Barriers to Breakthroughs

Emma Woodhouse
  • 4.8 (4)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Barriers to Breakthroughs! A podcast that discusses important topics in women’s sports and what goes on inside the brain of an athlete. Perfectionism, recovering from injury, and bullying, are just some of the many things that can defeat your spirits and ruin your confidence to perform. Through interviews and solo shows, host Emma Woodhouse, a 2-Time All-American skier and 2020 UNH Female Athlete of the Year, brings these topics to light and shows athletes that they are not alone and that you can overcome those barriers to breakthrough! 

  1. 2022-03-16

    040. Believing in Yourself When the Odds Are Stacked Against You with Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski

    Send us a text Today's guest is Olympic gold medalist Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski. After years of competing in World Cup events and making the national team, Kasia qualified to be in the women’s 8 event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. With just over a month until the Olympics, Kasia had a horrific bike crash where she broke her collarbone and had to get several stitches. With everything considered, she still competed in the Olympics and earned the gold medal no less. Specific topics include; How she was able to recover so quicklyWhat to do when doubtful thoughts creep inHow to mentally prepare for big competitionsGuest Links Kasia's Instagram: @kasiagdub AG Sports Agent: agsportsinc.com/team/kasia Let's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    56 min

  2. 2022-02-23

    039. Athletes with OCD Explained with Cali Werner

    Send us a text Today's episode is with marathon runner and OCD and mental health advocate Cali Werner! Cali is a former D1 track athlete out of Rice University where she received a National Honorable Mention in track! Cali now has a master’s degree in social work from Baylor University specializing in OCD, she’s an author of a Children’s book called Anxious Annie (which we get into in the episode) AND to add more to her amazing life resume, she competed in the Olympic trails in 2020 in the marathon!  Cali opens up about her life and athletic experiences with OCD and how those OCD behaviors really affected her performance! She also gives a great description of what OCD truly is, the different subtypes and common misconceptions. Get ready to learn and understand what it's like to have OCD! Other topics include: Recognizing certain OCD behaviors especially in competitions Some advice she would give her younger selfWhat it was like to write a book about her experiencesLinks Follow Cali on Instagram: @caliroperwerner Check out her Book - Anxious Annie here! Learn About OCD: iocdf.orgpeaceofmind.comLet's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    45 min

  3. 2022-02-09

    038. Finding Hope Through the Ups and Downs of Life & Sports with Reagan Rust

    Send us a text Today's episode is with professional hockey player Reagan Rust! She is a former D1 hockey player who played for RIT and then Boston University where she was inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame and was actually the first women’s D1 hockey player to come from Mississippi! Reagan is also a mental health advocate, podcast host of the Unpaved Path Podcast, and founder of the Female Athlete Society. This episode is filled with amazing stories that are both heartwarming and shocking! She talks about her childhood hockey trips where she would have to drive MANY hours just to get to the one hockey rink in the state! She goes into detail about her mental health struggles especially in the darkest moments of her life, and then she brings that all together to talk about what she’s up to now and how she’s advocating for people who deal with their mental health battles every day. Other topics include: Advice on going to therapy Getting out of your comfort zoneShifting your beliefs on mental healthTrigger Warning! Topics of suicide and suicidal thoughts are talked about in this episode so if that is triggering for you, please do not listen to this episode. Links: Reagan's Instagram: @rea.rust Listen to her podcast: The Unpaved Path Podcast The Female Athlete Society: @femaleathletesociety Let's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    49 min

  4. 2022-01-26

    037. Coping from Trauma and Understanding Your Mental Health Diagnosis with Miranda Bacon

    Send us a text Today's is with Miranda Bacon, former D1 Swimmer from the University of New Hampshire where she was a 9-Time All-America East recipient, a 2-Time inductee into the National College Athlete Honors Society, and she supported her team to 3 America East Championships out of her 4 years! Miranda talks about her mental health journey from noticing her mood shift in high school, being sexually assaulted during her spring break freshman year as well as being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD.  Miranda gives us a glimpse into her mind and everything she has learned along the way with taking care of her mental health!   Other topics include; Her panic attack experiencesHow she felt about her diagnosisAdvice about going to therapy + getting the help you needTrigger Warning: Topics of sexual assault and trauma are talked about in this episode so if that is triggering for you, please do not listen to this episode! Links Connect with Miranda on Instagram: @mirbacon Let's Connect! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Please reach out if you want to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    1 hr

  5. 2022-01-12

    036. Am I Determined or Is It My Anxiety?

    Send us a text Today's episode is all about slowing down. As an athlete, we are told to always push through and keep working until we win but is that really benefitting us? Throughout my career, especially at my lowest points, I felt like I just needed to work harder, and then it would finally click but it didn't. When we are told to slow down by coaches or even our parents, that's the last thing we want to do! After feeling defeated day after day, I finally stopped and realized that I needed to go back to basics, and look at the stress and pressure I was putting on myself. Looking back, I can see why I wasn't performing at my best. Points I'll dig into in this episode are; What I used to believe about being a successful athleteWhy slowing down is so important to do especially when stressedTips on how to slow down and figure out what's making you anxious Links Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Contact me to be featured on the podcast + any questions you have: emmapwoodhouse@gmail.com OR dm me through the Instagram page above! Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify! If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    21 min

  6. 2022-01-05

    035. 3 Questions to Help You Discover Your Identity Outside of Sports with Amanda Whitham

    Send us a text Today's episode features former track and field athlete Amanda Whitham! This high jumper and hurdler competed for Bryant University where she's a Top-10 Bryant record holder in pentathlon + 60m hurdles! Amanda also served as co-president for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and was a Senior Service Commencement honoree! Amanda had so much momentum going into her junior year until it ended abruptly after a serious ankle injury. With the universal adjustment to COVID in Spring 2020, Amanda faced the absence of her season & her confidence. Facing chronic self-doubt + anxiety, her final 2 years at Bryant were filled with major self-discovery above all. Themes throughout this episode will be around motives, why it’s important to know your WHY of competing, identifying who you are as a person outside of sports and why exploring your identity in different facets of life makes sports more fun!  Topics include; Her daily struggle with self-image & worthiness during injury recovery Mantras & strategies to break through the trap of “self-limiting beliefs”  Ways to push past “imposter syndrome” & make an impact in your community Advice on where to start with finding your identity, from small steps to big leapsLinks Connect with Amanda Instagram- @amandawhittt LinkedIn- Amanda C. Whitham TikTok- @mindfulmandi Amanda’s Essentials For girl boss vibes: playlist link here!For self-discovery: The 4 Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz For deep sleep: playlist link here!Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    40 min

  7. 2021-12-29

    034. My Mental Health & The Future of the Podcast

    Send us a text My mental health has not been great these past few months. Feeling stressed about all the things I want to achieve, and feeling guilty when I want to rest (which makes me more stressed)! This was an episode that I've been wanting to do and at the same time, I've been talking myself out of doing it. I want to be open and honest about what I'm going through and how I'm feeling like my guests have each week.  I hope you'll feel heard during this episode and know that I understand how you feel!  Specific talking points include; Negative beliefs from being an athlete that show up in lifeNoticing what triggers meWhat I've learned about myself in 2021Links Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts & Now on Spotify! If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    26 min

  8. 2021-12-15

    033. Body Image, Perfectionism & Craving External Validation with Sofia Borea

    Send us a text Today's episode features Sofia Borea, a former D1 soccer player who played for the University of New Hampshire! During her time at UNH, she played in every single game, and achieved the America East All-Rookie Team honor in her freshman year! In this episode, we talk about many important topics athletes face during their careers and especially when they retire from their sport. Sofia first talks about her time at UNH where she struggled with her anxiety, body image, and perfectionist tendencies that affected how she felt about herself. She then goes into how the covid pandemic affected her career and mental health where she went through depression after losing her sport. Sofia shares some amazing advice from what she wanted to hear as an athlete to ways you can show yourself more self-love on and off the field! Specific Topics Include: Receiving comments about her body and how that made her feelCraving external validation from people during and after sportsLosing motivation to workout as a retired-athleteCreating a fitness account inspired by those difficult times Links Follow Sofia on Instagram: @sofiaborea + @sofboreafitness To all my former athletes out there... follow @sofboreafitness to get inspired to workout again! I love how real and honest she is about how she's feeling and lets you know that you're not alone if you're not motivated! Go check it out here! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: @barrierstobreakthroughspodcast Rate + Review on Apple Podcasts If you are loving the podcast, please consider leaving a review! It helps the show to support other athletes > to feel less alone with what they're going through! Click here or scroll down, tap to rate 5 stars, and select "Write a Review"! Be sure to let me know what you love most about the episode!

    59 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to Barriers to Breakthroughs! A podcast that discusses important topics in women’s sports and what goes on inside the brain of an athlete. Perfectionism, recovering from injury, and bullying, are just some of the many things that can defeat your spirits and ruin your confidence to perform. Through interviews and solo shows, host Emma Woodhouse, a 2-Time All-American skier and 2020 UNH Female Athlete of the Year, brings these topics to light and shows athletes that they are not alone and that you can overcome those barriers to breakthrough! 

Information

  • Creator
    Emma Woodhouse
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2022
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Barriers to Breakthroughs
  • Show Website
    Barriers to Breakthroughs