From Burnout to Balance - Helping Parents of Find Balance in the Long Middle of Burnout Recovery

Tanya Valentin
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Daily

Hosted by family coach Tanya Valentin, AuDHD parent and neuroaffirming family coach. This compassionate space offers expert guidance, honest conversations, and practical tools to support both you and your child. Whether you're in the early stages or deep in recovery, you’re not alone. Tune in weekly for heartfelt stories, expert insights, and real-world strategies to move your family from burnout to balance. Join our From Burnout to Balance Parent Community: https://tanyavalentin.co/parent-community/

  1. Feb 27 ·  Bonus

    Update on the Show

    After a quiet season of listening to my own nervous system, this episode is a gentle update from me to you. Toward the end of last year, I began to feel myself nearing burnout again. The end of the year can be a tender, intense time in our family, and I knew I needed to step back and honour what I teach so many parents inside From Burnout to Balance: safety first, capacity second, everything else can wait. During that pause, I asked myself a simple question: What would feel joyful… and truly supportive for parents right now? The answer surprised me in the best way. I realised how much I love collaboration, conversation, and community—the heart of everything we build together. So I reached out to my friend and fellow coach Emma Gilmour, another mum walking alongside women in midlife and mothers navigating big life transitions. Together, we’ve created something new. This episode is the final episode of From Burnout to Balance as a podcast—but it’s not goodbye. It’s a doorway. In 2026, Emma and I are launching a new collaborative podcast:Meltdowns, Menopause & Magic—a space for honest conversations about parenting neurodivergent kids, midlife identity shifts, burnout recovery, grief, humour, and the strange magic that appears when women gather in truth. If this podcast has been a soft place to land for you, I hope you’ll continue the journey with us there. Thank you for walking this road with me.You have never been alone—and you never will be. Links to follow the new show and learn more about Emma’s work are in the show notes. With love,Tanya. You can find out more about my new co-host Emma Gilmour in her Instagram @hoperisingcoaching Follow Menopause, Meltdowns &Magic

    4 min

  2. 09/05/2025

    Navigating Screen Time: Insights from a Parent and Child

    In this special episode of From Burnout to Balance, I sit down with my son Theo for an honest conversation about one of the biggest parenting stressors of our time: screen time. Together, they reflect on their family’s journey from strict screen limits to a more relaxed, trust-based approach, and Theo shares candid insights about what life online is really like for young people today. From gaming and streaming to online friendships, predator safety, and even the role screens play in mental health, Theo offers a perspective many parents rarely get to hear directly from their kids. You’ll hear about: 🌿 Why limiting screens too tightly can sometimes isolate kids. 🌿 The positives (and risks) of online communities and friendships. 🌿 How gaming builds creativity, problem-solving, and even coding skills. 🌿 Practical tips for helping kids transition off screens without battles. 🌿 Theo’s personal journey as a streamer and what he’s learned along the way. This is a heartfelt, eye-opening episode that will help you see the online world through your child’s eyes—and maybe even ease some of your own anxieties about screen time. Join our online From Burnout to Balance Community You can try Simply Nootropics here Use the coupon code TANYAVALENTINNZ15 to get $15 off your first order. Takeaways Screen time can serve as an escape for children.It's important to balance screen time with real-life interactions.Parents should check in on their children's mental health related to screen use.Online friendships can be as significant as real-life ones.Children can learn valuable skills through gaming.Parents should educate their kids about online safety and predator awareness.Streaming can boost a child's confidence and self-expression.It's crucial to monitor the content children consume online.Setting reasonable screen limits is better than strict restrictions.Open communication about online experiences fosters trust.

    20 min
  3. Making Hygiene Accessible for Neurodivergent Kids with Laura Hellfeld

    08/29/2025

    Making Hygiene Accessible for Neurodivergent Kids with Laura Hellfeld

    Hygiene can feel simple to some, but for many neurodivergent children and teens, especially those in burnout, it can be one of the hardest daily tasks. In this episode of From Burnout to Balance, Tanya is joined again by Laura Hellfeld, a neurodivergent nurse and parent educator, to explore the layered challenges of hygiene and how parents can support their children with compassion, creativity, and flexibility. Together, we discuss: Why hygiene often becomes inaccessible during burnout. The role of interoception and sensory processing in everyday self-care. How trial-and-error, choice, and autonomy can make hygiene less overwhelming. Gentle, practical alternatives to showers and baths (like wipes, shower caps, and simple sensory tweaks). Navigating parental worries about social expectations and rejection. Why honouring autonomy and co-creating routines is key to building lifelong skills. This conversation is full of validation, real-life stories, and practical ideas to make hygiene less of a battle and more of a supportive, safe experience for your child. 📌 Resources & Links: Follow Laura’s work and writing via Substack and her books ND Nurse Consulting Webpage Laura’s Newsletter & Articles on Substack Gabby’s Glimmers: An Affirming Story of an Autistic Child and their Favourite Food Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People, book LinkedIn Facebook Instagram BlueSky Explore more support inside From Burnout to Balance, Tanya’s parent membership community. FREE Burnout 101 mini-course -  tanyavalentin.co/101 Explore the healthcare products mentioned in this show: Simply Nootropics - https://glnk.io/ovx5q/tanyavalentinnz TANYAVALENTINNZ15  to get an additional $15 off your first order

    51 min
  4. Finding Our Own Path: A Mother’s Story of Burnout, Love, and Radical Listening with Jade Thompson

    08/22/2025

    Finding Our Own Path: A Mother’s Story of Burnout, Love, and Radical Listening with Jade Thompson

    In this heartfelt episode of From Burnout to Balance, I sit down with Jade Thompson, an everyday Australian mum with an extraordinary story. Jade opens up about her family’s journey through her son’s autistic burnout, the heartbreak of early school trauma, and the heavy weight of navigating broken systems. Instead of following conventional advice, Jade chose something different: to trust her intuition, listen deeply, and build a life centred on connection, love, and hope. Together, we talk about: What it looks like to walk beside your child in burnout recoveryThe grief, confusion, and courage parents often carryWhy the system—not the child—is what’s brokenHow radical honesty and love can create a new path forward This is a conversation for any parent who has felt alone, unseen, or unsure of how to keep going. Jade’s story is a reminder that you are not broken—and neither is your child. Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:✨ Free Grief Guide for Parents✨ Join From Burnout to Balance Membership Check out: Simply Nootropics - Use The Coupon Code: TANYAVALENTINNZ15 and get an additional $15 off your first order.https://glnk.io/ovx5q/tanyavalentinnz   Connect with Me:Instagram: @tanyavalentinnzWebsite: tanyavalentin.co

    59 min
  5. Unmasking, Alcohol, and Advocacy: A Neurodivergent Parenting Conversation with Emma Gilmour

    07/25/2025

    Unmasking, Alcohol, and Advocacy: A Neurodivergent Parenting Conversation with Emma Gilmour

    In this raw and deeply validating episode, I’m joined by Emma Gilmour, coach, counsellor, parent of two neurodivergent teens, and founder of Hope Rising Coaching. Together, we explore the invisible intersections between neurodivergence, alcohol, trauma, unmasking, and parenting through burnout. Emma shares her powerful journey of redefining her relationship with alcohol, discovering her own late-diagnosed neurodivergence, and parenting her children through autistic burnout. We unpack how masking, cultural conditioning, and shame impact our ability to advocate for ourselves and how choosing self-compassion over self-judgment can be a radical and life-saving act. This is an episode about being honest with ourselves. About acknowledging what we didn’t know, what we coped with the best we could, and how healing often begins in the places we’ve been told to hide. This conversation is both an invitation and a lifeline, especially for parents walking a similar path. Trigger Warning: This episode contains open and honest conversations about: Childhood trauma and emotional neglect Alcohol use as a coping mechanism Self-harm and suicidal ideation (including among teens and women in midlife) Unsafe social situations and consent Burnout, shutdowns, and parent-child relational trauma Please take care while listening. Press pause, come back later, or skip this episode entirely if needed. Your nervous system safety matters most. In this episode, we explore: Emma’s journey from corporate marketing to sobriety and coaching The link between late-diagnosed neurodivergence and alcohol use How alcohol often acts as a mask and survival tool for neurodivergent people Parenting two PDA children through burnout What it really means to support kids who can’t yet advocate for themselves Breaking generational cycles around emotions, shame, and compliance How grief, guilt, and growth coexist in parenting Why awareness—not self-blame—is the first step to change The freedom that comes from seeing behaviour as data, not failure 🔗 Resources & Links: Emma’s website & coaching Emma’s Awareness Worksheets on alcohol useJoin Emma's Free Live Webinar - Not That Bad, But Bad EnoughFollow Emma on Instagram Join our parent community: From Burnout to Balance

    1h 1m
  6. From Pathology to Possibility: Neurodivergent Identity, Therapy & Community with Jade Farrington

    07/20/2025

    From Pathology to Possibility: Neurodivergent Identity, Therapy & Community with Jade Farrington

    In this rich and affirming conversation, Tanya sits down with UK-based neurodivergent therapist and community builder Jade Farrington to explore what truly neuroaffirming support looks like. Together, they unpack the harms of the pathology-based model still dominant in therapy and education, and how shifting toward a neurodiversity paradigm can transform identity, healing, and parenting.You'll hear about Jade’s journey as a late-identified neurodivergent person, the importance of creating spaces for diverse neurodivergent voices, and her incredible collection of free and low-cost resources that support individuals, families, and professionals alike. ✨ Topics include: How to spot red flags (and green flags) in therapy The power of identity-first language Resources for supporting positive autistic identity in young people Why Jade’s monthly newsletter is a treasure trove of support Creating community through collaboration, not compliance 🔗 Resources mentioned: Jade’s Substack Newsletter Happy Neurodivergent Christmas Guide Neurodivergent Healthcare Passport Glimmers Resource (with Teo from Sendwise) Exploring Your Neurotype Starter Guide Jade's website: https://jadefarrington.com/ You can find these and more in Jade's Substack Follow Jade on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok Additional Resources: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6486ea0c69b5b76396e7d5ca/t/6848339cd5b847639e5e4006/1749562268957/Is+your+provider+neurodiversity+affirming.pdf https://www.chronicresilienceot.com/blog/neurodiversity-affirming-practice-for-mental-health https://divergentdialogues.substack.com/p/demystifying-therapy-a-neurodivergent https://www.facebook.com/100064806159710/posts/1116701613833367/ https://nait.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/NAIT-Key-Messages-for-Neuro-affirming-Health-Practitioners-Adults-2025.pdf Kieran Rose: https://theautisticadvocate.com/ Grove Autistic Community: https://www.gr0ve.org/ Join our parent community:⁠ From Burnout to Balance ⁠

    48 min

  7. 07/10/2025

    Understanding Limbic Utterances: When Your Child Says Hurtful Things in Meltdowns

    In this episode of From Burnout to Balance, family coach Tanya Valentin dives deep into one of the most distressing experiences parents of neurodivergent children face: hearing their child say things like “I hate you,” “I hate myself,” or “I want to die” during meltdowns. These moments can feel shocking, hurtful, or even terrifying. But they’re not personal attacks—they're distress signals from an overwhelmed nervous system. Tanya explains what limbic utterances are, why they happen, and how parents can respond with empathy, understanding, and practical strategies to help their children (and themselves) feel safe. What are limbic utterances?Why kids say shocking, hurtful, or “rude” things in meltdown momentsThe role of the nervous system and Polyvagal TheoryThe limbic system: emotional brain basics The neurodivergent lens: why these responses can be more intenseInsights from Tanya’s work with families in burnout recoveryLaura Hellfeld’s insights on self-care demands and limbic utterancesPractical, compassionate strategies to support your childHow parents can care for their own nervous systems If you'd like more resources and support on parenting with a low-demand approach, understanding your child’s nervous system, and creating a compassionate home environment, check out Tanya’s parent membership From Burnout to Balance. Join our parent community:⁠ From Burnout to Balance ⁠ Laura Hellfeld – Neurodivergent Nurse & Consultant Laura’s Substack

    10 min

  8. 06/25/2025

    What Actually Helps: 8 Protective Factors for Parents Navigating Burnout

    In this tender and validating episode of From Burnout to Balance, host Tanya Valentin shares eight powerful, research-backed protective factors that support parent mental health, especially for those parenting neurodivergent children and teens in burnout. Drawing from lived experience and a neuro-affirming, trauma-informed lens, Tanya explores what helps and why these supports can feel complicated, inaccessible, or even unsafe, particularly for neurodivergent parents who’ve been dismissed, judged, or burned by support systems in the past. Inside this episode, you’ll hear about: Why self-compassion is a radical (and often difficult) practice How nervous system regulation starts with noticing, not perfection The grief of the community that never came, and the hope of finding a new kind The healing power of meaning-making, validation, and reparenting Why we need low-demand parenting for parents, too This episode is a soft place to land.A reminder that you're not alone — and you never were. ✨ Join our parent community:⁠ From Burnout to Balance ⁠

    21 min
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5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Hosted by family coach Tanya Valentin, AuDHD parent and neuroaffirming family coach. This compassionate space offers expert guidance, honest conversations, and practical tools to support both you and your child. Whether you're in the early stages or deep in recovery, you’re not alone. Tune in weekly for heartfelt stories, expert insights, and real-world strategies to move your family from burnout to balance. Join our From Burnout to Balance Parent Community: https://tanyavalentin.co/parent-community/

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