Empowering Women In Conversations

Anita Sandoval
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Relationships
  • Weekly

The Women Empowered Podcast is intended for all women who want to learn, grow, and empower themselves. The podcast covers various topics that can help women in their personal and professional lives, such as entrepreneurship, career growth, leadership, self-care, and personal development. It is suitable for women of all ages, backgrounds, and professions who seek inspiration, motivation, and strategies to achieve their goals.Women Empowered podcast will cover a wide range of topics that empower and inspire women. Some possible lessons or insights that might be shared include: Building confidence and self-esteemWellness and self-care practicesBalancing work, family, and personal lifeThe purpose of having a Women Empowered Podcast could be to empower and uplift women by providing a platform for them to share their stories, experiences, and expertise. It could also serve as a source of inspiration and information for women who aspire to make a positive impact in their lives and communities. Additionally, the podcast could help raise awareness about the issues and challenges that women face in their personal and professional lives and provide solutions and strategies to overcome them.

  1. 1d ago

    Why Is It So Hard to Put Yourself First? (And How to Change That) | Part 2

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! Why Is It So Hard to Put Yourself First? (And How to Change That) | Part 2You know you're people-pleasing. You know you need boundaries. So why is it still so hard to put yourself first? You rehearse saying NO. You promise yourself that next time will be different. But when someone needs something, you find yourself saying YES again—even when you're exhausted, overwhelmed, or resentful. Sound familiar? In Part 2 of Empowering Women in Conversations, I continue my conversation with Dr. Alena Čandová, author of Grace Over Grit: The Neuroscience of Claiming Your Inner Authority and creator of the Grace Over Grit Method. In Part 1, we explored why people-pleasing patterns develop and why awareness alone isn't always enough to change them. Now we're answering the bigger question: How do we actually begin changing those patterns? Dr. Alena shares her four-step approach to recognizing automatic responses, cultivating nervous system safety, and developing greater inner authority. We explore why putting yourself first can feel uncomfortable, how to recognize emotional triggers without automatically reacting to them, and why self-compassion is essential to creating lasting behavioral change. 💗 In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why knowing you need boundaries doesn't automatically make setting them easier.What inner authority means and how to begin reclaiming it.How to recognize people-pleasing as a learned protective response rather than a personal failure.Four steps for beginning to change deeply learned patterns.Why consistency matters more than perfection when practicing new responses.How to recognize physical signs of emotional activation.How to stay connected to yourself during uncomfortable conversations.Why saying NO can sometimes be an act of self-respect rather than selfishness.How always rescuing others may unintentionally prevent them from taking responsibility for themselves.One of the most powerful reminders from this conversation: Sometimes your nervous system doesn't feel safe saying NO or putting yourself first. But that doesn't mean you're incapable of changing. It means you can begin learning a different way to respond—with awareness, compassion, and consistent practice. Because choosing yourself doesn't mean you stop caring about others. It means you stop abandoning yourself in the process. ⏱️ Episode Chapters 00:00 – Why is putting yourself first so difficult? 00:07 – Grace Over Grit: A different approach to personal growth 01:05 – Understanding protective patterns 03:51 – What is inner authority? 05:09 – Reclaiming your needs and trusting yourself 08:47 – Understanding emotional triggers 10:12 – Four steps to begin changing people-pleasing patterns 11:09 – Why your nervous system may not feel safe saying NO 12:03 – The importance of consistency and daily practice 13:37 – Becoming curious about your automatic responses 14:31 – Recognizing emotional activation in your body 16:08 – Allowing feelings without immediately reacting 18:00 – Practicing new responses during difficult interactions 18:32 – When helping others becomes enabling 21:01 – What does it mean to be an empowered woman? 22:50 – A legacy message for the next generation 23:58 – Closing reflections 🎙️ Meet Our Guest: Dr. Alena Čandová Dr. Alena Čandová is a Doctor of Chiropractic, neurocoach specializing in nervous system regulation and subconscious reprogramming, and author of Grace Over Grit: The Neuroscience of Claiming Your Inner Authority. She is the creator of the Grace Over Grit Method, which integrates nervous system regulation, subconscious pattern work, and practical approaches to behavioral transformation. Her work helps individuals explore the deeper patterns influencing their relationships, decisions, emotional responses, and connection with themselves. 🎁 Free Resource From Dr. Alena Discover Your Inner Architecture Are subconscious patterns influencing how you respond to stress, boundaries, relationships, and your own needs? Explore Dr. Alena's Inner Architecture Assessment as a starting point for reflecting on those patterns. 👉 Take the Assessment: https://www.sattvaintegralhealth.com/assessment/ Explore Dr. Alena's Programs, Book & Resources: https://www.sattvaintegralhealth.com/ 💗 Continue Your EmpowerHer Journey With Anita Understanding your people-pleasing patterns is just the beginning. Here are resources to help you continue exploring your identity, boundaries, and emotional well-being. ✨ What Kind of People Pleaser Are You? Are you the fixer, the peacekeeper, or the woman who feels responsible for everyone else's happiness? Discover more about your people-pleasing tendencies with my quiz. 👉 Take the Quiz: https://www.anitasandoval.com/people-pleaser-quiz ☕ Therapist Tea — Things I Notice in Therapy Join me for reflections on people-pleasing, boundaries, relationships, trauma, and the patterns that keep women disconnected from themselves. Explore my newsletter and EmpowerHer resources: 👉 https://www.anitasandoval.com/empowerher/links 🌸 The Confidence Reset Ready to reconnect with yourself and begin rebuilding your confidence? Explore my free Confidence Reset resource. 👉 https://www.anitasandoval.com/the-confidence-reset 💕 Join the EmpowerHer Community Connect with women learning to break people-pleasing patterns, rediscover their identity, and develop healthier boundaries. Find the community and additional resources: 👉 https://www.anitasandoval.com/empowerher/links 🎧 Missed Part 1? Start Here! Why You Keep People-Pleasing Even When You Know Better | Part 1 Discover why people-pleasing patterns develop, how subconscious conditioning influences behavior, and why knowing better doesn't always mean doing differently. ▶️ Watch Part 1 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VGzjV3TDlDQ 🎧 Listen to Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1737983/episodes/20044948-why-you-keep-people-pleasing-even-when-you-know-better-part-1.mp3?download=true 🎙️ Listen, Subscribe & Share Enjoyed this conversation? Follow Empowering Women in Conversations on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss future episodes about relationships, emotional healing, trauma, boundaries, neurodivergence, and women's empowerment. 🎧 Find Your Favorite Listening Platform: https://www.anitasandoval.com/podcast-directories 💗 Share this episode with a woman who is learning that her needs matter, too. ⭐ Leave a rating or review to help more women discover these conversations. 💬 Let's Keep the Conversation Going! What's harder for you: saying NO, dealing with the guilt afterward, or worrying about how someone will react? Remember, you can be loving, compassionate, and supportive without losing yourself. We are brave. We are strong. We are compassionate. We are women empowered. With love, Anita Sandoval, MA, LPC-S Host, Empowering Women in Conversations EmpowerHer Pathways LLC

    Why Is It So Hard to Put Yourself First? (And How to Change That) | Part 2

  2. 2d ago

    Why You Keep People-Pleasing Even When You Know Better | Part 1

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! You know you're people-pleasing. You recognize the patterns. You've probably told yourself a hundred times that you're going to stop. So why do you keep doing it? What if people-pleasing isn't simply a bad habit or a personality trait, but a protective response your nervous system learned long ago? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Empowering Women in Conversations, I sit down with Dr. Alena Čandová, author of Grace Over Grit: The Neuroscience of Claiming Your Inner Authority and creator of the Grace Over Grit Method. Together, we explore the hidden survival patterns behind people-pleasing, how subconscious conditioning influences our behaviors, and why awareness alone doesn't always create lasting change. We also discuss how women can become disconnected from their authentic needs while trying to be responsible, successful, loving, and everything everyone else expects them to be. In This Episode, We Explore: Why people-pleasing can become an automatic protective response.How early conditioning and chronic stress can influence our subconscious patterns.Why knowing better doesn't necessarily mean doing better.The connection between the nervous system, emotional responses, and behavior.Why willpower, discipline, and positive thinking may not be enough to change deeply learned patterns.How being the strong, dependable woman can sometimes come at the expense of your own needs.Why self-compassion matters when recognizing behaviors you want to change.The difference between understanding a pattern and actually transforming it.Here's something to consider: What if the part of you that keeps saying yes, avoiding conflict, or putting everyone else first isn't trying to sabotage you—but learned that these behaviors helped keep you safe? Understanding where these patterns come from can be the beginning of choosing something different. Meet Our Guest: Dr. Alena Čandová Dr. Alena Čandová is a Doctor of Chiropractic, neurocoach specializing in nervous system regulation and subconscious reprogramming, and creator of the Grace Over Grit Method. Her work integrates neuroscience, somatic approaches, and behavioral transformation to help individuals recognize and work with subconscious patterns that influence their relationships, decisions, and sense of self. She is also the author of Grace Over Grit: The Neuroscience of Claiming Your Inner Authority. Connect with Dr. Alena Čandová Free Inner Architecture Assessment: https://www.sattvaintegralhealth.com/assessment/ Official Website and Programs: https://www.sattvaintegralhealth.com/ Book: Grace Over Grit: The Neuroscience of Claiming Your Inner Authority — available through her website. Coming Up in Part 2 Why Is It So Hard to Put Yourself First? (And How to Change That) Now that we understand why these patterns develop, how do we actually begin changing them? In Part 2, we explore inner authority, nervous system regulation, practical steps for changing people-pleasing behaviors, and how to start honoring your needs without being controlled by guilt. Keep the Conversation Going If this conversation resonates with you, share it with a woman who is tired of putting everyone else first and is ready to reconnect with herself. Subscribe to Empowering Women in Conversations so you don't miss Part 2! We are brave. We are strong. We are compassionate. We are women empowered. Hosted by Anita Sandoval, MA, LPC-S. Continue Your EmpowerHer Journey 💗 Understanding why you people-please is the beginning. Now it's time to get curious about your own patterns and start reconnecting with yourself. 💗 What Kind of People Pleaser Are You? Do you struggle with saying no, feel responsible for other people's emotions, or find yourself constantly putting everyone else first? Take my People-Pleaser Quiz and start identifying the patterns that may be keeping you stuck. https://www.anitasandoval.com/people-pleaser-quiz ☕ Therapist Tea — Things I Notice in Therapy Join me for reflections on people-pleasing, boundaries, relationships, emotional healing, and the patterns I notice in my work as a therapist. Explore my newsletter and resources through my EmpowerHer page: https://www.anitasandoval.com/empowerher/links ✨ Free Confidence Reset Ready to start rebuilding trust in yourself? Explore my free Confidence Reset resource and begin taking small steps toward choosing yourself. https://www.anitasandoval.com/the-confidence-reset 🌸 Join the Women Empowered Community Healing doesn't have to happen in isolation. Connect with other women learning to set boundaries, rediscover themselves, and move beyond people-pleasing. Find my community and other EmpowerHer resources here: https://www.anitasandoval.com/empowerher/links 🎙️ More Empowering Women in Conversations Explore more episodes about relationships, trauma, neurodivergence, boundaries, and women's empowerment. https://www.anitasandoval.com/podcast-directories

    Why You Keep People-Pleasing Even When You Know Better | Part 1

  3. Oct 24

    Who Are You When You’re No Longer Saving Everyone? Rebuilding Identity & Self-Trust with Janna Holterman | Part 2

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! Who are you beyond being the wife, caregiver, helper, and person everyone depends on? When you’ve spent years meeting everyone else’s needs, knowing what you want can feel unfamiliar. Where do you begin when the life you planned changes—and the roles that once defined you no longer fit? In Part 2, Anita Sandoval, LPC-S, continues her conversation with Janna Holterman, RN, BNSc, Coach, about rebuilding identity after loss and learning to make choices that reflect your own values. Janna shares how she began questioning society’s expectations, discovering what she wanted, and developing compassion for the woman who helped her survive. Together, we explore emotional processing, body awareness, self-criticism, and rebuilding self-trust after years of putting others first. IN THIS EPISODE • Discovering who you are beyond your relationships and responsibilities • Recognizing the difference between checking society’s boxes and living a life you want • Starting with what you don’t want when you don’t yet know what you do • Honoring your past self while making room for change • Beginning to notice emotions through everyday experiences • Janna’s perspective on intuition, anxiety, and reconnecting with yourself • Questioning the inner critic and practicing kinder self-talk • Building self-trust through small, intentional choices You don’t need to have your entire future figured out to begin asking: “What matters to me now?” 🎧 START WITH PART 1 Hear the beginning of Janna’s story in Episode 44: “You Can’t Save Someone by Losing Yourself: Suicide Loss, Caregiver Burnout & People-Pleasing.” You Can’t Save Someone by Losing Yourself: Suicide Loss, Caregiver Burnout & People-Pleasing with Janna Holterman | Part 1 ABOUT JANNA HOLTERMAN Janna Holterman, RN, BNSc, is a Cardiac ICU nurse, coach, mentor, trained intuitive, and founder of Janna Holterman Coaching LLC. Her coaching draws on nervous-system education, emotional processing, intuition, and her personal experiences with grief and rebuilding her life. CONNECT WITH JANNA Want to explore Janna’s work or take a next step? Visit her resource page for tools, trainings, and information about her coaching. Explore Janna’s Resources Visit Janna’s Website Follow Janna on Instagram Connect on Facebook Subscribe to Janna’s YouTube Channel You can also find her podcast, “Unlocking Your More with Janna Holterman,” on your preferred podcast app. KEEP CONNECTING WITH ANITA If you’re learning to stop people-pleasing, rebuild self-trust, and create healthier relationships, stay connected beyond this episode. 💜 JOIN THE WOMEN EMPOWERED FREE COMMUNITY Connect with women who are also learning to reclaim their voices, honor their needs, and live authentically. Join the Community 📱 FOLLOW ANITA Instagram Facebook YouTube: Empowering Women in Conversations ☕ SUBSCRIBE TO THERAPIST TEA Receive therapist insights, reflections on relationship patterns, and support for practicing boundaries and self-compassion. Subscribe to Therapist Tea 🌿 TIRED OF FEELING TIRED? Explore what may be contributing to your emotional exhaustion with the free “Why Am I So Tired?” checklist. Get the Free Checklist 🎙️ FOLLOW THE PODCAST Follow Empowering Women in Conversations in your favorite podcast app. If this conversation resonated, share it with a woman who is rediscovering herself—and leave a rating or review to help others find the show. Explore More Episodes and Listening Platforms A QUESTION TO TAKE WITH YOU If you weren’t making every decision around what everyone else needed, what would you want for yourself? We are brave. We are kind. We are compassionate. We are Women Empowered. 💜 CONTENT NOTE This conversation includes references to suicide loss, grief, and trauma. Please listen at your own pace. This episode shares personal experiences and perspectives for educational purposes. Coaching and intuitive practices do not replace individualized medical or mental-health care. 🎁 FREE RESOURCE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Regulated AF for Ambitious Women — Janna’s Free 50-Minute Training You’re accomplishing things and showing up for everyone—but still feel depleted, numb, or disconnected from yourself. Want to explore the ideas Janna shared in this conversation? Her training introduces her approach to nervous-system awareness and emotional overwhelm, along with a guided practice she calls “energy recovery.” Get free, instant access to Regulated AF for Ambitious Women Enter your name and email on Janna’s page to receive access.

    Who Are You When You’re No Longer Saving Everyone? Rebuilding Identity & Self-Trust with Janna Holterman | Part 2

  4. Sep 22

    You Can’t Save Someone by Losing Yourself: Suicide Loss, Caregiver Burnout & People-Pleasing with Janna Holterman | Part 1

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! What happens when loving and caring for someone slowly causes you to disappear from your own life? In this deeply personal episode of Empowering Women in Conversations, Anita Sandoval, LPC, sits down with Janna Holterman, RN, BNSc—Cardiac ICU nurse, coach, mentor, trained intuitive, and founder of Janna Holterman Coaching LLC. Janna vulnerably shares the mental-health decline and suicide loss of her husband, the exhaustion of becoming both his wife and caregiver, and the guilt that can remain when love, support, treatment, and doing everything you know to do still cannot control the outcome. This conversation is also for the woman who keeps believing: • If I love them enough, I can save them. • If I stop taking care of everything, it will all fall apart. • If someone I love is struggling, it must be my responsibility to fix it. • Caring for myself means I am abandoning them. • I should still be able to function even when my emotional battery is empty. Janna reminds us that loving someone does not give us complete control over their mental illness, healing, decisions, or capacity—and that caregivers need care too. IN THIS EPISODE: • The changes Janna noticed in her husband’s mental health • The many ways they sought professional and family support • Why warning signs are not always visible or recognizable • Survivor guilt after losing a loved one to suicide • How to support someone grieving a suicide loss • Why women feel responsible for saving everyone • The relationship between people-pleasing and caregiver burnout • Janna’s “dead phone battery” analogy for emotional capacity • Caring for yourself without feeling like you are abandoning someone • Why you cannot rescue or heal another adult by losing yourself CONTENT NOTICE AND SUPPORT This episode includes a non-graphic discussion of mental illness, suicide, grief, and suicide loss. Please care for yourself while listening. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or a mental-health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services. BUT WAIT—THERE’S MORE Janna’s story does not end with losing herself. Join us next week for Part 2: “Who Are You When You’re No Longer Saving Everyone? Rebuilding Identity and Self-Trust.” In Part 2, we’ll discuss rebuilding your identity beyond the roles of wife, caregiver, nurse, and the person everyone depends on. We’ll also explore emotional processing, nervous-system regulation, reconnecting with your body, intuition, self-kindness, and learning to trust yourself again. ABOUT JANNA HOLTERMAN Janna Holterman, RN, BNSc, is a Cardiac ICU nurse, coach, mentor, trained intuitive, and founder of Janna Holterman Coaching LLC. Janna combines neuroscience, nervous-system regulation, emotional processing, and intuition to help women create sustainable success without sacrificing themselves in the process. Drawing from her professional background and personal experiences with trauma, grief, and healing, she teaches women how to reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel authentic, fulfilling, and genuinely their own. CONNECT WITH JANNA Website and Resources: https://www.jannaholterman.com/link-page Website: https://www.jannaholterman.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jannaholterman/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jannaholterman/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jannaholterman KEEP LISTENING If this episode made you recognize how much you have been carrying in your relationships, continue with these conversations: Why Am I So Tired? The Hidden Burnout of People-Pleasing with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 1 Why Do I Feel Guilty Saying No? Breaking the People-Pleasing Cycle with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 2 Are You Fighting for Your Marriage—or Abandoning Yourself? with Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi | Part 1 Why You’ve Lost the Spark: Emotional Safety Comes Before Intimacy with Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi | Part 2 Explore all episodes and choose your preferred listening platform: https://www.anitasandoval.com/podcast-directories ARE YOU TIRED OF CARRYING EVERYTHING? Download the free “Why Am I So Tired?” checklist and begin identifying what may be leaving you exhausted, overwhelmed, and carrying too much: https://www.anitasandoval.com/why-am-i-so-tired-subscribe JOIN THERAPIST TEA Subscribe to Therapist Tea: Things I Notice in Therapy for weekly therapist insights, relationship patterns, boundary support, healing conversations, and honest guidance for women learning to stop people-pleasing and start living authentically: https://www.anitasandoval.com/newsletters/therapist-tea-things-i-notice-in-therapy/subscribe QUESTION FOR YOU Have you ever confused loving someone with being responsible for saving them? Share your biggest takeaway from this episode and send it to a woman who needs the reminder that caring for herself does not mean she has stopped caring about the people she loves. We are brave. We are kind. We are compassionate. We are Women Empowered. 💗

    You Can’t Save Someone by Losing Yourself: Suicide Loss, Caregiver Burnout & People-Pleasing with Janna Holterman | Part 1

  5. Sep 18

    Why Do I Feel Guilty Saying No? Breaking the People-Pleasing Cycle with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 2

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! Why can saying no feel so uncomfortable—even when you know you’re overwhelmed? Why does setting a boundary sometimes leave you feeling guilty, selfish, or responsible for someone else’s disappointment? In Part 2 of my conversation with emotional intelligence expert Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez, we continue exploring the HEART in Mind model and take the conversation deeper into people-pleasing, boundary guilt, emotional awareness, relationships, and reconnecting with yourself. For so many women, people-pleasing doesn’t look like weakness. It can look like being dependable, caring, productive, and always being the person everyone can count on. But underneath all that giving, you may be exhausted, resentful, disconnected from your own needs—or afraid of what will happen if you finally say no. In this episode, we explore why your emotions are not the enemy, how emotional intelligence can help create space between what you feel and how you respond, and why learning to listen to yourself matters when you’re breaking the people-pleasing cycle. 💗 Because choosing yourself doesn’t mean you stop caring about other people. It means you finally include yourself in the care you so freely give everyone else. 🎧 Haven’t listened to Part 1 yet? Start with Episode 42: Why Am I So Tired? The Hidden Burnout of People-Pleasing with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 1. In Part 1, Dr. Lorea shares her personal experience with burnout, the warning signs she initially missed, why pushing through isn’t always the answer, and how emotions can become valuable information rather than something we need to suppress. Then come right back here for Part 2. 💕 Make It an EmpowerHer Binge Weekend If this conversation has you thinking about the ways you’ve been overgiving, losing yourself, or trying to keep a relationship together at your own expense, keep listening. Go back to my two-part conversation with Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi: 🎙️ Are You Fighting for Your Marriage—or Abandoning Yourself? | Part 1 🎙️ Why You’ve Lost the Spark: Emotional Safety Comes Before Intimacy | Part 2 Together, these recent conversations explore a bigger question at the heart of Empowering Women in Conversations: How do I love other people without continuing to lose myself? Find Empowering Women in Conversations on your favorite podcast platform here: Choose where you want to listen ☕ Want the Inside Scoop + Free Resources? Join Therapist Tea: Things I Notice in Therapy for conversations and insights that go beyond the podcast, plus access to free resources including the Confidence Reset and Why Am I So Tired? worksheets. Join Therapist Tea + Get the Free Resources 💗 Connect With Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez is an emotional intelligence expert, educator, author, and creator of the HEART in Mind model. Her work combines emotional intelligence, neuroscience, mindfulness, and her own experience with burnout to help people move beyond survival mode and cultivate greater well-being and purpose. Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez's Website Instagram — Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez Facebook — Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez LinkedIn — Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez Take the Living with the HEART in Mind Self-Assessment 📚 Featured Book: Living with the HEART in Mind: A Practical Guide to Healing from Burnout and Cultivating Purpose 💬 Question for you: When you imagine saying no without explaining, apologizing, or fixing the other person’s feelings afterward—what comes up for you? We are brave. We are kind. We are compassionate. We are Women Empowered. 💗

