Wise Traditions

475: Nurturing Our Sons

May 20, 2024

Licensed mental health counselor Laurie A. Couture discusses how normal boy behavior is often pathologized and offers advice on nurturing children through diet and attention. She highlights the importance of avoiding unhealthy foods like refined sugar and soy, and using trauma healing methods such as EMDR. The podcast addresses challenges boys face in society and advocates for understanding over medication for behavioral issues.

41:37

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Episode guests

Laurie A. Couture

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Quick takeaways

Normal boy behavior is often pathologized, leading to unnecessary medication, instead of investigating underlying distress and needs.

Advocating for boys' well-being involves dietary changes to avoid inflammatory ingredients and addressing traumas with therapies like EMDR.

Deep dives

The Crisis Facing Boys

Laurie Couture discusses the crisis that boys are experiencing in society, schools, and homes. Approximately 8.2% of children in the United States, aged 5 to 17 years, are on psychotropic drugs, with the majority being boys. Normal behavior displayed by boys is often pathologized, leading to unnecessary medication. Laurie recommends dietary changes and investigating food sensitivities to support boys' health and well-being.

Introduction

3min

Understanding Children's Behavioral Challenges and the Impact of Medication

16min

Insights on Avoiding Unhealthy Foods & Personalized Health Solutions

3min

Challenges Faced by Boys and Advocating for Sons

13min

Exploring EMDR Therapy for Healing Trauma

3min

Nurturing Boys and Health Tips Discussion

3min

Normal boy behavior is too often pathologized and drugged and medicated. When our children "act out" or "act up," it doesn't mean that they have poor behavior, a learning disability or a mental illness. It actually indicates that they are in distress and it's up to us as adults to investigate the cause of the behavior and to attempt to meet their needs.

Laurie A. Couture is a licensed mental health counselor and the author of "Instead of Medicating and Punishing" and "Nurturing and Empowering Our Sons." Today, she addresses the crisis our boys (and all of our children, really) are facing when it comes to physical and mental health. Laurie offers sound advice for supporting and nurturing our children through appropriate diet and attention. She makes specific recommendations for what foods to avoid to protect their health (like refined sugar and soy) and how to help them deal with trauma (like using protocols like EMDR, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing).

Visit Laurie's website: laurieacouture.com

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