Podcast
Courage to Heal
Hosted by Anna Khandrueva · EN
Courage to Heal shares candid conversations exploring various mental health issues with the people that live with them. Join your host Anna Khandrueva, a psychotherapist and a mental health advocate, as she delves into interesting discussions around mental health and wellness while providing listeners with actionable steps and tools to encourage self-love and recovery. Listen each week as Anna dives into raw, honest conversations with guests about their mental health journey, sharing their experiences, where to seek help, and how to navigate through difficult times. Dedicated to leading thought-provoking discussions with an expert view to provide insight and knowledge, this is a resource you can use to understand more about mental well-being while learning how to move forward and stop recycling old patterns. Exploring the battles we wage within ourselves, listen today to discover a new perspective.
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Turning Pain Into Power – A Conversation with Rhoda Banks
Jul 1000:52:26Tap to summarizeIn this deeply moving episode of Courage to Heal, Anna sits down with Rhoda Banks, motivational speaker, coach, and author of the powerful memoir Daughter of an Assassin. Rhoda shares her extraordinary story of growing up amid violence, intergenerational trauma, and emotional neglect – and how she rose above it all to become a successful executive and advocate for healing and self-worth.Together, Anna and Rhoda explore themes of childhood trauma, survivor’s guilt, emotional neglect, body image, forgiveness, faith, and personal transformation. Rhoda’s honesty and resilience will resonate with anyone who has struggled with feeling unworthy or burdened by their past. This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is possible, and your legacy is yours to write.Check Out Rhoda's BookRhoda's Website
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Is EMDR Right for You? A Trauma Therapist’s Insight
Jul 300:45:34Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Courage to Heal, Anna speaks with Laurel Roberts-Meese, licensed psychotherapist and founder of Laurel Therapy Collective, about the power of EMDR therapy for healing trauma. With warmth and clarity, Laurel walks us through the eight phases of EMDR, explains how it rewires the brain’s trauma responses, and offers practical insights for those considering EMDR for PTSD or complex trauma. Whether you're an EMDR-curious client or a fellow therapist, this conversation sheds light on why EMDR is so effective—and what to expect from the process.You can find Laurel here.
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Understanding and Navigating Trauma Triggers
Jun 2600:18:24Tap to summarizeWhat is a trauma trigger—and why does it have such a powerful grip on your nervous system? In this episode of Courage to Heal, we explore what trauma triggers are, how they form, and why they show up in everyday moments. You’ll learn how to recognize your unique triggers and gently regulate overwhelming emotional responses. Anna shares two powerful somatic tools—the Spiral Technique and the Picture Technique—to help you feel safer in your body and reclaim your sense of peace. This episode is a must-listen for trauma survivors who want practical strategies and compassionate insights to better understand their emotional landscape.Check out the Emotional Overwhelm Toolkit
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Unmasking ADHD in Women
Jun 1200:29:00Tap to summarizeIn this heartfelt and illuminating episode of Courage to Heal, we dive deep into a conversation that’s long overdue—exploring the often misunderstood and overlooked experience of ADHD in women and those socialized as female.Host Anna Khandrueva sheds light on the quieter, masked forms of ADHD that don’t match the typical, boy-centric stereotypes. Through tender storytelling and deep compassion, Anna unpacks the realities of emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, rejection sensitivity, and chronic burnout that so many women face—often without ever knowing why.We’ll explore how high-functioning ADHD can mask inner struggles, the profound impact of hormonal shifts across a woman’s life, and the important but rarely discussed overlap between ADHD and autism (AuDHD). Anna also shares practical, healing steps toward self-compassion, support systems, and unmasking—the brave work of showing up as your authentic self.Tune in to rediscover the truth: you were never broken—you were simply unseen. And now, it’s time to be seen.Blog Post: ADHD In WomenBlog Post: ADHD MythsADHD Coach for Late-Diagnosed Women: Casey Jourdan
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The Grief Conversation We Need to Have: Beyond the 5 Stages
Jun 500:22:18Tap to summarizeDiscover the truth about grief beyond the outdated five-stage model. This episode dismantles common misconceptions about grief, reveals why Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's famous stages were never meant for bereavement, and explores the diverse grief responses.Learn about anticipatory grief, complicated grief and the crucial differences between intuitive and instrumental grieving patterns.Whether you're supporting someone through loss or navigating grief yourself, this episode provides the understanding you need without prescriptive timelines or one-size-fits-all approaches. Listen now to transform how you view and experience grief.LINKS:The Grief Recovery MethodThe Grief Recovery Handbook
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Polyvagal Theory Demystified: How Your Nervous System Drives Healing with Amy Sullivan
May 2900:35:31Tap to summarizeWhat if your emotions started in your body – not your brain? In this insightful conversation, Anna sits down with licensed clinical counselor, author, and international trainer Amy Sullivan to explore the life-changing lens of Polyvagal Theory. Known for her warm, accessible teaching style, Amy breaks down the nervous system's three core states and how they shape our sense of emotional safety, trauma response, and ability to connect.You’ll learn:What the vagus nerve is and why it matters for trauma healingThe difference between feeling safe vs. being safe—and why it mattersHow shutdown, anxiety, and calm each have "safe" and "unsafe" versionsSomatic and expressive arts practices to help regulate your nervous systemWhy co-regulation (even with pets!) is essential for healingWhether you’re a therapist, trauma survivor, or just curious about your emotional wiring, this episode is full of empowering insights that can help you reconnect with safety and presence.Click here to learn more about Amy’s work at Rooted Compassion Counseling.
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Unpacking and Healing Generational Trauma with Alyssa Scarano
May 22, 202500:44:19Tap to summarizeJoin host Anna as she talks with therapist Alyssa Scarano about healing generational trauma. Discover how childhood experiences shape our beliefs and relationships, and how these patterns get passed down through families.Alyssa explains what generational healing really means and shares how trauma creates survival strategies that might have helped us as kids but now hold us back as adults. Learn to spot signs of generational trauma in your life and get practical steps for healing that start with self-awareness and self-compassion.Perfect for anyone looking to break free from inherited patterns and build healthier relationships—starting with yourself.LINKS:Alyssa's Website
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Little You, Big Impact: How Inner Child Work Transforms Self-Worth
May 15, 202500:33:39Tap to summarizeDiscover how connecting with your inner child can revolutionize your relationship with self-worth in this episode of Courage to Heal. Learn the crucial difference between self-worth and self-esteem, understand what inner child work really means, and explore practical techniques to begin healing childhood wounds that may be blocking your sense of inherent value. Through personal stories, guided visualization, and actionable strategies, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for moving from conditional self-worth to the unshakable knowledge that you are worthy simply because you exist. Perfect for anyone struggling with feelings of "not enough" or looking to deepen their self-compassion practice.Inner Child Meditation
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When Your Parents Never Grew Up: Finding Your Way to Emotional Freedom
May 1, 202500:23:23Tap to summarizeIn this heartfelt episode, Anna explores the challenging dynamics of emotionally immature parents and provides practical guidance for healing. Discover the four types of emotionally immature parents, recognize common patterns from childhood that might be affecting your adult relationships, and learn effective boundary-setting techniques that preserve your well-being. Whether you're experiencing parentification, emotional neglect, or struggling with attachment issues stemming from your upbringing, this episode offers compassionate insights and actionable strategies for reclaiming your emotional health.Perfect for anyone looking to transform their relationship with parents while practicing essential self-care and "reparenting" techniques. Includes resources and recommended reading from trauma-informed therapy perspectives.Quiz to evaluate your parentsBook: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
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Rewiring the Brain: The Power of EMDR Therapy
Apr 17, 202500:20:19Tap to summarizeDiscover the power of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in this comprehensive episode. We break down the science behind EMDR's Adaptive Information Processing model, explain bilateral stimulation's role in healing, and walk through all 8 treatment phases step by step.From PTSD and complex trauma to anxiety, depression, phobias, and substance misuse—find out how EMDR works for various conditions and why it's gained worldwide recognition. Whether you're a therapy newcomer, mental health professional, or someone seeking healing, this episode provides valuable insights into how EMDR helps the brain reprocess painful memories and install positive beliefs for lasting change.EMDRIA Directory: https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/My Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com/
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