Best Midland Care Podcasts (2024)

1
Barbara Boustead, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Daily Money Manager 39:44

1d ago39:44

39:44

Barbara Hyatte Boustead, LCSW, DMM, is a licensed Clinical Social Worker, retired Daily Money Manager and Author. She launched her business, Mary's Daughter LLC in 2011 and retired from her social work position in 2016 to work full time in her business, where she provides Daily Money Management services to seniors and veterans. Barbara is a member …

1
#71 Consent-based living and learning, with Alice Bramhill in Nottingham, UK 49:11

1d ago49:11

49:11

My guest today is Alice Bramhill, a psychotherapist from Nottingham in the UK, who lives with her husband and two sons who are ten and 13. They went to mainstream school until six years ago, then after trying a Steiner school for six months, finally left the school system altogether. We talk today about how unravelling our own stories is an essenti…

1
#70 A journey to authenticity, with Dr Nicole Vito, in California 44:40

15d ago44:40

44:40

Today, I’m chatting with Nicole Vito who lives in California with her husband and 6-year-old daughter. Nicole describes how she began to question how we rush children when her daughter was just two, realising that everything that needed to happen did happen when her daughter was ready and allowed to go at her own pace. In her professional work as a…

1
#69 From burnout to thriving, with Lizzie in Hampshire, UK 54:55

1M ago54:55

54:55

My guest today is Lizzie, who lives with her husband and three children, aged 8, 9 and 12 in Hampshire in the UK. Lizzie’s family came to unschooling three years ago when their youngest son, who is diagnosed Autistic PDA was in burnout after a very difficult time at school. Now, both her sons are unschooled, whilst their daughter has chosen to stay…

1
In Loving Memory of Gary Barg 45:30

1M ago45:30

45:30

A bright beacon of love and compassion has gone out. Gary Barg, who passed away August 4, 2024, leaves a treasure trove of advice and resources to support caregivers for generations to come. Gary Barg appeared nationally on radio and television programs, including NBC’s Today Show and has spoken to a wide variety of organizations including the Scle…

1
#68 Unschooling and neurodiversity—the power of community and keeping our own balance, with Melissa Crockett-Joyoue in New Zealand 52:44

2M ago52:44

52:44

Today I'm chatting with Melissa Crockett-Joyoue from New Zealand. Melissa was on the podcast about two years ago, so it’s great to catch up with her again. Melissa and her partner have two neurodivergent children, who are now 6 and 9 and they came to unschooling after their son had an extremely challenging time at school. We talk particularly about…

1
#67 A journey back to ourselves, with Francine Wise in Kent, UK 48:34

2M ago48:34

48:34

My guest today is Francine Wise. Francine lives in Kent in the UK with her husband and two daughters, who are 8 and 6. They chose this route when their eldest daughter was four years old and school just didn’t feel right. Francine tells us about how she imagined home education and learning would look and the process she went through of trying out l…

1
Senior Outreach Program Coordinator with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office, Stephanie Houston 47:58

2M ago47:58

47:58

Susan welcomes Stephanie Houston, Senior Outreach Program Coordinator with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office. Stephanie is a Senior Outreach Program Coordinator with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute Regional Milwaukee Office. She joined the WAI staff in 2009, in her role Stephanie provides ongoing assistance to cognit…

1
Geriatric Medicine practitioner and award-winning author Dr. Cheryl Woodson 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

Susan welcomes Dr. Cheryl Woodson. For almost 40 years, Dr. Cheryl Woodson practiced Geriatric Medicine, taught health care professionals, and was active in advocating effective eldercare services in her community and at the national level. She also raised a family and navigated her mother’s 10-year journey with Alzheimer’s disease. In retirement, …

1
#66 From Silicon Valley to roadschooling, with Stacey Yates Sellar in Scotland 45:07

4M ago45:07

45:07

I’m chatting today with Stacey Yates Sellar, a Conscious Parenting Coach and author of Conscious Parenting Your ADHD Child. Stacey and her husband have two boys, who are 13 and 10. Until four years ago, they lived and worked in California, but had many misgivings about the highly competitive schooling system. Eventually they decided to sell their h…

1
Psychotherapist and Grief Counselor Nancy Feingold: Managing the "beehive of feelings" associated with caring for someone with Alzheimer's 37:15

4M ago37:15

37:15

Susan welcomes Nancy Feingold, someone with over 40 years experience working in the fields of special education, behavioral disabilities and psychotherapy. She established mental health services in a traditional medical setting (the Quisling Clinic in 1976 and had a full-time practice until its close in 1996). She joined a psychotherapy group, Coun…

1
#65 Helping our children follow their joy, with Melissa Miles McCarter in Missouri, US 44:49

5M ago44:49

44:49

Today, my guest is Melissa Miles McCarter, who lives in Missouri with her husband and her 8-year-old daughter Willakate. Melissa worked as a college professor and chose not to put her daughter in school, realising that it wasn’t a system she would thrive in. She talks about what her own deschooling looked like and how she partners with her daughter…

1
#64 Living, learning and healing, with Linsey, in the East Midlands, UK 49:22

5M ago49:22

49:22

My guest today is Linsey, who lives in the UK with her partner and three children who are 10, 6 and 1 and a half. Her family’s journey to unschooling started when they decided to take their eldest son out of school after two years extremely difficult years. Linsey soon realised that a schooled approach wouldn’t work at home either, so began to lean…

1
Board-certified Geriatric Psychiatrist Art Walaszek: Emotional and psychological challenges of caring for loved one with Alzheimer's 55:53

5M ago55:53

55:53

Susan welcomes Dr. Art Walaszek, a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Walaszek is Vice Chair for Education and Faculty Development in the Department of Psychiatry. He is past president of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Resi…

1
Clinical Core Leader for WI Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Cynthia Carlsson: Behavior changes vs Brain Changes in Alzheimer's 42:49

5M ago42:49

42:49

Susan welcomes Dr. Cynthia Carlsson, the Director & Geriatrician at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. She treats veterans with dementia and memory issues and is the Clinical Core leader and a co-leader for the Biomarker Core in the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She also serves as director of…

1
WAI-Milwaukee Director Gina Green-Harris: Importance of community, education and advocacy in providing loving long-term care 51:40

5M ago51:40

51:40

Susan welcomes Gina Green-Harris, the beloved Director of the Milwaukee Chapter of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute. Gina is a powerhouse of energy and optimism! You won’t want to miss this chance to experience Gina’s magic!By Susan

1
Wisconsin sportscaster Matt LePay: The practical and emotional challenges of managing Mom's Alzheimer's journey 43:07

5M ago43:07

43:07

Since 1988, Matt Lepay has been the radio voice for the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team, and since 1994, the voice of the Wisconsin Badgers football team. Legions of sports fans have relied on his knowledge of the game, his energy, and clarity of vision for accurate representation of what was happening on the field or the court. From Rose B…

1
Introducing Compassion Chats with Author Susan A. Marshall 5:14

5M ago5:14

5:14

This is a quick introduction to Compassion Chats with Author Susan A. Marshall. This is a podcast dedicated to bringing resources to caregivers dealing with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and welcoming all who are tasked with caring for loved ones with prolonged diseases. Hear from a variety of guests that include health care professionals, exper…

1
#63 Finding our balance, embracing rest, and lots of self-compassion, with Claire Windmill in Devon, UK 52:20

6M ago52:20

52:20

Today I’m chatting with Claire Windmill who lives in Devon in the UK with her husband and two children, who are seven and nine. Claire was a social worker and early years teacher and is now a parenting mentor and coach. She shares how her family came to unschooling after taking some time out to travel and they realised how much happier and less str…

1
#62 Trusting our children, and learning to value rest and play, with Robyn Tamlin-Lea in New Zealand 46:45

6M ago46:45

46:45

My guest today is Robyn Tamlin-Lea. Robyn is South African but now lives in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand, with her husband and two children who are seven and three and a half. Robyn took her daughter out of school when she saw that already at a very early age, there was a strong narrative around academic expectations and her daughter not doing …

1
#61 Honouring our children and learning to let go, with Danii Oliver in Texas 46:45

7M ago46:45

46:45

This episode, I’m chatting with Danii Oliver, who lives in Texas with her husband and two children who are almost 6 and 11. Danii shares her story of leaving New York City behind in search of something new for and her and family, and to live a more gentle and connected life, which they now do on their permaculture farm in Texas. We talk about the d…

1
#60 Unschooling and playful living, with Heidi Steel in West Sussex, UK 44:50

7M ago44:50

44:50

In this episode. I’m delighted to chat with Heidi Steel who was first on the podcast in 2021. Heidi is a former teacher and has four children who are 16, 15, 12 and 9 and who have never been to school. Heidi shares what unschooling looks like for her family and we talk about the enormous value of play in children’s learning and development. And, am…

1
#59 Four of the most-asked questions I get about unschooling, with Esther Jones 28:38

8M ago28:38

28:38

Once in a while it felt like it could be helpful to take a moment to answer some of the most common questions that I get. Of course, every family is completely different, so if any of these questions or worries are relevant to you, you might want to take my thoughts as a hopefully useful starting point for your own reflections. Let me know if this …

1
#58 Unravelling our own stories to raise empowered children, with Adrienne Miller in Vancouver 53:17

8M ago53:17

53:17

My guest today is Adrienne Miller who lives in Vancouver with her husband and three children who are 10, 7 and 4. Adrienne was a teacher, and realised when her oldest child turned school age that it wasn’t a choice they wanted for him. After growing up in a strict, religious home, Adrienne also shares her journey of unravelling her deep conditionin…

1
#57 Embracing the ease of natural learning, with Julie Walter in Ontario, Canada 52:43

9M ago52:43

52:43

In this episode, I’m chatting with Julie Walter from Ontario, Canada. Julie has three children who are 9, 11 and 13 and have never been to school. As a former teacher, Julie talks about how impacted she was by the differences between the resistant nature of learning in a classroom and the kind of natural learning she was seeing unfolding happily at…

1
#56 Older unschoolers and the value of practising being yourself, with Missy Willis in North Carolina 52:39

9M ago52:39

52:39

My guest today is Missy Willis from Charlotte, North Carolina. Missy is a former teacher who lives with her husband and two children, who are now 21 and 16. They chose to unschool when their eldest child reached school age as it felt like a better fit for their family. Missy’s experience in the classroom as a teacher had also made her question a mo…

1
#55 Deschooling and moving beyond our limiting beliefs, with Lucy Aitkenread in New Zealand 51:10

10M ago51:10

51:10

In this episode, I'm chatting with Lucy Aitkenread. Lucy is originally from the UK, but 10 years ago, set off travelling with her partner Tim, and their two young daughters. They settled in New Zealand, which is where they live now. Their daughters are now 10 and 13 and haven’t been to school. So, today we talk about the culture of school and what …

1
#54 Nature, freedom and slowing down, with Ruth Macallan in Zambia 53:45

11M ago53:45

53:45

Today, my guest is Ruth Macallan. Originally from Edinburgh, Ruth now lives for most of the year in Zambia with her husband and her two children, who are 2 and 5. We talk about what Ruth’s child-led days look like, what it means to allow a child the freedom to go at their own pace, and how living in rural Zambia has helped Ruth to learn how to slow…

1
#53 Living, learning and thriving as a family, with Claire Gillespie in Hertfordshire, UK 52:15

11M ago52:15

52:15

My guest today is Claire Gillespie from Hertfordshire in the UK. Claire lives with her husband and two sons, who are 15 and 13, and they’ve been unschooling for four years, after their oldest son asked to leave school. Amongst other things, we talk about the fascinating learning journeys children embark on when they’re in charge, how different we a…

1
#52 Intentional deschooling and lining up with our values, with Daniel Moeller in Pennsylvania 55:32

12M ago55:32

55:32

Today I’m chatting with Daniel Moeller from Pennsylvania. Daniel is a former teacher and has a 10-year old son, called Kai who has been unschooling for four years. Daniel came across unschooling whilst struggling himself to reconcile many parts of the school system, and in particular the power over dynamic that he was expected to conform to as a te…

1
#51 A place of possibility - living, learning and healing beyond school, with Donna in East Sussex 48:38

