This is Brave Together Podcast. On Brave Together Podcast, co-hosts Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw, will share interviews, celebrate stories, explore challenges, and rally hope for the motherhood journey. Through this inspirational and resourceful podcast, may all caregiving parents know that they are not alone. We Are Brave Together is a global nonprofit that creates community for mothers raising children with disabilities, neurodivergence, or complex medical and mental health conditions. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to preserve and protect the mental health of caregiving moms everywhere.
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Summer Re-Run: BONUS EP: Why We Should Care About Care with Elissa Strauss
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 • Duration 44:46
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's BONUS episode. Our guest is care advocate and author, Elissa Strauss, who has a fantastic new book called When You Care, The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others.
This conversation was about such an important topic that I invited author, activist and fellow caregiving mom, Kelley Coleman to co-host with me. And together we explore the powerful role caring for others plays in our individual and communal lives with Elissa Strauss who in her book weaves together research about care and stories from parents and caregivers with a feminist bent.
Elissa Strauss has been writing about the politics and culture of parenting and caregiving for more than 15 years. Her work appears in publications like The Atlantic, The New York Times, Glamour, Elle, and elsewhere. And she was a former contributing writer at CNN.com and Slate, where her cultural criticism about motherhood appeared on XX. Her book, When You Care, The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others, is out now from Gallery Bugs.
Please enjoy this critical and important conversation.
Thanks so much for listening!
Find Elissa Strauss and her book, When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Othershere.
Find Kelley Coleman and her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supportshere.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enoughhere.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together, Becoming Brave Togetherhere.
Find our second book from We Are Brave Together, Suddenly Brave Togetherhere.
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.
Summer Re-Run: EXPERT: A Neurodivergent Affirming Approach to IEP’s with Speech Dude, Chris Wenger
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • Duration 44:30
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #232, with Speech Dude, Chris Wenger, sharing his neurodivergent affirming approach to IEP’s and wow does he have a refreshing take on them.
In this episode of the Brave Together podcast, Chris Wenger shares his journey as a neurodivergent educator and advocate for students with special needs. He discusses the importance of understanding neurodiversity, the need for a shift from deficit-based IEPs to a more affirming approach, and the significance of creating safe and supportive learning environments. Chris emphasizes the value of connecting with students authentically and provides insights into effective teaching strategies and resources for educators and parents alike.
Chris Wenger is a neurodivergent high school speech-language pathologist of over 20 years, international speaker, and creator of the Dynamic Assessment of Social Emotional Learning, a strengths-based assessment for autistic students. He is also the founder of NeuroAffirm, a first-of-its-kind worldwide interactive directory connecting providers and families. Globally known as Speech Dude, he has amassed nearly one million social media followers, sharing inspiring and educational content, always with a humorous twist.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enoughhere.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together, Becoming Brave Togetherhere.
EXPERT: Navigating the Financial Strain of Caregiving with Laurie Magulac
Season 10 · Episode 256
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 • Duration 46:13
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #256, with Laurie Magulac, an advocate focused on supporting caregivers navigating the financial realities of raising children with disabilities.
These expert episodes feature conversations with professionals and advocates whose work directly supports caregiving parents and families navigating complex needs.
In this episode, hosts Jessica Patay and Susanna Peace Lovell sit down with Laurie to discuss the financial challenges many caregivers face when raising children with disabilities. Laurie shares her perspective on the intersection of caregiving, poverty, and public assistance systems, and explains why so many families struggle financially despite working tirelessly to support their children.
The conversation explores how caregiving responsibilities can limit employment opportunities, create long-term financial strain, and force families to navigate complicated support systems that are often difficult to understand or access. Laurie also highlights resources available to caregivers, including programs that support student parents and families pursuing education while raising children with disabilities.
Jessica and Susanna discuss the emotional impact financial stress can have on families and the stigma that can prevent caregivers from seeking help. Laurie emphasizes that accessing public assistance or community resources is nothing to be ashamed of and encourages families to pursue support systems designed to help them survive and thrive.
The discussion also touches on the importance of advocacy, policy change, and collaboration between organizations to create stronger support networks for caregivers. Laurie shares her hope for more accessible, centralized resources and greater public awareness of the financial realities many caregiving families face.
This episode is a powerful reminder that caregivers deserve support, safety, and community—and that sharing these stories can help shift public perception and drive meaningful change.
THRIVING DISABLED ADULTS: Anxiety and Depression to High on Life with Ryanna Hammond
Season 7 · Episode 190
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 • Duration 37:27
Hello Brave Friends! On this Thriving Disabled Adults episode, #190, we chat with Ryanna Hammond. Once plagued with anxiety, depression and multiple eating disorders, Ryanna used journaling, therapy, nature and exercise to turn her life around.
While anxiety and depression aren’t usually under the umbrella of disability we talk about here, we know more and more of our community, and their children, are struggling with mental health challenges. So this guest is here to inspire everybody!
Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell is your host for this episode, you may recognize her from our Ask Us Anything episodes. She interviews Ryanna Hammond, an author, poet and business owner who has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in creative writing.
Ryanna’s business All With Heart is dedicated to helping people live their lives, all with heart. Her biggest passions are writing, spirituality, nature, solo travel, and mental health awareness.
Find out more about Ryanna Hammond and her business, All With Heart, here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enoughhere.
Find this episode and ALL our Season 7 episodes on Youtube here.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education Harbor Light Financial Strategies, and PPL. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K .
ASK US ANYTHING: Co-Parenting after a Divorce with a Disabled Child
Season 7 · Episode 189
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 • Duration 41:44
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!
In this Ask Us Anything episode, #189, we are responding to the question, Do you have any tips for navigating life with a disabled child after a divorce?
This is a VERY relevant topic for our community because the added stress of caregiving for disabled children is not known to help marriages last longer. Also two of our three hosts have been through divorce and continue to co-parent with their disabled children’s fathers. So we have A LOT of first hand experience and advice for this caller.
In this episode we offer: important things to consider in the divorce process, ways to break the news to our kids and the realities of what co-parenting with your ex-partner can look like as the primary caregiver.
Keep the vulnerable questions coming. We’re here to support you!
We see you and we love you!
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enoughhere.
STORY: Moving Through Disability Parenting Like a Dancer with Joanne De Simone
Season 7 · Episode 188
Wednesday, September 18, 2024 • Duration 38:28
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #188. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience.
Today's guest is Joanne De Simone, and she's a graduate of Hunter College in New York with degrees in dance and special education. She has two sons, one with a rare brain malformation and one on the autism spectrum. She’s also an author with a book out now called Fall and Recovery: Raising Children with Disabilities through Lessons Learned in Dance.
The story she shares is about her experience being in public with her child on the autism spectrum. There are so many things that we love about Joanne's story but one big one is that this is a moment so many of us can relate to. We've all been in public and we've seen that stranger scowl. Haven't we? We've all experienced that incredible discomfort when our child starts to melt down, act out, or just act in the way that they act that's different from everyone else.
Our interview goes deep into Joanne's journey, working with the school district to get the right services for her children. She has some really great insights, being a special educator herself about how to talk to educators. She also shares about how the lessons she learned in dance can be applied to her life as a caregiver today. I really think you’re going to get a lot out of our conversation. Please enjoy!
Find Joanne DeSimone’s book Fall and Recovery:Raising Children with Disabilities through Lessons Learned in Dance.here.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K .
THRIVING DISABLED ADULTS: How to Live an Awesome Life with Cam Coelken
Season 7 · Episode 187
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 • Duration 42:24
Hello Brave Friends! I'm so excited for our very first Thriving Disabled Adults episode, #187. This is a new episode that we are doing for Season 7 of Brave Together Parenting Podcast, and our first guest is a radiant soul. I could feel his energy and his vibrance, just reading about him. So I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation with Cam Coelken.
Cam Coelken is from New Zealand and he says that his life, defined by cerebral palsy, ambition and service above self, embodies resilience and determination. He defied expectations by mastering running and speaking, achievements once deemed impossible for him. Cam is thrilled to share his journey on Brave Together Parenting, celebrating his parents nurturing and his own mindset as he prepares for parenthood himself.
Cam's story reflects values of courage and limitless potential as a full professional, inspirational speaker. He delivers a powerful message worldwide, inspiring others to surpass perceived limits and embrace their unique abilities. Please enjoy my conversation with Cam Coelken.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.
Find our Becoming Brave Together book trailer .
