Kitchen Table Conversations with Angela Geddes

Understanding Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders with Compassion In this special Deep Dive episode, Angela Geddes explores the key concepts from her updated Not Your Typical Parenting Guide, 2nd Edition. Instead of a traditional audiobook, this conversation-style episode offers a warm, accessible walkthrough of the book’s main ideas for caregivers, educators, and clinicians supporting children and youth with Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CNDs) including FASD, ADHD, autism, trauma-re...

Join us for a new Deep Dive edition of Kitchen Table Conversations, where with the help of technology and our amazing team, we are able to provide an audio overview and a close look at the key learning points within her first book, A Complicated and Beautiful Brain. This conversation explores what Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can look like across the lifespan — in children, teens, and adults — and why understanding the brain matters more than judg...

October 10th marks World Mental Health Day, a global reminder that mental health is a universal human right. In this special episode of Kitchen Table Conversations, Angela Geddes explores what mental health really means — beyond hashtags and online labels. She discusses how overdiagnosis can sometimes overshadow those living with complex, lifelong conditions and highlights the importance of prevention, evidence-informed treatment, and compassion. Angela also draws attention to a missing piece...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Conversations, Angela shines a light on one of the most overlooked issues in prenatal health: unplanned pregnancies and the invisible window of risk. With over half of pregnancies unplanned, many people are unknowingly exposing developing babies to alcohol, tobacco, or other substances in those critical first weeks. Angela discusses how this early exposure can lead to lifelong impacts on mental health, learning, and behaviour—not just FASD—and why outdated adv...

Why This Summer Was BIG Join Angela Geddes, MSW, RSW, as she kicks off FASD Awareness Month and International FASD Awareness Day (Sept 9) with an inspiring look at the work being done to prevent prenatal alcohol and substance exposure and support those living with the impacts of prenatal alcohol and substance exposure and FASD. This episode highlights: New book releases, resources, and partnershipsCreative prevention campaigns, including radio PSAs, a new song, and community projectsWhy preco...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Conversations, Angela takes a deep and compassionate look at the critical—but often ignored—link between prenatal health and mental health across the lifespan. Drawing on research, clinical experience, and personal stories, she unpacks how even low levels of alcohol or substance exposure during pregnancy can impact brain development, increasing the risk for conditions like anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Angela also addresses the systemic gaps in diagnosis, esp...

In this episode of Kitchen Table Conversations, Angela reflects on the emotional fallout of Canada’s recent federal election—and the importance of healthy dialogue. Drawing from her mental health background, she unpacks 10 common cognitive distortions (like all-or-nothing thinking and emotional reasoning) and encourages listeners to return to the table with more curiosity and less judgment. This episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling disillusioned by political division and searching for ...

This year’s FASD International Research Conference was both powerful and deeply human. Key themes included: The insidious impact of stigma — and how it blocks access to diagnosis and careThe importance of naming FASD to open doors, not close themNew research on paternal alcohol exposure at the time of conceptionThe call for interdisciplinary support, trauma-informed care, and early interventionHeartfelt reminders that every diagnosis is a family story — and every story deserves compassi...