Is My Child A Monster? A Parenting Therapy Podcast

• Nicky & AJ Part 3 of 4: When Shame Gets In The Way

  We take you “behind the scenes” of what happened before the session officially started.  This episode with Nicky and AJ begins with a communication breakdown.  We all struggle at times communicating with our kids, our partners or other family members. You will learn what happens when shame is in the drivers seat of your life and when shame runs in the family like with AJ and their 11 year old daughter, Lily.  The episode also emphasizes the importance of vulnerability for personal growth and effective parenting. Leslie introduces the Dialectic Behavior Skill called DEAR MAN and puts it into practice.  Time Stamps3:50 How to talk without shaming and blaming or without ignoring the problem8:02 and 26:05 Talking about trauma is very difficult and can be very anxiety provoking11:06 Description of the DBT DEARMAN skillDescribe, Express, Ask for what you want, Reinforce it for the other person, Maintain focus, Appear confident, Negotiate when needed16:10 Example of using the DEAR MAN23:32 and 40:40 Timing is very important when trying to have a conversation24:30 People who feel invalidated react with anger, shutting down or start defending themselves 27:05 Remember to learn from “misbehavior” - “what can I do differently next time?”32:10 Shame is an emotion that makes us feel like “a bad person” vs guilt is a justified emotion when our behavior goes against our values32:06 and 33:00 Dialectic Behavior Therapy’s Opposite Action Go opposite to the urge of the emotion The urge associated with shame is to hideGo opposite to shame when it is not justifiedGo all the way35:27 Example of using Opposite Action Skill38:26 AJ’s aha moment that both he and his daughter can feel attacked when someone wants you to do something 43:58 Practice being vulnerableLeslie-ism: Give yourself permission to be vulnerable.Resources:  Dialectic Behavior Therapy DEARMAN Skill by DBT.ToolsDialectic Behavior Therapy Opposite Action Skill by DBT.ToolsFor a full transcript of this episode and more information about the host visit https://lesliecohenrubury.com/podcasts/ . You can also follow Leslie’s work on Facebook,  Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Join the conversation with your own questions and parenting experiences.Credits: Is My Child a Monster? is produced by Alletta Cooper, Camila Salazar, and Leslie Cohen-Rubury. Theme music is by L-Ray Music. Graphics and Website Design by Brien O’Reilly. Transcriptions by Eric Rubury.  A special thanks to everyone who contributes their wisdom and support to make this possible.

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• Nicky & AJ Part 2 of 4: Stopping Generational Trauma

  How do you deal with your child’s anger and defiant behaviors? One place to start is to look at what you as parents bring to the table and how that impacts your child.  This is the second session with Nicky and AJ who are seeking help for their 11 year old daughter Lily.  We cover a wide range of topics from the emotional topics of trauma and anger to learning some practical communication skills. Time Stamps3:00 Pausing, listening, validating and being curious was effective for communication with their teen7:08 The DBT GIVE skill - a skill to tend to the relationship (see handout below)8:34 The DBT STOP skill (see handout below)11:08  It's okay to say to your child “I don’t know what to do in this moment”.  Be honest13:59 Trauma work for Childhood Trauma - chronic invalidationTrauma lives in your body (See Book Link below)14:55 Definition of Trauma21:55 Treatment options (See Handout below)19:50  Parents who want to stop the the cycle of trauma, cycle of fear, the cycle of invalidation so it doesn’t get passed on to your child20:20 Parents who want to do better, who need to do better so they can break that cycle20:30 Every step makes a difference 21:12  Talking about trauma alone does not treat trauma - Analogy to having a splinter and talking about the splinter22:15  Mistaken Core Beliefs that develop with traumatic experiences - I am not safe, I am not capable, I am not loveable25:00 Parents can take responsibility for their actions when you yell or invalidate their child27:17 People/kids may shut down or get angry when they feel invalidated.  Ask the question, “What did I just say that may have been invalidating to you?”28:44 The parenting dialectic:  I am trying my best AND I still need to do more30:25 Three Step Apology to take responsibility when you behave in a way that is problematic31;58 Assess the prompting events that lead to her emotional dsyregulation34:10 Defiance and anger can be a secondary emotion to anxiety or overwhelm32:41 Use context such as timing when trying to understand problematic behavior40:49 Habituation is the act of getting used to something through repetition41::00 Dialectic thinking to help her get into the shower (examples)43:15 Parenting GOAL: Is to connect to your child by making sure they feel understood and respected.  Leslie-ism:  Take a stand and STOP harmful generational patternsResources:  The Body Keeps Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MDThe Three Step Apology by Leslie Cohen-RuburyDialectic Behavior Therapy: The GIVE Skill Handout and Practice Sheet by DBT.ToolsDialectic Behavior Therapy.  The STOP Skill Handout and Practice Sheet by DBT.ToolsTrauma Treatment Resources: Dialectic Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure - DBT- PEProlonged ExposureCognitive Processing Therapy - CPTFor a full transcript of this episode and more information about the host visit https://lesliecohenrubury.com/podcasts/ . You can also follow Leslie’s work on Facebook, 

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• Nicky & AJ Part 1 of 4: When Your Child's Defiance is Confusing

  Parents often wonder why their children won’t do what they ask them to do. This often creates conflict and disrespect in the family system. And for the parent, it's very confusing and irritating when you “couldn’t get away with that” when you were a child. In this episode, Nicky and AJ share their concerns, frustrations and fears regarding their 11 year old daughter, Lily.  Lily has had big emotional reactions throughout her life and Nicky and AJ are fearful for her teenage years.  They also admit to their own challenges with emotion regulation. In this episode, we focus on assessing and problem solving Lily's communication as well as managing expectations in the family. We also work on turning conflict into collaboration and respect.Time Stamps4:47 Name your fears and get them out of the way of parenting7:32 Go below the surface of Defiance, anger and meltdowns - you don’t see the anxiety and sensitivity8:00 Metaphor of the iceberg8:48  #1 goal - help you the parents understand what’s happening8:54  #2 goal - give you skill and strategies9:01 Assumption:  She’s doing the best she can at the present time9:58  Shifting perspective from FINDING FAULT—-- TO FINDING UNDERSTANDING16:20 Being misunderstood leads to feeling invalidated and can lead to anger16:56 When Anger helps you to understand your child what’s really going onIt's important to assess if “she can’t or she won’t” distinction when talking18:40  Alexathymia - difficulty expressing feelings  19:42 Metaphor of the flashlight vs turning a light on in the room  to help someone talk21:20 Getting the quiet teen to talkGive her space and timeInvite her to share when she’s readyValidate and give her a moment- this lets her know you are thereUse statements rather than questionsWarning: don’t add the BUTUsing rating scales29:20 Using Defiance, disobedience as a means to understanding what’s going on with your child34:05 Some kids get overwhelmed by the demands of life and helping her managing expectations36:50 A new perspective on defiant behaviors and why that’s parenting “gold”39:43 Why regulating the underlying (primary) problem/emotion is more effective41:25 Practice using PAUSE to regulate your emotionsResources:  Handout on Assessment Scale for Alexathymia Leslie's Video: Metaphor of Why people shut down in conversationsMetaphor of the Iceberg: Leslie's blog on how misbehavior is a form of communicationLeslie-ism: We don’t need to find fault, we need to find understandingFor a full transcript of this episode and more information about the host visit https://lesliecohenrubury.com/podcasts/ . You can also follow Leslie’s work on Facebook,  Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Join the conversation with your own questions and parenting experiences.Credits: Is My Child a Monster? is produced by Alletta Cooper, Camila Salazar, and Leslie Cohen-Rubury. Theme music is by L-Ray Music

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• Why Your Child's Play Is Essential Communication with Special Guest Jennifer Sims

  In this episode, Leslie and special guest Jen Sims, a licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist, talk about the importance of play. Jen explains that play is the language of children, allowing them to express emotions and experiences. She specializes in Non-directive Play Therapy, which involves creating an environment where children can fully engage in play without feeling hurried. Jen emphasizes the principles of empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard, and discusses how play therapy can help children heal from trauma, behavioral issues, and other challenges.Time Stamps2:06 Play is the story that kids are writing about themselves2:25 Definition of Play Therapy and the kinds of therapy3:35 Reasons why children may go to therapy5:47 Carl Rogers A person centered therapist:  3 tenets of his therapyEmpathyCongruenceUnconditional Positive Regard5:55 Virginia Axline developed Non-Directive Play Therapy - 8 principles (see show notes for more formal list)6:35 Definition of Unconditional positive regard doesn’t mean I love your behavior..it means I love you7:45 Explaining the non-directive part of non-directive play therapy8:20 Trust the child to move towards healing10:45 Mirroring and attunement is something parents can also do at home to enrich and depend their relationship with their child12:35 Children play in themes15:35 Description of Fiial Play Therapy that parents can do it at home17:15 Explaining the process of attunement20:44 Setting limits around safety and other things requires consistency22:59 Both Parents and children need empathy to feel understood25:31 AutPlay is play therapy specifically designed for Neurodivergent kids28:37 Jen’s advice for parents - 31:35 We can trust children to lead the way with creative solutions towards their own healingResources:  Video of Play as a form of communicationJen Sims Website at the Redwood Center for Children And Families Jen Sims InstagramArticle on Non-directive Play Therapy and The Underlying Principles by Cognitive Behavioral Play TherapyFilial Play TherapyAutPlay Therapy ResourcesRegistration for Leslie’s  NEABPD Webinar on “Defiance, Disrespect and Disobedience: What Is It and What To Do About ITLeslie-ism: Set aside 20 minutes to let your child lead the way in playFor a full transcript of this episode and more information about the host visit https://lesliecohenrubury.com/podcasts/ . You can also follow Leslie’s work on Facebook,  Instagram, TikTok and 

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• Jean & Alex Part 3 of 3: When You Want to Get Unstuck

  It's not unusual to feel stuck or trapped as a parent. Having options is the antidote to that feeling. You have options for how you think, how you behave, how you deal with emotions. And those options put you in the drivers seat…you get to see and feel the choices you have and you get to choose! This episode is the third and final episode with Jean and Alex who are dealing with their 6 year old daughter’s big emotions. We focus on how to change your mindset and review several coping strategies to help your child. Time Stamps3: 22 Naming the skill - dialectic dilemmas and dialectic synthesis 4:20 The dialectic dilemma is between the child’s needs and the parent’s needs.5:15 Having options is a necessary element in our mental health - Noticing your “choices”7:10 Helping parents helps our children:  realizing that your mood impacts your child’s mood11:50 GIve your child (or anyone) permission to actually have the big emotions13:20 Main dialectic dilemma between Acceptance and ChangeAcceptance often is needed first - it’s more effective to accept the moment before you try to change what’s happeningFirst thing to do: Acknowledge the big emotion. Then move onto solving the problem20:25 A description of three states of mind (illustration of states of mind in show notes)22: 50 Take your time teaching these skills to your child:  repeat it, use different metaphors, say it differently, use different examples25:00 Skills to use to move your child from emotion mind to wise mindAcknowledge that your child is in emotion mind: Name itRate itDistractionFlexible thinking - dialectic thinking with the magic ANDIce pack across your eyes, or face plant into a bowl of cold waterBreathing Exercises (see Link to handout below)Puzzles, activities25:44 Explaining how to move from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system to help us regulate31:41 Do you feel different? Is the helpful question34:32 weave the DBT skills and emotional regulation language into your everyday language.36:13 Exposure work can be done as gentle exercises to help your child with uncomfortable situationsStart easy and work you way up to harder situations Mantra:  I’m scared and I can do it anywaySTAY presentHave faith that your child can do itThe goal is not to avoid the problem, the goal is to be reduce your emotion and return to the problemResources:  NEABPD free Webinar presented by Leslie Cohen-Rubury titled “Defiance, Disrespect and Disobedience: What it is and What to do about it.” Click here to registerHandout on Mindfulness Breathing Exercises Video on three states of mind Leslie-ism: When you feel stuck, look for the options (I promise you they are there)For a full transcript of this episode and more information about the host visit https://lesliecohenrubury.com/podcas

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