Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

This week I am joined with Dana Hargrus, a mental health counselor with over twenty-five years of experience in trauma-informed care. We discuss the innovative approach of biofeedback in helping foster and adoptive parents navigate the challenges of caring for children from hard places. Dana shares her personal journey as a foster and adoptive parent, emphasizing the importance of connection and healthy attachment in mental health. The conversation highlights the need for alternative solutions to traditional medication and discipline methods, advocating for a more compassionate and understanding approach to parenting.

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Biofeedback is a form of brain exercise that helps improve mental health.
• Connection is essential for healing trauma in children.
• Punishment and discipline are often ineffective for children from hard places.
• Healthy attachment is crucial for mental health and can be developed at any age.
• Parents should focus on building connections rather than enforcing strict discipline.
• The current mental health system often fails children in foster care.
• Biofeedback can be a beneficial alternative to medication for managing mental health issues.
• Understanding a child's trauma history is key to effective parenting.
• Parents need support and resources to navigate the challenges of foster care and adoption.
• It's never too late for healing and change in a child's life.

Learn more about Dana’s practice Restore of Ada by calling 580-453-1076 or email them at [email protected] or you can find their website https://restoreofada.com/about-restore 

Check out Dana’s resource, a brief podcast about trauma: Find it on Apple or Spotify. 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!