In this inspiring episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances Fishman sits down with Sensei Caio—founder of True Kombat Training—to explore how martial arts can transform far more than physical ability. Together, they discuss the profound impact martial arts has on confidence, emotional regulation, resilience, discipline, and child development.

Raised in a family of martial artists and a former professional MMA fighter, Sensei Caio shares his journey from training with his father at three years old to building a unique mobile martial arts program that brings individualized instruction directly into families’ homes, schools, and communities. Today, his team serves more than 150 children, including many autistic and neurodivergent learners, through an approach that combines movement, mentorship, play, and personal growth.

Throughout the conversation, Frances and Sensei Caio dive into why martial arts is about much more than learning to fight. They discuss how children learn to navigate frustration, persevere through challenges, build emotional regulation, and develop lifelong confidence—skills that extend far beyond the mats.

This episode explores:

• Why martial arts develops much more than self-defense
• The connection between movement, brain development, and emotional regulation
• Martial arts for autistic and neurodivergent children
• Building confidence through repetition, mastery, and perseverance
• Teaching children how to lose with resilience and grace
• The importance of discipline, respect, and healthy boundaries
• How martial arts strengthens focus, self-control, and executive functioning
• Creating individualized programs that meet children where they are
• Using play, imagination, and storytelling to teach complex skills
• The role of meditation and mindfulness in children’s development
• Why mentorship can change the trajectory of a child’s life
• Supporting parents while helping children build resilience at home

Frances also shares how many of the strategies used in martial arts parallel principles from developmental psychology and behavior science—including priming, repetition, relationship-building, and learning through play. Together, they highlight how meaningful growth happens when children are given the opportunity to experience challenge in a supportive environment rather than being protected from it.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, therapist, coach, or simply someone interested in helping children build confidence and resilience, this episode offers practical insights into how martial arts can become a powerful tool for lifelong development.

One of the most memorable takeaways comes from Sensei Caio:

“It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

A reminder that preparing children with confidence, discipline, compassion, and self-control is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

Connect with Sensei Caio & True Kombat Training

🥋 True Kombat Training
 🌐 Website: https://truekombattraining.com
 📱 Instagram: @truekombattraining or @urugaicaio

Connect with The Play Base

🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com
 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/
 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase

In this heartfelt episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances Fishman sits down with Lauren Stewart—founder of The Sweet Spectrum and Proud Autism Moms Club—to talk about parenting, neurodiversity, entrepreneurship, community, and the transformative power of understanding.

Lauren shares her family's journey following her daughter's autism diagnosis, how it reshaped her perspective on motherhood, and how it ultimately inspired two purpose-driven businesses: one spreading joy through cookies and the other creating a supportive community for parents navigating similar experiences.

Together, Frances and Lauren explore the emotional realities of receiving a diagnosis, why understanding a child's brain changes everything, and how support for parents is just as important as support for children. Lauren also opens up about her own late ADHD diagnosis, the relief that came with understanding herself, and how self-awareness transformed the way she parents, works, and lives.

This episode explores:

• Lauren's journey as an autism mom and entrepreneur
• Why community is essential for parents raising neurodivergent children
• The inspiration behind The Sweet Spectrum and Proud Autism Moms Club
• What families experience after receiving an autism diagnosis
• Why a diagnosis doesn't change your child—it changes your understanding
• The importance of parent education and involvement in therapy
• Gestalt language processing and different forms of communication
• Late ADHD diagnosis in women and the power of self-understanding
• Emotional regulation, empathy, and nervous system support
• The realities of navigating therapy, insurance, and financial challenges
• Building inclusive communities where families feel seen, supported, and understood
• Finding beauty, joy, and connection in everyday moments

Throughout the conversation, Frances and Lauren challenge common misconceptions about autism and ADHD, emphasizing that neurodiversity is not something to fear or "fix." Instead, they discuss how understanding differences creates opportunities for connection, self-acceptance, and meaningful support.

Whether you're a parent, educator, therapist, clinician, or someone navigating your own neurodivergent journey, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone—and that compassion, curiosity, and community can change everything.

Connect with Lauren Stewart

🍪 The Sweet Spectrum
📱 Instagram: @thesweetspectrum

💙 Proud Autism Moms Club
📱 Instagram: @proudautismmomsclub

Connect with The Play Base

🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase

In this deeply personal team episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances Fishman sits down with five members of The Play Base senior team: Jennifer Leonard, Danielle Goodman, Katrina Abutog-Manon, Wendy Dominguez, and Diana Puentes.

What begins as a conversation about how each clinician found the field of behavior analysis becomes an honest exploration of what it truly means to support children, families, educators, and therapists with compassion.

The team shares the personal experiences that shaped their work, including sibling loss, motherhood, raising neurodivergent children, working within schools, supporting overwhelmed families, and witnessing approaches that focused more on compliance than connection. They reflect on why The Play Base feels different and why meaningful care must begin with seeing the whole person—not simply observing and changing behavior.

Together, Frances and the team discuss the nervous system, co-regulation, intuition, empathy, energy, family dynamics, and the powerful relationship between a clinician, a child, and the adults surrounding them. They also speak openly about the emotional weight parents carry, the vital role of RBTs, and why clinicians must care for the entire village supporting a child.

This episode explores:

• How each senior team member found her way into behavior analysis
• The personal experiences that shaped them as clinicians
• Why ABA should never be about “fixing” or changing who a child is
• The importance of connection, trust, play, and emotional safety
• Nervous system regulation and co-regulation
• Supporting parents without judgment or shame
• The unique challenges faced by parents of neurodivergent children
• How behavior support can extend beyond autism and into schools, homes, and communities
• The essential partnership between BCBAs, RBTs, educators, caregivers, and families
• Why empathy and intuition are meaningful clinical gifts
• The reciprocal healing that can occur between clinicians and the children they serve
• Creating independence while preserving a child’s individuality, joy, and sense of self
• The responsibility clinicians carry in shaping how children see and speak to themselves

At the heart of the conversation is a shared belief: children do not need to be repaired, controlled, or transformed into someone more convenient for the world around them.

They need to be understood.

They need adults who recognize their communication, honor their nervous systems, build on their strengths, and give them tools that allow them to move through the world with greater confidence, autonomy, and self-love.

This episode is for parents, educators, RBTs, BCBAs, therapists, caregivers, and anyone who believes support should feel compassionate, collaborative, and deeply human.

Connect with The Play Base

🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase

In this special solo episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances Fishman shares the heart behind her work, the story behind The Play Base, and the mission that continues to guide her every day.

Frances reflects on her journey into ABA, the children who changed her life, and how play became the foundation for connection, learning, and healing. She speaks openly about the challenges within the field of ABA, why she believes it needs more than a facelift—it needs a complete transformation—and how compassion, nervous system awareness, trauma-informed care, and unconditional acceptance have shaped her approach.

She also shares the deeply personal story of starting The Play Base, building a business from the ground up, balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, and the lessons she’s learned through both. Throughout the episode, Frances answers questions from listeners about her career, parenting, leadership, business, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How Frances found her path into ABA
• The children who shaped her life and career
• Why she believes no one needs “fixing”
• The future of compassionate, play-based ABA
• The inspiration behind The Play Base
• Entrepreneurship, purpose, and leading with authenticity
• Motherhood, balance, and showing up for yourself first
• Working collaboratively with families and professionals
• The importance of curiosity, connection, and seeing the human before the behavior

Whether you’re a parent, educator, clinician, or someone on your own healing journey, this episode is an invitation to rethink behavior through the lens of compassion, connection, and humanity.

Connect with The Play Base
 🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com
 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/
 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase

In this episode of The Playbase Podcast, Frances sits down with Krista Promnitz, Executive Director of Educational Support Services at Pine Crest School. A former school psychologist and Pine Crest alumna and parent, Krista brings a thoughtful lens to child development, family support, and student wellness.

Frances and Krista explore how children learn, struggle, and build independence — covering multidisciplinary support teams, transparent family communication, modern parenting, technology's role in anxiety, resilience, and the value of safe, natural consequences. Krista reminds us our job isn't to remove every obstacle, but to give kids the tools and confidence to navigate challenges themselves.

