Chaos to Connection: Boundaries and Breakthroughs for Cycle-Breaking Women

Diane Sorensen
  • 5.0 (10)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Chaos to Connection is for cycle-breaking women ready to heal generational patterns and lead their families with authenticity, not approval. Hosted by Diane Sorensen, Boundary & Empowerment Coach, each episode explores motherhood, self-worth, and emotional healing—where boundaries become bridges and connection, not control, is the path to transformation. This isn’t behavior management—it’s liberation. Learn to listen to yourself and create the calm, connected relationships you crave. ✨ Reclaim your calm. ✨ Speak your truth. ✨ Live free

  1. 2D AGO

    272. From Control to Curiosity: Understanding Resistance in Parenting

    What if resistance isn’t the problem—but the doorway? In this episode of Chaos to Connection, Diane explores one of the most misunderstood dynamics in parenting: resistance. From chores and homework to “not listening,” resistance often triggers power struggles that leave both parents and children feeling disconnected and frustrated. But what if resistance isn’t defiance at all? Drawing from nervous system awareness, emotional leadership, and her own lived experience, Diane reframes resistance as self-protection, not misbehavior—and reveals how power struggles begin when a child’s resistancecollides with a parent’s unowned trigger. This episode invites parents to shift from control to curiosity, blame to ownership, and reactivity to regulation—creating the conditions where responsibility, connection, and trust can actually grow. In This Episode, You’ll Explore: *Why resistance is not defiance—but protection *How children’s resistance mirrors adult resistance (avoidance, procrastination, “I know,” shutdown) *The hidden reason power struggles escalate: resistance meeting resistance *How parents often react not to behavior, but to what the behavior triggersin them *Why blaming children for our triggers dismisses their inner experience *The difference between control-based parenting and curiosity-based leadership *How boundaries can exist without power struggles *Why staying with yourself when triggered is the real work of parenting A Key Reframe from the Episode: “Resistance is fear trying to keep us safe—and power struggles begin when resistance meets resistance.” Reflection Questions for Parents: What does my child resist most—and what might that resistance be protecting them from? What gets triggered in me when my child resists? Where might I be resisting their resistance instead of leading from regulation?   Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen Coaching is where boundary work becomes thebridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe, connected relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and create the CONNECTED relationships you long for. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    14 min

  2. JAN 19

    271. The Power of Boundaries: From All-or-Nothing to Empowered Action w/ Cortney Hackett

    In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Cortney Hackett, founder of Grit & Grace. Cortney helps women turn overwhelm into action with practical, grounded strategies that make the impossible possible. Together, we dive into one of my favorite topics — boundaries — and explore some of the biggest misconceptions women hold about them. Cortney shares how boundaries aren’t walls or restrictions, but pathways to freedom, clarity, and self-leadership. We also unpack the “all or nothing” mindset that keeps so many of us stuck in cycles of burnout and procrastination — and how taking small, meaningful steps can actually create more momentum than massive overhauls ever do. And don’t miss Cortney’s brilliant reframe on “scheduling freak-out time,” a practice that helped her quiet chronic worry and move from anxiety into action. In this episode, we explore: *The liberating truth about boundaries — and how they create emotional and energetic freedom *Why perfectionism and “all or nothing” thinking keep women stuck *The power of small, doable actions that build confidence and consistency *Cortney’s practical tip for managing worry: schedule your“freak-out time” *How to move from surviving to leading yourself through life’s everyday hard things  About Cortney: Cortney Hackett is the founder of Grit & Grace, where shehelps ambitious, self-aware women transform overwhelm into clear, confident action. Blending mindset work with strategic planning, she guides women to stopspinning in stuck patterns and start leading themselves forward with purpose and peace. Connect with Cortney: 👉 Instagram - @OfficialGritAndGrace Connect with Diane: Instagram: @dianesorensen.bb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane: Diane Sorensen Coaching is where boundary work becomes the bridge from chaos to connection. You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe, connected relationships built on authenticity, not approval. Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submitan inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resourcesto support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter forinsights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    37 min

  3. JAN 12

    270. Why Chores Don’t Teach Responsibility (And What Actually Does)

    As parents we want to raise responsible children. But what does responsibility actually mean—and how do kids truly learn it? In this episode, we explore why chores, homework, and compliance don’t automatically create responsibility, and how focusing only on behavior can unintentionally teach children to perform responsibility rather than embodyit. When responsibility is enforced without safety or trust, children may comply on the outside—but inside, resentment quietly grows. You’ll learn why responsibility isn’t something we can force, coerce, or manage into existence—and what actually helps children claim ownership for themselves. In this episode, we explore: *Why responsibility is often confused with compliance and “good behavior” *How focusing on appearances can disconnect children from their inner world *The difference between performative responsibility and embodied ownership *How power struggles around chores and homework create resentment—not capability *Why resistance isn’t the problem, but the doorway *The two ingredients required for true responsibility: safety and trust *How adult regulation and presence shape a child’s capacity for ownership This episode is an invitation to pause and reflect:Are we raising responsible children—or resentful ones? Because responsibility isn’t taught through pressure.It’s grown through relationship. Mentioned in this episode: Schedule your Breakthrough session here:https://www.dianesorensen.net/call Resource - https://www.dianesorensen.net/drama-to-empowerment   Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching is where boundary work becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval. Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submitan inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resourcesto support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter forinsights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    23 min

  4. JAN 5

    269. New Year, New Meaning: Choosing Integration Over Performance

    Every January, we’re invited—sometimes pressured—to fix ourselves. New goals.New habits.New versions of who we should be. Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I choose a word – or actually it seems to choose me. In this episode, I share my 2026 word and what it means to me—not as a concept to master, but as a lived, embodied practice. I reflect on the difference between performance and embodiment, and how so many of us were conditioned to perform for approval, safety, and belonging—often withoutrealizing it. Performance asks us to prove.Embodiment invites us to experience. This episode isn’t about doing more.It’s about the journey home to your own authenticity over seeking approval. A reflection to sit with / journal prompt: If I allowed myself to fly, what would that look like andhow would I feel? Resource mentioned in this episode: https://www.dianesorensen.net/drama-to-empowerment Connect with Diane: Instagram @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane: Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundary work becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    16 min

  5. 2025-12-29

    268. Waking Up from the Lie of Not-Enough with Crystal Haitsma

    What if the constant feeling of not-enoughisn’t the truth about you — but a learned illusion shaped by shame? In this heartfelt and expansive conversation, I’m joined by Crystal Haitsma, creator and host of The Art of Shame-FreeLiving — a space devoted to waking up from the belief that something is fundamentally wrong with us. Crystal shares her personal journey of findingherself again — not by bypassing discomfort, but by turning toward shame, meeting it with curiosity, andallowing it to become a portal to inner fullness instead of proof of deficiency. Together, we explore how shame quietly shapesour relationships, our boundaries, and our sense of self — and how reclaiming our wholeness creates the foundation for real connection. This conversation is an invitation to soften the inner fight, release the lie of not-enough-ness, and remember what’s always been true — you were never broken. Crystal Haitsma is a personal coach, relationship guide, and host of The Art of Shame-Free Living podcast, whereshe explores how releasing shame opens the door to connection, creativity, and inner fullness.   Connect with Crystal: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.crystal.noelle/ Podcast: https://www.coachcrystal.ca/podcast-platforms   Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Community is where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection. You’ll learn to transform your triggers,lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    34 min

  6. 2025-12-22

    267. “Santa’s Watching” and the Approval Trap

    In this episode, I explore how approval-seeking (often calledpeople-pleasing) gets wired into our internal system—and how we unknowingly pass it on to our children. From subtle threats and rewards to holiday pressure around Santa, Christmas, and “being good,” let’s unpack how approval becomes a stand-in for safety and connection. Rather than focusing on how to get children to behave, this conversation invites curiosity. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About: *How approval-seeking gets wired into the nervous system as a survival strategy *Why “being good” becomes tied to safety, love, and belonging *adults unknowingly repeat approval-based patterns with their children *Why rewards and threats (even subtle ones) function as indirect control *How Christmas and Santa are often used as leverage for approval *How self-awareness builds connection and breaks cycles *Why we often don’t see the impact of approval pressure until years later This episode offers a compassionate reframe for parents and cycle-breakers ready to move from pressure to presence—and from performance to genuine connection.   Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Models are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers,lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH,and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    24 min

