Dear Dr. Tracy

This week, Dr. Tracy is joined by Dr. Vanessa LaPointe, a clinical psychologist, author, international speaker, and mother, and together they discuss the effects of social media on children in this digital age and the importance of guiding conversations around it within the household. She shares the importance of fostering genuine connections, the stages of brain development in children, and the crucial role parents play in co-creating a healthy digital experience. Dr. LaPointe also shares valuable insights on maintaining discipline with a balance of firmness, compassion, and kindness and highlights effective tools and resources, such as the Dove Confidence Kit, to empower parents in guiding their children through the complexities of social media.  In this episode we discuss:  The desire for social connection and the surface-level engagement provided by social media  Concerns about the mental health of youth and the role of social media in isolation  Co-creating a positive online experience for children by teaching and modeling wise consumption  The Dove Confidence Kit as a tool for meaningful conversations about social media and resources for parents on self-image and self-esteem discussions  Balancing firmness, compassion, and kindness in disciplining children without shame or blame  Prioritizing family connections and moments of quality engagement over screen time   Episode Links:  You can find Dr. Vanessa LaPointe on Instagram and be sure to learn more about her work on her website!  Learn more about the Dove Confidence Kit HERE!  Stand up for #KidsOnlineSafety HERE.   You can pre-order my new book “I Didn’t Sign Up for This” here Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again. Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Dr. Tracy is joined by Dr. Taylor Arnold, a kids nutrition expert, nutritionist, PhD, pediatric dietician, and mom of three. Dr. Arnold specializes in helping parents shape healthy relationships with food, and she offers valuable insights on how to raise the next generation of eaters who love and nourish their bodies. Together, they discuss generational patterns related to food, high-pressure eating environments, and the importance of allowing children to learn about how different foods affect them, enabling them to connect feelings in their bodies with the foods they eat. We also address the challenges posed by well-meaning grandparents who may overstep boundaries and inject diet culture into conversations at mealtime. Lastly, Dr. Arnold discusses setting boundaries at mealtime and exploring alternative ways to minimize waste beyond forcing children to eat everything on their plates.  In this episode we discuss:  Generational patterns: the clean plate club and high-pressure eating environment  Managing children's relationship with sweets and food in general  Helping children connect feelings in their bodies with the foods they eat  Dealing with well-meaning grandparents and their influence on kids' eating habits  Setting boundaries at mealtime  Avoiding food waste and finding alternative ways to minimize waste  Food neutrality and creating a healthy and respectful mealtime environment.   You can find Dr. Arnold on YouTube where she offers 3 free courses along with Instagram, and her website Growing Intuitive Eaters!  You can pre-order my new book “I Didn’t Sign Up for This” here Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again. Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Tracy sits down with Mr. Chazz, a parent coach, consultant, and conscious discipline practitioner who is dedicated to helping adults truly understand and connect with children. Together, they discuss several topics including the challenges men face in expressing emotions and ways to create an environment that promotes emotional openness. They also delve into breaking free from generational patterns, embracing conscious and gentle parenting techniques, and effectively differentiating between attention-seeking and connection-seeking behaviours. Mr. Chazz shares the importance of redefining discipline and consequences, empowering parents to respond in new ways during conflicts, and promoting effective communication to understand and meet children's needs.  In this episode we discuss:   Breaking free from generational programming and embracing conscious, gentle parenting  Understanding the distinction between attention-seeking and connection-seeking behaviours  Rethinking discipline and consequences: natural consequences, logical consequences, and punishments  Empowering parents to respond differently in moments of conflict  Teaching effective communication and understanding children's needs   You can find Mr. Chazz on Instagram, TikTok and be sure to check out his podcast Mr.Chazz’s Parenting and Teaching Podcast  You can pre-order my new book “I Didn’t Sign Up for This” here Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again. Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Tracy sits down to discuss bids for connection in a relationship and what these bids can look like. She provides valuable insights on how to effectively respond to these bids and offers tips specifically for individuals who tend to be people pleasers. Dr. Tracy also unveils details of her new book, "I Didn’t Sign Up for This", which is now available for pre-order and will launch on September 12th. She shares a glimpse into the lives of four real-life couples that she will be discussing in her book, all of whom she has personally worked with as their couples therapist.  In this episode, we discuss:   Defining bids for connection in relationships   Understanding what bids for connection can look like  Types of people pleasing and how to respond in relationships   People pleasing as a subconscious form of safety and connection  Acknowledging the presence of a bid without sacrificing everything  Tuning in and practicing active engagement in bids for connection   You can pre-order my new book “I Didn’t Sign Up for This” here Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again. Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Mira Simone, a grief coach, published writer, mother, and widow. Mira shares her experience of losing her partner Brian to an aggressive form of cancer in 2019 and her story of navigating this grief in the years that followed. Mira discusses how she found her passion for writing, which led her to launch her grief support platform, New Moon Mira, in 2022. Together, we discuss how writing and sharing her story publicly became a crucial outlet for her to process her thoughts and grief, guiding her on her healing journey. We also discuss the additional challenges of being a solo parent, starting a business, and navigating friendships and relationships following her partner’s passing.    In this episode, we discuss:    Writing publicly about her grief became a vital outlet for Mira to process her thoughts and guide her healing journey.   