On episode 245 I welcome Dr. Deboarah MacNamara to the podcast.

Dr. Deborah is a counsellor and scientist; storyteller and teacher; guide and Mother. Deborah makes sense of kids for adults who care for them believing this to be the path for transforming families and communities, society, our world as a whole.

Deborah serves as a leading international expert who provides counselling and educational services to support parents, professionals, and educators. She is also a professional speaker who has presented to the United Nations and The Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education.

Deborah specialises in the relational-developmental approach based on the work of Dr. Gordon Neufeld, empowering parents to become the expert on their children with everyday questions and practical strategies. She came to this work as a new mother herself, curious and confident that his approach could shift not only her children’s futures forever, but also her professional approach to supporting and helping others. Today, she serves on Faculty at the Neufeld Institute.

Deborah is the author of the best-selling book, Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one) which has been translated into 14 languages and the children’s picture book, The Sorry Plane, which is available in three languages.

Deborah’s new book Nourished: Connection, Food, and Caring for our Kids is available to buy now and is the topic of our conversation today.

In short, I hope you hear developmental science translated into practical love.

In this episode you will hear:

00:00 intro

03:30 ‘if you throw in wine you’ll have the perfect meal’ Dr. Gordon Neufeld

05:40 Nourished - the foundation of connection

09:15 we have lost the sacred belief that the parent child relationship must be preserved and protected

12:55 handling ‘picky eaters’

16:25 a good place for parents to start

22:30 can food have love in it?

25:35 when children are pulled out of the orbit of their primary caregivers

29:20 nourishment is much more than food