Therapy Meets Soul

Welcome to Season 2 of Therapy Meets Soul and this season, Dr. Dena is zooming out.

After spending Season 1 exploring individual healing, we're looking beyond “What's wrong with me?” and asking a different question: “What happened around me?”

In this episode, Dr Dena explores collective trauma, intergenerational trauma and how the experiences of our families, communities and cultures can shape our beliefs, behaviours, relationships and sense of safety sometimes without us even realising it.

In this episode, we cover:

• What collective trauma actually is and how it differs from individual trauma
• How trauma can impact families, communities and entire generations
• Why two people can experience the same traumatic event completely differently
• Dr Dena's personal experience of collective trauma
• Why trauma doesn't just live in the event, it lives in the after
• How our families and communities can shape our beliefs around safety, money, relationships, trust and vulnerability
• What intergenerational trauma is and how behaviours can be passed down without us realising
• How learned survival responses can eventually become patterns that no longer serve us
• The idea of a collective nervous system
• Individual regulation vs co regulation
• Why humans aren't designed to heal completely in isolation
• Moving from “What's wrong with me?” to “What happened around me?”
• How understanding your past can help you decide what you no longer want to carry forward

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, like it, follow me or share it with someone.

Post production: Kellie Ashton

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

What if you were never actually lost?

What if you've just spent so long becoming who everyone else needed you to be that you've forgotten what it feels like to simply be you?

In the Season 1 finale of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena brings everything back home.

From people pleasing and perfectionism to overthinking, hyper independence and emotional suppression, Dr. Dena explores how the behaviours you criticise yourself for today may have once been the very things that helped you survive.

But what once protected you can eventually keep you disconnected from who you really are.

This episode isn't about reinventing yourself. It's about getting curious about who you were before the expectations, roles and performances took over and slowly finding your way back to you.

In this episode, we cover:

• The difference between healthy growth and self rejection
• Why you don't need to “fix” yourself before you're worthy of love, rest or peace
• How people pleasing, perfectionism, hyper independence, overthinking and emotional suppression can become protective adaptations
• Why you shouldn't shame the version of yourself that helped you survive
• How outdated coping strategies can keep you disconnected from yourself
• The cost of becoming who everyone else needs you to be
• Why you sometimes need to set boundaries with yourself
• How social media can encourage us to perform our identity rather than live it
• How to reconnect with the parts of yourself you've lost along the way
• Dr. Dena's return list of journal prompts to help you come back to yourself
• How small acts of authenticity can rebuild your relationship with yourself
• How to use your mind, body and soul to recognise what true alignment feels like
• Why finding yourself isn't about becoming someone new it's about coming home to who you've always been.

Connect with Dr. Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, like it, follow me or share it with someone who's always described as "the strong one."

Post production: Kellie Ashton

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

What if overthinking isn’t actually the problem?

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena challenges the label so many of us casually give ourselves: “I’m just an overthinker”

She explores what may actually be happening underneath the endless analysing and breaks down why overthinking can feel productive while actually keeping you stuck.

And most importantly, she explores how to stop trying to predict every possible outcome and start trusting yourself to handle whatever happens next.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why being an “overthinker” might not be your personality at all
• The relationship between overthinking, anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty
• Rumination vs productive thinking and how to recognise which one you’re doing
• Why your brain can create an entire story from information it simply doesn't have
• How overthinking becomes an unhealthy coping mechanism for anxiety
• Why overthinking gives you the feeling of control without actually giving you control
• How reassurance seeking can become “emotional Tylenol”
• Why compulsive reassurance can actually keep anxiety alive
• Why not every change in someone's behaviour is automatically a red flag
• The difference between intuition and anxiety and why anxiety is bloody good at masquerading as intuition
• How to separate facts from the stories you're creating around them

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, like it, follow me or share it with someone who's always described as "the strong one."

Post production: Kellie Ashton

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

What if you’re not addicted to your phone but you’re addicted to the possibility of being validated by what’s on it?

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena explores our growing dependence on external validation from social media likes and reassurance in relationships to needing other people to confirm that our feelings, choices and opinions are “right."