12M ago48:38

48:38

My guest today is Donna, from East Sussex in the UK. Donna has two daughters, who are 13 and 11. Her eldest daughter had always struggled with school, and it wasn’t until Covid that Donna realised just how deep the school stress was embedded in the whole family. Eventually feeling that there was no alternative but to try something different, she to…

1
#50 Unravelling our stories, with Dr Emma Svanberg 52:57

1y ago52:57

52:57

Today, I’m chatting with Dr Emma Svanberg. Emma is a clinical psychologist, author of Parenting For Humans and mother of two children. As well as exploring unschooling with her family, Emma helps other parents on their own parenting journeys. We talk about how the deeply held narratives we all have about ourselves often don’t serve us as parents, a…

1
#49 Putting the relationship first, with Hayley in Derbyshire, UK 47:09

1y ago47:09

47:09

My guest today is Hayley from Derbyshire in the UK. Hayley has four children, who are now 25, 22, 18 and 10, and her journey to unschooling started 14 years ago when her eldest child was 11. We talk about how unschooling is so much more than education. It’s about the importance of relationships, and of living in a way that feels coherent to us, and…

1
#48 Unschooling our children and our own lives, with Holly from South Wales 42:11

1y ago42:11

42:11

In this episode, I’m chatting with Holly from South Wales. Holly has three children, aged 9, 7, 5 and began unschooling three years ago, when her eldest started to struggle at school. Holly worked as a teacher, and shares her experience of transitioning from a schooled way of thinking about learning to unschooling. We chat about how this way of lif…

1
#47 Consent-based parenting around the globe, with Fran Liberatore 52:32

1y ago52:32

52:32

My guest today is Fran Liberatore. Fran is Italian but lives with her family between Bangkok, Maine and Sicily. Her children are now aged 10 and 12 and If you’d like to hear more from Fran you can also hear her in episode 12 of the podcast a couple of years ago. Today we talk about how Fran and her family have found community in the different cultu…

1
#46 Unschooling and shifting our parenting paradigms, with Chelsea in LA 57:47

1+ y ago57:47

57:47

Today, I’m chatting with Chelsea, who lives in LA with her husband and two sons, who are 10 and 6. Chelsea had never planned to unschool, and in fact her older son was very happy at a project-based school in his earlier years. She tells us about why they made this choice and what it has meant for her family. We talk in particular about how the pare…

1
#45 Healing from school and holding our children's journeys lightly, with Rhonda Ziman in East Sussex 46:14

1+ y ago46:14

46:14

My guest today is Rhonda Ziman. Rhonda lives in East Sussex with her husband, 14-year-old stepdaughter and 11-year-old daughter. I’ve known Rhonda and her daughter Martha since last year, when her daughter finally left school after struggling to attend for a long time. Today, Rhonda talks about that time and how difficult it was. And she talks abou…

1
#44 From high school teaching to unschooling, with Angela Harders in Maryland 39:46

1+ y ago39:46

39:46

Today I'm chatting with Angela Harders who lives in Maryland with her two children, who are now 9 and 4. Angela was a public high school teacher for 12 years. And although she took her daughter out of school four years ago when her daughter was five, she continued to work as a public school teacher for three more years, until it felt too at odds wi…

1
#43 Creating a self-directed learning community, with Lorna Norton in North Yorkshire 47:13

1+ y ago47:13

47:13

In this episode, I'm chatting with Lorna Norton. Lorna has a 5-year-old son and, together with her husband, founded a learning community called Kith Homestead in North Yorkshire. Lorna came to alternative education through her studies of psychology and education and then her many years of working with children. We talk about her own deschooling pro…

1
#42 Why self-directed learning is a natural fit for our children, with Naomi Fisher 59:51

1+ y ago59:51

59:51

My guest this episode is Naomi Fisher, who I am delighted to have back for a second conversation (see #5 for our previous chat). Naomi is a clinical psychologist, mother of two children who are at a self-directed learning centre, and author of the book Changing our Minds, which is about the importance of choice, autonomy and self-direction in educa…

1
#41 In search of wholeness - deschooling and shedding all the layers, with Sari Gonzàlez and Becka Koritz in Mexico 49:50

