Lisa Hohenadel uses an intriguing behavioural therapy method to help childless women work through the grief and triggers.  It's called Dialectical Behaviour Therapy or DBT.  I've never come across this particular type of therapy before and I wanted to hear more about how Lisa uses it in her coaching practice. 

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

• what is DBT and how Lisa discovered that it would work on her own grief while coming to terms with the fact that she would never be a mom
• how to manage some of the trickier situations we encounter as childless women
• 3 DBT tools for managing triggers and grief and how to use them on yourself

Get a free copy of Lisa's "10 Tips for Managing your Triggers":
Send an email to [email protected] or go to Lisa's Instagram and DM the word "resource" for a copy.

Where to find Lisa:
Instagram: @familyredefinedwithlisa
Facebook: Family Redefined with Lisa

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

If you've found yourself stuck in grief and triggers unable to get past it, today's episode is for you.

​​I'm unpacking five major blunders that keep childless women from moving forward and embracing their future. 

​​And don't worry, I made every single one of these mistakes and so do my clients.   I'm sharing them here not to judge, or cause you to judge yourself, but to show you that when you stop making these mistakes, your grief and triggers will lift. 

You'll be able to genuinely support your pregnant cousin, attend the baby showers with grace and sit through your friends' stories about their kids with curiosity and interest.

It's such a relief!
​
In this episode, we'll cover:

• the 5 biggest mistakes childless women make
• the consequences of making these mistakes and what happens when you stop
• what to do instead

If you're ready to start implementing some of the things you'll discover, continue your journey by downloading my free secret podcast series: 3 Secrets to Processing Grief so You Can Reimagine Your Future

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Did you know that most financial plans and planning software are geared entirely to the traditional parenting path?  I hadn't really thought about how my saving, spending, retirement and estate planning might be totally different than that of my child-rearing friends.   Until I met Jay Zigmont. 

Jay Zigmont, holds a PhD, MBA, and CFP® and is the Founder of Childfree Wealth, a life and financial planning firm dedicated to helping Childfree and Permanently Childless people. Childfree Wealth is the first life and financial planning firm dedicated to serving people without kids. 

In this episode, Jay shares his story about how he came to be on the childless path and what lead him to start Childfree Wealth.  It was a fascinating and enlightening discussion where Jay shares:

• why financial plans for people without kids often looks entirely different than that of a parent
• the questions you can ask yourself that will help you uncover what you want to save for and spend your money (and energy) on
• tips for choosing a financial planner 

Dr. Jay is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Childfree Wealth Specialist, and author of the book “Portraits of Childfree Wealth.” Dr Jay is the co-host of the Childfree Wealth podcast. His Ph.D. is in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut.

He has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC, and many other publications. In 2023, he was named a “Rising Star” by Financial Planning.

Where to find Dr. Jay:
Website: Childfreewealth.com
Instagram: @childfreewealth
Jay's book:  get a free copy of Portraits of Childfree Wealth 

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Other References in Episode:

Podcast episode: Jay Zigmont on Spinsterhood Reimagined

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Has someone ever said to, "you're so lucky you don't have kids"?  If you wanted kids, of course you don't feel very lucky to have that unfulfilled dream.   Sometimes I wonder if parents say things like this - or complain about their kids - to us childless women because they want us to feel as though we're not missing out on anything great.  But then, of course, they swoon over their kids in the next breath.  

In this solo episode, I break down:

• the misconceptions we carry about this statement and how it affects our reaction
• what happens when you reframe these misconceptions
• how to respond to this statement

Follow Sheri on Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Sheri's website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

There's this misconception out there that if you can get past the grief of your unexpected childless circumstances, your future will somehow just appear brighter.  But unfortunately that's not true in most cases. 

You've probably come across women in their 50's and 60's who are still struggling to feel worthy, happy and confident in their lives.   Do you really want to go another 5, 10 or 20 years of living life not quite happy? 

No!  You deserve to be joyful, not just in your future, but right NOW in the present.  In this episode, you'll find out:

• the story of living my entire life as it landed on my plate - very little of it was truly intentional - and where that landed me
• the mistake many childless women make when thinking about their future
• the first three steps to manifesting joy in the present, not just the future

What if I told you that you could still have a bright future without children? It's all about identifying your desires and taking actionable steps towards achieving them. To support you on this journey, I'm introducing my Women of Worth group immersion. It's a group coaching experience that will support, empower and guide you towards embracing your childless future and present.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Women of Worth Group Immersion: sherijohnson.ca/wow

Where to find Sheri:

Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Navigating a sea of baby showers and first birthdays can feel isolating, especially as a woman who has not had children. If you've found yourself avoiding friends with young ones or feeling a twinge of envy every time a pregnancy announcement pops up on your feed, you're not alone.  In this episode, we're confronting those feelings head-on, not as something to be ashamed of, but as a step towards finding peace.

You will discover:

• 3 mistakes childless women make when it comes to envy
• how to identify the actual emotion you're feeling when you see a pregnancy announcement
• the first 3 steps to facing envy and working through

Follow Sheri on Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Sheri's website: sherijohnson.ca

Other References in Episode:

Podcast episodes: 

• Who Will Take Care of Me When I Get Old? With Jody Day
• How to Know if You Are Stuck in Disenfranchised Grief as a Childless Woman

Book: Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Jody Day is back for a second episode on the podcast!  Our first conversation was so eye-opening for me, I had to have her back after I had actually digested all of what she shared with me. 

 Jody is often referred to as the founder of the "childless movement" and is the founder of Gateway Women, a global advocacy and support network for childless women. She’s the author of what many professionals consider to be the ‘go-to’ book on the topic, "Living the Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Future Without Children" (link below). 

Jody was chosen as one of the BBC’s 100 Women in 2013 & a UK Digital Woman of the Year in 2021.  She’s a global thought leader on female involuntary childlessness, a psychotherapist, a 2017 and 2022 TEDx speaker, and she’s been an Ambassador for World Childless Week since its inception in 2017. 

Jody and I have a deep and eye-opening conversation about ageism and pronatalism in today's society and how they affect childless women's perception of their future.  We delve into the fears, challenges, societal and economic impacts associated with aging without children.  We explore body image and self-perception through midlife as well as purpose and potential of childless women. 

Listen to this episode to discover:

• how childless women can shift their mindset about midlife, ageing and who will take care of them when their old
• a powerful exercise for reconciling connection with your body - something that most women lose as early as their teen years
• the transformational power of community 

Where to find Jody:
Website: Gateway-women.com
Instagram: @gatewaywomen
                         @apprenticecrone
Jody's Book: Living the Life Unexpected: How to Find Hope, Meaning and a Fulfilling Future Without Children

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Other References in Episode:

Podcast episode: Patriarchy and Pronatalism and Their Impact on Childless Women, with Jody Day

Webinar: Fireside Wisdom with Childless Elder Women (register here)

Book: The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
Book: The Baby Matrix by Laura Carroll
Book: The Beauty Myth By Naomi Wolf
Book: The Wisdom of Menopause by Dr. Christiane Northrup

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

This is an extra-special episode as my twin sister, Dr. Jennifer Reimer, joins me.  As two women who were childless until our 40s, we unravel the deep societal pressures,  personal grief, and associated triggers on the pregnancy loss and infertility journey that we travelled at the same time.  We came to a pivotal moment within weeks of each other: the decision to do IVF or not.  This is where our paths split.

The real topic of this episode is the societal glorification of busyness and how it often masks the pain and feelings of unworthiness, in both mothers and in childless women. 

Jennifer and I share our battles with the "six faces of doing", the different ways we've stayed busy to avoid dealing with our true feelings.  We explore societal norms and the undue pressure they place on us, making us feel inadequate if we aren't mothers. This heart-to-heart conversation will urge you to question your own preoccupation with busyness and its correlation with your self-worth.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• the three reasons childless women are just as busy as mothers
• Jen's "6 Faces of Doing", the ways in which we keep ourselves busy, with a spotlight on perfectionism and people-pleasing
• how the recognition and confrontation of these causes of busyness can lead to an elevation in self-worth

Where to find Jennifer:
Take Jennifer's quiz: What Kind of Doer Are You?
Website: https://www.virtuousradicals.com/
Instagram: @jen_reimer_coaching

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

If you're a woman without kids, you are likely keenly aware of some of the judgments out in the media and in the world about childfree women being selfish, lonely and unable to truly know unconditional love. 

But as a woman who didn't make that choice, what are your feelings toward those who did?  What I discovered deep within myself, was some judgment.  And it was keeping me from fully embracing a happy future without children.

Listen to this episode to find out:

• Whether you're also judging childfree women
• What happens when you let go of your identity as a childless woman who wanted kids
• The first two steps to embracing your future

Key Links from this episode:

5 Secrets to Embracing Your ChildFREE Life:
sherijohnson.ca/secrets

Follow Sheri on Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Have you ever had a deeply personal dream not come true? Have you felt pressured by societal expectations conflicting with your own path? Join us on a journey with Stephanie Joy Phillips, the incredible head and founder of World Childless Week, who will share with us her journey of not becoming a mother. As a child, Stephanie dreamed of motherhood, but life led her in a different direction - to create a community for childless women, providing support for those who share her experience. 

In this episode, Stephanie and Sheri discuss: 

• the unique challenges childless women face, whether they're rooted in biology, finances, society, or mental health
• some of the lesser known reasons that women remain childless
• the therapeutic power of connection and expression

Stephanie shares how writing and reaching out to others can alleviate the weight of grief and fortify your emotional strength. We celebrate World Childless Week's incredible expansion since its inception in 2017 and the invaluable emotional refuge it provides for those affected by childlessness. Let's honor every woman's worth, whether they are a mother or not, and learn more about this often misunderstood community.

Where to find Stephanie:
Website: worldchildlessweek.net
Facebook: World Childless Week
Instagram: @worldchildlessweek

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca

Where to find Sheri:
Instagram: @sherijohnsoncoaching
Website: sherijohnson.ca