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In this episode, Hollie is back in the hot seat with Cassie for one of the most emotional and defining conversations yet as she shares the real story behind the launch of the House of H.E.R Hub and why this is so much more than just a platform. What started as a podcast rooted in healing, empowerment and sharing her journey has now evolved into something built for every woman, at every stage, whether you are questioning, stuck, planning to leave, in the middle of leaving, or trying to rebuild your life after. Hollie opens up about what she experienced when she left, the confusion, the trauma bond, the constant questioning of herself, the lack of understanding around why she still missed him and went back, and the overwhelming realisation that whilst awareness of domestic abuse is growing, there is still such a huge gap when it comes to the emotions women are left carrying after it ends. In this episode, they talk about coercive control, trauma bonding, PTSD, the fear that doesn’t just disappear, and the reality that leaving is often the most dangerous and confusing part. Hollie shares how she relied on Google at the time and how isolating and impersonal that felt, and why she became so passionate about creating something that feels relatable, accessible and safe, a place where women can understand what they are going through, learn the terminology they may have never heard before, access support, and feel less alone without judgment. They also talk about the responsibility that comes with sharing stories like this, the emotional weight of holding space for other women, and how turning pain into purpose has become part of Hollie’s healing journey too. This episode is honest, raw and hopeful, and marks the beginning of a new chapter for House of H.E.R as it moves into Heal. Escape. Rebuild. If you have ever felt stuck, confused, scared or like you are losing yourself in a relationship, this episode is for you.

What We Cover In This Episode:

– The rebrand from Healed. Empowered. Rich to Heal. Escape. Rebuild
– Why awareness alone isn’t enough and the gap after leaving abuse
– The emotional reality of trauma bonding and going back
– Feeling “crazy”, confused and questioning yourself
– Why leaving can be the most dangerous time
– The lack of relatable, personalised support when searching for help
– Hollie’s experience of relying on Google and feeling alone
– PTSD, flashbacks and the ongoing impact after abuse
– Turning pain into purpose and building something bigger than yourself
– The vision behind House of H.E.R Hub
– Creating a safe, non-judgmental space for women at every stage
– Why community and shared experience matters in healing
– Fear around the future and life after abuse
– Hope, rebuilding and believing life can get better

Link to access website
https://houseofherhub.com/

You can also save the website directly to your phone so it sits like an app on your home screen, making it quick, private and easy to access whenever you need it. To do this, open the website in your browser, tap the share icon, and select “Add to Home Screen”. For added discretion and safety, it may appear as “Wellness” once saved.

Please note: House of H.E.R Hub is not a replacement for emergency services, professional legal advice, or specialist domestic abuse support services. It is designed to provide guidance, education, resources and support. If you are in immediate danger, please contact emergency services or a trusted professional.

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this week’s episode, we are joined by naturopathic practitioner Kia Porter, who works with women to reduce inflammation and regulate their nervous system by addressing both the physical and emotional root causes. This conversation dives into why so many women still feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected after leaving a traumatic or abusive situation, and how our body holds onto that stress long after we’ve physically left. We talk about the impact of food, hormones, and daily habits on your nervous system, why traditional approaches don’t always get to the root of the problem, and how small, realistic changes can begin to bring your body back to safety. This episode is for any woman who feels stuck in fight or flight and is ready to understand her body, reconnect with herself, and start healing properly from the inside out.

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why you can leave a toxic situation but still not feel “at peace”
• How trauma keeps your nervous system stuck in fight, flight or freeze
• The connection between emotional trauma, inflammation, and physical symptoms
• Why anxiety, brain fog, fatigue and hormonal issues are all linked
• The difference between “coping” and actually healing
• Why doctors often treat symptoms and not root causes
• How food, caffeine and blood sugar impact your mood and nervous system
• The truth about supplements and why not all of them are right for you
• How trauma and suppressed emotions are stored in the body
• The role of energy, gut health, and your internal state in healing
• Why you feel disconnected from yourself after abuse
• Small, simple daily habits to start regulating your nervous system
• The importance of stillness, boundaries, and slowing down
• Rebuilding self-worth and learning to be kind to yourself again
• How to start reconnecting with your body in a safe, realistic way

To get in touch with Kia, you can connect with her on Instagram where she shares education around nervous system regulation, inflammation, and healing from the inside out: https://www.instagram.com/kiaporter_/

You can also find more information about her services, programs, and ways to work with her via the links in her bio.