BONUS: Why We Should Care about Care with Elissa Strauss
Season 7
Thursday, September 5, 2024 • Duration 41:31
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's BONUS episode. Our guest is care advocate and author, Elissa Strauss, who has a fantastic new book called When You Care, The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others.
This conversation was about such an important topic that I invited author, activist and fellow caregiving mom, Kelley Coleman to co-host with me. And together we explore the powerful role caring for others plays in our individual and communal lives with Elissa Strauss who in her book weaves together research about care and stories from parents and caregivers with a feminist bent.
Elissa Strauss has been writing about the politics and culture of parenting and caregiving for more than 15 years. Her work appears in publications like The Atlantic, The New York Times, Glamour, Elle, and elsewhere. And she was a former contributing writer at CNN.com and Slate, where her cultural criticism about motherhood appeared on XX. Her book, When You Care, The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others, is out now from Gallery Bugs.
Please enjoy this critical and important conversation.
Thanks so much for listening!
Find Elissa Strauss and her book, When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Othershere.
Find Kelley Coleman and her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supportshere.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K .
ASK US ANYTHING: The 5 Things I Wish I Were Told Right After My Child Was Given a Diagnosis
Season 7 · Episode 186
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 • Duration 32:55
Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!
Welcome to the first episode of Season 7! In this Ask Us Anything ep, #186, we are responding to the question, What Do I Do Right After My Kid's Diagnosis?
Many of us on this altered motherhood journey, especially those of us acting as mentors to newer brave moms, get asked this question a lot. So we each supplied our top 5 things we love to tell people when they’re freshly reeling from their child’s diagnosis. Our answers come from our three personal journeys, some overlap and some diverge. We hope you can find at least one thing that resonates or is helpful. One important thing we didn’t address in this episode is how to get services for your child, which is another thing that every parent to a disabled child will need to tackle. Every state and/or country has their own social services agencies but some great resources we know of include: Undivided and Kelley Coleman's Book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to The Essential Systems, Services and Supports, which you can find here.
Keep the vulnerable questions coming. We’re here to support you! We see you and we love you!
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message .
Welcome to Season 7!
Season 7
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 • Duration 02:45
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to Season 7 of Brave Together Parenting, an empowering and truly helpful podcast for the parents of children, all ages, with all types of disabilities or unique needs. Our mission is to provide you, the caregiving parent, with resources to help answer your questions. Stories from other caregiving parents to help you feel less alone and starting the season, something NEW, interviews with thriving disabled adults to give you hope!
I am Jessica Patay, your host and a parent to a son who is 21 with Prader Willi Syndrome. And I'm joined for Ask Us Anything episodes, as well as a few other episodes this season by two other brave moms, clinical psychologist, Dr. Zoe Shaw and life coach, Susanna Peace Lovell. Together, we tackle all your nitty gritty questions from the trenches and share what wisdom we have gathered on our collective journeys.
This season is full of delicious newness, new podcast art, new title, new co-hosting opportunities, and new videos on our We Are Brave Together YouTube channel for each episode.
We make this podcast as a lifeline for you. So please give us feedback, call into speakpipe and leave us messages with your questions or topic requests.
We are here to offer you community and remind you that you are brave, you are beautiful and most definitely NOT ALONE. Welcome to Season 7! We thank you for tuning in every Wednesday and sharing our episodes with all your friends. We see you and we love you!
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here. Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.Find Susanna’s book, .Find our first book from We Are Brave Together .
Find our second book from We Are Brave Together, Suddenly Brave Togetherhere.
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.
Sign up for one of Laurie’s upcoming in-person or virtual support groups for Moms of Teens here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enoughhere.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together, Becoming Brave Togetherhere.
Find our second book from We Are Brave Together, Suddenly Brave Togetherhere.
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.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together 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 our Retreats and Respite Scholarships 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.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K 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 our Retreats and Respite Scholarships 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.
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 our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
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.
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.
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 our Retreats and Respite Scholarships 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.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together 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 our Retreats and Respite Scholarships 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.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here. Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here. Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enoughhere. Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K 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
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.
Thank you to our BIG, beautiful 5k sponsors!! Our TOP sponsors that we want to acknowledge and appreciate are: RISE Advocacy, GHJ Foundation, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, CMS Creative Management, Inc., the Patay Family and MRM Education. We are so grateful to these generous sponsors and so excited about our 5K, which will be accessible and truly a family friendly event! Learn more about our 5K 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 our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on
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.
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