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Naomi Holdt - Psychologist and Speaker

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Naomi Holdt - Psychologist and Speaker

Passionate Parenting Consultant | Dynamic Motivational Speaker | Educational Psychologist | Mom The Site and its Content are provided on an "as is" basis.

ABOUT NAOMI
Naomi is a psychologist, author and speaker with over 20 years experience in education, educational psychology and psychotherapy with a special interest in the emotional well - being of children and young adults. With an initial teaching background she has insightful knowledge on the role of both parents and teachers in supporting, nurturing and helping young people reach their potential. Naomi qualified cm laude with an MA in Educational Psychology from University of KwaZulu-Natal and is in private practice in Hilton, South Africa. She has spoken countrywide and her online parenting courses have now reached an international following. Naomi is a mother of two young children and regards this as a privilege and her most important role. DISCLAIMER
All content found on the Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker Website and social media channels, including text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your psychologist or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website or Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker’s social media channels. If you think you may have a mental health emergency, call your psychologist or doctor, go to the emergency department, or call emergency response immediately. Reliance on any information provided by Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker, Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker’s employees, contracted writers, or professionals presenting content for publication to Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker’s channels is solely at your own risk. Links to content not created by Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker are taken at your own risk. Naomi Holdt Psychologist and Speaker is not responsible for the claims of external websites and organisations. Please note that due to an overwhelming demand for assistance, I am unable to respond to requests and messages on this platform. If you would like to book a consult, please email info@naomiholdt.com or WhatsApp: +27 74 131 0260.

14/11/2025

Here’s something I wish more parents understood:
Your child doesn’t need you to be perfect.
They need you regulated, present, and human.

And that starts with how you treat yourself.

We speak so much about our children’s resilience, but the truth is this:

🙅🏼‍♀️ You cannot raise what you do not model.

Your emotional state sets the tone for your home, your connection, and your child’s sense of safety.

So let’s strip away some of the unnecessary guilt that weighs so heavily on so many of us.

Here are 5 things your child needs you to stop feeling guilty about (today):

💫 Taking 10 minutes for yourself.
And no - it’s not selfish.
Crying in the bath, sitting in the garden, reading one chapter of a book, taking five deep breaths…
These are not luxuries. Their nervous system resets - and your child benefits directly when you do them.

💫 Not being available every second.
Parents are not on-call 24/7.
Being constantly available doesn’t make you more loving - it makes you more depleted.
Your child needs the best of you, not the burnt-out scraps.

💫 Saying “I need a moment.”
Pausing is strength.
A moment to breathe is often the difference between reacting and responding…
Between disconnection and connection.

💫 Not entertaining every behaviour instantly.
You’re allowed to pause before you address something.
You’re allowed to choose your response.
You’re allowed to ask yourself: “Is this behaviour… or is this dysregulation?”

Often it’s the latter. 😉

💫 Putting your phone down for 5 minutes of real presence - and letting that be enough.
Resilience isn’t built in hours of perfect parenting.
It’s built in tiny, consistent pockets of connection:
A hug.
A shared laugh.
A curious question.
A gentle tone.

One degree at a time.

👇

Here’s the truth:
Your child doesn’t need a flawless parent.
They need a grounded one.
And that starts with how you take care of you.

If this landed, I explore this in depth in BOUNCE: How to Raise Resilient Kids & Teens - the ultimate parenting handbook for real families, parents-to-be, and even adults who are learning to strengthen their own resilience.

Get 10% off on my online store (SA delivery only) at the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/naomi-holdt-shop

Love,
Naomi ❤️

12/11/2025

Eyes Wide Open…

It’s what happens.

If three words could capture the change within me this season, it would be those.

The scales fall.
The clarity comes.
A depth arrives that you can’t unknow.

You begin to notice things –
The breathtaking, the tender, the pure…

But also, the sharp edges, the whispers, the quiet cruelty that hides in plain sight.

When your eyes open wide,
You start tuning in differently–
To truth, to realness, to the pulse of what’s actually authentic.
You crave honesty, connection and meaning in every exchange...

But in that sensitivity, you also feel the contaminations of the world more acutely-
The judgement, the assumptions, the stories told by those who’ve never walked a moment in your skin.

And here’s what I know now more than ever-
Truth I hold close with these eyes wide open:

We never know how many tears it has taken
For someone to make decisions that alter their life.

We never see the sleepless nights,
And the heartbreak behind choices that others don’t understand.

Every act of judgement is simply a reflection of our own unhealed ache- a mirror of insecurity, fear, or smallness within…

So instead of judging-
May we choose to respond gently.
May we meet one another with compassion,
May we embrace without shaming-

Because honestly,
We can never comprehend the road another has traveled…

You see, the more awake I become,
The more I see that all human behaviours– even the messy, confusing ones-
Are rooted in one simple truth:
We are all just trying to survive this life
With our heart still intact.

Eyes wide open…
The world is exquisitely, beautiful,
And painfully human.

Recognize the pain.
Respond with love.
And keep your eyes wide open-

Not to judge.
But to see…

With love and open eyes,
Naomi ❤️

10/11/2025

The things we learn in these seasons of life… And this one- this one has been a big one for me...

As a decades long chronic fawner, people-pleaser, make-everyone-happy-er, and do-everything-to-avoid-conflicter, this lesson hasn’t come easily.

But…

As life has a way of doing- it threw me one of those “relook-at-every-minuscule-layer-and-reevaluate everything” moments… (actually- years)… and I have come out seeing myself, others, and the world in completely new ways…

Here’s what I’ve learned (and what I’m teaching my kids too):

👉🏼 YOUR HAPPINESS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

That may seem obvious BUT…

We so often hand that responsibility over to others –
If they show up in this way…
If they say this thing…
If they make that choice…
Then I’ll be happy.

But that’s not how happiness works.

When we do that, we self-sabotage.

Because real, deep, lasting happiness can never depend on someone else’s moods, actions or behaviour.
It can only ever come from within.

And here’s the flip side:

When we make someone else responsible for our happiness, we place a heavy weight on them- one they were never meant to carry. It contaminates relationships and leaves everyone depleted.

So this is your reminder today:

✨ Don’t place the responsibility for your happiness in anyone else’s hands.
✨ Find it.
✨ Grab hold of it.
✨ Live it!

Because it’s waiting for you- right there, within.

With so much love and constant learning,
Naomi ❤️

PS. So many of you have asked if you can access the recording of my Safe Again: Trauma Healing Through the Generations workshop- and YES, you can now grab it! If you’re a fawner, flighter, fighter , freezer (or just someone wanting to understand yourself and others more deeply), this one’s for you.

✨ Grab it here: https://naomiholdt.thrivecart.com/safe-again/

08/11/2025

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while…

Maybe the words will bring someone a little more compassion for themselves- or help medical practitioners and well-meaning others understand things “from the other side”…

When I started this cancer journey, after the treatment plan was laid out, so many professionals and kind-hearted people reassured me, “This will be an easy journey- a walk in the park”. I think that’s often the assumption when the treatment is radiation without chemo.

But after I shared about my “all fall down” in the radiation room one morning, I had so many messages from people saying they had had their biggest breakdowns there too.
Many who had been through both chemo and radiation shared that they found radiation harder.

And honesty- I can’t compare, because even though I have walked the chemo road with two of my heart-people, I didn’t have it myself- and that’s not what this post is about.

What I DO know is that when I think back on this journey, the radiation memories still bring tears to the surface- almost instantly- despite having the most angelic nurses and receiving the most gentle care from all the staff.

So I started wondering…

And here’s what I know- from both experience and neuroscience:

While chemo wreaks havoc on the body (and emotions), radiation can shake the nervous system to its core.

As humans (actually as mammals) we are wired for safety in togetherness. When we are going through something hard but we’re surrounded by others, it’s easier to find strength and feel hope.

In most chemo rooms I’ve visited, patients are in recliners, often chatting or distracting themselves.
There’s connection.
There’s shared humanity.

Radiation rooms are the opposite: cold, sterile. You’re awkwardly positioned. For breast cancer- half naked. Exposed. Completely still. All alone. Eyes on you from behind a screen. Vulnerable in every way…

Even if your conscious mind knows, “This is healing me,” your brain and body are reading the situation as danger: alone + vulnerable+ unable to move= threat.
No matter how much love is waiting outside those doors, you’re in there by yourself. And your nervous system knows it.

And when your nervous system feels endangered, it overrides the rational voice that whispers, “This is for my healing.”

Here’s why this matters:

The LAST thing you need on a trauma healing journey is guilt or shame for feeling overwhelmed – especially when you were told it should have been “a walk in the park.”

You can be deeply grateful that you didn’t need chemo AND still fall apart from what your journey DID include. There’s no guilt in that. Only compassion.

Because even neuroscience supports just how traumatic those daily moments of aloneness and exposure can be- a physical reminder of the beast inside you.

So whatever your journey has been,
Whatever your trauma has been,
Cancer or otherwise,
Remember this:

It is not comparable to anyone else’s.

Pour compassion onto every part of you.
Honour exactly how YOU feel.
Your story is real.
Your story is worthy.
And YOUR story… It deserves to be spoken.

With so, SO much love,
Naomi ❤️

06/11/2025

And now I know…

With soul- conviction:

This…
THIS is the hardest part…

When the foundations of life we once knew have shifted,
When the pillars that held us steady have crumbled beneath us,
Our eyes open fully to a world we never truly saw before.

And the becoming begins…

The evolution that must first fragment us to ash
Before anything new can rise.

And the truth is:

We cannot unknow.
We cannot unsee.
We cannot unbecome.

It’s the waiting…
That impossible, in-between space-
Where one life has ended
Yet the next has not yet begun.

Where we’re gathering new pieces of ourselves
While still mourning the ones we no longer recognize.

And honestly-
It feels like the hardest place to stand…

The uncertainty.
The unraveling.
The barren internal landscapes
Where everything familiar has fallen away.

But here’s what I’m learning -

In this arid territory of so much that simply doesn’t fit…

We are not broken.
We are not lost.
We are simply… in transit.

On our way to becoming the version of us we have not yet met...

Somewhere in this gentle undoing,
We realize our edges don’t need to be hard anymore.

We can lay our swords down.
We can soften.
We can rest.

Because strength was never in the armour.
Power was never in the fight .
Protection was never in the walls we built so high
We forgot who we were beneath them.

The greatest power we have ever held
Has always been love.

This- this hardest part…
The season of shattering…

Is also
A season of softening.
Of unclenching.
Of remembering.

A season where we learn to grow patient with the process.
To trust the dark,
To walk through it- not fearing it,
But listening to it.

A season where we stop judging the unraveling,
And start naming it for what it is:
A sacred essential.

And the surreal expanse…
It is not a death-place.
It is a womb-space.

A place of evolving.
Of growing.
Of emerging.

Lay your armour down-
Your strength is within…
Trust the hard, holy process.
And soften into all the beautiful truths life is revealing to you.

With love, learning, and softening,
Naomi ❤️

05/11/2025

I can’t tell you how happy I am to share this! 😁

It's taken long enough but the online store for Saffer friends is now live and you can order BOTH of my books - BOUNCE and Popcorn - as well as my super popular EmotionOcean EQ Cards in one, easy checkout!

Whether you’re a parent, educator, therapist, or simply someone who believes in raising strong, emotionally-intelligent humans, these resources were created with you in mind.

What's in stock:

📘 BOUNCE: How to Raise Resilient Kids & Teens
My first published book... A practical, heart-led guide to raising children who can navigate life’s challenges with strength, empathy and emotional health.

🧠 EmotionOcean EQ Cards
32 beautifully designed emotional-intelligence cards + 26 guided activities to help kids (and adults!) name, understand and regulate emotions - in simple, everyday ways. BONUS: You'll receive the downloadable EQ Toolkit worth R300 FREE (for a limited time only)!

🐓 Popcorn: A Story of Hope in a Week of Unrest
A gentle, powerful reminder for children (and the child in us all) that even after hard things… healing and hope are possible.

To celebrate, each product is available at a special offer while stocks last! 💃

Nationwide delivery is a flat rate of just R99! (We can only ship these in South Africa for now)

If you’re gifting for the upcoming holidays - these are beautiful for teachers, psychologists, parents, grandparents, and little hearts learning big feelings. 😉

I've signed 50 copies of Bounce and 50 copies of Popcorn so if you want one of the signed copies, jump in quickly!

👇

Run, don't walk… and shop the collection here: https://tinyurl.com/naomi-holdt-shop

Thank you for being here and for believing in gentle, informed, emotionally wise parenting and caregiving.

These resources exist because of YOU - and because EVERYone deserves the tools to feel seen, supported, and strong.

With love,
Naomi ❤️

03/11/2025

October is in the dust…
Scary thought.
BUT WOW, WHAT. A. MONTH.
Ridiculous highs and some not-so-superb lows.

New experiences mixed with the comfort of old, familiar zones.
Moments of “Go!” exhilaration, followed by stretches of patient, liminal in-between.

Shew.

The ground was hit running with the Cowan House Prep School Pink Drive Swim (and what an awesome Pink Square Fish team we had!)

The ILoveBoobies Charity Challenge kicked off in full swing- starting with the epic Secret Swim (LOVED that) and carrying through an entire month of the ILB Imagine Challenge.

Mission accomplished. Challenge nailed. ✅

Then came a brain MRI, revealing a new little "friend"- an incidental meningioma chilling on the outside of my brain.
Thankfully, no one’s too worried. It’ll be monitored to make sure it keeps behaving.

Add in a 24-hour EEG and enough blood tests to make my arm look like it was savaged by an angry porcupine… but happy to report- all is clear and fine 💪🏽 (and I met an incredible hospital roommate named Sam 😁).

Definitely didn’t start 2025 expecting to end it with two tumours, an oncologist and a neurologist… but here we are. Now back down to one tumour, and one harmless little bu**er!

Oh, and the day after I left the hospital I landed straight back into the ER after a DIY mishap with half a pair of dodgy kitchen scissors (don’t ask 😅).
Throw in the beginnings of cellulitis on said arm two days later just for fun… Thankfully stopped that one just in time- no repeat hospital stay!

Those few chaotic days paused my ILB Imagine Challenge briefly, but they sure as heck didn’t stop me. 🏃‍♀️ 🏊

And we’re still not done...
I stepped back into the speaking arena- finally.
Speaking again for a cause so deeply personal: Breast Cancer Awareness. 💗

First, the phenomenal Midlands Hospice breakfast event last Friday. My soul was flying. I am so grateful for the incredible humans in my community.

Then, straight onto a plane to JHB to speak at the Sisonke Sisters Breast Cancer event at Kyalami Country Club.

The connections.
The stories.
The depth.
The beauty.

It blew me away.
It moved me to tears.
It lit me up.

But what a fabulous weekend, spent with my uber-efficient and all-round awesome-to-hang-with assistant from Cape Town. (Did I mention the out-of-this-world pedis from Sorbet Group?!) Forever grateful to Dom from Sisonke Sisters, who instinctively knew I’d need the moral support on this emotional weekend journey.

Just three days later, I launched the SAFE AGAIN: Healing Trauma Across Generations workshop- my first two live workshops in almost a year.

The month was a blur.
Friendships made.
Old bonds rekindled.

Excitement. Anxiety.
Joy. Chaos. Awe.

All the ups and downs of life- thrown into a few big, beautiful weeks.

And I’ve been reminded…

A spectacular life will always come with the whole rollercoaster…

Don’t numb it.
Feel it.
Go with it.
(Stopping a rollercoaster mid-air will only throw you out.)

Emotions can’t kill you- but avoiding them can break you.
So feel. Feel the whole lot.

