Untethering Shame

Kyira Wackett

New episodes every Sunday! Shame is the fear of not being good enough or worthy of connection and belonging. This silent plague keeps us tethered to the performance, focused on external validation and approval versus internal rooting. It can disrupt every relationship, thought, and experience if left unchecked. And it's time we say enough. Join licensed mental health therapist, Kyira Wackett, in the quest to build insight and take meaningful and intentional actions as we untether ourselves from shame. 

  1. 3d ago

    Shame & Dissociation: Reclaiming Wholeness After Complex Trauma with Kristin Windsor

    What happens when your suffering is real, but nobody around you can see it? In this episode, Kyira sits down with Kristin Windsor, who lived for years with dissociative identity disorder, complex trauma, and symptoms that no one around her could see. By the time she was 24, Kristin had seen over 100 doctors. Her symptoms had been blamed on sin and "spiritual warfare," and it took more than ten years for anyone to suggest suppressed childhood trauma. When she was finally diagnosed with DID, everything she read told her it couldn't be cured, and that the best she could hope for was to barely cope. Together, Kyira and Kristin explore: why invisible does not mean invalid how shame and religious messaging taught her to distrust her own body what DID actually is, beyond the movies and the stigma why talk therapy alone couldn't reach what was stored in her body how she taught herself parts work and treated every symptom as a clue on a "treasure hunt" back to her wholeness the moment her inner child raised her hand and whispered, "I have hope" the idea of an "inner life partner" and how to meet your unmet needs from within Kristin shares how she went on to integrate all 15 parts of herself, and why her advice for anyone just starting out is simple: practice presence and practice self-love, every single day. If you've ever felt like your pain didn't count because no one else could see it, this conversation is for you. More about Kristin: Kristin Windsor teaches people how to reclaim their innate wholeness, restore inner well-being, and create lasting peace, joy, and freedom. Using her own neuroscience-based methods, she self-healed over 100 debilitating health challenges, 20 years of complex trauma, and seven years of amnesia, without external guidance. Kristin's work moves beyond surface symptoms to address the root causes of dis-ease. Through her books, courses, and 1:1 mentorship, she helps others break cycles of trauma and reclaim their authentic, empowered selves. Connect with Kristin: Website: https://www.kristinwindsor.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinsquantumcatalyzers/ Ready to take the next step? Download the FREE handout, "5 Things Shame Resilient People Do Every Day" and start making those daily shifts to break that shame cycle that's keeping you stuck in that negative headspace. https://adversityrising.com/handouts-all?category=Addressing+Shame Book a free 25-minute discovery call to discuss different program options and find the support best fits your needs. https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call Stay Connected: Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and be sure to leave a review to let us know your thoughts on this episode. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untethering-shame/id1691795543 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdqCNF8lI6hq8U2GNQsAJkQ Website: https://adversityrising.com

    Shame & Dissociation: Reclaiming Wholeness After Complex Trauma with Kristin Windsor
  2. Oct 25

    Shame & Anxious Attachment: Learning to Feel Safe in Love with Valerie Rubin

    Why do so many people feel trapped in cycles of overthinking, people-pleasing, reassurance-seeking, and fear of abandonment, even when they logically know better? In this episode, Kyira sits down with trauma-informed somatic relationship coach Valerie Rubin to unpack the deep connection between shame and anxious attachment. Together, they explore how anxious attachment develops, why it impacts so many high-functioning adults, and how relationship anxiety is often rooted in nervous-system survival rather than weakness or "neediness." This conversation goes beyond surface-level attachment theory to examine: • The shame driving anxious attachment patterns• Self-abandonment in relationships• Anxious and avoidant relationship dynamics• The myth of complete independence• How trauma impacts emotional safety• Why healing requires both self-awareness and safe connection Kyira and Valerie also discuss what true healing looks like through somatic work, self-compassion, inner-child healing, and nervous-system regulation, helping listeners move from survival mode into relationships rooted in security, honesty, and self-trust. If you've ever felt like you were "too much," emotionally exhausted from overthinking relationships, or constantly trying to earn love and reassurance, this episode will help you understand why and remind you that healing is possible. MORE ABOUT VALERIE Valerie Rubin is a trauma-informed somatic relationship and anxious-attachment coach and the host of The Anxiety Recovery Podcast, a top 10% video podcast on Spotify. She helps people heal anxious attachment, relationship anxiety, and fear of abandonment by working with the nervous system rather than just the mind. Valerie blends somatic tools, inner-child work, and attachment theory to help clients feel safe in love without overthinking, chasing, or self-abandoning. She has been featured on numerous podcasts and works with clients worldwide while living a digital-nomad lifestyle. Her work centers on turning anxiety into security and relationships into places of safety rather than survival. CONNECT WITH VALERIE Podcast Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/show/1UZDfyhUZgAGIdlEv5VP85 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healwithval Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/423037886087059 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerierubin/ Website: https://stan.store/healwithval READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP? Download the FREE handout, "5 Things Shame Resilient People Do Every Day," and start making those daily shifts to break the shame cycle that's keeping you stuck in a negative headspace. https://adversityrising.com/handouts-all?category=Addressing+Shame Book a free 25-minute discovery call to discuss different program options and find the support that best fits your needs. https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call STAY CONNECTED Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and be sure to leave a review to let us know your thoughts on this episode. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untethering-shame/id1691795543 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdqCNF8lI6hq8U2GNQsAJkQ Website: https://adversityrising.com

    Shame & Anxious Attachment: Learning to Feel Safe in Love with Valerie Rubin
  3. Oct 18

    Shame & Overcontrol: When Control Feels Like Safety with Dr. Samantha Turetsky (Part 1)

    Is wanting control actually a problem, or is it the rigidity around it? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Samantha "Sami" Turetsky joins Kyira to explore overcontrol and Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT), a treatment designed for people who hold their emotions in too tightly rather than letting them spill out. Kyira steps into the role of both interviewer and subject as they unpack how overcontrol can be wired in from birth and hardened by life experience, why it often hides behind traits our culture rewards, and how it can quietly lead to loneliness and disconnection. Sami explains the two subtypes of overcontrol: overly agreeable people-pleasers and overly disagreeable "need to be right" folks. They explore why we're never as good at masking our feelings as we think we are, and how shame's urge to hide keeps people stuck. Through real-life examples, including a family vacation itinerary, a ripped box of playing cards, and a toddler's nap schedule during COVID, they explore fixed versus fatalistic mind, why rumination feels like problem-solving but isn't, and the practice of self-inquiry. Sami closes with a quick, body-based skill called the "Big Three Plus One" that you can use anywhere to help shift your nervous system out of threat mode. MORE ABOUT DR. SAMI Dr. Samantha Turetsky is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than a decade of experience specializing in eating disorders, perfectionism, and overcontrol. She particularly loves working with high achievers who look like they have it all together but feel unfulfilled and disconnected. She is Level 2 trained in RO DBT and runs a fully virtual practice, licensed in Washington and all 43 PSYPACT states, where she also leads an RO DBT skills class. CONNECT WITH DR. SAMI Website: https://www.therapywithdrsami.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsamanthaturetsky READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP? Download the FREE handout, "5 Things Shame Resilient People Do Every Day," and start making daily shifts to break the shame cycle that's keeping you stuck in a negative headspace. https://adversityrising.com/handouts-all?category=Addressing+Shame Book a free 25-minute discovery call to discuss different program options and find the support that best fits your needs. https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call STAY CONNECTED Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave a review to let us know your thoughts on this episode. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untethering-shame/id1691795543 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdqCNF8lI6hq8U2GNQsAJkQ Website: https://adversityrising.com

    Shame & Overcontrol: When Control Feels Like Safety with Dr. Samantha Turetsky (Part 1)
  4. Oct 11

    Shame & Anxiety: Why We'd Rather Worry Than Feel with Chelsea Horton

    What if your anxiety isn't the real problem? In this episode, somatic coach and Healing Embodied founder Chelsea Horton joins Kyira to unpack anxiety as a secondary emotion: the thing we feel when we're afraid of feeling something deeper, like rejection, loss, embarrassment, or shame. Together, they explore why anxiety can feel safer than the feelings underneath it, how to tell the difference between normal human nervousness and anxiety that's disproportionate to the moment, and why one small comment can hit like a level ten when it "opens a door" to an old, unresolved story. Chelsea introduces her "shame sandwich" (shame about having anxiety on top, the anxiety itself in the middle, and the core fear of being fundamentally broken on the bottom). Both women also get personal about parentification, emotional caretaking, money, and the deep discomfort of being cared for without having to earn it. From a puppy-training binder to a loaf of bread that refused to rise, this conversation shows how conditional worth quietly shapes our relationships, and why saying the shame story out loud creates the space we need to finally question it. MORE ABOUT CHELSEA Chelsea Horton is a somatic coach, educator, and founder of Healing Embodied, where she trains wellness professionals and leaders to integrate somatics, creativity, and emotional healing into their work. After experiencing shame and overwhelming anxiety that fueled self-doubt and overthinking, Chelsea discovered who she was beyond those patterns through her own embodied healing. Today, she helps others explore how embodiment can support their journey toward freedom from anxiety, fear, and shame. CONNECT WITH CHELSEA Website: https://www.healingembodied.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healing.embodied TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healing.embodied YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingembodied FREE RESOURCE: 5 THINGS SHAME-RESILIENT PEOPLE DO EVERY DAY Download the free handout and start making daily shifts to break the shame cycle that's keeping you stuck in a negative headspace. https://adversityrising.com/handouts-all?category=Addressing+Shame READY FOR MORE SUPPORT? Book a free 25-minute discovery call to discuss program options and find the support that best fits your needs. https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call STAY CONNECTED WITH UNTETHERING SHAME Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave a review to share your thoughts on this episode. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untethering-shame/id1691795543 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdqCNF8lI6hq8U2GNQsAJkQ Website: https://adversityrising.com

    Shame & Anxiety: Why We'd Rather Worry Than Feel with Chelsea Horton
  5. Oct 4

    Shame and Forbidden Curiosity: What It Really Means to Be Fully Seen with Mistress Mia

    Mistress Mia is back, and this conversation goes somewhere the first one didn't. Mia is a Transformative Life Coach, Certified Therapeutic BDSM Practitioner, and Sacred Kink & Intimacy Coach. She is also a founding member of the Kink Professional Standards Alliance and the creator of The ARC Protocol™, a self-development program built around embodiment, resilience, and intentional BDSM. In her first episode, we explored the psychology of power exchange, the Gateway Theory of pain, and how a truly non-judgmental space can unlock healing that more traditional approaches sometimes can't reach. This episode goes deeper into the shame that brings people to Mia's work. Mia talks about people carrying profound shame around their bodies, desires, curiosities, and even their need for penance—the feeling that they have done something wrong and somehow need to pay for it. For many people, especially those from religious or conservative backgrounds, certain parts of themselves were never safe to acknowledge. They learned to hide—not just from the world, but from themselves. And hiding doesn't neutralize shame. It can feed it. In this conversation, Mia and Kyira explore: • How shame rooted in desire and identity shows up in relationships• The impact of religious and cultural shame• Why hiding parts of yourself can make shame grow• The everyday ways we secretly punish ourselves• The difference between healthy and harmful pain• Why Mia sees shame as a core belief rather than simply an emotion• What happens when we stop hiding the parts of ourselves we've been taught to be ashamed of Whether you've lived with this kind of shame for years, you're a clinician trying to better understand how it operates in your clients, or you've ever felt like part of who you are isn't safe to show, this episode is for you. MORE ABOUT MIA Mistress Mia is a Transformative Life Coach, Certified Therapeutic BDSM Practitioner, and Sacred Kink & Intimacy Coach who helps people step into their power, release shame, and claim lives that feel bold, authentic, and deeply their own. Through The ARC Protocol™, sessions, workshops, writings, and coaching, Mistress Mia offers a grounded yet daring path to confidence, courage, and self-acceptance. CONNECT WITH MIA Website: https://thenestontario.comTikTok: @mistressmiapayneInstagram: @callmemistressmiaTelegram: @mistressmiapayneEmail: MistressMia@paynewithpurpose.com RESOURCES Free handout: "5 Things Shame Resilient People Do Every Day"https://adversityrising.com/handouts-all?category=Addressing+Shame Book a free 25-minute discovery call:https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call Episode 1 with Mistress Mia:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaPZmQcEiyk STAY CONNECTED Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untethering-shame/id1691795543YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdqCNF8lI6hq8U2GNQsAJkQWebsite: https://adversityrising.comInstagram: @adversityrising

    Shame and Forbidden Curiosity: What It Really Means to Be Fully Seen with Mistress Mia
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About

New episodes every Sunday! Shame is the fear of not being good enough or worthy of connection and belonging. This silent plague keeps us tethered to the performance, focused on external validation and approval versus internal rooting. It can disrupt every relationship, thought, and experience if left unchecked. And it's time we say enough. Join licensed mental health therapist, Kyira Wackett, in the quest to build insight and take meaningful and intentional actions as we untether ourselves from shame. 

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