Securely Attached

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...

1:50 - It's very developmentally typical for toddlers to have trouble with sharing and also there are things you can do to encourage and build this skill.

7:25 - At 2.5 years-old, kids will likely need an adult to narrate and also facilitate the sharing so they learn how it's done.

11:40 - Kids can become territorial at this age, so it can be helpful to have playdates at neutral places, like a park or a playground.

13:40 - When you see your child start to get territorial, try to see this as an indicator that they need to take a break rather than a cue to teach them the importance of sharing - that can be done later, when they are more regulated and in control.

16:47 - To build the skill of sharing, it's helpful to break this down into smaller tasks like tolerating frustration, setting healthy boundaries, and perspective taking.

19:30 - We also want to be mindful not to encourage our kids to share without any limitations or we risk them feeling compelled to become more of a people pleaser.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN PARENT YOUR DAUGHTER SO SHE DOESN'T BECOME A PEOPLE PLEASER?

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✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

When a child is born, so too is a mother.

In this episode, we'll explore this metamorphosis and how the abrupt shift into motherhood can shatter our former identity into many different parts (and why that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing).

Joining me is Rebecca Geshuri and Jessica Sorci, the brilliant creators behind The Mothercentric Approach, which blends Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy with maternal mental health.

Rebecca and Jessica will help listeners understand IFS and how "parts work" can be vital for mothers. By acknowledging and accepting these different parts, mothers can begin to heal and integrate them, forming a more cohesive and balanced sense of self. This integration can shift how we feel about ourselves and how we show up as parents, leading to a more compassionate and effective approach to motherhood.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MOTHERCENTRIC APPROACH - FOR MOMS:

https://www.mothercentric.com/for-moms

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MOTHERCENTRIC APPROACH - FOR PRACTITIONERS:

https://www.mothercentric.com/for-practitioners

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...

2:27 - Reframe your goal from being about maintaining the specific friendships to be about maintaining the social skills your child has acquired over the school year instead.

4:13 - Using summer as your child's opportunity to get to try something new and allow them to explore different parts of themselves.

6:26 - If a child has struggled in the past, the friendships they have may feel precious and fragile now, and that can make kids and parents alike feel anxious that this might go away.

10:12 - It's helpful not to measure your child's social success based on their age and encourage them to have friends who are a year or two younger, if that they are lacking some social skills.

14:43 - Tangible tips you can implement to support your child's social skills and encourage their building and maintaining deep friendships.

19:10 - Having a plan-b with a singular person activity can be helpful for your child to have in their back pocket to play with if they struggle to join into a social group.

✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

Reduce stress around mealtimes and help your child be more flexible with what they eat!

Joining me today is Dr. Yaara Shimshoni, a clinical psychologist and a clinical assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Child Study Center.

We'll explore the complexities of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and its distinction from typical picky eating. Yaara will detail how this severe eating disorder impacts children's health and social lives, and offer practical strategies for parents to reduce stress around mealtimes, encourage flexibility in eating habits, and break the cycle of accommodation that often exacerbates these issues.

Plus, we'll help parents take the guiding principles of a therapy approach called SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), and learn how to apply it with kids who are showing more normative picky eating challenges, that are not clinical, but still can be frustrating and exasperating for parents to navigate.

LEARN MORE ABOUT YAARA:

Yaara Shimshoni

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPACE, CHECK OUT MY INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATOR, DR. ELI LEBOWITZ:

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Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...

1:53 - What "positive parenting" really is from a psychological perspective.

4:20 - Our child's development is not always linear, it's important to consider their regulation level and other situational factors when we set our expectations of them.

5:20 - As parents, we're often more triggered when our elementary-aged and older kids exhibit "bad behaviors."

7:19 - How to have a productive conversation with your child to pregame, collaboratively problem solve, and reflect on hot moments together once they are back in a regulated state.

9:10 - For older kids, you may need more structured behavioral interventions beyond just validating emotions and reflecting their feelings back to them.

14:17 - How to tailor your parenting approach to your unique child, rather than just accepting universal parenting strategies that may not be a good fit for you and your family.

✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

From neurological changes during pregnancy to the demands of parenthood, we explore the science behind "mom-rage" and how mindfulness can help rewire our responses.

Here to help us explore the meaning behind anger, the difference between reactivity and responsiveness, and practical steps to navigate mom-rage with grace and understanding is Diana Winston. Diana is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center and is the author of The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness.

Whether you're a parent struggling with anger or simply curious about the transformative potential of mindfulness, this episode offers valuable insights and practical tools for navigating the complexities of parenthood and curating a mindfulness practice amidst the chaos of daily life.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIANA WINSTON:

https://dianawinston.com/

DOWNLOAD THE UCLA MINDFUL APP FOR FREE GUIDED MEDITATIONS:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ucla-mindful/id1459128935

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode Dr. Emily Upshur and I talk about...

3:10 - What you can be on the lookout for to alert you to the fact that you are (or aren't) properly attuning to your child.

5:10 - Strategies to help parents attune to children whose cues and signals are harder to read and understand.

9:36 - Focusing on a granular moment can lead to confusion for parents, but zooming out can help you be more accurate in your understanding of what your child needs.

13:16 - Being a "good enough" parent is not just something we must settle for, it's actually scientifically-proven to be beneficial and necessary for a child's healthy development.

16:58 - Moments of misattunements help our child learn that there will be imperfections in their interpersonal relationships, which is an important life lesson.

✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

Are we asking the wrong questions when it comes to our kids' screen usage? In a world where technology isn't going away, the right questions may be less about time limits, access, and controlling their behaviors and more about how we can build a child's internal regulation system and rewire the reward center in their brain and body that screens are designed to hijack.

Joining me to offer a paradigm shift for the way we approach technology with children is somatic educator and therapist, Alé Duarte. Alé emphasizes the importance of going beyond mere behavior management and equipping children with the tools they need to override the algorithms designed to keep them glued to their screens.

Whether you're a parent, therapist, educator, or caregiver, this episode offering you strategies for approaching technology through the lens of neuroscience and psychology is one you won't want to miss!

LEARN MORE ABOUT ALÉ DUARTE:

https://www.aleduarte.com/

RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN HIS TRAINING SERIES, SCREEN MASTERS:

Live Classes start on Thursday May 23, 2024

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about...

2:04 - There are many dilemmas parents often face that can be seen inside of this listener's question:

1. Weighing the pros and cons of whether staying at home or going to work is the best for you, your child, and your unique situation.

2. If you do choose to use childcare, what type is most ideal for your child.

3. And finally, addressing the struggles surrounding your child's potential separation anxiety.

3:58 - There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions.

7:05 - This decision shouldn't only be about your child. It's also important to ask yourself: What is best for me?

7:58 - This decision doesn't have to be permanent - if it's feeling overwhelming, you can reframe this to be what is right for me and my family right now.

12:30 - Weighing between sending your child to daycare, bringing in a nanny, or staying home with your children.

15:06 - Even if you are a stay-at-home parent you can add in opportunities for your child to learn to trust other caregivers and to experience separations.

✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

Our past experiences shape our present behaviors and patterns, but by working toward healing our inner child, we can make meaningful shifts!

Jennifer Nurick joins me to discuss a profound way to approach healing by integrating many treatment approaches, including attachment theory, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, somatic psychotherapy, and more.

In this episode, we explore practical strategies for healing past traumas and nurturing inner and outer secure attachments through "parts work." Plus, Jennifer shares poignant examples of how this work translates into real-life interactions, especially in the realm of parenting, where attunement and repair are crucial for overall mental health and well-being.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JENNIFER:

https://www.psychotherapycentral.health/

READ JENNIFER'S BOOK:

Heal Your Anxious Attachment: Release Past Trauma, Cultivate Secure Relationships, and Nurture a Deeper Sense of Self

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT ATTACHMENT SCIENCE?

Click HERE to download my free guide, The Four Pillars of Fostering Secure Attachment, helping you parent with a focus on attunement and trust.