Dear Dr. Tracy

This episode is quite a bit different than every other episode this season. I asked the community, via Instagram, to submit questions and I picked some to answer similar to a Dear Abby column.As we close out Season 2 I want to thank this beautiful community - especially since we've hit the 100K download milestone! We truly would not be here without each of you listening and sharing it with those you love.One of the most powerful things I have learned is what it means to rest. Just like flowers aren't always in bloom, we all have seasons and require periods of rest so we can bloom again. As this season comes to a close I will be taking time this summer to focus on rest.Stay tuned for season 3 Fall 2021! Be sure to hit subscribe so you will be the first to know when the new season drops.In this episode, I answer your questions!Now it’s your turn! Join me over on Instagram, or leave me a note here about what you would like to see on the podcast.What’s Coming Next?Stay tune for Season 3 in Fall 2021! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you sit two relationship experts down for a chat?This episode is just that - two relationship experts, one conversation.Everyone has their own attachment style, it's the way we build and respond to relationships. When we understand our attachment styles we can better help our relationship maintain healthy boundaries.Speaking of boundaries, have you ever sat down with your partner to discuss your boundaries within the relationship?In this episode I sit down with Dr. Morgan Anderson to discuss attachment styles and growth edges within relationships.Dr. Morgan Anderson is a clinical psychologist and relationship coach, host of the “Let’s Get Vulnerable” podcast and creator of the E.S.L relationship method. She helps women break the toxic dating cycle, raise their self-worth and attract the healthy relationship they’ve always wanted. She’s on Instagram @drmorgancoaching - make sure you head over to her page and send her a DM to say helloIn this episode, we discuss the following: Communicating in relationships and finding your boundaries Using your attachment style to tune into how you show up in your relationship Finding your growth areas for each attachment style What security can look like in a relationship What’s Coming Next?My next episode is the season finale where I answer your questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever reached a point, through your motherhood journey, where you felt like something needed to change in order for you to be happy?Perhaps you felt as though your needs were somehow lost in the mix while you were putting everyone else's needs ahead of your own. Who looks out for mom when she's taking care of everyone else?But what if I told you the change you need in order to reach happiness comes from within?This episode's guest is on a mission to encourage women, especially mothers, to prioritize themselves and choose to set time aside to do what makes them happy, outside of motherhood.In this episode I sit down with Katie to discuss her journey through motherhood including learning to love her body and putting herself first.Katie is a working Mom of three, a self-love advocate, a true believer in the mental and physical benefits of exercise, and she's on a personal mission to encourage women (especially Moms!) to put themselves on the top of their priority lists.During her second postpartum season, Katie - craving connection, and determined to develop self love and confidence - began sharing her life publicly on Instagram. What began as an accountability page for her postpartum fitness journey, grew into an authentic, vulnerable, and relatable journal of self acceptance, body respect, and the highs and lows of motherhood.In this episode, we discuss the following: Learning to care for ourselves as mothers Katie's a-ha moment of realizing she had to prioritize herself, as no one else could do this for her Shifting out of goal focused body confidence to body positivity Waiting for motivation or time to show up (when it never really does) Showing up authentically with others Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it that we treat men's time as if it is as "precious as diamonds" and women's time as if it is as "infinite as sand?" (As this week's podcast guest stated it).Chances are you never sat down with your partner, before moving in together, getting married, or having children, to discuss who does what. Who takes the trash out? Who buys the mustard? Who care for the children when they are home sick from school? Who coordinates their activities and schoolwork? If needed, who leaves their job to become a full-time parent?But how have mothers become the default?In this episode I sit down with Eve Rodsky to discuss mental load and her book FAIR PLAY. In her New York Times bestselling book FAIR PLAY, she uses her Harvard Law School training and years of organizational management experience to create a life-management system to help couples both rebalance all of the work it takes to run a home and reimagine their relationship, time and purpose.Eve Rodsky received her B.A. in economics and anthropology from the University of Michigan, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. After working in foundation management at J.P. Morgan, she founded the Philanthropy Advisory Group to advise high-net worth families and charitable foundations on best practices for harmonious operations, governance and disposition of funds. In her work with hundreds of families over a decade, she realized that her expertise in family mediation, strategy, and organizational management could be applied to a problem closer to home – a system for couples seeking balance, efficiency, and peace in their home. Rodsky was born and raised by a single mom in New York City and now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children.  In this episode, we discuss the following: The smoothie requirements for Eve’s partner that led to building the Fair Play system and impacting change for women and couples Losing our identities and the importance of the unicorn space When resentment shows up in our relationships The Fair Play system and breaking down the CPE (Conceptualization, Planning, and Execution) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step moms seem to get a bad rap in movies - even cast in a poor light and labeled "Evil Stepmothers."In reality, stepmothers are human beings parachuted into co parenting arrangements they had no part in making.It can feel like fitting a circle peg into a square-shaped hole. You might be told you aren't a 'real' mother and in the same breath criticized for not being involved enough.No one hands you instructions on how to be a stepmother and there sure isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Scrimgeour, a Life Coach specializing in Stepfamily Dynamics and the creator of The Exclusive Stepmom Community. We discuss her experience with becoming a stepmother and how her identity has changed since then.Jamie Scrimgeour is a mom of one and a stepmom of three with kids ranging in ages from 6-18. Jamie creates raw, real, and relatable digital content about all things parenting, step-parenting, entrepreneurship, and living a KICK-ASS Life. She is also the host of The Jamie Scrimgeour Podcast. With candidness and humor, Jamie uses her personal and professional experience to support woman in living their best life. In this episode, we discuss the following: Jamie’s journey to becoming a step mom, as well as having a baby with a partner who already has children The role of perfectionism and control that gets in the way of connecting with ourselves and our families The stigmas and negative beliefs others have of step moms (and how this is different from step dads) Setting boundaries when there are so many demands and hats to wear Managing transition days and keeping a calendar Navigating challenges, boundaries, and growth in your relationship as you navigate what it means to be a blended family Shifting into acceptance and your identity as a step mom Now it’s your turn! Join me over on Instagram, or leave me a note here about your experience as a step mom.What’s Coming Next?My next episode is with Eve Rodsky, author of Fair Play, where we will talk all about the mental load and creating balance in your relationship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Don't go to bed angry" is probably one of the most common well wishes provided to newly weds during evening toasts and handwritten cards.But what this misses is that if you are escalated and angry, the last thing you should do is continue to talk about the issue at hand. When both partners are flooded and overwhelmed, this is a recipe for additional hurt words that do not get unheard.In this episode, I sit down with Greg, co-owner of Integrated Wellness, my business partner, my co-parent, and my partner in life, to discuss some of the common stereotypes, misperceptions and myths in romantic relationships. In this episode, we discuss:- Not going to bed angry and what you can do instead- Is it love at first sight?- Are having disagreements dealbreakers?- Does validating my partner mean they are right?- "Happy wife, happy life"- The idea that women should be the ones to stay at home with the kids and how this is a huge myth in our own home- The stay at home parent isn't really "working"- Women hold the cards in the relationship to make things work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You're young..." "You'll get pregnant again..." "At least you have a healthy child..." "At least you can get pregnant..."It's estimated that nearly 1 in 4 pregnancies results in a miscarriage. Yet somehow most of us are unaware of how many people we know that have experienced pregnancy loss until we experience one.Feelings of isolation, self-blame, guilt, and shame can pour in during the aftermath of a loss, however the experience of pregnancy loss is incredibly personal and does not impact two people the same way.An out of order loss can make it difficult for our support networks to know what we need and what to do, leading to an array of platitudes.But how do we deal with these feelings and the platitudes?I sat down with Dr. Jessica Zucker the creator of the #IHadAMisscarriage campaign and the psychologist behind the Instagram account @IHadAMiscarriage. Together we discussed our personal experiences with miscarriage, common themes that show up for mothers after, and the challenges that come with asking for support when a loss has occurred.Dr. Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles-based reproductive and maternal mental health psychologist. She specialized in this field long before experiencing a second trimester miscarriage firsthand. She earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, a Master's degree in human development, as well as a Master's degree in public health. Her educational pursuits married with her clinical practice and research have lead her to write extensively on this topic for outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and Vogue. Her first book I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement is available now (Feminist Press + Penguin Random House Audio)In this episode, we discuss: What lead Dr. Jessica Zucker to do this work and her own personal journey The themes that show up for mothers after miscarriage The platitudes that are offered by others and how to cope Dealing with uncertainty and grief surrounding miscarriage and control Dealing with self-blame, guilt, and shame How fixing is the denial of emotional intimacy Coping with the anxiety of getting pregnant again after a loss Now it’s your turn! Join me over on Instagram, or leave me a note here about your experience with miscarriage.What’s Coming Next?My next episode is with a special guest that has changed my world, and we are going to bust through the common relationship myths that couples can fall into. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought to yourself "are we having enough sex?" or maybe you have fallen into a rut where you can recall step-by-step how each time will go because nothing ever changes.Could anyone else be feeling this way too?In most relationship we will find mismatched sex drives, doubts, unspoken desires, and self-esteem issues blending into the bedroom.Sex is something humans do, but for many women we've been socialized to hate our bodies, minimize our desires, and to not talk with our partners about sex.I was able to sit down this week with a fellow college, Vanessa Marin, to talk all things about sex and intimacy, like what kind of myths about sex women hold, the role of body confidence in our sexuality, the foundations of desire, and what makes sex great.Vanessa Marin is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in sex therapy. She's here to help you stop feeling embarrassed about sex and start having way more fun in the bedroom.She has a bachelor's degree in Human Sexuality and Sociology from Brown University, and a master's degree in Counseling Psychology. She writes for The New York Times, Allure, and Lifehacker, and has been featured in over 1,000 times in major publications like O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Refinery29, and Real SImple.Vanessa specializes in online programs that help you transform your sex life from ordinary to extraordinary, all from the comfort and privacy of your own home. Through Courses like The Passion Project: A Couple's Blueprint To Rediscovering Desire And Reigniting The Spark and Finishing School: Learn How To Orgasm and Orgasm With A Partner, she finds immense joy in spreading the message that we all deserve more from our sex lives.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever had someone say to you "I'm sorry about your divorce?" or maybe you've said this to someone.Is there really something to be sorry for?"It was a choice I had to make and for other people, who don't understand what it is to be in a bad marriage and how hard it is to get yourself out of it, all they feel for you is sadness."Sometimes marriages just don't work. Toxic relationships can bring out the worst versions of ourselves and we just know it's time to move on.Moving on and your relationship with yourself after is what we are talking about in today's podcast episode as I sit with Michelle Dempsey-Multack to talk about divorce.Michelle Dempsey-Multack is a co-parenting mom, author, divorce coach and certified divorce specialist helping women move on before, during, and after divorce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know that feeling when someone apologizes but doesn't really apologize. Or what about for ourselves, when we aren't sure we have anything to apologize.Why is apologizing so hard? What makes a good apology? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices