Listener Note: This episode includes the sharing of a personal survivor's story. It explores themes such as grief, sudden loss, role reversal, divorce, abandonment, health scares (breast cancer), and the process of healing and reprioritizing life, which may feel activating. Please listen with care. You are always welcome to pause, step away, or return when it feels supportive for you.

In this powerful episode, Christine is joined by Denise, a woman who intimately knows the cost of caring deeply for others at the expense of herself. This conversation explores the journey of recognizing patterns of self-abandonment, breaking generational cycles of over-giving, and choosing self-priority without shame, force, or the need to fix.

If you have ever felt exhausted from being the "strong one," this episode is for you.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Introduction
• 1:01 Noticing the Pattern of Putting Others First
• 1:17 The Pressure of Being the Eldest Child
• 1:48 Father's Sudden Death and Stepping Into His Role
• 2:36 The Pressure to Mind Mother and Younger Sister
• 4:56 Stepping Fully into Masculine Survival Mode
• 6:10 18-Year Marriage to a Partner with Feminine Energy
• 7:05 Finding a Partner Who Needs the "Fixer" Role
• 8:47 Realizing I was Down the Pecking Order
• 9:50 Health Scare: The Start of Breast Cancer
• 10:59 The Pressure of Being the Sole Provider
• 11:09 The Fixing Pattern Re-emerges in a New Relationship
• 11:56 The Body's Response to Heartache and Sorrow
• 13:29 The Overwhelming Breaking Point
• 14:00 Identifying Issues and Trying to Break the Pattern
• 15:09 Ancestral Pattern of Over-Giving Comes Through
• 16:16 Soul Stepped in to Break the Cycle
• 17:57 Fantasizing About Injury to Finally Rest
• 18:58 The Necessary "Shake Out" of Friends
• 20:00 Starting the Healing Journey (Breakdown before Breakthrough)
• 21:54 Implementing Boundaries: "Can I Get Back to You?"
• 22:00 Deciding to Take Medication for Mental Health
• 23:05 Prioritizing What's Within These Four Walls
• 24:16 The Need for External Validation Feeds the Ego
• 25:28 Turning Focus Inwards
• 26:26 Learning to Watch for Red Flags
• 27:44 Sitting in the "Observe, Not the Absorb" Mindset
• 28:00 Flipping the Mindset: Have I Leveled Up?
• 30:02 The Necessity of Shadow Work
• 33:10 Advice for Listeners: Stop and Take a Step Back
• 34:41 Healing Through Professional Singing
• 36:14 Final Words: You Return to Old Patterns Because They Kept You Safe

NEW EPISODES EVERY MONDAY

Welcome to The Healing Circle podcast, a grounded and soulful space for a healing journey through real-life conversations. Each week features live shamanic counselling sessions and conversations with brave souls navigating emotional change, identity shifts, grief, and soul-level transformation. This space is for those seeking healing, clarity, emotional guidance, and spiritual awakening.

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