Child Sexual Abuse Prevention & Why It Matters for Families, Workplaces, and Communities | Brook Thomas -Forensic Interviewer & Mayor

Invisible Motherhood, Pregnancy Loss, and Grieving the Children You Carry in Your Heart with Kaitlin Good Part 1

In this tender episode of The Check In! with Dillan, Dillan LMSW sits down with Kaitlin Good for an honest conversation about pregnancy loss, motherhood, grief, and what it means to love children who are not physically here. This is part 1 of the conversation. Kaitlin shares her journey through infertility, the loss of her identical twin daughters at 22 weeks, an early miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, and the complicated emotional experience of carrying hope after profound loss. Together, they talk about the invisible layers of motherhood, the grief that resurfaces through milestones, the fear and anxiety that can come with pregnancy after loss, and why acknowledging a child’s name and existence can mean so much to a grieving parent. This episode is not a “how-to” for grief, because there is no one right way to grieve. Instead, it is one mother’s story of love, loss, faith, survival, and continuing to mother all of her children—the ones in her arms and the ones she carries in her heart. This conversation is for loss moms, grieving parents, and anyone who wants to better understand how to show up for someone walking through pregnancy loss, infant loss, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or grief. Please note: This episode shares one mother’s lived experience and is not medical advice. If you are experiencing pregnancy-related pain, bleeding, emotional distress, or concerns about your health, please reach out to a medical or mental health professional. Resources for support and education:Postpartum Support International offers pregnancy and infant loss support groups, including support for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, early infant loss, and pregnancy after loss. March of Dimes offers accessible information and grief resources for families navigating miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and grief after the death of a baby. ACOG provides medical education on early pregnancy loss, bleeding during pregnancy, and ectopic pregnancy symptoms and treatment. Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support provides grief support, resources, and connection for families impacted by pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or the death of a baby in the first few months of life.

Georgia Wellman on Losing her Mom at 17yo, Sobriety & Becoming an Influencer | Grief Around Mother’s Day Part 2

If you follow Georgia Wellman online, you're one of the nearly 300,000 people who know her for her comforting routines, honest life updates, humor, relationship content, and the way she makes everyday life feel both beautiful and real. But in this episode, you get to hear more of the story behind what people see online. In Part 2 of the Grief Around Mother’s Day series, Georgia opens up about losing her mom to cancer at 17, feeling alone in grief, getting sober in her early 20s, leaving a stable corporate career, and the path that led her to becoming an influencer. We talk about what it’s really like to grow an audience online, the video that changed everything, the pressure of being perceived, the difference between going viral and building a community, and how hard it can be when your job is tied so closely to your identity. Since recording, Georgia has also shared that she’s exploring a return to the corporate world, which makes this conversation even more relevant. Because changing your plans doesn’t mean you failed. Sometimes it means you’re growing, being honest, & paying attention to what you need. This episode is for the girl or woman who feels behind, feels lost, is rethinking her path, or wonders if everyone else got the memo on how to “figure life out.” It’s about grief, identity, sobriety, career pivots, social media pressure, relationships, and the reminder that you don’t have to do life alone. If you’re new here from Georgia’s world, welcome! I’m Dillan, a therapist, mom, and host of The Check In! with Dillan, where we talk about the deeper stories behind who we’re becoming. In this episode, we talk about: * losing a parent as a teenager * grief and feeling unsupported * getting sober in your 20s * leaving Google and changing career paths * how Georgia became a full-time influencer * growing an audience on social media * going viral vs. building real connection * life online vs. real life * relationships, identity, and emotional growth * why changing your mind doesn’t mean you failed * why community matters so much Connect with us: Dillan / The Check In!: @checkinwithdillan Georgia: @georgiawellman Ellen | music: @elliezelie If this episode resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and come hang out with me on Instagram at @checkinwithdillan

Grief Around Mother’s Day Part 1: Losing a Child, Faith, Marriage & Finding Hope After Loss with Angie VanAntwerp

In this deeply moving episode of The Check in! with Dillan, Dillan begins the Grief Around Mother’s Day series with Angie VanAntwerp. Angie shares the story of losing her son, Conner, just before his fourth birthday, while she was newly pregnant and parenting a toddler. Together, Dillan and Angie talk about child loss, Mother’s Day after grief, faith, marriage, parenting surviving children, trauma in the nervous system, and the power of community support. This conversation is for bereaved mothers, grieving families, people supporting someone through loss, and anyone learning how to sit with pain without rushing to fix it. Resources mentioned: Lory’s Place, a grief support center for children, adults, and families; GriefShare, a grief support group program often hosted by churches; Holding On to Hope by Nancy Guthrie; and Respite Retreat, a retreat for couples grieving the death of a child. Additional support: The Compassionate Friends offers peer support for families grieving the death of a child, sibling, or grandchild. For immediate emotional crisis support, call or text 988. Follow Dillan on Instagram: @checkinwithdillan

Is AI Really Hurting Kids? Teens, Social Media & Digital Safety | Kirsten Haglund Part 2

AI, social media, screen time, teen mental health...it can feel like every headline is telling parents to panic. What if fear isn’t the most helpful starting point? In this episode of The Check-In with Dillan, I’m joined by Kirsten Haglund [speaker, researcher, and communications professional] for a nuanced conversation about young people, technology, AI, and digital safety. Kirsten shares her research on AI and youth mental health through the University of Zurich, including her work connected to the Frontiers in Digital Child Safety initiative with the University of Zurich, TUM Think Tank, and Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Together, we talk about why simply banning technology may not build the skills kids need, how fear-based narratives can sometimes increase anxiety, and why digital safety has to involve more than just parents. We explore social media, AI chatbots, education, cheating, creativity, screen time, neurodivergence, resilience, and what it means to help kids build capacity instead of just control. This conversation does not give a one-size-fits-all answer. Instead, it asks better questions: How do we help kids stay safe without making technology taboo?How do we build digital resilience?How do we protect childhood while also preparing young people for the world they are actually growing up in? Resources mentioned in this episode include: * Frontiers in Digital Child Safety — TUM Think Tank, University of Zurich, and Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University * Kirsten Müller-Daubermann’s thesis: It Depends How We Grow Up With It: Designing a Child-Centered Digital Environment That Supports Rights This episode is for parents, therapists, educators, and anyone trying to raise or support thoughtful, capable, connected kids in a rapidly changing digital world.

What Happens After Winning Miss America at 19yo? Kirsten Haglund | Part 1

A single conversation can change the trajectory of your life… even if the other person never remembers it. In Part 1 of this conversation, Kirsten Haglund reflects on her journey from winning Miss America at 19 to building a life that finally feels aligned. What looks glamorous on the outside often carries pressure, isolation, and the weight of becoming who the world expects you to be. Kirsten shares what that year was actually like—living out of a suitcase, constantly performing, and navigating the emotional highs and lows mostly on her own. We talk about:– The hidden cost of high-achievement environments– Why nothing in life works out the way you plan (and why that’s a good thing)– How small, seemingly insignificant moments can shape someone’s life– Letting go of rigid plans to create a life that actually fits This isn’t just a conversation about pageants—it’s about identity, pressure, and becoming. In Part 2, we shift into Kirsten’s research on AI and youth mental health—and her perspective might challenge everything you’ve been told about technology and kids.