I had a conversation with another mom recently that inspired this episode today. I myself had a happy, normal childhood with supportive parents that put me on a stable path to adulthood. She sadly, wasn’t so lucky, and we got to talking about how being the “rock” of the family felt so impossible to her. As mothers, we are so often portrayed as unflappable but in a flood of tiny tears, it’s actually really easy to be derailed, especially if those emotions bring up unresolved issues from our past.

Life is complicated and if we didn’t grow up with the influences and support that we deserved, how can we possibly expect to know how to do it for others? What can we do if parenting brings up feelings that we’ve buried and hope to never resurrect? And how can we move past our own pasts to be great role models and emotional strongholds for our little people? Let’s find out.

Our guest today is Stacey Rowland, a licensed professional counselor and the owner of Strive Counseling based in Phoenix, Arizona. Stacey is very well-versed in trauma healing and has extensive clinical training and experience in public mental health agencies, including residential and outpatient settings. She is passionate about helping individuals and families address their mental health concerns and works collaboratively with her patients to identify and meet their goals. Stacey uses a trauma-informed, strength-based approach to lead people through the process of making positive changes in their lives.

From mental health and managing relationships to raising changemakers and advocating for support, freemom is a podcast dedicated to ensuring that every mom feels heard. You can find us on the gram at @freemomcast or on the web at www.freemomcast.com. You can also support the show and help fund production with a sweet little five-dollar donation right here. Thanks for listening!