Forgiveness as Freedom: Why You Don't Have to Forgive the Unforgivable

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Katharine Giovanni, a three-time award-winning bestselling author, transformation mentor, and intuitive guide who has appeared on over 130 podcasts worldwide. Katharine doesn't just inspire - she helps people remember who they were before the world told them otherwise.

What We Cover:

• Why traditional forgiveness advice falls short (and what to do instead)
• The "coffee cup method" - a visual understanding of how anger affects your entire life
• Katharine's revolutionary forgiveness system that starts with the easy ones
• Why forgiveness is actually selfish (and that's a good thing!) • How to forgive the unforgivable by picking apart the memory
• The science behind forgiveness and what happens to your body when you release
• Why some people will leave your life when you heal (and that's okay)

Key Takeaways:

• You don't have to forgive the unforgivable - forgive what you can and keep going
• Start with rating people 1-10 and work from easy to difficult
• Forgiveness means "I want you out of my head" - it's about YOUR freedom
• Your body is 95% water - negative thoughts literally make you sick from the inside out
• When you heal, your energy shifts and people notice something different about you

Your Next Empowering Action: Katharine invites you to know that you are worthy enough to live a life of love, prosperity, and joy - regardless of what others have told you. Start your forgiveness list today, rate everyone 1-10, and begin with the easiest person. True freedom is when you can look at someone's name and simply not care anymore. Connect with Katharine:

Website: https://katharinegiovanni.com

Books available on Amazon Upcoming online forgiveness class - check her website for details

Mentioned in This Episode: Release & Resonate Retreat - October 10-11, Santa Barbara Learn more: isabellebridges.com/retreat

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Katharine Giovanni, a three-time award-winning bestselling author, transformation mentor, and intuitive guide who has appeared on over 130 podcasts worldwide. Katharine doesn't just inspire - she helps people remember who they were before the world told them otherwise.

What We Cover:

• Why traditional forgiveness advice falls short (and what to do instead)
• The "coffee cup method" - a visual understanding of how anger affects your entire life
• Katharine's revolutionary forgiveness system that starts with the easy ones
• Why forgiveness is actually selfish (and that's a good thing!)
• How to forgive the unforgivable by picking apart the memory
• The science behind forgiveness and what happens to your body when you release
• Why some people will leave your life when you heal (and that's okay)

Key Takeaways:

• You don't have to forgive the unforgivable - forgive what you can and keep going
• Start with rating people 1-10 and work from easy to difficult
• Forgiveness means "I want you out of my head" - it's about YOUR freedom
• Your body is 95% water - negative thoughts literally make you sick from the inside out
• When you heal, your energy shifts and people notice something different about you

Your Next Empowering Action: Katharine invites you to know that you are worthy enough to live a life of love, prosperity, and joy - regardless of what others have told you. Start your forgiveness list today, rate everyone 1-10, and begin with the easiest person. True freedom is when you can look at someone's name and simply not care anymore.

Connect with Katharine: Website: https://katharinegiovanni.com Books available on Amazon Upcoming online forgiveness class - check her website for details Mentioned in This Episode: Release & Resonate Retreat - October 10-11, Santa Barbara Learn more: isabellebridges.com/retreat

What if parenting isn’t just about getting through the day—but about shaping the leaders of tomorrow?

In this episode of The Mother’s Empowerment Podcast, I share how I’ve come to see motherhood as visionary leadership. I open up about moments in my own parenting when I’ve felt exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure—and how those very moments became my teachers in what true leadership really is.

I talk about the difference between weak, authoritarian, and visionary leadership, and how I’ve noticed each of these show up in my own home. I also share the simple practices I use to return to the kind of leadership I most want to embody for my children.

In this episode, I’ll show you how I:

✨ Hold a bigger vision for my children, even when they can’t see it themselves

✨ Choose curiosity over control when challenges arise

✨ Model the values I want to pass on, even when I get it wrong first

✨ Remind myself that I am already the leader my family needs

Parenting, to me, is so much more than managing behavior—it’s about inspiring confidence, vision, and resilience in the next generation. My hope is that you’ll leave this episode feeling empowered and encouraged to step into the visionary leader you already are.

Come join me in person!

On October 10–11, I’ll be hosting The Release and Resonate Retreat in Santa Barbara. This retreat is a sacred space for mothers to release what no longer serves and reconnect with the visionary leader within. I would love for you to join me there.

👉 Learn more at IsabelleBridges.com/retreat

Ever feel like you're about to completely lose it with your kids? In this episode, I'm sharing a game-changing reframe that's helped me and dozens of mamas in our community understand what's really happening when we get triggered - and what to do about it. Spoiler alert: it involves comparing being angry to being drunk, and it might just change everything for you.

What You'll Learn:

Why anger gets bigger and faster as we approach perimenopause (and what to do about it)

The powerful reframe that compares being triggered to being intoxicated

What's actually happening in your brain when you lose it with your kids

Why anger is really a messenger from your body about unmet needs

The one thing you absolutely MUST do when you're triggered (hint: it's not breathing exercises)

How to teach your kids this same framework for managing their big emotions

Why you don't actually need to discipline in the moment (and why waiting is better)

Key Takeaways:

🧠 The Science Behind Getting Triggered: When we're angry, our amygdala (the emotional brain) takes over and our prefrontal cortex (the thinking brain) goes offline - just like when someone is intoxicated. This is why we say and do things we regret later.

💡 Anger as Messenger: Your anger is an indicator that you have a need that isn't being met. If you don't listen to this message and address the underlying need, the anger just gets louder.

⏸️ The Power of the Pause: Just like you wouldn't drive drunk, don't make parenting decisions when you're triggered. Take a break, let the anger pass, then address the situation from a calm place.

👶 Teaching Kids This Framework: Children aren't dogs - you can absolutely have important conversations later. Teaching them that "we don't talk when we're angry" is actually a beautiful life skill.

Quotes from This Episode:

"I've come to understand that my anger is actually a messenger from my body. It's an indicator that I have a need that isn't being met. And if I don't listen to it by getting that need met, it just gets louder."

"I'm wise enough to know that I'm under the influence of anger right now, and having an important conversation is not an option."

"You don't have to be the zen mama who never gets triggered. You just need to be a mama who knows what to do when you DO get triggered."

Resources Mentioned:

🎧 Last Week's Episode: "Our Changing Bodies and Brains" with Dyna Vink - all about how perimenopause affects our emotional regulation

🌅 Release and Letting Go Retreat: October 10-11, 2025 - Deep dive into nervous system work and emotional release practices- IsabelleBridges.com/retreat

💜 The Mother's Empowerment Sisterhood: Our membership community where we put the ME back in Mommy through 12 monthly themes, weekly circles, and sisterhood support

Join the waitlist anytime at isabellebridges.com/membership

🎁 Free Resource: The Pressure Relief Kit - Tools for when you're feeling overwhelmed

Download at isabellebridges.com/pressure-relief-kit-2

Connect with Isabelle:

Website: isabellebridges.com

Instagram: @isabellebridgesboesch

Email: isabelle@isabellebridges.com

A Personal Note from Isabelle:

Sister, if you're listening to this and feeling seen - if you're realizing you're not broken or a bad mom, you're just human with a nervous system that's trying to protect you - please know that you're exactly where you need to be.

This work of understanding our triggers, meeting our needs, and learning to work WITH our emotions instead of against them? It's not just about becoming a better parent. It's about reclaiming yourself, honoring your humanity, and modeling emotional intelligence for your children.

You've got this, mama. And you don't have to do it alone.

Next Week:

We're diving into the topic of food guilt and how to transform it into empowered choice-making. You won't want to miss it!

Love this episode? Please leave a review and share it with a mama friend who needs to hear this message. Your support helps us reach more mothers who are ready to put the ME back in Mommy.

#MothersEmpowerment #ConsciousParenting #AngerManagement #NervousSystemHealing #MomLife #Perimenopause #EmotionalRegulation #ParentingTips

Welcome back to the Mother's Empowerment Podcast! As we kick off the new school year, we're diving into a conversation that's long overdue - perimenopause. This isn't just about hot flashes and mood swings; it's about understanding a phase of life that affects 50% of the population yet remains largely ignored by traditional medicine.

Join host Isabelle Bridges as she sits down with Dyna Vink, a certified Integrative Health Practitioner and founder of Holistic Nutrition Lifestyle, to explore how knowledge truly is power when it comes to navigating this transformative time.

Meet Our Guest: Dyna Vink

Dyna Vink is a certified Integrative Health Practitioner who founded Holistic Nutrition Lifestyle to help women better understand and manage the symptoms of perimenopause. As she entered this transitional phase herself, she quickly discovered a lack of clear, accessible information about the profound changes women experience during this time of their lives. Too often, women are left to treat a collection of confusing and seemingly unrelated symptoms without realizing they all point to one root cause: perimenopause.

Key Topics Covered

🔍 The Knowledge Gap

Why 80% of medical doctors lack proper perimenopause education

How traditional medicine's disease-focused approach fails women in transition

The gaslighting effect when symptoms are dismissed as "normal aging"

📅 Timeline & Expectations

Perimenopause can begin as early as 33, with average menopause at 51

Duration: 4-15 years (potentially a full decade or more)

Symptoms often continue beyond menopause - preparation is key

🏥 Traditional vs. Functional Medicine

Why standard blood tests miss the bigger picture

The problem with treating individual symptoms instead of root causes

How functional medicine testing reveals the complete hormonal story

💪 Empowering Action Steps

Eliminate inflammatory foods (dairy, sugar, alcohol, processed foods)

Support liver detoxification pathways

Prioritize weight-bearing exercise for bone health

Consider functional medicine testing for personalized solutions

🦴 Bone Health Myths Busted

Why dairy isn't the calcium solution we thought it was

The importance of cruciferous and leafy green vegetables

How weight-bearing exercise actually strengthens bones

Powerful Quotes from This Episode

"Empowerment meant finding out what the heck perimenopause is... It wasn't 75 different things. It was just one. It was perimenopause." - Dyna Vink

"How much do you matter to yourself? I take care of my kids, my pets, my home... am I on the list?" - Isabelle Bridges

"What happens to all the people that depend on you when you're not able to cope?" - Dyna Vink

The Forgotten Fourth Archetype

We discuss how women in perimenopause exist in an unnamed space - no longer the "mother" but certainly not the "crone." This is our time to reclaim and redefine this powerful phase of life. Resources Mentioned

Dyna's FaceBook group:

https://www.facebook.com/holisticnutritionforladiesinperi/

Dyna's Discovery Call:

https://offers.holisticnutritionlifestyle.com/discoverycall

Dyna's Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@PerimenopauseRelief

Ready to take control of your health journey? Dyna is offering free discovery calls to see if you're a candidate for functional medicine testing. This is your chance to get personalized insights into what's really happening in your body.

Book your free discovery call:

https://offers.holisticnutritionlifestyle.com/discoverycall

A Personal Note from Isabelle

I'm booking my own discovery call with Dyna right after this recording! I believe in accountability, especially when it comes to self-care and health. Share when you book your call - let's support each other in prioritizing our wellbeing.

Remember: You matter. Not just because when you're better, everyone else is better - but because you matter, period.

Until next time, take care and remember how much you matter. SO MUCH!!!

Love, Isabelle

In This Episode: I sit down with financial coach Emily Bouchard, a social worker dedicated to unlocking the full potential of individuals and families, for an intimate conversation about navigating money conversations in our most important relationships. From aging parents to young children, Emily shares practical wisdom for approaching these often-difficult discussions with empathy and grace.

Key Topics Covered:

• Navigating Financial Conversations with Aging Parents
• Strategies for staying calm, involving caregivers, and finding creative solutions for memory challenges
• Teaching Kids About Money and Values
• Getting on the same page with your partner and leading with curiosity
• Discovering Your True Values Through Spending
• Using your calendar and spending habits to uncover what really matters to you

Connect with Emily:

• https://www.facebook.com/emily.bouchard.391
• https://www.instagram.com/emily4families/

Join Our Live Mentor Conversation: Monday, June 30th - Get practical tips and exercises from Emily herself! Register at: IsabelleBridges.com/mentorconvo

Join Isabelle Bridges for a soul-nourishing walking meditation that combines gentle movement with mindful awareness. This episode guides you through a sacred practice of grounding, presence, and embodied wisdom.

✨ In This Episode:

• Learn how to transform your daily walk into a moving meditation
• Practice mindful breathing techniques while walking
• Discover the healing power of connecting with nature
• Experience gentle body awareness exercises
• Find your own sacred rhythm and pace

⏱️ Episode Length: 10 minutes, short and sweet

🎵 Music Credits:

Catamaran by Ocean Bloom Source: https://freetouse.com/music

💝 Connect with Isabelle:

• Website: isabellebridges.com
• Instagram: @isabellebridgesboesch

📝 This podcast was edited and produced by Brendan Linzi as part of the Coming Home to Self Series

In this episode, we explore the crucial difference between being the hero versus the guide in our children's lives. Through Donald Miller's StoryBrand framework and our BRIDGE pillars, we discover how stepping back from the hero role actually empowers our children to develop their own strength and resilience.

Key Points:

• Understanding the hero's journey framework in parenting
• Why children need guides, not heroes
• How the BRIDGE pillars support conscious guidance
• The connection between nervous system regulation and being a grounded guide
• Practical examples of guide-style parenting in action

Frameworks Discussed:

• Donald Miller's StoryBrand 7 Elements
• The BRIDGE Pillars:

• Belonging
• Resources
• Identity
• Direction
• Guide
• Empowered mindset/heartset/bodyset

Practical Examples:

• Managing first bank accounts
• Navigating friendship dynamics
• Creating healthy boundaries
• Developing emotional regulation skills

Resources Mentioned:

Blossom Into Money Mastery (BIMM) - Starting May 5th- IsabelleBridges.com/BIMM

6-week transformation journey

Investment options: $555 (one-time) or 6 x $100

Learn more at IsabelleBridges.com/BIMM

Next Steps:

• Subscribe to the podcast for bonus episodes
• Join BIMM to strengthen your own foundation as a guide
• Follow @IsabelleBridgesBoesch on Instagram

Remember: The goal isn't to be a perfect guide, but to be a present one. When we do our own inner work, we naturally become stronger guides for our children.