Love and Trauma the Real Deal

What happens when the woman trained to save others… realizes she can’t save herself? That was the wake-up call for Dr. Lamia Katbi—a high-achieving pediatrician, keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and author of Just What the Doctor Ordered: Five Pillars of Optimal Health. After years of overgiving, perfectionism, and running on fumes, her body—and her life—hit a wall. In this deeply honest two-part...

What if the very patterns you use to feel safe in a relationship are the same ones keeping you stuck? When I sat down with Ayla Fleming, LCSW, LCADC — a trauma-informed therapist that’s the question we unpacked in this week’s powerful episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal. Ayla isn’t just an expert in the field… she’s lived it. Ayla grew up in a household shaped by addiction, anxiety, and emot...

When I first heard Girisha Andrea describe herself as an orgasm coach and grief specialist, I was intrigued. After talking with her? I was absolutely floored. Girisha is a Certified Sex, Love & Relationship Coach who has spent the last 20+ years learning over 100 different healing methods from around the world. She’s the creator of the EMPRESS-O Method—a body-mind-emotion-soul-spirit approach...

When you're in a relationship with someone who’s survived childhood trauma, it can feel like nothing works. You try to stay calm. You try to communicate better. You try to fix things—again and again. And yet... you still feel like the enemy. Or the emotional dumping ground. Or like you’re constantly walking on eggshells trying not to trigger something you don’t understand. If you’ve ever felt like...

This one’s personal. When my marriage was falling apart during my husband’s trauma recovery, I wasn’t drinking to celebrate—I was drinking to survive. If you’ve ever felt that way, this episode is for you. I’m revisiting two of the most powerful, raw conversations I’ve had on the show—with Kathryn Traff, who spent over 20 years in the OR handling life-or-death crises while using alcohol to numb th...

What if the wine you’re using to “wind down” is actually keeping you stuck in survival mode? That’s the question I didn’t know I needed answered—until I sat down with Kathryn Traff, neuroscience expert, bestselling author, and founder of Kathryn Traff Coaching. In this raw, eye-opening conversation, we pulled back the curtain on something so many high-functioning women silently struggle with: usin...

In this powerful recap episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, I revisit two unforgettable conversations about the hidden wounds we carry and the choices we make to heal them. Coach Karmin Reeves Jenkins shares how learning the truth about her father, following a path she never wanted just to keep the peace, and unspoken resentment shaped her marriage and relationships in ways she never expecte...

Imagine a world where kindness isn’t just something we talk about—but something we live by. A world where challenges don’t define you, but instead refine you. That’s the world Dr. Argie Nell Nichols was raised in—thanks to the grounding wisdom of her Cherokee grandparents and a barefoot, wild-hearted childhood on a cattle ranch in Arkansas. But don’t let the picturesque backdrop fool you—Argie’s s...

What if the lowest point in your life—the one filled with shame, regret, and fear—was actually the turning point? That’s exactly what happened to Marci Hopkins, award-winning TV host, podcast creator, author of Chaos to Clarity, and recovery advocate. In this week’s episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, Marci and I had an incredibly raw, honest conversation about how childhood trauma shaped h...

Alright, imagine this: You’re eight years old, and out of nowhere, you find out the man you thought was your father… isn’t. Your real dad? Someone you’ve never met—and he’s in prison. Now fast forward a few years, and you’re stepping into a military career—not because it was your dream, but because it was the path your family laid out for you. You didn’t want it, but you went along with it. You ke...

Niobis is a nationally recognized healthcare leader, a best-selling author, and a total powerhouse in her industry. But behind all the accolades is a story of resilience, survival, and deep emotional healing—one that started when she was just eight years old, acting as the translator for her mother’s cancer diagnosis. That alone stopped me in my tracks. As a mother, I can’t imagine placing that we...

This recap episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal dives into my favorite February moments—powerful conversations about letting go of control, people-pleasing, and emotional overwhelm. Featuring Heather Hanson on breaking perfectionist walls, Amy Sanders on unlearning people-pleasing in blended families, and Nicole Gotthold on using breathwork to release grief and trauma, these stories offer rea...

In this powerful episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, I sat down with Amy—bestselling author, master-certified coach, and unapologetic advocate for women’s empowerment—to talk about what it really takes to heal from betrayal, religious conditioning, and people-pleasing patterns that keep you stuck. Amy's story is one of grit, grief, and growth. From losing her sister to suicide at age 10, to...

In this week’s episode, I talk with Nicole Gotthold, a Transformational Breathwork & Empowerment Practitioner who found herself completely undone after the sudden loss of her husband. Grief, anxiety, perfectionism—it all came crashing in. Nicole is a Transformational Breathwork, Energy & Empowerment Practitioner who found her way to healing after one of life’s most heartbreaking moments. W...

In the latest episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, I had the honor of sitting down with Heather Hanson—also known as the Gut Health Paramedic. She's a best-selling author, speaker, and wellness expert who’s helped countless women overcome chronic symptoms like fatigue, bloating, brain fog, and weight gain. But in this conversation, she shared a side of her story most people have never heard....

In this special recap of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, we dive into the most powerful moments from four remarkable survivors who prove healing isn’t just possible—it can transform your relationships forever. From Cassandra Love Lambert’s somatic trauma work, to Sapha Pardo’s lessons in emotional mastery, Danette Haag’s journey from shame to self-worth, and Emily Cleghorn’s raw honesty about brea...

On this episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, I sat down with the radiant and raw Cassandra Love Lambert—founder of C-Love, trauma-trained Somatic Transformational Coach, artist, and soon-to-be author of Becoming My Own Hero. And let me tell you: this conversation was one I’ll never forget. Cassandra doesn’t just talk about trauma healing—she embodies it. From being put into foster care at 2...

This episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal is a must-listen for anyone loving someone with a traumatic past. I’m sharing my favorite moments from four incredible partners who open up about the raw truth of supporting someone through healing. From Kathy Baldwin’s red-flag blueprint, Zoltán Szentkirályi’s honest take on boundaries and self-worth, Cory Martin’s eye-opening insights on addiction a...

Heather is a working mom of twins, a wife, and one of the earliest members of my coaching program. Her story is the real deal: from feeling like her marriage was crumbling, to learning how to shift the dynamic, find herself again, and become a quiet force of support for her husband who—like so many—was silently battling the weight of childhood trauma. In the latest episode of Love and Trauma: The...

I sat down with Zoltán Szentkirályi—a guy who’s got some serious guts and a heart of gold. He’s on a mission to help empathetic men survive the beautiful disaster of loving someone with unresolved trauma. And let me tell you, his story hits like a champagne cork popping off at just the wrong moment. Zoltán teaches stats at SMU (yawn—but stay with me), founded Breakthrough New Life, LLC, and someho...

Emily Cleghorn is a Trigger Recovery Coach, author, cycle breaker, and mom of three who’s made it her life’s mission to help other mothers stop the trauma cycle—for good. After growing up in a home shaped by silence, fear, and emotional wounds, Emily is now raising her own children in a radically different way: with emotional safety, compassion, and healing at the center. Watch Full Episode on You...

My recent conversation with Cory Martin, founder of The Recovery Revolution, was one I wish I had heard years ago. Cory isn’t just another voice in the space—she’s lived this. From watching loved ones spiral to losing herself in codependent relationships, Cory has turned her pain into a powerful platform to help others find clarity, peace, and a new way forward. Watch Full Episode on YouTube: Supp...

Trauma changes us. It leaves scars—both visible and invisible—that can feel overwhelming. But what we choose to do with those scars can transform not only our lives but the lives of those around us. That’s why I’m so excited to share my interview with Danette Haag on Love and Trauma: The Real Deal. Danette is a survivor in every sense of the word. After surviving a house explosion that left her wi...

Trauma can leave a lasting impact not just on the person who experienced it but on their relationships, too. In my recent interview with Kathy Baldwin, the self-proclaimed “Crap Expert,” we dove into how unhealed trauma manifests in relationships and, more importantly, how to move forward with understanding, accountability, and healing. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation—lessons that...