Pediatricians and family physicians are on the front lines of our children’s mental health needs. In fact, they are reporting more and more that it’s the most common (and often most challenging) issue they are addressing with families. On this episode, Lynn and Robin are joined by Dr. Jessica Hochman, whose practice and podcast (Ask Dr. Jessica) focus on helping families feel more confident and informed. What is it like to be a pediatrician in the age of worry? What is most satisfying/challengin...
Jul 04, 2025•44 min
Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting. It’s powerful and can take over a family in dramatic fashion. In this episode, Lynn talks throwing up: how families accommodate, how it can be viewed through an OCD lens, what parents can do to help, and how to get the right help. Here is the past episode which Lynn mentions regarding picky eaters: https://www.flusterclux.com/picky-eater-kids-preventing-and-managing-food-anxiety/ Here is the link to Lynn's September webinar: https://lynn-lyons-llc.ce-go.com/a...
Jun 27, 2025•47 min
This episode tackles the question we hear most often from our new listeners: how do I support my anxious child? Lynn lays out the three keys for parents: information about how anxiety works, owning family patterns, and moving away from the belief that your child’s worries are unique and what must be addressed. There’s a lot parents can do to help; here’s a roadmap. Referenced resources from today's episode: The Physical Symptoms of Anxiety The Anxiety Disruptor Series (7 Short Episodes) The Anxi...
Jun 20, 2025•42 min•Season 7Ep. 46
Being a new parent brings up every emotion…including anxiety. Does it show up differently in moms and dads? (Yes.) Are there ways to make it less powerful? (Yes.) Are all those parenting apps helping? (Lynn has thoughts.) Whether you’re a new parent or hoping to support those in your life, there’s information here for you. Here is the link to her September webinar that Lynn discusses in this episode: https://lynn-lyons-llc.ce-go.com/a-two-part-webinar-how-to-help-your-anxiousdepressed-teen WE'VE...
Jun 13, 2025•44 min
As we dive into summer, Lynn zips through three recent research findings that are great reminders about prevention, exercise, labels and warmth. (And not summer warmth. A different kind.) Here is the link to Michael Yapko's talk, How to Recover from Depression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVgQ_tgWMyU WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn L...
Jun 06, 2025•32 min
We talk with the hosts of the This is So Awkward podacst about how communication shifts with kids as they become tweens and teens. We tackle all things pubescent with Vanessa Kroll Bennett and Dr. Cara Natterson. Puberty is starting earlier and our conversations about bodies and hormones and moods and relationships should, too. We have questions and these two smart women have answers! WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those...
May 30, 2025•45 min
Lynn often says that the hardest people to work with in her practice are the ones that don’t own their own stuff. In this recast of a popular Season 6 episode, we talk about owning patterns in your marriage. Both Robin and Lynn work with their husbands and both are consistently working on owning and breaking patterns. Do you get defensive? Of course you do! We’ll get specific in this episode. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: F...
May 23, 2025•36 min•Season 7Ep. 42
Unfortunately, childhood anxiety often leads to depression. But not always! Certain patterns increase the likelihood and make the path smoother. Knowing these patterns and risk factors—and how to interrupt them—is how we best help our families. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as well as a 3-p...
May 16, 2025•38 min•Season 7Ep. 41
A listener has concerns about her daughter’s bedtime ritual. Once simply seen as cute, the words needing to be spoken in a certain way each evening are causing some concern. Is this a problem? Or a harmless, sweet routine? Also, Lynn also addresses a little known fact but common occurrence: anxious kids are very inaccurate reporters and their catastrophic language can get parents going. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: For tho...
May 09, 2025•40 min•Season 7Ep. 40
A little known fact about Lynn: she uses pediatric hypnosis and even wrote a clinical text on the subject. The term hypnosis carries a lot of baggage, so we’re going to set the record straight. Lynn talks about how she uses it, its validity in pediatric medical settings and the myths we need to bust. And here are the hypnosis organizations that Lynn references in this episode: nphti.org & asch.net. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is ou...
May 02, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 39
In this episode, a mother is struggling with her daughter’s demand for certainty. At 17, she’s convinced she has cancer, won’t attend therapy, and is holding the family hostage. What can a parent do when a teen is refusing help? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor ser...
Apr 25, 2025•40 min•Season 7Ep. 38
After decades of seeing families, Lynn quickly spots the obstacles that undermine or even derail therapy. From inconsistency to too many cooks in the therapy kitchen, Lynn runs through her list. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as well as a 3-part series on ...
Apr 18, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 37
Of course we want to get rid of worry, our own and our kids’, but trying to eliminate the thoughts and feelings and sensations of anxiety is a trap. Nonetheless, the use of what Lynn calls “elimination strategies” continues. What does Lynn mean…and what do we do instead? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn...
Apr 11, 2025•40 min•Season 7Ep. 36
As we reflect on the fifth anniversary of COVID this month, Lynn and Ed discuss its impact on kids’ social interactions. Have adults stopped modeling and teaching social norms? Are we allowing our children to avoid social, in-person experiences and then calling it anxiety? Do we need to do better? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with t...
Apr 04, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 35
Anxiety messes with sleep and lack of sleep messes with most everything. So, it's not surprising that it’s one of the most frequent and urgent problems parents want to address. In this episode, Lynn lays out the steps she teaches families to help them escape that bedtime hostage situation. Here is the past episode that we reference in today's show: https://www.flusterclux.com/when-your-childs-bedtime-fears-are-frustrating-the-whole-family/ Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two P...
Mar 28, 2025•44 min•Season 7Ep. 34
What happens when you try to get your family members or friends to join you in shifting away from anxious parenting patterns? One listener tried, and got the cold shoulder from other moms. In this episode, Ed, Lynn and Robin address how to expand your team to manage anxiety and deal with the defensiveness and pushback you might encounter. defensiveness and pushback you might encounter. Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two Part Webinar: The DO's and DON'Ts of Parenting Your Anxi...
Mar 21, 2025•51 min•Season 7Ep. 33
In this In Session episode, Lynn talks to Kaitlin, mom to a 7 year old boy with social anxiety and selective mutism. While her son has made impressive gains over the last year, Kaitlin feels stuck when it comes to her son’s rigidity and his inability to join in with children on the playground. How does this family build upon a great foundation in dealing with anxiety and change it up in ways that keep the progress going? Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two Part Webinar: The DO...
Mar 14, 2025•57 min•Season 7Ep. 32
In this episode, Lynn & Ed are joined by Noah Cummings who was featured with Lynn in the documentary Anxious Nation. Noah and Lynn have known each other for (gulp!) 13 years. Noah is open and articulate about doing what works to manage his anxiety. He shares the experience of being an anxious little kid, how his parents tried to help—and what they learned in the process—and how his anxiety still has the ability to trick him. This is a success story of optimism, hard work and connection. Here...
Mar 07, 2025•58 min•Season 7Ep. 31
Lynn was lucky to learn about the skill of differentiation from Michael Yapko (be sure to listen to our Season 6 conversation with Michael!) and in this episode she walks us through the use of HOW questions to help anxious families. How do I get my child to school? How do I know if I should push my child forward? And Lynn’s favorite: How did your anxiety promote this to an emergency? Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two Part Webinar: The DO's and DON'Ts of Parenting Your Anxiou...
Feb 28, 2025•48 min•Season 7Ep. 30
Our words matter as they often convey to our children how to approach the setbacks and challenges of life. In this episode Lynn and Ed dive into three language patterns, one to minimize and two to enhance: permanence, positive expectancy and placebo. (Lynn Lyons likes alliteration.) Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two Part Webinar: The DO's and DON'Ts of Parenting Your Anxious Child WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our...
Feb 21, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 29
Listeners have been asking for more discussion on the skills needed to help social anxiety, so we review this to start; then Lynn answers a listener question about a worrier, the bottomless well of questions, and how a school counselor might be unintentionally bolstering the quest for certainty. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with thi...
Feb 14, 2025•41 min•Season 7Ep. 28
Getting an anxious child into school is sometimes an (exhausting) victory. But when they then want to be picked up, parents are often hit with doubt, guilt, and confusion about when and HOW to respond to pleas and demands. In this episode, tips for handling the dreaded “come get me!” text. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this play...
Feb 07, 2025•53 min•Season 7Ep. 27
In this episode, a listener is struggling with her children’s homework meltdowns. She’s exhausted by the nightly distress and has tried to be patient, reassuring, firm…nothing is working and she’s at a loss. What to do? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as we...
Feb 01, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 26
Ryan Wexelblatt, ADHD expert and founder of ADHD Dude, is back to talk about his social anxiety groups for boys with ADHD, the social skills these guys need, and how pervasive misinformation about ADHD is hurting families. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as...
Jan 24, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 25
In this episode we are joined by Ryan Wexelblatt, an ADHD expert known for his concrete and skill-based approach to helping parents via his ADHD Dude content on YouTube. Individual therapy for kids with ADHD is not recommended, he tells us. What is? Teaching parents what they probably don’t know about ADHD, and how to support their family with skills. WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For tho...
Jan 17, 2025•50 min•Season 7Ep. 24
On this re-cast of a popular Season 5 "In Session" episode, Lynn talks to a mom who is beginning to recognize patterns of rigidity and anxiety in her 9yo daughter and, more importantly, the ways both she and her husband react to uncertainty and judgement in themselves and others. When the goals of being right and being perfect are modeled, children often react with shut downs or freak outs when they themselves fall short. How does a busy, rigid family step out of this trap? WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS ...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 23
Anxiously ruminating or worrying requires an internal focus: “But I’m worrying about my kids, or people I care about,” the worrier tries to argue. “I’m not focusing on myself!” Well, you are. You focus on your version of events, your particular construct, your perceptions. In this episode, we talk about how a genuine external focus leads to a disconnection from one’s own compelling (and often stress-driven) narrative. Here is the earlier Flusterclux episode that Robin & Lynn mention in today...
Jan 03, 2025•40 min•Season 7Ep. 22
This is a juicy episode— and a really important one for all concerned about the mental health trends with our teens. After thirty-five years in the mental health field, Lynn addresses very directly her concerns about the messages teens are receiving, and articulating, about their mental health. It's time to be candid about toxic trends, misinformation, and where our teens are heading. Can we shift this paradigm for them? [This is a recast of an episode from Season 5.] Here's the previous Fluster...
Dec 27, 2024•47 min•Season 7Ep. 21
Two (really) stressed gals show up for this episode to talk about injecting fun and playfulness into holiday events. Robin and Lynn share lots of ideas wrapped up in a little encouragement, and by the end, they both feel better. We think you will, too! WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-pa...
Dec 20, 2024•33 min•Season 7Ep. 20
Human beings are judgy creatures. It’s part of being social animals. But want to guarantee conflict during the holidays? Start judging other family member’s parenting. Too much sugar for your cousin’s toddler? The horror! Not enough emotional expression allowed by your brother-in-law? Disappointing! Whether you are the judge or the judged (and we’re often both), shifting your approach during holiday gatherings will benefit everyone. Let’s talk strategy, reality, and talking at least 85% less. WE...
Dec 13, 2024•41 min•Season 7Ep. 19
