Parenting for Connection:
A Relational Health Toolkit

In this podcast, Dr. Heather Forkey and Dr. Jessica Griffin talk about a different approach to address secondary traumatic stress and burnout: the affiliate response. 

Dr. Wozniak talks about the Child Advocacy Training & Support Center that she is leading and outlines several training opportunities for multidisciplinary teams. 

Dr. Jessica Griffin provides valuable advice on how to maintain a healthy and thriving relationship, while being a mom. 

Dr. Griffin addresses the issue of parenting and being in a healthy relationship with your partner. She offers several strategies in spending quality time together and strengthen the couple relationship, which is a key factor for the healthy development of children. 

Dr. Forkey shares her professional journey from pediatric oncology to trauma-informed care, particularly working with foster children. She emphasizes the importance of fostering genuine trust and meaningful relationships with patients and how to create an environment of safety. 

Join us for a conversation with Zlatina Kostova, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist   who specializes in research and treatment for childhood trauma. We’ll be delving into the relationship between trauma and substance use disorders with Dr. Kostova, and the impact of trauma-informed practices.

In this episode, Dr. Kostova speaks about the relationship between trauma and addiction, how prevalent trauma is globally, and different trauma-informed strategies.

Dr. Kostova explains what MBCT is and how can help individuals with addiction. She dives into the mechanisms of change behind mindfulness practices, allowing individuals to create more space between a trigger and a reaction. 

In this podcast, Heather Forkey, MD, emphasizes the importance of adopting a   trauma-informed and relational approach when working with children. She explains the importance of the affiliate response – the safe and nurturing relationships that help children to buffer the impact of trauma. Dr. Forkey provides practical suggestions on how to adopt TIC approach in pediatric settings.

Dr. Griffin provides tips on daily strategies to strengthen relationships; she shares her experience as a media expert and her passion for helping people in their relationships. She shares insight from her book “Relationships RX: Prescriptions for lasting love and deeper connection”

In this podcast, Heather Forkey, MD, discusses the mechanisms of burnout and how to use this understanding to restore resilience.

Dr. Forkey speaks about challenges across child welfare systems, new legislations, and policies. Dr. Forkey speaks about the specific challenges among children in foster care and the “ordinary magic” of establishing safe and stable relationships that are so fundamental in their lives.

Dr. Griffin speaks how to support parents suffering addiction in their relationship with children. She speaks about the specific impact of substance abuse on children as a gateway of other traumas. Dr. Griffin emphasizes the importance of the relational aspect and the presence in children’s lives of even one stable and nurturing caregiver.  

Dr. Forkey discusses the affiliate response and the role relationships play in resilience.

We commonly think of the human response to trauma, stress, and threat as "fight, flight or freeze", but there is one more, "affiliate". We are designed to be with others and resilience lies in our ability to find safe, stable, and nurturing relationships. Our past is not our future and surrounding ourselves with those who truly care for us is the key to thriving.

Dr. Forkey speaks about the physiology of burnout and a new perspective in considering this issue. She speaks about the importance – at an organizational and individual level – to promote relationships as a way to restore resilience. 

Dr. Griffin and Dr. Pepper talk about their book Relationship RX: Prescriptions for Lasting Love and Deeper Connections. They talk about resources and “prescriptions”, addressing different phases that couples may face.

Dr. Griffin addresses the challenge of being a mom, while also taking care of your relationship with your partner. She gives practical suggestions in prioritizing quality time with your partner and create the solid foundation in your relationship that is a key factor for the healthy development of children. 

Dr. Jessica Griffin and Dr. Brooks Keeshin discuss the role of pediatricians in early trauma intervention and how to support child resiliency and mental health. They discuss how to apply the concept of the 3 Rs (Reassurance, Routine, Regulation) in pediatric settings and some evidence-based treatments that pediatricians can refer to.