My guest this week is Eli Weinstein. In this episode, Eli and I discuss how to navigate, improve, and rekindle a relationship, especially when children enter the mix. Relationships can go sour real quick when we are not feeling like we are being appreciated, seen, or heard. Add children and it can make a turn for the worst if both partners are not making the relationship a priority.  When life gets busy, as it always does, how can you manage raising kids while keeping your partner relationship healthy and avoiding the all-too-common scoreboard mentality? That’s why I brought Eli onto the show, to share his professional and personal expertise on how to avoid and correct relationship pitfalls, particularly while parenting, and especially when we have one or more children who have extra needs. It's challenging to balance all of this, and both men and women can feel misunderstood along the way. The reality is that fostering a healthy relationship with our partner actually helps us to be better parents. Partnered parent, or not, this is yet another episode that is jam packed with nuggets of wisdom, mindset strategies, and resources to support healthy relationships in all areas of your life.       Eli Weinstein is a social worker who has worked in a psych hospital intensive outpatient clinic, and currently runs his own private practice in New York and Nevada. He's married to his wife Ariella, and has two beautiful children, Ricky and Max. He created the Dude Therapist Podcast and became a therapist to create a modern outlook on mental health. Eli has been featured on the Kelly Clarkson show and multiple podcasts ranging from topics about parenting, relationships, mental health, and more. His main goal is to help people on their journey to add support, care, empathy, expertise, and insight. He also runs events, seminars, and individual coaching on a wide range of topics.   Connect with Eli Weinstein: Instagram: @eliweinstein_lcsw @thedudetherapist Website: https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/     Episode Takeaways Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Introduction to Eli Weinstein & Relationship Specialist … 00:01:32 Top 3 Relationship Changes Once Kids Come Along … 00:07:20 What To Prioritize in Your Partner Relationship …00:19:30 Ditch the Scoreboard Mentality … 00:27:30 Importance of the Ability to Acknowledge … 00:34:00 Why Couples Therapy is NOT a Stamp of Failure … 00:37:05 How to Find Therapy You Both are Comfortable With … 00:43:40 Resources & Episode Wrap Up … 00:48:20       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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is Dr. Anthony Balduzzi.  In this episode, Dr. Anthony and I discuss practical and tangible tips to make health stick. It’s tough raising children, and our health as parents typically gets shoved to the way-side and it’s not serving us or our children. When we feel good, we show up as better parents and humans. With the rates of chronic and physical mental illness issues on a steep rise, one of the ways we start turning those stats around is by taking stock of our own health and how it's impacting not only us, but our families. As a young child, Dr. Anthony lost his hardworking father to cancer, and thus has committed his life’s work to helping busy parents across the world get healthy and stay healthy so they can live vivaciously alongside their children.  He shares many of his strategies to make nutrition simple and sustainable, movement more enjoyable and doable, and how to build and maintain a realistic mindset even when you are in the eye of the storm of the chaos of being a busy parent with an aging body and aging metabolism. Dr. Anthony Balduzzi is a health and weight loss expert and the founder of the The Fit Father Project and The Fit Mother Project. These are leading health and weight loss programs for busy fathers, 40+ and mothers 35+, which most of you fit in those categories. Dr. Balduzzi holds dual degrees in nutrition and neuroscience, has a doctorate in naturopathic medicine, and is a former national champion bodybuilder.  He has helped 40,000+ families in 100+ countries lose weight and get healthy through his Fit Father and Fit Mother programs. Connect with Dr. Anthony: Insta: @fitfatherproject @fitmotherproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitfatherproject https://www.facebook.com/fitmotherproject/ Website:https://www.fitfatherproject.com https://www.fitmotherproject.com         Episode Takeaways Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Introduction to Dr. Anthony Balduzzi … 00:01:35 Focusing on Our Health to Benefit Our Kids … 00:07:50 Health is Intertwined in How We Show Up … 00:12:16 Importance of Adult Modeling to Children … 00:16:18 3 Best Areas to “Invest” in Your Health … 00:19:07 Tips for Sleep for Kids and Parents … 00:22:36 Nutrition, Start with When to Eat, Not What to Eat … 00:26:20 Morning Hydration First! … 00:31:52 What Are Your Healthy Go-To’s? … 00:33:45 Make The Plan Fit Your Life & Situation … 35:51 How to Build a Perfect Plate & Picky Eaters … 00:37:18  Proactive Vs Reactive, Planning Ahead!… 00:42:42  Struggling with Health & Skeptical of Change … 00:46:29 Helpful Resources & Episode Wrap Up … 00:48:15         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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is  Dr. David Rabin. In this episode, Dr. David and I discuss innovative ways to support stress reduction and mental health for children and adults. Chronic high levels of stress is an issue for many children and teens, especially those diagnosed with neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions. As parents and professionals, we are also facing unprecedented levels of stress in our personal, parenting, and professional lives. Dr. Rabin shares his novel research and approach to one of the lesser known ways we can reduce and manage stress. What is that? Touch! We talk about innovations to mimic the same positive neurological response, as well as providing ways that support symptom reduction in the moment and build regulation capabilities over the longer term.  To me as a pediatric practitioner, Dr. David’s team has developed one of the most exciting wearable devices because it opens up a new avenue of supporting our brains and nervous systems in ways that had been difficult to access previously, especially for kids with more severe challenges. Let’s explore how we can leverage supportive, productive tools and strategies to improve mental health for all of us!   Dr. David Rabin is a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health tech entrepreneur and inventor who has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for more than a decade. He's the cofounder and Chief Innovation Officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first scientifically validated wearable technology that actively improves energy, focus and relaxation using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain. Dr. David is the cofounder and executive director of the Board of Medicine, a nonprofit organization of physicians and scientists establishing the first peer-reviewed, evidence-based clinical guidelines for the production and safe use of currently unregulated alternative medicines. In addition to his clinical psychiatry practice, Dr. David is conducting research on the epigenetic regulation of trauma responses to determine the mechanisms of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and the neurobiology of belief.  To purchase an Apollo device, use code drnicole10 for 10% off   Connect with Dr. David Rabin: Insta: @drdavidrabin Website: https://www.drdave.io/  Twitter: @drdavidrabin         Episode Takeaways Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Introduction to Dr. David Rabin & Psychiatry Research … 00:01:33 Unaddressed Trauma--Most Pressing Mental Health Issue … 00:10:46 Root Level Trauma in Pediatric Population … 00:16:27 Environmental Stress & Oversaturation of Information …00:24:05 Attention System, Touch and Brain-Body Connection … 00:30:51 Neurobiology & How Apollo Works … 00:38:23 Building the Attention Muscle with Wearable Tech … 00:43:54 How to Use Apollo … 00:49:00  How Dr. Nicole Uses the Apollo … 00:57:50 Resources to Learn More About Apollo … 00:59:55 Episode Wrap Up … 01:01:10         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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is Dr. Mike Rucker. What feeling does the word “fun” evoke? Does it make you smile and reminisce of what brings you joy, or does it make you think “huh, what’s fun?”  In this episode, Mike and I discuss this idea of inserting fun, even if life isn’t all that “happy”.  We know there’s a big gap in what society portrays and what is real life, so there’s no wonder why so many feel stressed out, stuck, or we are not meeting expectations. Real life isn’t always going to be pure happiness, there will always be bumps and deviations, more for some than others, but any which way your mindset is, our conversation today will help elevate (or insert) fun in your life.  Do you feel overbooked, overworked, or overwhelmed as a parent? Simple strategies and mindset reframes can make a huge impact on the quality and happiness level in your life.  As parents, we can fall in to “our duty” trap all too often and sometimes can end up resenting ourselves and our children.  So what I really enjoy about Mike’s work and perspective, is his realistic and practical approach to evaluating your life activities with a simple, non judgmental tool called the PLAY model.  You can co-create fun with your kids and in your own life.  We're going to talk about how doing fun things, even tiny ones, support our ability to better regulate ourselves, and ultimately how it supports us in being better parents and better humans. It’s time to stop postponing fun and be intentional with moments of joy!   Dr. Mike Rucker is an organizational psychologist, behavioral scientist, and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association. He has been academically published in publications like the International Journal of Workplace Health Management. His ideas about fun and health have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, Mindful, mindbodygreen, and more. He currently serves as a senior leader at Active Wellness and is the author of the upcoming book The Fun Habit, available January 2023. Connect with Dr. Mike Rucker: Insta: @thewonderoffun Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.rucker.phd Website: https://michaelrucker.com Twitter: @performbetter         Episode Takeaways Episode Intro … 00:00:30 Introduction to Dr. Mike Rucker & Background of Fun! … 00:01:25 Fixated on Chasing Happiness … 00:08:32 Sharing Duties with Our Social Circle … 00:13:09 Having Fun Even When Not Feeling Happy … 00:16:32 Stuck in Problem Solving Mode … 00:20:45 Finding Pockets of Joy with PLAY Model … 00:26:27 We Are Dopamine Addicted … 00:31:28 Pros & Cons of Media Consumption for Entertainment  … 00:36:08 Growth Mindset & Co-Creating Fun … 00:43:40 Resources & Episode Wrap Up … 00:49:52         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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

Caroline Alan, an expert in minerals, discusses the importance of minerals for children's brain and development. They explore why minerals are essential for every bodily function and why many people are deficient. They also delve into the impact of mineral depletion on mental health and behavior. The podcast covers plant-based supplementation, understanding neurodevelopmental issues, and simplifying supplements for optimal brain development.

My guest this week is Lisa Lewis. In this episode, Lisa and I discuss sleep deprivation in teens. This is an epidemic that is rampant in our culture. The “sleep when we are dead” mentality is a public health issue and the negative effects are evident! Teens, specifically, are not getting enough quality sleep and it's something that most adults don't recognize as a significant driver of the physical and mental health issues we are seeing on a steep rise. Although you may be thinking the sleep conversation is a never-ending losing battle with your teen, or a “lost cause” because of school and extracurricular set schedules, we are here to say that isn’t so! The good news is there are actionable steps we all can (and need to) take to address sleep deprivation in the home, school, and community to protect our adolescents’ and teens’ mental and physical development. We first discuss the current landscape and research on the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation and then we move into current success stories while giving many practical tips along the way.   Lisa Lewis is the author of The Sleep Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive, described as “A call to action” by Arianna Huffington, and “An urgent and timely read” by Daniel Pink. The book is an outgrowth of her previous work on the topic, including her role helping get California's landmark law, unhealthy school start times, passed. Lewis has written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, The Atlantic, and many others. She's also a parent to a teen and a recent teen, and lives in California. Connect with Lisa Lewis: Insta: @LewisLisaL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LewisLisaL/ Website: www.lisallewis.com Twitter: @LewisLisaL     Episode Takeaways   Introduction to Lisa Lewis & Later School Start Time Legislation … 00:01:20 Negative Health Impact on Early School Start Times … 00:05:56 Early School Start Times and Teen Accidents … 00:12:37 Research on Teens’ Mental Health Suffering with Sleep Deprivation … 00:15:35  How Much Sleep Should Teens Be Getting? … 00:20:00 Technology Addiction & Sleep … 00:22:38 3 Main Ways Tech Affects Sleep … 00:27:26 How to Initiative Later School Start Time in Your Community … 00:30:44 Rampant Mental Health Problems for Youth …  00:38:52 Resource & Episode Wrap Up … 00:41:45         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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is Eileen Devine In this episode, Eileen and I discuss parenting through behavior and developmental challenges, with a spotlight on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Whether you have a child diagnosed with FASD or not, I encourage you to listen to this conversation as the content and tips can be applied to parenting kids with or without any behavioral or developmental challenges, at any stage of life.  We talk about why a brain-based parenting lens is so much more effective than a behavior-based approach, especially for kids with behavior challenges or developmental delays.  Eileen’s personal and professional experience with FASD is incredibly insightful, where she shares what FASD does and does not look like, diagnoses, what research shows, and many realistic tips and tools to not just support a child in improving brain development and function, but also helping the parents in the process. Eileen Devine is a licensed clinical social worker living in Portland, Oregon and has over 20 years of clinical experience. She's also the mother of a teenager with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a serious brain based disability that has challenging behavioral symptoms. She believes that when we understand the way a child's brain works, we then understand the meaning behind challenging behaviors and begin to see them as symptoms of a child's differences. Through her work with parents, Eileen has created the Resilience Room membership community and the Brain First Parenting Program, both designed to support parents in their unique parenting journey. In addition to her one on one and group work with parents, she also facilitates dozens of workshops and trainings a year and is an instructor for the CASE Institute's Training for Adoption Competency Post-masters certification program.     Connect with Eileen Devine: Insta: @eileen.devine_brain.first Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EileenDevineBrain Website: www.eileendevine.com     Episode Takeaways   Introduction to Eileen Devine & FASD … 00:01:45 What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Diagnostic Process … 00:05:52 Outdated Assumptions of FASD Presentation … 00:11:20 FASD, Toxic Stress, & Other Prenatal Substance Exposures … 00:15:40 Common Behavioral Challenges Seen on the Spectrum … 00:18:15  Parenting Children Who are Physically, Behaviorally or Cognitively Impulsive … 00:26:42 Consequences Aren’t Working: Better Behavioral Techniques … 00:30:15  Parenting Tips: A Brain-Based Reframe Rather Than a Behavior-Based Lens … 00:35:09 The Gap Between Expectations and What They are Capable of Doing … 00:40:42 Tips & Where to Start for FASD & Behavioral Challenges … 00:47:15  Resources & Episode Wrap Up … 00:50:10         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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is Tara Bixby In this episode, Tara and I are going to explore mental health from a very unique lens:​​ using insights from older adolescents and adults in both acute inpatient psychiatric settings and the prison system to help us understand what's most important for supporting children who are struggling with mental health challenges. How do we need to think in a more flexible way about the effects of various inputs, experiences, genetic predispositions, and processing problems? This is important because they can all narrow the window of tolerance for individuals creating nervous system issues and dysregulation. We also discuss the problem with society’s medication mindset as the preferred treatment for mental health and we leave you with ideas and tips on how to start building lasting, stable mental health for all, no matter the background, age or developmental challenges. Tara Bixby is an anxiety coach, licensed therapist, and everyday girl on a mission to change the mental health narrative. After years of struggling alone in silence, Tara broke free from the beliefs and behaviors that were keeping her stuck. Now she helps other women heal their anxiety, regulate their nervous systems and find freedom from their symptoms through one-on-one coaching. She's also the host of the courageously.u podcast, where she has casual, yet introspective conversations with guests covering topics from mental health, hormonal health, body image, holistic wellness, trauma, substance abuse, and much more.   Connect with Tara Bixby   Insta: @courageously.u Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courageously.u Website: https://courageouslyu.com/       Episode Takeaways   Introduction to Tara Bixby & Studying Mental Health … 00:01:24 Mental Health-What We Are & Are Not Getting Right … 00:07:29 Fallout of Failing to Address Childhood Trauma … 00:09:57 Inpatient Psych in Childhood & Incarcerated Adults … 00:13:10 Regulating the Nervous System … 00:19:45 Individual Varying Window of Tolerance … 00:22:28 Why Trauma is a Spectrum … 00:29:45 Effects of Stress & Trauma: From Surgery to Diet … 00:34:40 Why Medication is Not “the” Solution for Mental Health … 00:36:40 Episode Wrap Up … 00:45:54           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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is Chef Kibby In this episode, Chef Kibby and I discuss the power of food and connection. When the pandemic hit, his professional career drastically shifted, but what he didn’t know was his lacking relationships with his biological, adopted, and fostered children would flourish. Whether you are a stranger in the kitchen or a trained chef, Chef Kibby will walk you through tips and strategies on how simple it can be to connect with your child through food and cooking together! Sharing experiences not just in cooking, but in and around the preparation of food can strengthen your relationship with your child while also improving mental health, coordination, patience, development and so much more.  