Securely Attached

Are we asking the wrong questions when it comes to our kids' screen usage? In a world where technology isn't going away, the right questions may be less about time limits, access, and controlling their behaviors and more about how we can build a child's internal regulation system and rewire the reward center in their brain and body that screens are designed to hijack. Joining me to offer a paradigm shift for the way we approach technology with children is somatic educator and therapist, Alé Duarte. Alé emphasizes the importance of going beyond mere behavior management and equipping children with the tools they need to override the algorithms designed to keep them glued to their screens. Whether you're a parent, therapist, educator, or caregiver, this episode offering you strategies for approaching technology through the lens of neuroscience and psychology is one you won't want to miss! LEARN MORE ABOUT ALÉ DUARTE: https://www.aleduarte.com/ RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN HIS TRAINING SERIES, SCREEN MASTERS: Live Classes start on Thursday May 23, 2024

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 2:04 - There are many dilemmas parents often face that can be seen inside of this listener's question: Weighing the pros and cons of whether staying at home or going to work is the best for you, your child, and your unique situation. If you do choose to use childcare, what type is most ideal for your child. And finally, addressing the struggles surrounding your child's potential separation anxiety. 3:58 - There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions. 7:05 - This decision shouldn't only be about your child. It's also important to ask yourself: What is best for me? 7:58 - This decision doesn't have to be permanent - if it's feeling overwhelming, you can reframe this to be what is right for me and my family right now. 12:30 - Weighing between sending your child to daycare, bringing in a nanny, or staying home with your children. 15:06 - Even if you are a stay-at-home parent you can add in opportunities for your child to learn to trust other caregivers and to experience separations. ✨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! ✨

Our past experiences shape our present behaviors and patterns, but by working toward healing our inner child, we can make meaningful shifts! Jennifer Nurick joins me to discuss a profound way to approach healing by integrating many treatment approaches, including attachment theory, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, somatic psychotherapy, and more. In this episode, we explore practical strategies for healing past traumas and nurturing inner and outer secure attachments through "parts work." Plus, Jennifer shares poignant examples of how this work translates into real-life interactions, especially in the realm of parenting, where attunement and repair are crucial for overall mental health and well-being. LEARN MORE ABOUT JENNIFER: https://www.psychotherapycentral.health/ READ JENNIFER'S BOOK: Heal Your Anxious Attachment: Release Past Trauma, Cultivate Secure Relationships, and Nurture a Deeper Sense of Self INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT ATTACHMENT SCIENCE? Click HERE to download my free guide, The Four Pillars of Fostering Secure Attachment, helping you parent with a focus on attunement and trust.

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg and I talk about... 2:25 - Awareness and acceptance of the situation is your first step. 3:30 - Whether or not your ex is a narcissist, if you don't feel your co-parent is able to properly support your child emotionally, these strategies we offer will apply for all of those situations, too. 5:54 - Finding the delicate balance between not projecting your own feelings or "bad-mouthing" your co-parent to your child, while also not white-washing your child's feelings or gaslighting them either. 8:01 - How to use reflective functioning to help empower your child to cope when they are resistant to wanting to spend time with their other parent. 13:50 - Intentionally adding in elements for fun and delight in your own interactions with your child to help create security in your relationship. ✨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! ✨

Navigating the complex terrain of youth sports while promoting positive body image and mental wellness! Joining me is Zoë Bisbing, a psychotherapist specializing in body image and eating disorders and the creator of Body-Positive Home. In this episode, we emphasize the importance of creating secure attachments from the start, laying a foundation of resilience that can withstand diet-culture and societal pressures. We delve into the challenges faced by children in aesthetic sports, discussing the delicate balance between encouraging our children's passion and weighing the potential risks to their physical and mental well-being. Tune in as we explore the intersection of resilience, body positivity, and parenting, and discover practical ways to cultivate a nurturing environment where all bodies are valued and celebrated!

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg and I talk about... 1:48 - A tantrum is a behavioral expression of emotions that feel to big to express in a productive manner. 2:25 - Tantrums typically tend to start around one-year-old and petter out by about 7. 6:37 - Try to compare your child to their own emotion regulation development and not compare them to another child. 9:37 - It's helpful to track the intensity, duration, and frequency of your child's tantrums - because our memories of these high stress times can often be flawed and being able to look at a log is very helpful. Click here to download my FREE OBSERVATION TRACKER to help you log these behaviors over the course of a week and work to change it over the course of 3 weeks. 14:10 - The red flags you should be on the lookout for that might mean there is something abnormal with your child's tantrums. WANT TO TAKE THIS TOPIC EVEN FURTHER? CHECK OUT THESE BOOKS, PRODUCTS, AND RESOURCES: HELPFUL BOOKS: The Tantrum Survival Guide: Tune In to Your Toddler's Mind (and Your Own) to Calm the Craziness and Make Family Fun Again by Rebecca Schrag Hershberg, PhD Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids by Mona Delahooke, PhD Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges by Mona Delahooke, PhD ON-DEMAND COURSE FOR COMBATTING TANTRUMS: Learn exactly how to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of your child's tantrums in my self-paced course, The Science of Tantrums. ✨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 you can use food to teach your children about acceptance, tolerance, and the beauty of cultural diversity! Joining me is Priya Krishna. Priya is a food reporter and video host for the New York Times and the bestselling author of multiple cookbooks including her new kid's cookbook, Priya's Kitchen Adventures. From redefining what constitutes a "kid recipe" to navigating picky eating habits, in this episode, Priya shares practical tips for making food playful, fun, and educational. Her mouthwatering recipes will offer you an easy entry point to teach your kids to embrace diversity and expand their palate, one delicious bite at a time.

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Emily Upshur and I talk about... 3:10 - Resilience and distress tolerance is baked into being a younger sibling. 5:31 - When you have the bandwidth to slow down to allow your child to foster their independence, try to lean into those moments. 7:32 - We often expect our youngest to keep up with our oldest. 8:43 - Unpacking the guilt we often feel about parenting multiple children. 11:09 - How to be "transparent about the triaging" we're doing and why we're doing what. 15:20 - How to shift these strategies to apply to younger children and help toddlers adjust to having a new baby sibling, too. ✨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! ✨

This week my conversation about finding the beauty in life and learning to accept the inevitability of death with Rabbi Steve Leder continues. Along with being the Rabbi at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles Rabbi Steve Leder is the author of five books, including The Beauty of What Remains and his newest book, For You When I Am Gone. We're discussing how to answer your kid's questions about the afterlife, the best and worst things to say to someone who is grieving, how to model for our kids the power of showing up in the face of loss, and how to accept and embrace the non-linear process of grieving. This two-part episode will offer you tangible tools for infusing your daily life with even more meaning, purpose, and a profound sense of connection.

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg, Dr. Emily Upshur, and I talk about... 2:46 - Travel days can be free-for-alls when it comes to kids and screens - and that's okay. 7:10 - Incorporating a "brain break," a "snack break," and a "reading break" into your travel routine. 10:29 - Context switching can be difficult for children and is often something we need to help them build skills for, rather than expecting them to just be able to do it on their own. 12:08 - Dr. Rebecca shared some reflections of her own vulnerable parenting moments in real-time - sharing how even this conversation was kicking up feelings of shame and defensiveness, and how she worked through them. 16:14 - How to be kinder to ourselves and make mindset shifts when things don't go quite as planned. 20:58 - Modeling appropriate screen use can be one of the most effective forms of teaching (but we don't have to do it perfectly all the time to still have an 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! ✨