Broken to Brave | Guiding you to heal & break free from anxiety

What if chronic illness isn’t just something to fix, but a story we’ve been taught to accept as truth?

In this conversation, I sit down with Karyn Shanks, MD, to explore what healing really means when we stop treating the body like a broken machine and start listening to the whole person. We talk about disappointment in conventional medicine, the courage it takes to question the stories we’ve been given, and how trauma, fatigue, and even autoimmune symptoms can be invitations back to ourselves.

This episode feels like a deep exhale, a reminder that the body is not wrong, and that small, simple shifts can open doors we didn’t know were there.

In This Episode, We Cover:
- Why the body is never wrong, and symptoms are messages, not mistakes.
- How trauma, even small t trauma, shapes chronic illness and survival biology.
- The power of small, simple shifts and reclaiming your own story as part of healing.

Connect with Karyn:
Website: https://www.karynshanksmd.com
Books:
Unbroken: Reclaim Your Wholeness
Heal: A Nine-Stage Roadmap to Recover Energy, Reverse Chronic Illness, and Claim the Potential of a Vibrant New You
The Wisdom of COVID-19: How to Rejuvenate, Reclaim Hope, and Heal in the New Post-Pandemic World

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarynShanksMD/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karynshanksmd/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karyn-shanks-md-9ba2a520/

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[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

There’s a specific kind of pain that comes from knowing you didn’t listen to yourself. From saying yes when your body said no, and realizing later that you abandoned your own truth. In this conversation, Theresa Lear Levine and I talk about what self-betrayal actually looks like, and how it slowly disconnects us from our intuition, our bodies, and ourselves.

We explore her healing journey through chronic pain, late ADHD diagnosis, nervous system work, EFT tapping, and learning how to stop arguing with reality. This episode is about the quiet shifts that happen when you start listening again, rebuilding self-trust, and understanding that feeling broken does not mean you are broken.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• What self-betrayal really means and how it shows up over time.
• How the nervous system works, and EFT tapping can shift emotional and physical pain.
• Why feeling broken does not mean you are broken, and how healing unfolds gradually.

Connect with Theresa:

Becoming More Me Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-more-me-community/about 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theresalearlevine/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theresalearlevine 

Website: https://theresalearlevine.com 

Book a Call: https://gamechangingconversation.com

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[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

How many times have you thought you were finally okay, only for anxiety to sneak back in the moment life gets heavy? In this episode, I talk about the quiet defeat that shows up when anxiety returns after you’ve done the therapy, used the tools, and felt real progress.

I break down why relief can feel temporary when identity doesn’t shift at the nervous system level, and how so many of us unknowingly return to the same survival version of ourselves under stress. This isn’t about trying harder or fixing yourself. It’s about understanding why your system keeps going back to what once kept you safe.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• Why anxiety coming back does not mean you failed or started over.
• How identity shapes what your nervous system returns to under pressure.
• The difference between managing symptoms and actually changing the soil.

Sign-up for The Anxiety Relief Experience today!
www.brave-method.com/anxiety-relief-experience

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

You think you’re doing okay, maybe even good, and then it hits. A thought, a sensation, a moment of pressure, and suddenly, anxiety is back. And the part that hurts the most isn’t even the anxiety; it’s the thought, I thought I figured this out. Why is this happening again?

In this episode, I’m talking honestly about why anxiety can return even after you’ve done the work, learned the tools, and had moments where things felt clear. I break down why this is not a failure, not a setback, and not proof that nothing changed. This is about how the brain and nervous system actually work, and why starting with the body matters more than forcing mindset shifts.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• Why anxiety can come back under stress, even when you thought you healed.
• How old nervous system patterns get reinforced and why awareness alone doesn’t change them.
• What it really takes to build new responses without shaming yourself.

Sign-up for The Anxiety Relief Experience today!
www.brave-method.com/anxiety-relief-experience

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

Have you ever felt anxious the moment you woke up, before anything even happened? That racing heart, the spiraling thoughts, the pressure to calm down like everyone else seems to. I know that feeling. And I want you to know, there is nothing wrong with you.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why most anxiety tools don’t stick. I’ll show you what’s really happening in your body, why calm can feel unfamiliar, and how your nervous system might be stuck in protection mode even when your mind says everything is fine. This isn’t about thinking differently. It’s about starting in the body.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• Why anxiety begins in the nervous system, not your thoughts
• The hidden reason calm can feel unsafe
• What it really takes to create a new baseline of safety in your body

Sign-up for The Anxiety Relief Experience today!
www.brave-method.com/anxiety-relief-experience

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

Megan Caldwell hit burnout twice. The first time, she left her career in education and moved her young family to start over. The second time, everything looked perfect: she was running a thriving fitness business, had three beautiful kids, and was doing work she loved. But inside, she felt broken.

In this conversation, Megan shares what it really looked like to fall apart behind the scenes, and how a single moment with her closest friends became the catalyst for deep, lasting change. Megan is a coach, speaker, and creator of The ROCKSTAR Framework. She has helped hundreds of high-achieving women come home to themselves, and in this episode, she shows us exactly how that journey begins.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• The truth about Megan’s second burnout and the moment she could no longer hide it
• How she moved from performance and pressure into alignment and authenticity
• Why play, presence, and connection are at the heart of real healing

Connect with Megan:

www.megancaldwellpdx.com

www.instagram.com/megancaldwellpdx

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

We’ve been taught to manage emotions like a checklist: stay calm, don't react, hold it together. But what if that mindset is keeping you stuck? In this episode, I’m sharing what emotional maturity really feels like and how it’s less about control and more about expanding your capacity to stay present with yourself.

This kind of growth is quiet. It won’t always show up on the outside, but it changes everything on the inside.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• The difference between emotional control and emotional capacity
• What emotional maturity looks like in real life, not just in theory
• How to feel your emotions without getting lost in them

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

Why do we keep feeling behind, even when we’re doing the work? I’ve been sitting with this in my own life lately, and it’s something I see in so many of my clients too. That sense of not-enoughness, of constant striving, of pushing for the next goal without ever letting the nervous system breathe.

In this episode, I’m breaking down how we lose our sense of safety and satisfaction by measuring our progress the wrong way. And I’ll show you how shifting your focus, from the gap to the gain, can change everything.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• The nervous system toll of chasing an ever-moving goalpost
• Why your growth might not feel like it’s working (even when it is)
• A grounded way to track your healing without getting stuck in shame

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

What happens when you wake up one day and realize you've abandoned yourself in the name of love?

In this powerful conversation with Julia Sewell, we unpack the lived experience of working mothers who give everything and forget they matter too. Julia shares the painful moment she realized her self-worth was buried beneath service, and how she began the brave journey of reclaiming her power, joy, and intention. We talk about noble self-abandon, the beloved table, and what it really means to self-make a life that honors your wholeness.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• Why self-sacrifice disguised as love can quietly destroy us
• How to reconnect with the most innocent, deserving version of yourself
• The difference between surviving your life and actually living it

Connect with Julia:
www.theselfmademom.com
www.instagram.com/theselfmademom
www.facebook.com/people/The-Self-Made-Mom/61572660357990/

Grab Julia's book: www.theselfmademom.com/book

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com

If you think healing means you’ll never feel anxious, overwhelmed, or triggered again, I want to gently challenge that idea. In this episode, I’m unpacking the perfectionism that can sneak into our healing journeys and the shame that comes with it.

I share what real healing looks like in my life and in the lives of the women I support. It’s not about emotional invincibility or reaching some mythical finish line. It’s about shortening the spiral, staying present through discomfort, and learning how to come back to center with more compassion.

In This Episode, I Cover:

• Why emotional waves aren’t proof you’re failing
• The difference between being healed and being emotionally capable
• How to shift from judgment to curiosity in hard moments

______________________________________

[FREE TRAINING]
How high-achieving women can
DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day
www.brave-method.com/anxiety

[FREE CALL]
Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see
if we are a fit for working together.
www.bravemethod.com/book

[RESULTS]
Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most?
www.brave-method.com/testimonials

💗 Dr. Steph
@DrStephanieLopez
www.brave-method.com