Holding Space

"I felt like I was drowning and exploding at the same time." This week I'm joined by Nicole McNelis, LPC — perinatal mental health therapist, researcher, and one of the leading voices on maternal rage. We first met when she came to San Diego to present for our local Postpartum Health Alliance, and I've wanted to bring this conversation to you ever since. Here's the reframe that...

What if your birth went "well" on paper... but something in you still feels unresolved? This week I'm joined by Beth Warren, LCSW, PMH-C, a perinatal psychotherapist, EMDR consultant, and author of Healing from Reproductive Trauma . We talk about what reproductive trauma actually includes (hint: it's SO much more than a "hard birth"), and why it can show up later as rage, h...

Social media isn't going anywhere...so how do we raise kids inside this new digital age? How do we keep them safe? How do we navigate OUR OWN relationship with it? This week I'm joined by Kelly McCullough, LCSW, child and adolescent therapist, and founder of La Jolla Therapy Center, to move past the all-or-nothing panic and into something more livable. We get honest about "chasing pres...

What happens when love and fear live in the same household? This week I'm joined by Leslie Priscilla, founder of Latinx Parenting, cultural healer, and author of the new book CHANCLA: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture through Nonviolent Parenting. Leslie has spent 17+ years helping Latinx families break cycles of intergenerational harm, and in this conversation she uses one deep...

In this episode, I sit down with therapist Josie Ampaw-Greene — a licensed clinical social worker and mom to twins — for a conversation on how we talk to our kids about race, identity, and oppression. We talk about: Why "should I even bring it up?" is itself a form of privilege Ally vs. accomplice — and sitting IN the discomfort, not on the sidelines Perfectionism as a form of white suprem...

In this episode, I sit down with poet and storyteller Taylor Rae Roman for a conversation about the quiet, disorienting grief underneath early motherhood...the experience of waking up in a new body, a new mind, a new identity, and never really getting to say goodbye to the woman you were before. This one's for the mom who loves her baby AND is barely hanging on. For the one who had the "pe...

This one's for the therapists! The way clients find therapists is changing, and fast! AI tools, big tech companies with massive ad budgets, shifting search algorithms...it's A LOT. And if what used to work just, isn't anymore, this episode is going to help you understand why AND what you can actually do about it. I brought in Kristie Plantinga of Place Digital. She's the person I p...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Destini Ann, fellow mom, parenting educator, and author of the book Very Intentional Parenting...for the screen time conversation SO many of you have been begging for. Destini and I go way back (we met years ago in a little study group with Dr. Becky and a few other good souls), and we've been in each other's DMs ever since. Then she shared a reso...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Pany Robinson, a board-certified family practitioner with 22 years of experience and one of the most refreshingly no-nonsense voices I've encountered on women's hormonal health to talk about everything you weren't told about perimenopause and menopause. I met Dr. Pany at a training on maternal rage (yes, there's a connection), and I was immediat...

In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Kim Van Dusen — one of my very first podcast guests ever — to talk about her new book Parenting Through Play . Together we explore why play is such a powerful entry point for connection, regulation, and even repair with our kids. Dr. Kim helps those of us who don't always feel like getting on the floor to play (hi, it's me) by introducing the idea of &#3...

On today’s episode, I’m joined by therapist, speaker, and host of The Dude Therapist Podcast , Eli Weinstein. Eli works extensively with couples and families, and his upcoming book From I Do to We Do explores what really happens to relationships once kids enter the picture. Because here’s the truth: most couples start parenting believing that love will carry them through. And while love absolutely...

On today’s episode, I’m joined by mindfulness mentor, meditation teacher, and host of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields. Hunter is the author of Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Every Day , and for years she’s been supporting parents in moving out of reactivity and into more present, connected relationships with their kids. As a therapist and parent, I know how easy it is t...

In this episode of Holding Space, Dr. Cassidy is joined by Dr. Sumi Raghavan for a grounded, human conversation about parenting during a moment of real fear and moral injury. ICE violence in Minnesota and across the country has left many parents feeling dysregulated, overwhelmed, and unsure how to show up for their kids while their own nervous systems are on high alert. This conversation isn’t hap...

