Soaring Child: Thriving with ADHD

When a child screams, "I hate you," "You're the worst mom ever," or "I wish you weren't my parent," it can feel deeply personal. But in this episode of the Soaring Child Podcast, child and family therapist Ashley Gobeil explains that these explosive moments are often not signs of defiance, manipulation, or bad parenting. They are often signs of a dysregulated nervous system, emotional overwhelm, a...

What if your child's ADHD symptoms are being made worse because of the toxic load they are carrying? In this episode, Dana Kay continues the functional lab testing series by exploring toxic load, including mold toxins, heavy metals, and everyday environmental chemicals that can quietly build up in the body and impact symptoms. Dana explains the Total Tox Panel, a urine test that looks at three imp...

What if your child's ADHD symptoms had less to do with their brain, and more to do with what is living in their gut? In this episode, Dana Kay continues the functional lab testing series by unpacking one of the most overlooked drivers of ADHD symptoms: gut health. She explains how hidden infections, yeast overgrowth, parasites, gut inflammation, poor digestion, immune activation, and imbalanced ba...

What if your child's ADHD symptoms were not just a behavior problem, but a metabolic issue happening underneath the surface? In this episode, Dana Kay explains how the Organic Acid Test, often called the OAT test, can offer a deeper look at how a child's body is functioning, from nutrient processing and neurotransmitter pathways to gut overgrowth, detox stress, mitochondrial function, and more. Th...

Your child may be losing the very nutrients their brain needs to function at its best, and when that happens, it can show up as exacerbated ADHD symptoms. In this episode of  the Soaring Child podcast, Dana Kay uncovers one of the most overlooked underlying stressors of persistent ADHD symptoms, a condition where key nutrients like zinc and vitamin B6 are literally being depleted before the body c...

Normal labs don't always mean everything is where it should be. That's the frustrating part for many parents. They go to the doctor, get some tests run, but leave with "everything looks fine" even when their child is still struggling. It leaves many parents wondering: Where do we look next? In this episode, Dana Kay breaks down why traditional testing often misses the real problem, and how functio...

A child screaming over shoes, melting down after school, or exploding over a tiny disappointment may look defiant from the outside. But in this episode, Dana Kay explains why many ADHD behaviors are not simply "bad behavior," attention-seeking, or manipulation. Often, they are signs of a nervous system under stress. Dana shares one of the biggest mindset shifts she  had as both a practitioner and...

Most advice about focus sounds simple: give them breaks, reduce distractions, use a timer, etc.  But for many kids with ADHD, the real struggle is not "focus" as one big thing. It is the tiny moments inside focus: starting, staying with it, transitioning, managing frustration, and not shutting down halfway through. In this episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, Dana Kay sits down with Dr. Norrine R...

What if sugar isn't just making your child "a little hyper" but actually changing how their brain functions? In this episode of The Soaring Child podcast, Dana Kay sits down with Mike Collins, a leading expert in sugar addiction and recovery, to unpack what sugar is really doing inside your child's brain. With over 40 years of experience and tens of thousands of detoxes behind him, Mike shares why...

Picky eating is not something parents simply have to "deal with." There are strategies they can use to help expand the diets of their children. In this episode of the Soaring Child podcast, Dana Kay sits down with ADHD Thrive Institute coach Andrea Daigle to unpack what's really behind picky eating. You'll learn why some kids rely on "safe foods," how texture sensitivity and digestion issues can d...

Most parents walk into IEP or 504 meetings hoping to advocate for their child, but unfortunately, many of them walk out feeling unheard, overwhelmed, and unsure of what just happened. In this  episode of The Soaring Child podcast, Dana sits down with attorney and licensed clinical mental health clinician Paula Yost to break down exactly why these meetings feel so difficult and what you can do to c...

What do EMFs and EMRs have to do with ADHD? Find out in this Soaring Child podcast interview. Dana Kay sits down with Beverly Jensen, Ph. D., to unpack the hidden impact of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from everyday devices like phones, Wi-Fi, tablets, and baby monitors. Beverly shares how this constant, invisible exposure may be affecting children's developing brains, nervous systems, sleep, a...

What if it's not just ADHD getting worse, but the world your child is growing up in? In this week's episode of The Soaring Child podcast, Dana Kay sits down with licensed therapist Logan McIlwain to unpack what's really happening to kids' brains in today's digital world. From constant notifications to endless scrolling, today's children are growing up in an environment of nonstop stimulation, and...

What if your child's meltdowns, impulsivity, and focus struggles weren't behavioral problems but signs of a dysregulated nervous system? In this episode, Dana Kay sits down with licensed professional counselor Dana Hargus to explore a powerful and often misunderstood tool: biofeedback. With over 25 years of clinical experience, Dana explains how we can train the brain to regulate itself, helping c...

Many children with ADHD know exactly what they're supposed to do but still struggle to do it. That frustrating gap between knowing and doing is one of the most misunderstood parts of ADHD, and it can leave parents feeling confused, exhausted, and questioning their child's behavior. In this episode, Dana Kay sits down with ADHD parenting expert and coach Cindy Goldrich to unpack what's really happe...

Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: http://adhdthriveinstitute.com/123 You know what I wish someone had told me years ago when my son was diagnosed with ADHD? That ADHD isn't one neat little story. ADHD isn't one problem. It's often driven by  five biological stressors stacked inside the same child. And depending on the day, a different stressor shouts loudest. In this powerful solo episode, D...

What if picky eating and impulsive ADHD behavior aren't separate problems at all—but signals coming from the same biological root? In a special milestone for the podcast — our 200th episode of The Soaring Child Podcast — Dana Kay explains how nutrient deficiencies can directly affect the brain systems responsible for focus, emotional regulation, impulse control, and sleep. Iron supports dopamine p...

Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: http://adhdthriveinstitute.com/123 If you're raising a child with ADHD and sleep feels like a nightly argument, nobody wins. What if bedtime isn't a parenting problem at all? What if your child isn't resisting sleep… but their body is trying to take out the trash? In this powerful solo episode, Dana Kay reveals one of the most overlooked biological stressors...

Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: http://adhdthriveinstitute.com/123 Sometimes it's not your child having a bad day. Sometimes it's that you are parenting a completely different nervous system, depending on what went into their mouth yesterday. In this eye-opening episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, Dana Kay unpacks one of the most overlooked biological stressors driving ADHD symptoms: del...

Grab your ADHD Thrive Decoder Kit here: http://adhdthriveinstitute.com/123 Over 90–95% of serotonin and nearly half of the body's dopamine are produced in the gut, not the brain, and that one fact explains why so many ADHD meltdowns seem to come out of nowhere. In this episode, Dana Kay breaks down how gut inflammation, immune activation, and nervous system overload can drive ADHD symptoms long be...

Grab your ADHD Decoder Kit here: http://adhdthriveinstitute.com/123 (It's FREE! You just pay shipping!)  Mornings before school and afternoons after school pickup aren't chaotic by accident. They follow a predictable biological pattern that almost no one explains to parents of children with ADHD. In this solo episode, Dana Kay breaks down why the most intense meltdowns, hyperactivity, irritability...

Some children can skip meals, miss sleep, or fight off a cold and barely flinch — while others spiral into meltdowns after the smallest stressor. In this episode, Dana Kay uncovers the hidden biological reason behind that difference: glutathione — the brain's primary antioxidant and stress buffer. Joined by world-renowned naturopathic physician and researcher Dr. Gina Nick, this episode breaks dow...

Most parents are told ADHD lives only in the brain, but what if the real issue starts much deeper? In this episode, we explore a powerful and often overlooked driver of ADHD symptoms: mineral depletion at the cellular level. You'll hear why calm, focus, sleep, and emotional regulation are literally built from minerals and how many kids are trying to regulate big emotions while running on empty bat...

Many parents worry that talking about sex, boundaries, consent, or online exposure will open doors too early—but real-world clinical experience shows the opposite. In this episode, Logan McIlwain explains why ongoing, everyday conversations actually reduce risky behavior and help kids feel safer turning to their parents instead of the internet. Dana Kay brings a deeply personal perspective as a mo...

A child can appear calm on a screen and unravel seconds after it turns off. That reaction isn't bad behavior or poor discipline — it's a nervous system crash driven by dopamine, overstimulation, and an abrupt loss of regulation. In this episode of The Soaring Child Podcast, Dana Kay sits down with Sondra Bakinde and Mariana Gordon, co-founders of Mindful Mantis, to unpack what's really happening i...