Securely Attached

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 5:34 - Where do you even begin? How to start this difficult conversation with your child. 6:15 - The 3 pillars to keep in mind that will help you to guide your child through this conversation and process their emotions. 10:18 - The importance of honesty and knowing what information to share with your child in a developmentally appropriate manner. 15:33 - It is helpful to remind yourself that the goal of this conversation is about helping your child make sense of everything and feel less alone, not reassure them that everything is "great." 19:30 - Try not to put so much pressure on this one conversation. Try to view this as a jumping off point that can be revisited whenever necessary. If you would like support processing your cancer diagnosis and helping your child work through their feelings about this, you can always reach out to Upshur Bren Psychology Group to learn about our virtual coaching and therapeutic services. ✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

No one prepares you for hearing that your child is sick. Navigating a child's harrowing medical diagnosis is often one of the hardest things a parent can go through. Today, we talk with a mother who has walked this path, and how she found a way to redefine her narrative in order to diminish her pain and suffering in one of her life's most challenging moments. Joining me today is board-certified radiologist and Certified Life Coach Dr. Maggie Kang. Dr. Kang was faced with the unthinkable when her 9-year old healthy daughter was suddenly diagnosed with a rare disease, and life as she knew it took an unexpected turn. Through the pain and uncertainty, she navigated the challenging terrain of her daughter's illness, transforming the traumatic experience into a catalyst for personal growth and healing. Don't miss this touching and insightful interview to hear Dr. Kang open up about where she was able to find her strength and resilience, her realization of the impact her own mental health had on her daughter, and the transformative shift when she choose to focus on the positives. LISTEN TO DR. KANG'S TEDX TALK: The Truth About Pain and Suffering Will Change Your Life GET DR. KANG'S DAUGHTER'S BOOK: My Hospital Stay by Nell Choi ADDITIONAL PARENTING RESOURCES: Click HERE to download my free guide that will help you to understand the building blocks of resilience - with actual phrases you can swap out to help your child to tolerate distress, develop a growth mindset, increase self esteem, and be more resilient!

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 1:25 - Some of the most common traits and characteristics of a people pleaser. 5:00 - How the role of gender plays a part in people pleasing. 7:44 - Subtle language shifts parents can make to promote your child's ability to tune into themselves and their needs. 10:28 - Helping bridge and stretch your child's understanding of themselves and their needs without discounting their feelings. 14:20 - To help your child not become a people pleaser, it's helpful to teach them to tune into their internal compass so they know exactly what and how to please themselves. 16:25 - The more secure our attachment systems, the less likely we are to be chronically avoiding our own needs in the service of others. 21:34 - As millennial women, many of us have been conditioned to be people pleasers, so doing work on ourselves and modeling this to our children can have a major impact. ✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

An exploration of healing trauma through presence, connection, and self-awareness. Joining me to take us on this journey of discovery is licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jacob Ham. Dr. Ham will offer listeners a deeper understanding of trauma's impact on a person's neurobiology and their interpretation of the world around them, while emphasizing the importance of our relationships as a means of healing. All parents will benefit from the wisdom he shares on reflective functioning and how we can use this to break cycles of intergenerational trauma and insecure attachment patterns with our own children. By the end of this conversation, my hope is that you won't just have new information, but will feel a renewed appreciation for the power of presence and feel enlightened, inspired, and perhaps a bit changed! JOIN DR. JACOB HAM'S NEWSLETTER: https://drjacobham.com/ WANT ADDITIONAL PARENTING SUPPORT: Click HERE to download my free guide that will teach you the 4 pillars of secure attachment that will allow you to focus on parenting with attunement and trust.

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 3:27 - How to use radical acceptance rather than trying to make everything "fair" or "equal" between siblings. 6:28 - Forging an individual relationship with each of your children and offering them one-on-one time separate from their siblings can be helpful. 9:43 - We tend to focus on the difficult moments (like when our kids are fighting) and often forget to log the good moments (like when they are getting along or even just peacefully coexisting). 13:05 - We can set conditions to maximize the likelihood that siblings will get along, but at the end of the day we can't ensure our kids will always have a strong relationship. 21:20 - Narrating what is happening versus focusing on your child's behaviors and telling them "they're being mean" or to "stop fighting" can be an easy, yet impactful shift. ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES ABOUT SIBLING FIGHTING: - Navigating Sibling Fights - How Can We Implement Consequences That Teach, Not Just Punish Our Kids - Fostering Deep and Meaningful Relationships ✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

Trigger Warning: This episode involves topics related to postpartum psychosis, suicide, and infanticide. In this eye-opening conversation, one mother is sharing her raw and unfiltered story of navigating a postpartum psychosis diagnosis, shedding light on this often misunderstood and stigmatized perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. After the birth of her second son, Chelsea battled with intense challenges with postpartum depression, which eventually snowballed into postpartum psychosis. As we delve into Chelsea's story, we aim to foster a space of empathy, understanding, and support. I hope her openness invites you to connect with the human side of maternal mental health struggles, acknowledging that each tale contributes to the larger call to action for early intervention and better support for women in healthcare. RESOURCES FOR PERINATAL MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS (PMADs) SUPPORT: Postpartum Support International The Motherhood Center in New York If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 988 in the US and Canada. SECURELY ATTACHED PODCAST EPISODES ABOUT PMADs: A breakdown of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders How PMADs can affect new fathers Shining a light on postpartum psychosis with Paige Bellenbaum Addressing the crushing weight of parenthood with Dr. Christine Sterling ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES TO MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTHCARE: Chamber of Mothers Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative (CPMHC) Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA)

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 2:10 - Playing with gender norms is developmentally typical for preschoolers and is how they learn to make meaning of things. 3:12 - For most parents, this is less a worry of our child's playful experimentation and more about how the world will respond to them. 8:50 - You can have family rules and still be supportive of your child's experimentation and play - they are not mutually exclusive. 10:08 - We can be quick to jump to questioning what these actions mean for our child's identity development, but often at this age they are just playing. 10:45 - It's helpful to be mindful of the different societal expectations of boys versus girls with gender norms. 15:04 - Playing out the fantasy your child has in the moment can sometimes satisfy their desire. ✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

Discover how to navigate bias and guide your children toward a future of genuine cultural understanding and allyship! Join me for a vulnerable and honest conversation on how we can navigate bias, and nurture cultural and racial awareness and inclusivity in ourselves and our children with pediatric and clinical psychologist, Dr. Dana E. Crawford. Dr. Crawford is the developer of the Crawford Bias Reduction Theory & Training (CBRT), a systematic approach to reducing bias, prejudice, and racism, and she has recently opened pre-ordering for her newly released R.A.C.E. Cards aimed at helping foster open communication around issues of race. In this episode, Dr. Crawford guides us on a journey of self-reflection, teaching about strategic vulnerability and the essential steps to reduce bias in our lives and in the way we raise our children. This episode promises to be a transformative experience, offering valuable insights that will stay with you long after the conversation ends.

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 2:20 - At 3 years old, kids often start to have more desires for autonomy. 4:13 - The more we can be a predictable container and create consistent routines and boundaries for our kids, the less they will feel a need to test limits. 7:30 - Theory of Mind is the ability to understand that there are perspectives different from one's own. This only starts coming online at around 5 years old. 10:42 - Understanding your 3-year-old's brain development helps you to take their behaviors less personally. 11:55 - Building distress tolerance and impulsivity control will ultimately translate into executive functioning skills over time. 16:24 - How to stretch your child to help them to get from A to Z. 19:20 - There is a whole different skill set for doing something when you don't feel like doing it versus just the skill required to perform the specific task in and of itself (like getting dressed in the morning versus getting dressed in the morning WHEN YOU'D RATHER BE PLAYING). ✨We want to hear from you! Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions! ✨

Discover how being self-aware and intentional in your actions can shape your children's emotional resilience! Joining me today is licensed clinical social worker and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do, Amy Morin. In this episode, Amy and I are shedding light on how parents, couples, and friends can harness this empowering mindset. From fostering curiosity and confidence to navigating complex emotions like guilt and values like honesty and kindness, we're providing you with practical tools for strengthening your own mental wellness and raising mentally resilient kids, too.