You've faced battles most never fought. Pain. Trauma. Chaos.
But here—on The Battle Harder Podcast—we turn pain into progress.
Today, Coach Rob sits down with Melissa Hepner, LCSW, author, creator of The Emotionally Unavailable Podcast, and a survivor of some of the darkest childhood experiences imaginable:
✔ Every form of abuse
✔ Addicted parents
✔ Being bounced between homes
✔ Losing her father at 15
✔ Losing her mother young
✔ Hitting her lowest point in adulthood
✔ Considering ending her life…
✔ And fighting her way back toward peace, self-love, and purpose
This conversation goes deep into emotional regulation, trauma, shame, healing, parenting wounds, generational cycles, and the moment Melissa decided she wouldn’t die—she would change.
This episode is a roadmap for anyone who feels hopeless, broken, or stuck in the past.
If you're battling in silence…
If you're carrying old wounds…
If you’re trying to break the cycle…
This conversation will hit your soul.
Subscribe for real, raw comeback stories every week.
🔗 Connect with Melissa:
Instagram: @melissa.hepner
Podcast: Emotionally Unavailable
🔗 Connect with Coach Rob:
BattleHarder.com
Instagram: @battlefitted (pending update)
00:00 – Battle Harder Intro
00:28 – Welcome Melissa Hepner
02:05 – Growing up in chaos: abuse, addiction & instability
06:10 – Memories, survival & the childhood that shaped everything
11:45 – How trauma shows up in the teenage years
15:25 – Losing her dad at 15: grief, confusion & survival mode
19:52 – Losing her mom young & finding closure
25:30 – Early adulthood: anger, shame, and emotional dysregulation
30:12 – The breaking point: “My family would be better off without me”
34:26 – The moment she set a date to die… and what changed
39:40 – Learning coping skills, tools & emotional regulation
44:02 – Nervous system, overthinking, shame & trauma wiring
48:55 – Coach Rob’s story of emotional regulation & anger
54:40 – Quieting the noise: Melissa’s three-part healing framework
01:00:20 – Understanding triggers, somatic cues & body awareness
01:05:18 – Why taking action is the key to healing
01:07:50 – The Emotionally Unavailable Podcast & Melissa’s mission
01:11:30 – Where to find Melissa + her workbooks
01:13:10 – Melissa’s definition of “Turning Pain into Progress”
01:16:10 – Coach Rob’s final thoughts
01:18:30 – Battle Harder Outro