    Why Do I Feel Guilty Saying No? Breaking the People-Pleasing Cycle with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 2

  6. Sep 8

    Why Am I So Tired? The Hidden Burnout of People-Pleasing with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 1

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! You’re getting enough sleep. You’re still showing up for work, your family, and everyone who depends on you. From the outside, you may even look like you have everything together. So why are you so tired? In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, Anita Sandoval, LPC-S, sits down with emotional intelligence expert, author, and educator Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez to explore the hidden signs of burnout—and why women who are used to pushing through, taking care of others, and ignoring their own emotional needs may not recognize burnout until their bodies and emotions demand their attention. Lorea shares her own deeply personal wake-up call: while taking a simple walk with a colleague, the thought of adding one more thing to her already-full life became so overwhelming that she began crying and couldn’t stop. That moment forced her to ask what was happening underneath the exhaustion.  Together, Anita and Lorea explore what burnout can actually look like—including losing joy in things you once loved, waking up exhausted even after sleeping, continuing to perform despite depletion, and giving everyone else compassion while struggling to offer that same kindness to yourself.   They also unpack an important question for recovering people-pleasers: What happens when you become so good at noticing everyone else’s emotions that you stop listening to your own? Lorea introduces her research-based HEART in Mind® framework and explains why emotions aren’t problems we need to eliminate—they’re information. For women who have learned to suppress anger, resentment, frustration, or exhaustion to avoid disappointing others, learning to honor those emotions can become an important step toward breaking old patterns.   And suppressing those feelings doesn’t necessarily make them disappear. Lorea explains how unprocessed emotions can eventually show up through irritability, snapping, emotional overwhelm, and behaviors that affect both ourselves and the people around us.  💗 In Part 1, you'll hear about:  The warning signs of burnout that are easy to dismiss  Why you can sleep and still wake up feeling exhausted  Why losing your joy can be an early warning sign  The difference between self-care and self-compassion Why high-achieving women may recognize burnout in others before themselves  How people-pleasing can disconnect you from your emotions  What happens when anger, resentment, and exhaustion are continually suppressed  How emotions first communicate through the body  Lorea's HEART in Mind® framework Why you need to include yourself in your circle of care Practical ways to recognize emotions before they continue increasing in intensity 🎧 About Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez is an emotional intelligence expert, educator, and award-winning creator of HEART in Mind®, a research-based approach designed to help people understand their emotions, manage stress, strengthen relationships, and reconnect with purpose. Her new book, Living with the HEART in Mind: A Practical Guide to Healing from Burnout and Cultivating Purpose, combines emotional intelligence, neuroscience, mindfulness, practical tools, and her own experience with burnout to help overwhelmed professionals move beyond survival mode and build healthier, more fulfilling lives. Dr. Martínez has more than two decades of experience in human development and capacity building and has trained adults internationally. 💗 Connect with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez 🌐 Visit Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez's website 📖 Learn about Living with the HEART in Mind 💗 Take the FREE Living with the HEART in Mind Self-Assessment 📸 Follow Dr. Lorea on Instagram 💼 Connect with Dr. Lorea on LinkedIn 💙 Follow Dr. Lorea on Facebook ✨ Continue Your EmpowerHer Journey If this episode has you wondering whether your exhaustion is about more than simply needing more sleep, these free resources are a great place to begin. 😴 Get “Why Am I So Tired?” + Join Anita's Mailing List 💜 Take the FREE People-Pleaser Quiz: Where Are You on the Pathway? ☕ Join Therapist Tea: Things I Notice in Therapy Therapist Tea brings you real-life insights about people-pleasing, boundaries, relationships, emotional exhaustion, and the patterns Anita notices in the therapy room. 🎙️ Coming in Part 2 Why Do I Feel Guilty Saying No? Breaking the People-Pleasing Cycle In Part 2, Anita and Lorea take the conversation further into boundary guilt, saying no, over-caretaking, feeling responsible for other people's emotions, the need to be needed, and reconnecting with your own purpose. As Lorea reminds us: You can care deeply about someone without carrying responsibility for their happiness. She explains that we can be a positive presence in other people's lives while recognizing that we cannot be responsible for everyone's emotions.  Follow Empowering Women in Conversations with Anita Sandoval, LPC-S so you don't miss Part 2. Real Conversations | Expert Insights | A Stronger You

    Why Am I So Tired? The Hidden Burnout of People-Pleasing with Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez | Part 1

  7. Sep 1

    Why You’ve Lost the Spark: Emotional Safety Comes Before Intimacy | Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi — Part 2

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! What if losing the spark in your marriage isn’t actually an intimacy problem? You may still love your partner. You may want the relationship to work. You may even be trying harder than ever—communicating more, doing more, giving more, and keeping everything together. But what if you’re trying to rebuild intimacy before rebuilding emotional safety? In Part 2 of my conversation with marriage coach Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi, Kam introduces her Marriage Baseball System, a simple analogy for understanding why couples can’t skip the foundational stages of connection and expect intimacy to thrive. According to Kam’s framework, the bases have to be reached in order: ⚾ First Base: Emotional Safety — Can I bring you my feelings, fears, struggles, or needs without being dismissed, invalidated, or immediately met with defensiveness? ⚾ Second Base: Connection — Are we intentionally turning toward one another, or has our relationship become primarily about schedules, responsibilities, children, and logistics? ⚾ Third Base: Emotional Intimacy — Can I trust you enough to be vulnerable? Can we take accountability, practice humility, and allow ourselves to actually be known? ⚾ Home Plate: Physical Intimacy — The physical connection many couples are trying to repair may be difficult to rebuild when the emotional foundation underneath it is missing.     Kam puts it powerfully: “Everybody wants to be loved, but nobody wants to be vulnerable enough to be known.” And this conversation goes even deeper. We talk about how people-pleasing can interfere with intimacy when you say yes while wanting to say no, say you're fine when you're not, hide your real feelings, or become passive-aggressive instead of expressing what you actually need. As Kam explains, when we hide those parts of ourselves, we're asking our partner to fully love someone we're not allowing them to fully know.  We also explore: ❤️ Why a “communication problem” may actually be an emotional safety problem ❤️ Turning toward versus turning away from your partner ❤️ The connection between vulnerability, trust, accountability, and intimacy ❤️ How people-pleasing can cause you to disappear inside your relationship ❤️ The difference between supporting your partner and taking over their responsibilities ❤️ What your children may be learning about love and relationships simply by watching you ❤️ How unspoken expectations can contribute to resentment ❤️ How to recognize when you're doing the hard work of repairing a relationship versus continuing to abandon yourself to keep it together ❤️ Why working on your marriage doesn't have to mean disappearing inside of it Near the end of our conversation, Kam gives an important challenge to women who realize they've lost their voice or identity: “Start looking at where you lost it.” Because being a wife, mother, partner, caregiver, or professional may be part of who you are—but those roles don't have to become your entire identity. As we discuss in the episode: Working on a relationship doesn't have to mean disappearing inside of it.  🎧 Listen to Part 2 Why You’ve Lost the Spark: Emotional Safety Comes Before Intimacy with Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi, Marriage Coach Hosted by Anita Sandoval, LPC-S on Empowering Women in Conversations 💗 About Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi is a marriage coach, founder of Recognizing Potential Coaching, and host of the Married and Connected Podcast. In this conversation, she shares both her professional perspective and personal experiences with marriage, growth, rebuilding, and learning how to create healthier connection. Kam shares in the episode that listeners can find her through Married and Connected and her Recognizing Potential website.  💗 Connect with Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi 🌐 Recognizing Potential Coaching 📸 Instagram — @married.and.connected 🎙️ Married and Connected Podcast — Apple Podcasts ▶️ YouTube — Married & Connected 💙 Facebook Community 💼 LinkedIn — Kameran Thompson Al-Areqi 📧 Email: coaching@recognizingpotential.com Kam is the founder of Recognizing Potential Coaching and host of Married and Connected, where she focuses on helping couples strengthen emotional connection, communication, trust, and intimacy.  🎧 Listen to More Episodes Find Empowering Women in Conversations with Anita Sandoval, LPC-S on your favorite podcast platform: Anita Sandoval — Podcast Directories Honest, healing, and hopeful conversations about relationships, boundaries, people-pleasing, self-worth, and becoming an empowered woman. 🌸 A Final Reminder You can deeply love someone. You can work on your relationship. You can want your marriage to succeed. And you can still have a voice, an identity, boundaries, self-respect, and a relationship with yourself. That is part of becoming an Empowered Woman. Empowered • Resilient • Authentic Empowering Women in Conversations with Anita Sandoval, LPC-S

    Why You’ve Lost the Spark: Emotional Safety Comes Before Intimacy | Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi — Part 2

  8. Aug 24

    Are You Fighting for Your Marriage—or Abandoning Yourself? | Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi — Part 1

    What was your biggest Takeaway from this Episode! I would Love to hear from you! Are You Fighting for Your Marriage—or Abandoning Yourself? | Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi — Part 1What if trying to keep the peace in your marriage is actually creating more resentment? And what if “fighting for your marriage” has slowly turned into losing yourself just to keep everyone else happy? In Part 1 of this raw and honest conversation, Anita Sandoval, LPC-S sits down with marriage coach Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi, host of The Married and Connected Podcast and founder of Recognizing Potential Coaching. Kam brings both professional training and lived experience to this conversation. We talk about marriage, divorce, reconciliation, childhood patterns, people-pleasing, resentment, boundaries, and what happens when one person begins carrying too much of the emotional and practical responsibility in a relationship. 💬 In This Episode We talk about:  Why rebuilding a relationship may require looking at your own patterns first How childhood and generational patterns follow us into our relationships  What happens when you continually say yes when you really want to say no People-pleasing, overfunctioning, and resentment in marriage  Supporting your partner vs. mothering your partner Why you don't have to take responsibility for your partner's emotions  Learning to let another adult handle their own responsibilities  Self-respect, boundaries, and learning to tolerate someone else's discomfort  How to love someone without completely losing yourself And Kam gives us one line you probably won't forget: “If you want me to be your lover, I cannot be your mother.” ⚾ This Conversation Isn't Over... We're stopping Part 1 right before Kam introduces something she teaches couples called her Marriage Baseball System. In Part 2, we're talking about: Emotional Safety → Connection → Emotional Intimacy → Physical Intimacy And we're asking an important question: What if what you think is a communication problem is actually an emotional safety problem? Watch for Part 2 of my conversation with Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi. 🎙️ Meet Kameran “Kam” Al-AreqiKameran Al-Areqi has a BS in Elementary Education and is a marriage coach, host of The Married and Connected Podcast, and founder of Recognizing Potential Coaching. Her training includes Gottman Level 1, Younique Life Design, and SYMBIS. Through her coaching work, Kam helps monogamous couples strengthen their marriages, deepen connection, improve communication, and develop tools for creating the healthy relationships they envision. Connect With Kam 🌐 Recognizing Potential Coaching 📸 Instagram — Married & Connected ▶️ YouTube — Married & Connected 💙 Facebook Community 💼 Connect with Kameran on LinkedIn 💜 Feeling Tired From Carrying Everything?If you're the one who is always doing, fixing, helping, accommodating, keeping the peace, or worrying about everyone else's feelings, you may be carrying more than you realize. Get my FREE Why Am I So Tired? Checklist to start identifying what's leaving you exhausted, overwhelmed, and carrying too much.  💜 Get the FREE Why Am I So Tired? Checklist ☕ Join Me for Therapist TeaWant more conversations like this between podcast episodes? Therapist Tea: Things I Notice in Therapy is my weekly therapist insight straight to your inbox—relationship patterns, healing conversations, people-pleasing, boundaries, and real talk for women learning to stop people-pleasing and start living authentically.  ☕ Subscribe to Therapist Tea: Things I Notice in Therapy 🎧 Keep ListeningWant to continue exploring people-pleasing, relationships, boundaries, self-worth, and healing? You can find Empowering Women in Conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Buzzsprout.  🎙️ Listen to Empowering Women in Conversations Episodes to Listen to Next: 🎙️ The 12 Steps to Reclaim Your Power and Stop People Pleasing 🎙️ Running on Empty: How to Reclaim Your Energy and Stop People Pleasing 🎙️ The Stress of Finding Mr. Right and Getting Rid of Mr. Wrong Hosted by Anita Sandoval, LPC-S Empowering Women in Conversations EmpowerHer Pathways | From People-Pleasing to Personal Power 💜 Empowered • Resilient • Authentic

    Are You Fighting for Your Marriage—or Abandoning Yourself? | Kameran “Kam” Al-Areqi — Part 1
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The Women Empowered Podcast is intended for all women who want to learn, grow, and empower themselves. The podcast covers various topics that can help women in their personal and professional lives, such as entrepreneurship, career growth, leadership, self-care, and personal development. It is suitable for women of all ages, backgrounds, and professions who seek inspiration, motivation, and strategies to achieve their goals.Women Empowered podcast will cover a wide range of topics that empower and inspire women. Some possible lessons or insights that might be shared include: Building confidence and self-esteemWellness and self-care practicesBalancing work, family, and personal lifeThe purpose of having a Women Empowered Podcast could be to empower and uplift women by providing a platform for them to share their stories, experiences, and expertise. It could also serve as a source of inspiration and information for women who aspire to make a positive impact in their lives and communities. Additionally, the podcast could help raise awareness about the issues and challenges that women face in their personal and professional lives and provide solutions and strategies to overcome them.

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