Supplements Kia spoke about during the episode that can support nervous system regulation:

• Calm Complex – https://healf.com/en-uk/products/biocare-calm-complex?variant=46190027178223&selling_plan=6474727663

• L-Theanine 200mg – https://healf.com/en-uk/products/now-foods-theanine-200mg?variant=44836365795567&selling_plan=6028263663

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this episode, Hollie sits down with Holly, founder of Vera and Vale Private Investigations, to unpack the reality of emotional abuse, coercive control, gut instinct, manipulation, and what happens when your reality has been distorted for so long that you stop trusting yourself.

From the early warning signs of unhealthy behaviour to control disguised as care, this conversation dives into the hidden side of abuse that so many women live through but struggle to name. Holly brings a unique perspective through her lived experience, criminology studies, published research, police background, and investigative work helping women gain clarity when they feel confused, dismissed, or made to feel like they’re going mad.

This episode is honest, insightful, and incredibly validating for anyone who has ever felt like something was wrong but couldn’t fully explain why.

What we cover in this episode:

• what coercive control actually is and why so many women don’t recognise it at first
• the early signs of emotional abuse and “control disguised as care”
• why you feel like you’re going mad in certain relationships
• the difference between gut instinct and trauma after abuse
• how manipulation and gaslighting distort your reality
• why “you’re overthinking” is often used to dismiss what you’re actually noticing
• the link between infidelity, deception and emotional abuse
• how a private investigator can help you gain clarity in confusing situations
• the power of facts vs feelings when you’re stuck in self-doubt
• rebuilding trust in yourself after your reality has been distorted

To get in touch with hollie, please visit her website where you can fill in a contact form: https://veraandvale.co.uk or send her a dm on instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/veraandvalelondon/ X

Support & resources:

if anything discussed in this episode has affected you, please know you are not alone and support is available

• national domestic abuse helpline (uk) – 0808 2000 247 (24/7, free & confidential)
• women’s aid – https://www.womensaid.org.uk
• refuge – https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
• nspcc (for concerns around children) – 0808 800 5000

• clare’s law (the right to ask) – you can apply through your local police force to find out if a partner has a history of abuse
• non-molestation order information – https://www.gov.uk/injunction-domestic-violence

if you are in immediate danger, please call 999

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this episode of House of H.E.R., Hollie is joined by Tiarny and Ben from Australia for a powerful conversation about healing after trauma, addiction, and abusive relationships.

Both guests share their deeply personal journeys from surviving toxic relationships, addiction, and emotional wounds to rebuilding their lives and learning how to create healthy, secure relationships.

Together we explore the realities of healing after abuse, including the impact trauma has on the nervous system, attachment styles, and why relationships after abuse can feel so confusing and triggering.

This conversation also dives into how men can create emotional safety in relationships, why healing requires both partners to do the work, and the importance of accountability, boundaries, and self-worth when rebuilding your life.

This episode is not just for women it’s also an important conversation for men, partners, and anyone wanting to understand the deeper emotional impact of trauma and abuse.

By sharing these stories and insights, our hope is to remind anyone listening that healing is possible, growth is possible, and healthy love does exist.

• Ben’s journey from addiction, crime and prison to sobriety and rebuilding his life
• Tiarny’s experience of domestic abuse and the long road to healing
• Why trauma changes the nervous system and how hyper-vigilance develops
• The difference between anxious and avoidant attachment styles
• Why relationships after abuse can feel triggering and confusing
• The importance of emotional intelligence in healthy relationships
• How men can create emotional safety for women after trauma
• Why healing requires both partners to take responsibility for their growth
• Addiction, abusive behaviour, and why the two are often connected
• Why therapy helps with understanding trauma but deeper healing requires action
• The power of doing the inner work before entering a healthy relationship
• Why shared healing journeys can transform relationships

I’m really excited for you to hear this one.

