Parenting and Neuroplastic Symptoms, Going Upstream
Guest Blog by Marcia Dewey, AUD, CCC/A - Audiologist
When we talk about neuroplastic pain and chronic symptoms, we often look backward. We examine our childhood experiences, early stressors, and analyze the emotional environments that shaped our adult lives. However, we rarely talk about the actual mechanics of parenting. We do not often look at parenting from a preventative standpoint. Even more importantly, we miss how our own experiences as parents can radically transform how we treat our patients.
At the upcoming ATNS Conference, we are changing that conversation. As providers specializing in neuroplastic recovery, our clinical training taught us how to help adult brains find safety. Our children taught us how to actually live it.
For Dr. Marcia Dewey, an audiologist specializing in tinnitus, the breakthrough began in 2008. That was the year her son was born. He was diagnosed with ADHD at age three and autism at age four. Traditional advice urged her to use rigid discipline, time-outs, and behavior modification. Her heart said no. Instead, she sought out tools focused on connection, nervous system regulation, and emotional expression. Soon she noticed a parallel. The same nervous system tools she used to help her son navigate big emotions were what her adult patients needed to heal from debilitating tinnitus and sound sensitivities.
For therapist Anne Hampson, MSW, RSW, a similar parallel emerged in 2021. While helping chronic pain clients at Pain Psychotherapy Canada, her three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Anne threw her energy into emotional validation and understanding her daughter’s unique sensory thresholds. The overlap hit her immediately. The framework required to build an internal and external sense of safety for her young daughter was identical to the framework her adult clients needed to release chronic physical pain.
In our session, we will trace the history of parenting from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. Every generation shifts the emotional landscape:
Baby Boomers emphasized structure and discipline.
Gen X pushed for self-reliance and independence.
Millennials introduced gentle parenting and empathy.
Gen Z champions deep authenticity and collaboration.
Understanding this evolution is transformative. Recognizing the parenting style a person grew up with helps to identify clues to their adult personality traits. This provides understanding of coping strategies, beliefs, and why their nervous system is stuck in a chronic neuroplastic symptoms.
Even with modern shifts toward gentle parenting, the pressure to be perfect can still trigger chronic symptoms. In this presentation, we will look at seemingly innocent, common phrases that parents and caregivers use and how they inadvertently foster personality traits that lead to neuroplastic pain.
We invite you to join us for a deeply personal, revolutionary look at the parallel between caregiving and patient care. Together, we will explore how to apply tools like emotional awareness, boundary-setting, and self-compassion to both the clinic and the home.
Let’s learn how to create true safety—for our children, our patients, and ourselves. We look forward to seeing you at the session!
Dr. Marcia Dewey, CCC/A is an audiologist specializing in tinnitus and sound sensitivities as neuroplastic symptoms. She works at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI. You can follow her on YouTube @Dr.MarciaDewey.
Anne Hampson, MSW, RSW, a therapist, helps clients with neuroplastic pain and mind-body symptoms. She is co-founder of Pain Psychotherapy Center in Canada https://www.painpsychotherapy.ca/. You can find resources on the MBody Community at https://www.mbodycommunity.com/. Follow her on social media: Instagram @PainPsychotherapyCanda and The MindBody Couple Podcast with her husband Tanner Murtagh.
