In this powerful episode of The Mama Healing Hub Podcast, hosts Vanessa Spinarsky and Alyssa Trittler sit down with trauma therapist and parent coach Mackenzie Kinmond for a raw and insightful conversation on what it truly means to parent from connection rather than control.

Together, they explore the nuanced intersection between emotional attunement and behavioral guidance, unpacking why so many high-achieving parents struggle when their children’s needs don’t fit neatly into systems of order or logic.

Mackenzie introduces the philosophy of connection-based discipline: a framework that views discipline not as punishment, but as a form of teaching, rooted in love, boundaries, and co-regulation.

Mackenzie Kinmond, is a parenthood empowerment coach and therapist who helps overwhelmed parents move out of survival mode and rediscover real joy in their everyday lives. She works with parents who feel stuck in exhausting cycles of guilt, yelling, and anxiety, those who are giving everything they’ve got and still feel like it’s not enough. Through her trauma-informed, connection-based approach, she supports parents in building more confident, connected relationships with their kids and themselves, even in the middle of the messiness.

🔗 Connect with Mackenzie on Instagram:
@parenting_with_mackenzie

Join The Mama Healing Hub today and receive 30 days free → ⁠⁠themamahealinghub.com/join⁠⁠

🌿 Follow along on Instagram: Stay connected with our community conversations, reflective art sessions, and upcoming events at ⁠⁠@themamahealinghubinc

In this heartfelt episode Alyssa, Vanessa & Carrie explore the tender terrain of sexual intimacy, communication, and connection in the postpartum season.

Motherhood brings seismic shifts, physically, emotionally, relationally, and many mothers find themselves feeling disoriented in these transitions.

Together, we unpack what it means to redefine desire, to relearn each other as partners, and to stay connected while everything around (and within) you changes.

This conversation invites listeners to slow down, notice their inner world, and approach intimacy not as performance but as a practice of presence, communication, and shared vulnerability.

In this episode of the Mama Healing Hub Podcast, hosts Carrie Parker and Vanessa Spinarsky sit down with Adriana Mastronardi, fitness and nutrition coach, to unpack how moms can simplify family meals while reclaiming their own health.

We talk about why moms so often end up as the heartbeat of their household’s wellness, and how that invisible role can easily slip into stress and decision fatigue if it’s not tended to.

Adriana shares her own story of finding strength and confidence after motherhood, and offers practical, doable strategies for meal planning, protein-first eating, and moving away from perfectionism.

This conversation is about more than food ... it’s about energy, habits, and what it takes to truly feel well as a mom.

From Costco shortcuts to stress-cycle completion, Adriana reminds us that health isn’t about overcomplicating things ...it’s about building simple foundations that last.

Whether you’re exhausted from meal prep, struggling with self-care, or looking for motivation to start small, this episode will leave you with encouragement, fresh ideas, and a reminder that you don’t have to do it alone.

Follow Adriana on Instagram: @cup.of.dri

This episode feels a little bit like pulling up a chair at our kitchen table. You’ll hear us in real time ... sharing what’s happening in our lives, what we’re wrestling with, and what we’re excited about.

We talk about learning to work with our cycles (instead of against them), why time apart from our kids can actually make us better moms, and the way new professional adventures are lighting us up , like Alyssa stepping into doula training and Vanessa diving deeper into her book-writing process. Carrie opens up about the pull toward new healing practices, and together we swap stories about creativity, self-care, and giving ourselves permission to not have all the answers.

Think of this episode as a mix of laughter, honesty, and those “me too” moments that make you feel less alone in motherhood. It’s not a masterclass. It’s not a checklist. It’s just us ...in the middle of the mess and magic.

In this powerful conversation, clinical psychologist and author Dr. Gilly Kahn joins us to talk about the often-misunderstood world of ADHD in women. Too often, ADHD is defined through the lens of restless little boys, which leaves girls and women misdiagnosed, mislabeled, and misunderstood.

Dr. Kahn opens up about the emotional dysregulation so many women live with, the shame and “too muchness” they’re told to carry, and how community and compassion can shift the story. We explore why the diagnostic criteria still fails women, what it really feels like to parent while managing ADHD (in yourself or your kids), and why connection and validation matter just as much as tools and strategies.

This isn’t a dry, clinical take...it’s honest, hopeful, and deeply human. You’ll walk away with practical insights, a new lens for understanding ADHD, and permission to stop blaming yourself for systems that were never built with women in mind.

📖 Preorder Dr. Gilly Kahn’s new book Allow Me to Interrupt here: Simon & Schuster
📸 Follow her on Instagram: @drgillykahn
🌐 Explore more of her work: drgillykahn.com

September mornings are no joke. Between back-to-school chaos, missing shoes, forgotten lunches, and kids melting down (while you’re holding back your own), it can feel like you’re already behind before the day even starts. In this episode, we get real about the emotional weight of school transitions, why mornings feel so impossible, and what to do when you and your partner are on totally different pages.

We’ll share how to stop rushing (without everything falling apart), what (dys)regulation actually looks like in real life, and small shifts that can turn chaotic mornings into something almost more calm. If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t be the only one losing it at 8 a.m.,” this conversation is for you.

You’ll leave with:

• A way to feel less frazzled (even when everything’s going wrong)

• Tools for smoother communication with your partner in the morning juggle

• Permission to stop striving for perfect mornings and just show up real

• A reminder that your kids are way more resilient than you think

Because mornings don’t have to break you and you don’t have to do it alone.

In this raw and real conversation, Vanessa, Alyssa, and Carrie take mom guilt out from under the rug and shine a big ol’ light on it.

We dig into where this guilt even came from, why it exploded in the 80s and 90s, and how it’s been cleverly used to keep moms overworked, under-rested, and constantly questioning themselves.

We unpack the difference between rational guilt (the kind that can actually help you grow) and irrational guilt (the kind that slowly eats away at your joy), and share how we each wrestle with it in our own motherhood.

This is not your typical “just let it go” chat. We’re asking harder questions....like who actually benefits from you feeling guilty all the time?

And more importantly… what would it look like to parent from freedom and authenticity instead?

If you’ve ever ended the day feeling like you didn’t do enough (even though you did everything), this one’s for you.

🌿 Stay Connected With Us

Instagram: ⁠⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠⁠

Join the Mama Healing Hub (free & paid spaces available): ⁠⁠www.themamahealing.com⁠⁠

Mailing List: ⁠⁠Sign up here⁠⁠ to get updates on events, workshops, and healing resources

Check out our rebranded website: ⁠⁠themamahealinghub.ca

This week’s episode of the Mama Healing Hub Podcast is a breath of fresh air for every mom who’s ever felt the pressure to get the “perfect” family photo.

We’re joined by Nicole Harris, the heart behind Wild & Rooted sessions, photography that celebrates the messy, unfiltered, beautifully human moments of family life. Forget the stiff poses and forced smiles. Nicole invites families to exhale, move, play, and just be themselves, capturing memories that feel like your life, not a photoshoot.

This conversation isn’t just about photography, it’s about slowing down enough to notice your own life. It’s about the emotional weight of motherhood, why we often hide the parts of our lives that are the most tender, and how real moments become the keepsakes we’ll treasure the most.

There were a few tear-jerker moments in this one, and by the end, you might just look at your everyday chaos with a little more love.

If you’ve been craving permission to ditch perfection and see the magic in the mess....this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now and let this episode be your reminder that your life is already beautiful as it is.

✨ Book a Wild & Rooted session with Nicole

Click here to book🌐 Website: www.nicoleharrisphotography.com📸 Instagram: @nicole.harris.photography

🌿 Stay Connected With Us

Instagram: ⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠

Join the Mama Healing Hub (free & paid spaces available): ⁠www.themamahealing.com⁠

Mailing List: ⁠Sign up here⁠ to get updates on events, workshops, and healing resources

Check out our rebranded website: ⁠themamahealinghub.ca

What if your path back to feeling strong didn’t start with the gym...but with your breath?
In this powerful and refreshingly honest episode, Vanessa and Carrie sit down with Dr. Son Nguyen, a multi-passionate healer, chiropractor, acupuncturist, movement therapist, and pre/postnatal expert, to talk about the real stuff nobody told us about pelvic floor health and postpartum recovery.

Dr. Son shares her wisdom from over 20 years of experience working with women’s bodies, reminding us that “movement is life,” but so is rest. We talk about what strength means in motherhood, how to reconnect to your body when it feels like a stranger, and the small but potent ways we can invite healing into our daily lives.

This episode is for you if:

• You’ve ever felt disconnected from your body after having a baby

• You’re dealing with leakage, core weakness, or tension and don’t know where to start

• You want movement to feel joyful again—not like a chore

• You’re craving a deeper conversation about what recovery and strength really mean in this season of life

👀 Listen in to find out:
What’s more effective than kegels (hint: it starts with breath), how to make movement doable when you're short on time, and why the pelvic floor is about so much more than just fitness.

🌿 Stay Connected With UsInstagram: @themamahealinghubincJoin the Mama Healing Hub (free & paid spaces available): www.themamahealing.comMailing List: Sign up here to get updates on events, workshops, and healing resourcesCheck out our rebranded website: themamahealinghub.ca

💫 Connect with Dr. Son NguyenWebsite (for booking): wellnesswindsor.comInstagram: @dr.sonnguyendc

In this episode of the Mama Healing Hub, Vanessa, Carrie, and Alyssa sit down for a refreshingly honest and unfiltered convo about what’s in and what’s out in their parenting this year. From ditching the pressure to do gentle parenting “perfectly,” to letting go of food rules, to not taking their kids’ meltdowns personally, this episode is part vent sesh, part permission slip.

They each share the habits, expectations, and mental noise they’re leaving behind and what they’re making space for instead. Screens, nutrition, identity, guilt, parenting style, it’s all on the table, with zero judgment and lots of laughs.

Whether you’re rethinking how you show up at bedtime or just need to hear that you’re not alone in the chaos, this episode is a must-listen for any mom ready to parent a little more like herself.

🌿 Stay Connected With Us:

Instagram: ⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠

Join the Mama Healing Hub (free & paid spaces available): ⁠www.themamahealing.com⁠

Mailing List: ⁠Sign up here⁠ to get updates on events, workshops, and healing resources

Check out our RE-BRANDED website: themamahealinghub.ca

In this heartfelt episode of the Mama Healing Hub Podcast, Vanessa and Alyssa sit down with Marni Wasserman, real food advocate, nutritionist, and host of The Ultimate Baby Podcast, to talk about the often messy, confusing, and beautiful journey of motherhood and health.

Marni shares her personal story, from a vegetarian lifestyle to being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, and how her path to healing reshaped the way she approaches food, motherhood, and intuition. This conversation is a reminder that there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to wellness, and that listening to your body can be one of the most powerful tools on your motherhood journey.

✨ This episode is for you if:
– You’ve felt overwhelmed by food trends and wellness advice
– You’ve struggled with postpartum health or autoimmune issues
– You’re learning to trust your instincts more than outside noise
– You want a reminder that motherhood doesn’t require perfection — just presence

🧠 This Month in the Mama Healing Hub:
Each month, our community explores a focused healing theme to support personal growth and nervous system resilience.

July’s theme is: REGULATION.
But we don’t believe regulation means being calm all the time , it means learning to ride the waves, come back to ourselves, and understand what our nervous systems truly need.

💬 Upcoming Drop-In Events for July:
– July 10: The Nervous System in Motherhood with Alyssa
– July 17: Managing the Mental Load with guest expert Madeline Wilson
– July 24: The Basics of Polyvagal Theory with Vanessa

Come join the conversations, meet other like-hearted moms, and get support in a way that feels nourishing and real.

💛 Connect With Marni Wasserman:
Website: www.marniwasserman.com
Instagram: @marniwasserman
Podcast: The Ultimate Baby Podcast
Also check out: @ultimatehealthpodcast

🌿 Stay Connected With Us:
Instagram: @themamahealinghubinc
Join the Mama Healing Hub (free & paid spaces available): www.themamahealing.com
Mailing List: Sign up here to get updates on events, workshops, and healing resources

In this soulful and energizing episode, we explore the often-overlooked connection between motherhood and creativity. Vanessa and Carrie dive into how play, imagination, and desire aren't just nice-to-haves , they’re vital lifelines for feeling alive.

We unpack what it means to be in relationship with the unknown, why reclaiming your creative spark takes real courage, and how your desire to want again is a powerful sign of your re-emergence after burnout.

Vanessa also shares a personal story about losing and rediscovering her creativity through motherhood, and how it led to the creation of her Instagram and, ultimately, the Mama Healing Hub.

✨ In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why creativity isn’t about perfection it’s about aliveness

• How play and imagination get buried in motherhood, and how to unearth them again

• The courage it takes to let yourself want after years of self-sacrifice

• Creativity as connection: with your children, your body, and your deeper self

• Personal stories from our own creative awakenings including dance routines to Backstreet Boys and homemade sitcoms

  
  

  📚 Join Our Virtual Book Club!

Our next round of Zooming Through Pages kicks off July 1st!
We're reading Mind Games by Nora Roberts. It’s totally free, super low-pressure (we read over two months), and donation-based. Every dollar supports mamas in our hub — including surprise coffees during our Coffee Talks.
👉 Sign up at www.themamahealing.com — look for Zooming Through Pages on the side panel.

💛 Stay Connected With Us:

• Instagram: @themamahealinghubinc

• Join the Mama Healing Hub (free & paid spaces available): www.themamahealing.com

• Mailing List: Sign up here to get updates on new events, workshops, and healing resources

💭 Episode Summary

In this tender and thought-provoking episode, Vanessa and Carrie explore the quiet grief that many mothers carry, the kind that often goes unspoken when we decide not to have more children. Even when the decision is clear and aligned, it can stir a deep ache: a longing for what could have been, a mourning of a phase now closing.

They reflect on how social media complicates these emotions, how every child meets a different version of us, and why grief and joy can live side by side in motherhood. This conversation is an invitation to honour the complexity of transitions, redefine nurturing, and be radically gentle with ourselves as we evolve.

🌿 Key Takeaways

• Grief in motherhood isn't always about loss, it can stem from change.

• It's valid to grieve even when you're confident in your decision.

• Social media can distort or magnify emotions around motherhood milestones.

• Each child experiences a different version of their parent.

• Nurturing doesn’t end when we stop having children, it simply transforms.

• Grief is not the opposite of joy; often, they walk hand-in-hand.

• Giving ourselves permission to feel without fixing can be a healing act.

  
  

Guest appearance mention: Listen to Vanessa’s debut on the Girls Gone Wellness podcast 🎧

About The Mama Healing Hub

This podcast is part of The Mama Healing Hub, a virtual network and supportive community created for moms who are navigating burnout, identity shifts, and the emotional complexities of modern motherhood. Through expert-led sessions, healing workshops, and honest conversation, we help women reset their stress baseline, reconnect with themselves, and find real support in every season of motherhood.

💜 Join Our Community & Go Deeper:

📚 Love meaningful conversations? Join our free public space and connect with other moms . ⁠⁠Join Us Here. ⁠⁠

💖 Want to support our mission? Your donations help us provide resources and a safe space for moms. Give here: ⁠⁠⁠Donate Now⁠⁠⁠

🌿 Ready for a deeper dive? Get a 30-day free trial to explore our private community. Start here: ⁠⁠⁠Try for Free⁠⁠⁠

📸 Follow Us on Instagram: Stay connected for inspiration, updates, and more! Follow us at ⁠⁠⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠⁠⁠.

Episode Description:

In this episode, Carrie and Alyssa are joined by Madeline, a registered social worker who specializes in helping individuals and couples navigate life's most overwhelming transitions, including the perinatal period, caregiver burnout, anxiety, and depression. Madeline provides both in-person and virtual support to individuals 16+ and couples, offering a safe, grounded space to reconnect to your inner strength and move toward a more connected, confident life.

Together, the three dive into the invisible labor of parenting, aka the mental load. They unpack how it shows up in relationships, especially in the early parenting years, and how it can quietly erode connection without clear communication, shared responsibilities, and emotional safety. Maddie also shares insights into her free course on managing the mental load and offers tangible strategies to help couples reduce conflict and build trust.

✨ This episode is for anyone who’s ever thought, “Why do I have to think of everything?”—and is ready to shift the dynamic.

Follow Madeline: @counsellingwithmadeline
Download the free course: Managing the Mental Load for Couples
Visit her website: InnerWorks Counselling

About The Mama Healing Hub
This podcast is part of The Mama Healing Hub—a virtual network and supportive community created for moms who are navigating burnout, identity shifts, and the emotional complexities of modern motherhood. Through expert-led sessions, healing workshops, and honest conversation, we help women reset their stress baseline, reconnect with themselves, and find real support in every season of motherhood.

💜 Join Our Community & Go Deeper:

📚 Love meaningful conversations? Join our free public space and connect with other moms . ⁠Join Us Here. ⁠

💖 Want to support our mission? Your donations help us provide resources and a safe space for moms. Give here: ⁠⁠Donate Now⁠⁠

🌿 Ready for a deeper dive? Get a 30-day free trial to explore our private community. Start here: ⁠⁠Try for Free⁠⁠

📸 Follow Us on Instagram: Stay connected for inspiration, updates, and more! Follow us at ⁠⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠⁠.

In this soul-nourishing episode of the Mama Healing Hub podcast, Vanessa and Alyssa are joined by Kelly Smith, founder of Yoga For You and voice behind Mindful in Minutes and Meditation Mama. Together, they explore the sacred intersection of motherhood, mindfulness, and movement—as well as the quiet revolutions that happen when we choose to come home to ourselves.

Kelly shares how her relationship with yoga and meditation transformed through motherhood, how postpartum anxiety reshaped her understanding of healing, and why recalibration—not perfection—is the true goal of growth. Through the lens of spring, she speaks to the cyclical nature of being a mother: the endings, the rebirths, the energy shifts, and the need to honor each season for what it brings.

This conversation is a gentle but fierce reminder that:

• Your energy matters.

• Movement can be medicine.

• Rebirth doesn’t have to look dramatic—it can look like rest, pause, and reclaiming yourself.

We close with a look ahead to Kelly’s upcoming Mother’s Day virtual retreat inside the Mama Healing Hub: a space to rest, reconnect, and remember who you are beyond the roles.

In this episode of the Mama Healing Hub podcast, hosts Vanessa Spinarsky, Carrie, and Alyssa dive deep into the emotional and mental complexities of motherhood, inspired by a viral interview that resonated with countless moms. Together, they unpack the weight of societal expectations, the importance of maternal mental health, and the often-unspoken challenges of parenting. At the same time, they celebrate the joy and love that coexist with the struggles. This heartfelt conversation champions emotional well-being, community support, and honest storytelling, reminding listeners that the motherhood journey is anything but one-dimensional.

💜 Join Our Community & Go Deeper:

📚 Love meaningful conversations? Join our free public space and connect with other moms through . ⁠Join Us Here. ⁠

💖 Want to support our mission? Your donations help us provide resources and a safe space for moms. Give here: ⁠⁠Donate Now⁠⁠

🌿 Ready for a deeper dive? Get a 30-day free trial to explore these topics further in our private community. Start here: ⁠⁠Try for Free⁠⁠

📸 Follow Us on Instagram: Stay connected for inspiration, updates, and more! Follow us at ⁠⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠⁠.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Mama Healing Hub podcast, we dive into the emotional and often uncomfortable territory of control in parenting. From managing child behavior to meeting societal expectations, we explore why the urge to control shows up .... and how self-awareness can help us move from rigidity to connection.

We talk openly about our own experiences as mothers navigating the pressure to "get it right," and reflect on how control is often rooted in a desire for safety, not power. You'll leave this episode with practical insight into how communication, boundaries, and presence can shift your family dynamics for the better.

Key Topics:

• The emotional root of control: safety, not weakness

• How societal expectations shape parenting pressure

• Judging children's behavior (and ourselves)

• The power of self-awareness in navigating control

• Using communication to support emotional well-being in families

• Modeling boundaries and mutual respect

• Knowing when to hold on and when to let go

Takeaways:

• Control often comes from fear, not failure

• Open communication helps decode family dynamics

• Parenting is more about modeling than managing

• Self-awareness is your best parenting tool

• Letting go is not losing, it’s leading with trust

🎧 Listen now to explore how releasing control can strengthen connection—without sacrificing your values.

💜 Join Our Community & Go Deeper:

📚 Love meaningful conversations? Join our free public space and connect with other moms through . Join Us Here.

💖 Want to support our mission? Your donations help us provide resources and a safe space for moms. Give here: ⁠Donate Now⁠

🌿 Ready for a deeper dive? Get a 30-day free trial to explore these topics further in our private community. Start here: ⁠Try for Free⁠

📸 Follow Us on Instagram: Stay connected for inspiration, updates, and more! Follow us at ⁠@themamahealinghubinc⁠.

Motherhood is transformative, but it can also feel like losing parts of yourself along the way. In this episode of The Mama Healing Hub podcast, Vanessa, Carrie, and Alyssa dive deep into the journey of self-discovery, identity, and creativity amidst the chaos of motherhood. They share personal stories of feeling lost, especially during the isolation of the pandemic, and the powerful awakening that can come through reconnecting with creativity, community, and personal passions.

The conversation introduces the idea of a sacred space for personal joy and creative expression beyond the demands of family life. They explore the courage it takes to prioritize oneself, the necessity of support, and how dreaming big can reignite a sense of purpose.

💜 Join Our Community & Go Deeper:

📚 Love meaningful conversations? Join our donation-based book club and connect with other moms through powerful reads. Sign up here: Join the Book Club

💖 Want to support our mission? Your donations help us provide resources and a safe space for moms. Give here: Donate Now

🌿 Ready for a deeper dive? Get a 30-day free trial to explore these topics further in our private community. Start here: Try for Free

📸 Follow Us on Instagram: Stay connected for inspiration, updates, and more! Follow us at @themamahealinghubinc.

If you've ever felt like you've lost yourself in motherhood, this episode is for you. Tune in for an honest, uplifting conversation on rediscovering who you are, beyond being a mom.

🎧 Listen now and take the first step in reclaiming yourself!

In this episode of the Mama Healing Hub podcast, hosts Vanessa, Carrie, and Alyssa dive into the essential role of communication in relationships, especially in the context of parenting. Drawing from the research of relationship experts John and Julie Gottman, they explore the 'Four Horsemen'—criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling—and how these communication pitfalls can harm relationships.

Through insightful discussion and personal experiences, they break down how to recognize these patterns and replace them with healthier, more effective communication strategies. Listeners will walk away with practical tools to strengthen their relationships, from fostering awareness to understanding each partner’s intentions. The episode wraps up with actionable takeaways and valuable resources to help couples navigate communication challenges with more confidence and clarity.

Here’s the information you need to attend the POP UP: Love Under Fire - Overcoming The Four Horsemen in Relationships event:

📅 Date & Time: March 25, 2025, at 8:00 PM (Montreal time)🔗 Zoom Link: Join the Zoom Meeting🆔 Meeting ID: 848 3965 8295🔑 Passcode: 570296

In this powerful episode of Mama Healing Hub, hosts Carrie and Alyssa sit down with Amanda, a triplet mom and meditation teacher, to explore the deep connection between motherhood, trauma, and mental well-being. Amanda opens up about her personal struggles, the impact of her past trauma on early motherhood, and how meditation became a lifeline in her journey. From breathwork to mindfulness, she shares practical tips for mothers seeking balance in the chaos. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or disconnected, this episode is a must-listen for finding peace in the midst of parenting.

Connect with Us:

Join The Mama Healing Hub Membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Mama Healing Hub⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow The Mama Healing Hub on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@themamahealinghub⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Vanessa on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepurposefulmotherhood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Carrie on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@carrie_parker_rsw⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Alyssa on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@alyssa.trittler.msw⁠⁠⁠

✨ Connect with Amanda:

📩 Email: ⁠meditatingthroughmotherhood@gmail.com⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠@meditatingthroughmotherhood