Show Notes

• Krista's role leading Educational Support Services at Pine Crest
• How multidisciplinary wellness teams support the whole child — academically, socially, emotionally, developmentally
• Why one trusted point person for family communication matters
• Krista's unique view as alumna, parent, and professional
• How Pine Crest has evolved while keeping its core values
• "Access without context": kids encountering information before they're ready to process it
• Teaching kids to ask "How do I know this is true?"
• The influence of The Anxious Generation
• Supporting healthy risk-taking and independence
• Curiosity before correction — asking questions instead of fixing
• The difference between supporting vs. disabling a child
• Why natural consequences build resilience and grit
• Krista's "three buckets" framework for parenting decisions
• A practical challenge: notice what you do for your child, then hand one thing back

About Krista Promnitz

Krista Promnitz is Executive Director of Educational Support Services at Pine Crest School, coordinating student support across academic, social, emotional, and wellness domains. A former school psychologist and Pine Crest alumna/parent, she brings both professional expertise and personal connection to the work.

Key Themes

Supporting the Whole Child — Pine Crest's multidisciplinary wellness teams look at a student's full picture, asking what each child needs and who's best positioned to help.

Clear Communication — Families need clarity and one trusted guide through complex support systems, not competing voices.

Access Without Context — Kids absorb information via YouTube, social media, and search without the context older generations had. Asking "How do you know that's true?" builds critical thinking.

Curiosity Before Fixing — Questions like "What do you think happened?" or "What could you try next time?" build problem-solving skills over quick rescues.

Safe Failure — Small failures (forgotten homework, a missed deadline) teach kids to recover and adapt — if adults don't fix everything first.

The Three Buckets — (1) Battles not worth fighting, (2) non-negotiable health/safety issues, (3) the middle space where kids practice responsibility through trial and error.

Independence Built Slowly — Small daily moments — packing a bag, managing time, trying again — build independence, not one big leap.

Closing Thought

Resilience isn't built because life is easy — it's built through space to try, struggle, and recover. Our role: stand close enough to support, far enough back to let kids discover their own capability.

Connect with The Play Base
🌐 www.us.theplaybase.com
📸 instagram.com/theplaybase
🎥 youtube.com/@theplaybase

In this episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances sits down with Bekka Goldberg—educator, college counselor, mom, creative entrepreneur, and founder of Blade & Stitch.

After first connecting through the South Florida hockey community, Frances and Bekka quickly bonded over their shared passion for child development, education, creativity, and helping young people discover environments where they can truly thrive.

Bekka shares her unexpected journey from aspiring Broadway performer to theater student, student affairs professional, college counselor, boarding school educator, and eventually entrepreneur. Along the way, she discovered that life's greatest opportunities often come through unexpected redirection.

Together, Frances and Bekka explore how children flourish when they feel seen, valued, and loved—not because of what they achieve, but because of who they are. They discuss why education is never one-size-fits-all, the importance of trusting parental intuition, and how resilience grows when children are allowed to navigate healthy challenges with support instead of having every obstacle removed.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Bekka's journey from theater to education and entrepreneurship
• The value of arts, athletics, and creative expression
• College counseling and navigating the emotional college admissions process
• Why rejection can become redirection
• School choice and finding the right fit for each child
• Supporting children without over-functioning for them
• Building resilience through healthy struggle
• Why every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and loved

Key Takeaways

• There is no perfect school—only the right fit for your child.
• Parents know their children better than anyone and should trust that intuition.
• Healthy challenges help children develop confidence, independence, and resilience.
• Redirection often leads to opportunities we never expected.
• Whether through academics, sports, or the arts, children thrive when adults genuinely see and support them.

Throughout the conversation, Bekka reflects on her work with college students, boarding school communities, artists, athletes, and families, showing that while every child has different passions, their deepest needs remain the same: to belong, to be understood, and to know they are valued.

This episode is a thoughtful reminder that parenting isn't about creating the perfect path—it's about helping children discover their own while providing the encouragement, connection, and trust they need along the way.

Connect with Bekka Goldberg
🌐 Website: https://www.bladeandstitch.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blade.and.stitch/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bekkagoldberg/

Connect with The Play Base
🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase

The Play Base Podcast – Episode Summary

Frances sits down with Bekka Goldberg, educator, college counselor, mom, and founder of a custom product business. They first connected through hockey in South Florida and bonded over a shared love of supporting children, appreciating the arts, and helping young people find spaces where they truly thrive.

Bekka shares her journey from a creative child who dreamed of Broadway, to studying theater at Muhlenberg College, to discovering student affairs and college counseling. During college she became a head resident, which opened her eyes to supporting young people through transition and growth as a career. That path led her to Creighton University, then Teachers College at Columbia, where she pursued graduate studies and worked in residential life.

Key Themes

The conversation explores school choice in South Florida — where families navigate public, private, charter, micro-schools, and more — and brings everything back to one essential question: Who is my child, and where do they thrive? Bekka emphasizes that there is no perfect school, only the right fit for each individual child.

A major theme is trusting parental intuition. Frances notes that parents often override their own inner knowing in favor of "the expert" — but parents are the true experts on their children. Both agree that children also need healthy struggle. The "snowplow parent" who clears every obstacle unintentionally prevents kids from building resilience, independence, and problem-solving skills.

Bekka's work at Walnut Hill School for the Arts shaped her belief that all students — artists, athletes, debaters, engineers — share the same core human need: to feel seen, valued, and loved.

Key Takeaways

• Redirection is not failure — rejection often leads us where we're meant to go
• Know your child deeply; fit matters more than prestige
• Trust your parental intuition alongside professional guidance
• Hard is not bad — struggle builds resilience
• Don't snowplow the path; let kids develop independence
• Arts and athletics teach teamwork, vulnerability, discipline, and identity
• Every child deserves adults who genuinely see and value them

Memorable Quotes
"There is no perfect school." | "Hard is not bad." | "Redirection is not rejection." | "Everyone needs to feel seen, valued, and loved."

Connect with Bekka: bladeandstitch.com | @blade.and.stitch | @bekkagoldberg
Connect with The Play Base: theplaybase.com | @theplaybase

In this episode, Frances sits down with Dr. Ally Durrieu, owner of Nature Nurture Chiropractic, for an eye-opening conversation about chiropractic care through a neurological and nervous-system-based lens.

Dr. Ally specializes in supporting children and adults with neurodiverse needs, sensory challenges, nervous system dysregulation, and stress-related concerns. Through her work with the PX Docs (Pediatric Experience) network, she helps families understand what may be happening beneath the surface when a child struggles with emotional regulation, sensory sensitivities, digestion, sleep, focus, or behavior.

What You'll Learn

Dr. Ally explains that stress isn't just emotional — it falls into three categories: chemical (nutrition, toxins, food sensitivities), physical (injury, posture, movement), and emotional (relationships, parenting, work). Rather than eliminating stress, her goal is helping the nervous system adapt to it more effectively.

She also walks through the three scans she uses to assess nervous system function:

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV) — measures stress adaptation and the ability to shift between fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest states
• Surface EMG — evaluates how much energy the brain is sending to muscles, identifying tension, overload, and compensation patterns
• Thermography — assesses skin temperature to reveal inflammation, blood flow, and nervous system interference

Frances shares her own experience undergoing this assessment and reflects on how the results aligned with lifestyle changes she'd recently made.

Behavior Is Communication

A standout moment in the conversation centers on neurodiverse children. Dr. Ally explains how understanding a child's internal nervous system state — whether they're overactivated or running on empty — allows caregivers and professionals to respond with greater empathy and effectiveness. When we understand the physiology, the behavior makes more sense.

The episode also touches on how nervous system function can influence digestion, immune health, allergies, sleep, and respiratory function — and why treating symptoms in isolation often misses the bigger picture.

Trust Your Gut

Dr. Ally closes with a powerful reminder for parents: trust your instincts. If something feels off with your child, that inner knowing is worth listening to. And for caregivers of all kinds — you cannot pour from an empty cup. Your well-being is the foundation for everything else.

Connect with Dr. Ally Durrieu
🌐 naturenurturechiropractic.com
📸 @nature.nurture.chiropractic
🔍 Find a PX Docs provider: pxdocs.com

Connect with The Play Base
🌐 us.theplaybase.com
📸 @theplaybase
🎥 YouTube: @theplaybase

The Playbase Podcast | Episode with Liat Horovitz, Results Coach & Retreat Facilitator

Frances sits down with Liat Horovitz, a results coach, retreat facilitator, and creator of transformational spaces for women, entrepreneurs, and leaders standing on the edge of change.

