This week I have a conversation about shit that matters with unqualified people to share with you. My bestie, Amy Green Smith, helps me unpack the emotional damage humiliation has caused me for so many years and let it be seen for what it is. 

I had been told by a well-meaning friend that humiliation wasn’t something I should feel. After all, the things that happened to me (my ex-husband cheating on me) weren't my fault. Together Amy and I unpack the weight of humiliation, shame, and self-worth.  By the end of this episode, I finally settled into the notion that healing is truly a one-day at a time journey. 

We explore:

How earth-shattering it is to actually feel seen. 
If it is painful to you, it is valid. 
My inner teenager is pissed. 
We are all navigating trauma, personally and generationally. 
Unpacking trauma is labor! 
There is a tremendous weight of being the one in the family to carry the emotional load. 

And finally, from Amy, “We all have our shit and we are never done doing the work. There is an element in grief in this knowledge. The work won’t be void of hardship. We can just engage it in a more powerful way.”

http://andreaowen.com/432

• What I had to do before surgery for months, that we all do in different ways when it comes to our emotional lives. 
• How we all build up scar tissue and what we can do about it. 
• What we do afterward; when it comes to both surgery for an injury and healing our internal emotional wounds. 

If you’re wanting to learn some amazing coping mechanisms, consider joining me and other like-minded women for one of my upcoming retreats. We’re gathering in May for a non-recovery retreat, and again in September, for a recovery-focused retreat. 

http://andreaowen.com/431

Like several of the past guests in the series on healing, I found Dr. Hamdani on TikTok. Y’all, Mental Health is a big topic over there! Dr. Hamdani is a Board Certified psychiatrist and ADHD specialist. In addition to her private practice, she has a robust social media following across multiple platforms where she provides accessible and accurate information about ADHD. I am excited to introduce you to her and the work she does in the area of mental health and healing.

You’ll hear:

• Dr. Hamdani and I both share our ADHD diagnosis stories and then discuss whether or not someone can someone have symptoms of ADHD but not have ADHD. (9:18)
• Transmagnetic Stimulation (TMS): what it is, who it can help, and how it helps. (16:44)
• How you can prepare for your first meeting with a mental health medical professional. (34:21)
• The benefits of genetic screening, what kind of data you can get from the testing, and who should use it. (39:42)
• How the stigma of having ADHD is different for women. (49:28)

http://andreaowen.com/430

We are continuing down our path answering the question, how do we heal. My friend, Sherianna Boyle is back on the show, this time to talk about emotions. We can’t have a theme around healing without talking specifically about our emotions, because they are so important to the healing process. 

Sherianna is the author of ten books including her latest Emotional Detox Now: 135 Self-Guided Practices to Renew Your Mind, Heart & Spirit. In this episode, we discuss the power of cleansing our emotions in order to get to a place of healing. Sherianna also offers her insight on the benefits of cleansing practices and how they can transform your attitude, focus, and energy.

You’ll hear:

• What it means to cleanse challenging feelings and emotions. (5:48)
• The difference between a feeling and a reaction to a feeling. (8:07)
• The seven-step practice of emotional detox using the acronym CLEANSE. (18:51)
• The benefits of a cleansing practice. (20:27)
• How emotions can support a great life right now. (31:47)
• Tell-tale signs you may be numbing out or avoiding your feelings. (33:51)

http://andreaowen.com/429

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been hearing from some amazing therapists and experts in the field of inner work. We’ve heard about attachment styles, epigenetics, family roles, and more. And over this time I’ve been heavily pondering the question, Do we ever truly heal? 

In this minisode, you’ll hear: 

• My opinion on healing– in other words, what does that actually mean? 
• The one question you need to ask yourself and bring that answer to your therapist 
• The steps necessary to take before you begin your healing journey

Don’t forget, if you’d like transcripts to this episode (and any episode!), simply go to the episode page. 

We continue our conversation about healing ourselves with guest Melissa Parks! Melissa is a licensed therapist who specializes in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and trauma therapy. I learned about her work through TikTok when she kept appearing on my For You Page. I have since come to learn just how insightful she is around the topic of attachment styles and the modalities she uses in her practice.

In this episode, we explore some of the modalities, such as EMDR and Somatic therapy. Melissa also describes the four different attachment styles, anxious, avoidant, disorganized, and secure; and how they may manifest in our lives. She also explains how we can move through rigidity (avoidant or anxious, for example), to a place of security and healing.

You’ll hear:

• EMDR: what it is and what symptoms it can help treat. Plus, it is not just a modality for treating trauma, it can be used for treating anxiety, depression or even lack of motivation. (6:47)
• Melissa explains how attachment styles are like strategies, shares the four different kinds and explains how the goal is moving from rigidity to consistency. (18:55)
• How someone can move into a secure attachment style. (27:39)
• Examples of when unhealthy attachment styles can cause conflict in a relationship. (33:22)
• Somatic tools and skills: what they are and when someone would use them. (40:32)

http://andreaowen.com/427