Play Healing Parent Podcast

How Pausing accelerates business growth and builds deeper connections between clients and our kids

In this episode of the Play Healing Podcast, Debi John engages in an insightful conversation with Jamie Sarah, exploring the parallels between parenting, business, and personal growth. They delve into how foundational principles like forthrightness, the joy of play in work, and the significance of safe spaces for emotional expression can transform personal and professional lives. Jamie shares her journey from a playful child enchanted by the narratives of toys to a successful business mentor, emphasizing the power of play in fostering creativity and connection.

Key Takeaways:

• Play and Professionalism: Jamie illustrates how her passion for playing with ideas and words seamlessly integrates into her professional life, offering a fresh perspective on work as an enjoyable, creative process.

• Embracing Vulnerability: Both Jamie and Debi highlight the importance of vulnerability in building genuine connections, whether in parenting, business, or personal relationships.

• Navigating Life Transitions: Through personal stories, they discuss navigating significant life changes, such as divorces and career shifts, with grace (most of the time!) and resilience, focusing on the well-being of children and personal growth.

• Valuing Safe Emotional Spaces: The conversation underscores creating environments where individuals, especially children, feel safe to express emotions, fostering healthy development and strong family bonds.

• Seeking Internal Validation: Jamie advocates for seeking validation from within and from her Christian faith, rather than external sources, fostering a grounded and peaceful existence amidst life's chaos.

• Integrating Play into Daily Routines: Practical advice is offered on integrating play and mindfulness into daily routines, emphasizing the importance of personal well-being for effective parenting and business management.

About Jamie Sarah:

Jamie Sarah is a visionary business mentor known for helping entrepreneurs harness their unique magic to create impactful, fulfilling careers. With a rich background in marketing and a profound understanding of human behavior, Jamie blends playfulness with professionalism to guide her clients toward success. Her approach, deeply rooted in authenticity and creativity, challenges conventional business wisdom, advocating for a world where work feels like play.

Parenting through a divorce the play-fuelled way

In this heartfelt episode of the Play Healing Podcast, host Debi John collaborates with Sue Atkins to tackle the complex journey of parenting through a divorce. They delve into the significance of incorporating the "Pause, Play, Connect" model to navigate the challenges of divorce, offering listeners a blend of personal insights and expert advice on maintaining a nurturing environment for children amidst change. Sue shares her own experiences and the transformative role of play in healing and connection, providing a beacon of hope and guidance for parents in similar situations.

Key Takeaways:

• Childhood and Play: Sue reminisces about the joys of childhood play and how it shaped her understanding of the world, underscoring the power of play in fostering creativity and resilience.

• Play in Adulthood: Highlighting the continuation of play into adult life, Sue discusses the importance of maintaining a playful spirit through social interactions, self-care, and even pet companionship.

• Pause, Play, Connect Model: The conversation explores the application of this model in the context of divorce, emphasizing the need to pause and reflect, find joy in play, and connect deeply with oneself and loved ones during times of transition.

• Supporting Children Through Divorce: Sue provides valuable insights into communicating with children about divorce, ensuring they feel loved, heard, and secure despite the changes in their family structure.

• Personal Well-being and Self-care: Recognising the emotional toll of divorce on parents, Sue advocates for self-care practices and seeking support to navigate the emotional landscape of ending a marriage.

About Sue Atkins:

Sue Atkins is a renowned parenting expert, author, and media personality who has dedicated her career to supporting families through the challenges of parenting. With a rich background in education and a deep passion for making a difference in the lives of children and parents alike, Sue brings compassion, wisdom, and practical advice to those navigating the complexities of divorce and family dynamics.

Fostering Healthy Connection the Play-Fueled Way with Maha Gazelle & Debi John

In this enriching episode of the Play Healing Podcast, host Debi John welcomes Maha Gazelle, a distinguished play therapist and advocate for nurturing through play. Together, they embark on a profound discussion that unveils the transformative power of play in healing and fostering healthy connections, especially amidst challenges and crises.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Healing Power of Play: Insights into how play therapy facilitates emotional and psychological healing, with a spotlight on Maha's innovative approaches and her collaboration with communities in crisis.

• The Role of Attunement in Play: Exploring the critical importance of attunement between adults and children during play, highlighting how this connection promotes mental health and resilience.

• Impact of Trauma on Children: Maha and Debi delve into the effects of trauma on children and how play therapy can offer a pathway to recovery, using examples from recent global crises.

• Educational Insights: Discussion on the integration of play and learning, emphasizing the need for a balance between academic demands and the child's emotional well-being.

• Empowering Families and Communities: Strategies for empowering families and communities to incorporate play as a tool for healing and building stronger bonds, even in the face of adversity.

• Advocacy for Change: A call to action for integrating play therapy principles in educational systems and wider community practices to support children's overall development.

About Maha Gazelle:

Maha Gazelle is a renowned play therapist with a passion for using play as a medium to enhance mental health and foster meaningful connections. Her work, especially in crisis-affected regions, has demonstrated the universal language of play in healing and hope.

Play-fuelled Leadership: Balancing AI and Education with Geoff Stead

Commenting about the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECT Ⓡ philosophy

'What is widely established is a good thing for those busy professionals with manically stressed out lives as you were describing is to find a way of partitioning your day up or having a time when you sort of reflect and plan on what's coming.

It's really bad practice to rush into the next day and it is important to stop and pause and reflect a little bit - which is the pause. Lots of people, I know who succeed at senior levels in the workplace meditate and have other practices like breath holding practices, yoga, which is perhaps not quite play, but creates a moment when you disassociate from the work you need to do. I think my takeaway I'm having is that I need to have more active time to be more playful in my day-to-day.

At work I'm a bit playful, it's common that we arrange hack days and include moments of creativity. Change the pace or mood in a meeting by getting everyone to stand up and move. Having levels of goofiness. Helps to lower levels of stress and get stuff done so I'd like to mix these things into the day, and it makes me feel more human.'

About Geoff:

Geoff is a digital product leader. He builds the teams and shapes the vision for the next generation of EdTech innovation. A technology optimist, he's a deep believer in the power of diverse, creative human teams. He's happiest working in the blend between humans and technology, adapting emerging tools like AI to find better ways to reach or teach learners across the globe. Geoff is CPO at MyTutor, the world's leading platform for near-peer learning. Prior to that he played the same role at Babbel, building learning tools that make a difference for millions of language learners. He's the proud author of 'Engines of Engagement ' A Curious Book About Generative AI'. Freshly printed, in Amazon's top 50 business books on AI (and available free as an ebook). He divides his time between working as a Chief Product Officer, advising emerging start-ups, and sharing insights that can increase the value and impact of learning technologies that make a meaningful difference in the world.