Episodes

Kitty Hovatter, Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist, returns to the Joy Factor Podcast for a deep dive into one of the most overwhelming parts of parenting a neurodivergent child — navigating the school system. Whether you're brand new to the process or just left an IEP meeting feeling lost, this episode is your cheat sheet. In this episode, we cover: What an IEP and a 504 plan actually are — and how they differ Which conditions qualify (hint: it's more than just ADHD and autism) ...

In this episode of The Joy Factor, Julie Hanson sits down with Kristen “Kitty” Hovatter, a Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist, Navy veteran, and mother of three neurodivergent teens. Kitty shares her personal and professional experience navigating neurodivergence in the family system and offers practical tools for parents, caregivers, and neurodivergent individuals seeking support. We discuss: How to find the right therapist for your neurodivergent child What to look for in ...

In this episode of The JOY Factor Podcast, Julie Hanson sits down with Marriage and Family Therapist Tiff Majette to explore the power of rewriting our stories, cultivating joy, and choosing resilience—even in the face of pain and challenge. Tiff shares her journey from aspiring FBI profiler to becoming a therapist devoted to healing families, communities, and cultures through curiosity, empathy, and narrative therapy. What You’ll Hear in This Episode How Tiff’s path led from psychology to mar...

Welcome to another inspiring episode of The JOY Factor Podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to have therapist Andrea Boyd, LCSW, as our guest. Andrea shares her expertise on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based therapy that helps individuals process traumatic memories, restore nervous system health, and find greater balance and healing. Tune in to learn: What EMDR is and how it works. The transformative impact EMDR can have on mental health. How EMDR helps indivi...

Welcome back to the JOY Factor Podcast! In this second episode of our four-part series on using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to improve relationships, we dive into the crucial concept of Distress Tolerance. Learn how to navigate stress and conflict in your relationships without making things worse. Discover powerful skills like Radical Acceptance, self-soothing, and how to access your Wise Mind to make wise choices during difficult times. What You'll Learn: The importance of Wise Mind an...

Welcome to the first episode of our 4 part series on using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for stronger relationships! In this episode, we dive into the foundational skill of mindfulness and the concept of Wise Mind. Key Points: Mindfulness: Understanding the importance of being present in the moment and how it can improve our relationships. Wise Mind: Learning to balance emotion and reason to make sound decisions in our interactions. Practical Exercises: Guided mindfulness practice and t...

Hello, and welcome to episode 37 of The JOY Factor Podcast! My guest today is Safriana Degroat and we're chatting about considerations around safely using medical cannabis, According to the National Conference of State Legislators, “As of Feb. 3, 2022, 37 states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of cannabis products.” Despite the rapidly increasing availability of medical marijuana there are too few settings where patients can have open conversations with thei...

Today’s Show Hello, and welcome to season 8, episode 36 of The JOY Factor Podcast! My guest today is Dr. Sue Williams Dr.Williams grew up in Iowa and earned her BA in Psychology at University of Iowa. She is a 2001 graduate of the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. She specializes in Working with autoimmune diseases, Chronic Fatigue, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, LYME, MS, Hepatitis, cancer, ED, Asthma/Allregies, COPD, Macular Degeneration, Candida, Heart Dise...

Today’s Show Hello, and welcome to episode 35 The JOY Factor. My guest today is trauma specialist and substance abuse counselor Stephanie Snyder. You can read more about Stephanie’s background here . Listen in as Stephanie shares her unique perspective on joy and healing as it relates to substance addiction and recovery. What We’ll Learn Healing is a mind, body and soul experience. When someone starts the journey of healing and goes from surviving to thriving they are able to see joy and be...

Hello and welcome to episode 34 of The JOY Factor Podcast. Today's show is sponsored by Prose. Thanks to my personalized Prose routine, I can honestly say I’ve never been more in love with my hair! Today we've got a special conversation with our guest Cheryl Rice Cheryl Rice works with women eager to be leaders in their own lives. Since 1990 she has been working with clients to improve individual, team and executive performance. In her powerful seminars, Cheryl inspires women to use their voic...

Today’s Show Welcome to episode 33 of the JOY Factor Podcast. Today’s Guest is Jeff Harry Jeff Harry shows individuals and companies how to tap into their true selves, to feel their happiest and most fulfilled — all by playing. Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. While we spend most of our time pretending to be important, serious grownups, it's when we let go of that faca...

Welcome to Episode #32 of The JOY Factor. Today we're talking about art therapy with our guest Meg Mcmurdy. Art therapy is a powerful healing modality for all ages and interests. Listen is as Meg shares her own journey and busts a few myths about what art therapy is and isn't. Meg McMurdy (she/her) "As a trauma informed therapist, I have witnessed the power of art therapy to assist my clients in deepening their path to healing. Combined with cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness approa...

Today’s Show Hello, and welcome to The JOY Factor. It’s good to be back here and I’m thrilled to have Sue Nesler joining me. She is a blended family maven and owner and CEO of Yoga East Healing Arts Studio and Counseling. So take a break and settle in to nourish your spirit and find a little joy. About Sue I am Sue Nesler MS, MA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, NCC. A Blended family maven who exercises, gardens, and enjoys learning and cooking. I am the owner and CEO of Yoga East Healing Arts Studio which...

Today’s Show Welcome to episode 30 of the JOY Factor Podcast. Today’s Guest is Bethany Perry, CAN, AAEC, IAHC, E-RYT Bethany is an emerging thought leader on combining the power of neuroscience and intuition. She transforms the lives of women and men who are challenged with emotional and physical traumas. Dedicating over 30 years of her life’s work to helping people heal and grow by creating a non-judgmental space where each individual can discover freedom from the past to live the life they ...

Welcome to Episode 29 of The JOY Factor. Our guest today is Jana Glass: Jana started her career working with children and families struggling with mental health issues. She has experience in a variety of settings including in-home therapy, outpatient therapy, day treatment, and residential care. She founded Supportive Solutions twelve years ago to support people managing depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma and abuse, infertility, and grief. Although she works with a wide spectrum of ...

Hello and welcome to episode #28 of the JOY Factor Podcast. I’m glad you’re tuning in and thankful that so far, so good. My family is healthy and safe. I hope the same is true for you. The month of March seems like a blur and as we face this collective trauma of both the facts we have about COVID 19 and the uncertainty surrounding it, It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions right now. You might be angry one minute and exhausted the next. It may be tempting to deny what is happening or to compulsiv...

Today's sponsor is Feals Today’s Show When we empower girls and women, we empower families and communities to thrive. Join us as we learn more about just how powerful intentional nature-based rites of passage can be for girls living in today’s world and the caregivers who raise them. Whether you have a daughter or not, today’s guest will inspire you to connect with nature and perhaps create a spark of joy as a result. Lorene Wapotich is the Founder of Celebrating Her Rite and Feet on the Earth...

Hello and welcome to episode #26. My guest today is Shari Scher, an inspiring woman who, while working in the public school system of Frederick County Maryland, saw that children of incarcerated parents and their families, needed help. Her efforts led to the formation Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership or COIPP. This non-profit is dedicated to giving children affected by incarceration a voice in the community, in the schools and in their families. Today’s show is brought to you by Sto...

Welcome to Episode #25 of the JOY Factor podcast. Today’s show is brought to you by Care/Of. Everyone has a different path to personal health, and we're here to help you find yours. We believe in the power of technology, science, and human empathy to make the journey simpler. Let us help take care of you. Whether you’re looking for glowing skin, more energy, better sleep or something to support your health and fitness routine- Care/Of helps you build and stick with a plan that’s right for you. ...

We want to learn who our listeners are! Please take a moment and fill out this quick survey:http://survey.libsyn.com/thejoyfactorpodcast Hello and welcome to the JOY Factor Podcast episode number #24. My guest is Shane Birkel. Shane is a marriage and family therapist with a private practice just outside of Boston.He works primarily with couples and is a certified Relational Life Therapist with Terry Real as his mentor. Couples Therapist Couch https://couplestherapistcouch.com/blog/. Shane hosts...

This episode is brought to you by Care/Of. Take advantage of this month's special New Year offer! For 50 percent off your first month of personalized Care/of vitamins, go to TakeCareOf.com and enter "joyfactor50". Hello and welcome to episode #23 of the Joy Factor Podcast. Today’s guest is one of my favorite yoga teachers, Lori Love. Lori loves to incorporate pranayama (breath work), play and alignment into all of her classes. A prana flow instructor for more 15 years, she is trained in the S...

Hello and welcome to the Joy Factor podcast. Today’s episode is brought to you by Lola. For 40% of all subscriptions, visit mylola.com and enter promo code “Joy” when you subscribe! Our show is all about helping people connect to their natural ability to bring joy alive in their lives. We all have the capacity for joy and as we’ve discussed before it doesn’t have to come on the heels of an event or an experience. It’s something we can bring alive with our intention, action and through consisten...

Hello and welcome to the Joy Factor Podcast! We’re 130,000+ downloads strong which is super exciting! Your ratings and reviews help the message of the show continue to be spread to those who need it the most so thank you! If you haven’t had a chance to share your thoughts on the show, there are many ways to rate and review: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/julie-hanson/the-joy-factor https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/cwgs7-42058/The-JOY-Factor-Mindfulness-Compassion-Positive-Psychology-He...

Overview The practice of yoga can change your life. Today's guess offers up a beautiful perspective on how each of us can connect with a practice is uniquely our own. She also invites us to remember that we're the ones we've been waiting for. Be your own guru :). Amy Day is a longtime yogi, writer, herbalist, mama & lover of all things creative. She believes in crafting practices & communities which supports us inside this Life right now. In creating rituals and relationships that liberate, a...