Licensed professional counselor Yesim Saldivia joins Emily to explore the emotional weight many women carry, especially those who identify as the "eldest daughter." Together, we unpack how childhood experiences shape our relationships, self-worth, and motherhood, and what it looks like to heal patterns of people-pleasing, hyper-independence, and carrying more than was ever ours to hold.Join Emily and Yesim for a compassionate conversation about trauma, identity, boundaries, motherhood, and learning that your worth isn't earned by what you do for others.IN THIS EPISODE:* The difference between responsibility and parentification.* Why so many women struggle to ask for and receive help.* How motherhood often reflects our own childhood experiences.* Practical steps toward boundaries, rest, and belief in your inherent worth.About Yesim:Yesim (pronounced "Yeh-shim") is an EMDR-certified, IFS-trained trauma therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor serving adults across Colorado. You can also call her Yish.She specializes in helping people understand the patterns that once protected them but no longer serve them—people-pleasing, hyper-independence, perfectionism, and feeling "high-functioning" on the outside while overwhelmed underneath. Her approach integrates EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), inner child work, and somatic, nervous system-informed therapy to help clients move beyond insight and create meaningful, lasting change.For those looking to accelerate their healing, Yesim also offers therapy intensives that provide dedicated time and space for deeper, more focused work.Clients often describe Yesim as warm, genuine, and easy to talk to. She believes therapy doesn't have to feel cold or overly clinical, and she brings humor, authenticity, and compassion into the room while creating a space where clients feel safe enough to do the deeper work.In addition to her clinical practice, Yesim is also a Consultant-in-Training (soon to be an EMDRIA Approved Consultant). She offers individual and group EMDR consultation to therapists seeking greater confidence, clarity, and competence in their EMDR practice.Outside the therapy room, Yesim is happiest outdoors—whether she's tending to her flower and vegetable gardens, hiking, or dreaming up her next adventure. She also loves spending time with family, friends, and her pets, getting lost in a good book (or two), catching a live show, and unapologetically unwinding with a little reality TV.Connect with Yesim:http://yesimsaldivia.comhttps://www.instagram.com/heal_with_yish/About Emily:Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new journey. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. http://www.emilyriggstherapyandwellness.comhttp://www.instagram.com/emilyriggstherapy/https://breathedarling.myflodesk.com/linkinbioDisclosure: The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

In this episode, Emily sits down with Samantha Redden in a powerful exploration of identity and resilience, navigating what it really means to start over. In today’s episode, Samantha shares her journey from nonprofit work to becoming a nationally recognized cycling instructor, and the deep grief and identity loss she faced as she exited that chapter. Through motherhood, living with type 1 diabetes, and writing her memoir, Samantha reflects on self-worth, authenticity, and the courage it takes to embrace your evolving story. This conversation is a reminder that growth often lives in the “messy middle,” and that our experiences, the joyful and painful ones alike, shape who we become. 

Here’s what you can expect from this episode:

• How to navigate identity loss and grief after a major life transition

• The impact of motherhood and chronic illness on self-perception

• How writing can be used as a tool for healing and self-discovery

• Learning to embrace the authenticity and trust your evolving path.
  

Thoughts to Sit With:

• “It’s a part of me, not all of me.”

• “In order to be fully ready to move forward, you have to be ready to make peace and settle with the past.”

• “Give yourself permission and space to grieve.”

• “You have to love and believe in yourself before you take in the opinions of others.”

• “Confidence comes from knowing your worth and honoring your story.”

Samantha Redden is a speaker, fitness professional, and host of The Samantha Show, where she shares real, honest conversations about confidence, growth, and navigating life’s in-between seasons. As a nationally recognized fitness instructor and Mrs. Ohio American 2024, Samantha has built her platform around empowering others to show up authentically and step into their full potential. After building a successful career in the fitness industry and stepping into new chapters of business and life, she is passionate about helping others trust themselves, take action, and pursue what they truly want.

