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
  • 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

    How to Stop Perfectionism From Replaying Every Mistake | Ep326

    How to stop perfectionism from replaying every mistake is the work I do with high-achieving women and teens as a licensed Latina therapist offering EMDR intensives. I share the statistics B+ that cost me a perfect 4.0, what EMDR is (think a traffic jam on the Turnpike), and why an intensive can help one stuck moment lose its grip in weeks instead of months. We close with a butterfly hug tapping exercise you can try anywhere. What You’ll Learn  ✅ Why perfectionism keeps one mistake on repeat long after everyone else forgot it  ✅ The two therapy myths that keep high-achieving women and teens from reaching out  ✅ What EMDR is and how bilateral stimulation helps the brain reprocess a stuck memory  ✅ How EMDR intensives work and why they fit busy school, sports and college schedules  ✅ A butterfly hug exercise for calm and self-talk you can use in under a minute Chapters 00:00 Imagining Support at 13 01:29 Podcast Intro and Big Reveal 02:04 Therapy Myths Debunked 04:17 Why EMDR Works 06:30 One Moment That Sticks 07:43 Perfectionism Storytime 09:24 EMDR Intensives Explained 10:40 Scheduling and What to Expect 12:30 Guided Tapping Exercise 13:48 Book a Consultation and Wrap Up Grab an Offer 🌱 EMDR Intensives in Ridgefield, NJ: freetobemindful.com/emdrintensives 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. Nov 3

    How to Stop Living Life in the Rearview Mirror | Ep325

    How to stop living life in the rearview mirror and be present for the good moments is my focus as a licensed Latina therapist for high-achieving women this week. I share the fall drive home where I realized I’d missed the leaves, and why the arrival fallacy keeps us skipping the actual moment we waited months for. What You’ll Learn  ✅ What the arrival fallacy is and why high-achieving women struggle to be present  ✅ Three ways to savor the moment from Fred Bryant’s research, and the one busy women skip most  ✅ What the Spanish word saborear teaches us about tasting our own lives  ✅ How to catch the “I’ll enjoy it when” thinking that runs our calendar  ✅ The last-time lens and why ordinary days are the ones we end up missing  ✅ A daily intentionality practice to pick one moment to fully notice  ✅ A challenge to take back the extra hour from the end of daylight saving time Chapters 00:00 Missing Fall Colors 01:01 Welcome and Season Update 02:57 Rearview Mirror Living 03:32 Arrival Fallacy Explained 04:08 How Savoring Works 05:04 Drive Thru vs Dinner 06:12 Allowance Enjoy It Now 07:14 Last Time Lens 07:47 Intentional Noticing Daily 08:44 Take Back the Extra Hour 09:20 Reflection Questions 09:48 Invitation 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.

  3. Oct 27

    How to Have Fun Again as a High-Achieving Woman | Ep324

    How to have fun again as a high-achieving woman starts with Dr. Stuart Brown’s play personalities, and as a licensed Latina therapist I’m sharing why adults stop playing. I also confess why Halloween is my least favorite holiday, and how my dance class became my own kind of play. What You’ll Learn  ✅ The eight play personalities from Dr. Stuart Brown, from explorers to directors  ✅ Three questions that tell us if something is actually play or one more task  ✅ The high-achiever trap of turning fun into a goal, like counting calories at dance class  ✅ Why so many high-achieving women produce fun for everyone else and miss their own turn  ✅ How our play history from ages 8 to 10 shows what still lights us up as adults  ✅ One small way to bring play back this Halloween weekend Chapters  00:00 Halloween Confession  00:28 Podcast Welcome  01:01 Why Fun Gets Hard  01:29 Growing Up Without Halloween  02:56 Different Kinds of Fun  03:25 Why Adults Struggle to Play  05:08 Play Personalities  07:12 What Play Feels Like  08:01 When Fun Becomes Work  09:44 Find Your Play History  10:50 Bring Play Back  11:13 Coaching Invite and Wrap 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. Oct 20

    2027 Predictions for High-Achieving Women │ Ep323

    2027 predictions for high-achieving women from a licensed Latina therapist on loneliness, burnout, and the real connection we’re craving next year. My 2027 predictions for high-achieving women, as a licensed Latina therapist, point to loneliness, burnout, and the comeback of small in-person gatherings. Underneath all the talk about AI and the future of work, every prediction points back to the same thing we’re craving more of next year... real connection with people who get us. I’m also sharing why the Surgeon General compared loneliness to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and how we can plan for our people in quarter four the same way we plan our numbers. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN  ✅ Why supper clubs, run clubs, and small in-person gatherings are making a comeback in 2027  ✅ How an introvert who works for herself still makes room for connection  ✅ Why high-achieving women will look for a specialist instead of asking a chatbot for advice  ✅ What 2026 burnout data shows about stress in women compared to men  ✅ Why the Surgeon General’s loneliness advisory makes connection a real health decision  ✅ How to put connection on the calendar the same way we book a doctor’s appointment CHAPTERS 00:00 Why 2027 Matters Now 00:36 Podcast Intro and Purpose 01:01 Marketing Predictions Therapist Lens 02:13 Prediction One Small Gatherings Return 04:01 AI Makes Real Connection Pricier 04:40 Prediction Two Specialized Support 06:42 Coaching Invite November Spots 07:01 Prediction Three Schedule Connection 08:42 Reflection and Calendar Challenge 09:36 Plan for Your People 10:20 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. Oct 13

    Why the Eldest Daughter Always Says Yes | Ep322

    Why the eldest daughter always says yes to everything, from overcommitting to giving 110 percent, is a pattern I know as a licensed Latina therapist. As the oldest girl in a Dominican family, I share what it cost me the year I was four months postpartum and leading a nonprofit board, and how to tell when a season of giving is ready to close. What You’ll Learn ✅ Why the eldest daughter, especially the only girl, learns to say yes before anyone finishes asking ✅ Where the pressure to give 110 percent comes from for high-achieving women, and what it quietly costs us ✅ Two questions to help you tell when a season of giving is ready to close ✅ How to step back from a volunteer role or board you love without guilt running the show ✅ Why leaving a seat open can be how the next leader gets her turn Chapters 00:00 Eldest Daughter Yes Reflex 00:34 Podcast Intro and Gala Glam 01:51 How I Filled Every Minute 04:05 Oldest Daughter Culture and 110% 06:39 The Cost of Overgiving Postpartum 08:16 When a Season Is Closing 09:48 Returning as a Guest 10:42 Guided Calendar Reflection 12:47 Wrap Up and Permission to Rest 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. Oct 6

    What High Functioning Actually Hides | Ep321

    What high functioning actually hides is something I hear about every week as a licensed therapist, especially from high-achieving women who look like they have everything handled. For World Mental Health Day, I talk about high-functioning anxiety, where held-in stress goes when we finally slow down, what the science says about scream clubs, and how to know when stress relief isn't enough and it's time for therapy. What You'll Learn ✅ Why high-functioning anxiety isn't in the DSM-5, and why so many high-achieving women still recognize themselves in it ✅ The signs high functioning hides, from a clenched jaw to sitting in the driveway before walking inside ✅ Where held-in stress goes when we slow down, including tears in savasana and anger aimed at the people closest to us ✅ What the science says about scream clubs and why screaming feels like relief ✅ How to tell when stress relief isn't enough and it's time to reach out to a therapist ✅ How to check on a friend or colleague whose automatic answer is "I'm good" ✅ Why our expectations drive high functioning, and which ones we can put down at home ✅ A guided reflection to notice where your body holds stress and choose one expectation to let go of this week Chapters 00:00 Scream Clubs Hook 00:39 Podcast Welcome 01:11 World Mental Health Day 01:45 Yoga Tears Story 02:42 High Functioning Anxiety 03:53 Signs It Shows Up 05:38 When It Spills Over 06:45 Why Screaming Helps 08:00 Scream Vs Therapy 09:23 Support A Friend 10:16 Drop The Expectations 11:35 Resources And Coping 12:01 Guided Check In 13:13 Closing Thoughts 🔎 Find a therapist: psychologytoday.com 🌎 Find a Latinx therapist: connecttherapydirectory.com 🎁 Free Resource, 120 Coping Skills: freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills 💛 Coaching for high-achieving women: amigamoms.com 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. Sep 29

    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.

  8. 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.

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About

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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