In this episode, I sit down with Rosemary Gattuso a trauma informed family mediator, couples counselor, and author of It's Not You, It's Me! A Chronic Overthinker's Guide to Self-Reflection for an honest conversation about overthinking, self-worth, trauma, emotional resilience, and the power of self-reflection.

Rosemary shares her personal mental health journey, opening up about growing up with low self-esteem, self-doubt, and chronic overthinking. She reflects on how years of believing she wasn't good enough shaped many areas of her life until she discovered family mediation a career that allowed her natural strengths of listening, remaining calm under pressure, and guiding difficult conversations to flourish.

She explains how finding work that aligned with who she truly was dramatically improved both her confidence and overall well-being. The conversation then shifts toward Rosemary's book and the topic of chronic overthinking. She explains the difference between healthy self reflection and unhealthy rumination describing how reflection feels lighter, encourages growth and helps people move forward, while overthinking often traps people in cycles of judgment, criticism, blame, anxiety, and replaying past mistakes.

The episode also touches on the importance of maintaining emotional balance while working in helping professions. Rosemary shares how she protects her own mental health despite spending her days supporting families through crisis, discussing the value of reflection, setting boundaries, spending time in nature, walking, journaling, nurturing her plants, cooking, and recognizing early signs of burnout before they become overwhelming.

Whether you've struggled with anxiety, overthinking, self-doubt, family conflict, or simply want to understand yourself with greater compassion, this episode offers practical insights and empowering reminders that healing begins not with perfection but with understanding.

What’s covered in this episode:

● Rosemary's personal journey with low self-esteem, self-worth and chronic overthinking and how becoming a trauma-informed family mediator transformed her confidence and mental well-being.

● Why trauma is defined by its impact on an individual rather than the event itself and how unresolved trauma influences relationships, communication, and emotional responses.

● The difference between healthy self-reflection and harmful overthinking plus common signs that show how self-reflection has shifted into rumination.

● How judgment, blame, criticism, and victim thinking fuel chronic overthinking, and practical techniques for managing overthinking through meditation, journaling, balance, and self-awareness.

● The importance of practicing self compassion and becoming your own mediator during difficult moments.

Resources and links mentioned in this week’s episode:

● You can connect directly with Rosemary Gattuso on her INSTAGRAM

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

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How can understanding your nervous system transform not only your own mental health, but also your relationship with your teenager?

In this episode of Rough Edges Podcast, I sit down with Becky Funk, former educator, certified nervous system regulation coach, recovering anxious perfectionist, and creator of the Safe Place Parenting Model.

Becky shares her deeply personal mental health journey, reflecting on growing up during a time when anxiety was rarely acknowledged and emotional struggles were often dismissed. She opens up about navigating years of chronic stress, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and a difficult season caring for her son after he was diagnosed with serious brain infections.

Through her own healing process, Becky discovered nervous system regulation and the role of the vagus nerve, an experience that completely transformed the way she viewed mental health, resilience, and parenting. Becky also shares how her coaching journey evolved from working with anxious and perfectionistic teenagers to helping parents become emotionally safe spaces for their children.

She explains that lasting change doesn't come from trying to control teenagers, it comes from building trust, understanding adolescent development, and creating genuine emotional connection.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing begins with understanding ourselves first. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, coach, or someone navigating anxiety and chronic stress.

What’s covered in this episode:

● Becky's personal mental health journey and how anxiety shaped her life

● A simple yet powerful communication strategy Becky calls the "Magic Question," which helps parents understand whether their teen needs advice, a listening ear, or help creating a plan

● Helping parents build healthier relationships with their teenagers instead of trying to control them

● Why giving teenagers autonomy strengths trust and communication

Resources and links mentioned in this week’s episode:

● Connect directly with Becky Funk on her INSTAGRAM

● Find out more about Becky’s Safe Place Parenting Model via her WEBSITE

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

● Check out our faith based women of color shop HERE where you can get a variety of products from T shirts, tote bags, crewnecks, journals and many more

● Connect with us on Instagram! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on YouTube! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on Facebook! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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● Want to be a guest on our show? Send us an email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com

What happens when being the "good daughter" becomes the very thing keeping you from living authentically?

In this episode of Rough Edges Podcast, I welcome back returning guest Olivia Alvizo Johnson, a millennial Latina therapist and founder of Liv Curiously Therapy for a heartfelt conversation about healing from people-pleasing, retiring the "good responsible daughter" identity, and learning to reconnect with yourself after years of putting everyone else's needs first.

Drawing from both her professional experience as a therapist and her own personal healing journey, Olivia shares how many women grow up believing that their worth is tied to being responsible, selfless, emotionally available and constantly accommodating the needs of others.

While these traits may have once served as survival strategies in childhood, they often lead to anxiety, perfectionism, emotional exhaustion, overthinking, resentment and difficulty setting healthy boundaries in adulthood.

Together we discuss the importance of emotional boundaries, self-compassion, and replacing self-criticism with curiosity. Olivia shares the inspiration behind Liv Curiously Therapy explaining how becoming more curious instead of critical transformed both her personal healing journey and the work she now does with ambitious women who are ready to stop surviving and start living more authentically.

This episode is an encouraging reminder that healing doesn't begin when everything is perfect, it begins the moment you stop minimizing your experiences, honor your own emotional needs, and give yourself permission to become more than the role you've always been expected to play.

This episode also explores:

● What it means to retire the "good responsible daughter" identity

● Why ambitious women often struggle with anxiety, overthinking, and burnout

● The emotional impact of always being labeled "the responsible one"

● How childhood praise can unintentionally reinforce unhealthy patterns

● The importance of creating emotional boundaries with yourself and others

● Learning to grieve the childhood you needed while embracing the life you deserve

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

● You can connect with Olivia Alvizo here via her INSTAGRAM

● Find out more about Olivia’s Liv Curiously Therapy via her WEBSITE

● Leave a review ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠if anything in today’s episode resonated with you!

● Connect with us on Instagram! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on YouTube! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roughedgeswithsarah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

● Connect with us on Facebook! (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rough.edges.podcast)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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● Want to be a guest on our show? Send us an email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com