Empowered to Connect Podcast

The Stress Responses - you know - Fight, Flight and Freeze...well, you may be surprised to learn that there are actually 4 stress responses ("Fawn" is the fourth - don't worry, we'll cover it in great detail in a few weeks). We'll look at how you can support both yourself and those you love IN those responses! Today, we dive into the "Flight" Response.

How do we support ourselves or our people when they're in flight mode? You'll have to listen in to find out! JD, Becca and Dr. Rachel Peterman explore the ins and outs of the flight response with a unique twist that you do not wanna miss.

To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

The Stress Responses - chances are, you've heard of them - Fight, Flight and Freeze...well, you may be surprised to learn that there are actually 4 stress responses ("Fawn" is the fourth - don't worry, we'll cover it in great detail in a few weeks) and we are taking the next several weeks to do deep dives into each of them! We'll look at how you can support both yourself and those you love IN those responses! Today, we dive into the "Fight" Response.

Those who identify with a fight stress response have learned to step up to the plate to protect themselves. This instinctive reaction often sends them into an aggressive, sometimes attack mode to fend off the danger they face - real or perceived. What's the best way to support someone with a fight response? You'll have to listen in to find out! JD, Becca and Tona walk through everything from what a stress response is to how to support those you love in the middle of those 'fight' responses. 

To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Today, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day, we felt it would be appropriate to bring back one of our favorite episodes, our episode with Dr. Charles McKinney from Season One. How did we get here? College Professor, Author and Civil Rights Historian Dr. Charles McKinney joins us to discuss the history of the civil rights struggle in America, being a black parent in 2020 and advice for transracial adoptive parents with their children of color. A word to our majority culture (white) listeners: as many have noted over the past few years, there is a deep need for listening and learning about the plight of our black and brown brothers and sisters. This conversation with Dr. McKinney is not the end all be all - rather a starting point for many of us as we journey together to bring healing and peace to our families, our communities and the systems that govern them. 

To connect further with our guest today, the brilliant Dr. Charles McKinney, find him on Twitter @CharlesWMcKinn2 and buy his books here!

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One of the most highly commented on episodes of the year featured a guest we admire greatly. That person is therapist, speaker, teacher, advocate and so much more - Cam Lee Small. We've long admired his work on social media (@TherapyRedeemed on Instagram) and after meeting him for this conversation our respect and admiration of him has skyrocketed. Cam takes us into the world of mental health and adoptees and how his work both counseling and advocating for adoptees has shone light on his own story. You won't want to miss his candor and insight!

You can learn more about Cam's work on his website, Instagram or Facebook page!

To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Happy New Year! We're so excited to bring you one of our favorite episodes of 2021 with one of our favorite humans on earth, Daren Jones! Daren works with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD) at TCU and is passionate about seeing the systems that are INTENDED to keep our children safe - actually do so. For YEARS now, he's worked in, on and around systems that care for/protect society's most vulnerable children and has been a pivotal part of TCU's work helping bring trauma informed, compassionate, brain-science based practices into use in these systems. 

Hear Daren talk about everything from working in group homes to seeing infamous lockup-first family court judges become trauma-informed allies on today's episode!

To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about examining self - looking at adult attachment styles, considering how to offer ourselves as co-regulators to our children, even talking about self-compassion as the true and better version of self care. Why, then, do we now look at self awareness!? We're glad you asked! Earlier this year, we asked Larissa Gregory to come join us to explain. Larissa is the head of LG Educational Consulting and works with individuals, teachers, administrations and families helping create safe, empowered spaces for children and families. After years in academic leadership, she joined us to talk about why she believes that Authentic Self Awareness is the Key to Empowered Families. Larissa gave several concrete, practical tools for us to walk away with to help restore relationship after conflict, to help restore our own mental spaces as self doubt and stress invade and more!

You can learn more about Larissa and LG Educational Consulting here!

To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us at empoweredtoconnect.org, on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube!

Ah the sights and sounds of the holidays! Blaring music everywhere, lights and red stuff all around us - for people with heightened sensory systems, this time of year can be a lot. That's why we wanted to replay one of our favorite episodes of this past year - our episode with Occupational Therapist Mistie Hanks walking us through the body's sensory systems. 

Mistie joins us as we take a deeper dive into why understanding sensory processing is an absolute game changer! Mistie walks us through everything from understanding ours and our kids' sensory systems to some practical ways you can support growth in these areas.

We also take a look at how trauma affects the senses and then what every parent needs to know if they're seeing perplexing behavior. Don't miss it! 

For more on the brain, body and behavior connection and to read about hundreds of practical tips on a complete sensory diet for your kids, check out the book Mistie recommended in the interview: The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz

To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out on our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

In case you didn't know, for nearly all of us reading this, the holiday season is in full swing. For those of you who feel the fearful holiday twitch coming on, don't worry - we're here to help you out! Mo and Tona Ottinger join us today to talk about the imporance of making memories and the role the brain and our sensory systems have to play in that process. It is a fascinating conversation and one that is a necessity for all parents!

To read the article that Mo referenced in the podcast, click here!

To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us on our website, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram or check out all of our podcast episodes and video resources on YouTube!