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Does the start of a new year feel heavy instead of hopeful? Are you tired, overwhelmed, or carrying a kind of sadness you can't quite name? If you're a parent of an LGBTQ+ teen, this episode is your reminder that nothing is wrong with you, your body, your mind, and your heart are simply asking to be heard.

In today’s deeply grounding episode of More Human, More Kind, Heather Hester gently explores the emotional aftermath of the holidays and why so many parents, especially those parenting LGBTQ+ kids, feel grief instead of motivation in January.

You’ll learn:

1. Why grief and hope can coexist (and must)
2. How mental health is impacted by unacknowledged stress and survival mode
3. What January grief really looks and feels like (hint: it’s not always tears)
4. Why emotional support for parents is essential, not optional
5. Five simple, research-backed practices to help you feel lighter

This isn’t about pushing through or forcing joy. It’s about understanding the very real mental and emotional cost of caregiving, advocacy, and parenting LGBTQ+ teens in a world that often asks too much.

Heather offers a message of healing, empathy, and deep parental self-trust, helping you move from silent bracing to honest presence.

Listen now to validate your experience and learn one small shift that can lighten your emotional load.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a...

Are you an overwhelmed mom of an LGBTQ+ teen who's feeling lost trying to navigate the coming out process, and wants to let go of shame and embarrassment, as well as build a deeper connection of trust within yourself and your teen? Click here to learn how to work with me 1-1.

Or go to https://morehumanmorekind.com/discovery

If you've ever thought, "They're too young to know," or hoped your child might “grow out of it,” this episode is a must-listen. What feels like caution or protection may actually be causing deep harm to your child’s mental health, identity, and your relationship with them.

Many well-meaning parents hold back, fearing they’ll say the wrong thing or wishing this is “just a phase.” But this hesitation can cause real damage. LGBTQ+ youth need love, inclusion, and validation, not silence or delay. In this episode, Heather Hester offers trauma-informed guidance and practical insight into why affirming your child now is essential. You'll hear:

1. How cultural conditioning can cloud your instincts as a parent
2. What the science actually says about when kids know their gender identity
3. The link between family invalidation and increased mental health risks for LGBTQ+ youth

You’re not a bad parent for struggling; you're human. But staying stuck in outdated beliefs is not the path to healing, empathy, or true allyship. Your LGBTQ+ child needs you to be their fiercest advocate and protector, especially in a world that often doesn’t feel safe. This episode will help you shift from fear to fierce, from uncertainty to open-minded support.

Listen now and reflect with courage and compassion!

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of...

If you're an LGBTQ parent or ally feeling emotionally drained after the holidays, you're not alone, and there is nothing wrong with you. This episode offers practical guidance for recovering from the hidden stress so many of us carry this time of year.

Even when the holidays are joyful, the emotional labor of parenting, allyship, and navigating family dynamics can quietly overload your nervous system. In this conversation, Heather Hester shares science-backed strategies for nervous system healing, designed especially for parents, moms, caregivers, and advocates of LGBTQ+ youth.

You’ll learn:

1. Why your mental health may feel off weeks after the holidays
2. What nervous system healing actually looks like
3. Somatic tools that support safety, grief, and empathy

These gentle, inclusive practices support your work as a loving, open-minded parent and community advocate, helping you stay grounded, protect your energy, and model emotional regulation for your LGBTQ child. Because real inclusion and social justice begin at home with love, boundaries, and self-compassion.

Press play now to take the first step in recalibrating your nervous system and life!

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive...

You are not overreacting. You are responding to a real crisis—and you deserve support.

Click here or go to https://morehumanmorekind.com/discovery

If you’re an parent or ally of an LGBTQ+ kid who feels like the last few months or even years have been hellish, this episode is for you.

This is guidance for the parent who has been white-knuckling through crisis, carrying fear, grief, and exhaustion in silence while trying to protect their child’s mental health and safety.

In this raw and honest episode of More Human, More Kind, Heather names what so many families experience but rarely say out loud: when parenting becomes a full-time emergency.

If you’ve been living in survival mode: managing self-harm, ER visits, intensive treatment, runaway fear, constant hypervigilance, and the invisible emotional labor of advocacy, this episode offers grounded practical support, deep empathy, and a reminder that you are not failing… you are overloaded.

Heather speaks directly to:

1. the mom or caregiver who hasn’t had a normal Tuesday in years
2. the parent trying to lead with love while holding impossible family dynamics
3. the advocate who wants to stay open minded, but is running out of fuel

You’ll walk away with:

1. A clear understanding of how chronic crisis impacts your child, your identity as a parent, and your nervous system
2. Language to stop minimizing what’s happening and begin choosing healing
3. A reminder that numbness isn’t “coldness,” it’s your brain trying to survive
4. A compassionate lens on how crisis affects your whole family, including boundaries and sibling needs
5. A stronger sense of what real community support and education can look like when you’re in over your head

This episode reinforces a powerful truth:

Allyship is not passive. It’s protection. It’s action. It’s creating real inclusion and safety, especially when your child is struggling.

Press play now for honest LGBTQ guidance that supports you as a parent, an ally, and a human being.

And if you’re ready for deeper support, click here to learn about Heather’s private coaching, because you don’t have to do this alone.

✅ Share this episode with another parent, advocate, or ally who needs a reminder:

You are not overreacting. You are responding to a real crisis—and you deserve support.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and...

Have you been second-guessing yourself, polling others for answers, or feeling totally disconnected from your inner knowing?

In this grounding and compassionate episode, Heather Hester explores how fear, cultural conditioning, and emotional overwhelm silence the voice within and why that’s not your fault. You’ll learn how intuition actually works (yes, it's backed by science), and how to begin hearing your truth again, especially as an ally or parent of an LGBTQ+ child.

You’ll discover:

🌿 Why your nervous system blocks clarity under stress

🧠 What neuroscience says about intuition and inner knowing

🔍 How to tell the difference between fear, shoulds, and your true voice

🧘 A repeatable practice to access your calm, grounded inner guidance

Tune in now to reclaim your own voice, reconnect with your truth, and start making decisions from a place of clarity and compassion, not fear.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast and space where a mom and mental health advocate offers guidance on parenting with empathy, inclusion, and open-minded allyship, fostering growth, healing, and empowerment within the LGBTQ community—including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—while addressing grief, boundaries, education, diversity, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, social justice, and the power of human kindness through a lens of ally support and community engagement.

Are you an overwhelmed mom of an LGBTQ+ teen who's feeling lost trying to navigate the coming out process, and wants to let go of shame and embarrassment, as well as build a deeper connection of trust within yourself and your teen? Click here to learn how to work with me 1-1.

Are you smiling through meetings, school pick-ups, and family dinners while silently falling apart inside?

You’re not alone and you’re not broken. Many parents of LGBTQ+ kids are living two parallel lives: the one everyone sees, and the one consumed by fear, shame, and “what if” spirals. In this raw and revealing episode, Heather Hester breaks the silence around the emotional cost of trying to hold it all together and why real strength starts with dropping the mask.

1. Learn how chronic parental fear mimics trauma and what that means for your mind, body, and relationships
2. Understand why emotional isolation is not protecting your family, but quietly dismantling trust and connection
3. Discover how seeking support isn’t weakness, it’s the first step in becoming the grounded, resilient parent your child needs

Press play now to finally name the double life you’ve been living and start walking a path toward healing, connection, and fierce, unapologetic allyship.

Ready to get some clarity now? Book a call with Heather now!

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.

More...

If you’re starting the new year feeling emotionally scrambled, stretched thin, or just... not ready to jump into goals and plans then this episode is for you.

January asks so much of us. But what if you didn’t need to fix, improve, or push? What if you just needed a way to come back to yourself, gently, honestly, and on your own time?

In today’s episode, Heather Hester shares why this post-holiday “offness” is completely normal for LGBTQ+ parents and allies, especially those who’ve been holding emotional labor, navigating family dynamics, and trying to protect what matters most.

You’ll learn:

1. What reentry really is and why it’s not a failure but a natural process
2. The nervous system science behind your post-holiday disorientation
3. A 5-step gentle reentry practice to return to your truth without pressure
4. Somatic tools to ground you when you feel emotionally scattered
5. How reentry mirrors the LGBTQ+ journey toward self-affirmation

And in today’s “unlearn,” Heather challenges the myth that January must be bold, productive, or full of reinvention.

Your Reentry Practice Includes:

1. Name what pulled you away
2. Identify your anchor
3. Give your body a transition cue
4. Set one boundary
5. Give yourself 7–14 days of grace

Journal prompt:

What part of myself am I ready to return to?

Share this episode with someone who’s quietly struggling through their own January.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full...

Tired of the pressure to reinvent yourself every New Year? You’re not alone AND you’re not doing it wrong.

In this final episode of 2025, Heather Hester offers a powerful shift from the tradition of resolutions to something more meaningful for LGBTQ+ parents, caregivers, and allies: repair. Rather than fix or perfect, you’re invited to reflect, release, and re-enter the next year with clarity, care, and courage.

You’ll discover:

1. Why repair matters more than resolutions for long-term emotional and relational health
2. A simple framework for reflecting on what the year took, gave, and taught you
3. A grounding kindness ritual to close the year gently and truthfully
4. A myth-busting “unlearn” that challenges the belief that endings must be productive or performative

Whether you're exhausted, grieving, grateful or all three, this episode will give you space to exhale, return to your body, and choose softness as an act of strength.

Reflection Practice:

1. What did 2025 take from me?
2. What did it give me?
3. What act of self-compassion can I offer myself now?

Kindness Ritual:

Choose one gentle thing: light a candle, write to your future self, or speak one sentence of love to your child. Let this act be your offering to the new year.

Unlearn Prompt:

What if the end of the year wasn’t about doing more, but letting go?

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Learn how to create your own blueprint to build trust and connection with yourself and your teen!

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect heather@heatherhester.net

Buy Me A Coffee

Watch on YouTube

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move...