In our Memphis-based clinic we serve families and their first point of contact is our Family Care Team. Today members of that team talk to us about HOW and WHY taking care of the WHOLE family is so very important! If you’re a parent who has wondered why you can’t just drop your child off at counseling to make them “all better” - listen in! If you’re a professional who feels like you’re missing a puzzle piece or ten - listen in! You can learn more about Empowered to Connect here!  Help us out...

We've talked about stress capacity before, but this week we had SO much fun hearing from BOTH of the McKays about how understanding their own stress capacity was a game-changer! Listen for Rico’s raw and authentic take on how reflecting on his own stress capacity has made him a better elementary school teacher, friend, and husband. How do you know when your stress capacity is running low? What can you to about it?? What “fills your tires” as you navigate “life’s potholes”? We'll get into that...

TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection. On today’s episode, our Safe and Secure Tennessee Program Team talks...

Today we sit down as a team to talk about…. how we talk about things! What is the impact of our labels? What can we keep in mind about our language? How can we speak to and about people in a way that honors their dignity? Listen for reflections on times we’ve said things and regretted them and how we’re moving forward! To learn more about Empowered to Connect, check out our website, follow us on social media and YouTube!  

Today we host the host of the TBRI® podcast to talk about her journey with Trust-Based Relational Intervention! Sarah is one of the most thoughtful and down-to-earth people that we know, and we loved getting a behind-the-scenes look at her story!  Listen for insights and inspiration on how to keep going in your parenting journey and supporting those in your community. You'll hear both personal and professional reflections from Sarah's experience.  For more from Sarah Mercado, listen to the...

When Mary Beth Chapman and her husband Steven, the highest selling Christian Music artist of all time, were starting Show Hope, they knew they were in for a life long mission. Today, Mary Beth and her daughter Emily join us to talk about the origins of Show Hope, the early connection to Empowered to Connect and why they believe, even in the darkest moments, that we can all find Hope for the Journey.You can learn more about Show Hope and find out how to watch the Hope for the Journey...

In today's FINAL episode of Carpool Q&A we wrap up by discussing why in parenting (and in life) it's about the journey - not the destination.  You can find EVERY episode of Carpool Q&A and the Empowered to Connect Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!

Today on the show, friends of the program and prolific authors, Melissa Corkum and Lisa C. Qualls join us to talk about some exciting news! They cover their decision to re-brand their organization (formerly The Adoption Connection) to "Adoption Wise" and their newest resource "Foundations for Overcoming and Preventing Blocked Care" - a course you can take in community to begin working through the healing process and learning how to reclaim compassion in your parenting journey.  As always,...

Today on Carpool Q&A we tackle a question that at least two of our hosts know all too well - "How do I do connected parenting when there's multiple kids?" It's a great question - we advocate for lots of time spent with your kids when you're attempting to parent in this way and sometimes it may feel like practically there are just too few parents and too many kids to actually do this thing. If this is you - rest easy - we got you! Today JD (who has 4 kids), Tona (who has 6 kids) and Becca...

Today on the show we have VERY special guests - the founders of Empowered to Connect, Michael and Amy Monroe join us to tell the story of Empowered to Connect AND to talk with us about nurturing young adults. If you've never heard Michael and Amy share the ETC story or talk about parenting, you are in for a treat! We talk about the origins of ETC, early Dr. Purvis stories and the Ottingers' introduction into ETC during the early days. We also talk to Michael and Amy about how to think through...

Within the framework of Connected Parenting lie some fundamental beliefs - not the least of which is that we want to attempt, whenever possible, to give our children 'yeses' as often as possible. To "say yes when we can and no when we have to" - but if you've been around this world long enough, you've inevitably seen or heard the criticism that people practicing parenting in the way we do "can't" tell our children no. As in, we're incapable of it because we're too soft (or insert any other...

Today one of our favorite recurring guests joins us to talk about nurturing teens! If you're parenting in this stage, you know this is an absolute must listen because whew boy - teenagers can be a CHALLENGE to nurture. Thankfully, Jacque gives us perspective, practical wisdom about how to navigate this season and some stories to help us remember HOW important it is to lean into these stages and give our babies what they need, even when they are acting like they don't want us around.  You can...

