You know what to do, you want to do it… but something keeps holding you back. Why?

In this transformative episode of Beyond the Surface, host Ashley-Ann Pereira sits down with Kam Knight — bestselling author and expert on mental performance — to uncover the real reason behind internal resistance and self-sabotage.

You’ll learn:

• How your subconscious mind creates invisible blocks
• Why motivation burnout and endless “inspiration” keep you stuck
• The link between ego and resistance
• How to reprogram your mind and move beyond your comfort zone
• Tools for inner healing, emotional awareness, and lasting self-mastery

If you’ve ever struggled with overcoming procrastination, breaking bad habits, or understanding your psychology of desire, this conversation will change how you see yourself — and how you create real, sustainable growth.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Connect with Kam:

Website: https://kamknight.com

Email: mentor@kamknight.com

https://instagram.com/ikamknight

https://facebook.com/ikamknight

https://youtube.com/@ikamknight

https://linkedin.com/in/ikamknight/

https://tiktok.com/@ikamknight

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Purpose and Mission

02:28 Understanding Internal Resistance

06:45 The Complexity of the Human Mind

11:42 Criteria for Resistance

16:05 The Role of Ego in Resistance

21:17 Navigating Wants and Resistance

27:20 Intentionality in Choosing Wants

34:01 Taming the Wanting Mechanism

36:27 Understanding the Wanting Mechanism

39:11 Conquering Internal Resistance

42:26 Tricks of Resistance

46:45 The Importance of Self-Compassion

51:59 Navigating Personal Resistance

57:36 Putting Yourself in Bigger Rooms

What happens when the silence you kept for decades finally finds a voice—and that voice becomes the very thing that heals you?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Stacy Schaffer, Licensed Professional Counselor and author of With Love from a Children’s Therapist, to explore what it means to break generational silence, heal from childhood trauma, and help children become less hurting adults. Stacy opens up about losing her mother at a young age, surviving a year-long trauma she never spoke about until three decades later, and how telling her story became an act of radical self-compassion and truth-telling.

Together, we dive into the grief that shapes us, the courage it takes to tell the truth, and the healing that happens when we finally stop hiding behind resilience. From her work as a children’s therapist helping young people process grief and anxiety, to her own journey of reclaiming her voice, Stacy offers profound insight into the power of vulnerability, authenticity, and emotional intelligence.

Topics we explore:

• Healing from childhood trauma and generational silence
• Grief, loss, and the mother wound
• Recognizing trauma in children before it becomes generational
• The courage to speak your truth and own your story
• Inner child healing, self-compassion, and emotional resilience

🎧 Tune in for a deeply moving, hopeful conversation about what it means to do the inner work—for ourselves, for our children, and for the generations to come.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Connect with Stacy:

https://www.instagram.com/hoperestored

https://authorstacyschaffer.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Stacey's Mission

02:32 The Journey of Sharing Her Story

08:30 The Impact of Vulnerability in Therapy

14:46 Navigating Grief and Loss

22:44 Independence vs. Interdependence in Relationships

25:47 Children's Trauma in Today's Society

26:11 Navigating the New Parenting Landscape

28:18 Understanding the Unique Challenges of Today's Youth

32:22 The Importance of Authenticity in Parenting

35:52 The Ripple Effect of Sharing Our Truths

43:28 Curiosity, Courage, and Compassion in Healing

If you’ve ever felt like you’re too much in relationships — too anxious, too sensitive, too afraid they’ll leave — this episode will change how you see yourself.

Join host Ashley-Ann on Beyond the Surface as she sits down with Relationship & Anxiety Therapist Valerie Rubin to uncover the truth about anxious attachment healing and what it really takes to create secure, lasting love.

You’ll learn:

1. Why talk therapy alone isn’t enough to heal attachment trauma

2. How somatic healing and nervous system regulation create real emotional safety

3. The science behind breaking trauma bonds and attraction to emotionally unavailable partners

4. How inner child healing and brainspotting therapy help rewire old patterns

5. The first steps to feeling calm, confident, and connected in relationships

If you’ve been stuck in cycles of overthinking, people-pleasing, or fearing abandonment, this conversation will help you begin your CPTSD healing journey, rebuild self worth and love, and learn how to feel safe in relationships — starting with yourself.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Connect with Valerie:

https://www.instagram.com/healwithval/

https://www.valrubin.com/

https://www.healmyanxiousattachment.com/

https://open.spotify.com/show/1UZDfyhUZgAGIdlEv5VP85?si=9e5fe991a4f34a79

Download Valerie's FREE meditation "How to Heal Your Fear of Abandonment" https://stan.store/healwithval

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Valerie's Journey to Therapy

03:35 Understanding Anxious Attachment

06:16 Cycles of Emotional Unavailability

09:38 Fantasy Thinking in Relationships

12:18 Navigating Parental Relationships

15:10 Compassion and Healing

17:45 Attachment Styles in Different Relationships

19:55 The Limitations of Talk Therapy

23:08 The Importance of Somatic Therapy

27:53 Understanding Safety in the Body

30:08 Navigating Difficult Conversations

34:22 Processing Emotions Before Conflict

37:33 Building Self-Trust and Inner Validation

41:24 Curiosity, Courage, and Compassion in Self-Discovery

In this episode, Spiritual Mentor and Narrative Alchemist Kayla MacDonald joins me to explore the deep work of healing ancestral patterns, reparenting yourself, and transforming generational shame into creative power.

Kayla shares how even in a healthy marriage, her body held memories of her lineage’s pain—and how she learned to release it through somatic healing, dance alchemy, and playful, creative self-expression. We talk about breaking free from inherited cycles around love, body image, and self-worth—and how healing doesn’t have to be heavy. It can be sensual, creative, and deeply freeing.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying wounds that aren’t entirely yours, or you’re ready to step into embodied wholeness, this conversation will speak to your soul.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Connect with Kayla:

https://www.instagram.com/embodiedwritingwarrior/

https://www.embodiedwritingwarrior.com/gift

Chapters

00:00 Reclaiming Self-Authorship and Power

01:57 Navigating Ancestral Wounds in Marriage

05:29 Healing Dynamics in Relationships

09:35 The Role of Support in Healing

14:05 Creating Safety in Relationships

16:52 Understanding Inherited Wounds

18:49 Transforming Wounds into Gifts

20:05 The Divine Masculine and Playful Healing

23:58 The Healing Power of Playfulness

25:30 Transforming Self-Worth and Metrics

27:51 Redefining Worth Through Values

29:39 Navigating Social Media's Duality

30:50 Innovative Journaling Methodology

34:21 Launching Food Freedom Fantasy Program

36:08 Integrating Archetypes for Self-Expression

41:37 Embracing Emotions and Self-Compassion

When you feel stuck, lost, or like a failure, it’s easy to believe you’re on the wrong path. But what if those feelings are actually an invitation? In this episode, I share how I've learned to reframe this feeling with a powerful African proverb: “To get lost is to learn the way”.

I'll walk you through my three-step writing ritual that acts as a portal back to yourself. This process is designed to help you:

1. Write the Rage: Learn to be incredibly raw with your emotions and get everything out onto the page without judgment.

2. Reveal the Root: Reflect on the old stories and beliefs that have held you back and see what's truly underneath your pain.

3. Reclaim Your Truth: Decide what happens next and choose the new truths you want to live by.

This episode is for anyone who wants to use writing as a tool for deep healing, transformational growth, and personal liberation.

Get the Write to Heal writing ritual: https://thestudiopress.myflodesk.com/write-to-heal

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Want to share your story and become an author? Learn more about Collective Voices, the co-author experience: https://thestudiopress.co/collective

Hi there 🌹 I'm Ashley-Ann, a creative alchemist and book coach who helps thought leaders — coaches, speakers, soulpreneurs and spiritual leaders — publish their life's work. When you’re standing on the edge of realizing you have a unique perspective and a story the worlds needs to hear, I'm the one who helps you cross the threshold. My mission is to help thought leaders break through the barriers of self-doubt, overthinking, and perfectionism and alchemize them into authentic self-expression.

What if exhaustion wasn’t the end, but the breakthrough?

In this episode, I sit down with Gicela Holguin, Self-Connection Guide and Soul Archeologist, as she shares her transformative journey walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. What started as an intuitive nudge turned into a profound lesson in slowing down, listening to her body, and realizing she was still living in survival mode—disguised as ambition.

We explore how to tell the difference between intuition and fear, what it means to create a “soft landing” after years of leaping, and how the body becomes a roadmap for healing and alignment.

If you’ve ever wondered how to stop just surviving and start thriving, this episode will give you the tools, perspective, and inspiration to trust your inner voice and live in soulful alignment.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Connect with Gicela:

https://www.instagram.com/gicelaholguin

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Journey

02:40 The Decision to Embark on the Camino

05:29 Embracing Change and Surrendering to the Universe

08:17 The Spiritual Connection and Physical Journey

10:43 Trusting Intuition Over Fear

13:22 Moments of Vulnerability and Self-Discovery

15:53 The Breakthrough: From Surviving to Thriving

21:58 Embracing Change and Trusting the Leap

24:32 Finding Harmony: Structure and Flow

26:36 The Journey of Trust and Service

29:01 The Importance of Emotional Purging

31:47 Building Community and Connection

37:21 Creating Intentional Community through Technology

Want to share your story and become an author? Learn more about Collective Voices, the co-author experience: https://thestudiopress.co/collective

In this episode, Ashley-Ann Pereira shares her author journey and how writing a book helped her find her voice and transform her life.

Whether you’re a woman writer looking for publishing support, a memoir writer, or seeking courage to write and share your personal story, this episode will inspire and guide you through the book publishing process with intention and confidence.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Want to share your story and become an author? Learn more about Collective Voices, the co-author experience: https://thestudiopress.co/collective

Chapters

00:00 The Journey to Publishing a Book

05:25 Overcoming Resistance and Finding Intention

Hi there 🌹 I'm Ashley-Ann, a creative alchemist and book coach who helps thought leaders — coaches, speakers, soulpreneurs and spiritual leaders — publish their life's work. When you’re standing on the edge of realizing you have a unique perspective and a story the worlds needs to hear, I'm the one who helps you cross the threshold. My mission is to help thought leaders break through the barriers of self-doubt, overthinking, and perfectionism and alchemize them into authentic self-expression.

When we break our silence and begin owning your story, everything shifts — shame turns into freedom, silence into connection, and pain into purpose.

In this episode, Ashley-Ann Pereira shares a personal story of how silence created a wall between her and her father during her wedding and how it taught her the power of sharing your story.

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/wordsbyashleyann/

https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsbyashleyann

https://thestudiopress.co/

Want to share your story and become an author? Learn more about Collective Voices, the co-author experience: https://thestudiopress.co/collective

Chapters

00:00 Breaking the Silence: A Journey of Liberation

02:58 The Impact of Father-Daughter Relationships

05:14 Owning Your Story: The Power of Expression

07:26 Collective Voices: A Space for Sharing Stories

Hi there 🌹 I'm Ashley-Ann, a creative alchemist and book coach who helps thought leaders — coaches, speakers, soulpreneurs and spiritual leaders — publish their life's work. When you’re standing on the edge of realizing you have a unique perspective and a story the worlds needs to hear, I'm the one who helps you cross the threshold. My mission is to help thought leaders break through the barriers of self-doubt, overthinking, and perfectionism and alchemize them into authentic self-expression.