Parenting can be overwhelming, throw in being a Highly-Sensitive Person (HSP) and oof...it can be a lot.

In this episode we support you in understanding what it means to be a HSP, the challenges and gifts that come with it, and tangible ways to care for yourself in this modern era of parenting.

Amy Lajiness, LCSW, PMH-C is a Therapist and Coach who has spent countless hours supporting Highly Sensitive (HSP) parents in reclaiming their peace and confidence. Amy is a Highly Sensitive Person herself as well as a mother of two highly energetic young children. Amy holds certifications in Perinatal Mental Health and HSP, and is passionate about providing resources for HSP parents, teaching them how to harness their strengths and manage challenges with grace and confidence, in order to thrive in parenthood.

You can find Amy at www.highlysensitiveparenthood.com (for HSP Parent Resources & Coaching) and at www.innernaturetherapy.com (for Therapy for HSPs & Parents in California).  Amy is offering listeners of Holding Space 20% off of any resources or services at Highly Sensitive Parenthood, simply use the code HOLDINGSPACE at checkout to save 20% on any of the following:

Highly Sensitive Parenthood Course

Nourish Coaching Package

Highly Sensitive Parenthood Toolkit

Supporting Your Highly Sensitive Child Course (Presale)

To learn more about Dr. Cassidy's Group Therapy Practice for California parents visit www.drcassidymft.com.

Let's talk about sex baby...but after baby! 

I'm so excited to share my conversation with New York Times bestselling authors of the book Sex Talks: The Five Conversations that will Transform Your Sex Life, Vanessa and Xander Marin.

She's a sex therapist with 20 years of experience, and he's a regular dude! Together they've made it their mission to provide the sex education we all deserve but didn't get.

In this episode we are talking to parents, because let's be real...there can be SO many blocks to intimacy after baby and beyond. This episode will help you answer the question: "where do we even start?"

Vanessa is also one of my book besties. We connect over our love of spicy fantasy fiction, and share how reading spicy books can be a supportive step in reconnecting with that part of ourselves in parenthood.

Connect with Vanessa and Xander over on Instagram @vanessaandxander where they share informed and open sex education with a hint of humor that makes it oh so relatable. You can learn more about Vanessa's work at vmtherapy.com and get their book at sextalksbook.com

Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with you first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/holdingspace.

To connect with Dr. Cassidy or learn more about her private practice, visit www.drcassidymft.com.

The pandemic showed us all how quickly things can change, and as parents we had to face that not only for ourselves, but for our kids too.

I invited Sarah Rosney, licensed clinical social worker, back on to the podcast to provide strategies for supporting our children (and ourselves) with navigating change. 

Whether the change has to do with a new baby, a new home, a new school, a new schedule, a divorce, a death, an illness, or even a new big kid bed...there are ways we can bridge both connection and communication with our children as we move through it. Sarah offers us the roadmap.

Follow Sarah and soak up more of her support at @sarah_the_therapist on Instagram or you can learn more about Sarah's courses at https://sarahrosneylcsw.com/mindful-wellness-classroom/

To connect with Dr. Cassidy or learn more about her private practice, visit www.drcassidymft.com.

Sibling relationships...the challenges, the pressure, the rivalries.

Yep, it's real. If you grew up with siblings, maybe you can even connect to these experiences. 

Yet, supporting sibling relationships can also provide opportunities for deep connection, empathy-building, and so much more.

I am thrilled to share my conversation with Jessica Rolph, co-founder and CEO of Lovevery and mom to 3. Jessica and I offer tangible strategies for you to support the relationship between your children from the start, through their early years and beyond.

Learn more about Lovevery (and their amazing subscription play kits) by clicking here!

Continue to connect with Jessica and Lovevery on Instagram @lovevery and @jessicarolph and tune into Jessica's podcast My New Life.

Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with you first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/holdingspace.

Make the most of bedtime with Boll and Branch sheets. Get 15% off your first order when you use promo code DRCASSIDY at bollandbranch.com. Exclusions apply. See site for details.

You know what's really having it's moment right now (and I'm LOVING it!)?

Internal Family Systems and "parts" work.

What is Internal Family Systems, and why is this therapeutic approach so helpful when it comes to understanding our triggers and developing a new relationship with our emotions? You're going to leave this episode with the answer.

I invited Vanessa Trine, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor on to the podcast to help me unpack why "parts" work is so powerful in our personal work as parents, breaking cycles, and supporting our children.

To connect with Vanessa:

Website: www.vanessatrine.com

Support Deck: https://odddaughterpaper.com/products/support-deck 

To learn more about Dr. Cassidy's California group private practice, visit www.drcassidymft.com.

Today we are talking about origin wounds, those painful experiences from when you were young that find themselves showing up in present day relationships and patterns.

I invited fellow Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of the book Origins of You, Vienna Pharaon, to walk us through understanding how we can begin to understand and heal our origin wounds.

Even if you had a wonderful childhood, we have all experienced disappointment, been hurt, or felt pressure to look or be a certain way. Of course, not everything is experienced as trauma, but that doesn’t make it any less important for us to explore and heal. These wounds can originate in our family systems, but they can also form later on in life through partner relationships, our work environment, friendships, and they can impact our own experience as parents.

In this episode Vienna introduces us to 5 origin wounds: worthiness, prioritization, belonging, safety, and trust. You'll leave the episode with an understanding of your own origin wounds and next steps to start the healing process.

To connect with Vienna follow along @mindfulmft or visit www.newyorkcouplescounseling.com. You can buy her book Origins of You wherever books are sold or by visiting https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709274/the-origins-of-you-by-vienna-pharaon-lfmt/.

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. To learn more about the AG1 nutritional drink go to www.athleticgreens.com/holdingspace and receive a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase.

You're reading the parenting books, following the experts on social media, listening to the podcasts, maybe even buying the courses...and somehow in the tough moment with your child none of the "strategies" feel intuitive...can you relate?

Yea, same, and I'm considered one of those "experts!"

Maybe you relate to trying to hold it all together, but underneath you wonder if something is actually wrong with YOU.

In this episode I invited my good friend and fellow therapist and mom Renata Cameron to unpack these experience with me.

Together we discuss the role of anxiety (and the desire to get it perfect) in these tough parenting moments, understanding why we get stuck, and breaking generational cycles through reparenting. 

Funny enough, the parts of you that struggle the most will help us unlock that maternal intuition you're trying to tap into, and this episode will not only explain why but will help you take the first step.

Renata is one of the amazing therapists for moms in my group practice, and you can connect with us at www.drcassidymft.com!

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Visit https://cozyearth.com/ and use code DRCASSIDY35 for 35% off your order sitewide. I have their joggers and pull-over crew in Ivory!

In this episode we are shedding light on the often misdiagnosed experience of Postpartum OCD.

I invited Licensed Therapist Jenna Overbaugh to share her professional (and personal!) experience with postpartum OCD. Together we open the door to the internal experience of living with OCD and discuss the symptoms, impact, treatment and how to get the support you need from your healthcare team. Jenna doesn't hold back and you'll leave this episode informed and feeling less alone.

Connect with Jenna:

@jenna.overbaugh on Instagram

All The Hard Things Podcast

Resources mentioned in the episode:

IOCDF.org (International OCD Foundation)
Postpartum.net (Postpartum Support international)
Treatmyocd.com (evidence based treatment in and out of the US)

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Visit https://cozyearth.com/ and use code DRCASSIDY35 for 35% off your order sitewide. I have their joggers and pull-over crew in Ivory!

To connect with Dr. Cassidy or learn more about her private practice, visit www.drcassidymft.com.

Am I screwing up my kids?

I've laid in bed wondering this and I know I'm not alone.

In this episode I invited Dr. Sumi Raghavan to help us explore the answer to this question.

Together we discuss steps we can take today to begin the work of breaking generational cycles as parents, unhook from unrealistic expectations of perfection, and tap into our own intuition amidst all the noise when it comes to showing up for our kids (and ourselves).

Dr. Sumi Raghavan is a clinical psychologist practicing virtually in Brooklyn, New York. She's also a mom of two and a cross-cultural scholar who has always been interested in the intersection of culture and mental health. In her practice she works with adults coping with a range of factors including trauma, workplace stress and burnout, depression, anxiety, interpersonal and relationship concerns and grief and loss. As a cross-cultural practitioner, she really enjoys working with BIPOC clients and welcomes conversations about our multiple and intersecting identities into our work. You can connect with Dr. Sumi at www.drsumiphd.com.

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Visit https://cozyearth.com/ and use code DRCASSIDY35 for 35% off your order sitewide. I have their joggers and pull-over crew in Ivory!

To connect with Dr. Cassidy or learn more about her private practice, visit www.drcassidymft.com.

The toddler years...somehow one of my favorite stages and simultaneously so exhausting and triggering.

In this episode I invited my colleague Gayane Aramyan, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and fellow mother to a 2 and half year old, on to the podcast to talk about the challenges of the season and how we can move beyond survival. We discuss tantrums, triggers, self-care and relationships during this cute AND demanding season.

You can learn more about Gayane, her practice, and her motherhood group by visiting her website www.therapywithgayane.com or following along on instagram @therapywithgayane.

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth. Visit https://cozyearth.com/ and use code DRCASSIDY35 for 35% off your order sitewide. I have their joggers and pull-over crew in Ivory!

To connect with Dr. Cassidy or learn more about her private practice, visit www.drcassidymft.com.