Show Notes
Dr. Carla Naumberg is a therapist with a private practice, and also a writer. She’s based out of Boston, MA. In this interview, Carla talks about mindfulness in parenting, publishing two books, and building her practice.
Interview Highlights
[3:30] Carla talks about parenting and the different ways parents can be supported. She stated that modern society really changed when people got air conditioning. Suddenly everyone closed the windows and you couldn’t hear what was going on next door. The result is isolation and a sense of unworthiness—we assume that other people are getting parenting right, not us.
[4:46] Carla says to the parents she sees in therapy that all parents struggle and that parenting is hard.
[5:15] Carla has a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in social work. In high school she took a psychology class and loved it – she was on the path to become a therapist from then on. She’s worked in outpatient clinics, inpatient psychiatric wards, and college mental health clinics.
After the birth of her two daughters, Carla felt lost. It took 5 years and mindfulness practice to find her way back to what she loved, which she realized was parenting.
[7:35] Carla’s first book is for parents who feel overwhelmed. Her second book is also for parents and focuses on how to teach mindfulness to their children at home. It’s based on her own experiences and on interviews she did with other parents, via social media and in person.
[10:30] Every parent Carla interviewed for her book said that to teach mindfulness to your children, you have to practice it yourself. Noticing your children’s emotions, reading books to them, and not getting in their way are a few ways to introduce mindfulness to children. Most kids don’t want to sit there and breathe. With her own daughters, Carla uses a technique called “five finger” breathing, which she explains.
[15:50] Carla says that parents need to figure out the mindfulness practices that work for them and their families.
[18:10] Carla uses picture books to help her find the words to talk about mindfulness with her kids. She has a resource list at the back of her book, “Ready, Set, Breathe” of children’s books on the subject.
[20:20] Currently Carla sees 10-15 clients per week in her private therapy practice. She’d like to keep her practice at that level and do more writing.
[22:15] Carla publishes writing about 3 times a month and would like to do more.
[25:32] Carla talks about where she comes up with ideas for writing – i.e. the shower. She does most of her writing in the morning.
[27:30] Carla says that if she could do anything over related to her books, she would do more marketing.
[29:27] Carla talks about how she got her books published, through Parallax Press. She says she’s gotten more speaking engagements since they’ve been published. She sells some books at events when she speaks.
[32:50] Carla explains how she gets speaking gigs without an agent.
[35:45] Carla talks about the restrictions on tele-therapy—she can’t Skype with clients outside of her state. She discusses the weekend mindfulness retreats she leads for mothers.
[40:11] Carla speaks about picking up clients via social media. She also networks through word of mouth in her neighborhood.
[42:44] Carla offers her advice to new therapists trying to start a practice: don’t try to go it alone. Reach out to your friends in private practice. Also, be aware of your mindset as it will influence how things go.
Bio – Dr. Carla Naumburg, Clinical Social Worker and Writer – Boston, MA
Carla Naumburg, PhD, is a clinical social worker and writer. She is the author of Ready, Set, Breathe: Practicing Mindfulness with Your Children for Fewer Meltdowns and a More Peaceful Family (New Harbinger, 2015) and Parenting in the Present Moment: How to Stay Focused on What Really Matters (Parallax, 2014).
Carla writes the Mindful Parenting blog for PsychCentral, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post, among other places. Carla provides support, education, and psychotherapy to parents in her private practice outside of Boston, where she lives with her husband, two young daughters, and totally insane kitten.
Visit Dr. Naumberg’s website at: http://carlanaumburg.com/
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