Turn The Lens Inward

What happens when our kids go from the highly supported environment of high school to suddenly being expected to manage college, deadlines, accommodations, relationships, and everyday life on their own?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Radhika Achari, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and mother of a neurodivergent child, to talk about how we can help our teens and young adults build the skills they need to become more independent.

Dr. Achari shares her personal experience navigating her son’s autism and sensory processing diagnoses, and how learning to advocate, collaborate with professionals, and focus on progress changed her approach to parenting. We also explore the transition from an IEP-supported high school environment to college, where young adults are suddenly expected to advocate for themselves and manage much more on their own.

Whether your child is neurodivergent or neurotypical, this conversation is an important reminder that we can’t control everything our kids will experience. But we can help them develop the skills, confidence, and resilience to navigate those experiences for themselves.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Independence needs to be taught. Give your teen opportunities to manage routines, solve problems, communicate, and advocate for themselves before they leave home.

• Shift from problem-solver to coach. Instead of doing everything for your child, guide them through the process and let them take the lead.

• Focus on the skills you can build. You can’t control what your child experiences, but you can help them develop resilience, emotional regulation, self-advocacy, and confidence.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: parenting teens, parenting young adults, college readiness, preparing teens for college, teen independence, young adult independence, neurodivergent teens, neurodivergent young adults, autism and college, ADHD and college, executive functioning skills, self advocacy skills, IEP transition to college, college accommodations, disability services in college, emotional regulation for teens, independent living skills, parenting neurodivergent children, sensory processing disorder, autism parenting, parent coaching, college transition, life skills for teenagers, raising independent teens, preparing kids for adulthood, teen mental health, parent burnout

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/analyze_n_act/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/people/Analyze-Act/ 

Website | https://analyzeandact.com/

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CONNECT WITH ME

Follow on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Follow on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Check out my Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 – Introduction: Raising Independent Kids

01:35 – Dr. Achari’s Journey to Motherhood

04:02 – Discovering Her Son’s Autism Diagnosis

08:36 – Understanding Sensory Processing Challenges

11:35 – Parenting Through a Behaviour Analyst’s Lens

12:27 – The Importance of Collaboration and Early Intervention

17:13 – Why Parents Should Be Involved in Therapy

22:17 – Building Habits and Overcoming Parental Burnout

27:03 – Understanding IEPs and College Accommodations

30:45 – Teaching Independence and Executive Functioning Skills

33:52 – Essential Life Skills for Every Teen

35:51 – The Bridge to College Independence Program

37:25 – Why Students Struggle in Their First Year of College

45:32 – Becoming Your Child’s Coach, Not Their Problem Solver

When our child is struggling with mental health, addiction, anxiety, or simply a difficult season, it can feel impossible not to struggle right alongside them. But supporting our children doesn’t have to mean carrying their pain, fixing every problem, or living in constant fear of what might happen next.

In this episode, I sit down with Kat Finnerty, author of Never Let a Good Disaster Go to Waste, for a powerful conversation about perspective, resilience, suffering, and learning to respond differently when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Kat shares what she has learned through her own experiences with multiple sclerosis, depression, divorce, grief, motherhood, and years of studying Buddhist philosophy and other wisdom traditions. We talk about why we can become consumed by our children’s struggles, how the stories we tell ourselves can deepen our suffering, and why not every problem is ours to fix.

We also explore how our own stress and reactions affect our families, what it means to let our children walk their own path, and how shifting our perspective can help us find peace even when the circumstances around us haven’t changed.

This conversation reminded me that we can deeply love and support our children without allowing their struggles to consume our lives.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Not every problem is ours to fix. We can support our children without taking ownership of their journey.

• Our perspective can change our experience. We may not control what happens, but we can choose how we respond.

• Our healing affects our children. When we model hope and resilience, we create a healthier environment for our families.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: parenting a struggling child, parental anxiety, parenting teens, parenting young adults, child mental health, teen mental health, addiction recovery for families, supporting a child with addiction, parental stress, letting go of control as a parent, how to stop worrying about your child, resilience for parents, emotional regulation for parents, changing your perspective, family mental health, breaking generational patterns, parent self-healing, coping with family crisis, mindfulness for parents, gratitude and resilience, Kat Finnerty, Never Let a Good Disaster Go to Waste, Turn the Lens Inward podcast

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/kat_finnerty 

Book | https://mybook.to/KatMemoir 

Website | katfinnerty.com

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/katrin.rochford 

Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@kat.finnerty  

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CONNECT WITH ME

Follow on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Follow on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Check out my Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 – When Their Struggle Becomes Yours

01:30 – Meet Kat Finnerty

03:52 – This Too Shall Pass

05:38 – The Two Arrows of Suffering

07:37 – Is Suffering a Habit?

09:55 – Choosing How Long You Suffer

14:43 – Changing Your Perspective

19:47 – Learning Resilience

22:06 – Turning Adversity Into Wisdom

25:30 – Gratitude Changes Everything

29:43 – Rethinking Mental Health

33:07 – When Your Child Is Struggling

35:24 – You Can’t Fix Everything for Them

37:03 – What We Pass Down to Our Kids

39:32 – The Secret to Having Enough

44:44 – Focus on What’s Going Right

47:05 – What If This Changes Your Life?

When your teen starts pulling away, becoming more emotional, or acting differently, how do you know what’s normal adolescence and what could be a mental health warning sign?

In this episode of Turn the Lens Inward, Lisa Taylor sits down with mental health clinician and Mental Health First Aid trainer Michele Pilon to talk about what parents need to know about teen mental health, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, and crisis intervention.

Michele shares practical ways to recognize changes in your teen, start difficult conversations without blame or shame, and know when it’s time to seek professional help. Lisa and Michele also explore why helping a struggling teen often requires parents to turn the lens inward too, examining their own communication, boundaries, emotional regulation, and family patterns.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this normal teenage behaviour, or is my child actually struggling?” this conversation will help you know what to look for and what to do next.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Look for changes, not just “bad” behaviour. Social withdrawal, loss of interest, intense emotions, and changes in everyday functioning can signal something deeper.

• Connection starts with curiosity, not correction. Instead of immediately trying to fix the problem, label the behaviour, or tell your teen what to do, start with what you’ve noticed.

• Supporting your child may require changing yourself, too. Therapy can give teens incredible tools, but lasting change is difficult when they return to the same family patterns.

  
  

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: teen mental health, parenting teens, youth mental health, mental health warning signs, teenage depression, teenage anxiety, adolescent mental health, Mental Health First Aid, parent teen communication, emotional regulation, family dynamics, parenting struggling teens, teen social withdrawal, teen behaviour changes, suicide prevention, parenting young adults, setting boundaries with teens, family therapy, parent self-awareness, generational parenting patterns, teen social media, emotional literacy, mental health crisis

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/wawellnesswmichele/

Website | https://wawellnessmichele.wixsite.com/westernwashingtonwel

To learn more about MHFA in the US | mentalhealthfirstaid.org

To learn more about MHFA in Canada | openingminds.org

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CONNECT WITH ME

Follow on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Follow on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Check out my Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 – When You Know Something Isn’t Right

01:33 – Michele’s Mental Health Story

04:48 – Teen Mental Health Warning Signs

07:58 – How to Start the Conversation

11:45 – You Don’t Have to Be the Perfect Parent

14:18 – The Mental Health First Aid Action Plan

16:09 – Why Therapy Alone Isn’t Enough

22:37 – Breaking Generational Family Patterns

27:59 – Why Early Mental Health Support Matters

30:30 – Helping Kids Name Their Emotions

33:57 – Boundaries, Dysregulation & Crisis

44:02 – Why Teens Are Struggling More Today

48:55 – Social Media, Phones & AI

53:25 – What Is Mental Health First Aid?

1:02:09 – Final Thoughts & Resources

In this episode, I sit down with leadership coach, TEDx speaker, author, and podcast host KL Wells for a powerful conversation about what it means to thrive while loving someone through addiction. KL’s experience with addiction spans generations—from growing up with a mother struggling with prescription medication, to a brother with addiction, an alcoholic husband, and eventually supporting her own son through addiction, incarceration, multiple rehabs, and recovery.

Together, we explore how KL learned to stop trying to control the outcome and instead turn the lens inward. We talk about enabling, boundaries, unconditional love, emotional resilience, and why taking care of yourself isn’t abandoning the person you love. KL shares how she made the decision to build a life that could hold both the heartbreak of her son’s addiction and her own joy, purpose, and growth—and how that choice ultimately supported both of their healing.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Redefine what it means to help.Loving someone through addiction doesn’t always mean rescuing them. KL shares why saying no, stopping financial enabling, and allowing her son to experience consequences became some of the hardest—and most loving—choices she made.

• Their addiction doesn’t have to become your whole life. KL chose not to simply survive her son’s addiction, but to learn how to thrive alongside the uncertainty. Self-care, emotional regulation, community, and continuing to experience joy allowed her to stay grounded through years of crisis.

