (31:33) my is beautiful.   Shea Bart Andreone (31:36) So it's a pretty amazing story.   Michelle (31:40) That's amazing. That's so beautiful. I had a guest, a previous guest, Dr. Lisa Miller. She wrote The Awakened Brain. She has an incredible story and it was, she was struggling to conceive for years with her husband. She had a voice in her head that kept saying, would you adopt if you had a child? If you were able to conceive, would you adopt? And she kept saying no. And then,   Shea Bart Andreone (31:48) yeah.   Michelle (32:04) one day randomly they saw something on TV. think they were either, I don't know if she was in hospital or a hotel. I don't remember exactly what it was, but like the TV wouldn't change. And it was stuck on this channel of a child that didn't have parents and her heart just blew wide open.   and her husband as well. And they're like, that's it. We're adopting. The second they decided to adopt and they got everything in order, she conceived. And she was meant to have her adoptive child. It was like something was calling her in that direction. She kept putting it off. And then all of sudden, boom, like in the right time, it was like, that was it. And then what happened was she heard that voice again in her mind.   if you were able to conceive naturally, would you still adopt? And she said, absolutely yes. Like after she decided and saw the child and it was just so powerful and she was getting all kinds of crazy signs. There was a duck that left an embryo in her door. It was right after she had a challenge conceiving. was just, it was so crazy. Like all these weird signs and it just tells you that they were part of a very cosmic intelligence.   there's got to be some kind of order that we're part of because it can't you can't explain that otherwise. There's something else. There's some other kind of divine intelligence. Yeah, yep.   Shea Bart Andreone (33:31) Yeah, whatever you want to call it, it's out there. So did she end up adopting a child and having a biological child?   Michelle (33:40) Yep. Yep. And she feels that her adoptive child is her child. Like that was the child she was meant to have. And then also her child and they were also meant to be together. It's amazing. It's just so wild on so many levels,   Shea Bart Andreone (33:56) Yeah, yeah, I just met someone I did a panel for a fertility expo and the woman sitting next to me had dealt with secondary infertility and had no issue getting pregnant with her first child and then her second child just she could not get pregnant, could not get pregnant and they had been on a list for fostering.   kids and I didn't go like she wasn't ever planning to adopt but just to help other people and to take in another child and she was thinking she was going to get like a teenager and somehow they were called randomly like two years ago with a newborn that was available and so she has raised that you know baby since birth and   Michelle (34:29) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (34:52) now is trying to adopt the baby. of course, two years, you know, year and a half into having that baby, she did get pregnant and now has three children.   Michelle (34:55) wow.   Wow. wow. you just don't know how and that's the part of relinquishing control. Like we know we have the desire and the desire is there for a reason. We just, we almost have to rely on that divine intelligence for the how. I think that that's what it is. And when we fight that, that's where I feel like it doesn't stop like you from having it eventually, but it stops the process. It delays it. think when we fight   Shea Bart Andreone (35:17) Yeah. Yep.   Michelle (35:30) that divine intelligence, that flow that's trying to move you in a certain direction.   Shea Bart Andreone (35:34) Yeah, it's really true. And also, I don't know why I keep coming back to this today, but that middle part of the story, you have to find a way to be uncomfortable in that disequilibrium and manage it, because it's not going to stay like that. It won't. Yeah.   Michelle (35:50) Mm-hmm.   Right. This too shall pass.   Shea Bart Andreone (36:01) Even like in every situation, every, like this week, my daughter was expecting to get, she had worked really, really hard for a slot and an opportunity to do something. And they were looking at 10 people and knocking it down to six. And she ended up in the bottom four and did not get that opportunity. And I'm shocked. She's shocked, she's devastated.   Michelle (36:28) Mm.   Shea Bart Andreone (36:30) And as a parent, have that like, don't really want to be more upset for them. Like there's a fine line. You got to balance like your own emotions before you like, you know, and I just like the last couple of days, I've been like, okay, what's going to happen next? Because somehow something is going to make this better. Like, and I know something will happen. Like, but I feel like I'm on the edge of my seat sort of waiting for news.   Michelle (36:37) Mm-hmm.   Yep.   Mm-hmm. Yep.   Shea Bart Andreone (37:00) and that is familiar to me for like, you know, all the waiting and the waiting and the waiting of like, well, what's going to happen? Something is going to happen. Something exciting at some point. And you might have some pretty upsetting moments along the way, but something is going to happen.   Michelle (37:21) Yes, I actually remember hearing, I don't remember where it was, but it was a rabbi who said that there was like a saying that everything in the end works out. And if it's not working out or everything in the end is good. And if it's not good, it's not the end. And I'm like, I love that. Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (37:36) at the end. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, I definitely feel that way.   but we get like, it's so global. It's so like, you know, whatever your politics are, you can feel like, shoot, you know, that happened. You know, like, we feel this universally, like many, many times, and it shifts, things shift. And then, yeah, and the story ends.   Michelle (38:03) They do.   Yes. Yeah. Things definitely shift. I'm also kind of into Kabbalah right now, like, cause it's very similar to quantum physics. And I love that, how Joe Dispenza talks about that. But I find that a lot of like ancient traditions teach about, and these are things that aren't necessarily, you don't need to see them as like a religion per se. It's actually a way of life. It's almost like a science of life. And they talk about how, things do come up.   It is really for your soul to evolve. And sometimes those difficult things, like the second we react to them, then we sort of block ourselves off from the light and that like wisdom. But when we allow them, and this is, you know, they talked about it in Zen Buddhism, that's truly going with the flows. Like even when things are not comfortable, if you just allow for it to move and don't fight it.   with the non-resistance, then it actually helps to grow your soul, your spirit, your personality, your mind, your ability to handle things. It's pretty wild, but in some senses that   challenge   is what helps us. And the same thing if you look at a butterfly or even like a plant coming out of a seed and that hard shell and that fighting and that   challenge   of trying to get through. so it's painful, but they do it in that   That aspect of it, the difficulty, the challenge is really what helps us to become more of ourselves.   Shea Bart Andreone (39:44) Yeah, to get to the other side.   Michelle (39:46) Yeah, it's pretty wild. But like you said, it's universal. It could be applied to anything in your life. It could be applied to anything, to getting a job, to marrying the right partner. And it's very similar and also just any kind of challenges that happen in your life. And I've seen it so many times, just like you, like so many stories of people that had they looked at their history and said, okay, well, since I've never gotten pregnant,   Shea Bart Andreone (40:01) Yeah.   Michelle (40:12) before, like the one we just spoke about eight years of never getting pregnant, you could look at the history and say, based on the history and since it's been so long, that's going to probably be my future. And logically, it makes sense to think like that, but it's not necessarily the case for many people.   Shea Bart Andreone (40:15) Yeah.   Yeah. Yeah, and that belief of holding and hope, hope is like.   Michelle (40:35) Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (40:38) That's such a challenging topic because it is the first thing to go, I think, when you're challenged and faced with a big hurdle to overcome. It's hard to think you can hold on to any sort of hope, but that's pretty much the key.   Michelle (41:00) Yeah, it is. it's so interesting that it's so hard because the journey by itself, you're also faced with a lot of professionals that are giving you stats and numbers. And sometimes when you go into that, that's like a hope killer. It'll immediately say, well, I guess you can't really do it because look at your numbers are terrible. And based on this, it's just not possible for you. And so many people still conceive despite that and have healthy   children, know, births. So it's interesting how also the journey, the fertility journey just happens to be one that you're faced with a lot of hope killers in general. And so having to really stay grounded and really stay close to that desire and keep that like in your heart.   is very challenging. and you mentioned something that was actually really powerful. And I think that that is something that everybody should be given as a resource is just community connecting with people that know exactly what you're going through. And having that support is tremendous. And it's just nowadays, it's getting better than it used to. I feel like it used to be worse. Now we have social media.   We have lots of groups, we're connecting. And I think that that's huge. And I think that people who go through miscarriages doctors should be required to give them resources because you're dealing with a traumatic event and then you're sent home. And I think that that is not right. It's, it's like unethical to not provide support for people going through that.   Shea Bart Andreone (42:44) I agree, and I think that is a big flaw in our medical community, like our medical world. takes, I mean, I don't want to be, put anybody in boxes, but the majority of the people who become doctors are very cerebral and understand the logistics of the physical body and don't always necessarily take into account the emotional side.   Michelle (43:13) Mm-hmm.   Shea Bart Andreone (43:14) I would say most for me of the doctors that I have seen don't handle the emotional stuff very well. And I think we're learning that mental health is such a massive, massive element that cannot be ignored and needs the attention. And I do think when you said it's getting better community wise, it is, from what it start like...   There, know, hundreds of years ago and in other countries still today, community is everything surrounding people. And I would say Western medicine has, you know, unfortunately kind of cut that out. And like even in other countries, I think it's France where you're, once you have a baby, you're, you're provided with physical therapy for the woman who gave, you for you as a woman.   Michelle (43:49) Yeah, it's just true. Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (44:12) You're given attention to heal yourself. And here we're sent home. You just had a baby. Bye. You're good. Not even 24 hours of any instruction. If you adopt a baby, you have to go through many, many, many hours of training. But on the other side, if you just birthed your own baby, you're sent home. Good luck.   Michelle (44:20) Yeah.   Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Shea Bart Andreone (44:39) So yeah, would say lack of community is still huge. And yes, you can find that online, but...   Michelle (44:49) Right. It's not the same as actually having a physical community.   Shea Bart Andreone (44:52) Yeah, and we still don't provide that for each other. And there's no wonder to me why doulas and midwives and lactation consultants and postpartum doulas are in such high demand. And unfortunately, that's a luxury.   Michelle (45:13) Mm-hmm. Right, right. It's a luxury and it's expensive. Not everybody can afford it.   Shea Bart Andreone (45:17) Yeah, but I understand the need for it. It makes perfect sense to me because it's like we're thrown into this dark tunnel without any light provided. It would be nice for someone to sit by your side and tell you how it's going to go. And yes, mothers and sisters and friends can do that to an extent, but yeah, it feels like there's a need.   Michelle (45:21) Yep.   Shea Bart Andreone (45:47) And yes, you can Google anything and you will find out.   Michelle (45:51) It's not quite the same. Actually, if anything, it gives you more anxiety. It's so important. And I think that it's true. I, as you're talking, I'm like, this is basically the building blocks of society. Like if you have a good foundation that's done with love and wisdom and carries on like traditions and history that people have learned from and can teach it. I mean, it feels like almost there's a gap because   Shea Bart Andreone (45:54) Yeah.   Michelle (46:21) It used to be that way really back in the day. And then there was this gap with industrial age and we've sort of gotten more separated and now we're thirsting for it. And there is a very big demand for that.   Shea Bart Andreone (46:35) Yeah, yeah. So that I, you know, not that a book can can cover that, but I feel like the aspect of why I chose to write this is just if it could help one person not feel as alone as I felt before I started finding these people. That's the goal because   I just, think even people who can find access to other people sometimes are afraid to like make that like leap to go find a support group or talk to other people. Like, you know, I have a friend right now, a very close friend dealing with cancer and she has three kids and there are so many groups available to them to...   Michelle (47:25) I'm sorry to hear that.   Shea Bart Andreone (47:33) speak to others who are dealing exactly with what they're dealing with, but they don't want to go. Yeah. I, you know, whatever way someone can find that community, whether it's through a podcast or, you know, or a group in the park or a Facebook group or, you know,   Michelle (47:37) Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. It's so personal.   Shea Bart Andreone (48:01) or in a book, just hope for people that they find people to connect to so they don't feel alone.   Michelle (48:09) Yeah. I love that you wrote this book. think having stories is so powerful and just knowing these true stories and that people went through them and then you can relate to the challenges and then you can see how it ends for some people. I think that it's so powerful not to feel alone. I think that that's the big key is just not feeling alone. And like you said, the key is hope.   So for people who are listening to this, and I'm sure a lot of people are going to be wanting to look at this book right now, how can they find the book? How can they find out more about you?   Shea Bart Andreone (48:44) My website is sheabartandrioni.com and the book is available on Amazon. It's also available in certain bookstores. You can walk into your local bookstore and order it through them if they don't have it. And the book is called Carry On and the subtitle is True Stories of the Heartbreak and Wonder of Trying to Start a Family.   Michelle (49:15) Well, first of all, I really enjoyed this conversation with you today, Shay. This is really so heartfelt and it just, it was so symbolic of like the power of the human spirit and going through that and just everything that you shared today and opening up and I really appreciate you coming on. I really, really enjoyed   this conversation with you   Shea Bart Andreone (49:36) Thank you. Thank you. was nice to meet you.   Michelle (49:40) same. And also just for the listeners, if you guys want all of the links that Shay just mentioned are going to be in the episode notes, so you don't have to memorize everything that you just heard. You could just go back to the episode notes. So thank you so much for coming on today, Shay.   Shea Bart Andreone (49:55) You're most welcome.  

In this episode, author Cynthia Muchnick goes into details about her book, "The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness & Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World." We discuss parents becoming resilient to failure and looking backwards in order to look forward. She also makes some great points about parenting such as "Don't speak for your child". Allow your children to authentically speak for themselves and hooking into what excites your kids. BIOCindy Muchnick, MA, is a graduate of Stanford University and has been working in education for the past 25+ years as a former Assistant Director of College Admission, high school teacher, educational consultant, and author of five other education-related books. Her essays have appeared on Zibby Owens' ZibbyMag, Your Teen Magazine, College Confidential, Raising Teens Today, The Los Angeles Times, and The Mom Experience, among others. She is also an experienced and always-learning mother of three sons and a daughter, ages 25 (a teacher and graduate student), 22 (college), 19 (college) and 17 (hs junior). Cindy speaks professionally to parent, student, teacher, and business groups on topics such as study skills, the adolescent journey, college admission, and now the parent compass movement. @parentcompass on IG The Parent Compass on FB www.parentcompassbook.com www.cynthiamuchnick.com#theparentcompass #parentcompass #education #students #teachers #parents #parenting #teens #author #books #educationalconsultant #theparentcompassmovement #mother #father #parent #teenagers #studyskills #college #podcast #alittlelessfearpodcast #podcastshow #podcasting #podcasterThis is Dr. Lino Martinez the host for A Little Less Fear Podcast. For more information, please use the information below. Thanks so much for your support!Author | A Little Less FearWriters Work | Write Your Way to the Life You WantA Little LESS FEAR Podcast (@alittlelessfearpodcast) • Instagram photos and videosLino Marinez (@alittlelessfear) TikTok | Watch Lino Marinez's Newest TikTok Videos

Cindy Muchnick, MA, is a graduate of Stanford University and has been working in education for the past 25+ years as a former Assistant Director of College Admission, high school teacher, educational consultant, and author of five other education-related books. Her essays have appeared in Zibby Magazine, Your Teen Magazine, College Confidential, Raising Teens Today, The Los Angeles Times, and The Mom Experience, among others. She is also an experienced and always-learning mother of three sons and a daughter, ages 25 (a teacher/graduate student), 21 (college), 18 (college) and 16 (high school junior). Cindy speaks professionally to parents, students, teachers, and business groups on topics such as study skills, the adolescent journey, college admission, and now the parent compass movement. Listen in to hear Cindy share: Why she decided to write a book about college and college admissions in the wake of the college admissions scandal of 2019 What a parent compass is and how to find & follow your true north as a parent The significance of truly seeing the child you have, not the child you want to inauthentically create When and how to help your kids be a self-advocate at school How to be open to all the options your kid might have after high school (4-year degree, gap year, pursuing a fine art or trade and community college, etc) Links mentioned: Buy Cindy's Book: The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness and Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World Connect with Cindy: cynthiamuchnick.com Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessmom.com/sponsor Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What inspiration can we draw from the history of the civil rights movement? How is perfectionism holding us back? In this series on healthcare and social disparities, Dr. Jill Wener, a board-certified Internal Medicine specialist, meditation expert, and tapping practitioner, interviews experts and gives her own insights into multiple fields relating to social justice and anti-racism. In this episode, Jill interviews Dr. Frieda Millhouse-Jones, a published author, practicing physician, and social justice activist. They discuss how racism and mental health crises intersect to lead to inequity in access to healthcare and lower recognition of eating disorders in Black people. Dr. Frieda notes how traumatic experiences during childhood can inform learning and connection. Bio: Frieda Millhouse-Jones M. D. is a practicing primary care physician in Atlanta, GA. After guiding her two daughters through complex mental health issues, she has found passion and purpose in sharing her experience with others. Her advocacy and writing include the intersection of perfectionism, racism, and mental health. Her articles have appeared in both KevinMD and Your Teen Magazine. She has recently published her first book entitled “Afro Puffs Held High”. It is based on her own story of early childhood adversity. She has another book that is planned for release later this year. LINKS Purchase Afro Puffs Held High Dr. Kara Pepper coaching: https://www.karapeppermd.com/ Education and Insight on Eating Disorders (EDIN) National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) IG @friedamillhousejones Facebook @friedamillhousejonesauthor Twitter @friedamillhouse LinkedIN www.linkedin.com/in/frieda-millhouse-jones-8261b646 Her website https://www.friedamillhousejones.com/ ** Our website www.consciousantiracism.com You can learn more about Dr. Wener and her online meditation and tapping courses at www.jillwener.com, and you can learn more about her online social justice course, Conscious Anti Racism: Tools for Self-Discovery, Accountability, and Meaningful Change at https://theresttechnique.com/courses/conscious-anti-racism. If you're a healthcare worker looking for a CME-accredited course, check out Conscious Anti-Racism: Tools for Self-Discovery, Accountability, and Meaningful Change in Healthcare at www.theresttechnique.com/courses/conscious-anti-racism-healthcare Join her Conscious Anti-Racism facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/307196473283408 Follow her on: Instagram at jillwenerMD Twitter at jillwenerMD Facebook at jillwenerMDmeditation LinkedIn at jill-wener-md-682746125

Have you ever stopped to question the version of success that you may be pushing your kid to achieve? Do you wonder if you're over-involved in your tween or teen's life, or not enough? Do you want your kids to get straight As and secretly get a thrill if they say “I think I want to go Stanford or Harvard or Yale”? And then you kind of feel anxious about the pressure and what that means for them?As parents, we all have an internal compass that guides us as we raise our kids. And it today's competitive world, it's more important than ever for parents to raise their kids with intentionality and grace.Today's guest, Cindy Muchnick, co-wrote the book, The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness and Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World to help us navigate questions like this, and help us calibrate our parent compasses towards our kids' wellbeing.Listen to hear:The downsides of over-involved parentingWhen and how to nurture self-advocacy in your tweens and teensA tip for teen self-advocacy that Cindy's never shared before!The ask that can forge new connections with your tween and teensWhat parents need to do before looking at how they're raising their kidsAnd more nuggets of wisdom!About Our Guest, Cynthia MuchnickCindy, a graduate of Stanford University, is an expert in the college admission process: she got her start in admission offices before opening a private study skills and college counseling business in Southern California, which she ran for over fifteen years. As an Assistant Director of Admission for the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, she screened and reviewed over three thousand applications, interviewed prospective students, and served on the admission committee to evaluate borderline applicants and appeals cases. Then, as a private counselor, she helped hundreds of high school students navigate their academic journeys, including course selection, study skills, time management, and college applications. Since closing her private educational practice in 2011, Cindy has focused on public speaking to student, parent, school and business groups on a variety of education-related topics.Over the course of her career, Cindy has written numerous books; The Parent Compass: Navigating Your Teen's Wellness and Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World (Familius/Workman/Hachette, 2020) is her tenth. Her other titles include The Best College Admission Essays (co-author, ARCO/Peterson's, 1997), The Everything Guide to Study Skills: Strategies, Tips, and Tools You Need to Succeed in School (Simon& Schuster, 2011), Straight-A Study Skills (co-author, Simon& Schuster, 2012), The Everything College Checklist Book (Simon& Schuster, 2013), Writing Successful College Applications: It's More than Just the Essay (Peterson's Publishing, 2014), and four other books (Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House). Her essays have appeared on Zibby Owens' Moms Don't Have Time To Write Medium platform, Your Teen Magazine, College Confidential, Raising Teens Today, The Los Angeles Times, and The Mom Experience, among others. Cindy holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Art History from Stanford University and a master's degree in Liberal Studies from Nova Southeastern University. Some of the other twists and turns in her multifaceted career include her stints as a campus tour guide and volunteer student coordinator for Stanford's Office of Undergraduate Admission and a tenth-grade history teacher at The University School, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She is a professional speaker and panelist on the subjects of education, study skills, parenting, and mental...

Parenting a forgetful teenager? This one is for you. In this episode, we discuss helpful tips as you help your teenager transition into adulthood. References: Becky. (2020, November 5). The absent-minded teen: "someone stole part of My Kid's Brain". Parenthetical. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://parenthetical.wisc.edu/2013/05/06/the-absent-minded-teen-someone-stole-part-of-my-kids-brain/ Pearlman, C. (2021, August 11). How to help your forgetful teenager get it together - your Teen Mag. Your Teen Magazine. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://yourteenmag.com/health/teenager-mental-health/forgetfulness-in-teenagers --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/frugalfitmom/support

Let's talk kids and smartphones.  Today we're going to chat about a brand new book called First Phone by Dr Catherine Pearlman written for kids.  Dr. Catherine Pearlman is the founder of The Family Coach and a licensed clinical social worker who has been working with children and families for more than 25 years. She holds a PhD in Social Welfare from Yeshiva University and a Masters of Social Work from New York University. Catherine also the author of Ignore It: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction (TarcherPerigee, 2017) and First Phone: A Child's Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety and Etiquette. She is regularly called upon to provide expert opinion for newspaper and magazine articles, speaking engagements, radio and television.  Her writing has appeared in CNN, Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, Grown & Flown, Your Teen Magazine and on many parenting websites around the world. Catherine lives in California with her sports-writing husband Jeff, their two kids and puppy Poppy. http://thefamilycoach.com/ Find the book on Amazon using Christy's affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3OBD7PO    Self-Care:  Going outside in nature is always a reset.  Another act of self-care is setting boundaries with phone use around bedtime.   Family-Fun Idea: Fuss over family pets together.    You are exactly the right mom for your kids.  I am so glad to know you.  Find me on Instagram at @everyday_runner_christy Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to this podcast Don't forget to leave a rating or review.  Email me Play4life.Christy@gmail.com  Want to share a family play idea?  Leave a message on SpeakPipe!    

What can government contracts do for therapists and their private practice business? According to Ginger Lavender Wilkerson, government contracting has allowed her to build her group practice and participate in multi-million dollar government projects as a sole proprietor (to name a few). As the #1 Contracts Coach, she's here to introduce you to a whole lot more possibilities. In this episode, Ginger and I have an awesome conversation about how she was able to expand and scale her business through government contracts. She shares with us her personal experiences with improving the back-office of her business, launching digital products, and providing epic services to mental health professionals. --- Get the latest updates to Doctor TK's events at doctortk.com/links Guest Bio: Ginger Lavender Wilkerson is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is currently the owner of 2 companies dedicated to Wellness. She is founder of her group counseling practice, “Ginger Lavender Therapy” and the Mother and Daughter "Manifest Your Dreams" mini-retreat, where she gathers mothers and daughters together to discuss topics related to mental, physical and emotional health. She recently expanded her business model to include therapy and much more to support with women's wellness. Thus Lavender Soul Care was birthed. Ginger is known as the “teen expert” and her work extends beyond her private practice, where she travels across the country speaking and consulting with companies and youth groups on teen girl issues involving mental and emotional health. Her numerous dialogues sparked the development of her own teen girl curriculum entitled “Just Breathe”, which is series of roundtable talks about self-esteem, the importance of self-care, self-reflection and mindfulness. She is an undergraduate of Spelman College and obtained her master degree in Counseling Psychology at Mt. Saint Mary's College. She has nearly two decades experience working with teen girls and 15 years specializing in their mental health. Ginger is certified in a variety of evidenced based treatment modalities, that help to specifically support individuals who have been affected by complex trauma. Ginger believes in systemic change and her current experiences include working with a non-profit agency and managing their Children Exposed to Gun Violence Initiative. She collaborates with the City of Los Angeles' Attorney's office, and the Los Angeles Police Department to ensure that children exposed to gun violence receive immediate support. She has provided trainings to local community stakeholders including the LAPD and Watts Gang Task Force to discuss the impact of violence on children. Ginger's solo practice specializes in treating teen girls and women with a broad range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, and overall improvement in self-esteem and self-worth. She has found that many are seeking to live their best life despite their many obstacles. Ginger brings her unique presentation style to a variety of girl's groups, such as The National Charity League, Young Women in Leadership Conference, KJLH Women's Health Expo panelist for mental health, Delta Academy, local private/public schools as well as community and faith-based partners. She is not afraid to tackle taboo subjects, which helps her to connect with so many young ladies. These topics include, dating, bullying, peer pressure, adoption, racism, sex, gender identity, depression, anxiety, self- esteem and suicide. Ginger has been featured and quoted in professional articles about her career and specialty as a teen expert and women's wellness advocate. In 2018 Hueish.com named Ginger in the Top 10 Boss Moms: Melanated Motivated Mommies you need to know. She was also featured in 2 national publications, LA Parent Magazine and Your Teen Magazine, where she discussed specialty mental health topics. The Young Movie Makers of America, featured Ginger in their Documentary on Self- Esteem and Self-Love in teen girls. Her practice was featured in CBS This is LA as an upcoming practice you want to know. She most recently was interviewed on NBC 4 Los Angeles, for Mental Health Awareness month and discussed the Pandemic and its impact on mental health. Ginger was recently featured in Voyage LA magazine where she details the making of her practice and what led her to begin the great work. With all the work that Ginger has achieved throughout her career, she finds her most rewarding accomplishments as being a mom of 3 boys, and a wife to an amazing husband. Episode Timeline: Introduction to Ginger and her journey through the counseling field (02:33) Ginger's transition from solo to group practice (04:10) How Ginger was exposed to government contracts (10:06) How government contracts helped scale her private practice business (15:57) Realizing the need for coaching in her business (17:37) What it was like for her to launch a digital product (28:17) About her mastermind hot seat experience (30:54) What's covered on Ginger's government contracts masterclass (35:56) How to connect with Ginger (55:10) Standout Quotes from Ginger: "To be honest with you— fast forward 4 years— just with Doctor TK (and working with her) helped to solidify a lot of my blueprint, so I had a framework with a blueprint." (07:44) "I learned to utilize resources— other people. [I] also paid to ask questions about things that [I] don't know. You don't know what you don't know, but you have to ask the question. And then believe in your program and the thing that you want and not be discouraged." (30:18) "I understood [that] putting your stuff out there for feedback can be scary; and it was. But peers [who] really understand, [who] want to support the way in which they give you advice, recommendations, or suggestions is really encouraging." (31:28) Standout Quotes from Doctor TK: "If you start becoming the biz owner (or say entrepreneur but biz owner is more of a mindset) before you leave your job, you will actually get excited to go to the job; you ain't caring about that manager that you don't like." (14:59) "You have to understand that if you want to grow to the next level, you either have to allow somebody to come in, or you have to have an internal mechanism to recognize that sometimes you will have to slow down to speed up; you will have to do the ugly things in your business that you try to ignore because what happens to money when you ignore it? It ignores you and it doesn't come back." (23:59) Resources Mentioned: Sign up for Ginger's Government Contracts Masterclass Connect: Find | Ginger Lavender Wilkerson On Website: gingerlavendertherapy.com On Instagram: @gingerlavenderlmft Find | Doctor TK On Instagram: @doctortkpsych On Facebook: facebook.com/DoctorTKPsych On Pinterest: pinterest.com/DoctorTKPsych On Youtube: youtube.com/DoctorTK SUBSCRIBE & RATE On Apple Podcast On Google Podcasts On Spotify On Audible

Your Teen Magazine interviews Dr. RJ to learn how he became the #1 Teen Life Coach in America.

Erika Higgins Ross is a writer, marriage and family therapist, and activist who lives in Western Massachusetts. Higgins Ross has maintained a therapy practice for many years, focusing on couples, families, teens, and adult clients, primarily sharing Narrative Therapy, DBT, and mindfulness strategies. Higgins Ross is the recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant, a Peyton Evans writing residency at the Studios of Key West, and was a Warner Brothers Fellowship finalist. She has read her work at Nuyorican Cafe, Public Theater, Rogue Machine Theater's Rant n Rave and Schooled, and as part of the L.A. reading night No One Likes a Yappy Skirt. Her work has been published in Your Teen Magazine, Juice Magazine, Mommy Poppins, LA.com, and Stagebill. Higgins Ross was a founding member of the all-girl band Big Panty. She is currently working on a novel set in NYC in the 70s, 90s, and 2019 and teaching mindfulness and writing workshops through NEAFAST and public libraries. Cornelius "CJ" Harris is a Black man, husband, father, semi-pro shower singer & therapist who is also trained in trauma-focused treatment, therapeutic mindfulness and grounding techniques. Motivation to get into the field has everything to do with identifying ineffective, unproductive and/or harmful cycles/patterns, while collaboratively working toward creating new, more effective and productive patterns through healing.If you want to learn more about AlignRelationships, we will be sharing details soon and steadily in WeAlign (wealign.alignp.com), our new online community that is growing by the day. Interested in coaching for yourself, your team or your organization? Contact Jodi Matas at jodi@alignp.com to start the conversation,.

When you're a new parent there's an abundance of guidance and advice and support, but what happens when you hit the confusing teenage years. How do you ask for help when the question you want to ask is: What do I do if my kid hates me? Susan Borison is here with humor and experience to shift perspectives on baffling teen behavior and guide parents to the other side! Susan Rubin Borison is the parent of five grown children and has decades of parenting experience and wisdom to share. Susan is also the founder and editor of Your Teen Magazine. For 14 years, Your Teen has provided support and encouragement for parents of teens. In addition to the magazine, Susan launched a website, YouTube channel, mini-courses for parents, and co-hosts a fantastic podcast for parents of teens that she hosts with her business partner, Stephanie Silverman. And on top of all that, her Working Hard to Raise Teens Facebook group has a highly engaged audience of parents who are actually nice to each other.  Connect with Susan Borison: https://yourteenmag.com/ (https://yourteenmag.com/) Join us LIVE each week in our Facebook Group … https://www.facebook.com/groups/blissfulparenting (https://www.facebook.com/groups/blissfulparenting) Connect with Blissful Parenting: Free Workshop ► https://www.blissfulparentingworkshop.com/ (https://www.BlissfulParentingWorkshop.com)  Website ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/ (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/)  Blog ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/blog (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/blog)  Podcast ► http://www.theblissfulparent.com/podcast/ (http://www.TheBlissfulParent.com/podcast/)  Contact ►http://www.blissfulparenting.com/contact (http://www.BlissfulParenting.com/contact)  Follow Us On Social Media: Youtube ► https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulparent (https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulparent)   Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theblissfulparent (https://www.facebook.com/theblissfulparent)   Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulparent/ (https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulparent/)   Twitter ►https://twitter.com/blissfulparent (https://twitter.com/blissfulparent)   Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. You can also subscribe to the podcast app on your mobile device. Leave us an iTunes review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on iTunes.

This week's episode is probably one of the most fun interviews I've done to date. Full disclosure, I have admired my guest and "fan-girled" over her from afar for a while now. I'm beyond thrilled today to be interviewing Susan Borison. For those who may not be familiar with Susan, trust me when I say that after this interview you will want to get to know her. Susan is the parent of five grown children and has decades of parenting experience and wisdom to share. And as if that isn't a huge accomplishment already, Susan is also the founder and editor of Your Teen Magazine. For fourteen years, Your Teen has provided support and encouragement for parents of teens, including me. In addition to the magazine, Susan has launched a website, YouTube channel, multiple courses for parents, and co-hosts a fantastic podcast for parents of teens that she hosts with her friend Stephanie Silverman. (Subscribe today. You're welcome.) And on top of all that, her Working Hard to Raise Teens Facebook group has a highly engaged audience of parents who are actually nice to each other. Imagine that! Seriously though, I've said this before and I'll say it again, some of the best parenting advice I've received has come from parents who have "been there, done that". So, grab your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy this conversation with my new friend, Susan Borison. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Life After 12th Facebook Group Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode covers a topic that I don't often talk about on the podcast: college admissions. If you are a regular listener, you know that many of my conversations focus on post-high school paths that don't require college. I thought it was important to delve deeper into the college planning process, primarily because I've heard from a lot of parents about the overwhelm they are facing as their teens begin the college application process. And to be completely transparent, this is personal for me. Our high school junior has made the decision to attend college after high school graduation and already I'm feeling the confusion, overwhelm and information overload that so many families experience. If you've begun the online research, you know there is a LOT of information out there, some accurate and helpful, and some not. It takes a lot of time and patience to dig through the myriad of resources and even then, it's hard to know which ones provide correct information and which ones create the "hair on fire" mentality. This week's guest is an expert in her field and a breath of fresh air for parents who want to help their teen find the best fit. Notice I didn't say "best college"? That's right. I said "best fit". Because "best college" is completely subjective and our main focus should be helping our kids find the best fit for them. I'm joined today by Allison Slater Tate. If you live in Florida and have a teen pursuing the college path, you may already be a member of Allison's Facebook group. No matter where you call home, you have likely come across Allison's work on NBC News, TODAY.com, and Your Teen Magazine as well as others. Allison has extensive experience in test prep, essay writing and college counseling, and she has the "inside scoop" on the real truth about college admissions. Our conversation is straight-forward, no-nonsense and drama-free, so sit back and enjoy this pleasant trip down the college admissions path. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Life After 12th Facebook Group Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Damour is an american psychologist and writer specializing in the development of adolescent and young women. Her first New York Times best seller, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood focuses on the seven distinct developmental stages that girls go through as they grow into adults. Damour writes a monthly adolescence column for The New York Times and is a regular contributor to CBS News. She occasionally publishes in Food Disorders, Education Week, Family Circle Magazine, The Globe and Mail, Independent School Magazine, TIME.com, and Your Teen Magazine. Damour also regularly speaks to parents, educators, advocates, and students around the world on a wide range of topics related to child and adolescent development.

Dr. Dan welcomes Dr. Valerie Crabtree of the acclaimed St. Jude’s Research Hospital to Episode 68 to discuss the importance of sleep for young people. Dr. Valerie Crabtree has a bold statement for Dr. Dan and all parents: “Sleep is the third pillar of health, along with nutrition and movement, that keeps us healthy and balanced.”  Dr. Crabtree is the Chief of Psychosocial Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and her critical advice for young people on the importance of getting enough sleep is eye-opening:  “Insufficient sleep contributes to making us overweight, sick and sluggish. We literally clean our brains while we sleep, washing away harmful toxins and making room for memories to be stored. In children and teenagers, poor or insufficient sleep is related to poorer organization, poorer memory, and academic difficulties,” Dr. Crabtree writes in a recent and widely shared article for Your Teen Magazine. As the lead researcher on sleep and fatigue in children undergoing cancer treatment and brain tumor survivors, sleep is a major focus for Dr. Crabtree, which she highlights in her recent TedX Talk (Memphis) on how very early school start times are detrimental to the health of teenagers as well as those around them.  She suggests teens aren’t lazy, rather they are just sleepy – and explores the questions: why do we follow CDC guidelines and AAP recommendations when it comes to vaccinations and washing our hands, but not their guidance when it comes to school start times? Dr. Crabtree, who is also a parent of two teens, indicates that sleepy, grumpy, overtired teenagers are a hallmark of American schools – but we must ensure our children get adequate sleep. In this episode of the Parent Footprint podcast and in Dr. Crabtree’s work (and her recent Your Teen article) she addresses and answers many questions including: How she got interested in sleep and studying sleep. How does sleep relate to childhood cancer research? Why is sleep called on of the pillars of health? Does she think we take sleep for granted in our culture? Why? What the APA recommends regarding sleep in adolescents and teens and school start times. Her own experience raising teenage boys and trying to get them to learn the importance of health sleep? Does she think there are many school systems not following these guidelines of the APA? And is it starting to change? What are some examples of successful school districts that have enacted later school start times?  What positive benefits are they seeing? Her experience trying to make this change in her own district and how can parents advocate for later school start times? Dr. Dan and Dr. Crabtree’s interview will wake up all listeners when it comes to sleep! For more information on Dr. Crabtree and her work visit:  https://www.stjude.org/directory/c/valerie-crabtree.html St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. St. Jude is ranked the No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.

Sue and Steph are excited to announce their new podcast, which brings the Your Teen Magazine to life. They'll talk with parents, experts, and teens to support listeners through the journey of parenting. Podcast debuts May 28 with a new podcast every other Tuesday. For more updates, follow us on social media @yourteenmag and @streamevergreen

Leslie Blanchard Leslie is a contributor to Ain't Nothing But a Teen Thang, Lose The Cape!'s third book in a series. Leslie's essay, titled InstaSpy, is a hilarious account of discovering the world of Instagram through her teen's eyes. Leslie and Alexa chatted live on launch day about that essay and about the tragedies that Leslie has confronted and overcome in the past year. In this episode, we talked about: How and why she started her blog - a humor blog about raising 5 kidsHer husband's unexpected death and how that's changed everythingHer essay about playing on her teen daughter's instagram accountHer daughter Gracie, an NBA dancerImperfect parenting and how every family is differentnature vs nurturethe loneliness of motherhoodhow kids are different and wonderful On a beautiful afternoon at the end of January this year, Leslie’s life was irrevocably changed when the Love of her Life, her husband of 33 years and father of their 5 children was killed in a motorcycle accident. Prior to that, Leslie’s blog had been a mostly comical chronicle of marriage with a large family of teens and millennials. Now she shares her daily experiences as she comes to terms with her profound sadness and shock, coupled with an effort to ever-capture even the lighter side of the most unimaginably painful challenges life can throw one’s way.? She has been featured in Your Teen Magazine, and on websites such as Blunt Moms, Scary Mommy, BonBon Break, Lose The Cape, Today's Parent, BlogHer, and Faithit.   She has been interviewed on NPR and is also proud to be liberally splashed about The Huffington Post in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, Quebec and Germany. visit http://losethecape.com/podcast/146 for all the notes, links, and other resources

Navigating the murky waters of middle school can be tough on a kid. But navigating the murky waters of parenting a middle schooler can be even tougher! Today on The Adult Chair, our middle school maven Michelle Icard joins us to talk about how middle school has changed since we had to face it (and how it hasn’t!). From social skills to hormones to technology to the parental relationship, Michelle has some fantastic insights that will help you keep a strong relationship with your middle schooler!  About Michelle Icard Michelle Icard is the author of Middle School Makeover: Improving The Way You and Your Child Experience The Middle School Years, recognized by Publisher’s Weekly as outstanding in its genre. She is a member of the TODAY Show parenting team and NBC’s Education Nation. Michelle is also a contributor to the Washington Post OnParenting section and Your Teen Magazine. In addition, her work has been featured in The Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, Redbook, Time, People Magazine, and A Mighty Girl. Michelle’s social leadership programs, Athena’s Path & Hero’s Pursuit, have been implemented at schools across the country.  Links & Notes MichelleIcard.com Middle School Makeover: Improving The Way You and Your Child Experience the Middle School Years by Michelle Icard Follow Michelle on Twitter Like Middle School Relief on Facebook Join Michelle’s Private Parenting Group on Facebook

Tune in as Author Wendy Wolff joins Sister Jenna on the America Meditating Radio Show to discuss "The Letter Writing Project" and how it helped her to peel back the layers and figure out what is most important in her life. April 2, 2011 was the day Wendy's heart officially broke in two - she will forever hear the screaming words coming from the other end of the phone that her sister, Donna was dead. A man fell asleep as he was coming off the highway towards a red light. But, he didn't stop. Wendy is the author of "The Letter Writing Project," an inspirational collection of letters, which began as a tribute to Wendy's sister and has morphed into an activity to say the things that you need to say before it is too late. Wendy is the founder of Essential Strategies, a strategic planning group. She has developed an extensive skill base in creating collaborative linkages between communities in need and the institutions that provide services. Currently, she is working on a collection of essays aimed at Making Life Easier with articles recently published by Kidz Edge Magazine, The Indypendent Reader, and Your Teen Magazine. Visit www.wendywolff.com Get the Off the Grid Into the Heart CD by Sister Jenna. Like America Meditating on FB & follow us on Twitter.  Download our free Pause for Peace App for Apple or Android for lovely meditations, videos and the popular America Meditating Radio Show.