Today we’re talking about anxiety—how it shows up in families, how it affects our kids’ growing independence, and what we can do to keep worry from running the show. My guest, Lynn Lyons, is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and leading voice in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children, teens, and adults. In our conversation, Lynn and I unpack the dynamics of anxiety within families—what happens as kids begin asserting independence, how parents can best support their social and emotional growth, and how to notice when our own habits might be feeding the cycle. She offers practical, compassionate strategies for shifting from worry to courage and for helping both our kids and ourselves move through anxiety with more confidence and calm.

About Lynn Lyons

Lynn Lyons is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in private practice for 35 years specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children.

She is a sought after expert, appearing in the New York Times, Time, NPR, Psychology Today, Good Morning America, Today Show and other media outlets. Lynn is a featured expert in the 2023 documentary Anxious Nation.

With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, Lynn is the author/coauthor of several books and articles on anxiety, including Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children, and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids. Her latest book for adults and teenagers, The Anxiety Audit was released October ’22.

Lynn is the co-host of the popular podcast Flusterclux.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

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I sit down with my dear friend and super talented life coach Kanesha Baynard to talk about the relationship we have with our parents and in-laws while also navigating our own journey as parents. Kanesha is an expert in multi-generational family dynamics and in this episode, we cover a lot of ground — the common challenges, tackling uncomfortable conversations, designing an alliance with our parents and in-laws, and much more.

If you’ve ever had a communications fail or conflict or disagreement

About Kanesha

Kanesha Baynard is a workshop facilitator, creativity coach, and inner wellness author who has been featured on the Dr. Oz Show. Her work has also been featured in many local and national publications. Kanesha is the author of The Self-love Playbook for #boldthinkers, 52 Powerful Questions: A Journal and Planning Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs, and Focus on What Matters: A Guided Journal.

Kanesha has over 20 years of experience as an educator, leadership

What you'll learn from this episode

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Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, the dynamic duo behind the book This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained and the co-hosts of The Puberty Podcast, were on the show a few years ago when their book was first published, and so I was eager to have them back on for a deeper conversation about the often awkward but incredibly important stage of growing up called puberty and how parents can better support their kids through it, especially when neurodivergence adds an extra layer of complexity. In our conversation, we dive into the early onset of puberty, what’s new in the updated paperback edition of This Is So Awkward, and their vision for a more comprehensive, affirming approach to health education. We also talk about the unique challenges for parents of neurodivergent kids and why all of us—parents, educators, and communities—need better tools and language to support young people through this pivotal time. Ultimately, we’re talking about whole child development. Because every child no matter their age, race, socio economic status, brain wiring, will go through this stage of life. And as it turns out, what all kids need to emerge more seen and whole is the same thing.

About Cara Natterson, MD

Cara Natterson, MD, is a pediatrician, consultant, and New York Times bestselling author. She’s also the co-founder and CEO of Order of Magnitude, a company dedicated to flipping puberty positive. Cara’s books focus largely on puberty — some written for the kids going through it, and others for the adults helping them along the way. Her list of titles includes The Care and Keeping of You series with more than 7 million copies in print. While this reach is incredible, the written word is only one way to transform the experience of adolescence.

About Vanessa Kroll Bennett

Vanessa Kroll Bennett is a puberty educator and writer, a podcaster, and entrepreneur who helps adults navigate uncertainty while they support the kids they love. Vanessa is the co-host of The Puberty Podcast which is exactly what it sounds like and the founder of Dynamo Girl, a company focused on building kids’ self-esteem through sports, puberty education and parent workshops. Vanessa consults with organizations, large and small, on how to authentically engage children in their communities. 

Things you'll learn from this episode 

Resources mentioned

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Academic coach and author of The Disintegrating Student, Jeannine Jannot, Ph.D., shares insights on why previously high performing students might fall apart and offers strategies for building skills and resilience.

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Today’s conversation is all about understanding and supporting autistic identity—how it develops, why it matters, and the ways parents and educators can help nurture it. I’m joined by Rebecca Duffus and Lyric Rivera, two incredible advocates doing powerful work in this space, and the authors of the new Autism, Identity & Me workbook for kids, and the accompanying professional and parent guide of the same name. In our conversation, we talk about the importance of identity development for autistic young people, the current state of neurodivergent education, and how parents and caregivers can foster a positive, affirming understanding of neurodiversity. We also dig into the “superpower” narrative—when it helps, when it doesn’t—and how to use Rebecca and Lyric’s Autism, Identity & Me workbook as a practical tool for ongoing conversations about identity, acceptance, and self-understanding.

About Rebecca Duffus

Rebecca Duffus BSc, PGCE, MA is an experienced Advisory Teacher with a Psychology Degree and a Masters in Autism and Education. She has many years of experience working with students and educators in both mainstream and specialist education settings as well as within local councils, charities and education services. Rebecca has been a speaker at conferences across the UK, developed a range of parent programmes, and provides training and coaching for settings.Rebeca is the author of the Autism, Identity & Me Workbook and Guidebook set published by Routledge.

About Lyric Rivera

Lyric Rivera, an autistic self-advocate from Texas, is a prominent figure in the field of neurodiversity and autism advocacy. Over the years, Lyric has educated millions about autism and neuro-inclusion through their blog, NeuroDivergent Rebel, their consulting organization, NeuroDivergent Consulting, and their best-selling business ethics book, Workplace Neurodiversity Rising.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

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Executive functioning/education coach Seth Perler explores the concept of resistance in differently-wired kids and shares strategies and tools for how parents can support their kids in learning how to face their resistance.

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Today we’re unpacking a topic that so many families struggle to understand—Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD—especially when it shows up in children. My guest is Dr. Tamar Chansky, a clinical psychologist and author of the newly updated and revised edition of her seminal book Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In our conversation, Tamar and I talk about how our understanding of OCD has evolved over the past 25 years, what intrusive thoughts really are, and how parents can recognize and respond to them with compassion and clarity. Tamar walks us through her five-step approach for helping kids manage OCD effectively, and she offers a message of hope—reminding us that with the right support, children can learn to take charge of their thoughts and lead full, joyful lives.

About Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D.

Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D., founder of the Children’s and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety, has helped thousands of children overcome fears and gripping mental compulsions. She is also the author of Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking, Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Freeing Yourself from Anxiety.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

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This week is a continuation of last week’s episode with executive functioning coach Seth Perler, which was so packed full of information (and also so long) that I had to break it up into two separate episodes, which I’m now referring to as a “masterclass” in executive functioning. 

In last week’s episode, Seth shared his protocol for setting up a child for success in their developing executive functioning skills. In today’s episode, Seth is going to get into the nitty gritty about specific strategies he uses to address different executive functioning challenges that show up in school and in life. 

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

* What “Frankenstudy” is, and how to know where to focus your energies so you can create a “domino effect” with your child’s fledgling executive functioning skills

* How to best use “learning planners” to learn how to think / talk through their plan (and what we’re doing wrong)

* The benefits of monthly planners versus daily or weekly planners

* Helping kids identify the “MIT” – most important thing – each day

* The importance of creating a sacred study space for a child

* How to optimize an internet browser to make it easy with bookmark bars (and have tabs automatically open, including calendar, grade tab, email)

* Why it’s important to get kids to start checking grades weekly (Seth recommends Sunday nights)

* The importance of helping a child create clearly identified routines (for leaving house, doing daily plan, doing homework, etc.)

* How getting visual with kids benefits them in developing their executive functioning skills

* Why separate digital timers need to be a part of a child’s life so they can learn to calibrate time, as well as get started and do short bursts of work

* Creating a weekly overhaul of systems

* The important of kids “getting into the mode” for studying, etc: organize their space, make their plan, and executive

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Today we’re diving into one of the most tender and complex stages of parenting—launching our neurodivergent young adults into independence, or more accurately, interdependence. My guest is Penny Williams, a parenting coach for neurodiverse families and the award-winning author of four books on ADHD, including Boy Without Instructions. In this episode Penny and I talk about the emotional challenges parents face during this transition, how to redefine what success and independence really look like, and why interdependence is often the goal that best supports our kids’ thriving. We also explore the healing and acceptance this stage asks of us as parents—and how, even in the uncertainty, there’s so much possibility for connection, growth, and joy.

Also, this is part one of a two-part episode — listen to the rest of the conversation on Penny’s Beautifully Complex podcast, which you will find here. 

About Penny Williams

A parenting coach for neurodiverse families, Penny Williams is the award-winning author of four books on ADHD, including Boy Without Instructions, producer and host of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, host of the annual Neurodiversity Summits, and co-creator of The Behavior Revolution Program, a parent training program designed to change the narrative on behavior and help parents celebrate and support their kids with ADHD or autism through neuroscience-backed insights, hard-won strategies, compassion, and guidance.  Penny empowers parents to help their neurodivergent kids — and families — thrive.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

Gap Programs Debbie Explored

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Executive functioning coach Seth Perler joins me for a two-part series in which Seth shares with us the exact approach he uses with students he works with when helping them foster their fledgling executive functioning skills. In this episode, Seth shares with us his protocol for setting up a child for success in their developing executive functioning skills. In part 2 next week, Seth will go in-depth into his specific strategies surrounding building these skills in school and in life. 

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

* Seth’s definition of executive functioning framed so it helps people apply the principles to help kids

* A step-by-step breakdown of exactly how Seth works with families

* Why our relationship with our child is the number one thing to be preserved when doing this work

* The importance of parents doing their own personal work / self-care during this process

* Why kids “can’t do what we’re asking them to do because they can’t, not because they won’t,” so we need to back up and scaffold from where they’re at

* The role of mindfulness, mindset, and motivation

* Why symptoms are more important than labels

* Why it’s critical to understand the role of emotional regulation in executive functioning

* How we as parents can co-regulate our emotions with our child

* Why we want to focus on 3 positives for every 1 negative

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