Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC at Free to Be Mindful

Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC at Free to Be Mindful Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor, Mom Coach, Speaker & Host of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast.

Helping Kids & Moms Reduce the Overwhelm, Find Joy and Live Life Intentionally through Mindful Living, Mental Health & Professional Growth. Specializing in working with Children and Mothers, with the following areas of specialty: ADHD, Anxiety, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Mindfulness, Mistreatment, Parenting, Peer Relationships, Racial identity, School Issues, Self-Esteem, Stress & Resilience. Vanessa also provides professional development opportunities, trainings and workshops to children, educators and families centered on mindfulness, social-emotional learning, identity, trauma-centered care, and coping skills.

The holidays often sparkle with joy, but they can also stir up heavy emotions we don’t always see.Last week, the loss of...
11/11/2025

The holidays often sparkle with joy, but they can also stir up heavy emotions we don’t always see.

Last week, the loss of player Marshawn Kneeland, who tragically passed away from a self-inflicted wound, was a painful reminder of how invisible mental health struggles can be, even in people who seem to have it all together.

There is a therapist out there for everyone, and therapy can look different for everyone too. It’s not always “just talking.”

If you’re the parent of a New Jersey child or teen who’s struggling with big feelings, I currently have a few therapy openings available. [Free to Be Mindful]

And for moms anywhere in the world, I offer private coaching to help you find balance between your professional life and motherhood... so you can feel more present, less reactive, and more like yourself again. [Amiga Moms]

Because waiting until things fall apart to reach out for support only makes the load heavier, and you don’t have to carry it alone.

If you’re looking for culturally competent care, you can explore The Connect Therapy Directory, powered by the .practice.collective - another community I co-founded to help people find therapists who truly understand their lived experiences.

May we remember that caring for our mental health isn’t just an act of self-care, it’s an act of love... for ourselves and for those around us.

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11/09/2025

Separation can be hard... especially for kid hearts that don’t fully understand why someone they love has to be away.

The book Deployment: One of Our Pieces Is Missing by Julia Cook reminds us that love doesn’t fade with distance, it simply finds new ways to show up.

If you’re a teacher, counselor, or parent supporting a child through deployment or any kind of separation, this book opens the door to real conversations about connection, change, and hope.

🎥 In my latest SEL Book Talk on YouTube, I share how to use this story with kids, along with meaningful activities you can try at home, in counseling, or in the classroom.

Visit my YouTube channel for the full review.

🛒 If you’d like to purchase the book, you’ll find it in my Amazon Store... linked in bio. If you order it today, you’ll get it for Tuesday!

https://www.amazon.com/shop/counselorvdejesus

On this National First Gen Day, I’m always reminded of the younger version of me. The one who knew she didn’t know much,...
11/09/2025

On this National First Gen Day, I’m always reminded of the younger version of me. The one who knew she didn’t know much, yet was completely unaware of exactly how much she didn’t have or know.

Back then, I didn’t realize that being “the first” meant learning a new language. Not Spanish or English, but the unspoken one of navigating systems no one in my family had walked before.

And yet, that version of me kept going. She figured it out one form, one late night, one question at a time.

Now, years later, as a retired educator, licensed therapist, speaker, and proud TCNJ alumna, I carry her with me in every space I enter. Because being first gen doesn’t end at graduation. It shows up when we’re the first to lead, to heal, to break cycles, or to hold the door open for those coming behind us.

That’s why I always make it a point to support first-gen students and professionals. Not just by sharing advice, but by sharing access. The kind that helps them see what’s possible before they have to figure it all out alone.

May we keep showing up as proof that being first isn’t just about arrival, but also about opening doors wide enough for many more to walk through.

PS… Despite not having blueprints…. I was TCNJ’s first Latina Class President.

🔆

11/04/2025

The future isn’t something we wait for ... it’s something we vote for.

We all want a better future, but if we don’t show up to vote, decisions about our schools, healthcare, and neighborhoods get made without us.

Voting isn’t just politics, I see it as parenting. It’s protecting the values we want our kids to grow up with. It’s shaping the systems we wish were already working better.

When we vote, we say our families matter, our voices matter, and our stories belong in the room where decisions are made. We’re also saying we care about more than today, we’re investing in tomorrow.

The world our kids inherit depends on the choices we make today.

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We bring our WHOLE selves to work... whether we mean to or not.That was the heart of our conversation at the ALPFA Inc -...
11/03/2025

We bring our WHOLE selves to work... whether we mean to or not.

That was the heart of our conversation at the ALPFA Inc - Association of Latino Professionals For America NJ’s Women’s Conference held a few weeks ago, where I had the honor of joining a panel on the importance of mental health.

We talked about something that too often goes unspoken... how our mental health doesn’t clock out when we clock in.

The stress we carry at home follows us into our meetings and the anxiety we push aside during the day greets us again when we walk through the door at night. And yet, so many professionals feel they have to “hold it together” everywhere they go.

As the only licensed therapist on the panel I shared what I’ve seen across thousands of clients and professionals alike...

- When we learn to notice the signs of overwhelm early,
- When workplaces make space for emotional awareness and support,
- And when we start treating mental health like part of our leadership toolkit
.. that’s when we start showing up as our most effective, present, and grounded selves.

Caring for your mental health isn’t separate from your success... it’s the foundation of it.

Thank you ALPFA NJ for having me!

What do you wish your work place offered to take everyone’s mental health into consideration?

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We wear these masks so well, don’t we? We wear them to keep things moving, to protect our families, to keep up at work, ...
10/27/2025

We wear these masks so well, don’t we?

We wear them to keep things moving, to protect our families, to keep up at work, to make it look like we’re okay... even when we’re running on empty.

But the truth is….
You can be strong and tired.
Grateful and overwhelmed.
Loving and ready for a break.

Because real strength isn’t in how well we wear the mask... it’s in the moments we let it fall.

This week’s episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast explores the invisible emotional masks so many of us wear, where they come from, what they cost us, and how to gently take them off.

Which mask do you wear the most?

🎧 Listen to episode 285 Behind the Strong Mom Mask on your favorite podcast platform.

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We’ve all seen it... the person in a meeting who fidgets, taps or can’t seem to stay still.In schools, we often label it...
10/23/2025

We’ve all seen it... the person in a meeting who fidgets, taps or can’t seem to stay still.

In schools, we often label it as behavior.
In the workplace, we might call it lack of focus.
But in both settings, it’s often a sign of something deeper... an overactive mind trying to find calm.

So what do we do to help our kids?!? Force them to stay still? Not quite!

The book IT’S HARD TO BE A VERB! Julia Cook reminds us that...
- Movement isn’t defiance... it’s communication.
- Calm doesn’t come from control. It comes from understanding.

Want a full reflection AND practical strategies to use with your kids?

Comment STILL below and I’ll send you the link to read the blog.

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You’re doing everything right… so why does it still feel wrong?You love your people, but somewhere between the drop-offs...
10/23/2025

You’re doing everything right… so why does it still feel wrong?

You love your people, but somewhere between the drop-offs and deadlines, you stopped feeling like you.

Calm isn’t something you earn by doing more.
It’s something you allow when you finally slow down enough to notice yourself again.

That’s what this work is about… helping you find you underneath the noise.

If you’ve been missing her… she’s closer than you think.

Send me a message to learn how 1:1 Mom Coaching can help you feel like yourself again.

🔆

I had no idea my maternity shoot was considered bo***ir photography until I interviewed this week’s podcast guest, Liz H...
10/21/2025

I had no idea my maternity shoot was considered bo***ir photography until I interviewed this week’s podcast guest, Liz Hansen.

And honestly... she completely changed how I see it!

Bo***ir isn’t just about the look. It’s about seeing yourself through a lens of love instead of judgment.

It’s an act of healing, empowerment, and gratitude... especially for women whose bodies have carried, changed, and endured so much.

When we reclaim our image, we reclaim our power. 💛

🎧 Tune into Episode 284 of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, “Bo***ir Photography for Self-Love: Empowerment and Healing” wherever you listen to podcasts.

📸 Photo Cred to my amazing photographer

***irphotography 🔆

Address

700 Grand Avenue Suite 1E
Ridgefield, NJ
07657

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 4pm - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 4pm - 6pm
Friday 4pm - 6pm
Sunday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+12014305811

Website

https://www.amigamoms.com/

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Free to Be Mindful

In a world where we are free to be anything... it is a nice reminder to know we are always Free to Be Mindful.

As a former teacher, school counselor, licensed counselor and mom I understand the demands and challenges kids, parents and educators face daily. Through my services participants learn more about themselves which helps them to grow as people and inspire others to do the same.

​I'm passionate about helping kids become emotionally healthy through a focus on mindfulness, and am dedicated to helping parents and educators learn ways to strengthen relationships with their kids. Let me help YOU practice mindfulness, develop a positive mindset, and build genuine connections with the children in your life… and with yourself!

You and your child deserve it!