The feelings and challenges you experience in the first 2 years of grieving    How to receive and give comfort to someone who is grieving  Navigating solo parenting, starting a business, and raising a young daughter as a widow   The difficulties and challenges of navigating dating as a widow and a parent   Mira Simone Instagram New Moon Mira Website  Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again    Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with renowned Potty Training Consultant, Allison Jandu. As the owner and founder of Potty Training Consultant, Allison has worked with over 6,000 families, offering potty training advice and support for parents. Together, we explore the pressures and challenges of potty training, how to navigate setbacks, and the importance of taking a personalized approach that suits your family's needs. From identifying readiness signs in your child to incorporating rewards and measuring small wins, we cover a range of practical strategies to make the potty training journey smoother and more successful.    In this episode, we discuss:    How to know when your child is ready and when to start the potty training process   The pressures of potty training and how to navigate setbacks   The importance of allowing you and your family time to readjust along the way   Using rewards in the potty training process   The importance of acknowledging the successes of your potty-training progress  Recognizing that potty training involves everyone in your family    Allison’s top tips to parents entering the potty training process  Episode Links: Allison Jandu Instagram Potty Training Consultant Website Potty Training Consultant Free Resources   Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again    Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with my husband Greg to discuss our experience completing my 100 Questions to Spark a Deeper Connection Guide. We'll also discuss the poll results from a series of relationship questions I shared on my Instagram, and share our perspectives on enhancing communication and connection with your partner. In this episode we discuss:  Our experience completing the 100 Questions Guide (it's free!) Finding balance between the quantity and quality of communication in your relationship  The significance of open discussions and setting expectations during major life transitions like starting a family  Identifying common triggers for resentment and finding effective ways to address them in relationships  Overcoming the challenges of initiating meaningful conversations with your partner  The benefit of dedicating regular check-ins with your partner to nurture and strengthen your relationship   Pre-order my book now (Released 09/12)! Your pre-order purchase includes many exclusive bonuses.Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Kacie Rose, the world traveler behind Kacie Rose Travel. After a life-changing solo trip and her own "Under the Tuscan Sun" moment, Kacie Rose moved to Italy in January 2021 to be with her long-distance partner. By sharing her experiences online about her life as an American living abroad, travel tips, and more, she has built an outstanding online community of 1.5 million people. Together, we delve into her experiences of moving abroad and the struggles of navigating life living in a new country. She shares her experiences of embracing a new culture, navigating the language barrier, building friendships as an adult, and how she has worked to maintain a healthy relationship with her partner.  In this episode we discuss:  The importance of prioritizing quality time in a long-distance relationship  Navigating personal growth and significant life changes as a couple  Adapting to cultural differences in an intercultural relationship  Struggles with losing independence when navigating language barriers  Building and nurturing friendships as an adult  Tips for individuals planning to live abroad  EPISODE LINKS:  Kacie Rose Travel Instagram Kacie Rose Travel TikTok Kacie Rose Travel YouTube Kacie Rose Travel Website  Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again    Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love   Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass      Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected     Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Matthew Fray, a relationship coach and author of "This is How Your Marriage Ends". He leans on the lessons of his failed marriage and divorce to help others avoid making the same mistakes he did.    Together, we discuss the importance of mindful validation and communication in marriages. He shares his insights on how small actions can lead to bigger messages and the impact of emotional neglect and micro-betrayals in relationships. Matthew also shares tips on how to embrace uncomfortable conversations and work towards conflict resolution in a marriage.   In this episode, we discuss:  The common struggle between communication and validation when there is a problem   Inadvertently delivering a message through small actions and the long term effects   How to get over your defensive and invalidating tendencies   Mindful validation during disagreements can help couples work through conflicts   How our relationships often reflect the stuff we are working through   The key to working towards conflict resolution is leaning into discomfort and embracing uncomfortable conversations   EPISODE LINKS: Matthew Fray Instagram Matthew Fray Blog Purchase his book here!  Looking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again       Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love      Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass         Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected      Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Christina Nelson, a social worker and creator of the Radical Stepmoms podcast.    Cristina is passionate about providing support to stepmoms and assisting them in getting unstuck so they can build the love and life they desire.    Together, we take a deeper look at the realities of being a stepmom and open up an honest conversation to discuss resentment, responsibilities, and dynamics within the stepmotherhood role.    In this episode, we discuss:    How stepmotherhood changes and challenges your identity   The negative representation of stepmoms in the media  Processing the grief and your initial expectations of motherhood    How to find confidence in your place and power in the stepmom role    The feeling of resentment and how to process through it    Addressing your needs and advocating for yourself when moving into a set family dynamic    Practicing open communication and boundary setting   The definition of "disengaging" and how to practice it    Tips to strengthen your relationship with your partner    EPISODE LINKS:   The Radical Stepmoms Podcast Instagram The Radical Stepmoms Podcast WebsiteLooking for more? Join me in my online teachings so you can feel like a team again     Get intentional with your partner and reconnect with small actions every day with 28 Days of Love    Ready to learn how to repair? Take my FREE masterclass       Looking to improve your relationship? Join me in my online program, Be Connected    Deepen your Connection with your Partner: 100 Questions to Connect  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices