Broken to Brave | Guiding you to heal & break free from anxiety

Dr. Stephanie Lopez
  • 5.0 (35)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

On the outside you look like you have it all together. On the inside you feel anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck in survival mode. Broken to BRAVE is where high-achieving women learn they’re not failing and finally find the calm, confidence, and freedom they’ve been craving. I’m Dr. Steph, a former NASA psychologist turned healing coach. In this podcast, I’ll walk with you through the patterns that keep you over-functioning, people-pleasing, and second-guessing yourself, and I’ll show you how to break free. You’ll hear real stories, simple steps, and the brave questions that change everything. You don’t need another set of coping tools. What you need is a way back to yourself. Week by week, I will help you calm your nervous system, build self-trust, and see yourself in a new way….not as failing, not as too much. Instead, as a woman who is capable of peace, presence, and joy.  Follow on Instagram @drstephanielopez

  1. 3d ago

    Choosing Refinement Over Burnout with Kendall Dunn

    There's a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from doing everything right and still watching the ground shift anyway. I sit down with Kendall Dunn, a military spouse, adoptive mom, and author, about the year everything happened at once. An adoption process she was told would take two years moved in ninety days. Her husband deployed the day after their daughter was born. A pandemic hit weeks later. And in the middle of all of it, her newborn needed emergency surgery for what doctors feared was a brain tumor. Underneath the medical crisis, Kendall was also stepping into a reckoning she hadn't been prepared for, adopting and suddenly seeing her own community through a different lens. Kendall talks about a concept from her book, soul friction, the discomfort of two things rubbing against each other, and the choice that friction creates. It can burn a life down, or it can refine it. She talks about learning to pray for capacity instead of praying for her circumstances to change, something she's had to lean on again now that her husband is deploying a second time. It's a conversation about what a hard season makes out of a person, instead of just waiting for the hard season to end. In This Episode, I Cover: The season that moved faster and harder than anything Kendall was prepared for, from a fast-tracked adoption to a medical scare to a reckoning that changed how she saw her own community.The concept of soul friction from her book, and the choice it forces between burning out and being refined.Why she started praying for capacity instead of praying for her circumstances to change, and what that's looked like through a second deployment cycle.Connect with Kendall: Instagram: www.instagram.com/kendallmariah Website: www.kendallmariah.com Purchase Kendall's book here: https://go.shopmy.us/p-52606503 or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc. ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  2. Jul 21

    The Thing You're Trying to Heal Isn't the Real Problem

    I just spent weeks going back through conversations with women who went through BRAVE-cation, and one pattern kept showing up. The problem they thought they had wasn't actually the problem underneath it. They came in naming the same things you probably could: anxious, perfectionist, people pleaser, overthinker. What I kept hearing underneath all of it was self-abandonment, not anxiety. Protective patterns they'd been calling their personality for so long, they couldn't tell the difference between the armor and themselves anymore. In This Episode, I Cover: Why breakthroughs don't always feel dramatic in the moment they happen.The question that changes everything: can I handle this versus do I want this?Why you can't always see the pattern you're standing inside of, even when everyone around you can. Apply for BRAVE-cation today: www.brave-method.com/apply ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  3. Jul 14

    Feeling Broken After a Friendship Falls Apart with Kate Luman

    Losing a friendship can leave you questioning things you thought you already knew about yourself, whether you're likeable, whether you're allowed to take up space, whether the people you love will actually stick around. I'm talking with Kate Luman, founder of The Little Bench Project, woodworker and printer, and operations manager at Alliance Graphics, about the friendships she lost and the belief she carried for years that she had to stay in line and be exactly who people expected in order to keep them. We talk about what BRAVE-cation cracked open in her, the moment she finally let herself be seen as she actually is, and how she rebuilt her trust in herself and in real connection. In This Episode, We Cover: The belief that if she wasn't what people expected, she'd lose them, and where that belief came from.The friendship loss that seemed to confirm everything she was afraid of.What actually rebuilt her trust in herself and in the relationships she has now.Connect with Kate: Website https://www.little-benches.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thelittlebenchproject/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587877611634 Interested in learning more about attending BRAVE-cation? DM the word RETREAT to me on Instagram or Facebook, or email the word RETREAT to admin@brave-method.com Interested in learning more about The Little Bench Project? Check out https://www.little-benches.com ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  4. Jul 7

    Letting Go of the Shame You've Been Carrying with Cassie

    There is a version of you that has been holding something in for so long it stops feeling like holding. It just feels normal. Today I'm talking with Cassie about the shame cycle she carried for years, the people-pleasing that kept it in place, and the moment she finally stopped avoiding the thing she needed to say. We talk about what it looks like to trust a process that isn't showing results yet, and what happens in your body when you keep swallowing your own voice instead of using it. In This Episode, I Cover: The shame cycle Cassie carried and how people-pleasing kept her stuck inside itWhat her body was trying to tell her before she recognized itThe moment she finally said the thing, and what shifted for her afterConnect with Cassie: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coachcasswellness/ Interested in learning more about attending BRAVE-cation? DM the word RETREAT to me on Instagram or Facebook, or email the word RETREAT to admin@brave-method.com ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  5. Jun 30

    Trusting Your Intuition and Releasing the Need for Control with Jenn Markiewicz [PART 2]

    Welcome back to Part 2 of my conversation with Jenn Markiewicz. Last week, we replayed her original interview from two years ago to look back at where her inner work journey began. Today, Jenn is back to share a beautiful, grounded update on what has shifted after three years of dedication to her healing. It is easy to get stuck in a loop of fighting life, constantly searching for the exact "how" and "why" because moving forward without total control feels too unsafe. There is often a deep fear that if the armor comes down, or if the less-than-shiny parts of life are exposed, the people around us will judge us or use it against us. This conversation explores the profound shift that happens when the focus turns inward, allowing heavy, suppressed emotions to finally move through the body in a matter of minutes so that true self-trust can take its place. In This Episode, We Cover: Shifting from a pattern of constant control to deep intuitive surrender  How breaking through a creative block opens the path to deeper healing  The impact of modeling accountability and non-defensive communication within relationships Connect with Jenn: Instagram www.instagram.com/friendjenn LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-markiewicz Interested in learning more about attending BRAVE-cation? DM the word RETREAT to me on Instagram or Facebook, or email the word RETREAT to admin@brave-method.com ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  6. Jun 23

    What It Takes to Let the Armor Down with Jenn Markiewicz [PART 1]

    Two years ago, I sat down with Jenn Marowitz for an incredibly powerful conversation about healing, vulnerability, and what happens when the armor finally comes down. Because of how much growth has happened since that day, this is a special two-part series. This episode is Part 1, where I am replaying that original, profound interview to anchor us in where this journey began.  This conversation explores the reality of anxiety when it is driven by a constant pressure to meet everyone else's expectations and maintain total control. I walk through the deep guilt that often arises when choosing to prioritize personal healing, and the profound emotional release that happens when a safe space is established to let go of old defenses. Next week, in Part 2, a brand-new interview will air to share an update on this ongoing journey of growth.  In This Episode, We Cover: The pattern of using control to manage anxiety and please others What happens during a deep emotional release when true safety is established How reconnecting with the younger self restores self-confidence and self-acceptance Connect with Jenn: Instagram www.instagram.com/friendjenn LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-markiewicz Interested in learning more about attending BRAVE-cation? DM the word RETREAT to me on Instagram or Facebook, or email the word RETREAT to admin@brave-method.com ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  7. Jun 16

    The Dream You Were Told to Give Up with Cassandra Wilcox

    When you were a kid, you probably knew exactly what you wanted to be. And then somewhere along the way, someone told you it wasn't realistic. It wouldn't make money. It wasn't a real job. So you found something more responsible, and the wanting quietly went somewhere you couldn't see it. In this episode, I sit down with Cassandra Wilcox, who spent fifteen years building a tech career while carrying the belief that there was no future in art. We get into what happened when she stopped clinging to the things that weren't right for her out of fear that nothing else was coming, and what it felt like to finally let herself want the thing she wanted at four years old. It's also an honest look at the part nobody really talks about, the grief that shows up when you let go, and how strange it can feel to start receiving good things right when you finally make room for them. In this episode, we cover: Why we cling to what isn't right for us when we're scared nothing else will come.What it looks like to come back to something you wanted long before you were told it wasn't realistic.Why letting good things in can feel as hard as letting other things go.Connect with Cassandra: Website: https://www.cassandrawilcoxart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casswilcoxart/ | https://www.instagram.com/cassandrawilcoxmusic/ You can purchase prints on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CassWilcoxArt or reach out for commissions on her website. Interested in learning more about attending BRAVE-cation? DM the word RETREAT to me on Instagram or Facebook, or email the word RETREAT to admin@brave-method.com ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

  8. Jun 9

    Why You Check in With Fear Before Desire

    There is a question most of us stop asking somewhere along the way. Not "will this make me anxious," but "what do I actually want?" When you have been living with anxiety for a while, fear quietly becomes the thing you check in with first, the point you reference before you make any decision. And without really noticing, your life starts revolving around avoiding discomfort instead of moving toward what you want. In this episode, I talk about how fast that happens and how easily it hides. The desire shows up first, and then comes the "but." I would love to travel, but. I would love to say what I really think, but. Over time, you stop hearing the desire at all and only hear the fear. This is not just a mindset habit; it is a nervous system pattern, which is why awareness alone has not been enough to change it. I share what actually starts to shift when fear stops getting the final vote, and what becomes available to you again when it does. In This Episode, I Cover: How fear slips in before desire even gets a vote, often sounding reasonable or responsible.Why your world keeps getting smaller when safe becomes the deciding factor.What changes when nervous system healing makes new choices feel available again.Interested in learning more about attending BRAVE-cation? DM the word RETREAT to me on Instagram or Facebook, or email the word RETREAT to admin@brave-method.com ______________________________________ [FREE TRAINING] How high-achieving women can DITCH anxiety in as little as five minutes a day www.brave-method.com/anxiety [FREE CALL] Book a free call to ask me questions directly and see if we are a fit for working together. www.bravemethod.com/book [RESULTS] Which of these results do you want and inspire you the most? www.brave-method.com/testimonials 💗 Dr. Steph @DrStephanieLopez www.brave-method.com

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On the outside you look like you have it all together. On the inside you feel anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck in survival mode. Broken to BRAVE is where high-achieving women learn they’re not failing and finally find the calm, confidence, and freedom they’ve been craving. I’m Dr. Steph, a former NASA psychologist turned healing coach. In this podcast, I’ll walk with you through the patterns that keep you over-functioning, people-pleasing, and second-guessing yourself, and I’ll show you how to break free. You’ll hear real stories, simple steps, and the brave questions that change everything. You don’t need another set of coping tools. What you need is a way back to yourself. Week by week, I will help you calm your nervous system, build self-trust, and see yourself in a new way….not as failing, not as too much. Instead, as a woman who is capable of peace, presence, and joy.  Follow on Instagram @drstephanielopez

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