Breathe, Darling with Emily Riggs: Recent Episodes
Emily Riggs
The last several years, perhaps more than any others before them, have shown us life is often heavy, and the world is, more often than not, a terrifying place. But even in the heavy and terrifying, there is beauty, light, love, and hope to be found. With honest conversation and good company, we desire to make the heavy feel lighter, one breath at a time.
In this episode of the Breathe, Darling Book Club, Emily and Steph sit down with Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy — a luminous exploration of creativity, transformation, and the alchemy of turning life’s hardest moments into meaning.
Together, we reflect on the themes that resonated most deeply with us and our listeners, including:
✨ The role of ritual and creativity in healing✨ How community can act as a crucible for transformation✨ Navigating grief, adversity, and change with tenderness✨ The ways we discover new parts of ourselves in times of rupture✨ What it means to hold both pain and beauty in the same hand✨ How storytelling (and listening) becomes its own form of medicine
We also talk about the places in our own lives where alchemy has shown up — sometimes quietly, sometimes with fire — and what this book invited us to reimagine about healing, creativity, and resilience.
This conversation is for anyone longing to find light in the dark and lean into practices for creative living.
Links & Mentions:
📖 The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad
📚 Join the Breathe, Darling Book Club on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast
🎙️ Listen to past episodes of Breathe, Darling the Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
About Your Hosts
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women across the lifespan. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact her at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more.
Steph Duff is a writer, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She believes in the power of story and feels healing can be found when we share ours with each other in vulnerability. She is a Dayton resident, voracious reader, loud laugher, and believes there’s always room for cheese and a deep conversation. Connect with Steph on Instagram @_stephduff.
Disclosure:The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
Welcome to the very first Breathe, Darling Book Club episode! 🎉
In this candid conversation, Emily Riggs and Stephani Duff unpack Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer — a love letter to female friendship that challenges old narratives and invites us to look at our relationships with fresh eyes.
Together, we dive into the complex, beautiful, and sometimes heartbreaking truths of women’s friendships, exploring questions like:
✨ What does it mean to fall in love with your friends?
✨ How do comparison and competition sneak into even our closest bonds?
✨ What scars are we still carrying from middle school — and how do we heal them?
✨ Can adult friendships help us reparent our inner child?
✨ How have pop culture and our upbringing shaped what we think friendship should look like?
✨ What does it mean when a friendship ends — and how do we grieve that loss?
We also reflect on the quiet power of celebration in friendships, navigating conflict without shame, and how female friendships evolve (or don’t) over time.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever texted “let me know when you get home” and really meant it. 💬💛
Links & Mentions:
📖 Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer
📚 Join the Breathe, Darling Book Club on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast
🎙️ Listen to past episodes of Breathe, Darling the Podcast
on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women across the lifespan. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more.
Steph Duff is a writer, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She believes in the power of story and feels healing can be found when we share ours with each other in vulnerability. She is a Dayton resident, voracious reader, loud laugher, and believes there’s always room for cheese and a deep conversation. Connect with Steph on Instagram @_stephduff.
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
Welcome back to Breathe, Darling: the podcast!
In this episode, Emily sits down with Kara Cruz, LMFT—therapist, women's mental health advocate, and founder of Kara Cruz Wellness—for a deeply grounded conversation on navigating mental health, healing from self-abandonment, and learning to trust ourselves again. Kara shares her expertise in reproductive and perinatal mental health, ADHD, anxiety, complex trauma, and mood conditions, offering wisdom on how women can reclaim agency, create boundaries, and access support through life’s transitions. Join us as she shares her insights into mental health, healing, and working to balance work and motherhood in a harmonious way.
We also talk about Kara’s group programs—It Begins With Us, an 8-week women's mental health group, and the Therapist’s Group Bootcamp, a mastermind for clinicians ready to lead impactful therapy groups—as well as her free upcoming workshops in July and August.
Plus, Kara will be back on the show in August for a special episode on perimenopause and menopause, so stay tuned for more!
