Parenting Well Podcast

I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Wendy Van Besien. Wendy is an inspiring positive psychology practitioner that weaves together critical examples, expertise, and easy to apply steps that will motivate you to reach your potential and live a flourishing life.

In this podcast, Wendy shares how to:

• Develop and foster resilience
• Deal with everyday disturbances
• Tap into people's strengths
• Relieve stress and anxiety
• Use neuroscience to understand our response to challenges
• Change limiting beliefs, assumptions and interpretations that impede your success and happiness
• Live a flourishing life

Resources:

• The father of Positive Psychology: Dr. Martin Seligman
• Ted Talk: Brené Brown - The Power of Vulnerability
• Brené Brown: Dare to Lead and other works
• Book: Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
• Ted Talk: Developing a Growth Mindset
• Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Co-founder of the Happiness Whole Being Institute
• Book: Kristin Neff - Self Compassion
• Ted Talk: Kristin Neff - The Three Components of Self Compassion
• Book: Reconstructing Amelia: A Novel

“A lot can change when a parent recognizes when they might be acting from a place of - I want you to confide in me because it confirms my self image as a trusting, caring parent. Versus, when parents operate from a perspective of - I want you to confide in me to the extent that it affirms your own self-image and helps your own growth.” Ray Watson

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well sources are Ray Watson

Raye Watson (they/them) is a 23-year-old writer and designer living in the Denver metro area. Between grassroots nonprofits and student organizations, they’ve led hundreds of hours of workshops and fallen in love with storytelling for change. Drawn to social justice by their experiences as a queer student and artist, Raye lives happily in the intersection between art, academia, and advocacy. Their diverse body of work is connected by themes of design thinking, disability equity, and gender freedom. Their whole vibe is less "sex, drugs, rock and roll" and more "naps, meds, mellow jazz."

Raye Watson’s monologue - “Gender Play & Possibility” shares an experience of negotiating limiting and pathologizing narratives to access gender-affirming care. But on the other side of transition, their new freedom to expand into their true version of being nonbinary - an experience, not of neutrality, but multiplicity.

In this podcast, we talk about:

• The variety of narratives a person experiences in the transition to non-binary or transgender.
• The difference between body dysmorphia and dysphoria.
• Issues surrounding the medical necessity of having gender dysphoria to qualify for treatment
• Gender euphoria perspectives and how informed consent models put transgender people at the authority of their own experience.
• Movement from dysphoria to liberty and freedom
• Finding authenticity of gender alongside your humanity
• How parents and young people can work together to stop the cycle of invulnerability.
• Using progressive disclosure in your parenting.
• Creating spaces for young people to engage in support groups, leadership opportunities, etc as an invitation to try different things on and see what fits.

Resources:

1. Event: Transformative Stories from Transgender and Nonbinary Leaders
2. Website: Modus Theater
3. Email: Modus Theater
4. PFlag: Our Trans Loved Ones
5. All socials can be found at: @MotusTheater

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Trina Faatz. Trina is an advocate for child welfare and family wholeness. She is certified as a Peer Recovery Coach to work with parents and teens struggling with the challenges of substance use. Now, as the facilitator of the Boulder County Substance Advisory Group, and leader of young people in recovery panels, she brings a personal and humane approach to intervention and hope.

In today’s show, Trina will talk about the challenges young people face and how a cutting-edge program called CRAFT is helping parents navigate substance use in today’s world. Specifically, we will discuss:

• The challenges young people face when it comes to substance use
• How social media can have positive and negative impacts on substance use
• Fentanyl
• Substance use and brain development
• Recognizing substance use in your child
• Skill building: understanding triggers, communicating, establishing rewards/consequences, and strengthening the parent-child relationship
• A parent’s role in increasing or decreasing a child’s substance use
• Resource: Chart: Understanding Substance Use Experimentation
• Resource: Natural Highs: Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol
• Resource: The CRAFT Program: Community Reinforcement and Family Training
• Resource: The Effekt Training: To increase parents’ attitudes, norm-setting and monitoring about alcohol
• Resource: Reach Out for Change – CRAFT Classes

I'm Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host, and today’s WELL source is Dr. Rob Valuck. Dr. Valuck is a Professor in the Departments of Clinical Pharmacy, Epidemiology, and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, and Medicine. He is also the Director of the Center for Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research (CePOR) at the School of Pharmacy. Finally, Dr. Valuck is the coordinator of the Center Director of the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, created by Governor Hickenlooper in 2013 to address the prescription drug abuse problem with a collaborative, statewide, interagency approach.

In today’s podcast, Dr. Valuck shares:

• The history of prescribing opioids
• The potential harm of over prescribing opioids
• Safe use of opioids for pain reduction
• Use and misuse of Benzodiazepines
• Details about the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
• Harm reduction strategies
• Take back system for returning unused meds
• Recognizing use of prescription drugs in the home
• Predictors of use disorders: ACES: Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Resource: Speak Now: A program for communicating with your child about drug use
• Resource: Take Meds Seriously
• Resource: Bring Naloxone Home

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well sources are Abbie Lewis and Ray Garcia.

Abbie is a youth violence prevention educator at Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN.) Abbie teaches the Peers Building Justice violence prevention curriculum to middle and high school students in Boulder Valley School District. Abbie has 10+ years of teaching experience and approaches youth violence prevention education with compassion and an excitement and joy to work alongside young people, while promoting equity and amplifying youth voice.

Ray is the Creating Protective Environments Project Coordinator with SPAN. A part of the Education team, Ray also teaches topics connected to dating and sexual violence prevention throughout Boulder Valley School District. Ray has been working with youth for over 12 years, and teaching for more than 6. Ray believes that people of all ages need skills and development surrounding relationships, boundaries, and consent in order to lead safe and healthy lives. Ray approaches his work with excitement, curiosity, and an eagerness to highlight the experiences of youth.

Abbie and Ray’s talk for the Human Kindness Initiative is on October 29, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 at the Want Boulder Location

In this podcast we talk about:

• Boulder Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
• Understanding the spectrum of healthy relationships
• Building communication, trust and empathy, while understanding warning signs
• Not living with gender stareotypes
• Undersatnding and defining boundaries with others - while taking accountability when you cross someone's boundaries
• Warning signs of an abusive relationship
• Understanding and applying consent

Resources:

• Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence
  • Boulder and Broomfield counties’ domestic violence organization
  • www.safehousealliance.org
  • Crisis line: 303-444-2424
• Rocky Mountain Equality
  • LGBTQIA+ services for youth and adults in the Colorado Front Range
  • Support groups, ally groups, mental health counseling, peer community groups, adult trainings
  • https://www.rmequality.org/
• OASOS
  • Boulder County Public Health’s LGBTQIA+ youth-serving organization
  • Peer youth groups, leadership opportunities, advocacy, support, and referrals, adult trainings
  • [email protected]
• Boulder Valley Health Center
  • Reproductive and Sexual Health clinic and education for youth and adults.
  • https://bouldervalleyhealth.org/
• TGTHR
  • Youth shelter located in Boulder and Denver
  • Office: 303-447-1206
  • Shelter: 303-447-1207
• Moving to End Sexual Assault
  • Sexual violence resource network
  • movingtoendsexualassault.org
  • Crisis line: 303-443-7300
  • Text: BRAVE to 20121
• Colorado Crisis Line, 988, I Matter
  • Provides support with different mental health crises
  • Dial 988
• The Trevor Project
  • A national mental health and crisis support resource for LGBTQIA+ youth.
  • Text: START to 678-678
  • Crisis Line: 1-866-488-7386
• LoveisRespect.org
  • Resources and activities about healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships, boundaries, consent and safety planning.
  • Text: LOVEIS to 22522
• Safe2Tell.org
  • Resource for anonymous reporting
• Title IX
  • This includes gender-based violence such as sexual violence (sexual harassment and sexual assault), dating violence and stalking.
  • A law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools and federally funded programs.
  • Entitles students to accommodations promoting safety and support in schools
  • BVSD Title IX information and reporting: https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/health-and-wellness/health-promotion-and-prevention/sexual-assault-prevention