In this episode, we cover:

• Why validation is a normal human need and when it becomes unhealthy
• The difference between healthy validation and validation addiction
• Why you might not be addicted to social media, but addicted to approval
• How likes, comments and notifications create a dopamine driven validation loop
• Why reassurance temporarily reduces anxiety but can increase self doubt over time
• How validation seeking shows up in romantic relationships
• Why your partner cannot be responsible for regulating your self worth
• How therapy language like trauma, gaslighting, narcissist, boundaries and triggers can become weapons when accountability disappears
• Why being validated doesn’t automatically mean you're right
• The danger of assembling a “jury” of friends and family every time you argue with your partner
• The difference between confidence and self trust
• How to stop outsourcing your decisions and start developing your own internal compass
• Practical mind, body and soul exercises for breaking the validation cycle and learning to tolerate uncertainty

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, like it, follow me or share it with someone who's always described as "the strong one."

Post production: Kellie Ashton

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

What if the version of you that everyone praises isn't actually you but the version you created to survive?

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena dives beneath the surface of people pleasing to uncover what it really is. She explores how childhood experiences teach us to earn love through performance, why so many high achievers quietly struggle with burnout and resentment and what it takes to stop abandoning yourself in order to keep everyone else comfortable

In this episode, we cover:

• That people pleasing is not a personality trait
• How childhood experiences shape your need to earn love and acceptance
• The hidden agreement many people pleasers live by without realising it
• Why being dependable, successful and "the strong one" can come at the expense of your own wellbeing
• The psychology behind self abandonment and why it often looks like kindness
• How your nervous system learns that keeping other people happy equals safety
• Why high achievers are often the people struggling most with people pleasing
• The connection between people pleasing, anxiety, burnout, perfectionism and resentment
• Why achievement and productivity can become emotional armour
• How constantly putting everyone else first disconnects you from yourself
• Why setting boundaries feels physically uncomfortable
• Healthy guilt vs inappropriate guilt and how to tell the difference
• Why resentment is often a sign you've been abandoning yourself for too long
• What happens when you stop performing for approval and start living authentically
• Practical questions to help you reconnect with who you are beneath the survival strategy
• Why healing isn't about becoming someone new,it's about coming home to who you've always been

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, like it, follow me or share it with someone who's always described as "the strong one."

Post production: Kellie Ashton

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

Is your nervous system simply responding exactly the way it was designed to?

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena challenges one of the biggest misconceptions in mental health: that every feeling of anxiety must be a disorder. While anxiety disorders are very real and deserve proper treatment, many of us are living lifestyles that keep our nervous systems in a constant state of survival. Maybe the better question isn't, "What's wrong with me?" it's "What have I normalized?"

In this episode we cover:

• The difference between chronic stress and an anxiety disorder
• Why your nervous system wasn't designed for today's always on lifestyle
• How hustle culture keeps us stuck in survival mode
• The hidden impact of constant stimulation, multitasking and digital overload
• Why your brain needs recovery just as much as it needs productivity
• The difference between managing symptoms and addressing the root cause
• Why self care isn't enough if your lifestyle is built around self abandonment
• How social media comparison keeps your nervous system activated
• The importance of recovery, stillness, silence and boredom for emotional healing
• Practical ways to support nervous system regulation
• Questions to help you perform a lifestyle audit and identify what's keeping you overwhelmed
• When it's time to seek professional support for anxiety and mental health

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a man in your life who has spent years believing that emotions are weakness.

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

Is buying flowers really what makes someone a good partner? Or has social media convinced us that love is measured by grand gestures instead of consistent effort?P

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena unpacks one of the biggest misconceptions about relationships: what effort actually looks like.

From viral relationship videos to unrealistic expectations, Dr. Dena explains why real effort isn't about expensive gifts or performative acts, it's about consistency, emotional safety, accountability and showing up for your partner day after day.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why social media has distorted our view of relationship effort
• The difference between grand gestures and everyday emotional investment
• Why low effort is a pattern, not a gender
• What healthy effort actually looks like in long term relationships
• How curiosity and intentional communication strengthen your connection
• The role of emotional safety in building trust
• How trauma, attachment wounds, depression, burnout, and life stress can impact someone's ability to show up
• The difference between someone being incapable versus unwilling
• Weaponized incompetence and how it quietly damages relationships
• Why comparing your relationship to social media can create unrealistic expectations
• When couples therapy can help rebuild connection and trust

If this episode challenged the way you think about effort in relationships, share it with someone who believes love is measured by grand gestures. Because at the end of the day, flowers fade, social media highlights disappear but consistency, emotional safety and showing up for each other are what build lasting love.

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

What if men don't struggle with vulnerability because they're emotionally unavailable but because they've been taught that vulnerability isn't safe?

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena challenges one of the biggest myths in mental health and relationships: that men are somehow less emotional than women.

Drawing from psychology, attachment theory, nervous system regulation and real life experiences, Dr. Dena explores how boys are conditioned from a young age to suppress emotions, disconnect from vulnerability and associate emotional expression with rejection, shame, weakness, or loss of approval and explains the effect it has on them.

In this episode, we cover:

• How childhood experiences shape men's relationship with vulnerability
• The hidden messages boys receive about emotions and masculinity
• Why men often fear what happens after vulnerability more than vulnerability itself
• The nervous system's role in emotional shutdown and self protection
• The connection between vulnerability, authenticity and healthy relationships
• How vulnerability becomes associated with danger, rejection, or judgment
• What women can do to create emotional safety rather than emotional pressure
• Why emotional safety is essential for intimacy and trust
• How men can begin rewiring old beliefs around vulnerability and strength
• The difference between emotional suppression and emotional capacity
• Why true strength is asking for support, expressing emotions and allowing yourself to be seen

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: ⁠www.liv-empowered.com⁠

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:⁠https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices⁠

Schedule a class at my studio:⁠https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a man in your life who has spent years believing that emotions are weakness.

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

What if one of the most normalized relationship sayings is actually creating emotional disconnection, resentment, and unhealthy relationship dynamics?

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena breaks down why “happy wife, happy life” sounds harmless but often teaches men to suppress their emotions, abandon their needs and prioritize peace over honesty, while women are left feeling emotionally alone and disconnected in their relationships.

In this episode we cover:

• Why “happy wife, happy life” creates imbalance in relationships
• How men are conditioned to suppress vulnerability and emotional needs
• Why emotional suppression often turns into resentment
• The emotional shutdown patterns Dr. Dena sees in therapy
• How resentment can show up in men
• Why women often feel lonely or emotionally unsafe in disconnected relationships
• The difference between performative partnership and authentic intimacy
• Nervous system survival patterns in relationships
• Why sacrificing yourself is not the same as love
• Emotional safety, vulnerability and shared emotional responsibility
• Creating healthier, more secure relationship dynamics
• Why “happy spouse, happy house” is a healthier relationship model

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: www.liv-empowered.com

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices

Schedule a class at my studio:https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services

Email: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone navigating their healing journey and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.

If every relationship starts differently but somehow ends the same this episode is going to hit home.

In this episode of Therapy Meets Soul, Dr. Dena breaks down why so many people repeat the same relationship patterns over and over again even when they consciously want something healthier.

Dr. Dena explores how childhood trauma, attachment wounds, inconsistent caregiving, emotional neglect, and chaotic relationship dynamics shape who we become attracted to in adulthood. She explains why intensity is often mistaken for intimacy, why “chemistry” can sometimes just be nervous system activation and how unresolved emotional wounds quietly drive relationship choices behind the scenes.

In this episode we cover:

• Why your nervous system chooses familiarity over safety
• The connection between childhood trauma and adult relationships
• Attachment styles and relationship patterns
• Why emotionally chaotic relationships can feel addictive
• The difference between chemistry and nervous system activation
• How people pleasing destroys authentic connection
• Intermittent reinforcement and trauma bonding
• Why abandonment wounds repeat in relationships
• Emotional triggers and self awareness
• Dating slower and recognizing red flags
• Listening to your body in relationships
• How to stop recreating survival based love

Connect with Dr Dena

Learn more about Dr. Dena’s therapy and holistic wellness offerings through Liv Empowered Psychological Services and her wellness studio in Temecula.

Website: www.liv-empowered.com

TikTok: @liv.empowered

IG: @livempowerdpsychservices

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LivEmpoweredPsychServices

Schedule a class at my studio:https://www.wellnessliving.com/schedule/liv_empowered_psychological_services

Email: [email protected]

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone navigating their healing journey and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Podcast Disclaimer
The information shared on this podcast is intended for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health, medical, psychological, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Listening to this podcast, viewing related content, or engaging with any materials associated with this podcast does not establish a therapist-client, physician-patient, or any other professional relationship between you and the host, guests, or affiliated organizations.
While topics related to mental health, wellness, personal growth, and healing may be discussed, listeners are encouraged to seek the guidance of a qualified professional regarding their individual circumstances. If you believe you may benefit from therapy, counseling, medical care, or crisis support, please consult an appropriately licensed provider.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, have thoughts of harming yourself or others, or are facing any emergency situation, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately. In the United States, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for immediate support.
By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and that the host, guests, and affiliated organizations are not liable for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of information presented on this podcast.