Ep 119: Let's Talk About RAD with Andy Neal

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Julie and Ginger sit down with Andy Neal—content creator, speaker, and foster/adoptive parent—to explore the realities of parenting children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD).Drawing from both lived experience and professional insight, this episode dives into the complexities of attachment, trauma, and the emotional toll—and growth—that comes with raising children impacted by early adversity. Andy shares his personal journey with vulnerability, humor, and hard-earned wisdom, offering listeners a rare, unfiltered look at life inside a family navigating RAD.Andy Neal is an Oregon-based content creator, speaker, and storyteller known online as @andyfilmsandhikes. With a cross-platform audience of over 500,000, Andy is widely recognized for his viral “stupid hike for my stupid mental health” videos, as well as his candid reflections on mental health, faith, grief, and foster and adoptive parenting. His storytelling blends humor with honesty, creating space for real conversations about healing and resilience.Parenting children with RAD requires a profound shift from behavior management to relationship-based careHealing is nonlinear—for both children and caregiversSupport systems are not optional; they are essentialHonest storytelling helps reduce stigma and isolationFollow Andy: @andyfilmsandhikes

Sometimes healing doesn’t come from doing more—it comes from getting grounded in what’s already around us. In this inspiring episode, Julie and Ginger explore the powerful connection between nature and nervous system regulation, diving into the fascinating science behind why time outdoors calms, heals, and restores us.From the forest floor to the garden bed, you’ll learn how nature interacts with our bodies and brains—on a chemical and cellular level—to reduce stress, boost mood, strengthen immunity, and bring us back into balance.Try these easy, no-cost ways to reconnect and regulate:Take a barefoot walk in the grass with your child.Make mud pies, dig in the dirt, or plant something together.Sit under a tree, journal outdoors, or simply breathe in the fresh air.Create a “sit spot” at home or school to notice daily and seasonal changes.Step away from screens and let the rhythm of nature help you downshift into calm.Nature helps the body move from hyperarousal or dissociation into safety and connection—what trauma-sensitive educators call the window of tolerance. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or caregiver, grounding yourself in nature isn’t just restorative—it’s regulating.As Ginger reminds us: “Healing doesn’t just happen in therapy offices. It’s also waiting for us—just outside the front door.”Resources & References:The Nature Fix — Florence WilliamsShinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing — Dr. Qing LiLast Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder — Richard LouvYour Brain on Nature — Eva Selhub & Alan LoganEarthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons — Chevalier et al., Journal of Environmental and Public Health (2012)Polyvagal Theory — Stephen PorgesChildren & Nature Network: childrenandnature.orgRegulation and Co-Regulation: Accessible Neuroscience and Connection Strategies for the Classroom and Beyond — by Ginger Healy

What if growth could sound like laughter?In this conversation, Billy Kaplan, a licensed clinical social worker at Treehouse Health, joins Ginger and Julie to explore how healing with youth can emerge through humor, play, and connection. Billy shares stories from his therapeutic work, showing how joy and pain often live side by side, and how a simple “yes, and” can open space for change.Together, they reflect on the power of reframing, the meaning of PACE approach (playful acceptance, curiosity, and empathy), and the surprising truth that sometimes the most serious work is play.

What if healing didn’t require a therapy license—only presence, connection, and courage?Andi Fetzner joins Ginger and Julie and shares how her Origins Training work in Arizona supports adults in understanding trauma, building resilience, and reconnecting to themselves and others. The discussion explores the powerful truth that you don’t have to be a therapist to be therapeutic.Together, they unpack key trauma concepts—ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), stress, and resilience—while grounding the conversation in relationship and practical human connection.A central theme emerges: Healing happens in connection.And just as important—uncomfortable does not mean unsafe.This episode is an invitation to rethink what support, growth, and restoration can look like in everyday spaces.

What are children learning that no one is explicitly teaching?Ingrid Cockhren joins Julie and Ginger to explore how historical trauma shapes social learning, schooling, storytelling, and bias across generations. From the lasting impacts of colonization and slavery to concepts like white flight and white-washed education, the conversation highlights how coping patterns, beliefs, and behaviors are quietly passed down—and absorbed by children.Together, they reflect on the limits and responsibilities of schools as microcosms of society, the need for anti-bias and restorative practices in trauma-informed education, and why stronger mental health supports are essential for meaningful change.At the heart of the episode is a simple truth:What is learned implicitly must be addressed explicitly—so stories of hope and growth can be passed on alongside history.

In this episode, Julie Beem and Ginger Healy explore Julie’s research on mattering—what it is, why it matters, and how it shows up in adult-child relationships. This episode is created for parents, teachers, and caregivers who want to better understand externalized relationship-seeking behaviors, such as acting out, defiance, attention-seeking, or emotional outbursts. The conversation focuses on how adults can respond to these behaviors in ways that strengthen connection rather than strain it. Julie and Ginger also share the core components of mattering, along with practical takeaways and reflective questions to help bring mattering to the forefront of everyday interactions with children.

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Ginger and Julie sit down with Josh Novick—licensed therapist, educator, national speaker, and founder of Trust & Grow Consulting—to explore what it truly takes to create safer, more connected school communities in the wake of violence.Josh brings both professional expertise and lived experience in recovery, grounding this conversation in courage, compassion, and the belief that we heal better together. As an ambassador for Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence, Josh bridges policy and practice, elevating youth voice while advocating for educator wellness and sustainable change.In This Episode, we Explore:Josh’s personal journey and what led him into the work of ending gun violence in schoolsThe importance of trust, relationship, and naming—including how we think about and label spaces like “resource rooms”Supporting educator wellness About Trust & Grow ConsultingJosh is the founder of Trust & Grow Consulting, where the mission is clear: help schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations create trauma-informed, socially and emotionally intelligent spaces that foster healing and connection.https://trustandgrow.org/Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence-https://www.teachersunify.org/

What does it really mean to help students learn how to learn—especially in systems that were never designed with all learners in mind?In this powerful conversation, Ginger and Julie are joined by Zaretta Hammond, nationally recognized consultant, educator, and author, to explore how culturally responsive teaching, neuroscience, and instructional equity intersect. Together, they unpack why rigor and care are not opposites, how learning power is built (or blocked) by systems, and what educators can do to move beyond compliance toward true cognitive justice.Zaretta brings over 25 years of experience supporting schools and systems in understanding the science of learning, the science of reading, and culturally responsive practices, offering both big-picture insight and practical wisdom educators can use right away.Zaretta Hammond is a national consultant, former high school and community college writing teacher, and a leading voice in culturally responsive education. She is the author of:Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: Teaching for Instructional Equity and Cognitive Justice (Corwin, 2025)Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Corwin, 2015)🌐 Zaretta Hammond’s website: https://ready4rigor.com/📘 Rebuilding Students’ Learning Power: https://a.co/d/0AYfVe2📗 Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: https://a.co/d/9XHihth

In this heartfelt and reflective episode, Julie Beem and Ginger Healy return to a profound conversation from Season 1 with the late Cissy White—trauma survivor, fierce advocate, and the originator of the term Joy Stalking.As the world faces rising despair and isolation, Julie and Ginger explore what it means to stalk, savor, and sustain joy—especially in the face of pain, trauma, and fear. Drawing from Cissy’s wisdom, Brene Brown’s research, theological insights, and their own personal journeys, they unpack how joy can be a radical act of healing and resistance.You’ll discover why joy is not the same as happiness, how trauma can block joy, and why cultivating even the tiniest moments of joy might just be one of the most important things we can do—for ourselves, our children, and our communities.“Joy stalking is always healing and useful. It’s about savoring life through sensing, using my body, absorbing, feeling all the good stuff.” — Cissy White“Joy isn’t the opposite of sadness. It’s the opposite of fear.” — Anne Robertson via Brené Brown“Joy doesn’t betray but sustains activism… joy is a fine initial act of insurrection.” — Rebecca Solnit“We can’t experience joy when we’re scanning for danger. Trauma blocks joy—but healing invites it back in.” — Julie & Ginger

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Stan Sonu, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and Medical Director for Child Advocacy at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Sonu shares his insights on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), relational health, and trauma-informed care, focusing on how clinicians and schools can support resilience and wellbeing in children and families.We dive into Dr. Sonu’s paradigm of “what’s strong with you” instead of “what’s wrong with you?”, and explore the fascinating concept of systemic empathy—how organizations and systems can create environments that nurture and protect children’s relational health.Dr. Sonu also highlights innovative programs like Strong 4 Life at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Health-Law Partnership (HeLP), a collaborative addressing health-harming legal issues for low-income families.He references valuable resources for clinicians, educators, and families, including the work of Dan Siegel, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and community support services at Grady Memorial Hospital.Listeners will gain actionable ideas for integrating trauma-informed principles into their own practice, classrooms, or organizations, and be inspired to shift from focusing on deficits to recognizing and building on strengths in children and families.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:https://www.strong4life.com/en/our-experts/stan-sonuGrady Memorial HospitalDan Siegel Books & ResourcesInterpersonal Neurobiology ResourcesHealth-Law Partnership (HeLP)