Emotional Badass

How do we find meaningful connections as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)? Today's episode shines light on how to practice personal responsibility within feelings of loneliness. In personal development we learn how to let go of low vibes and vibrate higher; this changes how we attract and relate to others, and our mental health. We seek safety as Survivors and Sensitives and that is most definitely...

We discuss SEEKER and SEEKING to increase self acceptance, understanding, self love, and compassion for how we think, feel, behave, and move through the world as we learn to embrace our authentic selves in healing, self development, and Mental Health. Nikki shares a story about her very 1st boss in mental health. Embracing your inner seeker can lead to significant mental health improvements and pe...

Can emotional pain be a pathway to personal growth for Highly Sensitive People? In today's episode I wanted to share a current struggle and my pain process for moving through the feelings of shock, powerlessness, anger, triggered abandonment wounds, hurt, and sadness. I highlight how to observe vs. absorb someone else's pain for HSPs, recovering codependents, people pleasers, care takers and survi...

This episode is about taming the destructive victim story of the dysfunctional ego to use roadblocks, mistakes, and struggle to grow our worth, esteem, and resiliency and mental health. It is a sign of great maturity and emotional evolution when we can practice gratitude when things are not going our way. We do this work because life is struggle but we do not have to suffer. If you are interested...

Learning how to say no, leads us to how to say yes. Nikki shares some personal stories of how YES has changed her life. We let go of survival mode and grow into thriving by showing up for ourselves with YES. Do you struggle with boundaries and personal growth as a highly sensitive person? Embracing healthy yeses can be a game-changer for your mental health. Discover how saying yes to the right opp...

Are you struggling with anxiety and overthinking? Discover the transformative power of understanding the distinction between intuition and anxiety. Let go of the stories & confusion that keep you lost by leaning into intuition and learning to trust your gut. Healing is learning to ACT from intuition without self-talking ourselves in circles. By fostering self-trust and overcoming codependency, you...

A vulnerable self shaming story from Nikki's childhood. This episode is about looking back into childhood to explore the shame and blame we can carry from the limited ways we processed problems in youth to find our growth edge, let go of shame and blame, and dialogue with our inner child to fill the voids, heal the wounds and level up our self love and like. What if healing your mental health as a...

This Intuition growing meditation will help grow patience and mindful muscles, reduce anxious thinking, and increase our awareness of the subtle voice of intuition, through the strengthening and focusing of our sensory systems. Dive into a sensory meditation that promotes mental health and mindfulness, perfect for Highly Sensitive People (HSP). This guided meditation focuses on the sensory experie...

What are betrayal bonds and how do they affect your mental health? In this episode, discover how trauma bonding impacts highly sensitive people and learn practical steps to address it. We explore the signs of betrayal bonds, the role of self-security, and the importance of personal responsibility in healing our mental health. Inspired by the book: The Betrayal Bond: Breaking Free of Exploitive Rel...

This episode is for the moments we want to give up because we feel angry, exhausted, activated, and out of control. How to find more emotional rope when we thing our emotional rope’s run out. A very important lesson on the healing path. If you are interested in supporting us even more than a 5-star review, you can find Emotional Badass on Patreon where you will get hundreds of hours of bonus episo...

What makes The Gathering Place in Denver, CO a sanctuary for those facing poverty and homelessness? This unique organization in Denver offers a trauma-informed environment that supports women, transgender individuals, and their children with essential resources and a strong sense of community. From providing food and clothing to fostering creativity and mental health wellness, The Gathering Place...

Are you struggling to embrace ease in your life? Exploring the reasons easy isn't easy for HSPs, Survivors, and Empaths, to gain inner permission to practice and invite more ease into this life that brings enough of it's own struggle. By owning these dynamics we no longer accidentally self sabotage with the limiting belief that ease is lazy and struggle is right. Allowing ease is the ultimate self...

How often do you embrace wonder in your daily life? Wonder and simplicity are available to all of us. These are powerful tools of lightness, joy, and peace that can (believe it or not!) slow down the experience of time to make us feel as if we have more. These tools help us increase the quality of each moment of living. This is healing. This is growth. This is thriving. Embracing wonder can signif...

Feeling overwhelmed by heartbreak and emotional pain? In this week's episode I discuss the difference between story and feeling and how to get to the other side of a highly sensitive broken heart as quickly as possible. Healing is learning to love ourselves through the toughest of human feelings while letting go of the stories that bind us. How and why I allowed myself to open up to love again aft...

How can you cultivate a safe space within for better mental health? A guided meditation for seekers desiring to deepen their connection with self and cultivate a safe space within. You count you matter, your healing is important. This meditation is an exercise for the mind muscle to strengthen our ability to control thought and fear instead of thoughts and fear controlling us. This guided meditati...

Have you ever questioned the efficacy of "safe spaces"? You're not alone. If you’ve ever been in a supposed safe space that didn’t feel so safe, this episode is for you! In accepting what IS over an IDEAL, we empower ourselves to do the real work of becoming safer within. We delve into the limitations of external safe spaces and the importance of cultivating internal safety through self-love and s...

Do you know the best way to communicate with highly sensitive children? Communication holds much of our connection. In this week's episode we explore the art form of communication from adult to child or adult to inner child through curiosity, hope, empathy, love, sharing, seed planting, sensory memory, and silly goose-ing (a Nikki-ism, for sure.) Discover how validating their experiences, fosterin...

Are you struggling with grief and loss? I hope this week's episode shines light on the subtle ways we may be grieving as we say goodbye to 2020. Understanding the five stages of grief—denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance—is crucial for mental health, especially for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). A simple review of the stages of grief and a simple exercise to face our personal tru...

Did you know Hypervigilance, a common symptom of trauma? It keeps the nervous system in a heightened state, making it difficult for HSPs to trust their gut feelings. Learn how to manage this exhausting emotional state and protect your mental health. We explore the pitfalls of hypervigilance & continued anger & outrage in advocacy, especially for people who are working to heal trauma & struggle to...

Are pride and shame holding you back from seeking help? Discussing pride, help, shame and how to get out of our own way to receive help when we need it. This episode confronts the long arm of low self worth and helps us confront our do-it-yourself-demons that conspire to keep us in an old pattern of struggle. I announce our newest Patreon-Pay-It-Forward recipient & largest donation to date, Denver...

Ever wondered how synchronicity and spirituality impact mental health? We explore empathy & compassion to manage pain & defensiveness. Synchronicity on the seeker's path has grown me, like the Universe reaching out to say, 'I see you & hold you.' I describe the impact of one of my Spiritual Mothers, friends, & colleagues Lisa Tahir. I'm grateful Lisa gave me permission to read a visualization from...

How can understanding archetypes like the bully, victim and addict improve your mental health journey? By picking battles we can avoid burnout and have the energy to fight the ones we decide need fighting. We work to hold space for our light & dark selves with wholeness while letting go of taking things personally. In this work we stay connected to true self vs. chasing the unavailable ideal which...

Is your inner critic sabotaging your mental health? I've never met a highly sensitive person who didn't have an overdeveloped inner-critic. This inner bully robs our progress, dis-empowers, and devalues who we are, especially when our energies are low. Without addressing the inner critic, we are at risk of digging mental health holes that become deeper and more difficult to crawl out of. You were...

This weeks episode is about coming back to ourselves through the power of intention for our own mental health. I believe every human being can thrive and bloom. Our power to set ourselves up for emotional, mental, physical and spiritual success lies in our mindful choices as we learn more and more, year to year, about who we are and what conditions we can create to thrive. Explore ways to create f...

Awakenings mature us, force listening & expansion that turns into wisdom. Other human beings help us trust reality & our experience. As we mature, old ideas of youth have fallen away, ideals replace reality. In healing, we learn to accept the inadequacies & immaturity of others & ourselves while we grow into more adequacy, efficacy, & responsibility. By therapeutically providing a positive energy...