Have you become so good at holding everything together that no one realizes you’re struggling?
Maybe you’re still showing up.
The kids are getting where they need to go. The calendar is managed. The work is getting done. Everyone knows they can rely on you.
But underneath all of that, you’re exhausted, irritable, overwhelmed, disconnected, resentful, or just not feeling like yourself anymore.
In this episode of The We Got You Mama Show, Carly sits down with Cherise Small, LCSW, licensed therapist, speaker, founder of The Healing Point Therapy & Wellness and Release2Heal, and author of You’ve Been Holding It Together.
Together, they unpack the pressure mothers feel to keep everything running while also appearing emotionally steady.
Cherise explains why functioning is not the same thing as being well, what hidden survival mode can look like, and why many women become disconnected from their own needs while spending years caring for everyone else.
They also explore one of the biggest identity shifts in motherhood: realizing that you do not necessarily need to get back to the woman you were before children. Instead, you can begin asking, Who am I becoming now?
This episode covers:
• Hidden signs of survival mode
• The pressure to constantly say “I’m fine”
• Emotional exhaustion and resentment
• Feeling disconnected from yourself
• Identity changes after becoming a mother
• Sustainable boundaries
• Why boundaries are not about shutting people out
• Learning to say “I’m not available”
• Stopping the need to overexplain
• Checking in with yourself before saying yes
• Being honest about what you can actually handle
• Asking people you trust for support
• Why you deserve the same care you give everyone else
• What emotional wellness can realistically look like for busy moms
Cherise also helps Carly work through a real-life example of something many women struggle with: wanting to help, knowing you technically can help, but realizing that saying yes may still come at a cost.
Sometimes the most important question is not:
Can I do this?
It is:
Do I actually need to take this on right now?
ABOUT CHERISE
Cherise Small, LCSW is a licensed therapist, speaker, and author of You’ve Been Holding It Together. She is the founder of The Healing Point Therapy & Wellness and Release2Heal, where she supports women who have spent years being the one others rely on and are now ready to tell the truth about what they actually need.
Her work focuses on emotional clarity, sustainable boundaries, identity transitions, and releasing the pressure to appear “fine” while navigating major life roles like motherhood, partnership, and leadership.
CONNECT WITH CHERISE:
Website: release2heal.com
Instagram: @therapywithcherise
Book information: release2heal.com/book-waitlist
Book: You’ve Been Holding It Together
If you recognize yourself in this episode, let it be your reminder that you are allowed to need support too.
You do not have to do motherhood alone.
We Got You, Mama. 💛