Welcome! To become a client or connect visit catiaholm.com or call/text 956-249-7930.

In today's episode, we slow down the urge to “fix it” and talk about why healing often takes longer than we want, especially when our nervous systems have been carrying stress for years. With therapist Lauren Mitchell, we explore holistic healing as an embodied and relational practice that helps us come back home to ourselves with more compassion. 

• reframing exhaustion as rest rather than laziness 
• noticing overwhelm as a nervous system signal, not weakness 
• challenging productivity culture and chronic stress normalization 
• treating healing as physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual 
• Lauren’s shift from hustling to holistic practices that work 
• how culture and upbringing shape the drive to overfunction 
• choosing brave change to find what feels missing 
• letting go of the A through Z misconception 
• accepting nonlinear healing and perspective shifts over time 
• holding trauma with support instead of trying to erase it 
• using community and belonging for co-regulation 
• simple regulation tools like breath movement, sunlight, and boundaries 

Show Guest:

Lauren Mitchell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate and the Director of the Youth Crisis Respite Center at Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers in San Marcos.

What I love about Lauren’s work is that she approaches mental health through a deeply relational and human lens. Her background spans family therapy, crisis stabilization, trauma-informed care, leadership in community mental health systems, and family-centered support programs.

But beyond the credentials—and there are many—what stands out about Lauren is her presence. She has this grounded, collaborative way of helping people feel safe enough to breathe again during some of their hardest moments.

She believes healing happens through connection, dignity, and meeting people exactly where they are.

You can contact Lauren at: [email protected], or find her on Instagram.

Support the show

Couch Time with Cat isn’t therapy—it’s real conversation designed to support your journey alongside any personal or professional help you're receiving. If you're in emotional crisis or need immediate support, please get in touch with a professional or reach out to a 24/7 helpline like:

• US: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
• UK: Samaritans at 116 123
• Australia: Lifeline at 13 11 14
• Or find local resources through findahelpline.com

You’re not alone. Let’s take this one honest conversation at a time.

Follow the show and share it with someone who’s ready for healing, hope, and a more empowered way forward.

Show hosted by: 

Catia Hernandez Holm, LMFT-A 

Supervised by Susan Gonzales, LMFT-S, LPC-S

You can connect with Catia at couchtimewithcat.com 

and 

To become a client visit- catiaholm.com