About Kara:
Kara Cruz is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, private practice owner, and women's mental health advocate. With a focus on Reproductive and Perinatal Mental Health, Perimenopause, ADHD, Anxiety, PTSD, Complex Trauma, and Mood Conditions, Kara brings her extensive expertise to listeners, helping them navigate mental health challenges in relatable and compassionate ways. Kara also leads It Begins With Us an 8-week Women's Program and Therapist's Group Bootcamp, a 6-week Mastermind guiding therapists in creating and launching their own therapy groups. When she's not working, Kara enjoys nature and coastal escapes with her family.
Upcoming Offerings from Kara Cruz:
- FREE Workshop – It Begins With You | July 29, 2025
Register here - It Begins With Us – 8-Week Women’s Group | Starts August 19, 2025
Schedule a consult call here - Therapist’s Group Bootcamp – 6-Week Mastermind | Starts August 13, 2025
Sign up here - FREE Perimenopause Workshop | August 28, 2025
Open to women, therapists, and community members
Connect with Kara:
Follow her on Instagram or visit her website at karacruzwellness.com
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Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women across the lifespan. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more.
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
Welcome back to Breathe, Darling: The Podcast! Today’s conversation is an honest one, the kind that feels like sitting across from someone who really gets you. Emily is joined by Stephani Duff—a calm, thoughtful presence with a gift for saying things that stay with you. Together, they talk about the real magic of female friendship, what it means to love every version of yourself, and how we keep showing up for each other through the many seasons of adulthood.
Friendship in adulthood doesn’t always look like it used to—the shape of our lives change and our friendships follow suit. Steph and Emily reflect on how connection grows and shifts over time, and how we can stay close even when life feels messy or uncertain. They share stories of letting go, starting over, and the quiet power of staying connected through all of it.
This episode is for anyone learning to redefine what success, support, and showing up looks like in adult friendships. For the ones choosing authenticity over perfection, and who believe that friendship is something we carry—with care—through every version of ourselves and season of our lives.
So take a deep breath and settle in. This is your reminder that you're not meant to do it all alone—and that female friendship can be one of our safest places to we land.
About Steph:
Steph Duff is a writer, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She believes in the power of story and feels healing can be found when we share ours with each other in vulnerability. She is a Dayton resident, voracious reader, loud laugher, and believes there’s always room for cheese and a deep conversation.
Connect with Steph:
Website
Instagram
Resources Referenced in his Episode:
Ruthie Lindsey
Annie F. Downs
Back2Back Ministries
Lindsey Gurk (Get Your Pink Back)
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado, specializing in trauma, grief, and life transitions for women across the lifespan. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more.
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
We all know the discomfort of feeling lost in our lives. Maybe it’s a season of directionless wandering or one of grieving the life we thought we’d have. Other times, we feel like we’ve found our footing—our calling is clear and our purpose feels aligned with where we’re at in life.
Regardless of the season you find yourself in, this episode holds so much goodness for each of us just figuring it out as we go.
Today’s guest on the podcast, Kate Thomas, knows a thing or two about navigating life transition. In this episode, we discuss the discomfort of both seasons of growth and letting go, of finding our life’s purpose only for it to change once more, and embracing the season we find ourselves in. We touch on the discomfort that leads to sticking it for the sake of growth and the discomfort that leads us away from where we are toward something new.
Kate walks us through her approach to massage therapy, including the massage that changed everything and led her to this work. She reflects on her passion for taking care of the vulnerable among us with safe, healing touch that embraces the whole of one’s experience. Kate and Emily chat about the overlap in psychotherapy and massage therapy, and the meaningful ways we hold space for our clients and ourselves as we carry out this heartfelt, vulnerable work.
CW: discussion about aging, death, dying, hospice care, and grief.
About Kate:
Kate is a licensed massage therapist and the owner of Collective Good Integrative Health, a health and wellness clinic in Dayton, OH. She lives in Dayton in a lovely blue bungalow with her husband and business partner, Shannon, and their big fluffy cat, Buddy.
Kate's practice has evolved into specializing in support for those navigating grief or loss and for those seeking palliative relief from a serious or terminal illness. Kate enjoys gentle, sensory-oriented approaches to massage, and tuning into the person she is working with to provide a flow that taps into their deep well of being. She also enjoys working with our elders and people with different abilities, and providing an inclusive and welcoming space for bodywork that supports our physical selves and our spirits.
Outside of providing massages, Kate enjoys receiving massages, cooking colorful nutritious meals, river surfing, hiking, thrifting, traveling, and hanging at home with her little family.
Connect with Kate:
Collective Good Integrative Health:
Website
Instagram
Kate Thomas, LMT
Website
Instagram
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher
J.S. Park, hospital chaplain
Mary Oliver poem, “Percy (one)”
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW-S) is a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Ohio specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and life transitions for women. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more.
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
Have you heard of the concept "Highly Sensitive Persons"? Today's guest, Bridget Petri, has dedicated her therapy practice to creating space for the highly sensitive among us, helping them navigate a chaotic world and maintain a sense of self. With great care and compassion, Bridget describes for us the characteristics of HSPs and ways to embrace this personality trait. She shares her journey of discovering her own sensitivity, and the space she gives herself to see it as a superpower.
About Bridget:
Bridget Petri is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with supervision designation in the state of Ohio. She graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Bridget started her career in a hospital setting, splitting time between the adult and teen psychiatric units and the partial hospitalization programs. From there, she grew her experience in both outpatient and school-based settings. She currently owns her own private practice, Mindful Balance Counseling, located within The Well: A Center For Women’s Wellness, allowing her to collaborate with other practitioners and provide whole-person care to her clients. Her approach with clients is integrative, relational, and person-centered. She views each person as a whole, focusing on the mind, body and soul; and not just a person’s symptoms. Using evidence-based practices and alternative approaches she likes to help clients explore deeper into the complex nature of their problems and help them to recondition negative patterns and thought processes. She particularly enjoys working with women ages 16-40, wanting to build self awareness, feel more empowered and be able to trust themselves more intuitively. She also has experience and knowledge working with introversion and HSP’s (Highly Sensitive Persons).
Connect with Bridget:
Instagram: @mindfulbalancewellness
Website: mindfulbalancewellness.org
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Well for Wellness:
Instagram: @thewell4wellness
Website: https://www.thewellforwellness.com/
Highly Sensitive Persons:
Website: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/
Bridget's Recommended Reading:
"Divergent Mind" by Jenara Nerenberg
"The High Sensitive Person" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.
"The Highly Sensitive Parent" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.
"The Highly Sensitive Person in Love" by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D.
Susan Cain: https://susancain.net/
Books by Susan Cain:
"Bittersweet"
"Quiet"
Spoon Theory:
"Spoon Theory" created by Christine Miserandino
Spoon Theory Article: Washington Post
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW) is a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Ohio specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and life transitions for women. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more about mental health and therapy services. I'd love to connect!
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
I'm beyond excited to welcome today's guest, Nikki Wendel, to the podcast! Nikki is not only one of my favorite people to talk all things mental health with, but also an encouraging force for change in my own life. I met Nikki almost 3 years ago, sharing brunch at a random diner in Virginia (a story for another time). I quickly learned that she is a determined, lifelong learner, who inevitably rubs off on whoever she is with. As a former athlete turned fitness coach, and now passionate mental health advocate for teens, Nikki shares her story of coping with injury and stepping away from a beloved sport, learning the importance of mind-body connection, and finding what works for her along the way.
In this episode we cover the nuances of mental health treatment, the benefits of movement for mental health, and finding what works for us as we continue to grow as we go. I share about challenges with returning to routine, desire to make changes in my own life, and the ways attuning to emotions in the body has changed how I approach therapy. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it for you!
About Nikki:
Nikki Wendel is currently the Director of Education for an adolescent treatment center in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. She has a heart for helping struggling teens find their passion, motivation, and confidence. Nikki is currently in graduate school, studying to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). She has a Master's degree in Educational Counseling and an extensive background in coaching, both in fitness and helping teens and adults build executive functioning skills. She is passionate about helping individuals become their best selves through mind body exploration and skill building.
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Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LISW) is a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Ohio specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and life transitions for women. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more about mental health and therapy services. I'd love to connect!
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
We're back with part 2 of my conversation with Grace Casey! If you missed part 1 of this conversation, hit pause on this one and go listen! It's a rich conversation full of vulnerability, connection, and permission.
In part 2, we discuss creating the lives we want for ourselves and our families, while rejecting the premise that life has to look one way in order to be worthy. We pivot to chat about the brand design process and Grace's craft of connecting to the heart of the people behind the brands she works with. Lastly, Grace jumps in to our slow burn questions, sharing unexpected ways she's grown in the last year, surprising sources of joy in this season, and what's helping her breathe a little easier these days. I hope you enjoy part 2 of this conversation!
About Grace:
Grace Casey is the creative at the helm of Marrow Design, a branding studio devoted to distilling the power of what matters into soul-deep visual identities for self-connected humans. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and business partner, Dan, and their two children Zion and Addie.
Connect with Grace at her website marrowdesign.com and follow her on instagram @marrow.design and Pinterest @marrowdesign.
In the episode, Grace paraphrased the following quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Podcasts mentioned in this episode:
We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle
Funny cuz it's true with Elyse Myers
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Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LSW) is a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Ohio specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and life transitions for women. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more about mental health and therapy services. I'd love to connect!
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services. If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
It is such a joy to welcome today's guest, Grace Casey, to the podcast! Grace is the mastermind behind the branding for both my psychotherapy business, Emily Riggs Therapy & Wellness, and Breathe, Darling: The Podcast. Grace's presence in my life has brought a deep sense of knowing, calm, and richness that I didn't know I needed. Her lived experience has bred wisdom and clarity on what matters most, allowing her to commit to creating a life that reflects just that. As she shares vulnerably about loss, grief, heartache, and looking (on purpose) for the obstacles to tackle, I hope you feel encouraged to do the same.
In this episode we dive right into how our darkest days have shaped the trajectory of our lives, who we are when what defines us is stripped away, how to move forward after loss, and seeing other people in their pain. I gained so much insight, encouragement, and hope from this episode, and I hope you do too!
Grace and I talked for so long about so many things that we're breaking this episode into two parts! Be on the lookout for part 2, dropping next week!
About Grace:
Grace Casey is the creative at the helm of Marrow Design, a branding studio devoted to distilling the power of what matters into soul-deep visual identities for self-connected humans. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and business partner, Dan, and their two children Zion and Addie.
Connect with Grace at her website marrowdesign.com and follow her on instagram @marrow.design and pinterest @marrowdesign
In this episode we mention Kate Bowler, author of "Everything Happens for a Reason (and other lies I've loved)" and several other best-selling books. Kate has an award-winning podcast, Everything Happens with Kate Bowler and can be found on Instagram @katebowler. She is an incredible resource for anyone navigating life's hardships, looking for a way in the dark. Kate's work has been heavily influential in my own journey with grief and even starting this podcast. I have felt so seen by Kate's work and highly recommend checking her out!
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Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Breathe Darling: The Podcast. We’re so grateful for how this community is growing and the ways we’re learning to navigate life together. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts AND give us a review! We’d love to hear what you think. Lastly, follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast. We love connecting with you. Until next time, breathe easy, friends.
Emily Riggs (MSW, LSW) is a licensed mental health therapist in the state of Ohio specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and life transitions for women. Follow along on Instagram @emilyriggstherapy or contact me at emilyriggstherapy@gmail.com to learn more about mental health and therapy services. I'd love to connect!
Disclosure:
The information shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a replacement for psychotherapy or advice regarding related mental health services.If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact 911 or 988, or the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Past and current clients risk breaching confidentiality by listening to, subscribing to, and reviewing podcast episodes. Please keep this in mind and engage at your own discretion. I will not knowingly acknowledge or comment on client reviews of the podcast to honor ethical boundaries and privacy.
We're back!
After a long and unintentional hiatus, the podcast has returned with a new episode, “All the things, all the time, all at once.”
In this episode I share about the time between our last episode back in November and now, including a bit about my personal journey (infertility, grief process, and entrepreneurship) and what’s next for the podcast. I share about my recovery from hustle and my antidote for said hustle—including slowing down, taking a break, and asking for help. It’s messy and imperfect, but authentic and vulnerable—and we’re here for more of that!
Be sure to subscribe and review--we'd love to hear from you!
Welcome back to Breathe, Darling: The Podcast! Episode 4 is an introduction to my favorite person, my husband, Ben Riggs! Ben is a writer, editor, passionate storyteller, and unabashed dog dad to our pup, Lewie. Ben jumps right in with our "slow burn" questions, sharing how he's changed over the last several years, what is bringing him joy in this season, and how he's breathing a little easier these days. Ben will be joining us frequently on the podcast, so take a listen and get to know him a bit! Links to Ben's work: Ben's Book: Tell Them A Story The New Barker Essay, pgs. 52-53: "The Streets Know It's Sunday" Podcasts: The Write Lane Podcast & The Floor Mic Be sure to follow us on Instagram @breathedarlingpodcast and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen!
Welcome back for episode 3 of Breathe, Darling with Emily Riggs! This episode is all about the practice of mindfulness: what is it? why is it helpful? and why does it matter? As a community built on wholehearted living, showing up for our lives on purpose is inherent to our values. Our experiences with hardship often leave us as passive recipients of what life has to offer, instead of active participants in the living on purpose. We share ideas for practicing mindfulness in our day to day lives and how to do so without judgement for how "well" we're practicing. Lastly, Emily shares how poetry helps ground her in mindfulness practices and reads a poem by Mary Oliver called "Have You Ever Tried to Enter the Long Black Branches" from Mary's book, Devotions. Episode Resources: Devotions by Mary Oliver
Welcome back to Breathe, Darling with Emily Riggs! Thank you for your response to our first episode. We're so encouraged by this community and are excited to dig in this week with a new episode about change, acceptance, and growth. Change is often messy, and for the most part, we'd just rather not when it comes down to it. But change is inevitable. Our acceptance of change, and the proceeding growth, are optional. How do we learn to practice acceptance of change, both the voluntary and involuntary, and set ourselves up for wholehearted living? How do we let others change along the way? It's all here, friends.
Be sure to check out the song referenced in the podcast, "Grow as we go" by Ben Platt. It's been a game-changing affirmation for accepting change and embracing growth.
Song Link: https://tinyurl.com/hr7knsv3
Hello friends! Welcome to the first episode of Breathe, Darling with Emily Riggs. I am excited to share about the meaning behind the name of the podcast and what to expect from the podcast moving forward. I share a bit about my journey with grief and how I embrace my humanity on my "hard days". I also ask for your help in celebrating my mom's birthday today. Be sure to tag us in your posts of celebration!
Follow us on Instagram:
@breathedarlingpodcast
@emilyriggstherapy
Referenced Content:
S.C. Lourie (quote author): @butterfliesandpebbles
Aundi Kolber, author of Try Softer: @aundikolber
Hello, friends! And welcome to Breathe Darling, the podcast. I am your host, Emily Riggs and I am so excited to share this space with you.
Breathe, darling is about learning to live with the uncomfortable, the difficult, and the unimaginable— and what it takes to show up wholeheartedly along the way. It’s about crafting a meaningful life, one where we laugh, cry, process, mourn, hope, and heal. It’s about knowing that no matter what we face, there is room to inhale a little deeper, exhale a little longer, and honor what we were designed to feel in the midst of it all.
As a psychotherapist specializing in care for women, specifically in the areas of grief, loss, and trauma, I spend my days holding space for stories of pain, and have the honor of a front row seat to the healing that can come. As someone intimately acquainted with hardship, I know firsthand the journey of grief and growth after life-altering loss. It’s been the hardest, and most worthwhile, work of my life. And I know I’m not alone.
Years of collective suffering have reiterated the truth that “everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”.
In these conversations, we’ll explore what it looks like to hold space for that suffering, and cultivate more compassion, care, and understanding, for one another and ourselves. Because whether we like it or not, we’re in this thing, called life, together.
I cannot wait to share these conversations and stories with you, starting on Wednesday, September 28th. So take a deep breath, pull up a seat, and let’s begin.