The LYLAS Podcast

Sarah and Jen
  • 4.9 (18)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since middle school turned moms and psychologists dish on "the good, the fun, and the yucks" of life! We're tackling all things mental health, "mom balance" (whatever the hell that is), transitions in life (divorce, career, aging parents, parent loss, loss of friendships), self-care, travel, healthy habits, raising kids, and allllllll the things us midlife mamas are experiencing. We hope each week listeners feel like they just left a good ol' therapy session with their bestie! We'll dish on all the tips and tricks to keep your mental health in check and enjoy this thing called life! Meet your life's newest cheerleaders-- Sarah & Jen! LYLAS!

  1. 3d ago

    Going Flat With Confidence: Rebuilding Style & Identity After a Mastectomy

    Send us Fan Mail A “pea-sized” lump. A decision that changes everything. We sit down with TEDx speaker, breast cancer survivor, going flat advocate, and fashion blogger Erica Deligne to talk about what happens after diagnosis when the medical choices end and the identity work begins. Erica opens up about the first year after going flat, the pressure women carry to meet a certain look, and the surprising freedom that can come from choosing health and longevity over expectations. We also get real about fashion: why so many clothes are still not made for flat bodies, how breast forms can be a practical tool for certain outfits, and how personal style can become a daily act of self-respect. Then the conversation shifts to breast health and early detection in a way we wish every woman heard sooner. Erica shares how a self-breast exam, not a mammogram, leads her to find a lump and push for next steps, plus why knowing your family history can change monitoring and biopsy timing. We also dig into dense breast tissue concerns and how staying familiar with your own body can be genuinely life-saving. We round out with prevention-minded habits and healing practices: alcohol and breast cancer risk, environmental toxins in products, lymphatic drainage support through movement and sweating, and the mindset piece that ties it all together. Erica’s definition of inner beauty sticks with us: peace held within, not something added on. If you want a grounded, honest conversation about body image after mastectomy, informed consent around reconstruction, and practical wellness tools like meditation and sauna routines, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more women can find these stories and resources. Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  2. Aug 3

    Breast Cancer. Choices Nobody Explains Clearly

    Send us Fan Mail Nobody prepares you for the moment a medical conversation quietly shifts from saving your life to “rebuilding” your body. We’re joined by Erica Deligne, a TEDx speaker, fashion stylist, breast cancer survivor, and going flat advocate, to talk about the choices patients face after a breast cancer diagnosis and why informed consent is still painfully inconsistent. Erica walks us through being diagnosed with stage one invasive ductal carcinoma, hearing the usual list of options, and realizing that reconstruction with implants is often treated like the default. From breast implant illness stories in patient communities to what many women only discover on the FDA site, we dig into the risks, the missing education, and why “safe” is not the same as “fully explained.” We also get specific about aesthetic flat closure, what it means surgically, and why some patients experience “flat denial” even after clearly requesting to go flat. From there, the conversation widens into beauty standards, the pressure to look “normal,” and the freedom that can come from choosing health, comfort, and longevity over perfection. Erica shares how she blends body autonomy with practical style, including guides that help women dress confidently in a flat chest, without turning their lives into a constant before-and-after story. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs better information, and leave a review so more women can find it when they’re searching for real options. Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  3. Jul 20

    The Hidden Face Of Domestic Violence with Special Guest Sara Blevins

    Send us Fan Mail Domestic violence can be happening right next to us while looking completely “normal” from the outside, and that’s one reason it’s so hard to spot and even harder to talk about. We sit down with Sara Blevins, a domestic violence advocate and Director of Development at Branches Domestic Violence Shelter in West Virginia, to unpack what abuse actually looks like when it’s driven by power and control, not just physical harm. If you’ve ever wondered how someone can seem polished, successful, and steady while living in fear, this conversation connects the dots without blame or oversimplified answers. We dig into safety planning and why there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for leaving an abusive relationship. Sara explains how advocates think through real-life barriers like children, pets, hidden documents, limited money, and shifting risks. We also talk about why leaving often takes multiple attempts, how isolation is used to cut off support networks, and how the power and control wheel helps people name patterns like gaslighting, coercive control, and intimidation. One piece that hits especially hard: financial abuse can be the cage, from sabotaged credit to bills run up in a survivor’s name. We also make space for hope. Sara shares what “the other side” can look like when survivors connect with shelter services, legal advocacy, and longer-term housing support, plus what friends and family can do to stay supportive without trying to control the outcome. If you want concrete ways to help, we cover options from donating and volunteering to simply learning the signs and sharing resources. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the one thing you want every person to understand about domestic violence. Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  4. Jul 6

    Rigid Rules Make You Fail, So Build A Range

    Send us Fan Mail One bold rule can sound comforting until it starts making you feel like you’re failing at life. We’ve both hit that wall lately, listening to the kind of wellness and self-improvement advice that insists there’s one correct way to eat, exercise, parent, manage anxiety, and even think. The problem is simple: people are not templates. What helps one person can be pointless or harmful for another, and when “best practices” turn into moral judgments, they create shame instead of change. We get into the real-world examples you’ve definitely seen: diet culture swings from carbs-are-evil to protein-only to dairy panic, while fitness culture loves to dunk on anything that isn’t the current trend. We make the case for personalized wellness and sustainable habits, including why group fitness still counts, why listening to your body matters, and why flexibility keeps you consistent. One phrase becomes our north star: failure follows rigidity. Health isn’t a pass/fail test, and goals work better as ranges that adapt as your life changes. Then we zoom out to the bigger forces behind all this, like social media echo chambers, hot takes, and the quiet comparison that steals joy. We talk about holding strong beliefs without losing empathy, doing a “self-check” when something triggers you, and setting boundaries that protect your mental health. We also share a simple analogy from how schools teach math today: multiple strategies, same destination. That’s the energy we want for anxiety tools, career decisions, and everyday life. If you like thoughtful conversations that ditch perfectionism and keep what works, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs permission to breathe, and leave us a review. Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  5. Jun 22

    Parenting With Pride with Special Guest, Author Heather Hester

    Send us Fan Mail Your child tells you something that changes everything, and your first reaction might surprise you. Heather Hester joins us to talk about what it actually feels like when a teen comes out, especially when that moment collides with bullying, mental health struggles, substance use, and the terrifying job of keeping your kid safe while trying to keep your family standing. Heather shares how her family moved from confusion and isolation to real support by facing bias head-on and refusing to let shame drive the conversation. We dig into the hidden layers many parents don’t expect: grieving the future you assumed, learning to repair after you misspeak, and understanding why it’s not your child’s job to educate you. We also talk about therapy as a lifeline for parents and siblings, and why doing your own work makes it easier to show up with steadiness when your child is overwhelmed. We get practical about the stuff you might be Googling at 2 a.m.: how to decide who gets told, how to protect your child’s privacy with extended family, how to handle the attention imbalance between siblings, and what it can look like years later when your child finds their people and you can finally exhale.  If you’re looking for parenting support, LGBTQ family resources, and a clear path toward more honest connection, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a parent who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find this kind of help. Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  6. Jun 8

    From Hollywood PR To A Wine Lover’s Guide To Raising Decent Kids with Author Danielle Frank

    Send us Fan Mail A toxic job can teach you more in three months than a “dream role” can teach you in six years. Danielle Frank knows that firsthand. She started as a Miramax Films PR insider traveling the world for premieres and festivals, then moved to Los Angeles and walked straight into an agency culture that made her body scream “nope.” That moment becomes the spark for a bigger conversation about listening to yourself even when your career looks successful from the outside, and how “embracing the pivot” can lead you to the work you were meant to do. Danielle takes us from Bacardi to Moët Hennessy and into the heart of wine storytelling: the romance, the memories, and the history that shows up in every glass. We also geek out on what makes wine feel intimidating and how she tries to make wine knowledge simple and accessible, including a great detour into the legacy behind Veuve Clicquot and why story is sometimes the best pairing. Then we get into her book, A Wine Lover’s Guide to Parenting, a humor-forward read that uses wine terms to deliver real lessons about raising decent humans. We talk manners, consistency, tough love, and the hard truth that sometimes your kid might be the one causing harm outside the home. We also explore what it means to be a nurturing adult even if you are not a parent, plus the idea of productive struggle and why letting kids fall safely can build confidence over time. If you like honest parenting talk with a sharp sense of humor and you want a fresh take on wine culture and connection, hit play, share this with a fellow parent or wine lover, and subscribe so you do not miss what we do next. After you listen, will you leave a review and tell us the best “pause and breathe” moment you’ve had as a parent? Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  7. May 25

    The Truth About Exercise and Healthy Aging

    Send us Fan Mail Your body didn’t suddenly “fail” you in your 40s, but it also can’t be trained like it’s still 25. We sit down with Heather Smith, an exercise physiologist and health coach, to talk about what actually changes in midlife and why so many women feel overwhelmed by wellness advice that ignores real schedules, real stress, and real recovery needs. We get practical about midlife fitness for busy women: letting go of perfect hour-long workouts, building consistency with shorter strength sessions, and using “bite-sized workouts” and walking to keep momentum even on your worst day. Heather shares how she uses calendaring, cues, and accountability to turn intentions into routines, and why support matters when you’ve been carrying everyone else for years. Then we dig into the metabolism conversation so many of us are craving, including how decades of yo-yo dieting and calorie restriction can slow progress, why protein and lean muscle are central to a healthy metabolism, and how blood sugar stability affects energy, mood, and hormones. We also talk sleep as the hidden lever, bedtime routines that feel doable, and simple ideas for middle-of-the-night wakeups. Finally, Heather explains how she supports clients on GLP-1 medications with nutrition, strength training, and habit-building so results are healthier and more sustainable. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a midlife reset, and leave a review with the one change you’re committing to this week. Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

  8. May 11

    Sleep On The Couch Or Squawk The Parrot, Welcome to Midlife Marriage

    Send us Fan Mail 10,000 downloads later, we’re still the same two humans figuring out marriage in real time, including the messy parts we’d love to skip. We start with gratitude for everyone who listens while cooking, driving, or trying to feel a little less alone, then we pivot into a story that proves how fast a tiny miscommunication can turn into a full-body anger response. We unpack what it feels like when you’re “big mad,” why it can take hours to come down from that heat, and how stress and cortisol make emotional regulation harder than people think. We talk about the difference between reacting in the moment versus stewing in silence, when a timeout helps, and why “over-communicate” is often the simplest marriage advice that actually works. You’ll also hear how a partner who’s calm the next morning can be both a blessing and incredibly irritating when you’re still stuck in the spiral. From there, we widen the lens to healthy relationships at home: letting kids see conflict resolution, repair, and reassurance so they learn that an argument doesn’t mean the relationship is ending. We get into self-reflection, outside perspective, and how family-of-origin patterns, gender expectations, and even prior marriages can shape how we fight and reconnect. And because we’re us, we end with what keeps things hopeful: dating your spouse, protecting fun, and using playful resets when tension rises, whether that’s a tandem bike trust exercise, a ridiculous parrot squawk, or a Nerf battle. If this hits close to home, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about marriage communication, conflict, and repair. What’s your go-to move to cool down and come back together? Please be sure to checkout our website for previous episodes, our psych-approved resource page, and connect with us on social media! All this and more at www.thelylaspodcast.com

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4.9
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

If you know what LYLAS stands for, then this podcast is for you! Two besties since middle school turned moms and psychologists dish on "the good, the fun, and the yucks" of life! We're tackling all things mental health, "mom balance" (whatever the hell that is), transitions in life (divorce, career, aging parents, parent loss, loss of friendships), self-care, travel, healthy habits, raising kids, and allllllll the things us midlife mamas are experiencing. We hope each week listeners feel like they just left a good ol' therapy session with their bestie! We'll dish on all the tips and tricks to keep your mental health in check and enjoy this thing called life! Meet your life's newest cheerleaders-- Sarah & Jen! LYLAS!

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah and Jen
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    133
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The LYLAS Podcast
  • Show Website
    The LYLAS Podcast

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