So many high-achieving women quietly carry burnout that goes far deeper than a packed calendar and today’s conversation names what’s really happening underneath it.

Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Dr. Julie Merriman, licensed mental health clinician, counselor educator, burnout researcher, author, and founder of the Soul Joy brand, to unpack what she calls identity burnout: the slow erosion that happens when we keep performing a role (dependable, capable, self-sacrificing) long after it stops being sustainable.

Dr. Julie shares her personal turning point when outward success masked an inner emptiness and how that experience shaped the Soul Joy Method, a body-based path back to wholeness through somatic awareness, nervous system regulation, chakra psychology, and reconnection to purpose and relationships. You’ll also hear why resentment isn’t a character flaw it’s information and how tiny “micro-boundaries” can become the first step toward real change.

Plus, Dr. Julie shares a grounded take on using AI as a support tool not a substitute for connection by clearing mental load so we can return to what makes life feel meaningful.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, invisible, stuck in obligation, or like you’ve lost yourself under responsibility, this episode will bring clarity, language, and practical first steps—because positive and responsible influence doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with listening more deeply to yourself.

Connect with Dr. Julie:

Website: https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/

Book: In Pursuit of Soul Joy https://a.co/d/3HJtsnU