How do we as parents know if our child’s anxiety is related to or a result of trauma? In the context of supporting our children with anxiety, how important is it that we know the answer to this question? We’re exploring this as a starting point for our conversation today. Joining me is Chris Rensch, MA, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and the owner of Treehouse Trauma Centre. He specializes in trauma therapies, with a highly client-centred approach.

Dr. Lark Eshleman is back to help us understanding the Anxiety we see in our Children, how we can effectively support them and how to know when to reach out for additional help.

Dr Lark Eshleman is back! I have the pleasure of chatting once again with Lark, who is an author, therapist and educator. This is the first of two episodes in which Lark and I are discussing Anxiety in children and how we can best support them through it.

We are joined by Shannon Sullivan, a School Counselor who has worked with the entire span of school aged children and has a wealth of knowledge and experience observing and supporting children in school with many challenges, including Anxiety. Shannon insightfully explores with us anxiety in our kids and youth, how it shows up for them in their school environments, and what parents can do to support their children's mental health and collaborate effectively with educators.

Dylan Benson's wife birthed their first child while on life support. Today he shares his story of complex grief and mental health challenges while parenting. His advocacy work on a personal and professional level reduces the stigma around mental health and his story is inspiring.

Dr. Chuck Geddes is back and we're diving deeper into healing strategies parents and professional supports can use with children and youth who have experienced complex trauma. We're talking about understanding and working with your kid's "stress staircase" in ways that contribute to long term healing.

Expecting women with male partners - get ready to forward this episode to your baby daddies! We're talking with Dr. Dan Singley - expert in new parenting, fatherhood, practical supportive partnering, and oh, so much more. In much of our western culture, men are typically underprepared for caring for newborns, for supporting their partners during this stage of family life, and for recognizing what's needed. Do Not Miss This Episode. It's a doosie!

We're talking with sleep consultant, Johanna Snyder, all about managing sleep concerns and transitions during those early years of parenting. What are our expectations of ourselves and our infants around sleep? When our rapidly developing infants shift schedules, how to we adapt as parents? How do you go on with "normal life" when you're completely sleep deprived?! Let's talk about it.

Join Dr. Veronica Eyo and I as we wade through boundary setting, relationship health and self care as you grow your family. The stress load of new or seasoned parenting from pregnancy through to your kids' toddler years is significant and a massive pivot point in your life on so many levels. Let's talk about it.

We're talking with RMT and Athletic Therapist, Candice Thomas about perinatal mental health, how to be true parenting partners, and ways in which we can close the gaps in our systems of care for expecting and new parents.

When someone has lived through unsafe situations or been vulnerable in unsafe relationships, our protective instincts kick in in the form of the "4Fs" - Fight, Flight, Freeze & Fawn. Most of us are familiar with the first 3, but know little about the "fawning" response. Today I walk through its function, how it shows up, and ways you can help kids feel safe enough to shift from using this protective mechanism when its no longer needed.

If you are adopting or fostering, you'll have grappled with questions around risk factors, medical concerns, and understanding the impacts of in utero trauma and prenatal substance exposure on a child's development and what supports will be required to parent well. Join adoption medicine expert and certified Pediatrician, Dr. Julia Bledsoe and I for a conversation about these questions and more.

Lydia Faye, who created Becoming Lydia Faye and Adoptee to Adoption Worker platforms for educating white parents of black children and for adoptees to find safe spaces for mentorship, exploration and connection, is talking with us about transracial adoption. We discuss the trauma and losses inherent in being a transracial adoptee and the awareness white parents need to have when raising black children.

Renae is back to show us P.A.C.E. in action! This bonus episode is in follow up to our conversation in S11E5 where we cover this model of parenting in the wake of kids having experienced developmental or relational trauma. If you want to know what it sounds and looks like to put Dr. Hughes' approach into motion with your kids, have a listen.

Renae Regehr is a parent both biologically and through adoption and works as a therapist to support families who are healing from attachment ruptures and relationship trauma. Today she shares the principles of Dr. Daniel Hughes' P.A.C.E. approach to helping kids heal emotionally, developmentally and relationally when they've come through hard situations and need to experience safety, security and attunement. Watch for a follow up bonus episode where we put this model into action, sharing scenarios and role playing what it would look like to implement this approach.

Natalie's podcast, book, website and advocacy work flows out of her personal passion for strong support of those living with the effects of in utero exposure to alcohol. We talk about her family's journey, her work to increase awareness and supports in the US, and what she's learned about parenting a child (now 20 years old!) with FASD who recently ventured out of the family home to live in an "interdependent" arrangement with close friends. You'll hear about FASD Hope, and the possibilities that come with parenting someone with FASD.

Attachment trauma. It's a massive topic, but we've braving it today with my guest, Dr. Lark Eshleman. If you are parenting a child who has experienced a significant disruption in their attachment relationships, who struggle to relearn to feel safe and secure, we want to wrap ourselves in learning on this topic to help you see your child through their healing journey.

When a child of any age is adopted, there are multiple transitions that happen for those involved, including the child, their birth and foster families, their adoptive parents and new siblings. Jeannette Yoffe brings both her personal and professional experience to today's exchange, helping us understand things from the perspective of the adoptee.

Rita Soronen, the CEO & President of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, shares with us the amazing work of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, the continuum of adoption practices, key factors in making strong matches for families, and dispels some common myths about adoption from foster care.

In follow up to our series {S8} on Neurodiverse Families, this special episode tackles the complexities of the holidays and offers 12 considerations that can help you increase the joy and peace of the season when you have differently wired children.