The Place We Find Ourselves podcast features private practice therapist Adam Young (LCSW, MDiv) and interview guests as they discuss all things related to story, trauma, attachment, and interpersonal neurobiology. Listen in as Adam unpacks how trauma and abuse impact the heart and mind, as well as how to navigate the path toward healing, wholeness, and restoration. Interview episodes give you a sacred glimpse into the real-life stories of guests who have engaged their own experiences of trau ...
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Join parenting coach and mom-in-the-trenches, Penny Williams, as she helps parents, caregivers, and educators harness the realization that we are all beautifully complex and marvelously imperfect. Each week she delivers insights and actionable strategies on parenting and educating neurodivergent kids — those with ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning disabilities... Her approach to decoding behavior while honoring neurodiversity, and parenting the individual child you have will provide you with th ...
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287: Stop Saying “It’s okay”, with Penny Williams
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Are you exhausted from the constant emotional ups and downs, the frustration of trying to connect with your neurodivergent child, and the worry about saying the “wrong” thing? You’re not alone, and there is hope. In this warm and supportive episode of Beautifully Complex, host Penny Williams dives deep into the transformative power of skill-buildin…
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286: When an Anxious, Empathetic Nervous System is Confronted with Natural Disaster, Penny Williams
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Do you ever feel like you're caught in the eye of the storm? Trust me, you're not alone. Join Penny Williams in this profoundly personal episode of Beautifully Complex where she shares her experience living in Asheville, NC through the devastation Hurricane Helene brought, including the trials and triumphs of navigating this challenging time, both …
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285: Creating an Environment that Works for Neurodivergent Kids, with Caroline Thor
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Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless clutter, frustrated by your child's attachment to their possessions, or worried about creating a clean, organized space for your neurodivergent child or teen? You are not alone, and help is here! In our latest episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m joined by Caroline Thor, a professional organizer and KonMari…
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284: Motivation Myth Busters, with Wendy S. Grolnick, Ph.D.
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Are you feeling overwhelmed by the daily challenges of raising a neurodivergent child? Do you worry about how to motivate your kid and help them succeed, or perhaps you’re frustrated with the constant misunderstandings surrounding their unique needs? You are not alone, and there is hope. In this episode of Beautifully Complex, Dr. Wendy Grolnick an…
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161 Exploring Your Sexual Story With Curiosity and Kindness
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Sexuality is an emotionally charged topic. Period. But when you are talking about sexuality for people with a history of trauma, you are stepping into terrain where angels fear to tread. However, if God intends for you to experience overflowing sexual pleasure and lavish sexual freedom, then exploring your sexual story is more than worth it. Human …
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283: We Need to Talk About Anxiety, with Penny Williams
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Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about how to support your child or teen through their anxiety? You’re not alone. As parents, we often face sleepless nights worrying: Are we doing enough to help them feel safe? Are we equipping them with the tools they need to conquer their fears? In this heartfelt episode, I shine a light on the often unsaid stru…
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282: Single Parenting with Neurodivergent Kids, with Dr. Gila
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Are you navigating the challenging, yet rewarding journey of single parenting a neurodivergent child? Do you often find yourself overwhelmed by societal expectations, struggling with feelings of guilt and isolation, or simply looking for practical advice to foster a nurturing environment for your unique family? In this empowering episode of Beautif…
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281: Raising Healthy Gamers, with Dr. Alok Kanojia, MD MPH
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Are you tired of battling your kid over screen time and gaming habits, only to see your relationship suffer and the issues persist? In this episode of "Beautifully Complex," I welcome Dr. Alok Kanojia (aka, Dr. K), psychiatrist and President and Co-Founder of Healthy Gamer. As a recovering gaming addict himself, Dr. K offers a unique perspective on…
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280: Fostering Resilience in the Age of Uncertainty, with Tovah Klein, Ph.D.
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Are you struggling to help your child navigate the uncertainties of today's world? In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m chatting with Tovah Klein, Ph.D., professor at Barnard College and director of the Center for Toddler Development, about fostering resilience in children during these challenging times. Dr. Klein emphasizes the importance o…
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279: You Might Also Like: In It: Raising Kids who Learn Differently, from Understood.org
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This episode is a special collaboration with the "In It" podcast from Understood.org, dedicated to families with children facing challenges like ADHD and dyslexia. We’re diving into a topic that many parents find both essential and perplexing — encouraging kids to care about personal hygiene. In It hosts, Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek, are joi…
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278: Helping Kids on the Spectrum Transition to Adulthood, with Shannon Urquiola
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Navigating the transition to adulthood with your neurodivergent child can be overwhelming and fraught with uncertainties. In this episode of Beautifully Complex, my guest, Shannon Urquiola and I explore the critical aspects of preparing kids on the spectrum for adulthood, addressing common pain points like guardianship, financial planning, SSI, and…
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277: Redefining ADHD for Neurodivergent Kids, with Elly Both
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Are you struggling to talk to your child about their ADHD diagnosis or seeking ways to reframe it positively? In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I host an empowering conversation with Elly Both about her inspiring new children's book on ADHD. Elly shares her personal journey of being diagnosed later in life and how that revelation transformed …
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276: Executive Function Rundown, with Seth Perler, M.Ed.
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Feeling frustrated by your child's disorganization, falling grades, and struggles with time management? Tune in to this episode of Beautifully Complex, where Seth Perler, M.Ed. and I explore the crucial role of executive function skills in your child or teen's life. Seth likens these skills to learning guitar chords — they're not innate, but they c…
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275: Starting Scared, with Chrysty Lockhart
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Are you tired of letting fear hold you back? The key to moving beyond that is turning what you view as failure into stepping stones to success. And you can teach your kids the same. In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m joined by Chrysty Lockhart, who shares her transformative journey from fearful to learning to push forward despite the fear.…
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160 The Weight of Religious and Spiritual Expectations with Reid Zeller
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I am joined today by therapist and friend Reid Zeller who shares a story about egging cars when he was 16. Behind every story is a backstory. The backstory includes the nature of the environment we grew up in. When religious or spiritual expectations are placed on the shoulders of a child, pressure builds within that child. And when that pressure i…
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274 Looking at Behavior Both Inside and Out, with Gabriele Nicolet, MA, CCC-SLP
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Do you find it challenging to stay calm and mindful when your child is having a tough time in public? Gabriele Nicolet and I explore understanding kid’s behavior from both behavioral and neurophysiological perspectives. Gabriele, a seasoned speech therapist and parent coach, shares invaluable insights into decoding what behaviors signify about a ki…
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273: Getting Stuck in a Loop with Sarah Wayland, Ph.D.
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Have you ever felt helpless as your child gets stuck in repetitive behaviors or meltdowns, leaving you wondering how to help them break free? In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I sit down with Sarah Wayland, Ph.D., to delve into the struggles and complexities faced by parents and kids, teens, and young adults when dealing with looped behaviors…
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159 Revisiting the Big Six: What You Needed from Your Parents
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When you were a child, you were deeply dependent on your primary caretakers. This means that the development of your brain was contingent upon the level of care and kindness in your family environment. Today I identify the six things you needed from your parents, and give examples of each. The “Big Six” things you needed from your parents include (…
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272: What Does Anger Tell Us?, with Dr. Lori Desautels
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Do you often find yourself misinterpreting anger in your neurodivergent child, escalating situations unintentionally? Join me and Dr. Lori Desautels as we dive deep into understanding anger and what it truly signifies. Dr. Desautels, an expert in applied educational neuroscience, explains that anger often stems from a dysregulated nervous system, f…
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158 The Critical Relationship Between Attachment and Affect Regulation
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If you have difficulty regulating your emotion, there is a reason for that! No one comes out of the womb with the ability to regulate their affect. The way you develop the neurobiological structures to regulate your own emotions is by having your affect interactively regulated by another. This is the main gift that a primary caregiver gives to a ch…
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271: ADHD and Dads: Creating the Fatherhood You Crave, Larry Hagner
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Struggling to connect with your child who has ADHD can be incredibly challenging, leaving you feeling helpless and overwhelmed. In this insightful episode of Beautifully Complex (first aired 2020), I’m joined by Larry Hagner, founder of the Dad Edge podcast and father of four boys, to explore how dads can create the fatherhood they crave. Larry div…
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270: 3 Steps to Empower Confidence in Your Teen, with Kristi Simons
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Feeling like your teen or young adult is struggling to find their confidence and navigate the ups and downs of life? In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I sit down with teen life coach, Kristi Simons, to provide strategies to empower confidence in your teen. Kristi delves into the importance of allowing your teen to experience their own emotion…
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157 What If My Story Isn’t That Bad? Why We All Tend to Minimize Our Wounds
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This episode is for people who experience emotional pain but feel like “nothing that bad happened to me growing up. I had a pretty good childhood.” As it says in Jeremiah 6, it is very common to dress our wounds as though they are not serious. One way we tend to minimize our wounds is by comparing our story to someone else who “had it worse.” Anoth…
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269: Reclaiming Community: Climate, Parenting, and Social Connections, with Bill Weir
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We’ve all but outright rejected the old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” in American culture. We’re more fragmented and lonely than ever. Yet, there’s clear evidence that community and connection are key to happiness. It certainly takes a community to raise a happy and resilient child, even if “community” looks different in modern life…
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268: What to Do When Importance Doesn’t Create Motivation, with Penny Williams
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In this episode of Beautifully Complex, we’re examining a topic that really hits close to home for many of us — what to do when importance doesn’t create motivation, especially for our neurodivergent kids. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to get our kids started and keep them going on tasks that matter, but don’t necessarily excite them. …
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156 Five Objections to Engaging Your Story: A Response
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When I began exploring my story, five objections kept coming up for me. These objections kept me stuck. In today’s episode, I respond to each of the five objections. Objection 1: I should focus on the present and the future, not "dwell on the past.” Objection 2: Looking at my story is self-indulgent, introspective navel gazing; I should be focused …
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267: The Myth of Laziness, with Adam Price, Ph.D.
