The Positively Healthy Mom

Welcome to The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast! I'm your host, Laura Ollinger, teen and parent well-being coach—and today I'm joined by Laurie James, certified somatic practitioner, coach, author of Sandwiched, and host of Confessions of a Freebird podcast. In this powerful episode, Laurie shares her deeply personal journey through caregiving, divorce, burnout, and healing—and how somatic experiencing helped her reconnect with her body, her emotions, and her true self. We dive into nervous system regulation, stress recovery, and practical somatic tools you can use today to calm your body and shift out of survival mode. If you've ever felt like your body is holding onto more than your mind can process, this conversation is your invitation to slow down and finally listen. 💬 In This Episode: • What is somatic healing—and how does it work? • Signs your body may be dysregulated • Laurie's journey through caregiving, motherhood, and divorce • How to complete the fight-flight-freeze stress cycle • Simple nervous system regulation tools you can use anytime • Why burnout often shows up after everything "seems fine" • The importance of rest, body awareness, and micro-moments of calm • Grounding, orienting, and vagus nerve support techniques • How moms can stop overriding their own needs • How to teach teens self-regulation without pushing them into shutdown 📘 About Laurie James Laurie James is a certified somatic practitioner and coach who helps women navigate midlife transitions with more calm, clarity, and connection. After raising four daughters while caregiving for her aging parents and experiencing the unraveling of her marriage, Laurie turned her healing journey into the memoir Sandwiched and now supports others through somatic coaching, nervous system education, and her podcast Confessions of a Freebird. 🔗 Connect with Laurie James 🌐 Website: laurieejames.com [https://www.laurieejames.com/] 📸 Instagram: @laurie.james [https://www.instagram.com/laurie.james/] 📘 Facebook: Laurie James [https://www.facebook.com/laurie.james.79219754] 🎧 Podcast: Confessions of a Freebird 📥 Free Guide: Beginner's Guide to Somatic Healing (link in show notes) 👩‍💻 Learn more about the podcast: 🌐 positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast [https://www.positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast] 📲 Follow us for more: 📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching 📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching ✨ If this episode spoke to you, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with a fellow mom who could use more peace, body awareness, and breath today. #somatichealing #nervoussystemregulation #mindbodyconnection #burnoutrecoveryjourney #momwellbeing #traumainformedparenting #midlifemomsupport #bodyawarenesstools #positivelyhealthymom #positivelyhealthycoaching

Welcome back to The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast! I'm your host, Laura Ollinger—teen and parent well-being coach—and today I'm joined by Taralee Eddington, Certified Relationship & Resilience Coach and founder of Peaceful Heart Journey. She's also the host of The FOCUS Podcast with Taralee, where she helps families strengthen their most important relationships through emotional clarity and intentional communication. In this heart-centered episode, Taralee introduces the STARVED needs framework—seven core needs that, when unmet, often lie at the heart of conflict in relationships. Together, we explore how to identify, communicate, and navigate these needs to create deeper connection, understanding, and peace at home. Whether you're managing a marriage, raising teenagers, or trying to break free from overwhelm and resentment, this conversation offers practical, faith-grounded strategies to help you feel seen, supported, and stronger. 💬 In This Episode: • What unmet needs may be fueling conflict in your home • The 7 STARVED needs: Safety, Trust, Appreciation, Respect, Validation, Encouragement, Dedication • How to communicate your needs without sounding like you're complaining • Why "nagging" is often just an unmet need in disguise • How to coach your teens through emotional growth with calm and clarity • Letting go of control and parenting from peace, not fear • Navigating adult children, boundaries, and broken expectations • Why appreciation matters more than you think • The truth about respect, autonomy, and letting go 📘 About Taralee Eddington Taralee is a Certified Family Educator & Relationship Coach helping individuals, couples, and families move from conflict to connection through her signature FOCUS Framework™️. Her work is shaped by her own life as a wife and mom of three, her daughter's cancer journey, and her mission to help others lead with peace and purpose. Her mantra: What you focus on expands. 🔗 Connect with Taralee 🌐 Website: peacefulheartjourney.com 📸 Instagram: @peacefulheartjourney 📘 Facebook: Peaceful Heart Journey 🎧 Podcast: The FOCUS Podcast with Taralee (new episodes every Friday) 👩‍💻 Learn more about the podcast: 🌐 positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast [https://www.positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast] 📲 Follow us for more: 📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching 📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching ✨ If this episode spoke to you, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share with a fellow mom who could use a little more peace and connection. #PositivelyHealthyMom #TaraleeEddington #UnmetNeeds #STARVEDFramework #RelationshipCoaching #PeacefulHeartJourney #MomBurnoutSupport #TeenParenting #MarriageCommunication #FaithCenteredParenting

Welcome to another episode of The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast! I'm your host, Laura Ollinger—teen and parent well-being coach—and today I'm joined by Simone Knego, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and host of Her Unshakeable Confidence podcast. Simone is a mom of six, a confidence coach, and a powerful advocate for women learning to lead and live from within. In this deeply honest and energizing conversation, she shares how real confidence is built—not born—and how moms can model leadership right from their own kitchen tables. Whether you're navigating mom guilt, rediscovering your identity, or just feeling stuck in self-doubt, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom, laughter, and permission to be yourself. 💬 In This Episode • Why confidence is a skill you can build • Simone's "REAL Method" for growing unshakeable confidence • The truth about mom guilt, people-pleasing, and invisible labor • Kitchen Table Leadership: what it means and why it matters • How to stop saying "just a mom" and start owning your worth • Simple mindset shifts to reset your day and self-talk • How Simone's daughter checked her in a Starbucks line 😄 • The power of modeling vs. managing for our kids • Finding yourself again after the kids are grown 📘 About Simone Knego Simone is the bestselling author of The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You and the upcoming book REAL Confidence: A Simple Guide to Go From Unsure to Unshakeable (out Feb 2025). She's been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, and in Entrepreneur. Simone empowers women to quiet the "what if" whisperer, step into leadership, and celebrate who they already are. 🔗 Connect with Simone 🌐 Website: simoneknego.com [https://simoneknego.com/] 📸 Instagram: @simoneknego [https://www.instagram.com/simoneknego/] 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/SpeakerSimoneKnego [https://www.facebook.com/SpeakerSimoneKnego] 📺 YouTube: @her_unshakeable_confidence [https://www.youtube.com/@her_unshakeable_confidence] 💼 LinkedIn: Simone Knego [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoneknego] 👩‍💻 Learn more about the podcast: 🌐 positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast [https://www.positivelyhealthycoaching.com/podcast] 📲 Follow us for more: 📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching 📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching ✨ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a mom who needs a reminder that she's already extraordinary. #PositivelyHealthyMom #SimoneKnego #REALConfidence #ConfidenceCoach #MomLeadership #HerUnshakeableConfidence #PositiveParenting #KitchenTableLeadership #MomLife #MotherhoodSupport #WomenWhoLead

Teens today are overwhelmed by pressure, comparison, and uncertainty—and parents often feel unsure how to help. In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast, host Laura Olinger talks with James McLamb, founder and CEO of Generation Youth, about the three biggest struggles teens face today and how we can guide them through self-image challenges, relationship stress, and finding purpose. You'll learn: ✨ What teens themselves say they're struggling with most ✨ Why self-image shapes everything they do ✨ How relationship skills have changed since COVID ✨ Simple tools to help teens feel confident, grounded, and hopeful ✨ Why investing in mindset matters as much as academics or sports This conversation will help you understand your teen on a deeper level—so you can support them with more clarity and confidence. 🔗 Connect with James Website: https://generation-youth.com [https://generation-youth.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generation__youth/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC93wUrUA12HI_PXtEDLEwow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.mclamb1 Follow us for more: 📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching 📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching

Everyday Courage: Helping Teens Handle Nerves, Pressure & Comparison | With Mental Coach Heather Sumlin Your teen doesn't have to be on a big stage to feel big pressure. Asking someone to homecoming, speaking in class, applying for a first job, trying out for a team or pageant – these "everyday performances" can feel huge for them. In this episode of The Positively Healthy Mom Podcast, host Laura Olinger (teen and parent wellbeing coach and founder of Positively Healthy Coaching) talks with Heather Sumlin, mental management coach and owner of Sumlin Solutions, about how to help teens manage nerves, build confidence, and thrive under pressure in school, sports, pageantry, performing arts, and life. Together they explore: ✨ What the Mental Management System is and how it was born from Heather's Olympic champion father 🧠 How self-image is formed and why it matters more than you think 🎤 Practical tools for handling nerves before a speech, tryout, date, or job interview 🙋‍♀️ How to shift from "What if I mess up?" to "What if this goes well?" 📱 How comparison (especially on social media) quietly erodes confidence 🏅 Why a parent's main job is to build self-image, not just chase achievements 🤝 How to match your teen's level of passion instead of pushing harder than they do Whether your teen is an athlete, a performer, in pageantry, or just trying to navigate everyday teen life, this conversation will give you language, tools, and mindset shifts you can start using with them right away. 👤 About Our Guest: Heather Sumlin Heather Sumlin is a long-time mental management coach and owner of Sumlin Solutions. After nearly 20 years working alongside her father, an Olympic champion and creator of the Mental Management System, Heather now specializes in helping women and teen girls in subjectively judged sports and performance arenas (like pageantry, cheer, dog sports, public speaking, and more) learn how to control their minds under pressure. She works with: * Teen & college athletes * Pageant contestants * Performers & competitors * Parents who want to better support their kids' mental game Heather also hosts the podcast "She Wins – Solutions and Stories for Women", where she shares tools, stories, and strategies to help women win in sport, performance, and life. 🔗 Connect with Heather 🌐 Website: https://www.heathersumlin.com/ 📸 Instagram: @heathersumlin 📘 Facebook: Heather Sumlin Mental Coach ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SumlinSolutionsStories ✨ Heather offers a free 20-minute evaluation call through her website for women and parents who want to learn more about working together. If this episode helped you: Like the video Comment with your favorite takeaway or a question for Laura and Heather Share it with another mom of teens who could use these tools Subscribe for more episodes on teen wellbeing, confidence, and positive parenting Follow us for more: 📘 Facebook: Positively Healthy Coaching 📸 Instagram: @positivelyhealthycoaching