Empowered to Connect Podcast

Our guest today is a therapist, speaker, teacher, advocate and so much more - We've long admired his work on social media (@TherapyRedeemed on Instagram) and after meeting him for this conversation our respect and admiration of him has skyrocketed. Cam Lee Small takes us into the world of mental health and adoptees and how his work both counseling and advocating for adoptees has shone light on his own story. You won't want to miss his candor and insight! You can learn more about Cam's work on his website, Instagram or Facebook page! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

We've been waiting for this onefor a while - we're so excited to have the one and only Daren Jones from The Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development on the show today! If you are unfamiliar with his work, Daren is part of the teamthat delivers Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)training literally across the globe. From his work in atherapeutic day treatment program with children totraining judges and District Attorneys on the brainscience of trauma, Daren has a ton to talk about whenit comes to systems change. To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Let's talk about consequences.Spoiler alert: we want to encourage you to make consequences your last resort. You read that right, we at ETC think there are lots of other tools in the toolbelt to help you keep peace in your home and maintain connection with your kiddo and we want to talk about it today! Becca McKay and Tona Ottinger from ETC join us as we talk about the the bigger picture of why we are so quick to want to hand out consequences and what we can do instead to address inappropriate behaviors. To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Dr. Jim Henry is one of the most fascinating people you will ever meet. He is a Professor at Western Michigan University and the Program Director of the Children's Trauma Assessment Center. For over 20 years, Dr. Henry has been sitting with and hearing the stories of precious children from across the country who have survived unimaginable things. How, then, can Dr. Henry still be doing this work?? We asked Dr. Henry to be with us today to give some insight into what has allowed him to continue to be completely present with children and how he protects himself from burnout. Dr. Henry explains the importance of building bridges from our hearts to those around us instead of walls around our hearts that seal us off from the outside world in relationship. Trust us - this is not an episode you want to miss! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

ANOTHER attachment episode, c'mon ETC! Isn't there more to parenting than attachment!? We're glad you asked. In today's episode, we have one of the best researchers in her field, Dr. Jamie DeLuna from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, explain why understanding your own attachment style may be the most important thing you can do for your parenting. We talk about the neuroscience behind attachment, the different adult attachment styles, how they form and how you can 'earn' secure attachment, no matter what your childhood was like. To check out the book Jamie recommended ('How We Love') and more resources like it, you can click here. To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Season 2 rolls on, today with Dr. Nicole West! Dr. West is a therapist with the Memphis Family Connection Center in Memphis, TN and amongst lots of skills and certifications she holds, she is a certified Play Therapist. Dr. West joins us today to not only unpack the benefits of play therapy but also to walk us through WHY play is so important for the brain, for processing through hard things for kids and how we as parents can incorporate play (and healing) into our homes. To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

It's here! The premiere of Season 2 - and who better to help us kick it off than the one and only Mona Delahooke?? Mona is a Pediatric Psychologist and the author of Beyond Behaviors among several other books. If you've ever read Beyond Behaviors, you know how brilliant she is! Mona joins us today to talk about the Brain - Body - Behavior connection and why it is absolutely essential for parents and caregivers to understand. Struggling with perplexing behavior in your home? This may be the episode you've been waiting for. We also talk about Mona's NEW book coming out in early 2022 and at the end of the episode we reveal instructions for how YOU could win a pre-order of it! To enter, you must be following @empoweredtoconnect on Instagram or have Liked Empowered to Connect on Facebook and tag us in your Instagram or Facebook stories today telling us something you loved from the interview with Mona. That's it! We'll pick 5 winners at random and pre-order the book to come straight to your house! Wanna learn more from Mona? Buy her book Beyond Behaviors here, sign up for the Beyond Behaviors course Mona teaches here or head on over to her website to learn more about her there!

One of the most surprising things about parenting is the way we grow in the midst of trying to grow our children. Oftentimes, setting out to help them process through a trying emotional time or teach a life lesson reveals something about ourselves as well. Today on the show, Mo and Tona talk about the necessity of celebrating our children in several key ways and how they've grown in the process. This episode will make you laugh, make you cry and hopefully help you think about some of the ways we can celebrate our children in ways we haven't yet. To learn more about ETC, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

For most of us Summer Break is in full swing. Kids are out of school and you might be out of patience! If that's you, rest easy, you're not alone. Today we take one of the principles discussed by Dr. Karyn Purvis in last week's episode and look at why predictability is such a big deal for our kids. Some of us have major scheduling needs - we need to know what's happening at every moment. Some of us can only handle knowing the big picture and letting the day flow freely where it will - and the same is true for our kids. Jesse Faris and Tona Ottinger join us today to talk about how and why making things predictable can breathe life and peace into our kids' lives. To learn more about ETC, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

One of our most watched YouTube videos of all time features Dr. Karyn Purvis giving parents and caregivers some advice about how to handle manipulation and control from their kiddos. There's a reason 160,000 people have watched this video - the content is gold. Today on the show, Tona Ottinger and JD Wilson from ETC sit down to do a deep dive on the ideas Dr. Purvis lays out in the video. How does this play out in everyday life? Tona and JD share practical tools and tips for understanding and redirecting our kids who may be using manipulation and control as an adaptive strategy for survival. To watch the full video from Dr. Purvis, click here. To learn more about ETC, check out our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

It's been a busy few weeks for us moving offices at ETC and we couldn't help but stop and think about our past and our future. Moving is funny that way - it helps us appreciate where we've been and look ahead to where we're going. If you've been listening to the show from the beginning, chances are, you know ETC's history - but for those of you who don't, we take the first few minutes of the show today to outline how Empowered to Connect came to be . We then shift gears to talk about what's happening now, what had been planned for 2020 and what you can expect to see in the second half of 2021 and beyond! To learn more about ETC, check out our website, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

After a short break to get moved into our new office space here in Memphis, we are BACK this week! With Father's Day coming up this week, we thought we would share some reflections on what it's looked like to parent in a connected way from a Dad's point of view. JD Wilson and Mo Ottinger from ETC talk about some of the biggest things they've learned and stereotypes that had to be busted along the way to become dads connected. To learn more about ETC, check out our website, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

As we finish moving into our new space, we wanted to hit you with one more throwback episode. We'll be jumping back in with a brand new episode which will air NEXT WEEK! We felt it appropriate to bring back our good friend Carissa Woodwyk talking about what to do when 'self care' doesn't cut it... Self care is a hot topic these days - in fact, it's been a topic of conversation on our show several times. What happens, though, when your self care doesn't cut it? When you still find yourself empty and searching for what you need to care for your people well? Marriage and Family Therapist and longtime friend of ETC Carissa Woodwyk joins us to talk about how we have to move beyond self care to self compassion to be whole. To learn more about Carissa's work and thoughts, follow her on Instagram @weneedoneanother or like her on Facebook ! To learn more about ETC, check out our website, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Today we bring you a throwback episode! Our whole ETC team is in the process of packing up to move into an amazing new space (that we can't wait to show you) here in Memphis, Tennessee, so we thought it'd be helpful to re-share one of our favorite episodes in case you missed it. One of our favorite humans, Robyn Gobbel, joined us a few months back to talk about a blog post she wrote entitled "Self Regulation Doesn't Exist" (you should definitely read it)! Robyn Gobbel is a therapist, speaker, podcast host, webinar creator and more and she joins us today to do a deep dive into the topic of self regulation and what is actually happening in the brain when we are distressed and then brought back in to regulation. You'll also hear Robyn call this phrase by a different name that helps bring clarity to what is actually happening when we help our kids (or our grownups) learn to regulate. To learn more about Robyn's work and to check out her podcast as well as the amazing collection of resources she's compiled, visit her website here and don't miss out on signing up for Parenting after Trauma: Minding the Heart and Brain. Registration opens on the 16th for this powerful online, self-paced course www.robyngobbel.com/parentcourse To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us on our website, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram or check out all of our podcast episodes and video resources on YouTube! Also, stay tuned to ETC social media in the coming month as we begin to unveil some exciting news about our new space!