Go show them some love:
@tiarnyls
@benlowecoaching

https://insidious-pint-d0a.notion.site/Life-Beyond-The-Chaos-An-Invitation-3036da0d4b6a80f2b017e99178f8328a

If you are affected by domestic abuse, please know you are not alone and support is available:

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline (UK) – 0808 2000 247
• Women’s Aid – womensaid.org.uk
• Refuge – refuge.org.uk

If you are in immediate danger, please contact 999.

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this powerful and deeply emotional episode of House of H.E.R., Hollie is joined by Annie, who shares her story publicly for the first time.

Released on International Women’s Day, this episode shines a light on a side of domestic abuse that is not spoken about enough what it looks like to experience abuse while pregnant, becoming a first-time mum, navigating birth trauma, and then trying to survive early motherhood while living in fear.

Annie opens up about the early red flags, love bombing, violence, coercive control, the confusion that keeps so many women trapped, and the moment she knew she had to leave for good. Together, Hollie and Annie talk about how abuse can look “normal” from the outside, how difficult it can be to make sense of what is happening when you are in it, and why motherhood can both complicate and strengthen the decision to leave.

This is a raw, honest and incredibly important conversation that will resonate with so many women, especially those trying to navigate abuse while raising a child.

in this episode, we cover:

✨ the early warning signs and intense love bombing
✨ why red flags can be so easy to excuse at the beginning
✨ moving quickly in relationships and how abusers create fast emotional dependence
✨ the first violent incident and how the cycle began
✨ how apologies, charm and “good periods” keep women stuck
✨ Annie’s experience of doing Clare’s Law and what it revealed
✨ becoming pregnant and why abuse does not always escalate straight away
✨ how things changed after the baby was born
✨ birth trauma, neonatal care and navigating those early days alone
✨ the emotional abuse, criticism and cruelty Annie faced as a new mum
✨ how drink, drugs, disappearing and gaslighting became part of the pattern
✨ the reality of trying to survive abuse while caring for a newborn
✨ the moment Annie finally left
✨ what happened when co-parenting began
✨ the assault that led to police involvement
✨ social services, police response and how overwhelming that process can feel
✨ getting a non-molestation order for protection

important links mentioned in this episode

claire’s law / domestic violence disclosure scheme
Find out more about Clare’s Law on GOV.UK

non-molestation order form (FL401)
Apply for a non-molestation or occupation order: Form FL401

If this episode brings anything up for you, please know you are not alone.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are worried about someone you know, support is available. You do not have to wait until things get “worse” to ask for help.

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this week’s episode of House of H.E.R i’m doing something a little different my first ever solo episode.

I answer the questions i get asked the most, the ones women whisper to themselves at 1am but don’t always feel brave enough to say out loud.

Why do i still miss him?
Why do i feel guilty for “ruining his life”?
Why do i feel worse after leaving?
Is it intuition… or is it trauma?

Why do i feel embarrassed about what i tolerated?
Does it actually get better?

We talk about trauma bonds, nervous system crashes, shame, self-blame and the reality of healing after abuse especially the messy middle that nobody prepares you for.

I share honestly about what helped me, what didn’t, the things that made the biggest difference in my healing, and why feeling relief and grief at the same time is completely normal.

If your mind has been racing lately and you’ve been questioning yourself, this episode is here to remind you that what you’re feeling makes sense.

Trigger Warning

This episode contains discussion of domestic abuse, coercive control, physical violence, trauma bonding, suicide, and mental health.

If you need support

If you’re struggling right now or something in this episode has brought things up for you, you are not alone and help is available.

