Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

What happens when a mom turns her hardest chapter into a community for others? In this episode, host Michelle Choairy sits down with Jessica Patay, founder of Brave Together, a community for caregiving moms. It now has over 4,500 members across all 50 states and about 30 other countries.Jessica shares what life is like caring for her 23-year-old son, Ryan, who has Prader-Willi syndrome and autism. She explains how blogging with honesty led to retreats, support groups, a podcast and two books, including Suddenly Brave Together, a collection of letters to caregiving moms. Michelle also shares her own experience raising a son with a rare genetic disorder.In this conversation:
Why Jessica started the community she needed herself
Why breaks are a win-win for caregivers and their kids
How to build a village, and when to walk away from people who aren't right for it
What's next: more retreats, a couples retreat, and a new weekly mental health education program, Brave and Empowered
Jessica's three takeaways: you're not alone, invest in your own mental and social health, and there's always a way to make meaning out of crisis.

Let It Be Simple: Ending Caregiver Burnout for Moms of Complex Kids
Michelle Choairy talks with Rebe about caregiver burnout, self-care, and how moms of neurodivergent kids can protect their nervous system without needing extra time, money, or perfection. Rebe shares from lived experience as a mom of two neurodivergent teens and offers practical ways to make self-care fit into real life, even in the middle of chaos.In this episode:
Rebe shares how burnout showed up during a long fight to get her oldest child’s IEP and supports in place, while her younger child also needed significant care.
She explains the turning point of realizing that if she got into the car dysregulated, she would make the situation worse for everyone.
Michelle and Rebe discuss how self-care often feels selfish to moms, especially when kids have extra needs and schedules are already overloaded.
Rebe reframes self-care as survival, not luxury, and says the goal is the minimum effective dose that still helps.
She introduces habit stacking, using an existing routine like walking the dog or brewing tea to anchor a tiny meditation practice.
Rebe describes her “stoplight meditation” and “two-breath micro meditation” as ways to reset throughout the day in seconds, not hours.
The conversation covers how to find calm in the middle of real life, not in an idealized quiet environment.
Michelle and Rebe talk about movement, including walking, stretching on the couch, and making exercise smaller when a full workout is unrealistic.
Rebe challenges the idea that guilt is always guilt, suggesting it may actually be judgment, discomfort, or internalized pressure.
She closes with a simple message for listeners: let it be simple.

Meet Rebe Goebel — Parent Advocacy Coach, Author & Trauma-Informed Somatic Healer
Rebe Goebel is a Parent Advocacy Coach, author of Lanterns in the Dark: A Holistic Guide to Navigating Special Education Without Losing Your Sanity, and a trauma-informed somatic healer who helps parents of children with complex needs move out of survival mode and become confident, grounded advocates.
After experiencing a disastrous IEP meeting for one of her two neurodivergent children, Rebe drew on her background as a former Air Force officer and corporate contract negotiator to navigate the special education system more effectively.
She went on to serve five years on the Executive Committee of the Special School District of St. Louis County's Parent Advisory Council, including three years as president, advocating for approximately 24,000 students across 22 school districts.
Today, through Freya's Haven, Rebe combines practical IEP advocacy strategies with nervous system regulation, breathwork, and somatic techniques to help parents navigate difficult conversations without sacrificing their well-being.
Her approach is refreshingly realistic: self-care should work in the middle of actual parenting life, not require another hour you don't have.
Connect with Rebe:
Website: https://www.rebegoebel.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebegoebel/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagoebel/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2D7QHQxLO2HBYdm3ZjqHYQ

George, the Witch, and the Christmas Story Parents Won't ForgetA mischievous witch, a snowy Christmas Eve, and a story that teaches kids to see the world differently—this episode is a warm, thoughtful conversation about George's Snowy Christmas Eve Ride and the childhood story that inspired it.Michelle Choairy sits down with author Leigh Crawshaw, who shares how a tale told by her grandmother nearly 60 years ago became a 44-page children's book, now being released through Miriam Laundry Publishing with illustrations by Fernando Lopez Juarez. Leigh reveals why George is a “happy witch,” how the character’s name came from Georgetta, and why this story is just as much about perspective, preferences, and self-acceptance as it is about Christmas magic.You'll discover:
How a bedtime story from childhood grew into a published children's book decades later
Why George's love of darkness and dislike of bright Christmas lights gives the story its spark
What Leigh learned from working with an illustrator who brought George to life exactly as she imagined
Why the book is being released in both English and Spanish
How the story connects to bigger lessons about listening to children and honoring what they need
Michelle also connects the story to her own family, Christmas traditions, and the way kids—especially complex kids—often respond to the world in their own unique ways. Leigh expands on that idea with a powerful reminder for parents: children grow up, their interests change, and the real work is learning how to support their independence without forcing them into a mold that doesn't fit.This conversation is perfect for parents, educators, and anyone who loves children's books that do more than entertain. If you want a holiday story with heart, humor, and a deeper message about seeing people for who they are, George is waiting for you.
Guest Credibility:Leigh Crawshaw is the author of George's Snowy Christmas Eve Ride, a new children's book rooted in a story she has carried since childhood. Her work blends playful storytelling with lessons about identity, perspective, and meeting children where they are.

When the brain is given the right kind of break, it can change faster than most parents have been told.Kim from Mendability reveals why simple sensory enrichment can unlock neuroplasticity, reduce meltdowns, and create real gains for kids with autism and other neurological differences—without relying on endless hours of pressure-filled therapy.

Michelle Choairy brings the real-world parenting perspective, sharing what she has tried with her own son and the questions every parent eventually asks: What actually helps? What is too much? And how do you support growth without burning a child out?

Kim explains how Mendability’s approach, developed with his mother, starts with two of the brain’s most fundamental sensory systems: smell and touch. He breaks down why pairing them can trigger an elevated state of neuroplasticity, how the program is measured on a simple zero-to-five scale, and why families often see meaningful progress within months when the routine is done consistently.

You’ll discover:
Why a short daily sensory routine can matter more than hours of repetitive intervention
How smell, touch, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine work together to prime the brain for change
Why older kids may sometimes progress faster than younger ones
What families can expect from Mendability’s assessment and therapy process
How the team is preparing a University of Wisconsin study to look for structural brain changes on MRI and EEG
Kim also shares a powerful reminder for overwhelmed parents: the brain grows during breaks, not only during constant intervention. That idea reframes everything for families balancing school, therapy, work, and real life—especially when they are trying to help a child who needs support without making every moment feel like work.

If you are parenting a child with autism, apraxia, sensory challenges, or complex developmental needs, this conversation offers a fresh lens on what progress can look like when connection, pleasure, and recovery are built into the process. Essential listening if you want practical hope, not just more advice.

A new season of Complex Kids Simple Solutions starts with a personal reset, a bigger mission, and a sharper focus on what families of complex and rare kids need most right now.

Michelle opens up about her medical leave, why she created the show in the first place, and how this season will go deeper into science, rare disease, autism, IEPs, and real-world parent support. After 58 episodes and a top 5% podcast ranking, Michelle is steering the show into a more specific, more practical direction. Expect conversations with scientists, providers, and most importantly, moms who are living it every day—parents who will share their stories and then work through the next right steps for school supports, diagnoses, and treatment decisions.

You’ll hear why “simple” does not mean easy, how Michelle thinks about labels like “complex kids,” and why parents of rare and ultra-rare children deserve to be heard. She also explains what’s changing this season, why the episodes will stay short and conversational, and how the show will keep delivering clear, actionable guidance without the fluff.Michelle also makes an important reminder for parents in the first weeks of school: the things you’re noticing at home, at drop-off, and in the classroom matter.

If something feels off, it’s information, not overreacting—and this season is designed to help you act on it with confidence.

If you’re navigating an IEP, searching for the right team, wondering what to do next after a diagnosis, or trying to make sense of a child’s behavior, this season is for you.

Join Michelle for candid conversations, practical support, and a new set of episodes built to make the complex feel a little more clear.