From Betrayal To Breakthrough

Dr. Debi Silber
  • 4.8 (134)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

The betrayal of a family member, partner, friend, etc. can create physical, mental and emotional challenges. If left unhealed, it impacts us personally and professionally. The From Betrayal to Breakthrough podcast shares insights from the best therapists, coaches, healers, thought leaders and everyday people, combined with the findings of a recent Ph.D. study on betrayal to help you move forward and heal...once and for all.

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    487: The Truth About Forgiveness: What It Is, What It Isn't, and Why It Is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do for Yourself

    Forgiveness is one of the most charged words in the English language. For many people who have been through betrayal, just hearing it brings up anger, resistance, or the feeling that forgiving means letting someone off the hook. In this solo episode, Dr. Debi Silber clears the air on what forgiveness actually is and what it absolutely is not, and makes the case for why it may be the most powerful thing you can do for your own physical, mental, and emotional health.    Debi shares her personal story of forgiving her husband and family after one of the most painful seasons of her life, how that journey led to founding National Forgiveness Day, and what she has witnessed in thousands of people who have moved from angry, bitter, and resentful to forgiving and free in just 21 days.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Why forgiveness has nothing to do with the other person and everything to do with you  The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation and why they are not the same thing  Why forgiving too early in betrayal recovery always backfires  Where forgiveness fits in the Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery  The real reason so many people withhold forgiveness and what it is actually costing them  The physical benefits of forgiveness: lower blood pressure, better sleep, stronger immune system, reduced cortisol, longer lifespan  The mental benefits: reduced anxiety and depression, clearer thinking, freedom from obsessive rumination  The emotional benefits: relief, restored self-trust, moving from victim to empowered  How the nervous system after betrayal is wired for protection not peace and what to do about it  Why acceptance is the step before forgiveness and how to start there  The story of the 21-Day National Forgiveness Day journey and what Debi witnessed participants experience  Practical tools: journaling prompts, mantras, and the one degree shift toward forgiveness  How you can forgive and still walk away  The National Forgiveness Day Transformation Program and the September 22nd Fireside Chat    Practical Takeaways from This Episode:  Start with acceptance, not forgiveness. You are not fighting what happened anymore. You are simply acknowledging it cannot be changed.  Focus on relief first. What would feeling 1% lighter look like? One less time ruminating today? That is enough to start.  Journal prompt: What would forgiveness look like for me? How would I feel? What would I think? Who would I be?  Try a mantra. Each day of the 21-day program includes a mantra to shift the energy around forgiveness.  You do not have to start with your biggest betrayal. Start with a smaller wound first and build from there.    Resources Mentioned:  National Forgiveness Day Transformation Program (21 days): NationalForgivenessDay.com  Live Fireside Chat with Dr. Debi: September 22nd  The Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery: ThePBTInstitute.com  Post Betrayal Syndrome Assessment: ThePBTInstitute.com  Trust Again by Dr. Debi Silber    Connect with Dr. Debi Silber:  Instagram: @debisilber  Website: ThePBTInstitute.com  National Forgiveness Day Program: NationalForgivenessDay.com  Start your healing journey: ThePBTInstitute.com/live  Bring Dr. Debi to your stage: ThePBTInstitute.com/speaking  Read the largest research study on betrayal: ThePBTInstitute.com/state-of-betrayal-report

  2. Aug 10 ·  Video

    486: Why Your Health Is the Missing Piece in Betrayal Recovery (And What to Do About It)

    When we talk about healing from betrayal, we almost always focus on the emotional and psychological side. But what about the body? In this solo episode, Dr. Debi Silber gets personal about her own health journey, including a series of illnesses that became a wake-up call, and shares why physical health, nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle are not optional extras in betrayal recovery. They are foundational.    Drawing on her 35 years as a health and lifestyle coach, her PhD research into Post Betrayal Syndrome, and her own lived experience of rebuilding from the inside out, Debi makes the case for why your body deserves the same attention as your mind and heart when you are healing from anything.    What You Will Hear in This Episode:  Why betrayal hits you on every level: physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually  How Post Betrayal Syndrome symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and digestive issues are made worse by ignoring physical health  Why nutrition is not about dieting but about nourishing yourself with love  How fitness and movement are directly linked to confidence, mental strength, and emotional wellbeing  Why women over 50 cannot afford to make health an afterthought anymore  How betrayal, while devastating, is actually a powerful invitation to rebuild your life with more intention  The connection between physical strength and rebuilding trust in yourself  Why community and connection are part of healing, not extras  Debi's personal story of launching her first in-person Betrayal to Breakthrough program in San Diego  A practical one-degree-of-change challenge you can start today    The One Degree of Change Challenge:  Dr. Debi invites you to pick one area of your lifestyle, eating, fitness, sleep, connection, or stress, and ask: on a scale of zero to ten, where am I right now? Then ask: what would it take to move it up just half a point? That one small shift moves you closer to the body, mind, and life you deserve.    Resources Mentioned:  The Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery — ThePBTInstitute.com  Post Betrayal Syndrome Assessment — ThePBTInstitute.com  Betrayal to Breakthrough San Diego Live Program — ThePBTInstitute.com/betrayal-to-breakthrough-san-diego-live/  Betrayal to Breakthrough Live — ThePBTInstitute.com/live    Connect with Dr. Debi Silber:  Instagram: @debisilber  Website: ThePBTInstitute.com  Start your healing journey: ThePBTInstitute.com/live  Bring Dr. Debi to your stage: ThePBTInstitute.com/speaking  Read the largest research study on betrayal: ThePBTInstitute.com/state-of-betrayal-report  San Diego in-person program: ThePBTInstitute.com/betrayal-to-breakthrough-san-diego-live/

  3. Aug 3 ·  Video

    485: The Gift of Grief: How Cumulative Loss Can Lead to Your Greatest Transformation

    What if grief was not something to get over, but a bridge that leads you to your greatest transformation? In this powerful episode of From Betrayal to Breakthrough, Dr. Debi Silber sits down with Rosalind Price, known as The Grief Gangstress, for an honest, deeply human conversation about cumulative loss, the 5 grief archetypes, and how navigating grief with strategic intention can lead to profound personal transformation.  Rosalind Price has experienced grief from the age of four, losing her mother at 16, her father shortly after, members of her support system, and later her former husband. Rather than running from grief, she built an entire framework to move through it strategically, and now helps individuals and C-suite leaders do the same. She shares how grief is not a nemesis or an antagonist, but a bridge that reminds us we are the priority.  This episode will change the way you see grief. Whether you are healing from betrayal, loss, or a life-altering shift, Rosalind's 5 grief archetypes will help you understand where you are in your journey and how to move forward with intention and power.    Topics Covered:  How cumulative grief can feel like life itself has betrayed you, and why that feeling is valid  The critical difference between soldiering through grief and actually healing from it  Why the people around us sometimes unintentionally add to our grief instead of easing it  The 5 grief archetypes: Devoted Soldier, Seeker, Deep Diver, Expander, and Transformer, and how to identify which one you are  How grief shows up in the corporate world and what C-suite leaders can do to create space for it  Why speaking up for your needs during grief is not a burden, it is a gift to everyone around you  How grief and betrayal healing share the same emotional terrain and why Debi's audience will deeply relate  The relationship between love and grief: the bigger the love, the bigger the grief, and why that is actually a sign of your greatness  Rosalind's personal journey from lifelong loss to becoming The Grief Gangstress  Why grieving is the season and the bridge, and grief is the destination that reminds you that you are the priority    Resources Mentioned:  Grief Archetype Assessment Guide (FREE) — rrrichardprice.com/the-blueprint  The Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery — ThePBTInstitute.com  Post Betrayal Syndrome Assessment — ThePBTInstitute.com  Betrayal to Breakthrough Live — ThePBTInstitute.com/live    Connect with Rosalind Price:  Website: rrrichardprice.com  Free Grief Archetype Assessment Guide: rrrichardprice.com/the-blueprint  LinkedIn: Rosalind Price  Facebook: Rosalind Price / The Grief Gangstress  Instagram: Rosalind Price / The Grief Gangstress  Substack: Rosalind Price / The Grief Gangstress    Connect with Dr. Debi Silber:  Instagram: @debisilber  Website: ThePBTInstitute.com  Betrayal to Breakthrough Live — ThePBTInstitute.com/live  Bring Dr. Debi to your stage — ThePBTInstitute.com/speaking  Read the largest research study on betrayal ever conducted — ThePBTInstitute.com/state-of-betrayal-report

  4. Jul 27 ·  Video

    484: How to Rewrite Your Story and Stop Suffering

    What if the stories you've been telling yourself about your betrayal — about who you are, what you're capable of, and whether you can heal — aren't facts at all? What if they're just beliefs? And what if beliefs can change?  In this powerful episode, Dr. Debi sits down with Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Beyond Belief, Indistractable, and Hooked, for a conversation that will fundamentally shift how you see your own healing journey. Nir is one of the world's leading thinkers on behavior change and human potential, and what he shares here is directly relevant to everyone navigating betrayal recovery.  Nir breaks down the critical difference between facts, faith, and beliefs — and why understanding that distinction is the single most important thing you can do to stop suffering. You'll hear about the science behind limiting beliefs, why your brain is actually designed to keep you stuck, and how something as seemingly small as a shift in perspective can produce results as dramatic as a rat swimming 60 hours instead of 15 minutes.  You'll also discover why 80% of healthcare spending goes to illness (not sickness), what surgery without anesthesia reveals about the power of your mind, and why the biggest limiting belief of all — that feeling bad is bad — may be what's keeping you from your breakthrough.  This episode is for everyone who's ever said, "This is just who I am," or "I can't change," or "I'll be okay once they admit what they did." Nir gently but firmly challenges all of it — and gives you the tools to challenge it yourself.  Topics Covered:  The critical difference between facts, faith, and beliefs — and why it matters for healing  Why beliefs are "tools, not truths" and how to start using them differently  What learned helplessness research got completely wrong — and what the truth reveals about your potential  The Hope Floats study: how rats swam 60 hours instead of 15 minutes — and what that means for you  Why your brain is wired to keep you stuck (and how to work with it, not against it)  The difference between sickness and illness — and why 80% of healthcare spending misses the mark  How Daniel Giss underwent a 55-minute surgical procedure with zero anesthesia using only the power of his mind  The fear-pain-fear loop and how it amplifies betrayal trauma  The surprising science of prayer and pain tolerance — even for people with no faith tradition  How placebos work (and why open-label placebos outperform leading medications for IBS)  Why your memories aren't as accurate as you think — and why that's actually good news  The story of Dashrath Manjhi — the man who moved a mountain (literally) for 22 years  Inquiry-based stress reduction and the one question that can unlock everything: "Could the opposite be true?"  The biggest limiting belief holding people back: feeling bad is bad  Dr. Debi shares research from 100,000+ betrayal survivors on the gut-betrayal connection  A powerful story of a woman who healed a 70+ year digestive issue in two weeks of betrayal recovery  Resources Mentioned:  Nir Eyal's website & free 5-minute Belief Change Journal: NirAndFar.com  Beyond Belief by Nir Eyal  Indistractable by Nir Eyal  Hooked by Nir Eyal  The Five Stages of Betrayal Recovery™ — ThePBTInstitute.com  Post Betrayal Syndrome® Assessment — ThePBTInstitute.com  Betrayal to Breakthrough: Live — ThePBTInstitute.com/live  Connect with Nir Eyal:  Website: http://nirandfar.com  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/  Instagram - http://instagram.com/nireyal  Book: Beyond Belief geni.us/beyondbelief  Free belief change guide is here: https://www.nirandfar.com/beyond-belief-live   Bonus content and the 30-Day Belief Transformation Journal is here: https://www.nirandfar.com/beyond-belief     Connect with Dr. Debi Silber:  Instagram: @debisilber  Website: ThePBTInstitute.com  Join Betrayal to Breakthrough: Live: ThePBTInstitute.com/live

  5. Jul 20 ·  Video

    483: How to Communicate Clearly After Betrayal

    When trust is shattered, so is your ability to think clearly, speak confidently, and feel safe expressing yourself. In this powerful episode, Dr. Debi Silber sits down with Stanford University lecturer, communication expert, and bestselling author Matt Abrahams to explore how to reclaim your voice — even when fear, brain fog, and self-doubt have taken over.  Matt is the host of the globally renowned podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart and the author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter. He has spent decades helping people master spontaneous communication — the kind that happens in real time, under pressure, and when the stakes feel impossibly high. And if you've been through betrayal, you know exactly what that feels like.  In this episode, you'll discover:  Why most of our communication is spontaneous — and why that's actually good news  Four powerful mindset shifts to help you stop freezing and start responding with confidence  How to manage the physical and emotional symptoms of communication anxiety  The difference between "connection" and "perfection" — and why ditching perfection changes everything  How deep, intentional listening keeps you present and out of your own head  What it means to "trust loudly" — and how it rebuilds safety in your relationships  Why asking a question or paraphrasing in a meeting is a powerful act of confidence  How to use conflict as a problem-solving opportunity rather than a threat  The one mindset shift that transforms how you respond when communication goes wrong  Whether you're navigating a difficult conversation with a coworker, slowly rebuilding trust with a partner, or learning to speak up for yourself again after betrayal dimmed your light — this episode gives you the practical tools and the permission to start right where you are.  Connect with Matt Abrahams:  Podcast: Think Fast, Talk Smart (available everywhere)  Website: mattabrahams.com  LinkedIn & Instagram: @mattabrahams  Connect with Dr. Debi  The PBT Institute: https://thepbtinstitute.com

  6. Jul 13

    482: Reclaiming Your Intuition After Betrayal

    What if the intuition you silenced to survive your betrayal is the very thing that can guide you out of it?    In this episode, Dr. Debi sits down with Dallisa Hocking — fifth-generation psychic medium and energy architect — to explore what happens to our intuitive sense when trust is shattered. Whether you intentionally shut it down to avoid confrontation or inadvertently turned it off just to get through the day, this conversation is your invitation to turn it back on.    You'll learn how to distinguish true intuition from fear-based thinking, why rebuilding self-trust is the foundation for everything that comes after betrayal, and how tools like interactive guided imagery can help you access the answers already living inside of you.    They also explore the nuanced world of psychic readings and predictions — what they can and cannot do for someone recovering from betrayal — and discuss free will's role in shaping what comes next in your life.    In This Episode:  How betrayal causes us to turn down (or off) our intuition — and why that happens  The key difference between intuition and fear-based thoughts — and a simple test to tell them apart  Why rebuilding self-trust starts with small, daily commitments — not grand gestures  How your intuition signals differently for everyone — and how to identify your personal 'markers'  What interactive guided imagery is and how it helps you access inner wisdom  The truth about psychic readings: what's helpful, what gives your power away, and what to look for in a trustworthy practitioner  How to hold spiritual and religious beliefs alongside a new, direct relationship with your inner guidance  Dallisa's 'Breakthrough Three' — her best-thing-from-hardest-moment, what still surprises her, and the one thing she'd want you to hear on your worst day    Resources Mentioned:  The Guest House — Rumi (poem)  Conversations with God, Book One — Neale Donald Walsch  Free 10-Minute Reset Audio — available at spiritandspark.com    Connect with Dallisa Hocking:  Website & free audio: http://spiritandspark.com    Substack, podcast, and social media via the website    Connect with Dr. Debi  The PBT Institute: https://ThePBTInstitute.com

  7. Jul 6 ·  Video

    481: The 4 Voices in Your Head — and Why 3 of Them Are Keeping You Stuck After Betrayal