Our Family Spotlight Series continues this week with ETC Parent Trainers Matthew and Anteelah Love! Matthew and Anteelah both work in education and have the unique viewpoints of having fostered, adopted and had biological kids. They share personal testimony on how shifting their paradigm has not only impacted their nuclear family but also the perspective of their close community. Listen in for their powerful insight on why it's vital for us to understand our surroundings and who is watching us as we parent our kiddos! To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out on our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Today we start a new series on the ETC Podcast that we're calling our 'Family Spotlights' series! We'll talk to parents on the connected parenting journey and hear what they've learned, what they wish they'd known and any advice they've got for others on this journey! Today we start off with two of our favorite people on earth, Dan and Terri Coley! You may know Dan and Terri from their time hosting the Empowered to Connect Conferences or you may have listened to Dan's episode of the ETC Podcast - whether you know Dan and Terri or not, by the end of the interview you will absolutely love them. Dan and Terri talk about the challenges they faced early on in their parenting journey, what it means to be reflective and to consider your past and what advice they've got for those parenting now. The importance of their call for us to examine our hearts and always be willing to learn from your kids cannot be understated, please make time to listen now to Dan and Terri Coley! To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out on our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Last week Amanda Purvis introduced us to the brain, body and behavior connection. This week, OT Mistie Hanks joins us as we take a deeper dive into why understanding sensory processing is an absolute game changer! Mistie walks us through everything from understanding ours and our kids' sensory systems to some practical ways you can support growth in these areas. We also take a look at how trauma affects the senses and then what every parent needs to know if they're seeing perplexing behavior. Don't miss it! For more on the brain, body and behavior connection and to read about hundreds of practical tips on a complete sensory diet for your kids, check out the book Amanda recommended in the interview: The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out on our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Have you ever experienced behavior from your child that doesn't make any sense? Yeah, neither have we...but for everyone ELSE out there who has experienced perplexing behavior or tried to figure out why the same 'willfully disobedient' actions keep on happening - this episode is for you. An immense amount of research has been published showing the connection between the body, the brain and behavior. Luckily for us, we've got Amanda Purvis from TCU's Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD) here to explain those connections and to help us explore what could actually be happening in situations where kids seem bent on disobedience. Amanda walks us through some very practical ways to see the connections between nutrition, hydration and our other senses and behaviors. We explore what it means to have a sensory profile and what that could mean for interactions between you and your kiddo. For more on the brain, body and behavior connection and to read about hundreds of practical tips on a complete sensory diet for your kids, check out the book Amanda recommended in the interview: The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out on our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Dr. Michele Borba is an Educational Psychologist who has spent the last 4 decades studying resilience. In her latest book, "Thrivers", she shares the results of compiling years of resilience research from across the globe - resilience is built, not born. In the midst of so much stress, uncertainty and unplanned disruption to our everyday lives, we couldn't think of a better time to have Michele on to talk to us about building resilient kids. We discuss the fascinating research from different people groups, historical time periods and geographical locations that led her to this discovery and what happened when she sat down to work with Navy SEALS that blew her mind. She was generous enough to share lots of resources with us - before downloading these resources, be sure to buy Michele's book! - To download the Parent Guide to Thrivers, click here! - To download the child Character Strengths Assessment, click here and - To download the 7 Essential Character Traits of Thrivers pdf, click here! - To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out on our website or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Are you struggling with challenging behaviors from your kiddos? The late Dr. Karyn Purvis developed the 'IDEAL Response' as an acronym to help parents remember how to connect with your kids while correcting inappropriate behavior. In today's episode, Mo and Tona Ottinger join JD to take a deeper dive into the IDEAL Response and break down each component of the principle. The episode starts with audio from Dr. Purvis teaching the content - the original video she teaches in, as well as lots more connected parenting video content can be found on our YouTube channel here. Learn what it means to be: Immediate, Direct, Efficient, Action-Based and Leveled at the Behavior with content from Dr. Karyn Purvis and analysis from JD and The Ottingers! In the show, we mention the potential need for families/individuals dealing with level 4 behavior consistently to walk through deescalation training of some kind - to begin familiarizing yourself with that level of training, check out these resources below: https://www.crisisprevention.com/Our-Programs https://handlewithcare.com/who-we-train/parents/ To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out at Empoweredtoconnect.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

If you attended Show Hope's 'Hope for the Journey' Conference, you were introduced to Dan and Terri Coley. Longtime friends of Empowered to Connect, Dan and Terri have built a legacy of parenting wisdom and mentorship in the connected parenting world. Episode 5 of the ETC Podcast featured Dan, Mo Ottinger and our host, JD Wilson talking about the power of being present and it still today is one of our most listened to episodes ever. We thought it would be fitting today to throw back to that episode - if you've not yet listened, we're so excited for you to do so! Dan, Mo and JD discuss why it's often so difficult for dads to be present and their own stories of doing the heart work necessary to be able to really engage the hearts of the people they love. Please enjoy this conversation with one of our favorite humans on earth, Dan Coley. To learn more about Empowered to Connect or to find more of ETC's resources, check us out at Empoweredtoconnect.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

That's right, it's a BONUS EPISODE of the ETC Podcast today! In light of Show Hope's Hope For the Journey Conference going live today, we at ETC wanted to share some stories of hope. Everyone on this connected parenting journey was inspired to begin parenting this way at some point - and at some point shortly after starting, probably failed miserably. That's the story at least for the 5 families who came together to discuss their connection based parenting journeys on the show today. Join our host JD Wilson and his wife Elizabeth, Mo and Tona Ottinger from ETC, Matthew and Anteelah Love, Chris and Paula Powell as well as Matt and Grace Terhune as they discuss how it started and how it's going. If your parenting soul is struggling today and could use some stories of solidarity in the struggle, this episode is for you! To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube!

As the team from Show Hope makes their final preparations for the Hope for the Journey Conference Streaming this Friday (April 9th, 2021), we sat down with Show Hope's Executive Director, Emily Chapman Richards! We first heard about Emily as the 10 year old adoption advocate in the back of her parents' car. We learn today what happened in the rest of the story as Emily went on to become the Executive Director of an organization advocating for and assisting in the care of vulnerable children literally around the world. Emily is a great interview and you'll want to hear her talk about everything from those early moments through the exciting work that Show Hope is doing now as well as an inside peek at the Hope for the Journey Conference! If you've not yet registered for the Hope for the Journey Conference you can do so at showhope.org! To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube!

It happens to the best of us - we have everything laid out the way it's supposed to go and it completely falls apart. The family vacation ends in disaster, the Target run ends with someone on the floor melting down, we sit at night and wonder how we were so wrong about what life would look like by now. Expectations - we all have them and when they're unrealistic or misguided in their formation, they can be detrimental. There's good news, though! By recognizing and identifying expectations we've had, we can begin to evaluate them and reset appropriate expectations - and maybe most importantly, begin to teach our kids the same skills. We cover all of this and more today as we unpack another foundational piece of one of our connecting practices: Setting Appropriate Expectations. To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube!

As anyone with Netflix has seen in the last week or two, there's a famous ETC Principle in the newest Jennifer Garner movie - The Yes Day. No, ETC didn't make a movie, but there is lots to learn from the movie! JD, Tona and Mo sit down to talk about one of the most foundational principles in the ETC world - the power of saying yes. "Isn't that just permissive parenting!?" "If you give these kids an inch, they're ALWAYS going to take a mile." "We aren't trying to spoil our kids." All very common responses to the principle of giving our kids 'yes' often. Yet research and experience from 15 years of ETC Parent Training will tell you otherwise. Join JD, Mo and Tona and learn why 'Yes' is a superpower in your parenting arsenal! During the interview we reference several different resources on this topic - below we've linked those articles as well as some other resources from ETC on the Power of YES: https://empoweredtoconnect.org/the-privilege-of-saying-yes/https://empoweredtoconnect.org/building-trust-by-saying-yes/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SF6GmV7zg0https://www.mindful.org/dr-dan-siegel-hearing-yes-childs-brain/ To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube!

We've all done it. We've lost our temper, checked out, popped off, said something we shouldn't have or didn't say something we should have in a moment of weakness. If you're like us, you've probably already had a moment (or several) moments like this today - it's ok. Take a deep breath and let Marriage and Family Therapist Carissa Woodwyk and ETC's Tona Ottinger walk you through how to repair when you've ruptured something with yourself, your partner or a kiddo. Special heads up - be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear Carissa's perspective on this as an adoptee when she shares an intimate moment of self discovery related to her own story - you don't want to miss it. To learn more about Carissa and her work, be sure to check out her first appearance on the show here or follow her on Instagram or Facebook! To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube!

Our guest today is quite literally one of the most influential figures in the work we do at Empowered to Connect! Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is the Author of Bottom Line for Baby and 4 other co-authored books including two New York Times Bestselling works, The Whole Brain Child and No Drama Discipline. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Connection and the Play Strong Institute. Tina joins us to talk about what kids need most from their parents and how we can create the felt safety in our homes to allow our children to heal and grow as whole people. Tina is a fantastic teacher and she walks us through everything from navigating meltdowns to creating felt safety in relationship with teens. For more on Tina's work and her new parent group: Office Hours with Tina, click here! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us on our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and now find all of our episodes on our YouTube channel!

Our guests today have bios too long to fit in this section, but many of you know their work. Steven Curtis Chapman is the most decorated Christian Music Artist of all time. With over 11 million albums sold, 49 #1 hits and 5 Grammys, Steven's been making music successfully for the better part of 3 decades. His wife, Mary Beth Chapman is a New York Times Bestselling Author for her book Choosing to See and the President of Show Hope - a non profit organization aimed at reducing the barriers to adoption. While many of you may be familiar with Steven's music or the work of Show Hope, you may not be familiar with the story behind the Chapmans themselves or Show Hope's origin story (and we think you'll love it). Steven and Mary Beth join us to talk about everything from how they met to a 10 year old upending their lives, the founding of Show Hope and the transformation the organization has undergone since it began in 2003. We also announce the exciting news about the Hope for the Journey Conference (formerly the Empowered to Connect Conference) and talk about the format for this year and some of the featured speakers - including our own Mo and Tona Ottinger! The one-day event is happening April 9th and will be viewable for two months after it premieres! You won't want to miss this opportunity, register today! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us on our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and now find all of our episodes on our YouTube channel!

We've spent a lot of time this year on the show talking about self - looking at adult attachment styles, considering what we need to offer ourselves as coregulators to our children, even talking about self-compassion as the true and better version of self care. Why, then, do we now look at self awareness!? We're glad you asked! Larissa Gregory is the head of LG Educational Consulting and works with individuals, teachers, administrations and families helping create safe, empowered spaces for children and families. After years in academic leadership, she joins us to talk about why she believes that Authentic Self Awareness is the Key to Empowered Families. Larissa gives several concrete, practical tools for us to walk away with to help restore relationship after conflict, to help restore our own mental spaces as self doubt and stress invade and more! You can learn more about Larissa and LG Educational Consulting here! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us at empoweredtoconnect.org, on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube!

Self care is a hot topic these days - in fact, it's been a topic of conversation on our show several times. What happens, though, when your self care doesn't cut it? When you still find yourself empty and searching for what you need to care for your people well? Marriage and Family Therapist and longtime friend of ETC Carissa Woodwyk joins us to talk about how we have to move beyond self care to self compassion to be whole. To learn more about Carissa's work and thoughts, follow her on Instagram @weneedoneanother or like her on Facebook ! To learn more about ETC, check out our website, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

Our guest today got our attention when she wrote a blog post entitled "Self Regulation Doesn't Exist" (you should definitely read it)! Robyn Gobbel is a therapist, speaker, podcast host, webinar creator and more and she joins us today to do a deep dive into the topic of self regulation and what is actually happening in the brain when we are distressed and then brought back in to regulation. You'll also hear Robyn call this phrase by a different name that helps bring clarity to what is actually happening when we help our kids (or our grownups) learn to regulate. To learn more about Robyn's work and to check out her podcast as well as the amazing collection of resources she's compiled, visit her website here and don't miss out on signing up for Parenting after Trauma: Minding the Heart and Brain. Registration opens on the 16th for this powerful online, self-paced course www.robyngobbel.com/parentcourse To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit us on our website, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram or check out all of our podcast episodes and video resources on YouTube!

This week we continue our conversation with TCU's Dr. Casey Call about attachment by talking through attachment styles and cycles. If you missed our first episode with Dr. Call, you will definitely want to listen to it before listening to this one! Dr. Call walks us through attachment styles and cycles and discusses the healing potential of when attachment is disrupted. A huge thank you again to Dr. Call and the team from the KPICD for helping us through this conversation! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit our NEWLY BRANDED website empoweredtoconnect.org, find us on Facebook here, follow us on Instagram here or check out all of our video content as well as every podcast episode on here

2021 is here and it's not solved all of our problems (cue the sad horns). Have no fear though, because we are starting our new year with one of the leading experts in the field of Attachment Research and Theory, Dr. Casey Call from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD). In today's episode Dr. Call walks us through what we need to know as caregivers about how human beings attach and why it's important. This is a critical piece of understanding when it comes to caring for ourselves and other humans and you don't want to miss it! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, visit our NEWLY BRANDED WEBSITE at empoweredtoconnect.org and you can find us on Facebook @connectedchild, on Instagram @empoweredtoconnect AND NOW ALSO at YouTube.com/empoweredtoconnect !

It's that time of year again - only this time - the 2020 version of 'that time of year' now involves Zoom, Covid Testing, quarantines and a whole host of other complications. That's why we joined forces with ETC Parent Trainer Jesse Faris and Tona Ottinger to talk about how to prepare for the holidays before, during and after your interactions with family. Have no idea how to prep for meltdowns? Wondering how your kids are processing their time together? We've got you covered. We've also linked a blog here below that was written a few years ago (pre-Covid) that could be some help as well - check it out! https://empoweredtoconnect.org/tis-the-season/ We'll be taking a break for a few weeks as we celebrate the holiday season but we'll be back and better than ever in January! Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!

It's the Holiday Season - time for spending too much, eating too much and reaching our wit's end as we attempt to 'just survive' this season with our kids! Just me? This year, let's change our mindset as we go into the home stretch of the holiday season and talk about how we can thrive as families (and individuals). We've got ETC Parent Trainer Jesse Faris and Mo and Tona Ottinger on to talk about some simple practices, reminders and tips to help your family thrive through the holidays! Prioritize Relationships Adjust Expectations Create Felt Safety Keep it: Simple, Intentional, Even and Predictable To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

If you don't follow the YouTube channel 'Yes I'm Adopted, Don't Make it Weird' you'll want to do that right away after hearing from our guests today. Brett Carleton and Dave Overholser join us to talk about the creation of their popular YouTube channel and Facebook page, a common bond as adult Asian adoptees, some of the things you should never say to someone who's been adopted and some of the things their parents did that made a huge difference as they grew up. Dave O and Brett also dive into the idea of neuroplasticity and the hope it brings. You're going to love this episode! November is National Adoption Awareness Month (NAAM) -To read the history of NAAM, click here. For those most impacted by adoption - adoptees - the month of November can be a time that brings up a wide array of emotions. So in staying true to our mission here at Empowered to Connect we are spending the month of November listening to the hearts and stories of adoptees who are part of transracial families. To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

This week we continue our series on transracial adoption with Psychologist and Adult Adoptee Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker. Dr. Wirta-Leiker is a Psychologist, Author, Speaker, Adoptee, Adoptive Parent and overall powerhouse voice in the conversation on transracial adoption worldwide. Her resource page, linked here, is one of the best collections you will find of research based resources on transracial adoption for adoptees and parents alike. Dr. Wirta Leiker talks about everything from the Adoptee Hierarchy of Needs to advice she has as a professional, adoptee and adoptive parent for those in any seat at the table of conversation around adoption! You'll want to take notes (and budget to buy all of the resources she's got on her website), we hope you enjoy today's episode! November is National Adoption Awareness Month (NAAM) -To read the history of NAAM, click here. For those most impacted by adoption - adoptees - the month of November can be a time that brings up a wide array of emotions. So in staying true to our mission here at Empowered to Connect we are spending the month of November listening to the hearts and stories of adoptees who are part of transracial families. To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

As we continue our series on transracial adoption, we've got one of our favorite voices on the subject, Rhonda Mae Roorda! Rhonda is a fund manager for an educational advocacy organization in Lansing MI, and the co-author of four landmark books on transracial adoption: In Their Own Voices, In Their Parents' Voices, In Their Siblings Voices, and In Their Voices: Black Americans on Transracial Adoption - the books are unequivocally essential reading on the topic of transracial adoption and you can buy them here. Rhonda shares her story with us and walks us through the history of transracial adoption in America, her own experience as an adult adoptee and her hope for the future as a result of what she's learned (as well as her work consulting on the critically acclaimed TV show "This Is Us", no big deal). Trust us - you will want to make the time to listen through this entire episode! November is National Adoption Awareness Month (NAAM) -To read the history of NAAM, click here. For those most impacted by adoption - adoptees - the month of November can be a time that brings up a wide array of emotions. So in staying true to our mission here at Empowered to Connect we are spending the month of November listening to the hearts and stories of adoptees who are part of transracial families. To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

November is National Adoption Awareness Month (NAAM) -To read the history of NAAM, click here. For those most impacted by adoption - adoptees - the month of November can be a time that brings up a wide array of emotions. So in staying true to our mission here at Empowered to Connect we are spending the month of November listening to the hearts and stories of adoptees who are part of transracial families. Today, Ramya Gruneisen and her dear friends the Hamms (who are ETC Parent Trainers in St. Louis, MO.) join us to talk about growing up in a white family as a person of color, the work needed to be done as white parents to create a safe environment in a transracial home and so much more. To read Ramya's article on why adoption may not be for everyone, click here To learn more about the Hamms and their work in St. Louis, click here To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Last week we talked about Chasing the Why - how to see the needs behind our kids' behavior and meet those needs in order to bring healing. This episode is the needed followup to last week. If the conversation about Growth Mindsets vs Fixed Mindsets sounds familiar, it's because this phrase has become a buzz word/buzz phrase in recent years - especially in the world of academics. In this episode we tilt the conversation a different way and look at what it means to parent with a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. JD, along with Mo and Tona Ottinger look at where this term came from and how we as parents/caregivers can embrace the patience, humility and curiosity needed to model this for our kids. To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Lets face it…sometimes our kids' behavior is perplexing. We have no idea why they are doing what they are doing. We have no idea how to make them stop and we can walk away feeling confused, defeated and even like a failure. We have behavioral expectations and if we're not careful we can allow our children's behavior to determine whether we see ourselves as a good parent or not. We can measure our success by their behavior… Why do we do that? How do we get to the root of what's ACTUALLY happening? Glad you asked - tune in today to hear how we look to see the needs being expressed behind the behavior and meet those needs to build trust and attachment. In this episode we reference several fantastic books (you should buy them all immediately): The Whole Brain Child, and Beyond Behaviors To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

It's Part 2 of the conversation many of us dread. The sex talk, and for those of with kids who were adopted or are in foster care, the layers added into an already complicated conversation can feel like a bridge too far. Last week we aired Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Katherine Blackney, a certified Clinical Sex Therapist who's been counseling for almost 20 years. She joined us and began walking us through the process of raising your kids with healthy conversations about their bodies and sex. In part one of our conversation with Dr. Blackney we learned that this is not a single conversation, but an ongoing process that weaves from preschool all the way to adulthood. This week we cover puberty and the teenage years - how do we help our kids navigate these impossible years healthily while keeping the parent-child relationship in tact? Listen to Part 2 to find out! To learn more about Dr. Blackney and her practice, check out her website here!To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

It's the conversation many of us dread. For those of with kids who were adopted or are in foster care, the layers added into an already complicated conversation can feel like a bridge too far. It's the sex talk and it's not easy! That's why we asked Dr. Katherine Blackney, a certified Clinical Sex Therapist who's been counseling for almost 20 years to join us and walk us through the process. In part one of our conversation with Dr. Blackney we learn that this is not a single conversation, but an ongoing process that weaves from preschool all the way to adulthood. We cover everything from potty training to self touch in part one of our conversation with the one and only Dr. Katherine Blackney! To learn more about Dr. Blackney and her practice, check out her website here!To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Today we share the second half of our interview with Tom and Dawn Jordi, our ETC Parent Trainers in Johannesburg, South Africa! In this episode, Tom and Dawn walk through their experiences as a transracially adoptive family in a post-apartheid South Africa and the work toward racial reconciliation they've done in schools there. You don't want to miss it! If you missed last episode make sure to check that out as well for the Jordi's story! You can follow the Jordis via their blog here or listen to their podcast here! To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Our first intercontinental guests come to us from Johannesburg, South Africa! Tom and Dawn Jordi join us to talk about their family's adoption journey, Tom's work as a trauma certified counselor in schools and the power of asking why when we see concerning behavior in our kiddos. Tom and Dawn are two of the most likable human beings on the planet and you'll love hearing their story and the wisdom they've got to share as we all work build stronger connection with the kids we care for! You can follow the Jordis via their blog here or listen to their podcast here! To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Britney Bryson is an LPC at the University of Memphis and at her private practice working with teens and young adults. Doing so in 2020 is no easy task and Britney joins us to talk about the challenges that come with it. We talk through navigating racial trauma, a heated election season and how we move forward building unity and relationships across natural dividing lines. Britney ends the show by sharing a powerful story about a summer experience she had and what we can all learn from it. Want to hear more from Britney? Follow her work on Facebook and Instagram! To learn more about ETC, check out empoweredtoconnect.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram!

Episode 9 features one of our best parenting tools! ETC's Parent Training Courses happen all over the globe and we thought it the perfect time to share one of tools taught in the course! Mo and Tona Ottinger join us to talk about what it means to 'Catch it Low' - how to spot disregulation on the horizon and use some simple practices to help deescalate the situation and bring regulation back to the brain. Mo talks for a few minutes about the 'upstairs and downstairs brain' - for one of the best explanations of how the brain works, check out Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson's book The Whole Brain Child! For more information about Empowered to Connect's resources and to find a Parent Trainer near you, check out empoweredtoconnect.org

As the world begins to ease back into schools (both virtual and in person), we have 3 brilliant professionals with us to talk about utilizing ETC principles in their work in schools! Becca Tarleton, Jocelyn Lee and returning guest Jacque Rowe-Fields talk about the importance of attachment as the foundation of the classroom, how parents can best advocate for their kids and what you need to know as you get ready for the school year.

Have you been wondering what the secret to effective parenting is during a pandemic? We have too! Spoiler alert - we don't have THE answer, but we do have ETC Parent Trainer Jesse Faris as our guest to talk about some of the ways we can parent (and care for ourselves) more effectively during a historically hard time to parent and give nurturing care to our kids. Jesse, Tona Ottinger and host JD Wilson talk about what's been working and discoveries that have been made in the quest to not lose our ever-loving minds in quarantine... To purchase the Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey, click here! **Life Hack - the audiobook is great and is available through Audible at the same link above... To learn more about Empowered to Connect, the new Dads Connected Coaching offering as well as any other ETC resources, check us out at Empoweredtoconnect.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!

Episode 6 is here and we are so excited to share it with you. In the last few years, one of the most exciting developments in the non profit and juvenile justice worlds has been the integration of trauma informed, healing centered approaches to care. One of the men helping lead this charge in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) is Troy McPeak. Troy joins us today to talk about how a hard nosed former football player from Riverside County (outside of LA) is helping pioneer attachment rich, connection-centered, resilience building systems of care in the TJJD. Trust us - you do NOT want to miss this episode, Troy is a really fun guest with some amazing stories of transformation happening in a place so often overlooked or forgotten. To learn more about Troy and the TJJD's work, the new Dads Connected Coaching offering as well as all of ETC's resources, check us out at Empoweredtoconnect.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram!