Free to Be Mindful Podcast
The Free to Be Mindful Podcast with Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman is a space for professional moms balancing careers, family, and self-care.
In under 30 minutes, each episode offers mindful living strategies, mental health tips, and personal growth tools to help reduce stress, strengthen well-being, and create more balance at home and work.
Each episode blends expert insights, personal stories, and actionable takeaways, while always closing with a guided meditation to help you reset and recharge.
Episodes
281 episodes
Getting Older, Getting Yourself Back: Aging with Intention
Birthdays have a way of sneaking up on us. When we were kids, it was all about cake, candles, and balloons. As adults - especially as moms — they can start to feel like just another date on the calendar, squeezed between school emails, soccer g...
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Season 7
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Episode 280
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15:04
From Mental Load to Mental Space: A Mom’s Guide to Letting Go of the Overwhelm
Discover how to lighten the mom mental load, reduce overwhelm, and create real mental space. In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, learn practical tips to manage cognitive and emotional labor so you can rest without guilt and show ...
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Season 7
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Episode 279
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12:34
Postpartum to Professional: Matrescence, Mom Brain, and Identity
Motherhood changes everything - your brain, your identity, and the way you move through the world. In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa welcomes Jeanne Clevenger, licensed clinical psychologist and mom of four, to...
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Season 7
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Episode 278
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34:47
From Summer Chaos to Mom Calm | Back-to-School Mindfulness Tips
Summer’s over… and somehow we’re already juggling new schedules, endless forms, school supply lists, and those rushed morning routines. For some moms, it feels like a sigh of relief. For others, the chaos is just beginning.In this season...
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Season 7
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Episode 277
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12:01
More Than a Podcast: 20 Guests, One Powerful Season
This season was filled with powerful stories, inspiring guests, and real-life moments that reminded us: this is more than a podcast... it’s a movement.In this heartfelt finale of Season 6, Vanessa reflects on the highs and the lessons, s...
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Season 6
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Episode 276
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13:04
Discovering Your Life's Mission with Malaysia Harrell
What if you didn’t have to wait for a breakdown or life crisis to start living with purpose? In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Malaysia Harrell, a spiritual transformation coach, licensed psychotherapist, veteran, and speaker. Malaysia shar...
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Season 6
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Episode 275
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43:00
Why Slowing Down Feels So Hard (and why you need to do it anyway!)
In this heartfelt winddown of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa invites us to explore the very thing so many of us struggle with: rest. Through personal stories, cultural reflections, and gentle guidance, she helps us un...
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Season 6
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Episode 274
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13:10
Keeping it Simple: Skin Care & Mom Life with Dr. Mary Alice Mina
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa is joined by dermatologist and mom Dr. Mary Alice Mina to talk about how our skin changes over time—and why taking care of it doesn’t have to be complicated. They break down what really...
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Season 6
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Episode 273
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37:06
What Does it Really Mean to Be Rich?
In this thoughtful episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa invites you to explore what it really means to be rich, beyond bank accounts and material success. Through reflections on celebrity insights and everyday ex...
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Season 6
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Episode 272
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12:19
Journey to the Self with Dr. Nichelle Bowes
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman talks with Dr. Nichelle Bowes, a leadership coach, mental fitness expert, and speaker. After a life-changing bike accident, Dr. Bowes began helping high-achieving women,...
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Season 6
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Episode 271
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40:47
A Dream to a Movement: Celebrating 6 Years of Free to Be Mindful
In this special anniversary episode, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman — licensed therapist, speaker, and host of the Free to Be Mindful podcast — reflects on six years of growth, resilience, and purpose.What began as a part-time dream ha...
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Season 6
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Episode 270
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21:35
Ditching “Busy” to Raise Confident Girls with Traci Peterson
In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Traci Peterson—nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and founder of Woman Lessons, a movement designed to help mothers and daughters build confidence and connection.They explore how busyness can become ...
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Season 6
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Episode 269
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40:47
Expectation vs. Reality: What No One Tells You About Becoming a Mom
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Before becoming a mom, many of us carry a picture in our minds—a version of motherhood built from childhood dreams, cultural narratives, and curated social media posts. But what happens when real life doesn’t mat...
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Season 6
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Episode 268
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12:30
Self-Prioritization is the New Balance with Lacey Newman
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, host Vanessa had such a meaningful conversation with Lacey Newman—a powerhouse speaker, coach, and top real estate team leader based out of Nashville. Lacey is a high-performing entrepreneur wh...
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Season 6
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Episode 267
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38:08
Resting or Resisting: The Fine Line Between Boundaries & Avoidance
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, therapist, mom, and speaker, dives into a conversation that’s equal parts real talk and reflection: the blurry line between rest and avoidance
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Season 6
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Episode 266
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16:02
Running a Business while Raising a Family with Angel Hepp
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Angel Hepp—fellow mom of two, golden doodle lover, and co-founder of Meet Salt Collective, a creative marketing agency that helps businesses connect through powerful storytelling. We talked a...
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Season 6
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Episode 265
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43:30
Embrace the Journey, Not the Timeline
Life has a funny way of making us feel like we’re always racing against some invisible clock — like if we don’t meet certain milestones by a certain age, we’ve somehow failed. But what if we’ve been measuring progress all wrong?In this e...
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Season 6
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Episode 264
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16:40
My Teen is Smoking Weed. Now What?
Welcome to The Consult a Counselor Series, a special segment of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast. Join therapist and host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC, as she answers real-life parenting questions to help you find your calm i...
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Season 6
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Episode 263
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7:33
Balancing Career and Motherhood with Rebekah Taylor
In Episode 262 of Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman welcomes Rebekah Taylor, a real estate investor who transitioned from tech after a near-death experience in childbirth. Rebekah shares insights on mindful living, balancing c...
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Season 6
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Episode 262
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42:46
When You Feel Like You’re Failing as a Parent
Welcome to The Consult a Counselor Series, a special segment of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast. Join therapist and host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC, as she answers real-life parenting questions to help you find your calm i...
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Season 6
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Episode 261
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5:09
My Child Needs Therapy - But What Will My Family Think?
Welcome to The Consult a Counselor Series, a special segment of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast. Join therapist and host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC, as she answers real-life parenting questions to help you find your calm i...
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Season 6
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Episode 159
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6:47
Stepping Into Your Confidence: No More Playing Small
Confidence... it’s something we all want to feel, yet sometimes, it feels just out of reach. Whether it’s second-guessing ourselves, shrinking in spaces that don’t support our growth, or letting self-doubt take the wheel, so many of us struggle...
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Episode 260
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15:43
Finding Yourself (Again) Through the Waggle Dance
In this episode, host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman chats with Courtney Youngs, author of The Waggle Dance, about life's unexpected twists and turns. Courtney shares her personal story—from career shifts to personal challenges—and how she di...
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Season 6
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Episode 258
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33:51
Handling Mom Guilt Without Losing Yourself
Welcome to The Consult a Counselor Series, a special segment of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast. Join therapist and host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC, as she answers real-life parenting questions to help you find your calm i...
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Season 6
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Episode 257
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7:06
Letting Go of Guilt and People Pleasing
Saying no shouldn’t come with guilt... but for many of us, it does. From childhood expectations to cultural influences, we’ve been conditioned to prioritize others’ needs over our own. But constantly saying yes can leave us feeling exhausted, o...
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Season 6
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Episode 256
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12:19