[REPLAY] Breaking Cycles of Trauma Through Inner Child Healing with Mindi Kessler, PhD Artwork

The Sparkle Project

(Formerly Worthy Mother Podcast)

The Sparkle Project is a feminist podcast for moms who are done carrying the weight of motherhood alone and are ready to connect with who they truly are - their sparkle, if you will.

So many of us feel overwhelmed not because we’re failing, but because we’re mothering inside a patriarchal system that expects us to give endlessly, stay quiet, and lose ourselves in the process. This space challenges those outdated expectations and embraces a more empowered, more supported, more self-honoring version of motherhood.

Hosted by Emily Rose MacDonald, a divorced mom of two on her own journey to shine a little brighter, each episode explores the realities of modern motherhood through a feminist lens that values equity, autonomy, mental health, and the humanity of moms.

You’ll hear conversations about identity, mental health, self-care, healing, and the many ways we can reclaim ourselves in a world that often overlooks the needs of mothers.

If you’re a mom who believes we deserve more than survival, and that our culture has to evolve for moms to truly thrive, you’re in the right place.

Welcome to The Sparkle Project.

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The Sparkle Project

[REPLAY] Breaking Cycles of Trauma Through Inner Child Healing with Mindi Kessler, PhD

December 09, 2025 • Emily Rose MacDonald

This is a replay of one of our most popular and impactful past episodes, and originally aired in November 2022. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or revisiting this conversation, this episode will help you learn how to navigate trauma and healing in your motherhood journey.

In this episode of Worthy Mother Podcast, Emily is joined by Mindi Kessler, PhD, a therapist, coach, and author behind the book Cycle Breaker: A Guide To Transcending Childhood Trauma. We all carry trauma with us in one way or another, and through this conversation, Mindi discusses how we can use our triggers to learn and heal from that trauma for ourselves and our families.

In this episode, Mindi and Emily chat about:
•What it means to break generational cycles
•The definition of "trauma"
•Using triggers as invitations
•Healing while parenting
•The consequences of not healing our own traumas
•The 16 Pillars of Trauma Recovery

🔗 Connect with Mindi Kessler:

Instagram: @mindikessler
Website: www.mindikessler.com

✨ Let’s keep the convo going:

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

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