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On Navigating the Abyss
Teri Potter and Catherine Borgman-Arboleda are both Conscious Parenting coaches and mothers that have had difficult journeys supporting their adolescent daughters through mental health and substance misuse struggles. They candidly discuss their own experiences, the inner work that has helped them to find peace, freedom and the ability to draw on deeper sources of wisdom that they initially weren't aware of. They draw from the work of Dr. Shefali Tsabary and Dr, Gabor Maté, who they have trained with, as well as many of the great wisdom teachers. Their aim is bring a new lens for parenting struggling kids, and provide concrete approaches and tools to support parents in making internal shifts that will in turn contribute to their ability to engage with, and guide, their young people.
TERI
Website: https://teripotter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teripottercoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teripottercoach
email: teri@teripotter.com
CATHERINE
Website: https://www.collaborative-insights.com/conscious-coaching
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborative_insights_coach/
email: catherine@collaborative-insights.com
On Navigating the Abyss
5. The Daily Struggle - Connection Before Correction
Every parent knows that moment—standing at your teenager's bedroom door, desperately trying to get them moving while being met with pure teenage disdain. What seems like a simple morning routine quickly reveals the complex emotional landscape we navigate as parents.
In this deeply relatable episode, Teri opens up about a recent morning struggle with her 16-year-old that triggered familiar questions: Am I doing too much? Too little? Am I enabling poor behavior or showing my child they have worth? These aren't just questions for mundane moments—they're the same ones we face during more serious situations, just without the raw urgency of crisis.
The conscious pause emerges as a powerful tool in these triggering moments. That brief space between stimulus and response creates room for choice rather than reaction. While a part of us may feel extreme anxiety, we are not that anxiety. This distinction allows our wiser self to emerge and guide our actions from connection rather than reactivity.
Catherine and Teri explore how "connection before correction" transforms these daily struggles, and why acknowledging that our children's journeys needn't follow the "myth of normal" frees both parent and child. Through self-awareness, witnessing our emotions without becoming them, and staying present with difficult feelings rather than rushing past them, we transform everyday parenting challenges into opportunities for growth.
Rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us next week as we continue navigating the beautiful mess of conscious parenting together.
TERI
Website: https://teripotter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teripottercoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teripottercoach
teri@teripotter.com
CATHERINE
Website: https://www.collaborative-insights.com/conscious-coaching
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborative_insights_coach/
catherine@collaborative-insights.com
Resources:
- Conscious Parenting (Dr. Shefali Tsabary)
- Compassionate Inquiry (Dr. Gabor Maté, Sat Dharam Kaur)
Here are a few international resources:
- United States: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or text HOME to 741741
- United Kingdom: Samaritans: 116 123
- Canada: Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645
- Australia: Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
- International Helplines: Please visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for a full list of helplines worldwide.
- https://www.helpguide.org/find-help
Please remember, there is always support available, and reaching out can be the first step in finding help. You are not alone, and support is there for you and your family.
