Free & Well: Break Free From Anxiety & Overthinking & Feel More Confident With Mental Health Habits, Nervous System Healing &

Devoney Kodad, Anxiety Therapist, Self Confidence Coach & Christian Yoga Teacher
  • 4.9 (79)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Hey sweet twenty-something, welcome to the Free & Well Podcast. Do you want to feel more peace & more confidence? Are you tired of second guessing yourself and overthinking everything?  Are you ready to stop filtering yourself, start speaking up, being more outgoing, saying yes to the adventures & putting yourself out there more?! Yeah?! You are in the right place, friend! I’m Devoney & I'm so glad you're here. I've served over 5,000 hours as a therapist, I'm a faith based yoga teacher & a dog mom. Growing up, I remember replaying conversations in my head, comparing myself to the girls around me & constantly worrying about what other people were thinking about me. Everything changed for me when I started blending mental health, faith & the nervous system together. In this show, you’ll learn tools to feel more calm, rewire your brain & own who you are so that you can start being more outgoing & saying YES to more fun, more adventures, being more YOU. Each episode I share nuggets from my 10 +years in the mental health field and my own raw, imperfect & real lessons life as a recovering people pleaser & Christian who experiences anxiety & ADHD. I'm here to share with you all the things I've learned so you can start being the woman God created you to be, unapologetically! If you're ready to enter into your most peace-filled, confident era, this is the show for you! Grab your iced coffee & your journal, let's dive in! Find more at freeandwell.org!

  1. 4d ago

    326 | you can be a christian, set boundaries AND be a good person: people pleasing, self trust & burnout w/ therapist sarah underbrink

    What if setting a boundary doesn't make you mean or a “bad Christian” — but is actually a way of honoring yourself, your nervous system, and the life God has given you? In this episode, Devoney sits down with Christian therapist and licensed minister Sarah Underbrink to unpack the connection between faith, mental health, boundaries, people-pleasing, burnout, confidence, and nervous system regulation. If you're a high-achieving woman who constantly says yes, worries about disappointing people, over-explains your decisions, or feels guilty for needing rest and space, this conversation is for you. Together, Devoney and Sarah explore why people-pleasing can become spiritualized, why “dying to self” doesn't mean destroying or abandoning yourself, and how your nervous system can actually help you discern what is a healthy yes and what needs to be a no. You'll also hear a powerful perspective on Proverbs 31 and what it means to have the audacity to “laugh at the days to come” — not because life is always easy, but because you trust in the God who has your future. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why boundaries are not unkind or un-Christian • The hidden connection between people-pleasing and the need for approval • Why someone else's disappointment doesn't automatically mean God is disappointed with you • How to tell the difference between anxiety and fight-or-flight from spiritual discernment • How to set boundaries without taking responsibility for other people's reactions • The difference between people-pleasing and genuine kindness • How faith and nervous-system regulation can work together rather than being treated as separate If you're ready to spend less time overthinking, and step into a calmer, more confident, more unapologetic version of yourself, this episode is for you. HIGHLIGHTS | 03:11 — You Don't Have to Choose Between Faith & Mental Health07:45 — The Proverbs 31 Woman Has the Audacity to Laugh at the Future11:59 — Boundaries Don't Make You a Bad Christian13:10 — The Hidden Reason We Don't Set Boundaries15:00 — Your Soul Is the Holy of Holies16:39 — Someone Else's Disappointment Doesn't Mean God Is Disappointed With You18:39 — When People-Pleasing Becomes “Being a Good Christian”21:05 — “Dying to Self” Doesn't Mean Destroying Yourself21:52 — Why We Wear Burnout Like a Badge of Honor24:38 — Your Nervous System Is Giving You Information26:35 — Is It Anxiety or God's Voice?29:43 — You Don't Have to Manage Other People's Reactions30:42 — You Are the Expert of Your Own Body32:30 — Unhealthy People Can't Always Understand Healthy Boundaries34:31 — Boundaries Protect, They Don't Punish35:43 — Change “I Have To” Into “I Get To”37:17 — The Proverbs 31 Mindset COMING UP START HERE |  🎧 Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice for peace & calm 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing MENTIONED |  ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women start fully living their lives. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, faith & nervous system based tools to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is  supporting you! DISCLAIMER | Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  2. 6d ago

    325 | stop the spiral series pt 1 - my journey with overthinking, ruminating and analysis paralysis

    Does this feel familiar? Replaying the conversation in your head over and over.  Asking “what you could’ve said better… if that sounded weird... if they liked you…” Rewriting the text for the 97th time to make sure it sounds just right so they don’t get upset with you or you don’t hurt their feelings when you say you can’t make that party Saturday night (because really you just don’t want to go). First off, you’re not alone.  I’ve been right there.  You have such a huge heart and you care so much but you’re also exhausted of all the replaying and analyzing. This series is for YOU. Stop the Spiral. You'll hear about why this is so common, the FREE approach to handling spirals (faith, nervous system and mental health based), and hopefully walk away understanding why your brain & body do some of the things they do and some simple practices that I've found helpful on my journey. START HERE |  🧬 Join UNAPOLOGETIC: a live 5 day confidence experiment! 9/28-10/3 🎧 Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice for peace & calm 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women start fully living their lives. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, faith & nervous system based tools to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is  supporting you! DISCLAIMER | Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  3. Sep 3

    324 | how to stop caring what other people think: the freedom that comes when you feel secure in your true identity & worth

    In this episode, we're talking about anxiety, self-worth, people-pleasing, faith, and what happens when you finally begin to feel deeply rooted in who you are. I share a personal story from my own healing journey in my 20s, when I struggled with anxiety, insecurity, and constantly questioning how I was showing up in the world. A deeper relationship with God—and learning to see myself through His perspective—changed everything for me. We'll explore: Why feeling safe can make it easier to take risks and pursue your dreamsHow anxiety can keep you filtering, hiding, and second-guessing yourselfThe connection between feeling loved and feeling confidentHow faith can become a source of security rather than another source of pressureWhy you don't need everyone else's approval to know you're enoughHow to shift whose opinion of you carries the most weightWhat it looks like to move through life with more freedom, play, confidence, and purpose If you're an anxious, high-achieving woman who is tired of overthinking, shrinking yourself, and feeling like you have to get everything "right," this episode is for you. You don't need to become someone else to become confident. You get to become more rooted in who you already are. HIGHLIGHTS | 00:00 — What a healthy relationship can give you 01:35 — When anxiety makes you question everything 02:10 — The beginning of a deeper healing journey 03:02 — “Who do you say I am?” 04:00 — Becoming rooted instead of reactive 04:44 — The realization that changed everything 05:14 — What if God is already walking with you? 06:00 — Feeling safe enough to actually live 07:18 — “God's got me.” 08:09 — Stop hiding. Stop filtering. Stop trying to say the perfect thing. 09:44 — The wake-surfing story 10:18 — What happens when you're no longer afraid to fail? 11:09 — You were created to let your gifts shine 12:30 — The God who created beauty also created you 13:07 — You don't have to live according to everyone else's opinion 13:16 — Whose opinion gets the most weight? 14:21 — “I am enough.” 14:51 — The freedom of letting yourself be yourself START HERE |  🎧 Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice to get out of your head 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing MENTIONED |  https://www.instagram.com/mattgottesman/ ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women start fully living their lives. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, faith & nervous system based tools to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is  supporting you! DISCLAIMER | Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  4. Aug 31

    323 | how I handled a mildly embarrassing & awkward moment the other day

    The other day at my favorite coffee shop, I had a fun awkward moment that would've sent younger Dev spiraling. I would've replayed it 100 x in my head, I would've come up with 37 better responses... and it reminded me of the power of growth, so I want to share it with you. I share what happened, how I moved through it & the power of intentionally growing erry dang day because one day you end up in a situation and just naturally respond so differently. If you want some inspo on how to handle an embarrassing / awkward moment and permission to just take yourself less seriously, this episode is for you! START HERE |  🎧 Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice for peace & calm 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing MENTIONED |  ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women break free from anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing so they can become calm and confident through psychology, nervous system regulation, and faith. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, encouragement, and biblical wisdom to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is  supporting you! DISCLAIMER | Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  5. Aug 27

    322 | if you don't feel like you fully fit in: becoming unwilling to hide who you are

    Have you ever felt like parts of you just don't match or fit together? For example... I'm sober AND I love to go out, dance, have fun I'm a therapist who is obsessed with mental health AND I believe faith is wildly important in healing I'm a Christian AND I deeply believe yoga / breathwork / nervous system based practices are essential to healing I'm very crunchy & natural minded AND love me some Reeses Oreos You see what I'm saying? Have you felt this?! If yes, today's episode is for you. Today’s episode is a deep permission slip to: -not fit into every box-be okay not fully feeling like you fit into spaces-own and accept all the parts of you, the weird & the different-become unwilling to quiet and hide parts of yourself to fit in-ditch all the boxes you’ve been trying to fit into START HERE |  🎧 Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice for peace & calm 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women break free from anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing so they can become calm and confident through psychology, nervous system regulation, and faith. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, encouragement, and biblical wisdom to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is supporting you! DISCLAIMER | Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  6. Aug 24

    321 | feeling behind? your permission slip to let go of the timelines & start trusting yourself w/ katy saltsman

    Hey friend, do you feel like you "should" be further along or like life "should" look a certain way by now? Today's episode is an interview with Katie Saltsman, women's health coach & host of the Crying Burns Calories Podcast, for a conversation that will hit different if you've felt like you're behind. Katie talks about how she left a life behind that looked good on paper, but deep down she knew wasn't for her. She packed up and moved across the US to a new city where she didn't know anyone. We talk about: the difference between a life that makes sense and one that actually is FOR youhow to break free from timelines that were never actually ours to begin withhow to find yourself again after years of people pleasing If you're in a season of feeling behind or lots of question marks, this one's for you, love. Grab your bev & join us! HIGHLIGHTS | ~00:05The decision to end a 10 yr relationship at 35 ~00:07When that inner voice turns into a scream because we have to listen ~00:17When the fear of staying the same gets bigger than the fear of the unknown ~00:25Letting go of an old timeline and meeting her husband organically over coffee ~00:28Katy's go to reframe for fear of the unknown & uncertainty ~00:33The self-discovery question that changed everything ~00:36Closing challenge for you START HERE |  🎧Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice for more peace 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing GUEST |  Katy's Instagram ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women break free from anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing so they can become calm and confident through psychology, nervous system regulation, and faith. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, encouragement, and biblical wisdom to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is  supporting you! DISCLAIMER |  Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  7. Aug 22

    320 | we've lost the plot: why we need to start having more fun

    Stuck in the same routines and wondering why you feel so underwhelmed & uninspired? I've been there — same city, same coffee shop, same hiking trail, same CFA order, same days on repeat — until a move to Idaho turned life into this blank canvas / playground. In this episode, I'm sharing why fun isn't extra, it's essential to your mental health and nervous system, and how trying new things (even the ones that scare you a little) can pull you out of anxious autopilot and back into feeling like yourself. If you're an overthinker who's ready to get out there, this is your sign to say yes to something new. HIGHLIGHTS | Why fun is a nervous-system need, not a nice-to-haveHow monotony fuels overthinking and anxietyWhy trying something once beats overanalyzing itSimple ways to break out of a rut and reconnect with yourself START HERE |  🎧Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice for peace & calm 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women break free from anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing so they can become calm and confident through psychology, nervous system regulation, and faith. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, encouragement, and biblical wisdom to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is  supporting you! DISCLAIMER |  Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

  8. Aug 17

    319 | body image, emotional eating & identity: a christian woman's guide to fitness for true confidence & healing w/ briana arteaga

    What if the way you move your body could actually grow your faith and help you live out the calling on your life instead of creating comparison and self judgment? In this episode, I sit down with Briana Arteaga, creator of Fit and On Fire, a Holy Spirit-led functional training approach that rejects diet culture and body-image pressure in favor of training for purpose. Centered around Proverbs 31. Yes, I know, it's amazing. We unpack why so many high-achieving women struggle with comparison, body image, unhealthy exercise habits & a worldly focus on aesthetics. Briana shares her own testimony, the science behind functional fitness, and how realigning movement with identity in Christ & using a Proverbs 31 approach shifts training into a way to live out your calling and grow your connection with God. If you've ever tied your self-worth to your body, struggled with emotional eating, or felt like your workouts were just another way to earn approval, this conversation offers a different path — one rooted in strength, purpose, and nervous-system peace instead of performance. In this episode: Why fitness culture keeps women stuck in anxiety and comparisonThe link between emotional eating, body image, and identityWhat "functional fitness" actually means (and why it's different)How training in partnership with the Holy Spirit builds real confidenceBriana's personal testimony and journey to Fit and On Fire START HERE |  🧘‍♀️Download the Free 4 Minute Calm Reset: my go to breathing practice to go from spiraling to peace 🎙Tune in to other listener favorite episodes: 4 Things I'd Do Differently If I Was Starting My Anxiety & Confidence Journey over4 Steps to Go From Nervous to Doing the Dang Thing ABOUT FREE & WELL |  Free & Well is a mental wellness movement helping women break free from anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing so they can become calm and confident through psychology, nervous system regulation, and faith. Hosted by anxiety therapist & yoga teacher & therapeutic workshop facilitator, Devoney, each episode blends practical mental health tools, encouragement, and biblical wisdom to help you step into your most peace filled, confident era. GUEST | Briana Arteaga a is a Christian speaker and Kingdom-first life and fitness coach devoted to helping women get free in their minds so they can fully walk in their calling. Shaped by her own journey of striving, backsliding, and surrender, she delivers Biblical truth that pierces deep, restores identity, and leads women into lasting freedom. With a background in Kinesiology, certifications in personal training and wellness coaching, and training in deliverance ministry, Briana bridges the physical and spiritual equipping women to pursue their purpose with confidence, boldness, and fire. Website Instagram CONNECT | Website Instagram IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE |  Leave a rating and review, I read each one and it means so much to me to hear how the podcast is supporting you! DISCLAIMER |  Recommendations shared in this episode are based on my own personal opinion. No content provided by Free & Well and/or on this show is a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. It is all purely for educational purposes and is not a replacement for medical, legal, or mental health advice. Please call 911 if you are in an emergency, the Access & Crisis Line if you are in a crisis at 888-724-7240, 988 for urgent mental health support or contact a licensed mental health provider for mental health support. See full disclaimer here.

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Hey sweet twenty-something, welcome to the Free & Well Podcast. Do you want to feel more peace & more confidence? Are you tired of second guessing yourself and overthinking everything?  Are you ready to stop filtering yourself, start speaking up, being more outgoing, saying yes to the adventures & putting yourself out there more?! Yeah?! You are in the right place, friend! I’m Devoney & I'm so glad you're here. I've served over 5,000 hours as a therapist, I'm a faith based yoga teacher & a dog mom. Growing up, I remember replaying conversations in my head, comparing myself to the girls around me & constantly worrying about what other people were thinking about me. Everything changed for me when I started blending mental health, faith & the nervous system together. In this show, you’ll learn tools to feel more calm, rewire your brain & own who you are so that you can start being more outgoing & saying YES to more fun, more adventures, being more YOU. Each episode I share nuggets from my 10 +years in the mental health field and my own raw, imperfect & real lessons life as a recovering people pleaser & Christian who experiences anxiety & ADHD. I'm here to share with you all the things I've learned so you can start being the woman God created you to be, unapologetically! If you're ready to enter into your most peace-filled, confident era, this is the show for you! Grab your iced coffee & your journal, let's dive in! Find more at freeandwell.org!

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