The Knowledgeable Parent

In this episode of "The Knowledgeable Parent Podcast," host and therapist Emily Lehring argues that the common parental advice, "just don't play with them," is an unhealthy response when a child says someone was mean to them. She explains that this approach fails to teach children the crucial life skill of managing conflict and maintaining relationships, which they will need with teachers, coworkers, and partners later in life. It also prevents the other child from learning from their behavior and robs the parent's own child of the chance to practice self-advocacy. Instead of giving immediate advice, Lehring suggests parents should: Ask open-ended questions to understand the full story. Reflect their child's feelings to encourage them to share more. Help their child explore different solutions, empowering them to navigate the situation rather than just avoiding it.

In this episode, Emily explains what play therapy is and who is responsible for regulating this field of therapy. Then she explains some common misconceptions of play therapy and offers some clarification and other view points of those misconceptions to help parents, referral sources and other mental health professionals to understand what to expect when a child is participating in play therapy with a Registered Play Therapist or therapist in training. Links:  Association of Play Therapy: https://www.a4pt.org/

In this episode, Emily talks with Kristin Wittmayer OT/R from MoveU about sensory processing and the use of listening programs to address symptoms of sensory processing. Kristin shares some basic information about sensory processing and what is going on in the central nervous system when a person experiences distress and shares how listening programs can help to calm the central nervous system so that the child can face stress, distress and challenges with a more regulated state and clear mind. She also touches on how parents can best support children who engage in this service.

In this episode, Emily meets with Dr. Carla Miller of South Dakota Parent Connection to discuss working together with the educational system to advocate for your child when they have a learning of developmental disability. During the conversation, Dr. Miller shares information about the legal process of special education within the United States and South Dakota, navigating IEPs and 504 plans and finding ways to work through disagreements with educators and administration to come together to support your child's academic needs as a team.

In today's episode, Emily Learing is joined by Adam Learing, the business manager of Encompass Mental Health. They dig into the confusing issues of health insurance, breaking down jargon to help you understand your financial responsibilities when seeking mental health care.

In this episode, Emily meets with Elly Keller of Clear Minded Counseling to discuss Parent Child Interaction Therapy, or PCIT, as an intervention for children’s behavioral concerns. During the conversation, Keller shares information about what to expect in the PCIT process, populations who may benefit from the service and frequently asked questions.

In this episode, Emily meets with Nicole Fluth of FUNctional Kids Pediatric Therapy to discuss the topic of Occupational Therapy for kids who are experiencing sensory processing challenges. During the conversation, Fluth shares information about what is happening within a child's body when they experience sensory difficulties and offers strategies for parents and caregivers to support sensory processing challenges.

In this podcast, Emily meets with Encompass’ Angie Hoheisel, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional,  to discuss different therapy models for the treatment of trauma. Angie explores the EMDR and Brainspotting treatment modalities in more depth and explains things to consider when choosing the right trauma treatment for you.

In this episode, Emily meets with Gretchen Hartmann to discuss the process of co-parenting therapy when parents disagree on decisions for raising their children. During the conversation, Hartmann differentiates between individual or couples therapy and co-parenting therapy to assist those who are not romantic partners to make decisions together to raise their children with consideration for family values, the best interests of the child, and compliance with state law. She explains what parents can expect from the process of engaging in co-parenting therapy, including a definition of the role of the therapist within the co-parenting therapy process when the court is involved in the parents' co-parenting relationship.

In this podcast, Emily meets with Encompass' Sara Kuehler to discuss the process of connecting with and raising teens. Sara is a mental health professional who works with adolescents who shares how parents can help teens to develop skills in mindfulness, improve self-esteem and navigate the emotional roller coaster of the teenage years. 

A custody evaluation is a court-ordered home study that investigates what is in the best interest of the children. It involves information gathering, home visits, psychological evaluations, and interviews with the parents and children. It also includes recommendations based on factors such as mental health, drug abuse, domestic violence, and alienation. The evaluator looks at the child's life from birth to present and takes into account the parents' ability to model good parenting, parenting styles, and co-parent communication. 75-80% of custody evaluations lead to settlement, and judges often agree with the recommendations, but can make exceptions based on new information. To become an evaluator, one must have a master's degree in a related field.

Shana Moke and Erin Nielsen Ogdahl discuss parent coordination and custody evaluations on the podcast to help parents in the Sioux Falls area resolve issues without going to court. Parent coordination is court-ordered and involves setting goals with families to resolve disagreements, referring families to resources, providing education on the impact of parents’ behavior on the child, and upholding the court order. It can be costly and requires a court order for guidelines and enforcement, but it is an effective way to help parents make decisions without court involvement.

Your answer to that might be yes, but it turns out that your child might disagree. Join Emily Learing, LMFT, RPT-S as she tackles this question--from your child's perspective--and offers insight into how you as a parent can actively listen to and respect your child's feelings so that they can feel heard.