Untangled Minds, LLC

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Menasha, WI
Untangled Minds, LLC

Naree Thao, MA, LPC, PMH-C of Untangled Minds, LLC
Specialites: anxiety, depression, trauma, grief/loss, self-esteem, & perinatal mental health.

Let's get untangled.

06/24/2026

For many years, I've had the privilege of holding space for mothers through my work as a therapist, supporting women through pregnancy, postpartum challenges, parenting stress, identity shifts, and the many emotions that come with motherhood.

But outside of my professional role, I'm also a Hmong woman, a mother, and an autism mom.

Over the years, both through my personal journey and conversations with other families, I've noticed something missing in our community.

Many mothers raising autistic children are navigating not only the realities of autism, but also cultural expectations, family dynamics, advocacy within schools and healthcare systems, and the feeling of carrying so much on their own.

I've often found myself wondering:

🤍 Where do Hmong and multicultural mothers raising autistic children go to connect with one another?

🤍 Where can we have honest conversations about our experiences without needing to explain our culture, our family dynamics, or our journey?

🤍 Where can we share resources, encourage one another, celebrate our children's successes, process challenges, and simply feel understood?

Because of those questions, I'm excited to be partnering with Hmong HANDS Inc. to explore the creation of an Autism Moms Community Circle.

This is not therapy.

This is community.

A space where mothers can come together to build meaningful connections, share lived experiences, exchange resources, learn from one another, and support each other in a culturally respectful and welcoming environment. My hope is to create a community where no mother feels like she has to navigate this journey alone.

We'll be introducing this idea during Books & Brunch on July 11 (hosted by Hmong HANDS) and exploring how it can grow into an ongoing community for moms in our area and beyond, both in person and virtually.

Before we begin, I'd love to hear from you.

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, provider, or someone connected to the autism community:

🤍 What do you think mothers raising autistic children need most from a community like this?

🤍If you're a mom raising an autistic child, would a space like this be helpful?

Feel free to comment below or send me a private message.

Your voice and experiences can help shape something meaningful for our community. 💙

Check out Hmong HANDS at www.hmonghands.org or their social media page on facebook Hmong HANDS inc.

05/21/2026

Phone down. Podcast paused. Music silent.

Today, I stepped away from my desk and ate my lunch outside. As I looked down at my half-eaten hot dog, I was suddenly reminded of an earlier season of my life working in community mental health case management.

Back then, my car was my second home. I ate meals there, completed paperwork, decompressed between visits, and sometimes just sat in silence trying to recharge before the next client. Gas station hot dogs became survival meals during long, exhausting days. And eventually, burnout caught up with me.

Now, in this season of life, I recognize those same patterns that can show up in maternal burnout and caregiver burnout too. When you spend so much time holding space for everyone else... nurturing, supporting, tending, carrying emotional labor, it becomes easy to abandon yourself in the process.

Your needs get pushed to the bottom of the list. You move through the day on autopilot. Presence turns into survival mode.

Today, instead of multitasking through lunch or scrolling to disconnect, I sat outside and allowed myself to fully experience the moment... the birds chirping, the smell of overgrown grass and dandelions, the cool breeze, the sound of passing cars. Just one small moment to reconnect with myself.

Burnout narrows our perception. It steals clarity. It convinces us that rest is unproductive and that slowing down means falling behind. But sometimes caring for yourself looks like pausing long enough to remember you are a person too. Not just a provider, caregiver, mother, partner, or professional.

Healing doesn’t always happen in grand gestures.

Sometimes it begins with a quiet lunch outside. So today I ask you: How are you caring for yourself differently today than yesterday? And how are you caring for the future version of you?

05/14/2026

If you grew up in an Asian family, conversations about mental health, self-care, emotional expression, or rest were often not openly spoken about.

There weren’t always words for “self-care” or “mental health.”

But care was still there.
It just showed up differently.

It showed up in early mornings watching parents prepare food before anyone woke up, in the sound of the kettle boiling, in warm tea shared without needing to ask.
It showed up in mothers and grandmothers staying busy with cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, or tending to the home not always because they had to, but because that was how stability and care were created.

It showed up in quiet wisdom passed down through stories, advice, and lived experience instead of direct emotional language.

For many Asian mothers and caregivers, resilience wasn’t talked about, it was demonstrated.

And while we are now learning new language for healing, boundaries, and emotional well-being, it is also important to honor what has always been present.

Care was quiet.
Care was practical.
Care was sacrifice.
And care was love, expressed in the ways they knew how.

05/04/2026

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 💗

Many perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) still go unrecognized and in my experience, this is especially true for marginalized communities.
I’ve seen how often women of color are underdiagnosed or go without the support they deserve during the transition to motherhood. Stigma, along with a lack of culturally rooted and trauma-informed care, can make it even harder to reach for help.

This week, I invite you to slow down and ask:
💕What has this transition to motherhood really been like for you?

With intention and cultural humility, that question can open the door to trust, validation, and meaningful connection.

I’m resharing a previous post on understanding signs of PMADs because awareness matters, and so does how we show up.

I’m committed to being part of spaces where mothers feel seen, understood, and supported.

04/28/2026

Burnout in motherhood doesn’t always look like falling apart.

Sometimes it looks like still showing up… but feeling exhausted, overstimulated, and disconnected. This is especially true when the emotional and mental load
doesn’t stop.

As a therapist, I support maternal mental health.
As a mom, I feel it too.

If this resonates,
you’re not failing.
you’re carrying a lot. 🩷

04/21/2026

I’m a therapist… but this still breaks me sometimes.
No one talks about this part of motherhood.

People say, “I could never do what you do.”
Curiosity sounds like, “Why isn’t he talking yet?”
Advice comes as, “Have you tried this?”

The truth is…
I didn’t have a choice. I just learned as I went.

Will he ever talk?
I don’t know yet. But I’ve learned something deeper...
communication isn’t just verbal. Normalizing other forms of communication has been part of our journey. This is acceptance.

It’s eye contact.
It’s gestures.
It’s shared moments.
It’s connection in ways the world doesn’t always recognize.

I’ve learned to live in the unknown…
and move at a pace that works for both of us.

Because this isn’t just parenting... it’s navigating a neurological world that’s always shifting.

The planning.
The appointments.
The meetings.
The sleep disruptions.
The meltdowns.
The eloping.
The stimming.
The sensory needs.
The constant advocating…
proving “medical necessity” just to get your child what they need.

The mental load is heavy.
The emotional weight is real.

And here’s what I’m still learning...
you can grieve and love at the same time.

Grieve what you thought it might look like…
while still showing up, still connecting, still loving your child deeply.

A little more eye contact.
Following a simple request.
Trying a new food.
Putting on shoes independently.
Playing. Connecting. Trying.

Not everything feels like celebration.
Sometimes it’s just…
learning how to hold both.

If you’re a mom walking this path...
I see you 🩷

As a therapist, I support others in regulating, coping, and healing…
but as a mom, especially an autism mom,
I’m living it in real time too.

04/16/2026

Mom’s need weighted vests too.

Not literally (unless that’s your thing like me 😅)…
but in the sense that we need grounding, support, and something that helps us come back to ourselves.

So many moms are carrying invisible weight... mental load, emotional labor, expectations and doing it in a constant state of stress.

This is your reminder:
You are allowed to receive care.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to soften.

What's one thing you're willing to untangled today?

Address

Menasha, WI

Telephone

+19202046585

Website

https://www.untangledmindsllc.net/

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