Before we dive in: this episode includes a discussion of childhood mental health struggles and discusses suicidal ideation and self harm. Please take care while listening.

Synopsis:  When your child is struggling and you can’t fix it—what then? In this deeply moving episode, Alyssa sits down with bestselling author and speaker Kristina Kuzmic to explore what it means to parent through a child’s depression. Kristina opens up about her son’s mental health journey and what it looked like behind the scenes: from the early signs that whispered before they screamed, to the moments where connection—not control—made all the difference.

Together, Alyssa and Kristina unpack the stigma around ment...

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation.

Alyssa: [00:00:00] You're listening to Voices of your Village, and today we're rebroadcasting one of my all time favorite episodes. You're going to hear me fangirl real hard because I got to sit down with someone I so deeply admire, Dr. Stuart Shanker. His book Self- Reg was a game changer for me when I was teaching infants and toddlers, and honestly, it shaped so much of how I approach emotional development today. In this episode, we talk about what self-regulation really means, how it differs f...

 Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation.

Alyssa: [00:00:00] You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today we're diving into a conversation that so many parents are craving, but often don't know how to start. I got to sit down with Doctor Hina Talib to talk about body image and development in the pre-teen years. Those ages 9 to 12, when so much is changing inside and out. We explored how to navigate this stage with empathy, how to foster open communication with kids around their bodies, and how to create a home environment where...

 Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation.

[00:00:00] Alyssa: You are listening to Voices Of Your Village, and today's episode is such a grounding one. I got to sit down with my dear friend, Eli Harwood, who you may know as @attachmentnerd over on Instagram, to dive into a topic that comes up so often, school refusal. If you've ever had a kid clinging to the doorframe or break down in tears before drop off, or you've wondered when to push and when to pause, this one's for you. Eli brings her therapist lens and lived experience to this co...

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation

[00:00:00] Alyssa: You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today we get to chat about decreasing stress and increasing gratitude with this one accessible thing. I got to hang out with mother/daughter duo, Kelly Corrigan and her daughter Claire. Kelly is a New York Times bestselling author of four books about family life, the host of her own PBS show and a top 1% podcast called Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Like Claire, she can't stop making— books, paintings, TV shows, podcasts, meals, mistakes....

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation.

[00:00:00] Alyssa: You're listening to Voices of Your Village and today I get to hang out with Shang Saavedra and we got to chat about the emotional roots of money. Stress, let's get real Money comes with so much emotion and I love how she breaks down the root causes of money issues and how to navigate them and how. We all come to the table with different stories about money and what it looks like, not just to address finances, but to look at the emotional lens of finances in order to long-term a...

Before we dive in: The breakdown of this episode includes a brief discussion of sexual assault. Please take care while listening.

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation.

[00:00:00] Alyssa: You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I got to hang out with Dr. Alissa Jerud. She book Emotion-Savvy Parenting. I loved getting to chat with her specifically about anxiety and what it looks like to experience anxiety without being consumed by it and had to parent a child who is experiencing anxiety.

Alissa Jerud has a PhD and is a...

0:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to hang out with Dr. Anna Housley Juster. Anna brings over 25 years of experience supporting children and families as a mental health clinician, education consultant, award -winning author, and parent. Her career began as a Head Start teacher, which is pretty rad, and she later served as director of content for Sesame Street. Ever heard of it? Where she shaped educational content for the series, interactive technology, toys, and books. She's now in private practice and Anna specializes in early childhood trauma, anxiety, and behavioral challenges, blending her expertise in child development and mental health...

00:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to share one of the funniest humans on the internet with you, Taylor Wolfe. You might know her as The Daily Tay. I had been listening to her book, Birdie and Harlow, on audiobook and was like, oh my gosh, I have to chat with her. So we got to dive into what it looks like to learn how to be a mom while grieving a huge loss. Taylor shares so vulnerably and openly about losing this dog of hers, who she was so connected to and attuned to and attached to, at the same time that she was entering into motherhood. And we got to look at what does it look like to incorporate grief as a part of our life and in all of t...

00:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and I get to dive in with occupational therapist Kelly Mahler, all about really the key to, I would say, navigating life from a well -being standpoint. We get to chat about interoception. This is one of the sensory systems that I think is so often overlooked, and I think it's the cornerstone for mental wellness. It definitely is the cornerstone for accessing self -control. So often we want kids to control their words, control their actions, like, ask for things kindly, all that jazz, and the reality is they can't do that if they don't first have interoceptive awareness, if they aren't aware of what's happening inside their bo...