Holding Space

In this final episode of 2018, I sit down with illustrator and designer Kelli Murray. Kelli is the owner and designer of children's clothing brand Rylee and Cru and their sister brand Quincy Mae. Kelli shares with us her background and how she built her businesses. We then go beyond the brand to discuss motherhood, the myth of balance, Kelli's long history with health issues and chronic pain, and her relationship with God and spirituality. This is a vulnerable conversation between two good friends, that Kelli was gracious enough to allow me to record and share with all of you. To continue following Kelli, you can find her on social media @kelli_murray, @ryleeandcru, and @_quincymae. 

In this episode I share my conversation with transgender activist and leadership coach, Aaron Rose. In our dialogue Aaron and I journey beyond the gender binary, discussing healthy masculinity, transgender inclusion, compassion fatigue, and ways we can step into the arena of transforming division to reclaim peace and true belonging. If you're interested in learning more about healthy masculinity, Aaron has a 2-week Conscious Masculinity intensive starting December 1. For more information on that event click here. You can continue to follow Aaron's work at @aaronxrose and at www.aaronxrose.com. 

In this episode of Holding Space Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Christine Sterling, OB/GYN. You may remember Dr. Sterling from an earlier episode where we discussed preparing for motherhood during pregnancy. In this episode Dr. Sterling offers education on a woman's menstrual cycle, and the impact hormonal changes can have on our energy, behaviors, labido, and mood. With our menses in mind, we unpack the history of the women's movement and the rejection of discourses connected to "the hormonal woman" that followed. In this exploration, we identify the agency that can be found in understanding our cycles and bodies, while reclaiming the truth that we are more than our hormones. We discuss the shame often experienced around our periods and sex organs, and how we can educate and talk to our daughters. To follow Dr. Sterling's work you can find her here and connect with her on social at @drsterlingobgyn.

In this episode I share my conversation with Claire Bidwell Smith, author and therapist specializing in grief. We explore the relationship between anxiety and grief and the work Claire has done that led to her most recent book Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief. Claire offers psychoeducation on the stages of grief, and the ways in which anxiety can show up when we have experienced loss. Claire and I both share some of our personal experiences with loss, and discuss the power of support. You can find more about Claire and her work here, including her self-guided online program A Safe Place to Grieve. You can find Claire's book Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief here.

In this episode I sit down with Brittani Ehrhorn. Brittani is a pediatric registered nurse and advocate and activist for Turner Syndrome. Brittani shares her experience living with Turner Syndrome, and discusses the myths and importance of education. We talk about the sticky-ness of labels and Brittani shares her experience with going to therapy. A resource mentioned in the podcast is The Turner Syndrome Society of the United States, and you can continue to follow Brittani @brittehrhorn. 

In honor of infertility and pregnancy loss awareness month, this week's episode explores the often neglected experience of partners. I virtually sit down with Jeff Mindell, a Los Angeles based photographer and creative. Last Spring I shared an episode with his wife Kelly Mindell of Studio DIY where she shared her experience with fertility, pregnancy loss and adoption. In this episode Jeff offers an honest look into his own experience and path to fatherhood. Jeff and I explore the gender discourses he faced, the role of support in their journey, the decision to pursue adoption, and the joys and challenges of parenthood. You can continue to follow Jeff @jeffmindell and you can find his professional work here. 

In this episode I virtually sit down with Keah Brown, writer, journalist and disability activist. Keah and I discuss her writing process, and how she has come to appreciate her earlier work as part of the growth that got her to where she is today. We talk about disrupting disability discourses and choosing self-love. In Keah's words: "I spent most of my life tearing myself down, because I thought I was supposed to, because how else are you supposed to live in a body like mine? But what I know now is that I live every single day with so much joy. How could I not give myself the same love that people have been giving me my whole life?" Keah is the creator of the hashtag, #disabledandcute, and has an essay collection coming out in 2019 called The Pretty One. You can continue to follow Keah at keahbrown.com and on social media @keah_maria. 

In this episode I share my conversation with Dr. Crystal Jones, director of The Sanctuary, a healing institution with a mission to elevate the paradigm of healing. With her person-centered approach, Dr. Jones leads conversations around the globe, training healing facilitators across multiple modalities in the art of holding space. In this episode we explore narratives of health, social disources of health and healthcare, the art of listening to our bodies, and client/provider alignment. You can find Dr. Jones' work here, as well as on social media here!

In this episode I virtually sit down with my very good friend Taylor Sterling, Founder and Creative Director of Glitter Guide. We start off the episode with sharing how we met (and sharing some laughs) while discussing how we maintain a long-distance friendship. Taylor shares how she carved her own path as an entrepeneur, and the ways in which creative insecurities creep in as she struggles with the common challenge of defining your craft. We talk about social media and social comparison, how motherhood changed how she sets boundaries and prioritizes her time, and the ways in which Taylor is reclaiming what "growth" means for her and her business. To continue following Taylor's journey, follow her on social media @taylorsterling and through her business @glitterguide. You can find her work at www.theglitterguide.com. This month Taylor will be launching her new site (subscribe for updates here) where she will be showcasing female entrepeneurs and sharing their stories and process. As always, thank you for listening! A great way to support the podcast is by subscribing and sharing on social media @holdingspacepodcast and @drcassidy! 

In this episode I share my conversation with Tim Desmond, mindfulness teacher, therapist, professor, and student of Zen Master and Social Activist Thich Nhat Hanh. Tim and I discuss the bridge between showing compassion to ourselves and social activism. Tim offers real ways in which we can develop self-compassion and mindfulness practices while we step into the arena of activism, and discusses the power of thoughtful self-disclosure both in therapy and in parenting. Tim has written several books on Self-Compassion including Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy and The Self-Compassion Skills Workbook, and has a new book coming out next year called How to Stay Human in a F*ed up World. To read more about Tim's work click here.

In this episode I sit down with Elle and Jared Rowley, CEO and CFO of Solly Baby Wraps. Elle and Jared are my first couple on the podcast! Elle and Jared share how they met, their decision to go into business with each other, and how they make it all work. To follow their personal journeys you can find them at @ellerowley and @jaredrowley and their businesses @sollybabywrap and at https://shop.sollybaby.com.

In this episode I sit down with Anjelica Malone. Anjelica is a writer, educator, and birth/postpartum doula with a mission to cultivate a global tribe of women. In this episode we discuss her experience growing up a third culture kid, and how this experience influenced her identity and her value of global citizenship. Anjelica shares how her military service and her work with pregnant refugee women impacted her approach to birth and postpartum care and discusses how she and her partner talk to their children about racial identity. To read more about Anjelica's work you can find her website here and you can follow her journey on social media here.

In this episode I sit down with Andrea Faulkner Williams, co-founder of Tubby Todd a natural and organic product line and author of the book You've Got This Mama: Ideas for Taking Care of You While You're Taking Care of Your Little One. We discuss the importance of and challenges of self-care as a mother, setting realistic boundaries, and the power of asking for help. Andrea is a triple threat: she's warm, hilarious, and brilliant. To follow Andrea's work you can find her here, and for her personal journey follow her here!

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Steve Hickman, founding director of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of California, San Diego. We explore the powerful role of mindulness and self-compassion as it relates to creating change and developing a new relationship with our pain. We also discuss the impact of gender discourses on mindfulness and showing compassion towards ourselves, and how to integrate all of these ideas in parenting. This episode is full of helpful tips, metaphors, and motivation for relating to our struggles in a different way. A couple of resources mentioned were Dr. Kristin Neff's work on self-compassion and The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion by Chris Germer. For more information on Dr. Hickman's work and classes/resources at UCSD Center for Mindfulness, click here. For Mindful Self-Compassion courses here in San Diego held at UCSD, find more information here.

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. Dr. Siegel has published extensively for the professional audience.  He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and the internationally acclaimed text, The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. He has written five parenting books, including three New York Times bestsellers. In this episode we discuss his work on mindsight and explore the relationship between mindsight and cultivating conscious connections. We explore how we can support our children who are growing up in a digitized world. Dr. Siegel has a new book coming out this summer August 2018 called Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence which you can pre-order here. Sitting down with Dr. Dan was absolutely a career highlight for me, he has shaped so much of my work and I am honored to share this conversation with you.