Being present can be one of the most powerful forms of self-care for caregivers.
In this short episode I reflect on caring for a loved one’s mental health, navigating a heavy season, and why treating everyday moments like they matter is a gift—for them and for you.

This season of This Way Up has looked a little different for me.

My mom is going through cancer treatment, and over the past several months I’ve been spending more time traveling back to be with my family. It’s meaningful time—but it’s also changed the rhythm of my life in ways I didn’t expect, leaving less flexibility, less margin, and less space for some of the things I love.

On a long drive home after one of those visits, something quietly landed for me: there is always a last time for everything. A last goodbye. A last hard moment. A last ordinary moment that doesn’t feel significant until it suddenly does.

In this episode, I reflect on what it means to treat everyday moments like they’re the first time—because we don’t know when they’ll be the last. Not as another thing we should do for others, but as a way of caring for ourselves.

This episode is for parents and caregivers who are tired, stretched, and doing their best to love well—especially when mental health challenges are part of the story.

You don’t have to do more.
You don’t have to be better.
Sometimes, being present is enough.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their specific situations.

Explore felt emotion and somatic techniques with Dr. Jen Rapkin to notice, endure, and move through anxiety, anger, and other challenging emotions.

Summary

Dive into the essence of 'felt emotion' with author Jen, as she gives an in-depth exploration of her book 'The Feeling Muscle: How Felt Emotion Can Help You Sit With and Outlast Hard Feelings.' Jen and Andrea discuss the concept of felt emotion—our body's physical experience of emotions such as anxiety, rage, and contentment. The conversation delves into how recognizing and sitting with these emotions, rather than distracting or numbing ourselves, can lead to a fuller, more connected life. Learn about somatic therapy, common avoidance behaviors, and how to truly connect with your body's signals. This insightful episode provides practical advice on building a vocabulary for your inner experience and emphasizes the importance of outlasting hard feelings.

BIO:

Dr. Jenn Rapkin is a licensed naturopathic physician, bodyworker, former dancer, and Frequent Feeler with more than 25 years of experience in integrative mental health, mind-body medicine, and body-centered therapies. Her new book The Feeling Muscle: How Felt Emotion Can Help You Sit with and Outlast Hard Feelings chronicles her personal and professional transformation from physician to a shepherd of “feelings.” In her clinical practice, her bodywork table is a place to hold space for, validate, and give voice to her patients’ inner felt emotion by combining a gentle, listening touch with dialogue, imagery, mindfulness, and self-awareness. She has had the good fortune in her life to balance deep and meaningful inner reflection with rich and interesting life experiences – from growing up on Nantucket Island, go-go dancing in the Guggenheim Museum, and living as an expat in Barcelona to raising two amazingly soulful and spirited children in Connecticut.

Website: www.drjennrapkin.com

Book page: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FWDW1R2M

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575991456912

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennrapkin/

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their specific situations.

Being a parent doesn’t stop addiction—but it can be a reason to fight for recovery.

In this raw and powerful episode, Emily Redondo, author of Wife Mother Drunk, shares her journey with alcoholism, recovery, and breaking cycles of generational trauma. Having been in rehab and psychiatric institutions over 20 times, Emily opens up about what it’s like to navigate life as a parent while struggling with alcohol, and how addiction isn’t about being a “good” or “bad” person—it’s about what’s happening in the brain.

Emily also discusses the impact of past generations of alcoholism, how it shaped her life, and the courageous steps she took to reclaim herself for her family and future. She candidly describes facing the shadows of her past, choosing life over self-destruction, and confronting trauma head-on.

This episode is for anyone grappling with alcohol, generational trauma, or the challenges of midlife reinvention. Emily’s story is raw, real, and a reminder that healing is possible, even after decades of struggle.

A conversation about survival, self-trust, and the courage to choose life.

BIO:

EMILY REDONDO is a writer, bookworm, and proud mother of four whose articles on recovery and motherhood have been featured in Love What Matters, Genius Recovery, and Legacy Launchpad. Her interests include gardening, camping, collecting antique curiosities, and tinkering with her latest diy project in her workshop. She lives with her husband, Pete, and their lively household in McKinney, Texas.

RESOURCES/ REFERENCES:

https://a.co/d/anhTJJm

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals for their specific situations.