The Adult Chair Podcast with Michelle Chalfant

Episode Summary

In this episode, I'm sharing a conversation from Dr. Chris Magryta's podcast, Dr. M's Women and Children First Podcast, where he interviewed me about parenting, triggers, emotions, childhood wounds, and The Adult Chair model.

We talk about what it means to become an emotionally healthy adult, why our children model what we do more than what we say, and how triggers can show us the unconscious beliefs and younger parts of ourselves that are ready to be healed.

Chris and I also explore conscious parenting, co-regulation, self-worth, holding space, feeling emotions in the body, and why these emotional life skills belong not only in our homes, but in our schools and communities.

Key Takeaways:

• The Adult Chair model helps us understand the parts of ourselves that react, feel, protect, and respond.
• Many adults are walking around in adult bodies while reacting from younger versions of themselves.
• Triggers are a gift because they reveal unconscious beliefs we may not otherwise see.
• Co-regulation begins when we are able to stay grounded while someone else is having an emotion.
• Parents do not need to fix every feeling their child has. They need to learn how to sit with them, listen, breathe, and hold space.
• Conscious parenting means trusting your child's path while giving them structure, guidance, space, and support.
• Self-worth is built by validating children for who they are, not only for what they do or how they perform.
• Social media can make comparison and self-worth struggles even harder for kids and adults.
• Emotions move through the body when we allow ourselves to feel them without building a story around them.
• Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools we can use with ourselves, our children, and our triggers.

Resources from this Episode:

The Adult Chair Coaching Certification: https://theadultchair.com/certification

The Adult Chair Trigger Kit: https://theadultchair.com/triggerkit

Free Inner Child Resources: https://theadultchair.com/innerchild

Free Self-Worth Masterclass: https://theadultchair.com/selfworth

Chris Magryta's Podcast: Dr. M's Women and Children First Podcast

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary:

In this episode, I'm joined by Laura Dionisio, one of our Certified Adult Chair® Master Coaches, for a powerful and vulnerable conversation about what happens when we stop living from our protective masks and begin listening to what our body is trying to tell us.

Laura shares her journey from an engineering, high-achieving mindset into a more heart-open life led from within. She talks about the "badass" or "I've got this" mask she wore for years, how it protected her inner child, and what it looked like to finally begin letting that mask go.

We also talk about shame, inner child healing, and why so many of us keep running around the very feelings that are asking to be felt, metabolized, and released. Laura shares how The Adult Chair® framework helped her work with her adolescent parts instead of fighting them, and how she learned to reconnect with her body after years of living mostly from her head.

This episode is such a beautiful reminder that healing is not about becoming someone new. It is about softening the masks, turning toward the parts of us that feel afraid or ashamed, and learning how to live from the truth of who we really are.

Key Takeaways:

• Protective masks often form when parts of us feel afraid, unsafe, ashamed, or unsupported
• Laura's "tough" persona helped her feel protected, but eventually became something she was ready to release
• Shame, unworthiness, and fear do not transform when we avoid them. We have to turn toward them with compassion
• Feeling emotions in the body can feel confusing at first, especially if you have spent years living in your head
• A body scan is a simple practice that helps you notice physical sensations without trying to change them
• "Reverse bedtime procrastination" can be a sign that your needs, joy, or truth are being ignored during the day
• Creating space between a realization and an action can help you own your truth without panicking
• Fear and doubt do not always mean you are making the wrong decision. Sometimes they are protective parts trying to keep you safe

Resources from this Episode:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura.m.dionisio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-dionisio/

The Pivot Point Podcast

FREE Heart-Aligned Career Transition Starter: https://www.leadintact.com/freebies/heart-aligned-career

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

In this bonus episode, I'm answering the most common questions I receive about The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification Program and what makes this six-month experience so powerful.

I'll walk you through who the program is for, what you'll learn, why you don't need prior coaching experience, and how the certification supports both personal and professional transformation. This is not just about learning how to coach. It's about becoming the kind of person who can hold grounded, compassionate space for others while doing your own deep inner work.

I'll also share what's included in the program, from the four-day in-person training to monthly live teachings, personal coaching sessions, practicum hours, coach feedback, and business support.

• You do not need previous coaching experience to join
• This program includes both personal transformation and coach training
• You'll learn The Adult Chair Coaching methodology, parts work, triggers, unconscious beliefs, nervous system awareness, intuition, and masterful listening
• The program begins with a four-day in-person training in Phoenix
• You'll receive live teaching, mentoring, coaching, feedback, and support throughout the six months
• You'll also receive business training to help you begin building a coaching practice

Resources from this Episode:

The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification: Enroll Now!

Have more questions? Email Michelle at [email protected]

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Have you ever wanted to change a relationship with someone you love, but had no idea where to begin?

In this episode, I'm joined by Tracy Brown, one of my Adult Chair coaches, for a vulnerable conversation about how inner child work, parts work, and speaking from the heart helped her transform her relationship with her father.

Tracy shares how she moved through old hurt, resentment, and the story that her dad did not really want to be with her. After working with the younger parts of herself that felt forgotten and not special, she was able to speak her truth without blame, open her heart, and create a completely different outcome than her ego could have imagined.

• The ego creates stories when we feel hurt, rejected, forgotten, or not prioritized
• Stories can make us believe there is only one way someone can prove they love us
• Parts work helps us identify the younger parts that are carrying old pain
• Tracy discovered a three-year-old part of herself that felt lonely, sad, forgotten, and not special
• Emotional release can create more space, softness, and compassion in the body
• Speaking from the heart is different than speaking from the head or ego
• Vulnerability invites a different kind of response from the other person
• When we speak our truth without blame, we create space for deeper connection
• The ego bases the future on what has happened in the past
• Staying present allows the outcome to be better than we could have imagined
• Journaling after inner work helps with integration and deeper understanding
• Inner child work is ongoing, and younger parts may still need love and attention after a breakthrough

Resources from this Episode:

The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification: https://theadultchair.com/certification

Connect with Tracy Brown: https://coachingwithtracybrown.com

Connect with Tracy on IG @reidybrown

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Self-worth is an inside job, but so many of us were taught to look outside of ourselves to feel valuable. In this episode, I'm talking about what self-worth really is, where it comes from, and how appearance, performance, perfectionism, people-pleasing, codependency, and outside validation can shape the way we see ourselves.

I also share part of my own story of growing up with my worth tied to beauty and appearance, and how that eventually led me on a deeper journey of building real self-worth from within.

You'll learn how to come back to fact and truth when comparison or self-judgment starts to spiral, how to practice self-validation in small everyday moments, and how to help children build healthy self-worth by validating who they are, not just what they do.

• Self-worth is not something you have to earn
• Looking outside of yourself for your worth leads to unhealthy patterns and relationships
• Appearance, performance, helping, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can all become ways we try to feel worthy
• Codependency can make our identity and self-worth feel tied to helping others
• Children build self-worth through what is modeled and reflected back to them
• Validating children for who they are is more powerful than only praising what they do
• Comparison is not always the problem. The problem is when comparison turns into self-judgment
• Stories are not fact and truth, and they can send us into anxiety, overwhelm, and awfulizing
• You have the power to choose which thoughts you latch onto
• Changing your physical state can help interrupt a negative emotional spiral
• Small daily validations matter, even if no one else sees them
• Healthy self-worth is built from the inside out

Resources from this Episode:

Free Self-Worth Masterclass: https://theadultchair.com/selfworth

The Adult Chair® Metamorphosis Live Event: https://theadultchair.com/liveevents

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

In this episode, I'm talking about empty nest syndrome and what it really feels like when one or more of your children leave the nest.

So many people talk about this season of life, but nothing can fully prepare you for the grief, quiet, sadness, and identity shift that can come when your child moves out, goes to college, or begins building a life outside your home.

Today, I'm sharing seven ways to navigate empty nest syndrome from your Adult Chair. We talk about allowing yourself to feel the grief instead of numbing or avoiding it, validating yourself for the job you did as a parent, trusting your children to figure life out, and learning how to let them make mistakes without rushing in to save them.

I also talk about why this season can become the beginning of your "act three." After years of raising children, driving carpool, making meals, showing up at practices, helping with school, and focusing so much energy on your family, the focus begins to shift back to you. This can feel uncomfortable at first, but it can also become a beautiful opportunity to rediscover who you are now.

This episode is a reminder that empty nest grief is real, but it does not last forever. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. When we allow our emotions to move through, trust our children, honor the wisdom we have earned, and create space to reconnect with ourselves, this new chapter can become a powerful season of healing, freedom, and rediscovery.

• Grief is a healthy part of the empty nest process
• From the Adult Chair, we do not avoid grief. We feel it, journal it, walk with it, cry it out, and allow it to move through
• Grief may come in waves, especially when you think about your child or notice the quiet in the house
• You do not have to be a perfect parent to acknowledge that you did a good job
• Trusting your child means allowing them to make mistakes, figure things out, and learn resilience
• When we constantly save or fix things for our children, they do not learn how to trust themselves
• Empty nest can be the beginning of "act three," a new season where wisdom catches up with freedom
• Boredom can be powerful because it creates space for inspiration, intuition, and new ideas
• Getting quiet allows you to hear the deeper nudges and downloads that can guide your next chapter

Resources from this Episode:

The Adult Chair® Live Event: Metamorphosis https://theadultchair.com/liveevent

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary

We're talking about money and abundance today, and this is such a powerful topic because the word "money" alone can bring up so much contraction, fear, shame, and emotion for people.

In this episode, I'm joined by Shanna Stevens, a holistic master life coach through The Adult Chair, for a vulnerable and transformational conversation about money blocks, receiving abundance, and the unconscious beliefs that can keep us stuck.

So many people are doing all the "right" things. They are visualizing, affirming, meditating, making vision boards, taking wealth consciousness courses, and trying to manifest abundance. But sometimes, no matter how much we consciously desire something, there is an unconscious belief underneath that is blocking us from receiving it.

Shanna shares that she had been doing all the things to call in more money and abundance, but instead of money flowing in, she was feeling scarcity, fear, embarrassment, and stress around paying bills, buying food, and finding income. During one of our coaching calls, she vulnerably raised her hand and asked for help, and we began listening for the patterns and keywords underneath what she was saying.

As we worked together, we traced her money block back to a childhood memory of being five years old and watching her mother cry as boxes of donated food and clothing were being dropped off for their family. As a child, Shanna took on the embarrassment she felt from her mother and unconsciously formed the belief that receiving abundance was embarrassing.

Once we found that taproot, we were able to work with her inner child, update the old belief, and help her see the truth: her family was actually receiving abundance. It may not have looked the way the ego thought it should, but support, food, clothing, and care were coming in.

After that shift, Shanna felt lighter, softer, more open, and more able to receive. Within days, money and opportunities began flowing in, including refunded fees, new clients, paid-in-full sessions, an invitation to present, and more ease in her body and energy.

Key Takeaways:

• The word "money" can bring up contraction, fear, shame, and triggers for many people
• Abundance blocks are often connected to unconscious beliefs formed in childhood
• Manifesting, affirmations, gratitude, and vision boards can be helpful, but they may not work if an opposite core belief is running underneath
• Our unconscious beliefs often create the reality we are living in now
• Triggers can reveal the hidden beliefs that are blocking what we want to create
• Owning your current reality is the first step to transformation
• Shanna's money block was connected to embarrassment, worthiness, and receiving
• As a child, Shanna took on her mother's embarrassment around receiving donated food and clothing
• The old belief that emerged was: "To receive abundance is embarrassing"
• Inner child work helps us update old programs and release beliefs that are no longer true
• Receiving abundance can include money, support, opportunities, love, friendship, care, and ease
• When an old belief shifts, the body and energy field can feel lighter, softer, and more open
• Money and opportunities can begin to flow more easily when the energetic block is removed
• Abundance does not have to feel forced or heavy. It can feel easy, aligned, and natural

Resources from this Episode:

Shanna Stevens Website: https://shannastevens.com

The Adult Chair® Metamorphosis: https://theadultchair.com/metamorphosis

The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification: https://theadultchair.com/certification

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Feeling stuck can feel overwhelming, hopeless, and frustrating, but you are more powerful than you think.

I'm sharing six simple tools to help you get unstuck and begin creating real movement in your life. Whether you feel stuck in a relationship, a job, a friendship, a pattern, or the way you feel about yourself, these steps can help you shift your energy, change your thoughts, and start moving toward the life you truly want.

