Focus Forward: An Executive Function Podcast

I’m so glad you’re here for this conversation, because today we’re diving into a topic that is personally very close to home for me and I’m guessing many of you: the intersection of ADHD, womanhood, and self-love.

My guest today, Kristen Baird-Goldman, is a licensed mental health therapist who specializes in working with neurodivergent women, especially those over 40. She brings such clarity and compassion to this whole messy thing...

In today’s episode, we’re revisiting obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. If you’ve been listening a while, you may remember that in episode 47, I interviewed Dr. Anthony Bram about OCD. wanted to return to this topic because OCD is both more common and more misunderstood than most people realize. And even though awareness has grown in recent years, stigma and shame still keep so many people from getting the help they need.

My gu...

Today’s episode is a fascinating look at the connection between our guts and our brains. This powerful two-way communication between our digestive system and our mind influences everything from mood and sleep to focus and decision-making. My guest is Dr. Anastasia Galanopoulos, is a developmental psychologist and parent coach who is passionate about teaching people about how our gut health shapes our mental health and executive fun...

Today we’re wrapping up ADHD Awareness Month with something a little different — and a lot of fun. This episode is all about creativity, self-expression, and the power of play in adulthood. We’re diving into Expressive Arts Coaching - a unique, creative approach that helps people with or without ADHD strengthen their executive function skills through art, creativity, and imagination.

My guest, Shayne Swift, is an Executive Function ...

Hi everyone! Today we’re exploring the connection between ADHD and bullying.

Research consistently shows that children with ADHD are more vulnerable to bullying than their neurotypical peers. For instance, a study utilizing data from the National Survey of Children's Health found that 47% of children with ADHD reported being victims of bullying, more than double the prevalence in the general population PMC.

This increased susceptibi...

Learn More About Dave Krasky

Website

https://www.raisingfutureadults.com/

Raising Future Adults - his book

https://www.raisingfutureadults.com/books

Read more about other topics mentioned in this episode

FAFO Parenting - “F*** Around and Find Out”

https://www.parents.com/what-is-fafo-parenting-unpacking-the-trend-11678790

Autonomy-Supportive Parenting by Emily Edlynn

https://www.emilyedlynnphd.com/autonomy-supportive-parenting

Age-Appropria...

Believe it or not, this is the last episode of our fourth season of Focus Forward! We normally take off all of August and September, but I just had to get one more episode in. After reviewing the topics & guests we featured this season, I realized there were some key themes that came up again and again across a whole variety of conversations. To wrap the season up, we’re reviewing 5 key lessons about personal growth that have b...

In today's episode we’re diving into the world of ADHD through the lens of Tyler Mitchell. Tyler is a strategy consultant (whatever that is!), a husband, a father of five, and a passionate advocate for awareness around ADHD and the workplace. If you’re active on LinkedIn at all, you may have come across Tyler’s thoughtful and popular posts. As we all know, adulting is hard enough, but throw in ADHD and it’s a whole ‘nother can o’ w...

In this episode, I had three experts come on the show, but they’re not the typical experts I have on Focus Forward. I got to sit down with three incredible teens, Eliza, Mark, and Sam, to talk honestly about conflict and how to manage it between teens and adults. This episode is one I’ve been wanting to do for so long and I’m thrilled to bring it to you today.

We covered everything from communication styles to what it feels like to ...

Today’s guest is one of my executive function coaching clients, Helena Bowen. Helena is a speaker coach and speechwriter and supports speakers for TED, TEDx, and other major events. She has ADHD and came on the show to share her experience and what she’s learned about herself and her brain over the years. We talk about how Helena is learning to move beyond the frustrating and self-critical thought: “I know what to do, so why can’t ...

I’m so happy to be able to bring this conversation to you today! My guest is Lizzett Cuervo - a first-generation Cuban American, executive function specialist, and co-founder of the nonprofit Circle Match. I first connected with Lizzett over LinkedIn and then we got to meet in person when she attended my presentation on college students and executive functioning at our local public library. Lizzett is such a fantastic person doing ...

Okay, so this week we’re talking about one of the most powerful tools we have out there for our focus, our mental health, our community, our families, our children, ourselves - music! We don’t even realize how much music plays a role in our lives. And luckily, gone are the days of believing we must work in sterile, silent environments - many (or dare I say most?) brains, including those with ADHD and other EF challenges, truly bene...

This week, we’re revisiting a topic & conversion that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I had the opportunity to speak to the public at our local library about Executive Function skills for four different age groups, ranging from early elementary students to adults. In all four groups, we talked a lot about the importance of self-regulation and coping skills to get through challenging times. As we learned from Megan McClel...

Have you heard the saying “research is me-search”? It means people often explore topics they personally need or want to understand better. Well, that’s exactly what today’s episode is for me. I’ve had migraines since I was a teenager, and after being diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago, I started noticing how closely the two seem to be connected.

Conversations with clients, colleagues, and other people I know showed me that I...

Today’s episode is one I’m especially excited to share with you. Whether you’re an Executive Function expert or you’re just starting out learning about these essential life skills, you’ll want to listen because we have not one but *two* Executive Function leaders featured.

First up, I’m so happy to have been joined once again by the OG of Executive Function awareness, Ellen Galinsky, who sat down with me on Focus Forward in March of...

In today’s quick 15-minute episode, we're exploring strategies for breaking down large tasks into manageable steps - a crucial skill for enhancing productivity and reducing overwhelm. From brain dumping to time mapping, learn new practical techniques that are designed to help initiate tasks, reduce decision paralysis, and maintain momentum.

These methods are particularly helpful for anyone with ADHD, executive dysfunction, or anyon...

Today, I am so excited to share this conversation I had with Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg. If you are a parent, a caregiver, an educator, a coach, a therapist, a human who interacts with children, young and old, this episode is for you. We all have something to learn from Dr. Ginsburg’s insightful and engaging interpretation of these decades of research on what works in parenting. Dr. Ginsburg practices adolescent medicine at Children’s Ho...

As a person with ADHD or Executive Function challenges it can often feel like society - you know, people at work, in our homes, anyone we encounter during our day, expects you to think, work, and communicate the same way as everyone else. It can be exhausting and can often require that you advocate for yourself and your needs more than you would like! And the first step of advocacy is figuring out what exactly it even is that you n...

Today’s episode is especially important for people to find - we’re covering the topic of eating disorders - it’s a tough one but so important to talk about as eating disorders are so much more than you may realize. Beyond simply affecting what someone does or doesn’t eat, they also impact brain function, emotional regulation, and the other critically important executive functioning skills we use every day like impulse control, focu...