Why are so many moms feeling completely depleted in modern motherhood? In this episode, therapist and matrescence practitioner Vanessa Leveille joins The Sparkle Project for a powerful conversation about maternal depletion, identity shifts in motherhood, nervous system overwhelm, and the transition into motherhood known as matrescence.

This discussion goes beyond postpartum depression to explore the physical, emotional, and systemic realities impacting mothers today, especially women of color navigating unrealistic expectations, burnout, invisible labor, and chronic depletion. Vanessa explains why motherhood is deeply body-led, how maternal depletion can mimic anxiety and depression, and why so many moms feel like they’ve lost themselves after having children.

Whether you’re in early motherhood, struggling with burnout, or simply trying to understand why motherhood feels so overwhelming, this conversation offers validation, language, and insight into what so many women experience silently.

🔗 Connect with Vanessa:

Instagram: @matrescenceincolor
Website: www.matrescenceincolor.com

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

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Motherhood has a way of bringing anxiety, overwhelm, and unresolved trauma to the surface. In this episode, EMDR therapist Abbie Ames joins Emily to explore how motherhood can trigger old wounds, why so many moms feel overstimulated and emotionally exhausted, and how healing is possible through approaches that go beyond traditional talk therapy.

Abbie shares her own journey through pregnancy loss, fertility struggles, postpartum anxiety, and becoming a mom during COVID, along with the insights that led her to specialize in EMDR therapy for women and mothers. Together, they unpack the nervous system’s role in trauma, the pressure modern moms carry, and why so many women feel like they’re failing when they’re actually overwhelmed and unsupported.

This episode covers:

• Why motherhood can feel so triggering
• How trauma lives in the body
• Birth trauma, fertility struggles, and postpartum anxiety
• Why moms can’t always “think” their way out of overwhelm
• How EMDR therapy helps heal trauma beyond traditional talk therapy
• Breaking generational cycles and finding more peace in motherhood

This episode is an honest, compassionate conversation about healing trauma in motherhood, breaking generational cycles, and learning how to care for yourself without shame.

🔗 Connect with Abbie:

Instagram: @emdr.mom.therapist
Website: www.abbieamescounseling.com

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

Subscribe + Review:
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

Send us Fan Mail

May is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month, and to kick it off, Emily is sharing what she's learned from her personal experience navigating mental health in motherhood and what every mom needs to know for their own wellbeing.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why mental health struggles don’t always look the way we expect
• The difference between coping and actually healing
• Why “white knuckling” through motherhood isn’t the answer
• The impact of societal pressure on maternal mental health

If you've ever felt like you're just getting by, questioning yourself, or silently struggling, this episode will meet you right where you are.

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

Follow Emily on Instagram → @honestlyemilyrose
Follow the podcast on TikTok → @thesparkleprojectpod

Subscribe + Review:
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a fellow mom and leave a 5-star review!

Send us Fan Mail