In the Nude: naked truth of healing

Rachel Abi

Welcome to "In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing," a raw and honest podcast diving deep into the journey of healing from trauma. Join us as we explore the tough and necessary aspects of healing without sugarcoating. From overcoming adversity to gaining resilience, we cover it all to support your healing journey. Tune in for candid conversations, practical tools, and a community that understands. Let's heal together.

  1. Sep 8

    Why You Escape: Unpacking “-isms” and Under and Over-Functioning Trauma Response

    If you are exhausted from using work, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or substances to manage the silent weight of burnout, this deep, transformative conversation reveals why changing the surface behavior never fixes the trauma underneath: and how to finally meet the version of yourself that doesn't need to run.Why do so many "successful" lives still feel emotionally frozen on the inside? When we experience unresolved trauma or childhood disconnection, our survival brain learns to trade authenticity for attachment: using coping mechanisms like overworking, hyper-control, perfectionism, or chemical escapes just to feel safe and accepted. But changing the behavior alone never heals the root cause. When you treat the symptom without tending to the nervous system wound, shame takes over, locking you into an endless cycle of escape, burnout, and self-abandonment.If you feel like you have tried everything, keep circling the same patterns, or suspect that the very thing you are avoiding is what will set you free, you are not broken. Your survival habits make total sense.In this powerful, eye-opening episode of In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, host Rachel Abi sits down with renowned addiction and recovery expert Jeanne Foot (founder of The Recovery Concierge and Naturally High) to unpack what it actually takes to heal addiction, trauma, and emotional disconnection from the root.Together, they share direct, actionable insights on how black-and-white thinking keeps us trapped, why ego is often just a shield for hidden fear, and how to transition from white-knuckle survival into true somatic peace.What We Unpack in This Root-Cause Conversation:The Hidden Mechanics of Escape: Why high-functioning adults use workaholism, control, and substances to numb unprocessed emotional pain.Treating Root Causes vs. Symptoms: How trauma reshapes your identity and why self-compassion, not shame or harsh discipline, is the ultimate turning point for change.Becoming the Scientist of Your Life: Practical tools using somatic healing, hypnotherapy, NLP, and breathwork to observe your patterns without judgment.Micro-Actions over Dramatic Breakthroughs: How movement, sleep, nervous system regulation, and journaling create sustainable, long-term emotional freedom.Rebuilding Self-Trust: Rachel and Jeanne share lived experiences of burnout and rebuilding, offering a realistic path to softening your defenses and creating a life that actually feels like home.Healing is not a rigid destination or a test of perfection: it is a daily practice of returning to yourself. Tune in to stop surviving on autopilot, clear the old survival patterns, and step into an authentic life of unshakeable calm, agency, and peace.Where you can find more Jeanne Foot? https://therecoveryconcierge.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naturally-high/id1585263254https://www.instagram.com/therecovery_concierge/

  2. Sep 3

    The "Google Maps" Rule for Inner Child Healing: How Childhood Trauma Conditioning Shapes Your Beliefs and How to Reprogram Your Subconscious

    If you find yourself overfunctioning in relationships, accepting crumbs of affection, or constantly trying to earn the love you already deserve:this raw, eye-opening episode reveals why your brain keeps running an outdated survival script, and how to finally break the cycle. What if the heavy belief crushing your daily life isn't an absolute truth, but simply an old survival story your brain created to keep you safe as a child? When you grow up surrounded by emotional unpredictability, conditional approval, or attachment wounds, your subconscious mind adopts core protection scripts like "I am unlovable," "I am unworthy," or "I have to be perfect to be safe." Decades later, those exact childhood wounds quietly run the show—shaping how you handle conflict, driving you to overwork, and locking you into exhausting patterns of people-pleasing and self-doubt. If you are tired of self-improvement that feels like endless, exhausting work, or you're ready to stop handing your power over to past betrayals, you are not broken. You are simply stuck in a subconscious loop. In this deeply personal and practical episode of In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, host Rachel Abi unpacks why so many of us overfunction, over-deliver, and trade our authenticity for peace. She traces how childhood conditioning creates the rigid patterns we carry into adult relationships, and breaks down why your daily actions reveal what you actually believe about your worth—regardless of how many positive affirmations you repeat. Rachel introduces her game-changing "Google Maps" approach to belief reprogramming: a hands-on, action-based strategy to map out where you currently are, interrupt old survival stories, and build unshakeable self-trust through conscious, grounded choices. What We Unpack in This Naked Conversation: The Subconscious Origins of Overfunctioning: Why you settle for crumbs in relationships and feel the constant urge to earn love, safety, and validation. The "Google Maps" Framework: How to rewrite deep-seated core beliefs ("I'm not enough," "I'm unlovable") through small, aligned actions instead of forced positive thinking. Past & Future Illusion: Why trauma makes your imagination masquerade as certainty—and how to pull your nervous system back into the present moment. Shifting from Resistance to Choice: How to stop fighting old triggers and start responding with calm, conscious, and firm boundaries. Reclaiming Self-Worth: How to drop self-protection mechanisms, lay down the weight of overwork and resentment, and give yourself permission to take up space. You do not have to spend the rest of your life living from wounds that were never yours to carry. Tune in to stop surviving past stories, step out of relational anxiety, and start building a life that feels like genuine peace, joy, and self-trust.

  3. Sep 1

    What Are You Pretending Not to Know? Shame, Ego-Driven Ambition, and the Truth About Body-Based Healing with Jay Sefton

    If you are torn between chasing your big ambitions and longing for quiet peace, exhausted from white-knuckling your way through shame spirals, and tired of generic self-help advice that leaves you feeling empty... this grounded, disarmingly honest conversation will show you how to finally come back to your body. When you grow up in an environment shaped by emotional unintelligence, rigid expectations, or a high-control background, you learn early that shame is a survival mechanism. You internalize the belief that you are never doing enough, turn your ambition into an exhausting hustle, and let the quiet fear of scarcity run your life. Years later, you might find yourself stuck in a cycle of striving for the next achievement, only to feel deeply disconnected, anxious, and defeated when it fails to bring you lasting peace. Shame, scarcity, and ego do not just disappear on their own. They silently shape every choice you make until you learn how to actively interrupt them in real time. In this thoughtful, practical conversation on In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, host Rachel Abi sits down with actor and mental health professional Jay Sefton to unpack the hidden crossover between theater and therapy. Drawing from 25 years in acting and his transition into mental health work, Jay shares how body awareness, silence, and the Meisner technique become powerful somatic tools for coming home to yourself. Rachel brings her own raw healing journey into the mix, turning this dialogue into an accessible, unvarnished blueprint for shifting from harsh self-judgment to authentic self-trust. Together, they strip away the performance of "fixing yourself" and dive into what it actually takes to regulate your nervous system on your hardest days. You will learn how to recognize when your motivation is nourishing you versus when it is draining your spirit, why resistance isn't a sign to give up, and how small, body-based actions rebuild self-worth faster than any positive affirmation ever could. What We Unpack in This Naked Conversation: The Intersection of Acting and Therapy: Why listening, somatic presence, and dropping the social mask on stage are the exact same tools required for deep personal healing. Deconstructing Ego-Driven Striving: The crucial difference between healthy drive that fuels your soul and ego-driven ambition that leaves you feeling hollow and exhausted. Interrupting Emotional Spirals: Practical somatic tools—including breathwork, body regulation, and "naming the weird thing out loud"—to stop anxiety and shame before they overwhelm you. Reframing Resistance: Why feeling stuck or hesitant isn't a stop sign, but an invitation to move forward with more radical honesty and less shame. Building Your Personal Litmus Test: How to tune into your physical body to discern what truly makes you feel alive versus what you are doing just to satisfy external validation. You do not have to earn your right to exist or prove your worth through relentless effort. Your way is allowed to be your way. Tune in to step out of the mental prison of performance, stop pretending not to know your truth, and discover practical principles to traverse this world with more ease, honesty, and peace. Want more Jay? https://www.unreconciledtheplay.com/ https://www.instagram.com/unreconciledtheplay/?hl=enhttps://jaysefton.com/

  4. Aug 27

    Why You Escape: How Numbing, Overworking, and CPTSD Hyper-Vigilance Keep You Trapped in Survival Mode

    Ever feel like you’ve made massive strides in your healing journey, only for an unexpected trigger, betrayal, or comment to pull you straight back into old habits of self-criticism, fear, and feeling "not enough"? You aren’t back at square one—your nervous system is just asking for a new level of safety. Why do deeply ingrained patterns like overthinking, perfectionism, overworking, and people-pleasing feel so impossible to break with simple willpower or positive thinking? The truth is, your conscious mind only holds a fraction of the power—the rest is driven by subconscious belief filters and "stuck energy" stored in your physical body. When you've spent years operating in high-alert survival mode, relaxing into a life of calm, peace, and authentic joy can actually feel terrifying to an unconditioned nervous system. In this powerful, eye-opening episode of In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, host Rachel Abi joins renowned energy medicine expert and mind-body therapist Dr. Judith Swack to strip away the confusion around subconscious barriers, emotional triggers, and somatic healing. Together, they break down the exact mechanics of how old trauma wounds resurface and explore how deep core beliefs—like "I am unlovable" or "I am unsafe"—cause your brain to automatically deny, delete, and dismiss the positive love and success right in front of you. Rather than treating healing as a rigid, linear process, this conversation offers practical, fast-acting somatic tools—including Frontal Occipital Holding (FOH) and bilateral stimulation—to clear emotional baggage, reset fight-or-flight responses in real-time, and shift your nervous system back into calm. What We Unpack in This Deep-Dive Conversation: The Science of Stuck Energy: How subconscious emotional patterns drive habits like emotional eating, self-sabotage, and anxiety far more than your conscious thoughts do. Targeted Somatic Techniques: Practical, hands-on tools like unwinding frontal occipital holding and self-hug bilateral stimulation to dissolve shame, panic, and anger in minutes. The "Deny, Delete, Dismiss" Bias: How inherited belief filters warp your reality—and how to rewire your brain to finally receive love, success, and connection. Navigating Triggers & Setbacks: How to process heavy emotional waves in your body instead of suppressing them or spiraling into mental loops. Living in True Authentic Peace: How to tune into your body’s subconscious signals, step out of performative perfectionism, and create space for unapologetic joy. You do not have to spend the rest of your life managing emotional triggers or fighting your own mind. Tune in to uncover the hidden drivers behind your habits, clear old subconscious blocks, and step into the peaceful, thriving life you deserve.

  5. Aug 25

    Overpreparing Is a Trauma Response: Visibility Wounds, Unfinished Healing, and the Fear of Being Seen as Yourself with Kristina Denton

    If you are exhausted from overpreparing just to feel safe, terrified of stepping into the spotlight of your own life, and feeling completely alone in the messy, unpolished reality of trauma recovery... this disarmingly honest conversation is your permission slip to stop performing and finally come home to yourself. When you grow up with visibility wounds, enmeshment, or an environment where love felt like something you had to constantly earn, you learn early that performance equals safety. You become an expert at overpreparing, managing your reputation, and chasing external validation just to prove your worth. Years later, you might find yourself trapped in an exhausting cycle of perfectionism and control, feeling like the thing you fear most, being truly seen for who you are, is the exact thing your soul is screaming for. Healing from complex trauma is not a clean, linear, 5-step formula. It is tender, uncomfortable, and often requires us to face the strange ways our adult lives magnify every unfinished part of our past. In this raw, deeply human conversation on In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, host Rachel Abi sits down with actress, writer, and producer Kristina Denton for an unfiltered look at identity, self-worth, and the pressure of visibility. Kristina opens up about how a childhood of feeling disconnected shaped her deep love of storytelling, why acting became both a safe escape and a terrifying mirror, and how years of chasing Hollywood accolades nearly buried her true self. Together, Rachel and Kristina strip away the sanitized wellness tropes to discuss the unvarnished reality of nervous system survival patterns, IFS (Internal Family Systems), breathwork, and somatic healing. They unpack the vulnerability of putting family truth on the page, the emotional fallout of breaking generational silence, and why real transformation begins only when we stop trying to control the narrative and start trusting our own voice. What We Unpack in This Naked Conversation: The Overpreparation Trap: How hyper-vigilance and overpreparing are secretly trauma responses rooted in the fear of making mistakes or being judged. Healing Visibility Wounds: Why stepping into the spotlight, whether on a stage or in your personal relationships, triggers your body's survival instincts, and how to safely navigate the pressure of being seen. Dismantling the Myth of Earning Love: Unpacking enmeshment, the toxic illusion of "the other half," and how to stop abandoning yourself to keep the peace. Somatic & Integrative Modalities: How Human Design, astrology, IFS (Internal Family Systems), therapy, and breathwork helped Kristina reconnect with her physical body. The Courage of Truth-Telling: Kristina’s 7-year journey writing her deeply personal book, including the raw emotional impact on her family dynamics and sisterhood. True healing does not happen when you force yourself into a flawless box; it happens when you choose to become more real than you were ready for. You do not have to carry this difficulty alone anymore. Tune in to step out of performance mode, lay down your heavy armor, and find real-time, practical truths to better traverse this world. Want more Kristina? https://kristinadenton.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kristina7denton/?hl=en

  6. Aug 21

    When Old Trauma Resurfaces: How to Stop the Self-Criticism Loop, Regulate Your Body, and Reclaim Inner Peace

    If you have been doing "all the right healing work" but still find yourself spiraling into old self-doubt, fear, and the quiet weight of "not being enough": this raw, compassionate conversation is your blueprint to stop surviving your life and finally start enjoying it. We are often told that healing is a straight line, but the reality is much messier. You can make incredible progress, only for an unexpected trigger, setback, or old wound to pull you right back into familiar mental loops of self-criticism, anxiety, and exhaustion. When you spent years operating in survival mode: managing everyone else’s needs, guarding against betrayal, or fighting to prove your worth, learning how to simply step into calm, peace, and genuine joy can feel terrifyingly unfamiliar. True emotional freedom isn't about never getting triggered again; it’s about knowing how to safely navigate your way back to yourself when you do. In this disarmingly honest episode of In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, host Rachel Abi strips away the pressure of toxic positivity to explore what it actually takes to break free from the cage of harsh self-judgment. She validates the uncomfortable reality of emotional setbacks, reframing them not as failures, but as gentle invitations to reconnect with your physical body, ground yourself in the present moment, and practice radical self-compassion. Rachel walks you through the exact, practical tools she uses to process heavy emotions instead of burying them, replace harmful inner narratives with softer truths, and face small daily fears. Most importantly, she shares how to regulate your nervous system so you can stop white-knuckle surviving and finally build a life rich with calm, ease, and unapologetic self-expression. What We Unpack in This Naked Conversation: The Myth of Linear Healing: Why old triggers and wounds resurface even after major progress—and how to navigate setbacks without shame. Rewriting the "Not Enough" Narrative: Actionable mindset shifts to interrupt harsh self-criticism and cultivate a gentler, more supportive internal voice. Somatic Grounding & Processing: Practical ways to feel through difficult emotions in your body instead of suppressing them or staying stuck in your head. Making Room for Authentic Joy: How to regulate your nervous system so you can safely drop your guard, embrace your unique quirks, and experience real peace. Small Choices, Big Freedom: Daily micro-habits that build long-term emotional resilience, help you overcome fear, and allow you to truly thrive. You do not have to earn your right to enjoy your life, nor do you need to be "fully fixed" to experience deep peace right now. Tune in to step out of the mental loops of survival, reconnect with your authentic truth, and reclaim your natural state of joy.

  7. Aug 18

    Why You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns | Healing Childhood Trauma, Limiting Beliefs & the Hidden Roots of Self-Sabotage