UK

Samaritans
Call 116 123 (free, 24/7)
https://www.samaritans.org

National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge)
Call 0808 2000 247
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Women’s Aid
https://www.womensaid.org.uk

The Survivors’ Handbook (Women’s Aid)
If you’re not sure if your relationship is healthy, worried about someone else, or need guidance:
https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/the-survivors-handbook/

Clare’s Law
Apply to find out if a current or ex-partner has a history of abuse and may pose a risk:

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this episode of House of H.E.R., I’m joined by Danielle from Oasis Domestic Abuse Service a UK domestic abuse charity supporting survivors across Kent and the South East.

Danielle speaks not only as a domestic abuse partnership specialist, but also from lived experience. She understands coercive control, trauma bonds, and post-separation abuse both professionally and personally which makes this conversation honest, grounded, and deeply real.

We talk about what domestic abuse actually looks like beyond physical violence especially coercive control, emotional abuse, psychological manipulation, and the patterns that slowly erode your confidence.

Most importantly, we break down what happens when you reach out to a domestic abuse charity.

What is safety planning?
What is a DASH risk assessment?
What is MARAC?
Do you have to report to the police to get help?
What happens if you have children?
How does refuge support actually work?

If you are thinking about leaving an abusive relationship or supporting someone who is this episode explains the practical steps, risks, and protections available in the UK.

Leaving can be the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship. But you do not have to do it alone.

This episode is for anyone experiencing domestic abuse, coercive control, trauma bonding, and for those who want to understand how domestic abuse charities support survivors behind the scenes.

UK Domestic Abuse Support Links

Oasis Domestic Abuse Service (Kent & South East)
Website: https://www.oasisdaservice.org

Helpline: 01702 302333

Hollie Guard Personal Safety App
Download here: https://hollieguard.com

If you are in immediate danger, call 999.

You are not alone.
Support is available.
Love should never hurt.

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀

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In this episode, I’m joined by my sister Amber someone who stood beside me through my experience of domestic abuse, even before she fully understood what was happening.

This conversation isn’t just about my story it’s about the ripple effect of abuse. How it impacts families. How it changes relationships. And how hard it can be to support someone you love when they’re living in survival mode.

Together, we talk honestly about what it was like from her perspective the red flags she noticed, the moments that didn’t sit right, and the guilt that can follow when you look back and realise something wasn’t okay.

We discuss:

• The subtle signs that something wasn’t right personality changes, distancing, silence
• How control shows up quietly before it becomes obvious
• Why family and friends often sense something before they can name it
• The reality of bruises, excuses, and covering things up
• How isolation happens even within close families
• The impossible position loved ones are put in: wanting to protect, without pushing someone away
• Why “just leave” isn’t helpful and what is
• How shame, fear, and trauma bonds keep people stuck
• What it’s really like when the truth starts to surface
• How abuse affects not just the victim, but the entire family unit

This episode is for:

• Survivors who feel misunderstood
• Family members who carry guilt or confusion
• Friends who don’t know how to help
• Anyone who has ever trusted their gut but didn’t know what to do next

There is no perfect way to handle these situations.
But being a safe place can save a life.

You are not weak for staying.
And you are not wrong for needing time.

If you’re listening and worried about someone you care about:
You are not alone, and there are resources to help you learn how to support safely.

• The Survivor’s Handbook from Women’s Aid offers practical information for anyone affected by domestic abuse from safety planning, understanding abuse, and options for support.
• The Friends and Family Handbook provides guidance on how to approach someone you’re concerned about, how to listen without judgement, and how to encourage them towards support in a way that feels safe.

Both guides are available online check the links in the show notes for direct access.

If someone is in immediate danger, always call 999.

You doing something as simple as listening or learning how to help can make a real difference.

House of H.E.R. is a space for women who have lived through abuse, trauma, and relationships that broke them. This podcast exists to tell the truth, raise awareness around domestic abuse, and remind you that you are not alone in what you’re healing from.

Follow @houseofher__ and my personal account @holliedowdingx on Instagram and please share this episode with a woman who might need it 🥀