Holding Space

Dr. Cassidy Freitas
  • 4.8 (272)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Hey parents, tune in as Dr. Cassidy Freitas holds space for conversations with experts from around the world and parents who have been through it. With a background in Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Cassidy offers education in topics ranging from pregnancy, fertility, postpartum, parenting, partner relationships, emotional wellness, creative living and more! This podcast is not a substitute for therapy and if you're struggling you should seek help from a licensed provider in your area. Follow for more @drcassidy and you can learn more about her California-based private practice at www.drcassidymft.com.

  1. 3d ago

    159: Screentime with Destini Ann

    In this episode, I sit down with my friend Destini Ann, fellow mom, parenting educator, and author of the book Very Intentional Parenting...for the screen time conversation SO many of you have been begging for. Destini and I go way back (we met years ago in a little study group with Dr. Becky and a few other good souls), and we've been in each other's DMs ever since. Then she shared a resource that genuinely changed things in my house around screen time... and I was like...okay, we HAVE to make this happen. This one's for the parent white-knuckling the iPad handoff, the one really wishing computers and phones were non-existent in their child's world, and honestly anyone who's ever come in HOT about screens and then thought... wait, was that really necessary, or was that my anxiety? (No judgment. I've been there. Like, just-this-morning there.) We talk about: Quality vs. quantity — why your kid's screen struggle might look completely different from the kid down the street "Not yet" is a full sentence — the boundary I wish I'd had soonerHow to pay attention WITHOUT micromanaging — scrolling alongside your kid instead of confiscate-and-investigateWhy the moment is almost never the moment to address it — and what to do instead "This is not an emergency" — even when what you stumble on makes you go WHAT in the actual worldProtection AND education — how to hold both without losing your mindThe screen time flow chart Destini created — the actual resource that shifted things in my home (link below!)Why so much of parenting a teen is choosing the RIGHT kind of slightly uncomfortable"Are you open?" — the four-word script Destini swears is basically sorcery Cursing, dating, e-bikes, bike-ride sex talks, Awkward Fridays — all the real, slightly-mortifying conversations that build the kind of trust you'll be SO grateful for later And yes... this connects so deeply to the heart of my book Mom Needs a Moment...taking a beat, resourcing yourself outside the moment so you can come back INTO the moment as the parent you actually want to be. You can find Destini Ann on Instagram (with all the ways to connect with her) @destini.ann and grab her screen time flow chart here! To learn more about my therapy practice or book a free consult, visit drcassidymft.com. You can learn more about my book Mom Needs a Moment here and get your pre-order gifts if you order before June 16 here! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    49 min

  2. May 11

    158: What You Need to Know About Perimenopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy with Dr. Pany Robinson

    In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Pany Robinson, a board-certified family practitioner with 22 years of experience and one of the most refreshingly no-nonsense voices I've encountered on women's hormonal health to talk about everything you weren't told about perimenopause and menopause. I met Dr. Pany at a training on maternal rage (yes, there's a connection), and I was immediately like: I need her on this podcast. This one is for anyone who has ever felt like something was off but couldn't name it — and for your partner too, honestly. We talk about: The symptoms nobody mentions: itchy ears, frozen shoulder, cystic acne, vertigo, palpitations, recurrent UTIs, and moreWhy hot flashes are actually a later symptom...and what's already happening in your body long before thatHow to advocate for yourself in a system that isn't quite caught up yet (including what to ask for and how to say it)The long-term case for hormone therapy: dementia, cancer risk, muscle loss, and moreThe relational toll: libido, intimacy, and why 45 is both the hardest year for women on average and the peak age for divorceWhy this is a whole-body, multidisciplinary issue, not just a "get on a patch and call it a day" situationTo connect with Dr. Pany or book a free 20-minute phone consult, visit nextphaseclinic.com. To learn more about my therapy practice or book a free consult you can visit drcassidymft.com. You can learn more about Dr. Cassidy's book Mom Needs a Moment here or you can buy it wherever books are sold! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    46 min

  3. May 4

    157: Micro Moments of Play (For the Parent Who's Tired) with Dr. Kim Van Dusen

    In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Kim Van Dusen — one of my very first podcast guests ever — to talk about her new book Parenting Through Play. Together we explore why play is such a powerful entry point for connection, regulation, and even repair with our kids. Dr. Kim helps those of us who don't always feel like getting on the floor to play (hi, it's me) by introducing the idea of "purposeful play pockets" — micro moments of novelty and playfulness woven throughout the day that don't require a ton of energy or capacity. Think: swapping a fork for a pair of tongs at dinner, or a small mindset shift at clean-up time. We also talk about: The myth that play has to mean sitting on the floor for hours of pretendReconnecting with your own inner child (especially if you didn't grow up in a playful home)Why play and power struggles both take energy...and which one you'd rather spend it onUsing play as a tool for repairHow play can help kids work through big transitions, sibling dynamics, separation anxiety, and fearThe invisible mental load that comes with parenting and with being the "fun" oneThe legacy we leave when our kids learn to use play to connect, communicate, and repairTo learn more from Dr. Kim and grab a copy of Parenting Through Play, visit theparentologist.com/book and follow along on Instagram @theparentologist. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    40 min

  4. Mar 16

    156: What Couples Actually Need After Kids with Eli Weinstein

    On today’s episode, I’m joined by therapist, speaker, and host of The Dude Therapist Podcast, Eli Weinstein. Eli works extensively with couples and families, and his upcoming book From I Do to We Do explores what really happens to relationships once kids enter the picture. Because here’s the truth: most couples start parenting believing that love will carry them through. And while love absolutely matters, it’s not always enough to navigate the stress, exhaustion, invisible labor, and shifting roles that come with raising kids. In this episode, we talk honestly about what happens to marriages during the parenting years, including the quiet resentment that can build when expectations go unspoken, the invisible mental load many parents carry, and why couples often feel like they’re both doing “120%.” Eli shares practical ways couples can reconnect as teammates instead of adversaries, and why repair, not perfection, is what actually sustains long-term relationships. In this episode, we talk about: Why love alone doesn’t guide couples through the parenting yearsHow unmet expectations quietly turn into resentmentThe mental load many parents carry, and how couples can share it more intentionallyThe power of repair after rupture, and why genuine apologies matter more than perfect onesWhy successful marriages require choosing your partner again and again as life changesMy hope is that this conversation helps couples step out of scorekeeping and back into partnership. Parenting can easily pull partners into opposite corners. But when couples learn how to communicate, repair, and reconnect, they can remember that they’re actually on the same team. Connect with Eli Follow Eli on social media: @eliweinstein_lcswGet his book: From I Do to We Do If you loved this episode Share it with a parent who’s in the thick of it right nowSupport the podcast with a rating or reviewSubscribe to my Substack, A Little Space, Please, for the post that goes with this episodeLearn more about Dr. Cassidy and Co's therapy practice at www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    34 min

  5. Feb 16

    155: The Long Game of Parenting with Hunter Clarke-Fields

    On today’s episode, I’m joined by mindfulness mentor, meditation teacher, and host of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields. Hunter is the author of Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Every Day, and for years she’s been supporting parents in moving out of reactivity and into more present, connected relationships with their kids. As a therapist and parent, I know how easy it is to feel like we’re “messing it all up,” especially in the early years when we’re exhausted, triggered, and trying to break cycles in real time. In this conversation, Hunter reflects on parenting her oldest, now 18, and shares what only time can teach: repair matters more than perfection, and it’s never too late to shift a relationship. In this episode, we talk about: Why parenting is a long game, and why you don’t always get immediate feedback that it’s “working”How repair builds safety and connection, even after reactivityThe power of delighting in your child, and practicing real listeningWhy boundaries and self-care are essential, not selfishHunter’s message for parents in the thick of the toddler yearsMy hope is that this episode offers you a deep exhale: you don’t have to be perfect to be a safe, steady parent. What matters is your willingness to keep coming back. Connect with Hunter Listen to her podcast: Mindful Mama PodcastGet her books: Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Every DayFind her online: mindfulmamamentor.comIf you loved this episode Share it with a parent who’s in the thick of it right nowSupport the podcast with a rating or reviewSubscribe to my Substack, A Little Space, Please, for the post that goes with this episodeLearn more about Dr. Cassidy and Co's therapy practice at www.drcassidymft.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    42 min

  6. Jan 27

    154: The World Isn’t Okay, and We’re Still Making PB&Js

    In this episode of Holding Space, Dr. Cassidy is joined by Dr. Sumi Raghavan for a grounded, human conversation about parenting during a moment of real fear and moral injury. ICE violence in Minnesota and across the country has left many parents feeling dysregulated, overwhelmed, and unsure how to show up for their kids while their own nervous systems are on high alert. This conversation isn’t happening from a distance. We're two moms, two therapists, sitting inside the same world you are, trying to figure out how to keep showing up without collapsing. Together, we explore what’s happening in parents’ nervous systems right now, why overwhelm is a reasonable response to real threat, and how regulation is not disengagement, but the foundation for sustained action and care. We aim to offer concrete guidance for how to talk to kids across different ages, from young children to teens, while protecting their sense of safety without pretending nothing is happening. This episode is meant to be a place of containment, not more flooding. Resources & Next Steps A written companion to this episode, with key takeaways and language you can return to, is available on Substack here. Links to grounding tools, community resources, and organizations supporting immigrant families are included there as well. To connect with Dr. Sumi Raghavan and learn more about her New York-based private practice, you can find her on instagram @drsumiphd and her private practice website here! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    54 min

  7. 12/15/2025

    153: Why Your House Is Stressing You Out (and What To Do About It)

    On today’s episode I’m joined by holistic decluttering expert and host of the top-rated podcast The Maximized Minimalist, Katy Joy Wells. As a therapist and parent, I know how often our homes can feel like one more place we’re “falling behind.” In this conversation, we explore how clutter impacts our nervous systems, our relationships, and our sense of enoughness. Katy offers a shame-free, deeply human approach that looks at the emotions, beliefs, and habits under the piles. In this episode, we talk about: Why clutter isn’t neutral...how visual chaos pulls on our time, energy, and attentionThe difference between clutter and expected mess...and why that distinction can instantly lower your shameKaty’s idea of a “good enough home” and how it connects to good enough parentingWhy traditional decluttering methods (bins, labels, marathon purges, “spark joy”) often backfire for busy, emotionally-connected humansHow we can model softening, self-compassion, and boundaries with stuff for our kidsMy hope is that this episode offers you something Katy and I kept coming back to: hope for a lighter, calmer home that supports presence with the people you love...without having to become a different person or maintain a Pinterest-perfect house. Connect with Katy Listen to Katy’s podcast: The Maximized MinimalistGet her book: Making Home Your Happy Place: A Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the OverwhelmFind her on Instagram: @katyjoywells If you loved this episodeShare it with a friend whose home feels “loud” right nowSupport the podcast and leave a rating or review!Subscribe to my Substack, A Little Space, Please, and check out the post that goes with this episode! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    50 min

  8. 11/05/2025

    152: Parenting Together When You Feel Miles Apart

    Have you ever noticed how much harder parenting feels when things are tense between you and your partner? Maybe you start off trying to calm your kids in the back seat… and somehow end up arguing about the volume of the music. Or one of you sets a boundary with your child, the other undermines it, and suddenly you’re in a standoff that feels way bigger than it should. In this episode, Dr. Cassidy explores how the stress of parenting can shake the foundation of even the strongest relationships, and what you can do to reconnect when the patience runs thin and the reactions run hot. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Recognize why parenting amplifies relational stressUse “reserves check-ins” to communicate needs and prevent resentmentShift from “me vs. you” to “us vs. the cycle”Bring repair, rest, and appreciation back into your partnership You’ll also hear simple ways to rebuild connection that don’t require date nights, fancy plans, or extra childcare - just small, intentional moments that help you remember you’re on the same team. Would you love to have this episode written out for you? Check out this substack post! Interested in learning more about my therapy practice? Click here! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    28 min
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4.8
out of 5
272 Ratings

About

Hey parents, tune in as Dr. Cassidy Freitas holds space for conversations with experts from around the world and parents who have been through it. With a background in Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Cassidy offers education in topics ranging from pregnancy, fertility, postpartum, parenting, partner relationships, emotional wellness, creative living and more! This podcast is not a substitute for therapy and if you're struggling you should seek help from a licensed provider in your area. Follow for more @drcassidy and you can learn more about her California-based private practice at www.drcassidymft.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Cassidy Freitas
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Copyright 2018 Holding Space, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Holding Space

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