I talk about the importance of accepting where you are right now, not because you like it or want it to stay that way, but because acceptance creates movement. When we stop avoiding what is right in front of us, we can begin to make new choices.

I also share how to get clear on where you want to go, how to stop giving energy to what you do not want, and why your thoughts and spoken words are so powerful. We talk about gratitude, journaling, emotional release, and the choice we all have between staying in the victim seat or stepping into empowerment.

• Accepting your current reality does not mean you like it, approve of it, or want it to stay the same
• Avoiding what is happening in your life takes a lot of energy
• Getting clear on what you want helps you move toward a new reality
• Visualization and feeling into your future self can help you create change
• Your thoughts are powerful, but your spoken words are even more powerful
• Talking constantly about what is wrong can keep you anchored in the reality you want to change
• Gratitude helps shift your energy and move you from stuckness toward possibility
• Journaling is a powerful way to purge thoughts, emotions, and energy from the body
• You can choose the victim path or the empowered path
• Intentional thoughts and conscious choices help you reclaim your power

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Have you ever wondered if you are an empath, a highly sensitive person, or both?

I'm breaking down the difference between an empath and an HSP, which stands for highly sensitive person. I explain what empathy is, what makes someone an empath, and how empaths often absorb the emotions and energy of people, groups, and places. When we do not understand this about ourselves, it can lead to overwhelm, fatigue, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and the feeling that something is wrong with us when really, we are picking up on energy that may not even belong to us.

I also share common traits of empaths, including sensitivity to light, sound, crowds, other people's emotions, nature, animals, and authenticity. Then, I explain how highly sensitive people are similar to empaths, but with one key difference: HSPs may sense and feel deeply, but they do not absorb other people's emotions in the same way an empath does.

• Empathy is the ability to feel with another person, but being an empath takes this sensitivity to another level
• Empaths are deeply attuned to the energy and emotions of people, groups, and places
• Many empaths do not realize they are absorbing emotions that are not their own
• Unaware empaths may experience overwhelm, fatigue, anxiety, depression, or mood instability
• Empaths often feel deeply connected to nature and animals
• Crowds, noise, bright lights, television, news, and chaotic environments can feel overwhelming to an empath's nervous system
• People are often naturally drawn to empaths and may share deeply personal things with them
• Empaths can often sense when someone is being inauthentic or hiding behind a mask
• Alone time, or "cave time," helps empaths recharge
• Self-care, nature, grounding, boundaries, and micro moments of peace are essential for empaths
• Highly sensitive people and empaths share many traits, but HSPs do not absorb other people's emotions in the same way
• You can be both an empath and a highly sensitive person

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

In this episode, I'm talking about what a healthy relationship actually looks like.

After hearing from so many people about narcissism, gaslighting, and unhealthy relationship patterns, I wanted to talk about the other side: how do we know when a relationship is healthy? Whether it is with a partner, parent, sibling, friend, child, or anyone else in your life, healthy relationships have certain qualities that help us feel safe, respected, heard, and connected.

I share eight qualities of healthy relationships, including mutual respect, healthy apologies, enjoying each other's company, respecting boundaries, thoughtfulness, honoring each other's needs, listening with presence, and having open, honest communication.

I also talk about why communication is one of the most important parts of a healthy relationship. So many of us expect others to know what we feel or need, but it is our job to share our reality. When we speak from "I," express what is happening inside of us, and ask for what we need without blame or shame, relationships can begin to change.

• Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect, even when two people do not agree
• A healthy apology means owning the hurt we caused, even if it was unintentional
• Enjoying someone's company, feeling relaxed around them, and looking forward to seeing them are signs of a healthy connection
• Respectful boundaries are essential in healthy relationships
• Thoughtfulness does not have to be complicated. It can be as simple as checking in, offering kind words, or remembering what someone needs
• People in healthy relationships want to know and honor each other's needs
• Listening with presence helps the other person feel seen, heard, and valued
• Open and honest communication is one of the most important qualities of a healthy relationship
• Using "I" statements helps us share our reality without blaming or putting the other person on defense
• Healthy relationships require regular check-ins, intentional connection, and a willingness to talk about what is really going on

MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT

Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com

Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant

The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant