Confessions of a Freebird - Midlife, Divorce, Heal, and Date Differently with Somatic Experiencing, Empty Nest, Well-Being, Happiness
Hi, I’m Laurie James—author of Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, somatic relationship coach, mother of four adult daughters, divorcée, and recovering caregiver.
I created Confessions of a Freebird as a heartfelt space for women navigating midlife transitions—divorce, empty nesting, loss, dating again, or simply wondering:
“Is this all there is?”
If you're longing for more authenticity, joy, freedom, and purpose, especially after years of putting everyone else first, you're in the right place.
Each episode, I’ll share:
- Practical tools and somatic coaching strategies
- Raw reflections and confessions from my own journey
- Expert conversations on everything from sex, grief, trauma healing, and finances to dating, caregiving, and reinvention
We'll explore what it means to come home to yourself through somatic practices—and how to design a life that feels aligned with who you are now, not who you were 20 years ago or who someone or society has told you to be.
Whether you’re in the sandwich generation, starting over after loss, or dreaming of your next chapter—Confessions of a Freebird is your midlife best friend. Think of it as a permission slip to evolve, heal, and fall in love with your life all over again.
Because the most important relationship you’ll ever have… is the one you have with yourself.
XO,
Laurie
Connect with me:
Purchase my book, Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, https://www.laurieejames.com/book
IG: https://www.instagram.com/laurie.james/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.james.79219754
Episodes
120 episodes
How Cultural Beliefs Shape Parenting Guilt and Shame for Mothers
What if your motherhood guilt isn’t proof you failed, but a sign you’ve been carrying too much for too long? You can give everything to your children and still hear that relentless inner critic whispering it wasn’t enough — and over...
Who Are You When the Kids Leave? Reclaiming Your Identity as an Empty Nester with Jay Ramsden
When your kids leave the nest and the caregiving finally stops — who are you?That question can stop you cold. And if you've been living it, you already know how disorienting that silence can be. This honest, heartfelt conversation is for...
Finding Yourself After Caregiving: A Step-by-Step Guide to Prioritizing Self Care with Debbie Weiss
What does it look like to wake up at fifty and finally ask, "What do I actually want?" For Debbie Weiss — bestselling author, speaker, and host of the Maybe I Can podcast — that question became the turning point that changed e...
10 Science-Backed Keys to Happiness and How Somatic Healing Helps
Why does happiness sometimes feel out of reach even when you think you are doing everything right? You take steps forward, check the boxes, show up for the people you love, but underneath it all, something still feels unsettled. Life can start ...
Career Change at 50 and Beyond: How Midlife Women Can Start Again With Confidence with Patricia Noel Drain
Have You Ever Asked Yourself, "What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up?"I've asked myself that question more times than I can count — and especially after my kids left the nest and I felt that undeniable pull to reinvent myself once I became...
How Sibling Relationships Keep Us Stuck and How to Build Healthy Adult Relationships with Minaa B
You can command a boardroom, lead a team, and hold your own in the world — yet the moment you step back into your family home, something shifts. Old wounds resurface. You shrink. You react. You become a version of yourself you thought you'd out...
How an Illness, Mother Theresa and a Passion Can Change Your Life with Renée Lara
When midlife hits and your body changes and getting dressed can suddenly feel frustrating. Waistlines shift. Fabrics fit differently. Pieces that once felt effortless now feel off.But here’s the truth: style in midlife doesn’t have to fe...
Healing Child Sex Abuse: 4 Somatic Practices to Help You Survive The Epstein Files Coverage
Do you get a pit in your stomach when you listen to the news? Maybe your body tightens, as each headline adds to the heaviness of the collective trauma we’re living through right now?When institutions protect powerful people instead of h...
How Safe Hormone Therapy and Vaginal Health Can Close The Bedroom Gap with Dr. Maria Sophocles
Do you feel like the gap between you and your partner’s sexual desire is widening?Has managing a home, raising kids, and building a career left you feeling disconnected from your body and from sexual pleasure?You are not broken. A...
Navigating The Empty Nest? Discover Ways To Find Joy In Self-Discovery And Aging Gracefully With Bernadette Catalana
Do your children really know who you are?Not just the mother who managed schedules, emotions, and daily life—but the woman underneath it all?Motherhood shifts in midlife—so do we. Maybe you’re navigating an empty nest, single motherh...
How to Heal Relationship Patterns Rooted in Childhood Trauma with IFS and Nervous System Regulation
Have you ever felt like you were doing everything “right” on your healing journey—only to find yourself right back in your old pain on your personal growth journey?Maybe you finally found a healing modality that worked. You felt grounded...
How to Break Free from Relationship Patterns Using Somatic Tools and Trauma-Informed Support with Riana Malia
What if the patterns you keep repeating aren’t flaws or bad habits, but survival strategies your body learned long ago?In this episode, I sit down with Riana Malia, a certified Neuro-Somatic practitioner whose work focuses on healing gen...
Using Astrology Predictions to Support Your Spiritual Awakening and Somatic Healing with Remy Ramirez
Do you notice the same patterns repeating in your life?What if those patterns weren’t random but part of your astrological blueprint, offering guidance for your healing journey? In this light, New Year episode, I sit down with R...
How Nervous System Regulation Creates Emotional Safety and Secure Attachment with Jessica Bishop
Do you ever feel like your body is reacting for you—especially in moments of stress or around certain people?In this powerful episode, I sit down with Jessica Bishop, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Yoga Teacher, to dive...
How Trauma Responses Lead to People-Pleasing and How to Start Healing with Kati Morton
Have you ever felt lost after putting all your effort into pleasing others? Maybe you’ve spent years being the responsible one, the strong one, the helper, the one who “just handles it”… until one day you wake up and feel hollow. Exhau...
How to Navigate Grief During Holidays with More Ease and Grace with Barri Grant
Does your heart feel heavier this time of year? Maybe you're missing someone who's no longer here…or carrying a quiet ache that’s lingering and hard to name. When the world is celebrating, it can feel lonely to carry sadness that do...
How to Reclaim Financial Empowerment When Every Financial Decision Feels Risky with Shannon Ryan
Have you ever stopped to think about the relationship you have with money, not just your budget or bank balance, but the emotions that shape your financial choices?Even though money looks logical on paper, the truth is most of our financ...
Feeling Burned Out? The Overlooked Signs of Betrayal You Need to Know with Lora Cheadle
Have you spent years doing everything “right”? Building your career, caring for others, keeping things together and still feel like something is off? Maybe it’s a quiet ache you can’t shake. That pull between might not b...
How Embracing Imperfection and Self-Discovery Can Release Creative Blocks with Kevin Murphy
You might’ve grown up believing you weren’t the “creative type.”Maybe someone told you your art wasn’t good enough, or life pulled you toward what felt practical. After years of raising kids, caregiving, working, or just keeping things a...
How to Feel Confident and Find a Healthy Relationship Dating in Midlife
Dating in midlife isn’t for the faint of heart. Maybe your marriage or a long-term relationship ended, you’ve healed, and now you’re ready to date again—only to ride a rollercoaster of hope, disappointment, or those “fetal position on your bed”...
Why Your Texting Style Might Be a Problem in your Family Communication with Tammy Cohen
Have you ever sent a text to your teen or college-aged kid and immediately wondered if they rolled their eyes when they read it? Maybe you’re trying to stay connected as they move across the country—or even just across the house. If...
Overcome Common Dating Challenges and Learn how to achieve Emotional Connection with Bernardo Mendez
Ever feel like you’re drawn to the wrong people—repeatedly? That pull isn’t random. It’s often old patterns and unhealed wounds running the show, not true safety or connection.If dating has left you feeling confused, overwhelmed, or read...
7 Intentional Steps for Emotional Well-Being After a Breakup - Solo Episode
When a relationship ends, how do you really move through the grief—body, mind, and heart?In this solo episode, I share my own recent breakup story and how I used somatic practices to walk through the grief process. Because here’...
How to Break Free from Unhealthy Drinking Habits and Find Emotional Sobriety with Colleen Freeland Kachmann
Have you ever reached for a drink—not because you genuinely wanted it—but because you were trying to soothe stress, numb emotions, or simply make it through the day?This week’s episode features Colleen Freeland Kachmann, an intuitive dri...
How a Midlife Transformation can Create a Deeply Meaningful Life with Karen Salmansohn
Do you want to make sure you’re not just alive… but truly living? My guest this week suggests, starting by contemplating your own death.In this transformative episode, I’m joined by Karen Salmansohn, bestselling author and behavioral cha...