AFC Out and About
Asheville Family Counseling Out and About
We’re honored that our work has been featured in podcasts and in local media coverage highlighting the importance of mental health and emotional well-being in our community. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share our expertise and offer guidance during challenging times. Below are some features that spotlight our team’s commitment to compassionate, trauma-informed care in Western North Carolina.
Born to Be Free: Supporting Neurodivergent Clients to Learn, Play, & Thrive with Meg Ferrell
How to Work in Collaboration With Your PDA Clients
Ever wondered how to apply Dr. Ross Green’s model of Collaborative & Proactive Solutions to your work with PDA clients? Stacey joined Meg on the Born to Be Free podcast for a conversation about what exactly collaboration looks like in practice with PDA clients. They also dive into supporting parents, teaching daily living skills, supporting PDAers with aggressive behaviors, PDA kids in burnout, and so much more.
Beautifully Complex with Penny Williams
PDA Through a Problem-Solving Lens: Moving from Power Struggles to Partnership
Stacey joined Penny Williams on the Beautifully Complex podcast to talk about PDA: what it is, what it isn’t, and why she reframes it as a persistent desire for autonomy rather than a pathology. We get into why even a gentle request can register as a threat to a PDA kid’s nervous system, and why fight, flight, freeze, and collapse are really all the same signal wearing different clothes.
The NeuroSpicy MomPod with Austen Marie
Won’t vs. Can’t: The Parenting Shift That Changes Everything
Stacey joined Austen Marie on The NeuroSpicy MomPod for a conversation about one of the most important shifts parents can make: moving from “my child won’t” to “my child can’t – at least not yet, not under these conditions, or not without support.” In this episode, Stacey shared ideas from her forthcoming book and explored how this shift helps parents better understand PDA, reduce shame and blame, and respond to concerning behavior with more clarity, compassion, and collaboration.
The Empowered Parent Podcast with Jess Arce
The Real Reason Neurodivergent Kids Shut Down at School
Stacey joined Jess Arce on The Empowered Parent Podcast to talk about PDA, nervous system sensitivity, and why many neurodivergent kids refuse homework, avoid schoolwork, shut down during learning, or have explosive reactions to everyday demands. Together they explored how behavior that looks “defiant” may actually be a sign of overwhelm, anxiety, or nervous system overload. Stacey shared how parents and educators can move beyond seeing behaviors as “bad choices” and begin identifying the underlying unsolved problems that are preventing children from succeeding.
Heavy rain forecast prompts flood fears, PTSD concerns in WNC communities
News 13 spoke with a mental health counselor about the lasting impacts of Helene-related PTSD. Stacey Curnow, founder of Asheville Family Counseling, said that they have seen an increase in both kids and adults who have been impacted by the storm.