In this heartfelt and deeply affirming episode, Rita Mercer explores the life moments that often go unseen, unacknowledged, and uncelebrated. Titled “There’s No Card for That,” this conversation shines a light on the silent wins, invisible strength, and unspoken grief we all carry at different points in our journey.

From making responsible adult decisions and choosing healing, to navigating personal loss and emotional transitions—this episode reminds listeners that just because something isn’t publicly recognized doesn’t mean it isn’t meaningful.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked in your growth or alone in your pain, this episode is your reminder: your experiences matter, and you are seen.

Reflection Questions

• What is one silent win you’re proud of?
• Where have you shown invisible strength recently?
• What loss or transition do you need to give yourself permission to grieve?

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Have you ever felt like you’re holding it all together on the outside… but quietly falling apart on the inside?

In this powerful and honest conversation, Rita sits down with therapist and author Cherise Small to unpack what it really means to “perform strength.” Together, they explore how survival mode, people-pleasing, and silent suffering can disconnect us from our true selves—and how to begin the journey back to alignment.

Cherise shares her personal turning point, practical tools for recognizing survival patterns, and how to set boundaries without guilt. This episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to stop over-functioning, release emotional burdens, and reclaim their voice.

You’ll walk away with empowering mindset shifts, reflection questions, and actionable strategies to help you move from surviving to truly living.

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What You’ll Learn

• How to recognize when you’re stuck in survival mode
• Why “performing strength” can lead to emotional disconnection
• The truth about guilt, shame, and boundary-setting
• What healthy boundaries actually look like in real life
• Simple ways to pause, reset, and reconnect with yourself
• How to shift from obligation to alignment

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Connect with Cherise Small

Website: www.release2heal.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/therapywithcherise

Book Waitlist: www.release2heal.com/book-waitlist

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✨ If you’ve been struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, or feeling “stuck,” this conversation may open a door you didn’t know existed.

In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with Gwen Bernardo, a myofascial release therapist, to explore the deep connection between the body, trauma, and healing.

After a life-altering horseback riding accident that left her with both physical injuries and unresolved emotional trauma, Gwen spent years searching for relief through traditional therapies—without lasting results. It wasn’t until she discovered myofascial release that everything changed.

Gwen shares how this gentle yet powerful modality helped her release stored emotional pain, dramatically reduce anxiety, and reconnect with her body in a way she never thought possible.

Together, Rita and Gwen unpack:

• What fascia is and why it plays a crucial role in chronic pain
• How trauma and emotions can become stored in the body
• Why traditional treatments may not always address the root cause
• The importance of the mind-body connection in true healing
• Practical ways to begin releasing tension and reconnecting with your body

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and explore a new pathway to healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Chapters Breakdown

• From Trauma to Transformation
• The Missing Piece in Healing
• What Is Fascia & Why It Matters
• Releasing Stored Emotions & Chronic Pain
• Practical Healing Tools & Next Steps

Connect with Gwen

Gwen Bernardo, MFR Therapist, CMT

Website: https://performancemfr.com/

Discount Code - Ask for "Jumpstart Program" for Daring Well Listeners (Save $500)

Find a local Myofascial Therapist in your state or country: https://mfrtherapists.com/

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Cam Cordin - I wasn’t waiting to die, I was racing to live!

In this raw and deeply honest conversation, Rita Mercer sits down with Cam Corden, founder of Savage Chill and author of Savage Chill: Die to Live, to explore what it really takes to go from being stuck in survival mode to living fully.

Cam shares his personal journey through chronic pain, failed marriages, emotional collapse, and a pivotal “911-day contract” he created during one of the darkest seasons of his life. What followed was not a quick fix—but a complete identity transformation built on systems, discipline, and intentional discomfort.

This episode challenges the idea that motivation creates change—and instead reveals why structure, subtraction, and emotional regulation are the real keys to lasting transformation.

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Episode Highlights

• Why most people stay stuck waiting for motivation instead of taking action
• The “911-day contract” that became a turning point in Cam’s life
• How Savage Chill blends discipline with emotional regulation
• Why systems always outperform willpower
• The role of cold exposure and intentional discomfort in rewiring the nervous system
• How subtraction (not addition) creates clarity and focus
• The “No Panicking, No Whining” rule for emotional mastery
• Moving from victim mindset to becoming the “commander” of your life

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Connect with Cam - https://savagechillstyle.com/

Purchase the Book on Amazon - Savage Chill: Die to Live

https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Chill-Live-Cam-Cordin/dp/B0GNPZY7K2

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When was the last time you truly paused and asked yourself, “How am I really doing?”

In this heartfelt and grounding episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita offers a moment of stillness in the middle of life’s busyness. This episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with your emotional well-being.

Life can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and unpredictable—but instead of pushing through or ignoring what you feel, this episode encourages you to pause and check in with yourself. Through reflection, encouragement, and a simple yet powerful emotional awareness tool, you’ll learn how to better understand your feelings and prioritize your self-care.

If you’ve been feeling stressed, disconnected, or stretched too thin, this episode will remind you that you are worthy of rest, balance, and care—just as you are.

Take this moment for yourself. You deserve it.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why it’s important to pause and check in with yourself
• How to normalize and validate your emotional experiences
• The power of stillness in finding clarity and peace
• Why you don’t need to earn rest, love, or self-care
• A simple 0–10 emotional check-in tool (SUD scale) to build awareness

💛 Key Takeaway

You don’t have to keep pushing through without pause.
Your feelings matter. Your well-being matters.
And most importantly—you are worthy of care, rest, and balance.

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Let's Connect & Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonated with you, share your thoughts and let me know:
How are you feeling today—really?

Connect with me @DaringWell on YouTube, TikTok, Substack, and LinkedIn.

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In this final episode of the Healing Attachment Wounds series, Rita Mercer, podcast host, holistic wellness & mindset coach, and licensed counselor, explores what it truly means to experience secure attachment—the foundation of healthy, balanced, and emotionally safe relationships.

If trust has ever felt difficult…
If vulnerability has felt unsafe…
Or if you’ve found yourself stuck in patterns of overthinking, emotional distance, or fear of abandonment…

This episode is for you.

Secure attachment is not something you either have or don’t have—it’s something you can learn, practice, and embody. Through self-awareness, nervous system regulation, and intentional relationship choices, you can rewire old patterns and create deeper, more fulfilling connections.

In this episode, I walks you through how secure attachment forms, how it feels in your mind and body, and how you can begin cultivating it in your everyday life.

Because healing isn’t about perfection—
it’s about creating safety within yourself.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What secure attachment really looks like in healthy relationships
• How past attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, fearful avoidant) impact your patterns
• The core beliefs that support emotional safety and trust
• How secure attachment feels in your body and nervous system
• Practical steps to build self-trust and healthier relationship dynamics

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Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode supported you on your healing journey, share it with someone who needs encouragement in their relationships.

For coaching, nervous system regulation tools, and self-care strategies, connect with Rita for 1:1 support.

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In this insightful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with Jo Stewart, Yoga Teacher & the Founder of Garden of Yoga, Cohost of the Flow Artists Podcast, and author of Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga. Together in this episode we explore how gentle movement and aerial yoga can provide relief and support healing from anxiety, trauma, and chronic stress.

Jo shares her 20+ years of experience teaching yoga and introduces a compassionate, body-centered approach to movement that prioritizes safety, autonomy of choice, and nervous system regulation. Rita & Jo, unpack how the body holds onto tension, the role of fascia, and why traditional “stillness” doesn’t work for everyone—especially those navigating trauma or heightened stress.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t have to be intense. It can be soft, supportive, and intuitive—meeting you exactly where you are.

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Key Takeaways

• Healing begins with creating safety in the body
• Movement can regulate the nervous system more effectively than forced stillness
• Fascia plays a key role in storing and releasing tension
• Gentle, supported movement can be more impactful than intense workouts
• There is no “right way” to move—your body’s needs are your guide

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Connect with Jo Stewart

• Website & Online Classes: Garden of Yoga https://gardenofyoga.com.au/
• Podcast: The Flow Artist Podcast https://podcast.flowartists.com/
• Book: Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga (available for pre-order) https://gardenofyoga.com.au/learn/eight-limbs-of-aerial-yoga/
• FREE Super Deluxe Shoulder Self-Massage Guide https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/free-shoulders-guide/

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Support the show

Follow us on YouTube & TikTok:
@DaringWell

For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
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Have you ever found yourself reacting in ways you later regret or feeling overwhelmed despite “doing everything right,” or constantly seeking validation from others? If you answered yes, you might be struggling with emotional safety and I hope that this episode will speak directly to you and give you the tools to Dare to Be Well.

In this powerful and insightful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita sits down with therapist, relationship coach, and emotional safety expert Diane McDowell to explore what it truly means to feel safe—from the inside out.

Diane introduces her transformative framework, the Brain-to-Heart Code, and breaks down how our nervous system responses—especially during moments of perceived rejection or stress—can hijack our behavior, relationships, and sense of self.

Together, Rita and Diane unpack how to shift from external validation to internal regulation, helping you reconnect with your body, calm your nervous system, and build a deeper sense of self-trust.

This episode is a must-listen for high achievers, helpers, and anyone ready to move from survival mode into emotional alignment and inner peace.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What emotional safety really means—and why it starts within
• How a “brain hijack” impacts your reactions and relationships
• Why high achievers often feel stressed despite outward success
• The connection between your thoughts, body, and nervous system
• How to stop outsourcing your self-worth and reclaim your value
• Practical tools to regulate your emotions and shift your mindset
• Why “words are neutral” and how to take back control of meaning

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Connect with Diane McDowell

• Website: www.emotionalsafetyco.com/
• Social: @EmotionalSafetyCo
• Free Resources: Hijack Quiz, Mini-Course, Relationship Tools

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Support the show

Follow us on YouTube & TikTok:
@DaringWell

For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
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