For this weeks’ Throwback Thursday, I’m excited to do a podcast exchange with Mother’s Quest member and fellow podcaster Casey O’Rourty. Casey is a positive discipline trainer and parent coach and host of the Joyful Courage Podcast. When Casey and I talked about sharing favorite episodes on one another’s feeds, I knew just which one I wanted to bring to you.

It’s a powerful, vulnerable conversation between Casey and her daughter Rowan, about Rowan’s mental health challenges with anxiety and depression. I remember I first heard this episode when my son Ryan was going through a hard time in high school. Listening to Rowan’s courage and self-reflection gave me so much empathy and insight. And listening to Casey’s humility and honesty about the challenges of navigating her daughter’s challenges, invited me to reflect on how I could be supportive to Ryan during his. In fact, we listened to part of it together and it opened channels of communication in a beautiful way.

I hope you get as much as I did from this conversation and when you’re done, that you download Joyful Courage on your favorite podcast app so you can check out Casey’s other incredible episodes.

Much appreciation, Julie Neale

ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES

My guest today is Rowan O’Roarty.

Rowan is my oldest child, she will be 18 in January, and one of my biggest teachers of personal growth. As we all do, we learn who we are as parents, through our relationships with our children. Rowan made me a mom, and continues to influence who I am in the world as I navigate what it means to mother her. Rowan has been through her own journey of personal discovery over the past few years, maneuvering mental health challenges, dropping out of school, completing her GED, and stepping in to big responsibility while her dad and I were gone for 2 months going through my husband's cancer treatment. I am honored that she is willing to come share herself and her journey so candidly with you all today.

Takeaways from the show:

• Where the anxiety started
• When Rowan became aware of her anxiety
• Things we did that helped Rowan cope with depression and anxiety
• Panic attacks 
• Navigating anxiety attacks and how parents can be supportive
• What depression feels like
• Things parents can do that are helpful to their teen’s mental health
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Realizing only YOU can change your experience
• What Rowan has learned about herself these past few years
• Mental health and high school
• Rowan’s freshman year
• Opting into online school
• Dropping out of school and gaining parent’s support
• The GED test
• Plans for the future

ABOUT THE JOYFUL COURAGE PODCAST

Joyful Courage Parenting Podcast is a weekly show that is designed to entertain and inform as host, Casey O’Roarty tease apart all there is to learn on the parenting journey. The solo shows and expert guests interviews are packed full of useful nuggets for parents to take away and integrate into their own experience.

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Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/