Mamahood After Trauma | Healing Childhood Trauma, Parenting Triggers & Emotional Regulation for Moms

Emily Cleghorn| Trauma Informed Trigger Recovery Coach for Moms
  • 4.9 (17)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Are you a mama healing from childhood trauma while trying to stop repeating the patterns you grew up with? You’re not alone — and you’re in the right place. I’m Emily Cleghorn, trauma-surviving mama of two and Trigger Recovery Coach for Mamas. Mamahood After Trauma is where we stop pretending we’re “fine” and start healing out loud. This podcast explores what happens when your past shows up in your parenting — from parenting triggers and emotional regulation to mom guilt, burnout, maternal mental health, and breaking generational cycles. Each week, you’ll get honest conversations, trauma-informed education, and practical tools to help you: ✨ Understand your parenting triggers and respond instead of react ✨ Regulate your emotions when motherhood feels overwhelming ✨ Heal unprocessed childhood, emotional, or birth trauma ✨ Build resilience and trust yourself as a mom ✨ Create a more connected relationship with yourself and your children Whether you’re struggling with yelling, feeling touched out and overwhelmed, experiencing trauma resurfacing in motherhood, or simply wanting to parent differently than you were parented — this show is here to support your healing journey. This isn’t about becoming a perfect mom. It’s about becoming a more present, connected, and confident one — while healing the parts of yourself that were never meant to be carried alone. 🎧 Subscribe and join the cycle-breaking journey. Learn more at mamahoodaftertrauma.ca/podcast Want to be a guest on Mamahood After Trauma? Send Emily Cleghorn a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  1. 12h ago

    Trauma & Addiction: What I've Seen, Lived, or Learned

    When a coping strategy starts causing harm, it can be frightening to wonder whether you’re addicted—or simply unable to stop. In this episode of Mamahood After Trauma, Emily Cleghorn looks at how trauma-related coping can show up as substance use, endless scrolling, overwork, or always being the person everyone depends on—and how motherhood can bring those patterns into sharper focus. The belief that you should be able to stop through willpower alone can deepen shame and keep you from seeking help. Emily offers a more compassionate question: What need is this behavior meeting, and what support could help meet that need in a safer way? You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to approach these patterns without judgment, when professional support may help, and when immediate care is important. Emily Cleghorn is a trauma-informed coach and host of Mamahood After Trauma, where she helps mothers understand how trauma can shape their experiences and find compassionate paths toward healing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  2. 5d ago

    Learning Connection by Doing: The Experiential Approach to Healing

    After years of childhood abuse and managing seven pillboxes of medication, Thayne Martin says he now lives without them—and credits hands-on experiences that helped him rebuild connection and emotional awareness. In this candid conversation with Emily Cleghorn, he shares how a near-death experience reshaped his outlook, why a stranger’s unexpected kindness inspired his work, and what exercises like smiling at strangers or asking for help are designed to reveal. He also reflects on healing, his 35-year marriage, and the care needed to make difficult exercises feel safe. An intense, personal look at one man’s path from isolation toward connection. Bullet Points - Childhood abuse and its long-term effects on mental health, relationships, and daily life. - A personal journey through complex trauma, dissociation, mood disorders, and extensive medication use. - A near-death experience and the resulting shift in beliefs, priorities, and outlook on life. - Using neuroscience and experiential learning to support emotional regulation and healing. - Gradually rebuilding social connection through practical exercises involving smiling, compliments, gratitude, and asking for help. - The role of unconditional love and gratitude in fostering connection and positive emotional experiences. - Setting boundaries, developing empathy, and expanding social confidence through guided exercises. - Creating and delivering a card-based program, including personalized coaching and donation-based access. Connect with Thayne:  https://itspurelove.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaynemartin/  https://www.facebook.com/thaynemartin  https://www.instagram.com/thaynemartin/  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  3. Sep 29

    The Mother You're Becoming: You Don't Have to Become Your Mother

    Many trauma-surviving mothers are haunted by the fear: "What if I become the person who hurt me?" This episode dives into the heart-wrenching moments when old patterns surface, and self-doubt takes over, making you question your ability to parent differently. But just because you recognize familiar behaviors doesn’t mean you’re doomed to repeat them. The belief that your past determines your future is a myth — you have the power to choose a new path, even when it feels impossible. In this episode, Emily promises to show you how noticing patterns is the first step to breaking them, and why striving for repair, not perfection, is what truly transforms families. She’ll guide you to see yourself not as a product of your past, but as the author of your family’s future. As a trauma survivor, mother, and certified trauma recovery coach, Emily Cleghorn brings lived experience and professional expertise to every conversation, offering compassionate, practical support for mothers on their healing journey.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  4. Sep 24

    How Can Mindfulness Help Trauma-Surviving Mamas and Their Children Heal Together?

