In this episode, Verity Jo Coonan explores the real cost of holding space and how that cost changes as capacity grows.
Holding space is one of the most powerful skills a facilitator, coach, therapist, parent, partner, or friend can develop. But when it’s done without nervous system support, boundaries, and embodiment, it can quietly become exhausting.
Verity reflects on the early years of facilitation, when holding space meant absorbing emotions, carrying stories, and needing to find ways to release after every session. She shares how this work transformed once she built real internal support and how holding space shifted from something that drained her to something that genuinely lights her up.
In this conversation, Verity speaks to:
Why burnout isn’t failure, it’s a capacity issue
The emotional residue that often goes unspoken
How the nervous system determines what can be held safely
Why knowledge without embodiment isn’t sustainable
And how holding space becomes energising when practitioners are truly resourced
This episode is for the big-hearted humans the ones people naturally open up to, the ones who are often “the safe one,” and the ones learning how to hold others without losing themselves.
Holding space isn’t about fixing or saving anyone.
It’s about creating safety, presence, and sustainability for everyone involved.
🎧 Listen now and be sure to share this episode with anyone who needs to hear it.
Connect & Train with Verity
● @verityjocoonan @vidya_certification
● Join Breathwork & healing APP @vidya.app
● Follow us on @thedarksidewithverity