    Have you ever wondered... "Why do I keep ending up here?" "Why do I know what needs to change, but I still can't seem to change it?" "Why do I keep people pleasing, overthinking, shutting down, or choosing relationships that hurt me?" If you've asked yourself those questions, this conversation is for you. In this deeply honest episode of In the Nude: The Naked Truth of Healing, Rachel sits down with Dr. Judith Swack, biochemist, immunologist, master NLP practitioner, hypnotherapist, and pioneer in energy psychology, to explore why trauma often lives far deeper than our conscious thoughts. Many of us spend years trying to heal through insight alone. We understand our childhood. We recognize unhealthy patterns. We know our triggers. Yet we still find ourselves repeating the same behaviors. Why? According to Dr. Swack, the answer often lies beneath conscious awareness. Together, Rachel and Dr. Swack unpack how childhood trauma, complex trauma, emotional neglect, religious trauma, limiting beliefs, and subconscious survival patterns become stored throughout the mind and body, quietly shaping our relationships, self-worth, health, boundaries, and everyday decisions. They explore why traditional approaches sometimes leave people feeling frustrated and stuck, and introduce practical techniques designed to help uncover and shift the deeper beliefs driving those patterns. In this episode you'll discover: • Why understanding your trauma isn't always enough to heal it • How limiting beliefs formed in childhood continue shaping adult relationships • Why people pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional overwhelm are often survival adaptations • How subconscious beliefs influence your nervous system, body, and sense of safety • Practical exercises Dr. Swack uses to help uncover deeply rooted emotional blocks • Why healing isn't about becoming someone new, but uncovering who you were before trauma taught you who you had to be Whether you're healing from childhood trauma, CPTSD, emotional abuse, religious trauma, chronic anxiety, perfectionism, people pleasing, or simply feel exhausted from repeating the same patterns, this conversation offers a compassionate perspective that may help explain why healing can feel so difficult, even when you're trying so hard. This isn't about finding another formula. It's about understanding yourself more deeply. Because healing isn't about becoming a different person. It's about finally coming home to the person you've always been underneath the survival strategies. If you've ever felt like you're "doing all the work" but still feel stuck, this episode will remind you that you're not broken, you're not behind, and you're certainly not alone. Want more Dr Judith? https://www.hblu.org/ https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Trauma-Now-Powerful-Solution/dp/1961493845 https://www.instagram.com/hblu_drjudithswack/

  8. Aug 13

    Why You Keep Making the Same Mistakes: How to Stop Striving, Reclaim Your Peace, and Heal Childhood Unworthiness

    If you are deeply exhausted from constantly striving, trapped in a loop of making the same mistakes, and feeling completely alone because you cannot seem to hustle your way into peace... this raw conversation is your permission slip to stop performing and start living. When you grow up in a behavior-focused environment with emotionally unintelligent parents or inside a high-control religious background, you learn early that your worth is tied directly to your performance. You became an expert at predicting what everyone else needed, managing your reputation, and striving for achievements to feel safe. Years later, you might not even realize you are carrying the invisible, crushing weight of Complex PTSD (CPTSD). You just know you are tired, trapped by your own thoughts, and frustrated that no matter how much you achieve, it never feels like enough. The truth is, your brain is hardwired to predict and relapse into familiar survival patterns. When change feels uncomfortable or terrifying, your nervous system defaults to what it knows: over-analyzing, control, and relentless effort. Most wellness advice tells you to try harder or follow a rigid 5-step formula, which leaves you feeling defeated when your mind naturally freaks out over the unknown. You are left secretly waiting for someone or something to rescue you, while drowning in the quiet noise of life. In this deeply personal and honest episode of In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing, Rachel Abi unravels the illusion that achievement equals happiness. Sharing candid reflections from her own seasons of change, Rachel reveals how childhood experiences of feeling left out or unworthy shape our adult cycles of regret, self-doubt, and perfectionism. This isn't just philosophy; it is an accessible, practical lifeline to help you step out of the mental prison of "more, faster, better" and into a state of quiet confidence. You will learn why true transformation begins not when we force our lives into a rigid box, but when we choose to pause, breathe, and choose gentle presence right now. What We Unpack in This Naked Conversation: The Default Mode Network: How your brain’s need for predictability creates cycles of regret, anxiety, and self-sabotage, and how to interrupt those loops. Releasing External Validation: Unraveling the lie that your reputation, achievements, or accolades determine your value. Simple Grounding Practices: Practical, sensory-based ways to anchor yourself in the present moment using simple cues like deep breathing and environmental awareness. From Hustle to Quiet Presence: Why choosing gratitude, calm, and small daily acts of care breaks the endless cycle of undue striving. Embracing Real Impact: Rachel’s personal story on finding purpose and navigating change without needing to control every outcome. Every moment spent chasing results is a moment lost in disconnection. You do not have to carry this difficulty alone anymore. Tune in to step out of survival mode, stop fighting your own thoughts, and discover how love and self-compassion conquer fear, one small choice at a time.

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to "In the Nude: Naked Truth of Healing," a raw and honest podcast diving deep into the journey of healing from trauma. Join us as we explore the tough and necessary aspects of healing without sugarcoating. From overcoming adversity to gaining resilience, we cover it all to support your healing journey. Tune in for candid conversations, practical tools, and a community that understands. Let's heal together.