The Play Base

In this deeply human, soul-stirring episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances sits down with Revital (Rev) Anava- a gifted designer, a grounded truth-teller, and one of those rare people who feels like home the moment you meet them.What begins as a “how have we never met?” story becomes something much bigger: a conversation about divine timing, intuition, identity, healing, and the quiet power of being fully yourself. Frances and Rev explore what it means to live beyond conditioning—beyond perfectionism, fear, and the roles we’ve been assigned and how real growth often arrives through the very moments that feel like getting “punched in the gut.”Rev shares pieces of her journey as a builder and designer, navigating major transitions, losing trust, rebuilding from scratch, and living through a literal home rebuild after black mold turned life upside down. Frances ties it back to what she knows best: the nervous system, regulation, resilience, and the way our inner world shapes every experience we have.This episode is funny, raw, spiritual, and practical all at once, full of metaphors you’ll carry with you (the empty boat, the oak tree, the moon, the caterpillar to butterfly) and reflections that feel like a mirror.In this episode, you’ll hear about:The unexplainable feeling of meeting someone who feels like a sisterDivine timing, soul recognition, and “nothing is by accident” momentsRebuilding a life after betrayal, business stress, and major transitionsThe difference between self-regulation and dissociationWhy we bargain with fear instead of listening to intuitionHolding space for others without carrying their painThe ripple effect of kindness and being fully human in a numb worldWhy life is never “either/or” it’s the gray, the yin/yang, the whole selfHow parenting mirrors our healing and why our kids have their own path to live throughClosing question (Rev’s mic-drop):Rev leaves listeners with a powerful invitation:“If I asked you who you are, but you couldn’t use your job, your upbringing, your nationality, your religion, or any label, who would you be?”A reminder that beneath everything we’ve been taught to identify with… there’s still you.Connect with Revital Anava🌐 Website: https://www.bonstudioinc.com📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonstudioinc/?hl=enConnect 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 Play Base Podcast, Frances sits down with Marina Aronin, a powerhouse speech-language pathologist and practice owner who brings a whole-child, root-cause approach to therapy.Marina shares how her work goes far beyond “speech sounds” and into the real-life foundations that impact communication and behavior: sleep quality, mouth breathing, nutrition, food intolerances, screen time, stress, emotional regulation, and family routines. With a background in psychology and additional training as a functional nutritional counselor, Marina explains how small shifts—like a short elimination trial for dairy, building healthier routines, or teaching kids diaphragmatic breathing—can create meaningful changes not only in speech, but also in attention, regulation, and overall wellbeing.Frances and Marina also dive into the bigger parenting topics many families wrestle with today: technology boundaries, food overwhelm, guilt/shame, and how to create structure without losing compassion. This is a grounded, practical conversation for parents, educators, and clinicians who want to support children in a way that’s both evidence-informed and deeply human.In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why Marina believes therapy should address the whole child, not just one skill areaThe connection between food sensitivities (like dairy), mucus/voice quality, and throat clearingHow Marina supports selective eating with systematic desensitization (smell → touch → taste → expand)The impact of screen time on attention, patience, and social communicationRegulation tools Marina uses in sessions: breathwork, movement, yoga, and sensory supportsParent coaching, boundaries, and why “structure” is often the missing ingredientBaby steps families can start today without getting overwhelmedClosing reflection:Marina leaves listeners with a powerful New Year prompt:“What is your resolution—and what will you give back to the world?”Connect with Marina and Roots To Rise🌐 Website: https://roots2risetherapy.com/📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/roots2risetherapy/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 longtime friend and educator Joy Badler—a passionate advocate for children (especially within the ADHD community) who has spent years building what many schools are only now realizing kids desperately need: regulation skills before academics.Joy shares the work she’s been developing for over a decade—an approach that blends mindfulness, social-emotional literacy, movement, breathwork, and resilient skill-building to help children understand their brains, regain control of their nervous systems, and navigate life with more steadiness and confidence. Frances and Joy also reflect on why the science is finally catching up to what many educators and therapists have felt for years: when the nervous system is dysregulated, learning can’t land.You’ll also hear about Joy’s school-based “regulation room” concept (a supervised space that includes movement, games, creativity, and connection), why it should never be used as a reward or punishment, and how movement can unlock expression for kids who struggle with traditional writing or classroom demands. Together, they explore the bigger parenting and education conversation around resilience—how it’s built, how it’s lost, and how we can help kids “fail forward” without rescuing them from every discomfort.In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why Joy believes regulation must come before academicsWhat “mindful neuroplasticity” looks like in real classroomsHow breathwork, movement, and mindfulness become tools kids can use anywhereThe difference between a movement break that helps vs. one that escalatesA school “hangout/regulation room” that supports both high-energy and low-energy needsWhy removing recess, sports, or movement as punishment often backfiresStrength-based school culture: Joy’s Kindness Ambassadors programThe resilience gap: why some kids fear discomfort—and how to rebuild that muscleThe tension every parent feels: protecting kids vs. letting them grow through hard momentsClosing reflection:Joy leaves listeners with a powerful reminder:“No mud, no lotus.”Sometimes growth requires discomfort—because the lotus only blooms after the mud.Connect with Joy Badler📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/getitdonewithjoy/Connect with The Play Base🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase