When a Child Tells You Who They Are | Parenting, Identity & Trust

When a Child Tells You Who They Are | Parenting, Identity & Trust

In this conversation, I sit down with Rachel Hulstein-Lowe, a licensed therapist, gender diversity expert, and parent coach whose work supports gender-diverse youth and the families learning how to walk alongside them. Rachel brings both clinical depth and lived experience into this conversation. We explore what it means for a child to express who they are, and what that moment asks of a parent, not just intellectually, but emotionally. We talk about gender identity in grounded, accessible language, the difference between understanding and acceptance, and the reality that every child’s journey is personal. Rachel shares how her work has evolved over the last decade, and how her own experience as a parent deepened her perspective in ways she couldn’t have anticipated. This conversation is thoughtful, human, and at times deeply moving. It invites us to slow down, examine what we think we know, and consider what it really means to see and believe someone for who they say they are. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN * How Rachel defines terms like cisgender, transgender, and non-binary in clear, accessible ways * What it means for gender to exist on a spectrum rather than a binary * How young people experience identity, both internally and in relationship to the world around them * What parents often move through when their child shares their identity * How family systems adapt, including communication, boundaries, and trust * Why many people believe they don’t “know” someone who is gender diverse * The role of curiosity, empathy, and self-reflection in supporting others * What it means to truly listen when a child tells you who they are Three Core Insights 1. When authenticity is met, relationship deepens For many parents, there can be an initial sense of loss, of the life or identity they thought they understood. But what Rachel speaks to is something more expansive. When a child is met in their truth, the relationship often becomes more honest, more intimate, and more real than before. Not a performed connection, but one rooted in who they actually are. 2. Self-awareness emerges when we are willing to question what’s given What stood out to me is how deeply self-aware many of these kids are. Not because they were taught to be, but because they’ve had to reflect, question, and define themselves in ways most people never do. When you step outside of inherited norms, whether that’s about identity or anything else, you are invited into a deeper relationship with yourself. And from that, a different kind of clarity becomes available. 3. Identity is personal, and closer than we think There is no single way to understand identity. Each person’s experience is their own. And as Rachel shares, many people believe they don’t know anyone who is gender diverse, but they likely do. What often sits underneath that belief is distance, not reality. When we allow ourselves to become more curious and less certain, what once felt unfamiliar becomes more human, and more connected to all of us. GUEST: RACHEL HULSTEIN-LOWE, MSW, LICSW Rachel Hulstein-Lowe (she/her) is a gender diversity expert, licensed therapist, parent coach, writer, and speaker. She helps gender-diverse youth embrace their authentic selves while supporting parents in moving from anxiety to a more grounded, empowered way of relating. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Rachel has worked with hundreds of families navigating identity, change, and connection. She is the creator of the Positive Parenting Method™ and the AFFIRM Program™, where she brings together professional expertise and personal insight to help families build understanding, trust, and stronger relationships. The A.F.F.I.R.M. Program is a 6-month transformational journey during which your parenting will shift from anxious to empowered. AFFIRM is tailored 1:1 coaching by a therapist with 20+ years of experience and lived experience as the parent of a nonbinary young adult. You'll receive tools for understanding both your parenting superpower, attachment, as well as gender diversity, leaving you feeling calmer communicating with your child, as well as more grounded. In these worrisome times, this VIP program enables you and your family to thrive. More info here: www.rachelhlowe.com/affirm-program [http://www.rachelhlowe.com/affirm-program] Facebook: www.facebook.com/rmhlowe [http://www.facebook.com/rmhlowe] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhulsteinlowe [http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhulsteinlowe] Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachel_hulsteinlowe_llc [http://www.instagram.com/rachel_hulsteinlowe_llc] Substack: https://rachelhulsteinlowe.substack.com/ [https://rachelhulsteinlowe.substack.com/] RESOURCES MENTIONED Concepts: gender identity, non-binary, gender fluidity, parenting support, family systems Positive Parenting Method™ AFFIRM Program™ LET’S CONNECT If you’d like to explore more of my work or stay connected, you can find me here: 🌐 www.jenniferherrera.com Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamjenniferherrera Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera SUBSCRIBE & SPREAD THE WORD If this conversation resonated, I’d love for you to subscribe to the podcast so you can continue these conversations with me. You can also share this with someone who might benefit from it. This work grows through real conversations and connection. FINAL NOTE When someone shares something important about who they are, it can be a meaningful moment. You may not fully understand it right away, and that’s okay. What matters is how you respond...whether you choose to listen, stay open, and continue learning.

Psychological Safety & Self-Awareness: How Values Shape Leadership

In this conversation, I sit down with Odell Mitchell III, attorney, keynote speaker, and founder of Third In Line Consulting, a man whose life's work is helping people become better humans, in the workplace and beyond. Odell brings a rare combination: a legal career in entertainment, deep roots in corporate learning and development, and an arts background that shapes the nuanced, human-centered way he moves through the world. He is also a single father of two daughters, and he'll tell you that parenthood has been one of his greatest laboratories for the very work he teaches. We explore the Three Kindnesses framework he built - Safety, Empathy, and Diversity - and why pulling one lever doesn't automatically open the others. We talk about what it really means to know your values (not just the what, but the why), how self-awareness without depth only gets you so far, and what it looks like to lead people in a way that helps them stretch toward their potential rather than retreat into protection. This conversation is rich, grounding, and full of the kind of nuance that reminds you why this work is both simple and profound. Odell doesn't make it complicated, he makes it human. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN 1. The Three Kindnesses framework: Safety, Empathy, and Diversity — and how they interact 2. Why knowing your values isn't enough — the what and the why of self-awareness 3. How psychological safety allows people to stretch rather than retreat 4. The difference between empathy as a concept and empathy as active practice 5. What diversity looks like beyond demographics — including neurodiversity and lived experience 6. Why organizations can't "solve" diversity, and how to measure progress by markers, not arrival 7. How single parenthood became Odell's most powerful training ground for his own framework 8. What it means to lead with your values visible, and how that creates space for others to do the same THREE CORE INSIGHTS 1. Self-awareness has two layers. Knowing what you do is the first step. Understanding why you do it, what drives it, what wound or value sits beneath it, is where real change becomes possible. 2. Safety is not passive. Psychological and emotional safety is the foundation that allows people to take risks, learn, and grow. Without it, people retreat into whatever patterns make them feel protected. Creating it, for yourself and for others, is an active, intentional practice. 3. Diversity is a journey, not a destination. Organizations that treat diversity as a problem to be solved will always feel behind. Those that commit to it as a continuous practice, measuring progress by movement, not arrival, are the ones that build something lasting. GUEST: ODELL MITCHELL III, ESQ. Odell Mitchell III is a thought-provoking keynote speaker, gifted entertainment attorney, and recognized expert in leadership, DEI, change management, and values-based performance. He excels in helping audiences understand their values, make sense of change, and create an equitable culture committed to achieving results through relationships. With over a decade of experience as a professional trainer, public speaker, and educator, Odell has addressed hundreds of audiences around the world, from large corporate gatherings to intimate top management retreats. His participants appreciate his engaging storytelling, calm demeanor, and effusive enthusiasm. He brings simplicity to complex human characteristics and creates lasting organizational results by designing strategies, workshops, and programs that empower leaders to build diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. At his core, Odell believes that we are all here to see and be seen by one another. Through his thoughtful work, he connects people in ways that influence organizations and empower individuals to change the world by changing behavior. Odell holds a Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Music in Music Business from Millikin University. He is based in Chicago, Illinois. CONNECT WITH ODELL • Website: www.thirdinline.consulting • Email: odell@thirdinline.consulting • Instagram: @odellcommaesq • LinkedIn: Odell Mitchell III RESOURCES MENTIONED • Three Kindnesses framework: Safety, Empathy, Diversity • Concepts: psychological safety, neurodiversity, values clarification, self-awareness • Reference: Jordan Klepper on the "crisis of certainty" Let’s stay connected: 🎙️ New Podcast: Heal Your Part [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heal-your-part/id1818654309] on Apple 🧠 Take the Quiz: What’s Your Money Mirror? [https://form.typeform.com/to/WyjHLU13] 📺 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@iamjenniferherrera] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🌐 Explore my work [https://jenniferherrera.com/] SUBSCRIBE & SPREAD THE WORD If this episode moved something in you, please share it. We grow by word of mouth, one person, one insight at a time. Leave a review. Send it to a friend. Share it on your socials. This work isn't just personal, it's collective. And we need it now more than ever. Thank you for being part of the shift. FINAL NOTE Your presence matters. Your energy, your healing, your expansion, it all makes a difference. When you heal your part, you help heal the whole.

Leading Through Crisis: The Human Side of Healthcare with Anahiz Correa

In this conversation, I sit down with Anahiz Correa, a first-generation Mexican American leader whose path in healthcare began at age five when her aunt in Mexico let her listen to a heartbeat through a stethoscope. Anahiz grew from ICU bedside nurse to charge nurse to ICU manager, and today serves as Senior Director for Critical Care Services at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. We talk about what leading through the pandemic actually demanded, why “resilience” felt like a throwaway word, and how grit, vulnerability, and true psychological safety helped teams keep caring when everything hurt. She also reflects on how cultural roots, self-awareness, and the courage to be vulnerable reshaped her leadership, and her life. This episode is an honest look at what sustains healers, and how leaders can hold both the human and the work. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN * Why “resilience” rang hollow and how grit plus real support sustains care * The shift from task-driven to human-centered leadership in crisis * How vulnerability at work asks us to practice it at home, too * Psychological safety and emotional support as essentials, not extras * ICU vs. telemetry vs. acute care—what each setting actually means * The unseen toll of workplace violence and system limitations * Managing imposter thoughts and taking up space as a first-gen leader * Why self-awareness creates the pause between trigger and choice Three Core Insights 1. Care is the point, and also the pain. When people shut down to survive, leaders must notice and respond so teams can keep caring without losing themselves. 2. Resilience without solutions is empty. Grit matters, and it has to be matched with structural support, clear communication, and psychological safety. 3. Self-awareness changes outcomes. The pause to notice what is happening inside you creates new choices in how you lead, love, and work. GUEST: ANAHIZ CORREA Anahiz Correa is the Senior Director of Critical Care Services at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, where she oversees the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Observation Area, and the soon-to-open EmPATH Unit. A dedicated nurse leader with over a decade of experience in emergency and acute care settings, Anahiz champions initiatives that improve patient outcomes, advance health equity, and support frontline healthcare workers. She is passionate about workforce development, patient safety, and advocating for policies that strengthen the nursing profession and enhance care for underserved communities. Anahiz is a Registered Nurse by background, specializing in Intensive Care. She earned her Master’s in Public Health with an emphasis on Health Policy and Management from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UCLA. RESOURCES MENTIONED * Clarifying care settings: ICU, telemetry, acute care * Respiratory therapy’s role in intubation and ventilator management * Concepts: psychological safety, self-care, therapy, and mentorship Let’s Connect Follow me on Instagram @selfmasterywithjennifer [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] Follow the podcast on Instagram @healyourpart [https://instagram.com/healyourpart] Find me on TikTok @iamjenniferherrera [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🧠 Take the Quiz: What’s Your Money Mirror? [https://form.typeform.com/to/WyjHLU13] (New) 📺 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@iamjenniferherrera] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🌐 Explore my work [https://jenniferherrera.com/] | Book a Conversation [https://tidycal.com/selfmasterywithjennifer/30mincc] Subscribe & Spread the Word If this episode moved something in you, please share it. We grow by word of mouth, one person, one insight at a time. Leave a review. Send it to a friend. Share it on your socials. This work isn’t just personal, it’s collective. And we need it now more than ever. Thank you for being part of the shift. Final Note Your presence matters. Your energy, your healing, your expansion, it all makes a difference. When you heal your part, you help heal the whole.

Create, Promote, or Allow: How to Take Responsibility for Your Life

In this short and powerful reflection, I share a teaching that continues to shape how I live and lead: we are always creating, promoting, or allowing everything that shows up in our lives. I talk about how this idea came back to me at my church’s annual conference, and how it can completely shift the way we experience responsibility, not as a burden, but as liberation. When we recognize our role in what’s unfolding, we also reclaim our power to change it. If you’ve been feeling reactive, stuck, or disconnected from your sense of agency, this episode is your invitation to pause, reflect, and remember, you are a co-creator of your lived experience. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN * A powerful framework for understanding what you create, promote, and allow * How to reclaim your agency without self-blame or judgment * The difference between control and conscious participation * Why true self-responsibility is a path to freedom, not pressure * How to bring compassion to the choices shaping your experience Three Core Insights 1. Awareness is creation. The moment you see your part, the pattern begins to shift. 2. You are not responsible for everything that happens, but you are responsible for how you meet it. 3. Every moment is a mirror, showing you what you’re choosing to create, promote, or allow. Resources Mentioned * Reference: Spiritual Psychology principles Let’s Connect Follow me on Instagram @selfmasterywithjennifer [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] Follow the podcast on Instagram @healyourpart [https://instagram.com/healyourpart] Find me on TikTok @iamjenniferherrera [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🧠 Take the Quiz: What’s Your Money Mirror? [https://form.typeform.com/to/WyjHLU13] (New) 📺 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@iamjenniferherrera] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🌐 Explore my work [https://jenniferherrera.com/] | Book a Conversation [https://tidycal.com/selfmasterywithjennifer/30mincc] Subscribe & Spread the Word If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might need a reminder of their own power. Subscribe to Heal Your Part on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and leave a review to help others find the show. If you’re ready to explore your relationship with money and self-worth, take The Money Mirror Quiz, a free guide to understanding how your emotional patterns shape your financial life. The link is in the show notes. Final Note Each moment offers a choice, to create, to promote, or to allow. When you bring consciousness to those choices, you become the author of your experience.

Antiquated Ideas of Reality (and Why It’s Time to Let Them Go)

This short solo episode came through on the heels of a powerful conversation with my mentor, Kirk Souder, and a spontaneous moment of reflection. I talk about the kinds of thoughts and beliefs we take for granted, those quiet, inherited “truths” we never stop to question. What if they’re outdated? What if they’re no longer serving who you’re becoming? I invite you into a moment of inquiry: What are the beliefs you’re still holding that feel like fact, but are actually just old agreements? What if this moment in your life is happening for you, not to you? What You’ll Learn * Why “this is happening to me” might be the most limiting belief of all * How to begin liberating yourself from outdated ideas of reality * What it means to audit your thoughts and interrupt unconscious loops * Why our identity often reflects old conditions, not current truth * The subtle power of choosing what gets to live in your mind Three Core Insights 1. Most of what limits us isn’t real, it’s just something we decided a long time ago. 2. You don’t have to be at war with your mind, but you do have to take back the keys. 3. Liberation often begins with a single question: Is this still true? Resources Mentioned * Episode 4 with Kirk Souder [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heal-your-part/id1818654309?i=1000716999134] * The concept of “liberating people from antiquated ideas of reality” Go Deeper with the TIP (The Integration Practice) I created a gentle reflection guide to help you begin your own mental audit—so you can release what no longer serves and reclaim the truth beneath the noise. 👉🏽 [Download it here [https://jenniferherrera.myflodesk.com/hyp05]] Let’s Connect Follow me on Instagram @selfmasterywithjennifer [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] Follow the podcast on Instagram @healyourpart [https://instagram.com/healyourpart] Find me on TikTok @iamjenniferherrera [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🧠 Take the Quiz: What’s Your Money Mirror? [https://form.typeform.com/to/WyjHLU13] (New) 📺 YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@iamjenniferherrera] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/selfmasterywithjennifer] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjenniferherrera] 🌐 Explore my work [https://jenniferherrera.com/] | Book a Conversation [https://tidycal.com/selfmasterywithjennifer/30mincc] Subscribe & Spread the Word If this episode stirred something in you, pass it on. Share it with a friend or post it to your stories. These conversations ripple out one person, one insight at a time. Leave a review on Apple or Spotify and help build the momentum of this movement. Final Note You get to choose what stays in your mind. When you heal your part, you help heal the whole.