Fragmented to Whole

Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery

This podcast can help you go from fragmented to whole. The title of the podcast comes from my journey of recovery in 12 step programs where I came in feeling fragmented and now I AM WHOLE. I talk about how that happened, and many of the lessons I've learned in recovery. I cover such topics as learning acceptance, overcoming unrealistic expectations, intimacy, forgiveness and boundaries.

All episodes are 20 minutes or less, most are less than 15. The first episode is my story in brief so you'll hear about the kind of profound life changes that I experienced in 12-step recovery. Other episodes cover specific topics such as Acceptance, Victim Mentality, Overcoming Negative Thought Loops, etc. You don't have to be in recovery to benefit from it though!

One last (very important) thing. I don't speak for or endorse any particular 12 step program of recovery. Though I'm a huge fan of 12 step recovery, and a member of two 12 step fellowships, I cannot speak them. Take what you want and leave the rest.

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Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery

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Ep 216 – What It Means to Be Powerless Over the Effects of Alcoholism

What I’ve learned in ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families) is that the effects of alcoholism get passed down through the generations. Because of this, we often talk about alcoholism as a family disease because the effects are embedded in the relationships surrounding the alcoholic, affecting everyone, not just the person abusing alcohol.…

Ep 215 – How to Discover Your Real Identity and Authenticity by Building Healthy Boundaries

When it comes to growing up in a dysfunctional family, we didn’t have the opportunity to form our true, authentic identity because we were so corrupted by the dysfunction. Now, of course, there are certain elements of us that are true and real and have always been there but there are other parts of our…

Ep 214 – The Foundations of Recovery- Honesty, Open-Mindedness and Willingness

When I first got into recovery my sponsor told me, ‘If you’re not honest with me I can’t help you. You’ve got to be open-minded to the idea that there are things you don’t know and willing to do the things you’ve never done before to succeed in recovery.” This week’s episode 214 of the…

Ep 213 – How We Become Approval Seekers and How to Get Out of It

Many of us have grown up feeling that we have to do things for others so they won’t dislike us, get mad at us, leave us, or even abuse us. We then get so deeply ingrained in this behavior pattern that we think the only way we will be okay is by getting the approval…

Ep 212 – Nine New Methods I’ve Learned for Reparenting and How They’ve Affected Me

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am still (and forever will be) on a journey to reparent myself. Between the last time I did an episode on this topic and now, I have made some really radical and impactful internal changes that have made an enormous difference in my life. This week’s episode 212 of the…

Ep 211 – What Life is Like Before and After Building Healthy Boundaries

If you had told me years ago that boundaries were my issue, I would have never believed you. It is for that reason that I shape my content around helping others understand that their issues can be cleaned up and healed by learning to set and maintain healthy boundaries. This week’s episode 211 of the…

Ep 210 – Interventions, Done Differently with Stephen P.

Leading a healthy and successful intervention starts with giving people the tools they need to have an important conversation while setting healthy boundaries and communicating their truth in a respectful, open, and honest manner. This week’s episode 210 of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast is about interventions, done differently.  Support the show by becoming a…

Ep 209 – Missing Red Flags – When You Want What You Want When You Want It

“I want what I want when I want it” –  otherwise known as the inability to delay gratification, was my attitude towards life before recovery. With this mindset, I was unable to see the consequences of plowing forward to get what I wanted. This week’s episode 209 of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast is about…

Ep 208 – How Building Healthy Boundaries Allows You to Detect Nuance

It wasn’t until several years into my recovery that I realized there were certain things that I thought were fused were not actually fused. That is, I thought where one thing existed, the other automatically existed as well. Not only did I grow to understand this was not true, I realized many of the examples…

Ep 207 – Your Step-by-Step Guide for How to Get Started Setting Boundaries

When you’re so lost and enmeshed, it can be difficult to know what a boundary is let alone even begin setting them. This week’s episode 207 of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast is about your step-by-step guide for how to get started setting boundaries! Support the show by becoming a Patreon member!  In this episode…

Ep 206 – 24 Ways Adult Child Traits Show Up in the Workplace Part 2

In a recent episode, I mentioned that I had a whole cascade of memories and understanding that I have experienced some level of trauma in every job I had before recovery This led me to  self-reflect on how my dysfunctional upbringing played a role in this using an inventory about workplace traits of Adult Children…

Ep 205 – 24 Ways Adult Child Traits Show Up in the Workplace Part 1

In a recent episode, I mentioned that I had a whole cascade of memories and understanding that I have experienced some level of trauma in every job I had before recovery. Upon reflection, I know the role my dysfunctional upbringing has played in my workplace experiences. This week’s episode 205 of the Fragmented to Whole…

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."

- A.C

"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."

- V

"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