Welcome to 2012! The first guest speakers of the new year are Dr. Marti Erickson and Erin Erickson, owners/co-hosts of Mom Enough. This mother-daughter team has an extensive background relating to children and families.
Marti served as the founding Director of the Children, Youth & Family Consortium and, more recently, as director of the Irving B. Harris Programs and co-chair of the U of M President’s Initiative on Children, Youth & Families. She specializes in linking research, practice and policy in the areas of parent-child attachment, child abuse prevention, and children’s mental health. Since retiring from the University in 2008, Marti continues to speak and consult extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad, with an emphasis on strategies for addressing the needs of young children and families in high-risk circumstances. Currently she is co-leading a child rights training initiative in Tanzania. She was also principal investigator on the Motherhood Study, a national study of mothers’ needs, concerns, and experiences, sponsored by the Institute for American Values. Marti’s publications include many scholarly articles, book chapters, and the book Infants, Toddlers & Families: A Framework for Support and Intervention (Erickson & Kurz-Riemer, 2002). Since 1995, Marti has appeared regularly on KARE-TV’s (NBC) “Today” and “Sunrise” shows.

Erin is a specialist in Maternal-Child Health and has extensive experience speaking on issues related to maternal-child health and parenting.  She writes on related topics for several magazines and websites. After completing her Master of Public Health (MPH) in Maternal Child Health – Epidemiology, Erin entered the graduate certificate program in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices – Health Coaching at the U of M’s Center for Spirituality and Healing. She is focusing on the mind-body connection and using mindfulness-based skills to help people connect more deeply with the impact their lives have on their bodies. Erin was recently awarded the A. Marilyn Sime Scholarship in integrative medicine and health practices for her continuing graduate studies at the University of Minnesota.

 Wow- what a knowledge base! I am truly honored to have them both as guests on our blog. Thank you Marti and Erin! Listen to their message HERE. (Scroll down to their names)

 Wait – there’s more! Did I mention that Marti is also sponsoring a giveaway? She’s donating TWO items for a very lucky blog subscriber. Check back tomorrow to learn more about this Mom Enough giveaway 🙂