Chaos to Connection: Boundaries and Breakthroughs for Cycle-Breaking Women

Diane Sorensen
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  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Chaos to Connection is for cycle-breaking women ready to heal generational patterns and lead their families with authenticity, not approval. Hosted by Diane Sorensen, Boundary & Empowerment Coach, each episode explores motherhood, self-worth, and emotional healing—where boundaries become bridges and connection, not control, is the path to transformation. This isn’t behavior management—it’s liberation. Learn to listen to yourself and create the calm, connected relationships you crave. ✨ Reclaim your calm. ✨ Speak your truth. ✨ Live free

  1. 12 HRS AGO

    269. New Year, New Meaning: Choosing Integration Over Performance

    Every January, we’re invited—sometimes pressured—to fix ourselves. New goals.New habits.New versions of who we should be. Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I choose a word – or actually it seems to choose me. In this episode, I share my 2026 word and what it means to me—not as a concept to master, but as a lived, embodied practice. I reflect on the difference between performance and embodiment, and how so many of us were conditioned to perform for approval, safety, and belonging—often withoutrealizing it. Performance asks us to prove.Embodiment invites us to experience. This episode isn’t about doing more.It’s about the journey home to your own authenticity over seeking approval. A reflection to sit with / journal prompt: If I allowed myself to fly, what would that look like andhow would I feel? Resource mentioned in this episode: https://www.dianesorensen.net/drama-to-empowerment Connect with Diane: Instagram @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane: Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundary work becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    16 min

  2. 2025-12-29

    268. Waking Up from the Lie of Not-Enough with Crystal Haitsma

    What if the constant feeling of not-enoughisn’t the truth about you — but a learned illusion shaped by shame? In this heartfelt and expansive conversation, I’m joined by Crystal Haitsma, creator and host of The Art of Shame-FreeLiving — a space devoted to waking up from the belief that something is fundamentally wrong with us. Crystal shares her personal journey of findingherself again — not by bypassing discomfort, but by turning toward shame, meeting it with curiosity, andallowing it to become a portal to inner fullness instead of proof of deficiency. Together, we explore how shame quietly shapesour relationships, our boundaries, and our sense of self — and how reclaiming our wholeness creates the foundation for real connection. This conversation is an invitation to soften the inner fight, release the lie of not-enough-ness, and remember what’s always been true — you were never broken. Crystal Haitsma is a personal coach, relationship guide, and host of The Art of Shame-Free Living podcast, whereshe explores how releasing shame opens the door to connection, creativity, and inner fullness.   Connect with Crystal: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.crystal.noelle/ Podcast: https://www.coachcrystal.ca/podcast-platforms   Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Community is where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection. You’ll learn to transform your triggers,lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    34 min

  3. 2025-12-22

    267. “Santa’s Watching” and the Approval Trap

    In this episode, I explore how approval-seeking (often calledpeople-pleasing) gets wired into our internal system—and how we unknowingly pass it on to our children. From subtle threats and rewards to holiday pressure around Santa, Christmas, and “being good,” let’s unpack how approval becomes a stand-in for safety and connection. Rather than focusing on how to get children to behave, this conversation invites curiosity. In This Episode, You’ll Hear About: *How approval-seeking gets wired into the nervous system as a survival strategy *Why “being good” becomes tied to safety, love, and belonging *adults unknowingly repeat approval-based patterns with their children *Why rewards and threats (even subtle ones) function as indirect control *How Christmas and Santa are often used as leverage for approval *How self-awareness builds connection and breaks cycles *Why we often don’t see the impact of approval pressure until years later This episode offers a compassionate reframe for parents and cycle-breakers ready to move from pressure to presence—and from performance to genuine connection.   Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Models are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers,lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH,and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    24 min

  4. 2025-12-16

    266. Stop Fitting in and Start Belonging: Coming Home to Yourself with Claudia Herasme

    What if the discomfort you feel isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you… but a sign that you’ve outgrown the life you were told you should want? In today’s episode I’m joined by Claudia Herasme, an Alignment Guide and Certified Life Coach, for a deeply grounding conversation about belonging—not fitting in, performing, or proving—but coming home to yourself. Claudia works with high-achieving women who have done everything “right.” They’ve checked the boxes, built the career, earned the recognition—yet still feel a quiet (or not-so-quiet) sense that something is missing. Through her own journey—from a 20-year career in urban planning in New York City and Chicago to reclaiming her vitality, authenticity, and inner truth—Claudia discovered a powerful truth: You don’t have to choose between success and authenticity. In this conversation, we explore what it means to stop living according to expectations and start creating a life that actually feels like yours. In this episode, we talk about: *The difference between fitting in and belonging *Why so many accomplished women feel disconnected despite external success *How “doing everything right” can still lead to inner depletion *What it really means to feel safe being yourself *Why authenticity isn’t about burning your life down—it’s about coming back home *How to create the life you want, not the one you think you should have This episode is an invitation to soften, listen inward, and question the stories you’ve inherited about success, worth, and who you’re allowed to be. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this it?” If you’ve felt the quiet ache of disconnection beneath a polished life… This conversation is for you. About Claudia Claudia is an Alignment Guide and Certified Life Coach who helps high-achieving women safely express their authentic, untamed selves—without sacrificing the success they’ve worked so hard to build. After a thriving 20-year career in urban planning, Claudia’s own turning point led her to coaching and alignment work. Today, she runs Peak Bloom Coaching and Guidance, maintains a boutique international consulting practice, and creates spaces where women can stop performing and start belonging—to themselves and their lives. Her mission is simple and powerful: To help you feel safe being exactly who you are, so you can create the life you actually want—not just the one you think you should have Connect with Claudia: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/peakbloom_coaching/ Connect with Diane: Instagram: @dianesorensen.bb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questions from today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane: Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundary work becomes the bridge from chaos to connection. You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval. Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    39 min

  5. 2025-12-08

    265. The Cycle Breaker’s Guide to Connection (It’s Not What You Think)

    We all crave connection — but many of us were never taught what connection actually is. In this episode, I invite you into a deeper, clearer, more embodied understanding of connection… one that goes far beyond simply being together, spending time, or keeping everyone happy. Here’s the truth: ⭐️ Connection is less about proximity or time Connection is more about presence. Presence emotionally.Presence mentally.Presence in your body. And for many of us — especially those of us who grew up people-pleasing, performing, or walking on eggshells — presence can feel unfamiliar or even unsafe. Why? Because true connection requires emotional intimacy — thewillingness and capacity to feel your feelings without collapsing into: blame, judgement,fixing, people-pleasing or self-abandonment. In this episode, we explore: 💛 What connection actually is — and what it is not Why you can be together and not connected, and connected even when you'reapart. 💛 How our culture confuses “beingtogether” with connection And how this leads to resentment, pressure, and emotional distance. 💛 Emotional intimacy as the foundationof true connection Not the kind associated with romance — but the emotional intimacy of being with yourself in real time. 💛 Why people-pleasers struggle withconnection When you learn to scan the room, manage emotions, or keep the peace, presence becomes impossible. 💛 Invisible patterns that block connection The unconscious wiring in our nervous system that makes us believe connection comes from – making others happy, avoiding upset, saying yes, agreeing, and staying quiet. These patterns are invisible — until we make them visible. 💛 The inner shift required to create true connection How to begin moving from performing connection to experiencing it. ⭐️ Key Quotes From the Episode * “Connection is not time together — it’s presence together.” * “Emotional intimacy is the capacity to feel your feelings without collapsing into blame, judgment, or pleasing.” *“Connection requires presence — not performance.” If you're noticing the gap between the connection you crave and the connection you’re actually experiencing — you’re not alone. This is the work of cycle breakers. Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you!   BREAKTHROUGH SESSION: https://www.dianesorensen.net/offers/2AnzahKj?coupon_code=HOLIDAY special pricing good only through Dec. 31, 2025.   Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    22 min

  6. 2025-12-01

    264. Unwrapping the Hard Stuff: A Holiday Story

    This episode is personal — and powerful. A recent situation with a close family member brought up a wave of unexpected hurt and confusion right as the holidays approached. What I didn’t know at the time was that this moment would become a living, breathing example of healthy conflict, emotional empowerment, and generational pattern-breaking. Most of us grew up believing that conflict is something to avoid, smooth over, fix, or fear. But healthy conflict isn’t chaos — it’s clarity.And this experience revealed how quickly we can slip into the Drama Triangle (Victim, Rescuer, Persecutor)…and how consciously we can shift into the Empowerment Dynamic (Creator, Coach, Challenger). In this episode, I walk you through: *The moment of rupture with a close family member *What victim, rescuing, and persecutor thoughts sounded like in real time *How I recognized the pull into old patterns *Why conflict is a necessary ingredient in healthy relationships *What it looks like to process hurt without assigning blame *How I shifted into Creator, Coach, and Challenger energy *The surprising gift I found inside the discomfort *Why the holidays don’t cause our stress — they reveal it *How this conflict became an unexpected mirror of my own growth This isn’t about perfection or staying “zen.”It’s about staying honest, grounded, and self-responsible when the old patterns tug at you hardest. If you’re navigating family dynamics, emotional triggers, or unexpected tension during the holidays, this episode will give you a new lens — one rooted in empowerment instead of reactivity. Key Insight:Healthy conflict isn’t about winning or fixing.It’s about allowing the relationship to hold the truth of both people — without abandoning yourself in the process. Reflection Question What uncomfortable moment in your life might be revealing something deeper beneath the surface? Resources & Support: HOLIDAY BREAKTHROUGH SESSION: https://www.dianesorensen.net/call- Special pricing is good only through Dec. 31, 2025. Give yourself and your family the gift of PEACE this season.  Drama & Empowerment Resource mentionedin this episode: https://www.dianesorensen.net/drama-to-empowerment Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you! Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection. You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    24 min

  7. 2025-11-24

    263. Trying Not to Trigger Others: What the Holidays Reveal

    The holidays bring out the best in us…and the deepest patterns in us. If you’ve ever found yourself walking on eggshells, trying to keep everyone comfortable, or worrying about “triggering” someone at a family gathering, this episode will speak directly to your heart. Today we’re exploring what this pattern really reveals—not about others, but about ourselves.Because the pressure you feel during the holidays isn’t new.It’s a lifetime of emotional patterningrising to the surface:the fear of disappointing someone,the instinct to keep the peace,and the belief that your worth comes from how well you manage everyone’s experience. In this episode, we’ll talk about: *Why “trying not to trigger others” is actually a form of emotional over-responsibility *How the holidays reveal old family roles and approval patterns *The difference between connection and approval(and why only one nourishes you) *Why your nervous system goes on high alert around certain people *A simple shift that helps you stay connected to yourself—even in emotionally charged rooms If the holidays feel heavy, or if you’re tired of contorting yourself to keep everyone else comfortable, this conversation will give you clarity, compassion, and relief.Connection doesn’t come from performing.It comes from presence.And it begins with you. Reflection Question:Where do you notice yourself performing comfort for others instead of staying connected to yourself? Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you!   HOLIDAY BREAKTHROUGH SESSION: https://www.dianesorensen.net/call- Use promocode - HOLIDAY for special pricing. Good only through Dec. 31, 2025.   Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers,lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support deliveredstraight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    28 min

  8. 2025-11-17

    262. How a Single Moment Can Change Everything: The Unperfected Path with Brooke Jean

    In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by Brooke Jean— therapist turned truth-teller, speaker, and founder of Unperfected®, a methodology devoted to helping high-achieving, anxious women drop the pressure and rise in their power. Brooke brings a rare blend of psychological depth, somatic wisdom, and real-world leadership. Her work guides women to heal perfectionism, reconnect with their bodies, and live unapologetically from their truth. Brooke shares her incredible journey from single mom climbing the corporate ladder… to therapist… to the creator behind The Unperfected Pod.Her story takes a profound turn in 2012 when the Aurora theater shooting happened just doors down from her corporate office — a moment that cracked openher life, stripped away illusion, and awakened her to what truly matters. Together we explore how trauma, success culture, and perfectionism shape us into who the world tells us to be — and what it looks like to come home to ourselves again. Connect with Brooke Jean: Instagram - @brookejeanunperfected Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-un-perfected-pod/id1668818982  FREE LIBERATION: From Pressure toPOWER Masterclass: www.brookejeanllc.com/liberation  Website: www.liveunperfected.com Connect with Diane:Instagram: @dianesorensen.bbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/diane.sorensen.589 Join the conversation — share your takeaways or questionsfrom today’s episode by sending me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I love hearing from you!  Free Holiday Workshop 11/20/25 11am-12pm Eastern time– “Releasing Perfection This Holiday Season” – Message me HOLIDAY on Instagram or Facebook and I willsend you the link. Work with Diane:Diane Sorensen’s Coaching Programs are where boundarywork becomes the bridge from chaos to connection.You’ll learn to transform your triggers, lead with compassion, and create emotionally safe relationships built on authenticity, not approval.Reclaim your CALM, speak your TRUTH, and live FREE. → Submit an inquiry or learn more: www.dianesorensen.net/contact → Explore free guides and resources to support your growth: www.dianesorensen.net/ → Join the weekly newsletter for insights, tools, and support delivered straight to your inbox: www.dianesorensen.net/email-list

    37 min
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5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Chaos to Connection is for cycle-breaking women ready to heal generational patterns and lead their families with authenticity, not approval. Hosted by Diane Sorensen, Boundary & Empowerment Coach, each episode explores motherhood, self-worth, and emotional healing—where boundaries become bridges and connection, not control, is the path to transformation. This isn’t behavior management—it’s liberation. Learn to listen to yourself and create the calm, connected relationships you crave. ✨ Reclaim your calm. ✨ Speak your truth. ✨ Live free

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