The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis

Send us a textDana's reflections on 2025. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

Send us a textWhat changes when a child’s wellbeing takes the lead and everything else rearranges around it? In this series finale with Paige Carter of Inclusive Oak, we follow a family through unschooling and burnout recovery, anchored by one unforgettable moment: a teacher who shows up at a caravan park simply to say hello, offer a gift, and hold the thread of belonging. No pressure, no performance—just proof that connection travels.You’ll leave with three anchors to navigate your own journey: educate yourself about your child’s neurotype and what actually helps, connect with people who truly get it, and invest in your own healing so you can stop pushing past capacity and start trusting your gut. If this conversation helped you reframe, share it with a friend, subscribe for more grounded stories, and leave a review to help others find the show. What quiet win are you celebrating this week?inclusiveoak.com.au danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

Send us a textWhat if the bravest choice is to stop doing what everyone expects and start doing what your child needs? We sit down with Paige Carter to unpack a seismic family pivot: renting out the house, moving into a caravan, and giving a neurodivergent child time to recover from burnout. It’s not a retreat from learning; it’s a redesign of life around safety, trust, and capacity.Paige shares how they balanced two very different paths for their kids: keeping Lacey in school to the end of term and donating her uniform later, while removing demands for Oak so he could heal. We dig into the fine line between pushing and guiding, and why she paused most therapies but kept hydro because it consistently led to joy and pride. The wins are wonderfully ordinary: a smooth car ride to drop-off, a self-advocated exit at the zoo without a meltdown, and a spontaneous cold swim where Oakland practiced rockets from physio and laughed his way through the chill.If you’re wrestling with burnout, compliance anxiety, or the fear of stepping outside the box, this conversation offers a roadmap and real-world proof that small, steady wins add up. Subscribe, share with a parent who needs courage, and leave a review telling us the one rule you’d rewrite for your family.affirmingconnections.com.auinclusiveoak.com.au danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

Send us a textThis week on The Empowered Parent Podcast I sat down with Sarah Lovett from Our PDA Kids and Paige Carter from Inclusive Oak. Both Sarah and Paige are parents of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Persistent Demand for Autonomy, and both run successful services supporting families just like yours.Sarah talked about burnout, why it happens, and how we can support children who find school overwhelming. She also shared gentle reminders about parent self care and why looking after yourself helps your child feel safe.Paige shared her own real life stories with her children, Oaklan and Lacey. She spoke honestly about the hard moments, the small wins, and what has helped her family at home, in the community, and at school.This episode is full of practical ideas and hope for parents who are struggling with everyday challenges like getting up, eating, brushing teeth, showering, going out, or returning to school.Join us for a conversation that reminds you that you are not alone, and that small steps can make a big difference.https://www.ourpdakids.com.au/https://inclusiveoak.com.au/https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assistance-for-isolated-children-scheme danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

Send us a textSay yes to slower. That simple pivot—away from pressure and toward real choice—turned a chaotic season into a week with fewer meltdowns, easier car rides, and a hydrotherapy session full of laughter. We open up about parenting a PDA child with low demand strategies, how we detach from outcomes, and why autonomy is not a luxury but a lifeline for regulation.We dive into the recovery–stability–expansion arc and why families often rush past the stability phase. Fresh from the Perth PDA conference, we share takeaways from psychiatrists and lived-experience voices: meltdowns are involuntary, medication is a careful balancing act, and environments that honour autonomy are central to nervous system safety. The science lands in everyday moments—like offering a late yes or no to hydro, letting go of non-essential demands, and checking our own triggers when a child refuses shoes.Low Demand Parenting by Amanda Diekman danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services