The Child Psych Podcast

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, Tammy sits down with Dr. Daniel Amen, physician, double board-certified psychiatrist, founder of Amen Clinics, and author of *Raising Mentally Strong Kids", for a powerful conversation about children’s brain health.

Dr. Amen explains why we need to shift the way we talk about “mental health” and begin thinking more deeply about brain health. He shares how children’s brains are shaped by everyday choices — including nutrition, sleep, movement, screens, stress, connection, substances, and the environments they grow up in.

Together, Tammy and Dr. Amen explore how parents can teach children to love and care for their brains, rather than simply nagging them about what not to do. They discuss practical ways to support children with ADHD, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and low resilience by looking at the brain and body as deeply connected systems.

In this episode, we discuss:

▪️ Why “mental health” is really brain health
▪️ How brain health impacts anxiety, ADHD, mood, learning, and resilience
▪️ Why gut health matters for children’s emotional well-being
▪️ The role of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and blood sugar regulation
▪️ Why screens and social media can affect dopamine and motivation
▪️ The importance of delaying smartphones and setting technology boundaries
▪️ How sleep, movement, sunlight, and exercise support the developing brain
▪️ Why connection, listening, and attachment help protect children’s mental health
▪️ How parents can build “brain reserve” and resilience in their children
▪️ What parents can do to model brain-healthy habits at home

Dr. Amen reminds us that children make better choices when they understand their brains. When kids learn to ask, “Is this good for my brain or bad for it?” they begin to build a foundation for healthier decisions, stronger relationships, greater resilience, and lifelong well-being.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, clinicians, and anyone who wants to help children grow strong, healthy brains.

Dr. Daniel Amen is a physician, double board-certified psychiatrist, award-winning researcher, and founder of Amen Clinics, which has 11 locations across the United States. His mission is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Amen Clinics uses brain SPECT imaging as part of its clinical approach and reports having one of the world’s largest databases of brain scans related to behavior, with scans from patients across 155 countries. Dr. Amen is also a bestselling author whose work focuses on brain health, mental health, ADHD, anxiety, addiction, trauma, resilience, and helping families build healthier brains.

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Why are so many autistic women missed in childhood? And what happens when a parent's journey to understand their child leads to a life-changing discovery about themselves?

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, we welcome Julie M. Green, author of Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance. Julie shares her powerful story of parenting an autistic child, navigating a late autism diagnosis, and finally making sense of a lifetime of experiences that had never quite fit together.

For many women, autism goes undiagnosed for decades. Traits are often misunderstood, hidden through masking, or mistaken for anxiety, perfectionism, sensitivity, or social difficulties. Julie's journey sheds light on the unique presentation of autism in women and girls, while offering hope for those seeking answers later in life.
In this conversation, we explore:

▪️ Autism in women and why so many girls are missed
▪️ Late autism diagnosis and its emotional impact
▪️ Parenting an autistic child
▪️ Masking and autistic burnout
▪️ Neurodiversity and self-acceptance
▪️ Autism in families and generational autism
▪️ Supporting autistic children and autistic parents
▪️ Identity, belonging, and mental health
▪️ What radical acceptance looks like after diagnosis

Whether you're a parent of an autistic child, an educator, clinician, or someone wondering if you may be autistic yourself, this episode provides valuable insight into autism spectrum disorder, neurodivergence, parenting, and self-discovery.

Julie's story is a powerful reminder that understanding ourselves can happen at any age—and that sometimes the people we love most help us find our way there.
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Are well-meaning parenting phrases doing more harm than good?

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, child psychologists Tammy Schamuhn and Tania Johnson unpack five common phrases many parents use every day—phrases like "Good job!" and "Be careful!"—and explore how they may unintentionally shape children's confidence, resilience, independence, and self-belief.

While these phrases often come from a place of love and protection, research in child development suggests that the words we use matter. The goal isn't to make parents feel guilty—it's to become more intentional about the messages children receive about themselves, their abilities, and the world around them.

Tammy and Tania discuss practical alternatives that encourage intrinsic motivation, problem-solving, emotional regulation, confidence, and healthy risk-taking. They explain why small shifts in language can have a powerful impact on children's long-term development and self-esteem.

In this episode, you'll learn:

▪️ Why "Good job!" may not be the praise children need most
▪️What to say instead of "Be careful!"
▪️ How language influences confidence, motivation, and resilience
▪️Common parenting phrases that can unintentionally increase anxiety
▪️ Simple communication strategies that foster emotional growth and independence

If you've ever wondered how to raise confident, capable, and resilient children, this conversation will help you rethink some of the most common parenting advice and give you practical tools you can start using today.
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Boys are struggling — academically, emotionally, socially, and developmentally. But what do boys actually need to grow into healthy, grounded, responsible young men?

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, Tammy sits down with Dr. Alan Hahn doctoral-level educator, founder of Iron Academy, and author of The Iron Academy, to explore the modern crisis facing boys and young men.

Together, they discuss why so many boys are struggling in school, mental health, motivation, identity, and purpose — and what parents, educators, and communities can do to help. Dr. Hahn shares why boys need more than lectures or discipline. They need joy, community, accountability, identity, responsibility, and meaningful rites of passage.

This conversation explores how we can help boys move from simply consuming to contributing — and why young men need trusted adults who will guide them with both love and high expectations.

In this episode, we discuss:

▪️ Why boys are struggling in today’s culture
▪️ How schools may be failing to meet boys’ developmental needs
▪️ The importance of joy, community, accountability, and identity
▪️ Why boys need responsibility and opportunities to build competence
▪️ How screens, pornography, gaming, and digital culture can shape identity
▪️ The role of male mentorship and brotherhood
▪️ Why rites of passage still matter
▪️ How parents can create a family culture rooted in values
▪️ Why boys need adults who delight in them, not just push them

This episode is an important conversation for parents, educators, therapists, and anyone who cares about helping boys become healthy, connected, purposeful young men.

Dr. Alan Hahn is a doctoral-level educator, author, founder, and CEO of Iron Academy, a private all-male school in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving boys in grades 6–12. His work focuses on helping families and communities form boys into young men of character, responsibility, leadership, faith, and purpose.

Through Iron Academy, Dr. Hahn has developed an educational and mentorship model rooted in intentional male formation, rites of passage, brotherhood, moral development, accountability, and service. His work addresses what he describes as a modern crisis of masculinity by helping boys develop a clear identity, a sense of responsibility, and a vision for becoming mature, virtuous men.

To find out more, please click here: https://www.amazon.ca/Iron-Academy-Forging-Young-Fight/dp/B0FJ47PLM6
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Why does your child fall apart over “nothing”—the wrong socks, a transition, a loud sound, or being asked to leave the house? In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, Tammy sits down with pediatric occupational therapist Kathryn Hamlin-Pacheco to unpack what may really be happening beneath those big reactions.

Kathryn explains how children’s nervous systems are constantly scanning for cues of safety or danger, and why something as small as uncomfortable clothing, a rushed morning, or too much sensory input can become the “last straw.” Together, Tammy and Kathryn explore sensory processing, fight-or-flight responses, co-regulation, and how parents can become a calming cue of safety for their child.

This conversation helps parents shift from asking, “Is my child being difficult?” to “What is my child’s nervous system trying to tell me?” You’ll learn how to spot patterns, respond in the moment, and support children who may experience the world as too much, not enough, or simply hard to process.

In this episode, we discuss:

▪️ Why meltdowns can happen over seemingly small things
▪️ The connection between sensory processing and behaviour
▪️ How children’s bodies label experiences as “safe” or “unsafe”
▪️Why rushed mornings can trigger bigger reactions
▪️How parents can use their voice, body language, and presence to cue safety
▪️The difference between managing behaviour and listening to behaviour
▪️When sensory challenges may be interfering with everyday life
▪️Practical ways to help kids understand their brains, bodies, and emotions

As Kathryn shares in the interview, children’s behaviours are often an “output” of what is happening inside the nervous system—and when parents understand this, they can respond with more curiosity, compassion, and confidence.

Kathryn “Katie” Hamlin-Pacheco, M.S., OTR/L, ASDCS, is a pediatric occupational therapist, former teacher, author, and founder of the Brain Executive Program. She specializes in helping children and families understand sensory processing, regulation, and everyday neuroscience in simple, child-friendly ways. Kathryn is the author of How to Be a Brain Executive: And Get Sensory Sharp!, a practical workbook designed to help children better understand their sensory patterns and learn tools for daily life. She is also an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist and has training in Polyvagal Informed Practice, sensory integration, neuroscience, and child development.

To learn more about Kathryn's Brain Executive Progam visit: https://www.brainexecutiveprogram.com/
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