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Helping Parents Navigate LGBTQ+ Support, Mental Health, and Learning Differences
Description
Ever felt completely lost trying to help your child through a mental health, educational, or identity-related crisis, and unsure where to turn?
In this candid and compassionate episode, educational consultant Jodi Liston shares her personal journey as a parent of children with severe mental health needs, and how it led her to become a trusted guide for families navigating complex school and clinical systems. From IEPs to therapeutic placements, from LGBTQ+ support to advocating within unsupportive school systems, Jodi offers decades of wisdom and actionable advice.
✔️ Learn the real role of an educational consultant and why early support matters
✔️ Understand how to advocate for your child with IEPs, 504s, or during a mental health crisis
✔️ Discover what safe, affirming environments for LGBTQ+ youth actually look like
✔️ Know what red flags to watch for when evaluating schools, therapists, or programs
Listen now and walk away with real tools, expert insight, and hope so you can confidently advocate for your child, no matter what challenges you’re facing.
Key Topics Covered:
- What educational consultants really do (hint: not just college)
- Supporting kids with mental health diagnoses, neurodivergence, and learning differences
- The intersection of identity, trauma, and school safety for LGBTQ+ youth
- How the pandemic changed the educational and emotional landscape for students
- The power of family-centered, values-driven consulting
Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!
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At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.
For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, in