Being connected to those around us improves the physical and mental health of both us parents and our kids. But many parents lack this sense of community or feel like they have to work incredibly hard to develop one. This is especially true for folks who move around a lot, like families of US Foreign Service Officers. Making new friends and developing a community while constantly starting anew is challenging, exhausting but also rewarding and life-giving.

Our expert guest today is Jodi Harris (LCSW). Together with her husband and children, she lived in seven countries in fifteen years. As part of Virginia Family Therapy, Jodi is helping head up our international team offering therapy to those connected to US embassies abroad and in the States. 

Jodi is a true expert on the highs and lows of putting yourself out there with new people, being vulnerable, asking for help, and knowing when it’s time to lean into yourself and your family. The strategies she shares for building community resonate with those relocating abroad as well as those who haven’t moved in years.

In this episode on developing community abroad or at home, we discuss:

• The most important pieces of making friends (abroad or at home);
• Putting yourself out there and playing the yes-game;
• The importance of really knowing and understanding yourself in order to find likeminded people;
• Being vulnerable and honest with yourself and others;
• Acknowledging everyone’s personal preferences in developing community;
• And much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at: https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/developing-community-abroad/

Let’s stick with the topic of relationships for a little longer! Today, Caroline and Sarah are joining me to talk about the value of developing intergenerational relationships: the relationships we develop with folks who are of different ages than us. In our culture, it’s not always encouraged but we promise there’s so much to gain from these kinds of relationships! 

In this episode on intergenerational relationships, we cover:

• The benefits of being friends with people of different ages;
• Our own experiences with intergenerational relationships;
• Your kids having relationships with people from older generations;
• How creating time and space will help both you and your kids;
• Things that might get in the way of creating those intergenerational relationships;
• And much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/intergenerational-relationships/

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” 

Today on the podcast, I’m talking about holiday traditions with actress, NYT bestselling author, director, and most importantly my longest and dearest friend, Casey Rose Wilson. We’ve spent over 25 Christmasses together and we’re both over the top when it comes to Christmas so you’re in for a treat today!

There are two things I can say for sure: 

1. Every time I talk to Casey, I learn more about how to love.
2. This conversation made me think about Christmas in a whole new way.

In this episode on Christmas traditions, we discuss:

• The meaning of tradition;
• Holding both grief and joy during the holidays;
• Our family holiday traditions & our favorite Christmas memories;
• Holding space to create new memories for ourselves and our kids;
• And much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

Today, I have three young men with me that are true experts on community. Hussein Osman, Said Osman, and Ayat Mohamed are all refugees from Somalia and their Somali Bantu culture is one of inclusiveness, helping and wanting everyone to succeed. I know this because they've let me into their family and they are apart of mine.

I've felt the differences with the American culture and their more collectivist communal stance over the past six years. I truly feel that my family's relationships with these young men are essential to our mental health. We have developed a true community that is rare in America these days.

So this conversation is about us putting ideas around community into words. Take a listen -- I know you'll learn a lot from this episode, just like I did.

In this episode on community, we discuss:

• What community means to them; 
• Cultural differences and what we can learn from them;
• Why it is important to make friends with people who are different from you & what this looks like;
• Being intentional about getting to know people;
• And so, so much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/what-is-community/

Compassion fatigue is the stress that people experience from helping or wanting to help others who are experiencing trauma or suffering. Parents, health care workers, teachers, people with big hearts, … almost everyone experiences compassion fatigue at some point in their lives.

With everything that's going on in our communities right now, a lot of parents feel tasked with taking care of their community, family, themselves, the fear and sadness that we have while also trying to create some holiday magic and rituals and routines for our kids. How can we take care of ourselves and other caretakers? We discuss this and much more in today’s episode.

In this episode on taking care after trauma we discuss:

• How is trauma affecting people?;
• Burnout: What does it look like?;
• What is compassion fatigue and how do people experience it?;
• Signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue;
• Strategies to hold space;
• And so much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/care-after-trauma/

We're a few days out of the tragedy that occurred at UVA. Today, we're going to talk about how community trauma can trigger trauma from the past. I'm joined by Sarah Lewis who, as always, anchors me while she explains why old traumas can be triggered, the signs and symptoms of trauma and what you can do about it.

In this episode on the impact of community trauma, we cover:

• How does community trauma trigger our own old traumas and what does that look like? 
• What happens to our bodies when big T or little T trauma is triggered by community trauma?
• What can be helpful when old trauma is triggered?
• And so much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/community-trauma/

Parents across the United States are struggling with the question, “How do we help our kids feel safe when we worry we are living in an increasingly unsafe world?” It’s a hard and sad question; one that many Americans have never had to face. In this episode, recorded one day after a mass shooting in Charlottesville, VA, we will discuss:

• Why is it so important for our kids to feel safe?
• What do we say to help them feel safe?
• How can they help themselves feel more safe?
• How can we turn our fear into action, at all ages?
• How do we continue to stay engaged in action to help people across all communities?

Our hearts go out to the families of Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis.  We are devastated for you.

Thanks so much for listening.

If you'd like to connect, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and share your thoughts with us.

- - -

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/help-kids-feel-safe/ 

Experiencing social anxiety is a big part of being a teenager. Thoughts like ‘How do people interpret me?’, ‘How do I present myself?’ and ‘Who am I away from my family?’ are normal but they are also exhausting. Teens are spending so much energy figuring out who they are and worrying about whether people will judge them for it.

Whether your teenager experiences social anxiety or social pressure within the realm of normal or on a more intense level, there are some things we can do to help our teens cope with it. In today’s episode, we walk you through multiple strategies!

In this episode on helping our teens cope with social anxiety, we cover:

• Signs and symptoms of social anxiety in teenagers;
• Overcompensating (coming in too hot) or coming in too cold (shutting down) in social interactions;
• Strategies to help our teens who are struggling with social anxiety or social pressure;
• The influence of Social Media on social anxiety;
• Ways to open up the conversation around social anxiety with your teen;
• How we help teens overcome social anxiety by channeling Tammy Taylor or Tony Bennett;
• Validating the experience;
• And so much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/teens-social-anxiety/

Do you have a high-achieving teen at home? Expecting themselves to be the best athlete and student and the most popular kid all at the same time. How do we parent these teens that put so much pressure on themselves? In today’s podcast episode I’m sharing my top strategies!

In this episode on managing perfectionism and pressure in teens, we cover:

• Why do some teens put so much pressure on themselves?;
• Perfectionism from a biological perspective;
• The pressure we as parents subconsciously put on our teens;
• Parenting strategies for managing perfectionism and pressure in teens;
• Modeling making mistakes;
• And so much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links, and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/managing-perfectionism-pressure-teens/

One of the major strategies for managing anxiety is to get really good sleep. But getting good sleep isn’t always the reality we live in. Not for ourselves and not for our teens. Google will offer you all the ins and outs on sleep hygiene but truth be told, most sleep hygiene tips are incredibly boring and therefore very hard to implement with your teen.

So in today’s episode of Active & Connected Families, we’re diving into some sleep hacks for teenagers (and adults) that are actually easy, realistic and doable to implement and won’t leave you fighting with your teen. 

In this episode on realistic sleep hacks for teens, we discuss:

• Why sleep is important;
• Easy, realistic, and doable sleep hacks for teenagers;
• What your teen needs to know about sleep;
• Modeling sleep hygiene habits as a parent;
• How to handle screen time in a way that gets your teen on board;
• Implementing small pattern shifts to help your teen sleep better;
• How sleep is all about habit and routine;
• Weekend strategies for better sleep throughout the week;
• Sleep debt; 
• And much more!

We always love hearing from you, so don’t be shy, come over to our Facebook or Instagram and let us know what you thought about today’s episode!

Ps. Do you love listening to our podcast? It would mean the absolute world to us if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This will help our show so we can help more parents and families feel more active and connected in their lives. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating, and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t done so yet, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of our future episodes!

More info? You can find the full show notes, links and resources over at:

https://virginiafamilytherapy.com/realistic-sleep-hacks-teens/