In this episode, we talk with Rick and Doris Bowman about their brand-new book, Your FBA is a Fantasy!: A Guidebook to Creating Truly Trauma-Informed, Neuro-Affirming Functional Behavior Assessments & Behavior Support Plans. Together, we unpack why traditional FBAs and behavior plans often fall short—and can even harm students—and what it takes to truly shift toward regulation- and connection-based supports that foster resilience and belonging.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why traditional reward-and-punishment systems miss the mark for kids with trauma or neurodivergence.
  

• How to reframe “behavior” as an adaptive response—not defiance.
  

• Practical brain-body truths from neuroscience, Polyvagal Theory, and HeartMath that educators can use daily.
  

• Why adult nervous system regulation is the foundation for supporting students.
  

• A message of hope and encouragement for teachers feeling exhausted.
  

This conversation is full of wisdom, compassion, and practical tools that can change the way we see—and support—our most vulnerable students.

Resources & Links:

• Your FBA is a Fantasy! by Rick and Doris Bowman https://a.co/d/hYj5zoJ

• Learn more about Team Bowman and Bowman Consulting Group https://bowmanconsultgroup.com/

“Parents Have Feelings, Too: Emotional Intelligence, The Change Triangle, and Healing Generational Patterns with Hilary Jacobs Hendel & Juli Fraga”

Parenting can bring deep joy—but also guilt, shame, rage, grief, and more. So what do we do with all those big feelings? In this powerful episode, Julie and Ginger sit down with Hilary Jacobs Hendel, author of It’s Not Always Depression, and Dr. Juli Fraga, psychologist and parenting educator, to discuss their brand-new book, Parents Have Feelings, Too: Using the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self (out September 23, 2025).

This book is a practical, research-backed, and compassion-filled guide to help parents recognize, work through, and grow from their emotions. Together, we explore how understanding your own emotionallandscape—through tools like the Change Triangle and the 4 Cs of Open-Heartedness—can break intergenerational patterns and build emotional intelligence in both you and your children.

From the hidden power of disappointment to how to befriend your defenses, this episode is full of insight, practical strategies, and affirming reminders that your feelings matter too.

In This Episode, We Explore:

A gentle, clear introduction to the Change Triangle and how it helps people process emotions

The 4 Cs of Open-Heartedness—and how they lead to greater emotional freedom

What’s underneath "parent burnout" and how to move through it with clarity

Why naming and noticing your defenses can unlock self-compassion

How understanding disappointment can transform your parenting

Ways parents can model healthy emotional processing for their kids

The role of unprocessed trauma in generational parenting patterns—and how to break the cycle

Tools for parenting through anxiety, guilt, grief, and more—with authenticity and skill

Parents Have Feelings, Too is an emotional wellness playbook for parents. Drawing from the Change Triangle framework and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Hilary and Juli provide tools to help parents identify, understand, and process emotions in real time—so they can respond with calm, confidence, and connection. Through exercises, client stories, and reflection activities, this book guides readers to become more emotionally attuned parents and more authentic versions of themselves.

“With 1 in 5 moms experiencing anxiety or depression, and over 60% of parents facing burnout, this book isn’t just helpful—it’s necessary.”

RESOURCES

Parents Have Feelings, Too: A Guide to Navigating Your Emotions So You And Your Family Can Thrive:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/788442/parents-have-feelings-too-by-hilary-jacobs-hendel/

Emotions Education 101 Class on Zoom for Parents:https://www.hilaryjacobshendel.com/education-cirriculum-content/emotion-education-101

Teens, Tweens and Caregivers Curriculum to provide anEmotions Education 2-hour Introduction:https://www.hilaryjacobshendel.com/workshops/teen-emotions-education-101%E2%84%A2

Print a PDF of the Change Triangle:https://www.hilaryjacobshendel.com/print-the-change-triangle

Change Triangle YouTube channel with tools:https://www.youtube.com/@TheChangeTriangle/videos

Follow Hilary: hilaryjacobshendel.com

Follow Juli: julifraga.com

In this episode of Regulated & Relational, hosts Julie Beem and Ginger Healy sit down with two fathers on a mission to transform the way families and schools understand neurodiversity—Carl Young and Joel Sheagren.

Carl and Joel are the co-creators of Embracing Hope: A Caregiver’s Guide to Neurodiversity, a groundbreaking book that bridges lived experience, creative storytelling, and research-based strategies to empower families raising children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and trauma.

👉 Get the book on Amazon: Embracing Hope 👉 Learn more about the project: embracinghopebook.com

This book challenges deficit-focused narratives, instead celebrating the strengths, creativity, and resilience that neurodivergent individuals bring to their families and communities.

Through a blend of:

• Personal stories from caregivers and neurodivergent individuals
  

• Fictional vignettes that illustrate everyday challenges
  

• Evidence-based interventions that can be adapted to each family’s needs
  

…readers are invited to move beyond labels and see the unique gifts of every child.

In our conversation, Carl and Joel share:

• Why they recognized a critical gap in resources for parents raising neurodiverse teens
  

• How storytelling and character-driven vignettes help families engage with complex content
  

• The surprising and transformative insights from Embracing Hope that resonate most with overwhelmed caregivers
  

• How community, creativity, and advocacy can shift families from survival to thriving
  

This book is more than a manual—it’s a companion for families, educators, and allies who are seeking practical tools, renewed confidence, and the reassurance that they are not alone.

Join us for this inspiring conversation about resilience, advocacy, and the future of supporting neurodiverse children and families.