In this profoundly moving episode, I share a harrowing journey through the darkest times of life, when someone faced the depths of despair and contemplated ending it all. This isn't just a story about pain and struggle but about finding light and hope amid overwhelming darkness. I recount the raw, unfiltered emotions, the hidden struggles, and the path to healing and resilience. Join me as we navigate through the complexities of mental health, the importance of seeking help, and the power of vulnerability and connection. This episode is a tribute to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there is always a glimmer of light waiting to be found.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

In this episode, I share the story of watching my niece—the same little girl who once scattered petals at my wedding—step into her own. This isn’t a story about weddings. It’s about time, presence, identity, and the nervous system capacity required to actually feel your own life.

If I had still been living inside burnout, emotional overload, and survival pace, I would have missed the meaning of this moment entirely. This episode explores what happens when you slow down enough to take in your own story — and how travel, transitions, and family dynamics can reveal who you’ve become.

This is an invitation to breathe, remember, and be here for your life.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

Being tangled in travel was born in the in-between—the moments when life feels tangled, work piles up, and your nervous system whispers that something has to give. In this episode, I share the story behind Lovin Thy Travels, exploring why travel, stillness, and reclaiming your own space aren’t luxuries—they’re acts of self-preservation, transformation, and quiet magic.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

Thanksgiving has a way of bringing out the best in us… and the parts we’d rather hide.

The messy family dynamics, the overstimulation, the emotional landmines, the pressure to feel grateful on command.

In this episode, I’m naming the quiet part out loud: gratitude isn’t always pretty, peaceful, or polished.

Sometimes it’s gritty. Sometimes it’s tired. Sometimes it’s the shaky breath you take in the bathroom before you walk back into the noise.

As a mental health therapist, a projector, someone who’s lived through more burnout cycles than I care to admit, I’ve learned that gratitude inside chaos hits different. It becomes less about the “list” and more about the nervous system—what your body can hold, what you’re releasing, and what still needs space.

Inside this conversation:

• How to practice gratitude when your life feels loud and your brain feels crowded
• The nervous system side of the holiday season overwhelm
• Why chaotic gratitude actually builds more emotional resilience than the curated version
• The real mental health work that happens behind closed doors—before the table is set
• How slowing down creates room for the moments you usually miss

This is not the “be grateful no matter what” pep talk.

It’s the reminder that your mental health counts just as much as the holiday expectations.

And that gratitude can coexist with grief, frustration, exhaustion, and being human.

If Thanksgiving feels messy this year, you’re not doing it wrong.

You’re just telling the truth.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

After 25 years in the mental health field, I’ve witnessed too many helpers—therapists, first responders, teachers, and healers—burn out while trying to hold space for everyone else. In this episode, I share why the next evolution of my own healing isn’t found in the therapy room, but in travel, adventure, and intentional experiences that restore the nervous system and reignite wonder. From curating wellness retreats to reclaiming joy, I explore how stepping outside our daily rhythm can be a powerful act of self-care and burnout prevention for those who spend their lives caring for others.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

You’ve been hustling, over-giving, and white-knuckling your way through the last quarter, telling yourself it’s “professionalism,” “dedication,” or just a “finish strong” mindset. But here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: you’re not locked-in—you’re stuck.

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the hidden lies that keep therapists, healers, and helpers trapped in exhaustion and survival mode. I’ll break down how overfunctioning, performative boundaries, and chasing one more certification are quietly draining your energy. We’ll talk about the fear beneath it—the terror of losing identity, relevance, or control—and why ignoring your nervous system signals only deepens burnout.

Most importantly, I’ll share the pivot that finally unlocked my energy: learning to name the lies, tend to my nervous system, choose less instead of more, and show up fully—without forcing, overperforming, or burning out. This isn’t about quitting your profession; it’s about reclaiming your energy, presence, and capacity to serve without sacrificing yourself in the process.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to spot the patterns keeping you stuck and the first steps toward a real-life “great unlock.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

Parenting a teen can feel like starting over. At 13, kids push boundaries, test limits, and suddenly everything you thought you knew about guiding them feels useless. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on the messy middle of parenting, the tension between guiding and letting go, and how supporting my daughter through selective mutism and dyslexia has taught me patience, radical listening, and honoring her pace. Plus, we explore tools for showing up authentically without over-controlling, emotional clarity in the nervous system, and how Human Design can help you navigate adolescence with more ease.

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.

This week, I’m bringing you a replay of my conversation with Karen and Jazmin from the Therapy Tea Podcast, and it’s a juicy one. We pulled back the curtain on what it really means to step into this profession, the myths people still hold about therapists, and how I’ve carved out a path that actually aligns with my energy instead of burning me out.

In this conversation, I share my very unconventional journey into becoming a counselor, why direct client work wasn’t my forever lane (yes, I said it), and how Human Design and alternative wellness practices reshaped not only how I work—but how I live.

We talk about:

✨ The messy, nonlinear path into the mental health field

✨ How to stop forcing yourself into work that drains you—even if it looks “successful” on paper

✨ Blending traditional training with alternative practices like Human Design for deeper alignment

✨ Why authenticity matters more than fitting the mold in this profession

This is one of those raw, real talks where I name the things most people won’t say out loud about the mental health world. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build a career and a life that actually fit you, this conversation will spark something.

Resources mentioned:

• Balance is B.S.: How to Have a Work. Life. Blend. by Tamara Loehr

• Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis by Ada Calhoun

• The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking

• Tina Vitolo (unconventional therapist in Atlanta): https://www.facebook.com/groups/blacksheepguide

• Understanding Human Design: The New Science of Astrology by Karen Curry

• Watch the Marvel movies in cinematic timeline order: https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/mcu-timeline-order-disney-plus

Over it but not done? Join The Messy Middle Reset on Friday, January 30, 2026 from 10a-12p CST, my live nervous system sanctuary workshop for helpers. Get the details at https://shawnalovinlpcs.com/services.

Got a Question? SUBMIT IT HERE

This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.