Talking to Our Kids about Race & Identity

(EP. 40)

Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith joins the Mainspring Wellness Podcast to discuss with Kristen & Jenna about how to approach conversations with our kids on the big topic of race and identity. This is an eye-opening episode that sheds light on how kids come into identity and perceive racial differences in this colorful world. Dr. Briscoe-Smith also discusses how the environment of racial tensions in the United States is currently playing into childhood anxiety.

Special Guests:

Allison Briscoe-Smith

Dr. Briscoe-Smith earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University.  She then received her clinical psychology Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley. She then went on to continue her specialization in trauma and ethnic minority mental health through internship and postdoctoral work at the University of California San Francisco/San Francisco General Hospital.  She has combined her love of teaching and advocacy by serving as a professor and by directing mental health programs for children experiencing trauma, homelessness, or foster care.  Much of her work has been with schools, as a clinician, consultant and trainer.  Currently, she is the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Wright Institute where she is a professor. She provides consultation and training to bay area non-profits and schools on how to support trauma-informed practices and cultural accountability.  

Find Dr. Briscoe-Smith at:

URL: drbriscoesmith.com

Instagram: @allisonbriscoesmith

Processing Divorce

(EP. 39)

Diana Valenzuela, MFT and Jenny Haseth joins Mainspring Wellness Podcast this week to talk about how to process the journey of divorce.  This informative discussion covers the impact of divorce on children, the importance of self-care in the process, how to co-parent effectively in the wake of divorce, and the need for support through the journey.

Resources:

https://www.mainspringfamilywellness.com/services

Special Guests:

Diana Valenzuela, M.F.T.

Diana Valenzuela is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and offers individual, child, family, and couples therapy. Areas of focus include life transition, relationship issues, family conflict, parenting,  anxiety, and depression.  Diana is a proud mom of two successfully raised adult children, and understands the joys and challenges of raising and launching a family, as well as personally pursuing personal growth.  

Jenny Haseth

Jenny Haseth is a Trauma informed certified ICF relationship coach. Jenny specializes in helping women through betrayal, trauma and divorce. Jenny has worked with families for 20 years and is incredibly passionate about helping women recognize limiting beliefs that are keeping them stuck in unhealthy relationships and patterns, with themselves, their partners, and their children. Jenny specializes in boundary work and helping women walk through the stages of relationship ruptures and repairs. You can follow Jenny on Instagram @fearlesslythriving or reach out to her directly to schedule a coaching session at FearlesslyThriving.com.

How to Help Children Experiencing Anxiety

(EP. 38)

On this episode, Joshua Soto, M.F.T., joins us for a discussion about children and anxiety, the anxiety-provoking environment we are raising our children in, what signs to look for, some tools to manage anxiety, and when to seek outside help with anxiety. 

Resources:

https://www.mainspringfamilywellness.com/services

Episode 37. Project Hope Alliance (PHA) is a local organization based in Costa Mesa, California serving youths in Orange County who are experiencing homelessness. Their mission is to end the cycle of homelessness, one child at a time. PHA has full-time case managers working within the public school system, deploying long-term model of care to eliminate the barriers brough on by homelessness that could impede a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school. The PHA team builds trusting relationships with students and offers individualized support in the form of transportation, technology, basic needs, and social-emotional mentorship from kindergarten to age 24.

Jennifer shares her own inspiring journey as a child growing up in Orange County who faced bouts of homelessness, finding the support she needed to pursue higher education, becoming a successful partner at a law firm, and then channeling her talents and passion towards serving youths in similar predicaments by joining Project Hope Alliance as its CEO.

Project Hope Alliance Website:

Ways to Help:

Dr. Ran Anbar from Center Point Medicine joins us for Episode 36: Using Hypnosis with Children to Address Mental, Emotional and Physical Challenges.  Dr. Anbar, MD, FAAP is board certified in both pediatric pulmonology and general pediatrics, offering hypnosis and counseling services at Center Point Medicine in La Jolla, California and Syracuse, New York. He is a leader in clinical hypnosis and has successfully treated over 5,000 children for a vast variety of conditions.  He details his extensive experience with hypnosis in his new book Changing Children’s Lives with Hypnosis: A Journey to the Center available for pre-order on Amazon today.

https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Childrens-Lives-Hypnosis-Journey/dp/1538153661

Resources:

www.centerpointmedicine.com

www.centerpointhypnosis.com

Since Covid, so many parents have had to carry so many jobs for their families.  At first it seemed novel, but now it's moved towards burnout.  Jenna and Kristen discuss parental burnout and its characteristics, how to assess if yourself are experiencing burnout, and what to do to support taking care of yourself.

Certified Riso-Hudson Enneagram Instructor Lisa Morrice is back with Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast to share how one deepens in their insights of the enneagram for personal growth.  Lisa and Mainspring are partnering to hold an advance Enneagram class in the fall 2021, and she shares what's in store and why further immersion in the enneagram is such an invaluable tool for understanding one's self.

Kristen and Jenna broach the topic of fostering spiritual wellness for your family through your personal faith, values, and service with Pastor Ines Franklin. Ines shares from her own experience of raising her blended family as well as professional and covers these topics in a way that is helpful to everyone from any faith.

Fusion Academy's Heads of School in Mission Viejo and Huntington Beach Venessa Kayrell and Robin Podway join Mainspring to share how reaching children who have previously struggled in the school traditional system because of learning issues, mental health issues, or needing an alternative scheduling for school are thriving, and even thriving during Covid.  Kayrell and Podway help assuage that it's never too late to develop critical thinking schools even if you feel like your child is behind because of the Pandemic.  This podcast also touches on twice exceptional students and how to support this very specific learner.

Retired NFL Player Asante Cleveland of 49ers, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Patriots fame knows quite a lot about what it takes to become a professional athlete.  Asante shares his story as a young athlete, the mentors he had that developed his skills, and most importantly how he developed the mental toughness necessary to play Division I Football and eventually in the NFL.  Now Asante has developed a program for youth athletes to grow their "Pro Mindset" at Mainspring Family Wellness Center.  Asante has such a passion for imparting wisdom and changing perspectives in young athletes, this is a show that will inspire  and great for your children to listen to as well.