In this episode, Dr. Stephanie has a profound conversation with Dr. Caroline Leaf, a renowned cognitive neuroscientist, about validating individual experiences regardless of clinical diagnoses. They explore the brain-mind distinction and emphasize a holistic approach to mental health. Topics include the detrimental effects of labeling and medicating, brain waves and learning, and managing emotions.They also highlight the significance of parents' role, the mind-brain-body connection, unstructured play, and the importance of seeking professional advice.Since the early 1980s, Dr. Leaf has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. As a highly sought-after expert on mental health, she is the host of the top-rated podcast, Cleaning Up the Mental Mess. Dr. Leaf is also the author of several bestselling books, including Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, Switch On Your Brain, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, The Perfect You, Think, Learn, Succeed, and many more. She has a Master’s and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc Logopaedics. Dr Leaf does ongoing research and clinical trials in the field of psychoneurobiology in order to improve mental health interventions.Links for this episode:Website: https://www.mentallyresilientkids.com/Episode Overview:0:00:01 Validating Experiences without Medical Diagnosis0:03:07 Neuro Cycle for Children and Building Resilience0:03:41 Introduction to Dr. Caroline Leif and her new book0:13:04 Validating Experiences and the Impact on Mental Health0:17:05 The Consequences of Mislabeling and Invalidation0:21:57 The impact of toxic experiences on the brain0:25:04 Recognizing the need for support and helping parents cope0:28:57 The crisis of medicalizing misery and pathologizing childhood0:39:08 Understanding the unique patterns of emotional experiences0:42:19 Examining behavioral and physiological changes in response to stress0:45:53 Visualizing the four signals as balloons attached to a thought tree0:50:19 Reflecting on connections and patterns in written reflections0:55:40 Understanding and Addressing Children's Energy and Misbehavior1:02:39 Turning Patterns into a Lifestyle1:10:29 The power of daydreaming and its benefits1:13:31 The detrimental effects of excessive structured activities for children1:18:05 Introducing the new book and where to find itWe’d like to thank our sponsors:This is possibly my favourite cardio machine ever - For a limited time, get $100 off CAROL Bike with promo code BETTER. Visit www.carolbike.com today.