Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode, #249, where you, the listener, get to write in and ask us anything.

In this episode, we’re responding to the question:

“Hi there, I guess I am looking for more info on siblings in a special needs family. Can you shed light or talk about how they battle their own resentment, depression, anxiety or PTSD? THX.”

In this conversation, Jessica Patay, Dr. Zoe Shaw, and Susanna Peace Lovell come together to explore a deeply important and often under-discussed topic in caregiving families: the sibling experience.

The hosts unpack the complex emotional and psychological dynamics that can arise when one child in the family has additional needs. They discuss how siblings may experience a wide range of emotions—including love, pride, resentment, protectiveness, anxiety, and even feelings of invisibility—and why it’s so important to create space for all of those feelings without judgment.

Jessica, Zoe, and Susanna also explore the different roles siblings can take on within the family system, and how these roles can shape identity, relationships, and mental health over time. They speak directly to the question of resentment, depression, and anxiety, emphasizing that these responses are valid and deserve attention, support, and care.

The conversation offers practical strategies for parents, including the importance of validating siblings’ experiences, being mindful of how praise is given, and creating intentional one-on-one time and support systems. The hosts also highlight the value of therapy and open communication in helping families navigate these dynamics with compassion and honesty.

Ultimately, this episode is a reminder that sibling relationships are deeply meaningful—and that supporting siblings is an essential part of caring for the whole family.

Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.

Find Dr. Zoe’s book, Stronger in the Difficult Places: Heal Your Relationship with Yourself by Untangling Complex Shame

Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.

JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.

Donate to support all of We Are Brave Together's programs and offerings here.

Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast? Follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Youtube.

Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org

If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.

Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!

Disclaimer

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today’s expert episode, #248, featuring Kirk Martin, a parenting educator known for his honest, practical insights on raising strong-willed children and leading with calm.

These expert episodes are conversations with professionals whose work directly supports caregiving parents. In this episode, hosts Susanna Peace Lovell and Jessica Patay talk with Kirk about the evolving landscape of parenting—and why the most powerful shift we can make is moving from controlling our children to regulating ourselves.

Together, they explore how parental anxiety often fuels controlling behaviors, why strong-willed children require a different approach than compliant ones, and how calm leadership creates safety and connection. Kirk emphasizes the importance of normalizing children’s emotions rather than correcting them, validating their experiences, and modeling emotional intelligence in everyday moments. The conversation also highlights the crucial role fathers play in breaking generational patterns and fostering secure, healthy relationships with their children.

This episode is filled with practical strategies and honest reflection, reminding us that parenting is not about perfection or performance—it’s about growth. Success as a parent is not defined by a child’s behavior, but by our willingness to lead with steadiness, self-awareness, and compassion.

Find more information about Kirk Martin and Celebrate Calming here.

Follow Kirk on Instagram here.

Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.

Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough here.

Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.

Find FULL episodes and clips of our podcast on Youtube here.

Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.

JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.

Donate to support all of We Are Brave Together's programs and offerings here.

Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast? Follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Youtube.

Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org

If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.

Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!

Disclaimer

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today’s story episode, #247. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation that goes deeper into the experience and themes shared.

In this episode of the Brave Together Podcast, Dr. Zoe Shaw shares her personal journey as a writer, therapist, and caregiver, exploring the powerful and often hidden impact of shame. Drawing from her own life and the insights that shaped her book, Stronger in the Difficult Places, Zoe unpacks the difference between simple guilt and complex shame—explaining how complex shame attaches itself to identity and can quietly influence how caregivers see themselves.

Zoe reflects on the “phantom critic” that so many parents carry, the cultural and societal pressures that intensify feelings of inadequacy, and how writing became her therapy and path toward healing. She offers practical insight into how shame manifests in caregiving, why guilt can be a healthy, adaptive emotion, and how forgiveness—“giving up all hope of a better past”—can open the door to freedom and self-acceptance.

In the conversation that follows, hosts Jessica Patay and Susanna Peace Lovell explore how shame shows up in the lives of caregivers, the ripple effects it has on families, and how parents can begin to untangle these deeply rooted beliefs. Together, they remind listeners that good-enough parents are more than enough for a child to thrive.

Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.

Find Dr. Zoe’s book, Stronger in the Difficult Places: Heal Your Relationship with Yourself by Untangling Complex Shame here.

Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.

Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough

Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.

JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.

Donate to support all of We Are Brave Together's programs and offerings here.

Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast? Follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Youtube.

Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org

If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.

Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!

Disclaimer