The Parent Hope Podcast

In this Episode Jenny is back in the hosting seat with guest Dan Papero.

Dr Jenny Brown draws on Dan’s rich experience as a Bowen family systems scholar, teacher and clinician. They explore how our families are both the seedbed for symptoms and a garden of recovery. They explore how parents can contribute to their family becoming a garden for the sustainable growth and flourishing of its members - including its children.

This conversation builds on Dr Papero’s keynote addresses at the 21st Family Systems Institute Conference. https://www.thefsi.com.au/

About the Guest:

Dan Papero is a senior faculty member from the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, DC. Learn more about Dan's and his work here:
https://www.thebowencenter.org/
https://www.thebowencenter.org/faculty-bios/daniel-papero 

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Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In this episode, the tables are turned again as Vicki Wilkins, the Parent Hope Project Professional Programs Coordinator, interviews Dr. Jenny Brown. They discuss the topic of limit setting and responding to children's misbehaviour.

Does the family systems approach recognise that parenting involves responding to children’s misbehaviours?  This question seems to come up so much at parent events and in our parents' hope for professional training –  It speaks to parent uncertainty about what their leadership involves with so much conflicting advice out there.

Guest Host-Vicki Wilkins

Vicki Wilkins is a mother of three primary age children, a Mental Health Clinician & one of the valued members of the Team at the Parent Hope Project.

Interviewee & Regular Host of the Parent Hope Podcast- Dr Jenny Brown

Dr Jenny Brown has worked in child, couple, and family health since the 1980s, focusing on child and adolescent mental health and the crucial role of parental involvement in treatment. Throughout her career, Jenny has observed and researched how easily parents can lose confidence in their strengths and wisdom, often stepping aside to let experts address concerns about their children. Her extensive clinical and research work based on Bowen family systems led to a profound realisation: children do best when their parents and carers have self-awareness and clarity in their roles rather than just trying to fix their child.  

Driven by this insight, Jenny developed the Parent Hope Project. The project reflects her commitment to empowering parents, enabling them to effectively nurture their children’s mental health. This approach is grounded in her depth of understanding of family therapy, particularly Dr Murray Bowen’s family systems theory.  

Episode Links:

•  https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Clarity-Caregivers-Supporters-Flourishing/dp/0648578542?ref_=ast_author_dp 
• https://parenthopeproject.com.au/when-tantrums-are-also-disobedience/ 

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In this episode the tables are turned! Last week's guest, Michelle Varcoe, interviews Dr Jenny Brown to discuss:

• The importance of co-regulation in parenting.
• What is co-regulation?
• Are there potential pitfalls of focusing too much on co-regulation?
• Consider the role of self-regulation in parenting.
• Differentiation in Parenting: meaningful connection without invasion.

To hear more about Michelle go to Season 2 Episode 4 or see links below.

About Dr Jenny Brown:
Dr Jenny Brown has over 35 years of clinical experience in child, couple, and family health. Her primary clinical and research interest has been in Child and adolescent mental health and parent’s involvement in treatment. This has been reflected in her publications, conference and workshop presentations and her PhD research on parents’ experience of their child’s mental health treatment. The Parent Hope project has been developed from this critical research.

Jenny’s most recent book is Facilitating Parents’ Agency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Helplessness to Hope – published by Cambridge Scholars.

https://parenthopeproject.com.au/about-jenny-brown/

About Michelle Varcoe:
Michelle is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker who has worked across various Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams within NSW Health, and has extensive experience in supporting families who have a child/adolescent presenting with moderate-severe mental health issues 

https://thefsp.com.au/parent-programs/

https://thefsp.com.au/michelle-varcoe/

Parent Hope Project:

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In this Episode Jenny and Guest Michelle Varcoe discuss tantrums, sleep issues and exhaustion - staying steady (enough) during the early parenting years.

Michelle brings her insight into what she sees as the main challenges in trying to stay steady in these very intense, exhausting parenting years.

Michelle Varcoe is a mother who is just coming up for air from the early parenting years. She is a seasoned mental health clinician, one of the specialist Parent counsellors at the Parent Hope Clinic in Sydney https://thefsp.com.au/parent-programs/.

She is particularly aware of the unique role that parents/carers play in the support of a young person, but also the unique anxieties and concerns that are inherent in the demanding role of parenting. She has seen how these anxieties increase alongside the concern for a young person who is deeply struggling with their mental health. As such, she is committed to working with parents in a non-judgemental, empathic approach that supports parents’ self-efficacy and resourcefulness as they continue the enriching challenges of parenthood.  Michelle is committed to the learning process, maintaining curiosity and continuous thinking, and is currently studying the Advanced Certificate of Couple and Family Systems Therapy through the Family Systems Institute (due to complete in 2024). She has also presented her thinking around application of theory to practice at conferences alongside her colleagues.   

Guest Bio:
Michelle is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker who has worked across various Child and Adolescent Mental Health teams within NSW Health, and has extensive experience in supporting families who have a child/adolescent presenting with moderate-severe mental health issues.
https://thefsp.com.au/parent-programs/
https://thefsp.com.au/michelle-varcoe/

Parent Hope Project Links:
Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter
Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents
Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/
LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/
Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/
Contact us: [email protected]
(02) 9904 5600

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In today's episode, Jenny will discuss Marriage and Parenting with a seasoned family therapist, author, Father and Husband, Arum Nadigel. With a special emphasis on Dads, they will explore what it takes to keep a marriage intact through the stresses and strains of the parenting years?  
They discuss big questions Like:  

• What are the main stressors that parenting puts on a marriage?  
• Are there particular stressors in today's stress-laden climate (dual income stress – living away from extended family support)  years?  
• How do parents and spouses figure out how to do marriage and relationships? 
• Do we need maps and role models?  

Finishing with some hopeful examples of marriages getting back on track and even thriving during the parenting years.

Speaker Bio:

Avrum Nadigel, B.Comm, MSW is a family and relationship therapist with over twenty years of clinical experience. 

He is the author of three books, the most recent was co-authored with the late Dr. David Freeman entitled: “Where Would You Like To Start: A master therapist on beginning psychotherapy with families.” 

Avrum co-produced three podcasts combining Family Systems theory and pop culture. He is also an urban sketcher and guitarist and songwriter.

Website: https://nadigel.com/

Books:

• https://www.amazon.ca/Books-Avrum-Nadigel/srh=n%3A916520%2Cp_27%3AAvrum+Nadigel
• https://www.amazon.com.au/Takes-More-Than-Love-workbook/dp/0995987009

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In this episode we will discuss an important finding from Bowen family systems theory: parents can detour our troubles onto our children. This is described as parents projecting the worry onto the offspring. 

Dr Carrie Collier will help us to think about this issue and address our build up of worry about children. 

• How to make sense of the way issues in broader family relationships can increase a worry focus on children.
• How issues with our siblings, cut-offs with parents, or the death of a parent/grandparent can play out in our parenting.
• How a narrow focus on parenting techniques misses these important family issues.

Hear more from Dr Carrie Collier:

• Finding a Self in Parenting: When a parent is concerned about a child, it’s easy for anxiety to take over. An anxious focus on a child can make it difficult for a parent to access their best thinking, or to observe the larger family system and their role in it. In this edition of Family Matters, Dr. Carrie Collier shares her thoughts about how a parent can begin to take responsibility for their emotional reactivity in response to a parenting challenge. She discusses what it takes to shift one’s focus from solving a child’s dilemma to managing oneself in the midst of chaos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpOaOFnHOqE
• https://www.thebowencenter.org/faculty-bios/carrie-collier
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpOaOFnHOqE
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/anzf.1491

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In this Episode of the Parent Hope Podcast Jenny Brown  explores  “How parents can partner with schools to increase student and family confidence” with Robin Shultz.

What makes for a positive partnership between parents and schools?
What can get in the way of this?
How can parents best deal with worries about how their child is doing at school?

Robin Shultz Bio
Robyn is a retired school social worker with 20 years of experience working in schools in the Chicago area. Now a private practice owner of New Legends Counselling, Coaching and Consulting, LLC Geneva, Illinois, United States.

Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT), Clinical Social Work, (DSW, LCSW), Licensed School Social Worker (Type 73), Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CADC), Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) with specializations in Outdoor Experiential Education and Behavioral Health.

Links:

Shultz, R. (2020). The current state of children’s mental health in schools: The need for expanded thinking: Family Systems: A Journal of Natural Systems Thinking in Psychiatry and the Sciences, 15, (1), 49-55.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370553454_THE_CURRENT_STATE_OF_CHILDREN'S_MENTAL_HEALTH_IN_SCHOOLS_THE_NEED_FOR_EXPANDED_THINKING

Shultz, R. (2022). Using Bowen family systems theory concepts to explore how adult interaction patterns may influence student functioning. Family Systems: A Journal of Natural Systems Thinking in Psychiatry and the Sciences, 16, (2), 133-156.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370553459_USING_BOWEN_FAMILY_SYSTEMS_THEORY_CONCEPTS_TO

Robin Shultz, DSW, LCSW, LMFT, CADC, CTRS

Robin's research papers:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robin-Shultz-2

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-shultz-dsw-lcsw-lmft-cadc-ctrs-b7839019/

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

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LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

The Summer Theme - Parents promoting responsible, age-appropriate independence & avoiding futile power struggles. 

These themes are relevant, whatever the age of your child.  

Adolescents present unique challenges for parents. For example, the reactive push for independence can be triggering for parents. In this podcast, Jenny reveals how parent efforts to correct behaviours can inadvertently reinforce a conflict cycle that can fuel a teen's physiological reward system: (sensation seeking). An overview of adolescent brain development makes sense of this reward system. 

More description here: https://parenthopeproject.com.au/podcasts/adolescents-independence-on-steroids/

Links

1. Sensation seeking: Steinberg L. A Social Neuroscience Perspective on Adolescent Risk-Taking. Dev Rev. 2008 Mar;28(1):78-106. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2007.08.002. PMID: 18509515; PMCID: PMC2396566.

2. Flexibility in parenting interactions: Branje, S. (2018), Development of Parent–Adolescent Relationships: Conflict Interactions as a Mechanism of Change. Child Dev Perspect, 12: 171-176. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12278

3. Understanding teenage brain development:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/development/understanding-your-pre-teen/brain-development-teens
https://www.startingblocks.gov.au/other-resources/factsheets/brain-development-in-children

Questions:

[email protected]

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

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LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

The Summer Theme - Parents promoting responsible, age-appropriate independence & avoiding futile power struggles.

These themes are relevant, whatever the age of your child. Enjoy this rebroadcast of “Toddler in meltdown- The first push for independence”

With toddlers the challenge is managing our responses to their huge learning spurt and push towards independence. This podcast describes 2 different parent toddler interactions involving a toddler not getting what they want. What is in a parent’s control to contribute to a toddler’s increased capacity to delay gratification?

Research links mentioned in podcast

Luo, Y., Pattanakul, D. Infant expectations of instant or delayed gratification. Sci Rep 10, 19081 (2020).

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-76136-9

The Stanford marshmallow experiment- a study on delayed gratification in 1972 led by psychologist Walter Mischel

https://www.simplypsychology.org/marshmallow-test.html

Newsletter-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/#newsletter

Youtube-http://www.youtube.com/@ParentHopeProject

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/coachingparents

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/parenthopeproject/

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/79093727/admin/feed/posts/

Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

[email protected]

(02) 9904 5600

In this episode, we will discuss parenting courses with a family skills community educator. We'll explore what parents get out of carving out time for parenting courses – and are all parenting courses the same?         

• How can parents get a confidence boost from accessing a parenting course?  
• Steve will share about differences in parent courses. 
• He will provide examples of what parents have found most helpful and most challenging. 
• And some tips for facilitating a parenting course in a way that helps parents develop their own insights relevant to their unique family. 

Stephen Dinning  Family and Life Skills Educator at Anglicare 

Steve has a background in social work and parish ministry. As part of Anglicare’s Family & Life Skills Education Team he runs courses and seminars in parenting, family life and relating with others. He’s also on Anglicare’s Southern Counselling Team. 

We would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.

[email protected]

New resource on the Parent Hope Project website 

https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

“ Parenting that Promotes Flourishing Children” for parents and their helpers, https://parenthopeproject.com.au/free-parent-course/

Like, Subscribe, Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Linkedin, spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This is the last episode for 2023, Thanks for listening, we'll be back in the new year.

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Website-https://parenthopeproject.com.au/

Contact us:

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(02) 9904 5600