This week on Further Forward, Ashley sits down with mental health speaker and somatic coach Ivy Watts for an honest conversation about anxiety, perfectionism, nervous system healing, motherhood, generational patterns, and what it actually means to do “the work.”

Together, they explore:

•  the hidden cost of constantly pushing through 
•  how trauma and conditioning live in the body 
•  why healing isn’t about becoming perfect 
•  the difference between reacting and responding 
•  the pressure Black women often carry to stay strong 
•  how movement can help regulate the nervous system 
•  why avoiding discomfort creates its own kind of suffering 

Ivy shares her journey from struggling silently as a top-performing athlete to becoming a mental health speaker and creator of Squat & Reset, a somatic fitness experience designed to help people build capacity for stress without losing themselves in it. 

This conversation is a reminder that healing isn’t linear, self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate, and no one is coming to save us — but we can learn to hold ourselves differently through hard things.

Connect with Ivy: 

https://www.ivywattsspeaks.com/

https://www.squatandreset.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ivywattsspeaks/

About Ivy: 

Ivy Watts, Somatic Fitness Coach & Mental Health Speaker, looked like she had it all together, but behind the scenes, she was silently struggling with anxiety and crippling self-doubt. Through grief, single motherhood, and a series of major life transitions, Ivy lost herself until utilizing somatic practices to rebuild self-love, access deep joy, and live with authenticity and aliveness.

Now, as a Mental Health Speaker, Author and Somatic Coach, Ivy empowers others to prioritize self-care and rise into their best selves. Through her keynotes, workshops, somatic fitness classes and self-help book, You Are Worth Fighting For, she has impacted over 200,000 individuals, from students to corporate professionals, equipping them with the tools to manage stress, cultivate self-love, and thrive.

Ivy provides a unique approach to fitness - combining nervous system regulation and strength training to help people release stress that is keeping them stuck and step into joy, alignment and self-love. Her work centers unapologetic joy, and her approach is playful yet grounding, designed for those who are done pushing through and ready to live with more presence, clarity, and authenticity.

Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell. 

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