Why do so many high-achieving women feel like they’re one mistake away from losing everything? In this powerful premiere of The Strong Pretender, therapist and host Carole Trilokekar pulls back the curtain on a painful truth: behind many women’s success stories is a relentless, fear-driven need to survive, not thrive.
We explore how fear of failure, childhood survival patterns, and performance-based self-worth fuel burnout, imposter syndrome, and emotional disconnection. Carole shares raw reflections from her own life and therapy practice, exposing what it really costs to “keep it all together.”
Whether you’re a corporate executive, entrepreneur, mother, or perfectionist in recovery, this episode will resonate deeply—and challenge everything you thought was strength.
In this episode, we cover:
- The connection between childhood trauma and overachievement
- How fear-based ambition disguises emotional exhaustion
- The nervous system’s role in burnout and anxiety
- Practical strategies to stop performing and start feeling
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