Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting & Education
Mindshift isn't just another education podcast – it's your go-to guide for revolutionary perspectives on raising, teaching, and empowering the next generation. Join hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson as they tackle real challenges facing families and educators today, bringing you straight talk from experts who've been in the trenches. Whether you're a parent navigating screen time, a teacher seeking fresh strategies, or anyone invested in youth success, Mindshift delivers the aha moments you've been searching for. Because sometimes the best solution starts with a shift in perspective.
Episodes
53 episodes
What's the Most Important Parenting Change I Can Make?
Parenting: The Small Shift That Changes EverythingWhat 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 ...
How Is School Curriculum Actually Decided? What Parents Need to Know
What's Really Behind What Your Kids Learn at SchoolFor 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 d...
How to Talk to Teens About Drugs and Alcohol: What Actually Works
Teen Substance Use: Why 'Just Say No' Doesn't Work AnymoreTeen 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...
Understanding AP Courses: What Parents Need to Know Before Enrollment
Is Your Student Ready for AP? What Parents Need to KnowWhat 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 Co...
Why Family Conflict Is Actually Healthy: Raising Resilient Kids
The Role of Conflict in Raising Resilient KidsEvery 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 psychologi...
Life After Divorce: Rebuilding Identity and Finding Yourself Again
When Your Whole Identity Changes: A Story of Loss and RecoveryHow 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 ...
How to Raise Environmentally Aware Kids: Starting Small at Home
Small Steps, Big Impact: Raising Environmentally Aware KidsAusten Hill, the Education Outreach Specialist for the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District joins Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to pull back t...
What Are the Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder? A Psychologist's Guide
Everybody Eats, Everybody Has a Body: A Conversation About Eating DisordersEating 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 Villarre...
Is My Child Being Bullied? How to Spot It and What to Do
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'...
Is Less Homework Bad for Learning? What Teachers Want Parents to Know
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 m...
How to Raise Kids with Positive Body Image: A Therapist's Guide
Healthy at Every Size: Raising Kids with Positive Body ImageBy 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. Chri...
Is It Normal for Siblings to Drift Apart? What Parents Need to Know
Beyond Best Friends: The Truth About Sibling RelationshipsThey 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 wit...
What High School Students Really Need From Parents: A Student Panel Discussion
"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 tu...
It's Not Laziness: What Parents Get Wrong About ADHD
"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. De...
Why Period Products Matter for Student Success and Attendance
How Period Product Access (and Other Barriers) Impact EducationWhat 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 Chr...
How to Help Kids Express Emotions: Art Therapy Strategies for Parents
Creative Tools for Emotional ExpressionLicensed 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 pa...
Balancing Academic Expectations: When to Push and When to Support
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 the...
How to Start a Difficult Conversation Without Making It Worse
How to Navigate Difficult Conversations That Build TrustJoin communication coach Nicole Paul as she reveals why we avoid difficult conversations and how to transform them into relationship-building opportunities. Learn the critical d...
How Do Schools Use Test Scores? Understanding Assessment Data
Understanding School Testing: A Parent's Guide to MAP and State AssessmentsJoin hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson as they demystify school testing with Angie Wright, Director of Assessment at Papillion La V...
How Do I Help My Child Cope with Death and Grief? Finding Hope in Loss
How to Talk to Kids About Death, Grief, and HopeWhen 1 in 15 kids lose a parent or sibling by age 18, knowing how to support grieving children becomes essential. In this powerful episode, grief expert Cliff McEvoy from the Col...
How to Manage Holiday Stress and Overwhelm: Expert Strategies
What Holiday Chaos Teaches About Priorities and ConnectionJoin hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson as they welcome wellness coach Heather Kearney, a 15-year veteran of stress management with military service in both the...
How to Set Boundaries with Kids Without Feeling Guilty
Why Boundaries Actually Build Stronger KidsIn this game-changing episode, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson explore why setting boundaries feels so hard, and why the repair after breaking them matters even more...
What to Do During Child Meltdowns: Teaching Kids Emotional Regulation
Child Meltdowns and Tantrums: Teaching Emotional Regulation SkillsIs your child having daily meltdowns and tantrums? In this essential episode, veteran first-grade teacher Carla Heumann shares 17 years of proven strategies for man...
Youth Sports Parenting: Supporting Without Pressuring Your Athlete
The Youth Sports Pressure Cooker: When Does Support Become Too Much?Remember when youth sports were just... fun? Dr. Lisa Chipps, Senior Associate Athletic Director at Creighton University, joins hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal a...
What to Do When Your Kid Says 'I Don't Care' About Homework
When your kid says "I don't care" about homework, what are they really telling you? Nick Zadina from the Boys Town National Hotline joins us to flip the script on motivation. Drawing from his work in crisis intervention and motivational intervi...