Dear Little Me

Penny Lane was just four years old when she first met her stepmother, the beginning of a deeply abusive relationship. This episode unpacks Penny’s childhood, marked by neglect, physical and psychological abuse, and survival against all odds. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity we have within us to heal and find redemption. In part two of this powerful st...

Were you raised to be pleasing? Were you told that if you could make your parent happy you would be good enough? It is so hard to trust yourself when you have abandoned yourself your whole life to please others. Dawn shares this conversation with Personal Development Coach Latoya De-Shaun, who explains how she learnt to trust herself after a lifetime of physical and emotional abuse....

What does it mean to be a parentified child? What would that look like? Dawn shares this conversation with Skadi who remember herself as being the adult in the room, well before she actually was one. Key Takeaways For This Mini Episode: Recognize the signs of a parentified child Understand the long-term impacts of parentification FOR AD-FREE LISTENING & SUBSCRIBER ONLY EPISODES, JOIN...

Penny Lane was just four years old when she first met her stepmother, the beginning of a deeply abusive relationship. This episode unpacks Penny’s childhood, marked by neglect, physical and psychological abuse, and survival against all odds. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity we have within us to heal and find redemption. In this powerful episode, we de...

Adoption, childhood trauma, abandonment What is it like to be adopted? As a child who was adopted, Ali explains how much was going on inside her own head. So many questions and so much confusion that Ali had no idea how to understand or express. Dawn shares this conversation with Ali Jameson who explains what beliefs she held about herself as an adoptee. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING & SUBSC...

generational trauma, people pleasing, toxic mothers Bianca’s mother came from generations of conditional love. When you are seen as good, perfect and acceptable you are loved. When you make a mistake, you are not loved. Dawn shares this conversation with Bianca who spent a lifetime feeling confused and rejected by a mother who was unable to love her unconditionally. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING &amp...

Nita grew up with a narcissistic mother. The co-dependent traits she had developed ultimately led her into a highly abusive marriage with a second narcissist. In this episode, Nita shares the tumultuous journey she has taken to overcome a past filled with neglect, codependency, and abuse. After her divorce, Nita realised her children were on a similar path facing potential futures filled with...

Panic attacks, childhood trauma, generational trauma. Rev’s mom was loving but strict and life was relatively normal. One day Rev’s mom had, what she later understood, to be a panic attack and Rev watched her mom decline through to much darker days. Dawn shares this conversation with Rev Alford, author of Days Of My Life, as she explains how her mother’s decline changes her life forever....

Narcissistic, narcissism, manipulation, gaslighting, selfhealers Adriana was raised by a mother whose behavior was difficult, but to Adriana it had become normal. Over time things got much worse. It was a revelation for Adriana to discover her mother was a narcissist. Dawn shares this conversation with Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach Adriana Bucci who empowers women to heal from narcissistic abu...

Do you suffer with anxiety? How does anxiety show up for you? Do you understand the signs and symptoms of anxiety? Did you know that anxiety often presents as anger? And what about medication for anxiety, does it help? Laura Rhodes-Levin is the Founder of the Missing Peace Centre for Anxiety. Having spent a lifetime with debilitating anxiety herself, Laura is an absolute wealth...

Abandonment, grief, childhood trauma, breaking cycles Growing up poor is a trauma that is handed down over generations. Poverty strips you of your humanity and your capacity for positive self-worth. Dawn shares this important conversation with Dr Mariel Buque’ who speaks of her experiences of growing up in poverty and how deep and complex the layers of poverty trauma can be. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING...

Highly sensitive, anxious, anxiety, trauma Brooke grew up a sensitive child. The sensitive child develops many coping mechanisms, but as Brooke explains, those coping mechanisms have kept her safe and as an adult, they have become her superpower. Dawn shares this conversation with Psychotherapist and Accelerated Resolution Therapist Brooke Bralove who is helping women to heal their childhood...

Why do you feel so unworthy and like nothing you do is ever enough? Why are you are trapped in trying to please everyone? Why do you believe that if you could achieve more, you could finally feel good about yourself? Why do you believe at the deepest level, you are completely alone? In this highly valuable episode, Christina L Woods has all the answers to these burning questions and more. Christin...

Toxic mothers, alcoholism, addiction Reagan needed her Mom, but her Mom wasn’t there. She was physically there, but she was an alcoholic and Reagan felt that although her Mom loved her, she didn’t like her very much. Her Mom’s behaviour could be erratic and she could be rude and uncaring and Reagan was doing her best to survive whilst making life easier for her little brothers and sister...

Abandonment, childhood emotional neglect, depression Anna always believed her childhood had been a happy one. However by the time she became a mother herself, Anna experienced a breakdown, leading to a diagnosis of depression and the revelation that she may have experienced childhood emotional neglect. Dawn shares a conversation with Anna who reflects on the warning signs she missed and discusses...

Cptsd, ptsd, trauma, childhood trauma Sara sat across from her new therapist and heard him say the words ‘complex trauma’ and she had no idea what that meant. But those two words were about to change everything in Sara’s world. Dawn shares a mini episode with Sara Aird, complex trauma survivor who shares her healing journey tips and wisdom to help others heal. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING & SUBS...

Toxic mothers, narcissistic mothers, codependence Michelle was a hard worker. She did everything she could to look after her little brothers and help run the house. She never got in trouble, she got good grades. But when her mother chose a man over her daughter, Michelle realised she could never do enough to get her mother’s love. Dawn shares a mini episode with Michelle Gomez, Foun...

Christi Meeks vanished on a cold winters day in 1985. Her lifeless body was discovered three agonising months later. Her killer eluded authorities until 2003. Mikah Meeks is Christi's devoted older sister. In this episode Mikah reflects on Christi’s story and the profound impact that Christi's disappearance has had on Mikah's life. When she was just four years old, Mikah’s mother le...

Relationships, authenticity, friendship Are you authentic in your relationships? Are you being your true self in your friendships? Are you spending time with people who are good for you? Dawn shares a mini episode with Author, Speaker and Entrepreneur Erin Falconer whose book How To Break Up With Your Friends is a refreshing guide to modern-day friendships. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING &am...

Toxic mothers, domestic violence, abuse Melissa was deeply traumatised from her experiences of growing up with a highly toxic step-mother and a birth mother who had not been shown love herself. As an adult, Melissa has been able to find a level of understanding about the effects of generational trauma and how it is playing out in the lives of the women who raised her. Dawn shares a mini...

Chronic illness, nervous system, depression, anxiety Are you sick in your body or in your mind? The symptoms that show up in your body are coming from your mind. We are so used to treating the symptoms, that we never look for the true cause, our trauma. Dawn Shares a mini episode with Lauren Eliz Love, Self Healing Teacher and Mentor. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING & SUBSCRIBER ONLY EPIS...

Religious trauma, mother wound, low self esteem, childhood trauma I wasn’t like them. I didn’t fit. I wasn’t smart, I didn’t feel safe in my own mind. Christina didn’t feel like she fit anywhere. She didn’t feel safe. Was this you too? Dawn Shares a mini episode with Christina Carlson, Life and Career Coach about growing up in a family and a religious environment that made...

Abby was suicidal at nine years of age. How does a child of nine become suicidal? By the time she was a teen, Abby was angry. She started drinking, partying, and alcohol turned into an instant addiction for Abby. Alcohol allowed Abby to finally escape the deep sadness and fear she felt inside. That addiction to alcohol would feature in Abby’s life over many years and it wo...

Kaytee was a parentified child and describes herself as a surrogate spouse. Dawn shares this mini episode with Kaytee Gillis, Psychotherapist and Author on how a parentified child growing up with the weight of responsibility of their shoulders. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING & SUBSCRIBER ONLY EPISODES, JOIN DEAR LITTLE ME & YOU for just $5 a month via the Apple Podcasts App or go to Supercast to jo...

Shanon was 37 years old before she realised that what had happened to her in childhood had changed her entire life. Dawn shares this mini episode with Shanon Page, CSA survivor with CPTSD who explains how disassociated she was from her own life. FOR AD-FREE LISTENING & SUBSCRIBER ONLY EPISODES, JOIN DEAR LITTLE ME & YOU for just $5 a month via the Apple Podcasts App or go to Supercast to j...