Listen to Empower Her Wellness
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In a recent episode of the Empower Her Wellness podcast, host Shelly sat down with Heather Hester, a passionate advocate and guide for parents of LGBTQ+ teens. Heather is the host of the podcast Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ+ Teen and author of the book Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower, and Love Your LGBTQ+ Teen. Her story and work provide valuable insights into supporting LGBTQ+ children and fostering understanding and compassion.
A Mother’s Unexpected Journey
Heather Hester’s journey began when her oldest son, Connor, came out as gay at the age of 16. Heather, who has four children, recalls being completely blindsided. It wasn’t about being upset or angry; instead, it was the sheer shock and realization that they had no idea how to navigate this new path. As parents, she and her husband suddenly faced a multitude of questions: How do we support him? How do we parent a gay teenager?
In those first critical months after Connor came out, Heather and her husband faced numerous challenges that highlighted how unprepared they were. They encountered struggles they hadn’t anticipated, including Connor’s mental health issues and substance use. These difficulties seemed to compound, with each new challenge surfacing before they had even processed the previous one. As Heather pointed out, this is something many parents, regardless of their child’s sexual orientation, can relate to—feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to support a child facing significant life struggles.
About Heather
Heather Hester is the founder of Chrysalis Mama which provides support and
education to parents and allies of LGBTQIA adolescents, teenagers, and young
adults. She is also the creator/host of the Top 1% podcast Just Breathe: Parenting
your LGBTQ Teen.
As an advocate and coach, she believes the coming out process
is equal parts beautiful and messy. She works with her clients to let go of fear and
feelings of isolation so that they can reconnect with themselves and their children
with awareness and compassion.
Heather also works within organizations via specialized programming to bring education and empowerment with a human touch. She is delighted to announce that her first book is out in the world as of May 2024 – Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower, and Love Your LGBTQ+ Teen. Married to the funniest guy she’s ever known and the mother of four extraordinary kids (two of whom are LGBTQ) and one sassy mini
bernedoodle, Heather believes in being authentic and embracing the messiness.
You can almost always find her with a cup coffee nearby whether she’s at her
computer, on her yoga mat, or listening to her favorite music.
Your Host – Shelly Drymon
My mission is to empower and inspire women to embrace their life transitions as opportunities for wellness, growth, and self-discovery and live their lives with clarity, purpose, and joy. Committed to honesty, integrity, and authenticity, I lead by example, showing that it’s never too late to live a life you love.
