In this deeply raw and unfiltered episode, I share the truth about my journey from being a man who sabotaged love at every turn to someone who has learned—through years of painful self-discovery—what it means to truly love and be loved. From cheating, lying, and manipulating to chasing fleeting validation through strangers, I reveal the destructive patterns that came from a childhood shaped by abuse, neglect, and the belief that I didn’t matter.

This isn’t just a story of mistakes—it’s about the work required to heal, to build self-love, and to create space for others to love you in return. I explore why so many of us equate love with pain, how to break free from that cycle, and why allowing love—both for yourself and from others—is the most courageous thing you can do. If you’ve ever felt unworthy of love or pushed it away out of fear, this episode will challenge you to make a simple yet life-changing choice: to allow love in.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, I share a compilation featuring a powerful story of overcoming addiction fueled by unprocessed pain and early-life dissociation. The guest talks about the unpredictability of their behavior when consuming alcohol and how it served as a catalyst for unresolved issues. The conversation also explores the traumatic impact of growing up biracial in the Mormon Church and the pressures of religious perfectionism. They highlight the importance of separating religion from spirituality and share their healing journey through therapy, self-love, and mirror work. The discussion further addresses the harmful effects of shame, the significance of emotional management, and the path to self-acceptance and personal growth.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Michael Unbroken dives into a powerful and personal exploration of how the emotion of feeling lucky might just be the missing link in your healing and success journey.

After years of self-inquiry, research, and listening to some of the greatest minds in the world, Michael unpacks whether "feeling lucky" could be a mindset that shifts depression, anxiety, and apathy into momentum, hope, and achievement.

He shares real-life stories—from his chaotic upbringing and moments that could've gone very differently, to surprising wins in business and chance meetings with icons like Gary Vaynerchuk—that challenge how we define luck, and how we might use it as fuel for transformation.

💬 Can luck be a belief you choose rather than a force you wait for?

🧠 Could embodying the feeling of luck change your mental health?

💥 What if one of the cures for anxiety or depression is choosing to see your life as lucky?

Tune in to hear Michael’s raw reflections, personal experiences, and a new hypothesis that might just change how you see your own path forward.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Michael shares his powerful journey from rock bottom to transformation and provides five actionable strategies for anyone feeling stuck, hopeless, or trapped in destructive cycles. Drawing from his own experience of being 350 pounds, smoking two packs a day, and drinking himself to sleep at age 25 after a traumatic childhood filled with abuse, homelessness, and addiction, Michael offers hard-won wisdom for those ready to change their lives.

Michael emphasizes that "the work works if you do the work," that change happens one moment and one decision at a time, and that the skills that got you to rock bottom won't get you out, requiring humility and letting go of ego.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this deeply honest and vulnerable solo episode, Michael breaks the silence and shares the raw truth behind his recent hiatus from the podcast and Think Unbroken. From personal heartbreak and health scares to questioning the future of coaching and content creation, he opens up about the toll this journey has taken—and the radical accountability he's embracing in its wake.

Michael talks about compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and why 2025 has become the year of alignment. He reflects on ending a major relationship, losing vision in one eye, relocating to Asia, and stepping away from things that no longer serve his mission or well-being.

Whether you've been with Think Unbroken from the beginning or are just tuning in, this episode offers a powerful reminder: healing, growth, and transformation aren’t linear—and sometimes, the most important work is done in the quiet moments of reevaluation.

Expect a shift. Expect more honesty. And expect this show to become something even more personal moving forward.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Why is it so terrifying to be truly seen?

In this powerful conversation, Michael sits down with portrait and boudoir photographer Gregory James Thelian, whose mission goes far beyond taking beautiful photos. Together, they explore why so many people—especially women—struggle with self-worth, hide behind armour, and fear the raw vulnerability of being seen without masks, filters, or expectations.

Gregory shares how photography became his healing medium—not just for clients, but for himself. Through his unique 3-day process, he helps people reconnect with the version of themselves they’ve buried beneath trauma, self-doubt, and societal noise. Michael reflects on his own journey as a former photographer and the emotional weight of seeing someone recognize their strength, beauty, and power for the first time in an image.

This is more than a conversation about photos. It’s about healing. About coming home to yourself. And about discovering what it truly means to be unbroken.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

LINKS:

Website: https://gregoryjamesphotography.com/

Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-james-thelian/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregoryjames.photo/

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Michael sits down with trauma therapist and author Kristin Duncombe to explore the long shadows cast by childhood abuse—and the courageous path to healing.

Kristin shares her story of surviving chronic sexual abuse at the hands of a U.S. diplomat while living overseas, the institutional cover-up that followed, and the profound sense of unworthiness that shaped her adolescence and adult relationships. Together, she and Michael dive into the realities of complex trauma: the coping mechanisms we develop to survive, the patterns we unconsciously repeat, and the radical, uncomfortable, necessary act of reclaiming our truth.

From navigating toxic relationships to breaking cycles of people-pleasing and self-doubt, this conversation is a raw, honest look at what healing really means. You’ll hear about the breaking point that changed everything for Kristin, how she found her voice, and the steps anyone can take to begin their own recovery journey.

Whether you're carrying the weight of your past or walking alongside someone who is, this episode is a reminder that healing is possible—and it begins with telling the truth.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

LINKS:

Website: https://www.kristinduncombe.com

Kristin on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kristin_louise_duncombe/

Kristin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-duncombe-62441553/

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Why do we keep returning to the same painful thoughts, even after awareness kicks in?

In this eye-opening episode, Michael Unbroken sits down with award-winning psychologist Dr. Betsy Holmberg to explore how trauma shapes our brain, fuels negative self-talk, and keeps us trapped in cycles of shame, anxiety, and coping mechanisms that no longer serve us.

Dr. Holmberg brings groundbreaking insight into the default mode network (DMN)—the part of your brain responsible for that relentless inner critic—and explains how trauma strengthens this network while weakening the one responsible for focus, calm, and choice. They talk through the science behind addiction, why healing feels impossible some days, and how to begin flipping the switch from stuck to free.

If you've ever felt broken, overwhelmed by your reactions, or lost in the loop of "what's wrong with me?", this episode will not only validate your experience but give you real tools to understand it—and start shifting out of it.

• Why your brain resists healing (and how to work with it)
• How trauma hijacks your nervous system
• The real reason we return to harmful habits
• Why sharing your story might be your turning point
• How to quiet the DMN and strengthen your sense of self

You are not your thoughts. You are not broken. This episode is your starting point for change.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

LINKS:

Website: https://betsyholmberg.com/

Unkind Mind: The Neuroscience of Why Women Are So Hard on Themselves―and How to Quiet Your Inner Critic for Good:  https://betsyholmberg.com/elementor-page-2529/

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

From the moment we're born, we’re wrapped in a relationship that shapes our soul — the one we have with our mother. For some, it's a source of comfort. For others, a source of pain. But for all of us, it's foundational.

Jackie Tantillo is currently the Host and Exec Producer of the "Should Have Listened to my Mother" Podcast. SHLTMM Podcast is a 2024 People's Choice Podcast Award Winner for best podcast in the "Society and Culture" Category. SHLTMM is also a 2024 Nominee in two additional categories including, "Best Female" Hosted Podcast & Best Podcast in the "Kids and Family" category. SHLTMM is an ongoing conversation about mothers/female role models and the role they play/played in ones life.

Jackie has worked in broadcasting as on-air talent (radio), on camera talent (commercials and industrials), a national and international Voice Over talent, Voice Over Acting Instructor and producer and production coordinator for over four decades.

In this episode, I sit down with Jackie Tantillo who has spent years speaking to hundreds of guests about one of the most complex, personal relationships we experience. We talk about identity, memory, trauma, forgiveness, and the stories we carry about our mothers, the ones we’ve lived and the ones we’re still trying to rewrite.

Jackie shares her own story of growing up in a vibrant, chaotic, loving Italian-American home. I share pieces of mine, a home shaped by pain, abuse, and ultimately, a journey toward reconciliation. Together, we explore what it means to become who you are because of, or in spite of your mother.

This isn’t just an episode about moms. It’s about healing, about breaking cycles, and about finding your voice through the stories we often leave unspoken.

If you’ve ever struggled with your past… if you're a parent trying to do better… or if you just want to feel seen in your human messiness — this one's for you.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

LINKS:

Website: https://www.jackietantillo.com/

Jackie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-tantillo/

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In a world where disconnection, self-doubt, and comparison run rampant, how do we return to ourselves?

In this powerful episode, Michael Unbroken sits down with author and self-love advocate Aneta Waclaw to unpack the real meaning of self-love, and why it's more than just a buzzword.

Aneta shares the raw and inspiring story behind her book Blooming with Self Love: 31 Days of Affirmations and Journaling, and how simple practices like daily gratitude and affirmations became her anchor after trauma, toxic relationships, and personal breakdowns. Together, they explore why so many of us put others first, how to stop people-pleasing, and what it actually takes to build the habit of loving yourself.

You’ll learn:

• Why your healing might begin by leaving everything familiar
• 
  
• How affirmations work (even when you don’t believe them at first)
• 
  
• The role of action, gratitude, and personal accountability in transformation
• 
  
• How to stop chasing validation and start choosing yourself every day
• 
  

If you’ve ever felt lost, unworthy, or like self-love just doesn’t “stick,” this episode is your wake-up call—and your roadmap.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story. 

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual 

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/ 

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/ 

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/ 

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken 

LINKS:

Website: https://bio.site/nourisheinsideout

Aneta on IG: https://www.instagram.com/aneta.waclaw

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/think-unbroken-with-michael-unbroken-childhood-trauma-cptsd-and/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy