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Content Warning ⚠️ - This episode discusses child loss, hospitalisation, grief and end-of-life decisions. Please listen with care and have support available and take breaks as needed.

In this deeply moving conversation, Dr Nat Green speaks with psychologist and grieving mum Kimberly Stevens, who lost her 13-year-old son Ethan to T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2021. Six months later, back at work and searching for what was missing between therapy sessions, Kimberly set out to solve a critical gap for bereaved parents—local, lived-experience connection.

After three years of development, she launched Kids Connecting Parents (April 2025), a geolocation app helping grieving parents find and message one another nearby, build real-world support, and feel less alone.

Key Highlights / Takeaways

• Ethan’s story: from misdiagnosed “asthma” to ICU, and the family’s final days filled with love.
• The truth about grief: why integration (not “moving on”) is the most compassionate path.
• The basket of tools: how Kimberly used her clinical wisdom and lived experience to feel everything and re-engage with life.
• The connection gap: why many parents lose support—and how local, face-to-face community transforms healing.
• Building the app: funding hurdles, unexpected allies, and a “dating-app-style” interface (without the dating!).
• Boundaries & return to work: practical ways professionals can pace capacity after loss.
• Hope in action: 2,200+ messages exchanged since launch, connecting parents across Australia, NZ, Canada, the US & Germany.
• Tiny steps matter: water, sleep, a walk, a text—each builds capacity to hold what hurts.
• It truly “takes a village to grieve a child.” Creating and joining that village is healing.

About our guest — Kimberly Stevens
Registered Psychologist, founder of Kids Connecting Parents, and devoted mum to Ethan and Jett. Kimberly blends professional training with lived experience to create safer, closer, local support for parents navigating life after child loss.

Resources & how to help

• Kids Connecting Parents App — Available on Apple & Android
• Website: www.kidsconnectingparents.com
• Financial accessibility: 99¢ AUD/month helps cover hosting and security. If cost is a barrier, email kimberly@kidsconnectingparents.com
  for 5 years free—no questions asked.
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Thank you to Mining Skills Australia who made the App possible

If Today’s Episode Resonated - Share with a friend, therapist, or local grief group—or,

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Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this deeply validating episode of Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma, Dr. Nat Green welcomes back Dr. Hayley D Quinn—mindset & wellbeing coach, speaker, author, host of Welcome to Self, and former clinical psychologist/past president of Compassionate Mind Australia.

Hayley opens up about:

• Her decision to leave psychology registration and go all-in on coaching, speaking, and writing
• How a late ADHD & autism diagnosis (at 52) reframed decades of “pushing through” and perfectionism
• The truth about burnout—why you can’t “work your way out of it,” why prevention is kinder (and cheaper) than recovery, and how to front-load self-care before busy seasons
• Practical systems for a neurodivergent-friendly life: daily self-check-ins, colour-coded calendars, hydration & meal supports, and outsourcing that protects energy
• Why self-compassion is the engine of sustainable success (including insights from Compassion Focused Therapy and the “share from the scar, not the wound” principle)
• The power—and limits—of lived experience in coaching, and how to stay ethical and safe in the “wild west” of the industry
• Designing a values-aligned life on the coast, rebuilding identity post-career pivot, and celebrating milestones (including 100+ podcast episodes on Welcome to Self)

We also celebrate Hayley’s new book From Self-Neglect to Self-Compassion: A Compassionate Guide to Creating a Thriving Life—pre-orders open 18 November with special bonuses for wait-listers, and publication early February (perfect timing to “be your own Valentine” and rebuild your relationship with yourself).

You’ll learn:

• How A simple daily check-in changes everything
• How to spot the signs of smouldering stress before it becomes a fire
• Setting Boundaries for “urgent” requests (that protect you and still serve)
• Why front-loading self-care makes busy seasons survivable
• How receiving help can be an act of compassion—for you and for others

Links & Resources

• Dr. Hayley D Quinn – Website: drhayleydquinn.com
• Podcast: Welcome to Self
• Book: From Self-Neglect to Self-Compassion – Pre-orders open 18 Nov; publishes early Feb (Book waitlist & pre-orders)
• Website
• Welcome To Self Podcast
• Free Resource
• Welcome to Self®: Time to Thrive Group Coaching
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this deeply honest, heart-opening and hope-filled conversation, Dr Nat welcomes Denice Buryn—Wholistic Practitioner, Massage Therapist, and Energy Healer—to explore what it really takes to move from trauma to post-traumatic growth. Denice shares her raw, unfiltered, courageous journey from early heartbreak, abuse, addiction, single motherhood without support, anxiety and health collapse and the courageous pivot that began with daily meditation, energy clearing, and radical self-honor and led to a grounded, purpose-led life of post-traumatic growth. Denice explains how feeling disconnected from the woman in the mirror became the catalyst to remember her innate worth, set loving boundaries, and rebuild from the inside out.

You’ll hear how a series of small, consistent practices created profound change: daily meditation (including approachable, non-traditional forms), energy clearing, whole-food nourishment, hydration, and genuine rest. Denice walks us through mirror work and compassionate self-talk, the moment she could finally say “I love you” to herself, and the practical art of spotting energetic drains in relationships and workplaces. We explore why boundaries are self-honor, how to listen to your body’s alarms, and what it means to become an energetic match for the life you’re calling in.

We also touch on brain–heart coherence, the “gift in the trauma,” and an aligned approach to manifestation—including the beautiful story of calling in her now-husband after a sacred ceremony and months of inner devotion. Throughout, Denice offers grounded wisdom for women who feel lost, overwhelmed, or unworthy: start with one practice, put yourself first without apology, and let love—without conditions—do its quiet, steady work.

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t even know what would make me happy,” this episode is your reminder: you are powerful, worthy, and capable of thriving after trauma.

Links & Resources

• Join Women’s Journey to Happiness (FREE, Nov 3–16): series.deniceburyn.com.
• Connect with Denice on Instagram: @happyhandswholistichealing
• Connect with Denice on Facebook: @happyhandshealing
• FREE Energy Clearing Gift (here)
  
  
• Work with Dr Nat / take the Archetype Quiz: (here)

Content note: This episode references abuse, sexual assault, addiction, and grief. Please listen with care.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.