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This episode is a small way of saying I see you and I appreciate you this holiday season.

Read the full show notes and access your holiday gift here.

If you are looking for more:

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Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

There is often a version of Christmas we carry in our heads. Quiet. Cozy. Predictable. The kind that feels comforting but somehow never shows up in real life.

In this episode, I talk about the grief that can surface when the Christmas you imagined does not exist and how common that experience is, especially for special needs moms. Between medical needs, disrupted routines, and the sheer weight of caregiving, the holidays can feel very different than what we expected.

I share a simple framework I use to help reimagine seasons like this one. We talk about noticing when expectations are quietly hurting us, releasing the version of Christmas that no longer fits, and intentionally generating something new from the life we are actually living.

This episode is an invitation to stop chasing a picture that causes pain and to create a version of Christmas that feels more honest, grounded, and possible.

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This week I hit record while standing, which feels fitting because this episode has a little extra energy behind it. November was a lot for me — two ER visits for Levi, construction stress, holiday disruption, all the things. I sat down to prepare for work and realized I had been judging myself for everything I didn’t get done.

In coaching, we talk about two paths: judgment or self compassion. And while there’s no wrong choice, only one of them leads us toward peace, clarity, and real empowerment.

Today I share the simple practice that has become the gateway drug to self compassion in my own life and in my coaching clients: self acknowledgment. Most of us are wildly under practiced in seeing ourselves with kindness, understanding, and acceptance. But when you start with acknowledgment, it changes the entire conversation you have with yourself.

Inside the episode I walk you through what self acknowledgment looks like, why it feels uncomfortable at first, and how this tiny micro practice can shift your entire emotional landscape. I even give you a question to try on today. And yes, there is a challenge waiting for you.

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

This episode came from a simple morning walk and one very unexpected moment of wisdom from my teenage niece’s boyfriend. We spent Thanksgiving together and he shared something that stopped me in my tracks. It got me thinking about how the people we spend time with quietly shape our thinking, our habits, our emotional landscape and even our hope. As special needs moms we often forget how much this matters because our lives feel full before they even begin.

In this conversation, I explore community, both the good and the harmful parts of it. I talk about why we pick up the beliefs of the people we are around, why default cultural narratives like holidays always being terrible can keep us stuck and how we can intentionally choose rooms that lift us up. I also share a powerful story from a memorial service that reminded me that healing usually happens shoulder to shoulder, never solo. If you have been craving connection or wondering why certain spaces feel draining, this episode will give you clarity, inspiration and a gentle nudge toward what feels good and true.

Another episode on suffering: Episode 164 Doing Hard Things Without Suffering 

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

This Thanksgiving week, I’m keeping it simple and talking about complex gratitude. The kind that feels messy, honest, and actually doable for special needs moms.

I share a story from the early days after Levi’s surgery, when gratitude felt impossible and I fully wanted to shove the whole concept off a cliff. What finally clicked for me was realizing I didn’t have to be grateful for everything to be grateful for something. That little truth opened up room for real, authentic gratitude instead of the forced version that makes you feel worse.

In this episode, I walk through my “sorting buckets” idea. It's a playful way to separate the hard things from the things we genuinely appreciate, without pretending the hard stuff isn’t there. Even a tiny whisper of gratitude can shift something inside us, especially during a season that brings up so many mixed emotions.

If you’re listening with metaphorical crossed arms… I get it. You’re still welcome here.

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

Today’s episode is a cozy, casual chat. The kind you’d have over coffee with someone who gets it. I almost skipped releasing an episode this week, but connecting with you truly matters to me, even when life feels full.

I shared why I’ve stepped back from social media, what prompted it, and how that space has led me to new things like watercolor (and letting go of perfection, one messy brushstroke at a time). I also gave an update on the ongoing home repairs after a family incident and how bringing in support made the process lighter and less lonely. It's a reminder that we don’t have to do hard things solo.

I touched on a recent ER visit with my son and how emotional work I’d done earlier that day created more peace in a situation that could’ve felt overwhelming. And finally, a quick update on the Pathway to Peace Coaching Community. Doors will open again, likely early next year. The waitlist link is in the show notes.

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

This week, I’m back with my friend Brittney Crabtree from Moms Talk Autism for part two of our talk on behaviors that include aggression: physical, verbal, or self-directed.

In this episode, we answer the big question: “What now?” We walk through the framework of pre-game, game time, and post-game recovery. We discuss how to prepare, get through, and recover from the hardest moments as special needs parents.

We share what safety planning looks like in real life, how to stay calm when emotions run high, and how to care for yourself afterward. This one’s about giving yourself grace and finding ways to keep showing up, even when it’s hard.

Get to know Brittney & Moms Talk Autism:

Podcast on Spotify

Podcast on Apple Music

Website

Instagram

Brittany Crabtree Instagram

Contact: [email protected]

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

In this episode, I sat down with my friend Brittney Crabtree from Moms Talk Autism to talk about something few of us say out loud, aggression in our homes.

Brittney shares what life looks like parenting her non-speaking son with profound autism, while I share parts of our story with Levi, a brain tumor survivor with his own set of challenges. Together we explore what it’s like to navigate these moments, when love and physical or verbal aggression exist in the same home,  and how it feels to live in that constant tension.

We talked about the gray area between parenting and caregiving, the weight of hypervigilance, and the mix of shame and strength that can surface in public moments. This episode isn’t about fixing anything, it’s about being seen, validated, and reminded that you’re not the only one living this reality.

Get to know Brittney & Moms Talk Autism:

Podcast on Spotify

Podcast on Apple Music

Website

Instagram

Brittany Crabtree Instagram

Contact: [email protected]

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

This week, I invited my friend and returning guest Carrie M. Holt back to talk about something that every special needs mom wrestles with, the difference between fixing and accepting our children.

We unpacked what those energies feel like, how they show up in motherhood, and how they connect to deeper themes of fear, control, grief, and peace. We also talked about how acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means seeing our children (and ourselves) as whole, right where we are.

Carrie shares from her own experience raising her son with complex medical needs and reflects on how her perspective has shifted from striving to affirming, from control to trust.

This conversation will meet you wherever you are in your own evolution as a special needs mom. Whether you’re in survival mode, rediscovering yourself, or finding peace in what is.

Episode Resources

• Book: Practicing Affirmation: God-Centered Praise of Those Who Are Not God by Sam Crabtree
• The Other Side of Special: Navigating the Messy, Emotional, Joy-Filled Life of a Special Needs Mom by Carrie M. Holt, Amy J. Brown, Sara Clime
• Carrie’s previous episodes:
  • Episode 98 – Tending to Your Soul with Carrie Holt
  • Episode 171 – Carrying the Heavy Emotional Load of Special Needs Nursing Care with Carrie Holt & Kacie Craig, Pt. 1
  • Episode 172 – Managing Special Needs Nursing Care Like A Boss with Carrie Holt & Kacie Craig, Pt. 2

Connect with Carrie:

• Website: carriemholt.com
• Substack: @cmholt
• Instagram: @carriemholt
• Facebook: @carriemholtwriter

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)

This week, I got to sit down with the wise and feisty Cynthia Schulz, author of Shine On: Raising Our Children with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives. Cynthia’s daughter is now 40, and hearing from a mom who’s decades down the road was such a gift.

We talked about what it was like when she first received her daughter’s diagnosis, by mail, in the most abrupt and heartbreaking way, and how she decided early on that this would not ruin her life. Cynthia shared her “play to win” philosophy and how that mindset shaped everything from advocacy to joy to building a full, meaningful life for her daughter and family.

We also got into self-care, identity, and the evolution that happens over time. Cynthia reminded me that while this life is a marathon, it’s one fueled by a mother’s love and that we can do hard things.

This one left me encouraged, grounded, and full of hope for what’s possible, both for our kids and for us.

Resources Mentioned:

• Shine On: Raising Our Children with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives 

If you are looking for more:

Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/