This episode dives into the crucial conversation, with our partners, about seeking therapy and possibly asking our them to come with us for one reason or another. For some, making the commitment to go to therapy and talking through that decision it with a loved one is easy. For others, this is vulnerable and scary. Communicating feelings and exposing the need for help might be excruciatingly difficult. Top that all off with asking a spouse to attend also. A spouse that may or may not be in the same spot of needing/wanting therapy. 

It is my honor to introduce Emma Orthel, a true Idaho spud. She is a born and raised Idaho wife, mom, therapist, photographer, and lover of breakfast. 

In this episode, she and I are diving into some of the intricacies of  going to therapy and asking our spouses to participate. She gives us such great insight and so many tools to help. She also reminds us that although, "You DON'T have to go to therapy to take care of yourself." Therapy is an important option but Emma also implores us to also remember that the nitty gritty work of slowing down, taking care of our bodies, being mindful of others, and investing in our cherished relationships are also VERY important, therapy or not.

Endometriosis is a condition that effects 1 out of every 10 women. This is a condition in which cells that line the inside of your uterus grow elsewhere in the body. And it is way more common than we think. The symptoms can include painful periods/cramping, pain during sex, digestive issues and even infertility. A diagnosis can take upwards of 8-10 years because it is widely under-reported and misdiagnosed.  Currently there is no cure, however, treatments include ablations (burning the cells) or excision (removal of tissue) slow the cell growth and improve symptoms.

This week's guest was diagnosed with endometriosis at the very young age of 20 and she is bravely sharing her journey to diagnosis and through several levels of treatment. Mikaila is passionate about reminding others to listen to their bodies and advocating for themselves, even when its hard. With her story she reminds us that it is within our right to insist that our healthcare team listen to our concerns, our ideas and our feelings to help us navigate the daunting world of healthcare.

In this conversation you will also be reminded (or maybe even learn for the first time) that infertility can be a paralyzing blow to women like Mikaila that yearn to become mothers. Unfortunately she has come in close proximity with uncomfortable discussions of infertility and  possible hysterectomy treatment options. Therefore, she has taken steps to become a "Single Mother by Choice."   Mikaila is passionate that, romantic partner or not, she will not allow the challenging hand she has been dealt deter her from taking steps to give brave, compassionate and kind love to a child.

This young woman is a true inspiration and you will not want to miss listening to this episode!

Shawnee is bringing a new meaning to the word REST to my little Idaho community with a state of the art float therapy center. Join us as we discuss how she left the life that she was "supposed" to have to grab on to the tail of a dream that just wouldn't die. She gives us all the details. From her decision to choose herself to how she discovered opening a float therapy center was the dream she needed to chase to find fulfillment.  She will encourage you to NEVER ignore that nagging pit in your stomach that says something in your life just isn't quite right. Grab the tail of your dreams and fly! The world needs you, the most authentic purpose filled you. 

You will learn all about what float therapy is, what happens when you float, and even what you should wear (ps...its nothing...#floatnaked). You will learn about this new (at least to my community and brain) self care technique and place to truly rest. A place of solitude where all you can hear is your breath and your heart beat. A place where no one needs anything from you. A place where you can connect with you again. Sounds like heaven to me. Shawnee helped me discover a whole new modality for self care and I can't wait to go try it! How about you? 

In this episode Rachel Kaschmitter and I discuss the differences between Big T traumas and Little T traumas. She helps us understand that while Big T trauma is often what we define as "trauma." The terrible, unfathomable and unfortunately all too real things, like war veteran PTSD trauma, rape victim trauma, childhood and martial abuse trauma. All of which certainly play a huge role in that of their victims. It surprises most, however, to discover that trauma comes in a much smaller version. The Little T version.

Join Rachel and I as we discuss those little (not so little) adverse events (traumas) that life throws and how they play a much bigger role than you might expect. We are diving into it all in this episode. How trauma effects your relationships, your parenting right down to the way that these little buggers (Little T Traumas) play a role in your emotional response intensity.

This convo is with friend and new business partner, Dani Salts. Throughout life, Danielle has always felt that there was more to communication than just words and that human connection should be the ultimate goal of a conversation. She has a passion for guiding people on a path of growing their Emotional Intelligence and believes that if we all knew ourselves better, this world would be easier to navigate.

In this conversation we are diving into what Emotional Intelligence is and how to tell whether or not you have high or low emotional intelligence. She also walks us through the difference between "responding" and "reacting" and the impact that understanding the difference can have on your relationships, your work and your life.

One sign of high emotional intelligence is caring about and understanding the power of your personal emotions on those around you. A simple/not so simple small step that can make such a huge change in all aspects of our lives!

And last but not least, Dani and I have been cooking up a way to combine our talents to bring you tangible steps to take to improve your emotional and conversational intelligence. So don't miss it! 

In this episode my love/hate relationship with using running as a tool for fitness is apparent. Walk with me through that "I love running. I hate running" inner running dialog and also though 10+ things that I learned about myself and life in general from the act of training to run my very first 10K. I am detailing my run in's with sprinklers, scary dogs, air quality and even headwind. Trust me. All these lessons are important to running but even more so to just life in general. Trust me. Give it a listen and then let me know if you switched "running" out for some other activity. 

It is a super great way to cap off the first season of the podcast! All the conversational tips she has for podcasting...an art she has mastered...are also so applicable to you! We are covering the art of listening, how not to interrupt, my favorite phrase to elicit more conversation and SO much more!

In this episode my garden loving friend Kate Dietze is giving us some much needed advise on all things get your hands dirty and grow some food. She walks us through the easiest way to start as a new gardener and even helps us with recipes, and preserving the food we grow.

We are also talking about how we talk to ourselves and our children about food and where it comes from. Which for me and my little picky eater(s) is a quite insightful. You will also enjoy some of Kate's thoughts on our food system and things we can do to help our environment.

I wish my sister from another Dietze "with and e" family lived just a little closer so she could rub off on me just a little bit more. I just know you will love this episode as much as I did!

In my very unqualified opinion, I have found a great way for kiddos AND ADULTS alike to respond to an apology. Even though our tendency is to say, "Oh it's okay, no biggie." 

I have struggled for the better part of the year to find a tool to give my kids in the instances when they receive a heart felt apology but their emotions are just a bit raw to walk into forgiveness right away. Or what we have come to accept as the slogan of "forgiveness" in the phrase "it's okay." 

In most cases, as a mother, when my kids get apologized too I can automatically see that it will be "okay." However, in the moment sometimes for a kiddo being apologized to there is some emotions involved and they need time to work through those. I want them to do that. Heck, I want to do that too before I respond. But, in society today the apology, however big or small, typically demands a response in the moment. 

In this episode, with a very special 5 year old little guest, I am walking through what I am now telling my kids is the appropriate thing to say when they are the receiver of an apology. And it can work for you too. Mom or not. 

Also, I am still trying to figure out a way to get them to be the apologizer every time they need to but I think that's a whole other episode. I am still working on that one as a well mannered adult so any thoughts on that would be much appreciated.  

There are tough moments in time that change you, forever. In those pivotal moments we are presented with a choice. Stay and play victim or be propelled into something different, something new, something greater than where we were before. Today's guest chose to get up and GO. She is using something hard to not only make changes in her life but to empower others to do the same, little baby steps at a time.

Mya gives us a pot of gold in this episode and all you have to do is pick it up and use it to the best of your ability. Join us as we talk through, repairing relationships, self advocacy, throwing out victim mentality, conflict resolution and much more! And, don't forget she has free online group and resources where you can find more Mya! Check out the show notes on kelseydietz.com for more information. For now, sit back and have a listen as we discuss her journey and tips for taking baby steps into a more empowered and healthier life.