The Art of Holding Space: How to Be Present Without Fixing Everything
Holding space sounds simple—but it’s one of the most powerful and misunderstood tools in relationships, coaching, and personal growth.
In this episode of The Air is Free, Sue and Frida unpack the meaning of holding space—what it is, what it isn’t, and how to do it without draining your energy or stepping into “fix-it” mode. Whether you’re supporting a friend, a client, or yourself, learning to be present without taking on someone else’s emotions is a game changer.
✨ You'll learn:
What it really means to hold space (and how horses model it perfectly)
The difference between support and trying to solve someone’s problem
How to energetically protect yourself and prevent burnout
Practical rituals for cleansing your energy after emotional interactions
Why holding space for yourself might be the biggest challenge of all
This is a must-listen for coaches, caregivers, empaths, or anyone who's tired of carrying what isn't theirs.
🎧 Hosts: Sue Willoughby & Frida Karsberg
🐴 Bonus: Tips from equine coaching on energetic boundaries and embodied presence
Chapters
00:00 The Essence of Holding Space
04:43 The Challenges of Holding Space
08:46 Navigating the Fine Line: Support vs. Fixing
12:36 Recognizing Personal Limits
18:11 Self-Care in Holding Space
21:51 Asking for Support: Holding Space for Yourself
Our Upcoming Retreats https://www.willoughbycoaching.com/events
Connect with Frida Karsberg:
Web: https://www.fridakarsberg.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fridakarsbergcoach/
Connect with Sue Willoughby:
Web: https://www.willoughbycoaching.com/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/sue_willoughby/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/willoughbycoaching/
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suewilloughby/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/@SueWilloughby
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😎Ever feel like you're fighting for control over things that were never yours to hold?
Welcome to The Air is Free, a podcast that helps you stop wasting energy on what you can’t control and start focusing on what you can. Your hosts, Sue Willoughby (@sue_willoughby) and Frida Karsberg (@fridakarsbergcoach), integrate the wisdom, intuition, and healing power of horses into their work—not as the sole focus, but as a powerful lens to raise the universal vibration and clear the path to personal freedom, resilience, and living life on your own terms.
Inspired by the Swedish expression "Luften är fri"—which translates to "The air is free"—this phrase is often used playfully to remind someone that space cannot be owned or controlled. But on a deeper level, it’s a powerful metaphor for letting go, trusting the process, and embracing the things in life that are meant to be free and limitless—like air, space, and personal growth.
Through candid conversations, real-life stories, and thought-provoking insights, The Air is Free explores what it truly means to find your center in a chaotic world. Because just like the air—you are free, too.
✨ New episodes weekly, every Wednesday.
horse wisdom, trust your gut, how to trust your intuition, equine coaching, body awareness, animal communication, Reiki and energy healing, overthinking, intuitive decision making, listening to your inner voice, intuition, horses, coaching, inner peace, decision making, energy, nonverbal communication, Reiki, micro decisions, self-trust