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Today, I'm so excited to be talking with Dr. Adam Price, a nationally known clinical psychologist and best-selling author with over 30 years of experience working with kids and adults. He's the author of "He's Not Lazy: Empowering Your Son to Believe in Himself" and "The He's Not Lazy Guide to Better Grades and a Great Life." In this episode, we’re…
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266: A Summertime Plan that Can Work for Everyone, with Penny Williams
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In this episode of Beautifully Complex, we’re focusing on making summertime rewarding and manageable for neurodiverse families. I’ll guide you through a summer plan that encompasses structured activities, personal growth, and meaningful connections. This episode is packed with strategies starting with how to create an adaptable visual plan using to…
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155 Why Engaging Your Story Heals Your Brain
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My invitation to you today is simple: to take your story seriously. Engaging your story is the single most important thing you can do to experience healing. When I say "your story," I'm talking more about the individual scenes than the overarching narrative of your life. Your stories—particularly your stories of heartache or harm—have shaped your b…
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265: Strategies for Young Autistic Learners, with Tara Phillips, SLP
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In this episode, I’m joined by Tara Phillips, speech language pathologist and founder of Autism Little Learners. She shares some transformative tools and techniques which have significantly benefited her students, such as the use of visual supports and predictable routines. Together, Tara and I explore the importance of positive connections and a s…
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264: Handling Behavior Struggles with Dignity, with Wendy Snyder
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This time on Beautifully Complex, I'm exploring behavior struggles and conscious discipline with my guest, Wendy Snyder, a positive parenting educator and family life coach. We discuss how understanding behaviors as communication changes our perspective, helping us view challenges as signals of need and teaching opportunities. Join us as we dive in…
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154 What Grief Is, How It Heals, and the Pain of Loneliness with J.S. Park
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In “As Long As You Need,” author J.S. Park writes that “Grief is not about letting go, but about letting in.” Letting in sorrow, letting in anger, and especially letting in other people who can be WITH us in our pain. This episode is about all kinds of grief—not merely the grief of losing a loved one. One of Joon Park’s main points is that we often…
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263: Understood Explains IEPs from Understood.org
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The terms IEP and 504 plan may come up a lot when you’re looking into special education for your child. These school supports do some of the same things, but one can provide more services and the other is easier to get. And it’s important to know the differences in order to get your child the support they need. On this episode of Beautifully Comple…
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262: Emotional Support Animals, with Dan Maigler, LCSW
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In this episode, I'm chatting with my guest Daniel Maigler, about the transformative roles of emotional support animals. Dan's insights as a social worker and mental health advisor for Paws for Patrick reveal how emotional support animals can aid those facing mental health challenges. Dan shares the poignant story behind Paws for Patrick, emphasizi…
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261: Extreme Language Around Emotions, with Penny Williams
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In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I tackle why our kids and teens might use extreme language to express their emotions. We're recognizing that expressions like "I hate you" or phrases that include aggression or violence often aren't literal but signal an inability to articulate complex emotions. I talk about the importance of distinguishing b…
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259: Insights on Bullying: Understanding Aggression, Building Resilience, with Brooks Gibbs, Ph.D.
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Brooks Gibbs, Ph.D. is joining me for a conversation on Insights on Bullying: Understanding Aggression, Building Resilience. His expertise in social psychology shines a light on the intricate dance between aggression and resilience — especially in the lives of our neurodivergent kids. In this episode, you'll hear stories close to my heart, includin…
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260: Navigating Life Challenges with Purpose and Progress (not perfection), with Shari Leid
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In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I have the pleasure of talking with Shari Leid of An Imperfectly Perfect Life. Together, we’re talking about purposeful living and parenting and celebrating gradual progress over the pursuit of perfection. Shari shares her deep insights on the value of recognizing and fostering the inherent strengths in our c…
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153 How Your Past Story Affects Your Present Sexuality with Jay Stringer
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I am joined today by author Jay Stringer to talk about sexual stuckness/difficulties/pain. Healthy sexuality is deeply tied to the degree to which we have made sense of our story in our family of origin. Sadly, so few of us have ever been asked to connect the dots between our past life story and the sexual difficulties we face in the present. Today…
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258: What to Do When Your Kid Isn’t Listening, with Penny Williams
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Let's talk about what to do when your kid isn't listening. Remember, they might be processing your words in non-traditional ways, so it's important to find alternative approaches to help them focus, process, and follow through. From recognizing distractions to accommodating slow processing speeds, I offer practical advice to help parents navigate t…
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257: The Control Trap, with Penny Williams
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In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I explore the detrimental effects of trying to control kids, emphasizing the importance of a humanistic approach to behavior. After watching the recent documentary series on Netflix called "The Program," I was both horrified by the trauma that the “troubled teen industry” causes and inspired to talk about the…
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256: Breaking Down Motivation: Helping Teens and Young Adults Find Their Path to Success, with Melanie McNally, Psy.D.
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In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I sit down with Dr. Melanie McNally, a clinical psychologist and brain coach who specializes in working with tweens, teens, and young adults. Together, we explore the struggles that many young adults face in finding motivation and direction. Dr. Melanie shares her expertise on helping young adults…
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