Mending Families

Mending Families is hosted by Melissa Pemberton and she brings you weekly content that is a mix of trauma aware interviews, parenting tips for those caring for kids from adversity, and stories from people just like you as they share their beautiful messy moments. Melissa hopes that when you listen each week, you will feel encouraged, inspired and take a little something away to help you and your family move from broken to mended. On today’s episode, Melissa brings you a Mindful Monday with a guided meditation to help you let go of the stress in your body. Give yourself just five minutes and breathe your way through this stress relief meditation, which will be sure to help you start your day off right! Enjoy! A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Music credit: Leigh Robinson from Pixabay **As an Amazon affiliate, I do receive a small commission when you purchase any of the products I have linked in this post** Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

On today’s episode, Michael discusses his experience as a parent of a child with autism, sharing insights on diagnosis, therapy, education, and daily challenges. He explored various strategies for supporting children with autism, including diet modifications, behavioral therapies, and educational accommodations. The conversation also touched on the importance of financial planning, self-care, and resources for families navigating the autism journey. Michael Pereira, founder of The Autism Voyage, helps parents of special needs children navigate financial and life-planning challenges. As a financial professional and autism dad, he knows firsthand the importance of proactive planning. His mission is to bridge the gap between insurance strategies and real-life challenges, empowering families to secure their future with confidence. Today, he’s here to share his journey and practical steps every family should consider. A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

On today’s episode, Melissa brings you a Mindful Monday all about connection with nature through breathwork, mindfulness, and being outside. With Earth day just around the corner on April 22 (I was wrong in the episode…whoops!), now is the perfect time to reconnect with nature. Take a quick 5 minute break, step outside or open a window, and breath in this relaxing nature connection meditation.  A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Music credit: Leigh Robinson from Pixabay **As an Amazon affiliate, I do receive a small commission when you purchase any of the products I have linked in this post** Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

In this episode, Nicole shares about her journey into foster care and adoption, and her experiences as a foster parent and foster parent trainer. She also discussed the importance of self-care and trauma-informed practices for foster and adoptive parents, with Nicole emphasizing the need for parents to prioritize their well-being to better support their children.  Nicole Barlow is a mom to six kids—five of whom she adopted as a sibling group through foster care. She is a parent trainer who encourages and equips foster and adoptive parents and a certified wellness coach who helps parents be at their best so they can parent well. Her foundation for all her work is her faith and love for Jesus, which she believes is essential for navigating the challenges of foster care and adoption. You can find Nicole on Instagram or check out her website nicolebarlow.com A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

On today’s episode, Melissa brings you a Mindful Monday all about grounding ourselves for just a few moments. In the spirit of grounding ourselves, today’s guided meditation is called “Grounding Breath”. Find a comfy, quiet place and 7 minutes while Melissa guides you through a grounding breath exercise.  A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Music credit: Leigh Robinson from Pixabay For FULL SHOW NOTES go to www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

In today’s episode, Kelly, a life coach for teens with ADHD, talks about ways to help teenagers boost their confidence and deals with common challenges they face, such as managing emotions, time, and schoolwork. She discusses how ADHD can be managed through diagnosis, medication, and other methods, highlighting the need for a supportive lifestyle that includes good sleep, nutrition, exercise, and community support. Kelly gives parents strategies to assist their teens and stresses the importance of understanding neurodivergence, along with sharing resources for additional help. Kelly Biltz helps teens reduce stress and increase confidence by learning Executive Function Life Skills for managing their ADHD. You can find Kelly onInstagram or on her website,www.teenswithadhd.com A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram -@mendingfamilieswa TikTok -@mendingfamilieswa Facebook -@mendingfamilieswa YouTube -@mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

On today’s episode, Melissa brings you a new monthly series, Mindful Mondays. Because it is the month of love, today’s guided mindful meditation is called “Loving Kindness”. Find a comfy, quiet place and 10 minutes while Melissa guides you through a loving kindness exercise. Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com

TW - Today we talk about abusive relationships and domestic violence so please know that if you are in a DV situation or know someone who is, there is help. Go to www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233 Mending Families is hosted by Melissa Pemberton and she brings you weekly content that is a mix of trauma aware interviews, parenting tips for those caring for kids from adversity, and stories from people just like you as they share their beautiful messy moments. Melissa hopes that when you listen each week, you will feel encouraged, inspired and take a little something away to help you and your family move from broken to mended. On today’s episode, Robyn talks about her healing journey and how she went from being a behavioral analyst to now a self-compassion coach on her path to being certified as a Reiki practitioner. She goes back to share about her childhood trauma, an unhealthy marriage, and how she got to where she is today. From hiring her own nutrition coach and career coach, to now coaching others using self-compassion, breathwork, energy, and Reiki she loves helping others find their way through healing. Robyn Gutierrez is a behavior analyst turned embodiment and self-compassion coach. She helps heart-centered humans release the weight of trauma, stress, and anxiety so they can discover greater clarity, confidence, and connection to their highest and best energy.  You can find Robyn on Instagram or on her website, reflectandrefine.net A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

In today’s episode, Angela talks about what brought her to find Reiki and energy healing and shares with the audience how she uses these tools to help others find healing. Angela opens up about her trauma history and how she continues to do her healing. She gives us some good insight into Reiki and helps direct the audience to find more tools for their journey. Angela Masciulli is a recovering overachiever and people pleaser who had to embrace a massive identity shift to better care for herself and her family beginning in 2019. She knew there had to be more to life than her reality.  Through a spiritual awakening, she started coaching other moms on how to start a business and build confidence. She recently started embracing her gifts as a healer, empath, and energy sensitivity and completed her Reiki II certification. You can find Angela on her website, on Instagram, on Facebook, and on her podcast The Good Enough Mompreneur Podcast. Grab the 2024 Black Friday playful parenting bundle starting on Black Friday at 7amPST at https://mendingfamilieswa.thrivecart.com/play/ A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! For FULL SHOW NOTES go to https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

On today’s episode, Melissa talks about the Polyvagal Theory and the Safe and Sound Protocol. She goes through a brief overview of each and gives you a quick glimpse of what it looks like to participate in the Safe and Sound Protocol. If you are someone who struggles with anxiety, worry, or is healing from trauma, secondary trauma, or compassion fatigue, the SSP might be for you! Listen!  A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! For FULL SHOW NOTES, go to https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

On today’s episode, Allison shared about her journey into sleep consulting and the services she offers to families dealing with sleep issues. She talks about understanding sleep pressure and sleep onset associations as a crucial part of addressing sleep issues in children. Allison believes trauma-informed approaches are essential, as typical sleep training methods may not be effective for children with trauma backgrounds and she gives us examples of why this is and how we can start making minor adjustments today. If you have a kiddo who struggles with sleep, this episode is for you! Enjoy! Allison Ezell is a wife and mom to four kids through birth, foster care, and adoption. After years of searching and failing to find trauma-informed sleep advice, she founded Dwell Pediatric Sleep and became a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant in 2021. Since then, she has worked with thousands of families through 1:1 consultations, digital resources, and corporate speaking. You can find Allison on Instagram, Facebook, and at her website, www.dwellpediatricsleep.com  A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

On today’s episode, Erin opens up about mental health struggles within her immediate family and how this came to a head this past year. Erin’s three boys all have their diagnosis and with their permission, Erin shares some of the hard and good about raising her three boys. Listen in as Erin gives us good things to consider, including encouragement for those of us on similar journeys. Erin Peterson grew up in Post Falls, Idaho, and became a professionally certified educator – earning the Provost’s Award for academic achievement and community service from Lewis-Clark State College. Now she is an award-winning local influencer, podcaster, and digital strategy educator passionate about equity and inclusion. Erin has been published and featured in various regional publications including the Spokesman Review, and The Inlander, and has served as an editor at Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living magazine. You can find more about Erin on her Instagram, Facebook or the Trending Northwest website, www.trendingnorthwest.com You can also listen to Erin on her own podcast, Trending Northwest!  If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence hotline either at 1-800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788 A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! FOR FULL SHOW NOTES, go to www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

Today Melissa gives us an update on what's been happening in her life and business over the past month. With hard changes that are still good, Mending Families is ever-evolving to ensure you all get the most support in the best ways possible! A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! Join the Mending Families email list for more details on the updates Melissa mentions today and biweekly content that you won't want to miss! Go to www.mendingfamilieswa.com to join the email list! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

On today’s episode, Madison first talks about her foster and adoption journey and how she and her husband grew their family this way. She then shares her heart about helping families struggling with nutrition with their kids who have come from hard. Madison is an adoptive mom herself and she not only shares from her expertise, but also from her own experiences. Madison has been a pediatric dietitian for over 10 years and first became a mom through foster care 7 years ago. It was then that she was introduced to TBRI. Now, her passion is helping parents take the stress out of mealtimes. She’s been married for 10 years and has  2 daughters, 10 & 9 years old, both of whom joined their family through adoption (domestic and international).  You  can find Madison on Instagram, Facebook, and her website www.nourishwithconnection.com A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! For FULL SHOW NOTES, go to https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

On today’s episode, Melissa shares three tips to help our kids feel like they have some control over what goes on in their daily lives. We often see behaviors escalate when our kids feel like they have no power or control. Instead of getting frustrated, let’s take an approach of sharing power and giving them opportunities to have control. Enjoy! If you are looking for more support, check out the Let’s Grow Membership at www.mendingfamilieswa.com/membership We would love to have you join! A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

In today’s episode, Tracey shares with us how creativity and using art helped her on her journey of healing. She also opens up about the hard parts of her story that led to her writing her first book with the hopes of inspiring others. Grief and loss, along with mental health conditions, are difficult to navigate and lead us to feel alone at times so Tracey’s memoir can lead to helping others find their healing. A big THANK YOU to our new sponsor, ⁠West Plains Roasters⁠! If you have not stopped by to see them, pop in 7 days a week and get yourself some toast, coffee, or even cake on Fridays! For FULL SHOW NOTES go to www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

Welcome to the summer series top 8 most listened to episodes of this past year! This was a special one for me as I had the privilege of interviewing my oldest daughter, Haley. Her original episode was #7 and is still as good as when it first aired! On today’s episode, Haley shares her heart about the difficulties of growing up under some tough circumstances, how she felt when she first met Jon (my husband), what it was like when Jon and I started having our own kids, and when she realized she had her own stuff she needed to work through.  This conversation is very real, honest and raw. I think we all can take away something from what Haley shares, and she even has some great advice for those of you parenting kids who have experienced divorce, adoption, foster care, etc.  Enjoy! Find FULL SHOW NOTES at https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast/haleypemberton Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

Welcome to the summer series top 8 most listened-to episodes of this past year! This episode was originally #28 and one of my favorites as we discussed the book I recommend the most, Parenting Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors, which you can now purchase anywhere books are sold! On today’s episode, Robyn walks us through the parts of the brain (Owl, Watchdog, Possum) and how we can view our kids’ big, baffling behaviors from a different perspective. She shares her thoughts on consequences and whether they are necessary to change our kids’ behaviors. This conversation with Robyn was so easy because she makes parenting sound easy and doable!  If you are struggling with big, baffling behaviors from your kids, this episode will give you some great starting places to make positive changes within your home! Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

Welcome to the summer series top 8 most listened-to episodes this past year! Today we will hear Claire share her encouraging story of surviving cancer which was originally episode #9. On today’s episode, Claire shares with us about her journey of surviving cancer and how she learned so much about herself during that process.  She talks about the realization that she needed to truly slow down, ask for help with her son, and allow her body the space to heal. Claire gives us a brief run-down on Internal Family Systems and provides us with some great tips, resources and suggestions for our own healing that you won’t want to miss out on! For FULL SHOW NOTES, go to https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast/clairethompson Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support

Welcome to the summer series top 8 most listened to episodes of this past year! This week we get to hear from Melissa Corkum again as she shares about Blocked Care and the Safe and Sound Protocol. I am happy to tell you that since this episode originally aired (it was episode #15), I have gone through the training and become a Safe and Sound Protocol Practitioner myself! On today’s episode, Melissa shares about how she uses the Enneagram in her personal life, as well as her professional life and how she has found it to be so helpful. She also talks about Blocked Care and Compassion Fatigue, which you can read more about in her new book, Reclaim Compassion. Melissa also gives us some great insight into Polyvagal Theory (I promise it’s not boring!) and how she uses the Safe and Sound Protocol to help families move into healing. For FULL SHOW NOTES, go to https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com/mending-families-podcast/melissacorkum Where to find Mending Families: Instagram - @mendingfamilieswa TikTok - @mendingfamilieswa Facebook - @mendingfamilieswa YouTube - @mendingfamilies1594 https://www.mendingfamilieswa.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-pemberton/support