Feeling to Heal with Julie Marrast

Building Emotional Connection, One Parent at a Time

Today I’m joined by someone who doesn’t just talk about healing—she’s lived it, walked through it, unpacked it, and turned it into a calling. Julie Marrast is an author, educator, and TEDx speaker, and I’d call her a deep-feeler in the best sense. She’s also a client, and the portrait we created together is still one of my favourites. There’s just something in her eyes. That quiet strength, the “I’ve been through it, and I’m still here” kind of look.

Her book, Different Than Your Parents, is a powerful guide to reconnecting with our emotions and creating a new blueprint for parenting. But what stayed with me most in our conversation wasn’t just the parenting advice—it was the way Julie talks about learning to feel again, not just for her son, but for herself.

“And then after 14 days of listening to his feelings, I wasn't able to do it anymore,” she said, “ because I realized that I wasn't listening to mine.”

Linda Mackie & Julie Marrast on the latest episode of The Eloquent Entrepreneur

That moment was a turning point. A breakdown-turned-breakthrough, as she describes sitting in front of the fireplace crying, unable to finish bedtime. It’s where the work began.

She’s not offering hacks or quick fixes. This is deep, ongoing, relational work. Julie has travelled to Peru twice for ayahuasca ceremonies, spent a month at an ashram in India, and most importantly, has learned how to bring that wisdom home—into her daily life as a parent, partner, and teacher.

“It’s great to go and do those things,” she told me, “ [...] but it really comes back to the lifestyle and having different ways to continually increase your sense of safety and release your emotions at the same time.” 

We talked a lot about what emotional release actually looks like. Not just crying on a yoga mat—though that counts too. Julie breaks it down simply: the body has five natural ways to release emotion. Crying, laughing, shaking, yawning, and sweating. You don’t need to go to the jungle to access them, but you do need to give yourself space.

And as someone who holds space for others, Julie’s also careful about her boundaries. She wakes at 4 or 5 a.m., carves out solitude, and works with listening partners—other parents who take turns holding space for each other to feel. It’s beautiful, intentional, and, as she’ll be the first to tell you, absolutely necessary.

“Every time I’m interacting with someone, [...] there’s this reminder of different negative beliefs,” she said. “So I did a release before this podcast and I’ll do one after.” 

That honesty is what stuck with me. The steadiness of someone who’s in it. Not performing healing. Not marketing it. Just doing the work, quietly and daily.

Julie’s big vision? A large online community where parents (and eventually others) can give and receive emotional support. She calls it I Am Connected—a movement rooted in embracing our emotions and reconnecting with ourselves.

She’s not waiting for someone else to build it. She’s starting where she is, with what she has—her voice, her book, her story, her son.

Julie Marrast on the latest episode of The Eloquent Entrepreneur

If you’re a parent, a cycle-breaker, or someone who’s ever wondered why it’s so hard to show up as your whole self, this episode is worth a listen. And if you’re curious about Julie’s work, I’d start with her Getting Started Guide on her website. It’s free, and it asks a simple but powerful question: What are you doing differently?

Thanks for being here. And as always, these conversations remind me—making a difference doesn’t have to be loud or flashy. It can start quietly, in a living room, in the early morning hours, in a moment of honesty between a parent and a child.

That’s where change begins.

Don’t miss this episode, tune in now on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you liked the show and want to learn more about Julie's work, visit her website at www.parentingthroughfeeling.com.