Securely Attached

Navigating baby sleep advice? Neuroscientist Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum cuts through the noise on sleep training, bed sharing, and contact sleep. This episode uncovers the neuroscience of sleep for infants and toddlers, helping parents make informed decisions without judgment. Understand why night waking is normal, how responsiveness shapes your baby's brain, and the true impact of sleep interventions...

>> Do you need support coparenting your child with your ex? Reach out to Upshur Bren Psychology Group to schedule a free consultation call to learn more about the individualized treatment options. < <     Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   3:03 - The quality of the attachment in every relationsh...

How do you know whether your child has selective mutism or is just shy in certain situations?   Joining me today to discuss selective mutism—an anxiety disorder that is characterized by the inability or refusal to speak in certain situations, despite being capable of speech in other settings—is Dr. Carmen Tumialan Lynas. Dr. Tumialan Lynas is a clinical psychologist and anxiety specialist and the...

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   3:30 - The importance of mindfulness and pausing long enough to notice and express when we are grateful.   6:21 - Setting realistic expectations - you can be teaching gratitude and not have grateful kids all the time, and that's okay.   7:50 - The difference be...

How does the way we treat our children affect the makeup of their brains? And how can we use this knowledge to raise children in a style that optimizes their physical, emotional, and mental health?   That is precisely what Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum shares in her new book, The Nurture Revolution.   From exploring the neuroscience of nurturing to understanding how early caregiving experiences influence...

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   2:07 - Does playing with Barbies cause children to have an unrealistic body image?   8:01 - Do millennials carry a stigma around Barbies that is not accurate to the way they are being portrayed now?   8:58 - Is it beneficial to ban any toys, or is it better to...

When it comes to healthy eating habits, it's essential to focus on balance and trust rather than strict rules or restrictions - which for many of us, is the exact opposite of the way we were raised.   Amelia Sherry, registered dietitian/nutritionist and the author of Diet-Proof Your Daughter, is joining me today to talk about ways parents can make this mindset shift in order to support and nurture...

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   1:11 - What actually is the proper scientific definition of fight-or-flight?   3:30 - What is the difference between being mad and being in fight-or-flight?   6:13 - The first step: Simple physiological interventions you can take to decrease your stress levels....

Having a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) comes with a wide range of emotions and experiences that can be challenging for new parents to navigate. And many feel like they're facing this challenge alone.   The founders of NICU Nook, Dr. Stephanie Simon and Amanda Neilan, are working to change that!   This episode is filled with encouragement and support with expert advice and practic...

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   3:38 - What is serve and return and how does it impact our baby's brain development?   6:02 - The human brain is hardwired to have dynamic interpersonal exchanges.   8:19 - It's not about the "stuff" it's about the relationships.   8:27 - Why "safety" is the fi...

The constant pressure to do it all (and do it all perfectly, I might add) is just one of the reasons parents are finding themselves so burnt out.   We are so go, go, go that we often forget to stop and assess what is working, what isn't working, and how we can be intentional about using the time we do have to raise our children with the values that we find most important. Here to help parents lear...

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   3:05 - The guidelines we use and the questions we ask to determine whether or not we allow our own kids to have a sleepover with their friends.   5:11 - Why knowing the formal questions about body safety, firearm safety, etc. can keep your child safe, even if y...

Secure and insecure attachment styles aren't good or bad, they simply are. It can be tempting to label these things, but with that can come shame, guilt, and anxiety.   Here to help dispel some myths about attachment science and offer parents strategies for building their own ability to help their child feel understood and safe is Dr. Tanya Cotler.   Together we'll help listeners learn to zoom out...

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...   2:48 - What to think about and how to decide when it's time to start moving away from the pacifier.   7:11 - What age would we recommend parents stop letting their child use a pacifier to help them self-soothe.   9:30 - Should you slowly ween or should you take...

Big kids can mean big problems. As tweens and teens start to find their independence and exert their autonomy, parents may feel a little lost as they face new challenges.   One of the best ways to break through is to learn how to communicate with your growing child in a way that helps you both to feel seen, understood, respected, and appreciated. Joining me to offer parents tools to do just that i...

New parenthood is full of challenges, twists, and turns. But particularly for men who were raised by single mothers, becoming a father can sometimes feel like they are forced to forge a new path without having a roadmap for how it's done.   Joining me today to talk about his own experience of becoming a dad and the lessons he learned is the author of Rookie Father, Kendall Smith.   So whether you'...

Whether you are in a fully codependent relationship or not, there can be subtle things people do in romantic relationships, with friends, and within a parent-child relationship that can heighten aspects of codependency.   Here to help parents spot the signs of codependency (whether in yourself or in your partner in parenting) and teach you strategies and behaviors to help you create a more healthy...

Janet Lansbury was talking and blogging about respectful parenting long before it became a buzzword.   Informed by her mentor and RIE creator Magda Gerber, Janet has spent decades encouraging parents and teaching them how to create loving and supportive environments for their children to help them grow into compassionate, confident, and resilient individuals.   Whether you are a follower of the RI...

Becoming a grandparent is typically embraced by society as a joyous event filled with all the love and much less of the responsibility that comes with parenthood. However, in reality, the identity shifts that occur when parents become grandparents are complicated, with a mix of highs and lows. And with this so rarely discussed, new grandparents (and new parents) can feel blindsided and struggle to...

Does attachment security impact our perception of our appearance and whether or not we have a positive or negative body image? Are mothers, consciously or unconsciously, passing down their own internalized feelings about weight and worth to their daughters? And how is social media impacting the way teen girls view themselves?   These important questions are what Dr. Miriam Steele is working to ans...

Understanding attachment theory can give parents an amazing insight into why things are happening in their relationship with their child. But simply knowing this information is one thing—learning the tools we can use to increase the likelihood of our child forming a secure attachment bond is entirely another.   I am honored to be joined today by Dr. Miriam Steele, a pioneer in attachment research...

Getting proper sleep as a new parent can have a huge impact on your mental health and subsequently the health of your infant. But in order for you to get good stretches of sleep, you need your little one to get into a healthy rhythm.   Joining me today to talk about establishing healthy sleep patterns based on our knowledge of child development and biology is Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consu...

It's Securely Attached's 100th episode! To celebrate, this week's show is a deep dive into what this podcast is all about - how understanding the basics of attachment science and child development can make parenting easier and more enjoyable.   I'll give you a crash course in attachment science, dispel the misinterpretations that can make parents feel anxious or guilty, and offer concrete tips for...

I am celebrating Earth Day by sitting down with stylist Liz Teich to talk fast fashion, sustainability, our excess of clutter, and how we can model living a more sustainable and green lifestyle for our children.   With practical tips for making your wardrobe last longer, to suggestions for carefully curating the pieces and toys in your home, this episode will be the perfect way for you to kick off...

If the brain is always growing and developing, how can we measure intelligence on a single test? And are there ways in which our intelligence is affected by our DNA, our genes, and our environment?   Joining me today to talk about the genetics behind our intelligence and what the research says about what standardized testing is actually measuring is the author of Rethinking Intelligence, Dr. Rina...