Messages From the Middle | Mental Health, Anxiety, Depression, Late Diagnosed ADHD, Undiagnosed Trauma, Neurodivergence, PTSD, Complicated Grief,

What happens after everything falls apart—and how do you slowly find your way back? Four years ago, I walked through the hardest season of my life. In 2022, after years of holding things together through stress, isolation, and the quiet weight of struggling mental health, everything finally fell apart. I found myself withdrawing from the world, barely functioning, and eventually leaving home for two months to enter a residential treatment program. In this special 100th episode, I’m looking back on that year and sharing honestly about what the last four years of healing have really looked like. Recovery didn’t happen quickly, and it definitely wasn’t a straight line. In this episode I talk about the tools, treatments, and lessons that helped me find my way forward—therapy, community, TMS, learning about hormones and ADHD, and the surprising role faith played in keeping me afloat. Most of all, I share what I’ve learned about the messy, imperfect process of healing. If you’re in a hard season yourself, this episode is a reminder that even when progress feels slow or uncertain, change and hope are still possible.

In this episode, I share a powerful experience I had meditating with Buddhist monks in Chiang Mai, Thailand. That time sitting quietly in a temple halfway across the world taught me something simple but profound about the way our minds work. I talk about meditation through the lens of ADHD—the wandering mind, the endless stream of thoughts, and the feeling that we’re “bad” at focusing. But meditation isn’t about having a perfectly quiet mind. It’s about the practice of noticing when our thoughts chase squirrels and gently bringing them back. Every time we do that, we’re actually strengthening the part of the brain responsible for focus, emotional regulation, and decision-making. In other words, the wandering mind isn’t failure—it’s the training. I also share a meditation instruction I read in a temple that taught me so much: breathing in, holding the breath for a moment, softening the eyes and the mind, and then expanding your awareness outward with compassion for all living things. Breath holds can briefly increase carbon dioxide levels in the body, which can sharpen awareness and help calm the nervous system when practiced gently. Combined with widening our attention and intentionally sending out love and compassion, this practice can create a surprising shift in mood and resilience. In this episode, I reflect on how simple moments of mindfulness—whether in a temple in Thailand or in the middle of an ordinary day—can help us train our minds, build focus, and reconnect with a sense of calm and compassion. 🧘‍♀️✨

What do Gilmore Girls and my kindergarten meltdown over a happy face stamp have in common? I am glad you asked. Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) From a kindergarten meltdown over not earning a double smiley-face stamp to the emotional landmines of high school and adulthood, I share personal anecdotes about how RSD has shaped my life. I discuss how RSD affects creativity, relationships, and even the way we interpret simple texts like “Call me.” This episode is for anyone trying to understand themselves or their loved ones who may experience heightened sensitivity to rejection and failure. Tune in for insights, empathy, and a reminder that our unique traits—nerfs and buffs alike—can serve as both challenges and strengths.

In this episode titled "Mindfulness for a Busy Mind," I delve into the fascinating world of managing ADHD through mindfulness and meditation. One of the fun things that comes with ADHD is a busy mind, and I mean fun—like I'm never bored; my mind is always entertaining me. But this constant whirlwind of thoughts can be inconvenient when it comes to quieting intrusive and worrisome thoughts. The good news is, there's something that can be done with a busy mind. You can learn how to train your brain, take control of those intrusive thoughts, and that's where mindfulness comes in. I share my personal experience, emphasizing the joy and challenges of a constantly active mind. Through simple yet profound practices, I explain how listeners can train their brains to be intentional about their thoughts and actions, ultimately leading to improved concentration, reduced stress, and enhanced self-esteem. I break down the essence of mindfulness, debunking misconceptions and providing practical tips for incorporating meditation into daily life. Whether you're navigating the whirlwind of ADHD or simply seeking a deeper connection with the present moment, this episode serves as a gentle yet powerful reminder of the transformative potential of mindfulness.

In this episode, I’m talking about boundaries—the kind that don’t come from frustration, control, or emotional shutdown, but from love. I share why real boundaries aren’t a list of rules for other people to follow so we can feel okay. They’re about what we will do, what we will allow, and how we take responsibility for our own emotional well-being. When boundaries are rooted in love instead of fear, they protect connection instead of damaging it. I also explore the idea of thinking of yourself as a sovereign country. You have resources—time, energy, attention, care—and it’s your job to steward them wisely. Healthy relationships require both sharing and protecting those resources. Without clear boundaries, resentment quietly builds and erodes even our most important connections. This episode is an invitation to honor your limits, preserve your energy, and create relationships that feel mutual, respectful, and sustainable.

Feeling stuck is one of the most common experiences in mental health—and one of the hardest to explain. In this episode, we explore what it really means to feel stuck, numb, or frozen, and why those feelings often show up when our nervous system is overwhelmed. Through the lens of the motivational triad—our brain’s drive to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy—we unpack how staying stuck can actually be a form of protection, even when it’s costing us peace, connection, and growth. We also talk about power—where we give it away, how victim thinking can quietly keep us trapped, and why the idea that we can only change ourselves is actually very good news. This episode offers compassionate insight, practical reframes, and gentle encouragement to take your power back, set boundaries, and make small, meaningful shifts that help you move forward. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by relationships, the state of the world, or your own inner landscape, this conversation is an invitation to step out of stuck and into agency—one choice at a time.

Lately, it feels like everything is too much—too much information, too much suffering, too much emotional weight to carry. In this episode, I talk honestly about what happens when empathy turns into emotional overload, burnout, or numbness. As someone whose top strength is empathy, I explore how constantly absorbing the pain of others—especially in a world fueled by social media and 24-hour news—can quietly erode our mental health. We’ll talk about toxic empathy, why our nervous systems weren’t designed to hold the weight of the world, and how “conceal, don’t feel” can become a survival strategy that ultimately disconnects us from ourselves. This episode is about finding a healthier, more sustainable way to care. I introduce compassion as the antidote to hyper-empathy—empathy with boundaries, empathy with action, empathy with boots on. We’ll explore the difference between empathy and compassion, why numbness and over-feeling are two sides of the same coin, and how small practices like loving-kindness meditation can help us stay open without burning out. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or unsure how to care deeply without losing yourself, this conversation is for you. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram @wendyparrishcoachin

In this episode, I’m talking openly about how I’ve been feeling lately—overwhelmed, stuck, and quietly sad about the state of the world. I share how those feelings slowly turned into an excuse in my mind, not just for stepping back from the podcast, but from a lot of things that matter to me. Instead of a polished outline or plan, I did the thing I’ve been avoiding: I plugged in the mic and pressed record. This episode is raw, unscripted, and real, because waiting until I felt “ready” was just another way I was talking myself out of showing up. I also dive into the concept of the motivational triad—the subconscious drive to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy—and how overwhelm, hopelessness, and feeling stuck can quietly serve that triad. Making decisions takes energy, taking risks feels uncomfortable, and doing hard things requires us to move through pain instead of around it. In this conversation, I explore how our minds use very believable reasons to keep us safe and small, and why recognizing those patterns can be the first step toward choosing action anyway, even when it feels messy, imperfect, or heavy. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagra: @wendyparrishcoachin

The holidays can quietly amplify expectation pain—especially for parents of older kids. In this episode, I talk about how unmet expectations around Christmas traditions, family dynamics, and “how it’s supposed to feel” can lead to disappointment, grief, and emotional exhaustion. When the magic of little-kid Christmases fades and family life shifts, many parents are left wondering how to hold joy and sadness at the same time without lowering expectations so far that the season loses its meaning. I share my own experience navigating Christmas with kids who are growing up, letting go of old traditions, and learning how to love and expect what is instead of what used to be. This episode explores expectation pain, emotional resilience, and the mental health work of choosing our thoughts when things don’t go as planned. If you’re a parent feeling tender during the holidays, grieving change, or trying to find peace in an imperfect season, this conversation offers compassion, perspective, and a gentler way forward. Contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

In this episode, I dig into an idea from Deborah Adele’s The Yamas & Niyamas that completely shifted how I think about kindness: the difference between being nice and being real. We talk about why so many of us default to niceness as a way to keep the peace, avoid conflict, and manage how others see us—especially when we’ve been taught our whole lives that being agreeable makes us good. But beneath the surface, niceness often asks us to hide our truth, disconnect from our needs, and hold back the honesty that real relationships actually require. Together, we explore how authenticity is a deeper form of kindness, not just to ourselves but to the people we care about. Being real doesn’t have to be harsh; it can be grounded, compassionate, and deeply respectful. I share how pretending, pleasing, and masking create tension in our bodies and distance in our relationships, and how telling the truth—with gentleness—can create more peace than performing ever will. If you’ve been stuck in the trap of “keeping everyone comfortable,” this episode will help you loosen that old pattern and step into a more honest, open, emotionally healthy way of connecting. Contact me: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

Here are two polished paragraphs for your Apple Podcasts description, Wendy: In this episode, I share a simple moment from my Thanksgiving break that opened up a much bigger conversation—finally discovering my seasonal color palette. What started as a fun activity with my sister and sister-in-law uncovered a powerful metaphor about being seen, understood, and supported. Just like the right colors help us look more like ourselves, understanding how our brains are wired can help us live more like ourselves. I walk through what seasonal color analysis actually is, why it works, and how it unexpectedly connected me back to my own journey with ADHD and mental health. I also explore why getting an accurate diagnosis can be so validating and empowering. A diagnosis isn’t a label that limits who you are—it’s information that helps you know how to work with your brain instead of against it. From quieting self-criticism to creating systems that support your unique wiring, clarity can help you show up in your life with more confidence and compassion. If you’ve ever wondered whether naming what you’re experiencing would actually help, this episode offers a gentle, relatable perspective on why understanding yourself is one of the most freeing things you can do. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoachin

This week we’re diving into indulgent emotions—those sneaky feelings that look like healing and self-reflection but actually keep us stuck. Confusion, overwhelm, worry, self-pity… they can all feel responsible, productive, or even spiritual. But when they don’t lead to action, they trap us in motion instead of progress. I’ll walk you through how these emotions hijack your brain, keep you feeling “busy,” and quietly protect you from discomfort, rejection, and failure. I’ll also share practical tools to shift from indulgent emotions to powerful ones like determination, courage, commitment, and curiosity. You’ll learn how to identify the feeling you’re indulging in, how to look at the actions it creates, and how to choose a new emotion that supports the life you want. If you’re tired of spinning in circles and ready to build momentum, self-trust, and action-based healing, this episode is for you. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

In this episode, I’m unpacking the truth about gratitude—what the research actually says, why it can support our mental health, and why it sometimes falls completely flat. Studies show that gratitude can reduce depression, lower stress, strengthen relationships, and even improve sleep and immune function. But those benefits only show up when gratitude is practiced in a grounded, realistic way. I break down how to avoid slipping into toxic positivity, how to honor your real emotions first, and how to use gratitude without gaslighting yourself into feeling something you don’t. I also share five practical, evidence-backed ways to make gratitude work for you, even on the days when everything feels heavy or neutral at best. From setting intentions and embracing the small things to getting specific and trusting the process, these tools can help you stay present with both the hard and the hopeful parts of your life. My goal is to help you build emotional resilience—not by forcing positivity, but by widening your perspective just enough to notice the moments that steady you. Contact me: @wendyparrishcoaching email: wendy@wendyparrish.com

In this episode, I share what getting back into running has taught me about resilience, mental health, and the power of intentional discomfort. After years of injuries and setbacks, I finally realized that rebuilding strength—physically and emotionally—starts with choosing to push against resistance instead of avoiding it. From sprint intervals to glute work to nervous-system regulation, I talk about how training my body has directly trained my mind, helping me break cycles of fear, fragility, and “I can’t do this.” This is the real process of becoming anti-fragile: learning to hold discomfort without shutting down and expanding your capacity one uncomfortable rep at a time. I also dive into the mind-body tools that build emotional strength from the inside out—like somatic work, meditation, breath awareness, and choosing physical challenges on purpose. These practices don’t just strengthen muscles; they rewire the brain, deepen self-trust, and help you step out of victim mode and back into ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. If you’re looking for practical ways to grow resilience, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with your inner strength, this episode will give you both the science and the lived experience behind what it takes to build a stronger, steadier you. contact me: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching website: wendyparrish.com

In this episode, I revisit the idea of “big T” and “little t” trauma after hearing Dr. Frank Anderson discuss why these labels can sometimes get in the way of healing. I agree with him that trauma is defined by its impact, not the size or obviousness of the event. But I also share why naming my own experiences—especially the ones I minimized for years—was a crucial step in recognizing how my nervous system had been shaped. Without language, I couldn’t see the patterns that were quietly directing my responses, relationships, and sense of safety. For many of us, naming isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about awareness. I walk listeners through the reflective questions Dr. Anderson uses to help people identify the parts of themselves that still carry overwhelm, fear, or unprocessed pain. And as I explore each question, I share examples from past coaching conversations to make the process tangible and relatable. I close with a discussion on self-compassion—what it actually looks like, why it matters, and why learning to treat ourselves with the same understanding we offer others can become a turning point in healing. This episode is an invitation to stop minimizing your pain, start naming your story, and take the first real steps toward nervous system repair and emotional resilience. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram @wendyparrishcoaching

For a long time, I thought trauma was something that only happened to other people — the big, obvious kind you see in movies or read about in books. But when I entered residential treatment in 2022, I discovered something I’d never heard of before: little t trauma. These are the smaller, often invisible experiences that still shape how we see ourselves and the world — infertility, rejection, chronic stress, loss, or simply years of feeling “not enough.” In this episode, I share my story of learning that healing isn’t just for those with “big” trauma — it’s for anyone carrying pain that’s been minimized or misunderstood. I’ll talk about how I went from believing I was “weak sauce” to understanding how my mind and body were trying to protect me all along. Together, we’ll explore why identifying little t trauma can be a turning point in building emotional resilience, releasing shame, and reclaiming your story. This episode is an invitation to give yourself grace, recognize your pain as valid, and start the process of healing — one small, courageous step at a time. contact me: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

In this episode of Messages from the Middle, I’m talking about a word that we may actually be underusing: grief. Unlike other therapy buzzwords I’ve covered in this series, grief is a word that usually gets used correctly—but not nearly enough. We’ve come to associate grief solely with death, and while grief absolutely belongs there, it also deserves space in so many other areas of our lives. I share how misunderstanding grief led me to feel unnecessary shame in my own experience, and how learning to name it allowed me to begin healing. I’ll walk you through some of the most common myths around grief—the five stages, the timeline, the hierarchy—and offer a broader, more compassionate view of what grief really is and how it shows up. Whether you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, the shift of a dream, or just the quiet ache of a life that didn’t turn out the way you thought it would, this episode is an invitation to see grief differently—and to give yourself the permission you may not have known you needed. contact me: email: wendy@wendyparrish.com Instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

We hear the word boundaries all the time—set them, hold them, respect them—but what do boundaries actually look like in real life? In this episode, I’m breaking down what boundaries are, what they’re not, and why so many of us get them wrong. I talk through common misconceptions, share real-life examples, and offer practical steps for setting boundaries that protect your peace without pushing people away. If you’ve ever felt guilty for saying no, resentful in your relationships, or unsure how to follow through on the limits you’ve set, this one’s for you. I’ll walk you through the emotional backbone of boundary-setting—from self-awareness to self-respect—and help you reconnect with the version of yourself that knows your needs matter, too. contact me: email wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

In this episode of Therapy Talk Traps: Words We Misuse and How It’s Holding Us Back, I’m diving into the word "gaslighting"—a term that’s become part of everyday conversation, often without a full understanding of what it truly means. While gaslighting is a very real and harmful form of psychological abuse, we’ve started using it to describe everything from disagreements to memory lapses, and that’s a problem. Misusing the term not only waters down its meaning but also makes it harder for real victims of abuse to be recognized, believed, and supported. I explore the origins of the word, what gaslighting actually looks like in abusive dynamics, and why being precise with our language is a powerful step in our healing. I also talk about how casually labeling someone a gaslighter can keep us from the self-reflection and accountability that growth requires. Whether you’ve been confused by the term or you’ve found yourself using it, this episode is a compassionate, honest invitation to get curious—and get clearer—about the words we use and the power they hold. contact me: www.wendyparrish.com email: wendy@wenddyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching

In this kickoff to our summer series, Therapy Talk Traps; Words We Misuse and How They Hold Use Back. Today we're diving into one of the most overused and misunderstood words in today’s mental health conversations: triggered. What does it actually mean to be triggered? And why does casually throwing the word around—when we really mean “uncomfortable”—keep us stuck in patterns that limit growth? We’ll unpack the clinical definition of triggers, discuss how avoidance reinforces fear, and explore how real healing involves learning to face discomfort with courage and support. I’ll also share one of my favorite metaphors—the difference between cows and bison in a storm—and what it can teach us about resilience. Whether you live with PTSD or OCD or you’re just learning how to sit with hard feelings, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and practical tools for facing life’s inevitable storms. contact me: www.wendyparrish.com email: wendy@wendyparrish.com instagram: @wendyparrishcoaching @childsongbird