In this episode, Patti shares her experience of childhood sexual abuse, what healing has looked like over the decades, and why it’s so important that we talk about the things that were buried under shame, silence, or secrecy for way too long.

We’re not getting into graphic details—but we are talking honestly about the emotional toll and long-term impact of being hurt by someone who was supposed to protect you.

Here’s what we dive into:

• How trauma shows up in your adult body, even when your mind doesn’t “remember”
• The difference between being a victim and choosing healing
• The complications of caretaking for the very people who failed to protect you
• How to recognize signs of abuse in children—and why it’s never too late to speak out
• What experiential therapies, boundaries, and nervous system work can do for your healing

This one is vulnerable, raw, and real—but it’s also filled with hope.

If this topic is hard for you, please take care of yourself first. Hit pause if you need to. And know you're not alone.

Resources mentioned:

• Gifts from a Challenging Childhood by Jan Bergstrom
• Running on Empty by Jonice Webb
• The Courage to Heal by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
• Experiential therapy modalities: ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy), Gestalt, Inner Child Work

We see you. We’ve got you.

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

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*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

This week, we’re getting real about something that hits close to home.

We’re joined by Jan’s dear friend and fellow therapist Laura Williams, who bravely shares her journey through an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis. Stage zero—no symptoms, no lump, no family history. Just one routine mammogram that saved her life.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How a mammogram caught Laura’s cancer before it spread
• What “stage zero” breast cancer really means
• The wild (and frustrating) realities of navigating treatment
• Radiation, Tamoxifen, and the side effects no one warns you about
• The emotional toll of playing it “fine” while quietly falling apart
• How women are often told to suck it up—even during cancer
• The support systems that carried her, and the ones that surprised her

This is a must-listen for any woman who’s ever put off her appointment or felt dismissed in a medical setting. Let this be your nudge, your hug, and your reminder: you matter, and your health does too.

Go get that mammogram. We mean it.

About Laura:

Laura Williams has known since her early twenties that she was called to this work — but the path to Be Found Counseling has been anything but linear. Three children, three moves, loss and birth, other careers, and her own healing journey have all shaped how she shows up as a counselor today. She looks back and can see that none of it was wasted. Every detour has deepened her belief in the power of mercy, grace, and community.

Being a counselor isn’t just what Laura does — it’s who she is. Every day, she gets to witness hope, healing, and redemption unfold in real time. It’s an honor for her to walk with people as they discover their own worth and learn to live from a place of belonging rather than shame.

While Laura’s faith deeply informs the way she sees the world, she doesn’t practice biblical counseling or label herself a Christian counselor. What guides her is how Jesus lived — bringing people out of shame into dignity, meeting them with compassion and understanding. Whether or not faith is part of someone’s story, her hope is that when they sit together, they experience unconditional love, mercy, and grace.

Laura’s work is shaped by her training with the Healing Our Core Issues Institute (HOCI), where she now serves as a member of the core faculty. The HOCI model focuses on human worth, healthy boundaries, creating meaning out of imperfection, taking responsibility for needs and desires, and cultivating joy and secure connection — both with ourselves and others.

She often says this work offers hope in the wilderness. When life feels overwhelming, lonely, or uncertain, it gives us a place to land — and a foundation we can return to again and again. After experiencing this transformation herself, Laura no longer fears the wilderness. She’s ready to step into it with you.

Laura’s Links:

Website: www.befoundcounseling.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/befoundcounseling

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

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Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

Today we’re diving deep into skin health and cancer — not as experts, but through sharing experiences we’d like to help you avoid.

In this episode we talk:

• How baby oil and iodine once were Jan’s “sunscreen” (yes, really) and how that misguided vibe still haunts her skin today
• Jan’s personal skin‑cancer story: from a spot that wouldn’t heal on her forehead to multiple cuts, stitches and scalp scares
• What MOHS surgery is and how it changed how Jan sees—and wears—her skin
• The emotional landscape of having cancer (even non‑melanoma) and living with the “what‑if it comes back” anxiety
• Practical, no‑fluff tips on what to look for, how often to get checked, and how to build skin‑care awareness as you age
• If you’ve ever thought: “Wait, nobody told me this would happen,” then this is for you. We wish someone had said it earlier to us.
• 🎧 Tune in, share with a friend, and let us know your story if skin health or cancer has touched you. We’re in this together.
• Note: We are not doctors. If you have any concerns about your skin or health, please seek professional advice.

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

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Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

In this episode, we’re talking with Susan Kay, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with over 40 years of experience treating anxiety, panic, and mood disorders.

Susan opens up about her own lifelong journey with anxiety—from childhood panic attacks to the hard-won wisdom that comes from facing fear head-on. Together, we explore:

• Why anxiety often begins early and hides behind shame
• The connection between fear, the nervous system, and avoidance
• How to stop letting anxiety drive your decisions
• The power of small, brave steps and saying “bring it on”
• When medication, therapy, and community can all play a role
• The deep relief that comes from being seen, heard, and loved

It’s an honest, compassionate conversation that reminds us we’re never alone in our struggles—and that healing often begins the moment we start talking about it.

About Susan:

Susan Kay is a pediatric and adult psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist with many years of experience treating both inpatients, residential and outpatient populations. She provides psychotherapy both short term and intermittent as well as psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Her designation as a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist has now changed to Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.

Susan is seeing pediatric and adult populations in an outpatient setting. She offers primarily psychiatric evaluation and medication management is her specialty. She has extensive experience treating affective disorders, ADHD through the life cycle, Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD and psychotic disorders.

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

Apply to be a guest here.

Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

In this episode, we’re going deep into a topic we wish someone had warned us about: anxiety.

From panic attacks to lump-in-the-throat discomfort and the reality of being “on edge” for decades—we’re talking about how trauma shapes the nervous system, and why healing isn’t just about mindset.

Here’s what we cover:

• Patti’s real-life story of anxiety from childhood trauma to adult healing
• Why “calming down” doesn’t cut it when your nervous system is on overdrive
• Panic, agoraphobia, and food-related anxiety
• Therapy approaches that helped (CBT, EMDR, ART, somatic work & more)
• Medication without shame
• The power of naming what’s happening in your body and brain
• Why anxiety looks different for everyone

This conversation is honest, emotional, and grounded in real experience. If you’ve ever felt like your anxiety didn’t “make sense,” this one’s for you.

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

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Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: we need to talk about this stuff. This week, we sat down with the wonderfully wise and funny Kathleen Sachs, and wow—did she deliver.

Here’s what we covered:

• How menopause is technically just one day—and what comes before and after
• What our mothers never told us about hormones, hot flashes, and pelvic pain
• Kathleen’s no-holds-barred experience with perimenopause, UTIs, and HRT
• The link between shame and silence—and how to start talking back
• What happens when you stand in your driveway holding a flaming pan (seriously)

Takeaway: You’re not alone. And you’re not losing it. You might just be on the journey that is menopause - peri and post.

About Kathleen Sachs:

Kathleen Sachs is the second oldest, second daughter in a family of 9 children, and that explains EVERYTHING about her. Her life has been about being of service to others—whether it’s her career as a Financial Planner, her time in Town Government, or her years as a Hospice Volunteer doing Pet Therapy visits.

She has experienced (as she thinks most women have) limits being placed on her simply because she is female—from overprotected activities as a young child, to being underestimated by men to whom she was doing a professional presentation. Her passion now is focused on encouraging women of all ages to use their voice and advocate for themselves, whether that is demanding effective medical care or taking time for self care.

Kathleen is starting conversations with women, whenever possible, about the impact of hormonal changes in their bodies and how it can be addressed. She focuses on perimenopause and post-menopause. She recommends to everyone who will listen to her to read her latest "bible" The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD. She heard Dr. Haver on a podcast with Brené Brown and what Dr. Haver said made her mad. She then bought and read this book and it made her madder and changed her life. The 'Pause Life' on Facebook, The ‘Pause Life’ on Substack, Dr. Mary Claire Haver’s Instagram

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

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Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

This one’s a whole journey, so buckle up (or maybe unbutton your jeans and get comfy). Jan’s sharing her deeply personal—and yes, wildly specific—story of life post-menopause. From tight pelvic floors to uteruses that drop like it’s hot, this episode dives into the truth about GSM (Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause) and why it’s more than just hot flashes.

Here’s what we’re talking about:

• What GSM actually is and why it matters
• Jan’s battle with painful bladder symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunction
• Why some vaginas get too tight and others... not tight enough 👀
• Pelvic floor therapy, mesh, lasers, and all the things no one warns you about
• Estrogen: The goddess hormone and what happens when she bails
• Bioidentical hormones, DHEA, yams (yes, yams), and natural support options
• Why it took until 2015 for medicine to take our vaginas seriously 😒

We’re calling this one “a menopause saga” because that’s exactly what it is. If you’re navigating your own hormonal rollercoaster or just want to be prepared for what’s ahead, we’ve got you.

💡 P.S. Don’t forget to check the show notes for the resource sheet Jan put together!

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

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Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Tracy Meyer—a psychology professor, mom, and longtime educator who’s spent over 20 years teaching young adults about sexuality, development, and the things lots of mothers forgot to mention.

We talk about the gaps in sex education, the myths still floating around, and how we can all do better—whether we’re raising kids or trying to understand our own bodies.

Here’s what we cover:

• What many young adults still don’t understand about sex and anatomy
• The surprising impact of using correct language for body parts early on
• How to start age-appropriate conversations about puberty and sex
• Why shame-free education leads to healthier kids (and adults)
• Resources we wish we had growing up

Dr. Meyer brings practical, thoughtful insight—with a good bit of humor—into how we can raise more informed, confident kids…even if we’re still learning ourselves.

About Dr. Tracy Meyer:

Dr. Meyer has been a psychology professor for over 20 years. She is married and has two children, a 17 year old daughter a12 year old son. Her research interests are in sexual harassment and gender microaggressions against women.

Resources and Links:

• It’s Not the Stork (book for children)
• Our Bodies Our Selves
• Planned Parenthood

Find resources mentioned in this episode here.

Learn more about this podcast here.

Submit your 90-second lesson/experience here.

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Stay updated on new episodes here.

*Information shared on this podcast is not medical advice. If you have a concern about your physical or mental health, please seek support from a proessional.