Frances and Liat reflect on their first meeting, the impact of coaching, and the kind of deep connection that helps someone see themselves more clearly. Together, they explore what it means to feel stuck, how to listen to the quiet whispers within, and why the next step is often not about forcing an answer — but about leaning in.

This conversation touches on motherhood, business, burnout, vulnerability, self-awareness, control, and the courage it takes to make big life decisions before all the answers are clear.

In this episode, Frances and Liat discuss:

• Liat's work as a results coach and the difference between coaching and consulting
• Why so many people look outside themselves for answers — and how coaching helps uncover the answers already within
• The moment Liat helped Frances recognize the weight she had been carrying
• Motherhood, business ownership, and the invisible pressure women often carry
• The difference between self-care as performance and self-care as true nourishment
• How burnout shows up when we ignore our needs
• Control as a defense mechanism — and the power of loosening our grip
• How breathwork supports nervous system regulation
• Frances' move from Toronto to Florida and how coaching supported her through fear and transition
• The power of women's retreats and in-person connection, including Liat's Revival event in Boca Raton
• Why vulnerability is a doorway to transformation
• Liat's belief that we are one connection away from something big

About Liat Horovitz
Liat Horovitz is a results coach who helps people move through uncertainty, reconnect to themselves, and take aligned action in their personal and professional lives. Through coaching, retreats, and transformational events like Revival, she supports women, entrepreneurs, and leaders in clarifying what they want, identifying what's holding them back, and stepping into the next version of themselves.

Reflection from Liat
You are one connection away from something big. Open yourself to new conversations, new relationships, and new spaces — there can be magic on the other side of allowing it in.

Connect with Liat Horovitz
🌐 liathorovitz.com
📸 @liathorovitz

Connect with The Play Base
🌐 us.theplaybase.com
📸 @theplaybase
🎥 YouTube: @theplaybase

In this inspiring episode, Frances sits down with Jasmine Eingen, founder of Mentorio, a mentorship and personal development brand supporting children's confidence, emotional growth, and mental fitness.

Jasmine joins from London to share how Mentorio began in Toronto and has grown into a global vision. Through after-school programs, school partnerships, one-to-one mentorship, peer mentorship, and an upcoming virtual membership platform, Mentorio helps children identify their strengths, build confidence, regulate their emotions, and feel deeply seen.

Together, Frances and Jasmine explore the power of mentorship, the beauty of peer connection, and why children often receive guidance differently from mentors than from parents or teachers. This conversation is a reminder that every child deserves someone who sees their light, names their strengths, and helps them believe in themselves.

In this episode, they discuss:

• How Mentorio supports children's mental fitness and personal development
• Why mentorship can be so powerful for children
• The difference between hearing advice from a parent vs. a mentor
• How peer mentorship helps both the mentor and the mentee grow
• Helping children identify and name their personal gifts
• Confidence as a foundation for resilience and courage
• How Mentorio creates safe spaces for children to feel seen and heard
• Why quality screen time can be meaningful when it fosters connection and growth
• Mentorio's future plans for global access and in-person pop-up events
• Jasmine's journey from Toronto to London and what motherhood and business ownership have taught her

About Mentorio

Mentorio is a mentorship and personal development brand designed to support children's confidence, emotional growth, mental fitness, and sense of self. Founded by Jasmine Eingen, Mentorio helps children discover their strengths, build confidence, develop emotional tools, and connect with inspiring mentors who act as guides, cheerleaders, and role models. The program is now expanding globally through a virtual membership platform where children can connect with mentors from around the world in small group settings.

Reflection Question from Jasmine Think about the confidence you have today. What has that confidence helped you achieve? What feeds your confidence, and how can you share those gifts with the world?

Connect with Jasmine & Mentorio 🌐 https://www.mentorio.org/ 📸 https://www.instagram.com/mentorio.learning/ 📸 https://www.instagram.com/j.etingen/

Connect with The Play Base 🌐 www.us.theplaybase.com 📸 https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/ 🎥 https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase