Holding Space

Do you have a picky eater in your life?! I was! So this is a topic especially close to my heart. A child's relationship with food, eating, and their body can follow them into adulthood. So how do we navigate these incredibly important conversations around "pickiness"? The relationship with food is complicated. It is personal, relational, and unavoidable. We're talking all about tha...

I'm a recovering perfectionist, and in this episode I'm sharing my story. Perfectionism is often rooted in Anxiety. Maybe if I do this perfect, then I'll be safe? Unfortunately, there's no shortage of messages that can keep us stuck in the cycle of striving for control through Perfection while ignoring our own needs, falling short because, well...we are HUMAN, and feeling swallowed...

Want to know one of the most common questions I get asked from expecting parents: Can Postpartum Anxiety show up BEFORE baby is born? Yes it totally can, and this challenging yet not discussed enough experience has its own name: PRENATAL Anxiety. In this episode I share my conversation with Liesel Teen, Labor and Delivery Nurse and founder of Mommy Labor Nurse. Together we discuss ways you can beg...

When you think about preparing for a new baby, what comes to mind? The perfect registry. Check! The finished nursery. Check! The ideal birth plan. Check! These are often the featured items on our checklist when we are expecting, and checking these things off our list can offer us a sense of control. Yet, what about preparing for the more nuanced and unexpected aspects of postpartum? Like, how this...

RESOURCE ALERT! This is a different kind of podcast episode. In this episode I'm highlighting a resource that I've personally found helpful in my own mindfulness/wellness journey. We're all starting to learn how important Mindfulness is when it comes to our mental health, right? I know I talk about it often with clients, and I've talked about it's role in my own life here on th...

For many of us our 'fur babies' hold a very special place in our heart. So much so that when we're preparing to become a parent to a human baby, sometimes we can't help but feel a little guilty, anxious, or fearful about how a newborn might change our relationship with our pets. Maybe you're worried about how your pet will react to your baby, how your relationship with your pet...

Sex and intimacy after having a baby can be very different. We're often approved for sex and exercise at that six week postpartum appointment…but what if we're not ready? What if it's too soon? What if your partner is ready and you aren't or vice versa? What if your libido is off because of the hormonal fluctuations after having a baby? What if you're worried about pain or not...

Have you ever had a thought in postpartum that felt disturbing or distressing to you? It pops up randomly, and you're kind of like, WOAH, where did that come from? What is wrong with me?? Maybe it was something like dropping your baby, getting into a car accident, an unwanted thought about your baby while changing their diaper, or something else of that nature...bottom line, it's intrusive...

This episode has a really special place in my heart on a personal level. Over the last two years we’ve worked with Occupational Therapists to support the sensory processing challenges my own kids experience. Maybe you're in the same boat and your child is experiencing something similar or maybe, you're wondering what sensory processing disorder even is and if your child might be having a s...

When I'm working with an individual or couple who just had a baby, one of the first things I ask about is...SLEEP! Not the age old question you get from most other people: "how is the baby sleeping?" No, I want to know how YOU are sleeping. Postpartum can be a beast and a big part of that is often the lack of sleep that accompanies having a baby. Getting restorative rest can become eve...

In this episode we are talking about postpartum mental health for couples. I am joined by my friend and colleague, Dr. Tracy Dalgleish. Dr. Tracy is a licensed clinical psychologist and couples therapist based in Canada as well the creator of the supportive Instagram account, @dr.tracyd . Dr. Tracy shares with us some signs and symptoms to look for if you or your partner are experiencing anxiety o...

Today's episode is a little bit different than most here on Holding Space Podcast...in the best way! Today I'm inviting my friends Mallory and Stranz Wolfgramm onto the podcast to talk about their experience preparing for their first child. Mallory is actually a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and creator of the Instagram account @makemarriagework , but as I've shared from my pe...

Today's episode is for the non-birthing partners and those mama's who want to help support their non-birthing partner through the experience of having a baby and becoming a parent! Today I'm excited to share with you my conversation with Eli Weinstein. Eli is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, creator of the Instagram account @eliweinstein_lcsw , and host of the Dude Therapist Podcast...

Let's cut right to the chase, this episode is about PEE, POOP, SEX, and all things pelvic floor after baby! I'll be honest...for my postpartum experience, I had no idea what the pelvic floor even was. That's why in today's episode I have invited on The Vagina Whisperer, Sara Reardon. Sara is a pelvic floor physical therapist and creator of the popular Instagram account @the.vagina....

In today's episode I am joined by my friend and colleague, Abbey Williams, and we are talking all about divorce, co-parenting, and thriving as a blended family. Abbey is a Licensed Social Worker and the creator of the popular podcast and Instagram account @mimosaswithmoms . Today Abbey is sharing both her own personal experiences with us as well as her professional wisdom on the big feelings t...

Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care for mamas across the world are NOT created equal. We often just assume that whatever care we get in our area or country is just the norm, but no one knows better than my guest today that this couldn't be further from the truth! Today I am joined by my longtime friend Isobel Benesch . Having experienced birth and postpartum both in the United States and New...

In this episode I am sharing my conversation with psychotherapist, Jessica Vanderwier, the creator of the Instagram account @ourmamavillage . Today Jess is sharing with us how we can teach our children about consent. In this episode Jess shares tangible ways and age-specific tips in which we can teach our kids from an early age about how to honor the boundaries of their bodies and to respect the b...

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to reach out to a perinatal psychiatrist? In this episode I share my conversation with Dr. Sarah Oreck, a Columbia University-trained psychiatrist focusing on women's mental health. Join us as we chat about options for support and treatment when you’re struggling during pregnancy, after baby and beyond. Together we demystify the process of getting h...

As we talk about here often on Holding Space, it's not uncommon for our "own stuff" from our past to come up in our parenting journey. Our relationship with food and our relationship with our body is no different. In today's episode I am joined by my friend Crystal Karges. Crystal is a maternal child health specialist, food and body image coach for moms, and lactation consultant. S...

Oh, the big tantrums...can I speak for all of us when I say it's definitely one of the harder parts of parenting to navigate?  These moments can also bring up old stuff from our own childhoods. When tantrums happen maybe we respond by just doing what our parents did with us, or maybe we're just trying to do the exact opposite of our own parent's parenting styles. Neither can feel like...

The month of May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month! I am incredibly grateful that Dr. Therese Mascardo of @exploring.therapy is joining us on the podcast again for this very important episode that explores and recognizes the pain and resilience of the AAPI community. Dr. Therese is sharing with us some of the unique challenges that the AAPI community has faced over the past year as...

Do you find yourself being anxious about whether or not your baby is meeting developmental milestones? Maybe you're constantly googling or checking a milestone app to see if your baby is "normal." Or maybe you find yourself comparing your baby's progress to others. When you feel like your baby is falling behind it can be followed by a wave of parent guilt. Trust me, I know...I'...

Do you find yourself constantly going to Google with all your questions or maybe feeling overwhelmed by all the information that is out there? Maybe you feel confused by all the conflicting opinions, or feeling drained by endless scrolling and comparison on social media? If so, don't worry, you are not alone! There is nothing wrong with you. If you're a millennial facing these experiences,...

Have you ever wondered how to support your little one's speech from the start? In this episode I'm sharing my conversation with Brooke and Bridget, a.k.a. The Speech Sisters. Brooke and Bridget are speech-language pathologists, moms, and sisters! Their mission is to educate and empower parents in their child's language development. In this episode Brooke and Bridget demystify speech th...

Did you know we are wired for comparison as human beings? Yet, in the modern age where we have so much access to the curated highlight reels of other parents and access to so much information, we can sometimes find ourselves comparing our real lives to unrealistic expectations. To breastfeed or to bottle-feed? What should go in your birth plan? How much screen time should your older kids have? We...