Nurturing Resilience

The choice to conceive. I am not sure what could be more taboo than admitting you don't want children for a cisgendered woman. But when my next guest Dr. Sarah Coxon publicly admitted this on a social media post, it was her most liked and commented post. In a vulnerable conversation, Sarah and I discuss our personal experiences in making this complex decision, and the societal pressures and expect...

Welcome to Episode 3 in the short series of taboo topics, and what could be more taboo than sex and sexuality? In a world that shames so many aspects around sexuality I thought this would be the perfect place to introduce my next guest Melissa Height. ​ Melissa is a spiritual practitioner, massage therapist, life coach, and sexuality professional. She has a holistic sex educator certification from...

"It is absolutely brave and courageous to treat yourself with kindness and care in a world that rewards self extraction" - Alyssa Pressmann ​ In a world that teaches us to self extract (i.e. completely wear yourself out and leave nothing for yourself or relationships) Alyssa shares the importance of honoring your own capacity and living life beyond burnout. ​ It was with working with others in the...

Episode 1 of the series “taboo topics” starts with Caroline Ofenstein sharing on all things plant medicine. ​ ​ Caroline is a certified nutrition and integrative health coach who specializes in helping women reach their optimal health & wellness - from the inside out. ​ After her own journey of hopping from one extreme diet or fitness regimen to the next, she discovered the power of mindfulness, m...

On this episode of "Nurturing Resilience" I interview Kate Kavanaugh who is a farmer, butcher, entrepreneur, podcaster, and lifelong learner. She is the founder of Western Daughters in Denver Colorado and podcast creator and host of Mind Body Soil, which brings together the interconnected themes of our bodies, food, and land. She brings her experience in regenerative agriculture and nutrition alon...

A few weeks ago as 2022 was winding down I had the idea to highlight the top 4 most listened to guests on my podcast. The idea comes from Rich Roll, and even though my podcast is not at his caliber (yet), it felt fun to reflect back and share what moved all of you the most. ​ As I listened to each episode again, the theme that presented itself was self efficacy. Self efficacy refers to an individu...

When people ask my how the nervous system is related to our gut and nutrition I always reflect back, how is it not? It is a two way street where one affects the other. ​ That is why today we are going to learn about the gut, or the Enteric Nervous System. Gut health is a HUGE topic that could be a podcast show of it's own. So when I sat down to review notes and decide what exactly to share, I deci...

It can be sooooo frustrating to not sleep well. Whether it is from disturbed sleep, going to bed to late, or waking up to early, it can definitely ruin your day. Lack of sleep affects our memory and ability to think clearly, and sleep deprivation can lead to neurological dysfunction such as mood swings and hallucinations. Sleep difficulties are associated with adverse effects on well-being, functi...

Welcome to week 2 of Nervous System November! This week we are learning all about Polyvagal Theory. I know I am bias, but this episode is FULL of gems. A lot of what I share is an equivalent to a two hour masterclass! So grab a meditation cushion, a pen and paper and let's dive in! If you have not listened the first episode for Nervous System November regarding inetroception, start there so you ha...

Ready to increase your nervous systems capacity to manage stress and trauma? Then this episode is for you. The ability to pay attention to the body and notice our internal states is called interoception, which is also what regulates our nervous system. When we practice interoception and stay in the present moment, we build more resiliency. When we can engage with our world and what is happening (v...

For episode 12 I am happy to present Shannon Clark. Coach, mother, wife, friend and wild woman. Shannon is on a mission to inspire women to break out of the box we have been kept in so we can be free to infuse the world with our unique gifts. Her deepest belief is that when you reclaim who you are, you can experience the abundance of pleasure that is available to you at all times. Being in Shannon...

As an artist, the mantra "we are the walking wounded" tremendously impacted Kaleigh Jo Atkinson's vision. The main influence on her work is one of selfless service. She believes documentary film, installation art and vulnerability through storytelling are powerful tools that advance the consciousness and compassion in humanity. It's an honor to have long time friend and filmmaker Kaleigh on my pod...

Yana Fay Dzedze is an interdisciplinary artist, forever eager to marry the contradictions of life through her work. Her first book, "The Fire in my Belly", journeys a quest to belong in a world of cultural differences. Yana draws on her own life stories to bring a sense of poetic intimacy to those who engage with her. Her words decorate feelings as she thinks out loud through her art and taps into...

We've all experienced trauma. I think by now most of know what trauma means so it's no surprise that one of the questions I get asked the most is, "What is somatic trauma resolution?" Today, I decided to answer this question in my podcast, Nurturing Resilience. To answer this question I first dive into quite a few terms and theories regarding trauma, the nervous system, and somatics. In this episo...

So excited to present to you Valeria Silva and Episode 8! Childhood Patterns in Adult Relationships Valeria was vulnerable to come on the show and share her childhood relationships patterns and how they played out into her adult relationships. We dive deep into attachment theory, what it was like for her to be a "good girl" to be loved, and how that completely affected her adult relationship histo...

You guessed it, episode 7 is all about Vaginas! In this episode I interview April Davis, owner and and creator of the Vagina Blog and the Vagina Blog Podcast. April is a compelling speaker, creative consultant, visual artist, and wordsmith who is featured in magazines, on podcasts, and on stage, sharing her wisdom, humor and knowledge. Her passion and drive created an entire community around femal...

It is estimated 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner, also known as domestic violence. Domestic/dating violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors that one partner uses to exert power over the other which can include physical violence, emotional or mental abuse and sexual abuse. Lori Kinsey, my guest on today's podcast, shares her in...

First, I really wanted to call this episode "Confessions of a Skinny Girl" but I thought that would trigger too many people and not actually capture the depth of this podcast episode. Second, I had more people reach out to me and share their own perspectives on this topic, ask questions, and want to know more about my story then I ever have. So obviously this is a HOT topic. Third, it is important...

"Help! I ended up in a cult" This is something that is never planned and it often happens in our day and age as spiritual communities grow and spread. Cults, by definition, do not refer to religions. It is a social movement where people see themselves as believers, followers, or part of a community. There may or may not be a spiritual context, but often there is. Most likely there is a "leader" or...

Today I am talking about fawning aka people pleasing! In my last podcast episode the topic of fawning came up briefly and I do not feel I did it the justice it deserves. And so now we have Episode 3. People pleasing is something A LOT of us do, some of us just more than others. We fawn to create safety and for most of us, we do feel more immediately safe. Therefore, we are continually reinforced t...

What do you do when religion, toxic theology, and spiritual beliefs cause more psychological and emotional harm than good? This was the case for my first guest that I interview on my podcast. We dive deep into her story of how her family's religious doctrine created years of hardship and suffering, lack of support for her choice in sexuality, and eventual eating disorder. Athena (pen name) spent o...

Welcome to episode 1! I will be sharing stories of hardship turned to triumph, trauma shaped into post traumatic growth and resiliency, sprinkled with a little bit of magic and nervous system education. This is BIG stuff that people have navigated and I am here to create a space for them to tell their story and have their story be heard. When there is a safe space to tell your story, it leads to d...