    In this episode of Mamahood After Trauma, host Emily Cleghorn welcomes mindfulness and children's wellness specialist Veronica Moya for an empowering conversation about healing and intentional parenting. Veronica shares how mindfulness transformed her own life and explains why children are naturally intuitive and wise — they simply need permission to trust themselves. She offers practical tools for trauma-surviving mothers, including morning affirmations, breathing exercises, gratitude practices, and creating a peaceful "quiet corner" at home. Veronica emphasizes that a mother's own mindfulness practice is the most powerful gift she can model for her children. Connect with Veronica: https://veronicamoya.com/  ------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  5. Sep 22

    Triggers Aren’t Bad Behavior — They’re Old Stories

    In this powerful episode of Mamahood After Trauma, host Emily Cleghorn dives into the challenging moments when a child's tantrum or defiance unexpectedly brings up overwhelming emotions from the past. She names the specific struggle of feeling hijacked by triggers in everyday parenting, and the shame that can follow. Many believe that being triggered means they're failing as mothers or that their trauma makes them unfit to parent, but Emily challenges this belief, reminding listeners that triggers are a normal response and not a reflection of their worth or capability. Emily promises to guide listeners through understanding their triggers, offering practical strategies to respond with compassion rather than react from old wounds. As a trauma survivor, mother, and certified trauma-informed coach, Emily brings both lived experience and professional expertise to support mothers on their healing journey. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  6. Sep 17

    Why Women Burn Out Faster and How to Restore Your Feminine Energy for Lasting Health

    In this powerful episode of Mamahood After Trauma, host Emily Cleghorn welcomes stress management coach and author Lolita Guarin, who shares her transformative journey from burnout to balance. After collapsing from stress-induced illness while chasing the American dream, Lolita discovered how hormonal differences make women's stress experiences uniquely challenging in today's testosterone-driven world. She introduces her practical CALM process — Control, Acceptance, Limit, and Multiply — offering women accessible tools to reclaim their energy, honor their feminine nature, and break free from overwhelming stress cycles. Connect with Lolita: https://www.beamazingyou.com/  ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  7. Sep 15

    What Kids Actually Need From a Healing Mama

    In this episode of Mamahood After Trauma, host Emily Cleghorn tackles the vulnerable moment when trauma-survivor mothers wonder if their healing journey is "enough" to be a good parent. Many believe that only those who are fully healed can provide a safe, loving environment for their children, but this belief keeps mothers stuck in shame and self-doubt. Emily challenges this myth, showing that healing is an ongoing process and that your willingness to grow is what matters most. She promises to guide you through reframing your expectations, embracing repair after mistakes, and modeling self-compassion for your children. As a trauma survivor, certified coach, and mother herself, Emily brings both lived experience and professional expertise to support you on your healing and parenting journey. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

  8. Sep 10

    Why Saying “I’m Not Okay” Is the First Step to Better Parenting and Breaking Family Cycles

    In this episode of Mamahood After Trauma, host Emily Cleghorn welcomes certified parent coach Latiffe Ghanam for an honest, empowering conversation about healing while parenting. Latiffe shares her journey from a high-pressure communications career to conscious parenting, revealing how emotional stuffing and people-pleasing shaped her life and motherhood path. Together, they explore how unresolved childhood patterns trigger mom rage and guilt, and why self-awareness is the foundation of breaking cycles. With warmth and wisdom, both women remind listeners that imperfect parenting is human, repair is powerful, and extending grace to yourself is the greatest gift you can give your children. Connect with Latiffe: www.livinginprogress.com  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Become a Mamahood After Trauma Supporter- https://buymeacoffee.com/emilycleghorn Take the quiz here: https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/quiz   If you’re ready to go deeper and connect with a community of women who get it, I’d love to invite you into the Rising Room—our safe space for mamas navigating healing, growth, and motherhood after trauma. Https://emilycleghorncoaching.ca/risingroom   💬 And if you’ve got a story, insight, or wisdom to share, I’m always looking for new voices for the podcast! You can connect with me on Podmatch to be a guest and share your experience with our growing community. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

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4.9
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Are you a mama healing from childhood trauma while trying to stop repeating the patterns you grew up with? You’re not alone — and you’re in the right place. I’m Emily Cleghorn, trauma-surviving mama of two and Trigger Recovery Coach for Mamas. Mamahood After Trauma is where we stop pretending we’re “fine” and start healing out loud. This podcast explores what happens when your past shows up in your parenting — from parenting triggers and emotional regulation to mom guilt, burnout, maternal mental health, and breaking generational cycles. Each week, you’ll get honest conversations, trauma-informed education, and practical tools to help you: ✨ Understand your parenting triggers and respond instead of react ✨ Regulate your emotions when motherhood feels overwhelming ✨ Heal unprocessed childhood, emotional, or birth trauma ✨ Build resilience and trust yourself as a mom ✨ Create a more connected relationship with yourself and your children Whether you’re struggling with yelling, feeling touched out and overwhelmed, experiencing trauma resurfacing in motherhood, or simply wanting to parent differently than you were parented — this show is here to support your healing journey. This isn’t about becoming a perfect mom. It’s about becoming a more present, connected, and confident one — while healing the parts of yourself that were never meant to be carried alone. 🎧 Subscribe and join the cycle-breaking journey. Learn more at mamahoodaftertrauma.ca/podcast Want to be a guest on Mamahood After Trauma? Send Emily Cleghorn a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/riseandshinewithemilyc

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