Overpowering Emotions: Tools for Child & Teen Anxiety and Resilience

Today is a jam-packed episode in which I cover the most essential part of helping our children develop solid emotion regulation skills. A key point I have talked about repeatedly is that kiddos need to learn to cope with their emotions and build resilience through the right experiences. Today I talk specifically about how important stress inoculation is for kiddos to learn to manage big feelings....

In Part 8 of this Emotion Regulation Skill-building series, I talk about raising self-awareness of the behavioural aspect of emotion. This skill is foundational for managing any emotion and even any behaviour. When we talk about behaviours, these include our body language as well as what we actually do when big emotions come up. Tune in today to find out more about how to help kiddos develop self-...

In today's episode I introduce two key aspects of emotions: the physiological and cognitive. I also discuss the need to develop self-awareness of these experiences for effective emotion regulation. Lack of self-awareness is the biggest barrier to self-regulation. Many kids aren't even aware that they are on the brink of an emotional meltdown or if they are engaging in problematic behaviours. That...

We are continuing our skill-building classes. I have focused a lot on co-regulation and previously talked about what co-regulation looks like depending on kiddos' age. Today, I am talking about what self-regulation looks like for our kids depending on their ages and how we can establish appropriate expectations and supports to help them be successful. Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this pod...

As part of the Emotion Regulation Skill Building series, I am extremely excited to welcome Dr. Hendrie Weisinger to the show to talk about how parents can help promote their children's emotion regulation skills. Dr. Weisinger is a leading authority on the application of emotional intelligence and anger management and the originator of the highly regarded techniques of criticism training as well as...

I have talked lots about responding effectively to anxiety and other big feelings.  It is critical I address it again in this skills-building series because, even if we don't ever get to the kids' skill-building, how adults respond to big emotions when they show up makes all the difference in the world. And hearing it again is important because parents need lots of reminders and practice so g...

I spent the last two weeks talking parental stress and co-regulation. Because they need help. If their emotions overwhelm them, they cannot regulate their emotions on their own. Today I talk about the difference between misbehaviour and stress behaviour as well as what effective co-regulation looks like for kiddos depending on their ages from preschool years all the way up to adulthood. Enjoying t...

In today's episode, we are in Part 3 of the emotion regulation skill-building series. Last week I talked about the need for parents to manage their stress so they can co-regulate with their upset child (and avoid emotional meltdowns and temper outbursts, which only add to parents' stress). Above managing stress, there are additional things parents can do to promote their children's emotional liter...

When we help children develop emotion regulation skills, we first need to start with their environment. Last week I talked about the need for the important people in children's lives to manage their own stress first to be effective co-regulators. Today I jump right into how to manage stress. Parents are feeling stressed, which has only worsened exponentially since COVID. When we look at the resear...

Last week I talked about how we cannot focus too much on kids and teens when it comes to emotion regulation. Today I dig into emotion regulation (and how it is NOT self-control) and how there are multiple systems around the child that must be addressed to improve their overall emotional wellbeing because there are so many factors that influence a child's success with managing emotions. I have actu...

Today is the first day of my summer series in which I am focusing on emotion regulation and anxiety management skill-building. Over the next two months, the goal here is to help families develop the understanding and skills they need to help children and teens start their new school year off on the right foot. I have touched on this before, but a major mistake I see is when a therapist is working...

I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Cindy Thompson on her podcast, A Resilience Project , to chat about how to raise happy, confident and resilient kids. Join us to find out why it is important for our kids to experience challenges and failure, some of the signs of stress to watch for and when to reach out for help. Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help other...

Today I had the incredible opportunity to talk to Dr. Todd Kashdan about bravery. He talks about the fact that, every time we leave the house, there is an opportunity to be brave. We talk about how parents can be good role models for our children, such as moving away from expectations and moving towards intentions and how we want to show up. Find out more about Dr. Kashdan (https://toddkashdan.com...

It seems there have been more and more tragic events happening in our world. With the stress of COVID the past two years, followed by the war in Ukraine, and mass shootings - the most recent last week at an elementary school, it has been emotionally overwhelming to say the least. It can be very difficult to know whether to talk about these events with our children and what to share. In today's epi...

In today's episode, I continue to Part 3 on Hoarding Disorder. Today, I specifically address relapse prevention and important considerations to promote long-term success. There are a lot of things people fail to consider in optimizing outcomes, so be sure to listen to ensure those things are not missed! Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this i...

In today's episode of Overpowering Emotions, I discuss hoarding disorder and key areas of intervention. There are many areas that need to be addressed to be effective in helping individuals with hoarding. First, we need to have a strong working relationship with the individual. Trust, collaboration, and listening to their story is key. Having a thorough understanding of what is going on for them w...

As I start looking at other specific anxiety-related challenges, today I focus on Hoarding Disorder. While I take a transdiagnostic approach and focus on the process of anxiety itself, there are some anxiety-related challenges that require additional considerations. And hoarding is one of them. Today is Part I of this series where I take a look at hoarding and what maintains hoarding behaviours. O...

In this episode, I am a special guest on Un-Caped Heroes where I talk about how to Force the Universe!! It's the risk takers advantage !!" My life lesson: "Don't take it all so seriously. Find and hold your childhood joy so you can be open to new possibilities." About Un-caped Heroes – The Podcast: With each episode, Stacy &  Cassey meet ordinary people who do extraordinary things. They c...

Building off last week, when I talked about how screens can affect our children's mental health (and overall well-being), the next question is - how do we manage screens? Find out more in today's episode! And, if you think working on screens is an important pursuit, check out this HANDOUT for ideas on where to start. Check out my ARTICLE for more ideas on how to manage screens as well. Enjoying th...

I have received lots of questions asking whether screens can contribute to anxiety. Screens have become a large part of our everyday life. Although there are recommended guidelines for screen use, most kids get fare more access than they should. And its only gotten worse since COVID. Unfortunately, screens affect kids’ cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well...

I am so excited for today’s episode, as it is the first time I have another guest on the show.  In today’s episode, Kristy and I talk about her journey learning to manage anxiety and feeling the need for "more" when it came to seeking help for her own anxiety. We swing the conversation over to parenting and how critical it is to manage our own anxiety as parents to support our anxious childre...

Today I am talking about how we can optimize the brain's resistance by integrating fear extinction, mindfulness, and acceptance into one session. See faster and long-lasting progress when you can skillfully integrate each of these pieces together. You can also WATCH this week's episode! Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this information too! a...

I am still talking about how to make the brain more resistant to anxiety. Today is a critical piece that is often skipped over. Acceptance. Without acceptance, other strategies you try, such as mindfulness, may only make anxiety worse.  Listen in to hear why! You can also WATCH this week's episode! Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this i...

I am so excited to be on Sydney Torres' Balance Health Now Podcast. Does your child or teen suffer from anxiety? Feelings of anxiety can be extremely overwhelming especially for kids and teens. As parents or caretakers how do we help them manage and regulate their behavior while giving them freedom to develop more independence. In this special episode, I provide solutions for helping parents suppo...

I have been talking all about how to make the brain more resistant to anxiety and last week I talked about fear extinction. This week I talk about how we can enhance that safety learning: through exercise. BUT, the timing has to be right. Listen to hear more! You can also WATCH this week's episode! Enjoying the show? Help out by rating this podcast on Apple to help others get access to this inform...