Listen to Fragmented to Whole:Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery
Ep. 288: Overgiving No More- Part 2: How Boundaries Restore Balance and Energize Your Life
Send us a text Last week on the podcast, I talked about how setting healthy boundaries was the key to changing the four patterns of overgiving. I want to further that conversation today by providing actionable guidance on understanding yourself better, setting boundaries that reflect your actual wants and needs, and upholding your boundaries once…
Ep. 287: Overgiving No More- Part 1: Recognizing the Four Patterns That Drain You
Send us a text I have always been a giver, but through recovery, I came to terms with the fact that I had been an overgiver. I felt obligated to drop everything and give to everyone at the drop of a hat, which was draining. However, through building healthy boundaries, I learned to give in…
Ep. 286: Build Bridges, Not Walls-How and Why Boundaries Bring Us Closer to Others
Send us a text Many people think that building boundaries is about building walls between us and other people. While this is true in cases where you may have a dangerous or toxic person in your life that you need to build a wall between, in the majority of cases, boundaries actually bring us closer…
Ep. 285: When Gifts Become Trauma- Emotional Invalidation in Relationships
Send us a text Since getting into ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families), I have come to understand that I have gift trauma. This is a form of relational trauma (sometimes referred to as little t trauma) that is a result of something happening in the context of a relationship over time. For…
Ep. 284: Control, Fear, Faith and the Power of Boundaries- Gems from My Recovery Journal
Send us a text Throughout my recovery journey, I have gotten into the habit of writing down personal revelations or impactful quotes that I come across to document my experiences and insights. Many of these made a profound impact on my perception of things, so I wanted to share some of them with you today.…
Ep. 283: Addicted to Chaos: How Rumination and Catastrophizing Hijack Your Peace (and How to Stop)
Send us a text I recently came across the phrase, “Stop extending the life of your problems.” This resonated with me because before I got into recovery, I hadn’t realized I was massively extending the life of my problems for DECADES on end by ruminating on the past and catastrophizing about the future. This, I…
Ep. 282: How to Set Strong Boundaries: Real-Life Stories of Saying No and Standing Firm
Send us a text It’s no secret that boundaries are the key to reclaiming your power, honoring your needs, and living life on your terms. And me showing up week after week on the podcast to lay the foundation for boundary setting is one thing, but hearing the real-life stories of those of us who…
Ep. 281: Understanding Codependence, Its Origins, and How to Overcome It
Send us a text Recognizing and overcoming codependence can be a profound and life-changing journey, but undoing the deeply engrained layers of this behavior is not easy. I found this out the hard way after hitting what I call my “codependence bottom” after inviting my homeless friend to stay with me, leading to feeling trapped…
Ep. 280: “Living My Truth” with Laurel
Send us a Text Message. For those who have a loved one who is an alcoholic, you understand the uphill battle of finding the right words that will finally get through to them. But the reality is, we are just as powerless over alcohol as the alcoholic is and there is nothing we can do…
Ep. 279: The Blame Game- Recognizing and Releasing the Need to Blame
Send us a Text Message. Content Warning: This episode has brief mentions of the sexual abuse of a child. One of the things covered in The Solution, a foundational document in ACA is that we will free ourselves from the shame and blame carried over from the past. Shame is just about one of the…
Ep. 278: Breaking Free from Generational Shame and Humiliation
Whether you’re in recovery or not, you may have heard the saying, “If you’re hysterical, it’s historical.” This phrase refers to the times in our lives when we may have an emotional reaction that felt completely out of proportion to the situation at hand and gives some insight into some unresolved trauma from our past.…
Ep. 277: The Meaning Behind the Saying “If You’re Hysterical, It’s Historical”
Whether you’re in recovery or not, you may have heard the saying, “If you’re hysterical, it’s historical.” This phrase refers to the times in our lives when we may have an emotional reaction that felt completely out of proportion to the situation at hand and gives some insight into some unresolved trauma from our past.…
What listeners are saying
"Barb, it's clear that you're speaking from your lived experience, and what you talk about is beyond the rooms of recovery. You actually operationalize recovery."
- C
"Your podcast was a delight to listen to. Authenticity, sincerity starts within and re-parenting oneself with gentleness, humor, love and respect are the tools that fuels the process."
- A
"Full of useful, helpful guidance!!!! So, I say thank you for your efforts! It was not preachy at all - and I guard against 'preachiness.' ...Thank you for your efforts Barb."
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"I play [your podcasts] for people when I give them rides home from meetings. They find them awesome as I do...I am hoping to begin using your podcasts in groups at work - short enough to hold people's attention and wonderful topics that all can benefit from as we try to bring healing and freedom from suffering into the world...you are a delight and a noble soul. Thank you. Grateful for your commitment to help heal our planet."
- R
"If I had to describe it....I bathed in episodes 1-3 this morning and I feel much more prepared to engage in the tasks that will bring me success...thank you."
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"You have opened doors in my mind that I did not know existed. Listening to you and your podcasts has made an enormous impact on my life, and now my outlook. You rock!" ~ A.
"Thank you, Barb! Listening to your podcast gave me hope that you could help me.
Framing everything through the lens of “boundaries” made sense to me. Something “clicked.” I realized many of my own struggles – maybe all of them – could be seen through the same lens. I also felt – after bingeing your podcasts – that I already knew you and that you were a straight shooter. You experienced many of the challenges that I was facing, and I greatly appreciated your willingness to share openly and honestly. And I was so encouraged to hear you talk about how much better your life is after starting your own recovery journey." ~ K