loader from loading.io

Divorce and New Beginnings

Bear Psychology Podcast

Release Date: 12/05/2025

Divorce and New Beginnings show art Divorce and New Beginnings

Bear Psychology Podcast

Using Self-Compassion practices after divorce can help both parents and children.  Divorce and/or separation is a stressful but quite common experience for both parents and children. Children often carry guilt, shame, and anger along with many other big feelings that parents often feel ill-equipped to address. In her book, “Two Times as Much Love” Eileen Beltzner tells the story of Alexander, a third-grader struggling with the emotional aftermath of his parents’ divorce, and his journey toward self-understanding and personal growth. Beltzner uses engaging storytelling and...

info_outline Schizoid Personality Disorder and a life of challenge show art Schizoid Personality Disorder and a life of challenge

Bear Psychology Podcast

Blair Sorrel shares her journey of living with Schizoid Personality Disorder and learning to accept and love herself. She undercovers further elements of her life growing up in a family of origin where she experienced ridicule leading to low self-worth, social anxiety and a debilitating fear of authority figures.   She explores a home life with “poor parenting” which undermined her academic and career disappointments. She reflects on the importance of nurturing caregivers to allow the flourishing of Intelligence and genetics toward success. In her book, “A Schizoid at Smith: How...

info_outline Your Historical Trauma show art Your Historical Trauma

Bear Psychology Podcast

Looking for a new approach for self-help or to support individual or group therapy for those who experienced childhood trauma? In his guidebook, “The Historical Trauma Programme - For Self-help or to Support Individual Therapy” Bill Wahl introduces a comprehensive and science-based model of working with trauma. With over ten years in the field, Counselling Psychologist Bill Wahl and 3 dozen NHS colleagues developed workbook-based models of trauma therapy which can be used for self-help, to support individual therapy, or as a comprehensive model of group therapy. The approach is reflected...

info_outline Dopamine Nation – Freeing Ourselves from Overconsumption / Instant Gratification show art Dopamine Nation – Freeing Ourselves from Overconsumption / Instant Gratification

Bear Psychology Podcast

It seems clear to me, that if we are constantly striving to experience only pleasure we will certainly land in a hurting world of pain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (or chemical messenger, which the brain produces) that plays a big role in the experience of pleasure. Instant hits of pleasure can keep us hooked into a cycle of gratification that results in an escalating need for reward, but instead leads to anxiety and a thirst for satisfaction that is never fulfilled. Our brains produce chemical jolts that can be evoked by emoji text messages; Facebook “likes”; shopping...

info_outline Use Movement to Heal Trauma show art Use Movement to Heal Trauma

Bear Psychology Podcast

“Embodied” approaches to healing include expressive movement, guided imagery, ritual, music and creative expressive interventions.  This goes beyond static medication and breathing exercises and into more dynamic practices. Pioneer Toni Bergins, brings active movement or “embodiment” into the toolkit offered in her book, “Embody: Feel, Heal, and Transform Your Life Through Movement” Bergins turns the processing of pain and trauma into an expressive art aligned with the most recent research. Her trauma-informed approach helps you release old struggles and shows you to stop...

info_outline Navigating Life’s Ups and Downs show art Navigating Life’s Ups and Downs

Bear Psychology Podcast

In her book, “A Very Narrow Bridge: Reflections of a Psychologist”, Dr. Rickey Miller shares her story guiding readers toward a greater understanding of life and the development of compassion for yourself and others.  Her book takes an important look at suffering, resilience and healing.  This memoir is a follows the author and her patients through heartbreak, grief, and anxiety toward joy, inspiration, and love.   She encourages us to ask questions and truly consider alternative paths to where we are stuck.  She suggests that we fail to ask ourselves if a...

info_outline The Relief of Letting Go show art The Relief of Letting Go

Bear Psychology Podcast

Having dedicated her life to helping others through emotional moments, Dr. Bea MacKay knows better than most that there are many things we cannot control in life. In her book, “Let Go of the Outcome and Let Things Fall Together”, she shares strategies for dealing with events we cannot change without feeling defeated. Her approach to mental health, embraces emotional wellbeing. Listen to our conversation with psychologist & author Dr. Bea MacKay as we talk all about her approach to reconnecting with your emotions and yourself. In this book, she walks you through how you can combine...

info_outline Understanding Narcissism show art Understanding Narcissism

Bear Psychology Podcast

If you have ever struggled with a person in your life that displays behaviors such as: lack of empathy; entitlement; a need to be the center of attention; negative reactions to any critical feedback; a grandiose sense of self; arrogance; manipulation and gaslighting; a need to be in control; demeaning and blaming of others and much more than this conversation will be of interest to you! “Narcissism: A Contemporary Introduction” by Dr. Richard Wood is a well-researched book that provides you with a deep understanding of the psychological terrain of the Narcissist. He distinguishes and...

info_outline Healing from Wounds No One Sees – From Military to Motorcycles show art Healing from Wounds No One Sees – From Military to Motorcycles

Bear Psychology Podcast

Dedicating your life to the safety and freedom of your country is a massive sacrifice military veterans across make every day. One of the largest challenges for these heroes is working through the barriers and stigma of PTSD following service and navigating their path of readjustment and recovery. Kurt Grant, author of “Shiny Side Up: On the Road to Recovery”, used a cross-country motorcycle trip to help integrate and calm some of the chaos in his mind following military service as an infantry sergeant. Listen to our conversation with veteran & author Kurt Grant as we talk about...

info_outline Our Emotional Connection to Pets and how it impact our lives show art Our Emotional Connection to Pets and how it impact our lives

Bear Psychology Podcast

So many of our listeners have pets that they cherish and certainly have shared struggles they might have with these animals.  I am a great animal lover and many of my clients have found solace in their relationships with pets in the home, at times feeling a great emotional boost from the connection.   With this in mind, I wanted to share the work of Denise Mange – who has written about her special approach to building a health relationship with the pets in your life.   A bark is not always just a bark and a bite is not always just a bite. Training a dog (or other animal)...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Using Self-Compassion practices after divorce can help both parents and children.  Divorce and/or separation is a stressful but quite common experience for both parents and children. Children often carry guilt, shame, and anger along with many other big feelings that parents often feel ill-equipped to address. In her book, “Two Times as Much Love” Eileen Beltzner tells the story of Alexander, a third-grader struggling with the emotional aftermath of his parents’ divorce, and his journey toward self-understanding and personal growth. Beltzner uses engaging storytelling and therapeutic tools rooted in mindfulness and self-compassion. The book models a deep respect for children’s inner emotional lives, showing how events like divorce and social rejection can deeply affect a child’s self-worth and worldview.

 

Listen to our conversation with therapist and author Eileen Beltzner as she draws upon her many years of experience to walk us through how children navigate massive life and family changes like divorce.

 

Eileen Beltzner is a child and family therapist, social worker, and author. She worked as a special care counselor, curriculum writer for children with special needs, and parent-infant therapist. She also established a private practice and developed an employee wellness program of a large hospital. She is a certified mindful self-compassion teacher and trainer, serving several years as a senior faculty member at the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto, Canada. Her previous books are: The Handbook for First- Time Parents (1987) and How to Tame the Tumbles the Mindful Self-Compassionate Way (2019).

 

Eileen Beltzner’s book is a parent and child read-together story that introduces a number of evidence-based and inner-strength-building practices (e.g., breathing, movement, and thought-challenging strategies). The clarity of the writing and the emotional depth of the story make it both accessible and impactful for readers of all ages, while the practical tools offer real-life value for families navigating relational challenges.

 

Listen to our conversation with Eileen Beltzner to learn more about creating a unique plan to help parents and kids rebuild their confidence after divorce.

If you are interested in learning about Eileen Beltzner’s unique insights, this podcast is for you.

Links and Resources:

Materials to Reference: