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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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:

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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

Many people feel emotionally drained not because they care too much, but because they carry too much. In this episode, I explore why empathy often turns into exhaustion, especially for those who learned early to manage emotions and prevent conflict. We talk about how over-carrying impacts the nervous system, boundaries, and sense of self, even when relationships appear 'fine' on the surface.

This conversation looks at what healthy detachment actually is — and what it isn't. I break down the difference between empathy and emotional fusion, explain why emotional ownership matters, and share how staying grounded allows for deeper connection without self-loss. This episode is an invitation to stay compassionate and self-respecting at the same time.

Respect means

trusting others

to meet themselves

where they are.

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

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As a new year begins, many people feel the pull to reset, and at the same time, notice how hard it is to protect their energy, time, and emotional space. In this episode, I explore why boundaries can feel especially tender right now, particularly when the world feels uncertain or overwhelming. We talk about how stress and fear impact our nervous systems, and why this context matters when we're trying to show up with clarity and self-respect.

I share insights on recognizing when boundaries are being tested in subtle ways, how to respond without guilt or defensiveness, and why healthy boundaries don't damage relationships — they actually make them safer and more honest. This episode is an invitation to practice clarity with compassion, especially when it feels uncomfortable or new.

Their repeated confusion

about your boundary

is rarely confusion.

It's avoidance

of accountability.

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

January isn't about reinvention. It's about re-orientation.

Many people come into January feeling scattered, tired, or strangely disconnected…and assume they should be further along by now. In this episode, I talk about why that experience makes sense, especially after a year that asked so much of our nervous systems. Rather than pushing for motivation or clarity, we explore what's really happening underneath the surface when life has been overwhelming for a long time.

I share why re-centering begins with boundaries that define the self, not pressure to perform or fix anything. We look at how small, anchoring choices help restore a sense of agency and safety - and why self-trust is rebuilt through consistency, not intensity. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and begin the year with steadiness instead of urgency.

Sometimes what we call

lack of motivation

is really a need for safety.

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

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The holidays often come with unspoken expectations to overgive, overexplain, and override our own needs. In this episode, I introduce the concept of a Holiday Bill of Rights: compassionate reminder of what we are allowed to honor during a season that can easily pull us back into old roles and patterns. Rather than focusing on "doing more self-care," this episode centers on self-loyalty, emotional honesty, and boundaries that protect our nervous system, energy, and well-being. If the holidays tend to stir guilt, grief, or pressure to perform, this conversation offers language, permission, and relief.

Three Key Takeaways

1. Boundaries are not about control, they're about self-respect.
Honoring your limits doesn't require agreement or approval from others. Feeling guilt doesn't mean you're doing something wrong; it often means you're doing something different.

2. You're allowed to stop abandoning yourself for the sake of tradition.
Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn't mean it still fits. Growth often requires renegotiating expectations, especially during the holidays.

3. Your nervous system matters more than appearances.
Emotional safety, rest, and clarity are not luxuries. When you listen to your body and honor your needs, you create a more grounded and authentic holiday experience.

Tradition

should create connection,

not obligation.

If it costs you your peace,

you're allowed to opt out.

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

In this episode, we're continuing our holiday self-care series with one essential truth: real peace begins when we're honest about what we can actually handle. The holidays tend to pull us back into old roles and emotional patterns, leaving us overwhelmed, overextended, and disconnected from ourselves before we even realize it.
Today, we explore why this happens, how to recognize the subtle moments of self-abandonment, and what it looks like to care for yourself from a place of truth instead of pressure or performance.

Three Takeaways

1. You'll learn the surprising reason holiday stress often has less to do with events and more to do with old emotional patterns we slip into without noticing.

2. We'll talk about how to identify the quiet, subtle moments where you start abandoning yourself… and what a small shift toward honesty can do for your peace.

3. You'll walk away with simple, practical questions that help you stay grounded, connected, and true to yourself no matter what the season brings.

You can't set a healthy boundary

if you aren't willing to

tell yourself the truth first.

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