Live Brighter With Tara

In one of my most personal conversations yet, I'm sharing a story that took years of healing before I felt ready to tell it. During a destructive marriage, severe sleep deprivation, and undiagnosed physical health challenges, I experienced mania and psychosis and was hospitalized in psychiatric facilities. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but over time I came to question whether that diagnos...

What if we approached psychosis with more curiosity, compassion and connection? In this episode, I talk with Anneke Sips, community psychiatric nurse, integrative trauma therapist and author of  The Wisdom of Psychosis . Drawing from nearly three decades of experience in mental health and crisis care, Anneke offers a broader perspective on psychosis—one that considers not only psychiatric symptoms...

In this deeply personal episode, I share about my recent divorce and some of what I'm learning as I move through a season of grief, healing, and letting go. I didn't leave because all the love disappeared. There was genuine friendship, connection, laughter, healing, and beauty in our marriage—and there were also patterns I eventually realized I could no longer live with. Both can be true. An endin...

In this personal episode, the tables are turned as Sarah J. Thiessen and Heather Hughes interview me about the experiences that shaped who I am today. I share parts of my journey through a destructive marriage, emotional and spiritual abuse, psychiatric hospitalization, losing trust in myself, and the beliefs about faith and kindness that kept me trying harder instead of recognizing what was happe...

Healthy friendships don't just make life more enjoyable—they matter for our emotional and physical well-being. In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara , Tara explores what makes adult friendship healthy, why meaningful relationships can become harder to build as we get older, and how we can intentionally create deeper connection. She shares lessons about healing from friendship hurt, trusting g...

Busyness is often praised—but what happens when productivity becomes a way of avoiding ourselves?   In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, join me as I explore busyness as an often-overlooked coping mechanism and the emotional, physical, and relational costs of constantly operating at full capacity.   I also shared personal lessons about grief, self-reflection, and learning that being highly...

Healing Masterclass Part 2 is here! If you joined me for Healing Masterclass Part 1, welcome back. In this next chapter, we're taking the healing journey even deeper.   Many of us aren't stuck because we lack motivation—we're stuck because unresolved experiences continue shaping how we think, react, relate, and dream. In this Healing Masterclass, we're bringing together three foundational conversa...

Why do so many of us continue repeating the same unhealthy patterns—even when we genuinely want to change? In this special Live Brighter with Tara masterclass, Tara brings together three conversations that reveal a powerful healing journey: 🌱 How childhood experiences shape our beliefs and identity 🌱 Why we often cope instead of truly heal 🌱 What it takes to grow beyond old patterns and step in...

What does it really mean to live free? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara , Tara explores how our relationship with ourselves, our past, and our relationship with God all shape our ability to live authentically and experience true freedom. Using the analogy of a light bulb, Tara shares how healing begins when we learn to care for ourselves, process our past, challenge limiting beliefs, and...

In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara , Tara explores the journey of healing from self-abandonment and learning how to reconnect with yourself. Through her personal story, she discusses how people-pleasing, suppressing emotions, avoiding conflict, and ignoring boundaries can impact our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This conversation explores finding your voice, honoring your emo...

In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara , Tara explores the impact shame can have on our emotional health, relationships, and ability to connect with ourselves and others. Through personal experiences and reflection, Tara discusses why shame often causes us to hide, the difference between guilt and shame, and how healing begins when we bring our struggles into a safe and compassionate space. Th...

What if the symptoms you've been struggling with… are actually hormonal? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, Tara opens up about her personal experience navigating perimenopause, hormonal changes, and the confusing emotional and physical symptoms that so many women experience without understanding why. If you've been feeling exhausted, anxious, emotionally overwhelmed, struggling with slee...

What if your past didn't have to define your future?   In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, Everdawn Charles shares her powerful journey of healing from childhood trauma, addiction, and emotional pain through faith in Jesus Christ.   Together, we explore trauma, identity, addiction, deeper healing through Splankna, and the hope of redemption no matter your past.   This is Part 3 of the Spla...

What if your healing story could become the very thing that helps others heal? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara , Tara sits down with Heather Hughes—co-developer of the Splankna Therapy Institute—to share her journey from childhood trauma to deep emotional and physical healing. Together, they explore how trauma can impact both the mind and body, why traditional talk therapy doesn't alway...

What if healing requires going deeper than conscious thought alone? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, Tara sits down with Sarah Thiessen—licensed therapist, founder of the Splankna Training Institute, and author of Splankna: The Redemption of Energy Healing for the Kingdom of God. Sarah shares her journey from skepticism to developing a Christian mind-body healing protocol designed to he...

What if the ways you've learned to love others… have come at the cost of abandoning yourself? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, I explore the concept of self-abandonment—what it looks like, how it shows up in our daily lives, and the quiet ways it impacts our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. We talk about the subtle patterns of self-abandonment, like prioritizing others' ne...

What if the pressure to "stay positive" is actually disconnecting you from yourself? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, Tara explores the hidden impact of toxic positivity and why denying difficult emotions can lead to emotional avoidance, stress, and disconnection. She shares why acknowledging and feeling the full range of emotions is essential for self-awareness, mental health, and auth...

What if perfectionism and being "the good one" are quietly disconnecting you from yourself—and others? In this two-part episode of Live Brighter with Tara, we explore the essence of fierce conversations, the power of authentic connection, and why conversations shape the health of every relationship. Tara shares how to build courage through honest dialogue and offers a simple structure for having c...

What if sensuality is less about performance and more about presence? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, I'm joined by Susan Beth Breuner for a meaningful conversation about sensuality as self-expression, confidence, and embodied awareness. We explore the feminine gaze, the empowering nature of intimate photography, and how embracing individuality can support personal growth and joy. ✨ A...

Have you been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or disconnected—and can't quite pinpoint why? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, I explore burnout through an emotional, spiritual, and physical lens. Drawing from personal experience, I share how cumulative stress, unprocessed emotions, and prolonged high capacity can lead to deep depletion—and why burnout is often a signal, not a failure. We...

What happens when success keeps going—but your capacity doesn't? In this episode of Live Brighter with Tara, I sit down with Alisha Fickert, top-producing Realtor who openly shares her journey through burnout following the devastation of the Camp Fire in 2018 and the prolonged strain of the COVID-19 pandemic. What looked like resilience on the outside slowly turned into exhaustion, overwhelm, and...

What if 2026 isn't about pushing harder—but about becoming more aligned with who you truly are? In this New Year replay of Live Brighter with Tara, we revisit a powerful conversation about shifting from goal-chasing to identity-based growth. This episode explores how healing past experiences, practicing self-love, and clarifying your future self can lead to meaningful, lasting change. If you're re...

What if the new year isn't about reinventing yourself—but about gently returning to hope? In this special Season Rewind episode of Live Brighter with Tara, we're revisiting three powerful conversations that speak to the heart of renewal: how we move through life's hardest challenges, what it means to question faith when things don't make sense, and how we intentionally create joy—even after deep p...

The holidays aren't always easy. Family dynamics, emotional triggers, and stress can rise quickly this time of year. In this replay episode of Live Brighter with Tara , we explore how to protect your peace, set healthy boundaries, and navigate holiday gatherings without losing yourself. You'll learn simple strategies to stay grounded, make requests with clarity, and care for your emotional and men...

What if the way you show up in your relationships is being shaped more by guilt, fear, and old patterns than by true choice? In this Live Brighter Season Rewind episode, Tara revisits powerful conversations around people-pleasing, guilt, toxic environments, and the cost of chronic overgiving. Together, these episodes explore how our inner world influences our boundaries, our self-worth, and the re...