The Child Psych Podcast

In this enlightening episode, Tanya Johnson is joined by Michael McLeod, a speech and language pathologist turned executive functioning specialist and founder of GrowNOW ADHD. Together, they delve into the complex world of ADHD and executive functioning, offering actionable advice and evidence-based insights for parents, educators, and caregivers. The conversation sheds light on what ADHD really i...

In today's podcast, Tania interviews Elaine Taylor-Klaus, CPCC, MCC, and Co-Founder of ImpactParents. This podcast explores a parenting dilemma that many parents face- what happens when parents have different parenting styles? What if one parent prefers to gentle parent, while another has a more traditional parenting style? Elaine offers tips and strategies on how to co-parent- even when your styl...

In this episode Tammy interviews actress Mena Suvari to talk about her experiences with childhood trauma and her inspiring and transformative pathway to healing. Mena is author of the book “T he Great Peace ” which speaks to her experiences in this interview. Mena is most well known as her role in American Beauty & American Pie, She is an American actress, producer, fashion designer and model....

Have you had a “mom brain” moment? Your heart is racing, your palms are sweaty, and your mind is spinning with anxiety, self-doubt, and whether or not you remembered to pack the diaper cream. Becoming a mother is a joyful rite of passage, but it can also be overwhelming--physically and emotionally. How can you calm the worries, quiet the guilt, and be present with yourself and your kids? Psycholog...

Every year, thousands of children are sent against their will – often ripped out of their beds in the middle of the night by strangers – to private facilities to be treated for various mental illnesses, addiction issues, and perceived behavioral problems. Due to inconsistencies in the definition of what a therapeutic program is and a lack of regulatory oversight, the exact number of these centers...

In today's episode, Tammy and Tania speak about what to do when kids ask if Santa is real. We look at how to navigate this conversation in a way that stays aligned and true to your family's values while holding onto the magic of Christmas. As the holiday season approaches, we wanted to share some of my favorite gift ideas that have made a big impact in our family—Big Life Journal products! These a...

In today's episode, Tania interviews Paris Goodyear Brown about how parents can help their children heal from frightening experiences. Paris offers strategies based on the latest trauma research, explains how parents can be more involved in working with their child's therapist, and offers strategies that foster resiliency and wellness. Parents and mental health professionals will love the richness...

When your child lies, it can be incredibly triggering. In today's podcast Tammy and Tania share the research on lying, explore lying from a developmental perspective and offer concrete strategies to navigate this tricky part of parenting! If you have loved today's podcast, come and join us on December 7th at our live online "Fostering Emotion Regulation workshop ". You will get to talk to Tammy an...

In this beautiful episode with Dr Chapman, we explore how to speak your child's love language in a way they understand. Dr. Gary Chapman explains how to discover your child's love language, nurture your child in successful learning, use the love languages to guide your child more effectively and build a foundation of unconditional love for your child. Don't miss today's episode of tips for practic...

If you are a parent whose child struggles with anxiety and motivation, this episode is for you! In this sneak peek of one of our summit masterclasses, Dr. Stixrud- neuropsychologist and co-author of Self-Driven Child, explores the science and sense of helping children develop a strong sense of control. Dr. Stixrud drives home how to foster internal drive, strong executive functioning skills, and e...

In this riveting podcast, we interview Dr. Peter Gray, one of the world's top experts on play and learning, on how play deprivation harms our children and why we need to make space for more child-led, free play! This podcast will inspire you to get out of the way and allow your child to flourish with LESS adult involvement, significantly benefiting both parent's and children's mental health. Peter...

If you have a child who is very intelligent but no longer interested in school--or any offline'activities, a teen who used to love sports but now just mopes around, or a tween who used to be a super motivated little kid but now has been labelled a "slacker" by everyone in your family . .. you've come to the right place! In this podcast we interview Dr. Ellen Braaten and we explore how to get...

Tantrums can be exhausting for everyone involved- in today's podcast we explore how young children's brains are hardwired for big feelings, how parents may unintentionally trigger outbursts, and how to manage tantrums at stressful times - like at bedtime or when the ice cream truck starts blaring its music. To learn more about Rebecca, visit  https://rebeccahershbergphd.com or purchase her bo...

In this sneakpeak of our summit, Dr. Macnamara walks us through how food is only one part of nourishment, yet it has consumed our focus and eclipsed the need for connection when feeding our families. The road to the stomach must go through the heart. In this interview, Dr. Macnamara gives us ideas on how to transfrom the chaos of mealtimes into a rich fusion of love, warmth, and emotional wellness...

In this episode you will learn about the secrets of the Inuit culture in northern Canada and how they raise some of the most emotionally intelligent children on the planet. What is so fascinating about this culture is they have parents that rarely, if ever, yell at their children; and they parent in such a way that the children are extremely resilient, compassionate, and emotionally regulated. The...

Today, in our 100th episode, Tammy and Tania talk about how to help children with after-school meltdowns. During the first few months of school ( particularly with younger children), we often see behaviours at the end of the day that do not align with how our child usually interacts with their world. "After-school restraint collapse" - or the after school meltdown is usually the result a long day...

With most of our lives feeling chaotic and our minds constantly in a frenzy, staying connected with our children or ourselves can be difficult. When anxiety and stress hijack parents, they may be reactive with their children, which sets the stage for dysregulation in kiddos. What’s exciting is that in today’s episode, we will discuss how mindfulness can reduce our reactivity to our children and si...

In todays podcast, Dr. Ablon explores how conventional discipline methods often backfire, creating a downward spiral of resentment and frustration, and a missed opportunity for growth. In this refreshing approach of changing problem behaviour, Dr. Ablon helps parents to understand that often behaviour is a result of "skill, not will". He looks at how like flexibility, frustration tolerance, a...

Today's episode is with Dr Jo-Ann Finkelstein, author of the hot new release " Sexism and Sensibility.  Dr. Finkelstein's work focuses on understanding and dismantling sexism for parents trying to raise confident and powerful girls in a culture that often demeans them. The world is full of mixed messages for girls: Stand up for yourself but do it softly. Be independent but not single. Love yo...

This podcast episode is for every parent of a young child who doesn't want to always resort to yelling or time-outs as a discpline strategy. Tosha and Tammy walk through the power of play, connection, and laughter even during the most challenging of moments! Tosha Schore, M.A., brings a burst of energy and optimism to parenting. She is an expert at simple solutions to what feel like overwhelm...

In this episode, Dr Jody Thomas explores how parents can create good health care experiences for their kids from the very start by empowering children with solid coping skills to help them manage the pain and distress of early pain experiences. From vaccinations to the usual bumps and bruises to the 25% of kids who experience chronic pain, the research demonstrates that those early experiences hav...

In this riveting episode, Dr. Linscott and Dr. Ruoff explore how the current youth sports industry, pay-to-play sports, and the quest for prestige can cause unintended harm to young athletes and their families. Children and parents can both feel the pressure of belonging to a sports team where you feel the need to have a "return on investment," leading to resentment, suffering mental health, and i...

In this riveting episode with dive deep with Best-Selling author Ruth Whippman about the task of raising boys in a way that charts a new path to give boys a healthier, more expansive, and fulfilling story about their own lives. With young men in the grip of a loneliness epidemic and dying by suicide at a rate of nearly four times their female peers, Whippman digs into the impossibly contradictory...

Are your kids snacking on "fake foods" disguised as treats this summer? In today's podcast, Dr. Saeed takes a deep dive into how to empower kids to make healthier choices, decode labels, and say no to a world that pushes foods that are filled with preservatives, GMOs, and other fake ingredients that make you sick. Dr. Saeed, a Holistic, Functional, and Integrative Medicine Physician, is known as “...

Parenting can be overwhelming when your child is struggling with an anxiety disorder or OCD—but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode we interview Dr. Stephen Whitewide about his new book "Anxiety Coach" and ways in which parents can partner with their child or teen who is struggling with anxiety (in particular, avoidance). Dr. Whiteside teaches parents what anxiety is and how to recognize when i...