Speak Shame

Shannon Freedman was driving to work when a freeway accident left her fighting for her life and ultimately missing a quarter of her brain. Doctors didn't think she'd survive. In this episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie talks to Shannon – financial consultant, rapid transformational therapist, and brain injury survivor – about the two decades she spent believing she wasn't capable or w...

At 13, Madeleine Black was gang-raped. For decades, shame kept her silent, but she came to realise: the shame was never hers to carry. In this powerful episode, Dr Connie is joined by two-time TEDx speaker and author of Unbroken , Madeleine Black, who made the extraordinary decision to forgive the men who raped her – not for them, but for herself. Madeleine shares her journey from trauma, silence,...

What happens when the place you ran to for safety becomes the source of your greatest harm? In Episode 32 of Speak Shame, Dr Connie Kerali is joined by Chioma Alade, UK clergy, cult and sexual abuse specialist, and founder of By Fourteen . Chioma grew up in an abusive home and found what she believed was safety in the church, only to be groomed and sexually abused by her Sunday school teacher for...

"Where is this guy? I want to be rescued. And then I realised: No one is coming to save me." In Episode 31 of Speak Shame, author Sacha Hughes shares her journey from self-sabotage to self-love and how she turned her pain into a published novel.  When Sacha was 24, her mum died of cancer. She turned to Pinot Grigio to numb the grief. For years, she believed Mr. Right would rescue her fro...

"You don't have to explain your ambition. You can just be ambitious." In episode 30 of Speak Shame, journalist and author Rachel Hartigan shares her journey from feeling like an imposter in journalism to writing a book that unravels one of history's greatest mysteries: Amelia Earhart's disappearance. Rachel spent 12 years at National Geographic covering everything from gen...

In this inspiring episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie Kerali interviews Jennifer Schroeder, who at 58 was told her skills were “obsolete” and faced systemic age bias after hundreds of rejections. Jennifer recounts a planned 15-minute meeting where she was threatened with a performance improvement plan or severance, describing shock, shame, anger, and an out-of-body feeling, followed by months of rep...

In this episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie Kerali is joined by Dr. Jenn (Jennifer Noble), a licensed psychologist and parent coach specialising in children, teens, identity development, and the mixed-race population, and founder of Free to Be Collective. Dr Jenn shares her early life in Santa Monica shaped by diversity and international travel, and discusses her own mixed-race identity (African Ame...

Dr Connie Kerali has a powerful conversation with the remarkable, Neelu, a business coach and single mother of four, about domestic violence, coercive control, financial abuse, and marital rape within a 17-year marriage. Neelu shares growing up in a conservative Muslim family, being pushed toward marriage from her teens, and recognising dysfunction through motherhood and learning healthier parenti...

In this episode of Speak Shame we discuss sexual violence, attempted suicide, and eating disorders and with support links are provided below. Dr Connie interviews Poonnamme, a Sikh woman raised between the UK and Punjab, with over 35 years in health and social care, who now also facilitates Kundalini Shakti activation. She shares how being the first-born girl and only child brought intense pressur...

In this week’s episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie Kerali speaks with Vasavi Kumar, licensed therapist, mindset coach, voice actor, TV host, and author of Say It Out Loud. Vasavi shares how she began to stop doubting herself and regain trust in her voice by developing an “immaculate” inner narrative - one that is kind, encouraging, and safe - so that external criticism no longer carries the same wei...

In this episode, host Dr Connie Kerali interviews Faith Aisien-Ezugwu, author of the poetry and spoken word book 'I Am Here' and host of the 'Re: Series' podcast. Faith shares her journey from growing up in Nigeria and overcoming feelings of inadequacy and being labeled a 'failure' as a child, to her successful career in business and events management. She discusses h...

In this week's episode, Dr Connie Kerali interviews Emily Silva Hockstra, a five-time author and spiritual life coach. Emily shares her journey from an anxiety-ridden child to a successful author and coach. She discusses her personal experiences, including suffering a miscarriage at 18, transitioning from a corporate career to wine tasting, and eventually pursuing her passion for writing full...

In this week's episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie Kerali interviews Dr. Adia Gooden, a licensed clinical psychologist and expert on self-worth, self-compassion, and mental health. Dr. Adia shares her journey from growing up in Pasadena, California with professional parents, to becoming a renowned psychologist and speaker. She delves into the impact of early life challenges on her sensitivity t...

In this week's episode, we welcome Rebecca Bloom, a Yale and NYU-educated patient and workplace advocate, and author of 'When Women Get Sick' . Rebecca discusses her journey from a legal career specialising in employee benefits to her long-standing role as a patient advocate at Bay Area Cancer Connections. She shares personal experiences that fuelled her advocacy, including her fami...

In this episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie interviews Gabby Long, a reproductive rights advocate, mother, and healthcare storyteller. Gabby shares her journey from growing up in central Florida to becoming an outreach organiser for 'A Woman's Choice,' an independent abortion provider. She discusses her family's background in activism and her early volunteer experiences. Gabby al...

In this week's episode, Dr Connie Kerali interviews Dr Alison Smith, founder of Earth and Bloom, a coaching practice supporting doctors and healthcare professionals. Dr Alison shares her journey from a GP with over 20 years of experience to a coach who blends nature, creativity, and one-to-one facilitation. She discusses her challenging childhood, her initial struggles in medicine, and how co...

In this episode of Speak Shame, we meet Kayleigh, a reproductive justice advocate, abortion storyteller, and program coordinator at Fund Texas Choice. Kayleigh discusses her personal journey from growing up in a military family and surviving domestic and sexual violence, to finding her calling in supporting Texans seeking out-of-state abortion care. She shares her own abortion experience, the ongo...

In this week’s episode, Dr Connie sits down with Annalie Howling, a highly qualified performance coach with over 20 years of experience working with business leaders, elite athletes, and members of the armed forces, including ex-UK Special Forces. Annalie discusses her journey from a turbulent childhood to becoming a sought-after speaker, author, and EMDR certified global practitioner. She shares...

In this week's episode of Speak Shame, Dr Connie hosts Jessy Rosales, an impassioned advocate for reproductive justice who began their journey in 2016. Jessy discusses their efforts in organizing communities and leveraging media to support reproductive justice legislation, notably leading to the passage of Senate Bill 24, which mandates abortion services in California university medical syste...

In this episode of Speak Shame with Dr Connie Kerali, Eve Ostrovskaya, a Transformational Leadership and Matrescence Coach, former Fortune 500 HR leader, and founder of Working Parent Coaching, shares her journey from growing up in post-Soviet Russia to navigating a successful career in London while raising three children. As a coach, she helps ambitious women overcome the pressures of perfectioni...

In this week's episode of Speak Shame with Dr Connie Kerali, Darleen Davies, an International Career and Mindset Coach, takes over guest hosting duties. The episode dives into the theme of dating shame, beginning with Dr Connie sharing her formative 'Good Girl' chapter. They delve into the impact of perfectionism and people-pleasing on her life and relationships, especially in the c...

In this episode, Dr Connie interviews Alison Beder Solway, a debut author and founder of ABS Fitness. Alison shares her profound journey to motherhood through surrogacy, as detailed in her memoir, The Miles We Run. Discussing her challenging health condition, HHT, Alison explains the struggles and learnings during her path to building a family. She draws powerful analogies between her resilience i...

In this episode of Speak Shame with Dr Connie Kerali, Dr. Jessica Zucker, a psychologist specialising in reproductive health and author of the book 'I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, A Movement' , shares her journey and advocacy work. Dr. Zucker discusses how her personal experience with miscarriage led to the creation of the viral #IHadAMiscarriage campaign, aiming to break the silence and...

In the final episode of the series, Dr McClain Sampson, a professor of social work and founder of Hear Me Roar Coaching, shares her journey and mission to empower women, particularly focusing on maternal mental health. Dr Sampson talks about her challenging childhood, her academic career, the transformative impact of her unplanned pregnancy, and the development of her passion for maternal health....

In this week’s episode, Dr Connie Kerali interviews Amanda Wakefield, a High Conflict Relationship Recovery and Resilience Life Coach based in Luxembourg. Amanda shares her personal journey, from becoming an orphan at a young age to overcoming significant challenges including cancer. She discusses the importance of hope, the impact of grief on vulnerability, and the steps she took to regain contro...