EP 262: Why Helpers Burn Out- and what to do about it

The helpers ~ therapists, coaches, teachers, advocates ~ are burning out at alarming rates. We talk endlessly about self-care, caseload management, and having better boundaries but almost nobody is addressing the root cause. This is a special episode that I recorded for all the professionals who listen. All the helpers who show up day after day because they love to help the parents of kids with big, baffling behaviors. All the helpers who are tired and wondering how much longer they can keep doing this. In this episode, you'll learn:Why working with clients in chronic protection mode pulls helpers into protection mode too - and how that's the real starting point of burnoutApplying the "all behavior makes sense" framework to your own nervous system responses changes everything about how you workThe skill that actually prevents burnout - and why bubble baths and calendar blocking aren't itAnd if you want to learn more, you can join 4000+ other professionals and me in Making Sense of Baffling Behaviors- a 4-part free audio training for professionals!Resources mentioned in this podcast:All Behavior Makes Sense {EP 198}Read the full transcript at: RobynGobbel.com/burnoutCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

You've learned about the nervous system, you're trying to co-regulate, you're thinking about felt safety and connection — and the behavior is still happening! WHY?!?! This episode is a troubleshooting guide for exactly that moment. Instead of going back to the drawing board, we're going deeper into the same map: getting curious about regulation, felt safety, connection, and skills to figure out what the nervous system actually needs.In this episode you'll learn:Why the question is never "what consequence haven't I tried yet?" — and what to ask insteadHow to troubleshoot each of the four conditions that need to be in place for behavior to be okay: regulation, felt safety, connection, and skillsWhy a child can "know" a skill and still not be able to access it — and what scaffolding that skill actually looks likeResources mentioned in this podcast:Podcast EpisodesEp 198: All Behavior Makes Sense — deep dive into the moment the behavioral impulse firesEp. 9: Building the Tower of Self Regulation — very early episode about trust and what it means for kids with vulnerable nervous systems; link to go in show notesStarts at Ep. 161: Felt Safety series — multiple episodes: one on iCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

This episode originally aired in September 2024. Almost every time I teach, especially if there are folks in the audience not already familiar with my work or the concept of co-regulation, someone asks the very valid question of- “Isn’t this (co-regulation) just coddling?”Fair question! There are a lot of underlying assumptions and fears in this question that we will deconstruct in today’s episode.Spoiler: Co-regulation is NOT coddling!In this episode, you’ll learnThe difference between co-regulation and coddlingWhy asking this question helps us understand some of our fearsWhat trust has to do with co-regulationResources Mentioned on the PodcastSelf-Regulation Doesn’t Exist!!What Does Co-Regulation Really Look Like? {EP 81}Enabling vs. Low-Demand Parenting {Ep 144}Read the transcript at https://robyngobbel.com/coddlingCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

Listen in on a conversation I have with a Club member whose family lived through years of intense, violent, and deeply isolating behavior…and eventually found their way to something different. It’s a story about holding onto the truth of who your child is, even when everything in front of you makes that feel impossible.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why “just tell me what to do” doesn’t work in the hardest situations, and what actually helps insteadHow holding onto your child’s true essence can anchor you, even in the most dysregulated momentsThe small, doable shifts that can begin to change things (even before behavior improves)Read the full transcript at: RobynGobbel.com/nostrategyCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

Parenting a child with big, baffling behaviors can feel terrifying sometimes. Especially when those behaviors aren’t just frustrating… they’re dangerous. In this episode, I’m talking with a parent who knows that reality deeply, and who is also finding a way to hold onto hope.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why seeing your child as “good” doesn’t mean ignoring serious or dangerous behaviorHow one parent stays steady even when others say, “This child isn’t worth it.”What actually helps behavior change (hint: it’s not punishment, but it’s not the absence of accountability either)Resources mentioned in this podcast:Resources included in the blog summary go hereRead the full transcript at:RobynGobbel.com/holdinghopeCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

What if the biggest barrier to learning in the classroom isn’t behavior… but safety?Teachers are overwhelmed. Kids are dysregulated. And somewhere in the middle, everyone is trying their best…but it’s not working the way we hoped. In this conversation, I sit down with occupational therapist Marti Smith and educator Amie Huggins to talk about what happens when we bring relational neuroscience into the classroom in real, practical ways.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why behavior in the classroom makes more sense when we see it as communication, not defianceHow connection, co-regulation, and felt safety actually support learning (not compete with it)Simple, realistic ways teachers can meet sensory and relational needs—even with a full classroomResources mentioned in this podcast:GET - The Connected TherapistGET -Creating a Connected ClassroomRead the full transcript at: RobynGobbel.com/connectedclassroomCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

When your kid melts down after school, it seems like they just have a bad attitude or don’t want to do homework. But sometimes those explosions have less to do with behavior and more to do with a nervous system that has been working hard to handle sensory stress all day long.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why do many kids fall apart after school, even if they seemed “fine” all dayHow the sensory environment at school can slowly chip away at a child’s regulationWhy after-school meltdowns often happen with the people kids feel safest withResources mentioned in this podcast:RobynGobbel.com/freeresourcehubRobyngobbel.com/sensorywebinarRead the full transcript at:RobynGobbel.com/meltdownafterschoolCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

Have you ever had one of those moments where your child completely loses it over the wrong cup, a sibling getting too close, or one tiny thing at the end of the day? It can feel like they are actually mad at you- or their sibling. But actually, rude, defiant, or shutdown behavior might actually have a lot more to do with sensory overwhelm and a nervous system that’s simply run out of capacity and almost NOTHING to do with how mad they are because you gave them the wrong cup. In this episode, you’ll learn:Why behaviors like sass, sibling aggression, and “you never listen!” can look relational but actually begin with sensory stress in the bodyHow everyday sensory input like noise, lights, smells, textures, movement, and school environments can chip away at your child’s window of tolerance?Why noticing your child’s sensory world can help you respond with more clarity, less personalization, and more support for regulationResources mentioned in this podcast:When Parenting Triggers Your Own Trauma Part 1 of 6 {EP 250}Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior {EP 84}Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior webinar & eBookRead the full transcript at:RobynGobbel.com/traumashapednervoussystemCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

The Grief No One Talks About in Trauma-Informed ParentingSometimes the hardest part of parenting isn’t your child’s behavior, it’s the grief that rises up inside you. The grief of not getting what you needed. The grief of still healing while you’re trying to parent intentionally. In this episode, we talk about the quiet, complicated grief that can come with parenting a child with a vulnerable nervous system when you have your own history of trauma.In this episode, you’ll learn:The core griefs that often emerge when you’re parenting with your own trauma historyWhy noticing intergenerational patterns can stir shameHow to be with your grief using self-compassion and a gentle “touch in, touch out” approachResources mentioned in this podcast:Podcast - Start Here!When Parenting Triggers Your Own Trauma: Part 1 of 6 {Ep 250}Read the full transcript at: RobynGobbel.com/grieftraumahistoryCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

This episode is an update and re-record of episode 56Consequences. Punishments. Limits. Boundaries.These words don't mean the same thing but we often use them interchangeably.In this episode, we get clear on what exactly is a consequence versus a punishment versus a boundary.And how parenting through the lens of regulation, connection, and felt-safety is absolutely not boundary-less or permissive parenting. It's a way of looking at our kids and asking "What does my child need for their success to be inevitable?" and then giving them that.It definitely isn't about making sure our kids are always happy or never frustrated or we always say yes.It's about changing the lens on how we view their expressions of emotions and behaviors.And yes- it's about setting boundaries that keep our kids safe and help their brains develop the internalized co-regulation (self-regulation!) they need!Read a summary of this episode and access the full show notes at: RobynGobbel.com/WhatAboutAConsequenceCalling all professionals who work with the families of kids with dysregulated and big, baffling behaviors!I'm hosting my annual, FREE audio-training the week of May 4th!Head to RobynGobbel.com/BafflingBehaviors NOW to register so the moment the audios go live on May 4th, you'll have access right here in your podcast app!*** Let's hang out this summer at two different trainings for professionals!Therapy with Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors- June 1 & 2 in Syracuse, NY RobynGobbel.com/NYPresence in Practice- July 15, 16, & 17 in Rockford, MI (outside Grand Rapids) RobynGobbel.com/Michigan2026 :::The All-About-Me workbook will help your child grow their owl brain and develop ways to calm their watchdog and possum brain. 24 page, full-color, instant download at RobynGobbel.com/store :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagramOver on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute’s (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)