Podcast
The Motherhood Mentor
Hosted by Rebecca Dollard: Somatic Mind-Body Life Coach, Enneagram Coach, Speaker, Boundaries Coach, Mindset · EN
Welcome to The Motherhood Mentor Podcast your go-to resource for moms seeking holistic healing and transformation. Hosted by mind-body somatic healing practitioner and holistic life coach Becca Dollard.
Join us as we explore the transformative power of somatic healing, offering practical tools and strategies to help you navigate overwhelm, burnout, and stress. Through insightful conversations, empowering stories, and expert guidance, you'll discover how to cultivate resilience, reclaim balance, and thrive in every aspect of your life while still feeling permission to be a human. Are you a woman who is building a business while raising babies who refuses to burnout? These are conversations and support for you.
We believe in the power of vulnerability, connection, and self-discovery, and our goal is to create a space where you feel seen, heard, and valued.
Whether you're juggling career, family, or personal growth, this podcast is your sanctuary for holistic healing and growth all while normalizing the ups and downs, the messy and the magic, and the wild ride of this season of motherhood.
Your host:
Becca is a mom of two, married for 14years to her husband Jay living in Colorado. She is a certified somatic healing practitioner and holistic life coach to high functioning moms. She works with women who are navigating raising babies, building businesses, and prioritizing their own wellbeing and healing. She understands the unique challenges of navigating being fully present in motherhood while also wanting to be wildly creative and ambitious in her work. The Motherhood Mentor serves and supports moms through 1:1 coaching, in person community, and weekend retreats.
Follow on IG: @themotherhoodmentor , send me a dm and let me know you found me through the podcast!
Website: https://www.the-motherhood-mentor.com/
Want to join the email fam for free workshops and more support: https://themotherhoodmentor.myflodesk.com/ujaud8t4x9
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Messy Middle Between Full Contact and No Contact and Somatic Boundaries
1w ago00:36:53Tap to summarizePeople pleasing, emotionally immature parents, nervous system triggers, and learning to protect your peace without disappearing or cutting others off. There’s a space many women live in that we need to talk about. You’re not fully in the relationship anymore… but you can’t fully walk away either. The current relationship isn't working, but a full cut off also doesn't work for you. You are wondering how to set boundaries without feeling guilty. You are wondering how to love people who in some way are draining to you. In this episode of the Motherhood Mentor Podcast, we talk about the messy middle between full contact and no contact with parents, especially for adult daughters and mothers navigating complicated family dynamics, people pleasing, nervous system triggers, and the grief of loving someone who still deeply impacts you.Sometimes the hardest part is not deciding whether someone is “good” or “bad.” There isn't always a victim or villain in family conflicts or ruptures. And for some people, the hardest part is the lack of conflict. The lack of rupture or even naming that there is a problem and everyone just pretending that this is okay when the family is in harmful or toxic relational patterns. You can see their love, understand their story, and still leave interactions feeling emotionally flattened, anxious, dysregulated, guilty, or resentful.We unpack: why family boundaries are rarely clean or simple low contact options that are healthier than all-or-nothing thinking how people pleasing, freezing, and fawning make boundaries feel impossible why conflict can activate younger parts of us around parents the nervous system side of family triggers and emotional regression how guilt, grief, and relief often coexist practical micro-boundaries that protect your peace without dramatic rupture why forgiveness and love do not always mean access learning to tolerate discomfort instead of abandoning yourself This conversation is for women navigating: boundaries with parents emotionally immature parents low contact family relationships no contact guilt family enmeshment people pleasing and fawning difficult mother daughter relationships nervous system healing family disappointment and grief If you’ve ever felt torn between protecting yourself and protecting the relationship, this episode will help you feel less alone and more grounded in your own authority.Follow the Motherhood Mentor Podcast for the rest of this family boundaries series, share this with a friend stuck in the gray area, and leave a review so more women searching for nuanced support around family dynamics and no contact can find this conversation.If you would like 1:1 support and coaching on this topic you can learn how to work with me here. Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →The Trend of Going No Contact: The Messy Reality of Family Boundaries
2w ago00:19:39Tap to summarizeYou can love your parents, appreciate what they sacrificed, and still feel deeply impacted by the relationship.In this episode of the Motherhood Mentor Podcast, we talk about the messy middle between full contact and no contact with parents, especially for high-functioning women navigating motherhood, boundaries, guilt, and complicated family dynamics.The internet often makes family boundaries sound clean and obvious: cut them off or keep the peace. But real relationships are rarely that simple. Sometimes no contact is necessary. Sometimes low contact creates more safety. Sometimes the deepest work is learning how to stop abandoning yourself inside relationships that are layered with love, grief, loyalty, obligation, and history. If like me you've listened to the recent podcast Oprah Explores the Rising Trend of Going No Contact with Your Family, and felt like there was more to the conversation- this series is for you. We unpack: why motherhood can completely change how you see your parents why capable, successful women can suddenly feel emotionally young around family the hidden “family rules” that keep people pleasing patterns alive how resentment builds when your body feels micro no’s your mouth never says the difference between harmful behavior and old nervous system activation rupture, repair, accountability, and radical responsibility why emotionally immature family dynamics are so confusing the grief, loneliness, and even relief that can come with estrangement or no contact how to know when you need firmer boundaries, more distance, or deeper repair This conversation is not about turning parents into villains or adult children into victims. It’s about naming the complexity that so many women quietly carry.If you’ve been searching for support around: boundaries with parents emotionally immature parents family estrangement people pleasing toxic family dynamics no contact guilt low contact family relationships somatic healing and boundaries motherhood and family trauma …this episode will help you feel deeply seen and less alone.Follow the Motherhood Mentor Podcast, share this episode with someone navigating difficult family dynamics, and leave a review so more women searching for nuanced conversations about family boundaries and no contact can find this work.Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →Struggling with Boundaries? The Nuanced Maybe Based on Your Capacity
4w ago00:32:09Tap to summarizeMost advice about boundaries says: “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no.” But most of real life doesn't look or feel like that. In this episode, we talk about why boundaries aren’t actually black and white—and why so many women (especially moms) feel like they’re failing when they try to force clear yes-or-no decisions in complex relationships and decision making. The truth is… most of your life lives in the messy middle.You’re navigating your kids, your partner, your parents, your work, your capacity—and suddenly it’s not a clean “no.” It’s a “maybe,” a “not right now,” a “I want to want to,” or a “this used to be a yes, but it’s not anymore.”We take a somatic approach to boundaries, because boundaries aren’t just something you say—they’re something you feel, notice, and respond to in real time.Inside this episode, we cover: why most boundary struggles aren’t a simple yes or no how your nervous system shapes your ability to feel and set boundaries what “micro yeses” and “micro no’s” look like in everyday life why you might not feel your “no” until later (and how to trust that) boundaries as behavior—not just words how co-regulation impacts your capacity and decisions using consent as a model for understanding the full range between yes and no soft no, sad no, and hard no—and when each matters how to set a boundary even when you feel guilt, discomfort, or doubt why overexplaining doesn’t actually prevent discomfort learning to trust yourself to change your mind This episode is for the woman who is thoughtful, self-aware, and carrying a lot— and is ready for boundaries that actually reflect her real capacity, not just what sounds good in theory.If you’ve ever thought, “Why is this so hard for me?” or “Why can’t I just say no?”This conversation will give you language, permission, and a more honest way forward.Want to go deeper? Catch the replay of The Motherload Workshop replay here: https://themotherhoodmentor.myflodesk.com/q4pm4wekhbor book a drop in coaching call here: https://calendly.com/themotherhoodmentor/drop-in-1-1-support-call-clone-1Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →How Breathwork Resets a Stressed Nervous System
Apr 700:53:48Tap to summarizeFor many moms, that quiet “I’m fine” isn’t actually fine. It’s a nervous system pattern of holding it all together under bracing and control. When you’re the one holding everything together - the schedules, the emotions, the invisible labor -your body often learns to stay braced. Literally and figuratively holding your breath. In this episode, we sit down with Tabatha Debruyn to talk about 9D Breath work and somatic breath work and why it’s one of the fastest ways to shift your nervous system state without forcing yourself to think your way out of stress.We unpack what suppression looks like in high-functioning women:functional freeze, low-level anxiety, mind fog, and the subtle bracing that earns gold stars but slowly drains your joy.Tabitha shares her own story through grief, caregiving, panic attacks, and insomnia — and how breath work helped her feel emotions she didn’t even realize she had been holding.Together, we explore how breath can become a practical daily tool for nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and building more capacity for life’s stressors.You’ll also hear and try a few simple breathing practices with us — including a down regulation breath that supports rest and digestion, and an activation breath that gently energizes the body while building resilience to stress. Because nervous systems and energy are meant to move and be dynamically alive. Learn how to change your state with breath work, one of the tools and skills always available to us in the middle of conflict, hard moments, and motherhood. If you’ve ever felt irritated by advice like “just calm down,” this conversation offers something different: real regulation, not playing calm.We talk about co-regulation with kids, why moms often become the emotional thermostat in the home, and simple practices like humming and singing that stimulate the vagus nerve and help your body shift out of survival mode.And if breath work has ever felt intimidating, too “woo,” or too time consuming, this episode will leave you with clear language, grounded science, and tools you can use in just a few minutes.Where to find Tabatha: WebsiteInstagramFree resources & email list– A 7-minute cinematic introduction to 9D Breathwork– A 5-minute nervous system reset– A 7-minute guided morning routineBook : An Inspired Guide to Living the Life of Your Dreams, is available on Amazon. It offers reflective prompts and practices that support many of the ideas we explored together.Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →Why High Achievers Burn Out Quietly: When Pouring from an Empty Cup is Your Coping Strategy