Connect with Samantha:

Visit Samantha’s Website 

Follow Samantha on Instagram 

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new journey. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. 

Connect with Emily:  

Interested in working with Emily? Learn more here!

Let's Connect on Instagram

Join the Breathe, Darling Newsletter Community

Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. I’m so grateful for how this community is connecting and growing, learning to breathe a little easier as we go. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends. 

Disclosure: 

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

Kara Cruz, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, shares a powerful conversation with Emily today on self-abandonment and what it really looks like for women navigating burnout, people-pleasing, and disconnection from self. The explore the connection between many women’s experiences of midlife and menopause, and uncovering wounds they’re desperate to heal from. Drawing from her work with women and couples, Kara unpacks how early conditioning, societal expectations, and survival patterns lead us away from our own needs, and how we begin the journey back to ourselves through our next chapters. 

This episode explores the deep connection between self-trust, authenticity, and the body, while normalizing the emotional and physiological shifts women experience across life stages.

What you’ll take away:

• How self-abandonment shows up in everyday life (and why it often feels “normal”)

• The link between people-pleasing, control, and self-trust

• Why reconnecting with your body is essential for healing

• The role of anger, boundaries, and authenticity in reclaiming your voice

Thoughts to Sit With: 

“Self-abandonment often looks like selflessness.”

“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

“The work begins with you.”

Meet Kara: 

Kara Cruz is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, private practice owner, and women's mental health advocate. With a focus on Reproductive and Perinatal Mental Health, Perimenopause, ADHD, Anxiety, PTSD, Complex Trauma, and Mood Conditions, Kara brings her extensive expertise to listeners, helping them navigate mental health challenges in relatable and compassionate ways. Kara also leads It Begins With Us an 8-week Women's Program and Therapist's Group Bootcamp, a 6-week Mastermind guiding therapists in creating and launching their own therapy groups. When she's not working, Kara enjoys nature and coastal escapes with her family. Join us as she shares her insights into mental health, healing, and working to balance work and motherhood in a harmonious way.

Connect with Kara: 

Kara’s Website 

Follow Kara on Instagram 

Women and ADHD Training for Therapists 

Group Creators Membership 

Healers Support Group 

It Begins with Us Monthly Women’s Group 

Meet Emily: 

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new journey. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. 

Connect with Emily: 

Interested in working with Emily? Learn more here!

Let's Connect on Instagram

Join the Breathe, Darling Newsletter Community

Disclosure: 

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

TW: infertility, perinatal loss, perinatal trauma

How do you hold hope and grief at the same time?

In this episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Bridget Jones. Bridget is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in working with women who have previously struggled and who currently struggle with infertility. She shares openly about her personal and professional journey through infertility, pregnancy loss, grief, and healing. 

As both a clinician and woman with lived experience navigating secondary infertility, Bridget offers honest insight into the emotional complexity of infertility, the loneliness many people carry silently, and the importance of compassionate support.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

• The difference between primary and secondary infertility

• Navigating grief, shame, anger, and uncertainty following pregnancy loss

• How infertility impacts identity, relationships, and mental health

• What support actually feels helpful during infertility and grief

• How lived experience changed Bridget’s work as a therapist and advocate for perinatal mental health

Thoughts to sit with:

• “If you want to support children and families, you have to start with their parents.”

• “There is no other way out but through.”

• “People just want to be heard and have someone beside them.”

Dr. Bridget Jones is a licensed clinical psychologist located in Dayton, OH. She specializes in perinatal mental health, specifically infertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum mood disorders. Dr. Jones received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Loyola University of Maryland. While her training initially focused on child and pediatric psychology, her work in hospitals revealed a need for support among parents navigating their own anxieties and parenting challenges. Inspired by her own experiences as a parent, Dr. Jones pursued further training in perinatal mental health. Dr. Jones currently owns a private practice in Dayton and sees clients in Ohio and across the country.

Connect with Bridget:

Bridget’s Website

Follow Bridget on Instagram

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new journey. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. 