    What does NASA, the military, and healing from betrayal have in common? More than you might think. In this powerful episode, Dr. Debi Silber sits down with mindset strategist and engineer John Mollura — whose career took him from high-stakes aerospace missions to coaching high performers — to talk about the one thing that determines whether we move forward or stay stuck: how we use our minds.  John introduces his "Four Navigators" framework — the Drifter, the Blamer, the Critic, and the Seeker — and explains how three of them quietly sabotage our progress while we're convinced we're taking action. You'll recognize yourself in every one of them.  In this episode, you'll discover:  Why trust is so critical in high-stakes environments — and what happens when it breaks down (and how it mirrors the betrayal experience)  The three internal navigators keeping you stuck: the Drifter, the Blamer, and the Critic  How to activate the Seeker — the one navigator that leads with awareness and curiosity  John's confidence formula: Awareness + Bravery = Confidence  Why "all movement is not progress" — and how to tell the difference  The "Let It Fly" mindset that cures analysis paralysis  John's HITS framework: a four-step tool to halt the spiral and take intentional action  Why small, consistent steps beat grand plans every time — especially when you're rebuilding  Key Takeaways:  The inner critic's voice often originated with someone else — a parent, a bully, an early experience. Once you trace it, you can reclaim it.  Your body is always signaling when one of the three unhelpful navigators is taking over. Learning to read those signals is the first step to shifting out of them.  Bravery is not the absence of fear — it's taking action despite it. Confidence follows action, not the other way around.  John's "What's your 1%?" question is a game-changer for anyone who has been through betrayal and is ready to reclaim their agency — without taking on blame they don't deserve.  Connect with John Mollura:   Website: https://johnmollura.com   Free Masterclass (The Navigators): https://john-mollura.systeme.io/the-navigators    Book: Let It Fly (coming this fall)  Connect with Dr. Debi:  The PBT Institute: https://thepbtinstitute.com  Work with Dr. Debi: https://thepbtinstitute.com/live/

  8. Jun 29 ·  Video

    480: What Remarkable People Know About Trust, Privacy, and Living with Integrity

    Guest: Guy Kawasaki — Chief Evangelist, Canva · Author · Host of Remarkable People  What happens when one of Silicon Valley's most trusted voices—the man who helped launch the Macintosh and now serves as Chief Evangelist for Canva—sits down to talk about betrayal, broken trust, and what it takes to live with integrity? You get a conversation that's honest, provocative, and deeply human.  In this episode, Dr. Debi Silber is joined by Guy Kawasaki—bestselling author, legendary tech evangelist, and host of the Remarkable People podcast—to explore the life lessons behind his books Everybody Has Something to Hide and Think Remarkable. From why every person needs to think about digital privacy to how billionaires lost their way, this conversation covers it all.  What you'll hear in this episode:  Why "I have nothing to hide" is the wrong test for digital privacy — and what the billboard test reveals about your real exposure  The erosion of institutional trust and why even Apple isn't above scrutiny when fiduciary pressure meets user privacy  Guy's three-part framework for a life well lived: learn, earn, return — and why so many billionaires are stuck in "burn"  The growth mindset, Carol Dweck, and why remarkable people never stop learning (including a story about a 78-year-old PhD student)  Planting seeds: the acorn experiment that became a masterclass in perseverance and probability  Trusting the dots — how Guy went from counting diamonds at a jewelry manufacturer to becoming Chief Evangelist of one of the world's fastest-growing tech companies, without a plan  The valuable + unique matrix: the one framework that explains why the iPod succeeded and why most people stay invisible  What Guy would say to a tech billionaire he ran into at a coffee shop today  Navigating hearing loss as a podcast host — and what it taught him about perseverance  How to make your decision right, not just make the right decision  Books mentioned:  Everybody Has Something to Hide by Guy Kawasaki (available free — see below)  Think Remarkable by Guy Kawasaki  Mindset by Carol Dweck  Grit by Angela Duckworth  Guy's free book offer: Email english@guykawasaki.com for the English Kindle edition, or spanish@guykawasaki.com for the Spanish edition (U.S. only). Outside the U.S.? Download both versions free at guykawasaki.com.  Connect with Guy Kawasaki:  Website: guykawasaki.com  Podcast: Remarkable People (available wherever you listen)  Connect with Dr. Debi Silber and The PBT Institute:  Find your resources at thePBTinstitute.com

See All (487)

4.8
out of 5
134 Ratings

About

The betrayal of a family member, partner, friend, etc. can create physical, mental and emotional challenges. If left unhealed, it impacts us personally and professionally. The From Betrayal to Breakthrough podcast shares insights from the best therapists, coaches, healers, thought leaders and everyday people, combined with the findings of a recent Ph.D. study on betrayal to help you move forward and heal...once and for all.

Information

You Might Also Like