  7. 2025-12-16

    266. Stop Fitting in and Start Belonging: Coming Home to Yourself with Claudia Herasme

    What if the discomfort you feel isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you… but a sign that you’ve outgrown the life you were told you should want? In today’s episode I’m joined by Claudia Herasme, an Alignment Guide and Certified Life Coach, for a deeply grounding conversation about belonging—not fitting in, performing, or proving—but coming home to yourself. Claudia works with high-achieving women who have done everything “right.” They’ve checked the boxes, built the career, earned the recognition—yet still feel a quiet (or not-so-quiet) sense that something is missing. Through her own journey—from a 20-year career in urban planning in New York City and Chicago to reclaiming her vitality, authenticity, and inner truth—Claudia discovered a powerful truth: You don’t have to choose between success and authenticity. In this conversation, we explore what it means to stop living according to expectations and start creating a life that actually feels like yours. In this episode, we talk about: *The difference between fitting in and belonging *Why so many accomplished women feel disconnected despite external success *How “doing everything right” can still lead to inner depletion *What it really means to feel safe being yourself *Why authenticity isn’t about burning your life down—it’s about coming back home *How to create the life you want, not the one you think you should have This episode is an invitation to soften, listen inward, and question the stories you’ve inherited about success, worth, and who you’re allowed to be. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this it?” If you’ve felt the quiet ache of disconnection beneath a polished life… This conversation is for you. About Claudia Claudia is an Alignment Guide and Certified Life Coach who helps high-achieving women safely express their authentic, untamed selves—without sacrificing the success they’ve worked so hard to build. After a thriving 20-year career in urban planning, Claudia’s own turning point led her to coaching and alignment work. Today, she runs Peak Bloom Coaching and Guidance, maintains a boutique international consulting practice, and creates spaces where women can stop performing and start belonging—to themselves and their lives. Her mission is simple and powerful: To help you feel safe being exactly who you are, so you can create the life you actually want—not just the one you think you should have Connect with Claudia: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peakbloom_coaching/ Connect with Diane: Instagram: @dianesorensen.bb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane: Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundary work becomes the bridge from chaos to connection. You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval. Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    39 min

  8. 2025-12-08

    265. The Cycle Breaker’s Guide to Connection (It’s Not What You Think)

    We all crave connection — but many of us were never taught what connection actually is. In this episode, I invite you into a deeper, clearer, more embodied understanding of connection… one that goes far beyond simply being together, spending time, or keeping everyone happy. Here’s the truth: ⭐️ Connection is less about proximity or time Connection is more about presence. Presence emotionally.Presence mentally.Presence in your body. And for many of us — especially those of us who grew up people-pleasing, performing, or walking on eggshells — presence can feel unfamiliar or even unsafe. Why? Because true connection requires emotional intimacy — thewillingness and capacity to feel your feelings without collapsing into: blame, judgement,fixing, people-pleasing or self-abandonment. In this episode, we explore: 💛 What connection actually is — and what it is not Why you can be together and not connected, and connected even when you'reapart. 💛 How our culture confuses “beingtogether” with connection And how this leads to resentment, pressure, and emotional distance. 💛 Emotional intimacy as the foundationof true connection Not the kind associated with romance — but the emotional intimacy of being with yourself in real time. 💛 Why people-pleasers struggle withconnection When you learn to scan the room, manage emotions, or keep the peace, presence becomes impossible. 💛 Invisible patterns that block connection The unconscious wiring in our nervous system that makes us believe connection comes from – making others happy, avoiding upset, saying yes, agreeing, and staying quiet. These patterns are invisible — until we make them visible. 💛 The inner shift required to create true connection How to begin moving from performing connection to experiencing it. ⭐️ Key Quotes From the Episode * “Connection is not time together — it’s presence together.” * “Emotional intimacy is the capacity to feel your feelings without collapsing into blame, judgment, or pleasing.” *“Connection requires presence — not performance.” If you're noticing the gap between the connection you crave and the connection you’re actually experiencing — you’re not alone. This is the work of cycle breakers. Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you!   BREAKTHROUGH SESSION: https://www.dianesorensen.net/offers/2AnzahKj?coupon_code=HOLIDAY special pricing good only through Dec. 31, 2025.   Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    22 min
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5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Chaos to Connection is for cycle-breaking women ready to heal generational patterns and lead their families with authenticity, not approval. Hosted by Diane Sorensen, Boundary & Empowerment Coach, each episode explores motherhood, self-worth, and emotional healing—where boundaries become bridges and connection, not control, is the path to transformation. This isn’t behavior management—it’s liberation. Learn to listen to yourself and create the calm, connected relationships you crave. ✨ Reclaim your calm. ✨ Speak your truth. ✨ Live free

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