Interested in working with Emily? Learn more here!

Let's Connect on Instagram

Join the Breathe, Darling Newsletter Community

Disclosure: 

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

In this episode, Emily sits down with somatic therapist Melissa Woody (LCSW, SEP) to explore what it really means to move from survival into connection. Melissa shares how her own experience with burnout and illness forced her to redefine “enough” and reconnect with herself beyond her work.

Melissa and Emily discuss protective patterns, unearthing what they are, how they’ve kept us safe, and how they might be keeping us from fully living. Melissa shares what somatic experiencing is and how it supports healing through an invitation to slow down, tune in, and build a sense of safety from within. She also shares the importance of redefining “enough” for yourself and simple, practical ways to build nervous system regulation and connection.

This conversation is a gentle but powerful reminder: healing doesn’t require doing more; it often asks us to do less, with more intention.

Thoughts to Sit With: 

• “Protective patterns may be what kept us alive, or they kept us in belonging, or relationally safe, but they might also keep us from living fully now.”

• “We have to have compassion and appreciation for ourselves, what we’ve carried, how long we’ve carried it, and how we survived it.”

• “Prolonged stress and trauma don’t cause autoimmune disorders or chronic illnesses. It helps create the right conditions for these things to express or reveal themselves.”

• “Simple isn’t sexy, but it is effective.”

• “If you think you’ve slowed down enough, slow down even more. This is tough, because our society doesn’t reward slowing down.”

Melissa Woody is a psychotherapist (LCSW), SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) and yoga teacher located in Asheville, NC with a profound appreciation for the human condition and belief in our inherent resilience. She combines her own lived experience and clinical training and skills to help folks move from patterns of protection (that may have been helpful and even kept us alive at one point, but don’t serve us so well anymore and prevent us from actually living) to patterns of inner and interconnection. While she knows "nervous system regulation" is trendy right now, she has spent years training, studying and applying how this can support us as it relates to recovery from chronic (mental and physical) symptoms. She believes in the benefit of both somatic and cognitive based approaches to address the whole and produce best outcomes as it relates to her client's goals. As a clinical social worker, she also approaches therapy through an intersectional socio-cultural lens, recognizing that individual's experiences are also shaped by a complex web of identities, systems, and power dynamics. She works with her clients as a collaborative guide to co-create an experience where no matter who you are or what you have gone through, you are invited to (re)discover self-trust, confidence, belief in your wholeness and own embodied wisdom.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Melissa’s Soft Landing Journal 

Somatic Experiencing International 

Connect with Melissa: 

Follow Melissa on Instagram 

Check out Melissa’s Website 

Connect with Emily: 

Interested in working with Emily? Learn more here!

Let's Connect on Instagram

Join the Breathe, Darling Newsletter Community

Disclosure: 

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

In this episode, Emily is joined by therapist and Self-Compassion Educator, Kylie Lambert. This episode dives deep into the inner “mean girl” many women carry - that critical voice that pushes and shames, convincing us our worth is tied to productivity and others’ opinions of us. Through honest conversation, Kylie and Emily explore how inner dialogue forms, why it’s difficult to release, and what it actually takes to build a kinder relationship with yourself. Kylie shares how self-criticism often disguises itself as motivation, the connection between burnout and resentment, and practical ways to begin practicing self-compassion, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Thoughts to Sit With:

• “People are afraid that if they silence their inner mean girl, they’re not going to be driven and will achieve less.”
• “When we lean into vulnerability, self-compassion feels easier.”

Connect with Kylie: 

Kylie Lambert is a licensed therapist, self-compassion coach, and the creator of Silence Your Inner Mean Girl. She specializes in helping high-achieving, perfectionist women quiet their inner critic, build unshakeable self-trust, and start living life on their own terms.

With nearly a decade of clinical experience, Kylie blends evidence-based practices with real, relatable tools that her clients can actually use in their everyday lives. Her approach is deeply rooted in self-compassion, emotional regulation, and letting go of the belief that your worth is tied to productivity or perfection.

Outside of therapy sessions, you can find Kylie reading a thriller novel, building Legos on a slow Sunday, or enjoying a cozy night in with her husband and a good cup of coffee. She believes that healing doesn’t mean changing who you are – it’s about learning to meet yourself with curiosity instead of criticism so you can live the authentic, peaceful life you crave.

Kylie is licensed to see clients virtually in North Carolina and Florida and is able to taking coaching clients from all 50 states.

www.kylielambertcounseling.com

Kylie on Instagram

Grab the “Silencing Your Inner Mean Girl” Guide for 50% off! 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Kristen Neff & Self-Compassion

Connect with Emily:

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new journey. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. 

Interested in working with Emily? Learn more here!

Let's Connect on Instagram

Join the Breathe, Darling Newsletter Community

Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. I’m so grateful for how this community is connecting and growing, learning to breathe a little easier as we go. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends. 

Disclosure: 

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

In this episode, Emily is joined by Victoria Reyna, a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in ADHD, who brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work. They explore together what ADHD actually is, moving beyond the common stereotype of hyperactivity, and how it shows up in both children and adults.Victoria reframes ADHD as an executive functioning disorder, impacting areas like time management, organization, emotional regulation, and working memory. She shares how ADHD is deeply tied to motivation, introducing the INCUP model (interest, novelty, consequence, urgency, and passion) as a key to understanding why some tasks feel nearly impossible while others come easily.They discuss how ADHD is often misunderstood or missed entirely, especially in women, and how years of masking and negative feedback can shape identity and self-worth. Victoria highlights the importance of individualized approaches to treatment and the need for greater awareness, education, and support for both individuals and families navigating ADHD.Thoughts to Sit With:“ADHD is very motivation-driven; if one is not motivated to complete a task, it will be very difficult to make it happen.”Victoria Reyna, LPC-S, ADHD-CCSP, is a bilingual neurodivergent therapist, and mom of three. She’s the founder of Rising Perspective Counseling, where she helps adults with ADHD, anxiety, and low self-esteem feel supported and empowered. Based in El Paso, she also leads CHADD’s local chapter and juggles community projects and home redecoration in her “free” time.Connect with Victoria:Instagram:@rising.perspective.counseling  Website: https://www.risingperspectivecounseling.com/Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new journey. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. Connect with Emily:Interested in working with Emily? Learn more here!

Let's Connect on Instagram

Join the Breathe, Darling Newsletter Community

Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. I’m so grateful for how this community is connecting and growing, learning to breathe a little easier as we go. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends. Disclosure: The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

In this episode, Emily is joined by therapist and Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Nicole McNelis (M.Ed., NCC, LPC, PMH-C) to talk about a topic many mothers experience but rarely discuss openly: mom rage. Nicole explains how maternal rage often grows out of a powerful combination of feelings of powerlessness, injustice, and stress, and why it feels so sudden and overwhelming.

Nicole first encountered mom rage during the pandemic while raising young children and navigating the same uncertainty many families faced. What began as a personal realization soon emerged in her work with clients, leading her to explore research and develop ways to help mothers better understand and respond to the intense, emotional moments. 

Together, Emily and Nicole explore how mom rage often follows a recognizable cycle: buildup, release, and aftermath, and why recognizing the early signs can be key to managing it in healthier ways. Most importantly, Nicole reframes mom rage not as a failure of motherhood, but as a signal that something deeper needs attention.Thoughts to Sit With: 

• “Mom rage, when we work with it the right way, can be a catalyst for positive change.
• “This is not a meltdown, it’s a message.”
• “Curiosity opens spaces; judgement closes them.”

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://www.minnadubin.com/book

About Nicole: 

Nicole McNelis (M.Ed., NCC, LPC, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist and perinatal mental health counseling specialist.  She is the founder of an award-winning counseling private practice in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – where she also resides with her family.

