Shows
The Optimized MindCultivating Resilience and Community with Mackenzie DunhamIn this episode of The Optimized Mind, Dr. Kate is joined by the founder of Wild Heart Society, Mackenzie Dunham. The discussion focuses on the challenges transgender kids and their families face, the power of parental support, and the tools Mackenzie uses to promote resilience and connection. The episode wraps with practical advice for all of us: lead with curiosity, challenge misinformation, and always accept and affirm kids for who they are.Founded in 2019 by Mackenzie Dunham, Wild Heart Society has grown to include over 25 compassionate professionals who are dedicated to providing therapy that is grounded in...
2025-11-1825 min
Camp Wild Heart09. Be Open, Be Curious: A Trans Family's Growth StoryWhen parents bring their kids to see us at Wildheart Society, sometimes they show up scared. Scared of what this means for their kid, of what it means for their relationship, and underneath it, really they’re afraid of change.Most people have a hard time with change; so I get it. But what I like to remind parents is that their child has chosen to invite them in as they are living as their most authentic self. They didn’t have to share this with their parents because they are their own autonomous huma...
2025-08-201h 13Camp Wild Heart08. Healing to Support a Trans Daughter: Shannon's StoryIn today’s episode, we have a parent story from mom, Shannon. Shannon comes from conservative roots and is mom to three boys and a trans daughter. Our conversation follows her journey of doing her own healing work so that she could be the kind of mom she really wanted and needed to be for her daughter.I’m so grateful she agreed to share her story with us about how important it is to be brave and how critical your work as parents is to supporting your kids....
2025-07-291h 00Camp Wild Heart07. What Keeps Me Hopeful: Being Active for Trans Kids with Jessica LaheySo many of us are trying so hard to protect our kids from failure of any kind.Getting it wrong and having regrets is scary! Of course we want to protect our kids from that. But really, when we hover over their homework or swoop in with a plan to fix it when they're struggling, we're protecting ourselves from our anxieties about being a good enough parent.There's kind of no better time to fail than when you're a kid. The stakes are still pretty low. When kids learn...
2025-07-011h 03Camp Wild Heart06. Camp Stories: Kristin Key on Growing Up, Coming Out, and Moving ForwardRecently, a friend invited me to a comedy show and as we watched the set, I was delighted to find that the performer and I had a bunch of similarities.Camp-themed show? Check. Preacher’s kid? Check. Raising money for queer youth? Check. We even look kind of similar, if you don’t count that she’s a foot taller than I am.I had to take a shot at the merch table. Lucky for me, along with being tremendously funny, she’s also incredibly supportive and generous and agreed t...
2025-06-171h 00
Kristin Knows BlankEp. 95 "Trans Youth 101" with Mackenzie DunhamThis week on Kristin Knows Blank, I’m joined by the insightful and inspiring Mackenzie Dunham—therapist, activist, and all-around truth-teller. We talk about the biggest misconceptions surrounding trans youth, how parents can create truly safe spaces, and the pure joy of watching kids thrive when they’re free to be themselves.
It’s a powerful, heartfelt, and surprisingly funny conversation about identity, allyship, and acceptance. Whether you're a parent, an educator, or just a human who wants to do better—this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts
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2025-06-1041 min
Kristin Knows BlankEp. 95 “Trans Youth 101” with Mackenzie DunhamThis week on Kristin Knows Blank, I’m joined by the insightful and inspiring Mackenzie Dunham—therapist, activist, and all-around truth-teller. We talk about the biggest misconceptions surrounding trans youth, how parents can create truly safe spaces, and the pure joy of watching kids thrive when they’re free to be themselves. It’s a powerful, heartfelt, and surprisingly...
2025-06-1041 minCamp Wild Heart05. Autism, Gender, and Breaking Free from Social Programming with Sol SmithYou may be aware that there is a significant overlap between neurodivergence and transness. So today, I’m talking with a guest who is both an expert in neurodivergence–and he’s autistic himself–and a parent of queer and trans children.Sol Smith is a social media creator and author of the book The Autistic's Guide to Self-Discovery: Flourishing as a Neurodivergent Adult. Much of his work focuses on neurodivergent adults who may have received a diagnosis or self-realized later in life and helping them figure out what it means to be neurodivergent and unde...
2025-06-0353 minCamp Wild Heart04. Beyond Pride: How Conservative Parents Became Fierce AlliesThere is so much misinformation about trans people out there, and a lot of the kids and families I work with have people in their lives who simply do not understand what these kids are going through.But I don't think anyone is a lost cause. Almost everyone is capable of learning and growing.I reached out to today's guests because I wanted to discuss the experience of having a transgender kid while being in a conservative family. I met Amanda and Tom, and t...
2025-05-2056 minCamp Wild Heart03. Radical Curiosity: Living Authentically in Challenging Times with Flint Del SolToday, we're catching up with my friend, and friend of the podcast, Flint Del Sol.Last time Flint was here, his life looked very different than it does today. He was mid-transition, using they/them pronouns, had just started testosterone, and was still teaching. Since then, he's come out, transitioned in public on his social media profiles, survived doxxings, and received bomb threats at the school where he taught.It's been a lot.He chose to leave teaching and move to the desert with...
2025-05-061h 23Camp Wild Heart02. The Courage to be Curious: Parent Mitch Shares His StoryWe’re back! To kick off this new season, I invited back the last person I had on the show before my break.Mitch joins me again to share what the last couple of years have been like as his family adjusted to their move to Washington from Texas in support of their trans daughter. We talked about the difficult transition they experienced, having left behind a strong community ties because he feared for his daughter’s safety, and we talked about what it’s been like to be an advo...
2025-04-2252 minCamp Wild Heart01. Return to Camp: Embracing the Magic of the Messy MiddleHello, friends. Have you missed me?After a longer than originally intended break from this podcast, I am back and I am ready.The world is scary right now and I want to show up here to support the Wild Heart community. I'm always thrilled to get to be a part of your journey in whatever way I have been.We have a great season coming up for you. You're going to hear from some old and new friends of the podcast, some listeners, and lots of families. I heard you loud and...
2025-04-2214 min
What WorksWhat Does Power Sound Like?This is the 6th installment in the Self-Help, LLC series, which originally ran in October 2022. Today's episode has been revised and re-engineered!We form an impression of our voices early in life. While it might shift some as we age, those impressions tend to stick with us. For many of us, what we learn about our voices is how they don’t quite measure up to the ideal: too high, too low, too soft, too loud, too this, too that. This is especially true for women, queer people, transgender people, non-native English speakers, Black people, people of co...
2024-08-1539 minCamp Wild Heart12. Joyful Resistance: One Dad's Call to ActionWe’ve talked before about voting for your kid, and the rafts of legislation that are directed at taking away rights from trans people and trans kids. Even here in the Pacific Northwest, kids and their families are scared.As of recording on August 15th, 2023, there were 358 active pieces of anti-trans legislation in 49 states. That doesn't include the 80 bills that were already passed, and it doesn't include the 128 bills failed. This isn't going to stop anytime soon. Today, we’ll hear from a dad, Mitch...
2023-10-241h 17Camp Wild Heart11. From Heartache to Healing: The Power of Self-Acceptance with RandiSo often when I talk to parents about their children’s decision or request to transition, parents express concern that their child will regret their decision, and that their child’s regret will come back on them as parents. In fact, I’ve worked with a number of parents who have said, “They can do whatever they want when they’re 18, but I’m not going to be responsible for any regrets that they have later.”I’ve always translated this as a fear response. And I get it. There are a lot of unknowns and a lot of unce...
2023-10-1050 minCamp Wild Heart10. Words to Say When… Keeping Your Power in Difficult Conversations with Prof. Jaime HamiltonTransphobia is all around us, and often inside us. As parents, we face it in everyday conversations with colleagues, family members, and friends. Our kids face it in school from peers, teachers, and friends.Over the years, the biggest concern I hear about raising a transgender child isn’t about the medical stuff, it’s fears about the way the world will treat that child. We know it’s not all going to be nice. We know that our kids will face bullies and bigots. And I...
