ADHD and Emotional Regulation: Helping Kids Manage Big Feelings — Dr. Blaise Aguirre

ADHD and Emotional Regulation: Helping Kids Manage Big Feelings — Dr. Blaise Aguirre

From The ADHD Kids Can Thrive Podcast by Kate Brownfield

October 20, 2025 · 35 min · Episode 115

About this episode

Dr. Blaise Aguirre discusses DBT tools for emotional regulation in ADHD kids and the role of medication.

What do you do when your child with ADHD is overwhelmed, highly emotional, or completely losing it? Kate Brownfield talks with Dr. Blaise Aguirre, child and adolescent psychiatrist, Director of the 3East Continuum at McLean Hospital, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and expert in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Dr. Aguirre explains why behavior that looks like defiance may actually reflect missing emotional-regulation skills, why parents need to regulate themselves before trying to reason with an upset child, and how curiosity, validation, DBT tools, and appropriate ADHD treatment can help protect a child’s self-worth and strengthen the parent-child relationship. Resources:The Mood Tools App: https://www.mood.org/appADHD parent coaching and resources: https://adhdkidscanthrive.comFree ADHD Parent Reset: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IUVgRZz

People in this episode

Host: Kate Brownfield

Guest: Dr. Blaise Aguirre

Topics covered

  • ADHD
  • DBT
  • emotional regulation
  • parenting
  • medication
  • child psychiatry

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • DBT
  • emotional regulation
  • medication
  • parenting strategies
  • child psychiatry
  • crisis management

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School

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