When Good Moms Feel Bad: How to Transform Parental Guilt, Anger, and Anxiety with Rebecca Geshuri, Episode 171

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, we’re joined by Rebecca Geshuri, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified in Internal Family Systems, Perinatal Mental Health, and Brainspotting, and co-author of When Good Moms Feel Bad.

Rebecca is the Founder of Second Street Collective, where she provides psychotherapy and support to moms and families throughout California. In addition to her clinical work, she teaches workshops to therapists, physicians, doulas, and yoga practitioners, has presented at the IFS Institute and Postpartum Support International conferences, and has been featured on several prominent podcasts. Her work is deeply grounded in both clinical expertise and the lived experience of being a mother to three daughters. You can find her on social media @rebeccageshurilmft.

In this powerful and deeply validating conversation, Rebecca helps us understand why the mothers who care the most often struggle the most—and why maternal distress is not a sign of failure, but a signal that something tender needs attention.

Together, we explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a compassionate framework for depathologizing maternal rage, anxiety, and guilt, and how understanding our internal “parts” can transform the way we parent in real time. Rebecca explains the difference between Good Mom parts and Bad Mom parts—and why both are actually trying to protect us—and unpacks the role shame plays in keeping mothers silent and isolated.

We also talk about unblending: how creating space from overwhelming emotions allows mothers to respond more calmly to their children, even in the hardest moments. Rebecca speaks directly to parents who fear their anger is damaging their children, offering a powerful reframe about nervous systems, repair, and connection. She also shares how healing a mother’s inner world directly supports a child’s regulation, attachment, and sense of safety.

Finally, Rebecca introduces the concept of the Inner Mom—the calm, compassionate internal leader every parent already has—and offers gentle guidance on how to access that part when overwhelm takes over.

This episode is a must-listen for any parent who has ever wondered:

Why is this so hard if I love my child so much?

And for any mother who fears she’s already failed, Rebecca offers a message of deep reassurance, hope, and permission to begin again.

Find her on social @rebeccageshurilmft

Here is the link to her new book, "When Good Mom's Feel Bad" : https://rebeccageshurilmft.com/book

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• how to repair and reconnect after the storm has passed

• ways to build emotional skills so these explosions happen less often

Tammy and Tania share compassionate, practical strategies that help parents lead with steadiness instead of shame or punishment. You’ll walk away understanding how to hold boundaries while still protecting your connection — even in the hardest moments.

If you’ve ever felt crushed, angry, or unsure what to do after hearing those words, this episode will help you see them differently and respond in a way that strengthens your relationship rather than strains it.

A must-listen for parents raising emotionally healthy, resilient kids.

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