About the Guest

Dr. Daniel Amen is a physician, double board-certified psychiatrist, founder of Amen Clinics, and a 12-time New York Times bestselling author, including Raising Mentally Strong Kids. As one of the world’s leading experts on brain health, Dr. Amen has pioneered the use of SPECT brain imaging to better understand mental health conditions and has built the world’s largest database of brain scans related to behavior. His work continues to transform how families and professionals think about ADHD, anxiety, emotional regulation, and child development.

Introduction to the Conversation

What if we stopped thinking about mental health and started thinking about brain health instead?

In this thought-provoking episode of The Child Psych Podcast, Tammy Schamuhn sits down with Dr. Daniel Amen to explore how everyday choices—from nutrition and sleep to movement, screens, relationships, and stress—shape children’s developing brains. Rather than focusing solely on managing behaviour, this conversation highlights how supporting brain health can improve attention, emotional regulation, resilience, and lifelong well-being.

Whether you’re parenting a child with ADHD or anxiety or simply want to help children thrive, this episode offers practical, science-informed strategies that can be implemented every day.

What We Discuss in This Episode

Dr. Amen explains why our language matters, encouraging families to think beyond “mental illness” and instead focus on protecting and strengthening the brain. Together, Tammy and Dr. Amen discuss the powerful connection between brain health, gut health, nutrition, sleep, exercise, and emotional regulation, while exploring how these factors influence children’s behaviour, learning, and resilience.

The conversation also covers ADHD, anxiety, healthy routines, the effects of screens and social media on the developing brain, why movement and protein matter, and how parents can model healthy habits that children naturally adopt. Throughout the episode, Dr. Amen shares practical ways to build stronger brains and healthier families by making small, intentional choices each day.

What You’ll Learn

Why thinking about brain health instead of mental health changes the way we support children.

Practical nutrition, sleep, movement, and lifestyle habits that strengthen children’s brains.

How gut health, protein, fibre, and healthy fats influence focus, mood, and emotional regulation.

Evidence-based strategies for supporting children with ADHD and anxiety.

Why healthy technology boundaries and strong parent-child relationships are essential for building resilience.

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is ideal for parents, caregivers, educators, therapists, physicians, and mental health professionals who want practical, research-informed strategies to support children’s emotional well-being and healthy brain development. Whether you’re raising a neurodivergent child, supporting children with anxiety, or simply looking to help kids thrive, this conversation provides actionable insights you can begin using right away.