Raising the Next Gen Podcast

In this episode, Host Sonia Dong speaks with Dr. Bethany Bilodeau, or Dr. B, behaviourist, author, and business owner about ADHD and the different types of ADD. They discuss why blood flow to the prefrontal cortex matters, why high-intensity movement can shift a kid's ability to focus in minutes, and why dehydration symptoms so often mimic an ADHD diagnosis. We walk through the different types of ADD — classic, overfocused, inattentive, anxious — and why they need different approaches, from diet to supplements to environment design. There's also a candid look at oppositional behaviour: why power struggles with kids almost always backfire, and a simple hack for making requests land without triggering a fight. We close on toxic stress and how a prolonged stress state can produce symptoms that look exactly like ADHD, and why more people are showing up with both right now. Practical, brain-first, and useful whether or not your kid has a diagnosis.
About Dr. Bethany Bilodeau
Dr. Bethany Bilodeau, or Dr. B, is a behaviorist, author, and business owner whose work centers on supporting children, families, and professionals through trauma-informed, nervous-system-aware approaches to behavior, regulation, and connection.
Her career began as a teacher in Guam and has been shaped by both professional experience and her own family’s challenges, leading her to specialize in practical, brain-based strategies that help adults better understand and support developing nervous systems. She is the CEO of C.O.R.E. Methods and author of the book, Ease the Pain in the Classroom: A Guide to Safety and Regulation.
Follow Dr. B’s on Instagram and LinkedIn.

This episode discusses self-harm and suicidal ideation in teens — listener discretion is advised, and if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or crisis line.
Some kids don't feel sad; they feel like they're on fire. Host Sonia Dong speaks with Katie K. May, founder of Creative Healing Teen Support Centers and author of *You’re on Fire, It’s Fine* about teens whose emotions come in fast, big, and overwhelming, and the behaviours such as self-harm, withdrawal, numbing that show up as a brain's fastest way to put that fire out. We break down why "just take a walk" doesn't work when a teen is in crisis, and what real validation sounds like instead. We also get into the practical side of assessing our parental stress meter, how to use “text check-ins,” and radical acceptance when your teen's path looks nothing like what you pictured. This episode is for any parent who has felt out of their depth with a kid who feels everything at full volume.
About Katie K. May
She is a dialectical behavior therapy Linehan Board certified clinician and owner and executive director of Creative Healing Teen Support Centers. She's helped thousands of teens cope with their emotions and understand their feelings of depression, anxiety, and self-harm. Her book *You’re on Fire, It’s Fine: Effective Strategies for Parenting Teens with Self-Destructive Behaviors* combines Katie’s professional and personal perspectives (her own child struggled with depression) to provide an instruction manual with help and hope for parents who struggle with their teens’ risky behaviors.
Connect with Katie K. May on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok
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Many support networks for moms can be overwhelming, especially when there’s a five-hundred-person group chat where you can ask a question but never really be known. This episode with Jiemi Gao, Founder of Nori, looks at what gets built when you design for the opposite: one-on-one and small group conversations that are focused and meaningful. The distraction of algorithm and ads are absent, so you’re never pulled toward things you didn't come looking for. Find out why Nori superfans love the platform so much, and how you can join this free and accessible community space to feel supported and support others.
About JiemI Gao
Jiemi Gao is a mom of two and the founder of Nori, a new social network for moms that offers intimate 1:1 mentorship, community support and conversations, and curated resources. Jiemi spent a decade advising Fortune 500s on growth strategies and is dedicating herself to building support and community for moms for the next decade. Jiemi brings sharp strategic insight, deep empathy, and an unshakable belief that when moms support each other, incredible things happen.
Follow Jiemi on LinkedIn and Instagram @nori_asknori. Learn more about the free Nori community at asknori.com.
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What happens when life doesn't follow the plan you carefully mapped out? Sonia sits down with Kena Paranjape, founder of Supernova, to explore how life's biggest challenges can become catalysts for growth, healing, and deeper self-discovery.
