Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to PTSD, trauma, mental health, other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

For four decades, Margi was trapped in the grasp of narcissistic abuse, a struggle that went unrecognised even by the 17 mental health professionals she consulted. While her life appeared successful on the outside, internally she was living with a deep, unnameable despair.

Everything changed after a chance conversation with a friend who shared her experience of a narcissistic employer. Hearing a story that so closely mirrored her own finally gave Margi the language and understanding she had been searching for. That moment of clarity became the catalyst for a deep exploration into narcissism, which is now the sole focus of her counselling practice.

Today, Margi is dedicated to helping survivors heal from narcissistic relationships. Drawing on both her lived experience and professional expertise, she supports people as they navigate the complex journey of recovery, rebuild their identity and reclaim their lives.

In this episode she shares:

- How narcissistic abuse slowly strips away your identity without you even realising it's happening.

- Why survivors often mistake chaos for love and keep returning to unhealthy relationship patterns.

- The hidden impact of coercive control, gaslighting and the "thousand tiny cuts" that wear people down over time.

- Why leaving a narcissistic relationship is only the beginning of the healing journey.

- The survival behaviours that protect us during abuse but keep us stuck afterwards.

- Her three-stage process for moving from survival mode to rebuilding your identity and confidence.

- Why learning to choose yourself isn't selfish, it's essential for healing.

- What thriving after narcissistic abuse actually looks like, and why a peaceful life is possible.

Key Quotes

"Love and harm do not live in the same place. They don't coexist."

"We just have to find ourselves again because we were removed essentially."

"It's not like computer software that you just update. We have to go and remove those patterns first."

More about Margie

Find out more on the Narcissist Nab website, or follow Margie on Instagram.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to PTSD, trauma, mental health, and other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

What happens when the title you've carried, the career you've loved, or the version of yourself you've always known is suddenly gone? In this solo episode, I share my own journey of losing my identity after leaving the police and why rebuilding who we are is often one of the hardest, yet most important, parts of healing. If you've ever wondered who you are after trauma, loss or a major life change, I hope this conversation reminds you that your identity isn't fixed, it's something you can continue to shape with courage, compassion and hope.

In this episode I share:

- The hidden grief of losing your identity after trauma or leaving a career.

- Why healing isn't about becoming your old self again.

- The difference between asking "Who was I?" and "Who am I becoming?"

- How trauma, PTSD and life-changing events reshape identity.

- The invisible losses we rarely acknowledge after major life transitions.

- Why your job, title or role is never the sum of your worth.

- How to celebrate the person you're becoming instead of mourning who you were.

- Three practical takeaways for rebuilding identity with self-compassion and purpose.

Key Quotes

"Healing isn't backwards. Healing is forwards."

"Identity isn't something you find, it's something you create in every conscious decision."

"Your identity isn't what happened to you. It isn't the uniform you wore. Your identity is found in the courage and bravery to keep becoming."

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to This episode includes discussions of trauma, toxic and abusive relationships, narcissistic behaviour, emotional manipulation, infidelity, domestic violence, and relationship healing. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

Welcome to one of our phoenix episodes where I share a lesson from my personal journey.

For this episode I am joined by the incredible Dee Light. who helped me heal the relationship patterns created by my trauma so I could choose myself instead of repeating unhealthy relationships.

Dee has the gifted knack of seeing the biggest picture, and distilling it into sizable, easy to digest steps. Her capacity to take a dilemma and uncover the way out, is an everyday challenge she sees as part of her role in these dynamic times. There is always a solution, a path forward. Dee has studied and applied many modalities over the last forty years and has distilled them down to her own unique approach that gets results.

Her vast background includes working in a government position with classified clearance, to working in the glossy world of advertising and the unpredictable world of fashion, to teaching accelerated Japanese language to 3,000 staff of a loved airline, to establishing an ultra-natural skincare and perfume company with her husband of 37 years. Her energetic work is highly sought after and effective, helping a cross section of clients find stability, clarity and inspiration in times of great change.

In this episode we share:

· Why no one else can complete you and you have to complete yourself first.

· How unresolved trauma can keep you repeating unhealthy relationship patterns.

· The difference between cherishing someone and possessing them.

· Why healing your relationship with yourself changes the relationships you attract.

· How to recognise the foundations of a conscious, healthy relationship.

· Why choosing yourself is essential after leaving a toxic relationship.

· Practical ways to clear old relationship energy and move forward.

· Simple practices to raise your self-worth and attract healthier relationships.

Key Quotes

"Nobody, nobody is going to complete you. All right? You are going to complete yourself."

"Kindness to self, it's a human quality that's intrinsic to who we are as human beings."

"You cherish somebody, you don't possess them."

More about Dee

Check out the manifesto of light website, the light and co website, follow Dee on Instagram and listen to her podcast.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to trauma, mental health and other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

Kitty Blomfield hit a relationship crisis and what she did next changed her life. It took a lot of effort and required a lot of introspection, but the changes she made were more than worth it.

Kitty is the Co-Founder of NuStrength and the Winatlife program and teaches women how to break free from restrictive diets so they can balance their hormones, restore their metabolisms and build bodies they love.

In this episode she shares:

- How watching both her brother and sister face cancer completely changed her perspective on health, resilience and life.

- Why her brother's stage 4 cancer diagnosis became the catalyst for rebuilding his health, mindset and daily habits.

- How trauma and life's biggest challenges can force us to confront the fears we've been avoiding for years.

- The relationship crisis that pushed her to stop betraying herself and start living in alignment with who she really is.

- Why feeling "not enough" drove years of overworking, people-pleasing and striving for external validation.

- How learning to let go of control transformed both her relationship and her peace of mind.

