In this episode, we continue the month's focus on choice by exploring how easily communication can become a way to manage discomfort instead of express truth. Many of us were taught that being clear means saying more, softening our message, or keeping others comfortable—but those habits often pull us further away from ourselves. This conversation invites you to look more closely at over-explaining and people-pleasing, not as communication issues, but as signals that detachment may be missing.

Together, we unpack why emotional honesty feels so hard when we're afraid of reactions, and how learning to detach can help you stay calm, grounded, and connected to your truth. Rather than offering scripts or quick fixes, this episode focuses on awareness, self-trust, and the quiet power of choice, especially in the small moments where we usually override ourselves.

Real communication

happens when you remember

you have a choice.

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If you're ready to find your voice, set healthy boundaries, and create more fulfilling relationships, this guide is your roadmap!

Need more? Check out the Masterclass on Reclaiming Your Voice:

https://www.findyourvoicecourse.com/beyond-words

Hey! My signature course is live! I am so excited to also offer a free upgrade to the group coaching program. Be sure to click here to check it out:

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Need coaching? Sign up here for your Power Hour, where you and I can get you started on your confidence journey!

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In this episode, I explore why the struggle to speak up isn't usually about communication skills, but about what our discomfort reveals regarding boundaries, emotional maturity, and internal safety. Rather than focusing on what others are doing wrong, this conversation turns inward, helping listeners understand what's happening inside them when needs arise and why those moments can feel so charged.

You'll learn how early experiences shape your relationship with needs, how to tell the difference between needs, demands, and boundaries, and why recurring reactions like guilt, over-explaining, or shutting down are important signals — not personal flaws. This episode sets the foundation for a deeper month-long exploration of boundaries, choice, and healthy communication, offering a grounded starting point for anyone who wants to speak up without losing themselves.

Unmet needs don't disappear —

they leak out as resentment,

exhaustion, or self-doubt.

Get your FREE Boundaries Ebook here!

If you're ready to find your voice, set healthy boundaries, and create more fulfilling relationships, this guide is your roadmap!

Need more? Check out the Masterclass on Reclaiming Your Voice:

https://www.findyourvoicecourse.com/beyond-words

Hey! My signature course is live! I am so excited to also offer a free upgrade to the group coaching program. Be sure to click here to check it out:

https://findyourvoicecourse.com/

In this episode, I'm joined by Lisa Johnson, co-founder of Been There Got Out, for an important conversation about coercive control and high-conflict divorce. Together, we explore the critical difference between typical divorce conflict — which usually de-escalates over time — and controlling behavior that escalates, creating ongoing fear, instability, and exhaustion.

Lisa is a high-conflict divorce strategist and a certified domestic violence advocate who has successfully represented herself through scores of court appearances. Her case was published in the Connecticut Law Journal and is now being used as legal precedent...something that's incredibly rare for a self-represented litigant.

Her live testimony also helped pass Jennifer's Law in Connecticut, making it the third state in the country to expand its legal definition of domestic violence to include coercive control: a form of abuse that so many people experience, but often struggle to name or be taken seriously around.

Lisa and her partner, Chris, now coach people navigating high-conflict relationships, divorce, custody battles, and what many describe as co-parenting hell — helping them have the best possible outcome in family court and beyond. They also offer a weekly Legal Abuse Support Group for those dealing with narcissistic opponents in legal matters.

Lisa explains how coercive control can include manipulation, financial abuse, and legal abuse, often carried out in quiet, passive ways that are easily misunderstood or minimized. The episode sheds light on why some individuals never "cool down," how the legal system can be used as a tool of control, and why patience and better communication are not enough in these situations.

Domestic violence doesn't

always leave bruises.

It can look like creating fear

through quiet control,

financial strain, or legal pressure.

Find out more about Lisa here:

https://beentheregotout.com/

Get your FREE Boundaries Ebook here!

If you're ready to find your voice, set healthy boundaries, and create more fulfilling relationships, this guide is your roadmap!

Need more? Check out the Masterclass on Reclaiming Your Voice:

https://www.findyourvoicecourse.com/beyond-words

Hey! My signature course is live! I am so excited to also offer a free upgrade to the group coaching program. Be sure to click here to check it out:

https://findyourvoicecourse.com/

Need coaching? Sign up here for your Power Hour, where you and I can get you started on your confidence journey!

https://findyourvoicecourse.com/power-hour