Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC at Free to Be Mindful

Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC at Free to Be Mindful Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor, Mom Coach, Speaker & Host of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast.

Helping Kids & Moms Reduce the Overwhelm, Find Joy and Live Life Intentionally through Mindful Living, Mental Health & Professional Growth. Specializing in working with Children and Mothers, with the following areas of specialty: ADHD, Anxiety, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Mindfulness, Mistreatment, Parenting, Peer Relationships, Racial identity, School Issues, Self-Esteem, Stress & Resilience. Vanessa also provides professional development opportunities, trainings and workshops to children, educators and families centered on mindfulness, social-emotional learning, identity, trauma-centered care, and coping skills.

01/23/2026

Leadership isn’t always loud. Sometimes it shows up quietly in keeping yourself together and through in decision-making.

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about the kind of leadership that rarely gets named. The kind practiced daily by moms, educators, counselors, and women leaders who don’t carry titles, but carry responsibility.

What stands out to me most is this: Leadership doesn’t disappear when you’re tired or overwhelmed. It just costs more. MUCH MORE.

And when leadership goes unnamed, it’s easy for women to minimize their impact or assume they’re “just doing what needs to be done.” But influence, presence, and responsibility ARE leadership... whether or not they’re formally recognized.

This is the work I support professional, high-achieving moms with, through private mom coaching and in through keynotes and workshops.

This reflection is what led into this week’s episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, where we explore the invisible leadership many moms and women practice every day at work, at home, and in the quiet moments in between.

Let me know...
Where might leadership be showing up quietly in your life that you haven’t fully acknowledged yet?

01/21/2026

Leadership doesn’t require perfection. It requires PRESENCE and INTENTION.

Sometimes it’s choosing a pause before responding to your child. Taking a breath before answering the email. Not pushing through when your body or nervous system is already stretched.

We must know that leadership is also practiced in everyday moments... at the kitchen table, during the morning rush, in how we model calm when things don’t go as planned.

It’s these small moments that I focus on as a SPEAKER for professional high-achievers who want to transform overwhelm into intentional leadership.

Now booking speaking engagements for the spring. Think Women’s History Month in March, Stress Awareness Month in April, and Mental Health Awareness Month in May.

This week consider what leadership looks like for YOU in the quiet parts of your day?

01/19/2026

We don’t often name mothers as leaders, yet leadership is happening inside households every day.

It shows up in carpools and hard conversations. In how decisions are made when no one is watching. In how emotions are managed under pressure and how values are modeled long before they’re spoken out loud.

Most moms would never call this leadership. They just call it responsibility. Yet this steady presence shapes regulation, culture, and resilience in ways that rarely get acknowledged.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that leadership is often revealed in ordinary moments, not grand speeches.

This is also the same type leadership women bring into workplaces, schools, and communities... often without realizing it’s already there. It isn’t loud and doesn’t come with titles or recognition... but matters deeply.

Worth pausing on.

What do you think about the concept of moms being leaders?

2016. Glad the journey then helped me get to today’s now.
01/19/2026

2016. Glad the journey then helped me get to today’s now.

01/14/2026

Reverse aging?! Sign me up!

I was super interested in fasting mimicking because the idea was rooted in research, practicality, and working with the body instead of against it. The fact that it’s done for a short period of time, only a few times a year, and still supported by real nutrition made me genuinely curious.

As a therapist and a mom, I’m always listening for approaches that are realistic, evidence-based, and actually sustainable in real life. This conversation checked all three boxes, and it sparked questions I know many of you have been asking too.

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a way to support your health without going to extremes, this episode is worth a listen.

🎧 Tune into the latest episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast to hear the full conversation and decide what resonates for you.

Free to Be Mindful listeners also get a discount on Prolon items! Read the show notes.

01/11/2026

I don’t want to JUST live longer...

I want to reach those later years with my mind, body, and heart still working together so I can actually enjoy the people around me, not just be here with them.

Because time really does fly and “someday” has a way of creeping up earlier than we ever expect.

There’s no perfect moment to start thinking about the life we want to age into. But what we do have is the RIGHT NOW.

💬 What is one easy thing you’re doing in hopes to bring longevity into your life?

Listen in to this week’s Free to Be Mindful Podcast Episode 295: Lifestyle Shifts Supporting Longevity and Well-Being.

01/10/2026

Growth doesn’t have to be a complete 180.

For many of us, especially in this season of motherhood and full lives, growth isn’t about doing more, fixing ourselves, or proving that we’re keeping up.

Instead, it can look like responding a little differently, paying attention to our capacity, and allowing change to be quieter and more intentional.

When we keep pushing without enough space or support, it’s easy to stay in survival mode, hoping things will eventually feel lighter on their own.

But when we pause long enough to make more deliberate choices, we start to create room for more calm and connection again.

If we want this year to feel more grounded and less reactive... it starts with understanding what this season is actually asking of us.

Instead of putting tons of pressure on ourselves, let’s remember that growth can still be meaningful, even when it looks different than we expected.

Listen to the newest episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast that talks about this! You can find it in the bio and on your favorite podcast platform.

If exhaustion has been your baseline, read this now.You deserve time and energy too... not just what’s left after everyo...
01/09/2026

If exhaustion has been your baseline, read this now.

You deserve time and energy too... not just what’s left after everyone else gets theirs. When there’s no space to pause or feel supported, everything starts to feel like too much.

The Real Talk Reset is a small, in-person space to be heard, connect with other moms who understand, and remember your own needs.

You can keep pushing through and snapping when you’re depleted or give yourself the chance to show up differently.

This is your reminder that support is available.

Registration closes Friday a 9PM. Save your seat now.

amigamoms.com

I’m really excited to share that Free to Be Mindful was named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast for 2026 by Feedspot....
01/07/2026

I’m really excited to share that Free to Be Mindful was named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast for 2026 by Feedspot.

I didn’t create this podcast for rankings, but it is exciting to appreciate moments like this because they celebrate the work at its core.

The Free to Be Mindful Podcast was created for busy, high-achieving moms who are always on the go and often living on autopilot. It’s meant to be a place to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself in the middle of real life.

As a Latina Mom, Latina Therapist, and Latina Mom Coach, this podcast is deeply shaped by my culture, my upbringing, and the way I was taught to show up for others.

In a mental health field where Latino voices and lived experiences are still underrepresented, it means the world to have the opportunity to create a space that feels relatable, culturally grounded, and honest about what life actually looks like for many of us.

If you’ve ever listened during a commute, on a walk, between meetings, or in those few quiet moments before the next thing to do... thank you! This recognition belongs to you too.

Thank you for being here, for trusting these conversations, and for choosing intention over autopilot in whatever small ways you can.

Please share with a mom friend - or an Amiga Mom - who may benefit from these conversations too!

01/06/2026

Ever felt like the world around you is always just a little too loud? Like you’re the one holding it all together while everything else spirals?

I get it. As moms, we juggle a million things at once, and sometimes the chaos can feel like it’s just one shout away from overwhelming us.

That’s the problem. And that’s exactly why I created the Real Talk Reset. It’s a space where you can learn how to turn down that noise and find your calm even when life is at its loudest.

Because every mom deserves support, not silent suffering. So if you’re ready to feel a little more like you, join us at the Real Talk Reset.

Let’s turn down the noise together. Link in bio.

01/06/2026

Often the answer is right in front of you... you just have to say yes.

If your baseline lately is exhaustion and overwhelm, this is for you.

The Amiga Moms Real Talk Reset is a small, therapist-led gathering for moms who need space to slow down, talk honestly, and leave feeling clearer and more supported.

It’s not therapy... but it IS therapeutic.

Join us this Saturday in Ridgefield, NJ. If this feels like the moment you’ve been waiting for, trust that instinct.

👉 Seats are intentionally limited - save yours now.

Address

700 Grand Avenue Suite 1E
Ridgefield, NJ
07657

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 4pm - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 4pm - 6pm
Friday 4pm - 6pm
Sunday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+12014305811

Website

https://www.amigamoms.com/

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Free to Be Mindful

In a world where we are free to be anything... it is a nice reminder to know we are always Free to Be Mindful.

As a former teacher, school counselor, licensed counselor and mom I understand the demands and challenges kids, parents and educators face daily. Through my services participants learn more about themselves which helps them to grow as people and inspire others to do the same.

​I'm passionate about helping kids become emotionally healthy through a focus on mindfulness, and am dedicated to helping parents and educators learn ways to strengthen relationships with their kids. Let me help YOU practice mindfulness, develop a positive mindset, and build genuine connections with the children in your life… and with yourself!

You and your child deserve it!