In this conversation, Dr. B sits down with global career coach Hülya Kurt, who built her career from secretary to corporate manager before completely reinventing her life following redundancy and the sudden loss of her husband.

Together, they dive into the realities of navigating professional burnout, navigating grief, and building the discipline needed to choose life even when motivation is low. This episode provides actionable insights on stepping out of survival mode and taking full ownership as the CEO of your own life.

In This Episode:

• Navigating Career Burnout & Loss: Rebuilding after sudden, life-altering disruptions
• Building Daily Discipline: Choosing progress and healing even when motivation feels absent
• Reinventing Your Identity: Transitioning from sudden loss or redundancy into renewed purpose
• Becoming the CEO of Your Life: Taking control of your personal and professional trajectory

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Free Live Training: Register for the Free Mentally STRONG Training
• Hülya Kurt's Profile: Connect with Hülya Kurt on LinkedIn
• Join the Mission: Sign up for our mailing list
• Official Website: Mentally STRONG

About Hülya Kurt: Hülya Kurt is an international career coach, speaker, and workshop leader. After a corporate career spanning decades, she founded InnKick to empower professionals, women, and leaders to navigate career shifts, overcome adversity, and build resilient careers.

About Your Host: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara (Ed.D, PMHNP-BC) is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Healthcare Education. Having navigated profound personal trials, Dr. B created the Mentally STRONG Method to help individuals process trauma, manage stress, and build lasting resilience.

Connect with Dr. B & Mentally STRONG:

• Facebook: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara
• Instagram: @cristibundukamara
• YouTube: Dr. B Mentally STRONG

We’ve all been told the lie that time heals all wounds, but if you are carrying a deep emotional wound, you know that simply letting days pass doesn’t stop the pain. After losing her three children and her husband, Dr. B learned firsthand that profound trauma doesn't heal itself—and ignoring it or letting negative self-talk take over only deepens the injury.

In this episode, Dr. B explores how to truly process grief, why the traditional "Five Stages of Grief" model may actually be holding you back, and how to separate clean grief from the trauma, guilt, and anxiety that often become enmeshed with it.

In This Episode:

• Debunking the Time Myth: Why passive waiting doesn't resolve deep emotional wounds
• Rethinking the Five Stages: Moving beyond rigid grief models to personalized healing
• Separating Grief from Trauma: Disentangling natural sorrow from guilt, anxiety, and overthinking
• Organizing Your Thoughts: Practical strategies to build self-agency and honor your story

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Free Live Training: Register for the Free Mentally STRONG Training
• Join the Mission: Sign up for our mailing list
• Official Website: Mentally STRONG

About Your Host: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara (Ed.D, PMHNP-BC) is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Healthcare Education. Having navigated profound personal trials, Dr. B created the Mentally STRONG Method to help individuals process trauma, manage grief, and build lasting mental resilience.

Connect with Dr. B & Mentally STRONG:

• Facebook: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara
• Instagram: @cristibundukamara
• YouTube: Dr. B Mentally STRONG

When life hits you with profound loss, deep trauma, or the lingering impact of childhood shame, it’s easy to lose your identity in the chaos. While we are often taught how to perform in our daily roles, we rarely learn how to cultivate mental strength or protect our capacity for love when everything shatters.

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Dr. B sits down with author and love expert Dr. Ava Cadell to look squarely at the experiences women are often told to hide: intense grief, relationship trauma, and church trauma. Dr. Ava opens up about surviving the devastating loss of her late husband and navigating the complex grief that followed. Together, they explore why so many individuals suppress their pain, how early conditioning creates fear around emotional expression, and the practical steps to organize your thoughts and choose happiness after deep loss.

In This Episode:

• Navigating Devastating Loss: Rebuilding identity and mental strength after sudden personal tragedy
• Unpacking Relationship & Church Trauma: Breaking free from societal conditioning and shame
• Overcoming Pain Suppression: Why hiding emotional wounds hinders true healing
• Reclaiming Unconditional Self-Love: Practical, daily choices to rebuild capacity for joy and love

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Free Live Training: Register for the Free Mentally STRONG Training
• Dr. Ava Cadell's Work: Love University
• Join the Mission: Sign up for our mailing list
• Official Website: Mentally STRONG

About Dr. Ava Cadell: Dr. Ava Cadell is an author, speaker, and founder of Love University. She holds doctorates in human behavior and human sexuality, focusing her work on helping individuals navigate intimacy, heal from relationship trauma, and build unconditional self-love.

About Your Host: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara (Ed.D, PMHNP-BC) is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Healthcare Education. Having navigated profound personal trials, Dr. B created the Mentally STRONG Method to help individuals process trauma, manage stress, and build lasting mental resilience.

Connect with Dr. B & Mentally STRONG:

• Facebook: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara
• Instagram: @cristibundukamara
• YouTube: Dr. B Mentally STRONG