After a two-month break, Emma and I return with a special family episode. We are joined by my middle child, Maya, to reflect on our unforgettable journey across France. From the bustling streets of Paris to the medieval charm of Sarlat, the caves of Lascaux, and painting en plein air in Provence, this conversation explores travel, connection, identity, grief, joy, and what it means to truly notice the world around us.

Emma steps into the role of host, guiding a conversation filled with rapid-fire questions, laughter, thoughtful reflections, and a few travel mishaps along the way. Together, we reflect on how stepping outside of familiar surroundings can deepen our understanding of ourselves, each other, and the shared humanity that connects us all.

If you're watching this episode, we've woven in photos and video from our travels throughout the conversation. Our hope is that you won't just hear about France—you'll feel transported there with us, experiencing the beauty, wonder, and moments that shaped this journey.

Share

In this episode:

• Why this France trip was so meaningful for Maya and me

• Packing wins, travel fails, and surviving a European heat wave

• The foods we loved...and the ones they definitely didn’t

• The beauty of Sarlat, Provence, and slowing down enough to notice

• What the Louvre and Lascaux IV taught us about art, history, and being human

• How we built connections without speaking French

• Why travel changed us—and why everyone deserves opportunities to experience other cultures

• Discovering en plein air painting as a healing and reflective practice

• Reflections on experiencing France as a Black girl and woman

• Emma’s surprise “museum” waiting for us at home

• Finding joy, laughter, and connection in the midst of grief

What if medicine wasn’t just something prescribed… but something that reconnects us to ourselves?

In this tender and deeply reflective episode of Living in 3D Power, Amber and Emma explore the idea of “mental medicine” after Amber’s 3D Power Pause conversation with death doula and therapist The Ancestral Healing Collective founder TaLisa Ramos.

Together, they unpack grief, ancestry, storytelling, food, family, community, and the sacred question:
What kind of ancestor are you becoming right now?

Emma shares that medicine for her is “family, friends, and food,” while Amber reflects on the healing power of remembering our elders as people who once carried dreams too.

The episode moves through conversations about:

•  Death doulas and grief work 

•  Emotional heaviness in today’s world 

•  Why storytelling is medicine 

•  Black ancestry, belonging, and identity 

•  Remembering the dreams of our parents and grandparents 

•  The Disney movie Coco and what it means to be remembered 

•  Becoming “good ancestors in training” 

This episode is both a conversation and an invitation:
 to slow down,
 to remember,
 and to ask what kind of legacy we are creating through the way we love and live.

What happens when your child starts growing up… and you realize you are growing too?

In this episode of Living in 3D Power, Amber and Emma move from lighthearted conversations about birthdays, rules, and everyday family moments into a deeper dialogue about emotional safety, autonomy, conflict, middle school transitions, and what it means to stay connected while everyone is changing.

Together, they unpack:

•  parenting without control 

•  emotional overload in families 

•  healthy distance and space 

•  breaking cycles through therapy and reflection 

•  why children need room to speak honestly 

•  and how joy and play can become pathways back to connection 

Amber reflects on the tension between safety and freedom as children grow older, while Emma offers honest insight into what helps her feel emotionally safe and understood.

This episode is a reminder that:
 ✨ connection matters more than perfection
 ✨ healthy space can create healthier conversations
 ✨ and growing up impacts everyone in the family—not just children

“You have to let your babies grow up.”

In this special Mother’s Day episode of Living in 3D Power, Dr. Amber Sessoms is joined by her oldest daughter, Jojo, for a deeply honest conversation about motherhood, healing, trauma, therapy, boundaries, and what happens when your child becomes old enough to see your humanity differently.

What if your emotions had a soundtrack?

In this episode of Living in 3D Power, Emma and I put her Chicken Nugget Wisdom into practice:

“Find a song that matches your emotions… in the moment.”

From Victorious to Donny Hathaway, this conversation moves from playful to profound as we explore how music can help us process fear, sadness, joy, and everything in between.

Emma chooses “Make It Shine” as her anthem of confidence and courage—reminding us to face our fears and live out our dreams.

I share “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” unpacking its connection to mental health, grief, and liberation, and reflecting on the legacy of a song written to hold someone through suffering.

Why is it so hard to feel celebrated—even on your birthday?

In this episode of Living in 3D Power, Amber and her daughter Emma explore how past experiences shape our beliefs about worthiness, love, and celebration.

What starts as a simple reflection on birthdays becomes a deeper conversation about:

•  Healing shame and feeling “unlovable” 

•  Learning to receive love instead of deflecting it 

•  Holding grief and joy at the same time 

•  Letting go of the belief that you have to earn celebration 

This is a powerful, honest conversation about what it means to come home to yourself.

Instead of a traditional birthday reflection, Amber allows herself to be seen and celebrated in real time as Emma asks:

• What do you love about me?

• What should people celebrate about my life?

• When have you seen me be soft?

• What do you hope for me this year?

This moment becomes a powerful model of:
👉 receiving without deflecting
👉 sitting with affirmation
👉 honoring a life while it’s being lived

We live in a world that rushes grief.

“Be strong.”
“At least…”
“Everything happens for a reason.”

But those words don’t hold us.
They hurry us.

In this conversation, we slow down long enough to ask:
What if we didn’t rush past our grief…
What if we made space for it?

What if you don’t have to choose between grief and joy?

In this episode, Amber and Emma explore the power of both/and—and what happens when we slow down enough to listen to what our emotions are really trying to say.

What we often carry is not just something we’ve done…
but something we’ve come to believe about who we are.

Shame has a way of shifting from behavior to identity.

From “I made a mistake”
to “I am the mistake.”

But in this space, we practice something different.

We slow down.
We listen.
We name what is true.

And in doing so, we begin to loosen the grip of shame…
and return to ourselves with dignity, compassion, and love.

“This would be some of that inner child work… where I’m healing old wounds, past wounds, childhood wounds, so that it doesn’t get passed down.

So when I look back at little Amber and present-day Amber, I can say…
‘You’re safe. You’re okay.’

And give myself the voice that once tried to be silenced.”

In this episode of Living in 3D Power, Dr. Amber Sessoms and her daughter Emma reflect on the pressure many children feel to grow up too quickly. Through humor and honest conversation, they explore school expectations, independence, emotional regulation, and why it matters for children to feel heard at home and in the classroom. Amber also shares a parenting reflection about conflict, repair, and helping kids develop self-regulation and voice. This episode invites parents, educators, and caregivers to listen more deeply to the wisdom children are already offering.

This special episode was recorded live at the National Association of School Psychologists 2026 Annual Convention in Chicago.

What happens when student voice is not extracted but trusted?
What shifts when adults move from manager to learner?

Based on my paper, Amplifying Child Voice Through Intergenerational Storytelling and Reflection, this live conversation blends research, storytelling, audience engagement, and Emma’s now-famous “Chicken Nugget Wisdom” to demonstrate a model of healing-centered, culturally responsive SEL practice.

This is not a performative conversation about student voice.
It is a lived demonstration of it.

In this powerful, final Black History Month episode, Emma interviews poet, performer, and entrepreneur PoeticSoulQueen, Evita Colon, on Presidents’ Day from the property of President James Buchanan. Together, they explore Black creativity as survival, truth-telling, unity, and freedom dreaming—and even write a poem live on camera.

From spoken word to belly breathing, from Lydia Hamilton Smith to “Her testimony is the spine,” this conversation is about claiming voice, legacy, and imagination in real time.

In this Black History Month episode of Living in 3D Power, Emma sits down with Lancaster Pennsylvania-based artist Keisha Finnie (@keishafinnie) or an intergenerational conversation about creativity, Black history, community, and what it means to make art that lives beyond us.

As they paint together inside Keisha’s home, Emma takes part in creating a mural that will be installed at the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, opening in May. The episode blends rapid-fire questions, reflective dialogue, and real-time art-making to explore how Black history is learned, lived, and created.

In this Black History Month Black creatives kickoff episode of Living in 3D Power, Emma sits down with visual artist King Prolifik for a conversation that blends live painting, storytelling, and deep reflection on Black art, community, and creative freedom.

Surrounded by canvases, paint, magazine covers, and artwork from his Because… I’m BLVCK exhibition, this episode unfolds as both dialogue and performance. As brushes move across canvas, King reflects on his journey as a Black artist, the role of history in his work, and why creativity remains essential at every age.

The energy feels familiar and comforting. Think Mr. Rogers’ calm presence meets Bob Ross’ joy in the creative process—painted in Black joy. This episode reminds us that Black history isn’t just something we study. It’s something we create, live with, and pass on.

In this episode of Living in 3D Power, Emma and I slow down to explore a big question sparked by Emma’s honesty: What does democracy really mean, and what do we owe our neighbors?

This conversation was inspired by last week’s conversation on Remaining Awake through a Great Revolution and a powerful clip shared by Yaba Blay, featuring Jelani Cobb in conversation on Stacey Abrams podcast, Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams. 

In the clip, Cobb reminds us that throughout history, people with very different beliefs still united around one core principle: you do not allow your neighbors to be taken from their community. That idea becomes the heartbeat of this episode.

Remaining awake isn’t about knowing everything.
It’s about refusing to look away, choosing joy anyway, and listening to the wisdom of children before fear teaches us to sleep.

In this MLK Day episode, Amber and her daughter Emma explore what Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution asks of us now—through youth courage, good trouble, and the daily practice of building the Beloved Community.

This episode marks one year of Living in 3D Power. A conversation that began as a simple mother-daughter experiment has grown into a space for reflection, truth-telling, and collective learning.

In this anniversary episode, Amber and Emma look back on the moments, questions, and conversations that shaped the past year — from humor and honesty, to Black history, leadership, creativity, and the power of truly listening to children.

Rather than a highlight reel, this episode is an archive of what mattered.

Vision Boards, Joy, and Gentle Intentions for the New Year

In this first episode of the new year, Emma and I slow things down and do something a little different. Instead of resolutions or pressure-filled goals, we explore joy-centered vision boards—using curiosity, imagination, and reflection to envision how we want the year to feel, not just what we want to do.

Together, we talk honestly about grief, grace, manifestation, creativity, care, and becoming—while building digital vision boards in Canva using questions that invite softness, clarity, and hope.