👋 Hello Beautiful Souls!
We’re back with another edition of our weekly newsletter from your favorite co-hosts — G-Rex & Dirty Skittles 💥 You know the drill: we bring the realness, the weirdness, and the wellness, straight from our heads to your inbox 🧠💌
Our latest episode drops TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 3 AM ET — and it’s a powerful one: 🎧 “Stefani Gets Real About Dog Phobias, Kids, and Mental Health Wins” 🐕🦺💛
💬 Mental Health Quote of the Week
“Make time for yourself like it’s a meeting you can’t miss — because you’re worth every damn minute.” 🕒💖
💖 How Is Your Self Love and Self Care Coming Along These Days?
This week, we’re turning the mic toward YOU 🎙️
Self Love and Self Care aren’t just buzzwords — they’re lifelines. For G-Rex 🦖, self-care looks like taking every Monday off through the warmer months to create space for road trips, lazy lakeside afternoons, and making memories with the wife. After 45 years in corporate life, this is what freedom feels like. No guilt, just joy — and the occasional random Sunday adventure. 🛣️🎣🏙️
Dirty Skittles 🐦 is getting her own kind of therapy from the skies — by building trust with a crew of crows and ravens. Turns out, nature has its own way of reminding you to breathe deep and slow down. 🌳🕊️
So now it’s your turn: 💬 What are you doing to nourish your soul? Are you switching things up for the summer (or winter, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere)? Hit reply — let’s start a little self-love circle 💞
📝 Podcast Reflection Worksheet
Use this week’s Reflection Worksheet to capture your takeaways and your truths. It’s all about pausing, processing, and putting insight into action. ✨ Podcast Worksheet _05_20_25_Stefani Gets Real About Dog Phobias, Kids, and Mental Health Wins.pdf
🔊 This Week’s Episode: Facing Fear with Compassion
Ever wonder why a child might suddenly refuse to go to a friend’s house because of a dog? Or why some fears don’t seem to make sense — even to us?
This week we’re talking with Stefani Cohen, a parenting coach and licensed clinical social worker who turned her daughter’s fear of dogs into a mission to educate and empower families. From anxiety in kids to the importance of understanding fear (instead of shaming it), Stefani offers tools and stories that hit home for anyone navigating mental health — especially as parents.
Whether it’s flying, dogs, or big emotional triggers, fear doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means you’re human. And Stefani is here to help you build confidence through understanding and practical strategies. 🧠💪
🐶 When Fear Talks, Listen: What Dog Phobias Can Teach Us About Mental Health
Fear shows up in all kinds of ways—sometimes it’s loud and obvious, and other times it’s quiet, like a kid who suddenly won’t go to a friend’s house because of a dog. In this episode, we’re getting real with Stefani Cohen, a parenting expert who turned her own daughter’s fear into a life’s mission: helping families face fear with compassion, not shame.
Why It’s More Than Just “Being Scared”
Fear isn’t just something to push through or ignore. It’s a signal. Whether you’re afraid of dogs, flying, or saying the wrong thing—fear often comes from feeling out of control. And guess what? That’s normal. The good news? We can build the skills to manage it.
What we loved about this chat with Stefani is how she reminds us that overcoming fear isn’t about being fearless—it’s about being informed, supported, and patient with ourselves. Especially when we’re guiding kids through the same tough stuff we’ve had to figure out ourselves.
Let’s Take a Breath Together
Stefani shared something that really stuck with us: 💬 “When we feel afraid, we feel out of control. Give yourself a plan—that’s where confidence starts.”
That hit home. Because fear doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means you’re human.
Real Talk from the G-Rex and Dirty Skittles 💬
“I used to think being afraid of dogs was silly, until I realized I was just afraid of not knowing what they’d do. Control is everything for me.” – G-Rex
“My son saw dogs fight once, and I panicked—because I couldn’t protect him from it. But talking through it helped us both heal.” – Dirty Skittles
🖊 Try These Journal Prompts:
Think about something that scares you—even a little.
• Where do you think that fear comes from?
• Have you ever tried to explain it to someone?
• What would support look like if you faced it again?
💛 “Fear doesn’t make you weak—it makes you human. Facing it makes you strong.”
🎙️ Meet Our Guest: Stefani Cohen, LCSW 🐾
Stefani Cohen is more than a therapist — she’s a game-changer for parents navigating the tricky terrain of childhood anxiety. She’s the author of Overcoming Your Child’s Fear of Dogs, and her work is rooted in empathy, education, and empowerment.
With over 30 years of experience as a clinical social worker, Stefani has worked closely with families to help kids (and grownups) cope with “big” feelings like fear, worry, and anger. Her specialty? Helping children overcome their fear of dogs through thoughtful exposure therapy — often with her own dog, Winnie 🐶, by her side.
But what makes Stefani truly special is how she turns fear into connection. Her methods aren’t about forcing kids to “get over it” — they’re about understanding what fear is telling us and how to respond with compassion.
👨👩👧👦 From parenting workshops to school visits and even humane education for scout troops, Stefani is helping the next generation grow up fearless and informed.
She lives in New Rochelle, NY with her husband Gerry and their dog Winnie, and she’s a proud grandmother to four grandkids who (you guessed it) love dogs.
🖥️ Website: overcomefearofdogs.com
📘 Instagram: @overcomefearofdogs
🔗 LinkedIn: Stefani Cohen on LinkedIn
📘 Book: Overcoming Your Child’s Fear of Dogs (available online!)
🧠 Key Takeaways:
- Fear is a signal, not a flaw — It’s your body asking for support.
- Empathy heals — Whether it’s kids or adults, understanding fear reduces shame.
- Preparation builds confidence — Knowing what to expect creates a feeling of safety.
✅ Actionable Takeaways:
- Practice reading dog body language with your kids.
- Share your own fears openly — normalize the conversation.
- Support doesn’t mean fixing — it means being present and listening.
💌 Reader/Listener Engagement
Got a story about facing a fear or helping your child through one? Send it our way — we might feature it in a future episode or newsletter! 📩
⭐ Subscribe, Rate & Review
If you love what we’re doing, help us keep going strong 💪 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, drop us a rating, and leave a review. It means the world to us and helps others find our show 🧡
💭 Closing Thoughts
Life is full of scary moments. The goal isn’t to erase fear — it’s to understand it, face it with love, and walk through it together. Thanks for being part of our community. We see you. We celebrate you. And we can’t wait for you to hear this episode 💖
With love and laughter, G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
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G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
It's ok to be not ok, just make sure you're talking to someone
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