Of course we want to get rid of worry, our own and our kids’, but trying to eliminate the thoughts and feelings and sensations of anxiety is a trap. Nonetheless, the use of what Lynn calls “elimination strategies” continues. ...
As we reflect on the fifth anniversary of COVID this month, Lynn and Ed discuss its impact on kids’ social interactions. Have adults stopped modeling and teaching social norms? Are we allowing our children to avoid social, in...
Anxiety messes with sleep and lack of sleep messes with most everything. So, it's not surprising that it’s one of the most frequent and urgent problems parents want to address. In this episode, Lynn lays out the steps she tea...
What happens when you try to get your family members or friends to join you in shifting away from anxious parenting patterns? One listener tried, and got the cold shoulder from other moms. In this episode, Ed, Lynn and Robin ...
In this In Session episode, Lynn talks to Kaitlin, mom to a 7 year old boy with social anxiety and selective mutism. While her son has made impressive gains over the last year, Kaitlin feels stuck when it comes to her son’s r...
In this episode, Lynn & Ed are joined by Noah Cummings who was featured with Lynn in the documentary Anxious Nation. Noah and Lynn have known each other for (gulp!) 13 years. Noah is open and articulate about doing what works...
Lynn was lucky to learn about the skill of differentiation from Michael Yapko (be sure to listen to our Season 6 conversation with Michael!) and in this episode she walks us through the use of HOW questions to help anxious fa...
Our words matter as they often convey to our children how to approach the setbacks and challenges of life. In this episode Lynn and Ed dive into three language patterns, one to minimize and two to enhance: permanence, positiv...
Listeners have been asking for more discussion on the skills needed to help social anxiety, so we review this to start; then Lynn answers a listener question about a worrier, the bottomless well of questions, and how a school...
Getting an anxious child into school is sometimes an (exhausting) victory. But when they then want to be picked up, parents are often hit with doubt, guilt, and confusion about when and HOW to respond to pleas and demands. In...
In this episode, a listener is struggling with her children’s homework meltdowns. She’s exhausted by the nightly distress and has tried to be patient, reassuring, firm…nothing is working and she’s at a loss. What to do? WE'VE...
Ryan Wexelblatt, ADHD expert and founder of ADHD Dude, is back to talk about his social anxiety groups for boys with ADHD, the social skills these guys need, and how pervasive misinformation about ADHD is hurting families. WE...
In this episode we are joined by Ryan Wexelblatt, an ADHD expert known for his concrete and skill-based approach to helping parents via his ADHD Dude content on YouTube. Individual therapy for kids with ADHD is not recommende...
On this re-cast of a popular Season 5 "In Session" episode, Lynn talks to a mom who is beginning to recognize patterns of rigidity and anxiety in her 9yo daughter and, more importantly, the ways both she and her husband react...
Anxiously ruminating or worrying requires an internal focus: “But I’m worrying about my kids, or people I care about,” the worrier tries to argue. “I’m not focusing on myself!” Well, you are. You focus on your version of even...
This is a juicy episode— and a really important one for all concerned about the mental health trends with our teens. After thirty-five years in the mental health field, Lynn addresses very directly her concerns about the mess...
Two (really) stressed gals show up for this episode to talk about injecting fun and playfulness into holiday events. Robin and Lynn share lots of ideas wrapped up in a little encouragement, and by the end, they both feel bett...
Human beings are judgy creatures. It’s part of being social animals. But want to guarantee conflict during the holidays? Start judging other family member’s parenting. Too much sugar for your cousin’s toddler? The horror! Not...
On this episode we answer two listener questions: our first mom is trying to sort through her toddler's discomfort with anything “messy” and his demands to clean things up. Her family is concerned, and she wants to know what’...
Although the holidays can be special, the patterns that show up in people are predictable, even if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas. Critical parent? Passive aggressive sibling? Catastrophic you? In this episode, we talk about...
Cindy Pierce returns, sharing her immense knowledge on pornography and its impact on young people. Get ready because we go there! Cindy talks directly about the disconnection, misinformation, and other serious consequences of...
In the first of a two-part conversation, Cindy Pierce, social sexuality expert, speaker and author, is here to help parents talk to their kids about sex. Do we want to have these conversations? Probably not. Do they make us a...
We answer a listener question in this episode from a mom who wonders if her young son’s rigidity is sensory-driven, an anxiety issue, or both. When do we accommodate and how do we promote more flexibility? When needing things...
If you’re anxious as a parent, are your kids doomed? Not necessarily, but there are risk factors you have to pay attention to and patterns to interrupt. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECI...