Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #231, we are discussing how we stay grounded in our own bodies and feelings when our children are struggling and needing us to be right there with them. In this conversation, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw cover what to do when children are struggling. They discuss the importance of recognizing one's own...

Hello Bravies! Welcome to today's expert episode, #230, with podcaster, narrative shifter and author of I Like You So Much: Celebrating What Makes You, You!, Heather Avis. In this episode of the Brave Together Podcast, Heather Avis joins hosts Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell, and Dr. Zoe Shaw to discuss her journey as a parent and advocate in the disability space. Heather shares her experiences of adopting children with Down syndrome and the impact it has had on her life. The conversation...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #229. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. Join Susanna Peace Lovell and Natasha M. Nurse, Esq. as they delve into the complexities of neurodivergence, motherhood, and personal growth. Natasha shares her journey of self-discovery, from her childhood experiences to her recent diagnosis of autism ...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #228, with Chrissy Barlahan, who is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst with a degree in Psychology from Cal State Long Beach and a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. In this episode, join Jessica Patay, the founder of We Are Brave Together and Chrissy Barlahan as they delve into the complexities of parenting and marriage in the context of caregiving. With candid discussions on the chal...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #227, we are discussing how to approach and support other caregiving moms when we see them in the wild. In this heartfelt episode, Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell, and Dr. Zoe Shaw dive into the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with special needs. They share personal stories and insights ...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #226, with Kris Burbank, whose book, Embracing Another Normal: Resilience Stories and Strategies for Raising Children with Disabilities has a lot to teach us. On this episode, Jessica Patay welcomes Kris Burbank who shares her journey as a mother of three, including her son Andrew, who has cerebral palsy. We discover how Kris's experiences led her to co-authoring a book on resilience and get an overview of her researched strategies...

Hello Brave Friends! On this episode, #225, we are hearing about the experience of another Thriving Neurodivergent Adult, Author, Journalist and Influencer, Carrie Berk. In this episode of the Brave Together Podcast, Carrie Berk shares her journey from writing children's books to her memoir, MINDFIRE: Diary of An Anxious Twentysomething, which addresses her personal experiences with anxiety and OCD. The conversation delves into the importance of self-love, the misconceptions surrounding OCD, ...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #224, with Amanda Griffith-Atkins. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving parents. On this episode Amanda Griffith-Atkins joins us to discuss the inspiration behind her book, 'How to Handle More Than You Can Handle: Raising a Disabled Child Without Losing Yourself.' In our conversation, she emphasizes the importance of self-care, compassion, and the emotional experiences of parents in similar situatio...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #223, we are discussing the New York Times Best Seller, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, and applying it to caregiving life. In this conversation, the hosts reflect on their Summer experiences and transitions in their children's lives, leading into a discussion of The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Th...

Welcome to Brave Together Podcast, an empowering resource for the parents of children with disabilities, neurodivergence, and all unique needs. Hi Bravies! Welcome to Season 9 of Brave Together Podcast. Yes, we've switched back to our original name, but we are as always, relentless in our mission to provide you the caregiving parent with resources, a platform for your stories and of course, community. I'm Jessica Patay, founder of the nonprofit, We Are Brave Together and a mother to three ch...

This week Jessica Patay interviews Sarah, Laurie and Ann - three warrior moms who’ve picked up the pen and written their stories. We hope that in listening you’ll be encouraged, equipped inspired to write your own story; the world needs to hear it! Sarah Swindell lives in the Austin area with her husband, Greg, a former Major League Baseball player and 2019 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Inductee. Sarah is a commercial actress/model and has been working in the industry for over thirty years, and ...

In Part Two of our series with Meygan Caston, you will hear the most practical advice on something I think we all take for granted: great communication skills! How can we get to the root of some marriage issues if we do not properly learn/re-learn/practice good communication skills? Meygan Caston is the cofounder of Marriage365, where she and her team specialize in creating online and on-demand resources for engaged and married couples. Meygan and her husband Casey live in Orang...

In this episode you will hear the most practical advice from Meygan Caston on something I think we all take for granted: great communication skills! How can we get to the root of some marriage issues if we do not properly learn/re-learn/practice good communication skills? Meygan Caston is the cofounder of Marriage365, where she and her team specialize in creating online and on-demand resources for engaged and married couples. Meygan and her husband Casey live in Orange County, Ca and ...

What do you do when everything is going wrong? How do you zoom out enough to see things clearly - instead of reacting in fear or desperation? Jessica Patay and Yoga Instructor/Entrepreneur, D’Andre Clayton talk about the power of a regular breath practice to help develop clear-headedness and build peaceful foundations for our perspectives on the challenges of life. Find D’Andre on Instagram @dandreclayton @hotyogahealthyyou Brave Together Podcast is a resource produced by We Are Brave Togeth...

In a world where children and young people who have disabilities are at an increased risk of being abused compared with their non-disabled peers, how can a parent learn to manage their fears and protect their children? On this week’s episode of Brave Together, Jessica Patay and expert advisor Toby Stark discuss some of the most important questions parents need to ask of the organizations supporting and caring for youth. Learn more about Toby’s incredible work here. Brave Together Podcast i...

Hello Brave Friends, you know we encourage sisterhood on this podcast but we don’t always talk about the unexpected community that can form around our children with unique needs, when we’re open to it. And sometimes that means having a broader idea about who that community may include. It might NOT be other mom’s, even care-giving mom’s with kids the same age because hey, they're BUSY! Instead, it might be a retired neighbor looking for some way to be of service, a single friend who has the t...

Do I really need to cook dinner EVERY night? And if so, how can I find joy in it? Joy, you say? What would that look like? A glass of wine, maybe? Music? In the overwhelming lives of caregivers, it’s easy to feel like the days are full of “have to’s” but what if we isolated the actual necessities and found ways to make everything else in our busy lives easier and MORE FUN! Today we help you streamline your New Year with tips from the Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi. Kendra Adachi is a two-ti...

Our lives as caregivers require WAY more help than we are willing to ask for, so what stops us? The intention for this episode is encouragement and maybe a nudge toward self-reflection as to WHY ON EARTH we of all people wouldn’t be able to ask for the help that we so badly need. On this episode, host Jessica Patay, talks to Cheryl Ryan Chan, who does workshops on The Lost Skill of Asking for Help, among other caregiver focused topics. They discuss why asking for help can feel so diffic...

Transitions are hard for everybody, but especially for our neurodiverse teens and their parents. Just when you’ve gotten used to middle school and all that is expected in that environment, your teen is ushered into the wilderness of high school and a fresh batch of unknowns. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guide? Well, you’re in luck! On this practical episode, host Jessica Patay interviews Natalie Borrell, a Certified Academic Life Coach, Licensed School Psychologist and the founder of Life Su...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to our practical episode with Katie Taylor, who not only has wonderful professional credentials, she is also our Connection Circle Leader for Austin, Texas, and we are so grateful for her leadership and her enthusiasm to serve and support caregiving moms. Katie Taylor is very impressive. She is the co-founder and CEO of Child Life On Call, a digital platform revolutionizing pediatric health care by putting parents at the center of the medical journey. With over 13...