055 Looking Beyond the Defiance in ODD with Dr. Mona Delahooke

The diagnosis or label of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) can feel like a heavy weight for parents and kids.  Parenting defiant children can be one of the most challenging experiences parents can face.

Dr. Mona Delahooke, pediatric psychologist shares her knowledge and wisdom with us in this episode.  One of the most powerful tools Dr. Delahooke shares with us and with her clients she works with is a lens shift about behaviors.  Looking beyond the behaviors  to the possible root causes behind them is key to understanding our kids.  Things such as sensory issues, anxiety, an overly heightened and sensitive nervous system are possible reasons why some children/teens seem to flip a switch and become defiant and/or explosive.

Dr. Delahooke suggests to parents to be extremely self compassionate and recognize what a good job they are doing.  None of this is your fault and showing compassion and learning to work through our own triggers and struggles is key to staying calm with our kids.

Mona's book Beyond Behaviors

https://monadelahooke.com/