In this vulnerable and fiercely empowering conversation, Sarah is joined by Hailey Nielson—a survivor, speaker, and mother—who breaks the silence around trauma,and reclaiming self-worth. Together, they unpack the insidious ways religion and societal shame narratives can distort our healing. Hailey’s story is one of reclamation: of her body, voice, faith, and future. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, and choosing to show up messy, honest, and brave. Whether you’ve been told you’re “too much” or never enough, this episode will remind you that your healing isn’t a flaw—it’s your superpower.
“I’m not broken. I’m in the process of becoming.” — Hailey Nielson
“Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is say, ‘That hurt me.’” — Sarah Jordan-Ross
“We’re not crazy—we’re survivors with nervous systems doing the best they can.” — Hailey Nielson
Hailey Nielson
Trauma survivor, speaker, and advocate for embodied healing and faith reformation. She is passionate about creating safe spaces for people—especially women and mothers—to reclaim their worth and rewrite their stories.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (00:00) Hey, welcome back to Taboo Talk with Sarah, podcast that fosters hope, breaks the silences and talks about the tough stuff so you never have to feel alone. We make space for stories we carry in silence, the truth behind the smiles and the strength it takes to show up when life feels messy. I'm your host, Sarah Jordan Ross, and today we're diving into the layered, often unseen terrain of motherhood.
with my very special guest, Hayley Nelson, it's her first time on a podcast and I am so happy that she chose to be on this one with me. Hayley has a passion for helping mums and children live authentically and free. She's here to share how mindful, emotionally intelligent parenting can become a healing force for ourselves, for our kids and the generations to come.
We'll talk about parenting while still healing, what it means to build legacies of freedom, and the quiet courage it takes to raise confident, joyful kids in a world that often asks us to abandon ourselves. If you've ever felt stretched thin between your own pain and the love you pour into your family, this one's for you. Hayley, thank you so much for being here.
Hailey Nielson (01:21)
Thank you for having me.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (01:24)
So let's start with your story and with what lights you up. What sparked this passion of yours for mindful parenting and building a legacy?
Hailey Nielson (01:36)
So I had my, I was a young mother at 19. I had my first daughter and I feel like I had a unique parenting style at a young age even. Knowing that motherhood just was different. was, I saw things different. The way I raised my children versus other moms that I saw in the playground. I feel like I've been a mindful parent since I had my first child.
But I feel like over time with the world and how things are and things that we've been through and being going through domestic violence, going through abusive relationships, I feel like it's really been important to be mindful and to be, know, I mean, obviously to protect your child, but to know what's happening and to help them adjust to the challenges we're facing, whether it be, you know, financial or...
just worldly. There's so many things that we need to we need to keep our children in mind for sure and let them know what's happening. And so yes, that's been very
Sarah Jordan-Ross (02:45)
parenting
is a tough gig.
Hailey Nielson (02:47)
Yes, for sure. But it's also so rewarding, know, there's so many things. So rewarding.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (02:55)
Yeah, it's the best job ever. But there are those days where it makes you want to tear your hair out or you question whether you're doing it right. So you speak a lot in your work about wanting mums to live authentically and free. Can you share a bit about what that's looked like for you in your own life? What got you to that space?
Hailey Nielson (03:05)
Yes, definitely.
⁓ I feel-
Yes, I feel like through my challenges and through things I've been through, like I said, having a young mom, being- being- going through different relationship challenges, going through domestic violence, going through, ⁓ worldly changes, I guess, ⁓ I feel like being authentic has never been, you know, I- I- I grew up with six brothers, or, I mean, not six in the household, but three brothers, and I was the only girl, and there was always this-
expectation from my even from my dad, you know to to keep up and to and I always just had this tough exterior I guess and And it never was really me. I mean, of course I have that but I was never able to just be the girl I was supposed to be I was never able to Just you know, I mean, I feel like there was always judgment from somewhere and it wasn't you know, my dad was in a military family It's not that it was he did a great job that my parents did the best they could you know what the
education and the resources they had growing up. And I feel like as I went through things, through my children too, like being authentic, being able to tell my child what's happening or going through a divorce and being able to explain to them to a point where it's not hurting them, but it's helping them understand instead of being so confused. That really is what sparked my ⁓ urge to be authentic. And as I've...
I've been single for six years and I've been a single parent for six years. That's really through my children and through our growth, that's really what's helped me be myself. Because all we have is ourself. All we have is each other. to help raise a teenager and a toddler, mean, encouraging them to be themselves is what you have to do in this world today.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (05:06)
And it's not always easy to shine that light for them because I know I would hate to be a teenager now. It's just so different to what we had. I'm perhaps a little bit older than you and I was a... where you were a young mum, I was an older mum. So and when I was a teenager, if we were having...
rough time at school home was our our sanctuary or if we were having a rough time at home then school got to be where we escaped but I don't think kids now have that to the same extent that we did.
Hailey Nielson (05:48)
I agree.
It's kind of, I feel like there's so many kids that are navigating alone and there's so many parents that are disconnected from their children because of devices and because of, I mean, distractions that they're raising themselves, you know? So, kind of helping them find out who they are. It's our job. We're the example. It's our responsibility to help them find that safe space, you know?
Sarah Jordan-Ross (06:10)
it's hard to find yourself when you're constantly surrounded by judgment or expectation and sometimes even it's unexpressed expectation. So how do you help parents and kids navigate that? The figuring out who they are and then being that in the world.
Hailey Nielson (06:22)
Yes, exactly.
I feel like finding, helping the parent be strong ⁓ and obviously the healing aligned with your children is so, it's so possible and so attainable and so powerful and helping the parent kind of find what they want, what their dreams are, what they want to do, know, kind of help them tap into that child, that childhood dream or that something that they desire to do so they're happy and they,
shine happiness and they can help their children and be a role model for their kids instead of going to work, being upset, know, learning. I mean, I was raised that you, you know, you work for everything you have. There's no handouts. There's no dreams or not even a disgust. I mean, was anything until I was older. So I feel like helping the parent find out what truly makes them happy. and, ⁓
kind of helping them navigate. I I asked people in the grocery store or, you know, what do you want? What's your dream? And people will tell me, you know, I wish I could do this. And I'm like, well, why can't you? You can do it. It's attainable. And kind of helping people change their perspective instead of being in a box, you know, and helping, I mean, that's what I feel like we have to do with our children. So we all have this old school parenting, this old school mentality that needs to be really broken into and kind of, you know, be a dreamer.
and let's figure out what you want to do so your children can chase their dreams also.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (08:02)
Yeah, because you can't guide somebody else to follow their dreams if you don't actually know what your own are as well. So helping people find that. So one of the big things we're going to be talking about in Taboo Talk coming up is that tension between caring for others and helping them be authentically themselves when you're also carrying your own pain. So what has that looked like? ⁓
Have there been moments where you've had to parent through exhaustion, overwhelm? You mentioned going on that healing journey with your kids. So can you unpack that a little bit more for us?
Hailey Nielson (08:41)
Yes, so I
have been, I mean, I look back and it's crazy how to think I even got through that parenting when going through fear, very heightened states of fear, going through, you know, having a protective order with ⁓ my youngest daughter's father and having and living in that state of fear and then parenting also and trying to help your kids know, feel safe and also
because you don't want your kids to feel scared when you're scared. So creating ⁓ something that is where they feel safe, where they feel comforted, but also being a mom was the hardest thing I think I can think of. And all I could do is just keep consistency, keep the sense of normalcy, keep the, you know, if I was alarmed, take a break, take a minute and really try to process it and not let them see, you know, and it's not hiding.
But I was being authentic. so when they were to ask me what was happening or ask questions, I was in a good state of mind where I could share it with them where they felt safe still. So a state of overwhelm, just being a single parent and having to kind of navigate on my own. I've really gotten close with my 17 year old. She's seen so many things, but at the same time, it's helped her grow into.
the woman she is, it's helped our faith, it's brought us together. Our faith is, I mean, it grows every day. Like we are united because of our trials and what we went through, because I didn't leave her out, because I included her and answered her questions. And I feel like there's parents want to protect their children and not share things with them, but at the same time, that's almost hurting them because it's not, you're not helping them be self-aware. it's like, it's teaching them authenticity.
without even realizing it. Like this is mom, this is what I'm going through, this is what's happening and we get through it. There's ⁓ there's nothing hidden, I guess. And then you build trust, right?
Sarah Jordan-Ross (10:50)
That's it. And our kids are a lot.
Smarter and more aware than we sometimes give them credit for so they know when something's going on they know when something's Not right and even as babies they they tune into your emotions. So if you're scared worried upset they're going to be as Well, but if you can share with them, yeah, I am all of those things But I'm also I'm gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay and you can talk about how you both
feeling and navigate through it together rather than them feeling like yeah that's the thing mum's doing but I'm just over here by myself. I'm just making them feel connected.
Hailey Nielson (11:35)
Yes, and don't get me wrong, there's been times
where we've been both heightened and we've been both, you know, but getting to that meeting at the point where we're able to both come down or both, you know, I mean, that builds so much trust, like I was saying, and those moments of ⁓ there is no perfect pairing and there is no perfect way to handle things, but to be present of your children and what they're going through is...
I mean, it's so rewarding and so enriching and so powerful and it's going to help them as adults too, you know, and their parenting and their future.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (12:13)
Yeah, we're all looking for that connection and that place where we belong. And Brené Brown points out brilliantly how belonging and fitting in are not the same thing. That's like belonging is where you fit in and you're accepted and loved just for who you are. Where fitting in asks you to change who you are. And I love that you create that space where
your children and you fit, you belong.
Now you mentioned your faith. So how much of part in your healing journey has your faith played?
Hailey Nielson (12:57)
A huge part, the biggest part. And I think that that's something that is so sacred and so important for people to realize that when I started going through challenges and since I was in high school, I had been going through things and I gave up. just felt, there was a point where I just felt, I was angry, I was upset. was thinking there's no way that he would put me through these things.
Um, and in the middle of a very hard time, um, the hardest time, one of the most abusive relationships I was in, um, my oldest daughter said, mom, you know, it's not God's fault. It's not talk, start talking about praying. I was like, I couldn't even, she threw me off and I
And I, we're very close, so we're very intuitive to each other's how we're thinking. ⁓ And she asked me to say a prayer with her and I did. I was still in the state of fear thinking, okay, you know. And after she said that prayer, it really made me realize like, my gosh, I haven't prayed for so long. Like I haven't, there were so many things that came in. There were so many things that night, the next morning, there was, I I opened my...
I opened my scriptures and just randomly opened them and there was, I was being spoken to and there was things that there was no way, I mean word for word, there's no way anybody else, there's no way. It had to be our heavenly father and we, from that day, we started having the missionaries over. We started having just different experiences that I was having with Hudson, my 17 year old daughter.
who had this amazing faith, but knew that I was in a state of fear. And so I really, I really owe it to her to that she really, there was something God put her in charge of me to pull me back in because it was powerful and she wasn't even baptized yet, you know? And so through our experiences, through that one prayer, it led to so many things and so many answered prayers, so many blessings.
And my five year old, know, I mean, she says, we say a prayer when we're laying in bed at night. She, she has such a strong testimony already because she has example, her sister is an example. She has, it's only us three. So creating that, I mean, sitting in church with them and having that, that feeling of it's, it's, there's no feeling like it. and literally.
our faith has gotten got me to where am today. It's helped me be a better person. It's helped me. I have more clarity. I have more. I have I started seeing colors different like colors became brighter. It sounds crazy, but things just started clearing up and and now today we have and Hudson decided to get baptized on her birthday and ⁓ she chose that day and it was just from from that day on. I swear that we have.
So many things have happened and it wouldn't be happening without our faith. There's no way. was, I isolated myself. I was alone, but I wasn't alone. And now he's walking with us and yeah, I just have, I have so much to share when it comes to that and how important it is to pray with your children. Like to say a prayer with your children, to kneel down on your knees and say a prayer with your children at night is so powerful. And it's just something that is
⁓ it's sacred you know it's something that's not not the not not it's hard to share with other people because not everybody wants to talk about religion but it's such a big part of my story as i come out and share this with my that i'm not i'm not afraid to share my part of my faith that has gotten me here
Sarah Jordan-Ross (16:54)
Yeah.
That's why I called my podcast Taboo Talk because it gives me permission to talk about anything I want to and with a lot of people that I've spoken to their faith is a big part of who they are and how they move through the world and I know for me with some of the challenges that I've been through I don't think I would have gotten through it without
my faith. There's one thing I know for sure that I've learned along the way. There is a plan. Some days I really wish you'd let me in on what it is, but doesn't always happen. And I'd also like if some of my lessons could be delivered minus the cosmic boot up the backside, or at least take the steel caps off before they kick me. But usually that's the...
Hailey Nielson (17:41)
I get it.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (18:00)
the way I learn that things are very obvious and can't avoid looking at them anymore but there's always that when I trust that there is a plan and I lean into that and I pay attention to the signals around me things tend to work out really well it's when I do the but I want it to look like this and I want it to be like that that it's like no I've got something better in mind
And I know my mum said once, so I was raised with faith, both my parents grew up in Catholic boarding schools. ⁓ I have four aunts who are nuns, so God was a given in my life. I married an atheist.
Hailey Nielson (18:43)
Mm-hmm.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (18:46)
And my mum said at one point, he needs God in his life and when that happens, everything else will just fall into place. And I don't mind admitting that as mums have a bad habit of being, she was absolutely right. And when God did get his hands on everything turned around.
At the point where he came to faith, we were on the edge of bankruptcy, the edge of divorce. Our marriage was all over bar the shouting. But then when he found God and a relationship with God and a faith that is a all day, every day, how you live your life kind of faith, not a go to church on a Sunday and be seen to be doing
Hailey Nielson (19:36)
Thank
Sarah Jordan-Ross (19:40)
all the right things, everything in our life turned around and we had two children at that stage, we now have three.
Hailey Nielson (19:42)
Right.
That's amazing.
That's beautiful. Yeah, that's.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (19:55)
that things can turn around in unexpected ways.
Hailey Nielson (20:01)
And that's where I... Yes, our faith is... I wrote right here, my faith is what led us out of the darkness. I believe all my trials definitely were for everything I've been through, no matter how intense. I know it was for a reason. I know that God was there the whole time. I know that He was... But I had to go through these things, to be able to... Now I can help people. Now I can help other people.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (20:01)
and then I'll fight.
Hailey Nielson (20:30)
because I know the difference. If I hadn't been through, you know, domestic violence or certain things, ⁓ even medical misdiagnosis, like I would not be able to, I wouldn't know what's real. I wouldn't be able to help people and be understanding and be able to help them through their problems. If I didn't have children who went through what they went through, I wouldn't be able to be able to have that empathy for mothers or children or to know how to bridge that. So I feel like it was a big blessing.
in disguise no matter how crazy that sounds and spill.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (21:02)
No, it doesn't sound crazy. It sounds like something a lot of people would be able to relate to. Those things that we go through, there is a purpose behind them and sometimes if we can turn that pain into purpose, like Jackie Wilkinson talks about it in her book and in the couple of conversations that we've had, her book's called Turning the Tables on Trauma.
Hailey Nielson (21:04)
Mm-hmm.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (21:28)
She turned that pain into a purpose and into helping other people overcome similar things to what she had and you're doing the same. So you've mentioned legacy and what are some of those generational patterns that you're consciously trying to shift or breaking through with how you parent now?
Hailey Nielson (21:55)
So the legacy is not based on money or based on material, anything. It's based on what I want my children to take with them for their children and for my grandchildren. And that is connected to authenticity again, resilience and to feeling knowing who you are and knowing how to navigate in the world and being mindful of other people. ⁓
There has been so many things that my older daughter, you my ex was very, he wasn't very nice and they were very, they parented very different or he did. And my 17 year old daughter has come to really, I mean, there's things about me being mindful with other kids, being kind, being mindful, service, giving service, just knowing what to do at the right time, knowing how to help one another and being a good person, right?
And so that's really what I want to build a legacy of freedom because if you have all those things and you have your faith and you are God serving and you are you're honest and you have an integrity and you know integrity is a big one for us. ⁓ Then you I feel like the rest will come and fall into place and the gifts and the blessings that they're meant to receive they will get if they are you know giving giving back and being and being themselves and they get to they get to be themselves instead of being confined and being restricted to.
to what the world wants them to be, you know? So that's the legacy of freedom is I feel really passionate about, like I wanna help mothers who have felt that, have not felt freedom, have felt confined, help them break those patterns of domestic violence or trauma, the trauma, like Jackie, I love Jackie, breaking the patterns, you know, and helping them live and be who they were meant to be.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (23:44)
Yeah.
So when you say freedom, what does that actually mean for you?
Hailey Nielson (23:54)
⁓ Freedom means living by your own terms, living on your being yourself, living how you were, how God made you to live. ⁓ freedom, you know, that's what my, that's why I feel so free right now with my children and what we're going through. And, ⁓
And I'm still working on it and I'm still getting involved in things and I'm doing different things every day. ⁓ having that freedom to be ourselves, to not be uncomfortable, to not feel shame, to not feel guilt, to me that's freedom. And when you get to live who you are and be who you are, that's free. People might say money is freedom. And for a while I thought money, my gosh.
Money is freedom and when we have money we'll be free. But that's not it. We have so many things. We are rich. And because we have things that other people don't have. ⁓ So helping other people attain those is freedom, I feel like.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (25:05)
Because while money can get you some things, the fact that we both live in a country where as women we're allowed to get an education and we're allowed to express an opinion. We're in so many places in the world. For women that's not true.
Hailey Nielson (25:24)
Yes, exactly. that's, yes, creating it internationally where people could, that's where I was sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to, that's where I want to do and take it is I want to create a international women's network to go to different places and to literally, I mean, I want to see all of everybody, know, all the women and children all over the world and help them too.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (25:49)
So how about you share a bit of that vision with us of what you'd really like, of that change that you would like to see.
Hailey Nielson (25:56)
So yeah, that's, I mean, that's, it's something that I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. And I actually just joined a, I'm part of a group now that ⁓ helps exchange students come from, or help them, we have a college here, so help them find housing here. ⁓ And so that's new to me, but I'm starting to do things a little bit globally to kind of get my, to get out there, I guess. But just creating a legacy of.
a legacy of freedom for women everywhere to go to, I mean, to go everywhere, to go to these different countries and to see how they're living, to help them get to where they need to go. And it might be different than here, but I have this deep, I have a passion to do it. I want my daughters, I want my daughters to go with me. They want to, if I said, go to Africa, they'd say, okay, let's go. And I have a 21 year old daughter in California and she would be right there with me too.
you know, saying she'll break up with her boyfriend, but he'll understand because that's the unity we have. That's the vision that we have, you know, going to Africa to help or going anywhere to help the kids who are hungry. I mean, this is something that I know that I can't change the world by myself. I know that it takes a team. know that, making an impact and talking and being and speaking on stages and educating people and trying to help them understand.
on a different level than, you know, what they need to do. that, like I was saying, that classic old school mentality of how things should work, you know, and embracing every, embracing each person. And it's just, to me, that's powerful. To me, to take my children there and to go around and have different shelters. I would love to have women's shelters for women and children and those shelters to have children or to have...
Like a coach in the shelters to help the women know and try to figure out what that dream is like I was saying to try to figure out what they what they truly want because when you're in crisis and You're going through trauma or pain or any of those things. Let's get the mom Well, so then it's the mom and the child could thrive because even if it takes, you know forever I mean starting somewhere and helping those mothers know they might not even know what they want to do by helping them tap into something and finding something that is Enriching for them so they could be a better mother
or they could be a happier, not a better mother, but they can thrive. I feel like that's breaking those multi-generational curses of consistent trauma and tragedy. I mean, I feel so driven to do that and so called to do that. And ⁓ I just, like I said, I'm not gonna stop until I do it. However I do it, I don't know, but it's a calling that's like deep in my soul. And I just woke up one morning and felt
felt so so it was the confirmation I felt so compelled to do it that it just has not gone away since that morning I woke up and ⁓ and I pray about it and every time I pray about it I feel like it just gets stronger like he's saying like this like more more strength more more passion more you know and I know that it's something that has to be needed
Sarah Jordan-Ross (29:13)
Yeah, because so often for so long, mothers in particularly, we put them put ourselves at the bottom of the the priority list, forgetting that if we collapse in a screaming heap, that's when our kids are at the most risk when they're in the most
trouble is when we fall apart. So we need to be doing those things that light us up, that keep us connected, that keep us grounded in our truth and allow us to be the guides and the light that our children need us to be.
