Messages From the Middle | Mental Health, Anxiety, Depression, Late Diagnosed ADHD, Undiagnosed Trauma, Neurodivergence, PTSD

Wendy Parrish
  • 5.0 (29)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Have you been asking yourself; “Why do I feel like this?” The anxiety, the exhaustion, the heaviness you can’t explain—all of it leaves you searching for answers you’re not even sure how to articulate. You want relief, guidance, and a way forward, but you don’t yet have the right questions, let alone the solutions. I know that place intimately, because I’m not speaking from the top of the mountain looking back. I’m Wendy Parrish, and I’m still in the middle of my story. From here—right in the thick of the confusion, healing, setbacks, and growth—I’ve learned how to name what’s happening, navigate the messiness, and build tools that actually help. And I want to bring you into that process, not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone walking it with you.

  1. 2D AGO

    Stop Being Nice: How "Nice" is Hurting Your Mental Health

    In this episode, I dig into an idea from Deborah Adele’s The Yamas & Niyamas that completely shifted how I think about kindness: the difference between being nice and being real. We talk about why so many of us default to niceness as a way to keep the peace, avoid conflict, and manage how others see us—especially when we’ve been taught our whole lives that being agreeable makes us good. But beneath the surface, niceness often asks us to hide our truth, disconnect from our needs, and hold back the honesty that real relationships actually require. Together, we explore how authenticity is a deeper form of kindness, not just to ourselves but to the people we care about. Being real doesn’t have to be harsh; it can be grounded, compassionate, and deeply respectful. I share how pretending, pleasing, and masking create tension in our bodies and distance in our relationships, and how telling the truth—with gentleness—can create more peace than performing ever will. If you’ve been stuck in the trap of “keeping everyone comfortable,” this episode will help you loosen that old pattern and step into a more honest, open, emotionally healthy way of connecting. Contact me: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

    17 min

  2. DEC 5

    When Clarity Makes YOu Shine: Diagnosis and Mental Health

    Here are two polished paragraphs for your Apple Podcasts description, Wendy: In this episode, I share a simple moment from my Thanksgiving break that opened up a much bigger conversation—finally discovering my seasonal color palette. What started as a fun activity with my sister and sister-in-law uncovered a powerful metaphor about being seen, understood, and supported. Just like the right colors help us look more like ourselves, understanding how our brains are wired can help us live more like ourselves. I walk through what seasonal color analysis actually is, why it works, and how it unexpectedly connected me back to my own journey with ADHD and mental health. I also explore why getting an accurate diagnosis can be so validating and empowering. A diagnosis isn’t a label that limits who you are—it’s information that helps you know how to work with your brain instead of against it. From quieting self-criticism to creating systems that support your unique wiring, clarity can help you show up in your life with more confidence and compassion. If you’ve ever wondered whether naming what you’re experiencing would actually help, this episode offers a gentle, relatable perspective on why understanding yourself is one of the most freeing things you can do. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoachin

    12 min

  3. NOV 28

    Indulgent Emotions: Why You Feel Stuck and How To Break Free

    This week we’re diving into indulgent emotions—those sneaky feelings that look like healing and self-reflection but actually keep us stuck. Confusion, overwhelm, worry, self-pity… they can all feel responsible, productive, or even spiritual. But when they don’t lead to action, they trap us in motion instead of progress. I’ll walk you through how these emotions hijack your brain, keep you feeling “busy,” and quietly protect you from discomfort, rejection, and failure. I’ll also share practical tools to shift from indulgent emotions to powerful ones like determination, courage, commitment, and curiosity. You’ll learn how to identify the feeling you’re indulging in, how to look at the actions it creates, and how to choose a new emotion that supports the life you want. If you’re tired of spinning in circles and ready to build momentum, self-trust, and action-based healing, this episode is for you. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

    15 min

  4. NOV 21

    A Better Way to Practice Gratitude: 5 tips for a more meaningful graatitude practice

    In this episode, I’m unpacking the truth about gratitude—what the research actually says, why it can support our mental health, and why it sometimes falls completely flat. Studies show that gratitude can reduce depression, lower stress, strengthen relationships, and even improve sleep and immune function. But those benefits only show up when gratitude is practiced in a grounded, realistic way. I break down how to avoid slipping into toxic positivity, how to honor your real emotions first, and how to use gratitude without gaslighting yourself into feeling something you don’t. I also share five practical, evidence-backed ways to make gratitude work for you, even on the days when everything feels heavy or neutral at best. From setting intentions and embracing the small things to getting specific and trusting the process, these tools can help you stay present with both the hard and the hopeful parts of your life. My goal is to help you build emotional resilience—not by forcing positivity, but by widening your perspective just enough to notice the moments that steady you. Contact me: @wendyparrishcoaching email: wendy@wendyparrish.com

    13 min

  5. NOV 14

    Strength Training for Your Mind: The Link Between Movement and Resilience

    In this episode, I share what getting back into running has taught me about resilience, mental health, and the power of intentional discomfort. After years of injuries and setbacks, I finally realized that rebuilding strength—physically and emotionally—starts with choosing to push against resistance instead of avoiding it. From sprint intervals to glute work to nervous-system regulation, I talk about how training my body has directly trained my mind, helping me break cycles of fear, fragility, and “I can’t do this.” This is the real process of becoming anti-fragile: learning to hold discomfort without shutting down and expanding your capacity one uncomfortable rep at a time. I also dive into the mind-body tools that build emotional strength from the inside out—like somatic work, meditation, breath awareness, and choosing physical challenges on purpose. These practices don’t just strengthen muscles; they rewire the brain, deepen self-trust, and help you step out of victim mode and back into ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. If you’re looking for practical ways to grow resilience, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with your inner strength, this episode will give you both the science and the lived experience behind what it takes to build a stronger, steadier you. contact me: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching website: wendyparrish.com

    21 min

  6. NOV 7

    The Problem With Minimiaing Trauma: why naming your experience matters

    In this episode, I revisit the idea of “big T” and “little t” trauma after hearing Dr. Frank Anderson discuss why these labels can sometimes get in the way of healing. I agree with him that trauma is defined by its impact, not the size or obviousness of the event. But I also share why naming my own experiences—especially the ones I minimized for years—was a crucial step in recognizing how my nervous system had been shaped. Without language, I couldn’t see the patterns that were quietly directing my responses, relationships, and sense of safety. For many of us, naming isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about awareness. I walk listeners through the reflective questions Dr. Anderson uses to help people identify the parts of themselves that still carry overwhelm, fear, or unprocessed pain. And as I explore each question, I share examples from past coaching conversations to make the process tangible and relatable. I close with a discussion on self-compassion—what it actually looks like, why it matters, and why learning to treat ourselves with the same understanding we offer others can become a turning point in healing. This episode is an invitation to stop minimizing your pain, start naming your story, and take the first real steps toward nervous system repair and emotional resilience. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram @wendyparrishcoaching

    24 min
  7. Big T andd Little T Trauma: understanding the hiddden wounds that shape us

    OCT 31

    Big T andd Little T Trauma: understanding the hiddden wounds that shape us

    For a long time, I thought trauma was something that only happened to other people — the big, obvious kind you see in movies or read about in books. But when I entered residential treatment in 2022, I discovered something I’d never heard of before: little t trauma. These are the smaller, often invisible experiences that still shape how we see ourselves and the world — infertility, rejection, chronic stress, loss, or simply years of feeling “not enough.” In this episode, I share my story of learning that healing isn’t just for those with “big” trauma — it’s for anyone carrying pain that’s been minimized or misunderstood. I’ll talk about how I went from believing I was “weak sauce” to understanding how my mind and body were trying to protect me all along. Together, we’ll explore why identifying little t trauma can be a turning point in building emotional resilience, releasing shame, and reclaiming your story. This episode is an invitation to give yourself grace, recognize your pain as valid, and start the process of healing — one small, courageous step at a time. contact me: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

    19 min

  8. JUN 18

    Grief: Therapy Talk Traps, words we misuse and how it's holding us back

    In this episode of Messages from the Middle, I’m talking about a word that we may actually be underusing: grief. Unlike other therapy buzzwords I’ve covered in this series, grief is a word that usually gets used correctly—but not nearly enough. We’ve come to associate grief solely with death, and while grief absolutely belongs there, it also deserves space in so many other areas of our lives. I share how misunderstanding grief led me to feel unnecessary shame in my own experience, and how learning to name it allowed me to begin healing. I’ll walk you through some of the most common myths around grief—the five stages, the timeline, the hierarchy—and offer a broader, more compassionate view of what grief really is and how it shows up. Whether you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, the shift of a dream, or just the quiet ache of a life that didn’t turn out the way you thought it would, this episode is an invitation to see grief differently—and to give yourself the permission you may not have known you needed. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

    14 min
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About

Have you been asking yourself; “Why do I feel like this?” The anxiety, the exhaustion, the heaviness you can’t explain—all of it leaves you searching for answers you’re not even sure how to articulate. You want relief, guidance, and a way forward, but you don’t yet have the right questions, let alone the solutions. I know that place intimately, because I’m not speaking from the top of the mountain looking back. I’m Wendy Parrish, and I’m still in the middle of my story. From here—right in the thick of the confusion, healing, setbacks, and growth—I’ve learned how to name what’s happening, navigate the messiness, and build tools that actually help. And I want to bring you into that process, not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone walking it with you.

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