Free to Be Mindful Podcast | Helping Professional Moms Find Calm in a Busy World

The Consult a Counselor Series is a subset of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where host and therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC answers parenting related questions so that you can be present and at ease with your child, and live life mindfully.  TODAY’S QUESTION: What should I do if my child has a learning disability? Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book...

In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman dives into the topic of mom shaming and the pressure that many parents face in today’s world. Drawing from her experience as a middle school counselor and as a mom, Vanessa highlights how behaviors we often see in children—like teasing and bullying—can carry into adulthood as mom shaming. Whether it’s a casual comment...

The Consult a Counselor Series is a subset of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where host and therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC answers parenting related questions to help moms reduce the overwhelm, find joy and live life intentionally. TODAY’S QUESTION: What should I do if my child is being bullied in school? REFERENCED LINK: Confessions of a Former Bully SEL Book Review https://www.yout...

In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful podcast, host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman has a heartfelt conversation with Michelle Choairy, a dedicated mother and advocate for complex children. Michelle opens up about her personal experiences raising a child with a rare genetic disorder, sharing the challenges, emotional hurdles, and inspiring triumphs she has encountered along the way. Michelle's st...

SHOWNOTES:  The Consult a Counselor Series is a subset of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where host and therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC answers parenting related questions to help moms reduce the overwhelm, find joy and live life intentionally. TODAY’S QUESTION: My kid doesn't want to join any extracurricular activities and just wants to be home on the computer. What can I do to...

In this episode, Vanessa celebrates her birthday by sharing personal reflections on how birthdays evolve as we grow older. From the excitement of gifts and cake as a child to a deeper focus on peace, connection, and personal growth as an adult, Vanessa reflects on the shift from getting to giving. Tune in as she explores how birthdays become less about material things and more about the impact we...

The Consult a Counselor Series is a subset of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where host and therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC answers parenting related questions to help moms reduce the overwhelm, find joy and live life intentionally. TODAY’S QUESTION: My middle schooler wants to join so many clubs this year! Any tips? Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Bo...

In this episode, we're joined by Tanya Chavez, a facilitator, speaker, and leadership expert whose journey is as exhilarating as it is inspiring. From the U.S. Air Force Academy to executive coach for top firms like Google and PayPal, Tanya's path has been anything but ordinary. Discover how her experiences in indoor skydiving have shaped her unique approach to leadership and personal gr...

The Consult a Counselor Series is a subset of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where host and therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC answers parenting related questions to help moms reduce the overwhelm, find joy and live life intentionally. TODAY'S QUESTION: School has started and we're already fighting about screen time. Help!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK W...

In this day and age, parents experience stressors from technology and social media, the youth mental health crisis, the loneliness epidemic, and the hyper-intense culture of comparison we live in, on top of the more traditional challenges experienced. In other words? It's a lot!  In this episode, we're exploring how to navigate parental pressures and how to maintain internal peace in the...

The Consult a Counselor Series is a subset of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where host and therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC answers parenting related questions to help moms reduce the overwhelm, find joy and live life intentionally. TODAY'S QUESTION IS: The new school year is about to start. How can I help my child manage her anxiety? READ THE BLOG: Helping Your Child Manage Back...

We're thrilled to welcome you back to a brand-new season of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast! Kicking off season 6, Vanessa shares some personal updates and exciting changes to our podcast format.  In this season we're diving deeper into topics that resonate with moms specifically, with more stories, tips and guest interviews twice a month. We're also bringing back the Consult a Couns...

To close off our season, we celebrate and replay our top three listened-to episodes of Season 5! Holding the number one spot is: From Adversity to Triumph: Mario B's Journey of Resilience . This episode holds weight because it shows the power of hustle and grind, building authentic relationships, and having faith in ourselves and the journey.  Founder of SalsaFever on2 Dance Academy and guest...

To close off our season, we celebrate and replay our top three listened-to episodes of Season 5! Holding the number two spot is: A Year in Review. We think of the new year as new beginnings; but before we can look onward to see where we're going, we must take the time to look back and reflect on where we've been. Our experiences serve as a baseline for tracking our growth for the future....

To close off our season, we celebrate and replay our top three listened-to episodes of Season 5! Holding the number three spot is: Finding Your Life's Purpose Through Passion with Rhina Lopez. Through personal stories, Rhina showcases how to look good and feel good, enhance how beauty is more than skin-deep, and use mindfulness as a tool to build confidence and take care of ourselves and othe...

Cue the confetti—we're closing off Season 5 with Episode 200! In this 'season finale' episode, we celebrate and reflect on some of our podcast accomplishments and experiences, and how the guiding word I chose for the year—grace— can impact personal and professional journeys. This episode demonstrates how to use grace as an actionable tool to embrace the journey with kindness and awa...

Happy 5th birthday to Free to Be Mindful! Celebrating the big wins and milestones of Free to Be Mindful is a beautiful gift. However, the growth over the years isn't just dedicated to the end results. It's credited to all of the steps taken on the journey, from the therapy practice, the podcast, Amiga Moms, the amazing feedback from our listeners, and all the behind-the-scenes work, This...

For May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we featured our short Mental Health Awareness series, where we dove deep into the diverse experiences of the therapeutic world with mental health professionals. To cap off this series, this episode highlights the topic of mental health in kids. Discover how the developmental stages of children impact how they express and experience emotions, how caregi...

For May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we're featuring our short Mental Health Awareness series, where we will delve deep into the diverse experiences of the therapeutic world with mental health professionals. In the last installment of our series, we welcome healer, activist, and agent of change, Dr. Tina Onikoyi, the founder of a private practice called Wellness Meets World and a Lic...

For May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we're featuring our short Mental Health Awareness series, where we will delve deep into the diverse experiences of the therapeutic world with mental health professionals. On our second episode of the series, we welcome a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Financial Social Worker Jasmine Ramirez, who supports BIPOC communities through in...

For May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we're featuring our short Mental Health Awareness series, where we will delve deep into the diverse experiences of the therapeutic world with mental health professionals. On our first episode of the series, we welcome a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, private practice business coach, and founder of the Latinx Practice Collective, Kathy Acosta, LC...

Teachers have a profound impact on the lives of students' success. But technology is constantly growing, and many teachers are shifting from traditional learning styles to the future of education.  This episode shares various AI tools that can help accelerate processes, highlights the evolutionary journey of AI in education, and explains the pros and cons of AI.  Join Vanessa De Jesus Guzman...

Advice is everywhere—from influencers on TikTok sharing their take of the day to old-fashioned advice from our social circles and professional networks. Wondering how to navigate unsolicited advice like a pro? From understanding how and when to take advice to learning ways to make our own feedback more positive, this episode shows us how to apply our decision-making skills in an effective way. Joi...

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with responsibilities or like you are carrying the weight of your burdens all by yourself? It's time to learn to lean!   This episode encourages you to embrace vulnerability and connection. By investing trust in our relationships, we invest in our personal growth, combat isolation, and embrace our potential to tackle challenges.  Join Vanessa De Jesus Guzman in...

Whether it's spiders or making a life-changing decision, we all have fears—and instead of looking at our fear as a barrier and letting it isolate us further, we can lean into the fear to prosper in our professional and personal journeys.   This episode explores where our fear comes from as well, shares a valuable framework for conquering fears, and offers key insights on leaning into fear to...