“Today’s episode is a really special one. We’re recording from a coffee shop, slowing things down a bit, and having a conversation that feels incredibly relevant right now.

In schools, we spend an enormous amount of time drilling academics — reading scores, math benchmarks, testing, progress monitoring — and that work matters. But what we’re seeing more and more as school psychologists is kids being asked to learn while they’re emotionally overwhelmed.

Anxiety is up. Emotional regulation is harder. Social connection is thinner. And yet the expectations keep increasing.

Today we’re sitting down with Mick Brege, founder of With Love, whose work centers on connection, expression, and helping kids build the emotional skills they need to access learning in the first place.

This conversation isn’t about choosing between academics and social-emotional learning — it’s about understanding how deeply connected they actually are.”