Hailey Nielson (29:52)
Yes.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (29:52)
And I love that that's the message that you're sharing with the world. So if somebody was listening now and they're in the thick of of those challenges that you went through, they're burnt out, they're doubting themselves, they're overwhelmed, they're struggling with domestic violence or even just the young mum being completely overwhelmed by
how hard parenting actually can be because yet no one gives you an instruction book and tells you how it's going to be.
Hailey Nielson (30:27)
Thank
Sarah Jordan-Ross (30:34)
And I know as an older mum, it's like, work side, I had that down. This tiny little baby threw me for a loop because it's like, yeah, I've looked after other people's kids. I know what to do until I can hand them back, but this one I don't get to hand back. So, yeah. And I think we all need other mums to come beside us and say, hey, yeah, I get it.
Hailey Nielson (30:50)
All right. Yes.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (31:03)
You need to take care of yourself so you can take good care of them. But what's one simple thing you would say to another mum who's in the space that you once were?
Hailey Nielson (31:13)
I would say, well, before I say that too, I want to start, I'm starting like a women's group too for moms so everybody can kind of have that support system. so yeah, that's something that's in the works. And I would say the biggest thing would be, ⁓ I mean, I want to say prayer first. I want to say pray and, you know, and ask for strength and ask for guidance and ask for the answers. And, but I would say, and to me that's self care.
But self-care is the biggest thing, think. And praying is part of self-care, but I feel like that's something that is way more powerful in a sense because you're obviously talking to creator. But self-care, I feel like that's one of my biggest things in my whole, you have to take care of yourself, like you were saying, and you have to be able to think. Because if you can't think properly, you can't.
You know, you can't navigate, you can't take care of your child, you can't, you start getting depressed. I mean, I've had depression, anxiety, PTSD, I've been diagnosed with ADD, I've been diagnosed with bipolar, I mean, everything you can think of and everything that I was diagnosed with, I mean, I've been, even epilepsy one time and I'm like, there's no way, like I didn't believe it and I'm fine now, but it was circumstantial. was however I was being perceived by the doctor.
due to trauma, due to fear, due to overwhelm and pain and all these things, I was diagnosed with something that if I would have followed that diagnosis, it would have been really hard for me to navigate in the world. But I'm not saying not to follow what the doctors say, but just use your intuition and take care of yourself and take those baths and sit down and look at children. If you're having a hard day, this is what I do. If you're having a hard time,
I get on the floor and I look at my toddler. I look at her and I look in her eyes and everything is fine and she'll just hug me or whatever or we'll play or anything that she always resets me. And I'm so grateful for that. And my older girls were raised differently because it was a different time and I was a young mom and I didn't protect them per se like as much as I do with Winter, my five year old, because I did the best that I could with the skills they had. But my five year old...
We, we, have a connection with all my girls, but that's what helps me look at your children and, and just look in their eyes and hug them. And it literally is magic. It's powerful and bond with them. And that's healing. Stay off devices, stay off of the, know, however you need to heal or navigate. But I feel like that's authentically, that's so, that's so important to touch base and to tap in.
Because when you lose that connection with your children, it's really hard for you to take care of yourself because then they're not, you lose, they're out of control, they're lost more, you know, more so. yeah, I'm just passionate about that. Like that works for me and self-care is very important.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (34:25)
It's about connection and community. So often we try to do everything all by ourselves and think we have to do everything all by ourselves and have all those answers. But we were designed to do life in community. We were designed to help each other and to nurture each other and to be connected with ourselves, with each other and with God. You and I both call the higher power God, but
It doesn't matter what you call that higher power, it is all about connecting with that source and with that source within yourself as well and then sharing that with your kids. So Hayley, is there anything else you perhaps haven't shared with the world that you really want to now?
Hailey Nielson (35:08)
Mm-hmm.
I just feel like when you say community, just made me think, you know, I just had this vision of, of, know, taking your, taking your child to the park and just talking to another mom. You know, if you, I'm like a helicopter mom. So like I'm at the park and all the kids are, I'm like in the middle of all the kids, you know, but, but, you know, having that connection in that community too, if you're feeling very isolated, going to, going,
to the library and sitting and just try to connect with another mother because that's really healing and really helpful also. And the community is important because being isolated is not helpful for anybody, not for the child, not for the mother, not for anybody, not for the growth. I feel like it's important to feel good about yourself and to be connected and to have that connection. And I just want to say that I am
I am so grateful for this opportunity to be talking to you right now and it is my first podcast and so I just, it's empowering and it's inspiring and I'm excited for this journey to share with other people and to help mothers and to help the children too and healing alongside your children is so powerful and it's so attainable and it might sound crazy because a mother and a child that shouldn't, but it's so
you can do it. And I feel like the power within us and our higher power and our source means something and we matter. And each one of you, everybody matters. And so just keep that life line open for community or for, yeah, just don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to deal with, you know, be brave and
and take the next step to better your life if you can.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (37:23)
Now if our listeners wanted to connect with you and work with you more, what's the best way for them to do that?
Hailey Nielson (37:29)
So probably on Facebook right now. I'm still in the beginning stages of creating. So yeah, it's HaleyNilson40 at Gmail, or Gmail, just 40, or Gmail. That's my email also, actually. So yes, and if anybody wants to email or chat, or I'm here for whoever needs support, absolutely.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (37:44)
you
Hailey Nielson (37:57)
And it doesn't matter if you want to be anonymous or I'm here to help.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (38:03)
I think that's part of why I started this podcast was I've been a massage therapist for 25 years and I kept hearing similar stories in clinic of people going through really similar experiences but feeling like they were all alone in it and so well hey if you're talking to me about it and so is somebody else you're obviously not alone in that but I wanted to create that space where
we can share our stories and where we can say, hey, I get it, I see you, I hear you, how can I actually help you? Because what each one of us needs at any given moment will be different for each of us because we've gone through different experiences to get to where we are on.
our motherhood journey and there is days where motherhood is the absolute best thing in the world and you absolutely rock it and you wouldn't change it for anything and there's other days where to put it bluntly motherhood kicks your ass and I think we need other mums to pick us up dust us off and say hey it's okay go out there again
Hailey Nielson (39:10)
Mm-hmm.
Exactly.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (39:22)
and then hopefully you'll see those
things come in the next time it.
Hailey Nielson (39:25)
⁓ Yeah, it's reassurance to knowing that you're at comfort knowing that you're not alone and knowing that you're not crazy that you just, you know, it helps a lot for sure.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (39:32)
Yeah.
Yeah, and that we share those stories. Stories are what connects us. So I really want to thank you for being here. I'm so glad you chose my podcast to be your first one. I have a funny feeling it won't be the last and it probably won't be the last time we see you on Taboo Talk either. So thank you so much for joining us and for sharing your story.
Hailey Nielson (39:40)
Yes.
Yeah.
I'm
Thank you.
Absolutely.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (40:03)
I'm
sure your words will ripple through everyone who's listening and doing her best to raise kids while healing themselves because sometimes that's the hard thing is navigating through helping your kids when you're struggling to help yourself but as Hayley shared there is help and support out there so please reach out for it.
Hailey Nielson (40:24)
Yeah.
this.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (40:33)
And
your presence here today Hailey reminds us that motherhood isn't about perfection, it's about presence, it's about showing up, connecting with them and loving them and choosing to do that over and over even when it's hard.
Hailey Nielson (40:55)
Yes.
Sarah Jordan-Ross (40:56)
To every mum listening, you're not behind, you're not failing, you're doing sacred quiet work and every time you show up with honesty even when it's hard you're doing a great job. I'll put Hayley's links in in the show notes so that you can connect with her.
And if this conversation moved you, then share it with a friend. Share it with somebody who needs to hear it, who needs to know that no matter what's going on, they're not alone. Remember, when we speak the unspoken, we build something more powerful than awareness. We build community, and we build a community that helps to build each other up. So until next time.
I'm Sarah Jordan Ross and this has been Taboo Talk. So please, till we see you again, take care of yourselves, take care of each other and remember, your story matters so please share it because you never know when your story might be the thing that helps heal someone else. Bye for now.
Hailey Nielson (42:09)
Yes.
Thank you. Bye.