Find Your Voice, Change Your Life

Today, I interview Vasavi Kumar who grew up in a first generation Indian immigrant family. At home, she says she felt too Americanized. But at school, she felt too Indian, because she attended a predominantly white school. She never felt like she fit in anywhere, so she just learned to do and say all the right things to keep the peace. Her home was a safe place, and her needs were met. Her parents were successful business professionals. However, Vasavi didn't feel emotionally safe; she never felt safe in expressing her emotions as a child because her parents didn't encourage that kind of expression and didn't know how to react or help her to understand and regulate her emotions. She never let people get to know her intimately enough to hurt her. At 12 she started therapy and almost instantly felt tremendous relief, because for the first time someone was fully present, listening to her, and validating her emotions. She no longer had to feel like a misunderstood, irrational, overemotional outcast. She finally started to understand her emotions and became more confident in her own identity. And she finally got to mourn the loss of the way she wished her childhood had been. She still experiences frustration in life, but she knows how to approach it. She takes a look at her own expectations, pays close attention to where she is putting her energy, and takes the time to redirect herself and be honest about what to release and what to hold as priority. Today, she is committed to living authentically. Part of that journey was learning to be honest and intimate with herself. She had to ask herself why she wasn't being honest with herself. She dug through her business and all of her relationships, assessing areas where she realized she wasn't being her genuine, fully-expressed self. She walks with pride, knowing that she says what she means and means what she says. ____________ Vasavi is the outspoken host of the Say It Out Loud Podcast, upcoming author of the Say It Out Loud book (Spring 2023), Self-Expression Coach, and Actor. As a First-Generation Indian Immigrant, Vasavi made her parents proud by going to Columbia University to receive her (second) Masters in Social Work. Through her Say It Out Loud group experience, 1:1 mentorship, and communication training, Vasavi helps her clients be more comfortable, confident, and in control during media interviews, telepresentations, and interpersonal communication so they can show up confidently. Find Vasavi here: https://www.vasavikumar.com/ (where you can get her FREE mini-course: 11 Concepts to Take You From Self-Conscious to Self-Expressed) https://www.instagram.com/mynameisvasavi/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasavikumar1/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59H9ub5Q0rZLF6ASqsmc7w____________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.    Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

 Today, I interview Clarissa Burt who tells us that her childhood was stressful and not very much fun. There was a lot of yelling, arguing, alcohol, and violence. Her father switched back and forth between Jekyll and Hyde, going from fun and kind to full of rage. Clarissa was the oldest child, and she spent much of her time trying to keep the peace, look after her abused mother, and check each bedroom to make sure everyone was still alive each morning. She hadn't realized that she had formed the habit of checking the bedrooms until her mother pointed it out to her after the divorce when she was still doing it. She was able to recognize that she was experiencing PTSD and begin to work through it. Once she grew up and left home to pursue a modeling career, she was surrounded by people who just wanted to party, drink, do drugs, and stay up late. That wasn't Clarissa's style. She says that despite their own behavior, her parents instructed her to have a strong sense of right and wrong. Clarissa got up early and went to bed early. She had a good head on her shoulders and was starting to not only discover who she was, but also form the habit of consistently raising her standards. This was a major breakthrough. Clarissa believes that self-esteem is the key. We're all going to experience difficulties, traumas, losses, and other great challenges in life. But if you do the work to understand yourself, process your emotions, and feel fully connected to who you are, your self-esteem helps to keep you centered and gives you the tools to overcome any obstacle. She tells us that our experiences are stepping stones in life. Our belief systems and the things we learn help to shape us, and through changes in life we may lose connections with people and things that are no longer a fit, but as long as we are striving for the greater good, amazing things can happen.______________ Clarissa Burt is the Founder/CEO of In the Limelight Media. She is an internationally acclaimed award-winning media personality, producer, director, writer, author, former supermodel, and public speaker. With hundreds of television, radio, and film credits to her name, this Who’s Who of International and American Women brings over 35 years of entertainment industry experience in both International and American markets. Find Clarissa here: https://clarissaburt.com/ https://envelopher.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissaburt/ https://www.facebook.com/ClarissaBurtInternational https://twitter.com/clarissaburt ______________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.     Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Anna Ditchburn who grew up in Russia. Her father left when she was 4, abandoning their family to be with another woman. Anna was so young, she didn't quite understand what was going on. She never processed her own feelings about it, but instead focused on her heartbroken mother and helped to keep up appearances, never revealing what was happening behind closed doors. She helped to care for her infant brother while her mother worked nights to make ends meet. Six years later, they were still struggling when her mother met a man they all thought was wonderful. A few months into the relationship, he showed his aggressive, abusive side. He was a military man, and the family lived in fear, keeping everything spotless and in its perfect place. When Anna turned 15, he began sexually abusing her, forcing her to undergo two abortions, one of which damaged her reproductive system. At 21 she left, hiding her secrets and holding herself back for fear of judgment. She felt so much shame over her past, feeling undeserving of love and acceptance. She struggled with job interviews, having so much fear and anxiety that she would become physically ill. And then she met Laban, the love of her life (who has also been a guest on this podcast) and her now husband. They experienced several miscarriages together, but her doctor told her it wasn't a physical problem; it was an emotional and psychological one. Anna was later able to come to terms with the fact that she was afraid of this experience because of her past trauma. She was able to give her trauma a name, ask for help, and begin the healing process for the first time in 20 years. Anna Ditchburn has faced some of the most traumatic things a young woman can possibly experience. And that's what motivates her to tell the world that if she can rise above it, others can too. She uses her own podcast to tell others that they're not alone, and her passion is "helping people to realize their potential, and align with their heart, thoughts, feelings, and wishes." ________________ Anna is known affectionately as the world’s best life-optimization coach. She empowers others with her ultimate courage, stories of healing, and forgiveness. Systemic sexual abuse, two forced abortions by a stepfather, and then sixteen consecutive miscarriages were once Anna’s only story. Now her story is that she has reclaimed her power, freed herself from the tether of shame and pain, and made her life-purpose to help others to do the same to live the life of their dreams. Find Anna here: https://annaditchburn.com/ https://worlds-best-trauma-recovery-podcast.captivate.fm/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsannaditchburn/ https://www.facebook.com/mrs.anna.ditchburn https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7WdkOzozBc_1z3rwmzWfbg ________________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.    Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Laurie Seymour whose father was her best friend. Growing up with three brothers, she confided in her father and he was her sounding board and source of encouragement. When he died she was still quite young, and her mother was forced to pick up the pieces, struggling with overwhelming new emotional and financial stresses. Laurie was often left out of the equation. She just didn't fit, and there wasn't much time for her. She retreated within herself, only allowing some parts of herself to be seen in the world. During her childhood, Laurie was a good student and was known to be very intelligent, as evidenced by her work and her confidence in front of the class. She had lots of good experiences but never allowed them to become a part of her life and her story-- never really embracing her life. Losing her father had caused a lack of stability in her life, and those feelings of doubt turned into self-doubt for her. After a journey through college and even becoming a therapist herself, Laurie eventually encountered a teacher with whom she had an "energetic experience". This allowed her to finally open up and reconnect to her self-love. She felt a deep connection to her own existence, and it allowed some of those gaps in her mind and heart to come together. Laurie now practices mindfulness, staying in the present and focusing on the truth. She no longer gives self-doubt her time or attention because it has no productive value for her. Today, she teaches others how to tap into their own inner energy and harness it for guidance and stability. _______ Laurie Seymour, Quantum Connection Mentor, 2x international #1 best-selling author, and founder/CEO of The Baca Institute, is internationally known as the source for Source. She helps visionary leaders and conscious business owners shift their vibration for more energy, focus, inspiration, and joy in their business and personal lives, leading to streamlined project creation and implementation and financial abundance. Laurie is also host of the Wisdom Talk Radio podcast, listened to in over 60 countries! Find Laurie here: https://thebacainstitute.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurieseymour/ https://www.facebook.com/TheBacaInstitute https://www.instagram.com/laurie.seymour/ https://twitter.com/BacaInstitute_______I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.   Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Ruth Stitt. Growing up in Connecticut, Ruth notes that she was one of the fortunate ones. Her parents encouraged her and her siblings to explore the world and learn as much as possible. There was lots of travel, education, and trying new things. She was the youngest of three siblings, and the older two grew further and further away from her during school years. Because of this gap, Ruth was often the only child at home, watching her parents' marriage dissolve and unfortunately becoming her mother's confidant, listening to her vent her frustrations as she poured another drink. Ruth did well in school, but she did spend her teenage years embodying the stereotypical hippie child: the pot, the long hair, the vegetarianism, and the love for music. She ended up in New York, attending college and getting a music degree. During that time, her dearest friend made a shift in her own life. She went from lost and addicted to, somehow, a faith-filled Christian. Ruth watched this transformation before her own eyes and slowly began to feel things shift inside her. She had begun attending the famous Riverside Church for reasons she's still unsure of. She began studying the Bible and soon fell in love with God. Her family couldn't relate to her seemingly sudden transformation, and she couldn't understand why it had taken her so long to make such a discovery. She had to learn new ways to use her voice to share her faith without over stressing her relationships with people of different beliefs. As time passed, Ruth began ministry, found her husband, and started her family. She became a counselor and minister, and for more than thirty years has been working with diverse populations to bring help and hope. At this stage of life, Ruth is focused mostly on writing and music, and speaking to individuals and groups about the Scriptures and how they come to life in our daily experiences. She thanks God every day for His goodness in her life. ___________ Ruth Stitt has been a licensed therapist for 30 years, while also performing as a jazz musician, raising a family, teaching, and volunteering in a variety of churches and parachurch ministries. She has been a blogger for the last four years, and recently released her first self-published book, Scripture Comes to Life: Reflections on Biblical Wisdom in Everyday Experience. Having recently retired from full-time clinical work, Ruth is now enjoying the life of a writer and musician in the beautiful hill country of central Texas. Find Ruth here: https://scripturecomesto.life/ https://scripturecomesto.life/books/ https://www.instagram.com/ruth.e.stitt/ https://www.facebook.com/ruth.f.stitt/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-stitt/ ____________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.    Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Erin Bogdan who grew up believing she truly did have the perfect family, with an easy childhood and parents who loved her. Now she says she's realized it was a dynamic of "emotional codependent dysfunctionality". There were issues with addiction on her mother's side of the family, and there was a lack of emotional connection on her father's side. Growing up in New Jersey, efforts were made to make their home life appear picture-perfect on the outside. However, Erin learned from a young age that high achievements and good behavior were the way to gain approval and affection, as she tiptoed around her father's temper and her mother's tendency toward people-pleasing. Looking back now, Erin says she didn't realize she didn't have a voice back then. She fit the mold and that's how she functioned. But she was holding herself back and not getting her needs met. Her sister struggled with addiction, and this played into Erin's development and ability to use her voice. That is, until she discovered meetings for families of Al-Anon. She realized she'd been hiding herself. She spent several years in Al-Anon rediscovering her wants and needs. Her corporate career development paralleled Al-Anon, and she was slowly pushed more and more into the spotlight and various leadership roles. Erin went on an immersive retreat to Bali where she had a transformative epiphany, realizing that she was merely existing - that she'd never let her true self live freely and boldly. She now uses her voice to speak into the fears of others and help them to find passion and purpose in life. _________Erin Bogdan is an authenticity & confidence coach & soul-purpose activator who coaches unfulfilled ambitious high-achievers & people pleasers to ditch their self-doubt & ‘not enough’ mindset and become their most confident, capable, unstoppable, and unapologetic, authentic selves so that they can create an aligned & purpose-driven life. Today, she is free to be herself and her very journey of transformation was the exact training she needed to facilitate the same deep, profound, & tangible shifts in her clients. Erin’s passion & enthusiasm for serving badasses-at-heart to wake up to their infinite potential is her soul’s calling and she is so extremely grateful to be living her purpose daily. Find Erin here: https://www.facebook.com/RadiatewithErinBogdan https://www.instagram.com/itserinbogdan/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinbogdanconfidence-mindsetcoach/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr1F0wlw27jy3HlAJ_Ce-WA **Download her free 6-step No BS Guide that will have you boldly & confidently Remembering, Reclaiming, & Radiating all of who you were born to be: https://mailchi.mp/2eae852ce24d/0yek7qi87p **Join her free Facebook community to receive exclusive inspiring soul-shifting content, & engage with a community who all desire to own, embody, and become who they were born to be! https://www.facebook.com/groups/confidentcapableauthenticyou/ _________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com.  Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Mitra Manesh, the youngest of three children who grew up in Iran. Mitra learned to fend for herself and figure out her own way. She was intelligent and well-behaved, never getting into trouble and becoming a source of comfort and stability in the room. These things earned her the nickname, "the wise child" from a very young age. But was this a good thing or not?Mitra took this as part of her identity the more and more adults would say it to her. She became strong and serious and didn't spend much time playing and being silly - very important things for children. Mitra was in the U.S. for school in the seventies. Then she returned home, but because of the conflict, the borders were closed and she was unable to come back. Then she went to Turkey and France, and now lives in California. Through all of the unrest, Mitra had an epiphany. She had been looking for stability in the world, and as she so perfectly puts it, as her "inner world was forming, the outer world was in complete chaos." She was just beginning to discover herself and come alive, and all of her surroundings were falling apart. She experienced so much loss. The "anchor" she sought in family, friends, academia, and home could really only be found within herself. So she accepted what she calls an "invitation" to dig deep within herself to find clarity and meaning. She realized that she had to find and create her own voice, because if she was "given" her voice from someone, that could just be taken away. She learned to only rely on herself. Her journey into Turkey was quite a turning point in her life. She left everyone and everything behind and crossed the border with little more than the clothes on her back. But without all the other voices in her ear, she slowly began to work forward, starting over and waiting for no one. She realized that only she could give herself the power she'd been looking for. These days, Mitra flows through life in a state of mindfulness. She accepts the reality of situations, does her best to be truly present, and enjoys the spontaneity of not taking anything for granted. _________ Mitra Manesh is the creator of the Mindful Attentionist Coaching (M.A.C.) program, an inside-out program for deep training of global mindful coaches. She is also the founder of “innermap”, an innovative new mindfulness App, and the host of “Lights on”, a podcast offering support for a mindful life. She is a mindfulness thought leader, storyteller, and educator with almost 4 decades of experience helping people of all ages and many different cultures to live, love, and lead more consciously at home and at work. Find Mitra here: https://www.mitramanesh.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mitramanesh_/?hl=en https://www.clubhouse.com/@mitramanesh?utm_medium=ch_profile&utm_campaign=PG4DiiEsePKU2l1IRDbm4Q-218317 Join her free 1 Hour Class to learn "What’s your most valuable asset in life & how can you benefit from it?": https://www.mitramanesh.com/ ___________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com. Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Dr. John Gray. In John's family there were lots of siblings, and there was lots of love. However, his mother clearly had a sweet spot for John and favored him a little. In turn, his siblings expressed their jealousy by picking on and torturing him. He learned to stay alert, but this meant he was always on edge and quite afraid. John's fear wasn't really recognized or discussed in his family until a concerned aunt pointed it out to him when he was still pretty young. So he became aware that he had an issue with fear but didn't yet understand how to work through it. John felt very loved by his parents. He says that by the time he came along, his parents realized that things like spankings and other punishments hadn't worked on his older siblings. They decided not to punish him in the same way and just to "leave him in the hands of God." This added to the growing jealousy of his siblings, and their anger was another source of intimidation, keeping John from building - or even using - his voice. On the other hand, John's mother supported all of his ideas and encouraged him to keep learning and figuring out life. She would later add a wing onto her bookstore to house and sell all of the books he would write. At the age of 19, John became the youngest teacher of Transcendental Meditation. During his first lecture, he was so nervous he fainted. But he was so passionate about TM, he decided to keep working at it, trying to overcome his anxiety. Then he found Improv. Instead of focusing on a speech and feeling like everyone was there to judge any misstep, he felt like a cloud lifted when his improv peers supported him and cheered him on for his creativity. In this welcome and safe space, he was able to begin to release his fears and move forward. Today, his thoughts and ideas are known internationally, and his voice has changed the lives of thousands. _________ Dr. Gray has written over 20 books. His most recent book is Beyond Mars and Venus: Relationship Skills for Our Complex Modern World. His Mars/Venus book series has changed the way men and women view their relationships. John helps men and women better understand and respect their differences in both personal and professional relationships. His approach combines specific communication techniques with healthy, nutritional choices that create the brain and body chemistry for lasting health, happiness, and romance. His many books, blogs, and free online workshops at MarsVenus.com provide practical insights to improve relationships at all stages of life and love. An advocate of health and optimal brain function, he also provides natural solutions for overcoming depression, anxiety, and stress to support increased energy, libido, hormonal balance, and better sleep. He has appeared repeatedly on Oprah, as well as on The Dr. Oz Show, TODAY, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, and others. He has been profiled in Time, Forbes, USA Today, and People. He was also the subject of a three-hour special hosted by Barbara Walters. John Gray lives in Northern California where for 34 years he happily shared his life with his beautiful wife, Bonnie, until her passing in 2018. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren. He is an avid follower of his own health and relationship advice. Find John here: https://www.marsvenus.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsvenus/ https://www.facebook.com/Mars.Venus.John.Gray https://www.instagram.com/johngraymarsvenus_official/ https://twitter.com/MarsVenus ______________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find theiSupport the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Joey Chandler, a good friend for years. This story takes place in the middle of a transformative phase in his more current journey, rather than walking back through his childhood. Joey went through a very rough period over the past couple years where he was struggling with COVID, going through a separation, and dealing with shifts in his business. He was frustrated and feeling a little lost. After all the work he'd done in the past, studying and teaching about purpose, he felt a deep longing to get to the roots of his own identity. He believed that if he could figure out who he truly was, he'd begin to find the answers to the other questions that were presenting themselves in his life. And what he has learned about himself is that he's all about love: courage, connection, and commitment. After peeling back the layers, he slowly but surely realized that these things were the key to renewing his sense of purpose. Joey explains further, saying that we'll always have problems, or obstacles, or challenges that can give us anxiety or fear. Those things never change. But when we bring more and more and more of ourselves to the situation, our own presence diminishes the issue, and our perspective becomes less about fear and more about confidence and feeling equipped. We have courage. In learning more about connection with others, a friend pointed out to him that who we are and what we value are two very different things, and it's important to personify love to people. Finally, Joey talks about commitment. He says that who we really are is just beneath the surface waiting to emerge. Finding your true self takes commitment, which is a daily investment of time, practice, and trust. But when you commit to something true and good, rooted in love, it can be the surest footing of your life. _______________ Joey Chandler is a purpose-based relationship coach and host of the Love Launch Podcast. He works with entrepreneurs, executives, coaches, and consultants to make their purpose part of their relationships and everyday life. He has been coaching and leading transformational workshops for 20 years and his purpose is about people loving their life. He lives in northern California, is an avid skier, and recently published his first book - "Thrones of Wisdom - 99 ways to get off the pot while on the pot." Joey offers a quick survey on his website where you can create your own Core Statement, which helps you to "describe who you are in everyday language". Find Joey here: https://joeychandler.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeychandler70/ https://www.facebook.com/jchandler1 https://www.instagram.com/joeychandler70/ https://twitter.com/joeychandler70 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCALXDtSL66nZrwPuJx9vwDQ _________________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they can overcome anxiety, be confident, and speak without fear. Get started now on your journey to your authentic voice by downloading my Free 7 Step Guide to Fearless Speaking: https://www.doreen7steps.com. Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Today, I interview Melissa Reilly whose life began in rural upstate New York with her parents and two sisters. Then one of her sisters became severely ill, and she and the other sister were often dropped off with anyone who could take them, so that their parents could take their ill sister for treatments. Melissa was shy with new people and began keeping her voice to herself, learning to observe people and read situations by their behavior. Her sweet sister died a couple years later, and the family went through a tremendous grieving process. Her parents eventually split up. Her mother began to struggle in many areas, and as Melissa grew up and went off to college and entered a graduate program, the miscommunication and frustration between them eventually led to a falling out. Melissa's mother suddenly died eight months later, and it broke her heart that they hadn't been able to reconcile their relationship beforehand. And just seven months after that, her other sister also passed away suddenly after a long struggle with her mental and physical health. Melissa waited 12 years before feeling ready to start a family of her own. She experienced infertility and losses but finally had a son. Wishing for the support of her mother, she realized that she was finally allowing herself to grieve her mom's loss for the first time. She had no mentor, and she felt like something was wrong with her and that she didn't have a voice. She had a successful career, but becoming a mother broke her. Melissa took a step back and it occurred to her that she wasn't alone after all. She shifted her work, feeling the passion to encourage her community of fellow moms without moms that motherhood is hard but rewarding, and that mothers can lean on each other to ask questions and find the support they need to believe in themselves. ___________ Melissa Reilly, Psy.D. is a mom of two boys, clinical psychologist, and mom coach passionate about helping moms separated from their mother by physical distance, estrangement, or death, move from feelings of insecurity, isolation, and overwhelm to a place of resilience. Through her personal and professional experience, she has come to recognize that Moms without a mom experience grief as part of their motherhood experience, even if they don’t realize it. The relationship moms have had (or didn’t have) with their mothers impacts how they see themselves but doesn’t define them. She believes it isn’t knowledge and skills that create resilience, but rather it is born through overcoming hardship, having a community, and living by one’s values. Melissa is honored to walk with moms on their journey to becoming the mom they always wanted to be. Her psychological practice, Shoudt & Reilly Psychological Services, serves residents of Berks County, Pennsylvania. She is now expanding her services to include parent coaching, focusing on Moms Without a Mom, which can be accessed by women all over the world through her website.Find Dr. Melissa here: https://www.momswithoutamom.com/ https://www.instagram.com/momswithoutamom/ https://www.facebook.com/Dr.MelissaReilly https://www.tiktok.com/@momswithoutamom Enjoy Being a Mom Again Quick Guide: https://www.momswithoutamom.com/enjoy-motherhood-again-guide Care For Yourself While You Care For Your Baby Guide: https://melissareillypsyd.lpages.co/bonding-with-baby-while-caring-for-yourself-opt-in Schedule a complimentary coaching call: https://MelissaReillyPsyDMomsWithoutAMom.as.me/free-coaching-call ___________I'm your podcast host, Dr. Doreen Downing, and I help people find their voice so they Support the showI’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.