Rest. Rest. Rest.
Capacity vs. capability- that gem from last week keeps showing up on repeat.
And I’m learning (slowly, clumsily) to honour it.

Live. Live fully. Live passionately.
This is it. One life. No do-overs.
Find what makes your heart sing- and do it.
None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

With love- and not even close to being ready for Christmas decorations yet,
Naomi ❤️🎄🙅‍♀️some

30/10/2025

Still buzzing…

What a brilliant past two days it’s been, presenting the SAFE AGAIN Online Masterclass to the most incredible groups of people.

True human speaking here –
Yes, I feel so ALIVE.
And also… Completely, utterly spent.

Four presentations in six days.
I danced, paced, hummed, jived, shook like a wet shaggy dog (if you were there- you know!).

I poured every ounce of energy I had into every moment.
Spoke from the rawest part of my heart.
And now…

I’m finished. Gloriously finished.

But then – Life sent me a reminder.
A beautiful one.
From a woman I met at Saturday’s Breast Cancer conference – one of those rare, instant soul connections. She sent me a post that said:

“As you plan your week ahead, remember that your capability, and your capacity are two different things.”

Oh, how that landed!
Because it’s true.

This season is inviting me – no, DEMANDING of me – to slow down.

To rest more.
To take on less.
To listen harder.
To meet myself with gentleness and grace.

I’m learning…
And I’m thankful that growth means we KEEP learning – sometimes the same lesson, just at deeper levels.

As I told every group in various talks this past week: feel, feel, feel – FEEL.IT.ALL.

So here I am –
Exhilarated and exhausted,
Passionate and humbled,
Still burning bright, but learning to honour the limits of my current flame.

To be bold with boundaries.
To be soft with self.
To trust that my capability remains
Even when my capacity asks me to pause.

So tonight, I’m taking my tired, grateful body, mind and soul – off to bed.

Thank you to every single one of you who showed up with open hearts, who shared your pain, your courage, your stories.

THAT- right there- is how we begin to heal.

With love (and now in pyjamas),
Naomi ❤️

28/10/2025

Today’s session was nothing short of extraordinary! 🤩

Over 2.5 hours of connection, reflection, and healing - the energy in that room was palpable!

Here’s what some attendees shared:

“So grateful I signed up - learning SO much already.”
“That was just incredible.”
“So much insight. Thank you so much.”

If you missed the first live, you still have one final chance to join us tomorrow, Tuesday 29 October @ 6pm SAST | 4pm GMT | 3am AEDT (next day).

In this 2.5-hour live workshop, we’ll explore:
�🌿 What trauma really is (and isn’t)�
🧠 How it shows up in children, teens, and adults�
💗 What the nervous system needs to feel safe again�
🌸 Simple, practical ways to support healing at home, work, or in the classroom

👉 Your seat covers the live session, access to the replay for a minimum of 12 months PLUS access to my most popular masterclasses - Raising Resilient Kids & Teens + Navigating Big Emotions in Kids & Teens (2025 Re-Recorded + Remastered Versions)

👉 Grab a seat at the link in bio for just $77/R1200:
https://naomiholdt.com/safe-again-trauma-healing/

See you there!

With love,�
Naomi ❤️

27/10/2025

Just a quick heads-up: Tomorrow is session one of the Safe Again: Trauma Healing Across Generations workshop! 🎉

I’m incredibly excited (butterflies in the tummy-type-thing to be honest – even after years of doing this, I still feel that lovely adrenaline before meeting a new group!).

If you haven’t enrolled yet, make sure you don’t miss this if you’ve been intending to join this time-slot.

This is essentially the final call to register ahead of tomorrow's live event.

If you miss the first workshop don't worry - I am running a SECOND one on Wednesday, 29 October @ 6pm SAST | 4pm GMT!

So if you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll do it later,” this is later, ! It only takes a minute now, and then you’ll be all set.

To recap, tomorrow's session is at 10am SAST | 7pm AEDT.

If you can’t make that exact time, remember that by signing up you’ll still get the replay for 12 months plus all the materials and bonuses OR you can jump in for Wednesday's session.

