Podcast
Free to Be Mindful Podcast | Helping Professional Moms Find Calm in a Busy World
Hosted by Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC · EN
The Free to Be Mindful Podcast with Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman helps professional moms find calm in a busy world.
Each episode blends mindful living strategies, mental health insights, and REAL TALK - grounded in culture and inspired by everyday life - to help you stress less, live with intention, and feel more like yourself... without hours of meditation.
Tune in for practical tools and relatable heartfelt stories that help you slow down, recharge, and show up as your best self.
32episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How to Stay Emotionally Connected When Life Gets Busy
3d ago00:33:21Tap to summarizeSummer is here and so is the quiet disconnection that comes with it. Longer days, busier schedules, kids home, and somehow you and your partner are co-managing the season instead of actually connecting. In this episode, licensed therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman sits down with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Sheila Arias to talk about how couples rebuild emotional closeness through small, intentional moments, not grand gestures, not perfect timing, just presence.EPISODE DESCRIPTIONWhy emotional disconnection is common in long-term relationshipsHow judgment and comparison quietly erode intimacyThe role of curiosity and compassion in strengthening emotional bondsWhy small, consistent moments matter more than grand gesturesHow structure and intentionality support connection and intimacyThe importance of physical affection beyond sexual intimacyTUNE IN TO LEARNHow to rebuild emotional connection without blaming yourself or your partnerSimple communication tools couples can practice right awayWhy emotional intimacy fades and how to restore it intentionallyHow scheduling connection can still feel meaningful and authenticWays to reconnect that fit real life, not unrealistic relationship idealsCONNECT WITH SHEILAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheilaariaslmftTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheilaariaslmftWebsite: https://www.compasiontherapy.comTAKEAWAY MESSAGERebuilding emotional connection isn’t about fixing your relationship or judging where you are. It’s about choosing one small, intentional shift that brings curiosity, warmth, and presence back into your connection. Over time, those moments add up and help relationships feel alive again.As always, thank you for listening. If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a partner or someone who may need this reminder. And remember - in a world where you are free to be anything, you are always free to be mindfulSend us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →Three Questions Every Overwhelmed Mom Needs This Summer
2w ago00:11:10Tap to summarizeEvery summer, something shifts. The schedule loosens, the pace changes just enough to notice... and our brains completely miss the memo. If you've ever found yourself mentally planning the next quarter while your kids are finally at camp, this one is for you.In this season seven finale, we're talking about what intentionally slowing down actually looks like for high-achieving women, why rest feels like falling behind, and three questions to help us move through July with intention instead of accidentally sprinting through it.What You'll Learn:✅ Why slowing down feels like falling behind, and what that discomfort is actually trying to tell us✅ The difference between anxious planning and intentional visioning, and how to stop letting fear disguise itself as productivity✅ Three questions to help us move through July with purpose instead of guilt✅ How to name one intentional rest day before the month is over, and why staying in the discomfort of it matters more than getting it perfect✅ A guided reflection to reconnect with what we actually want the fall to feel like, before we turn it into a project planCHAPTERS00:00 Why Rest Feels Hard01:01 Summer Pace Shift02:54 High Achiever Wiring03:34 Three July Questions03:52 Slow Pace Keep Purpose04:19 Connect More Intentionally04:53 Dream Without Executing05:35 Pick One Rest Day06:27 Season Finale Gratitude08:02 Guided Reflection Meditation10:21 Share And Work Together11:00 Mindful SendoffSend us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →How Moms Lose Track of What They Want and How to Find It Again
3w ago00:20:11Tap to summarizeMy daughter turned two this month. I watched her eat her birthday cake with zero regard for the mess, completely absorbed in the moment, not thinking about what was next. Just entirely, joyfully present. And somewhere between the frosting and the candles, I thought about how we all used to know how to do that, and somewhere along the way, every quiet moment became a to-do list. This episode is one of the most personal things I've ever shared on the podcast. It's about a miracle pregnancy I didn't see coming, the season of life that shaped it, and the deeper question underneath all of it: when did we stop asking ourselves what we actually want? What You'll Learn ✅ Why the fourth trimester puts your wants in a drawer — and why so many of us forget to take them back out ✅ How borrowed wants from social media and comparison quietly replace our real ones ✅ Why adjusting your wants to fit your current season is strategy, not failure ✅ The I Want Practice: a simple quarterly exercise to reconnect with what's actually yours ✅ What watching a two-year-old can teach a high-achieving mom about permission Chapters00:00 Birthday Cake Presence00:43 Podcast Welcome Setup01:21 IVF Panic Turning Point03:23 Letting Go And New Life04:46 When Wants Change05:32 Motherhood Survival Mode07:27 Borrowed Wants Pressure09:12 Seasons And Realistic Goals11:19 Village Support Constraints13:08 Quarterly I Want Practice16:17 Toddlers Teach Desire18:44 Homework And Closing Send us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →Building Without a Blueprint
May 2500:17:10Tap to summarizeSeven years ago, a mom broke down in front of her during a home visit, and that one moment cracked open everything. Not a business plan. Not a five-year roadmap. Just a clear, quiet knowing that moms needed support too, and that she was going to be the one to build it. What came next was seven years of showing up without a blueprint, figuring it out season by season, and learning that intention carries you further than any plan ever could.What You'll Learn:✅ Why knowing your why holds everything together when the how is still completely unclear✅ What fifteen years of marriage and seven years of business have quietly taught her about what it actually means to nurture something✅ How allowance, not pushing harder, is what's made the most room for real growth✅ What it costs to want to do everything at once, and what her kids keep pulling her back to✅ A guided reflection to help you name what you're nurturing right now and what it would mean to bring intention, allowance, and compassion to itChapters00:00 Maycember Kickoff01:41 15 Years Married02:25 Seven Years Mindful02:35 Origin Story 201804:17 From Hustle to Shift05:46 No Blueprint Needed06:34 Intention as North Star07:48 Allowance and Evolution08:41 Collective and New Baby10:15 Compassion and Presence11:31 Trusting Whats Next12:34 Gratitude and Thanks13:57 Invitation to Work Together14:28 Reflection and ClosingSend us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →Why Rest Cannot Wait for a Special Occasion
May 1100:12:45Tap to summarizeThe first thing Vanessa felt when she finally gave herself a break wasn't relief. It was guilt. And that moment, that voice that said we don't do that, we just handle it, is exactly what this episode is about.If Mother's Day left you with something unnamed underneath the flowers and the plans, you're not alone in that. We ask one day to carry everything we've been quietly waiting to feel, and then Monday arrives exactly the same as every other Monday.What You'll Learn: ✅ Why one Mother's Day cannot hold what we've been carrying for the other 364 days, and what to do with that ✅ How inherited guilt keeps us from choosing support that's actually available to us ✅ Three practical ways to protect your mental breaks, use your resources, and treat your own time as non-negotiable ✅ Why rest doesn't have to be earned, saved for a special occasion, or explained to anyoneChapters:00:00 When You Finally Stop00:47 Welcome and Mother’s Day Check-In01:18 Breathing Room From Pausing01:58 Why Moms Never Rest02:54 Tiny Moments That Restore You03:33 Generational Messages About Selflessness04:44 Choosing Support Without Guilt06:47 Mother’s Day Can’t Carry It All08:16 Three Practical Ways to Reclaim Time09:54 You Don’t Need Permission to Rest10:33 Coaching Invitation and Next Steps11:00 Guided Reflection and One Small Step12:02 Share, Review, and ClosingSend us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →When Your Calendar Is Full and You're Running on Empty
Apr 2700:12:04Tap to summarizeSome weeks the calendar wins. Last week Vanessa was up until 3am two nights in a row, not scrolling, actually working, and she woke up the next morning running on empty. In this episode she gets honest about the inherited blueprint that kept her going, and the hard podcast decision she made about before something broke.What You'll Learn: ✅ How to identify the inherited blueprint running in the background that keeps us pushing past our limit, even when we know better ✅ Why being deliberate isn't only about what we remove from our plates, but whether our minds are actually present for what remains ✅ How to give ourselves permission to make the hard call before something breaks, not afterChapters:00:00 When Everything Matters00:40 Welcome to the Show01:36 My Word for 202602:16 Burnout Warning Signs02:58 The Overachiever Blueprint03:58 Culture and Rest Stories05:07 Choosing Presence06:07 Podcast Schedule Change07:27 Three Takeaways to Apply09:32 Reflect and Choose Deliberately10:48 Reviews and FarewellSend us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →What My Therapy Dog Taught Me About Receiving Support
Apr 2100:19:05Tap to summarizeThe strongest woman in the room is often the last one to let support in. Not because no one's offering, but because managing has been her strategy for so long she doesn't always notice when something is available. This episode is about that cost, and Ollie the goldendoodle is our way in.What You'll Learn:✅ The real difference between service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and why it matters more than most people realize✅ What the science actually says about what animals do to your nervous system, including why oxytocin rises up to 300% during eye contact with your dog✅ Why being capable at managing everything is not the same as being okay, and what it quietly costs over time✅ How to pause before the next reflexive "I'm fine" and actually answer the question honestly✅ Three practical ways to start building the muscle of receiving support in low-stakes moments so it's available when the stakes are highChapters00:00 Who Is Really There01:19 Meet Ollie Birthday02:34 Ollie Therapy Work04:20 Service Animal vs ESA vs Therapy Dog07:04 Science Of Support09:20 Why We Resist Help11:26 Three Support Tips14:21 Guided Reflection Pause17:14 Share And Work With Me18:36 Happy Birthday OllieSend us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →What High-Performing Kids Need That Parents Often Miss
Apr 1300:27:26Tap to summarizeWhat if the loudest critic in your kid's life isn't in the bleachers... it's in their own head? Dr. Peter Economou, licensed psychologist, Zen teacher, and Olympic-level competitive swimmer, joined us for a conversation that's equal parts practical and profound, and it applies to every mom who's ever wondered whether she's helping or accidentally adding to the pressure. What You'll Learn✅ Why mindfulness isn't about slowing down, it's about training your brain on purpose, and why that distinction changes everything for high performers ✅ What the "demons on the boat" metaphor from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches us about bully thoughts, and why trying to push them down is exactly what keeps kids stuck ✅ The middle path between "nothing is ever good enough" and burnout — and how parents can help kids find it without living out their own unfinished stories through them ✅ Three simple, practical ways to bring mindfulness into everyday life without a meditation cushion or a free hour Website: https://www.officialdrpete.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialdrpete/Chapters00:00 Hamster Wheel Hook00:18 Podcast Intro00:49 Meet Dr Pete02:07 Fun Fact Olympic Swimmer03:28 Belonging Beyond Titles04:32 Mindfulness Meets Sports06:18 What Mindfulness Is08:08 Mindfulness for Busy Moms09:13 Three Everyday Practices11:01 Quieting Bully Thoughts14:51 Middle Path Parenting17:47 Motivation and Self Care19:50 Balance and Perspective22:23 Legacy and Genuineness24:00 Where to Find Dr Pete24:32 Host Wrap and Reflection Send us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →How to Take Credit for How Far You've Come
Apr 600:16:17Tap to summarizeThere's a word that sneaks into how so many high-achieving women describe themselves, and it's doing more damage than we realize. It's the word "just." Just a mom. Just changed careers. Just started something. And it costs us more than we know.What You'll Learn:✅ Why crediting yourself is not bragging, and why the women most likely to shrink their story are often the ones who've built the most✅ How to keep a living record of who you've been and what you've done, so the evidence is there on the days your confidence goes quiet✅ Why your reinvention — the messy, nonlinear, hard-won version — is someone else's proof that it's possibleChapters:00:00 Look Back With Credit01:44 Show And Episode Setup02:22 Speed Mentoring Story05:25 The Quiet Cost Of Forward Focus06:11 Stop Saying Just07:18 Tip One Credit Not Bragging09:06 Tip Two Keep Receipts11:23 Tip Three Be The Roadmap13:46 Guided Reflection Exercise16:19 Share Review And ClosingStay in Touch:🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Coaching for Moms: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.Send us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Transcribe →How to Trust Your Intuition and Live a More Fulfilled Life
Mar 3000:31:45Tap to summarizeSome of us have pushed that quiet inner voice so far down we've forgotten it was ever there. But what if intuition isn't something you're born with or without, what if it's something you can practice, develop, and lean into right now, in the middle of your everyday life?In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Cheryl Murphy, evidential medium, clairvoyant healer, ordained minister, certified hypnotherapist, and intuitive facilitator. The conversation moves from the practical to the profound, covering how intuition works, why curiosity is one of the most powerful tools we have, what a real mediumship reading feels like, and why connecting with our loved ones in spirit is less scary and more healing than most of us ever imagined. Vanessa also shares her own deeply personal experience with her first-ever reading and why it changed her.What You'll Learn: ✅ What intuition actually is and how to start developing it, even if you've never thought of yourself as intuitive ✅ Simple everyday practices to begin strengthening your intuitive voice starting today ✅ How Cheryl's work as an evidential medium connects to mindful living and present-moment awareness ✅ What to expect from a reading, and what Vanessa experienced in her very first one ✅ How self-care, grounding, and energy boundaries work for healers, and what we can all take from thatGuest: Cheryl Murphy - www.mediumcheryl.comInstagram: @mediumcherylFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MediumCherylChapters:00:00 Intuition Is Innate00:38 Podcast Intro And Guest02:34 What Intuition Really Means04:39 Easy Ways To Practice07:39 When The Gift Clicked09:11 Mediumship And Other Abilities10:27 Pets Telepathy And Signs12:13 Synchronicity And Gratitude16:21 Facing Skeptics And Fear22:47 Mindfulness Opens Intuition24:28 Self Care And Boundaries27:11 Connection Compassion And Grace28:50 Where To Find Cheryl29:51 Guided Reflection And Wrap UpFree to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.Send us Fan MailSupport the showNJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact LET’S STAY CONNECTED 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
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