Let’s dive in to learn how to build lifelong skills and memories that will serve the whole family! Chef Kibby is a professional chef, parenting strategist, public speaker and online content creator. He has combined his 25 years of food experience with 14 years as a biological, foster and adoptive parent, to create a personal brand dedicated to demonstrating the connecting power of cooking and eating with our children, a mindset he calls “Cooking is connecting.” He has a YouTube channel, podcast, online courses, lots of other stuff we will get into.     Connect with Chef Kibby:Insta: @chefkibbyFacebook: facebook.com/cookinwithkibby Website: https://cookingisconnecting.com Twitter: @chef_kibby     Episode Timeline   Introduction to Chef Kibby … 00:01:20 Finding Connection for Families During Difficult Times … 00:7:55 Cooking is Connecting … 00:13:15 Meaning of Cooking Varies for Everyone … 00:18:20 Opportunities to Connect All Around the Kitchen & Table … 00:21:12 Strategies to Bring Kids in the Kitchen without Overwhelm … 00:25:42 Benefits of Learning Something New Together … 00:28:35 Resistance Around Participating in Things … 00:32:20 Developmental Challenges & Helping with Mealtime … 00:36:58 It’s Never Too Early or Late for Getting them Involved … 00:40:58 Resources and Episode Wrap Up … 00:42:52       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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

My guest this week is Autumn Smith In this episode, Autumn and I discuss the hot topic of meat consumption… It’s time to upgrade your thinking around meat and the quality you consume. The issues around agriculture, animal farming, soil health, and more are some of the most pressing of our time. We all need to understand what's actually happening in this realm versus what mainstream media is touting as it's having a major impact on our children now and definitely will impact their future. And that’s why I brought back my guest Autumn Smith to update us and help us understand what's happening in the world currently around meat and how we can ensure the best options for our families while supporting the environment through regenerative practices.  Let’s talk about practices (and companies) that truly care about the planet AND the health of our population. Autumn Smith is the co-founder of Paleovalley and Wild Pastures, holds a Master's in Holistic Nutrition, is a certified Eating Psychology coach and a certified FDN practitioner. Her passion for health began with her own struggles with IBS and anxiety. Despite a career as a professional dancer and celebrity fitness trainer, Autumn’s own health was in shambles. Desperate for a cure, she and her husband stumbled onto the Paleo diet in 2011, and within a month of beginning it, her health was completely transformed. She made it her mission to share the information she learned with as many people as possible. She's the co-founder of Paleovalley, an organic whole food supplement and paleo snack food company. And in 2018, she took things a step further and launched Wild Pastures, a regenerative pasture-based meat delivery service. Wild Pastures make supporting sustainable agriculture and local small farms easy for consumers. On the personal side, Autumn lives in Colorado with her husband and young son Maverick.     Are you interested in seeing what Wild Pastures has to offer? Click here to receive 20% off each subscription box for life and an additional $15 off your order. This offer expires soon!     Connect with Autumn Smith: Insta:@Paleovalley Facebook: @Lovepaleovalley Website: Paleovalley.com       Episode Timeline:   Introduction to Autumn Smith … 00:01:42 Narrative of Meat Being a Health Problem, is it True? … 00:04:33    Why Meat is Important for Human Health … 00:11:30 Picky Eating & Vegetarian/Vegan Diets … 00:17:18  What’s Wrong with Most Animal Agriculture? … 00:23:13 Problems with the Industrialized Farming System … 00:28:33 How Regenerative Farming Affects the Nutrients of Our Food … 00:33:10 Greenwashing & Buzz Words for Meat Products … 00:38:40 Making Regenerative Foods Available & Affordable to Everyone … 00:42:35 Net-Positive Effects of Regenerative Farming on the Environment … 00:47:00 Discount and Episode Wrap Up … 00:48:15       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 Workshops. Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com