SHARING OUT LOUD

My recent conversation with Caroline Beidler, MSW was wonderful. I love hearing from other addicts who are in recovery, listening to their stories, and hearing how they've taken their trauma(s) and turned it into triumph!

Caroline believes that transformation while working on addiction is possible and that healing is a choice. Her own experience in addiction, mental health, and trauma recovery has not only inspired her but FUELED her to use her gifts to help other women find recovery. Caroline has written several books* (You Are Not Your Trauma is out 9/24/24!), she's a global speaker, and she also works with federal agencies and consults with non-profit organizations, state governments, and international partners to discuss the importance of addiction and recovery.  Caroline is absolute proof that you CAN recover from addiction and you can use your experiences as your superpower.

When she isn’t writing, speaking, or building community, Caroline lives in Eastern Tennessee with her husband and five-year-old twins where she enjoys hiking in the mountains and building up her community’s local recovery ministry.

You can find Caroline on Instagram @carolinebeidler_official and on her website https://www.carolinebeidler.com/

The words Perimenopause and Menopause are the talk of the town at the moment, the bell of the ball, and with good reason! Women have been suffering from symptoms (sometimes debilitating) for far too long, symptoms that can be alleviated, or damn near if we had more education and knowledge about what's going on with our bodies during this "change".

But should we be going straight to HRT (hormone replacement therapy)? Or should we be drilling deeper into how our bodies function holistically?  To make an accurate treatment plan, should we be looking first at things like our emotional health, cortisol levels, thyroid health, gut health, and liver health?

This is just a snippet of the discussion Ally Dickinson, a functional medicine perimenopause specialist, and Becky Parker, a certified mindset coach and hypnotherapist, had with me regarding women's health in perimenopause (the length of time between when symptoms start and the day of your last period. Average length is 10 years! And can start as early as your 30's).

It is time to demand help from your healthcare provider, and if they gaslight you (if they only want to write a script for antidepressants), or if you want to dive deeper so you understand what your body is going through, make an appointment with Ally!

In addition to the obvious perimenopause symptoms (hot flashes, low libido, weight gain, intense mood swings), if you find you are struggling more than ever emotionally, Becky Parker is incredible with mindset and drilling down to determine if there are more deep-rooted issues that could be coming to light now. She has helped me more in this stage of life than any talk therapist ever has for me. Talk therapy is a great tool but it's not the only tool out there, and timeline therapy is a great compliment, or something new to try if you aren't getting the results you desire.

You can find Ally @health_fluency on Instagram and on her website https://www.health-fluency.com/

You can find Becky @beckyparkerrr on Instagram and on her website https://relationshipsuccess4life.com/

I have been privileged to get to know Kristi online in the FREE sober coaching meetings through SHE WALKS CANADA. She is one of those FIERCE individuals who is such a bright light -- she is open, honest, and ridiculously funny. She calls it like she sees it and is most certainly on a mission to stay sober. One of my favorite things about Kristi is the constant work she is doing on herself, whether it's a new sober book to read, going hard with the 5AM club, or trying to find a new hobby. Better yet, the way she's working on being a present mom with her daughter.

In the She Walks meetings you only get to know snippets of people's lives so there was a LOT I learned about Kristi in this conversation:

1. Just how serious of a heart condition she has
2. She was also born with a lump on her spine
3. A birth story that rivals mine (ok, hers is WAY WORSE and I thought I was going to pass out as she was telling it)
4. And... so much more

Kristi, thank you for sharing your story. You are a true gift and I am so happy to call you a friend. Your willingness to be open and honest about your abuse of alcohol is going to prompt others to take stock of their life and make them wonder if they too, could transform out of their negative patterns (hint, YES THEY CAN!).

Be sure to follow Kristi's journey on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/transform.this.life

What a conversation! THANK YOU Chelsea for this enlightening open and honest conversation. Having you on the Sharing Out Loud Podcast was such an honor.

I met Chelsea through the She Walks Canada Wednesday Recovery meeting a few months back and have been hoping to have her on the podcast ever since. Upon first meeting Chelsea, I thought, "How can this calm, introspective, super cool human ever have suffered from overconsumption?" But that's the ultimate mystery, once someone has done the hard work to recover, the old them (mostly) disappears!

There is no one way to recover and everyone's path to that place is so incredibly different. Since Chelsea guides the Wednesday meetings I was excited to hear her full story of how she got to the place of overdrinking and ultimately how she conquered it. I must say, I wasn't prepared for her story😲.

Chelsea believes in nurturing the mind, the body, AND the spirit. She believes that deliberate breathing is the key to unlocking inner peace and vitality amidst the chaos of modern life. When you learn to breathe well,  you will think more clearly, and respond calmly, even in the face of life's many challenges.

Imagine what it would feel like to finally think clearly and from a position of groundedness so that your responses are calm, collected, and confident. Sounds amazing right?

Ready to breathe? 

Connect with Chelsea on Instagram @thedeliberateone or head to her website to learn more about her coaching programs! https://thedeliberateone.com/

To sign up for the FREE She Walks Recovery calls head on over to https://www.shewalkscanada.com/coaching/

Welcome back, Junie! What a pleasure it was speaking with you for a second time. What I loved about this conversation was that we went deeper, so much so that I found myself incredibly emotional throughout our discussion.

A reminder about who Junie is -- she is a LOVE and Shadow Work expert. And what pray tell is that?

Shadow work is a practice that involves working with your unconscious mind to uncover parts of yourself that you hide or repress, such as trauma or undesirable personality traits. The goal of Shadow Work is to accept and understand your shadow, rather than change it. It can help you face the truth, be accountable, and decrease resistance.

And why is this type of work important for those in midlife who want to find real love, either again, or finally for the first time? Because, to truly allow love into our lives we have to make sure that we love ourselves, and that often involves healing the past so you can create a more fulfilling and satisfying relationship in your present.

When Junie works with women she helps unpack those old stories that sabotage your love story…and help you fall in love with yourself.

As you let go of the old and feel confident in your skin, you can attract a new and different kind of love into your life because you’re different. You’re radiant and authentic. 

Junie would LOVE to help you live out loud, without apology, and find deep, real, conscious love after 40! You can find her on Instagram @midlifeloveoutloud and her website: https://midlifeloveoutloud.com/.

You know when you're ready and she will be patiently waiting for you❤️.

Growing up in St. Louis it was never Samantha's intention to lead a life of chaos. She never thought "Drug Dealer" and "Felon" would be at the top of her resume. Who goes to the prestigious University of Michigan and lands in jail for selling drugs?

After her home in Los Angeles was raided by the police (for drugs) Samantha began to recognize the full impact and depth of her problems. She knew she needed rehab and she knew she needed to go before she went to prison to serve her 27-month prison sentence. So she did and it was the best thing that ever could have happened to her.

This was the beginning of her journey from addiction to recovery and her training as a Functional Wellness Practitioner. After years of working on her own addictions and health issues, Samantha was ready to help others. It was then that she founded SeeFit Living, a St. Louis-based wellness company that focuses on helping women heal the root cause of gut, mood, & hormones. And she doesn't just preach it, she lives and breathes all the lifestyle changes she encourages her clients to implement.

The best way to contact Samantha is through Instagram @seefitliving. It is here you will see her not only talking about addictions but parasites, heavy metals and toxins in the body, gut health hormone help, and so much more. She calls it like she sees it. She's a straight shooter! And she's ready to help YOU get healthy when you are ready.

Is there a second act for women in midlife? Can we find NEXT-LEVEL LOVE over 40? Junie Moon says ABSOLUTELY! But often, we need to step back and make sure that "we" are ok. That the "baggage" from our past relationships isn't something we are holding on to. That we are confident and know we are worthy of real love.

Junie Moon is the CEO of Midlife Love Out Loud, Global Love Mentor, International Best-selling Author, Award Winning Speaker, Women's Empowerment
Leader, and Certified Shadow Work® Coach. She is passionate about empowering midlife women by helping them recognize their inherent worth and guiding them through healing their hearts. Using her unique heart-centered dating strategies, coupled with powerful mindset tools, Junie helps women in midlife to magnetize their ideal partner and experience next-level love.

If any of this resonates with you, please reach out to Junie. Life isn't over in midlife, it is your time to shine, a second act where you draw from the past and make decisions on how you want things to be different moving forward!

Thank you Junie for this beautiful conversation and I look forward to part 2 very soon!

To learn more, follow Junie @midlifeloveoutloud

Visit her website: https://midlifeloveoutloud.com/

Abi and Dolina Hendry are back with me this week to share Abi's story, a story of unimaginable trauma and grief, and the tragic loss of Abi's partner, Matt, 6 years ago.

Abi, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to talk with me, AND for being so honest and open with the trauma and grief you've experienced. You are a true gift to this world and I just know that so many out there who are stuck in grief, or those who haven't yet released their trauma, will be inspired by your story❤️.

If you have experienced a great loss, consider contacting Abi and her mom, Dolina. Dolina is a certified Hypnotherapist and NLP therapist (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) who has helped thousands of individuals become UNSTUCK, including her daughter. These 2 extraordinary women are true examples of how to REIGN when it's RAINING.

Suppressing emotions keeps you stuck.

If you suppress your emotions they can manifest unhealthily in your mind and your body.

Allowing them to come out will free you.

It’s not always easy, but it will help you live a happier and more fulfilled life.

 --Abi and Dolina Hendry


Follow Abi and Dolina @reignwhenitsraining

Follow Dolina at @dolinahypnotherapy and visit her website https://www.dolinahendry.co.uk/

Welcome to Sharing Out Loud, Dolina and Abi! What an absolutely brilliant mother-daughter duo with stories that once you hear them, you will stand tall and announce "IF THEY CAN GET THROUGH THAT SHIT I CAN GET THROUGH MY STUFF!" Just a heads up, we ended up talking for over 2 hours for just Dolina'a part of the story so I will be sharing Abi's story a week after this episode launches.

Dolina is the mum, and she was born in The Outer Hebrides of Scotland on a remote Island called Bara. She had a very difficult (to say the least) and abusive childhood with her family and most others on the island, so as soon as she could leave she did. Despite her upbringing, no education, and trauma, Dolina raised two children with an absent husband, worked full-time (and was quite successful), and then eventually started her own businesses, one in recruitment(18 years strong), the other (her true calling) as a clinical hypnotherapist and NLP(Neuro Linguistic Practitioner) studying under Dr. Richard Bandler and Paul Makenna. 

Dolina has helped 100's of people with her hypnotherapy gift, including her own daughter after a severe trauma that Abi endured 6 years ago. 

Abi and Dolina have a very close relationship, even working together in recruiting for ten years, which isn't easy when you're mother and daughter, but their blood runs deep and these two women have an unimaginable bond. 

They are launching their podcast, "How to Reign When It's Raining", soon! The goal of the podcast is to help people see that even when you're hit with the shit life throws at you, you can have an amazing life, that there is hope, and that you're not alone.

You can find Abi and Dolina on Instagram:  @reignwhenitsraining

Dolina for her Hypnosis services: @dolinahypnotherapy and https://www.dolinahendry.co.uk/

And YES, Hypnotherapy works virtually, I have experienced this first-hand🥰, so if you are interested please reach out! Remember that she is in the UK so keep that in mind.

Welcome, Sarah! Thank you so much for jumping on a Zoom call at 7 AM Australian time🥰.  
 
Sarah is the author of the best-selling book “Beyond Booze, How to Create a Life You Love Alcohol Free." She is also:

·         a multi-award winning Health and Wellbeing Coach

·         an accredited Grey Area Drinking Coach

·         a menopause coach

·         a key-note speaker sharing her journey to Sobriety 

Sarah quite literally works to support women all over the world to create, and live, their best lives as they age. So what shaped her into doing all of these wonderful and amazing things? Read on...

After developing what Sarah describes as a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol, she made the decision to remove it from her life in early 2019. Was it easy? NO! Did she keep trying again and again until she was truly ready? YES!  Her story is not unlike other women, especially moms, who thought it was socially acceptable to make playdates (for the children) into drinking dates for the moms because moms need booze to wind down and relax -- they DESERVE it because moms DO IT ALL😲😁. Who's feeling this? Certainly, I am because that is also my story.

Sarah is doing so much to help women become the best versions of themselves, whether it's cutting back or stopping drinking altogether, dealing with menopause, or taking a look at their lives to see how they can thrive, not just survive. Sarah works 1:1 with clients but also offers support with her global online community on Facebook, The Women's Wellbeing Collective,  https://www.facebook.com/groups/342319476897067). Women are dealing with so many issues, more so than ever before, and what we need now is a safe place where as women, we can share our pains, struggles, and wins! AND feel safe while doing it.

Sarah has truly transformed lives...
 
You can find Sarah in lots of places:

• on Instagram @sararusbatch
• her website https://sarahrusbatch.com
• on Amazon to purchase her book, Beyond Booze: https://a.co/d/hCcBBGZ

XOXO,
Heather