Courage to Heal

In this episode of Courage to Heal, we hear a profound interview with Jamie Fleming, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who found remarkable healing through psychedelic assisted therapy. Jamie recounts her traumatic experiences from a young age, the long-term effects of this trauma, and her journey through various therapeutic modalities. She eventually found significant healing via Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatments, which helped her overcome her trauma and live a life free of fear and pain. Jamie's story offers hope and guidance for other trauma survivors, including practical steps towards healing and the transformative power of psychedelic therapy.

You can find Jamie here:

Jamie's Website

Jamie's Instagram

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

Tim Thomas, former UFC fighter and Special Forces veteran, shares his transformative journey from warrior to wellness advocate in this powerful episode of Courage to Heal. Drawing from his unique experiences, Tim reveals how he created some of Australia's most successful veteran mental health recovery programs and discovered the healing power of breathwork.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Tim's inspiring story of overcoming PTSD and finding his path as a healer
• The concept of becoming an "energetic millionaire" through mindful practice
• A practical approach to starting new habits by "cutting in half and taking 20% off"

Tim also guides listeners through an immersive breathwork experience, demonstrating how simple breathing techniques can transform both body and mind. Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, or simply seeking to enhance your well-being, this episode offers practical tools and profound insights for your healing journey.

Tim’s Website and Socials:

www.breathworkinbed.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/breathworkinbed/

https://www.facebook.com/breathworkinbed

Breathwork in Bed link that will guide you to sleep with peace and out of bed with power:

Apple

Google/Android

The tutorial for the breath of PEACE and POSSIBILITY

Breathwork in Bed audio book, narrated by Tim

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

In this episode of Courage to Heal, Anna interviews Chloe Jiménez-Peters, a transformational hypnotherapist and trauma-informed coach specializing in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Chloe shares her personal journey of overcoming chronic fatigue, depression, and PMDD, leading to her profound work helping others heal root cause traumas.

Together, they explore the connection between early-life trauma and PMDD, the role of subconscious beliefs, and the transformative power of Rapid Transformational Therapy.

Whether you’re navigating PMDD or supporting a loved one, Chloe offers practical advice, heartfelt compassion, and a message of hope.

Key Topics:

• Chloe’s personal story of healing and transformation
• Understanding the root causes of PMDD and its symptoms
• How subconscious beliefs shape emotional and physical well-being
• The impact of early-life trauma on sensitivity and resilience
• Practical self-compassion strategies for those with PMDD

You can find Chloe here:

https://chloejimenezpeters.com/

https://www.instagram.com/chloejimenezpeters/

Books mentioned in the episode:

Wild Power: Discover the Magic of Your Menstrual Cycle and Awaken the Feminine Path to Power by S. H. Wurlitzer and A. Pope

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

This insightful episode of "Courage to Heal" features an interview with Tammy Cox, a transformational coach specializing in inner child healing and women's emotional wellbeing. Drawing from her own journey of overcoming childhood trauma and her father's early death, Tammy shares how she transformed her personal struggles into a mission to help others heal.

The conversation explores the profound impact of childhood experiences and generational trauma on adult relationships. Tammy explains her unique approach to inner child work, including how early life experiences create core beliefs that shape our adult behaviors. She offers practical insights on connecting with one's inner child, embracing anger as a healthy emotion, and the importance of self-awareness in healing.

You can find more about Tammy here:

Tammy’s Instagram

Tammy’s links

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

Only 9% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions. Nearly half quit by the end of January. So what if you skipped them altogether?

In this solo episode of Courage to Heal, I share a gentler way to plan your year: intentional living. You’ll learn why reaching a goal can leave you feeling strangely empty (it has a name, the arrival fallacy) and how one guiding word can steer your whole year instead.

Then we get practical. I walk you through three steps to choose your word. Then I show you how to build wholeness across six areas of life: physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, financial, and social. You’ll learn why aiming for 60 to 80 percent beats perfection. You’ll also build an emergency wellness plan for the days when everything feels like too much.

No resolutions. No pressure to become a new person by January 2nd. Just a clear direction and small steps you can actually keep.

Grab the free word list and Intentional Living Plan in the show notes, and fill them out as you listen.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Word Ideas List
• Intentional Living Plan

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

“Why aren’t you married yet?” “You’re eating dessert? I thought you were on a diet.” If your stomach tightens just reading those lines, this episode is for you.

Holiday gatherings can pull you right back into old family roles. Your body remembers every tense dinner, even when your mind has moved on. You’re not being dramatic. You’re being triggered.

In this episode of Courage to Heal, Anna explains what “toxic” usually means: emotional immaturity. She covers why emotionally immature relatives push back on your boundaries, and why waiting for them to change keeps you stuck. Then she gets practical. You’ll learn how to set physical, emotional, and intellectual boundaries, stay calm when someone pushes your buttons, and decide when to speak up and when to let it go.

The second half walks through 14 real situations, from guilt trips and nosy money questions to comments about your parenting. Each one comes with a calm, clear script you can use at the table.

You can’t control what your family says. You can control how you respond.

Download the free guide: 20 Boundary-Setting Sentences for Holiday Gatherings

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

Your brain is not built to make you happy. It’s built to keep you alive. For trauma survivors, that means the smoke alarm goes off even when you’re just making toast.

In this episode, Anna explains why your brain needs clear signs of safety before it can calm down, and how to give it those signs at home. You’ll learn how to set up a small sanctuary space, even in a tiny apartment or a noisy house. Anna covers calming colors, soft light, soothing scents like lavender, and simple boundaries that keep the space feeling safe. She also shares why you should practice calm there before you need it, so your sanctuary doesn’t turn into a worry spot.

The episode ends with a guided calm place visualization, the same EMDR technique Anna uses with her clients. Use it in your new space whenever you need to come back to center.

Download your free sanctuary checklist here.

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

Your heart is racing. Your thoughts won’t slow down. You know you’re safe, but your body didn’t get the memo.

In this episode of the Courage to Heal podcast, Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, walks you through 10 grounding techniques for anxiety you can use almost anywhere. First, you’ll learn what anxiety is, when it turns into Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and what happens in your nervous system when your brain’s fire alarm goes off. Then we get practical.

You’ll learn physical grounding like earthing and progressive muscle relaxation, sensory and mental grounding like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, plus box breathing, finger breathing, a calm place visualization, and journaling prompts to question anxious thoughts. Anna also shares how to practice these skills so they’re there for you when anxiety hits a 9 out of 10.

Grab the free 5-minute anxiety meditation in the show notes.

Resources Mentioned:

Free Anxiety Meditation

YouTube Documentary on Earthing

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

In this episode, we explore seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD profoundly affects mood, cognitive functions, and physical health due to disruptions in circadian rhythms.

After highlighting symptoms and various risk factors, the episode dives deep into SAD management techniques, such as light therapy, antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, balanced diet, proper sleep hygiene, and mindfulness practices.

Free Journal Prompts for Depression

Luminette Glasses (use code ANNA15 for 15% off)

Anxiety and Depression Association of America Support Group

NAMI Support Group

DBSA Support Group

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy

A car’s brakes squeal on the street. Most people flinch and move on. But if you’ve been through trauma, your heart pounds, your breath goes shallow, and suddenly you’re back in the worst moment of your life. You’re not overreacting. Your nervous system learned to stay on high alert.

In this episode, I explain how mindfulness for trauma works on that alarm system. You’ll learn what mindfulness really is (and how it’s different from meditation), what brain research shows about the amygdala, and why slowing down can bring up flashbacks at first. That part is normal. It gets better with practice.

Then we practice together. I guide you through breath tracking and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, two simple tools you can use anywhere when a trigger pulls you into the past. No special gear needed. Just your attention.

Free Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program

HOST BIO:

Anna Khandrueva, LCSW, is a trauma and couples therapist and owner of Courage to Heal Therapy in Broomfield, Colorado. She uses EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-focused approaches to help adults heal from complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect, and helps couples build stronger, more connected relationships. Her practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming. Anna grew up in 1980s Russia, worked in finance before becoming a therapist, and brings both lived experience and clinical skill to every conversation.

Anna’s Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com

Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetohealtherapy