Beyond Reaction: Jon Fogel's Holistic Approach to Parenting
Jon Fogel is a dad, pastor, and advocate for evidence-based, non-trauma-inducing parenting methods. He is known under the moniker "WholeParent" on Social Media, where he has over 1 Million followers across multiple platforms. As WholeParent, Jon offers a unique perspective on parenting grounded in evidence-based research in areas of child development, adolescent psychology, and basic neuroscience, synthesizing strategies from the worlds of cognitive-behavioral therapy, general counseling, and even contemplative meditation to help parents manage problematic behaviors and grow deeper in their relationship with their children, their partner, and themselves.
Jon Fogel shares his personal journey and the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to fatherhood. From growing up in a high school known for its comedic alumni to the loss of his father and the birth of his son, he discusses how these experiences led him to a deeper understanding of how our brains react to stress and the importance of developing new neural pathways for better parenting responses.
He also explains the concept of neural pathways and how our childhood experiences shape our default reactions as parents. He then offers practical advice on how to ground ourselves in moments of high stress with our children, emphasizing techniques like deep breathing, grounding exercises, and the importance of not feeding the emotional fire.
