Guest: Dr. Jacqueline Jacobs Tynan, licensed clinical psychologist specializing in attachment-based therapy for children, families, and parents, trained in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).

In this episode, Dr. Courtney sits down with Dr. Jacqueline to unpack why kids' big behaviors are rarely the real problem — they're a signal. They dig into selective attention, the difference between a tantrum and a trauma response, and why repairing after we get it wrong matters more than never missing the mark.

What You'll Learn:

• Why behavior is the "fire alarm," not the fire — and how to find the source
• The real difference between selective attention and ignoring your child
• Why giving in to stop the crying can unintentionally teach kids their feelings are unsafe
• The "vending machine" metaphor for how kids learn which behaviors get their needs met
• How to use selective attention earlier in the behavioral chain instead of at the peak of a meltdown
• How to start telling the difference between boundary-testing and trauma-driven behavior
• Why getting it "wrong" about 70% of the time and repairing builds more trust, not less
• How labeled praise and connection can shift a child's whole sense of self over time

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Dr. Jacqueline Jacobs Tynan's work
• What is Circle of Security?
• Postpartum Support International
• Integrated Behavioral Health: integratedbhs.com

Legal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at info@integratedbhs.com to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.

Summer is supposed to feel like freedom — but for most parents, it's also when couple connection quietly falls apart. In this episode, Dr. Courtney sits down with couples and sex therapist Bozhena Evans, LCSW to talk about why the summer transition is hard on relationships, how to stop the communication spirals before they start, and the surprisingly simple practices that can keep you and your partner feeling like a team.

What You'll Learn:

• Why the loss of school-year structure puts stress on couples — and what to do about it
• How to have scheduling conversations without them turning into conflict
• The difference between "I" language and blame language — and why it changes everything
• What soul gazing is and how two minutes of eye contact can reconnect you
• The science behind the 20–40 second hug (oxytocin + cortisol reduction, no gym required)
• How to ask for what you need without making your partner feel pressured
• Why planning for intimacy is not a mood killer — it's a lifeline
• The guilt parents feel about taking alone time, and how to reframe it
• How to transition out of "work mode" or "parent mode" and back into "partner mode"
• Why happy parents really do make happy kids

Resources & Links:

• Bozhena Evans, LCSW: link to her practice website | Instagram: @bozhenaevanstherapy
• Integrated Behavioral Health: integratedbhs.com | Instagram: @integratedbh

Legal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at info@integratedbhs.com to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.

Guest: Dr. Stephanie Bono, licensed psychologist and founder of Evergrow Therapy & Assessment in the Denver Highlands. Steph specializes in ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, and parenting, and leads workshops for moms raising toddler boys — including her new boy mom playgroup at Sloane's Lake in Denver.

Episode Summary: Dr. Courtney sits down with Denver psychologist and boy mom Dr. Stephanie Bono for a warm, research-packed conversation about what it really takes to raise emotionally healthy boys. From the sharks on their onesies to the way we respond when they cry, Steph breaks down the subtle — and not so subtle — ways we start putting boys in a box long before they can walk. This one is for every parent who wants to raise a son who grows into a man capable of close relationships, emotional awareness, and a full, rich life.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How gender bias shows up in parenting before your baby is even born
• The clothing and toy research that will change how you look at your kid's closet
• Why boys are actually deeply relational by nature — and what starts to weed that out of them
• The difference between explicit and implicit gender messaging, and which one is harder to catch
• How to talk to your son about his emotions without shutting them down
• What to do when your kid comes home saying something that makes you want to flip a table
• The long-term consequences of hyper-masculinity — and why the research is more alarming than most parents realize
• The manosphere, the incel movement, and how a secure home attachment is your best protection
• The one question Steph asks herself every time Miles cries

Resources & Links:

• Dr. Stephanie Bono: evergrowledenver.com
• Boy Mom Toddler Playgroup at Sloane's Lake — details on Dr. Steph's website
• How to Raise a Boy by Michael Reichert, PhD
• Integrated Behavioral Health: integratedbhs.com
• Follow Dr. Steph: @evergrowpsychology
• Follow IBH: @integratedbh

Legal Disclaimer: While this podcast may provide information that is educational in nature, it is not intended to be a health care service, psychotherapy, or the practice of psychology. This podcast’s main purpose is to provide educational insights for all stages of child and family development. We will not provide diagnoses or specific recommendations for your family. At no point is a therapeutic relationship established by way of your unilateral participation by listening to these episodes, and we cannot provide advice or privileges associated with a therapeutic relationship. We recommend that anyone who is seeking a therapeutic relationship reach out to Integrated Behavioral Health at info@integratedbhs.com to begin the interview process of becoming a client or receiving a referral. If at any point in your listening or engaging with the content of this podcast, you experience an emergency, please immediately call 911 or go to your local emergency room.