Episode Details

Many mothers find themselves reacting to their children in ways that feel bigger than the situation in front of them. These moments can be confusing, especially when your logical mind knows you want to respond differently but your body takes over.

In this episode, I am talking to Kelsey Cicci, a registered social worker and psychotherapist, about how past experiences and trauma shape our nervous system, how these patterns show up in parenting, and how EMDR therapy can support healing and emotional regulation.

Kelsey and I talk about:

• How past experiences shape beliefs, reactions, and parenting patterns in everyday life
• Why nervous system responses like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn can take over during stressful parenting moments
• How to recognise when you are reacting from an unhealed or younger part of yourself
• The difference between emotional triggers linked to trauma versus stress, burnout, or physiological factors like sleep and blood sugar
• What EMDR therapy is and how it helps the brain reprocess distressing memories
• The difference between traditional “counteractive” therapies and transformative approaches like EMDR
• Why you do not need to remember specific childhood events for EMDR to be effective
• How EMDR can shift long-held beliefs such as “I am not good enough” or “I am unsafe”
• What therapy can look like for parents working through complex trauma or ongoing stress
• How validating children’s emotions supports emotional regulation and long-term resilience
• The importance of helping children name feelings without confusing emotions with behaviour
• Why feeling safe enough to feel emotions is essential for both children and adults

Kelsey Cicci is a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist who believes that deep healing is entirely possible, no matter what you’ve been through. As a private practice owner specializing in trauma treatment with first responders and survivors of childhood trauma, Kelsey predominantly utilizes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR), a transformative tool that helps to alleviate the pain associated with overwhelming past experiences. 

Episode Links

Follow Kelsey on Instagram

Visit Evolve Trauma Therapy 

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Free Journal: Release Mama, Let Go of Overwhelm, Exhaustion and Depletion in Motherhood 

Free Motherhood Manifestation: Your Vibrant Life Manifestation 

Books to Thrive in Motherhood: Dive into

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