The Resilient Caregiver Podcast

You may be thinking, "Wait, they're talking about the holidays already?" That's right!

We're entering the season known as the holiday vortex- From Halloween through New Years it's a season of overstimulation, grief-magnified, and loss-intensified for our children.

How in the world can we nagivate this season and live to tell about it? If you're a caregiver who's wondering this, we have good news. Deborah Gray joins the podcast for an amazing throwback episode all about helping our children through the holiday season (Halloween through New Years!).

A little more about Deborah...

Referred to as the "attachment guru" by Adoptive Families Magazine, Deborah Gray specializes in attachment, grief, and trauma issues of children in her practice, Nurturing Attachments.

As a clinical social worker, Deborah has the honor of helping families develop close, satisfying relationships after children's earlier losses, traumas, and/or prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol. In addition to her therapy practice, Deborah is the creator of the post-graduate certificate program, Attachment & Trauma Focused Therapy (ATFT). She holds an MPA in Public Administration (Health Care), from the Maxwell School/Syracuse University.

Deborah is the author of Promoting Healthy Attachments; Attaching through Love, Hugs, and Play; Nurturing Adoptions; and Attaching in Adoption. She co-authored, with Megan Clarke, Games and Activities for Attaching with Your Child. In 2015 Deborah was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Training on Attachment and Trauma in Children.

Also on the show...

• Get our FREE Holiday Survival Guide.... a collection of interviews with trauma-trained therapists that will give you valuable insights into navigating the holidays! Click Here to get access.
• BIG annoucement coming this Monday, October 16th. But you need to be on our email list to get the firsthand info. Click Here to visit our homepage and get on the list!

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

Most caregivers step into the parenting journey with dreams, ideals, and a certain vision of how parenting is going to unfold. We have dreams of what our children will be like when they grow older. We envision positive, warm relationships, that are worthy of a Hallmark Movie. Sounds ridiculous, right? But that's what we do. That can set us and our children up for failure.

In this episode we discuss re-adjusting your expectations to help you and your children achieve success.

In this episode we talk about...

• Re-adjusting your expectations.
• Trauma doesn't play by the rules. What happened yesterday is not what will happen today!
• No longer trying to achieve perfection (newsflash- it's NOT possible!)
• Feeling successful when we accomplish 1 or 2 things that are important
• Lowering expectations so not to set our children up for failure
• How we can re-adjust expectations successfully

Also on the show....

• We are getting REAL close to launching Resilient Caregiver University! Click Here to learn more and send us some important feedback!

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

For a lot of caregivers, hands-on parenting won't end when their child graduates from high school. We'll be involved in some what, shape, or form with our children as they move into adulthood. But that doesn't mean that our lives, or their lives, will be restricted. Quite the opposite. Resiliency as you continue to parent into adulthood IS possible.

In this episode, we welcome Sue Badeau, who knows a thing or two about building resiliency long Into parenting adult children. She and her husband Hector are currently involved in several of their adult children's lives.

A Little More About Sue...

Whether delivering a training herself, or developing a curriculum for others, Sue has one goal in mind: providing memorable, effective, educational workshops that inspire and motivate action. After participating in Sue's training sessions, attendees report understanding new ways to apply complex information. "I see myself as a translator," Sue explains, "Presenting challenging material in ways that professionals, parents and caregivers can implement in their daily lives and practice."

How To Connect With Sue...

• Contact her via email
• Purchase her book
• Follow her on Facebook

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

Being a dad on the foster and adoptive caregiver journey is no easy task. Resiliency, let alone our sanity, seems like climbing Mt. Everest without oxygen. But, it doesn't need to be this way. There is hope. In this episode Mike has an open conversation with two dads about how to build resiliency!

We talk about vulnerability, the importance of community and connection, a little bit about what happens at Road Trip (our unique experience in the mountains of Colorado for foster and adoptive dads) and so much more.

Also On The Show...

• Road Trip! We have 6 spots left. Dads, if you need a getaway, join us in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS for Road Trip 2023. Click Here.
• Hope Conference 2023. Join us this fall in Des Moines, Iowa for a powerful, refreshing, and hope-filled weekend for foster and adoptive parents. Click Here to learn more.
• Resilient Caregiver Resource Page
• Resilient Caregiver Podcast
• Resilient Caregiver Homepage

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

In the heat of the moment, when your child is melting down, you're on display, or you're just overwhelmed and exhausted, the question that is likely running through your head is "What's wrong with this child?"

But, it's the wrong question to ask. It's okay if you've asked this before. We all have. Don't beat yourself up. It happens to all of us. You're not alone.

In this episode we discuss this and what the RIGHT question actually is. And the right question has the power to change EVERYTHING- your response, your attachment to your child, the level of trust you have with them, and even your resiliency as a caregiver!

Also on the show...

• Visit the NEW Resilient Caregiver website here.
• Road Trip 2023 is almost here and we have a few spots left. If you're a dad in need of a getaway to the mountains, don't miss this amazing and transformational event. Click Here.
• Join us for Hope 2023 this November! Hope Conference takes place just outside of Des Moine, Iowa and is a can't miss event for foster and adoptive parents. We will be there leading 3 different breakout sessions on understanding and leveraging your influence with your children, effectively responding to behaviors, and building healthy attachments with your children. Click Here to grab your spot.

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

Welcome to The Resilient Caregiver Podcast. We are sooooo excited to unveil the new name, new approach, new conversations, and (each week) new insights.

This week, the two of us are talking through the heartbeat behind The Resilient Caregiver (our parentn company's name) and some insights into how to achieve resiliency.

In this episode, we discuss....

• Understanding, and how gaining a new perspective on your child can change everything!
• Education, and why we can never ever ever stop growing as caregivers.
• Support, and why this is the glue that holds it all together.

Also on the show....

• The NEW Resilient Caregiver website!

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

We've blown the lid clean off on a BIG secret we've been keeping for the past 8 months!

On August 30th, our brand new initiative (and name), The Resilient Caregiver, will go live to the world. We're making this change for one big reason: We are passionate about and intensely focused on helping you, amazing caregiver, build resiliency through a deeper understanding of your child, in-depth and relevant education, and an insanely dedicated and understanding support community that helps you thrive!

We're diving into all the amazing details of the new site in this final episode of The Honestly Adoption Podcast (don't worry, only the name is changing!)...

On The Show...

• Visit The Resilient Caregiver Preview Page
• Download the presentation slides!
• Download The Resiliency Success Path

Thanks for stopping by this week!

In this episode, Mike shares some encouragement for foster and adoptive caregivers. Along with that, he also shares an exciting annoucement that you won't want to miss.

Here are important links mentioned in this episode...

• Honestly Adoption's website (to get on our email list to you're in the loop on the BIG announcement)
• Lady GaGa's song Hold My Hand

Thanks for stopping by this week :-)

In 2016, sensing an urgency to create safe space where foster and adoptive dads could connect with one another, Mike Berry, Andrew Schneidler and Jason Morriss, created Road Trip: A Mountaintop Experience for Foster and Adoptive Dads. They had one goal: create safe space where men could be open, honest, and vulnerable in without fear of judgement or criticism. To date, more than 600 men have journeyed up the mountain. In this latest episode, they share openly what Road Trip is, why it's so transformational in men's lives, and how dads can find connection and camaraderie.

A Little More About Road Trip...

Let's begin with what Road Trip is NOT. It's NOT a retreat, NOT a conference, and NOT a church men's retreat. It's a conversation.

Weird, right? What does that even mean? At Road Trip we're all about invitation. Simply put...you attend a retreat, but you're invited into a conversation. And the best part? You can choose to participate, or just listen. In any case, Road Trip is safe space for foster and adoptive dads to share their greatest fears and greatest struggles, without judgement.

In the midst of this conversation, you also get a chance to getaway and participate in fly fishing, hiking, exploring, napping (if you need it), micro-brewery trips, horseback riding, and much much more!

Heads up, we only have a few more spots left for 2023...

Click Here To Learn More

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)

One of the strongest emotions we'll experience on this journey is grief. How do you work through this so you better help your child?

It's not easy. In fact, grief itself, is a journey. We experience this because this journey is hard, and we have lost a lot. So have our children. And helping them heal is a priority. But in order to better help our children heal and process their own grief, we must learn to process ours and arrive to a place of healing.

Fortunately, we have amazing partners and leaders like Jessica Sinarski, LPCMH.

A Little More About Jessica...

Jessica's superpower is making brain science accessible and entertaining for children and adults alike. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a therapist, consultant, and educator led her to create the resource and training platform—BraveBrains. In addition to speaking engagements all over the country, Jessica partners with schools, child welfare agencies, and other organizations to help adults become healers for hurting children. She is also the mom of 3 busy boys.

How To Connect With Jessica...

• Order a copy of Riley The Brave's Big Feelings Activity Book
• Check out Jessica's Safe To Feel Sad blog post

Thanks for stopping by this week ;-)