My guest this week is Ben Sedley, a clinical psychologist based in Wellington, New Zealand. As a Peer-Reviewed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Trainer, Ben runs ACT workshops in New Zealand and Australia. He is currently in part-time private practice working with adults and adolescents struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, and life changes. He is the author of two books, ‘Stuff that Sucks: A Teen's Guide to Accepting to what you can't change and committing to what you can’ and the newly released, 'Stuff that's Loud: A Teen's Guide to unspiraling when OCD gets noisy' co-authored with the super brainy and amazing Dr. Lisa Coyne.  In this episode, Ben and I discuss how parents can help their teens make space for painful thoughts and emotions with A.C.T (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Creating these safe spaces for teens is essential for parents to allow their child not only to open up to them in a no-judgment zone but to make room for building trust. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works to help the individual accept their emotions and feelings in the present and allow a trigger of positive change versus adverse rebellious acts. Where to learn more about Ben Sedley... bensedley.com Ben's Books Stuff That’s Loud Facebook Page Stuff That Sucks Facebook Page Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Daniel Stein, whose passion for health and fitness lead him to own and operate his private training business and to get certified through NASM, NFPT, and ACSM. Daniel holds a specialty certification as a Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer (CIFT) and as a Certified Autism Trainer, which allows him to train individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. In 2013, Daniel married his beautiful wife, Trinity. A few years later, they prayerfully started Special Strong to pursue their calling of working with the special needs population.  In this episode, Daniel and I discuss how and why parents should encourage movement and exercise for their children with special needs. Daniel presents staggering evidence of the benefits of movement and exercise for not only physical health but also for brain health. Daniel serves children with a variety of health backgrounds such as autism, Aspergers, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, obesity, depression, ADD/ADHD, those suffering severe physical injuries, and more. His training program empowers parents and professionals to take their motivation skills to the next level not only for their children and clients but also by encouraging them to engage in healthy activities for the betterment of themselves.    Where to learn more about Daniel Stein... specialstrong.com certifystrong.com Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Dr. Tom O’Bryan, an internationally recognized, admired and compassionate speaker focusing on food sensitivities, environmental toxins, and the development of autoimmune diseases. In November 2016, Dr. O’Bryan released Betrayal: The Autoimmune Disease Solution They’re Not Telling You, an investigation into why our immune system, designed to protect us, begins attacking our own tissue (autoimmunity). He holds teaching Faculty positions with the Institute for Functional Medicine and the National University of Health Sciences. He has trained and certified tens of thousands of practitioners around the world in advanced understanding of the impact of wheat sensitivity and the development of individual autoimmune diseases. He is the founder of theDr.com and the visionary behind The Gluten Summit – A Grain of Truth, bringing together 29 of the world’s experts on the gluten connection to diseases, disorders, and a wide range of symptoms and ages. In this episode, Dr. O’Bryan and I discuss the chronic effects of gluten on children’s health and behavior. Dr. O’Bryan shares how and why bad glutens, such as wheat, rye, and barley can affect chronic health issues and presents thorough information on accurate food sensitivity testing routes plus easy nutritional shifts families can implement immediately. Parents looking to help their children dealing with chronic diagnoses such as ADD, ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, and schizophrenia can greatly benefit from thoroughly evaluating their child’s food sensitivities, especially to gluten.    Where to learn more about Dr. Tom O’Bryan... theDr.com Dr. O’Bryan’s Books The Betrayal Docu-Series Facebook Instagram Twitter   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Kim John Payne, a consultant, and trainer to over 230 U.S. independent and public schools. Formerly serving as a school counselor, adult educator, consultant, researcher, and educator for nearly 30 years, Kim regularly gives key-note addresses at international conferences for educators, parents, and therapists and runs workshops and training sessions around the world. In each role, he has been helping children, adolescents and families explore issues such as social difficulties with siblings and classmates, attention and behavioral issues at home and school emotional issues such as defiance, aggression, addiction, and low self-esteem. As a partner of the Alliance for Childhood in Washington D.C, he has consulted for educational associations around the world and has run a private family counseling practice for more than 15 years.  In this episode, Kim and I discuss the principles and impact of simplicity parenting to help lessen stress and overwhelm within families. While many of us are experiencing new lifestyles and schedules it is extremely important to maintain or find a new working rhythm to your family's day-to-day routine. Kim provides clear, effective and simple ways parents can begin to approach and implement the best daily rhythms for their unique family needs. To learn more about Kim John Payne click here.   Episode Highlights Behavior and Brain Function The demands that are children face now are entirely different than what parents experienced in their childhood Behavioral and developmental issues become exacerbated when demanded too much off, our children need to slow down 4 Ways To Show Children They Are Safe  Declutter the home Start with your space as a parent and then tackle the pantry and the living space Move into children's bedroom/toy room and declutter there This signals to a child that here in our home we have space and order, not chaos Keeping a daily rhythm/schedule Give children a practical schedule for them to follow Some of the academic expectations for parents who are working and schooling from home have created extreme overwhelm Limit the academic time to what is necessary for each age to avoid overwhelm Structure the day to move from head to heart activities, from cognition to creativity to action Giving kids the gift of boredom, with no screen time involved Out of boredom comes self-creativity and self-motivation They need this time to become creative and enter into deep creative play which allows them to digest the world and cleanse themselves from anxiety Limit screen time and media + filtering out the adult information  We must be careful of what we say in front of our children and what we allow them to see Is this kind? Is this securing? Is it true to my values? Is it necessary to be sad right now? If you can’t answer yes to all four, it is best not to say it at all   Where to learn more about Kim John Payne... Simplicity Parenting Website Simplicity Parenting Book Store Simplicity Parenting Podcast Facebook Home Practice Guides   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. 

My guest this week is Dr. Navaz Habib, the founder of Health Upgraded, a Functional Medicine and Health Optimization clinic in Toronto, Canada. By identifying the root causes of health imbalances, and addressing them naturally, his patients experience optimal health the way their bodies were meant to feel and allow them to contribute to humanity and serve more people. Dr. Habib’s book “Activate Your Vagus Nerve” is a simple and effective guide to help identify and address major missing pieces in patients dealing with chronic health concerns such as anxiety and depression.  In this episode. Dr. Habib and I discuss how activating and strengthening the vagus nerve can allow for improved mental health and behavior in both children and adults. Dr. Habib introduces the audience to the vital functions of the vagus nerve and how activating it can optimize our productivity and energy levels. Maintaining the health of the vagus nerve can improve chronic issues such as sleep apnea, emphysema, anxiety, stress, and depression. To learn more about the vagus nerve and Dr. Navaz Habib click here.   Episode Timestamps Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Dr. Navaz’s Story … 00:02:25 What Is The Vagus Nerve? … 00:08:00 Causes of Disrupting Vagus Nerve Functions … 00:14:45 Vagus Nerve + Mental Health and Behavior ... 00:20:17 Assessing Vagus Nerve Function … 00:26:24 Strategies To Optimize Vagus Nerve Function … 00:31:45 Episode Wrap Up … 00:50:00   Episode Highlights What Is The Vagus Nerve? Nerves are the information transfer tunnels between the brain and the rest of the body The vagus nerve plays four major functions: Around 80% of the information that is presented or remains on the vagus nerves comes from our organs, upward to the brain. It tells the brain what is happening in the gut and when your body has experienced any trauma. About 15% of information on the vagus nerve is going from the brain to an organ, parasympathetically About 3% of the information on the vagus nerve goes to the muscles at the back of the throat and vocal cords Strive to keep your airways strong and open Sleep apnea, emphysema, COPD are issues that decrease vagus nerve function  The great auricular nerve in the center part of the ear is a specific sensory branch of the vagus nerve   Causes of Disrupting Vagus Nerve Functions Excess inflammation can be harmful to the vagus nerve function Inflammatory foods stimulate inflammation Over time, excessive inflammation wears down the vagus nerve as it constantly acting as the “brakes” to our inflammatory system   Vagus Nerve + Mental Health and Behavior Approx. 94% of the serotonin in our body is produced in the gut and located in our enteric nervous system An imbalance in neurotransmitters working from the gut to the brain are strongly linked to anxiety and depression Those neurotransmitters are being signaled to the brain through the vagus nerve Often these imbalances are also seen in behavioral issues  Addressing gut health is essential    Assessing Vagus Nerve Function Assess bowel transit time Drink a glass of water with a spoonful of white sesame seeds and track when you discover them in yours or your child’s stool An ideal bowel transit time would be for the seeds to begin appearing between 16-24 hours Assess heart rate variability Tools like Corsense Elite HRV, HeartMath, Oura ring   Strategies To Optimize and Activate Vagus Nerve Function Working on deep breathing work at least 3x a day  Learn to breathe correctly from your belly versus your chest Humming  Simple humming with your children at mealtime or in the morning and at bedtime will help bring you into a calm state Gargling Practicing gargling water or saltwater every morning and night This activity forces you to work the muscles at the back of the throat Listening to music and sounds of nature/birds chirping  Having your child lay silently and listen to music or natures sounds of birds chirping can help in calming down Great technique to use before bed   Where to learn more about Dr. Navaz Habib... Dr. Habib Health Upgraded 'Activate Your Vagus Nerve' Book Book Bonus Material!  Instagram Twitter Facebook   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Jonah Berger, a Marketing Professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an internationally bestselling author, and a world‐renowned expert on change, word of mouth, social influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. He has published over 50 articles in top-tier academic journals, teaches Wharton’s highest rated online course, and popular accounts of his work often appear in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review. Over a million copies of his books, Contagious, Invisible Influence, and The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind are in print in over 35 countries around the world. Berger often keynotes major conferences and events like SXSW and Cannes Lions, advises various early-stage companies, and consults for organizations like Apple, Google, Nike, Amazon, GE, 3M, and The Gates Foundation. In this episode, Jonah and I discuss how parents can be a positive catalyst in improving their child’s behavior versus enforcers of change experiencing constant pushback. Jonah breaks down the behavioral patterns behind the persuasion of change and helps parents interact and instill change without disrupting behavior. To learn more about Jonah Berger click here. Episode Timestamps Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Jonah’s Story … 00:02:50 “Pushing” For Change … 00:07:20 Guided Choices … 00:10:10 Be A Catalyst … 00:09:00 Be A Role Model … 00:19:40 Episode Wrap Up … 00:24:52     Episode Highlights Pushing For Change We often push others (children, spouse, colleague) when we want change to happen This easily results in a harder pushback from the individual whose control in the situation feels threatened 5 key barriers discussed in The Catalyst R.E.D.U.C.E. R= reactance, E- endowment, D= distance, U= uncertainty, CE= corroborating evidence   Guided Choices Giving a small set of options to shape and encourage people to go into a particular direction providing freedom and control but still not allowing any option to be made I.e. With toddlers, “Which shirt do you want to wear? This shirt or that shirt?” These directives empower the individual with a choice and sense of control This results in removal of frustration that typically comes from forced directives   Where to learn more about Jonah Berger... Jonah Berger's Website Jonah's New Book! Catalyst Book Resources Twitter   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Bryan Post, an adopted and former foster child, is one of America’s foremost child behavior and adoption experts and founder of the Post Institute. A renowned clinician, lecturer, and best-selling author of From Fear to Love, The Great Behavior Breakdown, Bryan has traveled throughout the world providing expert treatment and consultation to a variety of groups. An internationally recognized specialist in the treatment of emotional and behavioral disturbance, Bryan specializes in a love-based treatment approach that focuses on developing a deeper understanding of trauma, stress and fear and how they rule our lives. He counters this by offering an enlightening perspective on the all-encompassing power of love to bring us peace and healing.  In this episode, Bryan and I discuss how stress and trauma can greatly impact behavior in both children and adults. Bryan explains to parents how behaviors arise from a state of stress and provides them with effective tools and techniques to approach their children when acting out. By breaking down the science behind breathing techniques and guiding adults through known and unknown past traumas, Bryan helps parents better facilitate and react to their children’s behavior with a love-based approach.  Where to learn more about Bryan Post... The Post Institute From Fear To Love Book Facebook Instagram Twitter     Episode Highlights The Role of Stress In Behavior Bryan uses his “Stress Model” to explain: All behavior arises, whether good or bad, from a physiological cellular  and neurobiological experience of stress When we become stressed we constrict into survival state which can lead to the pathway of fear   How Trauma Can Impact Behavior  Trauma stems from a stressful event/experience Often adults have yet to realize, recognize or address their trauma This can sometimes lead to parents becoming reactive to certain children’s behaviors    Trauma Related to Adoption It is important to remember the in utero experience has a great impact on us Adopted children, even if they were adopted as infants have already been significantly defined by their in utero experience and may have already experienced trauma in this way   Where To Start Learn the power of breathing, simple but not easy In the midst of your child’s behavior before you react and say anything to your child, you must learn how to breathe in the midst of stress It will immediately help lower your cortisol and allow you to interrupt your stress physiology Remember when your child is misbehaving they are already in a state of stress, if you approach them in the same state you will have confused and distorted thinking See and recognize your child’s behavior as coming from a place of stress They are stressed out, they are coming from a place of sensitivity and fear   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Eliza Kingsford, a licensed psychotherapist who helps clients and families struggling with food addiction, body image, and emotional eating. Eliza is the author of the best-selling book Brain-Powered Weight Loss and her work has been featured on Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, NBC Health, CNN Health, Health Magazine, MindBodyGreen and many more. Eliza has run two different companies focused on finding solutions for adolescents struggling with overweight and obesity, and she has trained hundreds of clinicians to work with food and body image issues. She is turning the diet industry on its head by combining the science of nutrition with the psychology of eating to create lasting results for her clients. Episode Highlights How Do I Handle This? We often start with treating the symptom and default our focus on “losing the weight”. Working to treat the cause by looking at behaviors and choices around foods that led to weight gain is much more effective This also removes the desire of constantly measuring your success to the number on the scale Tips: Do not separate siblings foods, instead work together as a family unit to eat healthier and make better decisions for to support your families health overall Do not emphasize that a specific child must eat a certain way or isolate them as having a problem  “Just because you can doesn't mean you should” Just because certain kinds of processed foods does not affect your other children's weight does not give good reason to still have these kinds of foods in your household Set your household in a way to support your whole family’s health and agree upon family values as a whole The Weight Conversation  Parents inadvertently choose words that sometimes set up a good/bad dichotomy with food Taking out the language like “you can have” or “you can’t have” -  “No, you cannot have seconds.” “You need to stop eating.” “Do you really need that cookie?”  Try “What does your body say? Does your body tell you you’re full? Does your body tell you you’re hungry?” Work on the behavior around food in your entire family system    Where to learn more about Eliza Kingsford... ElizaKingsford.com  Brain-Powered Weight Loss Book Instagram: @elizakingsford Research    Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Josh Ochs, the founder and digital citizenship author of smartsocial.com. With a background in marketing at Disney and a love for all things technology, Josh Ochs combines both to help teens and tweens use social media as a portfolio of positive accomplishments. Josh travels the nation speaking to over 30,000 kids each year sharing with them tips they can use to create a positive online presence. Josh’s book: “Light, Bright and Polite for Teens” teaches kids of all ages that everything they post on social media will eventually be discovered by their parents, teachers, their school Principal and someday colleges and employers. He shows families and teenagers practical examples they can use to always keep it “Light, Bright and Polite” by posting photos of community volunteer projects that will help them shine online. Josh Ochs' other 5 books teach people and brands how to shine online. In this episode, Josh and I discuss the importance of teaching kids and teens how to maintain a positive online presence. Josh shares with the audience his top tips on encouraging children to use social media for the better by instilling in them the knowledge of what their digital footprint looks online and how they can utilize it for future college and employment opportunities. Parents can help keep their children safe by opening up a dialogue about online profiles, tech use and implementing guidelines on technology in the household. To learn more about Josh Ochs click here. Episode Timeline Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Be Aware of Your Digital Footprint … 00:08:27 Setting Limits On Tech Use … 00:20:39 Tech Guidance Tips … 00:28:00 Why Flip Phones Are A Good Starting Point … 00:33:40 What Age To Begin Social Media … 00:35:00 Episode Wrap Up … 00:41:00   Episode Highlights Setting Limits  On Tech Use  Actively engage in dialogue with your children about their tech use Actively engage in dialogue with parents in your child’s community of friends i.e. whose house they frequent etc. Use the apps your children use Being in the know will open your eyes to the true awareness you need to have and help you create that communication with your children on the right topics   Tech Guidance Tips  When should my child have a cell phone? Smart Social suggests the following 0-10: no phone, sometimes allowed to use yours to watch videos or use learning apps in your presence 10-13: time for a flip phone for emergency use, text and sms only 13: cell phone safety contract 14: smartphone without social apps  15: smartphone with social apps allowed but limited and monitored   Where to learn more about Josh Ochs... Smart Social Site App Guide Books by Josh Ochs Instagram: @joshochs Twitter: @JoshOchs     Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Dr. Raja Sivamani, a board-certified dermatologist who practices as an integrated dermatologist at Pacific Skin Institute. Dr. Sivamani holds the roles of Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Dermatology at the University of California Davis and Director of Clinical Research in the Clinical Trials Unit. He's also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the California State University, Sacramento, and an Associate Professor of Dermatology at California North State University, College of Medicine. He engages in clinical practice, as well as, both clinical and translational research that integrates bio-engineering, nutrition, cosmetics, and skin biology. With training in both allopathic and Ayurvedic medicine, Dr. Sivamani takes an integrative approach to his patients and in his research. He's published over 100-peer reviewed research manuscripts, 10 textbook chapters, and a textbook entitled Cosmeceuticals and Active Cosmetics, Third Edition with a passion for expanding the evidence and boundaries of integrative medicine for skincare. In this episode, Dr. Sivamani and I discuss ways parents can address finding the root cause of chronic skin issues in their children and teens. Dr. Sivamani explains how nutrition, lifestyle habits, environmental factors, and product use can affect the skin’s microbiome and what types of ingredients and irritants to avoid. Children and teens suffering from severe and chronic skin conditions like eczema and acne may struggle psychologically with issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression. Dr. Sivamani shows how a healthy balanced lifestyle can ease these symptoms while treating skin outbreaks and recurring issues. To learn more about Dr. Raja Sivamani click here.   Episode Highlights Psychological Impact With Skin Issues  Depression, anxiety, social isolation  Sometimes children hold back and hide these feelings Engaging children in the conversation is essential to the treatment process   Health and Environment in Relation To Skin Issues  Eczema for example The more soap you use the more natural oils you strip from the skin that are needed as they are typically deficient in those with eczema Testing foods to eliminate one at a time to see what causes flare-ups Bathing habits count Nutritional choices matter  Avoiding high refined sugars, sodas, sweetened teas, low dairy, processed junk foods Steroids and antibiotics In this way, these treatments are not used as a lifetime bandaid issue to the problem, rather an aid to alleviate symptoms more quickly to begin a  less painful integrative treatment Often resistance is not discussed broadly in order to manage and use these treatments   Lifestyle Relations to Chronic Skin Conditions Mind-body connections High levels of stress impact cortisol levels in the body and stimulate a higher inflammatory response It can affect our mood, anxiety, sleep   Skin Microbiome Every hair follicle is full of microbes We have oxygen-rich environments on the skin  Within the hair follicle, the environment is oxygen-poor known as an anaerobic environment Different bacteria, yeast, and supernatural mites live on symbiotically on the skin We have natural bacteria that are good that we want to remain in balance   What to Avoid Dermveda - free site investing ingredients and the best routines for your skin profile and ideal ingredients to use and to avoid Eczema tends to present super dry symptoms and it is important to keep your skin or your child's skin hydrated Apply moisturizers within 3 minutes of bathing to lock in the moisture Lean towards occlusive, humectant products versus those full of emulsifiers Avoiding fragrances and sometimes even essential oil-based fragrance   Where to learn more about Dr. Raja Sivamani... Dermveda  Jiva Factory Pacific Skin Institute Pacific Skin Institute Facebook Instagram: @pacificskininstitute   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Program - a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.