Building Pathways to Healthy Minds: A ChildBuilders Podcast

Tamra's podcast description: What is the first year of parenthood really like? Host Priscilla Bagley welcomes back Tamra Wilkerson for an honest and heartfelt conversation about life after one year into motherhood. Tamra reflects on the joys, challenges, and surprises of parenting, sharing how her expectations compared to reality as she navigated sleepless nights, changing routines, work-life balance, and the everyday decisions that come with raising a child.Together, Priscilla and Tamra explore topics like mom guilt, maintaining a strong partnership, letting go of perfection, and learning to appreciate the small moments through a child’s eyes. Filled with relatable stories and practical wisdom, this episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds offers encouragement for parents and caregivers while reminding us that there is no perfect way to parent. The journey of growing alongside our children is what truly matters.Tamra's previous episode: Parenting Highlight: Before parenthood starts, how do we dream for our children and set up environme…For more information on developmental milestones and what children need at each stage, please visit: Parent Guide | ChildBuildersCheck out Tamra's book recommendation: " Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live): Rodsky…

In this episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds, host Priscilla Bagley sits down with Dr. Natalie Fikac — an educator, counselor, and wellness consultant with more than 30 years of experience in teaching and school mental health. Dr. Fikac shares her inspiring journey from the classroom to her current work with the University of Texas and the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health.Together, Priscilla and Dr. Fikac dive into the heart of emotional intelligence—exploring how parents, educators, and caregivers can nurture empathy, self-awareness, and compassion in children. Listeners will learn:* How to help kids name and manage their emotions in healthy, constructive ways* Why modeling mindfulness and self-compassion matters* Simple, creative tools like vision boards and calm-down spaces that promote emotional wellness* How embracing our own imperfections helps children build resilience and connectionDr. Fikac reminds us that “we’re all doing the best we can”—and that true emotional growth begins with compassion for ourselves.Learn more about her work here: https://wellnessfirstconsulting.org/about

In this episode of Building Pathways to Healthy Minds, host Priscilla Bagley welcomes mindfulness expert Dr. Ann Friedman to explore the theme of being with uncertainty. Together, they discuss how our brains are wired to protect us by overthinking and worrying, but this often fuels anxiety.Dr. Friedman shares strategies to calm the mind and body, including mindfulness meditation, breathing techniques, exercise, and self-compassion practices. She explains how learning to sit with uncertainty—rather than fight it—can reduce anxiety, build resilience, and open us to more peace and connection in daily life.Listeners will gain practical tools for managing both everyday worries and life’s bigger unknowns, while learning how to reframe safety as the foundation for love, connection, and well-being.Listen to our prerecorded webinars with Dr. Friedman here: https://childbuilders.org/mindfulness-workshop/Visit her website to learn more about her practice: https://www.mindfulbeinghouston.com/

Have you ever felt like you or your child learns differently, sees the world differently or reacts to situations differently? In this episode I sit down with Natalie Henderson, a longtime friend who found herself asking herself these questions eight years ago, and that started a beautiful journey of discovering more about herself, her son and parenting. Our conversation is on the topic of neurodiversity and twice exceptionality and how in parenting we are constantly assessing, reassessing, learning and changing. No matter where we are in that journey, we need support and community to help us through and sit with us on the hard days. Natalie gave us all kinds of amazing resources and strategies she has found useful. Natalie Henderson, MPH is a public health educator, behavioral health strategist, and parentadvocate with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of mental health, education, and equity. She began her career at ChildBuilders, where she collaborated with the team on curriculum design and program delivery.As a parent of a neurodivergent child, Natalie brings both personal insight and professional expertise to her work. She has served in leadership roles across public health and education, most recently as Vice President of Partner Success at Cell-Ed, a mobile-first learning platform that supports underserved learners around the world. Her work focuses on helping organizations design inclusive, evidence-based strategies that meet people where they are.Natalie is also the founder of Radiant Catalyst, a consulting practice that supports small to medium-sized organizations align around shared goals, clarify roles and responsibilities,strengthen interpersonal relationships and build effective protocols and procedures. Her approach is grounded in empathy, systems thinking, and a deep commitment to equity.

This episode we talk to Licensed Professional Counselor Rachael Frasier, as she reflects on her work with both children and adults and shares wisdom from her time supporting students in schools and beyond. She encourages parents and educators to slow down, be present, and practice listening to what kids are saying and noticing what makes them tick. From grounding exercises to planning ahead with our kids, she gives practical strategies for walking through anxiety and learning differences. Rachael reminds us that as our children grow and change, so do we—and staying curious and connected is one of the most meaningful things we can do.

In this episode, we chat with Liz — entrepreneur, mom, and ChildBuilders board member — about the powerful parenting skills she brings from the workplace to her home. From leading with empathy to building resilience through real-life challenges, Liz shares how treating kids like part of the team can make all the difference. Tune in for relatable stories, smart strategies, and a few laughs along the way!

Anxiety is one of the biggest "enemies of empathy". We have all been there- something happens with our kids, and instead of responding with empathy, we respond out of our own anxiety. How can we recognize and overcome that? This episode gives stories and strategies for doing just that and ways to stop the cycle from affecting our children and their futures. We also talk about how prevention and talking to our children about their anxiety from a young age is key, how we can't always fix anxiety but we can reframe it by talking through fears and giving them tools to feel calm such as singing, yoga, and breathing, and how we walk alongside them to teach them problem-solving skills to create healthier pathways in their minds to help them overcome anxiety. We referenced 2 books to read with children to help on this journey:The Whatifs, By Emily KilgoreWilma Jean the Worry Machine, By Julia Cook