The Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast mainspringfamilywellness

On Episode 50 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Jenna & Kristen reconnect with a guest from season one, pediatric occupational therapist, Tara MacKenzie and discuss Tara’s first-hand experience with academic testing and psychological assessment for her own daughter Jameson. Together, they examine the early developmental signs of learning inconsistencies that ultimately led to a full neuropsychological testing and evaluation when Jameson was 7 years old and what the process looked like not only for Jameson, but for the entire family.
 
Episode 50: Academic Testing & Psychological Assessment with Pediatric Occupational Therapist Tara MacKenzie
02:12
Episode introduction.
 
03:23
Introduction of guest, Tara MacKenzie, pediatric occupational therapist.
 
04:29
Tara discusses the early signs she witnesses in her daughter Jameson that pointed to possible neurodifferences.
 
06:09
Tara describes feedback from Jameson’s teachers in kindergarten.
 
06:42
Tara explains how her and her husband arrived at their decision to have Jameson evaluated.
 
07:52
Tara describes what testing looked like for Jameson at 7 years old and some of their consideration as it relates to academic testing and assessment.
 
08:54
Tara shares how she frontloaded the idea of testing with a young child and how to cater that conversation to the personality and preferences of that child.
 
10:23
Tara describes the differences in receptivity to testing for Jameson and her son, how her two kids differed in their reactions to the idea of assessment.
 
12:42
Tara shares about her daughter not feeling “smart” and how she explained to Jameson about being “differently smart.”
 
13:02
Tara discusses the value of looking at assessment results with the focus on the child’s revealed strengths.
 
13:59
Tara and hosts delve into parents’ reluctance to have their kids evaluated, some of the common emotional fallouts that come with getting assessment results.
 
16:22
Tara and hosts discuss the prevalence of neuropsychological differences that seem to be on the rise with the younger population and why that might be.
 
18:45
Tara shares on how to create an action plan upon receiving testing and assessment results.
 
20:00
Tara describes her first-hand account on their approach with Jameson’s treatment and how it impacts the entire family.
 
22:59
Tara recounts her conversations with Jameson regarding her test results and also how important it is to have the entire family support Jameson’s treatment journey.
 
25:18
Jenna shares a story about her son’s reaction to his testing results and the powerful act of empathizing and validating a child’s frustration.
 
27:13
Tara updates on Jameson’s progress since the diagnosis and what they’ve learned as a family.
 
30:00
Jenna relates the family lessons learned back to the previous Mainspring Podcast episode with Dr. Andrew Hahn about parental trauma, and the importance of separating the trauma from parenting.
 
32:10
Tara summarizes the power of testing for her and her family as it relates to connection with her children, and why she advocates for parents to consider assessment in building their relationship with their kids.
 
33:30
Jenna & Kristen’s breaks down their key takeaways for the episode.
 
35:33
How to connect with Mainspring Family Wellness, Jenna & Kristen!
End of episode.
 
Keywords:
Occupational therapy, therapist, parenting, academic testing, learning, strengths, challenges, pediatric, psychological assessment, neuropsychology, neuropsychological evaluation, dyslexia, ADHD, diagnosis
 
GUEST: Tara MacKenzie

Tara MacKenzie is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist at Learning In Motion Clinic who has served children in Dallas, TX., Newport Beach, CA., and currently in Paradise Valley, AZ. Graduating from Creighton University with a Bachelors in Occupational Therapy in 2002, Tara has 20+ years of experience providing quality pediatric treatment, evaluation, and con

On Episode 49 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Jenna & Kristen speak with renowned psychologist Dr. Andrew Hahn about his new book The One-Hour Miracle: A 5-Step Process to Self-Healing. Dr. Hahn shares with our audience his extensive experience with trauma, generational trauma, self-healing, healing as it relates to parenting and how to break the cycle of trauma-informed experience.
 
Episode 49: A Guide to Self-Healing with The One-Hour Miracle featuring Dr. Andrew Hahn
01:41
Introduction of Dr. Andrew Hahn.
 
03:18
Dr. Hahn explains The One-Hour Miracle.
 
04:23
Dr. Hahn further discusses his definition of a “miracle.”
 
07:09
Dr. Hahn talks about the career trajectory that led him to start Life Centered Therapy.
 
15:03
Dr. Hahn reflects on the concept of therapy and how to explain therapy and the need for therapy to a child.
 
22:20
Dr. Hahn elaborates on generational trauma, how parental trauma impacts children.
 
32:13
Dr. Hahn and hosts discuss the value of enneagram and how it can inform parenting and parenting styles.
 
33:10
Guest and hosts discuss childhood depression as a response to parental actions and how one could possibly break the pattern of experience.
 
37:59
Dr. Hahn delve deeper into trauma, how to get parents to acknowledge the trauma that one might be holding.
 
40:24
How to connect with Dr. Hahn and where to get his new book The One-Hour Miracle.
 
41:53
Jenna & Kristen’s perspective on the episode and the informative guest.
 
43:32
How to connect with Mainspring Family Wellness, Jenna & Kristen!
 
End of Episode
 
Keywords:
trauma, healing, self-healing, parenting, enneagram, childhood depression, therapy, major depression, psychology, generational trauma, parental trauma, acceptance, Life Centered Therapy, One-Hour Miracle, miracle, experience pattern
 
GUEST: Dr. Andrew Hahn
 

Andrew Hahn, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist. He received his A.B. Magna Cum Laude in Social Studies/Psychology from Harvard University and his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hahnemann University. He is certified by Helen Palmer to teach the Enneagram and has also been a faculty member in the graduate Counselling Programs at Lesley University and Northeastern University.
While Dr. Hahn’s strong foundation and significant experience in traditional psychology have served his clients well, he has been untiring in his effort to better understand what is going on for people so that he could better help them live more contented and healthier lives. This calling for greater understanding, as well as certain experiences that he could not fully comprehend within the confines of traditional Western paradigms, led him on a search for answers that opened him to the worlds of Buddhist and Eastern Psychology; Mystery Training; and Depth, Archetypal and Spiritual Psychology. During this period, Thich Nhat Hanh, Brugh Joy, Dick Olney, Helen Palmer, Barbara Hastings, and Claudio Naranjo were particularly influential and powerful teachers for him. In 1997, after several years of witnessing the power of the work, Dr. Hahn developed the Life Centered Therapy Training program for those who want to facilitate and/or teach this process. Today, Dr. Hahn has a private practice in Waltham, MA. He speaks, teaches, and leads training and healing groups internationally, and continues his effort to better understand what is going on for people so that he can better help them live more contented and healthier lives."
"Dr. Hahn helps men and women personally and professionally to expedite the healing from any trauma using his unique integration and synthesis of all these traditions combined with his own significant contributions to the field of psychology. Furthermore, Dr. Hahn shows clients the operative patterns in trauma, the realization that soul-level trauma and trauma from life experience have the exact same structure, and a unique synthesis of mindfulness and somatics to live a fulfilled and happy

Episode 48: Nonprofit Spotlight featuring The Gray Academy A School for Exceptional Children with Neurological Disorders.
On Episode 48 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Jenna & welcome Kristen Gray and Dana Tompkins of the Gray Academy, a non-profit, non-public K-5 Elementary School for exceptional children with neurological disorders in Santa Monica, California, looking to expand their program and services with a second location in Orange County. Each guest shares their extraordinary circumstances as parents to children with special needs and how that journey prompted them towards their passion for meaningful impact within the community, leading to the creation of The Gray Academy and its current plans for expansion.
 
01:49
Introduction of guests: Kristen Gray & Dana Tompkins
 
02:15
Kristen’s story:
Daughters’ diagnosis of Batten’s Disease
Launching a foundation to find a cure
Enrolling daughters into a clinical trial of gene therapy along with 13 other children
 
06:55
The search for a school that prompted the inception of The Gray Academy in Santa Monica
 
09:21
About the Gray Academy
 
10:28
Dana’s story:
Son’s birth and journey with cerebral palsy
Connecting with Kristen Gray over expansion of the Gray Academy to serve Orange County, CA
 
14:49
Kristen and Dana share a “typical day” for families with neuro-different children
 
21:58
The Gray Academy’s multi-pronged services to treat children with neurological disorders
 
25:13
Insight into how traditional schools with services for neuro-different children might not be able to meet the needs of their students
 
28:28
The Gray Academy’s plans for expansion into Orange County
 
30:34
The Gray’s Academy’s upcoming fundraiser to support the expansion
 
32:52
Get connected with the Gray Academy and more information about the fundraiser
 
34:00
Kristen & Jenna reflect on Kristen & Dana’s incredible journeys, their willingness to share and impact positive change
 
35:55
Guests share on their personal resolve and commitment to their children that drives them forward in their work within the community
 
37:22
Jenna & Kristen’s perspective on the episode
 
 
GUEST: Kristen Gray & Dana Tompkins
KRISTEN GRAY:

Kristen Gray, founder of the Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease and mother of Charlotte (11), Gwenyth (9), Callan (2) and Gavin (6mo) started the foundation with her husband, Gordon, in June of 2015 after learning of their daughters' diagnosis of Batten Disease CLN6.  In two years, Kristen and Gordon, alongside a community of supporters raised over 7 million dollars to fund critical research in hopes of a cure for Batten Disease CLN6.  That research led to a clinical trial starting in March of 2016 and to date the foundation has funded treatment for 15 children.  
Kristen and Gordon, having experienced firsthand the challenges and daily struggles that most families face when trying to juggle special education with crucial medical treatments, therapies, doctors’ visits and other needs, envisioned a new kind of school with a transformative, integrated and holistic approach that could help fill the void often experienced by parents and their children suffering from severe neurological disorders. In 2018, Kristen and Gordon founded The Gray Academy in Santa Monica, a school for medically fragile children, serving families with children of moderate to severe disabilities.
 
DANA TOMPKINS:
 

After earning her MBA from the Marshall School of Business at USC and a career in corporate marketing, Dana followed her entrepreneurial spirit to open a popular women's clothing store in Newport Beach called Bardot in 2012.  Following the diagnosis of her son with cerebral palsy in 2020, Dana decided to close her shop to focus on the needs of her family.  Since then she has spent her time seeking the best therapies and treatments for her son, now almost 4, and in doing so has connected with Kristen Gray

Episode 47: Overcoming Bullying with Andi Kay, Founder & Executive Director of Bloom Foundation
On Episode 47 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Kristen & Jenna host a constructive conversation about bullying with Andi Kay, the Founder and Executive Director of Bloom Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping middle school and high school girls overcome bullying by providing recovery programs rich in social-emotional learning, self-care, and discovery. Andi shares with our audience her own personal journey with experiencing cyberbullying as a teen, how she came to start Bloom Foundation, the ever-evolving state of bullying today and offers some helpful emotional tools and resources in support of parents with children experiencing bullying.
 
02:38
[Andi describes her firsthand experience with bullying as a child]
 
04:21
[Andi talks about the emergence of cyberbullying as part of her experience and describes the emotional impact on her wellbeing and the beginning of her recovery]
 
06:34
[Andi explains what inspired her to start her anti-bullying organization]
 
08:29
[Andi defines the term bullying]
 
08:57
[Jenna and Andi dive deeper into what is and what is not bullying]
 
12:04
[Kristen leads the conversation on the parental scenario if your child is the aggressor and not the recipient]
 
14:21
[Andi shares the importance of defining and identifying bullying but the emotional difficulty of being able to do so given that is a spectrum of aggression]  
 
15:33
[Andi shares a Bloom Foundation participant’s letter to herself after going through the program]
 
18:46
[Jenna, Kristen and Andi discuss the role of social media in the evolving world of cyberbullying]
 
21:23
[Andi gives an overview of programs available at Bloom Foundation]
 
24:04
[Andi provides some thoughtful support around parenting a bullied child]
 
28:08
[Andi offers some thoughts around finding alternative places of “belonging” to counter a bullying experience]
 
28:34
[Jenna & Kristen reflect on the activities they participated in as adolescents that really helped shape their perspective on self and belonging]
 
32:31
[Jenna, Kristen & Andi discuss the idea of “finding your tribe” and the definition of friendship as it supports children’s upbringing and adolescent years]
 
35:16
[Andi shares on how to find Bloom Foundation for resources to support someone experiencing bullying]
 
GUEST: Andi Kay

After experiencing cyberbullying firsthand in 2009, Andi researched bullying during her studies at the University of California, Irvine. For over 10 years, Andi has studied bullying and its impact on both children and teenagers. In 2017, Andi founded Bloom Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that provides social-emotional learning programs to girls experiencing bullying. The mission of Bloom Foundation is to help middle school and high school girls grow through challenges by building emotional resilience and overcoming bullying so that they can bloom with confidence as leaders of the community. Andi currently serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Bloom Foundation.
 
Connect with Bloom Foundation:
Website: Bloom Foundation
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Mainspring Family Wellness:
Website: Mainspring Family Wellness
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Kristen & Jenna:
Kristen: LinkedIn
Jenna: LinkedIn
 

On episode 46 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Christopher Tansey, the owner of Cereset Costa Mesa, sits down with Jenna and Kristen to talk about Cereset, the technology that helped both himself and his father overcome traumatic brain injuries and ultimately achieve a balanced brain for an improved quality of life.
 
Episode 46
Cereset, How a Balanced Brain Can Improve Your Life
 
02:12
[Christopher talks about the brain trauma that his father endured as well as the surgery he had to remove a cyst in his brain, and how those two events led father and son to seek alternative modalities for improved cognitive functions]
 
04:48
[Christopher shares about prior treatments that relied heavily on medication]
 
05:43
[Christopher describes his cognitive functions post cyst removal surgery]
 
06:32
[Christopher discusses his reliance on medication and what prompted him to seek Cereset technology]
 
08:53
[Christopher explains the science behind Cereset technology]
 
10:13
[Christopher talks about how the technology was developed by someone who also experienced traumatic brain injury]
 
10:48
[Christopher provides some statistical framework around the effectiveness of the sessions]
 
11:45
[Christopher describes the conditions that might prompt patients to seek Cereset]
 
12:56
[Jenna talks about her own experience with Cereset sessions and her own personal findings]
 
14:35
[Christopher dives deeper into how a Cereset session can impact your brain]
 
15:24
[Christopher gives a little background on the difference between Cereset technology and Neurofeedback]
 
16:08
[Christopher talks a little about a “balanced” brain, what that means]
 
16:52
[Christopher provides more background on the science behind the sessions]
 
18:26
[Christopher shares a couple of success stories he’s facilitated with Cereset and the impact the technology has on better sleep]
 
21:22
[Christopher highlights some key features regarding Cereset’s natural, non-invasive approach at balancing the brain]
 
22:16
[Where to find Christopher and Cereset Costa Mesa]
 
GUEST: Christopher Tansey
Owner of Cereset Costa Mesa

Connect with Christopher Tansey
LinkedIn: Christopher Tansey
 
Connect with Cereset
Website: Cereset
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Mainspring Family Wellness:
Website: Mainspring Family Wellness
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Kristen & Jenna:
Kristen: LinkedIn
Jenna: LinkedIn
 
This podcast is for educational purposes only. This podcast is not a substitute for professional care by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. This podcast is provided on the understanding that it does not constitute medical or other professional advice or services. If you are looking for help on your journey, seek out a qualified medical practitioner.
 
 
 

Episode 45 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast is a riveting discussion around men and marriage with Quentin Hafner, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Newport Beach, and the particular challenges of a modern marriage from a male perspective.  The conversation touches upon the impact of a traditional male upbringing, cultural depictions of men, gender differences in communication styles, and the presence of shame in marriage and fatherhood.
 
Episode 45
Men & Marriage, The Other Half of the Conversation
 
02:29
[About Quentin Hafner, his personal life and his work as a licensed marriage and family therapist]
 
03:49
[Explanation on common challenges men face in marriages]
 
06:08
[Discussion on the generational evolution of what it means to be a husband]
 
10:28
[Discussion on the role of gender biases as it relates to a marriage]
 
12:51
[Discussion around communication styles and the difficulty men have connecting with spouses on an emotional level]
 
15:50
[Discussion on male archetypes present in communication styles]
 
17:14
[Discussion around distraction as a coping mechanism and the lack of emotional learning in childhood]
 
18:06
[Definition of the term “high-value husband”]
 
20:09
[More conversation around the gender divide within communication styles and how to work around those differences]
 
23:05
[Discussion on vulnerability as a conduit for connection and more productive conversations]
 
27:18
[Conversation around the presence of shame in men when it comes to parenting and relationships]
 
30:27
[Discussion on conversation dynamics and tools for effective communication]
 
32:16
[Conversation on how the culture of men is depicted in public arenas and the media]
 
37:05
[Conversation around the need to be more thoughtful about the current societal pressures of being a man]
 
39:43
[Promotion of Quentin’s subscription services for men, a therapy resource for men]
 
41:57
[Conversation close with Quentin]
 
42:34
[Summary of takeaways with Jenna & Kristen]
 
GUEST: Quentin Hafner

Quentin Hafner is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in Orange County, CA where he specializes in helping people find solutions to life's challenges that result in more personal & professional fulfillment. In particular, Quentin loves working with men in the context of couples therapy to help them discover their hidden potential to be better Dads & better Husbands.
In 2018, Quentin wrote and published an Amazon.com #1 best-selling marriage book Black Belt Husbands to help husbands solve challenges in their marriages.
Quentin is happily married and a father of two young boys, Levi & Samuel. In his spare time, he trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, loves to surf, go camping, and trail running in the most incredible nature preserves in Orange County.
 
Connect with Quentin Hafner:
Website: Quentin Hafner
Website: Black Belt Husbands
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Mainspring Family Wellness:
Website: Mainspring Family Wellness
Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Kristen & Jenna:
Kristen: LinkedIn
Jenna: LinkedIn