Episode 72: Dana Baltutis (Speech Pathologist and Parent Coach) - Taking a Mindful Pause

The journey we've been on together for 71 episodes is taking a thoughtful pause. After two years of deep conversations about neuroaffirming parenting, understanding our children's unique neurological wiring, and moving from compliance-based expectations to relationship-centered approaches, it's time for me to rest and refill my well.

Throughout our episodes, we've explored the intricate landscape of raising uniquely wired children—from sensory processing and emotional regulation to anxiety, PDA, and social connection challenges. We've tackled practical strategies like environmental setup, co-regulation techniques, and building connection in everyday moments. More importantly, we've delved into those quieter, deeper parent mindset shifts that transform how we show up for our children and ourselves.

This podcast has always been a love letter to parents who want to parent differently, who are learning to trust themselves, trust their child, and trust the process. The pause I'm taking now honors that same principle—recognizing when it's time to step back, when the demands of running a business, supporting families, writing a book, and creating meaningful content each week require a moment of recalibration. But this isn't goodbye—it's a reset, a chance to gather fresh insights and return with even more clarity about what will truly serve you.

While I'm away, I invite you to shape what comes next. What parenting challenges leave you feeling lost? What topics around neurodiversity in the home, school, or community would support your journey? Send your thoughts through the My Therapy House website, where you'll also find our online courses covering PDA, communication development, regulation, and more. Revisit any of our existing episodes that resonated with you, and remember: you're not alone. You're doing sacred, unseen work, and this community sees you. I'll be back soon with new conversations that reflect your needs and questions.

danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

Chapters

• 0:00 Announcing the podcast pause
• 3:31 Reflecting on past episodes
• 5:31 Why I'm taking a break
• 7:10 Request for listener input
• 8:34 Final thoughts and gratitude

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:23

Hello and welcome to the Empowered Parent Podcast, with me, dana Baltutis, as your host. If you've been here before, thank you. If this is your first episode, I'm so glad you've joined, even as we hit pause. Today is a little different. After 71 episodes, I've decided to take a break from the podcast Not forever, just for now, and before I go quiet for a little while, I wanted to spend this episode with you, reflecting on what we've explored together and inviting you to shape what comes next.

Speaker 1: 2:10

Over the past two years, the Empowered Parent has been a place for deep, simple and honest conversations. We've explored understanding your child's unique wiring, from sensory needs to emotional regulation, anxiety, pda and social connection. We've explored neuroaffirming parenting, letting go of compliance-based expectations and leaning into relationships, leaning into authenticity and uniqueness. We've explored real strategies how to support play, set up the environment, use co-regulation, reduce demands and build connection in everyday moments. We've explored parent mindset, those quieter, deeper shifts, how to stay steady in the hard times, how to work with your own nervous system and how to move from reactivity to responsiveness. We've explored conversations with guests, therapists, teachers and, most importantly, you, the parents, sharing your lived experiences and insights with us. And we've dived into topics many people avoid overwhelm, boundaries, grief and burnout, and we've done this with compassion and honesty. To me, this podcast has always been like a love letter to parents who want to show up differently, who are learning to trust themselves, trust their child and trust the process. So why pause now? To be honest, I need time to rest, reflect and refill my well Running a business supporting families, mentoring therapists. I've just written a book, I'm doing a conference presentation and showing up every week with something meaningful to say. It takes energy and care, and I want to return to this podcast with fresh ideas, deeper insight and more clarity about what will truly serve you the parents, educators and therapists who listen. This isn't a goodbye. This is a reset and I'm trusting the space.

Speaker 1: 4:59

So here's where you come in. I would love to hear from you what topics do you want to hear more about? Are there areas of parenting that feel confusing or overwhelming? Are you curious about play, pda, co-regulation or neurodiversity in the home, in the community, in schools? Do you want to hear more real stories from families or have practical tools to use at home? Leave a comment, send a message or email through the my Therapy House website. Let me know what would be most supportive for you and also, if you've got a story to share, please let me know. Come on to the podcast.

Speaker 1: 5:49

This podcast will come back and I want it to be shaped by you. In the meantime, I'd like you to get onto our Teachable website. You can find that through the my Therapy House website. This is where you're going to find many online courses that I've developed and other therapists of my therapy house has helped me develop. We've got information about PDA in the family, pda in schools, how to support your child's communication development, how to support your child's listening and attending, how to support your child's play, how to support your child's regulation. We're always trying to develop more tools for parents so you are equipped to better support your child.

Speaker 1: 6:42

So, dear parent, thank you for listening, thank you for sharing in the episodes and thank you for walking alongside me in the last year and a half. To every parent who sat in the car and cried while listening, or you sat and drank your tea while listening. To every therapist who felt less alone after hearing a story. To every listener who found a little bit more courage, calm or clarity, thank you. This is a community. You are part of the community and I'm so grateful to be in it with you. You're not alone. You're doing sacred work. You're doing sacred unseen work, and I see you. Other people see you. So I'll be back in the future with new episodes, new insights and new conversations. In the meantime, you can revisit any of the 71 episodes on your favorite podcast app, and don't forget to share your thoughts on what you'd love to hear next. This has been the Empowered Parent with Dana Baltudis. Thank you again for listening. Thank you again for your support. See you soon.