This week I wrote a quick post titled, The Active and Connected Summer – The Joy Must Continue! If you didn’t have a chance to read it, here’s the short version… I was reflecting on the joyful fun of the summer and how in the midst of our annual return to the very responsible routines of the fall I resolved to continue to do all of the activities that bring me full body joy, the way I feel when I’m both active and connected. To keep the concept of ‘active and connected’ moving forward, we recently decided to revive the podcast that I was doing with my good friends Sarah Lewis of the Lewis Practice and Caroline Megargel of Virginia Family Therapy, aka the Podcast Therapists. The new name is… wait for it… the Active & Connected Families podcast!
I’ve realized that not only does being active and connected bring me joy, but my work with mothers and families really revolves around helping people become more active and connected in themselves, their families, and in their communities. I’m hopeful that the podcast will offer accessible and relatable advice to help people integrate these concepts into their families more easily!

I will be the regular host and of course the podcast will feature Sarah and Caroline frequently, I’ll do a few episodes myself and we’ll also have a range of expert guests as we dive into some of issues and topics that are important to me as well as the moms and families we work with on a regular basis at Virginia Family Therapy.

Given that I had to get my friends and I wrote and rewrote the intro 75 times, I thought I’d share the ‘official’ description of Active & Connected Families

“Active & Connected Families podcast is a smart, conversational guide to help you and your family feel more active and connected in your daily lives. Your host, Dr. Amanda Sovik-Johnston, will tackle the small problems that sometimes get in our way (fighting about laundry… again?) as well as the bigger, more complicated mental health challenges facing our teenagers today.

Amanda is a child psychologist, mom of three boys, entrepreneur, competitive swimmer, wife and an expert at creating fun with a dash of perspective and plenty of wisdom.

You will laugh and sometimes cry with Amanda and her expert guests. Subscribe to the A&C Families podcast and you’ll always learn something unique and useful about how you can become a better person, as well as a better parent!”

The first two episodes hit last week and I am proud of them! Michael, Sarah, and Caroline are so insightful and I’m thankful to have bright and thoughtful friends. So, when you have a few minutes, go to Apple, Spotify or wherever you devour your podcasts, take a listen to the new version of the podcast and let me know what you think and thanks for listening!


Disclaimer: Please remember we are real live therapists, however this is a podcast and is not considered a therapy session. Not only because there is no co-pay but also because we can’t speak to your individual experiences. We are here to help you keep raising healthy kids. And remember, if you are an imperfect parent, we are right there with you. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, please call your local crisis hotline or go to your nearest emergency room.

Fostering growth through connection.

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