Growing Tall Poppies : Thrive After Trauma

Dr Nat Green
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma is the podcast for anyone ready to heal from trauma, reclaim their power, and step into post-traumatic growth. Hosted by trauma therapist, coach, and author Dr. Natalie (Nat) Green, this empowering podcast blends real-life survivor stories, expert insights, and practical strategies to help you move beyond pain and create a life filled with purpose, resilience, and joy. Each episode dives deep into the psychological and emotional journey of thriving after trauma—exploring identity, values, nervous system healing, resilience, and renewed purpose. You’ll hear how others overcame adversity, plus learn tools you can use to regulate your nervous system, rewire your mindset, and accelerate your growth journey. What You’ll Gain from Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma 🌱 Real Stories of Resilience – Inspiring conversations with survivors who turned trauma into strength and transformation. 🧠 Expert Guidance & Healing Tools – Proven strategies from leading professionals on trauma recovery, nervous system regulation, and mental health. ✨ Empowering Insights – Explore the mindsets, practices, and Trauma Archetypes that unlock post-traumatic growth and freedom. 💡 Psychology Meets Coaching – Innovative approaches that bridge science, therapy, and coaching to fast-track healing and thriving. With over 35 years’ experience and her own lived journey of trauma and growth, Dr. Nat Green—creator of the ABS Method® and Archetypes of Transformation—is dedicated to ending trauma-associated suffering. Through her podcast, bestselling books, and transformative programs, she guides survivors and professionals alike to rediscover their identity, align with their values, and shine brightly beyond adversity. If you’re ready to not just survive trauma but truly thrive after it, this podcast is your roadmap to resilience, healing, and post-traumatic growth.

  1. When Your Body Says ‘Enough’: The Hidden Cost of Being High-Functioning

    5d ago

    When Your Body Says ‘Enough’: The Hidden Cost of Being High-Functioning

    Send us a Message to connect What happens when the life you’ve built… is the very thing making you sick? In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, Dr. Nat Green is joined by Ramah Leith — a former public health professional turned multidimensional healer — who shares her powerful journey from high-achieving burnout and chronic illness to deep healing, alignment, and purpose. After years of pushing, proving, and striving, Ramah’s body reached breaking point — with chronic pain, digestive issues, and autoimmune disease forcing her to confront a truth many high-functioning women avoid: 👉 You can’t outwork what your nervous system is trying to protect you from. This episode explores what happens when you finally stop…  and the identity shifts, emotional release, and deeper healing that follow. ✨ In This Episode, We Explore:  The hidden link between high-functioning perfectionism and chronic illness Why your body forces a stop when you keep pushing through  The identity patterns behind people-pleasing, overworking, and “proving”  What a “dark night of the soul” actually is (and why it’s a turning point)  The moment everything changed: giving yourself permission to stop  Healing beyond the medical model: body, mind, and emotional integration  Why gratitude, presence, and slowing down are powerful nervous system resets  Reconnecting with your body instead of fighting it  The shift from head → heart → deeper inner knowing How adversity becomes the doorway to purpose and post-traumatic growth 🔥 Key Takeaway If you’re constantly pushing, overthinking, and holding everything together… This episode is your reminder: 👉 You’re not failing.  👉 You’re not broken.  👉 Your system is asking for something different. And sometimes… the breakdown is actually the breakthrough. 💫 About Our Guest Ramah Leith is a multidimensional healer, health and nutrition coach, visibility and business mentor, and ascension guide. Blending her background in public health with medical intuition, functional nutrition, and energetic healing, Ramah now helps others reconnect with their bodies, release stored stress, and step into aligned, purposeful lives.  🎁 Free Gift from Ramah Ramah offers a beautiful guided meditation:  “Peace, Connection & Alignment” Chakra Healing Activation— designed to support chakra healing, relaxation, and deeper connection. Here  🔗 Connect with Ramah  Website: Healing Words with RamahFacebook: YouTube:Upcoming Summit Ramah is hosting an incredible event from June 22-26, 2026: The Health, Wealth and Quantum Alignment Summit: Moving the 3D Body into the 5D Flow. You do not want to miss this truly inspirational and transformational free online event. Save your seat here!: https://www.3dbody5dflow.com   If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    47 min
  2. What Alcatraz Taught Me About the Invisible Prison High-Functioning Women Live In

    May 19

    What Alcatraz Taught Me About the Invisible Prison High-Functioning Women Live In

    Send us a Message to connect In this deeply reflective episode of Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma, Dr. Nat Green shares an unexpected insight sparked during a visit to Alcatraz in San Francisco after several weeks travelling through Canada, the Rockies and Alaska. What began as a sightseeing experience quickly became a powerful metaphor for the invisible emotional prisons so many high-functioning women continue living inside long after trauma, chronic stress, adversity, burnout, betrayal, or emotional survival mode has ended. Because sometimes the trauma ends…  …but the nervous system never gets told the danger has passed. In this episode, Dr. Nat explores:  Why high-functioning women often remain stuck in survival mode  The hidden nervous system patterns behind over-functioning, perfectionism, hyper-independence, and emotional exhaustion  How trauma and chronic stress shape identity and create what she calls “identity fractures”  Why mindset work alone often isn’t enough for deep healing  Why successful women can still feel emotionally trapped, disconnected, anxious, exhausted, or unable to fully relax  The difference between surviving and truly living  How awe, presence, nature, spaciousness, and nervous system safety can begin reshaping healing Dr. Nat also shares reflections from her recent travels and how slowing down, spaciousness, connection, and awe can profoundly impact nervous system healing and emotional integration. Because healing is not simply about insight. It’s about finally feeling safe enough to stop bracing against life. Resources & Links ✨ Learn more about Dr. Nat Green’s work around trauma, identity fractures, nervous system healing, and post-traumatic growth. Connect on Instagram or Facebook. 🎙 Subscribe to Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma for weekly conversations helping high-functioning women move beyond survival and into true healing, embodiment, and freedom. 📲 Share this episode with someone who has been carrying the invisible weight of always being “the strong one.” If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    22 min
  3. When Your Nervous System Finally Exhales

    May 12

    When Your Nervous System Finally Exhales

    Send us a Message to connect What happens when you finally stop pushing… and your nervous system gets the space to just be? After making the decision to travel as part of their "celebrating 30 years together" travelling through San Francisco and the breathtaking Canadian Rockies, Dr Nat shares the powerful and unexpected lessons this journey revealed about nervous system regulation, presence, trust, and post-traumatic growth. From awe-inspiring glaciers and frozen lakes to the surreal experience of driverless cars, this episode explores why so many high-functioning women struggle to truly switch off — and what’s actually happening beneath that constant need to keep moving, producing, and staying “on.” If you’ve ever felt like you should be able to relax… but can’t fully get there… this conversation will land deeply. 🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode  Why slowing down can feel uncomfortable (and even unsafe) for high-functioning women  The hidden nervous system patterns behind constant productivity and urgency  How awe and nature support nervous system healing and regulation Why achievement doesn’t create safety (and what actually does)  The connection between trust, control, and trauma patterns How to begin experiencing presence — without forcing it  The subtle difference between “resting” and truly being Why you don’t need to push harder to feel better 💡 A Powerful Reflection You don’t have to earn rest. And you don’t need to keep pushing to prove your worth. Sometimes healing looks less like doing more work…  and more like finally feeling safe enough to experience  presence, connection, joy, and stillness. If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    24 min
  4. When Trust Is Broken: What It Does To Your Nervous System

    May 4

    When Trust Is Broken: What It Does To Your Nervous System

    Send us a Message to connect When trust is broken, your nervous system doesn’t forget — it adapts. In this episode, Dr Nat Green explores what really happens when trust is disrupted — not just emotionally, but physiologically. Because trust isn’t just relational. It’s something your nervous system experiences as safety. And when that safety is compromised, your system adapts in ways you may not even realise. You may find yourself more “on,” more controlling, more self-reliant… without understanding why. 🌿 In this episode, you’ll learn:  Why trust is not just emotional — it’s neurological and physiological How your system registers “this isn’t safe” The subtle signs of nervous system activation after broken trust  Why you may start overthinking, controlling, and holding more The difference between:  👉 “I need to trust more”  👉 vs “My system doesn’t feel safe yet”  How to begin restoring safety without forcing change 🔥 Key Insight: It’s not that you don’t trust. It’s that your system doesn’t feel safe to. 🧠 Notice this:  Are you more “on” than usual?  Are you holding more responsibility?  Are you finding it harder to switch off? Your system may be responding to a perceived loss of safety. 🌿 Gentle ways to support your system:  Slow your breath  Soften your body  Let something be unfinished  Reduce the need to control everything 🔗 Go deeper: Take the Archetypes of Transformation quiz 👉here  If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    15 min
  5. I Thought It Was a Strategy Problem... But It Was a Nervous System Trust Pattern

    Apr 27

    I Thought It Was a Strategy Problem... But It Was a Nervous System Trust Pattern

    Send us a Message to connect What if it’s not a strategy problem… but a safety pattern? In this episode, Dr Nat Green shares a powerful insight from a recent mastermind retreat — a moment that completely reframed what she thought was holding her back. Going in, Nat believed she needed better systems, structure, and processes. What she uncovered instead? A deeper trust pattern rooted in nervous system safety. 🌿 In this episode, we explore:  Why what looks like a strategy problem is often a nervous system issue The hidden reason high-functioning women struggle to delegate, let go, or trust support How control and over-responsibility can be adaptive safety responses  Why patterns don’t simply disappear — they can reveal themselves again at deeper levels of growth The connection between body tension (shoulders, neck, back) and holding responsibility  How your Archetypes of Transformation© shape your patterns of control and trust 🔥 Key insight: You don’t stay stuck because you don’t know what to do. You stay stuck because a part of your system… 👉 doesn’t yet feel safe to let go. 🧠 Reflect on this:  Where are you holding more than you need to?  Where are you controlling instead of trusting?  What doesn’t feel safe to release yet? 🎧 This episode is for you if:  You’ve “done the work” but still feel stuck  You struggle to delegate or let go  You feel like you’re carrying everything  You’re a high-functioning woman who looks fine… but feels the pressure underneath 🔗 Ready to go deeper? Discover your unique pattern with the Archetypes of Transformation quiz 👉 here  If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    16 min
  6. The Cost of Holding It Together: Why High-Functioning Women Burn Out Quietly

    Apr 20

    The Cost of Holding It Together: Why High-Functioning Women Burn Out Quietly

    Send us a Message to connect You’re getting everything done… but it’s costing you more than anyone can see. From the outside, it looks like you’re handling life. You’re showing up.  You’re achieving.  You’re the one people rely on. But internally? There’s tension.  Exhaustion.  A nervous system that never fully switches off. In this week's episode, Dr Nat Green explores the hidden cost of “holding it together” — and why so many high-functioning, self-aware women are quietly burning out beneath the surface. Drawing from both her professional expertise and lived experience, Dr Nat unpacks the nervous system patterns, identity layers, and trauma adaptations that keep you stuck in a cycle of constant doing… without ever truly feeling settled. 🌿 In this episode, you’ll learn:  Why “holding it together” is often a trauma response, not a strength  How hypervigilance can disguise itself as productivity and high performance The concept of quiet burnout — and why it often goes unnoticed  How your identity (the strong one, the capable one) keeps the pattern in place  What nervous system regulation actually looks like (beyond rest and self-care)  How your unique Archetype of Transformation© shapes the way you hold stress in your body 🔥 The deeper truth: You don’t burn out from doing too much. You burn out from holding too much… for too long… without release. 🧠 Understanding Your Pattern Not all “holding it together” looks the same. In this episode, Nat walks you through her 7 Archetypes of Transformation©, helping you recognise: How you hold it together Where your body carries that tension  And why it’s been so hard to let go Because when you understand your pattern… You can finally start working with your nervous system — instead of pushing against it. ✨ Ready to discover your archetype? If this episode resonated, your next step is to uncover your personal pattern. Take the free Archetypes of Transformation quiz to identify:  Your dominant archetype  Where your system holds stress  What’s been keeping you in the cycle of holding it all together 👉Take the Quiz now 💬 Let’s continue the conversation If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And as always — take a moment today….to soften. To breathe. And to remind your system… you don’t have to hold it all alone. We’re honoured to be nominated again in the Women Podcasters Awards 🎉 If this podcast has impacted you, your vote would mean so much. 👉 Vote here If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    29 min
  7. The Cost of Not Being Heard — Betrayal, Nervous System Impact & Reclaiming Your Voice

    Apr 13

    The Cost of Not Being Heard — Betrayal, Nervous System Impact & Reclaiming Your Voice

    Send us a Message to connect There are moments in life that change everything. Not gradually. Not gently. But in an instant. In this deeply personal and powerful 100th episode of Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma, Dr Nat Green marks a significant milestone — reflecting on the journey of the podcast, expressing heartfelt gratitude to listeners and guests, and celebrating its nomination in the Women Podcasters Awards. But this episode is more than a celebration. It’s a turning point. After receiving an outcome that brought no further action and no opportunity to be heard, Dr Nat shares a raw and honest exploration of what happens when systems fail — and the profound emotional and nervous system impact of not being heard. Drawing on both personal experience and over 35 years in the trauma space, she explores the deeper layer of betrayal trauma — particularly when harm comes from systems meant to protect — and how this can lead to self-doubt, confusion, and erosion of self-trust. Woven throughout the episode is the powerful concept of The Overview Effect — the psychological shift astronauts experience when they see Earth from space. Dr Nat uses this as a metaphor for her own experience: A moment of clarity. A shift in perspective. And a point of no return. Because once you see something clearly…You can’t unsee it. This episode gently guides you through the transition from: 👉 Waiting for justice to 👉 Choosing what to do with what you now know From: 👉 Waiting to be heard to 👉 Reclaiming your voice 🌿 In This Episode, We Explore:  The emotional cost of not being heard and unresolved experiences  The impact of betrayal trauma, especially within systems meant to protect  How systemic processes can create nervous system dysregulation, confusion, and self-doubt Why some systems are not designed to hold complexity, humanity, or lived experience The concept of the Overview Effect and how perspective changes everything  The identity shift from “waiting to be heard” → “choosing to speak” How to move forward when closure or justice doesn’t come in the way you expected This Is For You If:  You’ve ever felt dismissed, unheard, or invalidated You’ve experienced frustration with systems that were meant to support or protect you You’re navigating unresolved experiences or lack of closure You feel stuck between wanting justice and needing to move forward You’re ready to shift from waiting → reclaiming your voice and agencyNot all justice is delivered through systems…  sometimes it’s created by what you choose to do next. We’re honoured to be nominated again in the Women Podcasters Awards 🎉 If this podcast has impacted you, your vote would mean so much. 👉 Vote here If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    23 min
  8. Living in the Unknown: Trauma, Identity & Finding Serenity in Life’s Hardest Moments

    Apr 6

    Living in the Unknown: Trauma, Identity & Finding Serenity in Life’s Hardest Moments

    Send us a Message to connect There are moments in life that change everything. Not gradually. Not gently. But in an instant. This week on Growing Tall Poppies, I’m joined by someone incredibly special to me — my dear friend Bron Watson — and this is a conversation that will stay with you. Bron is a nurse educator, entrepreneur, mother of five boys… and someone who has faced not one, but two life-altering cancer diagnoses. But this conversation isn’t just about cancer. It’s about identity, uncertainty. It’s about what happens when life forces you to stop… and ask: “Who am I now?” 🌿 Bron’s Story Bron shares being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 while running an intensive business program — a moment that forced her to confront just how much she had been sacrificing her own health to keep everything going. She made the difficult decision to shut down that part of her business… with no plan B. Then in January 2023, after years of unexplained low neutrophils, Bron was diagnosed with incurable multiple myeloma. What followed was chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and stepping into what she describes as both a “marathon”… and a “pool of uncertainty.” And yet, through all of this, Bron has found a way to live — not just survive. 🌿 In this episode, we explore: What it really feels like to have your life turned upside down overnight The moment Bron realised her way of living was no longer sustainable The identity crisis that follows trauma and major life disruption Why “doing all the work” doesn’t always mean you’re truly living in alignment The nervous system impact of chronic overgiving, overdoing, and being “the strong one” The concept of “the pool of uncertainty” — and how we learn to stay afloat How grief and gratitude can exist side by side The power of “A = A” — and why we need to stop catastrophising the future What it actually means to live in the moment (beyond the cliché) And Bron’s deeply grounding reminder:  “Be where your feet are.” What Serentiy really means and how to LIVE IT 🌱 Connect with Bron Watson 🌐 Website: https://serenityproject.com.au 🎙️ Podcast: Serenity Rising 📱 Instagram  Facebook   LinkedIn:  Bron's Husband Paul joined us on Season 2, Episode 54 and shared more around Bron's journey from a Carer's perspective. Listen here  If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

    48 min
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Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma is the podcast for anyone ready to heal from trauma, reclaim their power, and step into post-traumatic growth. Hosted by trauma therapist, coach, and author Dr. Natalie (Nat) Green, this empowering podcast blends real-life survivor stories, expert insights, and practical strategies to help you move beyond pain and create a life filled with purpose, resilience, and joy. Each episode dives deep into the psychological and emotional journey of thriving after trauma—exploring identity, values, nervous system healing, resilience, and renewed purpose. You’ll hear how others overcame adversity, plus learn tools you can use to regulate your nervous system, rewire your mindset, and accelerate your growth journey. What You’ll Gain from Growing Tall Poppies: Thrive After Trauma 🌱 Real Stories of Resilience – Inspiring conversations with survivors who turned trauma into strength and transformation. 🧠 Expert Guidance & Healing Tools – Proven strategies from leading professionals on trauma recovery, nervous system regulation, and mental health. ✨ Empowering Insights – Explore the mindsets, practices, and Trauma Archetypes that unlock post-traumatic growth and freedom. 💡 Psychology Meets Coaching – Innovative approaches that bridge science, therapy, and coaching to fast-track healing and thriving. With over 35 years’ experience and her own lived journey of trauma and growth, Dr. Nat Green—creator of the ABS Method® and Archetypes of Transformation—is dedicated to ending trauma-associated suffering. Through her podcast, bestselling books, and transformative programs, she guides survivors and professionals alike to rediscover their identity, align with their values, and shine brightly beyond adversity. If you’re ready to not just survive trauma but truly thrive after it, this podcast is your roadmap to resilience, healing, and post-traumatic growth.

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