Kena shares her journey through caregiving, grief, motherhood, and rebuilding her life after loss, revealing how those experiences shaped the woman, leader, and parent she is today.
Together, they discuss helping children navigate friendship struggles, pressures many parents carry around achievement, identity, and success, why our own healing may be one of the greatest gifts we can give our kids and more.
About Kena Paranjape
Kena Paranjape is the founder of Supernova, a community for ambitious, growth-oriented women 35+ who are ready to evolve beyond who they’ve been. Through live experiences, coaching, and powerful conversations, she guides women to remember who they are, trust their instincts, and build lives that feel aligned and expansive.
Follow Kena on Instagram @kena_allyouare and @join_supernova. Learn more Supernova on Kena’’s website.
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What if career success isn’t about choosing the “right” path early, but learning to stay curious, adaptable, and aligned with who you are becoming?
In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia speaks with career psychotherapist and speaker Jodi Tingling about helping teens, young adults, and professionals navigate career decisions with more clarity and less pressure.
They discuss why career paths are rarely linear, how parents can support exploration instead of perfection, the importance of testing ideas before committing, and why reassessing your career throughout life can lead to greater fulfillment, balance, and confidence in every stage of life.
About Jodi Tingling
Jodi Tingling is a highly sought-after Career Therapist and Speaker. She empowers mid-level professionals, students, and early-career professionals to navigate their career paths with confidence using the transformative CLEAR™ framework. She offers a comprehensive strategy for personal and professional growth.
Follow Jodi on Instagram @creatingnewsteps and LinkedIn. Learn more about Jodi’s work on her website.
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What if one of the most powerful things you could do for your kids costs absolutely nothing? In this episode, host Sonia Dong sits down with Marcia Agius, founder of the Kindness Circle, to explore how families can weave intentional kindness into everyday life.
Marcia shares how her own parents modelled kindness and how that inspired her to launch a 52-week kindness challenge that grew into a thriving community movement.
Sonia and Marcia unpack the difference between being nice and being truly kind, why kids need to see kindness in action rather than just hear about it, and simple, low-cost ways to get your whole family involved.
Whether it's complimenting a stranger or paying for someone's meal, this episode will leave you inspired to take one small step that could change someone's entire day.
About Marcia Agius
Marcia Agius is a HumanKIND Influencer and founder of The Kindness Circle, a community-driven movement inspiring people to lead with compassion, connection, and purpose. Guided by four core pillars—kindness to self, kindness to others, giving back, and making kindness fun—her work focuses on creating meaningful moments that bring people together.
With a belief that we are better together, Marcia is on a mission to make kindness visible, celebrated, and contagious—empowering others to create ripple effects of good in their everyday lives.
Follow Marcia on Instagram @kindnesscircle.community. Learn more about and join the Kindness Circle Community.
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If you've ever felt like you're holding up the entire household on your own, this episode is for you. Business consultant and simplicity expert Erin Binns joins host Sonia Dong to talk about how to streamline life at home. From rethinking the after-school activities to getting kids involved in chores and meal planning, Erin shares practical, low-pressure strategies for parents who are ready to stop doing it all.
You'll also hear why asking for help from your kids, your partner, or your community isn't a sign of weakness, but the key to creating a calmer, more connected family life.
Take action by choosing one small shift you can implement this week.
About Erin Binns
Erin Binns is a business consultant, speaker, and former luxury hotel sales executive with nearly two decades of experience driving multi-million-dollar revenue through strategic client relationships. She now leads corporate workshops and works with established women in business to make The Simplicity Shift, simplifying operations, leveraging time as a strategic asset, and helping women with work/life integration.
Known for seeing the big picture and filling the gaps others miss, Erin challenges the idea that busy equals successful and helps organizations create clarity, momentum, and measurable results.
Follow Erin on Instagram @erinbinns and LinkedIn. Learn more about Erin’s work on her website.
Book Recommendation for Adults
Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield A short book on the mindset difference between an amateur and a professional, and can be applied to any area of life.
Books/Series Erin Recommends for Tweens
Bunny vs Monkey series by Jamie Smart ****A UK series that can now be ordered internationally; great for kids who enjoy Dog Man
Donut Squad series by Jamie Smart
Calvin and Hobbes (original collections) by Bill Watterson
Doctor Who magazines
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What if learning and doing well in academics (and life) meant doing less, not more? In this conversation between host Sonia Dong and Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, founder and CEO of Awakened Learning, we learn how to unpack what it really means to support your kids as learners without the burnout.
Dr. Deena shares how she went from high school teacher to pioneering holistic learning strategies that serve learners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. She challenges the myth that hours of note-rewriting equals real studying, and introduces her practical 3-2-1 method for exam prep that reduces stress and improves grades. This conversation offers parents a refreshing new lens on how to show up for their kids (and themselves) as lifelong learners.
About Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer
Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer is Founder & CEO of Awakened Learning, Canada’s #1 team of Learning Strategists. She’s a lifelong educator with over 20 years of experience supporting thousands of learners, educators, and parents and chosen families across K–12 and post-secondary spaces. Deena is also a TEDx speaker and a 2× bestselling author of Feel Good Learning and Raising Well Learners, where she explores how learning can feel more humane, inclusive, and effective–without burnout, shame, or overwhelm.
Follow Dr. Deena on Instagram @awakendlearning and LinkedIn. Find freebies, accessible workshops and more about Dr. Deena’s work on her website.
Resources
How to Get From To-Do to Done, Tedx Talk by Dr. Deena
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, Ted Talk by Tim Urban
Dr. Deena’s best-selling book to parents, Raising Well Learners
Dr. Deena’s best-selling book to students, Feel Good Learning
Thriving in Action Program, TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University)
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What does it actually mean to rest? In this episode, host Sonia Dong chats with Karen Choi, founder of Balm, to explore why so many of us feel exhausted even when we think we've rested. Drawing on Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's framework of the seven types of rest, Karen unpacks what kind of labor we're doing every day as parents, and what real recovery looks like for each.
Sonia and Karen explore how to model rest for our teens and tweens, why screen time isn't the rest we think it is, and how experiences like Karen's restorative music gatherings can open us up to deeper renewal.
About Karen Choi
Karen Choi is the Founder of Balm. After years working behind the scenes in classical music, Karen craved something deeper. She wanted a relational experience you could feel in your body, not just watch from a seat. That became Balm. As a facilitator, Karen designs restorative music experiences that invite people to slow down, reset, and soften back into connection with themselves, others, and the moments we share. Through live music, movement, breath, vocal toning, poetry, and guided rest, she creates an honest space to be present with what’s real.
In addition to hosting Soul Care Sundays every month, she bring this work to conferences, community events, and wellness spaces.
Follow Karen on Instagram @karenchoi.co and @we_balm. You can also learn more about Balm and Soul Care Sundays on her website.
Resources
The 7 Types of Rest That Every Person Needs, Article and Ted Talk by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith
Power of Now, Eckart Tolle
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What’s “normal” and what warrants concern? Host Sonia Dong sits down with psychologist Nadia D'Iuso to explore the real challenges parents face as their children move through adolescence. Whether your teen is struggling with stress, anxiety, academic pressure, or peer relationships, this conversation offers a compassionate glimpse into the adolescent mind, as well as and actionable tools to help you support them. Nadia draws on her extensive experience working with teens in both clinical and community settings to share practical, evidence-based strategies to help families thrive.
About Nadia D'Iuso
Nadia D'Iuso is a psychologist and co-founder of Crosstown Psychology and Wellness Clinic. She has worked with teens and their parents, helping with mental health concerns such as stress, anxiety, difficulties regulating emotions, body image concerns, focus and concentration. Nadia offers actionable evidence-based strategies that can help both teens and parents navigate stressful situations and feel seen and empowered in the process.
Follow Nadia on Instagram @crosstownpsych and learn more about her work on her website.
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