Therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, sits again with Kirsten OConnor, author of The Year After Kahlia and found of thisisgrief.nz, for a conversation among two friends, as they explore the realities of grief, emotional resilience, and learning how to care for yourself through loss. Together, they discuss the ways grief impacts daily life, the importance of rituals and self-compassion, and how healing often unfolds in messy, non-linear ways. This candid episode offers comfort, validation, and grounded insights for anyone navigating heartbreak, bereavement, emotional exhaustion, or major life transitions.

Grief often makes people believe they must "push through" or return to normal quickly, but healing usually begins with smaller, gentler acts of care. Choose one grounding ritual this week — journaling, lighting a candle, taking a walk, listening to music, or checking in with your emotions without judgment — and allow it to become a moment of connection rather than performance. Small, repeated acts of self-compassion help rebuild safety and resilience over time.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $5 - Early Ad free episodes + Occasional other goodies!

• $10 - Benefits listed above and access to growing voice library support for spiraling/overthinking (along with workbooks and practices)

• $30 - Deeper work and group spaces

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Kirsten's links: Website, Insta, Tiktok

Kirsten's last convo on Emotionally Unavailable: Spotify, Apple

In this heartfelt conversation, therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, sits down with Crystal Woodward, spiritual coach, to explore the journey from trauma, denial, and self-abandonment into healing, spiritual awakening, and radical self-love. Crystal shares the emotional realities of facing fear, reconnecting with yourself, and learning to choose your own well-being every single day. Together, they discuss healing beyond survival mode, breaking old patterns, trusting intuition, and the small daily shifts that create lasting transformation. If you've ever struggled with self-worth, fear of change, or losing yourself while trying to survive, this episode offers grounded insight, hope, and practical tools for coming home to yourself.

Healing often begins with small moments of honesty. Start paying attention to the places where you abandon your own needs, silence your intuition, or stay connected to fear out of familiarity. This week, practice one intentional act of self-trust each day, even if it's small. Choosing yourself consistently is how safety, self-love, and transformation are built over time.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $5 - Early Ad free episodes + Occasional other goodies!

• $10 - Benefits listed above and access to growing voice library support for spiraling/overthinking (along with workbooks and practices)

• $30 - Deeper work and group spaces

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Crystal's website

In this deeply personal episode, Malisa Hepner shares her raw and unfiltered journey through grief after the loss of her son Jake to a synthetic opioid overdose. She opens up about the unpredictable waves of emotion, the tension between functioning and falling apart, and the quiet, daily choices that help her stay connected to herself. This conversation explores what it really looks like to live inside grief—without rushing it, fixing it, or performing it—and how small, aligned actions can become anchors in the midst of overwhelming pain.

When everything feels too heavy, shift your focus from "getting through" the grief to simply staying connected to yourself in the moment. Choose one small, grounding action each day—whether it's naming what you feel, stepping outside for fresh air, or offering yourself a moment of compassion—and let that be enough. Over time, these small acts create a quiet stability that supports you without forcing you to move faster than your heart is ready for.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $5 - Early Ad free episodes + Occasional other goodies!

• $10 - Benefits listed above and access to growing voice library support for spiraling/overthinking (along with workbooks and practices)

• $30 - Deeper work and group spaces

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Unquiet Soul: Spotify, Apple

In this deeply reflective episode, therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, sits down with Paul B. Miller to explore the layered journey of spiritual awakening, healing from religious trauma, and reclaiming emotional authenticity. Together, they unpack how societal and religious conditioning shape identity, relationships, and self-worth—and what it really takes to come back to yourself. This conversation offers grounded insight into self-love, perception shifts, and the courage it takes to question everything you were taught in order to live in alignment.

Notice where your beliefs feel inherited rather than chosen.

Take a few minutes to gently ask yourself: "What do I believe about myself, love, or safety—and where did that belief come from?"

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $5 - Early Ad free episodes + Occasional other goodies!

• $10 - Benefits listed above and access to growing voice library support for spiraling/overthinking (along with workbooks and practices)

• $30 - Deeper work and group spaces

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Paul's Links: Youtube, Skool, Tiktok

In this deeply honest conversation, therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, sits down with Dr. Sarah Michaud, Clinical Psychologist, to explore the layered reality of codependency—how it quietly shapes our relationships, parenting, and sense of self. Together, they unpack the connection between codependency and addiction, the subtle ways control and caretaking can mask deeper wounds, and what it actually looks like to begin healing. This episode offers grounded insight and practical tools to help you build self-awareness, untangle relational patterns, and move toward healthier, more connected ways of living.

When you notice the urge to fix, manage, or emotionally carry someone else—pause and gently turn your attention inward. Ask yourself: "What am I feeling right now that I'm trying to avoid?" Then name it without judgment. This simple shift—from focusing on them to reconnecting with yourself—is where the cycle of codependency begins to loosen and real healing starts to take root.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $5 - Early Ad free episodes + Occasional other goodies!

• $10 - Benefits listed above and access to growing voice library support for spiraling/overthinking (along with workbooks and practices)

• $30 - Deeper work and group spaces

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Dr. Sarah's links: Website, Youtube

In this episode, therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, explores the quiet intensity of overthinking and what it's really trying to protect. Through a blend of lived experience and practical tools, she walks you through how to interrupt spirals, reconnect to your body, and create space between you and your thoughts. This conversation isn't about controlling your mind—it's about understanding it, softening it, and learning how to come home to yourself when everything feels loud.

The next time you notice yourself spiraling, pause and ask: "What am I actually feeling underneath this?"

Then do three things in order:

1. Name the feeling (not the story—just the emotion).

2. Place a hand on your body where you feel it most and breathe into that space.

3. Remind yourself: "I can feel this without solving it right now."

This shifts you out of the loop of thinking and back into the experience of being—where regulation actually begins.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $5 - Early Ad free episodes + Occasional other goodies!

• $10 - Benefits listed above and access to growing voice library support for spiraling/overthinking (along with workbooks and practices)

• $30 - Deeper work and group spaces

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

In this powerful episode, Annie Brook, a somatic psychologist, shares her journey through trauma, spiritual awakening, and deep healing. Together, we explore how early life experiences shape the nervous system, why the body holds what the mind tries to move past, and how true healing requires reconnection—not just understanding. Annie offers grounded, practical tools to help you regulate your nervous system, build emotional resilience, and gently return to your body as a place of safety. This conversation bridges science and spirituality in a way that feels both accessible and deeply transformative.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, pause and place one hand on your body—your chest, your stomach, wherever feels natural—and simply notice. Not fix. Not analyze. Just notice what's there. Then ask yourself: What does my body need right now to feel even 1% safer? Let the answer be simple, and let that be enough.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Annie's links: Free Anxiety Toolkit, Free Library, Website, Insta, Youtube

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $3-Become a friend of the show and support its mission

• $5-Ad free episodes

• $10-Benefits listed above and free access to monthly workbook

• $30- In addition to the above benefits, you can receive recurring ad space on episodes posted outside of Patreon. (Perfect for single owner/operator small business looking for low budget ad space)

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

In this deeply moving conversation, Elizabeth Munoz shares her journey through trauma, burnout, and the quiet unraveling of "not enoughness" that so many carry beneath the surface. Together, we explore what it actually looks like to come back home to yourself—not through force or perfection, but through self-regulation, honesty, and learning to sit with what's real. Elizabeth offers grounded insights on rebuilding trust within your body, releasing the pressure to constantly prove your worth, and creating a life that feels aligned rather than performed. This episode is a gentle but powerful reminder that radiance isn't something you chase—it's something that emerges when you stop abandoning yourself.

The next time you feel the pull to prove, fix, or overextend, pause and ask yourself: "What would it look like to respond from self-trust instead of self-doubt right now?" Then choose one small action that honors your capacity—whether that's slowing down, setting a boundary, or simply staying present with yourself without trying to change the moment.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Elizabeth's Website, Insta, Other links

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $3-Become a friend of the show and support its mission

• $5-Ad free episodes

• $10-Benefits listed above and free access to monthly workbook

• $30- In addition to the above benefits, you can receive recurring ad space on episodes posted outside of Patreon. (Perfect for single owner/operator small business looking for low budget ad space)

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

In this solo episode, therapist and host, Malisa Hepner explores how to actually embody the energy you're reaching for through daily rituals, nervous system work, and shadow work.

She shares a grounded approach to moving out of overthinking and into real-life integration, along with a simple daily practice to help you feel safe being seen, receiving, and expanding. This episode also includes personal reflections on grief, presence, and self-compassion.

One simple place to begin: pause once a day, notice what's happening in your body, soften even slightly, and gently ask yourself what it would feel like to safely hold even a small part of the version of you you're becoming.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $3-Become a friend of the show and support its mission

• $5-Ad free episodes

• $10-Benefits listed above and free access to monthly workbook

• $30- In addition to the above benefits, you can receive recurring ad space on episodes posted outside of Patreon. (Perfect for single owner/operator small business looking for low budget ad space)

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Archetypes/Rituals: Tarot, Other

In this expansive and grounding conversation, therapist and host, Malisa Hepner, sits down with Lucy Baldwin to explore the deeper layers of astrology, shadow work, and spiritual ritual—not as trends, but as tools for real inner transformation. Together, they unpack how planetary archetypes can mirror our subconscious patterns, offering language for parts of ourselves we've struggled to understand or accept.

Lucy shares how intentional rituals can gently reprogram the mind, creating new pathways rooted in safety rather than fear. The conversation moves beyond surface-level spirituality, emphasizing the importance of self-trust, nervous system regulation, and the courage to sit with the parts of ourselves we often avoid. This episode invites you to move from seeking external answers to cultivating a grounded, internal sense of knowing.

Choose one simple, repeatable ritual this week—something small enough to feel safe (like lighting a candle while journaling or placing your hand on your heart each morning). As you practice, focus less on "doing it right" and more on what it feels like to stay present with yourself. Let the ritual become a place where trust is built, not forced.

* Emotionally Unavailable is produced 100% in-house. No team, just me and my love for yapping and helping others. If this show has ever helped you in any way, here is your chance to help it keep going strong. Subscribe to the patreon, grab some merch or get a workbook! I appreciate you all.

Lucy's links: Website, Insta, Facebook, Youtube

Subscribe to Emotionally Unavailable's Patreon!

• $3-Become a friend of the show and support its mission

• $5-Ad free episodes

• $10-Benefits listed above and free access to monthly workbook

• $30- In addition to the above benefits, you can receive recurring ad space on episodes posted outside of Patreon. (Perfect for single owner/operator small business looking for low budget ad space)

https://patreon.com/Emotionallyunavailablepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Want to be a guest on Emotionally Unavailable? Send Malisa Hepner a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1739504718415772259d92bc1

https://linktr.ee/Mdhepner