You First- A Journey to Self

Maria Fuentes
  • 4.9 (18)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to You First: A journey to self the podcast empowering women to uncover their true selves and regain personal power. Join host Maria Fuentes, a leading expert in Women's Emotional Mastery and Self-Discovery, as she guides you through emotional awareness, self-exploration, and nurturing healthy relationships. With nearly two decades of experience in psychology and mental health, Maria shares transformative insights to help you prioritize yourself, overcome challenges, and find inner happiness. Tune in weekly to start your journey of self-discovery and emotional mastery.

  1. FEB 23

    How To Process Your Emotions Without Spiraling Or Shutting Down

    If you’ve ever felt like you’re either spiraling in anxiety or shutting down and numbing out, this episode is for you. In this episode, Maria shares the simple emotional processing method she uses as a high-achieving woman to move through overwhelm, stress, anger, and anxiety without suppressing her feelings or letting them take over her life. Instead of meditation or long routines, you’ll learn practical tools you can use in real life, even when you’re busy, tired, or emotionally flooded. Inside this episode: • Why emotions feel overwhelming when they stack up • The difference between spiraling, numbing, and true emotional processing • How to identify what you’re actually feeling (beyond “I’m fine” or “I’m stressed”) • Movement, journaling, EFT tapping, and voice notes to release emotions • How processing your emotions creates inner safety, calm, and confidence • Why emotional mastery makes you a better partner, leader, mother, and woman This is your reminder: You’re not too sensitive. Your emotions are your power when you learn how to hold your fire instead of letting it control you. If you’re an ambitious woman who feels everything deeply and wants emotional regulation without suppressing your feelings, this episode will help you come back to yourself. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    18 min

  2. FEB 16

    How to Stay Grounded When the World Feels Overwhelming (Faith, Truth, and Emotional Mastery)

    In a world that feels louder, heavier, and more divided than ever, overwhelm is becoming a daily emotional experience for so many people. In this short episode, I’m sharing how I personally navigate the emotion of overwhelm without getting pulled into fear, anger, or emotional chaos. We talk about: Staying anchored in faith and trusting that God is in control Protecting your emotional space from social media and collective energy Researching and seeking truth instead of reacting emotionally Choosing not to contribute to more hate, division, or anger Because when we are constantly reacting to the noise, we lose our center. And when we lose our center, we lose our power. This message is simple but important: when we stay grounded, united, and rooted in truth, we become stronger than the chaos around us. Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder to come back to faith, truth, and emotional steadiness. #EmotionalWellness #FaithCentered #OverwhelmSupport #EmotionalRegulation #ProtectYourPeace #UnityMatters #TruthOverFear #YouFirst #EmotionalLeadership #HaveItAllWoman Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    14 min

  3. FEB 9

    Emotional Mastery For a Full Life

    Have It All Series – Part 5 (Finale) Having it all isn’t about doing more. It’s about increasing your capacity to hold more. In Part 5 of the Have It All series, we bring everything together. Your mind, body, soul, emotions, desires, standards, and truth — without burnout, without self-betrayal, and without abandoning yourself. This episode is about emotional mastery as the foundation for a full life. Not perfection. Not hustle. Not fixing yourself before you’re allowed to live the life you want. Inside this final episode, we explore: What “having it all” actually means for high-achieving womenWhy increasing your capacity matters more than doing moreHow emotions are the key to holding your vision without exhaustionA simple, grounded approach to healing without making it your identityThe daily practices that support your mind, body, and soulHow self-trust, self-respect, and ownership expand your capacityHolding the duality of life without spiralingA reframe on anxiety and depression that brings clarity and reliefWhy your desires must stay at the forefront if you want a full, aligned lifeThis episode is for the woman who knows she’s capable of more — not by pushing harder, but by becoming more grounded, regulated, and connected to herself. Thank you for listening to the Have It All series. If this episode resonates, please leave a review and share it with a woman who needs this reminder. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    31 min

  4. FEB 2

    Boundaries Without Guilt: How to Stay Loving Without Self-Abandonment- Part 4

    You don’t feel drained because you care too much. You feel drained because you’ve been holding onto what was never yours to carry. Welcome to Episode 4 of the Have It All series. This episode is for the woman who is emotionally exhausted but doesn’t want to become cold. You want peace, not chaos. You want boundaries without guilt. You want to stay loving without over functioning. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: What’s yours to hold vs what’s not yoursHow to stop absorbing emotions without shutting downHow to set boundaries without guilt or over explainingHow to protect your energy while staying soft, receptive, and openWe also talk about why over functioning is often fear disguised as care, how it shows up with partners and clients, and how to lead as the emotional leader without rescuing everyone around you. Practical tools in this episode: Is this my emotion or theirs?Is this mine to fix or mine to witness?Am I responding from self trust or from guilt?And one of my favorite boundary reframes: Boundaries are not abandonment. They’re how you stay connected without self abandonment. If you haven’t watched Episodes 1–3 yet, they’re in the playlist and they’re the last three episodes on the podcast. Subscribe for weekly episodes on emotional mastery and becoming the woman who has it all and feels good while doing it. If this resonates, like, comment, and share it with a woman who needs this message. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    36 min

  5. JAN 26

    The Real Reason You Don’t Feel Seen in Love (It’s Not Your Standards)

    Have It All Series | Episode 3:  Title - The Real Reason You Don’t Feel Seen in Love (It’s Not Your Standards) Ambitious women are not bad at love. But many of us are exhausted in our relationships without knowing why. In this episode of the Have It All series, I’m sharing why staying in masculine energy inside your relationship slowly depletes intimacy, connection, and safety and why it often leaves you feeling unseen, over-responsible, and emotionally tired. I recorded this episode from my bedroom after a very emotional morning because this conversation isn’t theoretical. It’s lived. You’ll hear real moments, real regulation tools, and the exact shifts that changed how I show up in love. We talk about: • Why over-explaining, managing, and controlling kills intimacy • The difference between communication and emotional leadership • How masculine energy works beautifully in business but backfires in relationships • What it actually means to be soft and strong at the same time • How to soothe yourself without shutting down or suppressing emotions • When to speak up and when to regulate first • Why receiving is one of the most powerful relationship skills women can learn If you haven’t listened yet, I highly recommend starting with Episode 1 and Episode 2 of the Have It All series. Episode 1 breaks down worthiness and why wanting it all isn’t the problem. Episode 2 explores emotional safety and the self-leadership skill ambitious women were never taught. Episode 3 builds on both and shows you how to apply this work directly inside your relationship. Next week, we’ll talk about discernment. How to know what’s yours to carry, what isn’t, and how to set boundaries without hardening your heart. If this episode resonated, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a woman who needs this reminder. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    31 min

  6. JAN 19

    The Emotional Skill Most Ambitious Women Were Never Taught

    Most ambitious women are extremely capable—we can build careers, manage households, and hold everything together. But the skill most of us were never taught is emotional self-leadership: how to lead ourselves emotionally so we can feel grounded and safe within ourselves, even under pressure. In Episode 2 of The Have-It-All Woman Series (Ambition, Love, and Emotional Mastery), we’re unpacking how high-achieving women often outsource emotional safety—to partners, work, control, productivity, or distraction—and why it eventually stops working. In this episode, you’ll learn: What emotional self-leadership really means and how to know when you’re outsourcing itWhy “being strong” can secretly be emotional suppressionThe 5 emotional mastery skills that change how you experience love, success, and your nervous systemWhy emotional self-leadership is when your body realizes it’s safe—even when life isn’t perfectIf you haven’t listened to Episode 1 on worthiness, go back and start there—this series is designed to build week by week. If this episode supported you, please follow/subscribe, and leave a rating + review—it helps more women find this work. Next episode: how emotional outsourcing shows up most in romantic relationships and why ambitious women struggle more in love than they expected. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    24 min

  7. JAN 12

    Why Wanting It All Isn't The Problem- Believing You Are Worthy Is

    The biggest block for ambitious women isn’t desire—it’s worthiness. Most of us want it all. Love, success, peace, passion, fulfillment. And we believe it’s possible. But beneath that belief, there’s often a quiet hesitation… a pause that asks, is this actually meant for me? In Episode 1 of The Have-It-All Woman Series, we explore the real reason so many high-achieving women struggle to fully receive the life they want—and why worthiness, not effort, is the key. In this episode, we dive into: How worthiness becomes conditional and tied to being the “good,” “strong,” productive, or easy oneWhy overachieving, overgiving, and self-reliance often mask a deeper worthiness woundHow unworthiness shows up in love, relationships, work, money, and restWhy worthiness isn’t a mindset, but a nervous-system experience rooted in safetyThe shift from proving and earning… to allowing and receivingPowerful reflection questions to help you get clear on what you truly want—without hustle or justificationYou’ll learn why unworthiness doesn’t stop you from wanting more—it stops you from receiving it. And how to begin embodying the grounded, self-trusting energy of the woman who no longer waits to be “good enough” to enjoy her life. This is Part 1 of a 5-part series designed to help ambitious women reconnect with their worth, their desires, and their capacity to receive—without bracing, chasing, or burning out. In the next episode, we’ll explore the emotional skill most ambitious women were never taught—and how mastering it changes everything in love, work, and life. 💫 Subscribe, rate, and share this episode if it spoke to your soul. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    20 min

  8. 12/29/2025

    Why 2025 Felt So Hard (And How to Turn the Pain Into Power in 2026)

    2025 was not an easy year for many women, and in this episode, I unpack why intense years feel so emotionally heavy and what they are actually here to teach us. I share my personal reflections on nervous system overwhelm, emotional triggers, spiritual growth, and how challenges often repeat until we gain the wisdom they’re offering. We explore how pain, triggers, and difficult people act as mirrors to our inner child wounds and how emotional mastery allows us to respond instead of react. I also guide you through a reflection on what felt good this year so you can intentionally create more alignment, peace, and joy in 2026. This episode is for women who want emotional intelligence, spiritual grounding, and self-leadership without shame or perfectionism. Need extra support from Maria? Join MUSE Energy, her exclusive women 's-only channel on Instagram, for more insights and inspiration! - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/?thread_key=8628881520460159 For personalized 1:1 coaching, visit Maria’s website at mariafuentes.net or email her at info@mariafuentes.net for guidance.- https://mariafuentes.net/ Follow Maria on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/_maria.fuentes_/

    20 min
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4.9
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Welcome to You First: A journey to self the podcast empowering women to uncover their true selves and regain personal power. Join host Maria Fuentes, a leading expert in Women's Emotional Mastery and Self-Discovery, as she guides you through emotional awareness, self-exploration, and nurturing healthy relationships. With nearly two decades of experience in psychology and mental health, Maria shares transformative insights to help you prioritize yourself, overcome challenges, and find inner happiness. Tune in weekly to start your journey of self-discovery and emotional mastery.

Information

  • Creator
    Maria Fuentes
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 You First- A Journey to Self
  • Show Website
    You First- A Journey to Self