The Child Psych Podcast

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, we’re joined by Alyssa Blask Campbell—educator, emotional-development expert, and author of the bestselling book Tiny Humans, Big Emotions. Alyssa invites us into the heart of her groundbreaking framework, the Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method—a research-based approach designed to help parents and educators respond to children’s emotions with intention rather than reactivity.Through this rich conversation, Alyssa explains what it truly means to process emotions collaboratively, starting with the adult’s ability to regulate their own nervous system. She shares how the CEP method reframes emotional moments not as crises to fix, but as opportunities for connection and co-regulation. Together, we explore how this framework helps both parents and teachers move beyond behaviour management and into deeper relational understanding—where curiosity, empathy, and attunement replace power struggles and frustration.Alyssa’s insights offer a refreshing reminder that emotional intelligence begins with us. When adults pause, breathe, and reflect before reacting, they model the very skills children need to thrive. Her work bridges cutting-edge neuroscience with compassionate, practical tools that fit into everyday life—whether you’re navigating a toddler tantrum, a classroom meltdown, or the quiet undercurrent of stress in your own body.Tune in for an inspiring and empowering conversation about what it means to raise and teach with emotional awareness, and how cultivating calm within ourselves is the most powerful gift we can give the children in our care.Alyssa Blask Campbell, M.Ed., is an emotional development expert, teacher, parent, and the founder and CEO of Seed & Sew—a global platform dedicated to raising emotionally intelligent humans by supporting the adults who care for them. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and is the creator of the Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method, a research-based framework that helps parents and educators respond to children’s emotions with intention rather than reactivity.Alyssa is also the host of the popular Voices of Your Village podcast and author of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions (HarperCollins), where she translates the science of emotional intelligence into practical, compassionate tools for everyday life. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post and other major outlets, and she has trained educators and families across the globe on how to build connection through co-regulation and nervous system awareness.LInk to Alyssa's books: Tiny Humans, Big Emotions , and Big Kids, Bigger Feelings Sensory Quiz: https://www.seedandsew.org/linksThe Parent Coach:We’re launching The Parent Coach—your new go-to place for instant parenting support. Ask a question and get immediate guidance plus a three-minute expert video, all at your fingertips. No more endless scrolling or long courses.Join now and become one of our first 1,000 early adopters to lock in a heavily discounted introductory price.The 2026 ICP Parenting Summit is coming!Join us March 16–19 for 35+ expert masterclasses and four interactive half-day workshops, featuring leading voices like Ross Greene, Laura Markham, Robert Melillo, Lawrence Cohen, Kim John Payne, and Jon Fogel. We’ll be diving into the topics parents need most: screens, discipline, anxiety, emotional regulation, neurodiversity, resilience, play, and more.The summit is completely free, and VIP packages include lifetime access, toolkits, certificates, and a digital copy of The Parenting Handbook.Click here to save your seat! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whining can feel like nails on a chalkboard, especially when everyone is tired, stretched thin, or heading into (or out of) the holiday season. In this episode, Tania and Tammy unpack why kids whine, what’s happening beneath the behaviour, and how parents can respond in ways that reduce escalation and build connection.With their signature blend of warmth, humour, and clinical insight, they explore the real reasons kids slip into that grating tone, how stress and dysregulation fuel it, and why some children are more prone to whining than others. You’ll walk away with simple, compassionate strategies you can use right away to support emotional regulation, set clear boundaries, and guide your child back to calm.If whining has ever pushed your buttons (we’ve all been there!), this episode is for you.The Parent Coach:We’re launching The Parent Coach—your new go-to place for instant parenting support. Ask a question and get immediate guidance plus a three-minute expert video, all at your fingertips. No more endless scrolling or long courses.Join now and become one of our first 1,000 early adopters to lock in a heavily discounted introductory price.The 2026 ICP Parenting Summit is coming!Join us March 16–19 for 35+ expert masterclasses and four interactive half-day workshops, featuring leading voices like Ross Greene, Laura Markham, Robert Melillo, Lawrence Cohen, Kim John Payne, and Jon Fogel. We’ll be diving into the topics parents need most: screens, discipline, anxiety, emotional regulation, neurodiversity, resilience, play, and more.The summit is completely free, and VIP packages include lifetime access, toolkits, certificates, and a digital copy of The Parenting Handbook.Click here to save your seat! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the digital world our children grow up in, creating opportunities for learning and connection—but also ushering in complex new challenges for safety, attention, identity, and mental health. In this timely episode, we sit down with Dr. Scott Kollins, Chief Medical Officer at Aura and a nationally recognized expert in ADHD, digital health, and youth mental wellness.Together, we explore how AI-driven platforms represent a significant evolution from earlier forms of digital media. Dr. Kollins explains how algorithmic personalization, generative content, and immersive engagement tools influence children’s attention patterns, behavior, and even neurological development. He highlights emerging concerns surrounding AI-generated characters and influencers designed to mimic friendship and connection—raising important considerations for social development, empathy, and identity formation in childhood.The conversation also delves into the growing difficulty children face in distinguishing real from artificial experiences online, and how this blurring of reality can shape emotional regulation, perception, and worldview. Dr. Kollins discusses the mental health implications of AI systems that feel responsive or “alive” to young users, and what it means to parent in an era where digital platforms may seem to be constantly listening.This episode offers an essential, research-grounded understanding of the digital landscape parents are navigating today, and provides guidance for supporting children’s well-being as technology continues to evolve at unprecedented speed.For more information: Join the Study: Click herehttps://www.aura.com/ https://meetcircle.com/The Parent Coach: We’re launching The Parent Coach—your new go-to place for instant parenting support. Ask a question and get immediate guidance plus a three-minute expert video, all at your fingertips. No more endless scrolling or long courses.Join now and become one of our first 1,000 early adopters to lock in a heavily discounted introductory price.The 2026 ICP Parenting Summit is coming!Join us March 16–19 for 35+ expert masterclasses and four interactive half-day workshops, featuring leading voices like Ross Greene, Laura Markham, Robert Melillo, Lawrence Cohen, Kim John Payne, and Jon Fogel. We’ll be diving into the topics parents need most: screens, discipline, anxiety, emotional regulation, neurodiversity, resilience, play, and more.The summit is completely free, and VIP packages include lifetime access, toolkits, certificates, and a digital copy of The Parenting Handbook.Click here to save your seat! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this insightful conversation, Tania sits down with The Danish Way of Parenting co-author Jessica Joelle Alexander to explore what Denmark — one of the happiest nations in the world — can teach us about raising healthy, grounded kids in a digital age.Together they discuss how Danish families approach screens with balance, community values, and trust — focusing not on restriction, but on digital citizenship. Jessica shares practical ways parents can cultivate empathy, responsibility, and critical thinking through the use of Digital Citizen Cards, a tool that helps children learn to navigate online spaces with integrity and awareness.This conversation offers a hopeful reframe: technology isn’t the enemy — disconnection is. By raising digital citizens, not digital consumers, parents can help kids thrive both online and offline.To find out more about Raising Digital Citizens, click hereTo purchase the conversation cards, click hereWanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The holidays can be magical… and messy. In this episode, registered psychologists and co-founders of the Institute of Child Psychology, Tammy Schamuhn and Tania Johnson, sit down to talk honestly about the emotional roller coaster many parents face this time of year.From financial pressure and overstimulation to family dynamics, grief, and the weight of traditions, Tammy and Tania unpack why this season can feel so overwhelming and what parents can do to stay grounded. You’ll learn practical tools for managing stress, setting realistic expectations, supporting sensitive kids, and creating moments of connection that matter more than the “perfect” holiday.Whether you love Christmas, dread it, or feel a bit of both, this compassionate conversation will help you breathe a little easier, let go of guilt, and find your calm in the midst of the chaos.Stay Tuned for ICP's exciting new news!Wanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s world, teens are facing an unprecedented rise in chronic illness, anxiety, and disconnection. But a new generation of changemakers is fighting back: with knowledge, heart, and holistic wellness. In this powerful episode, Tania sits down with the inspiring young authors of Teen Health Revolution: Unlocking Lifestyle Secrets for the Mind, Body, and Soul ,all under 18, to explore how small, daily choices can transform mental and physical health.Together they discuss the intersection of nutrition, gut health, sleep, stress, and screen time, and how lifestyle medicine can empower teens to take charge of their wellbeing. From tech balance to mindfulness, gratitude to nature connection, this conversation highlights the growing movement of youth leading the charge toward a healthier, more conscious world.These teen authors remind us that the revolution isn’t coming : it’s already here, and it’s being led by the next generation.To purchase" The Teen Health