Motherhood is hard enough on its own — but when your child is struggling with ADHD, emotional regulation, or behavioral challenges, it can start to quietly chip away at how you see yourself as a mom. In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Michelle Casarella, a licensed psychologist who specializes in supporting moms raising children with ADHD. As both a clinician and a mom who has lived this experience herself, Michelle brings a rare mix of professional insight and real-life understanding to a conversation that so many of us need to have.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why motherhood feels so much heavier when your child is struggling — and why that doesn't mean you're failing
• The guilt moms carry when their child has ADHD or big feelings, and how to start releasing it
• What it's really like to raise a child whose brain works differently (and why the standard advice often falls short)
• How to support your child's emotional regulation without losing yourself in the process
• Why high-achieving, capable moms are especially vulnerable to burnout in this season
• The shift from chaos and conflict to calmer, more connected parenting
• Practical, evidence-based strategies Michelle uses in her therapy groups for moms of ADHD kids

If you've ever found yourself wondering why does this feel so hard or am I doing something wrong — this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. You are not alone, and you don't have to figure this out by yourself.

Connect with Dr. Michelle Casarella: Instagram: @dr.michelle.casarella

MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE:

Interested in a deeper space beyond the podcast? I’m gathering an interest list as I listen and discern what support might come next: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/a-place-to-go-deeper

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message :)

Experience Motherhood more!

• Follow over on Instagram: @experiencemotherhood
• STAY CONNECTED THROUGH EMAIL
• Sign up for the Experience Motherhood Newsletter: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/kac05b818m
• Get access to other free guides
• Website: https://www.experiencemotherhood.com

-->Take one minute to subscribe, rate and review the podcast!
Your support is incredibly meaningful!

Support the Show
A small donation of $5, $10 or more is an amazing way to keep this podcast going and support me! Thank you so much for listening!

Until next time. . . Go Experience Motherhood!


Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. In no way is this therapy or clinical advice.

Can I ask you something kind of real?

When was the last time someone asked how you were doing - not as a mom, not as a partner, not as whoever needs something from you - and you actually had an answer that wasn't "tired" or "good, just busy"?

Because I've been sitting with that one lately. And honestly? It took me a minute.

This is the finale of our mini-series, and I really wanted to end here - on this idea of what happens when you quietly disappear in the middle of motherhood. Not in a dramatic way. Not a breakdown or a big identity crisis. Just that slow, subtle thing where you look up one day and realize you've been ordering the practical thing for so long you forgot what you actually wanted. Or a friend asks what you do for fun and you automatically list your kids' activities. Or you're alone in Target for 20 whole minutes and you genuinely have no idea what you would even buy for yourself.

That's what we're talking about today. I'm calling it functional disappearance - you're still here, lunches are packed, emotional support fully online - but somewhere underneath all of that, there's a version of you that's just been on hold.

The good news? She hasn't gone nearly as far as you think.

In This Episode:

• What "functional disappearance" really is — and why it happens so quietly
• The moment in Target that made me realize how much I'd drifted from myself
• The stages of mom "me time" (stage one: announcing you need alone time — rookie mistake)
• Why you don't need a whole day off to start coming back to yourself
• Small, real moments that help you remember who you are underneath the schedules and the mental load
• The "both/and" of motherhood — you can love this and still miss the person you were before
• A gentle question to carry with you this week

MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE:

Interested in a deeper space beyond the podcast? I’m gathering an interest list as I listen and discern what support might come next: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/a-place-to-go-deeper

Missed the mini-series? Start with Episode 95 (glimmers) and Episode 96 (the mental load)

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message :)

Experience Motherhood more!

• Follow over on Instagram: @experiencemotherhood
• STAY CONNECTED THROUGH EMAIL
• Sign up for the Experience Motherhood Newsletter: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/kac05b818m
• Get access to other free guides
• Website: https://www.experiencemotherhood.com

-->Take one minute to subscribe, rate and review the podcast!
Your support is incredibly meaningful!

Support the Show
A small donation of $5, $10 or more is an amazing way to keep this podcast going and support me! Thank you so much for listening!

Until next time. . . Go Experience Motherhood!


Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. In no way is this therapy or clinical advice.

You know that feeling when your brain has approximately 100 tabs open — and at least 17 of them are frozen, 12 are playing music you can't find, and one is reminding you that the field trip form still isn't signed?

Yeah. That's motherhood lately.

In part two of the A Week in My Life, Emotionally mini series, I'm getting into the running list — the one that never actually turns off. The one that follows you from the bathroom sink to the dinner table to the moment you're about to fall asleep and your brain suddenly goes, hey, did you change the laundry?

If you've ever carried something nobody else can see, this episode is going to make you feel a lot less alone — and maybe even laugh a little.

In This Episode:

• The "100 tabs open" feeling and why it resonates so deeply with moms
• The laundry you remembered three times and still didn't do
• Why forgetting the snacks isn't proof you're failing — it's proof you're carrying too much
• The midnight spiral that goes from groceries to mom guilt in seconds
• Being interrupted 47 times while trying to do one single thing
• Why the running list is actually evidence of how much you love your people
• A reframe that might make you a little more gentle with yourself

📲 What's your most ridiculous running list moment this week? DM me on Instagram 📧 On my email list? Hit reply — I genuinely want to hear it

Busy Mom Guide: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/busy-mom-guide

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message :)

Experience Motherhood more!

• Follow over on Instagram: @experiencemotherhood
• STAY CONNECTED THROUGH EMAIL
• Sign up for the Experience Motherhood Newsletter: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/kac05b818m
• Get access to other free guides
• Website: https://www.experiencemotherhood.com

-->Take one minute to subscribe, rate and review the podcast!
Your support is incredibly meaningful!

Support the Show
A small donation of $5, $10 or more is an amazing way to keep this podcast going and support me! Thank you so much for listening!

Until next time. . . Go Experience Motherhood!


Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. In no way is this therapy or clinical advice.