Rewrite the Mother Code with Dr. Gertrude Lyons

In this solo episode, I’m diving into a year of immense transformation, gratitude, and new beginnings. With the winter solstice as a backdrop, I reflect on the cycles of endings and beginnings that have shaped my journey over the past year. This reflective period has offered me a chance to not only celebrate milestones but also reckon with challenges that have pushed me out of my comfort zone. Fro...

In this episode, I speak with Mariya Shiyko, a best-selling author and coach, about overcoming cultural expectations, her journey of self-discovery, and her experiences in motherhood. Mariya didn’t set out to write a memoir but accepted the calling once she discovered the power of women sharing their stories. She shares her writing journey and the ups and downs of her first literary birth. The act...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh, an Ayurvedic integrated medicine practitioner and yoga therapist, about integrating Western medicine with Ayurveda, longevity switches, and owning your power. Healing comes from within. Dr. Avanti’s philosophy integrates the best of Western medicine with 5,000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom. Dr. Avanti’s upcoming book, the Longevity Formula, was ins...

In this episode, I speak with Marnie Marmet, the Founder of Zenful Life Coaching, about how she discovered her authentic voice, her go-to self-care rituals, and the journey of writing her memoir.  Self-care and internal work is an ongoing process. By sharing how Marnie lost her voice as a child to actively reclaiming it as an adult and a mother, Marnie reminds us that no one is perfect and we...

In this episode, I speak with author and inter-spiritual teacher Mirabai Starr about writing as a spiritual practice, the mysticism around us, and her evolving relationship with religion.  Mirabai’s latest book, Ordinary Mysticism, describes how to feel more holy and present in everyday life. Her work speaks to people’s spiritual yearnings without religious hierarchies by translating mysticis...

In this solo episode, I’m broadcasting from Mexico to speak about the nourishment of gratitude, birthday reflections, and contemplating duality.  Birthdays are a wonderful time for reflection. With my birthday just past, I’ve been meditating on expecting delight. In this episode, I discuss the truly transcendent, transformative effects of being in gratitude for as long as you can. This birthd...

In this episode, I speak with Jessica Zweig, an author and feminine business and branding coach, about building a business after burnout, her latest book, The Light Work, and the importance of healing. Through the dark, we find the light. Jessica shares the bumpy path that led her from depression and burnout to selling her business and writing her latest book, The Light Work. She introduces the Pl...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Dominica McBride, a community psychologist and founder of the Become Center. She shares how her family’s trauma has impacted her, the mission of the Become Center, and the importance of self-care for effective mothering.  Dr. McBride shares how her mother's resilience and the impact of her grandmother's traumatic experiences in Haiti have inextricably shaped...

In this episode, I speak with Heather Hester, the Founder of Chrysalis Mama, about how she has mothered two LGBTQIA+ teens, how best to support our children, and how to prioritize love.  Heather shares that her journey as a Founder began when her son Connor came out as LGBTQIA+. She then realized she did not have the tools to support him. In learning the importance of expressing unconditional...

In this episode, I speak with Jamie Engelhardt, a brand strategist and mother of three, about solo parenting, breaking generational mother codes, and embracing queerness.  Jamie shares where she’s at on the rollercoaster ride of parenthood, holding many types of tension and opposites at once, and what she sees as some of the most significant generational differences in how she was raised comp...

In this solo episode, Dr. Gertrude walks into the dark. She challenges common fears around the dark, explores the dark wisdom of the feminine, and honors the dark as a season of growth. As the nights grow longer in the Northern Hemisphere, Dr. Gertrude embraces the change in light. She explores how much of the Western world has come to vilify the dark and shroud the unknown as evil. She shares her...

In this episode, I speak with Amri Kibbler, the co-founder and Chief Community Officer of Hello Mamas and HeyMama, about cancer’s lessons, the value of motherhood, and crafting new mothering narratives. Amri’s community, Hello Mamas, has impacted over 400 million moms worldwide. She shares her career journey from content creator to community organizer. Her cancer diagnosis was the first time she r...

