Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #229. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. Join Susanna Peace Lovell and Natasha M. Nurse, Esq. as they delve into the complexities of neurodivergence, motherhood, and personal growth. Natasha shares her journey of self-discovery, from her childhood experiences to her recent diagnosis of autism ...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #228, with Chrissy Barlahan, who is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst with a degree in Psychology from Cal State Long Beach and a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. In this episode, join Jessica Patay, the founder of We Are Brave Together and Chrissy Barlahan as they delve into the complexities of parenting and marriage in the context of caregiving. With candid discussions on the chal...
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #227, we are discussing how to approach and support other caregiving moms when we see them in the wild. In this heartfelt episode, Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell, and Dr. Zoe Shaw dive into the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with special needs. They share personal stories and insights ...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #226, with Kris Burbank, whose book, Embracing Another Normal: Resilience Stories and Strategies for Raising Children with Disabilities has a lot to teach us. On this episode, Jessica Patay welcomes Kris Burbank who shares her journey as a mother of three, including her son Andrew, who has cerebral palsy. We discover how Kris's experiences led her to co-authoring a book on resilience and get an overview of her researched strategies...
Hello Brave Friends! On this episode, #225, we are hearing about the experience of another Thriving Neurodivergent Adult, Author, Journalist and Influencer, Carrie Berk. In this episode of the Brave Together Podcast, Carrie Berk shares her journey from writing children's books to her memoir, MINDFIRE: Diary of An Anxious Twentysomething, which addresses her personal experiences with anxiety and OCD. The conversation delves into the importance of self-love, the misconceptions surrounding OCD, ...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #224, with Amanda Griffith-Atkins. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving parents. On this episode Amanda Griffith-Atkins joins us to discuss the inspiration behind her book, 'How to Handle More Than You Can Handle: Raising a Disabled Child Without Losing Yourself.' In our conversation, she emphasizes the importance of self-care, compassion, and the emotional experiences of parents in similar situatio...
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #223, we are discussing the New York Times Best Seller, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, and applying it to caregiving life. In this conversation, the hosts reflect on their Summer experiences and transitions in their children's lives, leading into a discussion of The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. Th...
Welcome to Brave Together Podcast, an empowering resource for the parents of children with disabilities, neurodivergence, and all unique needs. Hi Bravies! Welcome to Season 9 of Brave Together Podcast. Yes, we've switched back to our original name, but we are as always, relentless in our mission to provide you the caregiving parent with resources, a platform for your stories and of course, community. I'm Jessica Patay, founder of the nonprofit, We Are Brave Together and a mother to three ch...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to our Season 8 wrap up episode, #222. The host of the 'Brave Together Parenting Podcast' addresses the 'Brave Mom Squad,' expressing gratitude and celebrating the podcast's five-year anniversary and 220+ episodes. Reflecting on Season 8, the host highlights top episodes and thanks sponsors Rise Educational Advocacy, Pediatric Minds, and Yoga Six Rolling Hills. 'We Are Brave Together' is introduced as the nonprofit supporting caregivers through support group...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #221. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. In this heartfelt conversation, Chris and Jessica Patay reflect on their journey as parents of a child with Prader-Willi syndrome. They discuss the challenges and joys of parenting, the importance of community support, and the lessons learned from their...
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #220, we are responding to the question, What can I say to myself and what can others say to me in the midst of chronic hardship? In this final AUA episode of season eight, the hosts reflect on the challenges and unexpected gifts of caregiving. They discuss the importance of self-compassion, validation, and eff...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #219. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving parents. On this episode we have Tammie Penta PD, a retired Police Sergeant and Brave Mom to an adult son with Prader-Willi syndrome who trains police departments all over the country to interact safely with adults living with PWS and other intellectual disabilities. In this conversation, Jessica Patay and Tammie Penta PD, discuss the importance of preparin...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #218. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. This episode is VERY special because we have on the podcast today, not one, not two, but ALL THREE authors of the instant New York Times Bestseller, Autism Out Loud: Life with a Child on the Spectrum, from Diagnosis to Young Adulthood―Moving Stories and...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #217. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving parents. Today, Brave Together founder, Jessica Patay and author Kelley Coleman interview Tom Chiodo. Tom Chiodo is the Executive Producer Special Projects, National Productions at WETA, flagship PBS station in Washington D.C., developing primetime documentary films and original digital content, accompanied by national impact and engagement campaigns, for 3...
Hello Brave friends! May is Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month and, as you probably know by now, my son Ryan has Prader-Willi Syndrome. He’s 21, almost 22, and today we are re-releasing episode number 100 from Season 3, in which I shared the story of how we told Ryan about his diagnosis. And after the story, I have the joy and the privilege of interviewing Ryan, but go grab a Kleenex because, as you will hear, he ends up interviewing me. So thank you for being here and I hope you enjoy lis...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #216. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. In this heartfelt conversation, Dr. Zoe Shaw interviews author and speaker, Kelly Lang, who shares her profound journey following a traumatic car accident that changed her and her daughter's life forever. She recounts the harrowing moments of the accide...
Hello Brave Friends! On this episode, #215, we are hearing about the experience of another Thriving Disabled Adult, Kelly Pozil! Kelly was born with TAR syndrome that resulted in having no radius bone in both her arms. In this conversation she shares about what it was like growing up in a very physically active family, how her parents instilled confidence in her, and how she coped with the big feelings by appearing brave and resilient. She also emphasizes the significance of doing the d...
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #214, we are responding to the question, What do we do with ALL THESE EMOTIONS when we don’t feel like we have time and space to process them? In this conversation, hosts, Jessica, Susanna and Dr. Zoe discuss the complex emotions experienced by caregivers, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and process...
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #213. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. In this episode of the Brave Together Parenting Podcast, host Jessica Patay welcomes Jennifer Iannuzzi, LCSW, a mother and Connection Circle leader, to discuss the challenges and triumphs of parenting a child with unique needs. Jennifer shares her perso...
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING! In this Ask Us Anything episode, #212, we are responding to the question, How do I unplug from constant hyper-vigilance in my caregiving? In this conversation, Jessica, Zoe, and Susanna explore the theme of hypervigilance in parenting, particularly in the context of caring for children with any and all disabilities. They discuss the emotional ...