Several people have actually signed up specifically for the replay because they can’t attend live but really want the content.

So don’t let scheduling stop you – you can absolutely still benefit.

I also want to say, if you’re feeling a bit anxious about attending (totally normal by the way), let me reassure you: you can keep your camera off if you prefer, you won’t be put on the spot to talk, and you can participate at your comfort level.

Some people will be chatting away in the Zoom chat; others will be quietly taking notes – whatever works for you.

It’s a safe space.
We’re all human, and I ALWAYS lead with that in mind. 😉

Over the past few posts, I’ve shared a lot about what you’ll learn, the bonuses, and the impact this knowledge can have.

I won’t repeat all of that again. I’ll just ask you to consider: Where could you be tomorrow after spending 2.5 hours on this?

🌿 You might find you have a new perspective on that challenging situation in your family.
🌿 You might feel validated about something you’ve been through and carry less guilt.
🌿 You might gain a far greater insight into things about yourself and have a few of those relieving “A-Ha” moments. (My favourite!)

These are actual outcomes people have reported after my workshops, and it fills me with so much joy to pass these gifts along.

If even a part of you is saying “Yes, I need this,” please listen to that voice.

👉 Dates: Tuesday, 28 October @ 10am SAST \ 7pm AEDT
OR Wednesday, 29 October @ 6pm SAST \ 3am AEDT (next day)
👉 Where: Live on Zoom
👉 Investment: $77 / R1200 (PayPal and PayFast options available at checkout)

There will be a Q&A at the end of the session so you can ask me your burning questions AND you'll have access to the replay for a minimum of 12 months!

You can register for a seat here 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 – it’s your ticket into what I hope will be a transformative experience.

https://naomiholdt.com/safe-again-trauma-healing/

If you are joining, get ready for a powerful session. 💪

Either way, remember to be gentle with yourself; understanding and healing trauma is a process, and you’re already on the path just by being curious.

This is your moment! I’d love to see you in the workshop, but either way, I’m cheering you on. Always.

With love,
Naomi ❤️‍🩹

📸 Post nervous system regulation! Something we’ll be speaking so much about!

26/10/2025

Yesterday, after delivering a keynote on my breast cancer journey, my feet were SO tired and I decided that pedicures with my assistant at Sorbet Group Sandton - something small and ordinary… was ABSOLUTELY necessary.

As I leaned back, I looked up and saw this on the wall:
“Self care is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”

And I smiled - because that, right there, has been one of the greatest lessons of this season.

For so long, I thought self-care had to be something fancy - the spa day, the weekend away, the “when there’s time” kind of thing.

But it’s not.

Self-care is booking the check-up.
It’s eating properly when you’d rather skip the meal.
It’s taking the walk.
It’s saying no.
It’s going to therapy.
It’s resting - without guilt.

When cancer entered my story, I learned very quickly that caring for myself wasn’t optional - it was survival.

And yet, the more I did it, the more I realised: it’s not just survival. It’s healing.

Because when we care for ourselves first, we show up better for everyone else - as partners, parents, leaders, and friends.

So if you needed a reminder today:

You don’t have to earn rest.
You don’t have to justify care.
Looking after yourself is not selfish - it’s sacred.

👇

This weekend was full - two talks, laughter, treadmill runs with my assistant, and this quiet moment of stillness.

A small, powerful reminder that self-care doesn’t have to be loud or expensive - just intentional.

Because protecting your nervous system, your peace, and your energy isn’t indulgent.

It’s your responsibility to yourself. 🌿

My question for you today is, what have YOU done for YOURself today?

Love,
Naomi ❤️

PS. Shoutout to THE best assistant for snapping this AND to Regi & Ntosh for the most jaw dropping foot massages! 😍

Address

Hilton
3245

Opening Hours

Monday	08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 16:00
Thursday	09:00 - 16:00
Friday	09:00 - 16:00

Telephone

073 585 4672

Website

https://naomiholdt.com/bio/, https://naomi-holdt.shopstar.co.za/

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