2023-09-121h 10Camp Wild Heart09. Catherine: Living With Love, Not FearRemember that time before you were a parent and you thought you at least had some clue what you were getting into and that you’d be good at it?I know I did. I knew it wasn’t all snuggles and giggles and that it would be a lot of hard work, but caring for others is part of my wiring.Of course, none of us are really prepared for what waits for us in parenthood. Even after you’ve had your first kid, you can get thrown for a loop on the second, third...
2023-09-051h 02Camp Wild Heart08. Body Trust: Coming Home to the Body with Dana Sturtevant and Hilary Kinavey“How do we know this is about gender and not body image? Doesn’t everyone feel uncomfortable in their body at that age?”I get these questions from parents all the time. And my answer is this: body image is about being dissatisfied with how we look along with unobtainable beauty standards. Body dysphoria is about the cues their body sends to the world about how to interact with and treat them, how that doesn’t align with how they feel, and how it can make them feel invisible.It’s sim...
2023-07-0442 minCamp Wild Heart07. Neurodiversity and Transness: Honoring Intersectionality in Healing Spaces with Dr. Sam ZoranovichEvery single one of us has a body.People are complex and our bodies are no different.Some of us feel at home in our bodies, while others of us do not, and it’s not always because of gender.Difficult emotions can play a significant role in this disconnect, as well as trauma and its impact on the body. And having a disability, disease, or other condition can further strain the connection with the body.But for many tr...
2023-06-2751 minCamp Wild Heart06. Mindful Masculinity: Embracing Superheroes and Sensitive Souls with Rocco KayiatosToxic masculinity is more than a buzzword.Toxic masculinity is part of the gender training we receive starting in childhood, where we learn the rules about how to be a man or a lady. Man up. Boys don’t cry. And it hurts all of us.Toxic masculinity is a narrow and repressive description of manhood and frankly, I’m surprised more men aren’t pissed about it.What does that have to do with raising a transgender child?Toxic...
2023-06-201h 02Camp Wild Heart05. Gendered Lives: Privilege, Parenting, and Identity with Erica CourdaeThere are so many things about our lives that are gendered.And some of those things are a lot more important and hold more cultural significance than we realize–that is until we have kid who comes out as trans, and then all of that privilege you had and all the mental energy you didn’t have to spend on thinking about all the ways in which the world wasn’t set up for your transgender kid is gone. Now, I should be clear, when I say “we” I’m talking about...
2023-06-1352 minCamp Wild Heart04. Fear vs. Curiosity: Being Alive and Trans with Flint, Just Flint Part 2Get ready for part two of my conversation with Flint. If you haven’t listened to part one, hit pause and give it a listen, then come back for part two.In this episode, we’re continuing our conversation about creating a safe and supportive space for trans kids, and the trans adults they need in their lives to show them that they will be fine, and that what they are experiencing is normal.Flint is an English teacher in Southern California. They are white, use they/them pronouns, are...
2023-06-0644 minCamp Wild Heart03. Fear vs. Curiosity: Being Alive and Trans with Flint, Just Flint Part 1We have all heard and experienced how different school is now from when we were kids. It’s a whole different world. And while I could easily be referring to school policies and the way that kids are taught math - I’m not. I’m referring to the social universe and obstacle course that kids navigate day in and day out. And one of the hardest things about that change is that it doesn’t really end when the bell rings. It continues on social media and smartphones. Kids don’t...
2023-06-0646 minCamp Wild Heart02. Believing in Your Child: Embracing the Journey of Trans IdentityYou never know how people are gonna react to your child's coming out and socially transitioning.I wish there was a clear indicator that I could give you that says, these are the ones who will support you, and these are the ones who are going to get spooked and do really ugly things. If that thing exists, I haven't discovered it yet.I've seen families who are progressive and open-minded about others get completely closed off to the idea that something like this could be happening with their...
2023-05-3049 minCamp Wild Heart01. What Do I Do When My Kid Won't Talk to Me? with Flyn AlexanderI think we’ve all been in that place with our kids where they are clearly going through something big - something with friends, something with sex, mental health, transness, something that makes your parent heart go “Oh god - I need more information about this so I can help and protect and make sure that nothing bad happens to them.” So you put out the bid for connection and try to engage in the conversation and your kid gives you NOTHING. They stare blankly at you, they say “I don’t wa...
2023-05-2346 minCamp Wild Heart07. Talking Queerness: Gender-Affirming Perspectives and Resources with Lindz AmerWhen I was a kid, nobody talked to me at all about queer people, except maybe to tell me that they were sinful and going to hell. I don’t think I really even started to learn about queerness in any way other than the negative until I was in high school. And even then, it wasn’t exactly what I would call affirming. And I know my experience isn’t uncommon.Times have really changed when it comes to the acceptance of the queer community by the dominant cishet society that we live in in...
2022-10-2547 min
What WorksEP 397: Self Help, LLC: Bad Usage With Samara BayWe form an impression of our voices early in life. While it might shift some as we age, those impressions tend to stick with us. For many of us, what we learn about our voices is how their don’t quite measure up to the ideal: too high, too low, too soft, too loud, too this, too that. This is especially true for women, queer people, transgender people, non-native English speakers, Black people, people of color, indigenous people, and really anyone whose voice doesn’t fit into the white, male baritone mold.So what do we do? We t...
2022-10-1141 min
Too Woke BoysToo Woke Boys 114: Forcing Your Bros To Watch BrosThe boys get together to discuss ally of the show Jeff Zenisek's trip to Philadelphia. How ironic it is that Philly has all this memorabilia about founding this country, but then at the same level of intensity, so much Rocky memorabilia. Chris also discusses Jeff's adventure in a photography store where an artist had a really moving piece of art with the message that racism is bad. A super unique take that hasn't really been covered by literally every artist since like the 60s.
The boys talk about hurricane Ian updates, Lizzo playing James Madison's crystal flute...
2022-10-041h 19Camp Wild Heart06. Sharing the Weight of Coming OutComing out is an age old tradition for queer kids. Some even think of it as a right of passage.But what we don’t really consider is how emotionally taxing it is for the person doing the coming out. What we don’t realize is that by even having this cultural set up, we’re creating a world where our kids are othered. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we didn’t have to come out and we could just be ourselves without having to explain our identity to anyone?I rea...
2022-09-2738 minCamp Wild Heart05. Growing Alongside Your KiddoParenthood is a state of nonstop learning and adapting. I love being my kids' mom more than anything. And it's a good thing I like a challenge because it is also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Parenting is hard for so many reasons - even when you’ve got a neurotypical, cisgender kid with no mental health issues. Parenting a neurospicy, gender expansive kid is a whole other level of challenging.And being a parent shines a big bright light down on all of our own stuff. The l...
2022-09-1334 minCamp Wild Heart04. The Magic of Voice Transitioning with Nicole GressHave you ever had the experience where you open your mouth to speak, and the voice that comes out of your mouth is barely recognizable?Or have you ever heard yourself on a recording and thought, “Whoa! Is that what I sound like?!” These experiences aren’t exactly the same as the gender dysphoria many trans people experience in their lives, but they are as close as I can get to helping you connect to the feeling of vocal gender dysphoria. So what do we do abo...
2022-09-0642 minCamp Wild Heart03. Creating Communities of Support For Gender Expansive Kiddos with Shannon CollinsIt certainly isn’t the case for everyone, but for many parents, raising a transgender kiddo can feel like a pretty isolating experience.Who do I talk to about it? Where do we find more information? What supports are even available to our family? What does any of it mean? Finding other families can be very difficult. And there are so many factors that make it difficult. Where you live is usually a big one. There are certain parts of the country that have more resources and support than oth...
2022-08-1657 minCamp Wild Heart02. Non-Binary: Love, Kindness, and Self-acceptance with Jeffrey MarshWhen kids come out as trans, there is often, but not always, a progression to it.It is not at all uncommon for kids–particularly adolescents–to start with coming out as gay, and then progress into a non-binary identity, and then to a re-binary identity. But not everyone takes that route. And a lot of kids and adults discover the concept of non-binary or something similar and go, “Yes! This is me - finally.” There are so many labels in the gender universe, and because...
2022-08-0950 minCamp Wild Heart01. What the Heck is Gender Dysphoria? with Karen KopulosDysphoria is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the trans community.Dysphoria is an intense discomfort, distress, or unease that typically has to do with one of three aspects of gender identity: physical, social, or mental.Dysphoria is NOT a qualifier for being trans.There are plenty of trans people who don’t experience dysphoria.But since it is very common, we thought it would be worth telling you about how and when it shows up, what it feels like, and ho...
2022-08-0257 min
DCOMmentariesDOUBLE TEAMED (ft. Bryce Saxon)Double Teamed (January 18th, 2002)IMDB WikipediaDirected by Duwayne Dunham (Little Giants, Halloweentown, The Thirteenth Year, Ready to Run, Right on Track, Tiger Cruise, Now You See It, Clone Wars + Edited Return of the Jedi)Written by Douglas Penn & John Wierick (Ready to Run, Step by Step)Starring: Poppi Monroe as Heather Burge (Tiger Cruise, nothing past 2006)Annie McElwain as Heidi Burge (also stopped in 2006)Teal Redmann as Nicky Williams (Gilmore Girls, CSI)
2022-06-141h 17
The Working Tools PodcastGrand Master of British Columbia & Yukon MWB Donald W. MacKenzie Part 2 TWT S4 E23The Working Tools Podcast https://youtu.be/yGmWUoPta2o
Join the Working Tools Podcast Team; WB Steven Chung, VWB David Colbeth, VWB Matthew Appel and WB Jarrod Dunham as we talk with the Grand Master of British Columbia & Yukon MWB Donald W. MacKenzie.
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https://anchor.fm/theworkingtoolspodcast/support
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2022-06-0633 minThe Working Tools PodcastGrand Master of British Columbia & Yukon MWB Donald W. MacKenzie Part 1 TWT S4 E22The Working Tools Podcast https://youtu.be/SCeOdT6M5EY
Join the Working Tools Podcast Team; WB Steven Chung, VWB David Colbeth, VWB Matthew Appel and WB Jarrod Dunham as we meet with the Grand Master of British Columbia & Yukon MWB Donald W. MacKenzie.
Please consider supporting the show with a small monthly donation:
https://anchor.fm/theworkingtoolspodcast/support
Follow us on Facebook!
http://Facebook.TheWorkingToolsPodcast.com
Podcast rebroadcasts:
ANCHOR.fm:
http://Anchor.TheWorkingToolsPodcast.c...
2022-05-3026 minCamp Wild Heart07. Understanding Intersectional Identity with Martha Stebbins-AguinigaSometimes we look around, or turn on the news, and it feels like we’re just being pummeled with injustices and it can feel overwhelming.Maybe you’ve already been fighting social biases based on race, income, or ability - and now here comes this kid that you love more than life, and they’re thrusting you into a whole new world of oppression that you probably didn’t even know existed.I think that advocacy and inclusion work as a parent of a trans kid is almost inevitable. You’re g...
2022-04-0535 minCamp Wild Heart06. Imperfect Parenting and the Power of Showing Up with MichelleShowing up for our kids seems simple enough, right?Showing up means more than just your physical presence in a room. Showing up for your child is about the quality of your presence. Showing up means connection and attention–putting your phone down while your child is on the playground, taking advantage of every second of the three minutes your child engages with you about their day. Showing up is about making sure our kids feel soothed, safe, seen, and secure.And the research on...
2022-03-2946 minCamp Wild Heart05. Seeing Ourselves As More Than a Body with Lexie KiteYou know that feeling when you’re walking down the hall, or through a room of people and it feels like everyone is staring at you?And you know in those moments you almost start to stare at yourself?You become acutely aware of the way your clothes are hanging on your body, your posture, the way you’re walking, the hairstyle you chose that day–and chances are you’re not thinking about how awesome you look.There is a name for this experien...
2022-03-0836 minCamp Wild Heart04. Embracing the Gender Journey with Mikki GilletteGender affects us all and matters to us all. We all have a gender story. And the societal rules about gender that are wired into us deeply affect the way we treat people. Otherwise why would it matter if you can’t tell what someone’s gender is? Gender journeys are something that trans people think about a lot. And if you haven’t ever thought about your own, I highly encourage you to.Today Mikki Gillette is going to share with us a bit abou...
