As May brings both Mother’s Day and Mental Health Awareness Month into focus, local therapist, coach and bestselling author Catia Hernandez Holm is starting a deeper conversation — one that goes beyond flowers and brunch. Through her new practice, Bright Light Marriage & Family Therapy, Holm invites women to explore what it really means to support their mothers’ mental health — and their own.
“For so many women, Mother’s Day is emotionally layered. It brings up grief, gratitude, guilt and everything in between,” said Holm, a licensed marriage and family therapist associate and Certified Conscious Parenting Coach. “This year, I want to help women have conversations that actually matter — ones that honor their mothers as whole human beings, while honoring themselves, too.”
With over 1,600 sessions facilitated globally, Holm’s work is rooted in trauma-informed, culturally sensitive care. Her latest message? Supporting your mother’s mental health doesn’t mean fixing her — it means seeing her, listening without rescuing her and holding space with compassion and boundaries.
Five Ways to Support Your Mother’s Mental Health:
• See Her as a Woman, Not Just “Mom”: Recognize her as a full person, with a story of her own — one that existed long before you were born.
• Ask, “How Are You Really Feeling?”: Invite honest conversations and be present without jumping in to fix or manage.
• Hold Compassionate Boundaries: Love doesn’t mean over-functioning. Supporting her mental health includes protecting your own.
• Share Your Journey Without Expecting Change: Say, “This has helped me — would you like to hear it?” and offer insights without pressure.
• Celebrate Who She’s Becoming: Whether she’s 40 or 70, growth is always possible. Acknowledge her evolution, not just her history.
“We all carry stories from our mothers — some painful, some profound,” Holm added. “When we learn how to hold those stories with grace, we begin to break cycles that have shaped generations.”
FOR WOMEN NAVIGATING ESTRANGED OR COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS Catia acknowledges that not every woman has a safe or easy relationship with her mother — and that honoring your own mental health may mean limiting or redefining contact.
“Healing doesn’t always require reconnection,” she said. “Sometimes, the most powerful act of love is choosing peace — for both of you.”
THERAPY ROOTED IN CONNECTION, NOT PERFECTION Holm offers in-person sessions at her new Wimberley practice and virtual therapy across Texas and internationally. Her work supports individuals, couples and families navigating intergenerational trauma, parenting, identity and emotional resilience. Concierge therapy options are also available, offering flexible, personalized care.
Her published works, including The Courage to Become and her 2024 bestseller A Gentle Return, and her TEDx talk “Choose Joy or Die”, have reached audiences around the world. Through it all, her mission remains the same: to create a safe space where people can reconnect — with themselves and with each other.
