Episode 260

full
Published on:

4th Sep 2025

Parenting with Mental Freedom-part 1

Season 8 of Life Equals Choices, Choices Equal Life kicks off with a powerful conversation on parenting with mental freedom. Kim Olver is joined by coach and educator Rachel Lynn McElroy, founder of Align and Empower Coaching, to explore how parents can raise resilient, self-aware children by teaching them to understand and meet their own needs.

Rachel shares how the principles of Mental Freedom®—including responsibility vs. response-ability, unconditional trust, and empowering language—shape her parenting approach with her two young children. From fostering autonomy and connection to modeling resilience and healthy boundaries, this episode offers practical insights for any parent who wants to create a nurturing, values-driven home environment.

Tune in to discover how parenting with mental freedom helps kids develop confidence, emotional safety, and the ability to navigate life’s challenges with strength and joy.

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About the Podcast

Life = Choices; Choices = Life
Making better choices for a better life
Life = Choices; Choices = Life is about learning to replace external control psychology with radical responsibility and appreciation so you can make better choices to create the life you want to have. Kim Olver is a leading expert in Choice Theory™ psychology and will share what she has gleaned from the legendary work of Dr. William Glasser, as well as sharing her unique perspective based on over 30 years of study and research.

About your host

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Kim Olver

Kim Olver's mission is to help people make better choices for a better life. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor, a nationally certified counselor and a board certified coach. She is a world renowned expert in Choice Theory™ , a highly sought after international speaker and an award-winning author. Her books include: Leveraging Diversity at Work with Sylvester Baugh (2006), Secrets of Happy Couples (2010), Choosing Me Now (2019) and A Choice Theory Guide to Relationships (2019). Kim is currently working on the forthcoming books, The Definitive Guide to Coaching and Radical Responsibility and Appreciation. Kim is the author of The Relationship Center blog; creator of Empowerment Parenting, a 25-hour parenting curriculum for court-mandated parents; and owner of Academy of Choice, a BCC (Board Certified Coach) Coaching Program. Kim worked five years as a counselor for schizophrenics in a community-based residential program, 17 years holding various positions with a specialized foster care agency, was Executive Director of Glasser Institute for Choice Theory for nine years and the Executive Director for William Glasser International for eight; and began her own company, Coaching for Excellence, in 2005. She is a model of what she teaches about taking responsibility for the things she can influence and control and finding appreciation for those things she can't. Kim believes radical responsibility and appreciation are the keys to a happy, peaceful, satisfying life.