Securely Attached

Rachel Melvald joins the podcast to explore a powerful but often overlooked influence on our children's behavior, mood, and regulation: the spaces they live in. Drawing from her work in Neurodesign, this conversation looks at how our home environment shapes the nervous system and impacts how both kids and parents feel and function.
 
Together, we explore:
 
- How clutter and visual overwhelm increase cognitive load and dysregulation in kids (and adults).
- Why fewer toys can actually support more focused, creative, and independent play.
- How predictable, organized spaces help children feel safer and more regulated.
- The role of sensory input, like lighting, color, texture, and movement, in shaping behavior and mood.
- Why natural elements are so powerful for calming the nervous system.
- How to think about different spaces in your home and the function you want them to serve.
- Simple, practical changes that can have an immediate impact on how your home feels.
- How design can support not just individual regulation, but connection, boundaries, and family relationships.
 
This conversation offers a new lens on parenting, one that goes beyond behavior strategies and focuses on the environment itself. It's about creating spaces that support regulation, connection, and well-being for the whole family.
 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:
🔗https://www.psychitecture.com/ 
📚NEURODESIGN: The Art and Science of Harmonious Living 
📱@rachelmelvald 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT ME:
🔗 Dr. Sarah Bren 
🔗 Check out my group practice, Upshur Bren Psychology Group, offering therapy and coaching for individuals, children, parents, and families 
📱IG: @drsarahbren
 
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
🔗Pikler Triangle 
🔗 Toddler Trampoline
 
 
CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about finding balance in the home, at work, and in parenthood with Chelsi Jo
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how you can teach your toddler to clean up their toys without power struggles?
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about buying less and living sustainably with The New York Stylist, Liz Teich

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg and I talk about...
 
What to do when your toddler refuses the potty and fights diaper changes, leaving you stuck in a frustrating in-between stage.
Why diaper changes and potty training resistance is often less about the potty and more about control and autonomy.
Common ways power struggles often show up during diaper changes and potty training.
Simple and practical strategies to give your child more agency without losing necessary boundaries to reduce tension and make diaper changes feel less like a battle.
Creative strategies to build positive associations with the bathroom.
What it looks like to go slower with potty training, and why that can be more effective.
 
This episode will help you approach diaper changes and potty training with less pressure, more clarity, and practical strategies to reduce the daily struggles while supporting your child's growing independence.
 
 
REFERENCES AND RELATED RESOURCES:
 
👉 Want extra support in your parenting journey? Upshur Bren Psychology Group offers therapy and coaching to give parents the tools to feel more grounded and confident as they navigate parenthood and learn how to most effectively support their child. Visit upshurbren.com to explore our services and schedule a free 30-minute consultation call to find the support that's right for your family.
 
CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode with a deep dive into potty training
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how pediatric pelvic health can impact potty training, bed wetting and constipation with Quiara Smith
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about what to do if your toddler is otherwise potty trained, but still won't poop on the potty
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how to handle potty regressions in older children
 
 
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
 
Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions!

Catherine Price returns to the podcast to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing parents today: how to help kids build a healthier relationship with screens. Drawing from her new book, The Amazing Generation (co-authored with Jonathan Haidt), this conversation explores how to move from power struggles and fear-based messaging to approaches that build insight, agency, and real buy-in from kids themselves.
 
Together, we explore:
 
Why simply telling kids to "get off screens" often backfires.
What kids are actually getting from screens (and what they're missing).
How to explain to kids that tech companies are designed to capture attention in a way that makes them feel empowered.
Why "real world" experiences are critical for development and how screens can crowd them out.
Practical ways to support connection and independence without defaulting to smartphones.
How to have conversations about screens that don't lead to shutdown or conflict.
Simple shifts that can help your child become more aware, reflective, and intentional with technology.
Why building a full, engaging life offline naturally reduces screen time.
 
This conversation is about more than just screen time. It's about helping kids develop the awareness, confidence, and agency to make choices that align with the kind of life they actually want to live, and how we, as parents, can support that process.
 
 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:
🔗 Catherine Price
📚 The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World
🔗 Free Guide: The Family Guide to Screen/Life Balance: Your 7-Day Plan for Fewer Fights and More Fun
📚 How to Break Up with Your Phone, Revised Edition: The 30-Day Digital Detox Plan
📚 The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again
📱 IG: @catherinepriceofficial 
🎧 242. Have phones displaced our ability to play and have fun? How to be intentional with your tech use with Catherine Price 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT ME:
🔗 Dr. Sarah Bren 
🔗 Upshur Bren Psychology Group
📱IG: @drsarahbren
 
 
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
👉  Whether it's screen time battles, feeling stuck in constant pushback, or trying to help your child make healthier choices without power struggles, these patterns can be hard to shift on your own. Upshur Bren Psychology Group offers in-person and virtual therapy and parent coaching to help you build insight, strengthen connection, and create meaningful, lasting change. Visit upshurbren.com to explore our services or schedule a free 30-minute consultation to find the right support for your family.
 
 
CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about why screens and ultra-processed foods keep kids wanting more (but never satisfied) with Michaeleen Doucleff
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about teaching kids healthy tech habits free of guilt or power struggles with Ash Brandin
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about why kids remember more when they write by hand with Dr. Audrey van der Meer
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about the hidden dangers of EdTech with Andy Liddell

Beyond the Sessions is answering YOUR parenting questions! In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hershberg and I talk about how to support a child who is struggling to communicate with their peers.
 
Together we explore:
 
The difference between scaffolding and helicopter parenting, and how to find the right balance.
How your goals for a playdate can shape how much you step in.
The role of context, including the child your kid is playing with and how familiar they are with each other.
What scaffolding can actually look like in the moment, beyond just helping with words.
How narrating and "sportscasting" interactions can support both kids without taking over.
How to tune into your child's cues to determine whether something is truly a problem.
The trap of overthinking and how to recognize when things might actually be going just fine.
 
This episode will help you feel more confident in knowing when to step in, when to step back, and how to support your child's social and communication skills in a way that builds both competence and connection.
 
 
 
REFERENCES AND RELATED RESOURCES:
 
👉 Want extra support in your parenting journey? Upshur Bren Psychology Group offers therapy and coaching to give parents the tools to feel more grounded and confident as they navigate parenthood and learn how to most effectively support their child. Visit upshurbren.com to explore our services and schedule a free 30-minute consultation call to find the support that's right for your family.
 
 
CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about helping a child who struggles with perfectionism 
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about what to do if your child is reading below their grade level, but resistant to going to tutoring 
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about fostering secure attachments in peer relationships
 
 
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
 
Go to https://drsarahbren.com/question to send us a question or a topic you want to hear us answer on Securely Attached - Beyond the Sessions!

Nurse and founder of My Lice Advice, Theresa, joins me to talk about one of the most common (and surprisingly emotional) parenting challenges: lice. While lice is something most families will encounter at some point, it often brings a wave of panic, shame, and overwhelm. But as Theresa explains, it doesn't have to.
 
Together, we explore:
 
Why lice has become so stigmatized and what's actually driving the shame parents feel.
The biggest myths about lice (including cleanliness and how it spreads).
What lice actually is and how it's passed from child to child.
How to talk to your child about lice in a way that is calm, clear, and shame-free.
What you do not need to clean (and how to avoid unnecessary overwhelm).
The most effective ways to treat lice based on current research.
What to look for to know a treatment has actually worked.
Simple prevention strategies that can reduce the likelihood of future cases.
How to stay regulated and approach lice as something manageable, not catastrophic.
 
This conversation is about more than just lice. It's about how we respond to the unexpected moments in parenting, how we manage our own anxiety, and how we model calm, capable problem-solving for our kids.
 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:
🔗 My Lice Advice 
💻 My Life Advice on YouTube 
 
LEARN MORE ABOUT ME:
🔗 Dr. Sarah Bren 
🔗 Check out my group practice, Upshur Bren Psychology Group, offering therapy and coaching for individuals, children, parents, and families 
📱IG: @drsarahbren
 
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
 
🔗 Nit Free Terminator Lice Comb
 
👉 Want extra support in your parenting journey? Upshur Bren Psychology Group offers therapy and coaching to give parents the tools to feel more grounded and confident as they navigate parenthood and learn how to most effectively support their child. Visit upshurbren.com to explore our services and schedule a free 30-minute consultation call to find the support that's right for your family.
 
 
CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about how to ease your child's anxiety for doctors visits with pediatrician Dr. Rachel Geronemus
 
🎧 Listen to my podcast episode about social anxiety in parenthood with Justine Carino