Free to Be Mindful Podcast | Helping Professional Moms Find Calm in a Busy World
The Free to Be Mindful Podcast with Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman helps professional moms find calm in a busy world.
Each episode blends mindful living strategies, mental health insights, and REAL TALK - grounded in culture and inspired by everyday life - to help you stress less, live with intention, and feel more like yourself... without hours of meditation.
Tune in for practical tools and relatable heartfelt stories that help you slow down, recharge, and show up as your best self.
Episodes
298 episodes
Love on the Spectrum Inspired App
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman sits down with Jamie Castano, LCSW, and Britt Moser, two of the co-founders of Synchrony, a first-of-its-kind social app designed to help neu...
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Season 7
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Episode 297
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37:52
The Invisible Leadership Moms Practice Every Day
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman explores the invisible leadership moms practice every day - at home, at work, and in the moments no one sees. Released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this conversation r...
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Season 7
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Episode 296
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14:18
Lifestyle Shifts Supporting Longevity and Well-Being
Lifestyle Shifts Supporting Longevity and WellbeingTaking care of your health can feel overwhelming, especially when so many approaches promise big results but don’t last. If you’ve ever wondered why healthy habits are hard to sus...
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Season 7
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Episode 295
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30:41
Letting Go of the New Year, New Me Pressures
The start of a new year often comes with quiet expectation... to do more, be more, and have everything figured out. For many moms, especially those balancing motherhood, work, and caregiving, that pressure doesn’t feel motivating. It feels heav...
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Season 7
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Episode 294
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21:22
Recovering From the Holidays | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
Recovering from the holidays can feel unexpectedly heavy for moms… even after schedules finally slow. In this final episode of 2025, and the culmination of the Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC reflects on what th...
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Season 7
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Episode 293
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16:10
Giving without Over Giving this Holiday | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
The final week of holiday shopping can feel overwhelming, especially for moms carrying the mental load of gifts, schedules, budgets, and expectations. In this episode of the Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series, Licensed Therapist and Mom Coa...
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Season 7
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Episode 292
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14:34
When Holiday Joy Feels Out of Reach | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
The holidays are often portrayed as a season of joy, connection, and magic, but for many of us, they also bring emotional overwhelm, grief, stress, and the pressure to “stay cheerful” even when we don’t feel that way. In this episode of the Fre...
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Season 7
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Episode 291
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17:11
Helping Kids and Parents Stay Calm Through Holiday Overstimulation
The holidays promise magic, but for many families, they also bring sensory overload, unpredictable routines, big emotions, and the kind of meltdowns that can appear out of nowhere. And if we’re honest, parents aren’t far behind.In this e...
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Season 7
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Episode 290
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18:39
Navigating Family Triggers and Boundaries This Holiday Season | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
When the holidays roll around, many moms find themselves slipping back into old family roles before they even realize it’s happening. One step into a family gathering, one comment from a relative, one expectation placed on you, and suddenly you...
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Season 7
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Episode 289
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21:02
The Mom Guilt Holiday Sandwich | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman unpacks the guilt moms silently carry during the holiday season - especially the cultural guilt, emotional pressure, and endless “I shoulds” that make this time of year ...
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Season 7
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Episode 288
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15:13
The Myth of the Perfect Holiday Mom | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
Every scroll, every sparkle, every “perfect” photo tells us that holiday joy means having it all together. But what if the real magic of the season isn’t found in doing more, it’s found in being present?In this installm...
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Season 7
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Episode 287
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13:15
Why Moms ARE the Holiday Season | The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series
In this first episode of The Anti-Overwhelm Holiday Series, host Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, licensed therapist and mom coach, pulls back the tinsel to talk about the truth many won’t say out loud: moms don’t get a holiday season...
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Season 7
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Episode 286
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18:40
Behind the Strong Mom Mask
Halloween may come once a year, but for many moms, the masks don’t come off when October ends. In this heartfelt episode, Licensed Therapist and Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman explores the invisible emotional masks high-achieving mothers wea...
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Season 7
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Episode 285
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16:39
Boudoir Photography for Self-Love, Empowerment and Healing
In this powerful and inspiring episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Vanessa De Jesus Guzman sits down with Chicago-based boudoir photographer Liz Hansen to explore how boudoir photography can become more than just beautiful photo...
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Season 7
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Episode 284
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25:15
Breaking Free from Autopilot: Simple Ways to Reconnect and Protect Your Mental Health
Ever reach the end of the day and realize you barely lived it? You checked all the boxes - lunches packed, emails sent, bedtime done - but somehow, it feels like you weren’t really there.In honor of World Mental Health Da...
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Season 7
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Episode 283
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14:45
Mindful Kitchen: Teaching Kids Life Skills, Gratitude and Reducing Food Waste
What if your kitchen could be more than a place to cook? In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Licensed Therapist and Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman speaks with Janet Iri, founder of My Mindful Kitchen and crea...
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Season 7
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Episode 282
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27:58
From Funk to Fresh Start: Support Before the Crisis
Ever snap at your kids because they asked what’s for dinner… while you were literally cooking dinner? You’re not alone — and it doesn’t mean you’re falling apart. It means you’re human.In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcas...
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Season 7
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Episode 281
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17:43
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