What if everything you believed about who you had to be, strong, self sufficient and always in control was actually keeping you stuck? How much joy does that leave for you in your life?

In this raw and powerful episode, I sit down with child centred councillor Suzy, a woman who, approaching 60, made the decision to stop surviving and finally let go to start healing.

Suzy grew up in the 1970s and '80s, a time when being gay meant staying silent. She worked in the corporate capital of banking in London and this reinforced the shame and the silence. That silence left emotional marks: anxiety, shame, people pleasing, and the constant sense of needing to earn her place. Even after building a life with her wife, the impact of those early years lingered.

When Suzy came to work with me in therapy, she was burned out, anxious, and disconnected from her own needs. Together, we unpacked the survival strategies that had helped her get through life but were now keeping her stuck.

In this episode, Suzy shares:

• How anxiety and emotional control became her default

• The invisible cost of always being the strong one

• Why rest felt unsafe and emotional vulnerability felt impossible

• The deep patterns of people-pleasing and self-abandonment

• What changed when she finally put herself at the centre of her healing

Suzy’s story will resonate deeply with queer women who’ve spent years trying to keep it together while silently struggling. Her transformation shows that even after decades of carrying the past, it is possible to create a new emotional reality with the right support.

Links & Resources:
→ Join the Braver Women community
→ Learn more about the Braver Breakthrough™ Therapy Programme
→ Work with me directly - Book your consultation here

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Do you feel stuck in your life? Ever feel like no matter what you do, you end up back in the same place?

Same doubts. Same fears. Same types of relationships. Same patterns that leave you questioning yourself.

In this episode, we get into the real reason it happens and why it’s not about willpower or working harder.

We’ll talk about survival strategies that once protected you but are now keeping you stuck in cycles you’re ready to break.

If you’re tired of feeling like you're living on repeat with patterns that aren't helping you in your life or your relationships anymore, this is where something different can finally start for you.

Come and join us in the worlds premier hub for therapeutic content and personal growth for LGBTQ+ women

www.braverwomen.com

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Most lesbian and queer women aren’t walking around saying, “I feel shame.”
They’re saying, “I don’t feel good enough.”
“I overthink everything.”
“I’m scared to be fully myself - even now.”

In this powerful and personal episode, I take you deep into the hidden layers of internalised shame - what I call the master emotion. It’s not loud. It doesn’t announce itself. But it silently shapes everything from your self talk to your style choices, your anxiety, and even your attachment patterns.

I break down how shame gets encoded in your nervous system as a child, how it fuses with your queer identity, and how it’s been running the show without you realising it. This episode includes my own story - growing up queer in a strict religious home, the emotional fragmentation that followed, and what I’ve learned through years of therapeutic work with LGBTQ+ women around the world.

We’ll unpack:

• Why anxiety is often shame in disguise

• The difference between guilt and shame (and how most of us get it wrong)

• How people-pleasing, perfectionism, and fear of rejection are survival strategies

• The concept of double internalisation and how your nervous system stacks risk

• How to begin softening shame’s grip and reconnect with your real self

If you’ve ever struggled with not feeling enough, hiding parts of yourself, or feeling emotionally off even after coming out, this might be the episode that finally gives you the language and clarity you’ve been searching for.

It’s not a quick fix.
But it might just be the beginning of something real for you

🔗 Join us in the Braver Women Facebook group if you’re ready to learn to start showing up as the real you, not the you you've been thinking you need to be.

www.braverwomen.com