Content warning: This podcast discusses sensitive topics related to mental health, such as severe major depression, self-harm, and suicide or suicidal ideation. We encourage you to care for your safety and well-being. If you or someone close to you may be in crisis, or simply needs support, we encourage you to reach out to a health or mental health professional. If you believe that you or a loved one may be in immediate danger, call 911.

When your child is experiencing symptoms of severe major depression, having suicidal ideations, or engaging in self-harming behaviors, it may feel as if your entire world is being upended. Much of your time and energy will be directed toward helping them heal; but your own well-being is also an important component of the healing journey.

Tune in as Exceptional Parenting Podcast host, Stefanie Boucher, has a candid discussion with author, special needs advocate, certified mind-body coach, and mother of three, Deborah Blackwell, about how to help yourself and other family members feel safer and more grounded when a child is facing a mental health crisis. As someone who has been there, Deborah offers deep insights about the perspectives that are – and are not – most helpful when a child is struggling and how to build on rare moments of clarity, grace, or even beauty, among otherwise horrible circumstances.

About Our Guest:

Deborah Blackwell is a writer, special needs advocate and certified mind-body life coach devoted to helping others conquer adversity and discover the hidden wisdom found in everyday life. Inspired by her own courageous journey through trauma, her forthcoming book is an insightful story of one woman's determination to welcome truth, expand knowledge, and embrace joy. She also writes for The Harvard Gazette, and contributes to Torchlight's digital platform. Deborah is married to her kindred spirit and raised three sons, one on the autism spectrum. She is a longtime practicing yogi, passionate about global health, well-being, and happiness. Learn more about her at https://deborahblackwell.com.

*Torchlight does not provide medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice because of something you read on Torchlight. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911.

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a U.S. law that requires covered employers to provide employees with protected, unpaid leave for certain medical and family reasons. Yet, many Americans are unsure of the ways in which FMLA could make a significant difference in their ability to meet parenting or caregiving responsibilities as a working person. Join Torchlight host Stefanie Boucher for a conversation with Teri Weber, a partner and Senior Vice President at Spring Consulting group and subject matter expert on employee benefits and absence management programs, including FMLA. In this episode, you’ll learn about:

•FMLA basics, including who is eligible to use FMLA and what criteria must be met;
•How to talk to your employer about using FMLA to meet medical or family needs;
•What to do if you’re getting resistance from your employer; and,
•More!

About Our Guest:

Teri Weber is a partner and Senior Vice President with Spring Consulting Group. She has over 15 years of experience in health and welfare plan strategy, design, and implementation. In addition, she is a subject matter expert on absence management programs, including disability, family medical leave, and leave of absence tracking. Her areas of expertise have allowed her to work with diverse employers and vendors to streamline processes and programs to meet the needs of both employers and employees. Teri holds a BS from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts.

Are you caring for a seriously ill loved one? If so, perhaps there are moments when you feel overwhelmed or even powerless as you try to get (and give) your loved one the best possible care. In this episode, join Torchlight hosts Lenore Tracey and Stefanie Boucher for a conversation with Erin Mulqueen Galyean, author of Badass Advocate: Becoming the Champion Your Seriously Ill Loved One Deserves. Whether your child or loved one is hospitalized or at home, listen to learn how to:

- Build a support team for you and the patient and ask for help when you need it;
- Overcome fear of authority figures and ask doctors effective questions;
- Balance self-care with patient care; and,
- More!

About Our Guest:

Erin Mulqueen Galyean is an author and speaker who trains sales professionals in effective communication with healthcare providers. She lost her father to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1997 and her sister to a rare lung disease in 2018. Fueled by these heartbreaking experiences, Erin helps others become powerful advocates for the seriously ill loved ones in their lives.

When Kate Washington sailed into her 40s, she had no expectation of the disaster that was about to strike. She had a Ph.D. in Victorian literature, a successful career as a freelance writer, and was raising two young daughters in sunny California alongside her husband, Brad. In her own words, it was a nice life. Then, Brad was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer that led to a string of health crises and turned the trajectory of her family’s existence upside down. Kate, already carrying a heavy mental load within the household, was suddenly thrust into the role of an unpaid family caregiver for her husband.

In this episode of Torchlight’s Exceptional Parenting Podcast, join host Stefanie Boucher for a candid discussion with Kate about her experiences as a “sandwiched” caregiver trying to take care of it all – children, spouse, home, career – while coming to grips an increasingly urgent level of caregiver burnout. We’ll also discuss Kate’s recent book, Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America, which chronicles her family’s journey and highlights the distressingly inadequate systems that support American families when serious illness strikes. Tune in as she shares how the experience both enlightened and changed her, how she helped her children cope with the difficult reality of having a parent in need of care, and the best ways to help a friend or family member who is in a caregiving role or living through a crisis.

About Our Guest:

Kate Washington is a writer in Northern California. Her book Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America (Beacon Press, March 2021) shines a stark light on the experience of family caregivers. Largely left on their own to navigate the medical, insurance, work, and social support systems involved when a loved one becomes ill, caregivers are ill prepared and unsupported as they struggle to manage family and work responsibilities. With 53 million family caregivers in (Caregiving in the U.S. 2020, National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP), Already Toast is a must read for family caregivers, health care and social support workers, and policy makers.

Visit Kate’s website at https://www.kawashington.com/already-toast.html.

Most people know that sleep is essential to good health. But what you might not know is that most Americans (about 60 to 80 percent of us, including our children and teens) aren’t getting nearly enough of it - not by a long shot. And that’s a big deal. Studies show that insufficient sleep can lead to poorer health outcomes and quality of life, an increased risk of accidents, diminished productivity, and even an inhibited ability to learn and solve problems.

Fortunately, whether you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or simply stay up too late at night, most sleep problems are treatable. In this episode, join Exceptional Parenting Podcast host Stefanie Boucher and Eldercare Illuminated host Lenore Tracey as they discuss the beauty and importance of sleep - and the little known secrets to getting a good night’s rest - with clinical sleep educator and behavioral sleep therapist, Rick Clerici. You’ll find out how to use your body’s natural sleep pattern to maximize rest, how to begin preparing your body for sleep from the moment you wake up in the morning, and what to try if parenting or caregiving responsibilities are making sleep difficult.

About Our Guest:

Rick Clerici is a Clinical Sleep Educator and Behavioral Sleep Therapist. As the co-founder of Clear Mind Systems, Rick develops corporate sleep wellness programs, lectures in corporate and university settings nationwide, and serves as Sleep Educator for four major employee assistance programs in Massachusetts. As a personal sleep coach, he and his practice have helped thousands of individuals in all age groups get a better night’s sleep.

Learn more about Rick Clerici and his work by visiting http://www.clearmindsystems.net/.

Have you or your child been feeling anxious, sad, or stressed since the onset of the pandemic? If so, you aren’t alone. In fact, recent studies show that around a third of Americans report symptoms of anxiety or depression. Social isolation, the looming threat of COVID-19, lost jobs, remote education, and political unrest have taken an emotional toll on almost everyone. And, to compound matters, there is the additional stressor of not knowing how long our current situation will last! But could these ongoing disruptions to our daily lives result in lasting trauma or are we simply stressed out?

Join Exceptional Parenting Podcast host Stefanie Boucher and adolescent counselor Sal Caraviello for a conversation about stress and its unwelcome cousins, trauma and micro-trauma. In this episode, you’ll learn how trauma and chronic stress are related, find out how our children and teens are coping with the events of 2020, and get tips for helping your child persevere.

About Our Guest:

Salvatore Caraviello, M.Ed, MAPM, has been working with adolescents for more than 30 years. As a former teacher, administrator, coach, counselor, and youth minister, Sal has unique insights into the concerns of modern youth and has worked tirelessly to help thousands of children and families find success, balance, and happiness in all areas of their lives. In 2015, Sal was named Winchester, Massachusetts’ Citizen of the Year. He was the first non-resident to ever be selected.

Are you struggling to decide whether your child should attend school in-person or remotely this fall? Join Exceptional Parenting Podcast host Stefanie Boucher and Eldercare Illuminated podcast host Lenore Tracey for an in-depth discussion about the considerations parents are facing for the 2020-21 school year. In this episode, we’ll provide:

•An overview of the most common learning and attendance models taking shape right now
•Practical suggestions about how to make the “best” decision for your family
•How to let go of stress or guilt, no matter which path you take
•Tips for how to make in-person learning safer for your child

About Our Guests:

Stefanie Boucher is Torchlight’s Senior Content Developer and host of the Exceptional Parenting Podcast. A writer and editor, she has spent nearly two decades producing multi-media content for children, parents, students and teachers while raising children in the midst of a fast-pace culture that won't stop moving. In her current role, she offers families practical strategies for modern parenting, including how to balance health and well-being with the allure and necessity of modern technology and life.

Lenore Tracey is the Eldercare Practice Leader at Torchlight. For more than a decade, Lenore has been consulting and writing about caregiving issues, care for the caregiver, and family dynamics. She has contributed her expertise to long-term care content and website development for several government projects making eldercare information accessible to caregivers and individuals planning for their own futures. Lenore brings to her work deep personal experience as both a long-distance and local caregiver for elderly loved ones with Alzheimer's and other complex medical issues. She is a graduate of Tufts University.

Outside Resources:

School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community/schools-childcare/back-to-school-decision-checklist.pdf

Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports:

https://www.pbis.org/utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Q & A:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-questions#39

As if the coronavirus pandemic were not bad enough, it has spawned another epidemic. Testing and treatment scams, product delivery scams, tax identity theft, and a multitude of new and creative ways to get people to divulge private information or click on sites that load malware, ransomware, and other dangerous software onto their devices are on the rise.

As our guest, Steve Weisman says, “Things aren’t as bad as you think, they are far worse.” But don’t despair. Steve joins Torchlight’s Exceptional Parenting Podcast host, Stefanie Boucher, and Eldercare Illuminated host, Lenore Tracey, and for a discussion of what to beware of and how to avoid the clever ways these thieves seek to undermine our digital security. Steve alerts us to attacks and identity theft based on use of websites and apps targeted at students, younger children, seniors, and employees; he offers some surprising insights about how criminals are exploiting the tools and applications we use every day.

Steve has helpful strategies to share for all of us — adults and kids of all ages. Check out his website, Scamicide.com, for regular updates on new scams and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

About Our Guest:

Steve Weisman, JD is an attorney admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, college professor at Bentley University, and nationally recognized expert on scams, identity theft and cybersecurity. He appears regularly in the media to share his knowledge and ideas for staying one step ahead of the bad guys.

You can find Steve’s books on retirement planning and digital security on Amazon. Learn more about identity theft attacks based on use of Facebook, iPad, iPhone, Android, cloud apps, iPod, and other new technologies — and shows you how to protect yourself, or how to fix the damage if you've already been attacked!

You probably know the drill. It begins the moment you ask your child to do something. "Please pick up your shoes." "Start your homework." "Feed the dog." But instead of being met with the eager cooperation that parents everywhere dream of, you’re met with the same familiar response. "Hang on." "I’ll do it later." "In a minute." Of course, in kid-speak a “minute” rarely turns out to be just a minute. And occasionally, it seems (to parents, at least) like code for "I don’t want to do that at all."

And so your child or teen may wait until the last possible minute to complete the requested task (often with much nagging or pleading involved), leaving one or both of you frustrated or upset. Procrastination has struck again! How can you help foster a more positive (and productive) outcome for you and your child? Join Exceptional Parenting Podcast host Stefanie Boucher for a timely discussion with public speaker, coach, and executive functioning expert Leslie Josel about the most common reasons why children, and many adults, put off doing the inevitable (note: it’s not always what you might think) and how we, as parents, can use some simple techniques to help them build the skills they need to get things done.

About Our Guest:

Leslie Josel is a respected resource on ADHD and Executive Functioning in students. She launched Order Out of Chaos® in 2004 after her son was diagnosed with ADHD, executive dysfunction and other learning differences, and is the creator of the award-winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management. In addition to authoring What’s the Deal with Teens and Time Management: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Teen Succeed (2015), her work and writing are regularly featured in ADDitude Magazine and Family Circle. Leslie is also a public speaker; she conducts workshops in the U.S. and internationally.

Your child wasn’t supposed to be home until summer. Not long ago, s/he was away at college, enjoying the freedoms and privileges that come with young adult life. Then came a pandemic. Campuses across the country shut down, moved classes online, and sent the students home – to their parents! Our young people have lost a lot, and they lost it quickly. Many of them are grieving. You may be grieving, too. And you may also have many questions about how to successfully live with your young adult child when neither of you was planning to do so.

Join Exceptional Parenting Podcast host Stefanie Boucher and Stacey Harris, J.D., Assistant Director of Disability and Access Services at Boston University, for a candid discussion about improving family dynamics and relationships with young adult children during the coronavirus pandemic. In this episode, you’ll get helpful tips on how to talk to your child about what s/he’s lost, make compromises, structure your living space so that it works well for everyone, and help your child find perspective during these challenging times.

Have a child in high school? You’ll also learn what some colleges and universities may do differently for next year’s applicants and incoming freshmen.

About Our Guest:

Stacey Harris, J.D., is the Associate Director for Disability and Access Services at Boston University, where she has been working directly with students and their families since 2008. As a certified mediator, she co-runs a student mediation program for students across the university, teaches classes, and provides ongoing technical assistance to offices around the university on disability compliance and technical standards.