Brighten Up Podcast

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Donna wanted to do something special on the Brighten Up Pod for April, the month internationally recognized as Autism Acceptance Month. The topic is near and dear to her, so she wanted to provide greater insight, inspiration, and hope for families affected by it and all who wish to know more about the world of autism.

In this episode, Donna sits down with Lora Carpenter and her daughter, Loryn Carpenter. Lora is the Executive Director of Beyond the Spectrum (BTS),  a facility that provides care for students with developmental disorders from ages 5-22. Her son, Scott, developed Regressive Autism at 18 months, so she was propelled into a life of compassionate service after having lived in the world of Autism herself. Loryn is the Communications Specialist at BTS. She too, was affected by becoming an advocate for her older brother Scott early on in her life. She has also become the host of the facility's podcast, the Helping Families Go Beyond Podcast, in hopes of providing families with additional resources in a convenient and inviting format.

Beyond The Spectrum is based in Sarasota, Florida. It is on the cutting edge of psychiatric treatment: it serves both as an accredited education center as well as a therapeutic clinic specializing in care for children with Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, and other related developmental disorders. Their objective is to work with students and their families to provide actionable goals with individualized care and judgment-free services that bring everyone closer towards fulfilling lives.

For more info, visit:
https://www.beyondthespectrum.org/

For additional resources, follow BTS at:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthespectrumfl 

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Neurodiversity means "Our society benefits from multiple different neurotypes in various ways", says Dr. Stacy Greeter, Brighten Up's guest in this month's episode. As part of Autism Acceptance Month in April, Donna has a compelling conversation with Dr. Greeter, discussing various components of autism and neurodiversity. The primary focus is on the dilemma of females going undiagnosed with autism, often missing out on important resources and interventions, however, many other facets of neurodiversity are touched upon and explained by Dr. Greeter. She also shares with us her journey in being diagnosed herself as an adult. As conversation on the matter becomes more pressing and ubiquitous, it is quickly becoming all the more important for families to equip themselves with knowledge.

Stacy Greeter, MD, is board certified in both psychiatry for children as well as adults. She graduated summa cum laude from Duke University where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Greeter conducted extensive clinical research funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute on autism and OCD. She completed both her adult studies and her child and adolescent subspecialty training at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she trained with nationally and internationally renowned psychiatrists. She currently has her own private practice based in Sarasota, Florida, where she works with children, adults, and families, in addition to clients diagnosed with autism. She has been bringing greater life to her passion for psychiatry by advocating for the Autism community through online educational content and collaborations.

To connect with Stacy, you may reach her through her website:
https://www.stacygreetermd.com/ 

Hey listeners,

We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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In the past five years, Eating Disorders have more than doubled among people younger than 17 and the trajectory of this development seems to be getting worse. In this episode, Donna speaks to Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Debra Gill, so she may share her expertise on Eating Disorders, disordered behaviors, and health management. The sources of the problem are far closer than you think, and the solutions are more subtle than you'd expect.

Clinical Psychologist Debra Gill, PhD, has been in the field helping countless people for over 25 years. While she specializes in a wide array of areas such as substance abuse and pain management, her passion lies in health management areas such as eating disorders, bariatric surgery, diabetes, and weight management. She is licensed in both New Jersey and her current home state, Florida. She is also certified through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) to see clients in over 39 U.S. states. She was a contributor to a recently published book, The Book on Abundance, writing the chapter titled "Abundance Mentality Beats Diet Mentality".

To get connected with Dr. Debra, contact her through her website at:
https://eatingdisordertherapistnj.com/

To purchase her book, find it at:
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Abundance-Fraser-Inspired-Life/dp/B0CSWKHBPP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1HBQJL25OKN1Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yfjCxtW5a6ssxjXDxGm6sv6c7-8Ieb__ViGiTE49B75IFuNxSWmZPrCiFHB-bi3fBr2UNSUMbUIQ85DFdrdSqutAY41eOf16C0LhGlO6gUGu-Ns0S4mEZRHXbYgY8IZCojmn5X6xci1fBQs6al5lvCt2CahNJOaoX4gJGrjFR9dN2uUmLVIX3blitM3flYC0q8pQcr4ExpzRM-IuL1TlcXh6RD1kaAak2oWkmpt9wl8.yIeOFEWMONcNac-HcCW9ifNZ3MresGQZGFnzIdsQ928&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+book+on+abundance&qid=1711221145&sprefix=the+book+on+abun%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1 

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We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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Clinical Nutrition expert Ashley McIntyre joins Donna on a deep dive. . . into the belly of the beast! All jokes aside, what goes into your belly affects your brain, your wellness, and more importantly, your daily emotional state — way more than you expect! Ashley brings her rich expertise to elevate our knowledge and provides practical and easily digestible advice (puns intended) to make actionable changes to our eating habits today!

Ashley McIntyre is based in Florida, but works with anyone needing further guidance on nutrition, from helpful educational info to individualized curated health plans. She has a Master's in Clinical Nutrition and is the founder of the nutrition consultation practice, The Elevated Plate.

For additional information, and to get in touch with Ashley, visit:
https://theelevatedplate.com/

Email at: [email protected] 

For more content from Ashley, find her across various social media platforms:
@the.elevated.plate

Hey listeners,

We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

Facebook
For the Memes and Positive Vibes:
https://www.facebook.com/BrightenUpPod/

Instagram
For Good Energy & Inspiration:
https://www.instagram.com/brightenuppod/

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Therapists come in all forms, as do their practices. In this conversation, Donna speaks with music therapist Haley Verinder to discuss the not-so-mainstream form of treatment, music therapy.  What the heck is it? How is it used? Why should it matter? Learn about how millions of families and institutions utilize this method as a means of treatment, discovering emotions, and healing the brain.

Haley would love to hear from you if you have additional questions!
[email protected]

For additional info and resources, visit the American Music Therapy Association at
https://www.musictherapy.org/



*This episode was not produced in affiliation with the AMTA, but we love to help connect people to resources any which way we can. 

Hey listeners,

We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

Facebook
For the Memes and Positive Vibes:
https://www.facebook.com/BrightenUpPod/

Instagram
For Good Energy & Inspiration:
https://www.instagram.com/brightenuppod/

Threads
For Quick Bites of Wisdom:
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For comments, questions, and positive vibes, TEXT US!

In this debut episode, Donna sits down with one of her favorite humans, her daughter Lindsay, along with her friend, Morgan. Social Media can be a wonderful place in some ways, but quite toxic in others. For teenage girls, it is a world in and of itself. In this sit down, Donna speaks with both girls to help other parents gain more insight on this matter so they can better equip themselves  to have conversations with their children regarding social media safe practices. 

Hey listeners,

We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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https://www.facebook.com/BrightenUpPod/

Instagram
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https://www.instagram.com/brightenuppod/

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