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

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, Sophia Mills sits down with NFL player and author Brandin Bryant as he shares his inspiring journey from Nebraska to professional football, offering insights as to how you can build grit, resilience, and a growth mindset. Brandin’s book, “So You Want To Be An Athlete,” encourages children to chase their aspirations and persevere through unavoidable challenges....

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste tells a story of a child who is struggling with self image issues and peer pressure and how their family worked through these challenges. Join in to understand the impact of struggling self-esteem for your child and learn some ways to navigate scenarios like this one.

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 18, Sophia Mills speaks with Karen Ricks as we explore the fascinating world of nomadic parenting. Karen is a seasoned Montessori educator, chef, and worldschooling mom. She shares her experiences transitioning from running an international Montessori school in Japan to living a life of global exploration with her family. Hear her strategies for balancing education and...

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste tells a story of a child who is overwhelmed with academics and how her family worked through these challenges. Join in to understand the impact of academic pressures and learn some ways to navigate scenarios like this one.

Send us Fan Mail Every parent has moments of frustration, exhaustion, and doubt— Why does my child keep acting out? Am I failing them? How can I get through to them without constant battles? If you feel stuck in cycles of struggles, meltdowns, or emotional shutdowns, this episode is for you. Sophia Mills and Sofia Scher talk with Dr. Michelle Alden, a professional counselor, author, and parenting...

Send us Fan Mail We all have moments when we struggle, hurt, and feel helpless— Why do I get so triggered by my child’s behavior? How can I support my kids without it taking a toll on my health? Why do I keep repeating negative patterns from my youth? The answer to these questions often lies hidden deep in your childhood. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are unresolved conflicts and traumas fr...

Send us Fan Mail “How do I navigate my child’s identity struggles after adoption?” “Am I ruining my kid’s life by choosing closed adoption?” “What are the long-term effects of closed adoption?” – Adoption comes with many questions for parents and adoptees alike. Unexpected challenges sometimes arise and throw even more questions into the mix. Today, Julie McGue, an adoptee and author, sits down wi...

Send us Fan Mail “Am I meant to foster?” “How can I become a foster parent?” “How can I prepare myself to be emotionally supportive to my foster child?” – The decision to become a foster parent breeds countless questions. No matter what walk of life a prospective foster parent comes from, they ask themselves if they’re ready, if this is really their calling, how they can best help their children,...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I ensure the best care for my children?” “I’m burnt out–is there another option?” “What is the best way to balance working to pay the bills and caring for my child?” – Parents of kids with special needs often ask themselves these questions and feel far too overwhelmed with the challenges of everyday life caregivers. Sometimes even a minute of relief is helpful. This is wh...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I best support my neurodivergent child?” “How can I advocate for my kid while at school?” “What are some parenting strategies for sensitive children?” – For many parents, a neurodivergent diagnosis can be a shock. A whole new era of challenges, a name behind the challenges they’d already been facing for years. This leads to them feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to...

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste tells a story of a parent who feels overwhelmed and their child who feels unheard . Join in to understand the importance of engaged parenting and learn some advice about ways to navigate scenarios like this one.

Send us Fan Mail “Can I stop feeling guilt in my parenting methods?” “Why do no parenting methods work?” “I feel disconnected from my child–what can I do?” – Parenting is one of the greatest challenges in this world. A lot of it is finding the right balance between love and discipline. What if there were a way to enforce the rules while using a child’s love language?  Today, Sophia Mills speaks wi...

Send us Fan Mail “Am I ready to adopt?” “How can I find encouragement through the adoption journey?” “How to combat the negative labels of adoption?” – These are questions that all adoptive parents ask themselves before making the life changing decision of going through with adoption. Thankfully, Tim Maudlin, an adoptee, adoptive parent, disciple of Christ, avid journaler, and Ambassador of Encour...

Send us Fan Mail This is the first episode of the Heart to Heart Miniseries, where Tonya Cajuste discusses important topics surrounding parenthood. In this episode, Tonya talks about the importance of empathy and listening to your child and how it can go a lot further than reactionary responses. 

Send us Fan Mail In this Heart to Heart episode, Tonya Cajuste utilizes a story based on real experiences to emulate how to react when your child loses a friend. Filled with tips and thoughtful advice, listen in to discover new ways to help your child process their feelings and grow closer with you in the process.

Send us Fan Mail Hi everyone! This trailer episode explains how we are expanding our reach! Not only will we continue to be a resource for foster parents, but now we will be providing tips and advice for all parents of vulnerable or at-risk youth.  Join us as we go through this journey of healing together, providing support and guidance along the way!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Host Sophia Mills has a conversation with foster parent Ashley Moon regarding the topic of fostering positive sibling connections. Ashley provides her experience on the topic as she and her husband became licensed foster parents when they took custody of two of her grand nieces in 2016. These children are now a part of a six sibling case spanning the state of Flor...

Send us Fan Mail “How can I balance attention between my foster and biological children to ensure both feel valued?” “What is the secret to creating a good family dynamic with both foster and biological children?” – At-home and family dynamics are crucial to the happiness and wellbeing of a family. Having both foster and biological children in your home may cause clashes and damage that dynamic, u...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, Rylie Heck and Sofia Scher interview Palm Beach County high school teacher Mrs. Christine Brown. Mrs. Christine Brown grew up near Amish Country in Pennsylvania and went to school at American University in Washington, DC. While student teaching in DC, she taught many students from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds. Ms. Brown first taught in a Title 1 sch...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, Rylie Heck and Sofia Scher interview Palm Beach County high school teacher Mrs. Christine Brown. Mrs. Christine Brown grew up near Amish Country in Pennsylvania and went to school at American University in Washington, DC. While student teaching in DC, she taught many students from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds. Ms. Brown first taught in a Title 1 sch...

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode, Rylie Heck is joined with a new alternating co-host, Sofia Scher. Rylie and Sofia are discussing the steps needed to become a licensed foster parent and some tips for acclimating a new child into your home. 

Send us Fan Mail This episode introduces another co-host, Rylie Heck, and a brief background about her time with Speak Up for Kids. It discusses tips for the summer season and how to have an organized and eventful household with foster children.

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, Sophia Mills and Tonya Cajuste are talking with Sam and Neva Quintana.  The Quintanas are a couple who have been through a lot and wanted to give back to their community. They both knew they wanted to do ministry and then God revealed to them that it was taking care of His children mainly through fostering. They informally adopted three teenagers, so they becam...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, Sophia Mills and Tonya Cajuste are talking with Sam and Neva Quintana.  The Quintanas are a couple who have been through a lot and wanted to give back to their community. They both knew they wanted to do ministry and then God revealed to them that it was taking care of His children mainly through fostering. They informally adopted three teenagers, so they becam...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sophia Mills introduces the second season of the Healing Hearts Podcast and a little about what to expect!