Jessica Gammell-Bennett - psychotherapist, mother, cancer survivor, and advocate

Summary

In this enlightening conversation, Jessica Gammell-Bennett shares her journey as a psychotherapist and life coach, emphasising the importance of community, advocacy, and personal healing. She discusses her experiences with neurodivergent children, the challenges of navigating educational systems, and her personal battle with cancer. Jessica highlights the significance of nutrition, exercise, and emotional support in overcoming chronic fatigue and ADHD, advocating for a more compassionate and understanding approach to parenting and education.

 

Show Notes

Keywords

psychotherapy, life coaching, neurodivergent children, advocacy, community support, cancer recovery, chronic fatigue, ADHD, nutrition, exercise

Takeaways

Jessica emphasises the need for educational systems to adapt to neurodivergent children.

Advocacy is crucial for parents navigating special education systems.

Community support plays a vital role in healing and recovery.

Nutrition and supplementation can significantly impact mental health and energy levels.

Exercise, especially trampoline jumping, can help manage ADHD symptoms.

Listening to others and understanding different perspectives fosters connection.

Personal experiences can drive professional paths in therapy and coaching.

Chronic fatigue can often be linked to mineral deficiencies.

Collective energy healing can have profound effects on health.

Finding joy in small treats and community meals enhances well-being.

Titles

Navigating Parenting Challenges with Jessica Gammell-Bennett

The Power of Community in Healing

Sound bites

"You have to keep pushing."

"We are not meant to heal in isolation."

"We are designed to be communal."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jessica Gammell-Bennett

03:35 Navigating Parenting Challenges with Neurodivergent Children

09:48 Reforming Educational Systems for Autonomy

12:21 Empowering Parents to Advocate for Their Children

18:00 The Role of Community in Advocacy

22:42 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Connection

30:00 Jessica's Journey with Cancer and Healing

31:35 The Healing Symbol and Personal Loss

32:30 Facing a Terminal Diagnosis

34:03 The Power of Advocacy in Healthcare

37:08 Energy Healing and Community Support

42:04 The Science of Life Force Energy

45:40 The Importance of Community and Nutrition

48:31 Finding Joy in Moderation

49:28 Overcoming Chronic Fatigue

53:33 Understanding ADHD and Executive Function

57:18 Practical Solutions for ADHD Management

01:00:41 The Role of Advocacy and Community in Healing

 

 

Transcript

Melanie Suzanne Wilson (00:01)

Jessica Gammell-Bennett, welcome to the podcast.

Jessica Gammell-Bennett (00:00)

Yeah.

Thank you so much, Melanie. I'm so glad to be here. I appreciate the invite.

Melanie Suzanne Wilson (00:10)

Absolutely. It's amazing to see your professional and personal background and what you're sharing with the world. You are a psychotherapist and life coach, but you also have a lot of personal journeys that you have overcome and very publicly shared, such as struggling as a mom, chronic fatigue and overcoming cancer. So with all of these stories, I'll let you tell the story.

What was your journey?

Jessica Gammell-Bennett (00:42)

Yeah, so I am a mom and a step-mama for boys. ⁓ Three of them, well, all of them are neurodivergent. Three of them are on the autism spectrum. Two of them are profoundly gifted. Two of them have a type of autism known as PDA, pathological demand avoidance. I think it's a terrible title. I prefer a persistent drive for autonomy.

And that experience is what drove me into becoming a family life coach and a psychotherapist because I realised that the systems that we have in place do not work for these children. A lot of

Autism treatment is what's called ABA or Applied Behaviour Analysis, and for children with PDA, yeah, Applied Behaviour Analysis is like, it's basically training ⁓ with consistent rewards a