Healing Hearts: Parenting with Purpose-Support for Resilient Families, Support for Parents, Childhood Trauma Advocacy

Send us Fan Mail “I feel torn between my job and my family every day.” “Guilt eats at me when I miss school events or family time.” “Even when I’m home, I’m not truly present.” — Sometimes, it feels like a work-life balance as a parent who’s working a full-time job is out of reach. It feels as if you’re trying to provide for your children, to give them a great life, and in turn you have to sacrifi...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I help my children with their trauma, anxiety, and emotional struggles?” “Why do my children struggle so much with self-love, and how can I help them through it?” “How can I help regulate my child’s anxiety?” — Emotions are perhaps some of the most powerful things in the world. To thrive emotionally, you must learn how to control your emotions and use them to help you get...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I help my children with their trauma, anxiety, and emotional struggles?” “Why do my children struggle so much with self-love, and how can I help them through it?” “How can I help regulate my child’s anxiety?” — Emotions are perhaps some of the most powerful things in the world. To thrive emotionally, you must learn how to control your emotions and use them to help you get...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I tell if a child needs legal help?” “Who speaks up for children who can’t speak for themselves?” “What happens when the system fails a child?” – Sadly, the foster care and legal systems are imperfect. Both have countless faults and could be improved a million times over, and yet the kids who are unwillingly thrown around and abused in all of it often cannot speak up for...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I tell if a child needs legal help?” “Who speaks up for children who can’t speak for themselves?” “What happens when the system fails a child?” – Sadly, the foster care and legal systems are imperfect. Both have countless faults and could be improved a million times over, and yet the kids who are unwillingly thrown around and abused in all of it often cannot speak up for...

Send us Fan Mail “Is my teen using drugs?” “How can I talk to my teen about drugs and alcohol without facing a wall?” “Is there a secret to protecting my teen from peer pressure?” — Do you feel helpless watching your teens make choices that could have lasting consequences? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. In our Heart to Heart today, Tonya tells us how we can address risky behaviors such as substanc...

Send us Fan Mail “Can music help my children heal from trauma?” “Are there any good alternatives to talk therapy?” “We’ve tried so much, but nothing seems to stick. What’s next?” — When a child’s behavior and tendencies of crossing the line keep escalating, what are you supposed to do? Many parents must decide the next step to take to reconnect and end their child’s bad behavior, which can oftenti...

Send us Fan Mail “ Can music help my children heal from trauma?” “Are there any good alternatives to talk therapy?” “We’ve tried so much, but nothing seems to stick. What’s next?” — When a child’s behavior and tendencies of crossing the line keep escalating, what are you supposed to do? Many parents must decide the next step to take to reconnect and end their child’s bad behavior, which can oftent...

Send us Fan Mail “How do I protect my child from online hate and cyberbullying?” “My child seems different lately—how do I know if they’re being bullied?” “Our family feels helpless—how do we support each other through this?” - In this modern age, bullying isn’t just in school anymore. We often bring it home with us on our phones; through social media and the internet. Today, Tonya tells the story...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I tell if my teenager is depressed?” “Is my teen just moody, or is it something worse?” “I feel helpless, what do I do?” “How can I find help?” – In modern society, mental health is unfortunately a pressing issue. Suicide is the leading cause of death in teenagers, but it can all be prevented.  Today, Sophia Mills sits down with Elliot Kallen, President and Co-Founder of...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I tell if my teenager is depressed?” “Is my teen just moody, or is it something worse?” “I feel helpless, what do I do?” “How can I find help?” – In modern society, mental health is unfortunately a pressing issue. Suicide is the leading cause of death in teenagers, but it can all be prevented.  Today, Sophia Mills sits down with Elliot Kallen, President and Co-Founder of...

Send us Fan Mail “Am I a horrible parent?” “Why does my child have constant meltdowns?” “How can I rebuild my relationship with my child?” – Everyday, parents worldwide ask themselves these questions as they struggle to navigate their childrens’ behavioral challenges. Today, Sophia Mills sits down with Lisa Chan, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and parent coach. Ms. Chan shares invaluable exper...

Send us Fan Mail “Am I giving enough attention to all my children?” “Where do I start when advocating for my child’s education, therapy, and resources?” “How can I support other children who may feel overlooked or burdened?” – Every parent fears that they are not parenting their children the right way, it’s not just you. Today, Sophia Mills sits down with Christian E. Sanon II, a Board-Certified B...

Send us Fan Mail “Why are my children so defiant?” “What can I do to stop the constant arguments, tantrums, and fights?” “What am I doing wrong?” – We all have our struggles, the days when we feel down and maybe get a little snappy, but for some people, some parents , the struggle is constant. Children with behavioral challenges present new obstacles for parenting, but there is hope. In today’s He...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as Sophia Mills speaks with Jaclyn Pederson, CEO of Feeding Matters, to explore the complications of Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD). Learn how to see the difference between PFD and typical picky eating, discover valuable resources for your family, and gain insights into how you can help advocate for better care. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or healthcare prof...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Courtney Marx, Program Director of Mental Health First Aid at Alpert Jewish Family Services, tells Sophia Mills and all you valuable parents how MHFA advocates for compassionate responses to mental health challenges. Courtney explains the 5-step action plan, breaking down disgrace, and how these tools make a very large difference in moments of crisis. Join us to l...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartwarming episode with Sofia Scher, Sasha Saidman—children’s book author, mental health advocate, and mom—shares her journey with raising children through dyslexia, therapy, and the extremely tough demands of parenting. Learn about how Sasha’s experiences have shaped her unique perspective on mental health, self-compassion, and the power of motherly intuition. Tune in f...

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste helps to clarify the terms that you might hear thrown around: vulnerable and at-risk children. We believe this is important in order to better understand how we can help support our youth.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Pamela Brooks, a social work veteran with 25 years of experience, speaks of the world of educational advocacy with Sofia Scher. Learn how you can embrace your child’s learning needs, work well with your teachers, and access resources to help children flourish emotionally and academically. Whether you're a parent, foster parent, or caregiver, this episode equi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode with Sophia Mills, Carli Dansky, founder of BTrue & Well and The Authenticity Project, shares her knowledge about embracing authenticity in a world filled with social expectations. Carli explains the importance of parents living according to their true values, creating safe spaces for children to express their thoughts and feelings, and overcoming fears that ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste tells a story about her friend Ericka and how she reacted when her 10-year old son Jamie came in the house and slammed the door. Join in to learn about the power of leading by example and how to guide your children through the rough seas of emotion in order to find calmer waters together.

Send us Fan Mail In this moving episode, Tiffany White—author, speaker, and mentor to at-risk youth—tells Sofia Scher her inspiring story of healing while raising at-risk children. Tiffany offers great advice on balancing personal growth with parenting, promoting resilience in challenging circumstances, and creating a nurturing environment. She speaks of how her mentorship programs have impacted y...

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste tells a story of a family who is learning the importance of hugging. Join in to understand the impact of daily hugging on your child's emotional well-being.

Send us Fan Mail In this valuable episode, Sophia Mills sits down with Karlonty Wallace, founder of Pawsative Partnerships LLC, to explore how animals and therapy can be the best tool to help trauma survivors heal. Karlonty shares her journey, the impact of non-verbal communication, and how pets play a vital role in emotional recovery. Learn how to improve your connection with your children, recog...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Healing Hearts , Riley Heck welcomes Andrea Mancuso, a former NYC School Psychologist who is now a high-performance coach and facilitator. Andrea specializes in Emotional Intelligence and parent-child communication, and today she shares with us her expertise on overcoming adversity while fostering resilient family dynamics. Listen in to learn how you can break c...