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

Dr. Stephanie Lopez
  • 5.0 (34)
  • 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. 13H AGO

    Breaking Generational Cycles with Wendy Snyder

    If you’re in the thick of parenting and you know you want to break generational cycles, this conversation is for you. In this episode, I sit down with Wendy Snyder to talk about what it really looks like to parent differently, especially when you’re raising strong-willed kids. We talk about the power struggles, the inherited beliefs many of us grew up with, and the moment you realize nothing is wrong with you or your child, you just need a new toolkit. Wendy shares her story of moving from reactive, punishment-based parenting to compassionate discipline rooted in connection, boundaries, and true respect. In This Episode, We Cover: Why a misbehaving child is communicating, not proving you are a bad parentThe difference between authoritarian, permissive, and firm and kind parentingHow compassionate discipline and strong boundaries can exist togetherConnect with Wendy: Pre-order book:https://learn.freshstartfamilyonline.com/preorder Free resources:https://learn.freshstartfamilyonline.com/strongwilledkids Instagram: @freshstartwendy / https://www.instagram.com/freshstartwendy/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@wendysnyder-freshstartfamily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshstartfamily LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-snyder-freshstartonline ______________________________________ [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

    37 min

  2. FEB 24

    Anxiety Starts in the Body, Not the Mind

    If you’re still trying to think your way out of anxiety, this might be why it hasn’t worked. In this episode, I’m breaking down something that can completely change the way you understand your anxiety. You feel it before you think it. That tight chest, the drop in your stomach, the sudden wave of dread, it starts in the body. And if you’ve been trying to fix it by controlling your thoughts, I want to gently show you why that approach keeps you stuck in management mode. I’m talking about nervous system recalibration, why awareness alone is not enough, and what actually begins to shift the sensitivity setting so you can stop organizing your life around anxiety and start building real internal safety. In This Episode, I Cover: Why anxiety is a nervous system response, not primarily a thinking problemThe smoke alarm analogy and what it means to recalibrate your sensitivity settingThe difference between insight and embodiment, and why starting with the body changes everythingEmail the word ACADEMY for more info 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

    12 min

  3. FEB 17

    Chronic Illness Is a Story We Can Rewrite with Karyn Shanks MD

    What if chronic illness isn’t just something to fix, but a story we’ve been taught to accept as truth? In this conversation, I sit down with Karyn Shanks, MD, to explore what healing really means when we stop treating the body like a broken machine and start listening to the whole person. We talk about disappointment in conventional medicine, the courage it takes to question the stories we’ve been given, and how trauma, fatigue, and even autoimmune symptoms can be invitations back to ourselves. This episode feels like a deep exhale, a reminder that the body is not wrong, and that small, simple shifts can open doors we didn’t know were there. In This Episode, We Cover: - Why the body is never wrong, and symptoms are messages, not mistakes. - How trauma, even small t trauma, shapes chronic illness and survival biology. - The power of small, simple shifts and reclaiming your own story as part of healing. Connect with Karyn: Website: https://www.karynshanksmd.com Books: Unbroken: Reclaim Your Wholeness Heal: A Nine-Stage Roadmap to Recover Energy, Reverse Chronic Illness, and Claim the Potential of a Vibrant New You The Wisdom of COVID-19: How to Rejuvenate, Reclaim Hope, and Heal in the New Post-Pandemic World Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarynShanksMD/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karynshanksmd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karyn-shanks-md-9ba2a520/ ______________________________________ [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

    34 min

  4. FEB 3

    "I Betrayed Myself Before I Learned to Trust My Body" with Theresa Lear Levine

    There’s a specific kind of pain that comes from knowing you didn’t listen to yourself. From saying yes when your body said no, and realizing later that you abandoned your own truth. In this conversation, Theresa Lear Levine and I talk about what self-betrayal actually looks like, and how it slowly disconnects us from our intuition, our bodies, and ourselves. We explore her healing journey through chronic pain, late ADHD diagnosis, nervous system work, EFT tapping, and learning how to stop arguing with reality. This episode is about the quiet shifts that happen when you start listening again, rebuilding self-trust, and understanding that feeling broken does not mean you are broken. In This Episode, I Cover: What self-betrayal really means and how it shows up over time.How the nervous system works, and EFT tapping can shift emotional and physical pain.Why feeling broken does not mean you are broken, and how healing unfolds gradually.Connect with Theresa: Becoming More Me Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/becoming-more-me-community/about  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theresalearlevine/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theresalearlevine  Website: https://theresalearlevine.com  Book a Call: https://gamechangingconversation.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

    30 min

  5. JAN 27

    Why Anxiety Returns Even After You’ve Done the Work

    How many times have you thought you were finally okay, only for anxiety to sneak back in the moment life gets heavy? In this episode, I talk about the quiet defeat that shows up when anxiety returns after you’ve done the therapy, used the tools, and felt real progress. I break down why relief can feel temporary when identity doesn’t shift at the nervous system level, and how so many of us unknowingly return to the same survival version of ourselves under stress. This isn’t about trying harder or fixing yourself. It’s about understanding why your system keeps going back to what once kept you safe. In This Episode, I Cover: Why anxiety coming back does not mean you failed or started over.How identity shapes what your nervous system returns to under pressure.The difference between managing symptoms and actually changing the soil.Sign-up for The Anxiety Relief Experience today! www.brave-method.com/anxiety-relief-experience ______________________________________ [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 min

  6. JAN 20

    Anxiety Came Back! (I Thought I Was Past This)

    You think you’re doing okay, maybe even good, and then it hits. A thought, a sensation, a moment of pressure, and suddenly, anxiety is back. And the part that hurts the most isn’t even the anxiety; it’s the thought, I thought I figured this out. Why is this happening again? In this episode, I’m talking honestly about why anxiety can return even after you’ve done the work, learned the tools, and had moments where things felt clear. I break down why this is not a failure, not a setback, and not proof that nothing changed. This is about how the brain and nervous system actually work, and why starting with the body matters more than forcing mindset shifts. In This Episode, I Cover: Why anxiety can come back under stress, even when you thought you healed.How old nervous system patterns get reinforced and why awareness alone doesn’t change them.What it really takes to build new responses without shaming yourself.Sign-up for The Anxiety Relief Experience today! www.brave-method.com/anxiety-relief-experience ______________________________________ [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 min

  7. JAN 13

    You Can’t Think Your Way Out of Anxiety

    Have you ever felt anxious the moment you woke up, before anything even happened? That racing heart, the spiraling thoughts, the pressure to calm down like everyone else seems to. I know that feeling. And I want you to know, there is nothing wrong with you. In this episode, I’m breaking down why most anxiety tools don’t stick. I’ll show you what’s really happening in your body, why calm can feel unfamiliar, and how your nervous system might be stuck in protection mode even when your mind says everything is fine. This isn’t about thinking differently. It’s about starting in the body. In This Episode, I Cover: Why anxiety begins in the nervous system, not your thoughtsThe hidden reason calm can feel unsafeWhat it really takes to create a new baseline of safety in your bodySign-up for The Anxiety Relief Experience today! www.brave-method.com/anxiety-relief-experience ______________________________________ [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 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    "I Looked Successful, But I Felt Broken" with Megan Caldwell

    Megan Caldwell hit burnout twice. The first time, she left her career in education and moved her young family to start over. The second time, everything looked perfect: she was running a thriving fitness business, had three beautiful kids, and was doing work she loved. But inside, she felt broken. In this conversation, Megan shares what it really looked like to fall apart behind the scenes, and how a single moment with her closest friends became the catalyst for deep, lasting change. Megan is a coach, speaker, and creator of The ROCKSTAR Framework. She has helped hundreds of high-achieving women come home to themselves, and in this episode, she shows us exactly how that journey begins. In This Episode, I Cover: The truth about Megan’s second burnout and the moment she could no longer hide itHow she moved from performance and pressure into alignment and authenticityWhy play, presence, and connection are at the heart of real healingConnect with Megan: www.megancaldwellpdx.com www.instagram.com/megancaldwellpdx ______________________________________ [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

    30 min
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About

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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