Dr Hilary Claire

Dr Hilary Claire Join me on the journey of creating healthy brains, vibrant kids, thriving families, connected communities and a happy planet.

I’m a huge fan of building mental fitness, just like we build physical fitness. Natalie von Teichman and I talk about th...
03/10/2026

I’m a huge fan of building mental fitness, just like we build physical fitness.
 
Natalie von Teichman and I talk about this in Episode 88 of Wild and Well because it’s one of the fastest ways to help kids grow resilience, emotional strength, and regulation, and it’s something every parent can support at home. In fact, Natalie is the one who introduced me to the concept of mental fitness and now I use it often.
 
Here’s a simple way to start building your own and your children’s mental fitness:
 
For one week (or even one day), notice the moments your child gets frustrated, anxious, or overwhelmed. Instead of immediately jumping I and fixing it, pause and ask yourself:
 
* Can I co-regulate by staying calm and present and maybe just supporting my own nervous system in this moment?
* Can we do something together, like slowing down our breath?
* Can they experience a tiny bit of manageable discomfort to build resilience?
* Can I let them come up with solutions themselves? 
 
Then actually do it. The shift is immediate. Children develop emotional awareness. Nervous systems calm faster. Parents feel more confident in their responses. Everyone grows resilience and mental strength
 
But here’s the problem. Too often we skip this step. We try to “fix” emotions or tell kids to calm down, and we miss the chance to teach mental fitness. Emotional strength doesn’t happen automatically. It’s like building muscle: it takes practice, consistency, and the right support.
 
In this episode, Natalie and I chat about:
 
* What mental fitness is and why it’s different from mental health
 
* How co-regulation and breathing support the nervous system
 
* Why experiencing manageable discomfort builds resilience
 
* The role of play, imagination, and storytelling in emotional strength
 
Comment FITNESS and I’ll send you the links to this episode, or just search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts.



 
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03/05/2026

In episode 87 of Wild and Well, I am chatting with clinical psychologist, yoga instructor, and meditation teacher Dr Kaitlin Harkess about the body’s role in mental health. We explore how somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and body awareness can gently support anxiety and overwhelm, for both adults and children.

Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment ANXIETY below and I’ll send the link to listen.


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In episode 87 of Wild and Well, I am joined by clinical psychologist, yoga instructor, and meditation teacher Dr Kaitlin...
03/03/2026

In episode 87 of Wild and Well, I am joined by clinical psychologist, yoga instructor, and meditation teacher Dr Kaitlin Harkess to explore how somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and body awareness can support mental health, especially anxiety and overwhelm.
 
 
Dr Kaitlin and I chat about:
 
* How yoga and somatic practices support the nervous system
 
* The role of interoception (listening to internal body signals)
 
* Practical tools for managing anxiety and overwhelm
 
* Supporting kids in emotional awareness and regulation
 
* The importance of values-based living over external expectations
 
* Self-compassion, parenting, and realistic approaches to self-care
 
* Simple nervous system tools like the dive reflex, movement, and breathwork
 
 
Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment ANXIETY below and I’ll send the link to listen.
 
 
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02/28/2026

Until we do our own healing, our old wounds keep reacting, especially in moments with our kids’ big feelings.

The work isn’t about being a perfect parent.
�It’s about learning to sit with your own vulnerable emotions, unburden the parts of you that were never supported, and stay regulated when it matters most.

When you heal, you don’t just feel better, �you show up differently.

In episode 86 of Wild and Well, I’m joined by clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, and author Dr Angele Close to explore motherhood, self-compassion, and what it really takes to move out of exhaustion and overwhelm in motherhood.

Comment MOTHER and I’ll send you the links to this episode or search Wild and Well wherever you listen to episodes.



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In episode 86 of Wild and Well, I’m joined by clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, and author Dr Angele Close to tal...
02/24/2026

In episode 86 of Wild and Well, I’m joined by clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, and author Dr Angele Close to talk about what it really takes to move out of exhaustion and overwhelm in motherhood.

We explore matrescence, self-compassion, and how unhealed childhood patterns, cultural expectations of “good motherhood,” and perfectionism can quietly shape how we feel, and how we parent.

We also dive into parts work and Internal Family Systems (IFS), and how understanding our inner world can help us respond more calmly, break generational cycles, and show up with more ease for ourselves and our children.

We chat about:

• What matrescence is and why it’s so transformative

• How perfectionism and the inner critic develop in motherhood

• Common “mom parts” and how they show up

• What it really means to break generational cycles

• How self-compassion and reparenting support both mothers and kids

• Simple ways to begin parts work, even with limited time

Comment MOTHER and I’ll send you the links to this episode or search Wild and Well wherever you listen to episodes.


 
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Have you ever found yourself holding your breath at the dinner table? Watching what your child will (or won’t) eat. Coun...
02/20/2026

Have you ever found yourself holding your breath at the dinner table? Watching what your child will (or won’t) eat. Counting bites. Wondering if you’re doing something wrong.
 
Mealtimes can quietly become one of the most stressful parts of parenting, especially when selective or “picky” eating enters the picture.
 
But what if it’s not just about the food?
 
When we zoom out, we see that eating is connected to emotional safety, nervous system regulation, sensory processing, modelling, and the overall parent–child relationship.

Pressure, praise, rewards, and even our own food hang-ups can unintentionally make things harder.
 
The good news? There are practical, compassionate ways to shift the dynamic.
 
This is what we discuss in episode 85 of Wild and Well. But this episode is a little different as dietitian Atheana Brown is the one asking the questions and I am answering.

We chat about:

·       Why labeling kids as “picky eaters” can reinforce the behaviour

·       The powerful role of parental modelling and nervous system regulation at mealtimes

·       How pressure, praise, rewards, and punishment can backfire

·       The importance of prioritizing connection over control at the table

·       When selective eating may signal something deeper (sensory challenges, tongue ties, gut health, nutritional deficiencies, ARFID, growth concerns)

·       Red flags that may indicate it’s time to seek professional support

·       Practical ways to reduce stress around food and strengthen your relationship with your child

If you’re feeling stuck, stressed, or overwhelmed by your child’s eating, this episode might just get you looking at it from a fresh perspective.

You don’t have to stay stuck and neither does your child.

Comment PICKY and I’ll send you the links to this episode or search Wild and Well wherever you listen to episodes.
 
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02/17/2026

Getting clear on your priorities is critical to living a life that is fulfilling. This is especially in motherhood when we are often pulled in multiple directions at once.
 
Kids, family, work, sleep, fitness, hobbies, whatever your priorities may be … choose what matters most in this season and let that be enough.
 
In episode 84 of Wild and Well, I sit down with Erin Bury, Co-Founder & CEO of Willful, to talk entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and why estate planning is an act of love.
 
Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment MONEY below and I’ll send the link to listen.



 
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In episode 84 of Wild and Well, I chat with Erin Bury, Co-Founder and CEO of Willful, to explore the intersection of ent...
02/13/2026

In episode 84 of Wild and Well, I chat with Erin Bury, Co-Founder and CEO of Willful, to explore the intersection of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and financial wellbeing.
 
Erin shares her unconventional path into entrepreneurship, from journalism to tech startups, and what she’s learned about taking risks, validating ideas, and building a business without being a “born entrepreneur.”
 
She talks about the realities of running a company while raising two young children, including time constraints, invisible labour, and the importance of supportive partnerships, all while rejecting the myth of perfection.
 
Erin and I chat about:
 
* Balancing leadership, parenting, and personal wellbeing
 
* Why modeling values matters more than doing it “all”
 
* The mental and emotional load mothers carry, even in supportive households
 
* Teaching kids about money, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship
 
* Practical steps parents can take to support their children’s financial futures
 
* Why estate planning is an act of care, and how it can bring peace of mind, not fear
 
Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment MONEY below and I’ll send the link to listen.



 
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Your thoughts and beliefs shape your reality. What are you creating? Who are you becoming?Start paying attention to what...
02/11/2026

Your thoughts and beliefs shape your reality.

What are you creating?

Who are you becoming?

Start paying attention to what you’re currently telling yourself about who you are.

Write down the kind of person you want to be in all areas of your life.

For example, I’m stepping into the identity of someone who is organized, on time (or even early), and not rushed.

So I wrote down:
“I don’t rush. I arrive on time. I am highly organized.”

These become the new beliefs I am intentionally installing in my mind, and become the identity I grow into.

You can do this across many areas of your life, including parenting, partnership, work, your relationship with yourself, health, and more.

I’d love to hear what identity shifts you’re working on. Big or small, every change moves you closer to where you want to go. Try it now and share one of your new identities in the comments below.

Photo cred Laura Benn

Quote cred from Madelyn Carafa

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02/11/2026

If traditional sleep training doesn’t feel right, you’re not alone. So many of us parents are looking for a more responsive and attachment focused approach to getting our babies and toddlers to sleep.
 
In episode 83 of Wild and Well, I chat with Gabrielle Ferrara who is a nurture neuroscience practitioner and infant sleep coach about a nurturing alternative to sleep training.

This method is supportive of what is developmentally normal and considers the wellbeing of the whole family.

Gabrielle Ferrara shares a neuroscience-informed perspective on night waking, responsiveness, and how to support baby sleep without sacrificing attachment or parental mental health.
 
Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment SLEEP below and I’ll send the link to listen.
mom.nurtured.baby
 
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As parents, we are all desperate for our babies to sleep.  Yet we’re often unsure how to support our infants to sleep in...
02/07/2026

As parents, we are all desperate for our babies to sleep.
 
Yet we’re often unsure how to support our infants to sleep in a way that feels right. Harsh sleep training methods don’t sit well, but neither does chronic exhaustion.
 
The good news is that there is an alternative: one that is attachment-focused, keeps us connected to our babies even during the night, and importantly, supports the whole family.
 
In episode 83 of Wild and Well, I am joined by Gabrielle Ferrara, a nurture neuroscience practitioner, infant sleep coach (ages 0–3), and licensed clinical social worker with training in perinatal mental health.
 
Gabrielle shares a neuroscience-informed look at infant and toddler sleep, challenging common myths around independence, self-soothing, and sleep training.

Together, we explore what’s developmentally normal for babies, why frequent night waking is protective, and how connection and responsiveness support healthy brain development.
 
Gabrielle and I chat about:
 
* What biologically normal infant sleep really looks like
 
* Why babies need closeness to feel safe – day and night
 
* The impact of parental stress on baby sleep
 
* Common but overlooked sleep disruptors (reflux, iron, airway issues)
 
* Co-sleeping vs. bed sharing and how to do it safely
 
* Why sleep is a biological function, not a behavior to be trained
 
 
Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment SLEEP below and I’ll send the link to listen.
mom.nurtured.baby
 
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02/06/2026

In Episode 82 of Wild & Well, I sit down with Dr Lauren Tober to explore how integrating yoga and psychology can support nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and sustainable wellbeing, especially for parents and families.
 
We dive into practical tools like breathwork, grounding, body awareness, and compassionate self-check-ins, plus how these practices can help both adults and kids navigate overwhelm with more ease.
 
Search Wild and Well wherever you listen to podcasts or comment YOGA below and I’ll send the link to listen.
 



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