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Rooted in Connection: Where Relationship Moves us Forward: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Erin Forward, MSP, CCC-SLP, CLC
Rooted in Connection is a podcast about the relationships that shape us in our work, our families, and the moments in between. Hosted by relationship-based speech and feeding therapist Erin Forward, this show explores the stories, science, and small shifts that help us understand ourselves and each other. Through honest conversations with clinicians, caregivers, and community voices, we look at how connection guides growth, healing, and the way we show up in the world.
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- 4 days ago1h 25m
ARFID, Neurodiversity, and Lived Experience: A Conversation on Feeding, Connection, and Self-Advocacy
In this episode, Erin sits down with friend and colleague Rachel Conrad for an honest conversation about ARFID, neurodiversity, self-advocacy, and the profound impact relationships have on our growth and well-being. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, Rachel shares her own journey navigating ARFID and how understanding her neurodivergence helped her make sense of challenges that once felt isolating.Together, they explore the complexities of feeding, sensory processing, attachment, and diagnosis while challenging the idea that progress comes from rigid protocols or compliance-based approaches. Instead, they discuss the importance of safety, connection, curiosity, and creating environments where children, families, and clinicians can feel understood and supported.This conversation is a reminder that feeding is never just about food. Whether you're a clinician, caregiver, or someone navigating your own neurodivergent journey, you'll walk away with a deeper appreciation for the role of relationships, self-understanding, and authentic connection in fostering meaningful growth.
- 2 weeks ago56 min
Humor, Humanity & Feeding Therapy with Deborah Brooks
In this episode, Erin sits down with speech therapist and feeding specialist Deborah Brooks for an honest conversation about confidence, connection, humor, and what it really means to support children and families in a relational way. Deborah shares her unique journey from advertising and comedy into pediatric feeding and speech therapy, and how those experiences shaped the way she communicates with both caregivers and clients.Together, they explore the importance of trusting yourself as a clinician, navigating imposter syndrome, and learning how confidence is built through experience, reflection, and authentic connection rather than perfection. The conversation also dives into the realities of social media in the therapy world, the pressure many clinicians feel online, and the value of long-form conversations that allow for nuance and deeper understanding.Throughout the episode, Deborah emphasizes responsive, attachment-based feeding approaches that prioritize relationship, observation, and the child’s autonomy. Erin and Deborah discuss the importance of seeing children beyond labels or diagnoses, embracing imperfect progress, and creating safety for both children and caregivers throughout the feeding journey.This episode also highlights Deborah’s upcoming course, Feeding Babies with Confidence, which focuses on developmentally appropriate, relationship-centered feeding strategies rooted in attachment and trust.Whether you’re a therapist, caregiver, or professional navigating your own confidence and growth, this conversation offers a thoughtful reminder that connection is often the foundation for meaningful progress.Deborah Brooks’ Course: Feeding Babies with Confidence
- Apr 15, 20261h 2m
When the Body Speaks: Understanding Pain Through Safety and Attunement
In this episode, Erin sits down with physical therapist and craniosacral practitioner Joanna Ferreri to explore what it really means to listen to the body.Together, they unpack the relationship between pain, safety, and somatic awareness—shifting away from viewing pain as something to fix, and toward understanding it as a meaningful signal. Joanna shares her journey from traditional physical therapy into more holistic, relationship-based approaches, and how this shift transformed the way she understands both the body and healing.This conversation weaves through pain neuroscience, trauma, and the role of attunement, especially when working with children and individuals who may not communicate through words. Erin and Joanna reflect on the importance of consent, safe touch, and honoring the body’s cues, while also challenging some of the limitations of traditional clinical models.Joanna Ferrer Bio Joanna Ferreri, DPT, is a physical therapist working with children by day and with adults as a holistic bodywork practitioner by night. Over her 12 years of experience working in a variety of physical therapy settings ranging the full human experience quite literally from birth to death, she began to notice something missing: despite all the clinical training and experience, there was little space for the deeper internal, intuitive, and often unacknowledged forces that truly guide recovery. She founded a bodywork practice to bridge that gap. By integrating spiritual traditions with scientific understanding, she offers a holistic approach to chronic pain and chronic stress treatment. Utilizing connection through touch, she facilitates body-led wellness, where the client learns to trust their own inner wisdom to guide their own healing from an empowered lens.Instagram @rootsunboundbodyworks
- Apr 9, 20261h 0m
What We Carry: Living With OCD
In this episode, Erin sits down with her friend and fellow SLP, Julia McMichael, MS, CCC-SLP, for a truly open and honest conversation about living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and neurodivergence. Together, they share their personal stories, reflect on their diagnoses, and explore how these experiences shape them both as humans and as clinicians.Throughout the conversation, they discuss how individual differences, including neurodivergence, are deeply woven into how we experience the world. Erin and Julia explore the grief that can come with an OCD diagnosis, the self-compassion they’ve learned along the way, and the strengths they’ve come to recognize within their lived experiences. Self Acceptance and authenticity are a theme throughout this conversation.This episode aims to deepen understanding of what OCD is (and what it isn’t) while challenging common misconceptions. It also offers insight into how we can create safer, more supportive spaces for individuals living with OCD and other forms of neurodivergence.Sticky Thoughts: about mind, health, wellness, and more by Jean-Luc MommaertsNOOCD: https://www.treatmyocd.com/https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocdContact: Erin: erin.forward.slp@gmail.comJulia: bearcreekspeech@msn.com
- Mar 30, 202647 min
Relationships Shape the Brain: Why Safety Drives Regulation, Learning, and Resilience with Dr. Gillian Boudreau
In this episode of Rooted in Connection, Erin Forward sits down with Dr. Gillian Boudreau to explore how relationships quite literally shape the brain, and why safety is the foundation for regulation, learning, and resilience.Together, they unpack what it means to create true emotional safety for children and the caregivers supporting them. This conversation moves beyond strategies, highlighting how connection, non-judgment, and authenticity are what actually support growth and healing.Erin and Jillian also vulnerably share their own experiences as children who weren’t always easily understood, and how those moments shaped the way they now show up in relationships, both personally and professionally. From the idea that “a safe brain is a smart brain” to the reminder that “adults are basically tall children,” this episode weaves together lived experience and clinical insight in a deeply human way.This is a conversation about being seen, about repairing what wasn’t always held with care, and about the power of relationships to change the trajectory of a child and an adult.In this episode, we cover:How relationships shape the brain and influence developmentWhy safety is the foundation for regulation and learningSupporting caregivers as a pathway to supporting childrenThe impact of non-judgment, authenticity, and presenceReparenting, emotional growth, and relational healingHow our own childhood experiences shape the way we show upResources Gillian Boudreau (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist in practice in Portland,Oregon with a focus on children families adults and couples at the intersection of autism, adhd anxiety and trauma. Dr. Boudreau's work is about understanding and addressing our human need for attachment, connection, and effective communication in such a way that can help individuals, family systems, school systems, and larger organizations to support all brains and hearts. She is a national speaker on topics including psychological safety and emotional intelligence, offers many courses and trainings on fear in institutional systems, trauma, neurodiversity and mindfulness, and provides ongoing consultation for multiple school districts and organizations. Dr. Boudreau co-hosts two podcasts: "I Hate You. What's For Dinner?" With a focus on parenting and being parented, as well as "Stance of Curiosity" with a focus on school psychology. Dr. Boudreau offers content and resources related to emotional safety and connection on instagram at @clearconnectionpsychology
- Mar 24, 20261h 11m
Authenticity Isn’t Unprofessional: Building Community as a Clinician & Advocate
In this episode of Rooted in Connection, Erin Forward sits down with her friend and colleague, speech-language pathologist and advocate Colleen Ashford for a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to show up as both a clinician and a human.Together, they explore the tension between professionalism and authenticity, and how social media, storytelling, and lived experience can become powerful tools for connection, advocacy, and change, and truly what it means to be a neighbor.This conversation dives into the complexity of holding boundaries while still being relational, the role of intersectionality in clinical practice, and the courage it takes to challenge systems that were never designed with everyone in mind.Erin and Colleen also speak candidly about navigating IEP systems, building a private practice, and learning to trust your voice, even before you feel fully “ready.”At its core, this episode is a reminder: you don’t have to be perfect to be impactful. Growth, humility, and connection are the work.In this episode, we explore:How social media can foster safe spaces and meaningful communityThe balance between authenticity, vulnerability, and professional boundariesWhy storytelling deepens trust with clients and familiesThe impact of intersectionality on clinical decision-making and advocacyChallenging traditional ideas of “professionalism” in healthcare spacesNavigating systemic barriers within IEP and therapy systemsStarting a private practice with intention (and embracing mistakes along the way)Building your clinical identity through lived experience, reflection, and growthThe importance of joy, regulation, and celebrating small momentsColleen's Bio: Colleen Ashford is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and non-attorney special-education advocate serving families in San Diego County through her mobile and virtual private practice. She began her career as a public school SLP in a bilingual elementary program, where her commitment to culturally responsive practice and improving her Spanish first took root. After relocating to California, she worked in multidisciplinary clinics, learning from OTs and PTs in ways that continue to shape her holistic, sensory-informed approach.Now in her own private practice, Colleen focuses on AAC, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, and early-intervention parent coaching, with a passion for supporting Spanish-speaking families in her community. As an IEP advocate, she equips parents with clear information about their educational rights and guides them through the IEP process. Through her Instagram page @theadvocate.slp she also brings accessible insights on IDEA, policy, and advocacy to school-based SLPs and teachers. A lot of those insights will be available in a downloadable guide January 2026. Colleen loves to dig into a great conversation with parents and professionals who sit around the IEP table, and does so on her podcast, Unfiltered IEPs. Tune in to Season Two in early 2026!
- Mar 4, 202659 min
Raising a Self-Advocate with Type 1 Diabetes: He Makes me Feel Brave
In this heartfelt conversation, Erin Forward sits down with speech therapist and mother Marlee Brandon to talk about navigating her son’s Type 1 diabetes diagnosis at just 12 months old. Marlee shares the emotional realities of receiving a life-changing diagnosis, learning to manage insulin and food with a toddler, and the unexpected ways the experience reshaped her perspective as both a parent and clinician.Together, they explore how trauma-informed communication, connection, and including children as part of the care team can build confidence and self-advocacy, even in the face of chronic illness. Marlee also discusses how sharing her family’s journey on social media has helped educate others, challenge misconceptions about Type 1 diabetes, and build community for families navigating similar experiences.This conversation is an honest look at parenting through uncertainty, the power of advocacy, and the resilience that can grow when children are invited to be active participants in their own care.
- Feb 25, 20261h 0m
You Are Your Child’s Expert: Autism & Building the Right Support Team
Navigating autism services can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re both the parent and the professional.In this episode of Rooted in Connection, Erin Forward sits down with Casey Quinn-Daly to talk about what it really feels like to support a child with developmental delays and autism while navigating speech therapy, provider recommendations, and complex healthcare systems.At the center of this conversation is one powerful truth: you are your child’s expert.Together, we explore:How to build the right autism and speech therapy support teamWhat collaborative, neurodiversity-affirming care actually looks likeHow to advocate without burning outThe questions to ask therapistsWhy flexibility and real connection matter more than rigid plansCasey shares her personal journey of finding the right providers for her son and the emotional weight of holding both clinical knowledge and maternal instinct. We talk honestly about systemic challenges, provider transparency, and the courage it takes to trust your gut when something doesn’t feel right.If you’re a caregiver navigating services, or a therapist who wants to better understand the parent experience, this episode will remind you that connection changes every session, and empowered caregivers change outcomes.
About Rooted in Connection: Where Relationship Moves us Forward
Rooted in Connection is a podcast about the relationships that shape us in our work, our families, and the moments in between. Hosted by relationship-based speech and feeding therapist Erin Forward, this show explores the stories, science, and small shifts that help us understand ourselves and each other. Through honest conversations with clinicians, caregivers, and community voices, we look at how connection guides growth, healing, and the way we show up in the world.
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