Ep. 34 - The Heart Behind The Play Base: Frances Fishman on ABA, Motherhood, Purpose, and Healing

In this special solo episode of The Play Base Podcast, Frances Fishman shares the heart behind her work, the story behind The Play Base, and the mission that continues to guide her every day.Frances reflects on her journey into ABA, the children who changed her life, and how play became the foundation for connection, learning, and healing. She speaks openly about the challenges within the field of ABA, why she believes it needs more than a facelift—it needs a complete transformation—and how compassion, nervous system awareness, trauma-informed care, and unconditional acceptance have shaped her approach.She also shares the deeply personal story of starting The Play Base, building a business from the ground up, balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, and the lessons she’s learned through both. Throughout the episode, Frances answers questions from listeners about her career, parenting, leadership, business, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.In this episode, you’ll hear about:How Frances found her path into ABAThe children who shaped her life and careerWhy she believes no one needs “fixing”The future of compassionate, play-based ABAThe inspiration behind The Play BaseEntrepreneurship, purpose, and leading with authenticityMotherhood, balance, and showing up for yourself firstWorking collaboratively with families and professionalsThe importance of curiosity, connection, and seeing the human before the behaviorWhether you’re a parent, educator, clinician, or someone on your own healing journey, this episode is an invitation to rethink behavior through the lens of compassion, connection, and humanity.Connect with The Play Base 🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase