What do a trauma therapist, an orgasm coach, and a burned-out pediatrician have in common?

What do a trauma therapist, an orgasm coach, and a burned-out pediatrician have in common?

More than you'd ever expect.

This month on Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, we went there. Into the stories, the breakdowns, the breakthroughs—and the kind of healing that doesn’t come from reading a book, but from living the pain and choosing to come back home to yourself.

In this special May recap episode, I’m revisiting the conversations that cracked me open and reminded me why I do this work. If you're new to the podcast or just catching up, this is the perfect entry point. If you’ve been with me all along—consider this your deep breath and reminder: you're not alone.

💬 Here’s What We Covered:

✨ Girisha Andrea Steigler
Economist turned orgasm coach (yes, really), Girisha is the founder of the Empress-O method and one of the most electric guests I’ve ever had. We talked about how trauma gets trapped in our bodies—especially as women—and how reconnecting with pleasure can lead to real transformation. Her work with grief, womb healing, and generational trauma is nothing short of revolutionary.

✨ Ayla Fleming
Ayla grew up in a family system shaped by addiction and anxiety—and thought chaos was normal. Her honesty about confusing enabling with love hit me hard. As a trauma-informed therapist, she now helps women stop overfunctioning and start living with clarity and boundaries. If you've ever struggled with guilt for saying “no,” her story will give you the permission slip you didn’t know you needed.

✨ Dr. Lamia Katbi
A high-achieving pediatrician who hit her limit—physically, emotionally, and relationally—Dr. Katbi’s story is raw and powerful. In Part 2 of our interview, she opened up about how her own healing journey has transformed the way she supports children and families through trauma. Her final words in the episode left me speechless. This is the kind of awareness we need more of in our schools, hospitals, and homes.

🎯 The Real Deal: My 3 Biggest Takeaways

1. You can’t heal what you won’t feel.
Whether it’s Andrea guiding women back to their bodies or Dr. Katbi unraveling the emotional layers beneath burnout, one truth was clear: healing doesn’t happen in your head. You’ve got to feel it, move through it, and stop trying to logic your way out of pain.

2. Boundaries aren’t rejection—they’re repair.
Ayla’s perspective on boundaries flipped something in me. When you grow up in dysfunction, setting a boundary can feel like you’re hurting someone—but really, it’s how you stop the hurt from continuing. That one’s still sitting with me.

3. Trauma is sneaky—but so is hope.
Trauma hides in overgiving, perfectionism, and people-pleasing. But hope? It hides in the micro-moments: the pause before reacting, the breath before speaking, the courage to do one thing differently. And when you start noticing those moments? You’re already healing.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like your trauma is too “hidden” to name—this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and hear the moments that reminded me healing is possible… even when it feels hard.

👉CLICK HERE TO WATCH