Reclaiming Me: Heal Your Childhood Attachment Wounds, People Pleasing, and Complex PTSD for Women

Cindy Payne
  • 5.0 (6)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. I'm your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Me: Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me: Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com This podcast explores the real, human side of growth — from navigating anxiety, imposter syndrome, and codependency to rediscovering presence, confidence, and authenticity. Through honest conversations about vulnerability, leadership, and letting go, we dive into the balance between purpose and rest, mindfulness and action, boundaries and connection. Together, we unpack the layers of trauma, stress, and exhaustion that keep us from fulfillment, and explore how healing begins when we choose awareness, compassion, and alignment over overwhelm.

  1. 1D AGO

    E91: One Small Step to Heal Trauma Without Burning Out

    What if the exhaustion you feel isn’t something you need to fix — but something you need to release? If you live with complex trauma, people pleasing, or anxious attachment, your energy is often spent before the day even begins. Overfunctioning, emotional labor, and constant alertness can quietly drain you — even when everything looks “fine” on the outside. This midweek reframe offers a gentle pause to notice where your energy is going and explore what it might feel like to let one small thing take less effort today. In this episode, you’ll learn: How overfunctioning shows up at work and in relationships — and why it feels so exhaustingWhat “release” actually means for trauma survivors (without quitting, collapsing, or forcing boundaries)How small, nervous-system-safe shifts can soften resentment and restore energy over time Press play to experience a calming midweek reframe that helps you release just enough to feel lighter today — without pressure, fixing, or forcing change. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Connect with Cindy: Ready for deeper support? Take the free people-pleasing quiz, explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Instagram: @cindypaynerooted email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com **Ready to begin your healing? Start with the rebrand episode of Reclaiming Me: E66: Why You Can’t Heal Your Attachment Style Without Trauma Work (The Truth Behind the Rebrand of Reclaiming Me). ** This podcast supports women healing trauma, attachment wounds, codependency, anxiety, perfectionism, people pleasing, overthinking, and rebuilding self-worth, self-trust, boundaries, and confidence through trauma-informed guidance. Through honest, grounded conversations, it explores the real human experience of growth and leadership, the tension between purpose and rest, boundaries and connection, and how choosing awareness and compassion creates a more aligned and authentic life.

    15 min

  2. 3D AGO

    E90: How Trauma, Attachment Patterns, and People Pleasing Drain Women’s Energy

    What if your fatigue isn’t a health mystery, but a trauma response your body has been carrying for decades? For many women, chronic exhaustion shows up in midlife with no clear explanation. Doctors say your labs are “normal,” rest doesn’t feel restorative, and pushing through only makes things worse. This episode explores how trauma, attachment patterns, and people pleasing quietly shape your nervous system, hormones, sleep, and energy over time—especially if you’ve spent years overfunctioning, managing emotions, or staying in survival mode. What feels like burnout may actually be long-term adaptation. In this episode, you’ll discover: A clear understanding of how trauma and insecure attachment affect energy, sleep, and recoveryWhy people pleasing and emotional labor are so deeply exhausting—even when you’re “not doing much”A compassionate reframe of fatigue that replaces self-blame with insight and care Listen to this episode to finally make sense of your exhaustion—and begin relating to your body not as something broken, but as something that has been surviving for a very long time. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Connect with Cindy: Ready for deeper support? Take the free people-pleasing quiz, explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Instagram: @cindypaynerooted email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com **Ready to begin your healing? Start with the rebrand episode of Reclaiming Me: E66: Why You Can’t Heal Your Attachment Style Without Trauma Work (The Truth Behind the Rebrand of Reclaiming Me). ** This podcast supports women healing trauma, attachment wounds, codependency, anxiety, perfectionism, people pleasing, overthinking, and rebuilding self-worth, self-trust, boundaries, and confidence through trauma-informed guidance. Through honest, grounded conversations, it explores the real human experience of growth and leadership, the tension between purpose and rest, boundaries and connection, and how choosing awareness and compassion creates a more aligned and authentic life.

    38 min

  3. FEB 11

    E89: Letting Play Be an Experiment: How trauma, attachment, and people-pleasing turn play into pressure — and a gentler way to begin

    What if play doesn’t have to feel fun, expressive, or healing—and what if neutral was actually the goal? If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed when asked what you like, resistant to “play,” or pressured to know how you’re supposed to heal, this episode speaks directly to that experience—especially for those with complex trauma or attachment wounds who learned safety through adapting, not choosing. Understand why play can feel unsafe or confusing when your nervous system is wired for survival, not preferenceLearn how to approach play as low-pressure information rather than self-expression or performanceDiscover how neutrality, stopping early, and removing demand can support real attachment repair Press play to explore a gentler reframe of play that helps you feel safer with yourself—without needing clarity, commitment, or emotional breakthroughs. Is this podcast for you? Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Cindy Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com **Ready to begin your healing? Start with the rebrand episode of Reclaiming Me: E66: Why You Can’t Heal Your Attachment Style Without Trauma Work (The Truth Behind the Rebrand of Reclaiming Me). **

    16 min

  4. FEB 9

    E88: A Gentler Way to Heal Trauma and Attachment Wounds Through Play: Exploring safety, repair, and nervous system healing

    What if healing your attachment wounds didn’t require more insight or effort—but simply giving your nervous system new experiences of safety and repair? If you’ve been recognizing yourself in more than one attachment pattern—or noticing that your responses shift depending on the relationship—this episode speaks directly to you. Rather than labeling or fixing, this conversation explores what comes after awareness: how to gently support a nervous system shaped by complex trauma and survival, without forcing vulnerability or reliving the past. Understand how play therapy can support anxious, avoidant, and mixed attachment patterns in a body-based, compassionate wayLearn what safety, protection, and repair actually feel like in the body—not just in theoryDiscover gentle, doable practices that honor your pace while building more moments of self-trust and connection Press play to experience a softer, more forgiving approach to attachment healing that helps you stay connected to yourself without having to abandon who you are. Diane’s Bio: Diane Boehm is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She specializes in supporting young children and teenagers diagnosed with ADHD, autism & learning disorders. Much of her work focuses on helping parents better understand and support their children. Diane is married to her college sweetheart and together, they have three small children. To connect with Diane: https://www.insightstherapy.com/therapists/diane-boehm Amanda’s Bio: Amanda Sherman is also a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has nearly 10 years of counseling experience in the school setting ranging from lower elementary school to higher education. Amanda specializes in supporting teenagers and adults facing anxiety, depression, life transitions, self esteem issues, and child-parent relational concerns. Additionally, Amanda is a licensed supervisor, mentoring aspiring therapists after graduate school. Outside of work Amanda is married and a mother to two little girls. To connect with Amanda: https://www.insightstherapy.com/therapists/amanda-sherman Resource: The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson Is this podcast for you? Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Cindy Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me Send me a message directly on...

    42 min

  5. FEB 4

    E87: Gentle Presence: Reconnecting With The Self After Trauma-Driven Disconnection

    Have you been showing up, achieving, and getting things done—yet feeling strangely disconnected or numb inside? If life feels muted right now, this episode meets you exactly where you are. Many high-achieving women experience disconnection not because something is wrong, but because their nervous system learned to protect them. This midweek reframe gently explores why numbness happens and how presence doesn’t require forcing yourself to “feel more,” but instead begins with small, safe moments of awareness that fit into real life. After listening, you’ll gain: A compassionate reframe that helps you see dissociation as adaptive rather than a personal failure.Simple, nervous-system-friendly practices that help you reconnect without overwhelm.A deeper sense of agency and safety through tiny moments of choice, noticing, and self-recognition. Press play to experience a calming, midweek reset that helps you gently reconnect with yourself—one small, safe moment at a time. Is this podcast for you? Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Cindy Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com

    13 min

  6. FEB 2

    E86: When Functioning Becomes Disconnection: Dissociation, Trauma, and the Nervous System in High-Achieving Women

    Have you ever felt productive, capable, and accomplished—yet strangely disconnected from your own body, emotions, or sense of presence? Many high-achieving women live in constant motion, mistaking numbness and detachment for focus, discipline, or resilience. This episode speaks directly to that experience, exploring how dissociation can quietly shape your nervous system, your relationship with your body, and your ability to feel fully present—without you ever realizing what’s happening. In this episode, you’ll gain: A compassionate understanding of dissociation as a protective nervous system response, not a personal flaw.Insight into how trauma, chronic stress, perfectionism, and over functioning keep survival patterns active long after danger has passed.Gentle, realistic ways to begin reconnecting with your body and inner world through awareness—without forcing change or slowing your life to a halt. Press play to discover how reclaiming presence begins with small, safe moments of awareness—and how your nervous system can learn that it’s safe to come back home to yourself. Is this podcast for you? Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Cindy Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com

    41 min

  7. JAN 28

    E85: Midweek Reframe: Tiny Micro-Practices That Help You Reconnect With Your Body While Living With CPTSD

    Do you struggle to feel at home in your own body after trauma? Are tension, restlessness, or disconnection making it hard to fully inhabit your life? If you’ve experienced complex PTSD or trauma, your nervous system may be stuck in survival mode—keeping you from noticing your body, breathing freely, or feeling safe in simple moments. In this episode of Reclaiming Me – Midweek Reframe, trauma specialist Cindy Payne shares tiny, safe embodiment micro-practices designed to help you reconnect with your body without pressure, guilt, or perfectionism. Even just a few minutes a day can send a powerful message to your nervous system: you belong in your body. By listening to this episode, you’ll learn how to: Tune into your breath and notice tension without judgment, helping your nervous system relax.Explore subtle, intentional movements that release stored stress and create a sense of safety. Reclaim agency and presence in your body, one small practice at a time, supporting trauma healing and CPTSD recovery. Press play now to try two simple, safe micro-practices that help you reconnect with your body, calm your nervous system, and reclaim your sense of home within yourself. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Cindy Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy, coaching, or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com

    16 min

  8. JAN 26

    E84: Why Disconnection From Your Body Is Holding High-Achieving Women Back & How to Reclaim It

    Have you ever felt constantly busy, successful, and yet completely disconnected from your own body? Many high-achieving women live life on autopilot—overachieving, controlling, and pushing past discomfort—without realizing that chronic disconnection is often the result of trauma, not a personal flaw. This episode explores how trauma shapes the body and why reclaiming embodiment is essential for healing, agency, and sustainable success. Understand why your disconnection from your body is adaptive, not a flaw.Learn how trauma rewires your nervous system and affects your daily experience of rest, emotion, and pleasure.Discover practical ways to begin noticing your body safely, creating space for choice, creativity, and self-agency. Press play to start reclaiming your body, reconnecting with your nervous system, and embracing embodiment without sacrificing your ambition. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. Your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Cindy Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy, coaching, or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Are you a woman who has done years of healing work on your attachment trauma, yet still feel unable to let go of people-pleasing and perfectionism? This trauma-informed podcast helps women with complex PTSD heal the lasting impact of childhood attachment wounds from parents and caregivers so you can finally release survival patterns, rebuild self-trust, and create relationships rooted in authenticity, confidence, and emotional safety. Listen each week to learn how to: • Understand how trauma, attachment patterns, and overthinking fuel anxiety, stress, and burnout. • Release perfectionism, people-pleasing, and outdated identities that keep you playing small. • Build healthy boundaries, embodied self-trust, and a grounded sense of purpose and worth. I'm your host, Cindy Payne—a licensed professional counselor, certified yoga teacher, and C-PTSD survivor—offers a new episode each Monday, and a Wednesday Midweek Reframe teaching a practical skill or concept, so you can reduce the impact of C-PTSD symptoms and improve relationships. Work With Me: Ready for deeper support? Explore therapy or book a consultation here: cindypayne.com Connect With Me: Send me a message directly on Instagram: @cindypaynerooted or via email: cindy@cindypaynelpc.com This podcast explores the real, human side of growth — from navigating anxiety, imposter syndrome, and codependency to rediscovering presence, confidence, and authenticity. Through honest conversations about vulnerability, leadership, and letting go, we dive into the balance between purpose and rest, mindfulness and action, boundaries and connection. Together, we unpack the layers of trauma, stress, and exhaustion that keep us from fulfillment, and explore how healing begins when we choose awareness, compassion, and alignment over overwhelm.

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