#49 The Power and Purpose of Compassion with Jenny Hecht

Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network!  I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host and today’s well source is Jenny Hecht. Jenny Hecht is a licensed therapist and parenting expert who specializes in helping families navigate anxiety, emotional regulation, and the everyday challenges of raising kids in a high-pressure world. With a warm, practical approach, Jenny supports parents in understanding what’s driving their child’s behavior and how to respond in ways that build resilience, connection, and confidence. Her work bridges clinical insight with real-life parenting tools that actually work when things feel messy. Jenny will also be speaking at PEN’s Stress and Anxiety Conference on Feb 28th at Dawson School in Lafayette, Colorado. In this podcast, we talk about: Of course you feel that way. The power and purpose of compassion. The brain science behind our stress response The four choices: Fight, flee, freeze, or fawn Ways to be human first How self compassion benefits individuals and relationships The dissonant aspects of our nervous system and how to come back to connection How to model emotional regulation Developing your emotional vocabulary Ways to lay the groundwork for children to become young adults Creating time and space for your relationship with your child. Resources: Stress and Anxiety Registration Jenny's Website Jenny's LinkedIn How We Feel App Book: Permission to Feel: The Power of Emotional Intelligence to Achieve Well-Being and Success by Marc Brackett