Debra Kissen, PhD, discusses parental anxiety, emphasizing neuroplasticity and brain rewiring. She explores emotional regulation, challenging catastrophic thinking, and incorporating mindfulness for parents. The podcast offers practical guidance on managing anxiety and strengthening connections with children.
Mirror neurons intensify parental anxiety by mirroring child's emotions.
Neuroplasticity allows brain rewiring to change thinking patterns and behaviors over time.
Deep dives
The Role of Mirror Neurons in Parental Anxiety
Mirror neurons play a crucial role in parental anxiety, as they intensify caregiving behaviors by allowing parents to feel and mirror their child's emotions. This heightened connection leads to increased stress and anxiety, often overlooked due to a perceived need to appear competent as parents.
Understanding Neuroplasticity for Brain Rewiring
Neuroplasticity offers a positive view of brain development, illustrating how our brains continuously rewire with new experiences and behaviors. The process involves creating new neural pathways by practicing new behaviors until they become automatic, enabling individuals to change their thinking patterns and behaviors over time.
Emotional Regulation Through Mindfulness and Compassionate Disengagement
Mindfulness serves as an effective tool for emotional regulation, helping parents navigate stress and anxiety by returning their focus to the present moment. Engaging in short, mindful practices throughout the day can provide much-needed relief and enhance resilience. Additionally, practicing compassionate disengagement allows for the acknowledgement of emotional distress without getting entangled in it, fostering healthier responses to challenging situations.
Accepting Imperfection and Cultivating Self-Compassion in Parenting
Redefining imperfect parenting involves embracing the reality of imperfection while focusing on meaningful interactions and experiences with children. Self-compassion serves as a foundation for parental effectiveness, allowing parents to navigate challenges with empathy and understanding. By letting go of the quest for perfection, parents can reduce shame and judgment, fostering a more enjoyable and fulfilling parenting experience.
Debra Kissen, PhD, coauthor of Overcoming Parental Anxiety, joins us to discuss parental anxiety. Debra is a licensed clinical psychologist, and CEO of Light On Anxiety CBT Treatment Center. Kissen specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and related disorders, and is coauthor of The Panic Workbook for Teens, Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens, and Break Free from Intrusive Thoughts. Kissen also has a special interest in the principles of mindfulness and their application for anxiety disorders, and has presented her research on CBT and mindfulness-based treatments for anxiety and related disorders at regional and national conferences.
Kissen is cochair of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Public Education Committee, and was recipient of the 2020 Gratitude for Giving Spirit Award and the 2018 ADAA Member of Distinction Award. Kissen often serves as a media psychologist, and strives to further the dissemination of empirically supported treatment information by offering simple-to-understand, practical tips and solutions to help mental health consumers move past stress and anxiety.
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