The Play Base

What happens when a child's imagination becomes something they can actually hold in their hands? In this episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances sits down with Scott from Budsies, a company that turns children's original artwork into one-of-a-kind stuffed animals. Frances first discovered Budsies at a special needs program at the YMCA in Boca Raton, watching kids light up when they realized: "I...

Play is often seen as just fun for kids—but what if it's actually one of the most powerful paths to healing? In this episode of The Play Base Podcast, host Frances Fishman talks with clinical psychologist and Certified Child-Centered Play Therapist Dr. Edan Alcalay about the science and heart behind play therapy. Drawing on over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Alcalay explains how child-cente...

IIn this deeply moving episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances Fishman sits down with Behavioral Consultant Jennifer Leonard for one of the most personal conversations ever shared on the show. Jennifer's journey into Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) didn't begin in a classroom — it began as a mother searching for answers after her son was diagnosed with autism. Faced with uncertainty, cultural st...

In this inspiring episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances Fishman sits down with Sensei Caio—founder of True Kombat Training—to explore how martial arts can transform far more than physical ability. Together, they discuss the profound impact martial arts has on confidence, emotional regulation, resilience, discipline, and child development. Raised in a family of martial artists and a former pro...

In this heartfelt episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances Fishman sits down with Lauren Stewart—founder of The Sweet Spectrum and Proud Autism Moms Club —to talk about parenting, neurodiversity, entrepreneurship, community, and the transformative power of understanding. Lauren shares her family's journey following her daughter's autism diagnosis, how it reshaped her perspective on motherhood, a...

In this deeply personal team episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances Fishman sits down with five members of The Play Base senior team: Jennifer Leonard, Danielle Goodman, Katrina Abutog-Manon, Wendy Dominguez, and Diana Puentes. What begins as a conversation about how each clinician found the field of behavior analysis becomes an honest exploration of what it truly means to support children, fa...

In this special solo episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances Fishman shares the heart behind her work, the story behind The Play Base, and the mission that continues to guide her every day. Frances reflects on her journey into ABA, the children who changed her life, and how play became the foundation for connection, learning, and healing. She speaks openly about the challenges within the field...

In this episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances sits down with Bekka Goldberg—educator, college counselor, mom, creative entrepreneur, and founder of Blade & Stitch. After first connecting through the South Florida hockey community, Frances and Bekka quickly bonded over their shared passion for child development, education, creativity, and helping young people discover environments where th...

In this episode, Frances sits down with Dr. Ally Durrieu, owner of Nature Nurture Chiropractic, for an eye-opening conversation about chiropractic care through a neurological and nervous-system-based lens. Dr. Ally specializes in supporting children and adults with neurodiverse needs, sensory challenges, nervous system dysregulation, and stress-related concerns. Through her work with the PX Docs (...

The Playbase Podcast | Episode with Liat Horovitz, Results Coach & Retreat Facilitator Frances sits down with Liat Horovitz, a results coach, retreat facilitator, and creator of transformational spaces for women, entrepreneurs, and leaders standing on the edge of change. Frances and Liat reflect on their first meeting, the impact of coaching, and the kind of deep connection that helps someone...

In this inspiring episode, Frances sits down with Jasmine Eingen, founder of Mentorio, a mentorship and personal development brand supporting children's confidence, emotional growth, and mental fitness. Jasmine joins from London to share how Mentorio began in Toronto and has grown into a global vision. Through after-school programs, school partnerships, one-to-one mentorship, peer mentorship, and...

In this deeply honest and empowering conversation, Frances sits down with occupational therapist Dr. Fay Gersh to explore motherhood, burnout, intimacy, self-love, boundaries, nervous system regulation, and what it truly means to live in alignment. From immigrating between countries and building careers while raising children to navigating burnout in helping professions, Frances and Dr. Fay unpack...

In this episode of The Playbase Podcast , Frances sits down with Paulette Cormier to explore the powerful connection between the body, the brain, reflex integration, movement, hearing, regulation, and learning. Paulette shares her journey from teacher and mother to practitioner, beginning with her search for support for her own son’s learning challenges. That path led her to Relationship Developme...

In this heart-centered episode of The Playbase Podcast , Frances sits down with Thabatta Mizrahi, educator, consultant, university lecturer, and strategic educational partnership builder. Thabatta shares how growing up as the oldest sibling in an immigrant family, with two siblings with different special needs, shaped the way she sees the world. Rather than seeing people through labels or limitati...

In this powerful episode of The Playbase Podcast , Frances sits down with Chris D’Angelo, a student leader, athlete, musician, and deeply inspiring young man whose story is a reminder that purpose can be found even in life’s hardest moments. Chris shares the story of tearing his ACL and meniscus during football season, an injury that took him off the lacrosse field and away from a major part of hi...

In this heartfelt and practical episode, Frances sits down with educator, creator, and content powerhouse Melissa Markus, known online as The Kindergarten Mom. A former dance friend turned inspiring voice for parents and teachers, Melissa shares how her platform began, what continues to drive her, and why the kindergarten years are some of the most important in a child’s development. Together, the...

In this episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances sits down with Dr. Ryan Seidman- licensed clinical psychologist, clinical director of The Children’s Center, and a true champion for collaborative care. Together, they unpack one of the biggest problems in child treatment today: support happening in isolated “bubbles.” Therapy in one place, school in another, behavior supports somewhere else, whil...

In this deeply moving episode, Frances sits down with hockey coach Nikita Krivokrasov for a conversation that goes far beyond the ice. Together, they explore identity, resilience, failure, purpose, and what it truly means to impact others. Nikita shares his personal journey through the highs and lows of pursuing hockey at a high level, the emotional weight of unmet expectations, and the powerful s...

In this honest and empowering conversation, Frances sits down with Yael Samuel of Kid Quest Consulting to talk about ADHD, assessments, early intervention, and the emotional journey parents go through when trying to understand what their child needs. Yael shares her personal experience parenting identical twins with ADHD, why getting answers felt relieving rather than frightening, and how support...

In this deeply human, soul-stirring episode of The Play Base Podcast , Frances sits down with Revital (Rev) Anava- a gifted designer, a grounded truth-teller, and one of those rare people who feels like home the moment you meet them. What begins as a “how have we never met?” story becomes something much bigger: a conversation about divine timing, intuition, identity, healing, and the quiet power o...

In this episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances sits down with Marina Aronin, a powerhouse speech-language pathologist and practice owner who brings a whole-child, root-cause approach to therapy. Marina shares how her work goes far beyond “speech sounds” and into the real-life foundations that impact communication and behavior: sleep quality, mouth breathing, nutrition, food intolerances, screen...

In this episode of The Playbase Podcast, Frances sits down with longtime friend and educator Joy Badler—a passionate advocate for children (especially within the ADHD community) who has spent years building what many schools are only now realizing kids desperately need: regulation skills before academics. Joy shares the work she’s been developing for over a decade—an approach that blends mindfulne...

In this episode, Frances sits down with Dana Weiss, an incredible Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who recently made the transition from New York City to South Florida and quickly realized: the pace, the culture, and the clinical landscape are a whole different world. Dana shares what it was like training and working across Manhattan and the Bronx in a large, cohesive clinic model… then moving to...

In this episode of The Play Base Podcast , host Frances Fishman is joined by Lauren Henry , a sensory design consultant whose work challenges how we think about interior design, regulation, and well-being. What begins as a conversation about “sensory rooms” quickly expands into a deeper exploration of how color, lighting, sound, scent, texture, and space directly impact the nervous system , often...

In this heartfelt episode of The Play Base, Frances is joined by her middle child and sweet “angel boy,” Coby Fishman - an eight-year-old who lives and breathes sports (especially hockey). Coby shares what he loves most about the game - the speed, intensity, and the joy of scoring, but also opens up about the part that makes it harder: when his family can’t make it to his games. From there, the co...