• You can’t control their recovery, but you can choose how you show up. KL couldn’t determine when or whether her son would recover, but she could choose the mother and person she wanted to be. By letting go of control while consistently reminding him that he was loved, she created a healthier relationship with both her son and herself.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: parenting through addiction, loving someone with addiction, child addiction, young adult addiction, addiction recovery, parents of addicts, enabling addiction, addiction boundaries, stop enabling addiction, family addiction recovery, fentanyl addiction

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Facebook | Voices In Courage | https://www.facebook.com/voicesincourage

Instagram | KL Wells | instagram.com/kl.wells

LinkedIn | KL Wells | https://www.linkedin.com/in/klwells1/

LinkedIn | Voices In Courage | https://www.linkedin.com/company/voicesincourage

YouTube | Voices In Courage | https://www.youtube.com/@voicesincourage

Website | voicesincourage.com

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl | https://www.amazon.ca/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/080701429X 

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CONNECT WITH ME

Follow on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Follow on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Check out my Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 – Finding Peace During Addiction

01:27 – KL’s Family Story

04:03 – When Addiction Started Young

06:56 – The Signs Something Was Wrong

08:30 – Drug Psychosis and Jail

12:12 – Choosing to Thrive

14:14 – Loving Without Losing Yourself

17:00 – Letting Go of Anger

23:34 – Helping vs. Enabling

27:15 – Rehab, Recovery and Rock Bottom

36:26 – Where Parents Should Start

45:17 – Taking Your Power Back

Content Note: This episode includes discussions of depression, struggles with self-worth, and feelings of not wanting to be here. Please take care of yourself while listening and choose what feels right for you.

What do you do when your child stops talking to you — and you’re not sure how to reach them?

In this episode, I sit down with Aimee Provost of Anchor of Hope Counseling Center, who holds a master’s degree in clinical counseling and works with youth navigating anxiety, depression, self-worth, and family relationships.

Drawing from both her professional experience and personal journey, Aimee shares what may be happening beneath the surface when a child begins to withdraw, how parents can rebuild trust and emotional safety, and why listening can be more powerful than trying to fix everything.

We also explore an important question: What if supporting our children sometimes starts with turning the lens inward and doing our own healing?

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Connection comes before correction. When a child pulls away, they may not need advice or solutions. Listening, validating their feelings, and creating small moments of connection can help rebuild trust.

• Your child’s behaviour may be telling you something deeper. Withdrawal, changes in interests, or emotional distance can be signs that a child is struggling internally. Creating emotional safety can make it easier for them to reconnect.

• Supporting your child may require looking inward, too. Aimee encourages parents to examine their own patterns, reactions, and unresolved experiences. Sometimes changing how we show up for our children begins with our own healing.

  
  

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: parenting teenagers, rebuilding trust with your teen, parent child relationship, teen mental health, emotional validation, parenting mistakes, teen withdrawal, helping a struggling teenager, parent self reflection, healing family relationships, supporting teens emotionally, communication with teenagers, childhood emotional wounds, self worth, therapy for teens, parenting and addiction, emotional safety, conscious parenting, inner child healing, family connection

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/anchorofhopecounselingcenter/ 

Email Aimee | [email protected]

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@anchor.of.hope 

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CONNECT WITH ME

Follow on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Follow on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Check out my Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:20 Content Note

03:12 Aimee’s Story

04:49 Coming Out to Her Parents09:15 Feeling Alone in High School12:20 When Teens Start to Shut Down15:00 What Kids Need From Parents16:36 Rebuilding Trust20:06 Creating Safety in Therapy22:03 When Behaviour Gets More Serious25:00 Turning the Lens Inward28:54 Rebuilding Self-Worth32:00 Aimee’s Healing Journey35:52 Reconnecting With Yourself37:44 What Parents Can Learn41:00 Mindful Mastery43:26 Where to Find Aimee45:33 Closing

As parents, we often do whatever it takes to help our children through mental health or addiction challenges—even if it means putting our own financial wellbeing on hold. I know that firsthand.

In this episode, I’m joined by my financial educator, Jeanette MacIntosh, to have an honest conversation about the emotional impact of money, financial avoidance, and how family crises can quietly derail our financial future. Together, we explore the difficult decisions many parents face, the fine line between supporting and enabling our children, and why creating a financial plan is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and our families.

I also share parts of my own journey of rebuilding after financial hardship and why facing my finances—rather than avoiding them—became an important part of my healing.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by debt, struggling to make ends meet, or simply want to feel more confident about your financial future, I hope this conversation reminds you that it’s never too late to take the first step. Financial peace isn’t about having more money—it’s about creating more choices, more confidence, and less stress for the road ahead.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Family crisis can quietly derail your finances. When a child is struggling, parents may reduce work, use savings, cash out investments, or take on debt without fully considering the long-term impact.

2. Financial support can become enabling without clear boundaries. Helping your child should support their growth and independence, not create ongoing dependence or place your own financial stability at risk.

3. Facing your finances is the first step toward relief. A clear budget, financial plan, emergency fund, and professional guidance can help reduce stress and give your family more choices moving forward.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: financial planning for parents, parenting through mental illness, financial stress, family finances, debt recovery, financial education, budgeting, money mindset, emotional spending, caregiving and finances, financial wellness, personal finance, life insurance, term life insurance, emergency fund, financial independence, parenting boundaries, financial literacy, mental health and money, financial needs analysis

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONEDThe Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel | https://www.amazon.ca/Psychology-Money-Timeless-lessons-happiness/dp/0857197681 

Janette’s Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jeanettemacintosh/ Jeanette’s Website | https://livemore.net/c/jeanettemacintosh 

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CONNECT WITH ME

Follow on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Follow on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Check out Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro
01:46 Meet Financial Advisor Jeanette McIntosh
05:32 How Family Crisis Impacts Finances
09:05 Why Every Family Needs a Financial Plan
12:23 Breaking the Fear Around Money
16:14 Debt, Life Insurance & Protecting Your Family
20:10 When Financial Help Becomes Enabling
22:26 Lisa’s Story of Setting Financial Boundaries
29:07 The Cost of Avoiding Your Finances
32:08 Getting Out of Debt, One Step at a Time
36:06 The Psychology Behind Spending
39:58 Finding Financial Peace & Hope

This week’s episode is a little different.

Instead of our usual format, we’re sharing a special conversation from The Heartful Healing Hub Podcast, where Lisa was invited to be a guest by host Diane Langlois.

Together, they explore what it truly means to turn the lens inward, heal from burnout, rediscover self-worth, and create a life that’s aligned with who you really are. They also discuss the importance of community, women’s empowerment, loneliness, personal transformation, and why lasting change always begins within ourselves.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself, overwhelmed by life’s demands, or wondered how to move from surviving to truly living, this conversation offers gentle encouragement and practical wisdom to help you take the next step.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Healing begins with self-awareness. Lasting change starts when we stop focusing only on what is happening around us and begin examining our own beliefs, patterns, and choices.

• Community can help us move through loneliness and transformation. Safe, supportive relationships remind us that we are not alone and give us space to grow into the person we want to become.

• Small, intentional actions create meaningful change. You do not need to transform everything at once. One honest conversation, one new boundary, or one small daily shift can begin changing the direction of your life.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: self-worth, confidence coaching, burnout recovery, healing journey, emotional healing, women’s empowerment, personal growth, mindset, loneliness, community, feminine energy, self-love, childhood beliefs, emotional resilience, transformation, mental wellness, coaching, personal development, confidence, relationships

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/

Diane’s LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianelangloistcn/

Diane’s Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/dianelangloistcn

Heartful Healing Hub Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/show/4saPrxrw1v41WCi4Nf7d8a?si=c979a687bb1d4257

Healing Hub YouTube Channel | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWdr1AF2MbY 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:01 Meet Deanne & Lisa

04:10 Leaving Corporate to Support Women

06:25 Burnout & Learning to Receive

10:37 Why Community Matters

11:50 Becoming the Person You Want to Be

14:48 Learning to Love Yourself

16:37 Turning the Lens Inward

21:22 The Power of Safe Spaces

23:14 Women Supporting Women

34:59 You Can Only Control You

40:53 Healing Begins with One Conversation

In this solo episode, I’m sharing a moment I witnessed at Canada’s Wonderland that deeply impacted me and prompted me to reflect on my own parenting journey. Watching a young child in obvious emotional distress made me ask some difficult questions—not only about what I was seeing, but about the ways many of us, often without realizing it, respond to our children when they’re struggling.

As I share my perspective, I also open up about my own parenting mistakes, including moments I wish I could do over. Looking back with honesty has helped me understand how stress, unresolved emotions, and our own life experiences can shape the way we parent, even when our intentions are good.

This conversation isn’t about judging other parents—it’s about inviting all of us to turn the lens inward. Together, we’ll explore what it means to create emotional safety, break unhealthy generational patterns, and become the kind of parent our children feel safe coming to, no matter what they’re facing.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Why emotional safety is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.
• How our own unresolved emotions and stress can influence the way we parent.
• Simple mindset shifts that can help strengthen trust, connection, and healing within your family.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: parenting, emotional regulation, emotionally safe parenting, parenting mistakes, childhood trauma, mental health, emotional abuse, self reflection, parenting teens, family relationships, conscious parenting, emotional intelligence, trauma informed parenting, parent healing, self love, generational trauma, parenting support, emotional resilience, raising healthy kids, turn the lens inward

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

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RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:28 A Moment at Canada's Wonderland

03:55 When Discipline Goes Too Far

05:58 My Biggest Parenting Regret

08:19 The "Suck It Up" Generation

10:43 Turning the Lens Inward

11:42 Are We Emotionally Abandoning Our Kids?

13:09 Can Your Child Come to You?

16:28 It Starts With Self-Love

17:25 A Better Way to Parent

In this episode, I’m joined by coach, mentor, and intuitive guide Cassie Collister for a heartfelt conversation about grief, healing, and what it means to support our children through life’s hardest moments.

After experiencing the devastating loss of her grandson, Cassie began a deep journey of personal growth and healing that ultimately led her to leave the corporate world and step into her work helping others. Today, she combines coaching, mindset work, spirituality, energy healing, and holistic wellness practices to support people through transformation, self-discovery, and emotional healing.

Together, we explore how trauma shapes behaviour, why unconditional love matters so much when our children are struggling, and how returning to love instead of fear can change the way we show up for ourselves and those we care about most.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Your child’s behaviour is not always about you.

• You can love your child unconditionally while still processing your own pain.

• Healing begins when we return to love instead of fear.
  

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: grief and loss, parenting through trauma, emotional intelligence, trauma-informed parenting, supporting struggling teens, mental health and addiction, healing after loss, unconditional love, self-awareness, emotional regulation, grief recovery, nervous system healing, childhood trauma, neuroplasticity, family relationships, resilience, personal growth, finding purpose after tragedy, parenting adult children, emotional healing

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

_________________________________

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/

Cassie’s Website | https://www.cassiecallister.com/ 

Cassie’s Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/cassie.callister.606898 

Cassie’s Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/cass_call

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:54 Meet Cassie Collister

02:52 Who Cassie was before grief

07:47 Grief and purpose

12:22 The healing journey

17:04 Cassie’s loss

20:16 Watching your child suffer

22:15 Understanding grief and trauma

23:24 Behaviour is communication

29:49 Parenting from love, not fear

35:55 Healing instead of numbing

43:20 Why behaviours don’t just happen

52:06 Return to love

In this solo episode of Turn the Lens Inward, I open up about my relationship with alcohol, emotional escape, and the realization that I spent much of my adult life connecting substances with joy, freedom, and relief from stress.

I reflect on growing up feeling emotionally isolated, discovering drinking as a teenager, and how survival mode quietly became my normal. As my daughter faced her own mental health struggles, I was forced to look inward and question the habits and coping mechanisms I had normalized in my own life.

This episode is about identity shifts, healing, learning to find joy in everyday moments, and the courage it takes to reinvent yourself. I share how slowing down, connecting with nature, and becoming more intentional helped me stop numbing and start truly living.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The connection between alcohol, emotional coping mechanisms, and unresolved trauma

• How childhood conditioning and survival mode can shape adult behaviours and mental health

• Why many people use substances, distractions, or addictions to numb stress and emotional pain

• Practical mindset shifts for healing, self-awareness, identity transformation, and finding authentic joy

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: alcohol and mental health, emotional healing journey, trauma and addiction, survival mode, identity shift, self-awareness, emotional coping mechanisms, healing childhood trauma, finding joy without alcohol, substance use and trauma, personal growth podcast, mental health awareness, emotional resilience, self-reflection, healing through mindfulness, parenting and addiction, overcoming emotional numbness, nervous system healing, authentic joy, turning the lens inward, emotional intelligence, breaking unhealthy patterns, mental health recovery, healing from trauma, thriving after survival mode

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⭐If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe and continue this journey with me. In future episodes, I’ll share personal reflections, practical tools, and conversations with other parents who are walking a similar path.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s turn the lens inward, together.

_________________________________

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/heyitslisataylor/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lisa.taylor.ellet/ 

Website | https://www.glowingconfidence.com/ 

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CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro

01:30 – Alcohol & Escaping

05:07 – Childhood Conditioning

07:21 – My First Drink

09:43 – University & Drinking

12:04 – Parenting Through Addiction

13:49 – Trauma & Escapism

16:06 – Finding Joy Naturally

17:50 – Earning Joy

20:12 – Identity Shifts

23:45 – Numbing vs Healing

25:41 – Turning the Lens Inward

26:31 – The Intersection Point

28:27 – Final Thoughts