Brave Together Podcast: Support and Community for Caregiving Parents

Do I really need to cook dinner EVERY night? And if so, how can I find joy in it? Joy, you say? What would that look like? A glass of wine, maybe? Music? In the overwhelming lives of caregivers, it’s easy to feel like the days are full of “have to’s” but what if we isolated the actual necessities and found ways to make everything else in our busy lives easier and MORE FUN!  Today we help you strea...

Happy New Year, Brave Friends! Let's go on an adventure! Life, like a boat ride, takes us in all directions, up and down, side to side and depending on the weather, can even capsize us! But what if our boat was full of able sailors all doing their own specialized jobs to keep us on course? With that kind of support we might feel brave enough to rock a bit, visit distant lands or even dive off...

Hello Brave Friends, we’re taking a month off for the holidays, but will be back January 11th, 2023 with more practical and story episodes. So make sure you’re subscribed so that you don’t miss a thing! And… if you would like to submit a story for the podcast we would LOVE to read and potentially produce it as a story episode in the new year. We will even work with you on developing your story so...

It’s hard to think of a more jarring scenario than coming home from a fun night out to find your child in the midst of an unexplained medical emergency. The warrior mom lives in all of us though, and when our kids are in crisis she gets her chance to shine!  On today’s episode we hear a story from one such warrior mom, Angie Robinson, whose son Giancarlo gave her a big scare that night but thankfu...

The daily needs of our unique children can take up A LOT of space in our lives and the siblings of those children experience that in all kinds of ways. Their lives are just as altered as ours are by their siblings' heightened needs, but they don’t always get permission to express that. What can we actively do, as parents, to help them? Today’s episode is another great conversation with Family...

When a medical event rocks her son and family a week before Christmas, guest Karen Draper has to rapidly process everything and do her best to move through it with grace. From the life saving steps necessary for her son, to the protection of her family's hearts through the fear, many of you will relate to this story of shock, strength and ultimately recovery and laughter.  In her story and sw...

The holidays can be tough for everybody! We all get this extra large serving of commitments and expectations that can make enjoying anything feel off the table. Add the element of unique needs to this feast and now even the most organized and flexible person can feel downright defeated. Is there a fresh way to approach this? On today’s episode, Jessica interviews life coach, Margaret Webb, about s...

Today we hear from our host, Jessica Patay, as she shares the answer to her favorite question to ask her guests, “If you could dream BIG, for the disability community, what would you CREATE or CHANGE?” Join her as she paints a picture of the world with all the resources and support we all desire and feel inspired and encouraged to share YOUR big dreams on our website and social platforms. Share wh...

What do we do when a crisis hits? Most moms already know the answer because we’ve been to the ER or seen a pharmacy bill! YIKES!!! In those moments did we FREEZE? FIGHT? Maybe even FAWN? Most importantly, whatever we did, was there a judgment we felt about how we reacted? On today’s practical episode, Jessica interviews Samantha Morey LMFT about the different “threat responses”. They discuss ways...

Today we are a fly on the wall in a very special yoga class. In this class we witness a connection between human beings revealing new possibilities. We stretch our bodies and notice how caring for ourselves gives us strength. We breathe deep and meditate on how many roles we embody, (caregiver, advocate, therapist…) and wonder how our role as MOM might be most potent and desired. Our story is from...

We’re all naturally afraid of “different” but what if “different” happens to be YOUR child? How do we react when other parents or kids have a hard time interacting with our child or fail to acknowledge them at all? It hurts right?! So how do we fix this? On today’s practical episode, host Jessica Patay discusses ableism, fear of the unknown and strategies for interacting with those who are differe...

When are we enough? When our child’s health improves? When the doctor offers us a high five? When we accomplish everything on our to-do list without crying? Being a medical mom isn’t like a regular job, it requires so much that is unseen and unacknowledged and carries with it this looming expectation of martyrdom that is very easy to internalize. On today’s episode we hear from Maureen Hoff whose...

Did you know grief can be disenfranchised? Have you ever caught yourself welling up or feeling angry when parents of neurotypical, undisabled, healthy kids talk about the different milestones they’re experiencing with them? Do you judge yourself, feeling you should have accepted your child’s unique path by now? Well, you are NOT alone! In this practical episode, Jessica interviews Meghann Crane-Ru...

Our darkest days as parents, buried inside us, can rot us from the inside out. Our darkest days shared, can free us and make others feel less alone. It takes courage to share our pain though, especially when that pain centers around our child’s “behavior”. Will others judge us or even reject us for being so open about our shame, pain and fear?  On this story episode, we hear from Rachel Ulriksen,...

In this practical episode Jessica interviews Mary Van Geffen, an international parenting coach and parent educator for overwhelmed moms of strong-willed & Spicy Children™. In this episode they get into a juicy discussion about all things parenting: new, old, book-lead, child-lead, gentle and everything in-between. Mary teaches monthly workshops to help moms gain confidence to choose gentle, re...

In this practical episode continuation, Jessica interviews Mary Van Geffen, an international parenting coach and parent educator for overwhelmed moms of strong-willed & Spicy Children™. In this episode, Mary defines what a “Spicy Child” is and gives guidance and encouragement to all parents currently attempting to raise one.   Mary teaches monthly workshops to help moms gain confidence to choo...

When a child is born with a genetic disease, as a parent, it can feel like we’ve already failed them. Suddenly our child’s future is full of torturous “WHAT IFS” and the urge to blame ourselves can be overwhelming, but sustaining that guilt can be just as dangerous for us as any disease. On this episode, we explore how journaling, therapy and other tools brought one mom closer to acceptance and se...

It is in Jessica’s heart and vision for this podcast to spend more time shedding light on today’s topic of mental health, addiction and shame. Having a sick kid and having a kid struggling with addiction are both hard on families but one carries a lot of extra societal judgment. Both families need and deserve community, understanding and support though the shame associated with addiction can drive...

When your child experiences the world through the altered lens of disability it can be difficult to stay on the same road, let alone understand each other. Social norms and the invisible pressure to fit into our society can cause us to miss the perfection of our children just as they are. It takes awareness and bravery to let go of control and allow them to be who they are and communicate to us in...

Hi Brave Friends! In this trailer host Jessica Patay, the girlfriend who “gets you” and your beautiful and brutal journey, shares the plan for Season Four. Hint, it includes even more compassionate and educational content created just for you, our amazing caregiving listeners. Through this podcast Jessica strongly desires to create a sense of belonging, connection, and community. Tune in September...

(This is the fifth of five re-releases of host Jessica Patay's favorite episodes from the last two years before we introduce Season 4 of Brave Together.) Jessica loves this episode because she loves good storytelling! Fellow podcaster and friend, Effie Parks, shares about the impact and collision of Michael J Fox into her life and rare disease world. We all need heroes, and every mom who shar...

(This is the fourth of five re-releases of host Jessica Patay's favorite episodes from the last two years before we introduce Season 4!) Jessica loves this episode because it raises a VITAL issue that needs to be addressed across the United States and the entire world. She hopes someday to have a team in WABT to join the activists passionately trying to make changes. These changes will bring...

(This the third of five re-releases of host Jessica Patay's favorite episodes before we introduce to Season 4.!) Jessica loves this episode because, well, she loves her husband! She is extremely grateful that he has been a dedicated, loving, "hands-on dad" over the 22 years they have raised their kids together. She hopes this will inspire other fathers to have a voice and share thei...

(This is our second of five re-releases of host Jessica Patay's favorite episodes before we introduce Season 4. ) Jessica loves this episode because it demonstrates the beauty and life-giving quality of having community and deep friendships. In this episodes, she shares the mic with four of her dear friends, Heather Meyer, Erin Van Der Veen, Gina Loftis and April Park. Meet the YaYa Sisterhoo...

During this break between Season 3 and Season 4, we will be re-releasing Jessica Patay's top 5 favorite episodes.  To kick us off, we're taking it all the way back to the beginning! We Are Brave Together founder and podcast host Jessica Patay shares a little of her story as a mother, and about how her desire to create a community for caregiving and special needs moms began. If you are a...