Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan: #1 Podcast for Inspiring Conversations to Live and Lead On Purpose

Dr. Dan is excited about today’s interview with author, speaker, advocate, and entrepreneur Jonathan Mooney. https://www.jonathanmooney.com/  Jonathan inspires everyone he meets. He travels regularly and speaks about advocacy and social justice for children, teens, and adults. Jonathan’s moving story will change the way listeners think about diversity in the world: He did not learn to read until 12 years old. He faced low expectations growing up—was told he would flip burgers, be a highschool dropout and end up in jail. Happily, those prophecies didn’t come to pass. Instead of being a high school dropout he became a college graduate from Brown university with an honors degree in English lit; instead of flipping burgers he ended up writing books, and instead of becoming an inmate he became a passionate advocate creating organizations and initiatives that help people who get the short end of the stick. Dr. Dan and Jonathan have a deep and deeply moving discussion about self-advocacy, why students should have a participatory role in their own education, the empowerment that comes from choices, and so much more. Jonathan also talks about his inspiring mother, his challenging relationship with his own father, differences don’t have to be deficits or less than, and the impact of shame. Jonathan’s Parent Footprint moment spans two generations and is very motivational:  he speaks about how his Dad taking him to a baseball game and sharing his love and acceptance on the car ride home literally saved Jonathan's life. Today Jonathan uses that motivation with his own three children today. With the publication of his book Learning Outside The Lines (now in its 28th printing) when he was 23, Jonathan has established himself as one of the foremost leaders in the neurodiversity and the learning revolution. His second book, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal received outstanding reviews. Both books are considered foundational texts in the disability rights movement, the inclusive education movement, and the learning revolution and are used in undergraduate and graduate program at universities and colleges across the country including Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and Teachers College, Columbia University. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes the founder/lead editor of Autisable.com (an online community that connects people who want to tackle the puzzle of Autism) and Dad blogger Joel Manzer to the show. Joel is a special needs parent and a podcast host with a passion for writing and connecting. The focus of today’s show is community – it really does take a village (real and online) to raise happy and healthy children today. Community benefits everyone - parents and children. Joel Manzer describes himself as “just one person among the thousands sharing their stories online” and he is celebrated as an Autism Light for his dedication as an autism father and for his vision in leading Autisable today to be a helpful resource on the voices of the diverse autism community. “When my son was diagnosed with autism, we searched online for an open source blogging community that we would show daily life with autism and that search eventually birthed Autisable.com. Our mission is rather basic, to promote discussion of autism. We don’t take a stance on a specific viewpoint or concept about it, but want to provide an environment where people can share their ideas and journey.” Online parenting communities and websites can help all parents and for the many parents facing challenge this virtual world is a game-changer in parenting today for so many reasons— Having a community gives you connection to life-savers and life changers You are not alone Sharing struggles as well as sharing triumphs in a safe space Truth sharing and discussion Practicing listening and respectful disagreeing In addition to ParentFootprint.com there are online resources for every parenting challenge or skill such as: ADHD: http://www.chadd.org/ Dyslexic Advantage: https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/ 2e Newsletter: http://www.2enewsletter.com/ Gifted Homeschoolers: https://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ The Miracle Project: http://www.themiracleproject.org/ Challenge Success: http://www.challengesuccess.org/ Make Social Learning Stick: http://www.makesociallearningstick.com/index.html Today’s Parent Footprint Moment from Joel is beautiful and inspiring. He remembers the most pivotal parenting moment ever -- when the decision was made to take his son out of the public school system and explained that the school system wasn’t hearing his son. At that moment, Joel’s son, who could not communicate with words, squeezed his hand and it was all the validation he needed that his family had made the right decision. In the end, the power of everyone part of Autisable.com is helping to teach Joel everything he can learn about his own son – and that isn’t just a community, it’s everything. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes author and occupational and physical therapist Suzanne Cresswell (http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/media-resources/ ) in today’s information filled episode which will benefit children and adults. Suzanne Cresswell has worked with patients in her clinic and in the school system for over three decades. She blends her background in rehabilitation medicine with principles of neuroplasticity to provide novel and effective intervention strategies. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger’s, sensory integration disorder, and other learning disabilities all benefit from Suzanne’s unique approach to brain and body wellness. She starts the interview discussing a favorite Parent Footprint value: being present. Dr. Dan agrees that this is the first step and most powerful step to any intervention.   When children struggle in school they often feel shame that they are not what they “should” be; not “normal.” In fact, the term learning disability seems to reinforce their belief and suggests that they are unable to learn. Nothing could be further from the truth. They just learn in unique ways. The capabilities and talents of this population are frequently overlooked because their skills and abilities are often not relevant to the requirements of traditional education. Dr. Dan and Suzanne discuss the new book Unique Learner Solutions http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/product/unique-learner-solutions-book/ because it provides strategies that are targeted to what is really happening in the brains and bodies of unique learners. Knowledge is power, and when you know what is really going on with your child and what you can do to help, it makes a huge difference. This will not only make a difference in their scholastic world, but also in their family life both now and in the future. Listeners will be fascinated by the neuroscience discussion surrounding brain/emotions, neuropsychology, and yes, LOVE! The interview also includes intimate moments from Dr. Dan’s family and how Suzanne Creswell’s work proves “just try harder” does not work for every child. Parents and educators must be detectives to find the real reasons behind learning challenges.   Unique Learners have systems that are different from typical learners. They experience the world from a different perspective. And it’s the compassion and true presence that impacted these learners. In fact, Suzanne shares the anecdote that many children grow up to report that the intention behind the interventions mattered most to them. Her parting wisdom is kids know -- they feel what is behind everything. The show wraps up with the fan favorite: the Parent Footprint moment. Suzanne Cresswell ponders her own parents’ parenting styles and that experience later impacted how she parented her own children with presence, purpose, perspective and passion! She treasures the “two sides of parenting” she gave her children just as she received that gift from her parents. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan introduces listeners to Amy Morin today (https://amymorinlcsw.com/). The two experts discuss resilience, happiness, and Amy’s new book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning and Success.   Amy Morin is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, an instructor at Northeastern University and a foster parent. In 2013, her article, "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," became a viral TedxTalk sensation when it garnered more than 50 million views and eventually became an internationally bestselling book. Amy’s personal journey of resilience after losing her mother and husband helped her become mentally strong and today her advice is helping millions. In today’s interview Dr. Dan and Amy explore the heart of her book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do: we can teach children of all ages—from preschoolers to teenagers—to build mental muscle and develop into healthy, strong adults by using empowered language, sending healthier messages on achievement and failure, and increasing courage instead of decreasing fear. During the interview Dr. Dan picks some of his favorites from Amy’s list what parents should not do including:    Don’t Make Children the Center of the Universe    Don’t Shield Your Children From Pain    Don’t Allow Fear to Dictate Your Choices    Don’t Give Your Children Power over You And Amy brings up such diverse topics as divorce, death, moving across the country, correcting homework, friendship coaching, social media kindness, chores and more to demonstrate all the ways kids can instead of can’t in their lives. Dr. Dan agrees – we must show our children we trust them and believe they are capable contributors. Amy Morin’s Parent Footprint moment is about her own personal experience as a therapeutic foster parent to a 14-year-old girl who desperately wanted to go to summer camp. Amy was able to accept the girl’s decision and was able to parent past her own fears. Amy Morin is a much sought after speaker and her TEDx talks is one of the most popular of all time. Her advice has been featured by major media outlets including Parenting, Time, Fox News, CNN, and Oprah.com. She serves as a parenting expert for Verywell and she's a columnist for Forbes, Inc., and Psychology Today. For more information about Amy and her work and books: https://amymorinlcsw.com/ Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today Dr. Dan discusses children and “entitlement vs. earning” with author Michael G. Wetter (http://www.drwetter.com/). In Earn It: What to Do When Your Kid Needs an Entitlement Intervention, author Michael G. Wetter, PsyD (with co-author Eileen Bailey) has written a comprehensive guide to stop parents when they say to themselves, “I just want him to be  happy!”  “I just want her to have all the things that I never had!” and move them towards more mindful parenting. Dr. Dan and Michael Wetter agree that entitlement is a provocative and important topic. Dr. Wetter explains how it’s important to teach parents of children of all ages clear strategies and techniques to help change and shape our child’s character by instilling a sense of responsibility, accountability, kindness, and caring. Dr. Dan and Dr. Wetter explore why parents must teach resilience to our children. They both agree that parents can create a family life and culture where responsibilities are honored, praise has meaning, decisions are made skillfully, and gratitude is second nature. And on top of that our children are happy. This all comes from teaching resilience.   