It’s been almost two years since I last recorded an episode, and in this deeply personal return to Healing Begins on the Inside Podcast, I’m sharing what life has held in this season and why these past two years have changed not only me but the work I feel called to do now.

This episode is for the caregivers, cycle breakers, and the ones quietly holding it all together while carrying more than most people can see.

We talk about caregiving, chronic stress, family trauma, health uncertainty, aging parents, and what healing really looks like when you’re still in the thick of it...not polished, not linear, and not tied up in a bow.

I also share the new direction of Healing Begins on the Inside Podcast, and why I’m stepping more fully into body-led healing, nervous system support, and trauma-informed bodywork in this next chapter.

If you’ve been living life on hard mode, I hope this episode reminds you that you’re not alone.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Healing and Caregiving

01:13 Navigating Personal Trauma and Uncertainty

03:46 The Weight of Chronic Stress and Caregiving

09:01 Embodied Healing and Authentic Connections

13:55 Shifting Professional Focus and Personal Growth

16:55 The Ongoing Journey of Healing and Support

In this episode, my special guest Christine McGinnis dives into the importance of honoring the different phases of life, from puberty and pregnancy to postpartum and perimenopause...Discussing the vital role of support, self-care, and acknowledging the body’s incredible resilience during these transitions. Christine shares insights into the emotional and physical challenges of perimenopause and menopause, including the impact of hormonal shifts, like migraines. We also explore practical self-care tools, such as reflexology, breathing exercises, and setting healthy boundaries.

Christine highlights how small, consistent practices can help track progress and stay motivated. Ultimately, encouraging listeners to embrace the complexity of their bodies and view new symptoms as opportunities for deeper healing.

TIMELINE

05:06 Understanding Hormonal Health and Personal Experiences

08:21 The Impact of Menopause and Hormonal Transitions

13:35 Navigating Perimenopause and Its Challenges

17:43 The Complex Emotions of Menopause and Self-Care

23:00 Migraines and Hormonal Triggers

27:10 Steps to Combat Migraines

28:36 Understanding Your Body's Signals

32:39 Daily Practices for Migraine Relief

34:52 Setting Boundaries for Self-Care

39:45 Evaluating and Adjusting Your Routine

You can find Christine:
Instagram: @willow_therapies
Website: willowtherapies.ca

In this episode, special guest Ashley Hollick shares her inspiring story of healing from chronic pain and abusive relationships through emotional recovery, mindset work, and therapeutic practices. We explore the deep connections between emotional trauma and physical health, diving into techniques like deep meditation, cord-cutting, Hawaiian forgiveness prayers, and self-care rituals. Ashley's journey of letting go of painful memories, navigating loss, and embracing the power of emotional intelligence and family support reveals the strength found in vulnerability. This conversation is a powerful reminder of the ongoing healing process, emphasizing self-reflection, forgiveness, and tuning into the wisdom of your body.

Emotional understanding and regulation are what we need to show up and perform our best. Lauren helps parents, teachers and admins reduce stress while guiding children to emotional regulation. As a result, kiddos can learn and adults can get back to enjoying what they love.  Lauren is the founder of The Behavior Hub and she thrives on building brain and research-based, child-driven trainings and courses with the whole child in mind and we had the honor of sitting down with Lauren to discuss tips and strategies around emotional regulation for our kiddos. Follow Lauren on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thebehaviorhub/ , on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebehaviorhub/, Website https://www.thebehaviorhub.com/.  A

Parenting children is a challenge!  Defiance, tantrums, and ever-changing emotions can make even the best parent scratch their head.  Patterns of behavior are deeply engrained into our cell memories.  How do we move beyond those cell memories and out of the fear-based state of stress?  Jill Urbane, a Social Worker and Parent coach has been working with parents for twenty-plus years as a home visitor and today we are sitting down with Jill to discuss parenting tips and strategies.  Join us for this important conversation about decoding and demystifying behavioral challenges with your children.  Follow Jill on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thementormom/ , on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheMentorMom/, Website https://www.thementormomblog.com/, 

How can you deal with trauma and learn to process difficult emotions, set clear boundaries and communicate effectively in your relationships?  Petyah James, Somatic Therapist and Coach joins us for a special conversation about how we can heal from the effects of trauma.  She shares how you can free your inner child from past traumas, move through pain and awaken your own healing resources and inner wisdom.  - Follow Petyah on Instagram @the.wisebody.coach, on Facebook @PetyahJames, Website https://www.petyahjames.com/, FB Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/689122404808193

Adoption is hard and messy!  It always strikes Gaile and I as it doesn’t matter which state or country you live in…trauma for our adopted kids is the same!!

We recently had an opportunity to sit down with Josh Peck.  Josh and his husband Laurence are dads to two girls. Josh is a life and career coach, helping exhausted working parents find fulfilling new careers when they’ve hit the wall of midlife. 

Josh was so much fun and has this calm energy about him, we hope you will have as much fun listening to this episode as we did speaking with Josh.

Do you have a suggestion for a future episode of Two Trauma Mamas?  We want to hear from you!  CLICK HERE to leave us a message.

You can find Josh:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yourbestlifeuk/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/yourbeslifeuk/
Website:  https://yourbestlifeuk.com/

Find Us:

Website:  https://denamccomb.com/

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram!

Do you have an autoimmune disease? Are you going through life trying your best to ignore your symptoms are doing just enough to mask your symptoms? Or maybe you're ignoring the signs altogether? What about your kiddos, especially if they came for foster care or adoption? Chances are their guts are a mess.

Autoimmune disease happens when the body’s natural defense system can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells.

Today, we are talking with Thirmanda Zavala. Thirmanda is the founder of Health Coaching With Thirmanda Zavala and the host of the A Woman Worth Healing Podcast. She is also both a Functional Medicine Certified and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She is a mother of two, a wife, healing from her own autoimmune diseases, and a Women’s Autoimmune Coach. She’s a lover of nature and natural healing and passionate about utilizing the gifts nature has provided for us.

Thirmanda encourages women with autoimmune diseases to step outside the conventional medicine box to activate their natural healing abilities. She provides a safe, healing space for these women to go from merely surviving & getting by to a place where they are thriving & living the life they want.

There was literally so much information that we are bringing Thirmanda back for a deep dive around the brain-gut connection.

What questions do you have about autoimmune disease or the brain-gut connection?  If you have a question you would like answered LIVE, send an email to [email protected].

You can find Thirmanda:
 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/awomanworthhealing/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thirmanda.zavala/
 Podcast:  https://anchor.fm/thirmanda-zavala


Find Us:

Website:  https://denamccomb.com/


Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram!

You know you need help but have no idea where to start looking, your babysitters have been hit or miss, and you are struggling to find someone who understands your kids and your needs as a mom.

If this sounds like you, we may have a solution for you...Dr Sarah Naadimpalli will take you through all the steps of finding, hiring and maintaining a professional relationship with a nanny or babysitter extraordinaire.

Dr. Sarah Nadimpalli is a nurse, researcher, and mom.  She found herself struggling with finding the right childcare set-ups for her family.  Knowing the challenges she encountered, she soon started researching and consulting with numerous nanny industry experts to assist parents and nannies to take the right steps throughout the nanny search, hire, and onboarding process.  It was through this that, her course,  The Same Team ,  was created.

Dr. Nadimpalli's course takes parents from BURNT OUT to THRIVE through teaching them the right way to find and work with amazing in-home caregivers!

The swift, simple (only about 1.5 hour!) course covers 4 main content areas and ACTION steps:

1. A Basic Framework for Parents and Nannies to Work Together
   • (Nanny Industry Standards + Parents Wishes/Needs + A Nanny's Practice)
2. Fostering the Best Parent-Nanny Relationship
   • (Communication between Parents + Nannies 101; Tips and video scenarios of tricky nanny-parent interactions)
3. Critical Nanny Search, Hire, and Onboarding Steps
   • (Onboard a Nanny – Checklist / Work Agreement items)
4. Mini-training: An Average Parent's Wish List / Needs
   • Action Steps: Parents will outline their Wish List / Needs; Nannies will outline their Nanny Practice, BOTH parents and nannies come together and go through the Same Team Checklist (aka work agreement), and BOTH parents and nannies take the short Same Team Quiz to get on the same page and earn a Same Team Badge!

You can find Dr Nadimpalli:  

• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/same.team.childcare
• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/groups/same.team.childcare
• Website:   www.sameteamchildcare.com/win

Find Us:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twotraumamamas/
• Website:  https://twotraumamamas.com/
• Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ttmpodcastcommunity

Adoption is a personal journey for every family...there is no one way.  Maybe you couldn't conceive on your own or maybe you just felt called to foster or adopt children.  Wherever you are on your journey...know you are right where you are supposed to be.

Gaile has a master’s degree in special education and 25 years of experience in the field.  Currently,  she is the executive director for Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina, the voice of Foster, Adoptive and Kinships parents in NC.  

Gaile takes us on her family's journey to becoming an adoptive family and medically fragile foster home.  So much gold in this episode, make sure to grab your notebook!  

You can find Gaile:  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/advctmom/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gaileosborne

Find Us:

Website:  https://denamccomb.com/