The Special Needs Mom Podcast
Think of this podcast as your very own special needs mom support group--except it's helpful and fun! You will leave with the hope that you can have a super happy life even when your life includes parenting a medically complex child or a child with something like autism and ADHD.
You likely didn't ask to be the parent of a disabled child or to live portions of your life in the hospital NICU or PICU. Your story is unique; it’s hard to find a place where you belong or where you don't feel so isolated and alone. Your child might have a rare disease, be undiagnosed or experience something that almost everybody has heard of like Downs syndrome yet the weird thing is that whether your child has an intellectual disability or physical disability, the experience as a mother is so similar. So regardless of your child’s disability, we can all find a home in this community.
You find yourself managing everybody else's needs; your child, their siblings, and all the guilt that you have about that. All this has you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and dizzy---not knowing who to turn to or what to do next for help. This podcast is your lifeline, you’ll find encouragement and inspiration as we connect to other moms’ journeys. We’ll get practical and look at what it takes to stop feeling so stuck in your life.
You know this podcast is for you if you find yourself googling:
Overwhelmed special needs mom help
How to do self care as a special needs mom?
Dealing with anger as a special needs mom
How to manage special needs mom burnout and stress?
How do I deal with mom's guilt?
Help for myself as a special needs mom
How do I cope with a disabled child?
How do I manage the grief of my medically complex child?
How to keep from drowning as a caregiver
Support group for special needs mom or community for caregivers
I'm tired of taking care of my special needs child
Finding balance between my child’s needs and my own mamas needs
Respite and rest for special needs moms
Episodes
283 episodes
Reimagining Christmas When the One You Pictured Does Not Exist
There is often a version of Christmas we carry in our heads. Quiet. Cozy. Predictable. The kind that feels comforting but somehow never shows up in real life.In this episode, I talk about the grief that can surface when the Christmas you...
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Episode 281
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12:56
Your Gateway Drug to Self Compassion
This week I hit record while standing, which feels fitting because this episode has a little extra energy behind it. November was a lot for me — two ER visits for Levi, construction stress, holiday disruption, all the things. I sat down to prep...
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Episode 280
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17:07
The Challenging Story is Not The Only Story
This episode came from a simple morning walk and one very unexpected moment of wisdom from my teenage niece’s boyfriend. We spent Thanksgiving together and he shared something that stopped me in my tracks. It got me thinking about how the peopl...
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Episode 279
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20:30
Complex Gratitude
This Thanksgiving week, I’m keeping it simple and talking about complex gratitude. The kind that feels messy, honest, and actually doable for special needs moms.I share a story from the early days after Levi’s surgery, when gratit...
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Episode 278
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17:17
Coffee with Kara: Life Updates and Messy Realities
Today’s episode is a cozy, casual chat. The kind you’d have over coffee with someone who gets it. I almost skipped releasing an episode this week, but connecting with you truly matters to me, even when life feels full.I shared w...
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Episode 277
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19:07
Caring for Yourself When Behaviors Get Hard with Brittney Crabtree
This week, I’m back with my friend Brittney Crabtree from Moms Talk Autism for part two of our talk on behaviors that include aggression: physical, verbal, or self-directed.In this episode, we answer the big questi...
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1:10:19
Punched at Parties with Brittney Crabtree
In this episode, I sat down with my friend Brittney Crabtree from Moms Talk Autism to talk about something few of us say out loud, aggression in our homes.Brittney shares what life looks like parenting her non-spea...
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Episode 275
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57:36
Why Fixing Feels So Heavy (and Acceptance Feels So Light) with Carrie Holt
This week, I invited my friend and returning guest Carrie M. Holt back to talk about something that every special needs mom wrestles with, the difference between fixing and accepting our children.We unpacked what those energies ...
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Episode 274
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1:00:57
Balancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schulz
This week, I got to sit down with the wise and feisty Cynthia Schulz, author of Shine On: Raising Our Children with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives. Cynthia’s daughter is now 40, and hearing from a mom who’s decades down the r...
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Episode 273
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45:54
Stepping Into Peace: The Power of One Hour a Week
Today’s episode is a little different. I’m pausing our regular programming to share something close to my heart: The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community.This podcast connects us week after week, and still, sometimes we need a spac...
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Episode 272
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25:19
Things Will Get Better with Sara Davis
In this episode, I talk with Sarah Davis, a wife, homeschooling mom, and former librarian raising her 7-year-old son on the autism spectrum. We first met through The Courage to Raise, a collaborative book where Sarah shares her ...
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Episode 271
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51:45
What's Wrong with Me?
This week, I’m talking about a pattern I see often in caregiving—the heartbreaking habit of turning on ourselves when life feels too hard.I share how our minds default to “something must be wrong with me,” and why the truth is simpler: <...
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Episode 270
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20:40
When Motherhood Awakens the Fighter in You with Nikki McIntosh
In this episode, I sit down with Nikki McIntosh, founder of Rare Mamas® and host of the Rare Mamas Rising Podcast. Nikki is also the author of Rare Mamas: Empowering Strategies for Navigating Your Child’s Rare Disease...
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Episode 269
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49:28
Nobody Else Has It This Hard
This week I’m sharing a really personal story—not all the details, but the emotional experience of finding myself in a very sudden, very public, and really scary moment with Levi. It was one of those times where I could’ve spiraled, but somethi...
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Episode 268
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17:14
What Happens When You Stop Looking for a Way Out with Catherine Marston
This week on the podcast I got to talk with Catherine Marston—a mom, health coach, author, and 14-time Ironman triathlete (yes, you read that right…14!). Catherine’s story is one of grief, resilience, and learning how to take small, consistent ...
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Episode 267
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35:09
From Luxury Estates to Special Needs Homes with Kelly Dixon
This episode was such a treat. I got to catch up with my longtime friend Kelly Dixon—someone who knew me way back in my landscaping days (pre-leadership Kara 😅). Kelly has a fascinating background managing ultra-wealthy households, and while sh...
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Episode 266
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58:02
Extreme Mothering
I didn’t plan to end up emotionally fried by the end of summer... but there I was. I hit my limit. So, I did something radical (for a special needs mom, at least): I took myself to the beach. Alone. No kids. No caregiving. Just me, the ocean, a...
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Episode 265
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22:28
The Crushing Weight of Responsibility
This replay from the archives is just as relevant now as it was in 2022. If you’ve ever felt the crushing weight of being the one who holds everything together for your child with disabilities, you’re not alone.In this episode, I share l...
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Episode 264
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20:33
Fire Hazards & Other Summer Highlights
This one’s light, real, and a little bit ridiculous in the best way.I showed up ready to share a few stories from the trenches—some funny, some a little gross (parenting, right?), and all with the hope that you’d feel just a little less ...
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Episode 263
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22:09
Sleep Masks, Seizures & Shifting Seasons with Brooke Turbyfill
This week, I’m joined by my friend and fellow writer, Brooke Turbyfill. We met as co-authors of The Courage to Raise, a book written by moms navigating the special needs parenting journey—and somewhere between that and a road trip in a...
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Episode 262
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45:38
Carriers of Hope: A Conversation with Founders of Labeled and Loved Julie Hornok and Dr. Regina Crone
This episode lit me up. I had the gift of sitting down with Julie Hornok and Dr. Regina Crone—co-founders of Labeled and Loved. Together, they’ve created something powerful for moms like us navigating disability and special needs: conn...
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Episode 261
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57:44
Let Go of Fair, Move Toward Care with Kim Botto
This week’s guest is Kim Botto, a longtime children’s and student ministry leader, TBRI® Practitioner, and all-around passionate advocate for kids who don’t always fit the mold. She’s spent decades creating spaces where every child—regardless o...
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Episode 260
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46:18
Nine Moms, One Book, Infinite Courage
This week, I’m sharing something exciting: I co-authored a new book called The Courage to Raise! It's a collaborative project with eight other special needs moms, and I’m proud (and a little surprised) to be a published author again—es...
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Episode 259
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15:36
When Your Story Gets Disrupted
This episode is a rebroadcast of episode 87 that was originally aired May 2022. This episode I’m talking about what happens when our story gets disrupted. Likely, we all feel this way about diagnosis, a relationship...
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Episode 258
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21:36
Worry and Anxiety: A Rebroadcast
This episode is pulled from the archives way back in September 2021. It is episode 56 and it aired shortly after finding out my son Levi’s brain tumor had returned. It was a season full of fear and uncertainty—and that’s exactly what I talk abo...
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Episode 257
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34:08
