Empowered to Connect Podcast

We hear people talk about doing 'the work' all the time. In different contexts, it holds different meanings, but generally, this phrase refers to the work needed that cannot be substituted. Today, we add to our conversation about attachment from a parenting standpoint to discuss what it means and how to begin doing 'the work' as parents.

To hear our episode on Attachment with Dr. Jamie DeLuna, listen here, To hear our episode on Attachment and Attachment Styles with Dr. Casey Call, listen here and as always, to check us out on YouTube, head to our channel!

Our latest animated video helping explain attachment cycles is live on YouTube and it got us thinking about something. For all of us here at ETC, learning about attachment theory and the attachment styles was a game changer. We all know that when it comes to parenting, there's no miracle button that makes everything easy - there are, however, pieces of information that make a radical difference in how we parent. This is one of those topics. Becca McKay, Tona Ottinger and JD Wilson discuss the personal and parenting implications for their own lives once they began learning about the attachment cycle and attachment styles.

To hear our episode on Attachment with Dr. Jamie DeLuna, listen here, To hear our episode on Attachment and Attachment Styles with Dr. Casey Call, listen here and as always, to check us out on YouTube, head to our channel!

Today we hear from one of our favorite people and recurring guests, Jocelyn Lee. Jocelyn is a Licensed School Social Worker and joins us today to elaborate on a statement she made at an ETC event years ago. We'd invited Jocelyn to give her perspective as part of a panel discussion on Transracial Adoption and she shared this thought: Don't make your child's race a field trip. Hear the reason Jocelyn said this, ways she suggests transracial adoptive parents take steps toward embracing their child's culture and so, so much more in today's episode!

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Today we welcome on Angie Grant and Jess Aaron, two of our newest ETC Cultivate Connection Facilitators! Angie and Jess join us to talk about the absolute non-negotiable importance of finding people to have community with as parents. They share personal stories of the moment they knew they needed help, how they began finding people to walk with and even the importance of seeking out therapeutic/professional help as you navigate parenting challenges. Necessary listening - we hope you enjoy it!

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Dr. Karyn Purvis had a goal. A big, audacious goal. A goal so big, the staff at TCU repeatedly attempted to convince her to pare it down - and we've all benefited because she didn't. Daren Jones, the Associate Director of Training and Consultations at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development joins us to talk about WHAT that big audacious goal was and why we should all care about it. 

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

We all hear stories growing up of who we're like: 'oh, you've got your grandfather's charm', 'you're tall just like your mom', etc. We tend to understand those sorts of generational traits being passed down, but for some reason, the idea of generational trauma has escaped the public consciousness until recently. We wanted to know more about generational trauma and how to mindfully begin to break those cycles, so we brought friend of the program Ms. Jacque Rowe Fields back in! Jacque talks with JD and Becca about what generational trauma is, how to understand it and how to begin healing from it on today's episode of the ETC Podcast!

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Our guest today may be one of the kindest humans on the face of the planet. It seemed fitting, of course, that we would have her on to talk about being kind to ourselves. Christy Edwards has spent the vast majority of her professional life as a Counselor. She joins us today to discuss the reasons it is so vitally important to our wellbeing (and to those we're in relationship with) to learn how to show ourselves kindness. This conversation spans a wide array of situations and perspectives, so grab a notebook and join us for a powerful conversation with our good friend Christy Edwards!

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Our guests today have been caring for parents for years through their organization called "The Adoption Connection". Lisa Qualls and Melissa Corkum together represent all sides of the adoption triad and join us today to talk about what happens when our compassion runs low. Lisa, Melissa, Tona and JD talk about compassion fatigue, blocked care and share their own experiences in both. 

Lisa and Melissa have a ton of amazing resources on their website that you should check out here. You can also follow them on social media @onethankfulmom and @melissacorkum_ and you can follow the adoption connection @postadoptionresources. Listen to their podcast, The Adoption Connection, here. 

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

We talk about the effects of trauma a lot on the ETC Podcast - in fact - it's woven into almost everything we talk about at Empowered to Connect. One question, though: what IS trauma? How and why does it infiltrate humanity the way it does? We brought Becca McKay and Tona Ottinger on the show today to discuss that very thing and you're going to love this episode. An introduction to trauma and all that goes with it, today on the ETC Podcast.

We also recently launched our monthly donor program at Empowered to Connect - listen to the intro to the show to hear all about it and head over to our donate page to become a monthly donor and score our super soft new ETC Tee for your monthly gift of $20 or more!

To learn more about ETC, follow our Youtube Channel, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!