Advertise on podcast: Holding Space

What if your birth went "well" on paper... but something in you still feels unresolved? This week I'm joined by Beth Warren, LCSW, PMH-C, a perinatal psychotherapist, EMDR consultant, and author of Healing from Reproductive Trauma. We talk about what reproductive trauma actually includes (hint: it's SO much more than a "hard birth"), and why it can show up later as rage, hypervigilance, shame, or a feeling of disconnect from your body, child, and partner. I also open up about my own experience with postpartum anxiety, a pregnancy loss, and the unexpected childhood memory that EMDR brought forward (and the healing that followed). Whether you're preparing for a baby, in the thick of postpartum, or years down the road wondering "was that trauma?"... this one's for you. Because if it was distressing to you, it matters. In this episode What falls under "reproductive trauma," from infertility and loss to NICU stays and births that looked smooth medicallyThe fawn responseHow unprocessed reproductive experiences can ripple forward and ripple to older woundsWhat healing can look like Links & resources Beth on Instagram: @bethanywarrenlcswBeth's website: bethanywarrenlcsw.comHealing from Reproductive Trauma and The Pregnancy and Postpartum Mood Workbook: available wherever books are soldPostpartum Support International provider directory (filter for EMDR and trauma specialists): postpartum.netPostpartum Health Alliance (San Diego): postpartumhealthalliance.org To learn more about Dr. Cassidy's book and practice and get connected for a consult call visit www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Social media isn't going anywhere...so how do we raise kids inside this new digital age? How do we keep them safe? How do we navigate OUR OWN relationship with it? This week I'm joined by Kelly McCullough, LCSW, child and adolescent therapist, and founder of La Jolla Therapy Center, to move past the all-or-nothing panic and into something more livable. We get honest about "chasing presence" as parents, why our teens are actually wired to crave connection, and what the research says about the sweet spot between zero access and unrestricted access. Kelly brings the tangible, concrete guidance parents are hungry for — and we both admit how messy this is to actually pull off in real life. Whether you've got littles, teens, or you're just navigating your own relationship with your phone, there's something here for you. In this episode, we get into: Why so many of us are "chasing presence" — and how our phones keep us stuck in the chaseWhy the teenage pull toward peers is healthy, not a red flagWhat emerging research says about zero access vs. unrestricted access Kelly's tangible guidelinesHow to lay the foundation early with younger kidsThe loneliness epidemic Connect with Kelly Kelly McCullough is a child and adolescent therapist and the founder of La Jolla Therapy Center in San Diego, a practice devoted through and through to kids and teens. You can learn more or book a consultation with one of their licensed therapists at lajollatherapycenter.com. Connect with Dr. Cassidy Dr. Cassidy is a therapist specializing in supporting parents and couples who are ready to break cycles and work through the triggers that parenting brings forward. You can learn more about her group practice for parents in California, New York and Nevada at drcassidymft.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when love and fear live in the same household? This week I'm joined by Leslie Priscilla, founder of Latinx Parenting, cultural healer, and author of the new book CHANCLA: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture through Nonviolent Parenting. Leslie has spent 17+ years helping Latinx families break cycles of intergenerational harm, and in this conversation she uses one deeply familiar cultural emblem — la chancla, the sandal — as a keyhole into a much bigger story about survival, history, and healing. This is a tender, honest, context-over-shame conversation. In this episode, we talk about: The context and culture around la ChanclaWhat "nonviolent" parenting actually means The "cuatro amigos" underneath so much of how we parentReconnecting with the inner child — the inner niña — as a path back to intuitionRemembrance and celebrating the resilience AND resistance of the culture About Leslie: Leslie Priscilla is a Certified Parent Coach, Certified Family Life Educator, and the founder of Latinx Parenting, a bilingual organization reaching hundreds of thousands of families through workshops, trainings, and advocacy rooted in children's rights and nonviolence. She's a mother of three based in Santa Ana, CA. Find Leslie: Instagram: @latinxparentingWeb: latinxparenting.orgGet the book CHANCLA — out now, linked at latinxparenting.org Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I sit down with therapist Josie Ampaw-Greene — a licensed clinical social worker and mom to twins — for a conversation on how we talk to our kids about race, identity, and oppression. We talk about: Why "should I even bring it up?" is itself a form of privilegeAlly vs. accomplice — and sitting IN the discomfort, not on the sidelinesPerfectionism as a form of white supremacy (yeah...we went there)Adultification — why kids of color have these talks so much earlierStarting with history (going back 300 years, not today's headlines)And where to start today If you take one thing from this episode, let it be Josie's reminder: you can't take your kids somewhere you haven't gone yourself. You can connect with Josie and her Denver practice, Ampaw Psychotherapy & Consulting, at https://www.ampawpc.com and on Instagram @diaryofabrokenheartedtherapist. To learn more about my book Mom Needs a Moment or my California/New York private practice, visit https://www.drcassidymft.com A few resources named in the episode: The March Graphic Novel Books Tricia Hersey / The Nap Ministry - Rest is Resistance Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I sit down with poet and storyteller Taylor Rae Roman for a conversation about the quiet, disorienting grief underneath early motherhood...the experience of waking up in a new body, a new mind, a new identity, and never really getting to say goodbye to the woman you were before. This one's for the mom who loves her baby AND is barely hanging on. For the one who had the "perfect" birth and still whispers I hate my life into the 3am dark...then feels like a monster for it. For the mom who hasn't turned on music in the car in MONTHS because one more sound might crack her open. We talk about: Grieving the woman you were beforeWhy "perfect" feels like drowningThe sensory overload no one warns you aboutPostpartum depression and postpartum anxietySeeing yourself in your baby's eyesWhy none of it (the hard OR the beautiful) is foreverThe poem that says it all If you take one thing from this episode, let it be Taylor's message to the mom listening right now: you are not crazy. This is as hard as you think it is. You are not alone. And you deserve support...like, yesterday. You can connect with Taylor at https://taylorraeroman.com and follow her on social media @taylorraeroman. To learn more about my book Mom Needs a Moment or my California/New York private practice visit https://www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Destini Ann, fellow mom, parenting educator, and author of the book Very Intentional Parenting...for the screen time conversation SO many of you have been begging for. Destini and I go way back (we met years ago in a little study group with Dr. Becky and a few other good souls), and we've been in each other's DMs ever since. Then she shared a resource that genuinely changed things in my house around screen time... and I was like...okay, we HAVE to make this happen. This one's for the parent white-knuckling the iPad handoff, the one really wishing computers and phones were non-existent in their child's world, and honestly anyone who's ever come in HOT about screens and then thought... wait, was that really necessary, or was that my anxiety? (No judgment. I've been there. Like, just-this-morning there.) We talk about: Quality vs. quantity — why your kid's screen struggle might look completely different from the kid down the street "Not yet" is a full sentence — the boundary I wish I'd had soonerHow to pay attention WITHOUT micromanaging — scrolling alongside your kid instead of confiscate-and-investigateWhy the moment is almost never the moment to address it — and what to do instead "This is not an emergency" — even when what you stumble on makes you go WHAT in the actual worldProtection AND education — how to hold both without losing your mindThe screen time flow chart Destini created — the actual resource that shifted things in my home (link below!)Why so much of parenting a teen is choosing the RIGHT kind of slightly uncomfortable"Are you open?" — the four-word script Destini swears is basically sorcery Cursing, dating, e-bikes, bike-ride sex talks, Awkward Fridays — all the real, slightly-mortifying conversations that build the kind of trust you'll be SO grateful for later And yes... this connects so deeply to the heart of my book Mom Needs a Moment...taking a beat, resourcing yourself outside the moment so you can come back INTO the moment as the parent you actually want to be. You can find Destini Ann on Instagram (with all the ways to connect with her) @destini.ann and grab her screen time flow chart here! To learn more about my therapy practice or book a free consult, visit drcassidymft.com. You can learn more about my book Mom Needs a Moment here and get your pre-order gifts if you order before June 16 here! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Pany Robinson, a board-certified family practitioner with 22 years of experience and one of the most refreshingly no-nonsense voices I've encountered on women's hormonal health to talk about everything you weren't told about perimenopause and menopause. I met Dr. Pany at a training on maternal rage (yes, there's a connection), and I was immediately like: I need her on this podcast. This one is for anyone who has ever felt like something was off but couldn't name it — and for your partner too, honestly. We talk about: The symptoms nobody mentions: itchy ears, frozen shoulder, cystic acne, vertigo, palpitations, recurrent UTIs, and moreWhy hot flashes are actually a later symptom...and what's already happening in your body long before thatHow to advocate for yourself in a system that isn't quite caught up yet (including what to ask for and how to say it)The long-term case for hormone therapy: dementia, cancer risk, muscle loss, and moreThe relational toll: libido, intimacy, and why 45 is both the hardest year for women on average and the peak age for divorceWhy this is a whole-body, multidisciplinary issue, not just a "get on a patch and call it a day" situationTo connect with Dr. Pany or book a free 20-minute phone consult, visit nextphaseclinic.com. To learn more about my therapy practice or book a free consult you can visit drcassidymft.com. You can learn more about Dr. Cassidy's book Mom Needs a Moment here or you can buy it wherever books are sold! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Kim Van Dusen — one of my very first podcast guests ever — to talk about her new book Parenting Through Play. Together we explore why play is such a powerful entry point for connection, regulation, and even repair with our kids. Dr. Kim helps those of us who don't always feel like getting on the floor to play (hi, it's me) by introducing the idea of "purposeful play pockets" — micro moments of novelty and playfulness woven throughout the day that don't require a ton of energy or capacity. Think: swapping a fork for a pair of tongs at dinner, or a small mindset shift at clean-up time. We also talk about: The myth that play has to mean sitting on the floor for hours of pretendReconnecting with your own inner child (especially if you didn't grow up in a playful home)Why play and power struggles both take energy...and which one you'd rather spend it onUsing play as a tool for repairHow play can help kids work through big transitions, sibling dynamics, separation anxiety, and fearThe invisible mental load that comes with parenting and with being the "fun" oneThe legacy we leave when our kids learn to use play to connect, communicate, and repairTo learn more from Dr. Kim and grab a copy of Parenting Through Play, visit theparentologist.com/book and follow along on Instagram @theparentologist. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today’s episode, I’m joined by therapist, speaker, and host of The Dude Therapist Podcast, Eli Weinstein. Eli works extensively with couples and families, and his upcoming book From I Do to We Do explores what really happens to relationships once kids enter the picture. Because here’s the truth: most couples start parenting believing that love will carry them through. And while love absolutely matters, it’s not always enough to navigate the stress, exhaustion, invisible labor, and shifting roles that come with raising kids. In this episode, we talk honestly about what happens to marriages during the parenting years, including the quiet resentment that can build when expectations go unspoken, the invisible mental load many parents carry, and why couples often feel like they’re both doing “120%.” Eli shares practical ways couples can reconnect as teammates instead of adversaries, and why repair, not perfection, is what actually sustains long-term relationships. In this episode, we talk about: Why love alone doesn’t guide couples through the parenting yearsHow unmet expectations quietly turn into resentmentThe mental load many parents carry, and how couples can share it more intentionallyThe power of repair after rupture, and why genuine apologies matter more than perfect onesWhy successful marriages require choosing your partner again and again as life changesMy hope is that this conversation helps couples step out of scorekeeping and back into partnership. Parenting can easily pull partners into opposite corners. But when couples learn how to communicate, repair, and reconnect, they can remember that they’re actually on the same team. Connect with Eli Follow Eli on social media: @eliweinstein_lcswGet his book: From I Do to We Do If you loved this episode Share it with a parent who’s in the thick of it right nowSupport the podcast with a rating or reviewSubscribe to my Substack, A Little Space, Please, for the post that goes with this episodeLearn more about Dr. Cassidy and Co's therapy practice at www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today’s episode, I’m joined by mindfulness mentor, meditation teacher, and host of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields. Hunter is the author of Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Every Day, and for years she’s been supporting parents in moving out of reactivity and into more present, connected relationships with their kids. As a therapist and parent, I know how easy it is to feel like we’re “messing it all up,” especially in the early years when we’re exhausted, triggered, and trying to break cycles in real time. In this conversation, Hunter reflects on parenting her oldest, now 18, and shares what only time can teach: repair matters more than perfection, and it’s never too late to shift a relationship. In this episode, we talk about: Why parenting is a long game, and why you don’t always get immediate feedback that it’s “working”How repair builds safety and connection, even after reactivityThe power of delighting in your child, and practicing real listeningWhy boundaries and self-care are essential, not selfishHunter’s message for parents in the thick of the toddler yearsMy hope is that this episode offers you a deep exhale: you don’t have to be perfect to be a safe, steady parent. What matters is your willingness to keep coming back. Connect with Hunter Listen to her podcast: Mindful Mama PodcastGet her books: Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Every DayFind her online: mindfulmamamentor.comIf you loved this episode Share it with a parent who’s in the thick of it right nowSupport the podcast with a rating or reviewSubscribe to my Substack, A Little Space, Please, for the post that goes with this episodeLearn more about Dr. Cassidy and Co's therapy practice at www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of Holding Space, Dr. Cassidy is joined by Dr. Sumi Raghavan for a grounded, human conversation about parenting during a moment of real fear and moral injury. ICE violence in Minnesota and across the country has left many parents feeling dysregulated, overwhelmed, and unsure how to show up for their kids while their own nervous systems are on high alert. This conversation isn’t happening from a distance. We're two moms, two therapists, sitting inside the same world you are, trying to figure out how to keep showing up without collapsing. Together, we explore what’s happening in parents’ nervous systems right now, why overwhelm is a reasonable response to real threat, and how regulation is not disengagement, but the foundation for sustained action and care. We aim to offer concrete guidance for how to talk to kids across different ages, from young children to teens, while protecting their sense of safety without pretending nothing is happening. This episode is meant to be a place of containment, not more flooding. Resources & Next Steps A written companion to this episode, with key takeaways and language you can return to, is available on Substack here. Links to grounding tools, community resources, and organizations supporting immigrant families are included there as well. To connect with Dr. Sumi Raghavan and learn more about her New York-based private practice, you can find her on instagram @drsumiphd and her private practice website here! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today’s episode I’m joined by holistic decluttering expert and host of the top-rated podcast The Maximized Minimalist, Katy Joy Wells. As a therapist and parent, I know how often our homes can feel like one more place we’re “falling behind.” In this conversation, we explore how clutter impacts our nervous systems, our relationships, and our sense of enoughness. Katy offers a shame-free, deeply human approach that looks at the emotions, beliefs, and habits under the piles. In this episode, we talk about: Why clutter isn’t neutral...how visual chaos pulls on our time, energy, and attentionThe difference between clutter and expected mess...and why that distinction can instantly lower your shameKaty’s idea of a “good enough home” and how it connects to good enough parentingWhy traditional decluttering methods (bins, labels, marathon purges, “spark joy”) often backfire for busy, emotionally-connected humansHow we can model softening, self-compassion, and boundaries with stuff for our kidsMy hope is that this episode offers you something Katy and I kept coming back to: hope for a lighter, calmer home that supports presence with the people you love...without having to become a different person or maintain a Pinterest-perfect house. Connect with Katy Listen to Katy’s podcast: The Maximized MinimalistGet her book: Making Home Your Happy Place: A Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the OverwhelmFind her on Instagram: @katyjoywells If you loved this episodeShare it with a friend whose home feels “loud” right nowSupport the podcast and leave a rating or review!Subscribe to my Substack, A Little Space, Please, and check out the post that goes with this episode! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Have you ever noticed how much harder parenting feels when things are tense between you and your partner? Maybe you start off trying to calm your kids in the back seat… and somehow end up arguing about the volume of the music. Or one of you sets a boundary with your child, the other undermines it, and suddenly you’re in a standoff that feels way bigger than it should. In this episode, Dr. Cassidy explores how the stress of parenting can shake the foundation of even the strongest relationships, and what you can do to reconnect when the patience runs thin and the reactions run hot. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Recognize why parenting amplifies relational stressUse “reserves check-ins” to communicate needs and prevent resentmentShift from “me vs. you” to “us vs. the cycle”Bring repair, rest, and appreciation back into your partnership You’ll also hear simple ways to rebuild connection that don’t require date nights, fancy plans, or extra childcare - just small, intentional moments that help you remember you’re on the same team. Would you love to have this episode written out for you? Check out this substack post! Interested in learning more about my therapy practice? Click here! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this conversation, I’m joined by my dear friend and fellow therapist Dr. Tracy Dalgleish to explore the tender, complex space between partnership and extended family...where love, loyalty, and old patterns can collide. We talk about why these dynamics feel especially charged for so many of us right now, what it means to navigate guilt and control in family systems, and how we can stay connected to our partners (and ourselves) when generational patterns start to resurface. Dr. Tracy shares insights from her new book You, Your Husband, and His Mother - a compassionate guide to understanding in-law dynamics, communicating as a united front, and finding your footing as a couple when family expectations run high. We also talk about: The cultural shifts that are reshaping how couples and families relate across generationsCommon patterns like guilt-tripping, control, and codependencyWhy boundaries rooted in core needs (not blame) lead to deeper connectionHow aging, identity, and relevance show up in these transitionsAnd the hope in becoming the kind of mother-in-law or grandparent we want to be somedayThis episode is for anyone standing in that middle place...between the family you came from and the one you’re creating while trying to honor both love and autonomy along the way. Learn more about Tracy’s work and her book at drtracyd.com. Connect with Tracy on Instagram @drtracyd. Connect with me on Instagram @drcassidy and learn more about my private practice at www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When our teen's worry sets off our own, it can feel like two nervous systems locked in the same storm. In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with my friend and colleague Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to unpack what’s really happening beneath those moments of reactivity and how parents can shift from fear-based reacting to compassionate, grounded responding. We talk about: Why our teens’ anxiety activates our own nervous systemPractical tools to create space between trigger and response (hello, rage walks!)How repair and connection help rebuild trust after we come in hotLoving (and respecting) the teen you have, while holding boundaries, even when it’s hard Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric psychologist, parent coach, and author of Love the Teen You Have: A Practical Guide to Transforming Conflict into Connection (out October 28). Find her at https://drannlouiselockhart.com and on Instagram @dr.annlouise.lockhart. Links + Resources: Love the Teen You Have Learn more about my private practice for California and New York parents at www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy