When we see our kids struggling, our instinct is to step in and help. But what if confidence is built not through fixing, but through patience, practice, and trust?

In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast, host Laura Ollinger, teen and parent well-being coach and founder of Positively Healthy Coaching, sits down with Elizabeth Green, Founder of My Speech and Debate Coach, to talk about how kids and teens build real confidence through communication.

Elizabeth shares her personal journey from being an extremely shy child to becoming a broadcast news anchor, and how one teacher changed the trajectory of her life. Today, she leads a global team helping kids and teens build confidence, connection, and communication skills through public speaking and debate.

Together, Laura and Elizabeth explore:
• Why confidence grows through practice, not perfection
• How parents can support communication without rescuing
• The power of patience and the pause
• How to prompt meaningful conversations with kids and teens
• When to push kids outside their comfort zone
• Why praise matters more than critique
• The “4 P’s” of building confidence: Prompts, Patience, Push Them, Praise

This conversation is full of practical, real-life tools parents can use at home to help kids find and trust their voice.

✨ About Elizabeth Green
Elizabeth Green is the Founder of My Speech and Debate Coach. After overcoming extreme shyness and building a career in broadcast journalism, she now helps kids and teens around the world develop confidence and communication skills through public speaking and debate education.

🌐 Website: https://www.myspeechanddebatecoach.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myspeechanddebatecoach/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myspeechanddebatecoach
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myspeechanddebatecoach

👩‍💻 About the Host
Laura Ollinger is a teen and parent well-being coach and the founder of Positively Healthy Coaching. Through coaching, education, and her podcast, Laura supports families in building emotional resilience, nervous system awareness, and healthy communication.

🌐 Podcast & Resources: https://positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast
📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching
📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching

If this episode resonates, please like, subscribe, and share it with a parent who wants to raise confident, capable communicators.

Welcome to The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast! I’m your host, Laura Ollinger, teen and parent well-being coach—and today I’m joined by Laurie James, certified somatic practitioner, coach, author of Sandwiched, and host of Confessions of a Freebird podcast.

In this powerful episode, Laurie shares her deeply personal journey through caregiving, divorce, burnout, and healing—and how somatic experiencing helped her reconnect with her body, her emotions, and her true self. We dive into nervous system regulation, stress recovery, and practical somatic tools you can use today to calm your body and shift out of survival mode.

If you’ve ever felt like your body is holding onto more than your mind can process, this conversation is your invitation to slow down and finally listen.

• What is somatic healing—and how does it work?
• Signs your body may be dysregulated
• Laurie's journey through caregiving, motherhood, and divorce
• How to complete the fight-flight-freeze stress cycle
• Simple nervous system regulation tools you can use anytime
• Why burnout often shows up after everything “seems fine”
• The importance of rest, body awareness, and micro-moments of calm
• Grounding, orienting, and vagus nerve support techniques
• How moms can stop overriding their own needs
• How to teach teens self-regulation without pushing them into shutdown

Laurie James is a certified somatic practitioner and coach who helps women navigate midlife transitions with more calm, clarity, and connection. After raising four daughters while caregiving for her aging parents and experiencing the unraveling of her marriage, Laurie turned her healing journey into the memoir Sandwiched and now supports others through somatic coaching, nervous system education, and her podcast Confessions of a Freebird.

🌐 Website: laurieejames.com
📸 Instagram: @laurie.james
📘 Facebook: Laurie James

🎧 Podcast: Confessions of a Freebird

📥 Free Guide: Beginner’s Guide to Somatic Healing (link in show notes)

👩‍💻 Learn more about the podcast:
🌐 positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast

📲 Follow us for more:
📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching
📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching

✨ If this episode spoke to you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow mom who could use more peace, body awareness, and breath today.

#somatichealing #nervoussystemregulation #mindbodyconnection #burnoutrecoveryjourney #momwellbeing #traumainformedparenting #midlifemomsupport #bodyawarenesstools #positivelyhealthymom #positivelyhealthycoaching

Welcome back to The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast! I’m your host, Laura Ollinger—teen and parent well-being coach—and today I’m joined by Taralee Eddington, Certified Relationship & Resilience Coach and founder of Peaceful Heart Journey. She’s also the host of The FOCUS Podcast with Taralee, where she helps families strengthen their most important relationships through emotional clarity and intentional communication.

In this heart-centered episode, Taralee introduces the STARVED needs framework—seven core needs that, when unmet, often lie at the heart of conflict in relationships. Together, we explore how to identify, communicate, and navigate these needs to create deeper connection, understanding, and peace at home.

Whether you're managing a marriage, raising teenagers, or trying to break free from overwhelm and resentment, this conversation offers practical, faith-grounded strategies to help you feel seen, supported, and stronger.

💬 In This Episode:
• What unmet needs may be fueling conflict in your home
• The 7 STARVED needs: Safety, Trust, Appreciation, Respect, Validation, Encouragement, Dedication
• How to communicate your needs without sounding like you're complaining
• Why “nagging” is often just an unmet need in disguise
• How to coach your teens through emotional growth with calm and clarity
• Letting go of control and parenting from peace, not fear
• Navigating adult children, boundaries, and broken expectations
• Why appreciation matters more than you think
• The truth about respect, autonomy, and letting go

📘 About Taralee Eddington
Taralee is a Certified Family Educator & Relationship Coach helping individuals, couples, and families move from conflict to connection through her signature FOCUS Framework™️. Her work is shaped by her own life as a wife and mom of three, her daughter’s cancer journey, and her mission to help others lead with peace and purpose. Her mantra: What you focus on expands.

🔗 Connect with Taralee
🌐 Website: peacefulheartjourney.com
📸 Instagram: @peacefulheartjourney
📘 Facebook: Peaceful Heart Journey
🎧 Podcast: The FOCUS Podcast with Taralee (new episodes every Friday)

👩‍💻 Learn more about the podcast:
🌐 positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast

📲 Follow us for more:
📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching
📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching

✨ If this episode spoke to you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a fellow mom who could use a little more peace and connection.

#PositivelyHealthyMom #TaraleeEddington #UnmetNeeds #STARVEDFramework #RelationshipCoaching #PeacefulHeartJourney #MomBurnoutSupport #TeenParenting #MarriageCommunication #FaithCenteredParenting