The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis

Welcome to The Empowered Parent Podcast. This podcast is a space for parents to learn, reflect, and grow. Each week, we explore topics that help parents understand themselves and their children more deeply - from communication and connection, to supporting neurodivergent development at home and in the community. We’ve had wonderful conversations with experts, parents, and professionals - including speakers from the Neurodivergence Wellbeing Conference, and a special series following one mum’s journey in unschooling her child. Every episode is here to inspire curiosity, compassion, and confidence in your parenting journey. Don’t forget to follow along, share your reflections, and join the conversation. You can connect with me at danabaltutis.com or mytherapyhouse.com.au . Let’s celebrate neurodivergence. Let’s celebrate belonging.

The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis is a kids podcast hosted by Dana Baltutis, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Dana Baltutis hosts The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis, a kids show with 100 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #2

  YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE MY PEACE - A MOTHER'S STORY: Episode 2 - What If Rest Is Part Of Parenting?

  Aug 13, 202627 minS5

  Send us Fan Mail Sam was a full-time nurse who couldn’t stop moving, couldn’t sit with herself, and felt like rest meant failure. Then she became a mum and everything changed, not neatly, not politely, but in the way matrescence often does: it cracks you open and forces you to finally meet yourself. We talk with Sam about the woman she was before children and the mother she’s becoming now, including the hidden drivers underneath “go, go, go” energy. Sam shares how trauma and an abusive relationship shaped her need for control, and how an ADHD diagnosis later helped her make sense of what looked like anxiety. We also unpack how pregnancy and postpartum can collide with mental health, especially during COVID, when isolation and uncertainty ramped up her perinatal anxiety and left her feeling raw. Sam speaks candidly about getting support through PANDA and the Gidget Foundation, accessing perinatal mental health care via telehealth in Australia, and why medication and the right GP can be lifesaving when things get dangerous. We also get practical about the day-to-day: self-compassion when nothing gets finished, working out your real capacity, managing sensory overload, and the small transition rituals that help her shift from nurse mode to mum mode. Plus, we chat about sibling bonds, rebuilding meaning, and having a true co-parent in her husband Joseph. If this resonates, share it with a parent who needs steady hope, then subscribe and leave a review so more mums can find these stories and support. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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  Episode #1

  YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE MY PEACE - A MOTHER'S STORY: Episode 1 - About Our Family

  Aug 6, 202629 minS5

  Send us Fan Mail “You are not allowed to take my peace.” That line lands hard because it comes from someone who spends her days caring for others and her nights parenting three kids aged five and under. We’re joined by Sam Primerano, a registered nurse and mum, who speaks with rare honesty about what family life looks like when the household runs on big feelings, sensory load, and constant co-regulation. It’s chaotic, it’s loving, and it’s exhausting, and Sam doesn’t pretend otherwise. We talk about capacity and burnout in plain terms: what nursing asks of you emotionally, how an under-resourced healthcare system can grind people down, and why “righteous anger” can be a healthy signal that your boundaries matter. Sam shares the real work of saying no, holding the line, and choosing where her limited energy goes, so her family gets the best of her rather than whatever is left. From there, we shift into neurodivergent parenting, autism and ADHD diagnosis, and what neuro-affirming therapy actually feels like on the ground. Sam explains why some services felt clinical and fruitless, and why connection before correction changed everything once her son started accessing therapeutic play sessions, occupational therapy, and speech therapy in a space that genuinely enjoyed him. The conversation widens again as Sam reflects on pursuing her own neurodivergent diagnosis, making accommodations for herself, and looking back at childhood and family relationships with more compassion than shame. If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child, questioning your own wiring, or trying to find support that fits, listen along and tell us what part hit home. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the show. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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  Episode #6

  ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 6: From Carer To Founder

  Jun 24, 202652 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail Brad’s doing the things many families are told to stop hoping for: he’s building a life with purpose, friendships, and a sense of belonging, not just “being cared for”. Graham joins us for a heartfelt final check-in on how Brad is travelling now, why small routines like journalling matter, and how volunteering at a school canteen can become real confidence, dignity, and community connection. We also talk honestly about what changes for parents when the caring load eases. Graham and Tracy are learning to plan for themselves again while still staying connected through strong systems: written shift reports, digital documentation, and photo updates that create real transparency. That practical approach feeds straight into their next chapter as founders of All For One Ability Services, moving carefully, building foundations, and designing supports that start in the community and can grow towards day programs and short term accommodation when a person chooses it. Then we get into the big topic families are living with every day: the NDIS. Graham shares why the NDIS has been crucial for Brad’s choice and control, identity, and safe supported living, and why plan reviews can trigger real anxiety when funding uncertainty puts families back on the hook. We also explore why therapy should be ongoing maintenance for adults, what better looks like for the disability support workforce, and the “weather” we bring into a shift, because feelings often land before words. If you know a parent or carer who needs hope grounded in real life, share this conversation. Subscribe to the Empowered Parent Podcast, leave a review, and tell us: what would you change to make disability support in Australia safer and more human? admin@all4oneabilityservices.com.au danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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  Episode #5

  ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 5: You Can Love Deeply Without Burning Out

  Jun 17, 202650 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail Watching your child step into independence can be the proudest moment and the most unsettling one. Graham Clark joins us to speak honestly about what happened when his son Bradley, an autistic young adult, moved into his own home and Graham’s full-time carer role began to change. What do you do when the routines that once held you together disappear, and the question “Who am I now?” will not go away? We talk about carer identity and why so many parents lose themselves in survival mode. Graham shares what burnout looked like for him, how carrying every decision became a “burden”, and why building a team around your loved one can protect your mental health. He also opens up about the darker stretch of uncertainty and grief that followed the transition, the isolation of having no support network for himself, and receiving a PTSD diagnosis in 2023. Therapy becomes a turning point, not as a quick fix but as the steady maintenance that helps him notice early warning signs and respond with care. You will also hear practical guidance on disability support in Australia and the NDIS space: finding the right support workers, relying on word of mouth, letting an established team mentor new staff, and taking safety seriously with checks and qualifications like Certificate III and NDIS screening. We finish with a grounded reminder that asking for help can start with one call to a helpline, your GP, or services like Beyond Blue and Carer Gateway. If this resonates, subscribe to the Empowered Parent podcast, share the episode with a fellow carer, and leave a review so more families can find it. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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  Episode #4

  ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 4: From Safety To Independence Through Supported Living

  Jun 10, 202645 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail Buying a home for your child sounds like a practical decision until you realise it also forces a whole new identity for everyone involved. We sit down with Graham to unpack how his family moved from assuming Bradley would live with them forever to building a supported home where he can grow into adulthood with safety, dignity, and choice. Along the way, we talk about OCD, tics, anxiety, and what it looks like when a young person’s needs are expressed through behaviour rather than neat explanations. A big thread through our chat is the power of curiosity. Graham shares how a developmental educator helped him notice patterns, understand what he was seeing, and stop defaulting to “No, that’s not possible.” We explore what a developmental educator actually does in the home, why predictable routines and tailored resources matter, and how the right professionals can take pressure off parents while still keeping the child’s voice at the centre. We also get very real about the NDIS logistics: comparing living options, deciding against a shared model that didn’t suit Bradley, then dealing with rosters, staffing, funding changes, medication processes, and the learning curve of managing a team. Graham speaks honestly about the emotional load, survival mode, and later recognising PTSD, plus the surprising signs of adulthood when Bradley starts setting boundaries and claiming his space. If you’re planning future living options and independent living supports, this conversation will give you language, ideas, and hope. Subscribe, share this with another parent, and leave a review so more families can find it. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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