On today’s episode I’m joined by holistic decluttering expert and host of the top-rated podcast The Maximized Minimalist , Katy Joy Wells. As a therapist and parent, I know how often our homes can feel like one more place we’re “falling behind.” In this conversation, we explore how clutter impacts our nervous systems, our relationships, and our sense of enoughness. Katy offers a shame-free, deeply...

Have you ever noticed how much harder parenting feels when things are tense between you and your partner? Maybe you start off trying to calm your kids in the back seat… and somehow end up arguing about the volume of the music. Or one of you sets a boundary with your child, the other undermines it, and suddenly you’re in a standoff that feels way bigger than it should. In this episode, Dr. Cassidy...

In this conversation, I’m joined by my dear friend and fellow therapist Dr. Tracy Dalgleish to explore the tender, complex space between partnership and extended family...where love, loyalty, and old patterns can collide. We talk about why these dynamics feel especially charged for so many of us right now, what it means to navigate guilt and control in family systems, and how we can stay connected...

When our teen's worry sets off our own, it can feel like two nervous systems locked in the same storm. In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with my friend and colleague Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to unpack what’s really happening beneath those moments of reactivity and how parents can shift from fear-based reacting to compassionate, grounded responding. We talk about: Why our teens’ anxiety...

In this episode we're exploring the relationship between breastfeeding and a new mom's mental health. To help us really go deep (and practical) on this topic, I had the absolute joy of sitting down with Dawnita Wicks , a registered nurse, public health nurse, and internationally board-certified lactation consultant. I first connected with Dawnita because I had clients who were struggling n...

In today’s solo episode, I open up about how I’m preparing for perimenopause at 40, and why I don’t want to walk into this transition as unprepared as I felt during postpartum. We’ll talk about: What perimenopause and menopause actually mean The commonly known symptoms and the less-discussed symptoms that can feel really destabilizing too How perimenopause intersects with mental health, parenting,...

If you’re in the postpartum season, you already know...sleep deprivation is A BEAST. It affects everything: your mood, your relationships, your health, and your ability to feel present with your baby. In this episode I’m breaking down why protecting your rest matters, how to get restorative sleep (even if your baby is waking frequently), and how to navigate sleep conversations with your partner wi...

Do you feel that familiar dread or restlessness in your body as the weekend winds down? You’re NOT alone! In this episode, we explore the Sunday Scaries through the lens of the nervous system, naming the hidden pressure so many women and moms carry into the week. We’ll break down why this anticipatory anxiety happens, how it can activate survival responses and what your body is trying to tell you....

In this solo episode of Holding Space, I’m diving into one of the most common and quietly painful questions I hear from parents (and ask myself too): Why am I so reactive? If you’ve ever found yourself snapping before you even realized what was happening, crying over something small, or wondering, what is wrong with me? This episode is for you. You're not broken. You're carrying a lot. And...

In this episode of Holding Space, I welcome parenting educator and content creator behind the account Mother Could, Myriam Sandler, for a real and refreshing conversation about play in parenthood. Together, we unpack the pressure many parents feel to “play the right way,” especially in today’s era of intensive parenting. Episode highlights: How perfectionism and productivity culture shape our expe...

In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Cassidy sits down with Megan McNamee, a registered dietitian nutritionist and co-founder of Feeding Littles, to discuss the intersection of perfectionism, parenting, and feeding children. Megan shares insights on how parents can move away from the pressures of perfectionism, especially in the context of feeding their kids, and embrace a more intuitive and bal...

What do you REALLY need to know about caring for your postpartum body? To answer this question I invited Ruth Macy, a pelvic health physical therapist, and Courtney Naliboff, a teacher, writer, and musician, on to the podcast to talk about all things postpartum recovery and self-compassion. Together we explore: The inspiration behind their book "Your Postpartum Body: The Complete Guide to Heal...