What does it really mean to parent with multiple sclerosis, and how do you talk to your children about something so unpredictable?

In this episode of Living Well with MS, we’re joined by Julie Stamm – MS advocate, author and mother – for an honest and uplifting conversation about raising a child while living with MS.

Diagnosed in 2007, Julie turned her experience into advocacy, determined to be open with her son about her condition in ways that are truthful but age-appropriate. She shares how parenting reshaped her perspective on resilience, how listening to children can ease the guilt many parents carry, and why adapting as a family is a sign of strength, not failure.

We explore storytelling as a tool for empowerment, the importance of peer support and community, and why the outlook for people newly diagnosed today is more hopeful than ever. Julie also reflects on her children’s book Some Days and her work to promote inclusion and diverse abilities through advocacy and education.

This episode will resonate with anyone parenting with MS, considering starting a family, supporting a loved one with MS, or looking to turn lived experience into meaningful advocacy.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Julie’s bio.

00:00 Introduction and Julie’s diagnosis journey 01:23 Why honesty with children matters 02:26 Sharing your story and the power of lived experience 03:37 Parenting guilt, resilience and writing Some Days 04:42 How MS affects the whole family 06:40 Adjusting to change and adapting over time 08:39 Becoming an MS advocate and finding your niche 10:02 Gratitude, grief and staying hopeful 11:23 The importance of peer support and community 13:52 Research advances and hope for the future 14:58 Advice for newly diagnosed parents

• Learn more at Julie’s website www.iamstamm.com
• Follow Julie on Instagram at @iamstamm
• New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
• Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
• Visit the Overcoming MS website

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Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

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If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing what could help you live well with MS and actually making it stick, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of Living Well with MS, Overcoming MS Program Facilitator Laura Crowder explores the ‘change your life for life’ pillar, the inner work that helps make lifestyle changes feel sustainable rather than overwhelming. Laura is joined by Overcoming MS Program Facilitator Hayley Baker, who shares her personal experience of building confidence, resilience and self-compassion while following the Overcoming MS Program.

Together, they reflect on why mindset matters, how hope and empowerment can support wellbeing, and what to do when life inevitably knocks you off track.

This episode is a webinar highlights special – originally recorded as a live Overcoming MS webinar and now edited for the podcast to bring you the key insights, questions and takeaways in one place.

Watch the full webinar on YouTube. Keep reading for the topics, timestamps, and our guest’s bio.

00:58 Exploring the pillar: Change your life for life

04:36 Choice, autonomy and taking control after diagnosis

09:56 The role of hope in living well with MS

12:37 Awareness, acceptance and managing difficult days

16:02 The power of language in habit formation

21:13 Empowerment and making lifestyle change sustainable

22:45 Community support and shared experience

25:36 Hayley’s personal journey with MS

35:01 Advice for people new to the Program

37:50 Q&A: common challenges, motivation and self-compassion

• Read the Overcoming MS books
• Learn more about the “Change your life, for life” pillar
• New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
• Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
• Visit the Overcoming MS website

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Pinterest

• Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
• Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.

How can mental health support be better tailored to the real, lived experiences of people with MS? In this episode of Living Well with MS, we’re joined by Dr Eva Fragkiadaki, counselling psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology at the University of the West of England. Her whose work focuses on developing personalised, evidence-based mental health interventions for people living with MS.

Eva shares insights from her research into group-based psychological support, including her co-designed MyMS-Ally intervention. Together, we explore why traditional mental health approaches don’t always work for people with MS, the power of peer connection, and how concepts like identity, self-compassion and visibility of disability shape emotional wellbeing.

This conversation will be especially valuable for anyone living with MS, supporting someone with MS, or interested in how mental health care can become more person-centred, inclusive and accessible.

Keep reading for the key episode takeaways and Eva’s bio.

00:00 Introducing psychosocial interventions for MS

03:38 Researching group therapy and therapeutic change

06:07 Gender, representation and inclusion in MS research

08:19 What kinds of mental health support help in MS?

10:30 Why group interventions matter

12:47 Peer support, safety and community connection

15:10 Integrative and personalised therapy approaches

17:29 Visible and invisible disability in MS

20:15 Self-compassion and identity

22:23 Future directions for mental health care in MS

• Learn more about Eva and her work
• Learn more about Eva’s research on mental health and MS
• New to Overcoming MS? Learn why lifestyle matters in MS - begin your journey at our 'Get started' page
• Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
• Visit the Overcoming MS website

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Pinterest

• Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. Listen to our archive of Living Well with MS here.
• Make sure you sign up to our newsletter to hear our latest tips and news about living a full and happy life with MS.

If you enjoy this podcast and want to help us continue creating future podcasts, please leave a donation here.

Feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.

If you like Living Well with MS, please leave a 5-star review.