Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting & Education

What Parents Need to Know About School Transitions

Jessica Prusha, assistant principal at PLSHS, and Joel Bails, assistant principal at PLHS, join hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to pull back the curtain on what schools are already doing to help students navigate the move from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school, and what families can do at home to make those transitions smoother.

Discov...

More Than Followers: Building a Real Career in Social Media

"It's not that easy." That's Sophie Denker's answer when her parents ask if she's getting paid from social media yet, and it's also the starting point for a much bigger conversation. The PLSHS grad and athlete marketing professional joins Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to talk about what a career in the social media space ...

Parenting: The Small Shift That Changes Everything

What if the small shift that changes everything in your parenting has nothing to do with your kids? In this episode, Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson talk with Erin Bagwell, a licensed clinical social worker and mental health professional at Family Enrichment in Omaha, about how our own stress, history, and perfectionism quietly drive so many of our parenting struggle...

What's Really Behind What Your Kids Learn at School

For most parents, curriculum is invisible. Kids go to school, take classes, and that's that. But the decisions behind what your children learn, when it changes, and how teachers deliver it involve a process most families never see.

In this episode of Mindshift, co-hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson sit down with Dr. Shureen Seery, Assistant Superintenden...

Teen Substance Use: Why 'Just Say No' Doesn't Work Anymore

Teen substance use looks different than it did a generation ago. Today's adolescents are increasingly turning to substances to self-medicate anxiety and depression—not just to party. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Trevor Bixler explains why traditional "just say no" approaches fall short and what actually works.

Dr. Bixler shares warn...

Is Your Student Ready for AP? What Parents Need to Know

What does it really mean when your student signs up for an Advanced Placement course? Dr. Julee Sauer, Director of Curriculum and Secondary Education for Papillion La Vista Community Schools (and a former AP English teacher) joins hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to break down what families should know before, during, and after the AP experience.

Discover ho...

The Role of Conflict in Raising Resilient Kids

Every parent dreads hearing "I hate you" from their child. In this episode, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson sit down with Dr. Ashley Harlow, a licensed psychologist at Children's Nebraska, to unpack the moments of parent-child conflict that catch us off guard. Dr. Harlow breaks down what kids are really trying to communicate when emotions run high an...

When Your Whole Identity Changes: A Story of Loss and Recovery

How long am I going to feel this way?" That's the first question everyone asks when grief turns their life inside out. Everyone told Dr. Deb Anderson a year. It wasn't a year. Ten years after an unexpected divorce following a 35-year marriage, Deb steps out of her usual co-host role to sit down with Dr. Christopher Villarreal and share the raw, honest trut...

Small Steps, Big Impact: Raising Environmentally Aware Kids

Austen Hill, the Education Outreach Specialist for the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District joins Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to pull back the curtain on the organization quietly shaping the Omaha-Papillion metro: controlling floods, creating wildlife habitat, and bringing natural resource education directly into classrooms.

Discover why t...

Everybody Eats, Everybody Has a Body: A Conversation About Eating Disorders

Eating disorders affect far more people than most of us realize, and the warning signs can be easy to miss. In this episode, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson are joined by Dr. Stephanie Albers, developmental psychologist and licensed mental health counselor, to break down the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders, exp...

What "Bullying" Really Means and What to Do About It

"Bullying is just a part of life and you just have to deal with it." That's what people told Dr. Patricia Newman 25 years ago when she started the Respect Organization. She didn't buy it then, and she doesn't buy it now. Dr. Newman joins hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to cut through the confusion around bullying, what it ac...

Let Kids Be Kids: Rethinking What Supports Learning at Home

"Their brain should hurt at the end of the day — that's how hard we're pushing them in the classroom." If you've ever wondered whether your child's lighter homework load means less learning, fifth grade teacher Tim Schooley and sixth grade teacher Kelly Perry are here to reframe the conversation. With nearly 40 combined years in the classroom, ...

Healthy at Every Size: Raising Kids with Positive Body Image

By age six, most children have already formed strong opinions about what they'd like to change about their bodies. In this episode of Mindshift, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson sit down with Christina Powell, a mental health therapist with over 20 years of experience in eating disorders at Children's Hospital, to explore how parents can...

Beyond Best Friends: The Truth About Sibling Relationships

They used to be inseparable. Now they can't be in the same room. Sound familiar? In this honest conversation, hosts Christopher Villarreal and Deb Anderson sit down with Children's Nebraska therapists Rachel Kamianowski and Kim Massara to tackle the sibling questions that keep parents up at night: Are we doing something wrong? Should we treat all our kids the ...

"Do you want to vent or do you want a solution?" That simple question could transform how you support your teenager, and it came straight from a high school junior. In this groundbreaking episode of Mindshift, host Dr. Christopher Villarreal turns the microphone over to four high school students from Papillion La Vista Community Schools who share exactly what they need from the adults in their lives.

Zachary, Lyric, Gabby,...

"They're just not trying hard enough." If you've ever thought this about a struggling kid, Dr. Ashnoo Nanavati is here to change your mind. This board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist joins hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to debunk the most damaging ADHD myths and reveal what's really going on.

Learn why ADHD isn't about effort or willpower, why teachers often see concer...

How Period Product Access (and Other Barriers) Impact Education

What if something as basic as access to period products or deodorant was keeping students out of the classroom? In this eye-opening episode of Mindshift, hosts Christopher and Deb tackle one of education's most overlooked barriers with Kristin Lowrey, founder of Access Period.

Through candid conversation and real stories from Nebraska schools, discover why hygi...

Creative Tools for Emotional Expression

Licensed clinical social worker and expressive arts therapist Betsy Funk reveals how creative activities help children process emotions when words aren't enough. Learn practical strategies parents can use at home, why art journals work for emotional regulation, and how non-artists can benefit from creative expression. Discover how schools are using art therapy groups to support student me...

How Much Academic Pressure Is Too Much?

PLSHS Principal Jeff Spilker reveals the "sweet spot" between helpful stress that motivates learning and harmful pressure that paralyzes students. Learn why today's students put more pressure on themselves than parents do, discover practical strategies for when your child fails a test, and understand why both students and parents should "never worry alone" when navigat...