What if your burnout wasn’t a personal failure, but a sign you’re operating by someone else’s rules?

In this bold and healing conversation, I'm joined by therapist and coach Brooke Jean to unpack what happens when women stop performing for approval and start living in alignment with who they really are. Brooke shares her deeply personal story of unraveling perfectionism, overcoming postpartum depression, and redefining power through the lens of feminine wisdom. From nervous system healing to the magic of receiving and creating, this episode is a reminder that your softness is strength—and your truth is enough.

About Brooke: Brooke Jean, MA, LPC is a Licensed Therapist, Coach, Speaker and the Host of The Unperfected Pod on a mission to normalize normal. She believes that life isn’t perfect, but it can be unperfected and using a blend of energy work, counseling, coaching & facilitation, she guides her audience to let go of who they think they are, in order to create the life they’ve been waiting for.

Connect with Brooke:

• Website: www.liveunperfected.com
• Instagram: @Brookejeanunperfected
• Masterclass: Audacity Masterclass - https://www.brookejeanllc.com/audacity

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

What if we stopped accepting pain and shame as part of feeding our babies? In this intimate and eye-opening episode, Stephanie is joined by Valana Frohardt, a Denver-based lactation consultant and PA, who shares how her personal and professional experiences have shaped her mission to support birthing people with compassion and clarity. Together, they challenge the outdated narratives around breastfeeding and infant feeding, especially the unspoken expectation that parents should just "figure it out."

Valana dives into the emotional toll of unsupported feeding journeys, the gaps in medical training around lactation, and why trauma-informed care is essential in this space. Whether you're a new parent, a provider, or someone who simply wants to better understand the postpartum experience, this conversation will leave you feeling more informed, more empowered, and deeply seen.

About Valana: Valana Frohardt is an experienced medical provider, lactation consultant, and the owner of Feed & Flourish in Denver, CO. She loves helping moms and babies learn to breastfeed, and supporting women in their recovery after birth. Valana offers lactation visits during pregnancy to prepare for breastfeeding, lactation visits after baby arrives, and postpartum home visits to ensure both mom and baby receive ongoing support during the critical early weeks.

As a Physician Assistant with experience in both Family and Pediatric practice - and a mother herself - Valana brings a deep, holistic understanding of the physical and emotional needs of lactation and postpartum care. During postpartum visits, she tailors her approach to each mother’s unique recovery journey, ensuring they feel empowered, supported, and confident as they navigate this transformative time.

Connect with Valana:
Website: https://www.feedandflourishdenver.com/
Instagram: @feedandflourishdenver
Facebook: Feed & Flourish Denver

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

What happens when your grief is invisible to the world—but unbearably real to you? In this episode, my guest Arden Cartrette, a birth and bereavement doula who has turned her personal experience of multiple miscarriages into a powerful mission of healing and advocacy. From breaking the silence around first trimester loss to highlighting the massive gaps in medical training and support, Arden shares the truth about miscarriage that too many people experience in isolation.

We talk about the emotional complexity of pregnancy loss, why comparison can deepen our pain, and how empathy—real, lived empathy—can change everything. Whether you're a parent, a practitioner, or simply someone trying to be more present for others, this conversation invites you into a more honest and human understanding of grief and care through pregnancy loss.

And if you need support or would like to connect with Arden you can find her at:
Website - https://www.themiscarriagedoula.co/
Instagram - @themiscarriagedoula

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

What if marketing could feel more like self-discovery than strategy? In this episode of Redefining Us, Stephanie Konter-O’Hara sits down with Joanne Homestead, founder of Desk Plant Creatives, to explore how soulful storytelling can transform email marketing into a powerful tool for connection and authenticity. Joanne shares her journey from educator to email copywriter and how a memoir class unexpectedly led her to discover the impact of personal stories in business.

We talk about the importance of aligning with your values, navigating vulnerability, and embracing the “zero draft” mindset to overcome perfectionism and overthinking. Whether you're a purpose-driven entrepreneur or a creative professional, this conversation will help you reframe marketing as a relationship-building practice rooted in your unique voice and lived experience.

Connect with Joanne:
https://deskplantcreatives.com/
https://www.instagram.com/desk.plant.creatives/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannehomesteadcopywriter/
https://linktr.ee/deskplantcreatives
https://www.facebook.com/deskplantcreatives
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFUrIBT0zKKUr4Hq4g5-XfQ
Free gift: subscribepage.io/3_simple_steps_to_irresistibly_entertaining_emails_that_sell

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Imagine how powerful we'd all be if we stopped wasting energy on body shame and turned it toward something that truly matters. Eada Gendelman, a therapist who helps those with disordered eating is here to talk about healing our relationship with food, body, and exercise. Drawing from her own experience with an eating disorder, Eada shares how shame, societal praise for disordered behaviors, and a lack of language prevent many from seeking help. She and Stephanie discuss how cultural shifts have changed (but not solved) body image struggles and why self-compassion is the key to true healing. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of self-criticism, this conversation will inspire you to break free, reclaim your energy, and see that healing is always possible.

Connect with Eada:
Website: http://morningbirdtherapy.com

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Grief and motherhood are closely related. One mother may grieve the relationship she had with her partner before kids, another may be grieving a miscarriage, another the loss of her identity before kids. Motherhood is a profound transformation, yet we rarely honor the grief, and healing that come with it.

Our guest Kellee Meyers shares about a ceremony for mother's that she did after her C-section births that helped her grieve and heal. The Closing the Bones ceremony is a four-hour, deeply nourishing ritual that can help any of you mother's out there process birth experiences, losses, and personal evolutions. (It doesn't matter if you had your kid 15 years ago or 3 months ago).

We talk about why so many mothers feel unseen in their struggles and how ritual can provide the witnessing and support they desperately need.

Kellee describes the power of being held both physically and emotionally, by a trusted group of women, the importance of acknowledging grief, and why receiving care is essential, not selfish. Whether you’re newly postpartum or years into your journey, this episode may be a helpful reminder that your experiences deserve to be honored. It just might change the way you think about healing in motherhood.

Connect w/ Kellee:
Website: wildtransformations.com
IG and FB: @wildtransformations.
Sign up for her monthly newsletter filled with raw, real reflections on motherhood.

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Sairan Aqrawi is an engineer and business strategist, reframing midlife crisis to midlife PRICELESS! She believes that turning 40 or 50 (or really any age!) marks the ideal time to reinvent oneself, rediscover passions, and take bold steps two enjoying life. And it all happens by overcoming self-doubt, embracing change, and taking action, because confidence is built by doing, not just thinking about doing.

Sairan also talks about common struggles among successful women who feel “stuck” despite achieving career milestones, or raising a family. She's giving us some strategies for breaking free from routine, handling rejection with resilience, and transforming hidden talents into fulfilling side businesses. No matter what age you are, if you’ve ever felt like you’re just going through the motions, this episode is a must-listen. You'll feel motivated to take charge of your future, start something new, and redefine what’s possible at any stage of your life.

Want to connect with Sairan? She’s offering a complimentary one-hour consultation for Redefining Us listeners! Mention this episode when reaching out:
LinkedIn: Sairan Aqrawi
Instagram: @sairan_aqrawi

Learn more about the Redefining Us Monthly Community - https://wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-community

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

What if your struggles with food have nothing to do with food itself? In this episode of Redefining Us, Ashlyn Burnett, a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, shares the powerful connection between the nervous system and our relationship with food.

Ashlyn shares how polyvagal theory explains the different states of the nervous system and how these states influence eating behaviors. From the fight-or-flight urge to restrict or obsess over food to the shutdown response that leads to binge eating and disconnection, she breaks down why so many women feel trapped in cycles of control, guilt, and emotional eating.

There is a way out though. Through nervous system regulation, inner healing, and somatic work, Ashlyn teaches how to find freedom from food where eating becomes intuitive, nourishing, and no longer a source of anxiety or shame.

Connect with Ashlyn:
Podcast: Heart Led Wellness
Free Root Cause Quiz: http://heartledwellness.com/quiz
Instagram: @heartledwellness
12-Week Coaching Program: https://www.heartledwellness.com/hle

Please leave us a review or rating! These help get the show out to more women like you wanting to have these conversations.

Would you like to chat more about this episode's topic? I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @wellmindedcounseling

I wrote a book! Becoming Mommy: Aligning with yourself and finding your voice during pregnancy and motherhood, available at all major retailers - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZT9P3RB?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_KFT90ZBDS48FDGG6DH5X&bestFormat=true

Where to find more from Redefining Us:
Website: wellmindedcounseling.com/redefining-us-pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellmindedcounseling
Instagram: @wellmindedcounseling

If you want to support the show so we can continue sharing this content with others like you, you may do so here at, Buy Me A Coffee. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!