Untangled Minds, LLC

04/28/2026

Burnout in motherhood doesn’t always look like falling apart.

Sometimes it looks like still showing up… but feeling exhausted, overstimulated, and disconnected. This is especially true when the emotional and mental load
doesn’t stop.

As a therapist, I support maternal mental health.
As a mom, I feel it too.

If this resonates,
you’re not failing.
you’re carrying a lot. 🩷

04/21/2026

I’m a therapist… but this still breaks me sometimes.
No one talks about this part of motherhood.

People say, “I could never do what you do.”
Curiosity sounds like, “Why isn’t he talking yet?”
Advice comes as, “Have you tried this?”

The truth is…
I didn’t have a choice. I just learned as I went.

Will he ever talk?
I don’t know yet. But I’ve learned something deeper...
communication isn’t just verbal. Normalizing other forms of communication has been part of our journey. This is acceptance.

It’s eye contact.
It’s gestures.
It’s shared moments.
It’s connection in ways the world doesn’t always recognize.

I’ve learned to live in the unknown…
and move at a pace that works for both of us.

Because this isn’t just parenting... it’s navigating a neurological world that’s always shifting.

The planning.
The appointments.
The meetings.
The sleep disruptions.
The meltdowns.
The eloping.
The stimming.
The sensory needs.
The constant advocating…
proving “medical necessity” just to get your child what they need.

The mental load is heavy.
The emotional weight is real.

And here’s what I’m still learning...
you can grieve and love at the same time.

Grieve what you thought it might look like…
while still showing up, still connecting, still loving your child deeply.

A little more eye contact.
Following a simple request.
Trying a new food.
Putting on shoes independently.
Playing. Connecting. Trying.

Not everything feels like celebration.
Sometimes it’s just…
learning how to hold both.

If you’re a mom walking this path...
I see you 🩷

As a therapist, I support others in regulating, coping, and healing…
but as a mom, especially an autism mom,
I’m living it in real time too.

04/16/2026

Mom’s need weighted vests too.

Not literally (unless that’s your thing like me 😅)…
but in the sense that we need grounding, support, and something that helps us come back to ourselves.

So many moms are carrying invisible weight... mental load, emotional labor, expectations and doing it in a constant state of stress.

This is your reminder:
You are allowed to receive care.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to soften.

What's one thing you're willing to untangled today?

03/26/2026

One of my favorite parts of the recent community event was the affirmation tree, a space intentionally created for women to write messages for another woman who might need it, even if they’ve never met.

As a therapist, it was incredibly meaningful to witness not just the words, but the vulnerability, compassion, and shared humanity behind them. So many of the messages reflected themes we often explore in mental health work such as self-worth, rest, resilience, and permission to simply be.

Later, I took time to read through each one (even my son joined me), and it was a powerful reminder of how small, intentional acts can support emotional connection and healing. Sometimes, a few words can be enough to help someone feel seen, grounded, or less alone.

Some of the messages that really stayed with me:

“You really are enough. You don’t need to move constantly.”
“Look for moments of happy every day. I call them glimmers.”
“I am wildly capable of what life throws my way.”
“I am allowed to take up space.”
“I deserve the same care I give to others.”

This is the heart of mental health work by creating spaces where people feel safe to express, connect, and uplift one another. You never know how your words might become part of someone else’s healing.

03/21/2026

With my incredible friend Naree of Untangled Minds, LLC at the We EmpowHER event Friday💛

03/17/2026

We’re excited to share that Untangled Minds, LLC will be a vendor in the HER Marketplace at Wisconsin HER Day!

Join us on March 20th for an inspiring day celebrating women, community, and empowerment.
· FREE Women’s Conference
· FREE Teen Summit
· HER Marketplace featuring amazing boutiques and businesses

Stop by our booth to connect with us, and support local businesses that empower women. Bring a friend, bring your daughter, and make it a day of inspiration and shopping!

Register for FREE here: https://weempowher.org/her-day/

Tag someone who should come with you!

03/02/2026

Hi everyone 💗

After reflecting on the heart behind “Dear Moms, She Exists Too,” I’ve decided to postpone our March 5th workshop.

This topic deserves thoughtful space and intentional preparation, and I want to ensure the experience is deeply supportive and meaningful for those who join.
I’ll be reopening this experience soon with a new date and a few additions I’m excited about.

Thank you for your support and for those who expressed interest… stay tuned.
With care,

Naree
Untangled Minds, LLC

02/27/2026

02/26/2026

Dear Moms, when was the last time someone asked how you are doing?

Not what your kids need.
Not what your partner needs.
You.

Next Thursday, we’re creating space to:
– Unlearn guilt
– Receive without apology
– Quiet the inner critic
– Remember the woman you were before motherhood

If you’ve been waiting for a sign… this is it.

💗 Dear Moms, She Exists Too
March 5 | 5:30–7:30PM CST | Virtual

Registration link:
https://www.untangledmindsllc.net/events/dear-moms-workshop

11/06/2025

“Kuv yog tus tuav lub teeb cim tsim kev” meaning “I hold the light to my own path”. Essentailly, you are the light to your own healing. Sometimes our light becomes dim because we were taught to care for others first, shamed for being too emotional, encouraged to agree passively, to be obedient, and so much more. Some of us learned that it wasn’t safe to let our light shine. When you begin to heal, you slowly allow the light to pour in and start to see what you’ve been yearning for what was once forgotten. You begin the process of unlearning. That part of you holds truth or in Hmong, you might say, “Koj lo lus zoo muaj kuab.”

What are you longing for?

Ready to start counseling, but not sure? Schedule your free consultation today at (920)204-6585.

11/02/2025

10/30/2025

It’s such an honor to be invited as a guest speaker on the Hmong Womxn Thriving Podcast. I want to sincerely thank Ariel for her passion and dedication to uplifting Hmong women during this season. 💛

I truly believe that each of us is guided by our lived experiences we often become what we once needed but didn’t receive.

In this episode, I share my personal story of surviving trauma and what it truly means to walk through resilience and recovery. Healing isn’t linear. There’s so much to unpack, and it takes deep commitment, courage, and compassion to pause, reset, and reevaluate what’s working and what no longer serves us.

🎧 Tune in to listen to my journey of moving from survival to healing, and from lived to thriving.

✨ Healing, Resilience & Community Care — A Conversation with Naree Thao ✨

In this week’s episode of Hmong Womxn Thriving, I’m joined by the incredible Naree Thao, founder of Untangled Minds, LLC, a bilingual and bicultural therapist based in Wisconsin.

Naree shares her powerful journey as a first-generation Hmong American woman navigating generational trauma, motherhood, and identity while building culturally-rooted healing spaces for her community. 💛

Through her work, she continues to remind us that healing isn’t linear, it’s layered, communal, and deeply human. 🕊️

🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear her story of courage, compassion, and care for the next generation of Hmong women.

📍Connect with Naree:
🌐 Website: untangledmindsllc.net
📸Instagram:
💙 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559841431062

💜 *New episode out now — streaming on all platforms!*

https://youtu.be/I-mDIi6xbPI?si=nAAY4OLFlt7y6yEP