Curious Neuron takes a balanced & mindful approach to parenting that is grounded in science. Parenting is much more than knowing how to handle our kids's behaviour. It requires us to know how to manage our own emotions and behaviours which takes lots of practice, learning and unlearning. We take a more holistic approach to parenting and not only help you understand your child's development but also support your parenting journey by helping you nurture your well-being and personal growth. Eve ...
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As women and mothers of young children, it can be easy to compare ourselves to others. But your life isn't supposed to look like hers! Being your best self means standing firm in your decisions and always being willing to grow with a purpose. Are you wanting more ease in your marriage? Or more enjoyment as a parent? Are you looking for a strategy to the health challenges you have been facing recently? Do you feel like you have been staring at a stranger in the mirror since becoming a mother? ...
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263. Perfectionist Tendencies and How to Overcome Them with Dr. Menije
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Today on the podcast, we are happy to be hosting Dr. Menije, licensed Psychologist and founder of Embracing You Therapy which specializes in perfectionism, OCD, addiction, and anxiety. Dr. Menije is passionate about turning judgement into compassion, and pain into purpose. She loves helping people explore behavior changes to support their new way o…
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Tips to help parents reduce stress and overwhelm during the holidays
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Send us a text Discover how to navigate the stress of the holiday season while prioritizing your mental well-being and fostering a joyful atmosphere for yourself and your family. This episode promises to equip parents with actionable strategies and insights, offering three essential tips to manage the challenges of family gatherings, financial pres…
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262. Bring on the Men: How Are We Doing In Our Partnerships Now?
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You asked, we answered! Today, the husbands are back to answer your burning questions on our relationships, parenting, how life has changed since their last sit down with us, and more. Drew and Colin get vulnerable with their honest answers, which is why we love them so much! Whether you want to hear how our families handle filling in our social ca…
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Screen time vs Play time in kids under 5 with Tammy Schamuhn
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Send us a text In this conversation, Cindy Hovington chats with Tammy Schamuhn, Registered Psychologist, Best-Selling Author, Co-Founder of the Institute of Child Psychology and the Executive Director of Family Counselling Centres discuss the importance of parental involvement in child development, the challenges parents face, and the need for sett…
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261. Greatest Hits: A Conversation with Erica Djossa of @momwell on the Mental Load, Navigating Transitions, and Getting Your Needs Met in Parenthood
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With the holiday season here upon us, we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit our interview with Erica Djossa of @momwell as our “Greatest Hits” episode this Thanksgiving week. We feel like her mission and our mission here at the HERself podcast to get women the best information possible really align! During this incredible episode with …
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Ask Dr. Cindy: How can I better manage my mental load?
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Send us a text A parent from our membership asked me "How can I manage the mental load" and in today's episode, I break down the advice I gave this parent. We all have a mental load and sometimes it seems like nothing can make it disappear. However, there are ways that we can manage this better and feel less of this burden on our minds. I share tip…
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260. Smart Money Moves for Couples with Hannah Rein
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We know finances and discussing budgets can be major pressure points in romantic relationships, and here at the HERself podcast, we want to cover these difficult topics and bring you the best experts and best information! Today we have Hannah Rein, CPA, financial educator, wife, and mother of two on the show today. Hannah’s goal on her platform, Fi…
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The Hidden Struggles of New Fathers with Dr. Pierre Azzam
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Send us a text In this conversation, Dr. Pierre Azzam discusses the intersection of mental health and professional coaching, particularly focusing on the experiences of fathers. He highlights the stigma surrounding mental health for men and the importance of understanding postpartum depression in fathers. The conversation emphasizes the need for co…
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259. Simple Decluttering Tips Everyone Can Do with Abby + Amy
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Inspired by our recent project together, today’s episode is all about how we tackled decluttering Amy’s house! Amy felt her house was bursting at the seams in all the wrong ways - think overflowing closets, dresser drawers, toy storage, etc. In comes Abby to save the day! Having read all the books and listened to all the podcasts, Abby has taken al…
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The Role of Community and Support in Fertility with Lauren Enright
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Send us a text In this conversation, Cindy and Lauren discuss the multifaceted role of a fertility coach, emphasizing a holistic approach that integrates emotional and physical well-being. They explore the significant stress associated with fertility journeys, the impact of societal expectations, and the importance of community support. Lauren shar…
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258. "The "One and Won" Reframe for Family Sizes with Dr. Jasmine
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Dr. Jasmine, our guest on today’s episode, did everything she could to check off her boxes on her timeline. But after struggling to conceive her first child, she expected motherhood to be smooth sailing from there. However, after the birth of her baby, Dr. Jasmine suffered from debilitating postpartum depression, anxiety, and insomnia. With her bac…
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Embracing Goodbyes: What to do when a child struggles with getting rid of a toy
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Send us a text Does your child struggle with letting go of toys they love? Saying goodbye and having closure is something we need to support our kids with. I hope this week's episode helps not only your child with closure, but helps you the next time you need to say goodbye to a loved one or something major. Get your FREE 40-page well-being workboo…
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257. Realistic Self Care For Busy Moms: A Check-in with Amy & Abby
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We shared in our last check-in episode that this school year was going to bring big changes to both of our family’s lives. Today, we, Amy and Abby, wanted to revisit those changes and discuss how things are going now that we are a few months into the school year, as well as talk about how we practice self care during this season of motherhood. Whil…
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Navigating Burnout: Strategies for Emotional Well-Being with Dr. Jessi Gold
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Send us a text In this conversation, Dr. Jessi Gold, Author of "How do you Feel?" discusses her book on mental health and burnout, particularly in the healthcare sector. She shares her personal experiences and insights on the subtlety of burnout, the cultural perceptions surrounding mental health, and the importance of self-care and compassion. The…
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256. Parental Stress Matters with Dr. Cindy Hovington
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You cannot miss this episode! Cindy Hovington, PhD, mother of three, and creator of Curious Neuron is our guest on today’s episode. Cindy specializes in mental health and emotions and has made it her mission to support parents in developing skills and habits that will allow them to nurture their own well-being. She also helps parents to develop lea…
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Attachment, Emotions & Separation Anxiety with Erin O'Connor, Ph.D.
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Send us a text In this episode of the Curious Neuron Podcast, Cindy Hovington speaks with Dr. Erin O'Connor, Ph.D., about the complexities of the mother-child relationship, the importance of attachment theory, and the impact of parental stress on parenting styles. We discuss the significance of sensitivity and responsiveness in parenting, the chall…
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255. Breaking Down Gut Health with Dr. Heather Finley
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We get into it ALL in today’s episode with Dr. Heather Finley! After struggling with her own digestive issues for nearly 20 years, Heather completed her training to become a registered dietitian and also has a doctorate in clinical nutrition. She understands first hand the impact that nutrition, lifestyle, and mindset all have on digestive health a…
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Send us a text What if you could turn fleeting happiness into lasting joy and protect yourself from worry and self-doubt? In the latest Curious Neuron podcast, join me, Cindy, as we explore the connection between joy and emotional regulation. We’ll dive into neuroscience and the insights of Brené Brown to tackle the fears and anxieties that often b…
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254. Amy and Abby Get On Air Therapy on Their Relationship Challenges with Mallory Wolfgramm
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This episode is a bit different from our norm! Today we have a couple on the show! Stranz and Mallory Wolfgramm host the podcast “Make Marriage Work” and are here to talk with us about what they’ve learned as a couple over the years and techniques we can take away to have successful arguments and conflict resolution in our relationships. Mallory is…
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Were you ever told "You need to discipline your child right now!"?
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Send us a text In this episode of the Curious Neuron podcast, host Cindy Hovington engages in a heartfelt conversation with Miranda, a mom of 3, about the complexities of parenting. They explore the evolution of parenting styles, particularly the shift towards more conscious and respectful approaches. Miranda shares her personal journey of navigati…
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253. Dr. Devorah Heitner Answers Everything on Screentime with Children
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Parenting in the digital age can be confusing and scary. We know a lot of our listeners have the same questions that we do when it comes to technology and our kids! Today on the podcast, we are interviewing Dr. Devorah Heitner who has a PhD in Media/Technology and Society, is a parent, author, and screentime expert. She brings a lot of passion to t…
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Creating Lasting Memories with Your Children
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Send us a text What if your automatic "no" responses are stealing precious moments of joy with your children? This week, I share an eye-opening personal story about how a spontaneous water gun fight with my kids became a treasured memory and a lesson in the power of saying "yes." We dive into the roots of our instinctual refusals and explore practi…
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252. Your Mindset Around Aging Gracefully with Tanya Dalton
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Society pressures women to stay youthful, but our guest on today’s episode, Tanya Dalton, has a motivating message that will encourage you to embrace aging gracefully and love the wisdom that comes with having more birthdays! Tanya is a bestselling author, motivational speaker, wife, and mother who is going to share with us why we should be excited…
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Preparing your child for preschool using play
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Send us a text In this conversation, I chat with Connie about the critical aspects of preschool education, emphasizing the importance of play in child development. We explore the challenges children face in adapting to open-ended play, the significance of emotional regulation, and the need for realistic expectations from parents. The discussion hig…
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Mom guilt can feel SO heavy in one season of life, and lighter in others. If you’ve yet to feel one of the lighter seasons, today’s episode is for you. We are here to tell you that we see you and we hope that today’s episode helps to open up the conversation about mom guilt. In today’s episode we both share how our mom guilt has changed over the ye…
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Setting Boundaries and Holding Space for Teenagers' Emotions with Kirsten Cobabe
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Send us a text In this episode, Kirsten Cobabe, a teen coach, discusses how parents can navigate the challenges of raising teenagers. She emphasizes the importance of building a strong connection with teens and understanding their perspective. Kirsten suggests that parents should shift their mindset and approach the teenage years with openness and …
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250. Kate Anthony on Marriage: Should You Stay or Should You Go?
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Divorce is a heavy topic, but it happens and that’s why we thought it was important to bring you this episode. We are so lucky to have Kate Anthony as our guest for today. Kate is a divorce coach who helps women decide if they should stay or leave their marriages and is a wealth of knowledge of the divorce process. Whether today’s episode applies t…
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Parental stress has become a public health concern: here are my thoughts
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Send us a text In this episode, I discuss the importance of parental stress and its impact on parenting. I introduce the Reflective Parent Club (IT'S FINALLY OPEN!!), a membership program aimed at helping parents pause, reflect, and regulate their emotions. I emphasize the need for parents to respect their time and create meaningful connections wit…
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249. Greatest Hits: Clinical Psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy on How You and Your Child Can Feel Good Inside
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As we are closing the chapter on this year’s summer season with the celebration of Labor Day here in the US, we thought it would be perfect to revisit our conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy from episode 146. Besides being a psychologist, Dr. Becky is also a mother of three and founder of Good Inside, the expert-guided, commun…
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The science of happiness with Stephanie Harrison, author of the New Happy
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Send us a text Curious about finding real happiness even in life's chaos? In this episode of the Curious Neuron podcast, we explore what happiness truly means, with insights from Stephanie Harrison, author of New Happy. She shares simple ways to bring joy into your life through small, meaningful actions. We also challenge the idea that you have to …
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248. Stress: Where It Shows Up and Our Solutions For It
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Today is a more casual episode between us, your hosts, Amy and Abby, as we talk all about stress and the way it’s impacted our lives, our families and friends, and the techniques we’ve learned over the years to get through those stressful times. Our long term partners can get the brunt of our stress. Sometimes that means our stress can be triggerin…
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My life as a neuroscientist turned entrepreneur and homeschooling mom of 3
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Send us a text Have you ever wondered why children's natural curiosity seems to fade as they grow older? This episode takes you on a reflective journey from the inception of Curious Neuron, inspired by a transformative comment from a Harvard professor. I share the pivotal moments from my academic path, including my PhD in neuroscience and postdocto…
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247. Dr. Karen Tang, GYN Debunks the Myths on Periods, Menopause, Birth Control and Women's Health
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This episode is a MUST listen! Today on the podcast we have Dr. Karen Tang. She is a board-certified gynecologist who is here to answer ALL of our questions about women’s health that we were never taught before! Her goal through her online presence is to help get rid of the stigma around women’s health so that women everywhere can live better. “Cyc…
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What are your 2 core values and how do they help you make hard decisions?
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Send us a text Last week inside the Reflective Parent Club, we assessed our core values with our special guest expert Christina. Today, I walk you through this and help you identify your 2 core values. We chat about what this means in your life, what to do if you partner's values don't align with yours, and reflect on if your core values are simila…
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246. Picky Eaters and Simplifying Family Meals with Megan McNamee of Feeding Littles
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Today on the podcast we are happy to have Megan McNamee of Feeding Littles. Megan is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist who works specifically with babies, children, and their families to promote positive eating habits. Megan began teaching feeding courses at her local hospital after an unfortunate series of events before her first child was born.…
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Why is parenting hard for me but it seems so easy for my partner? It's frustrating!
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Send us a text I had an interesting conversation with a parent that felt frustrated because parenting felt like a struggle for her while it seemed so easy for her partner. Can you relate? I thought it would be interesting to break this down and think of a way we could reflect on this. If you can relate to this, don't miss this quick episode! Get yo…
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245. Finding Fulfillment in Your Career with Career Contessa
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Lauren Goodwin, creator of Career Contessa, loves helping women navigate their careers. After having done all the “right” things, her first job after college left her wanting something more. After a long job search, Lauren became a recruiter. Now on the other side of the hiring process, she finally understood what employers were looking for. And fr…
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How your well-being of today could impact your relationship with your future teen
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Send us a text I read this fascinating article that looked at parental well-being of parent with teens. This article reminded me of a few things that I think you should know as well. There are lots of things we should be working on today that can have an influence on our well-being when our kids become teens. Life's purpose, our relationship and co…
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244. How to Integrate Dogs and Kids at Home with @dogmeets_baby
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Today on the show we are talking with Dominika from Dog Meets Baby. Dominika is a certified dog trainer who works specifically with families who have a dog and are bringing home a new baby or have kiddos and are bringing home a new dog. She helps to make the transition smooth for both kiddos and canines! Dominika’s first piece of advice if bringing…
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How would you score on a well-being test?
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Send us a text In this episode, Cindy discusses the topic of psychological well-being and the importance of nurturing different domains of well-being. She introduces the six domains of psychological well-being according to Dr. Carol Ryff: self-acceptance, positive relationships, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth.…
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(Trigger warning: secondary infertility, miscarriage) 1:8 couples will experience secondary infertility. Allie Karagozian, Occupational Therapist, momma, and founder of @holdingboth, always knew she wanted to be a mom. After using fertility treatments to conceive her first child, she was overjoyed to become a mother. When she and her husband were r…
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It's easier to be angry than sad: Tips to support your child (and yourself)
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Send us a text Regardless of being a child or an adult, it is much easier to express anger than sadness. Something happened the other day with one of my kids that helped me realize I had missed this in my own child. There "easily upset" behaviour was actually them feeling sad about something. This episode outlines the conversation I had with my chi…
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Send us a text In this episode, Cindy reflects on her conversations with parents and the importance of feeling connected and supported. She introduces the concept of parental self-efficacy and encourages listeners to reflect on their own confidence as parents. Cindy provides a brief self-efficacy scale for parents to assess their level of confidenc…
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242. Colonics, Thyroid Changes, and Feeling Great in Your Body
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If you follow us on Instagram, then you may have seen our stories the day we got colonics. It was an interesting experience to say the least! A lot of you, our listeners, had questions and wanted more detail about the process, how it makes you feel, what to expect, etc. Spoiler, one of us had a little bit of a poopy situation! And one of us unfortu…
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241. Understanding Our Emotions Around Money with Financial Therapist Lindsay Bryan Podvin
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After seeing some of Lindsay’s work through a friend, we knew we needed to have her on our podcast. Lindsay Bryan Podvin is a licensed social worker turned financial therapist, and the first of her kind in Michigan! As a financial therapist, Lindsay’s job is to look at the emotional side of money and help others with their mind/money connection. Mo…
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When you feel like a shitty parent for giving your child a consequence...
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Send us a text In this episode, Cindy discusses the challenges parents face when setting boundaries with their children. She shares a personal experience of setting a strong boundary with one of her kids and feeling conflicted about it. Cindy emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and provides reflection prompts for parents to work through…
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240. Greatest Hits: Real Parenting: What to Do When the Script Doesn't Work with Claire Lerner
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We both have experience raising children who seem to not respond to gentle parenting and the other well known techniques. It has been frustrating for the both of us at times because it makes us feel isolated and exhausted. We are so excited to revisit episode 157 with Claire Lerner as our “Greatest Hits” episode over this 4th of July week. Claire s…
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Understanding and Addressing Child Deception with Dr. Victoria Talwar
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Send us a text In this conversation, Cindy Hovington interviews Victoria Talwar about the topic of lying in children. They discuss the development of lying in children, the different types of lies, and the role of parents in teaching honesty. They also touch on the importance of modeling honesty and the impact of lies on trust. The conversation pro…
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239. Dr. Nancy Grechko on Avoiding Burnout in Personal and Professional Caregiving
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Whether you’re a teacher, a nurse, or a therapist, professional burnout is real. Our guest today, licensed psychologist and mother of two, Dr. Nancy Grechko, specializes in supporting women therapists and women working in the mental health field. And while Dr. Grechko’s main focus is with women in the mental health field, they are usually also moth…
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You don't have to re-create a "new you": focus on getting to know yourself instead
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Send us a text Constantly striving for an idealized version of yourself might not be as beneficial as it seems. Do you ever wonder if the endless pursuit of self-improvement is actually doing more harm than good? Join me, as I challenge the pervasive self-help culture that pressures us into relentless self-improvement. Inspired by an enlightening a…
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