Blended Family Podcast

Latest Episodes:

116-Surviving childhood sexual abuse and trauma, with Rachel Grant Mar 06, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Rachel Grant is the owner and founder of Rachel Grant Coaching and is a Sexual Abuse Recovery Coach. She is also the author of Beyond Surviving: The Final Stage in Recovery from Sexual Abuse. She works with survivors of childhood sexual abuse who are beyond sick and tired of feeling broken, unfixable, and burdened by the past. She helps them let go of the pain of abuse and finally feel normal.

Her program, Beyond Surviving, has been specifically designed to change the way we think about and heal from abuse. Based on her educational training, study of neuroscience, and lessons learned from her own journey, she has successfully used this program since 2007 to help her clients break free from the past and move on with their lives.

Rachel holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She provides a compassionate and challenging approach for her clients while using coaching as opposed to therapeutic models. She is also a member of San Francisco Coaches and Survivor Force CSA.

In this interview, we discuss

Her personal story
Why people don't seek help
What impact a survivor's abuse can have on their blended family
Her program, book, and podcast
Signs to look for to determine if our own child is being abused
And much more!

Connect with Rachel Grant

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

115-When an ex tells stories about you Feb 27, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

It's hard enough dealing with divorce as it is. When you have an ex who makes it harder by telling stories about you, it can seem unbearable. Especially when it results in your children or other people turning against you. Unfortunately we cannot control others or what they do, but we can learn how to cope, to save our sanity.

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

114-When it's hard to love your stepchild! Feb 20, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

One of the issues many stepparents face, is the inability to really love their stepchild. It's rarely spoken of, as those who feel that way are ashamed to admit it. After tons of emails from listeners who struggle with this, it's evident that this is an issue that people really need help with. In this show, you'll learn how to deal with these feelings, how to determine where they are coming from, and how to understand things from your step child's point of view. Plus some tips and ideas to work on that relationship for the benefit of the entire blended family.

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

113-Three types of intimacy you need in your relationship Feb 13, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Intimacy is an essential part of every relationship. Parents can be so caught up with raising children, that they allow the intimacy to fall away. There are three important elements of intimacy in a romantic relationship, which are sexual, emotional, and physical. All three are important and a couple should learn how to create a balance of all three.

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

112-Relationship advice with Dr. Jennelle Feb 06, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Dr. Jennelle is a PhD Psychologist and Relationship Advisor working with individuals and couples who want to improve communication, collaboration, and harmony in their relationships. Dr. Jennelle focuses on nontraditional relationships and family structures (i.e., female same-sex couples, divorced/remarrying couples, and blended families), helping to navigate the challenges in these complex dynamics by developing skills that lead to stronger partnerships, better parenting, and greater peace.

She joins me on the show to discuss

Her personal story
How can a new couple work on their relationship in a blended family
How can a long term couple work on their relationship in a blended family
What to do when family members don't get along
How to not allow family relationships to come between your partnership
How can a couple not allow an ex to damage their current relationship
Exercise and tips to nurture your relationship
What Jennelle has to offer
The Big Change of Heart Podcast

Connect with Jennelle

Workshop on the Art of Arguing

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

111-Attitude is everything Jan 30, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Maintaining a good attitude in a blended family is something that is difficult, but not impossible. Bad attitudes can trickle down to everyone in the family, so it's very important to learn how to manage our own. We also need to help our children manage their attitudes. There are some way to help you lift yourself up out of a bad state of mind, such as breathing, stopping the negative self talk, or finding something to do that brings you joy. My favorite tool is the emotional scale, a tool I learned from Esther and Jerry Hicks, from the book Ask and it is Given. You find where you fall on the scale at any given moment, and you try to gradually climb higher. Below is the scale for your use. I'll also talk about some tips that will help you deal with others who are having bad attitudes around you, so that you can remain peaceful.

Joy/Appreciation/Empowered/Freedom/Love
Passion
Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
Positive Expectation/Belief
Optimism
Hopefulness
Contentment
Boredom
Pessimism
Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
Overwhelment
Disappointment
Doubt
Worry
Blame
Discouragement
Anger
Revenge
Hatred/Rage
Jealousy
Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

110-Why does parenting hurt so bad? Jan 23, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

This show, I'll share with you what's been going on in my life, and why parenting hurts for me right now.

Also, a fabulous family interview with Alex Thompson, who seems to know some tips on how to successfully manage a blended family!

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

109-positive discipline with Casey O'Roarty Jan 16, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Casey O'Roarty is a wife, mother, Certified Positive Discipline Trainer and ICF Certified Coach. Casey facilitates parents in how to build stronger, more authentic relationships with themselves and the children in their lives. She encourages grown ups to recognize and embrace the challenges of parenting as opportunities to model, teach and practice the skills we want our children to learn to embody. Casey lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, 13 year old daughter and 11 year old son.

In this interview we discuss

Her personal story
Her Joyful Courage podcast
Challenges of parents she works with
What is positive discipline and how does it work
Family meetings
Discipline and blended families
Mindfulness
How to work with Casey
And much more

Connect with Casey

Positive discipline Website

Positive discipline association

Joyful Courage website

Connect on Facebook

Facebook Group

Connect on Instagram

Connect on Twitter

Family meeting ecourse

Membership course

Join the Private Facebook Group

Listen and Rate/Review on Itunes

Connect with me on Facebook

Connect with me on Twitter

Send questions or feedback to melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

Send me a voicemail at Speakpipe

Visit the website at www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Schedule an interview or coaching session here

Send mail to Melissa Brown

5445 Murrell Rd

Unit 102 #178

Viera FL 32955

108-Dealing with Overwhelm Jan 09, 2017

Show notes

melissa@blendedfamilypodcast.com

www.blendedfamilypodcast.com

Many blended families cause feelings of overwhelm. Not only are blended families more complex, there is usually so much more to do and handle. In addition, many of the challenges blended families face add to the overwhelm. Although these feelings are magnified during the holiday season, they really can carry on all year long. My top ten tips to deal with overwhelm are