The interview also discusses the culture of success and the necessity of failure. Dr. Wetter calls this “successful failure” and this is part of resilience building. The third topic of discussion today is about wants vs. needs because this attitude relates directly to entitlement and earning. The perfect example is technology – many children confuse wanting a new digital device with needing that device. Parents need to ask themselves “how does my child earn this?” and “why does my child need this?” and often these two questions are the key to teaching our children the difference. These lessons reflect values. Teaching children about earning means we will raise motivated adults who understand that many of the best things in life are earned. Dr. Wetter encourages parents to think about the long term goals for their children and the big picture of how they want their children to be and live. The show wraps up with Dr. Wetter’s Parent Footprint moment and the story of how his daughter taught him the importance of preserving that magical natural born kindness that lives in all of our young children. It’s a truly inspiring moment and one listeners will think about long after the show ends. A nationally recognized behavioral health expert, Dr. Michael G. Wetter is a Diplomate and Fellow of the American Psychotherapy Association, and has served as an Oral Examination Commissioner and Subject Matter Expert for the California State Licensing Board of Psychology. He is an active member of the American Psychological Association, American Academy of Psychologists, the National Alliance of Psychology Providers, and the California Psychological Association. Dr. Wetter is a nationally recognized expert in the field of Psychology, published author, and an invited speaker and guest lecturer, training other psychologists and mental health professionals. www.drwetter.com Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever felt awkward in a social situation? Today Dr. Dan’s guest is Ty Tashiro, Ph.D. (http://tytashiro.com/) the author of AWKWARD: The Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward and Why That’s Awesome. A psychologist and interpersonal relationship expert, Ty Tashiro gives Dr. Dan and listeners an illuminating look at what it means to be awkward and how we can all embrace our personal quirks to harness our potential and more comfortably navigate this complex world.  For awkward people (this includes adults and children), the simple act of navigating everyday situations can feel very overwhelming. Often unable to grasp social cues or master the skills and grace necessary for smooth interaction, they feel out of sync with those around them. How can parents help themselves and their children embrace their awkwardness?  Growing up Ty Tashiro was awkward himself -- he could do complex arithmetic in his head and memorize the earned run averages of every National League starting pitcher but he struggled during interactions with other kids and was prone to forgetting routine social expectations. During today’s interview Dr. Dan and Dr. Tashiro explore Ty’s personal story, the differences between boys vs. girls as well as the nature vs. nurture origins of awkwardness. A highlight of the interview is how parents can feel comfort and find community knowing their children are not alone. Parents must be patient, supportive, and not overreact to their child’s awkwardness. Awkwardness can mean your child is passionate, driven, or even gifted.  Dr. Dan explains that most of us feel a little awkward sometime in our lives, and that awkwardness is not social anxiety. When a parent remains calm and gives children a social script while acting patiently they can teach their children how to feel empowered to better navigate the complexities of the social world. Supporting our socially awkward children will help their self-esteem and potential. And it can also foster empathy and kindness.  During the Parent Footprint moment, Ty talks about his own childhood interest in baseball statistics and how his passion could have been perceived as awkward or even worrisome for his parents. But when his parents bought him a special encyclopedia he realized not only did his parents accept him but that they loved him unconditionally and they were really with him. Decades later this anecdote is still a powerful one for Ty.  TY TASHIRO, Ph.D., is also the author of The Science of Happily Ever After. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time.com, TheAtlantic.com, and on NPR and Sirius XM Stars radio. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, has been an award-winning professor at the University of Maryland and University of Colorado, and has addressed TED@NYC, Harvard Business School, MIT’s Media Lab, and the American Psychological Association. He lives in New York City. For more information visit:  http://tytashiro.com/ Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes Mel Schwartz today. This exciting episode is about the incredible work of psychotherapist Mel Schwartz and his new book THE POSSIBILITY PRINCIPLE. Mel’s groundbreaking philosophy about reality and quantum physics will make readers think and embark on self-examination journeys. Today’s episode challenges readers to answer the question Mel’s been asking his clients for over 20 years: How would you like to experience your life? Dr. Dan and Mel Schwartz discuss how THE POSSIBILITY PRINCIPLE offers a revolutionary approach to how we can live the life we choose—free from the wounds of our past and the constraints of our ingrained beliefs and thoughts. It’s a blueprint for how to overcome anxiety and depression and shows us how we can thrive in our relationships and develop authentic self-esteem. And it is this groundbreaking philosophy that parents can learn to model and teach their children. By answering Mel’s simple question we can all begin to believe that our goals and desires are attainable. By embracing uncertainty (and making the unknown our ally) we embrace the flow of life—and what better lesson to teach our children and families? When we show our children who we are and when we live in an authentic way we show our own true self to our children and we genuinely reach them. Listeners will hear how and why mastering our own thoughts—and teaching our children to master their thoughts—ultimately means we can truly become the master of our own life. Mel’s Parent Footprint moment is rich advice and is all about children seeking their own potential. When his son came home with a less than perfect report card and as a Dad he reacted in way that was critical and caused his son to share this poignant third grade wisdom: Let me be a kid Dad! And his son was right. Mel Schwartz wants us to share our life story with our children: Our successes, failures, vulnerability, and triumphs—all of our whole actual life with them. Mel Schwartz LCSW, MPhil, is a psychotherapist and marriage counselor in private practice in Westport, CT and Manhattan for over 20 years. He is an emerging voice in the field of personal transformation and is one of the first practicing psychotherapists to integrate the principles of quantum physics into a psychotherapeutic approach. He earned his graduate degree from Columbia University. Mel is the author of The Art of Intimacy, The Pleasure of Passion, and he blogs for Psychology Today. He has written over 100 articles, read by more than 1.5 million people. For more information: http://melschwartz.com/ Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today Dr. Dan welcomes Dr. Marilyn Paul, an author, parent and well being expert. Marilyn‘s passion is the basis of her new book for parents and families An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life (Rodale, August 2017) – in it she shows us all how a day of rest can transform and save lives.  We live in hurried times. We value busy-ness, juggling too much, and trying to reach daily pie-in-the-sky goals. We are connected 24/7 and we are passing these habits on to our children. Dr. Paul encourages us to make small changes to make big life changes - spending meaningful time in nature or attending a family dinner and taking a day of rest is a gift we can give ourselves and our children. Listeners today will learn that there are practical strategies for creating their own modern-day Sabbath or day of rest, whatever their religious beliefs. Scheduled rest time is life-affirming and creates an oasis.  Parents can integrate "oasis time" into their lives by examining their habits and finding and scheduling “pause time” – purposefully. There is power in STOPPING and making it sacred. And you can do this with your family – stretching, deep breathing, looking at a tree, turning off all screens, playing a board game, going on a family walk. By seeking a way to pause and refresh ourselves we will recover from exhaustion and at the same time teach our children this crucial life lesson that should be a priority.  Dr. Dan and Dr. Paul talk about “giving up achievement” on your day of rest. Dr. Dan goes on to explain how being present with yourself and your loved ones (and avoid the need To Do) is a paradigm shifting way of thinking and living.  The Parent Footprint moment Marilyn describes is eye-opening: Marilyn considered herself a parent who limited her own cell phone usage. But when Marilyn’s son called her a phone addict, Marilyn learned she was wrong and started to simply STOP using her device when she is with her son. Nothing is more important than being with her child and so she puts the phone away now. With a Ph.D. from the Yale School of Management and an M.B.A. from Cornell, Dr. Paul takes a creative, integrative approach that blends practical skills training with inner work. As a senior consultant with Bridgeway Partners, an organizational consulting group based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she has worked with a wide range of companies, non-profits, religious organizations and educational institutions. In addition to her consulting work, she has taught on the faculties of Yale University School of Medicine, the Hebrew University School of Public Health and Colby College in Waterville Maine. In her new book, An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life (Rodale, 2017), http://marilynpaul.com/an-oasis-in-time-book/ Dr. Paul shows that a solution for the modern sense of relentless pressure can be found in the ancient tradition of the Sabbath. Among the many profound benefits of taking a day off each week are renewed perspective, enhanced creativity and a refreshed outlook on life. Drawing on Sabbath history, contemporary research and her own personal experience, Dr. Paul shows readers how to design a weekly time off, carve out the time from busy schedule and most importantly, change their mindset to have the pleasure of regularly slowing down every week. Marilyn is also the author of It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven-Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized and has been featured in USA Today,The Boston Globe,The Chicago Tribune, NPR, the Discovery Channel and Yoga Journal. Dr. Paul lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and son. For more information, please visit www.marilynpaul.com. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today’s episode Dr. Dan welcomes Summit Center colleague Dr. Paula Wilkes to discuss how to create well being for ourselves and our families. Dr. Dan and Dr. Wilkes discuss how we can help all children discover their true nature and find their inner peace. This episode also devotes time to the particular challenges of gifted and spiritually sensitive children. Dr. Wilkes lives by deliberately making mindfulness and well being her daily goals as a result of her own personal journey with stress and pain. Her “morning workout” is easy to follow and transformative. She explains that by modeling wellness to our children they will begin to learn about the mind and body connection. During the interview listeners will hear how we can all create calm and peace in our lives: by not rushing, by listening to calm music, by practicing meditation, by finding on-the-go mindful moments and much more. Dr. Wilkes defines mindfulness as being in the moment as life is happening. And for our children because regulation and environment contribute to well being then as parents and educators we need to teach our children to practice self-kindness, self-awareness, and self-love so that they can learn to nourish a feeling of peace in themselves. In one of the most memorable Parent Footprint moments, Paula beautifully recounts to Dr. Dan how her own lifelong evolution of self-awareness and well being profoundly influenced her own daughter’s career and life choices when she became a mother. Paula’s journey benefited her adult daughter in immeasurable ways. Today’s episode proves how important the core value of Parent Footprint is: that we must take good care of ourselves so that we can take good care of our children and grandchildren. Paula Wilkes, Ph.D has worked in gifted education for more than 35 years as a public school teacher, a university professor, and a gifted consultant. She is currently a coach for gifted children and adults at Summit Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Wilkes provides cognitive coaching, counseling, and consultation for children and their parents on gifted and “twice-exceptional” issues (including sensitivity and intensity). In addition, she is a coach for gifted and twice-exceptional adults who may be struggling with issues related to misdiagnosis, multi-potentiality, anxiety, work and/or relationship challenges, and a desire to make a stronger connection to their spiritual sensitivity. Dr. Wilkes is a mother and grandmother who focuses her attention on creating calm, loving environments for herself, her family, and her clients. She is available for face-to-face consultations in Los Angeles, and by Skype, with experience working with international clients. You can learn more about her at, http://summitcenter.us/about/professionals/drpaulawilkes/ and http://www.CoachingTheGifted.net/ Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan joyfully welcomes author and Rhodes Scholar Jessica Teich today (www.byjessicateich.com). Jessica’s memoir The Future Tense of Joy has been universally praised by many including Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Daniel Silva, countless reviewers and a diverse group of bloggers for its honest, courageous, and real discussion of fear, suicide, violence against women, sexual abuse and rape. Through her writing and her own harrowing story Jessica advocates for victims of violence and sexual abuse as well as anyone struggling with anxiety and mental illness. Ultimately, Jessica is a real life role model for purposeful parenting, facing fears, equality, philanthropy, and volunteerism. Her writing has built a community of connection and a safe place for truth telling. Jessica’s deeply personal take on how she is a survivor and how her own resilience is a daily process that she cultivates for herself and her daughters and family – by tuning into the noises and violence she experienced when she was sixteen she freed herself through the book and writing. It’s through her daily ritual of facing her own fears that she has found joy and is now passing that skill to her daughters. Dr. Dan and Jessica Teich talk about real life parenting experiences during their conversation and all parents will relate to topics ranging from perfectionism to homework to the viral Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” and how as parents we need to model how to filter and how to help our teens sort through new -- and oftentimes -- frightening adolescent experiences. We are our children’s best and most influential resource -- we need to listen and really hear them. Dr. Dan emphasizes how our children are always watching:  they see and hear what we are doing and then learn from our examples. This episode deeply connects to how Parent Footprint challenges us all to be our best for ourselves and our children. Dr. Dan asks Jessica about her one piece of advice to work through fear and to find joy – be present. This thought-provoking episode wraps up with Jessica’s Parent Footprint moment about her own unfounded fear of a particular ice cream when her children were young and she poignantly describes how she had to push away this irrational fear in order to open up the whole wide world of joy to her children – ice cream and all! Jessica Teich graduated summa cum laude from Yale and received an M.Phil degree from Oxford, where she was a Rhodes scholar. Her previous book, Trees Make The Best Mobiles: Simple Ways To Raise Your Child In A Complex World, appeared in Vanity Fair, People, Us, and The Chicago Tribune, and was featured on the Today Show. For almost a decade, Teich worked as a literary manager at the Mark Taper Forum, commissioning and developing plays. She subsequently received a grant to write and direct a movie for the Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute. Teich served as head of the Biography committee for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and her articles have appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and numerous other publications. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two daughters, and dog. Praise for The Future Tense of Joy: "A daring and intimate journey into the soul of motherhood. Compelling." —Steve Martin "Intoxicating and deeply immersive. This elegant book has a cinematic immediacy. It’s a page turner and thriller in the best sense of both words." —Daniel Silva, New York Times bestselling author "Jessica Teich's understanding of trauma is the infallible authority upon which her tale rests. But the delicacy and nuance with which she renders this story is that of a poet. This beautiful, compassionately imagined book will bring a pang of recognition to anyone who has traveled to young adulthood from a wounded adolescence via the quest for 'perfection.'" —Meryl Streep For more information visit http://byjessicateich.com/ Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices