Free Resource for Moms
Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood? You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.
👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 48: Living Life by Design in Motherhood with Dr. Wendy O'Connor

So many moms are living on autopilot.
You check the boxes.
You show up.
You do the “right” things.
And yet… something feels off.

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Dr. Wendy O’Connor, Stanford-trained positive psychologist, to unpack what it truly means to live life by design instead of default, especially in motherhood.

We talk about the quiet kind of burnout that happens when your life looks good on paper but doesn’t feel aligned anymore. The kind where you’re not depressed, but you’re not lit up either. The kind where you start wondering, Is this just how it’s supposed to be?

Dr. Wendy shares the pivotal moment that changed everything for her, realizing she had built a successful life that no longer fit who she was becoming. That realization led her into the work she now teaches thousands of women: reconnecting to your strengths, values, and desires so you can stop surviving and start designing forward.

A Powerful Shift
One of the most important takeaways from this episode:
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life.
You need to start designing forward.

That might look like taking an honest audit of your day.
Noticing where you hit the “rumble strip.”
Asking yourself, Where am I saying yes when I mean no?
It’s not about blowing everything up.
It’s about inching closer to alignment.

Because every time you say yes when you mean no, you fracture self-trust.
And every time you choose yourself in a small way, you begin rebuilding it.

Why This Matters in Motherhood
There is no other season of life where you give so much of yourself.
And yet, when you disconnect from yourself, you don’t just affect your own fulfillment, you model that disconnection for your children.
If we live dimmed, filtered, and small… they learn to do the same.

Living by design isn’t selfish.
It’s modeling courage.
It’s modeling self-trust.
It’s modeling what it looks like to come home to yourself.

If You’re Feeling “Too Far Gone”
Dr. Wendy reminds us: there is no such thing.
Everything you desire is waiting on the other side of your next small move.

One mindset shift.
One boundary.
One aligned decision.

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

Connect with Dr. Wendy
You can connect with Dr. Wendy O’Connor on Instagram at @drwendyoconnor and learn more about her work helping women live with clarity, confidence, and intention.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms
Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood? You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.
👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 47: From Exhausted to Empowered: Helping Families Thrive Through Sleep with Allison Egidi

Sleep deprivation can quietly unravel even the most capable, prepared parents. When sleep struggles linger beyond the newborn phase, many families find themselves overwhelmed, doubting their instincts, and wondering if they’re doing something wrong.

But sleep isn’t just about rest.
It affects emotional regulation, impulse control, learning retention, and mental health. And when a family hasn’t slept in months or even years, it can feel impossible to know where to begin.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with pediatric sleep consultant Allison Egidi, founder of Sleep and Wellness Coach, to talk about what really happens when families go without sleep for too long and how to reclaim rest in a realistic, supportive way.

The Breaking Point That Changed Everything
Allison shares her personal story of nearly two years of severe sleep deprivation with her first daughter. Despite being prepared, organized, and determined to “do it right,” nothing was working. Add postpartum anxiety, a demanding job, and a second baby into the mix, and she hit a breaking point.

The turning point came when someone lovingly said, “You don’t seem like yourself.”

That moment led her to seek help. Within 11 days of working with a sleep coach, everything changed.

Why Sleep Is Foundational for Mental Health
One of the most powerful takeaways from this episode is this:
Five hours of uninterrupted sleep can significantly improve mental health.
While adults ideally need seven to eight hours, that five-hour stretch can be a critical starting point for overwhelmed moms. Sleep affects mood stability, anxiety levels, cognitive function, and resilience.

We talk about practical strategies like dividing nighttime responsibilities with a partner, creating intentional sleep windows, and asking for help even when it feels uncomfortable.

How Sleep Impacts Kids Beyond Bedtime
Sleep isn’t just about easier nights. It impacts:
• Emotional regulation
 • Impulse control
 • Learning retention
 • Classroom behavior

Allison explains how chronic sleep deprivation can mimic ADHD symptoms in children and how improving sleep can dramatically shift academic performance and behavior.

It’s never too late to teach a child how to sleep well. Whether your child is six months old or in fifth grade, healthy sleep habits can be built.

The Power of Asking for Help
This conversation also highlights something deeper than sleep.
Many moms suffer silently. We tell ourselves we should be able to figure it out. We power through exhaustion. We minimize our struggles.
But healing often begins with saying, “I’m not okay.”

When we admit we need help, we open the door to real change.
If this episode encouraged you, share it with another mom who might need it.

Connect with Allison
Podcast: How Long Till Bedtime
 Instagram: @sleepandwellnesscoach
 Website: sleepandwellnesscoach.com

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms
Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood? You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.
👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 46: Healing After Trauma, Grief & Identity Loss with Nicole Gibson

Life can change in an instant. One moment you’re building a future, and the next, you’re trying to make sense of a life that no longer looks or feels familiar. For many women, trauma doesn’t just bring physical or emotional pain. It brings grief for the life they thought they were living and confusion about who they are now.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with Nicole Gibson, an engineer, traumatic brain injury survivor, and author of Shattered Into Grace. Nicole shares her story of surviving a severe brain injury at 20 years old and the long, often invisible journey of rebuilding her identity, her faith, and her sense of worth.

This conversation is honest, grounding, and full of hope for anyone navigating life after loss.

When Life Breaks and Identity Shatters
One month after turning 20, Nicole was hit by a car while walking to class. The accident left her with a severe traumatic brain injury, multiple skull fractures, and no memory of who she was. When she woke up, her life felt fragmented, like puzzle pieces scattered on the floor with no clear way to put them back together.

Recovery wasn’t just physical. It was deeply personal. Returning to school, relearning routines, and trying to reconnect with a version of herself she could barely remember forced Nicole to rebuild from the ground up. The question wasn’t just how to heal, but who am I now?

Trauma didn’t erase her life, but it changed it. And learning to live inside that reality took time, patience, and support.

The Long Road Through Grief, Relationships, and Worth
One of the most powerful parts of Nicole’s story is her honesty about how long healing really took. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, recovery stretched over years, not months. Even when life looked “fine” on the outside, internally she was struggling with fear, loneliness, and a deep desire to feel accepted.

That desire led her into relationships that didn’t reflect her worth. Nicole shares how trauma and identity loss can leave women vulnerable to staying in situations that slowly erode their sense of value. When self-worth is shaky, it’s easy to confuse attention with love and performance with belonging.

Healing, Faith, and Becoming Whole Again
Faith played a significant role in Nicole’s healing, but not in a neat or linear way. She speaks honestly about anger, doubt, and wrestling with questions that didn’t have easy answers. Healing didn’t come from bypassing grief, but from allowing space for it.

Over time, surrender replaced striving. Instead of forcing life to look a certain way, Nicole began asking what would actually bring her peace, joy, and health. That shift opened the door to a life that looks different than the one she lost, but still whole.

Her reminder for anyone healing after trauma is simple and powerful: you are worthy. Your trauma does not define you, and you are allowed to take the time you need to heal.

Connect with Nicole
You can learn more about Nicole, her book Shattered Into Grace, and her ongoing writing at dynamicallycrafted.com, where she shares reflections on healing, faith, and rebuilding life after trauma.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms
Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood? You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.
👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 45: How Childhood Shapes Us with Stacy Schaffer
So many adults move through life believing they should be “past” what happened to them. That childhood is over. That it shouldn’t still affect them. But our early experiences don’t stay neatly tucked in the past. They quietly shape how we love, how we parent, how we handle stress, and how safe we feel being ourselves.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with Stacy Schaffer, a licensed professional counselor with over 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and young adults. She’s also the author of With Love from a Children’s Therapist and brings a rare dual perspective as both a clinician and a survivor of childhood trauma.

This conversation is tender, honest, and deeply relatable.

Childhood Doesn’t Stay in Childhood
Stacy shares openly about growing up in an environment marked by trauma, silence, and unmet emotional needs. When she tried to speak up as a young child, she wasn’t heard. That silence didn’t make the pain disappear. It taught her how to survive.

Like many people, Stacy learned to cope by starting over. By pushing forward. By performing well and deciding not to look back. For a long time, that strategy worked. It helped her build a life, choose a career, and appear “fine” on the outside.

How Childhood Trauma Shows Up Later
One of the most grounding parts of this conversation is Stacy’s explanation of what childhood trauma actually is. Trauma isn’t about comparison. It’s not about whether someone else “had it worse.” Trauma is any experience that overwhelms a child’s nervous system and changes how they understand the world.

Unprocessed childhood trauma often shows up sideways in adulthood. It can look like perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional shutdown, anxiety, over-functioning, or constantly feeling like you have to hold everything together.

When pain stays unnamed, it gets repeated.

Why Healing Ourselves Matters for Our Kids
A central theme of this episode is the impact parents have when they’re willing to do their own emotional work. Stacy speaks honestly about generational trauma and how cycles continue when pain goes unaddressed, not because parents don’t care, but because they don’t have the tools or support they need.

Children don’t need perfect parents. They need parents who are willing to listen without shutting down, who can tolerate discomfort without becoming defensive, and who are open to being human.

I was reminded again that I can’t take my children places I’m unwilling to go myself. When parents begin healing, even imperfectly, it creates safety. It gives kids permission to speak, to feel, and to trust that they won’t be alone with their hard emotions.

Healing isn’t about blame. It’s about breaking cycles with compassion.
You don’t have to carry this alone.

Connect with Stacy
You can learn more about Stacy’s work, her book With Love from a Children’s Therapist, and download the first chapter for free at stacyschaffer.com.

She also shares thoughtful, grounded insights for parents and caregivers on Instagram at @hoperestored.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms
Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?
 You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.
I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.
👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 44: Navigating Change with Grit & Gratitude with Laura Bratton

Change can feel terrifying especially when it arrives without warning. For many women, unexpected loss, health challenges, or major life transitions don’t just disrupt daily routines; they shake identity, belonging, and the future we thought we were building.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with Laura Bratton, author of Harnessing Courage and founder of UB Global, for a deeply honest conversation about grief, fear, faith, and what it really looks like to move forward when life no longer looks the way you imagined.

Laura shares her personal story of losing her sight as a teenager and the years of denial, depression, anxiety, and grief that followed. Instead of a polished “everything worked out” narrative, this conversation stays rooted in the real middle: the fear, the doubt, and the slow, day-by-day work of healing.

When Change Hits Before You’re Ready
Laura was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition as a child, but it wasn’t until her teenage years that vision loss began to impact every part of her life. At first, denial took over, believing it wouldn’t be permanent, that life would somehow return to normal after graduation.

When reality finally settled in, it brought an overwhelming wave of grief and fear.

As a teenager navigating identity, friendships, and belonging, Laura described being caught between the sadness of what she had already lost and the anxiety of an unknown future. One question kept surfacing:

“Do I still belong?”

The Quiet Truth About Grief and Depression

One of the most powerful moments in this episode was Laura’s honesty about her internal dialogue during those years. Rather than anger or “why me,” her dominant thought was simple and heavy:

“I can’t. This is too hard.”

That sentence became her nightly prayer and her first thought each morning.

This part of the conversation matters deeply to me, because so many women feel isolated in their grief, believing something is wrong with them for struggling. Laura named what often goes unspoken: depression, anxiety, and fear are not signs of weakness or failure. They are normal human responses to loss.

When those realities aren’t talked about, people stay stuck believing they’re alone.

Why Support Systems Matter More Than We Realize
Healing didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t happen in isolation.
Laura shared how her parents became a steady anchor during those years. Instead of asking her to imagine an entire future, they helped her narrow the focus:

Eat breakfast
Get to school
Make it through one class

That was enough.

Sometimes, healing looks like someone else holding hope for you until you can hold it yourself.

If this conversation resonated with you, I encourage you to share it with another woman who might need it. You are not alone in this.

Connect with Laura Bratton
You can learn more about Laura’s work, her book Harnessing Courage, and her coaching and speaking at LauraBratton.com.

Her work is a powerful reminder that grief, fear, faith, and gratitude can exist together and that moving forward doesn’t require having everything figured out.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters

Free Resource for Moms

Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.

👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 48: Living Life by Design in Motherhood with Dr. Wendy O'Connor

So many moms are living on autopilot.

You check the boxes.
You show up.
You do the “right” things.

And yet… something feels off.

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Dr. Wendy O’Connor, Stanford-trained positive psychologist, to unpack what it truly means to live life by design instead of default, especially in motherhood.

We talk about the quiet kind of burnout that happens when your life looks good on paper but doesn’t feel aligned anymore. The kind where you’re not depressed, but you’re not lit up either. The kind where you start wondering, Is this just how it’s supposed to be?

Dr. Wendy shares the pivotal moment that changed everything for her, realizing she had built a successful life that no longer fit who she was becoming. That realization led her into the work she now teaches thousands of women: reconnecting to your strengths, values, and desires so you can stop surviving and start designing forward.

A Powerful Shift

One of the most important takeaways from this episode:

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life.

You need to start designing forward.

That might look like taking an honest audit of your day.
Noticing where you hit the “rumble strip.”
Asking yourself, Where am I saying yes when I mean no?

It’s not about blowing everything up.
It’s about inching closer to alignment.

Because every time you say yes when you mean no, you fracture self-trust.
And every time you choose yourself in a small way, you begin rebuilding it.

Why This Matters in Motherhood

There is no other season of life where you give so much of yourself.

And yet, when you disconnect from yourself, you don’t just affect your own fulfillment, you model that disconnection for your children.

If we live dimmed, filtered, and small… they learn to do the same.

Living by design isn’t selfish.
It’s modeling courage.
It’s modeling self-trust.
It’s modeling what it looks like to come home to yourself.

If You’re Feeling “Too Far Gone”

Dr. Wendy reminds us: there is no such thing.

Everything you desire is waiting on the other side of your next small move.

One mindset shift.
One boundary.
One aligned decision.

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

Connect with Dr. Wendy

You can connect with Dr. Wendy O’Connor on Instagram at @drwendyoconnor and learn more about her work helping women live with clarity, confidence, and intention.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms

Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.

👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 47: From Exhausted to Empowered: Helping Families Thrive Through Sleep with Allison Egidi

Sleep deprivation can quietly unravel even the most capable, prepared parents. When sleep struggles linger beyond the newborn phase, many families find themselves overwhelmed, doubting their instincts, and wondering if they’re doing something wrong.

But sleep isn’t just about rest.

It affects emotional regulation, impulse control, learning retention, and mental health. And when a family hasn’t slept in months or even years, it can feel impossible to know where to begin.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with pediatric sleep consultant Allison Egidi, founder of Sleep and Wellness Coach, to talk about what really happens when families go without sleep for too long and how to reclaim rest in a realistic, supportive way.

The Breaking Point That Changed Everything

Allison shares her personal story of nearly two years of severe sleep deprivation with her first daughter. Despite being prepared, organized, and determined to “do it right,” nothing was working. Add postpartum anxiety, a demanding job, and a second baby into the mix, and she hit a breaking point.

Why Sleep Is Foundational for Mental Health

One of the most powerful takeaways from this episode is this:

Five hours of uninterrupted sleep can significantly improve mental health.

While adults ideally need seven to eight hours, that five-hour stretch can be a critical starting point for overwhelmed moms. Sleep affects mood stability, anxiety levels, cognitive function, and resilience.

We talk about practical strategies like dividing nighttime responsibilities with a partner, creating intentional sleep windows, and asking for help even when it feels uncomfortable.

How Sleep Impacts Kids Beyond Bedtime

Sleep isn’t just about easier nights. It impacts:

• Emotional regulation
 • Impulse control
 • Learning retention
 • Classroom behavior

Allison explains how chronic sleep deprivation can mimic ADHD symptoms in children and how improving sleep can dramatically shift academic performance and behavior.

It’s never too late to teach a child how to sleep well. Whether your child is six months old or in fifth grade, healthy sleep habits can be built.

The Power of Asking for Help

This conversation also highlights something deeper than sleep.

Many moms suffer silently. We tell ourselves we should be able to figure it out. We power through exhaustion. We minimize our struggles.

But healing often begins with saying, “I’m not okay.”

When we admit we need help, we open the door to real change.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with another mom who might need it.

Connect with Allison

Podcast: How Long Till Bedtime
 Instagram: @sleepandwellnesscoach
 Website: sleepandwellnesscoach.com

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms

Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?

 You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.
I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again

Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.

👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 46: Healing After Trauma, Grief & Identity Loss with Nicole Gibson

Life can change in an instant. One moment you’re building a future, and the next, you’re trying to make sense of a life that no longer looks or feels familiar. For many women, trauma doesn’t just bring physical or emotional pain. It brings grief for the life they thought they were living and confusion about who they are now.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with Nicole Gibson, an engineer, traumatic brain injury survivor, and author of Shattered Into Grace. Nicole shares her story of surviving a severe brain injury at 20 years old and the long, often invisible journey of rebuilding her identity, her faith, and her sense of worth.

This conversation is honest, grounding, and full of hope for anyone navigating life after loss.

When Life Breaks and Identity Shatters
One month after turning 20, Nicole was hit by a car while walking to class. The accident left her with a severe traumatic brain injury, multiple skull fractures, and no memory of who she was. When she woke up, her life felt fragmented, like puzzle pieces scattered on the floor with no clear way to put them back together.

Recovery wasn’t just physical. It was deeply personal. Returning to school, relearning routines, and trying to reconnect with a version of herself she could barely remember forced Nicole to rebuild from the ground up. The question wasn’t just how to heal, but who am I now?

Trauma didn’t erase her life, but it changed it. And learning to live inside that reality took time, patience, and support.

The Long Road Through Grief, Relationships, and Worth
One of the most powerful parts of Nicole’s story is her honesty about how long healing really took. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, recovery stretched over years, not months. Even when life looked “fine” on the outside, internally she was struggling with fear, loneliness, and a deep desire to feel accepted.

Her turning point came when she acknowledged that something had to change. Stepping away from unhealthy environments and returning closer to the people who truly supported her helped Nicole begin reclaiming who she was beneath the trauma.

Healing, Faith, and Becoming Whole Again
Faith played a significant role in Nicole’s healing, but not in a neat or linear way. She speaks honestly about anger, doubt, and wrestling with questions that didn’t have easy answers. Healing didn’t come from bypassing grief, but from allowing space for it.

Over time, surrender replaced striving. Instead of forcing life to look a certain way, Nicole began asking what would actually bring her peace, joy, and health. That shift opened the door to a life that looks different than the one she lost, but still whole.

Connect with Nicole
You can learn more about Nicole, her book Shattered Into Grace, and her ongoing writing at dynamicallycrafted.com, where she shares reflections on healing, faith, and rebuilding life after trauma.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms

Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?

 You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.
I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again

 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.

👉 https://jenaburris.kit.com/ecc29b3801

Episode 45: How Childhood Shapes Us with Stacy Schaffer

So many adults move through life believing they should be “past” what happened to them. That childhood is over. That it shouldn’t still affect them. But our early experiences don’t stay neatly tucked in the past. They quietly shape how we love, how we parent, how we handle stress, and how safe we feel being ourselves.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with Stacy Schaffer, a licensed professional counselor with over 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and young adults. She’s also the author of With Love from a Children’s Therapist and brings a rare dual perspective as both a clinician and a survivor of childhood trauma.

This conversation is tender, honest, and deeply relatable.

Childhood Doesn’t Stay in Childhood
Stacy shares openly about growing up in an environment marked by trauma, silence, and unmet emotional needs. When she tried to speak up as a young child, she wasn’t heard. That silence didn’t make the pain disappear. It taught her how to survive.

Like many people, Stacy learned to cope by starting over. By pushing forward. By performing well and deciding not to look back. For a long time, that strategy worked. It helped her build a life, choose a career, and appear “fine” on the outside.

But survival strategies often have an expiration date.

When childhood pain goes unacknowledged, it doesn’t fade with time. It follows us into adulthood, shaping our nervous systems, our relationships, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we have to be to stay safe.

How Childhood Trauma Shows Up Later
One of the most grounding parts of this conversation is Stacy’s explanation of what childhood trauma actually is. Trauma isn’t about comparison. It’s not about whether someone else “had it worse.” Trauma is any experience that overwhelms a child’s nervous system and changes how they understand the world.

Unprocessed childhood trauma often shows up sideways in adulthood. It can look like perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional shutdown, anxiety, over-functioning, or constantly feeling like you have to hold everything together.

These patterns aren’t flaws. They’re adaptations. They once helped a child survive in an unsafe or unpredictable environment. The problem isn’t that these coping mechanisms exist. The problem is when we don’t know why they’re there.

When pain stays unnamed, it gets repeated.

Connect with Stacy
You can learn more about Stacy’s work, her book With Love from a Children’s Therapist, and download the first chapter for free at stacyschaffer.com.

She also shares thoughtful, grounded insights for parents and caregivers on Instagram at @hoperestored.

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at [email protected]. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.

Free Resource for Moms

Feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve lost yourself in the chaos of motherhood?
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to keep feeling this way.

I created this FREE guide for you:
 🎁 The Overwhelmed Mom’s Guide: 10 Small Changes to Start Feeling Like You Again
 Simple, realistic shifts you can start making today without adding more to your plate.

👉 Click here to download it now

Episode 44: Navigating Change with Grit & Gratitude with Laura Bratton

Change can feel terrifying especially when it arrives without warning. For many women, unexpected loss, health challenges, or major life transitions don’t just disrupt daily routines; they shake identity, belonging, and the future we thought we were building.

In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down with Laura Bratton, author of Harnessing Courage and founder of UB Global, for a deeply honest conversation about grief, fear, faith, and what it really looks like to move forward when life no longer looks the way you imagined.

Laura shares her personal story of losing her sight as a teenager and the years of denial, depression, anxiety, and grief that followed. Instead of a polished “everything worked out” narrative, this conversation stays rooted in the real middle: the fear, the doubt, and the slow, day-by-day work of healing.

When Change Hits Before You’re Ready

Laura was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition as a child, but it wasn’t until her teenage years that vision loss began to impact every part of her life. At first, denial took over, believing it wouldn’t be permanent, that life would somehow return to normal after graduation.

When reality finally settled in, it brought an overwhelming wave of grief and fear.

As a teenager navigating identity, friendships, and belonging, Laura described being caught between the sadness of what she had already lost and the anxiety of an unknown future. One question kept surfacing:

“Do I still belong?”

The Quiet Truth About Grief and Depression

One of the most powerful moments in this episode was Laura’s honesty about her internal dialogue during those years. Rather than anger or “why me,” her dominant thought was simple and heavy:

“I can’t. This is too hard.”

That sentence became her nightly prayer and her first thought each morning.

This part of the conversation matters deeply to me, because so many women feel isolated in their grief, believing something is wrong with them for struggling. Laura named what often goes unspoken: depression, anxiety, and fear are not signs of weakness or failure. They are normal human responses to loss.

When those realities aren’t talked about, people stay stuck believing they’re alone.

Why Support Systems Matter More Than We Realize

Healing didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t happen in isolation.

Laura shared how her parents became a steady anchor during those years. Instead of asking her to imagine an entire future, they helped her narrow the focus:

• Eat breakfast
• Get to school
• Make it through one class

That was enough.

Over time, “day by day” became “hour by hour,” and slowly, life became more manageable. There was no dramatic breakthrough—just repetition, patience, and people willing to stay.

Sometimes, healing looks like someone else holding hope for you until you can hold it yourself.

If this conversation resonated with you, I encourage you to share it with another woman who might need it. You are not alone in this.

Connect with Laura Bratton

You can learn more about Laura’s work, her book Harnessing Courage, and her coaching and speaking at LauraBratton.com.

Her work is a powerful reminder that grief, fear, faith, and