Nicole has been featured as a mental health expert in print publications, online media, books, educational courses, regional & international conferences, and podcasts. She is honored to serve the perinatal mental health community through her roles as a Subject Matter Expert and Conference Presenter for Postpartum Support International.

Beyond her clinical work, she is an active speaker, writer, and legislative advocate.  As a therapist educator, Nicole is focused on academic research and teaching projects centered on the experience of Maternal Rage.For more information, please visit  http://www.nicolemcnelis.com and follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/therapist.mom.collective

About Emily:

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S, RYT, PMH-C) is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women. A passionate advocate for women building lives they’re proud of, she’s dedicated her career to being a safe place to land for clients to hope, heal, and start a new chapter. As host of the Breathe, Darling Podcast, she enjoys deep, thoughtful conversations that leave us feeling more connected, understood, and open to possibility. Emily is deeply committed to whole-hearted living, a pursuit which includes lots of gluten-free treats, laughter to the point of tears, and as much time in the sun as she can stand. She lives in Ohio with her husband and daughter, and a very moody black lab named Lewie. 

http://www.emilyriggstherapyandwellness.com/

http://www.instagram.com/emilyriggstherapy/

https://breathedarling.myflodesk.com/linkinbio

Disclosure: The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

In this episode of the Breathe, Darling Book Club, Emily and Steph sit down with Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy — a luminous exploration of creativity, transformation, and the alchemy of turning life’s hardest moments into meaning.

Together, we reflect on the themes that resonated most deeply with us and our listeners, including:

✨ The role of ritual and creativity in healing✨ How community can act as a crucible for transformation✨ Navigating grief, adversity, and change with tenderness✨ The ways we discover new parts of ourselves in times of rupture✨ What it means to hold both pain and beauty in the same hand✨ How storytelling (and listening) becomes its own form of medicine

We also talk about the places in our own lives where alchemy has shown up — sometimes quietly, sometimes with fire — and what this book invited us to reimagine about healing, creativity, and resilience.

This conversation is for anyone longing to find light in the dark and lean into practices for creative living.

Links & Mentions:
📖 The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad
📚 Join the Breathe, Darling Book Club on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast
🎙️ Listen to past episodes of Breathe, Darling the Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.

About Your Hosts

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women across the lifespan. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact her at [email protected] to learn more.

Steph Duff is a writer, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She believes in the power of story and feels healing can be found when we share ours with each other in vulnerability. She is a Dayton resident, voracious reader, loud laugher, and believes there’s always room for cheese and a deep conversation. Connect with Steph on Instagram @_stephduff.

Disclosure:The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.

Welcome to the very first Breathe, Darling Book Club episode! 🎉

In this candid conversation, Emily Riggs and Stephani Duff unpack Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer — a love letter to female friendship that challenges old narratives and invites us to look at our relationships with fresh eyes.

Together, we dive into the complex, beautiful, and sometimes heartbreaking truths of women’s friendships, exploring questions like:

✨ What does it mean to fall in love with your friends?
✨ How do comparison and competition sneak into even our closest bonds?
✨ What scars are we still carrying from middle school — and how do we heal them?
✨ Can adult friendships help us reparent our inner child?
✨ How have pop culture and our upbringing shaped what we think friendship should look like?
✨ What does it mean when a friendship ends — and how do we grieve that loss?

We also reflect on the quiet power of celebration in friendships, navigating conflict without shame, and how female friendships evolve (or don’t) over time.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever texted “let me know when you get home” and really meant it. 💬💛

Links & Mentions:
📖 Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer
📚 Join the Breathe, Darling Book Club on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast
🎙️ Listen to past episodes of Breathe, Darling the Podcast

on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.

Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women across the lifespan. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at [email protected] to learn more.

Steph Duff is a writer, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She believes in the power of story and feels healing can be found when we share ours with each other in vulnerability. She is a Dayton resident, voracious reader, loud laugher, and believes there’s always room for cheese and a deep conversation. Connect with Steph on Instagram @_stephduff.

Disclosure:

The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.