Free to Be Mindful Podcast | Helping Professional Moms Find Calm in a Busy World

Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC
  • 5.0 (28)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Free to Be Mindful Podcast with Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman helps professional moms find calm in a busy world. Each episode blends mindful living strategies, mental health insights, and REAL TALK - grounded in culture and inspired by everyday life - to help you stress less, live with intention, and feel more like yourself... without hours of meditation.  Tune in for practical tools and relatable heartfelt stories that help you slow down, recharge, and show up as your best self. 

  1. 19h ago

    How to Stay Emotionally Connected When Life Gets Busy

    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 NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    33 min

  2. Jun 29

    Three Questions Every Overwhelmed Mom Needs This Summer

    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 NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    11 min

  3. Jun 22

    How Moms Lose Track of What They Want and How to Find It Again

    My daughter turned two this month. I watched her eat her birthday cake with zero regard for the mess, completely absorbed in the moment, not thinking about what was next. Just entirely, joyfully present. And somewhere between the frosting and the candles, I thought about how we all used to know how to do that, and somewhere along the way, every quiet moment became a to-do list.  This episode is one of the most personal things I've ever shared on the podcast. It's about a miracle pregnancy I didn't see coming, the season of life that shaped it, and the deeper question underneath all of it: when did we stop asking ourselves what we actually want?  What You'll Learn ✅ Why the fourth trimester puts your wants in a drawer — and why so many of us forget to take them back out ✅ How borrowed wants from social media and comparison quietly replace our real ones ✅ Why adjusting your wants to fit your current season is strategy, not failure ✅ The I Want Practice: a simple quarterly exercise to reconnect with what's actually yours ✅ What watching a two-year-old can teach a high-achieving mom about permission   Chapters 00:00 Birthday Cake Presence 00:43 Podcast Welcome Setup 01:21 IVF Panic Turning Point 03:23 Letting Go And New Life 04:46 When Wants Change 05:32 Motherhood Survival Mode 07:27 Borrowed Wants Pressure 09:12 Seasons And Realistic Goals 11:19 Village Support Constraints 13:08 Quarterly I Want Practice 16:17 Toddlers Teach Desire 18:44 Homework And Closing  Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    20 min

  4. May 25

    Building Without a Blueprint

    Seven years ago, a mom broke down in front of her during a home visit, and that one moment cracked open everything. Not a business plan. Not a five-year roadmap. Just a clear, quiet knowing that moms needed support too, and that she was going to be the one to build it. What came next was seven years of showing up without a blueprint, figuring it out season by season, and learning that intention carries you further than any plan ever could. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why knowing your why holds everything together when the how is still completely unclear ✅ What fifteen years of marriage and seven years of business have quietly taught her about what it actually means to nurture something ✅ How allowance, not pushing harder, is what's made the most room for real growth ✅ What it costs to want to do everything at once, and what her kids keep pulling her back to ✅ A guided reflection to help you name what you're nurturing right now and what it would mean to bring intention, allowance, and compassion to it Chapters 00:00 Maycember Kickoff 01:41 15 Years Married 02:25 Seven Years Mindful 02:35 Origin Story 2018 04:17 From Hustle to Shift 05:46 No Blueprint Needed 06:34 Intention as North Star 07:48 Allowance and Evolution 08:41 Collective and New Baby 10:15 Compassion and Presence 11:31 Trusting Whats Next 12:34 Gratitude and Thanks 13:57 Invitation to Work Together 14:28 Reflection and Closing Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    17 min

  5. May 11

    Why Rest Cannot Wait for a Special Occasion

    The first thing Vanessa felt when she finally gave herself a break wasn't relief. It was guilt. And that moment, that voice that said we don't do that, we just handle it, is exactly what this episode is about. If Mother's Day left you with something unnamed underneath the flowers and the plans, you're not alone in that. We ask one day to carry everything we've been quietly waiting to feel, and then Monday arrives exactly the same as every other Monday. What You'll Learn:  ✅ Why one Mother's Day cannot hold what we've been carrying for the other 364 days, and what to do with that  ✅ How inherited guilt keeps us from choosing support that's actually available to us  ✅ Three practical ways to protect your mental breaks, use your resources, and treat your own time as non-negotiable  ✅ Why rest doesn't have to be earned, saved for a special occasion, or explained to anyone Chapters: 00:00 When You Finally Stop 00:47 Welcome and Mother’s Day Check-In 01:18 Breathing Room From Pausing 01:58 Why Moms Never Rest 02:54 Tiny Moments That Restore You 03:33 Generational Messages About Selflessness 04:44 Choosing Support Without Guilt 06:47 Mother’s Day Can’t Carry It All 08:16 Three Practical Ways to Reclaim Time 09:54 You Don’t Need Permission to Rest 10:33 Coaching Invitation and Next Steps 11:00 Guided Reflection and One Small Step 12:02 Share, Review, and Closing Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    13 min

  6. Apr 27

    When Your Calendar Is Full and You're Running on Empty

    Some weeks the calendar wins. Last week Vanessa was up until 3am two nights in a row, not scrolling, actually working, and she woke up the next morning running on empty.  In this episode she gets honest about the inherited blueprint that kept her going, and the hard podcast decision she made about before something broke. What You'll Learn:  ✅ How to identify the inherited blueprint running in the background that keeps us pushing past our limit, even when we know better  ✅ Why being deliberate isn't only about what we remove from our plates, but whether our minds are actually present for what remains  ✅ How to give ourselves permission to make the hard call before something breaks, not after Chapters: 00:00 When Everything Matters 00:40 Welcome to the Show 01:36 My Word for 2026 02:16 Burnout Warning Signs 02:58 The Overachiever Blueprint 03:58 Culture and Rest Stories 05:07 Choosing Presence 06:07 Podcast Schedule Change 07:27 Three Takeaways to Apply 09:32 Reflect and Choose Deliberately 10:48 Reviews and Farewell Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    12 min

  7. Apr 21

    What My Therapy Dog Taught Me About Receiving Support

    The strongest woman in the room is often the last one to let support in. Not because no one's offering, but because managing has been her strategy for so long she doesn't always notice when something is available. This episode is about that cost, and Ollie the goldendoodle is our way in. What You'll Learn: ✅ The real difference between service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and why it matters more than most people realize ✅ What the science actually says about what animals do to your nervous system, including why oxytocin rises up to 300% during eye contact with your dog ✅ Why being capable at managing everything is not the same as being okay, and what it quietly costs over time ✅ How to pause before the next reflexive "I'm fine" and actually answer the question honestly ✅ Three practical ways to start building the muscle of receiving support in low-stakes moments so it's available when the stakes are high Chapters 00:00 Who Is Really There 01:19 Meet Ollie Birthday 02:34 Ollie Therapy Work 04:20 Service Animal vs ESA vs Therapy Dog 07:04 Science Of Support 09:20 Why We Resist Help 11:26 Three Support Tips 14:21 Guided Reflection Pause 17:14 Share And Work With Me 18:36 Happy Birthday Ollie Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    19 min

  8. Apr 13

    What High-Performing Kids Need That Parents Often Miss

    What if the loudest critic in your kid's life isn't in the bleachers... it's in their own head? Dr. Peter Economou, licensed psychologist, Zen teacher, and Olympic-level competitive swimmer, joined us for a conversation that's equal parts practical and profound, and it applies to every mom who's ever wondered whether she's helping or accidentally adding to the pressure.  What You'll Learn ✅ Why mindfulness isn't about slowing down, it's about training your brain on purpose, and why that distinction changes everything for high performers  ✅ What the "demons on the boat" metaphor from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches us about bully thoughts, and why trying to push them down is exactly what keeps kids stuck  ✅ The middle path between "nothing is ever good enough" and burnout — and how parents can help kids find it without living out their own unfinished stories through them  ✅ Three simple, practical ways to bring mindfulness into everyday life without a meditation cushion or a free hour  Website: https://www.officialdrpete.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialdrpete/ Chapters 00:00 Hamster Wheel Hook 00:18 Podcast Intro 00:49 Meet Dr Pete 02:07 Fun Fact Olympic Swimmer 03:28 Belonging Beyond Titles 04:32 Mindfulness Meets Sports 06:18 What Mindfulness Is 08:08 Mindfulness for Busy Moms 09:13 Three Everyday Practices 11:01 Quieting Bully Thoughts 14:51 Middle Path Parenting 17:47 Motivation and Self Care 19:50 Balance and Perspective 22:23 Legacy and Genuineness 24:00 Where to Find Dr Pete 24:32 Host Wrap and Reflection  Send us Fan Mail Support the show NJ RESIDENTS, WORK WITH VANESSA Book a free 15-minute therapy consultation https://www.freetobemindful.com/contact  LET’S STAY CONNECTED  🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast  🎁 Free Resource — 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/  💛 Private Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com  🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking  💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/ 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.

    27 min
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About

The Free to Be Mindful Podcast with Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman helps professional moms find calm in a busy world. Each episode blends mindful living strategies, mental health insights, and REAL TALK - grounded in culture and inspired by everyday life - to help you stress less, live with intention, and feel more like yourself... without hours of meditation.  Tune in for practical tools and relatable heartfelt stories that help you slow down, recharge, and show up as your best self. 

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