1+ y ago49:50

49:50

Today I'm joined by Sari Gonzàlez and Becka Koritz wholive in Puerto Escondido in Mexico. Becka moved to Mexico from Sweden and Sari from the US, both leaving lives that felt stressed and disconnected. They now run Explora ALC, an agile learning centre. Both Sari and Becka have neurodivergent sons but began their deschooling journeys long before ha…

1
#40 A new journey - slowing down, reconnecting, and embracing our children's autonomy, with Caroline Frances in Ontario 52:40

1+ y ago52:40

52:40

Today I’m chatting with Caroline Frances from Ontario. Caroline lives with her husband and two sons who are 7 and 10, and they are just in the second month of their unschooling journey. They had tried different school environments, but found that, in particular for their eldest son, who is diagnosed Autistic with a PDA profile, they needed to find …

1
#39 Unschooling on the path to healing, with Sarah Rose in Maine 52:52

1+ y ago52:52

52:52

My guest today is Sarah Rose. Sarah lives in Maine with her husband and her 11-year old daughter. Her family’s journey to unschooling stemmed from their daughter’s illness, which resulted in her leaving school and embarking on a long healing journey at home. We talk today about providing a judgment-free space in which our children feel seen and sup…

1
#38 How children naturally educate themselves, with Peter Gray, author of Free to Learn 1:00:19

1+ y ago1:00:19

1:00:19

I’m so delighted to be talking today with Peter Gray, author and research professor at Boston College. Many of you will have read his wonderful book, Free to Learn, or his regular writing for Psychology Today about children, play and learning. Among many things, we talk today about his experience of self-directed education through his son, what sel…

1
#37 The natural joy of living in partnership with young children, with Lou Westall in Brighton, UK 47:31

1+ y ago47:31

47:31

My guest today is Lou Westall, who lives in Brighton, in the UK, (though she was travelling in South Africa when we recorded this episode). Lou and her husband have two daughters, who are 6 and 8. They had never considered home education until their eldest daughter began school, and things just didn’t feel quite, particularly regarding the early ap…

1
#36 Unschooling and living a slower, more intentional life, with Ashley Short in Ontario, Canada 53:40

1+ y ago53:40

53:40

Today, I’m chatting with Ashley Short. who lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two sons, who are 6 and 9. Ashley is a former teacher, and her family came to unschooling during the pandemic, when her son, who had always found the school environment difficult, refused to engage in any school-like work. Among other things, we talk about prio…

1
#35 Healing, trust, and low demand parenting. Unschooling and PDA, with Amanda Diekman in North Carolina 51:34

2y ago51:34

51:34

My guest this episode is Amanda Diekman. Amanda lives in North Carolina with her husband and three sons, who are 6, 8 and 10. Amanda’s journey to unschooling started with her 8 year-old who is autistic, PDA and the reality that school was a difficult and traumatic experience for him. Her 10 year old son, who is also autistic later chose also to lea…

1
#34 Creating an authentic life that meets everyone's needs, with Emma Hosfeld in Illinois 52:17

2y ago52:17

52:17

Today’s conversation is with Emma Hosfeld from Illinois. Emma lives with her husband and three children, who are 7, 5 and 4. Emma traces the roots of her journey to unschooling back to when she was pregnant and the sense of disempowerment she felt within the medical system, and the choices she then made for a more empowered birth experience. She de…

1
#33 Living joyfully and in relationship with our children, with Pam Laricchia in Ontario 55:22

2y ago55:22

55:22

Today, I am beyond thrilled to be chatting with Pam Laricchia. Pam lives in Ontario, Canada and has three adult children, who are now 30, 28 and 25, and I came across her website about unschooling, which is called Living Joyfully, early on in my own journey, when I was still a little shaky. I found her so incredibly warm and reassuring. So, it was …

1
#32 Worldschooling and partnership parenting our teenagers, with Lainie Liberti in Mexico 48:52

2y ago48:52

48:52

Today, I’m chatting with Lainie Liberti. Lainie is originally from California, but, in 2008, decided to go travelling with her 9-year-old son for a year. She closed the business she had been running for some years and took her son out of school. He is 24 now and they never went back. They’ve travelled extensively, given a Ted talk together on world…

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