In this episode, I’m sharing a very honest, off-the-cuff reflection.

I took a short break from the podcast and social media while focusing on some important priorities—catching up on medical care after our move, completing continuing education hours in California, and continuing to build my Ohio private practice. Stepping back was part of honoring my values this year, especially around rest, health, and self-care.

What this episode really centers on, though, is a conversation I recently had with one of my children that stayed with me. We talked about mental health, emotional expression, and how our coping patterns can be shaped by what we model—often without realizing it.

I reflect on:

• how children notice far more than we think

• what it means to hear hard feedback without defensiveness

• the importance of accountability, repair, and growth in relationships

• how internalizing emotions can be a protective nervous system response

• learning to sit with feelings instead of pushing through them alone

This episode is shared from my perspective as a parent, therapist, and human, not to tell anyone else’s story, but to reflect on my own patterns and growth. My hope is that it reminds you that perfection isn’t the goal—connection and repair are.

We also touch on vulnerability and why it’s essential for real connection, drawing inspiration from the work of Brené Brown and others who remind us that being open with the right people is not weakness—it’s courage.

If this episode resonates with you, or if it feels like something someone you care about might need, you’re welcome to share it.

Most of all, I hope it reminds you:
You don’t have to carry everything alone.
You’re allowed to rest.
And you’re allowed to grow, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Take care of yourself, and I’ll see you in the next episode.

This episode is personal, but not singular.

It’s for the ones who are quiet, observant, and steady.
The helpers. The ones who love deeply without needing attention.

I reflect on someone who has shaped me profoundly, the lessons they’ve taught me about unconditional love, and the humility that comes with realizing where we didn’t always get it right.

If you learned early how to be steady in an unsteady world, this episode is for you.

You were never meant to carry everything alone.

There are moments when the world feels upside down—when you’re seeing things with your own eyes, but being told not to trust what you’re noticing. And over time, that kind of disconnect doesn’t just feel stressful—it can make you question yourself.

In this episode, Michelle talks honestly about what it feels like to live in sustained uncertainty, how collective stress shows up in the nervous system, and why feeling angry, overwhelmed, or exhausted right now doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

This is not an episode about fixing things or forcing calm.

It’s about naming what’s happening, understanding your body’s response, and offering yourself a little more compassion in a genuinely hard moment.

If you’ve been wondering, “Why do I feel like this?” — this conversation is for you.

In this episode:

• Why feeling dysregulated right now makes sense

• The impact of being told not to trust your own experience

• Regulation without bypassing anger or fear

• What it means to care deeply and still need rest

• A reminder that you don’t have to carry everything today

This is a short reminder for anyone who feels pressure to have everything figured out right now.

In this mini episode, I talk about unfinished thoughts, unfinished decisions, and unfinished seasons — and why unfinished doesn’t mean wrong, lazy, or avoidant.

Sometimes it simply means not yet.

You don’t have to resolve every feeling today.
You don’t have to finish every thought.
And you don’t owe anyone clarity before you’re ready.

If this episode feels like permission, take it.

I had planned to record something different today, and I made the choice not to. Not because I didn’t have thoughts or feelings - but because timing matters.

In this episode, I talk about the pressure to process everything instantly, especially in a world shaped by social media, and why this season of my life looks quieter, more thoughtful, and less reactive.

This is a reflection on discernment, privacy, midlife growth, and choosing values over performative reactions.

You don’t owe anyone an immediate response. And waiting doesn’t mean nothing is happening - often, it means something important is.

In this short mini episode, I’m offering a gentle reset for anyone whose nervous system has been feeling tired, on edge, or stuck in survival mode.

If life has gotten quieter but your body hasn’t caught up yet, you’re not doing anything wrong. Survival mode doesn’t always turn off just because circumstances change.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why calm can feel unfamiliar after long periods of stress

• A simple question to help your body feel safer

• Small, realistic ways to support your nervous system

• Letting safety - not productivity - be the goal

This isn’t about fixing yourself.
It’s about listening more closely.

If all you do today is offer yourself a little more kindness, that’s enough.

There are seasons where nothing is technically wrong — no crisis, no emergency — and yet everything still feels heavy.

In this episode, I talk honestly about that in-between space: when life looks stable from the outside, but your nervous system hasn’t caught up yet. When you’ve survived big transitions, lived in survival mode for years, and now your body feels like it’s still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

We talk about:

• Why unacknowledged stress doesn’t disappear

• How survival mode shapes our nervous systems

• Letting “good enough” be enough

• Rest versus productivity

• Naming what you’re carrying without needing to fix it

If you’ve been functioning, showing up, and doing the things — but still feel tired, tender, or overwhelmed — this episode is for you.

You’re not behind.
You’re not weak.
And you don’t have to justify your exhaustion to deserve care.

This is a shorter episode for a Friday — and for a week that has felt like a lot.

There’s been so much happening in our country, and even if you’re not directly impacted, your nervous system is still taking it in. If you’ve felt more anxious, more tired, more irritable, or just a little off — you’re not broken. You’re responding to uncertainty.

In this mini episode, I normalize why so many of us are feeling dysregulated right now and share a couple of simple, gentle tools you can use to help your body settle — without forcing calm or pretending everything is okay.

This isn’t about fixing the world.
It’s about taking care of yourself in the moment you’re in.

In this episode:

• Why uncertainty impacts the nervous system

• What dysregulation can look like in everyday life

• A simple orienting exercise to bring your body back to the present

• A breathing technique to help calm your system

• Permission to rest without having it all figured out

Take what you need. Leave the rest.
I’ll see you next week.