What if healing didn’t always have to be heavy? In this heart-opening conversation with trauma-informed coach and play movement specialist Angie Berrett, we explore a radically different approach to healing—one rooted in play, joy, and pleasure.

We dive into what happens when you've psychologically outgrown your family or friends, and why healing that only focuses on crying, journaling, or “doing the work” can sometimes leave us feeling stuck or incomplete. Angie shares how integrating joy helped her realize she was missing a vital piece of the puzzle—even after doing all the “right” things.

We also talk about why play can feel unsafe, even guilt-inducing, especially for those of us with anxious attachment or trauma histories. Is it possible that joy can feel like a betrayal to the pain we’ve endured? And if so, how do we move through that?

Angie offers practical tips for those constantly in survival mode who want to begin reconnecting with joy but don’t know where to start—and shares powerful insights from the 7 primal circuits in the brain (SEEKING, RAGE, FEAR, LUST, CARE, PANIC/GRIEF, and PLAY) to help us understand why play is not just fluff, but essential for healing.

If you’ve ever told yourself, “Play isn’t productive” or “I don’t have time for joy,” this episode is your invitation to shift that story. Learn how reclaiming play can rewire your nervous system, deepen your relationships, and radically transform your sense of self-worth.

Connect with Angie Here: https://angieberrettmovement.com/

How to Rewire Your Brain for Secure Love (Instead of the Highs & Lows of Toxic Relationships)

Why does secure love feel boring after toxic relationships? How do you know if your gut feeling is real or just an old trauma response? In this episode, I sit down with somatic healing coach and toxic love recovery expert Emily Colligan to break down the nervous system shifts needed to stop chasing unavailable partners and start feeling safe in healthy love.

We explore:

✨ Recognizing Toxic Patterns & Self-Sabotage

• Can you share a moment when you realized your nervous system was wired for unsafe love?

• What patterns kept showing up for you?

• How do you differentiate between a gut feeling and an old trauma response in dating?

• What are the biggest nervous system shifts that help someone stop chasing unavailable people?

• What are some sneaky ways people self-sabotage when they finally meet someone secure?

• If someone feels hopeless about ever breaking their toxic relationship patterns, what would you say to them?

• What’s the most powerful shift you’ve seen in yourself (or clients) from doing this work?

• What are the signs that someone’s nervous system is still wired for unhealthy love and toxic relationships?

• Why do so many people feel bored in secure, healthy relationships after experiencing toxic dynamics?

• What’s a relationship moment that triggered your deepest wounds—and how did you work through it somatically?

💭 Understanding How Your Nervous System Wires You for Love

• What’s something you used to believe about love that now makes you cringe?

• How does our nervous system learn to associate love with emotional unavailability, neglect, or stress?

• Can you share a story of a client (or yourself) who kept chasing unavailable love—until they rewired their nervous system? What changed for them?

💡 The Path to Secure Love

• What’s the difference between true safety in love vs. feeling ‘addicted’ to a toxic dynamic?

If you’ve ever felt stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns, this episode is for you. Healing is possible—tune in now! 🎧💛

Connect with Emily On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilycolligantherapy/

Join Emily's Masterclass here: https://stan.store/emilycolligantherapy/p/rewireforhealthylove

Connect with Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

In this episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast, I sit down with registered dietitian Alex Long to explore the deep connection between anxious attachment, body image, and our relationship with food. We unpack how anxious attachment shows up in the way women see their bodies, the patterns of emotional eating and restriction that stem from attachment wounds, and how to start listening to your body’s actual needs instead of following rigid plans out of fear.

We also dive into what it means to build a secure attachment with your body, health, and fitness—learning to trust your body again after years of dieting, over-exercising, or feeling disconnected from yourself. Plus, we tackle the big one: detangling your worth from achievement and learning that you don’t have to ‘earn’ love through success.

If you've ever felt like your body was something to control rather than trust, or that your worth was tied to how much you achieved, this conversation is for you.

🔗 Tune in to reclaim a more compassionate, trusting relationship with your body and self.

Connect with Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex.undefined_/

Connect with Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

Ever felt stuck, shut down, or unable to take action—even when you want to? That’s the freeze response, and in this episode, trauma-informed somatic marriage coach Becky Aste joins me to break it all down.

We explore how freeze is different from fight, flight, or fawn, why some people default to it, and the surprising ways it can show up in your life and relationships. We also talk about the hidden connection between freeze and self-sabotage, the biggest mistake people make when trying to “snap out of it,” and how to tell if you’re truly resting or just shut down.

Most importantly, Becky shares powerful, practical ways to start thawing out of freeze—including somatic practices to reconnect with your body, a compassionate reframe to release shame, and small steps to help you trust yourself again. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by stress or stuck in cycles of self-abandonment, this episode is a must-listen.

Connect with Becky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becky_aste/

Connect with Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

In this powerful episode of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast, we explore the two major fears that can keep us feeling stuck and disconnected: the fear of being our authentic selves and the fear of change. If you’ve ever felt like you’re hiding parts of yourself to fit in or have found yourself paralyzed by major life transitions, this episode is for you.

Join me as I dive deep into:

• The Fear of Authenticity: Why is it so hard to be our true selves? We discuss the fears and insecurities that keep us from showing up authentically, whether it’s a fear of rejection, judgment, or simply not feeling “enough.” We’ll also explore how to overcome these fears and start embracing the person you were always meant to be.

• The Connection Between People-Pleasing & Self-Abandonment: Do you often find yourself putting others’ needs above your own? We look at how people-pleasing is often a form of self-abandonment, and how breaking free from this pattern allows you to reclaim your power and live more fully aligned with who you really are.

• How to Feel Safe Being Your Authentic Self: For many, being authentic can feel terrifying. We talk about how to gradually build trust in yourself, how to detach from external validation, and how to create the emotional safety you need to let your true self shine through without fear.

• Navigating Life’s Transitions: Change—even positive change—can feel overwhelming and scary. Whether you're shifting careers, going through a relationship change, or stepping into a new phase of personal growth, we explore why transitions trigger anxiety and how to move through them with grace.

• Fear That Keeps You Safe vs. Fear That Keeps You Stuck: Not all fear is bad. We talk about how to distinguish between fear that’s protecting you and fear that’s limiting you, helping you understand when to listen to your inner wisdom and when to push through fear to step into your full potential.

• Practical Tools for Self-Trust: Life transitions often stir up feelings of uncertainty, but how do we build trust in ourselves when doubt creeps in? We share some practical, nervous-system friendly tools for navigating uncertainty and staying grounded, so you can feel empowered through any life change.

• How to Take Up More Space: If you’ve spent years making yourself small or hiding who you truly are, we explore how to shift that energy and start taking up more space in the world—confidently and unapologetically.

If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by the fear of being your true self or making the wrong choice during life’s big transitions, this episode will guide you through actionable insights and strategies to overcome those fears, reconnect with your authentic self, and trust yourself no matter what changes come your way.

This episode is a journey toward embracing who you are, trusting yourself through life’s biggest shifts, and feeling safe as you step into your next chapter with courage and authenticity.

Follow Danielle on Instagram: IG: https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellebongiorno?igsh=MTU4MGtmbTEyc2tqNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Follow Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

What’s it really like to grow up with a sibling on the autism spectrum? In this powerful and eye-opening episode, I sit down with Seana to unpack the hidden struggles, deep emotional impact, and long-term effects of being the sibling of a neurodivergent child. We both get raw and real about the often-overlooked reality of parentification—when a child takes on adult responsibilities too soon, sacrificing their own needs in the process.

Seana & Valerie share their personal journey of feeling invisible, taking on the role of a caretaker, and suppressing their emotions to keep the family dynamic afloat. We explore the subconscious ways this experience shapes self-worth, relationships, and even major life decisions, from choosing a partner, to making the decision to have kids, to navigating friendships and setting boundaries.

If you’ve ever felt like the “easy child,” struggled with guilt when prioritizing yourself, or found yourself in relationships where you take on the caretaker role, this conversation will hit home. We also dive into the healing process—how to reclaim your identity, break free from unhealthy patterns, and navigate family dynamics as an adult.

This is a must-listen for anyone who has experienced parentification, has a neurodivergent sibling, or wants a deeper understanding of how family roles impact emotional well-being. Tune in for an honest, validating, and deeply transformative discussion.

Connect with Seana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seana_whlr/

Read Seana's Article here on "The affect my brother’s autism has had on me. (Living with autism, from a siblings perspective)": https://seanaeve.medium.com/the-affect-my-brothers-autism-has-had-on-me-living-with-autism-from-a-siblings-perspective-986259010495

Connect with Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

If you’ve ever found yourself obsessing over texts, overanalyzing every interaction, or feeling like your emotions are at the mercy of your relationships, this episode is for you. I sat down with Rebecca Ore to unpack what it really means to lovingly take back control of your thoughts, emotions, and reactions in relationships—without gaslighting yourself or suppressing your feelings.

We dive into:
💭 How to know when you've given your power away in relationships
❤️‍🩹 Balancing self-responsibility with self-compassion
⚡ What to do when taking back control feels exhausting or unfair
🔄 The fear of "letting someone get away with something" if you don’t react
🧠 How to challenge anxious thoughts without invalidating yourself
🌱 A small but powerful daily practice to shift your emotional patterns

Plus, Rebecca even coached me through a real-life decision—should I go out with this guy or not?! Tune in for deep insights, real talk, and actionable steps to break free from anxious patterns and build emotional autonomy in love.

Follow Rebecca Ore on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaorecoaching/

Follow Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

In this episode, I’m joined by Hali Roderick as we dive into the emotional journey of rebuilding trust after betrayal. Betrayal can completely shatter your sense of reality, leaving you questioning everything you thought you knew about yourself and your relationships. We explore how validating the pain of betrayal is crucial to healing, and how rebuilding trust starts with reconnecting to yourself.

Hali shares practical steps for rebuilding self-trust, including how to tune into your body and intuition when you feel disconnected. We also discuss the delicate process of transitioning from trusting yourself to determining if your partner is trustworthy again. From safety-creating behaviors in relationships to maintaining open communication without triggering old wounds, we cover it all.

This episode offers guidance on navigating fear and doubt during the trust-rebuilding process and highlights how this journey can ultimately lead to personal growth and deeper connections—both with yourself and others.

Listen to Hali's Podcast - Choosing To Stay After Infidelity and Betrayal podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zV0oep3zEx178Vrcn0xQM?si=434f49e289de4011

Connect with Hali here: https://www.haliroderick.com/courses-and-groups/

Follow Valerie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

Do you want to break your attraction to emotionally unavailable partners? Valerie has created a course with step by step guidance on the steps to take to get out of this cycle, here is a link to the waitlist to get early access to it! :) https://stan.store/healwithval?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYwtmXusfA_RRH81q9F8mqmSfkNKjWnlPEEQR6Pa7-lgROIXLnRkc2NxcU_aem_PMnc0WD0K_3oahnmPs_W-g

Do you feel guilty for resting, even when you're completely exhausted? In this episode, I sit down with somatic therapist Deanna Kessler to break down burnout—what it really is, why it happens, and how to recover without forcing yourself to “do more.” We dive into the three types of burnout—Overextension, Depletion, and Misalignment—and how each one impacts your body and mind. Plus, we explore the power of somatic therapy in healing burnout at the root, so you can finally feel energized, aligned, and at peace. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of exhaustion, this episode is for you.

Connect with Deanna Here: https://linktr.ee/littlebirdcounseling?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYtV1Q1lXCR98SYrFgPaBmuT3jwHudzlOCzUoiiCgt5eKuqUwVf8x3URns_aem_7mEd2FYCKDEceCLxnNXpSQ

Follow Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

In this transformative episode, Valerie sits down with Dr. Margaret Paul, bestselling author, relationship expert, and co-creator of the groundbreaking Inner Bonding® self-healing process. Together, they dive deep into the heart of emotional availability and self-love. Learn how to become emotionally present with yourself, master the six life-changing steps of Inner Bonding®, and develop practical tools to meet your inner needs with compassion. Dr. Paul also shares her wisdom on navigating relationships while staying rooted in self-love. If you’ve ever felt emotionally neglected, struggled with self-compassion, or craved secure connections, this episode is your guide to healing and empowerment.

Dr. Margaret Paul's Love Yourself course: https://innerbondinghub.com/sp/self-love/, and her inner bonding Masterclass: https://innerbondinghub.com/sp/membership/

Follow Dr. Margaret Paul on her social media pages: https://www.facebook.com/innerbonding , https://www.pinterest.com/innerbonding/

Follow Valerie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/