This week I’m bringing back an important conversation from the archives.

Dr. Valerie discovered Patriarchy Stress Disorder (PSD) and created the only science-backed system for helping women achieve their ultimate success, happiness, and fulfillment by healing the collective, inherited trauma of oppression. She is also the author of Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment.

I met Dr. Valerie at an event late last year. I serendipitously sat at her table and as she was talking about her work and her book, I was enamored. In fact, I invited her onto the podcast on the spot. Her work is important, interesting, and backed by science.

When it comes to the patriarchy, as women, there is a deeper issue going on then the blame game. We are not going to heal by pointing fingers. My conversation with Dr. Valerie is just one step of many that will help move women towards healing from the patriarchy.

In this episode you’ll hear:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Andrea’s Substack, How Very Human of You

Sign up for my emails

Instagram reel about men and shame
Dr. Valerie Rein’s website
Dr. Valerie’s 3 Minute Re-Power Tool
Dr. Valerie on Instagram
Book: Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment 

Dr. Valerie Rein has discovered Patriarchy Stress Disorder (PSD) and created the only science-backed system for helping women achieve their ultimate success, happiness, and fulfillment by healing the collective, inherited trauma of oppression. She holds an EdM in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University and a PhD in Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Her bestselling book, “Patriarchy Stress Disorder: The Invisible Inner Barrier to Women’s Happiness and Fulfillment” and her cutting-edge mind-body healing programs have helped thousands of women ditch the game of survival, of “how much can I bear?” and master the game of thriving, of “how good can it get?” Dr. Valerie is a sought-after speaker and trainer at conferences and companies committed to setting new standards of excellence in their industry in diversity, equity, and inclusion, employee satisfaction and physical and mental health, and creativity and innovation.

Book recommendations:
I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!

MSN is supported by:
We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

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I turned the mic on a few days ago and this episode is a bit of an update. I don’t know about you, but recently I haven’t been able to think about or process much else except what’s happening in the U.S. and beyond. 

This episode is me slowly telling you what’s been happening behind the scenes recently, as well as over the last few years. Soon, I won’t be so vague, as I’ll be able to reveal more about what’s happened to me, and what it’s taught me. The good news about me is that I can take the terrible and sometimes traumatic things and turn them into personal power. 

If you’re going through what I’m going through, feeling re-traumatized having to hear what has happened and continues to happen to women and children, not just here, but worldwide, I’m sure you might be experiencing the 4 holy emotions: Terror, rage, shame, and grief. All at once, or one at a time. 

I see you, and I feel you. I’m thinking of you, and holding you in my heart. Together, we can create collective power in order to take the system down. I truly believe there are more than us than there are of them. 

Here's what you’ll hear in this week’s episode: 

A prayer/intention that I didn’t know I set into motion in 2019 and how it’s impacted me even now 

Chiron (returning planet in our astrological chart) returned for me recently and what that is 

The online harassment I’ve been receiving lately specifically because I’ve been speaking out against ICE and what’s happening with the release of some of the Epstein files

Why I start to obsess on the psychology of women like Pam Bondi, and my opinion about her 

The one suggestion I have for you right now in order to help you feel the feelings you’re experiencing right now

Resources:⁠

How Very Human of You (my new Substack)
Restraint by FATM on Spotify
Restraint by FATM on Apply Music
Episode 659 on The Four Holy Emotions
The Mama Attorney’s post on Instagram

MSN is supported by: We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠andreaowen.com/sponsors/

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This week’s episode is a little more raw, a little more unfiltered, and very much from the heart.

After taking an unexpected week off, I sat down, turned on the microphone, and spoke honestly about what’s been weighing on me, personally, culturally, and collectively. This episode is part reflection, part reckoning, and part creative release.

I talk openly about what it means to lead with courage instead of pretending to be fearless, especially during times that feel heavy, chaotic, or emotionally charged. We explore spiritual bypassing, tone policing, and the subtle ways women are often encouraged to stay quiet, stay pleasant, and stay in line.

This episode also includes a poem I wrote late at night, born from grief, anger, and deep compassion for women whose stories are resurfacing yet again. It’s an offering, a witnessing, and a reminder of the power of art to hold what words alone sometimes cannot.

Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:

Why I took a break last week and what brought me back to the mic

What spiritual bypassing really looks like and why it’s harmful, especially to women and trauma survivors

How tone policing and “positive vibes only” culture reinforce patriarchy and silence truth

Why emotions like anger, fear, and grief are not negative, just human

How emotions act as information and energy meant to move, not be buried

Why speaking up now feels necessary, even when it’s uncomfortable

A deeply personal poem about collective grief, survival, and the resilience of women

This episode is an invitation to let yourself feel what you feel without fixing, forcing, or bypassing your own experience. If you’re carrying a lot right now, my hope is that this conversation helps you feel less alone and maybe encourages you to make something meaningful from what you’re holding.

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for bearing witness. 

Resources:

How to Stop Feeling Like Sht*

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I’m writing these “show notes” to you on Saturday, January 23rd as I prepare for what appears to be a terrible storm in North Carolina. A week ago I returned home from a much different place, Costa Rica. I was back at Rythmia, sitting with the medicine that is Ayahuasca. I left a week of healing, and came back to a new storm, one in the form of snow, rain, and ice, as well as another ICE storm in Minneapolis. 

I turned on my microphone and talked for about 22 minutes. It’s just started to sleet as I type this to you, so I’m keeping this email short as I’ll likely lose power here for a couple of days. Coincidentally, I talk about power in this episode. 

Thank you for your time, and if you’re in the eye of this upcoming storm, I’m sending you love. 

Resources from this episode:
Discount link to Rythmia
Florence + The Machine’s Choreomania on Spotify

Book recommendations:I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link: http://andreaowen.com/podcast/713

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I have a coaching episode for you today, and I’m joined by Lisa. When she filled out her coaching application, she shared an honest snapshot of where she was at the time: “I think I need coaching on the fear and anger I have for starting over at this point in time. The world is scary, men suck, work is slim, my friends feel different now that I am single.”

In this poignant conversation, Lisa and I talk about what it really looks like to start over after a 26-year long marriage and how disorienting that in between season can feel. Especially when your identity, your relationships, and your sense of safety all feel up in the air, all at the same time. We explore grief in a way most people do not talk about it, not just the hard parts but the beautiful parts that are just as painful to let go of, and how creativity, boundaries, and honest conversations can become your way back to yourself when everything feels uncertain.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

What it really means to grieve the joy of what you once had (11:50)

How internal pressure about “what’s next” can keep you stuck (19:37)

Why creativity and art are not indulgent but essential tools for processing emotions (27:32)

How feeling your feelings is not a weakness but a form of emotional hygiene (32:40)

Writing prompts to help Lisa move closer to her grief and begin healing:  “What is stopping you from looking underneath the grief?” (39:20)

Having hard conversations with friends and how setting boundaries with compassion can strengthen your relationships instead of breaking them (44:44)

Resources from this episode:

Write Your Way Through It 

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by: We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we step into this new year, I wanted to give you something a little different… and hopefully useful! In this episode, I’m sharing a guided Future Self visualization I recorded years ago, paired with a new introduction to help you ground into this practice.

Write Your Way Through It begins next week, and if you’re craving a more intentional, reflective way to start the year—especially if you’re feeling tender, unsure, or quietly hopeful—there’s still time to join us.

Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:

This visualization originally comes from my coaching alma mater, the Coaches Training Institute, and I’ve included a Future Self Visualization Worksheet to go along with it since I ask quite a few reflective questions during the process. 

Click here to download the worksheet and give yourself some space to write, reflect, and let things unfold.

If you’re wanting more support, structure, and community as you move through this season, again, Write Your Way Through It starts next Wednesday, and I’d love to have you with us. However you choose to step into this next chapter, I hope this episode helps you slow down, listen in, and remember that you’re not as lost as you might think. 😘

Resources:
Write Your Way Through It

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by: We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m joined by Michelle Weger, the first guest I’ve ever had on the show who lives with narcolepsy, for a powerful conversation about invisible illness, fear, productivity, rest, and what it really takes to keep moving forward when your energy is limited and misunderstood.

Michelle is a productivity expert, bestselling author, and international keynote speaker. Throughout our conversation you’ll hear her share what daily life with narcolepsy actually looks like, how receiving her diagnosis upended the identity she thought she had, and how she rebuilt confidence and purpose one practical step at a time. 

We talk honestly about fear, perfectionism, procrastination, vulnerability, and why rest is not optional, especially for women in leadership. This is a conversation about doing what you can with the energy you have, letting go of shame, and redefining success on your own terms.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

What living with narcolepsy is really like, including chronic exhaustion, disrupted sleep cycles, and why “sleepy” is very different from “tired” (3:36)

How Michelle’s diagnosis changed her life overnight, including losing her driver’s license and the identity she thought she was building (10:08)

Why fear doesn’t disappear as you grow, and how learning to move through it is more important than trying to eliminate it

Practical ways to work through procrastination and perfectionism (15:09)

What Michelle has learned from working alongside her Great Dane service dog, Quinn, including lessons about asking for and receiving help (33:54)

How to balance ambition, productivity, and energy limits, especially for women in leadership (37:32)

Common misconceptions about invisible conditions like narcolepsy and why there is no one-size-fits-all experience or solution (39:35)

Resources from this episode:

Write Your Way Through It starts on January 21st!

Come join us at Rythmia in January!

Michelle’s websiteMichelle’s book, Don’t Snooze Your Dreams

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by: We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The end of the year can bring a lot of pressure to reflect, reset, and reinvent yourself all at once. Some people love the fresh-start energy of January, while others feel overwhelmed, resistant, or just plain tired. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, this episode is an invitation to step away from the noise and approach the transition into a new year in a way that actually feels supportive.

In this short episode, I talk about why January isn’t as powerful as we’ve been led to believe, why there’s no single “right” way to do personal growth, and how you don’t need resolutions, routines, or lifestyle overhauls to be worthy of change. I also guide you through a simple end-of-year reflection designed to help you close the year with honesty and move forward with clarity—without pressure or what might feel like performative positivity.

In this episode, we explore:

Why you don’t have to begin the year with resolutions, intentions, or rigid routines in order to grow or change

How January is just a date on the calendar, and why meaningful resets can happen at any point in the year

The importance of questioning advice that claims there’s only one correct way to heal, grow, or live well

A simple end-of-year inventory that invites you to reflect on:

The wins and moments where you showed up for yourself

The lessons you learned about your needs, limits, and patterns

The losses, endings, and disappointments that shaped your year 

What you’re ready to stop carrying forward into the next year

Why focusing on how you want to feel can be more grounding than focusing on what you want to accomplish

How choosing a few feeling-words for the year ahead can serve as a compass rather than a set of rules

As you step into the new year, remember that you’re not behind and you don’t need to have everything figured out right away. You’re allowed to move slowly, do things differently, and begin again whenever it feels right for you.

Resources from this episode:

Write Your Way Through It starts on January 21st!

The Heroine's Journey by Maureen Murdock

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m joined by Irina Vlada for an honest conversation about healing, nervous system regulation, and what real integration actually looks like when working with psychedelics and other therapeutic tools. Irina helps people navigate transformation at the intersection of psychedelics, spirituality, psychology, and wellness. I met her earlier this year at Rythmia, and after spending time with her and diving deeper into her work, I knew I had to bring her on the show.

Irina has over a decade of experience as a coach and facilitator, and from 2020 to 2022, she worked as an Integration Coach with Mindbloom, guiding more than 200 clients through preparation and integration for ketamine-assisted therapy. In our conversation, she’s clear about one thing: psychedelic medicine isn’t the work itself. Real transformation happens afterward, through integration, embodiment, and taking actionable steps that rewire habits, thoughts, and the nervous system. Without that process, insight can fade just as quickly as it arrives.

We also talk about why ancient practices like breathwork and meditation are such powerful tools for healing trauma, regulating the nervous system, and expanding awareness, often without needing altered states at all. And for anyone curious but skeptical about psychedelics, Irina emphasizes the importance of safety, education, preparation, and the willingness to surrender to the process.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How Irina bridges psychedelics, spirituality, psychology, and wellness through lived experience and ethical practice (4:05)

Her personal path to self-awareness and healing, including trauma and the long road of recovery (5:47)

What ketamine-assisted therapy involves, why integration matters, and how insight without action quickly fades (17:21)

How meditation, breathwork, yoga, and nervous system regulation create real, lasting change without psychedelics (25:06)

What Irina emphasizes for people who feel skeptical or unsure about psychedelics from a therapeutic standpoint (44:39)

Resources from this episode: 

Write Your Way Through It

Come see me in Costa Rica at Rythmia Ayahuasca Retreat in January!

Irina on Instagram

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by: We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link: http://andreaowen.com/podcast/708

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The free workshop: Live Like You Give a Damn (As the World Burns) is happening tomorrow! Tomorrow, December 18th at 3 p.m. Eastern, I’ll walk you through how to keep your heart open, grounded, and intact during hard seasons of life, so you can live like you give a damn. I’ll add the link for you below so you can join us live. And in case you missed it, my new book Live Like You Give a Damn is officially out in the world — and I can’t wait for you to read it.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at what it means to shed before we step into a new year. Since 2025 is the Year of the Snake and 2026 is the Year of the Horse, this moment naturally invites both release and momentum. I’m walking you through the questions, stories, and real-life moments that help you recognize what’s ready to fall away — and how that clearing creates space for aligned action.

How the symbolism of the Snake (shedding) and the Horse (movement) can guide your personal reflection

What shedding actually looks like in everyday life — with examples you’ll definitely recognize

Why release is essential before you start planning or taking action for the new year

The most important questions to ask yourself as you move toward 2026

How to free up emotional and energetic space without forcing resolutions

A reminder that growth doesn’t require a full reinvention — just honesty and willingness

As you listen, I hope you let yourself soften, get curious, and notice what’s quietly asking to be released. Sometimes the smallest things we put down make the biggest difference in how we step forward.

PS: I’ll be guest speaking at Rhythmia Life Advancement Center in January, and if you’re interested in attending, click HERE. 

Resources from this episode: 

Free workshop and grab your copy of LLYGAD Download your free PDF that accompanies this workshop

Book recommendations: I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by: We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices