Free to Be Mindful Podcast | Mindset, Permission and Real Talk for the High-Achieving Woman

Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC
  • 5.0 (29)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

The Free to Be Mindful Podcast is a weekly mental health podcast for high-achieving women, hosted by licensed therapist, speaker, and Latina mom coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC.    Fifteen honest minutes with someone who actually gets what it's like to build something impressive and still feel like you're disappearing inside it. We get honest about ambition, identity, and the parts of ourselves we've quietly put on hold.   Each episode is unfiltered and grounded in mental health insight, for the woman who's tired of holding it all together and ready to come back to herself.  It ends with a short guided reflection, a chance to give yourself permission for the one thing you've been putting off.  It's like a conversation with a friend... who happens to be a therapist.  New episodes drop every week. 

  1. 1d ago

    End of Year Overwhelm for High-Achieving Women │ Ep320

    End of year overwhelm for high-achieving women is something I see every Q4, when work deadlines and holiday stress hit in the same week. As a licensed therapist, I talk about why Q4 feels so heavy and how letting go of end of year goals that no longer fit can protect us from burnout during the busiest season of the year. What You'll Learn ✅ Why Q4 at work and Q4 at home become two sprints that nobody else sees in full ✅ How the pressure to set New Year's goals catches up with us in the last quarter ✅ Two ways to tell whether a goal still fits, starting with how you'd feel crossing it off unfinished ✅ How to reshape a goal into a smaller version you'll actually keep ✅ A simple way to sort end of year goals into what you'll finish, what moves to next year, and what you're done carrying ✅ A guided reflection to find and protect time for yourself on your calendar this season Chapters 00:00 Q4 Reality Check 00:40 Welcome And Busy Season 02:21 Workload Meets Home Life 04:13 Goals And Q4 Pressure 05:40 Keep Or Drop Goals 07:25 Resize The Goal 08:28 Support And Coaching 08:43 Schedule Time For You 10:28 Final Encouragement Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  2. Sep 22

    How to Stop Caring What People Think | Ep319

    How to stop caring what people think is something I used to think came with age, but it's really about confidence, self worth, and stakes changing over the years. In this episode I get honest about aging into confidence in your 40s, and what my two year old is teaching me about wanting things for myself again. What You'll Learn ✅ Why the stakes actually change with age, and what that shifts in what you're able to shrug off  ✅ Three real reasons your circle, your energy, and your evidence change how much you care what others think  ✅ Why saying "I don't care" can sometimes be armor instead of the truth  ✅ A guided reflection for noticing when you're still managing what someone else thinks of you Chapters 00:00 Childlike Freedom Returns 00:36 Welcome to the Podcast 01:09 When Opinions Lose Power 02:16 Surviving the Worst Case 03:23 Three Reasons We Stop Caring 04:37 Confidence Takes Evidence 05:45 Performing Not Caring 07:28 Guided Reflection Challenge 08:16 Birthday Week Sendoff Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  3. Sep 15

    Stop Code Switching and Start Showing Up | Ep318

    Stop code switching and start showing up: that's what I'm learning to do as a first gen, Dominican, high-achieving woman who's spent years adjusting my voice for every room I walk into. In this episode, I open up about the bridge generation, what code-switching actually costs, and what changed the moment I decided to show up as my authentic self instead. What You'll Learn ✅ Why the switching started long before she had a word for it, and why it never actually stops, it just changes rooms  ✅ What it costs to spend years adjusting yourself so everyone else stays comfortable  ✅ Why the timing of feeling "othered" looks different depending on where and how you grew up  ✅ The unwritten professional and entrepreneurial rules nobody can hand you when your parents were never in those rooms  ✅ What it looks like day to day to stop code-switching and let your full self show up instead  ✅ One reflection to use this week to notice where you're still switching out of habit Chapters 00:00 Code Switching At Home 00:45 Hispanic Heritage Month Theme 01:38 First Gen Bridge Skills 04:04 College And Othering 05:19 Entrepreneurship And Loneliness 06:52 Dropping The Switch 07:58 Authentic In Every Room 10:20 Guided Reflection 11:23 Share And Closing Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  4. Sep 8

    Chasing Gold Stars As An Adult | Ep317

    High-achieving women don't need gold stars to keep chasing validation, we just found more sophisticated adult ways to earn it. As a licensed therapist, I see this constantly in the women I coach, and in myself. This episode is about what happens when you try wanting something with absolutely no one watching. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN  ✅ Why the validation you got from childhood gold stars never actually stopped, it just changed shape  ✅ The difference between preparation that comes from real care and preparation that comes from needing to be noticed  ✅ A simple way to find a want you've been quietly editing down for years  ✅ Why reclaiming something just for yourself starts with taking the audience away CHAPTERS  00:00 Chasing Gold Stars 00:41 Podcast Welcome 01:14 Adult Approval Habits 02:32 Compliments As Stickers 03:15 What Do You Want 04:00 Salsa And Self Focus 05:15 Finding The Want Again 06:24 Guided Reflection 07:11 Let It Stay Full 07:31 Coaching Invitation 08:02 Final Sendoff Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  5. Sep 1

    Why Should Women Play Smaller to Prove They Rest | Ep316

    Why should women play smaller just to prove they know how to rest? In this episode, I unpack the real difference between ambition that comes from fear and ambition that comes from something alive, and why wanting more and actually resting can be true at the same time. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ Why wanting more isn't something women need to apologize for, and why we don't ask men to prove they can rest before we respect their ambition ✅ The real difference between ambition that comes from fear and ambition that comes from something alive, and why it changes how rest fits in ✅ How to hold both wanting more and enjoying what you've built, without needing them to split evenly down the middle CHAPTERS 00:00 Poolside Spark 00:39 Show Welcome 01:03 Season Reset 02:02 Stop Apologizing 02:29 Summer Reality Check 03:20 Redefining Rest 04:55 Ambition Without Fear 05:57 Reflection Prompts 07:42 Coaching Invitation 08:13 Final Sign Off Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  6. Season 8 Trailer

    The Podcast For The Part Of You Nobody Checks On | Trailer

    You've been the strong one for so long it started to feel like your whole personality. Free to Be Mindful Season 8 launches with a new trailer, and this one's for the high-achieving woman nobody's checking on, the one everyone counts on at work, at home, in every group chat. This season we get honest about ambition, identity, and mental load, no filler, no 45-minute episodes, real talk you can actually fit into your day.  Free to Be Mindful was named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast of 2026 by Feedspot. Season 8 starts September 1, 2026. CHAPTERS 00:00 Who This Is For 00:33 Meet Vanessa 00:40 Podcast Milestone 01:01 The Hidden Load 01:36 Weekly Real Talk 01:56 How To Listen 02:06 Subscribe And Closing Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  7. Jul 8

    How to Stay Emotionally Connected When Life Gets Busy | Ep315

    Summer is here and so is the quiet disconnection that comes with it. Longer days, busier schedules, kids home, and somehow you and your partner are co-managing the season instead of actually connecting. In this episode, licensed therapist Vanessa De Jesus Guzman sits down with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Sheila Arias to talk about how couples rebuild emotional closeness through small, intentional moments, not grand gestures, not perfect timing, just presence. EPISODE DESCRIPTION Why emotional disconnection is common in long-term relationshipsHow judgment and comparison quietly erode intimacyThe role of curiosity and compassion in strengthening emotional bondsWhy small, consistent moments matter more than grand gesturesHow structure and intentionality support connection and intimacyThe importance of physical affection beyond sexual intimacy TUNE IN TO LEARN How to rebuild emotional connection without blaming yourself or your partnerSimple communication tools couples can practice right awayWhy emotional intimacy fades and how to restore it intentionallyHow scheduling connection can still feel meaningful and authenticWays to reconnect that fit real life, not unrealistic relationship ideals CONNECT WITH SHEILA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheilaariaslmftTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheilaariaslmftWebsite: https://www.compasiontherapy.com TAKEAWAY MESSAGE Rebuilding emotional connection isn’t about fixing your relationship or judging where you are. It’s about choosing one small, intentional shift that brings curiosity, warmth, and presence back into your connection. Over time, those moments add up and help relationships feel alive again. As always, thank you for listening. If this episode resonated, consider sharing it with a partner or someone who may need this reminder. And remember - in a world where you are free to be anything, you are always free to be mindful Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

  8. Jun 29

    Slowing Down is Indeed a Leadership Skill | Ep314

    Every summer, something shifts. The schedule loosens, the pace changes just enough to notice... and our brains completely miss the memo. If you've ever found yourself mentally planning the next quarter while your kids are finally at camp, this one is for you. In this season seven finale, we're talking about what intentionally slowing down actually looks like for high-achieving women, why rest feels like falling behind, and three questions to help us move through July with intention instead of accidentally sprinting through it. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why slowing down feels like falling behind, and what that discomfort is actually trying to tell us ✅ The difference between anxious planning and intentional visioning, and how to stop letting fear disguise itself as productivity ✅ Three questions to help us move through July with purpose instead of guilt ✅ How to name one intentional rest day before the month is over, and why staying in the discomfort of it matters more than getting it perfect ✅ A guided reflection to reconnect with what we actually want the fall to feel like, before we turn it into a project plan CHAPTERS 00:00 Why Rest Feels Hard 01:01 Summer Pace Shift 02:54 High Achiever Wiring 03:34 Three July Questions 03:52 Slow Pace Keep Purpose 04:19 Connect More Intentionally 04:53 Dream Without Executing 05:35 Pick One Rest Day 06:27 Season Finale Gratitude 08:02 Guided Reflection Meditation 10:21 Share And Work Together 11:00 Mindful Sendoff Send us Fan Mail Support the show GRAB AN OFFER 🎁 Free 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com 💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com 💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com  🛍️ Shop My Favorites: https://shopmy.us/shop/counselorvdejesus ABOUT ME I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot.  CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/ 📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking DISCLAIMER Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

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The Free to Be Mindful Podcast is a weekly mental health podcast for high-achieving women, hosted by licensed therapist, speaker, and Latina mom coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC.    Fifteen honest minutes with someone who actually gets what it's like to build something impressive and still feel like you're disappearing inside it. We get honest about ambition, identity, and the parts of ourselves we've quietly put on hold.   Each episode is unfiltered and grounded in mental health insight, for the woman who's tired of holding it all together and ready to come back to herself.  It ends with a short guided reflection, a chance to give yourself permission for the one thing you've been putting off.  It's like a conversation with a friend... who happens to be a therapist.  New episodes drop every week. 

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