No Shrinking Violets Podcast for Women
No Shrinking Violets is all about what it truly means for women to take up their space in the world – mind, body and spirit. Mary Rothwell, licensed therapist and certified integrative mental health practitioner, has seen women “stay small” and fit into the space in life that they have been conditioned to believe they deserve. Drawing on 35 years in the mental health field and from her perspective as a woman who was often told to "stay in your lane," Mary discusses how early experiences, society and sometimes our own limiting beliefs can convince us that living inside guardrails is the best -- or only -- option. She'll explore how to recognize our unique essential nature and how to use that to empower a new narrative.Through topics that span psychology, friendships, nature and even gut-brain health, Mary creates a space that is inspiring and authentic - where she celebrates the intuition and power of women who want to chart their own course and program their own GPS. Mary's topics will include sleep and supplements and nutrition and how to live like a plant. (Yes, you read that right - the example of plants is often the most insightful path to knowing what we truly need to feel fulfilled). She’ll talk about setting boundaries, communicating, and relationships, and explore mental health and wellness: trauma and resilience, how our food impacts our mood and the power of simple daily habits. And so much more! As a gardener, Mary knows that violets have been misjudged for centuries and are actually one of the most resilient and ecologically important plants in her native garden. Like violets, women are often underestimated, and they can even mistake their unique gifts for weaknesses. Join Mary to explore all the ways the vibrant and strong violet is an example for finding fulfillment in our own lives.
Episodes
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What if the story you’re afraid to tell is the very thing that sets you free? We sit down with author and transformational mentor Julie Heaton to explore how shame, silence, and people-pleasing quietly script our lives—and how courage, honest words, and kind boundaries write a new one. Julie shares her journey from a teenage adoption and decades of secrecy to reunion, deep repair, and the everyd...
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We rethink procrastination by separating passive, perfectionism-fueled avoidance from active, strategic delay that can sharpen focus and creativity. We share stories from the classroom, the writing process, and tax season to show when waiting helps and when it hurts.
• passive procrastination defined and tied to perfectionism
• active procrastination as background processing and tri...
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Money can feel like a second language—especially when the words you learned were “Don’t talk about it” or “We can’t afford that.” We sit down with nationally recognized wealth advisor and Everyone’s Talkin' Money podcast host Shari Rash to decode the different ways men and women talk about money, why that mismatch fuels shame, and how to build a plan that fits your actual life. From first m...
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Headlines feel heavy. Fear and anger flare fast. So we slow down and take our cues from a wiser teacher: nature. Starting with a squirrel’s cheeks full of acorns, we trace how small, steady acts can grow into strong, shade-giving change. This is not a call to ignore pain; it’s a practical guide to channel it. When you can’t fix everything, you can still look someone in the eye, put the phone dow...
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What if anger wasn’t the problem to solve but a message to translate? We dig into the real mechanics of emotional regulation, from the childhood patterns that prime our reactions to the nervous system tools that bring us back to center. Licensed therapist and host Mary Rothwell welcomes mental health coach Davina Hehn for a candid, story-rich conversation about raising resilient kids while keepi...
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Big life changes have a way of exposing what we value most. As we prepare to sell our home and head into the city, I found myself leaning on a simple, sturdy framework to keep conversations clear and compassionate: five core needs that shape almost every choice we make—safety and security, belonging, achievement, joy, and freedom.
I walk through each need in plain language and show how ...
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What if healing isn’t something you finish, but a way you move while you’re still hurting? That question anchors our conversation with author, speaker, and coach Laura Bratton, who was diagnosed at nine with a rare retinal disease and lost her vision over her teen years. The timeline was uncertain, the grief relentless, and the pressure to “stay positive” intense. Laura shares how permission to ...
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Ever told yourself “just do the thing” while doomscrolling and calling it laziness? We go beneath that loop to decode how ADHD shows up in women: inattentive traits, time blindness, “out of sight, out of mind,” and the quiet ways socialization teaches us to mask chaos until it becomes shame. Licensed therapist Mary Rothwell sits down with ADHD life coach and educator Jorie Houlihan, who was diag...
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What if the pursuit of happiness is leading you away from the life you actually want? We dig into a kinder, sturdier target—equilibrium—and show how to build it through three practical pillars inspired by Arthur C. Brooks’s take on Thomas Aquinas and grounded in lived experience. Instead of chasing constant highs, we lay out a simple framework for steady days: know yourself, focus your passions,...
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The shortest days of the year can sharpen our sense of what’s sacred. We lean into that seasonal stillness to tease apart religion as a set of rules and spirituality as a living, breathing experience, then explore how stories shape who we become. Our guest, spiritual guide and facilitator Kristen Swan, shares how a childhood of opposites—chaos and structure, permissive adventure and reserved exp...
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Ever notice how a quiet room can make your heart race when you’re used to slammed doors and sharp words? We dig into why peace can feel unsafe if you grew up around chaos and how that early conditioning shapes what your nervous system calls “normal.” With Dr. Rebecca Payne, a California-based psychologist who specializes in anxiety and relationships, we translate attachment theory into everyday ...
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Holiday gatherings can feel like a pressure cooker when old dynamics collide with high hopes. We open up about the quiet bargain many of us make—if we do more, maybe they’ll hurt us less—and why that bargain drains joy. Instead, we walk through a practical, compassionate shift: expect the expected. When someone’s track record reliably brings criticism or dismissal, predicting a different outcome...
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The hardest part of divorce isn’t signing papers; it’s deciding who you want to be next. Mary sits down with divorce recovery coach Leah Mazur to trace a path from abandonment wounds and serial monogamy to boundaries, standards, and a calmer nervous system. Together we break the old script that says your worth depends on being chosen, and replace it with a practical roadmap for choosing yourself...
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What if the anxiety you feel is the exact compass you need? That’s the spark behind this conversation with Tina Coleman—a woman who turned a career-ending car accident, profound grief, and a tangle of old coping habits into a bold new chapter of sobriety, solo travel, and life abroad after 50. We get honest about what midlife actually looks like when you stop apologizing and start experimenting....
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We share a candid year-end reflection on editing, expectations, and why resolutions often miss the point. The focus shifts to simpler holidays, learning from loss, and investing time in memories, relationships, and small practices that bring meaning.
• reframing failure as learning and space gained
• choosing simpler traditions and shared time over gifts
• noticing negative bias...
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Confrontation doesn’t have to be a fight; it can be the moment everything gets clearer. That idea becomes our entry point into a grounded, hope-filled conversation with trauma therapist Carolyn Kobylinski, LPC-S, who believes therapy should make you feel different. We trace her path through bipolar II, eating disorder recovery, caregiver grief, and the hard-won wisdom that comes from rebuilding ...
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What if the quiet you crave is on the other side of a few simple phone boundaries? We sit down with strategist and community builder Kelsey Green to unpack digital minimalism as a values-first way to use technology without letting it use you. From the rise of anxiety and scattered attention to the illusion of connection on social media, we get honest about how the constant scroll erodes presence...
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What if the real path to power isn’t armor, but undressing the layers that never belonged to you in the first place? Mary sits down with Nedjma Belaid—modern priestess, mentor, former pharmacist, and clinical hypnotherapist—to trace the journey from people pleasing and anxiety to a grounded, luminous self that doesn’t bend for approval. Their conversation pulls no punches: they name the “good gi...
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What happens when divorce stops being a private rupture and becomes a public war? We sit down with Lisa Johnson—co-founder of Been There Got Out, high-conflict divorce strategist, and certified domestic violence advocate—to unpack the real mechanics of legal abuse, coercive control, and the quiet power of strategic communication that stands up in court. Lisa shares how her own journey—from a sho...
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The holiday lights flip on and suddenly your pulse spikes. Between crowded calendars, complicated family dynamics, and the ache of people we miss, the season can feel less like a spark of joy and more like a storm front. We built this mini to offer a calmer way through: a clear, compassionate framework called C.A.L.M.—Centering, Anchors, Logistics, and Meaning—that helps you make choices you act...
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