What if the words psychic, medium, and witch weren’t spooky labels but practical paths to clarity and self-trust? Julia sits down with intuitive mentor and practicing witch Nikki Philavanh to separate myth from method. We dig into what psychics actually do, how mediums communicate with the other side, and why witchcraft is more about grounded ritual and empowerment than Hollywood tropes. If you’ve ever wondered how tarot differs from oracle decks, how to spot ethical red flags in a reading, or how to set energetic boundaries that protect your peace, this conversation delivers.

Nikki shares vivid stories from her work—moments of uncanny validation, times she’s had to set firm boundaries with pushy spirits, and simple practices that help clients move from fear into agency. We explore archetypes like Lilith and Aphrodite through a modern lens, highlighting how “dark” feminine energy often signals unapologetic sovereignty rather than danger. The thread runs straight into shadow work and the “golden shadow,” those admired traits you see in others that are waiting for you to embody. Along the way, we talk about synchronicity, goosebump truth, and how neurodivergence can amplify perception, pattern recognition, and intuitive hits.

Ethics and free will are front and center. A solid reading outlines possibilities based on your current choices; it doesn’t lock you into fate or use fear to control you. We offer practical tips for discerning signal from noise, including keeping a log of repeated signs, testing small actions, and watching how your body responds. We also connect ritual to everyday life: lighting a candle with intention, quieting your mind to listen, and honoring ancestors at home mirror the structure and comfort many find in prayer. Different languages, same human longing for meaning and healing.

If you’re curious about intuition but wary of hype, you’ll find clear distinctions, grounded tools, and a welcoming path into your own power. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s “woo-curious,” and leave a review to tell us your biggest takeaway or synchronicity you can’t explain.

Guest: Nikki Philavanh

Topic: Intuition, Clarity, and Self-trust

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Your Host: Julia Manfre of Self-Care Solutions, LLC | Follow Self-Care Solutions on Facebook

Educating Women on the Tools, Skills, and Secrets of Self-Care...

We explore mental and physical resilience with Chanan Smith, moving from prevention and boundaries to daily one-inch progress that compounds into real confidence. Stories, tools, and mindset shifts show how to parent for capability, train for awareness, and manage stress without burning out.

• Chanan’s origin and resilience mission
• Prevention-first personal protection and campus safety
• Failure as a readiness test and reset skill
• Tribe support versus bodyguard parenting
• The pause for regulation and choice
• One-inch progress and consistency before intensity
• Pilot mindset for turbulence and stress
• Identity-based habits over shallow goals
• Ignore critics, invest in yourself, protect focus
• Three rules: permission, no competition, no proving

Please go to iTunes to subscribe, rate, and review.

Remember, you are worthy, lovable, capable, and enough.

Guest: Chanan Smith of Executive Warrior

Topic: Real Confidence

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Your Host: Julia Manfre of Self-Care Solutions, LLC | Follow Self-Care Solutions on Facebook

Educating Women on the Tools, Skills, and Secrets of Self-Care...

Divorce can change the shape of a family without breaking a child’s sense of safety. We sit down with licensed mental health counselor Ara Mascarenas to map out what kids truly need at each stage of development—from infants who rely on proximity and sameness to teens carving out identity and voice—and how parents can protect attachment through presence, truth, and predictable connection. If you’ve wondered how to talk to your child without oversharing, how to spot parentification, or how to keep rituals alive when life gets messy, this conversation gives you clear steps and compassionate scripts.

Ara introduces the Circle of Security lens, showing how kids explore when they feel seen and return for comfort when stressed. We unpack age-specific behaviors—regression in preschoolers, loyalty conflicts in early grade school, tummy aches and shame in tweens, boundary-pushing in teens—and translate them into workable plans. You’ll learn why kind, age-appropriate truth beats silence, how to avoid parental estrangement and the disorganized attachment it can create, and how small, consistent rituals like Friday pancakes or daily 10-minute “special time” become anchors that calm the nervous system.

We also draw a firm line between healthy responsibility and harmful emotional labor. Chores build competence; carrying a parent’s pain builds anxiety. With practical examples, repair scripts, and resource recommendations—The Whole-Brain Child, Hold On to Your Kids, Good Inside, The Conscious Parent, Raising Securely Attached Kids, and Brainstorm—you’ll leave with a toolkit that meets real life where it is. No perfection required. Just steady presence, honest words, and repeated moments of delight in your child.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more parents can find practical support.

Guest: Ara Mascarenas, LMHC, of Rising Stronger Counseling

Topic: Divorce and Childhood Attachment

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Your Host: Julia Manfre of Self-Care Solutions, LLC | Follow Self-Care Solutions on Facebook

Educating Women on the Tools, Skills, and Secrets of Self-Care...

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes today!!

Your Host: Julia Manfre of Self-Care Solutions, LLC | Follow Self-Care Solutions on Facebook

Educating Women on the Tools, Skills, and Secrets of Self-Care...