This episode explores a simple story with a lot of psychological weight: the raft you build to survive one season of life isn’t the vessel you’re meant to carry forever. We talk about outgrowing anything that once kept you afloat — relationships, belief systems, workplaces, identities, recovery communities, or roles your family needed you to play. I walk through the parable of the raft in plain language, connect it to real developmental transitions, and break down what differentiation a...

Explore stuck patterns through a fuller lens — not just as “addiction issues,” but as adaptations shaped by trauma, emotional disconnection, and the roles people had to play in childhood. Drawing on clinical experience, long-term recovery, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and the work of trauma experts, this episode breaks down what some recovery circles never talk about: why emotional suppression becomes the core problem, how rapid mood shifts are often misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder when it...

Why we cave under social pressure, why it feels so hard to say no, and how oversensitivity to shame keeps you stuck in patterns you don’t actually believe in. This episode breaks down the psychological side of people-pleasing, boundary setting, and trusting your instincts — using real-life examples and practical skills to get better at standing your ground without becoming harsh or detached.