Abundant Wellness With Andrea- From Surviving to Thriving in Mind, Body and Spirit

Andrea, a functional health practitioner and RN, interviews Dr. Tony, a chiropractor focused on nervous system healing, about why neurodevelopmental disorders and related issues are exploding.

Dr. Tony says the root is not genetics but a “perfect storm” of toxic overload (inhaled, ingested, or injected), high maternal stress during pregnancy that wires sympathetic dominance and suppresses vagal development, and birth interventions/trauma (e.g., forceps, vacuum, C-section, inductions) impacting the brainstem, vagus nerve, and motor-sensory systems.

He explains many families come after exhausting conventional routes, and outlines his 3-step process: deep case history (“CSI”), objective nervous system scans/exam, and a personalized plan including pacing and often pausing other interventions so nervous system care can take effect and make therapies like detox, speech, and OT work better.

They also discuss grief, validation, parent nervous system regulation, and where to find his podcast and Instagram.

00:00 Welcome and Intro

01:25 Dr Tony Origin Story

03:31 From Pain to Purpose

04:35 Last Resort Families

09:44 Rebuilding Trust 13:10

Three Step Care Plan

18:25 Pacing and PANS

20:29 Personal Crisis Lessons

23:06 Why Disorders Rising

24:34 Patterns In Sick Kids

25:25 Toxic Overload Upstream

26:50 Maternal Stress Wiring

28:34 Birth Interventions Impact

29:58 Perfect Storm Timeline

31:27 Parent Story And PANDAS

33:14 Grief Without Shame

38:54 Nervous System First

40:00 Movement And Proprioception

42:53 Pause To Optimize Healing

45:10 Where To Find Dr Tony 

Not sure where to start? Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call with Andrea today!

If you’ve been sitting in despair, this episode is for you.

We’re having an honest conversation about what despair actually means—and what it doesn’t. It’s not a failure of your faith. It’s not a sign you’re doing something wrong.

In this episode, we explore how spiritual bypassing can keep us stuck, what the Bible really shows us about walking through despair, and why a felt sense of safety is essential for true healing.

You’ll also learn how to invite God into the middle of your mess—and where simple distress tolerance practices can support you when things feel overwhelming.

If you’ve been holding it together on the outside but struggling on the inside, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it by yourself.

What does a dysregulated nervous system actually look like in kids?

If your child has meltdowns, shuts down, refuses food, or reacts in ways that feel confusing, it’s easy to assume it’s behavioral. But often, it’s neurological.

In this episode, we break down how nervous system dysregulation shows up in children, including the difference between tantrums and meltdowns, common regulation struggles, and how your child’s unique brain wiring impacts behavior.

You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of what’s really going on—and how to respond in ways that support your child’s nervous system, not fight against it.

Because your child isn’t giving you a hard time…

If this episode resonated with you and you’re ready to better understand your child’s behavior from a root-cause, nervous-system perspective:

👉 Learn more about working together inside Thriving Together https://www.skool.com/thriving-together/about

👉 Explore my Happy Tummies, Happy Kids program for gut + behavior support https://fitmom.practicebetter.io/#/6840d0254575c6adc26a82fd/bookings?s=6891178b4314c26053fe9762

👉 Follow along on Instagram for daily education and encouragement Https://www.instagram.com/abundantwellnesswithandrea 

In this episode, Andrea sits down with her friend Larah to explore what it means to parent through diagnosis, hardship, and uncertainty through a gospel lens rather than fear, shame, or comparison.

Together, they unpack the true meaning of the gospel, why toxic positivity and forced gratitude miss the mark, and how hope and grief can coexist.

This conversation gently challenges the belief that children need to be “fixed” to be whole and invites parents to slow down, release anxiety, and see their children as image-bearers deeply loved by God.

A hopeful, grounding conversation for parents navigating the tension between faith, grief, and everyday parenting.

Grab a copy of Larah's most recent book, Letters to Lindsey

Grab a copy of Wrapped in Kindness HERE

Need more energy without depleting your system? Grab my favorite electrolytes HERE

Hop into Thriving Together Community for ongoing support, community and training

Want to pursue a functional medicine approach to supporting your child's physiology? Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call HERE

Today we have Dr. Kathy Cantwell of Unity Chiropractic in Beaverton Oregon with us. 

Kathy has been in practice for over 30 years with a special focus on the nervous system. 

In today's episode, we talk all about :

And so much more! 

The updated version of Wrapped in Kindness is now available again on Amazon! Grab your copy here 

Don't forget- one of the easiest ways to support your nervous system is to ensure you are properly hydrated AND electrolyte balanced. Grab 15% off my favorite electrolytes here 

Looking for more support? Then its time to find your community! Join the Thriving Together community here

When we hear mental illness, we often imagine something extreme or permanent. But what if many mental health struggles are actually signs of a nervous system operating beyond capacity?

In this episode, Andrea is joined by licensed mental health therapist Amy Waters to explore mental health through a nervous system lens — moving beyond labels to understand dysregulation, unmet needs, family survival mode, and why punishment-based approaches often make symptoms worse over time.

This conversation is especially for parents who sensed something was “off” long before a diagnosis was ever given.

Why many mental health diagnoses reflect nervous system overload, not personal failure

Early signs of dysregulation parents are often told to ignore

The unmet needs therapists commonly see beneath challenging behavior

How punishment and compliance-based strategies can increase dysregulation

The powerful interaction between a parent’s nervous system and a child’s

What happens when entire families are stuck in survival mode — even with good intentions.

You can find more about Amy on her Instagram Page 

Don't forget- one of the easiest ways to support your nervous system is to ensure you are properly hydrated AND electrolyte balanced. Grab 15% off my favorite electrolytes here 

Ready to tackle this from a functional lens? Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call HERE

Looking for more support? Then its time to find your community! Join the Thriving Together community here

There’s a kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from doing too much — it comes from being on all the time.

In this episode, we name the hidden cost of parenting a child with a sensitive or neurodivergent nervous system. Not just physical tiredness, but the constant emotional vigilance, real-time regulation, and nervous system load that never makes it onto a to-do list.

You’ll hear why:

This exhaustion isn’t weakness — it’s your nervous system working overtime

Parenting sensitive kids carries cognitive, emotional, and physiological costs

Parents often live in low-grade fight-or-flight with elevated stress hormones

Traditional parenting advice and systems weren’t built for nervous-system differences

Grief and deep love can coexist — and naming that grief matters

Rest alone isn’t enough when your nervous system never feels safe

This episode offers a compassionate reframe:

We’ll also talk about what actually helps — without adding more to your plate — and why support for families like yours isn’t a luxury, it’s a biological need.

You’re not exhausted because you’re doing it wrong.

If you’re looking for a space where this load is understood, you’re invited into Thriving Together — a place for parents who need safety, not performance.

For quick nourishment and electrolyte rebalancing, grab 15% off my Favorite electrolytes HERE

“If it worked, it would have worked by now.”

Many parents quietly think, We’ve tried everything.

And when none of it works, the blame often falls on you.

In this episode, we explore why traditional parenting tools often fail neurodivergent or sensitive nervous systems — and why that failure is not a parenting problem.

You’ll learn:

The assumptions behind charts and punishments — and why they break down under stress

Why behavior is driven by the nervous system, not willful defiance

How rewards and consequences can create shame instead of skills

Why compliance is not the same as regulation

We’ll reframe what kids actually need:

Key truth:

✨ Regulation first. Skills second. Behavior follows.

Invitation:

There is another way — and it works with the brain, not against it.

Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call to address your neurodivergent child's physiologic needs.

Don't forget to nourish your self with good, clean electrolytes! Grab 15% off my favorite HERE

Many Christian parents quietly wonder: If my child isn’t obedient, am I failing God?

In this episode, we explore the tension between obedience-based parenting and what neuroscience reveals about how children’s brains actually function—especially in neurodivergent, anxious, or trauma-affected kids.

You’ll learn why obedience is a higher brain function, why fear creates compliance but not discipleship, and how Scripture has often been misunderstood in ways that unintentionally harm sensitive nervous systems.

We talk about ADHD, autism, anxiety, trauma, and PDA—and why meltdowns, refusal, or shutdowns are not rebellion, but dysregulation.

This episode reframes parenting through a faith-centered, nervous-system-aware lens and releases parents from spiritual shame.

Key truth: Regulation is the soil. Obedience is the fruit.

We close with hope and an invitation into Thriving Together, a community where neuroscience, faith, and compassion meet.

Need some quick nourishment to keep you handling stress like a boss? Grab 15 % off my favorite electrolytes here! 

Know that your child needs help optimizing their physical health so they can feel their best mentally? Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call HERE 

Why so many special-needs parents feel like failures — and what’s really happening neurologically

If you’ve ever wondered “Why is this so hard?” or “What am I doing wrong?”—this episode is for you.

Parenting a neurodivergent, sensitive, or anxious child can leave parents feeling judged, exhausted, isolated, and ashamed—especially when traditional parenting tools don’t work. In this episode, we unpack why so many parents internalize blame and why that blame doesn’t belong to you.

We explore what’s actually happening in your child’s brain, including nervous system differences related to autism, ADHD, anxiety, trauma, PDA, and sensory processing. Meltdowns, shutdowns, refusal, aggression, and panic are not character flaws—they are stress responses. A key truth: a dysregulated brain can’t access logic, empathy, or compliance.

You’ll learn why sticker charts, punishments, yelling, and “just try harder” approaches often fail these kids—and why that doesn’t mean your child is defiant or that you’re failing. You’ve simply been given tools that don’t fit your child’s nervous system.

We also talk about what actually helps: regulation before correction, connection before compliance, safety before skills, co-regulation, and whole-body support including sleep, nutrition, sensory input, gut health, and hormones.

Finally, we address the emotional healing parents need too—grieving the parenting experience you expected, releasing comparison and shame, and learning to trust your child (and yourself) again.

Your child is not broken.

✨ Invitation: Join Thriving Together—a space where parents don’t have to explain, perform, or figure this out alone, and can learn how to support their child in a nervous-system-smart way.

Needing Functional Medicine Support to address your child's mental/physical and emotional wellbeing? Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call and we'll help you determine next steps.