Podcast Episodes

Following some love for Love on the Spectrum, we discuss a listener question from the mom of a 13 year-old who is worn out from her child's OCD and panic. Is it time to let the nervous system “cool off” and give her daughter a break from a challenging upcoming event? Here is the past episode discussed in today's show: Why Kids Should Not Be In Therapy Without Their Parents ... and check out Love on the Spectrum WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS....

Today we re-cast an important episode about end-of-school-year emotions and all the big feelings. It’s graduation time. Robin is smack in the middle of this emotional time and Lynn has navigated it twice. So they’re both crying. ...and here's the Katrina Kenison piece that Lynn mentions: https://www.katrinakenison.com/2020/03/16/the-gift-of-an-ordinary-day/ WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podc...

A listener wants her son to learn to swim after a previous bad experience at swimming lessons. Should she push him to go? How can she convince him to try again when he won’t even address the topic? While some activities are optional, knowing how to swim isn’t, so we dive into solutions. Past episodes discussed in today's Flusterclux episode: ARFID Is More Than Picky Eating: Lynn & Mindy Szelap Offer Help WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here...

Lynn often talks about the sizable “sweet spot of normal.” Our children will be sad, angry, confused and rejected and we can guide them through the ups and downs. Denial, however, prevents kids from learning how to get to the other side Denial shows them how to ignore rather than problem solve and engage in productive struggle. Past episodes discussed in today's Flusterclux episode: ARFID Is More Than Picky Eating: Lynn & Mindy Szelap Offer Help Raising Kids Who Are Really Ready For College Is...

A listener asks a question about being left out of her children’s therapy following the death of their father. The listener is baffled and so is Lynn, so she’s climbing back on her soap box to explain the benefits of working with parents and children together and how parents can seek out therapists that focus on building family/parenting skills. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest...

Being together and “hanging out” as a family does more than you might think. Doing it regularly, while reading or cooking or playing music and games, powerfully models connection and communication. Coregulation is how kids learn to manage their emotions and reactions from adults. Positive togetherness without devices matters. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this ...

A listener asked a common question: how do I help someone who’s having a “real” panic attack? In this episode, we talk about the different terms people use to describe anxiety symptoms (including panic) and the wonderfully consistent way to deal with them. Spoiler alert: we’re stepping in on purpose to retrain the brain. Here are the past Flusterclux episodes discussed by Lynn & Robin: Passing Out From Anxiety: Funny Tales From Our Family of Fainters WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HE...

A listener has a question about the diagnosis of ODD, oppositional defiant disorder. What does this diagnosis mean, what does this label offer families, and why (in Lynn’s and others' opinion) is it inadequate and even harmful in understanding children who are struggling? The bigger question to ask: how do we help kids and parents when behavior is unmanageable? Here are the past Flusterclux episodes discussed by Lynn & Robin: Real Talk with ADHD Expert Ryan Wexelblatt: Anxiety, ADHD and the Me...

Anxiety causes or amplifies physical symptoms. Headaches, stomachaches, dizziness, and even muscle pain are common. But what happens when your anxiety causes your physical symptoms AND such symptoms are the source of your anxiety? It can be a tricky loop to untangle. Discussed in today's episode: The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by John E. Sarno, M.D. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those ...

Remember the outdated parenting adage: “do as I say, not as I do”? Well, when it comes to passing on anxiety, both what you say really does make a difference. Research shows that how parents talk about new experiences and social encounters matters. In this episode, we break down the very doable verbal ways to up your child’s social confidence and minimize the impact of your social anxiety. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: F...

In this episode, Robin and Lynn tackle the topic of siblings. How can parents best balance the significant needs of one child with the needs of other siblings? Be it anxiety, OCD, or medical issues, how are siblings impacted? And how can families interrupt patterns, have direct conversations and, as always, stay out of the powerful cult of anxiety? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we sugg...

Have you heard of ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)? It describes extreme “picky eating” and can hijack families. But as with most disorders that seem to move quickly into parenting awareness, information, treatment, and internet discussions are all over the place. In this episode, Lynn brings back her colleague Mindy Szelap for a dose of solid information, myth-busting, and practical steps to take. What’s normal developmentally? What are the do’s and don’ts of mealtime? And does...

A listener asks a very relatable question: how do I help my perfectionist daughter manage the overwhelming demands of junior year without being stressed, tired and miserable? What’s the skill we need to teach our high schoolers…and what do messages do we parents need to stop sending? Here's the Season 2 episode referenced in today' s podacst: High Anxiety & Good Grades: Our Toxic Achievement Culture WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is o...

Parents are eager if not desperate to find help for their families, and the explosion of coaching options might be appealing. But parent beware: while coaching as a model to support has great legitimacy in some areas (health coaching, for example) many programs that claim to address trauma, OCD, anxiety or parenting struggles offer “certificates” and a business model that are superficial at best. How do parents sort through the options for coaches, advocates, and even therapists to make sure the...

Can you tolerate your children being frustrated, disappointed, angry or bored? Do you know how to help your child get through big emotions, or do you work hard to make sure they’re NOT distressed? Parenting to keep your kids “happy” has consequences, so in this episode you’ll get the words and the permission to let your kids feel uncomfortable. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest ...

Hurray for January as we reset and move forward! In this episode, Lynn and Robin double down on six key anxiety-busting (and preventing) practices that can guide your parenting. If you want smoother days and better moods, listen up! WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as well as a 3-part serie...

Several listeners have asked that we address the tough topic of bullying. We hope this episode will help parents recognize that not all bullies are the same, not all difficult interactions between kids are bullying, and direct conversations about how to step in are critical. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety...

Today's episode is a recast of Part 2 of our 2022 series entitled: 7 Essential Anxiety Disruptors For Families. [Listen to last week's episode for a recast of Part 1 and continue with Part 3 here: The 7 Anxiety Disruptors For Families: #3 get uncomfortable on purpose] Externalizing worry (and other strong emotions) teaches children and parents to take a step back and notice HOW worry and other big feelings operate. Changing the response to worry (instead of changing the environment to meet anxi...

Whether you’re a loyal listener or new to the podcast, you’ll want to join us for this series on Lynn Lyons’ approach to anxiety. Lynn and Robin talk about the first "puzzle piece" that helps create an anxiety-disrupting strategy for parents and kids. Together, these puzzle pieces are a foundation for a family to shift their anxious patterns. Lynn will explain the steps in order, just as she does in her practice, so that families have the clarity, language and confidence to manage worry. This we...

Lynn often uses the phrase “doing the disorder” to describe how well-meaning adults often end up aiding anxiety by doing exactly what it needs to remain in charge. In this episode, Ed and Lynn review this common trap, and describe how doing the disorder is also prevalent when dealing with physical symptoms and depression. And here is the 2023 episode Lynn references in today's conversation: Depression's Treatment And Prevention: A Series of Mic Drops with Dr. Michael Yapko WE'VE MADE PLAYLIST...

Lynn is joined by psychologist Dr. Ali Navidi who specializes in the brain gut connection. So many anxious kids have tummy aches and gastrointestinal symptoms. And sometimes an episode of food poisoning or the norovirus can set off an anxious spiral that turns chronic. Lynn and Ali talk about how to interrupt these patterns, their mutual love of pediatric hypnosis, and the myth that progress needs to be made slowly. Visit Ali's website: gipsychology.com WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO ...

Just in time for the holidays, we welcome psychologist Dr. Tracy Dalgleish to talk about her new book: You, Your Husband, and His Mother: Create a Healthy Relationship with Your Mother-in-Law--and Your Spouse--in Five Simple Steps. Tracy gives us the keys to handling this tricky dynamic with the goal of connection. And Lynn (whose mother-in-law does not listen to the podcast) has fun role playing. And check out Tracy's podcast: Dear Dr. Tracy WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FI...

Ed joins Lynn to first laugh (a lot) about their mutual fainting, and then discuss the negatives and positives of using distraction to deal with anxiety. Although distraction is routinely prescribed, Lynn sees what she calls “destructive distraction” as an increasingly common. Can distraction be helpful? And what do parents and clinicians need to know? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here⁠ For...

Parenting “styles” are all the rage. Gentle, eggshell, snowplow, concierge…and more! Robin and Lynn wade into the jargon, the benefits, and—of course—the ridiculous. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here⁠ For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as well as a 3-part series on the skills most helpful in...