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Therapy Thursday

What if bravery looked less like a roar and more like a 10-minute habit you actually keep? We sit down with author and educator Renee Zukin to explore radical bravery as a daily practice, not a performance. From quarterly life planning to the tiny wins that keep momentum alive, we unpack how consistency, compassion, and honest conversations reshape mental health in the real world.

Renee shares her path through OCD, intrusive thoughts, and panic—how a diagnosis brought clarity, how exposure and cognitive tools changed her thinking, and why regression during COVID wasn’t a failure but an invitation to use hard-won skills again. Her story reframes courage on a sliding scale: some days it’s getting out of bed or eating the meal in front of you; other days it’s flying after years on the ground. We also talk about the hidden cost of faking confidence at work, and why simple resets—standing in a meeting, a 30-second breath, a quick walk—can protect your nervous system and prevent burnout.

The heart of the episode is truth-telling with care. We model tough mother-daughter conversations that stay tender, not damaging, and show how writing or reflection can create clarity before you speak. Add in practical tools like the Finch app for micro-habits, and a quarter-by-quarter approach that turns big visions into small steps, and you’ve got a roadmap for growth that honors real life. Everyone is brave about something. Name yours, take the next tiny step, and keep going.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find these conversations.

Renee Zukin is an author, educator, coach, and
mental health advocate doing the inner work to see
outer change. She has more than 20 years of
experience in education, writing, and
entrepreneurship, and has studied multiple
psychological and healing modalities that have
sustained her and helped support her students and
clients alike. Renee is passionate about cultivating a
safe space for others to use the written word and
organizational structures as tools for
self-transformation and empowerment.

Website

Book Link Everyday I'm Brave

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Host Candace Patrice
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/
Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllc

visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN

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A homemade snickerdoodle led to a soul reading, and from there we dove into the kind of healing most of us crave but rarely get: simple, whole, humane. With Julie as our guide, we explore what happens when you stop treating symptoms in isolation and start aligning energy, boundaries, and daily rhythms so your body can finally exhale. She calls herself a healing facilitator for a reason—this isn’t about fixing you; it’s about clearing the noise so your own system can do what it’s built to do.

We unpack why autoimmune issues so often track back to the gut, why the gut tracks back to relationships and safety, and how chronic stress erodes the microbiome and the immune system’s judgment. Julie lays out a practical, repeatable process: bring the nervous system into parasympathetic “rest and digest,” address the seven chakras and major organs and glands, and pair energetic balance with concrete choices like better sleep, nutrition, nature, and real boundaries. Case studies—from lab results normalizing to a physician outliving a grim prognosis—highlight the power of agency, perspective, and steady practice over panic.

What makes this conversation different is how accessible it feels. We translate energy work for the skeptical, map emotions to body systems, and offer a clear path from self-care shoulds to unapologetic self-love. We talk about letting go with kindness, parenting without control, and the surprising ripple of authentic expression—how even a bright coat on a gray day can lift a room. If the medical system has ever made you feel like pieces on separate clipboards, this is your invitation to be whole again.

If this resonated, share it with someone who needs a gentler path to healing. Subscribe for more grounded conversations on mental health, wholeness, and everyday tools that help you feel like yourself. And tell us: what’s one small shift you’ll make today to bring your body back into alignment?

Support the show

Host Candace Patrice
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/
Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllc

visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN

Send us a text

It's Therapy Thursday!!

What if balance isn’t a perfect calendar but a kinder relationship with time? We open up about the tug-of-war between packed days and the deep need to slow down, trading guilt for acceptance and urgency for presence. From missed movie showtimes and overflowing to-do lists to the tender relief of an unhurried conversation, we map the messy terrain where real life happens.

Janet shares how aging has become an invitation to soften: wanting less, enjoying what lasts, and noticing the goodness in what’s already working. We talk about the house that holds decades of stories, the neighbor who quietly watches out for safety, and the surprising ways grief keeps teaching us after the loss of loved ones. Those memories don’t fade; they change form, sometimes even showing up in the calm of a pet or the habit of an open curtain that lets the day feel alive.

Candace names the emotional spikes that come with moving fast and wanting structure, and we get honest about the kind of support big thoughts require. Not every friend can hold the heaviest ideas, and that’s okay. We outline what a practical safety plan can look like, why 988 remains a vital resource, and how to find a therapist whose mind is open enough to meet complexity with care. Along the way, we reframe rest as a daily practice—short pauses, seasonal breaks, and small choices that keep the plates from tipping.

If you’ve ever felt behind on your own life, this conversation offers a gentler script. Come for the real talk about time, stay for the quiet tools: noticing what matters, asking for help, and letting yourself move at a human pace. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a breath, and leave a review to help others find our community.

Support the show

Host Candace Patrice
Co-host Janet Hale

visit the website at https://www.essentialmotivation.com/
visit the store at https://shopessentialmotivation.com/
Instagram instagram.com/essentialmotivationllc

visit Janet's website https://haleempowermentllc.com/

To be a guest on our show email me at candacefleming@essentialmotivation.com
In the subject line put EMH Guest

Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988

Music by Lukrembo: https://soundcloud.com/lukrembo
Provided by Knowledge Base: https://bit.ly/2BdvqzN