- Why healing, especially after illness, stress or menopause, often means rebuilding your body before focusing on weight loss.

- How shifting mindset changed the way she navigates business, relationships and life’s setbacks

Key Quotes

"You have to stop betraying yourself and living out of alignment."

"I finally realised that I need to slow down. I need to listen to my body."

"It's always going right. Even when you feel like it's not going right."

More about Kitty

Head to Kitty’s website, or follow her on YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Listen to her podcast here.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to trauma, mental health and other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

We often believe that if we can just change our circumstances, everything else will fall into place. But real healing is rarely that simple. For my second solo episode, I share how trauma shaped my relationship with safety, stress and self-worth, and the practices that have helped me reconnect with myself, trust my intuition and build a life that feels liberating, more peaceful and intentional.

In this episode we share:

- Why changing jobs, relationships or locations won't heal wounds unless you have addressed them within yourself.

- How trauma conditioned my nervous system to stay in survival mode long after the danger had passed.

- Why unresolved emotions follow us into every new chapter if we don't deal with them first.

- How our environment, relationships and daily surroundings can either support or drain our wellbeing.

- The difference between relationships that create safety and those that create chaos and confusion.

- Why trying to rescue or fix other people often comes at the expense of our own healing and wellbeing.

- How I've learned to trust my body and intuition when something doesn't feel right.

- The role Reiki has played in helping me reconnect with stillness, grounding and nervous system regulation.

- Why I believe healing isn't just mental, but also emotional, physical and energetic.

- Simple ways to create more peace, safety and self-awareness in everyday life.

Key Quotes

"Wherever you go, that's where you are"

"You can physically leave environments while emotionally carrying them with you."

"Stop asking, 'How do I escape myself?' and start asking, 'How do I become safe within myself?'"

"Healing relationships feel safe, grounded, consistent and emotionally steady."

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to trauma, mental health, suicide and other potentially distressing experiences. This is not a substitute for medical advice, please consult your doctor or healthcare professional. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

A lack of education about menopause nearly destroyed Shelley Horton’s life and career.

Shelley is a media veteran who can be heard nationally a number of times a week on Channel Nine’s Today Show, Today Extra, Weekend Today and the 3pm News and more.

But all of that nearly feel apart when undiagnosed the symptoms of perimenopause struck and a lack of education in the medical community caused her to be misdiagnosed and untreated.

After a lot of education and work Shelley is now the Peri Godmother, and author of an incredible book and movement helping women everywhere.

In this episode she shares:

- How her perimenopause started with depression, heart palpitations and brain fog

- How a lack of menopause education left her suffering for months without answers.

- The moment she nearly quit her career at Channel 9 because of her health

- The moment her husband recognised something was wrong and helped her seek support.

- How the right GP and hormone treatment changed the course of her recovery.

- What happened when she turned her frustration into action,

- How she experienced breakthrough depression even after starting treatment and had to keep doing the work.

- The moment a routine medical procedure turned into a life-threatening emergency when her lung collapsed.

- How she now uses her experience to educate women, challenge stigma and help others feel less alone.

Key Quotes

“I just thought I was failing at life. I was blaming myself for it. Not that the chemicals were being disrupted by my hormones.”

“For the final year in 2023 I had bled for 42 weeks out of 52.”

“I was angry that I had nearly quit my job, that I had nearly lost like a year of my life. I had nearly lost my life.”

More about Shelley

You can find out more about Shelley via her website and Instagram and everything else via her linktree.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PTSD is often misunderstood as something that only shows up in flashbacks. But for me, it became something much bigger. A constant state of hypervigilance, fear, exhaustion and survival mode that slowly began shrinking my world.

Today I’ll be sharing parts of my personal story to help explain and navigate the world of PTSD for those going through it, or for those of you who know someone going through it.

In this episode, I share:

• What PTSD actually felt like for me beyond flashbacks
• How hypervigilance and survival mode consumed my everyday life
• The sensory overload and isolation I experienced with PTSD
• How I masked my struggles while appearing “fine” to others
• The impact PTSD had on my identity, relationships and confidence
• My breast cancer journey alongside PTSD and the grief of losing my former self
• The small routines and coping strategies that helped me keep going
• Why avoidance made my world smaller and rebuilding required tiny steps
• How I slowly reclaimed concerts, events and social experiences again
• Why I believe “you are not broken, you are rebuilding”

Key Quotes

“I wasn’t living anymore. I was managing my symptoms. I was managing my life.”

“I realised that I could go my whole life living in the space of being debilitated by PTSD, or I could start living again.”

“PTSD took a lot out of me, so, so much out of me… but it also forced me to rebuild myself intentionally.”

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to PTSD, trauma, mental health, suicide and other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

PTSD is something we are very aware of now, but what if you developed PTSD from traumatic experiences while working in the police force decades ago? And how would you handle living with that without diagnosis?

Keith Banks is a former police officer, bestselling author and mental health advocate. He speaks powerfully on trauma, resilience, mental fitness and rebuilding life after adversity.

In this episode he shares:

- His childhood experience of trauma

- Why he was drawn to dangerous police work

- The fatal shooting that changed everything

- The toll of losing his best friend in the line of duty

- Living with undiagnosed PTSD for decades

- How trauma affected his family life

- The diagnosis that changed everything

- His understanding of post-traumatic growth

- How he found purpose after policing

- The power of connection and community

- How karate became part of his healing

- Why it is never too late to heal

Key Quotes

“I thought I was alone in this whole morass of trauma and pain.”

“I had a dark side that was taking over that previously happy, joyful little dude.”

“I had the classic symptoms, the nightmares, the flashbacks, the hypervigilance, the anger, the drinking, all of that.”

More about Keith

Follow Keith on Instagram, find out more via his website, or read his books.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.