Exploring the intricate connections between hypervigilance, PTSD, early childhood psychology, and overall mental health, we delve deep into the ways our earliest experiences shape our reactions and coping mechanisms later in life. For Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and those on a journey of self-improvement, understanding these relationships offers a path to healing and growth.

In this episode Nikki Eisenhauer sits down with Lenore Skenazy, the face behind the Free Range Kids movement, to delve into the transformative power of free range parenting. Together, they explore how this approach not only challenges the prevailing culture of overprotection and safetyism but also significantly contributes to early childhood education and early childhood development by fostering resilience, independence, and a deeper trust in children's capabilities.

We navigate the complexities of relationships, particularly the mother-child dynamic. We delve into personal experiences and professional insights, spotlighting the emotional minefield of Mother's Day and discussing healing through the lens of Maya Angelou's 'Letter to My Daughter.'

While most parent strive to provide a safe and nurturing environment, some parents are emotionally abusive and react with anger, frustration, and rage at their children. This creates a hostile home environment that leaves a lasting impact on a childs emotional well-being.

Andrea Dunlop embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery of Munchausen by Proxy and help others affected by the emotionally-rewarding and deadly form of child abuse. Andrea Dunlop is an author, consultant, and member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's Munchausen by Proxy committee.

Childhood sexual abuse is something I want to discuss more about because most people, even most mental health professionals, avoid or dodge it. One of the reasons is because we don’t have great dialogue around sex in general. In our American society, we have very mixed messages about puritanism and over-the-top sexuality.

One of the big things I disagree with now, that I bought into earlier in my career, is generalized anxiety and social anxiety. I want to go over those medical criteria with you through my childhood trauma and neglect lenses.

Breaking down the problem with biased vs critical thinking. Today's episode explores discernment, good and bad ideas, debate, openness, ego and cognitive bias, scientific validity vs. the validity of emotion, a how-to for teenagers asking for later curfews, and becoming a better negotiator.

Happy Fathers Day. Love and light for the men! In this week's episode Nikki discusses male depression and directionality, the simple joy of hugging, why men have been conditioned to not feel, and what is wonderful and lovely about masculinity as the compliment to femininity, and a call to action to let go of the "toxic masculinity" narrative for greater mental health.

This episode is inspired by a chapter in Susan Forward's book Toxic Parents, The god like parents. Nikki explores family dynamics of shame, control, dependency, identity, differentiation from the family system, and the tasks that we can engage to grow up and out of this dysfunctional dynamic.

PART 2 of an incredibly honest deep dive conversation with Leslie Leslie Pate Mackinnon, L.C.S.W. She's a seasoned and well-respected therapist in both the adoption community and MPE community (Misattributed Parentage Experience)--finding out you were adopted and your biological parents aren't the people you thought.

An incredibly honest deep dive conversation with Leslie Leslie Pate Mackinnon, L.C.S.W. She's a seasoned and well-respected therapist in both the adoption community and MPE community (Misattributed Parentage Experience)--finding out you were adopted and your biological parents aren't the people you thought.

One of, if not the biggest questions of our lives is to have children, or not to have children. Few topics are as complicated as this one. This episode is an attempt to scratch at the surface of this deep deep question that we all face. Should you have children, or go childfree?

Letting go of desperation through understanding and opening to the possibility of spiritual connection in your own way. Cultivating faith and peace through a healing spiritual connection is available to all of us, if we want it.

I share a story from my childhood, discuss how our mental health struggles develop and model a simple soul care inner-child dialogue. I briefly discuss Dissociative Identity Disorder, too.

In this week's episode I discuss why vs. how as a healing tool of action in healing, identifying the holes that childhood trauma creates so that we no longer trip into them as people and as parents. We explore choices not power struggles, owning our human flaws, owning reactivity with a simple plan, exploring what we model for the children who watch us, understanding the roots of manipulation, helping a child find their assertive voice.

HSPs and TV, the role of tv in a dysfunctional childhood, secret shame and joy, emotional modeling, and the genres and shows that speak to us as a tribe.

We examine patience as the missing peace in HSP healing, growing emotional intelligence, and becoming a safe place to fall for our adult and child selves.

In this week's episode we work on Increasing understanding of adult symptoms of trauma and neglect so that you can hold yourself in love, respect, and healing. In moving towards wholeness we let of of fear and any desperation or hopelessness. Integration is continuous when we are open, willing, and leaning into the light.

A personal story of brief spiritual parents, Margo and Bob. This episode is for anyone who struggles with Mother's Day and Father's Day due to childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics and is seeking spiritual mindset to lighten the load in healing.