2022-02-2233 minCamp Wild Heart03. Learning to Swim With the Struggle with KristenWhen we’re looking at any life transition, we’re in for a bumpy ride.Even when that change is good, transitions are hard. We’re bound to have missteps and hard moments in the messy middles that most of us work really hard to avoid because of how uncomfortable they are.But there are some times, like when your child comes out and wants to transition, that those moments become unavoidable.Navigating anything that goes against social norms is never simple.
2022-02-1533 minCamp Wild Heart02. Focusing On Your Parts So You Can Show Up For Your Kids' with Delena MeyerHave you had those moments with your kid that have left you feeling totally confused about what the right next step is?Parenting can feel stressful and downright overwhelming. Confusing, traumatizing, joyous, disappointing, and like the best thing we’ve ever done all in a matter of moments.All those emotions have messages and they often conflict with each other.If we don’t sort through these emotions, or parts of ourselves that are showing up in this chapter of parenthood, we are sure to m...
2022-02-0837 minCamp Wild Heart01. GENDER 101: Beliefs About Bodies with Rachel SimonThe way we talk to kids about bodies and gender is so important.When I was a kid, we didn’t really talk about gender in any particular way, but it was everywhere and it was clear what the roles were. We didn’t really talk about bodies either - other than what was wrong with them.I wanted to do things differently with my kids. I wanted them to have an inclusive upbringing and understanding that their bodies were theirs and that they were wonderful, powerful, and the wise...
2022-02-0141 minCamp Wild HeartEP 15: Therapy and Assessment for Trans Youth - Forging a Supportive Path Forward with Laura Edwards-Leeper, Ph.D There are lots of different opinions on the best way to support trans youth. Even among the community of affirming providers, there are lots of opinions of what should or should not happen for youth. According to standards of care written by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), once a person is 18, they should have access to care through the informed consent model. Meaning, they walk into a clinic, they say they're trans, they receive education about hormones and what they'll do to thei...
2021-06-2240 minCamp Wild HeartEP 14: Medical Insurance–Opening Doors for Medical Intervention Every step along the medical journey requires some level of interaction with an insurance company. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, most, if not all, insurance companies did not cover any gender affirming care. They saw it purely as elective and not a medical necessity, but as you are experiencing firsthand, times they are a-changin’. And with that, so has what is and is not covered under insurance benefits. Some of the most comprehensive coverage plans I've seen will cover everything a person might need in ord...
2021-06-0834 minCamp Wild HeartEP 13: Overcoming the Emotional Hurdles of Medical Intervention Sometimes kids have a clear vision of what they want and need their body to look like in order to feel affirmed in their gender. If a child doesn't know that doesn't make them not trans, it just means this stuff is confusing and they aren't sure what they need. This is one of the main reasons we go slow. It’s also one of the reasons we always want to be sure that you as a parent have a comprehensive support team to help you th...
2021-05-1844 minCamp Wild HeartEP 12: The Many Paths of Medical Intervention with Dr. Kara ConnellyHormone therapy, testosterone, estrogen. I've seen these words throw so much tension and chaos into families. In our first medical episode, we introduced endocrinology and talked mostly about puberty, suppression medication or “the pause button.” Today, we're leveling up and talking about hormone replacement therapy or HRT. So often, a child is begging for HRT, and the parents are giving the full-on deer in the headlights look. Which makes sense, a lot of the time the child has been longing for hormones long before they ev...
2021-05-0445 minCamp Wild HeartURGENT - The SAFE Act In Arkansas: We Need To TalkOn April 6, the Arkansas state legislature overrode the governor’s veto to pass the SAFE Act—Saving Adolescents From Experimentation. The law outlaws access to gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth by labeling perfectly safe, common, and lifesaving treatment as “experimentation.” All of us who work to support transgender children and their parents are appalled and heartbroken. This is not the first inhumane law to be passed severely limiting the rights of transgender people and it won’t be the last. But through years of doing this work, I’ve re...
2021-04-2047 minCamp Wild HeartEP 11: Navigating the Rapids of Puberty Suppression with Dr. Karin Selva No parent wants to navigate any part of the medical system for their child beyond checkups. Medical can be a confusing and scary journey. Of course, we all want to do as little damage as possible to our kiddos, and many parents see medical interventions for transition as a recipe for potential damage. There is just so much misinformation around the subject of medical. It’s no wonder parents are so confused about it! And you do not have to navigate this te...
2021-04-061h 07Camp Wild HeartEP 10: An Introduction to Medical Intervention Without a doubt, the most controversial aspect of raising a transgender child comes with making medical decisions to assist with transition. As we started this podcast, the vast majority of questions I've received from listeners have been on this subject. And I won't lie: I've been delaying it in large part because first and foremost, I wanted you to know that you're not alone in your journey with your kid. There are many other parents who've been right where you are and without the community to lean on—and it seems like I woul...
2021-02-2315 minCamp Wild HeartEP 09: Supporting Your Transgender Kiddo During the HolidaysAs wonderful as this time of year is, and as much as I love it, even I would have to call BS if we didn't also address some of the very obvious and universal stresses that come with it. Sometimes this is because of family pressure. Sometimes it's our own perfectionism that gets in the way of true joy. And if you're parenting a kid who has come out as transgender in the last year or two, you’re also dealing with how to navigate this with your extended family.
2020-12-221h 07Camp Wild HeartHOLIDAY BONUS: 13 Ways to Fill the Holidays with Joy, Gratitude, and Love for our KiddosOne of the aspects of common humanity and parenting is that we are all doing the best we can and trying to inflict the least amount of damage possible on our kids. Some days it feels like a hallmark movie and other days, an MMA pay-per-view special. And on some days, it is both. Anyone who tries to pretend it's anything different is just full of crap. So here's what I've started reminding myself and I encourage you to do the same as you continue on the journey of parenting your tr...
2020-12-1513 minCamp Wild HeartEP 08: Learning How To Be An Ally To Your Trans ChildI know a lot of parents who, when their child first came out to them as transgender, were not surprised and celebrated their child’s ability, courage and willingness to live their life authentically. However, I also know a lot of parents who started in a place of fear and denial about what their child was telling them. This followed with them pushing back and denying their child the ability to explore what they were feeling in a safe way—or express themselves in a way that felt authentic to them. For th...
2020-12-0146 minCamp Wild HeartEP 07: Getting Our Trans Kids to Tell Us What's Really Going OnAs parents, we like to believe that we know our child better than anyone. Maybe better even than they know themselves. But do we really? For some parents, that’s one of the hardest things about making sense of a child coming out as transgender. They didn’t see it coming. How could they have missed something so huge? Most parents suspect something is going on—but they just don’t know what it is. When we recognize that something is off with someone we love, we might ask q...
2020-11-1749 minCamp Wild HeartBONUS EPISODE: Vote For Your KidIf you’re listening to this podcast, I’m guessing that you love someone who is transgender - probably your child. And many of you might not have known during the last election, that you were parenting a transgender kid. Or maybe in the last election, the stakes didn’t seem so high. This year, in case you didn’t have a reason to get to show up and vote, I want to make sure you know that your child needs you to vote - for them. Their rights literally depend on it.
2020-10-2906 minCamp Wild HeartEP 06: On Relationships: When Gender And Family CollideParenting a gender-expansive kid means that you and your kid are going to face a lot of people who do not understand gender and a lot of people who have a lot of opinions about how you should raise your child—and that can sometimes include your family members. Advocating for your child within your family is a common experience for parents of a transgender kiddo. Some parents have no trouble pushing back against their parents, or siblings or grandparents. But many parents wonder how to go about supporting their kid with...
2020-10-0649 minCamp Wild HeartEP 05: Suicide Prevention: Facing Our Fear Of The DarkToday at Camp Wild Heart, we’re going to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: suicide. Naturally, this is not a conversation that is super common which is why we feel it’s even more essential to talk about, especially as it relates to—and impacts—trans people. The reality is that no one is protected from it—people of all walks of life and of all genders experience suicidal thoughts. However, trans people seem to be more vulnerable to it—not because of their transgender identity but because of being marginalized and...
2020-09-2252 minCamp Wild HeartEP 04: When You're the Last To Know – When Your Child Comes Out As TransgenderMost cis-gender people have a hard time imagining what it's like to be transgender but I don't know anyone who hasn't had some experience of not being seen for who they truly are. Maybe you know what it's like to have someone look straight through you. Maybe your voice or ideas are regularly left out of meetings. Maybe you've been on the receiving end of some absolutely terrible customer service that leaves you wondering whether the person sees you as another human being. Ultimately, not being seen sucks. A...
2020-09-0155 minCamp Wild HeartEP 03: I Was Not Ready For This – When Your Child Comes Out as TransgenderThere is no singular storyline that fits what it’s like when your child comes out. Every kid is different. Every family is different. Sometimes trans kids come out when they’re little—and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes parents are on board from the get-go—and sometimes they aren’t. Whether parents are on board or not, it’s crucial to get support. No one prepares for the day their kid comes out as transgender. By calling in for backup, it make...
2020-08-1843 minCamp Wild HeartEP 02: How Do They Really Know? – When Your Child Comes Out as TransgenderMost kids don’t necessarily walk up to you and say, “Mom/Dad, I’m trans,” when they come out. Most of the time, however, they show early signs that they are exploring their gender and that they don’t feel right in their body. Some parents welcome the exploration. Others actively try to shut it down. Some parents shut it down without even knowing it—and when they do, they often unintentionally shut down a child’s willingness to be vulnerable and open with them abo...
2020-08-1846 minCamp Wild HeartEP 01: New Camper OrientationWelcome to Camp Wild Heart! All of us at Camp Wild Heart are so excited you’re here. Showing up here means you’re looking for a way to show your love to your trans child in a way they understand and receive it. I don’t think there is anything closer to real magic than love. We know from the research that it is the most important protective factor kids have against trauma and stress. How cool is that?! Consider this first episode your New Camper Orientation. Just li...
2020-08-1814 minCamp Wild HeartIntroducing Camp Wild Heart
No one plans for having a transgender kid. Camp Wild Heart is your guide for raising a transgender or non-binary child and nurturing an affirming family. We help you ease your fear and navigate your confusion. Mackenzie Dunham, clinical social worker and co-founder of Wild Heart Society, talks with parents, experts, and transgender adults about the ins and outs of coping with internalized transphobia, fostering shame resilience, exploring medical transition for youth, understanding identity development, knowing what language to use when, and more. Camp Wild Heart is full of people just like you who are lost and...
2020-07-0803 min
MMAOB Daily Podcast With Adam Martin and Marcel DorffTyron Woodley Says He Blew His Money MMAOB Daily Podcast For January 28thMMAOB Daily host Adam Martin breaks down the latest news in MMA. Subscribe to the show on iTunes: https://apple.co/2BNSmSD
Topics of discussion in today's episode:
Tyron Woodley says he blew his money
UFC introduces new pound-for-pound rankings
Conor McGregor could chase boxing title
Fight announcements: Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira, UFC Lincoln; Michael Johnson vs. Evan Dunham, UFC Lincoln; Zak Cummings vs. Andrew Sanchez, UFC Lincoln; Anthony Rocco Martin vs. David Zawada, UFC Lincoln; Antonina Shevchenko vs. Cynthia Calvillo, UFC Lincoln; Mackenzie Dern vs. Ariane Carnelossi, UFC Lincoln
And more!
2020-01-2819 min
The Pod CoupleWe drank a case of beer AgainThe Podcouple and Dougems travel Canada visiting different provinces, checking out landmarks and sampling specially brewed beer from up and coming craft breweries with the help of Red Racers ACROSS THE NATION COLLABORATION MIXER PACK. Red Racer brings back the Across the Nation Collaboration for a third year with 12 new exciting beers from 12 popular Canadian breweries. The Red Racer Across the Nation Collaboration began as a celebration Canadian craft beer for Canada’s 150th birthday. Now in its third year, the mixer pack has grown to encompass the spirit of collaboration and to raise the prof...
2019-07-1258 min
Social Media Church PodcastOnline to Offline: Podcast 166Jay is the Online Campus Pastor of Saddleback Church. He shares what he does as a leader of the online extension of the church. Nils Smith is the Innovation Pastor of Community Bible Church and his work involves everything online--the websites, social media, online church and the church mobile app. In this podcast, Jay and Nils talk through the nature of forming relationships in small groups online and offline--and the things that happen in between. We’d love for you to check out Social Media Church on the Apple TV Store and leave a review. Suggest future show topics and Soc...
2016-03-2329 min