Parenting Through Big Feelings: Anxiety, Limits, and Connection

In this episode of The Clinical Moment, Amy Davis and Casey Baker are joined by Emily Dicks, LMHC, to discuss how parental anxiety can impact discipline, emotional regulation, and connection with children. Emily shares practical insight from her work with children and families, including how parents can support kids through meltdowns, sensory needs, neurodivergence, and big emotions without immediately trying to “fix” or avoid discomfort.

Together, they explore the importance of co-regulation and how parents can model healthy coping skills. This conversation offers reassurance that parenting does not require perfection. Instead, it invites parents to slow down, notice what their child may be communicating through behavior, and reconnect through small, meaningful moments.

Listeners will walk away with practical tools, including asking children about the best and hardest parts of their day, noticing sensory and emotional needs, using connection before correction, and reflecting on whether parenting decisions are being driven by the child’s needs or the parent’s anxiety