In this episode of Exception Seekers, Colleen talks with Kim Hopkins, Executive Director at Lives in the Balance, about the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model developed by Dr. Ross Greene. Kim explains how CPS offers a compassionate, trauma-informed, and neurodiversity-affirming approach to supporting children who struggle to meet expectations—especially in schools and homes.

Kim highlights the importance of collaboration instead of control, emphasizing that traditional punitive or reward-based methods often increase stress and disconnection. In contrast, if we can focus on understanding a child’s perspective, identifying unmet needs, and working together to develop mutually satisfactory solutions, we will see more success. The conversation touches on why kids “do well if they can,” and how language and mindset shape outcomes for both adults and children.

Kim also shares a deeply personal story about how witnessing and experiencing the harm of restraint-based practices motivated her to advocate for safer, more humane, and effective approaches. She discusses the ongoing global expansion of CPS, new initiatives such as a parent platform, and Dr. Greene’s forthcoming book The Kids Who Are Not Okay, which focuses on transforming educational systems to better support vulnerable students.

Important Messages

“Kids do well if they can:” When children struggle, it’s not due to a lack of will but a lack of skill. The goal is to identify what’s getting in their way, not to punish them.

Trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming: CPS respects that people think differently and may access skills differently. It’s not about “fixing” a child, it’s about supporting their functioning and happiness.

Schools need alternatives: Teachers often rely on outdated training; small introductions to CPS concepts (like “find your sympathetic ear”) can open minds to new approaches.

Resources mentioned

Lives in the Balance

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions

This episode is a heartfelt dive into the world of youth mental health, relationships, and the brain. Dr. Jean Clinton shares about how love, connection, and understanding can shape young minds, way more than we often realize. We talk about practical ways to support kids and teens, from connecting before correcting, to being mindful of relationships and context in teaching and counselling.

Dr. Clinton highlights the importance of relationships, connection and context; it’s not just about behaviour intervention, it’s about listening, empathy, and building meaningful relationships that truly help kids thrive.

Important Messages

Connect before you correct: Kids respond better when they feel understood and supported first, rather than immediately “fixed.”

Love builds brains: Relationships and emotional safety are just as important for development as academics or therapy techniques.

Context matters: Kids’ behaviours make more sense when you consider their relationships, environment, and past experiences.

Collaborative dialogue is powerful: Sharing experiences and learning together benefits both adults and children.

Practical, small steps count: Simple, consistent acts of connection make a huge difference over time.

This podcast episode features a deep, reflective conversation with Carmen Theobald of Horse Sense North, focusing on the creation and impact of their equine-assisted programs for first responders and public safety personnel. Carmen shares how horses provide a grounded, non-judgmental presence that helps people reconnect with safety, embodiment, and authentic emotion. The discussion touches on the unique design of their five-day intensive program, the importance of community and relational safety, and the program’s growing support—including full funding for OPP members and emerging pathways for others.

Carmen also opens up about her own personal journey: leaving Montreal at 18, following a nontraditional path, struggling to trust her instincts, and finding profound meaning in her relationship with horses. She describes surviving a traumatic event in a classroom, the way that proximity to death reshaped her sense of purpose, and how this informs both her life and her work. The episode closes with a reflection on courage, strength, vulnerability, and living in alignment with one’s deeper truth.

Important Messages

Horses offer a unique pathway to regulation and healing: Horses respond to people as they truly are - not their uniforms, roles, or titles. Their presence helps individuals feel safe, seen, and connected, often without needing to revisit traumatic content.

Community across roles matters” Bringing together different first responders fosters understanding “beyond the uniform;” their shared humanity becomes clearer when hierarchy and labels fade.

Carmen’s personal story informs her work: A life-altering event involving hiding from danger taught her a profound acceptance of mortality. This experience fuels her dedication to living fully and helping others do the same. Her unusual life path guided largely “by the horses,” required courage and trust in unconventional choices.

The heart of the work is strength + vulnerability: Carmen emphasizes the paradox of holding both simultaneously, and how horses model this balance every day, inviting humans to do the same.