Critics of connected parenting, attachment-based parenting, gentle parenting, trauma-informed parenting - whatever you want to label it - often attack this style of parenting as permissive and soft. The goal isn't to be your kid's friend, they remind you. That got one of our listeners thinking - well I know THAT, but...what IS the goal of connected parenting? What's the main point? What are we striving toward here and what can I lay down as a standard for my parenting partner and I to hold...

Today we welcome onto the show very dear friends of ours, whom you've met in separate iterations - Larissa Gregory has joined the pod several times to talk about her professional work and her husband Dee was a key contributor in our "Investing in Hope" video talking about his work as a mental health professional and school nurse. Today, they join us together to tell the story of their family. Walking through some of the most unimaginable tragedy as a family, Dee and Larissa talk about losing...

We've all heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child - and no doubt if you've listened to this podcast for one episode or all 200+, you know, we advocate heavily for having community support on your parenting journey. Today's Carpool Q&A Question was "I hear you talking about finding your village - but what if I don't HAVE a village?" Join Tona, Becca and JD as they explore together how to create your village around you when one doesn't exist yet! You can learn more about...

We've all heard talks of the terrible (insert toddler's age here) years. Insert trauma, adversity or loss into the equation and the challenge multiplies. Advice for this stage of parenting is all over the map, especially when it comes to connected/attachment-based/gentle parenting. So what's a parent to do to navigate this season? Have no fear, we've got two phenomenal Cultivate Connection Facilitators, Shane and Mindy, to talk you through it! Shane and Mindy share their family story, how...

Am I a helicopter parent, or am I just involved in my children's lives? Helicopter parenting is a term for parents who are overly involved in their children's lives, trying to control and monitor every aspect. They might be well-intentioned, but it can lead to an environment where the kids feel smothered or have limited opportunities to learn from their own experiences. Today we talk about that fine line between being involved and supportive vs hovering - and how to set up some simple...

You may have heard about infant massage before, but is it a real thing? And what part does infant massage and early intervention play in a baby's journey? Today Occupational Therapist and TBRI Practitioner Jodi Haugen joins us to talk all about it! Jodi has been in OT for 20 years, specializing in early intervention and helping parents and kiddos begin their healing journeys together. She explains the neurological side of infant massage, what so many parents of infants miss and one...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where for one reason or another, you're stuck inside THE WHOLE TIME?? Maybe kids are out of school and there's inclement weather - maybe you live in the Southern US and it snows, sending the entire town into shutdown (too soon?)...no matter the circumstances, we're here to help! The team chats about practical ways to build connection, get everyone's needs met and even...find some time to read a book?? All that and more today on Carpool Q&A! You can...

We have an incredible episode for you today! One of our favorite Therapists/Adoptee Voices, Cam Lee Small, joins us on the pod to talk about lots of things including his forthcoming book: The Adoptee's Journey: From Trauma and Loss to Healing and Empowerment. We talk with Cam about everything from how identities are formed in adoptees to things he wishes adoptive parents knew to his own experiences filled with pain and beauty. This is an episode every adoptee and adoptive parent NEED to...

One of the most common questions we get - what happens when my child from a connected home steps foot into the "real world"? It is a valid question and a completely rational deduction to make until you dive a little deeper into what connected parenting really entails - join us as we talk all about this question today on Carpool Q&A! Carpool Q&A can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and everywhere you find your favorite podcasts!

Today we throw it way way back to one of our favorite episodes talking about the power of giving your 'yes' to your children. As any parent with Netflix has probably seen, there's a famous ETC Principle in the newest Jennifer Garner movie "Yes Day." No, ETC didn't make a movie, but there is lots to learn from it! JD, Tona and Mo sit down to talk about one of the most foundational principles in the ETC world - the power of saying yes.  "Isn't that just permissive parenting!?" "If you give...

Where is the line!? That's the common question in LOTS of parenting relationships when trying to decipher how to teach your kids excellence and effort without becoming THAT over the top parent who pushes their kids too hard and breaks relationship. Well. We've found the line and we're going to share it this morning! Actually, sorry, that is false advertising. We ARE, however, here to help guide you to finding that line for you and your family and giving a few practical tools to help you...

Sometimes all we need is a simple mindset shift to unlock a new level of life. Today on the show we talk with Becca McKay and Jesse Faris about doing just that in our discipline mindset as parents. It's easy to fall into the trap of becoming solely a reactive parent, but what happens when we shift from a reactive to a proactive mindset? Spoiler alert - it changes everything!   Becca and Jesse give us practical ways to change our mindset while sharing stories of how this shift changes...