Mar 3100:22:05Tap to summarizeYou don’t usually see a high-functioning woman fall apart in a dramatic way. It happens quietly. Subtly. Responsibly. To the point where everything still looks fine… but inside, something feels off.If you’re still getting everything done but feel numb, foggy, disconnected, or low-key resentful, this isn’t you being ungrateful. It’s what burnout looks like when your nervous system has been running on pressure for too long.In this episode, we talk about the hidden signs of high-functioning burnout—the ones that don’t stop your productivity but slowly drain your aliveness. We unpack why “just push through” works so well… until it doesn’t, and how burnout starts leaking into motherhood, relationships, and your sense of self.We also get into identity fatigue—that quiet thought of “what if I just stopped caring?”—and the reality of perfectionism as both a driver and a weight you can’t sustainably carry.Then we shift into something most people skip: burnout prevention. Not waiting until you crash—but learning how to read the early signals.We talk about: why high-functioning coping hides burnout subtle signs like numbness, brain fog, and disconnection resentment when support feels uneven or one-sided how strength becomes rigid (and why flexibility matters more) the concept of “prescribed burns” to prevent full collapse somatic work, boundaries, and building real capacity what it actually looks like to receive support without guilt I also share a real-time look at my current season of motherhood and homeschooling, and why tightening my boundaries (especially with social media) became necessary when my margin shrank.If you’ve been holding a lot for a long time… this will feel familiar.Listen, send it to a friend who carries a lot too, and tell me what hit. Want to learn and hear more about healing while staying wildly capable as a high functioner? Join the email list here Follow along on InstagramWant to work with me? Find out more here Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →The Lonely Side of Being the Strong One (For High-Functioning Moms)
Mar 2400:31:38Tap to summarizeYou’re the strong one. The capable one. The one everyone relies on.You hold the emotional tone of your home, keep things moving, and rarely drop the ball. But underneath it all? You feel braced, tired, and more alone than you want to admit.In this episode, we unpack what “high-functioning” actually looks like for moms—and why being the one who holds everything together often means you’re the least supported in the room. Why you can be surrounded by people, but still feel lonely in the day to day of what you hold. We talk about the nervous system patterns behind hyper-independence, why asking for help can feel harder than doing it all yourself, and how deflecting support quietly blocks the connection you actually want.Sometimes when you are highly capable, you tend to be seen as not wanting or needing the help and support you crave. Inside this episode: What it really means to be the emotional thermostat in your home Why strong women often receive the least support How minimizing your needs keeps you disconnected Hyper-independence as a safety strategy (not a personality trait) What functional fight-or-flight looks like in motherhood + business Why your kids’ emotions can hit harder than expected How to ask for help without overexplaining (“dead bird theory”) Building friendships where you don’t have to be the strong one Letting gratitude replace guilt so you can actually receive love If this hit, send me a screen shot and a dm on IG, I always love hearing from you: https://www.instagram.com/themotherhoodmentor/If you’re ready for deeper support, this is exactly the work I do with women like you. Click here to apply for 1:1 coaching Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →How and why to take a screen Detox with Nina Caviggiola
Mar 1000:53:05Tap to summarizeLess screen time, more life. Join Rebecca and Nina (Balkanina)If you’re arguing about devices more than you want to admit and you feel like tech is shaping your family more than you are, this episode is for you.This conversation is a practical guide for parents and adults who want a calmer, healthier relationship with screens. We talk about why screen limits alone often don’t work, how screen overstimulation affects behavior, and what actually happens when families reset their relationship with technology.You’ll hear what a real tech detox looks like, how to support your nervous system and your kids’ emotional regulation through the transition, and how to rebuild a more balanced relationship with screens long term.About Nina: About Nina:I am a mom of 2 toddlers who shares the highs and lows of motherhood, self love & acceptance, and dressing a midsize "mom bod" in a relatable and honest way. On socials I share about everything from fashion, mental health and parenting to marriage and everything in between. I am a people LOVER, and extrovert, the girl who can read the room and is determined to put a smile on your face; I like to think I am everything you look for in a best friend! It is my mission to help the average woman (especially mom) feel less alone, no matter what season of life she is in.Where to find Nina:Mama Know's Podcast Episode with Clare Morell Get Nina's Tech Detox Guide Use code MENTOR15 for 15% off Books and other helpful resources: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt This Book is Helping Young People's Addition to Tech on The Tamron Hall Show Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →Is This Growth or Am I Falling Apart? The discomfort of growing pains
Feb 2700:07:51Tap to summarizeWelcome to this mini episode where we name the “good discomfort” of growth and why trying to fix it too soon blocks expansion. We share how embodiment, not mindset alone, helps hold paradox—being content and still wanting more—while you move between identities.• naming the spiral of upward growth• why old tools stop working during expansion• the urge to fix versus the need to feel• mindset as bypass and how it keeps women stuck• practicing posture, positioning and embodiment• holding contentment and desire at the same time• zooming out to spot familiar patterns• giving language, permission and orientation in coachingIf you loved this episode, we would love if you would take a moment and leave a review. Thank you! Send us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →Parenting Big Feelings & Strong Wills With Loving Boundaries with Mary Van Geffen
Feb 300:53:47Tap to summarizeDo you have a strong-willed, big-feeling, highly sensitive child who feels like “too much”?Parenting the “Spicy” Child: Strong-Willed Kids, Big Feelings, and Connection-Based DisciplineParenting a strong-willed, big-feeling child can feel like living next to a volcano-beautiful, powerful, and unpredictable.We explore what Mary calls the spicy child: kids with high intensity, low adaptability, high perceptibility, and high persistence. These are the children who feel deeply, notice everything, and refuse to be easily managed.You’ll learn why shame and punishment backfire, how to regulate your nervous system during meltdowns, and how to lead with connection while still holding firm boundaries.We also talk about parenting in community spaces, navigating pressure to control behavior, and why repair after rupture is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child.If you’re raising a sensitive, strong-willed child and want fewer power struggles, more cooperation, and deeper trust—this episode is for you.✨ In This Episode, We Cover:• The four traits of a “spicy” child • Why traditional discipline doesn’t work for sensitive kids • How to stay calm during meltdowns • The “conscious pause” • Completing the stress cycle • Play as a regulation tool • Separating your nervous system from your child’s • How to repair after hard moments • Mary’s book, audiobook, quiz, and preorder bonusesYou can pre-order Mary's new book here: Pre-Order Parenting a Spicy One Check out Mary on InstagramIf you are local to Northern Colorado- come join our book club! ⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction: Parenting the “Spicy” Child 02:45 – What Makes a Child “Spicy”? The Four Core Traits 07:30 – Why Punishment and Shame Backfire 12:10 – Gentle Parenting vs. Nervous System Leadership 16:40 – Parenting Under Community & Church Pressure 21:15 – Making Regulation Visible 26:00 – Completing the Stress Cycle 30:20 – The Conscious Pause During Meltdowns 34:45 – Why Lectures Don’t Work Mid-Storm 38:10 – Playful De-Escalation: Singing, Silliness, and Connection 42:55 – When Your Child’s Energy Overwhelms You 47:30 – Separating Your Experience From Theirs 51:20 – Repair After Rupture: Owning Impact 56:10 – Raising Future Leaders, Not “Too Much” Kids 59:40 – Mary’s Book, Quiz, and Preorder Bonuses 1:03:15 – Final Reflections + Listener InvitationSend us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →When It’s Never Enough: Healing the High-Achiever Nervous System
Jan 2800:18:04Tap to summarizeLet's explore how to stay hungry for growth without missing the life you already built. We share practical ways to feel content now while nurturing ambition for your body, marriage, work, and motherhood.• naming the gap obsession and its cost• choosing hungry not starving as a core mindset• celebrating wins you already own and wanting what you already have • body peace through strength, food freedom and comfort• building a resilient marriage with real boundaries• steady parenting with repair and regulation• keeping ambition as permission not pressure• rejecting one-size blueprints for inner GPS• making next-step choices in the fogIf this is you and you feel like you are trying to build capacity to pursue your incessant ambition and desire, while also feeling enough- like you can slow down and be present and content- this is exactly the work we do in my 1:1 coaching and at the upcoming Steady Retreat. You can find all the details for Retreat here: https://themotherhoodmentor.myflodesk.com/steadyretreatOr coaching work here: https://www.the-motherhood-mentor.com/reclamationcoachingSend us Fan MailIf you’re ready to stop living on autopilot and start leading your life with deep presence, I’d love to work with you. Book a free interest call here: Click Here💌 Want more? Follow me on Instagram @themotherhoodmentor for somatic tools, nervous system support, and real-talk on high-functioning burnout, ambition, healing perfectionism, and motherhood. And also pretty epic meme drops. 🎧 Did you love this episode? Be sure to follow and please take a quick moment to leave a review and send this episode to a friend. I'd love to hear from you on how this podcast impacted you, send me a DM or an email.
Transcribe →