In this episode, I speak with Faith Laux, a somatic sex and relationship coach, about the taboo and misconceptions around kink, normalizing conversations about sexuality, and pleasure as a healing modality.  Think you know what kink is? How about your erotic language? Faith beautifully defines the spectrum of kink, its powers to heal and powers to pleasure. We discuss the relationship between...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Jessica Lederhausen, a dentist and public health advocate, about how she is rewriting her mother and grandmother codes, embodying her values, and publishing her recent book, Oral.  Jessica’s journey of mothering is distinctly different from the norm. She embraces being different from what’s expected of a “normal” mom and imparts the importance of maintaining...

In this episode, I welcome back Elizabeth Tuazon. We discuss her current stage of motherhood, how the universe always wants us to succeed, and her family’s upcoming transitions.  With Elizabeth Tuazon’s daughter, Lyla Rose, now a year and one-month-old, I checked in with her for a motherhood update. Elizabeth shares how she celebrated her one-year anniversary of giving birth with a Montessori...

In this solo episode, I discuss the importance of collective connection, working through a project's intense phases, and the wisdom shared by whales and bees.  Following up on last month’s solo episode about being in the process of becoming, I’m now in the last big push of my book project, deep in the editing and writing. I share what’s felt extra challenging during this final phase, and how...

In this episode, I speak with Emma Miele, an ICF-certified coach and Founder of The Breathing Room LLC, about choosing to be a mother, egg-freezing, and grieving old life visions to embrace new ones.  The Breathing Room is not only Emma’s coaching platform but also a reminder to give ourselves breathing room to be where we naturally are in the moment and to remain curious about why we think t...

In this special replay episode of Dr. Gertrude's most downloaded episode, Logan Steiner, a lawyer and a writer, shares her experience in exploring the journey of being a mother. She takes us through the years which prompted her into reflecting on life and its wonders, particularly on how writing helped her have clarity on motherhood. Through the years, she has been setting her focus on being there...

In this episode, I speak with Meka Hemmons, one of my favorite portrait photographers, about her artistic journey, disrupting the beauty industry and living her purpose every day. Meka beautifully shares her life journey and the importance of learning from rock bottom moments when they come along. Following a long depression in her career, she was able to completely turn her path around by engagin...

In this episode, I speak with Rebecca Dekker, the Founder and CEO of Evidence Based Birth® (EBB), about her experiences of obstetric care and homebirth. You will learn how to navigate the obstetric system, advocate for yourself, and understand the implications of hospital policies on maternal health. After a disempowering birth experience, Rebecca sought answers to improve not only her future birt...

Coming to you live from Iceland! In this solo episode, I share what I’ve been learning from the whales, invite you into the harvest season with me, and open the doors to play.  August is truly the season of harvest, and in this episode, I invite you to really step back and consider what you are harvesting, how it aligns with your visions of the year, and how you can take an honest inventory f...

I’m delighted to welcome back Elizabeth Tuazon to celebrate seven months postpartum. In this episode, we discuss returning to work, community support, and the value of shared experiences.  After a full update on her daughter’s 7-month life journey, Elizabeth shares how difficult it is to prepare to go back to work, from the emotional toll to the mountain of logistics. Though Elizabeth has bee...

In this episode, Dr. Gertrude speaks with Kristen McGuiness, author of ‘Live Through This’ and founder of Rise Writers, about being an entrepreneur mom, being honest about the parenting experience, and working with transformational healing opportunities.  While Kristen wasn’t always sure she wanted to be a mother, she knew she would never sacrifice her work or parenting life. Both can exist s...

In this episode, I’m delighted to speak with Madeline Reeves, a mother, community builder, and the CEO and Founder of Fearless Foundry. In our conversation, Madeline reflects on her journey to rewrite her mother codes and the importance of self-prioritization for individual and collective healing.  In sharing about how she got to where she is today, Madeline speaks candidly about the painful...

In this episode, Dr. Gertrude shares her journey of opening to receive and celebrating yourself. Many of the lessons came about through the birth of her book and the experience of receiving a lot of support from a community of meaningful female friendships. Receiving is an important facet of self-mothering and a space of self-nourishment that most women struggle with. Dr. Gertrude unpacks some of...