Dr. Sassy's Curated Resources
A thoughtful collection of Dr. Stacy Jagger’s favorite books, tools, and media for cultivating connection, calm, and creativity in families, teams, and practices.
The Mountain Method
The Mountain Method™ is a five-phase, experiential framework for family healing and reconnection. It guides parents and children through a transformational journey—from chaos, dysregulation, and disconnection to clarity, safety, and lasting relational repair. Rooted in nervous system science, play-based intervention, and attachment-centered practices, the model was designed to meet families where they are, empower parents as leaders, and restore a child’s natural capacity for creativity, resilience, and connection.
Like climbing a mountain, this method is both challenging and deeply rewarding. It encourages families to move one step at a time, building strength, insight, trust, and momentum at each stage. Instead of focusing solely on a child’s symptoms, The Mountain Method™ works with the entire family system—honoring the truth that healing is relational, growth is layered, and transformation unfolds in community.
Parental Controls
There are several considerations to keep in mind when building strategies to keep kids safe online. One foundational element must be layers:
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Add safety controls at the network level (wifi/router) with a whole-home solution like Eero or Gryphon.
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Implement device-level restrictions for each computer, phone, tablet or gaming system. Each manufacturer of your devices will have separate set-ups: Apple for Mac/iOS, Google for Android/Chromebooks, Microsoft for Xbox, etc.
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Activate any app-level safety settings that the app itself has made available. For example, turning social media profiles to private rather than public, setting up direct message restrictions so strangers can not reach your child, etc.
Evaluate the location of all devices to keep screens in public places to ensure accountability and parental guidance for kids and teens using approved technology.
Protect Young Eyes is at the forefront of child online safety. Their resources and app reviews stay up to date and they are leading the charge for online safety for kids, students, families, professional, as well as schools and businesses. They are true childhood advocates and in it for the long haul.
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Parental Control Solutions
For help building a customized and layered plan for your family’s online safety strategy, contact our partner Parents Who Fight.
Smartphone Alternatives
Delaying smartphones into adolescence is a critical step to protecting kids from a variety of digital dangers. There are several devices available that have many features of smartphones but which are designed with children, teens, and families in mind. We recommend researching these options to provide a safer way to offer a communication device:
In addition, parents may be interested in communication devices made for adults that do not have addictive features. We recommend:
Slow-Action Media
Family Activities
The following shows are approved by Dr. Sassy as options for slow-action media, critical to the success of the 30-Day Blackout.
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Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
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Andy Griffith
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I Love Lucy
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Thomas the Train
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Little House on the Prairie
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Bluey
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Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
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Puffin Rock
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Sesame Street
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Max and Ruby
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Theraplay Activities Flip Book
“This is my absolute favorite resource for young children with behavioral issues. Especially if you utilize it during a ‘digital detox’, you will see immediate results - because you can’t help but connect when doing these activities.”
Melissa & Doug Toys and Puzzles
“I love Melissa & Doug toys and puzzles and have so many of them in my play therapy offices and creative playhouses. These toys are simple, creative, and make connection easy in a device free way.”
Resources for Adults
“I wrote this book to walk parents through all the guidance and support I offer my therapy clients when doing a digital detox. It’s a helpful companion to any approach, but walks you through my own method - step by step.”
“In addition to my own book, when a family is embarking on a digital detox, I always recommend this extremely detailed book. It offers a medical approach to screen limits and insight into the neurological benefits of technology boundaries.”
“This book does a great job of articulating the speed and impact of screen use on our anxiety levels in an approachable way. It’s great for parents or teens.”
“A very practical guide to help adults or families detach from the constant notifications and alerts associated with smartphone use.”
“A colleague of mine has compiled all the peer reviewed research on children with attachment ruptures manifesting through behavioral issues. It makes solid research approachable for parents & is also on my recommendation list for parents who want to understand the connection between attachment and behavior.”
“I recommend this pragmatic book to the majority of parents who describe their child as strong willed. I always advise that the cover should be removed and title covered to avoid children inadvertently associating themselves with a ‘difficult’ label that does not reflect them or the heart of the book.”
“Any book by Dr. Dan Siegel is excellent, but this is where I usually recommend parents begin. It takes a practical approach to co-regulation leveraging solid neuroscientific research presented in a non clinical way.”
“This is a faith based version of Hold Me Tight - which introduces Emotionally Focused Therapy, an attachment based couples therapy modality that produces measurable results.”
“I always follow up Hold Me Tight or Created for Connection with this gold standard from The Gottmans. They have been researching what makes couples successful for decades and offer a very workable and practical guide to creating and sustaining fulfilling marriages.”
“When I am working with a family system and there is any kind of unresolved trauma surfacing in one or more of the adults, I always start here. This text is extremely normalizing and helpful for adult children who grew up in a home with any type of addictive cycle.”
“A follow up companion to the 12 Step Workbook, this guidebook empowers adults to reparent themselves - which creates unique opportunities for them to parent their own children in new and more connected ways.”
“I recommend this book for any pre-marital or newly married client. The author, Terry Real, is the real deal and gives an honest and realistic portrayal of how our expectations for marriage have changed and offers guidance for how we can be successful within the new paradigm.”
“Relaunching soon, this podcast gives me the chance to speak to families with inspiring stories to tell. If you’re interested in learning more about trauma recovery, connection, hope, and healing - or just need to be inspired - Inspiring Families is a great investment of time.”
“Host Lisa Dion is the Founder and Director of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. While this podcast is designed for therapists, many parents who want to understand nervous system regulation find its content helpful and approachable.”
Workshops for
Adults
“I highly recommend Onsite because it worked for me. They cover a host of topics & their group experiential workshops are life changing for people who have hit a wall in their personal growth or trauma recovery. A weeklong retreat at Onsite is like doing about 9 months of therapy all at once.”
“Another favorite place of mine is The Bridge. They are a relaxed inpatient retreat center in Kentucky that offers excellent workshops in codependency recovery and addiction treatment, among many other topics.”