Let’s Get Real with Jena Burris
Welcome to Let’s Get Real, the podcast for women who feel like they’re holding it all together on the outside… but falling apart on the inside.
If you’re exhausted from pretending, overwhelmed by the pressure to be everything for everyone, or unsure who you even are anymore—you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy.
Let’s Get Real is where we have honest conversations about the struggles most people avoid—healing emotional wounds, losing yourself in motherhood, rebuilding your identity, and learning how to live whole again.
I’m Jena Burris—wife, mom, and your host. With a background in marriage and family therapy, life coaching, and years spent navigating life behind the scenes of the NFL and Hollywood, I’m passionate about creating a space where real conversations lead to real healing.
Each week, you’ll hear real stories, practical tools, and the reminder that freedom is closer than you think. Because I believe that in order to heal, we have to get real.
New episodes every Tuesday. Real talk. Real tools. Real healing.
For speaking inquiries, brand partnerships, or workshop opportunities, visit www.jenaburris.com or email jena@jenaburris.com.
Let’s Get Real with Jena Burris
Why Self-Compassion Changes Everything (Especially for Moms) — with Elizabeth Cush
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Ep 29 Why Self-Compassion Changes Everything (Especially for Moms) — with Elizabeth Cush
Motherhood has a way of magnifying every flaw we think we have.
We’re patient and loving one moment—then snapping the next.
We hold everyone else’s emotions, yet struggle to hold our own.
Most moms extend endless compassion to others… but when it comes to themselves, that grace disappears.
The truth? Many of us have learned to be our own harshest critic.
In this episode, Jena sits down with Elizabeth Cush, a therapist and coach who helps highly-sensitive women quiet the inner critic and reconnect with their true selves. Together, they unpack what self-compassion really means—and why it’s not indulgent, but essential.
Elizabeth shares how learning to speak to herself with the same kindness she offers others transformed her life as a mother, a therapist, and a woman.
She also reveals how perfectionism, shame, and cultural expectations keep moms trapped in cycles of guilt—and how awareness and grace can finally break them.
In This Episode, You’ll Hear Us Talk About …
🌿 What self-compassion actually looks like beyond “just being nice to yourself.”
🌿 Why moms are so quick to criticize themselves—and where that voice really comes from.
🌿 How the inner critic often develops as a protective part rooted in childhood experiences.
🌿 The science behind compassion—how new neural pathways form when we practice gentleness.
Why This Conversation Matters
We live in a culture that praises moms for doing more—but rarely for being gentle with themselves.
We tell our kids to “use kind words,” but forget to model that same kindness inward.
Elizabeth reminds us that compassion isn’t about letting ourselves off the hook; it’s about learning to stay with ourselves when we fall short.
It’s about understanding that the goal isn’t perfection—it’s presence.
She says it best:
“Criticism doesn’t motivate us to change. Compassion does.”
When we start talking to ourselves differently, everything shifts—our parenting, our relationships, and our sense of peace.
Because the voice our children hear most often is the one we use on ourselves.
Next time your inner critic starts shouting, pause.
Place a hand on your heart and whisper: “This is hard—and I’m learning.” It might sound simple, but that tiny moment of gentleness rewires the way you relate to yourself.
Connect with Elizabeth Cush
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AYWWPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethcushlcpc3220
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenyourwisewoman/
P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at jena@jenaburris.com. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.