The Anxiety Recovery Podcast

The holidays are marketed as “the happiest time of the year”… but for so many people, they’re the most emotionally overwhelming. In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle Zilg, MFT-in-training and host of The Feeling & Healing Podcast , for a deep, compassionate conversation about navigating anxiety, depression, grief, and family triggers during the holiday season. Together, we explore: ✨ Why t...

In this deeply grounding episode, I sit down with marriage and family therapist-in-training  Danielle Zilg  to explore the  hidden somatic roots  of anxious attachment — the ones that begin long before your first relationship, and in Danielle’s case, long before she ever had words. We dive into the  preverbal and adoption wounds  that shaped her earliest sense of safety, belonging, and self, and h...

In this week's episode, Valerie sits down with the incredible Dr. David Grand — the creator of Brainspotting — to talk about something that’s changed both my life and my clients’ lives: healing anxiety and attachment patterns through the body using brainspotting. If you’ve ever felt like, “I understand my trauma, but nothing changes,” this conversation will show you why your brain and body mig...

Jealousy is one of the most triggering emotions in relationships — and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, trauma-informed somatic marriage coach Becky Aste joins Valerie to unpack what’s really happening beneath jealousy — and why it’s not something to get rid of, but something to listen to. Together, they explore: ✨ What happens to trust and connection when jealousy goes unaddressed...

Welcome back to The Anxiety Recovery Podcast 💫 This week, we’re diving into a topic that even the most “healed” and high-achieving among us still struggle with — self-doubt. That quiet but powerful voice that whispers, “Who am I to do this?” That moment before you take a leap where your chest tightens, your heart races, and your mind floods with every reason you might fail. And even after all the...

What happens when the same control and independence that make you powerful in the world start to quietly sabotage your relationships? In this week’s episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , Valerie Rubin sits down with Shilpa Cacho — a love coach and mentor who helps women shift out of control and back into connection, so they can inspire their partners to rise instead of shut down. Together, the...

The Science of Heartbreak: Why It Hurts Like Physical Pain (and How to Heal) Why does heartbreak feel like physical pain—almost like withdrawal? In this episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , I sit down with hypnotherapist Deron Singh to break down what’s happening in your brain, body, and subconscious when love ends—and how to find your way back to safety. In this conversation, we answer: Why...

What if the very things you call “too much” or “broken” are actually your nervous system’s way of keeping you safe? In this powerful conversation with trauma expert Tim Fletcher , we dive deep into the truth about complex trauma (CPTSD) — how it physically reshapes the brain, impacts identity, and wires us to chase love that feels unsafe. Together we unpack: ✨ Why a delayed text or a change in to...

If you’ve ever found yourself anxiously waiting for a text back, replaying conversations in your head, or needing constant reassurance from your partner just to feel okay, you’re not alone. This is the reality of anxious attachment — but here’s the truth: reassurance alone will never heal it. What actually heals anxious attachment is emotional safety. In this powerful episode of The Anxiety Recove...

Why does being alone feel so unbearable, even when you know you’ll be okay? Why do breakups or abandonment trigger such intense spirals that it feels impossible to calm down? In this episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , we dive into the hidden roots of anxious attachment: preverbal trauma — those earliest wounds formed before we even had language. These deep imprints can wire your nervous sys...

Welcome back to The Anxiety Recovery Podcast ! I’m your host, Valerie Rubin, and today we’re diving into a fear that keeps so many of us stuck: “What if I get this wrong?” You know the spiral — your chest tightens, your brain won’t shut off, and you second-guess every move because one wrong choice feels like it could ruin everything. Whether it’s love, career, or everyday decisions, self-doubt can...

Love Under Pressure: Dating While Building an Empire with Alexander Johnson What happens when the pursuit of building an empire collides with the desire for love? Can entrepreneurs truly have both — without sacrificing one for the other? In this episode, I’m joined by Alexander Johnson , founder of Mixt Solutions, host of the Entrepreneur, Among Other Things podcast, and a man who’s generated over...

Have you ever felt like you’re always on guard in relationships — scanning every tone shift, bracing for abandonment, or waiting for the other shoe to drop? That’s hypervigilance: the body’s survival response that makes love feel unsafe, even when nothing is wrong. In this episode, I’m joined by Kieran Pollitt, Transformational Alchemist , for a deep conversation on what hypervigilance really feel...

Do you ever catch yourself asking, “Are we okay?” —not once, but over and over—even when nothing is actually wrong? Maybe you’ve gotten reassurance, only to feel that anxious knot creep back hours later. If so, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. In this episode, I sit down with Thais Sky to unpack the cycle of reassurance-seeking in anxious attachment and the worthiness wound that hides under...

The High Cost of Pretending You’re Fine (and How to Live Authentically Without Fear) We’ve all done it—looked someone straight in the eye and said, “I’m fine” when we’re anything but. For many of us, especially if we’re anxiously attached, that mask becomes a survival strategy. We learn to perform, to be agreeable, to read the room before we speak—because deep down, we’re terrified that if people...

Why You Stay in Almost Relationships That Leave You Starving (with Kendall Brown) Why does it feel safer to chase someone who won’t fully choose you… than to receive the real thing? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Women’s Trauma & Relationship Coach Kendall Brown to explore the painful cycle of situationships, breadcrumbs, and “almost” love —and why so many women with anxious attachm...

Why is letting go so hard—especially for people like us? In this episode, we dive deep into why we cling, control, and grip so tightly in relationships, work, and even our sense of self-worth. If you’ve ever wondered why you keep ending up in the same patterns, even in totally different seasons of life, there’s a reason—and it’s not because you’re broken. Your nervous system craves familiarity lik...

Money isn’t just numbers in your bank account—it’s a mirror reflecting your deepest beliefs, fears, and unresolved wounds. In this powerful episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , I sit down with finance coach Mark Harrison to uncover why money creates so much stress and shame—even for people who seem “okay” on paper. We explore how childhood experiences and family dynamics silently shape your r...

Have you ever wondered why, no matter how many hours you spend in therapy or how much you understand your anxiety, your body still feels like it’s stuck in survival mode? You’re not alone. For so many of us, anxiety isn’t just a mindset issue—it’s a nervous system issue. It lives in your chest, in your stomach, in that constant sense of dread you can’t shake. And no amount of talking about it seem...

Why does it feel like love is always just out of reach? In this episode, I’m joined by somatic relationship coach Lindsey Lockett to dive deep into one of the most magnetic—and most painful—relationship dynamics: the anxious-avoidant loop. Together, we explore the real emotions behind “loving too hard” and the heartbreaking moments when the person you love starts to pull away. We unpack powerful q...

Today’s episode is one of the most tender, honest, and emotionally raw conversations I’ve ever shared on the podcast. I sat down with Acceptance coach & grief guide Chris Mamone to explore the kind of grief that doesn’t always have a funeral. The kind that creeps into your everyday life — when someone you loved deeply is no longer there, when you don’t get closure, when you find yourself in th...

Have you ever been told you're too sensitive , too emotional , or just too much ? Or maybe you’ve silenced your needs in love, hoping to be more palatable, more agreeable—more "enough." In this empowering episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , I’m joined by Amy Young, a mentor and guide for women in the midst of awakening and initiation, for a deep dive into the fear of being “too much” in rela...

What happens when your identity feels like something to hide instead of something to honor? In this raw and healing conversation, I sit down with Ari Kantor to unpack the quiet, often unspoken fear many Jews carry — the fear of being Jewish. The fear of being stereotyped, misunderstood, dismissed, or not belonging at all. Together, we explore the internalized shame passed down through generations,...

Muscles Don't Lie: What Chronic Tension Is Really Telling You — with Dr. Mike Izquierdo Is your body trying to tell you something your mind has been avoiding? In this powerful episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , I’m joined by Dr. Mike Izquierdo — chiropractor, author, and nervous system expert — to explore the hidden language of chronic tension and what it reveals about unresolved emotional...

Why do we push away love even when we deeply crave it? In this powerful and eye-opening episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast , I’m joined by self sabotage coach Nathan Francis to unpack the hidden ways we sabotage healthy love—and why. We explore the subtle signs of self-sabotage, how childhood emotional wounds can make safety feel like a threat, and the internal beliefs that keep us stuck in p...