Revolution, unlocking Lifestyle Secrets for the Mind, Body, and Soul", click hereWanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parents are often told that boredom fuels creativity, but for neurodiverse kids, “just be bored” can feel more like distress than inspiration. In this insightful episode, Tania sits down with cognitive specialist and author Bea Moise to explore why boredom impacts autistic and ADHD brains differently, and what children actually need in those moments.Together they unpack how novelty, structure, and movement support regulation and focus, and why sensory and executive-function differences make unstructured downtime hard for many neurodiverse kids. Bea offers compassionate, realistic tools to help parents balance stimulation with rest, foster creativity without chaos, and build environments where all kinds of brains can thrive.This conversation reframes boredom not as a skill to be forced, but as a signal to be understood.To find out more about Bea's work, click hereBea's Youtube Channel is also on fire, to subscribe click hereTo purchase : "Our Neurodivergent Journey", click hereTo purchase :"The Neurodivergent Home", click hereWanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some children feel everything : the moods in a room, the pain of others, even the tension that adults think they’re hiding. In this heartfelt conversation, Tania sits down with Dr. Judith Orloff, psychiatrist and author of The Empath’s Survival Guide, to explore what it means to raise and support an empathic or highly sensitive child.Together they unpack how empathy and intuition show up in children, how to tell the difference between emotional sensitivity and anxiety, and why empathic kids often struggle with overwhelm, fatigue, or emotional contagion. Dr. Orloff shares grounding and protection strategies that help children stay open-hearted without absorbing the stress of others.This episode is an invitation for parents and educators to see empathy not as a weakness, but as a profound gift that needs understanding, structure, and care to flourish.To purchase "The Highly Sensitive Rabbit", click hereWanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Tammy and Tania unpack one of the most common questions parents ask: “How old is old enough to stay home alone?”Together, they explore the developmental skills kids need before taking this step—things like emotional regulation, problem-solving, impulse control, and knowing what to do in an emergency. They also talk about age guidelines, legal considerations, red flags that a child may not be ready, and the small practice steps families can take to build confidence along the way.Tammy and Tania share practical scripts, real-life examples, and gentle reassurance to help parents make this decision with clarity rather than fear. Whether your child is asking for more independence or you’re wondering if it’s time, this episode will help you navigate the transition safely and thoughtfully.Wanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking to kids about sex doesn’t have to be awkward—it can be one of the most empowering, protective, and connecting conversations you ever have as a parent. In this episode, Tammy sits down with sexual-health educator Amy Lang, M.A., to explore how we can raise children and teens who are informed, confident, and safe as they navigate their growing bodies, relationships, and identities.Together, they unpack the “how” and “when” of these essential conversations—from the toddler years through the teen years—and share practical language parents can start using today.In this episode, you’ll learn:* Why knowledge builds safety and confidence — and how preparing kids for healthy relationships is more effective than trying to prevent behavior.*What to teach at each age and stage — including body boundaries for preschoolers, consent for early school age, and porn literacy for tweens and teens.* How to start (and keep) the conversation going — using real terms like vulva, penis, and clitoris to normalize and protect.* How to align these talks with your family values — whether you emphasize abstinence, faith-based guidance, or open sexual education.* Special insights for neurodivergent youth — how to use concrete visuals, repetition, and supportive structure to help all kids feel in control of their changing bodies.* How to make your home a safe headquarters — including simple “scripts,” what to do if your child sees porn, and how to model calm, shame-free conversations.Ultimately every parent is trying to reach these deeper goals and this episode will help you get there: Helping kids grow up comfortable in their bodies, be clear about consent, and confident coming to you with questions.To find out more about Amy, click hereTo find out more about Amy's book, "Sex Talks with Teens", click hereTo find out more about Amy's book, "Birds + Bees + your kids", click hereTo find out more about how to support neurodivergent kids, click hereWanting more from ICP? Get 50 % off our annual membership with the coupon code: PODCAST5090+ courses on parenting and children's mental healthPrivate community where you can feel supportedWorkbooks, parenting scripts, and printablesMember-only Webinars Course Certificates for Continuing EducationAccess to our Certification ProgramLive Q & A Sessions for Parents & ProfesssionalsBi-Annual Parenting & Mental Health ConferencesDownloadable Social Media CollectionRobust Resource LibraryClick here for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.