Explore every episode of the podcast Take the Next Step with Amy Julia Becker
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introducing: Take the Next Step | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:02:57 | |
Welcome to Take the Next Step, a weekly podcast for families experiencing disability, offering practical guidance, encouragement, and hope. Iâm Amy Julia Becker, writer, speaker, and mom to Penny, my 19-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. Each Wednesday, Iâll bring you short, hope-filled conversations with fellow parents, therapists, and disability advocates. We'll explore how to:
Our first season features Katherine Wolf, stroke survivor and disability advocate; therapist Sissy Goff; researcher Erik Carter; and author Jillian Benfieldâplus many more! If youâre a parent feeling overwhelmed, searching for connection, or wondering what comes next, youâre not alone. Your family is a gift. Your child matters. And we need you among us. New episodes every week starting September 17. __ WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow us on Instagram @hopeheals. | |||
| Disability & Belonging: âWe Arenât Us Without Youâ with Erik Carter | 15 Oct 2025 | 00:25:45 | |
We all long to belong. But for many families experiencing disability, true belonging can feel out of reach. In this episode, researcher and advocate Erik Carter joins Amy Julia Becker to unpack how small steps toward inclusion and belonging can transform entire communities. They explore:
__ UPCOMING Q+R EPISODE: Record your question for our upcoming Question & Response episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/ __ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
__ WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ __
Erik Carter, Ph.D., is professor and Luther Sweet Endowed Chair in Disabilities. His research and writing focus on principle-driven and research-based strategies for promoting full participation, relationships, and valued roles for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He serves as Executive Director of the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing, which aims to promote the thriving of people with disabilities and their families. He joined the Baylor faculty in 2023. http://www.erikwcarter.com | |||
| Disability & Family: The Yes/No Filter Every Parent Needs with Jillian Benfield | 08 Oct 2025 | 00:27:05 | |
Overwhelmed by therapies, appointments, and never-ending âto-dosâ? Author Jillian Benfield shares practical tools for families experiencing disabilityâoffering parents guidance on setting limits, saying yes to what matters, and finding beauty in everyday life. Jillian and Amy Julia Becker explore:
UPCOMING Q+R EPISODE: Record your question for our upcoming Question & Response episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/ __ FREE DOWNLOAD: 30 Next Steps for Parents available at: amyjuliabecker.com/parent-gift/ 00:00 Introduction __ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
_ WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Jillian Benfield is a former journalist and news anchor. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. Her freelance essays about living an unexpected life have appeared on sites such as TODAY, Good Morning America, Yahoo! News, and ABC News. Jillian regularly advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in her writings and community, and as a part of the National Down Syndrome Congress's National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition. Jillian and her husband, Andy, and their three children make their home on Florida's Space Coast. Learn more at JillianBenfield.com. _ Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow us on Instagram @hopeheals. | |||
| The Hospitality of Need: Disability and Interdependence with Kevan Chandler | 01 Oct 2025 | 00:28:06 | |
Many of us don't want to ask for help, but what if being needful isnât weakness but a doorway to connection, friendship, and belonging? Kevan Chandler, coauthor of The Hospitality of Need, shares his personal story with Amy Julia Becker, reflecting on his experiences with spinal muscular atrophy, neediness, and the ways mutual care shapes his life. They explore:
Connect to Community download: A one-page guide to help families experiencing disability map out the connections that matter most. With simple prompts, youâll identify the peers, mentors, experts, and supportsâboth within the disability community and in your wider circlesâthat create strength, encouragement, and belonging for your family. Get the guide: amyjuliabecker.com/connect-to-community-guide-free-download/ __ UPCOMING Q+R EPISODE: Record your question for our upcoming Question & Response episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/ __ 00:00 Introduction 02:15 Kevin Chandler's Story of Disability and Neediness 10:51 Peer-to-Peer Caregiving 18:06 Building Relationships and Community 23:24 Final Thoughts and Invitations __ WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT: KEVAN CHANDLER is the founder of the nonprofit organization We Carry Kevan and speaks worldwide about friendship and disability. He and his wife, Katie, enjoy doing everything together, including growing vegetables and reading to each other. Kevan was the second of his siblings to be diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, type 2, a rare neuromuscular disease. In 2016, he and his friends took a trip across Europe, leaving his wheelchair at home, and his friends carried him for three weeks in a backpack. An avid storyteller, Kevan is an author and speaker worldwide about his friendships and unique life with a disability, being a featured speaker for Tedx and Google, as well as various conferences, pharmaceutical companies, and universities. _
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| Parenting Kids with Disabilities: The Power of Delight with Sissy Goff | 24 Sep 2025 | 00:26:39 | |
What if delight is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child? In this episode, Amy Julia Becker talks with therapist and author Sissy Goff, LPC-MHSP, about how parentsâespecially those raising children with disabilitiesâcan bring delight into everyday family life. Together, they explore:
__ UPCOMING Q+R EPISODE: Record your question for our upcoming Question & Response episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/ __ 00:00 Introduction to Delight in Parenting 03:04 Understanding Delight and Its Importance 06:02 Expressing Delight: Practical Examples 09:14 Barriers to Delight: Agenda and Anxiety 12:06 Focusing on Strengths Over Deficits 15:05 Balancing Delight with Hardship 18:09 The Role of Self-Care in Parenting 21:09 Practical Steps to Cultivate Delight 23:59 Conclusion and Future Conversations __ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
__ WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ __ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Sissy Goff, M. Ed., LPC-MHSP, is the Executive Director of Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, where she works alongside her puppy counseling assistant-in-training, Patches the Havanese. Since 1993, she has been helping girls and their parents find confidence in who they are and hope in who God is making them to be. Sissy is a sought-after speaker for parenting events across the country and is a frequent guest on media outlets including NBC News, CNN, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, and Christianity Today. She is the bestselling author of 14 books including her first full-color childrenâs book, Lucy Learns to be Brave: A Lesson in Courage. She is the co-host of the 11 million+ downloaded podcast, Raising Boys and Girls. A transplanted Razorback who lives in Nashville, you can follow Sissy on Instagram @raisingboysandgirls and @sissygoff and at www.raisingboysandgirls.com. __ Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow on Instagram at @hopeheals. | |||
| Donât Wait to Celebrate: Disability and Delight with Katherine Wolf | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:31:05 | |
"How could there be a good future in the midst of so much loss?" If youâve ever felt overwhelmed by the challenges of disabilityâor if you know a family walking that roadâyou wonât want to miss this conversation with Katherine Wolf. She is an author, advocate, and co-founder of Hope Heals. Together, Katherine and Amy Julia Becker explore how families can reimagine disability, build connection, and celebrate lifeâeven when it doesnât look the way they once imagined. From the dinner table to the slow work of recovery, learn how to find delight in the story you have. Discover:
_ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
_ WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/ _ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Katherine Wolf is an author, advocate, and co-founder of Hope Heals. After she survived a near-fatal brainstem stroke at age 26, her familyâs journey through disability has become a public witness that good and hard can co-exist in the same story. Through caregiving, storytelling, and lived theology, Katherine is inviting others into a vision of hope, interdependence, and embodied resilience. She and her husband Jay live in Atlanta with their two sons. Website: www.hopeheals.com Instagram: @hopeheals _ Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow us on Instagram @hopeheals. | |||