The Healing Heroes: Holistic Wellness for Women

chandler stroud
  • 4.8 (43)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The Healing Heroes: Holistic Wellness for Women where high-achieving women finally learn how to heal for real. Each week, host Chandler Stroud sits down with world-class healers—her very own “Heroes” who helped transform her life—to reveal the unexpected, science-backed, and soul-centered practices that calm anxiety, unwind stress, heal stored trauma in the body, and rebuild self-worth from the inside out. If you’ve ever felt like you should be happier, healthier, or more at peace… you’re not alone. This show is your invitation to come home to yourself.

  1. 7h ago

    From Weight Loss to Weight Health in the Age of GLP-1s: Ashley's Story | Healing Heroines

    What if the way we think about our weight started long before we ever chose to think about it at all? And what if we're having the wrong types of conversations about GLP-1s? Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian, weight health expert, and founder of the Better Nutrition Program. Her understanding of weight is deeply personal, too—and she's spent her career building the framework she wishes had existed for her. In this conversation, Ashley unpacks the critical difference between weight loss and weight health, what GLP-1 and GIP hormones actually do in the body, and why optimizing your hormones matters whether or not you ever touch the medication. But before any of that, she shares a story she kept to herself for decades—one that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like their body was a problem that needed a solution. What You Will Learn [00:10:00] Ashley's bully moment at age eight — and 40 years of carrying it[00:15:00] How disempowerment leads to risky behaviors — the research behind it[00:20:00] When Ashley's body started feeling like it was working against her[00:30:30] The bar, the stranger, and Ashley's life-changing rock bottom[00:36:30] What introduced her to GLP-1 hormones in 2004[00:49:30] What GLP-1 and GIP actually do — beyond blood sugar[00:53:30] Right order matters — digestion, hydration, and movement first[01:08:30] What "your best shot" actually means beyond the medicationResources Mentioned Your Best Shot by Ashley Koff, RDBetter Nutrition Program Let’s Connect! Ashley Koff Instagram | LinkedIn Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  2. Aug 19

    Resilience from Curing Lyme Disease: Alayna's Story | Healing Heroine

    Alayna Bellquist was bitten by a tick on a trail ride in San Diego. The ER doctor gave her two pills and sent her home. What followed wasn't just a year in bed. It was a time when Alayna's life was abruptly halted, forcing her to reckon with everything that had come before it. Alayna is a marine scientist, author, and speaker who spent two decades studying how ecosystems collapse and how they bounce back. Then her own body became the ecosystem in crisis. A chronic Lyme diagnosis forced her to stop racing, stop achieving, and start looking backward at a childhood that had quietly shaped her into someone who never asked for help and never took days off.  What she found on the other side wasn't just recovery. It was a completely different way of understanding what healing actually requires and how the words we use to describe our healing journey carry the most weight of all. What You Will Learn [00:14:30] Alayna's life scheduled to the minute, always racing[00:18:00] What parentification explained about her patterns[00:28:00] Three years of symptoms she called "stress"[00:34:00] Hiding Lyme disease from her family for months[00:37:30] Calling on a psychic out of pure desperation[00:45:30] Addressing Alayna's true vulnerabilities, not the tick[00:56:00] Why Alayna says "cured," not "in remission" when mentioning her experience with Lyme disease[00:59:00] A simple perspective on what healing can actually look likeResources Mentioned Resilient by Nature: A Memoir of Curing Chronic Lyme Disease by Alayna BellquistMia Magik - Alayna's Intuitive AdvisorLet’s Connect! Alayna Bellquist Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  3. Aug 12

    Cancer, Creativity, and Finding Herself Again: Nerissa's Story | Healing Heroines

    Nerissa Balland was five months pregnant, working full-time, and had a 1-year-old at home when her dermatologist said the word malignant. Her first instinct was to keep going, but of course, cancer didn't care. What happens when a life-changing diagnosis unravels your life and you don't have the words for any of it? After two decades chasing corporate titles and pursuing nonprofit work, Nerissa had quietly set aside the one thing that had always made her feel free: art. A diagnosis of metastatic melanoma at 38 forced her to reckon not only with her health, but with the parts of herself she'd abandoned along the way. Now, she's the author of Canvas of Courage and a therapeutic arts practitioner who reminds people that broken crayons still color. What You Will Learn [00:09:00] Validating herself through every promotion and job change[00:12:30] Cancer diagnosis at 38, five months pregnant[00:16:30] Making the invisible visible without words[00:19:30] Why non-artists have the real advantage[00:39:00] Ranch visit that rewired Nerissa's mindset[00:43:00] Overthinking her return to art[00:47:00] Broken crayons still color[00:58:00] Shifting from "why me" to "what now"Resources Mentioned Canvas of Courage by Nerissa BallandByron KatieLet’s Connect! Nerissa Balland Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  4. Aug 5

    Loss, Reinvention, and Rebuilding Your Life: Kristen's Story | Healing Heroines

    Kristen Hallett Rzasa thought she had built the life she'd always wanted—a successful corporate career, a thriving business, and a future she was excited about. Then life unraveled. Over the course of two decades, Kristen lost her father suddenly at 52, survived a life-threatening medical emergency after years of ignoring her body's warnings, watched her dream business nearly consume her, experienced the grief of infertility, and found herself repeatedly asking the same question: If life can change in an instant, what really matters? In this deeply honest conversation, Kristen shares how each heartbreak became an invitation to rebuild, not by chasing someone else's definition of success, but by creating a life that truly reflected her values. Click 'play' to hear her story. What You Will Learn [00:09:30] Why she treated Jazzercise like a business from day one[00:14:00] What ignoring her body eventually cost her[00:19:00] Her father's sudden death at 52 — and living with no regrets[00:28:30] Being stranded in Newfoundland on 9/11[00:32:30] Losing her job, relationship, and direction all at once[00:38:00] Why she buried her grief for years — and what finally helped[00:41:00] Why stillness is where the real growth happens[00:47:00] What inspired her to build Unwritten LegaciesLet’s Connect! Kristen Raza Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  5. Jul 29

    Using Plant Medicines with Intention: Katherine's Story | Healing Heroines

    Ever been curious about psychedelics? If so, you're not alone. But consuming psychedelic plant medicines has always been taboo, even when it comes to healing modalities. Over the years, more research has shown that plant medicines, when taken with intention, can have a positive impact on one's psyche and healing journey.  Katherine Petrullo is the founder of Lüminate and creator of Women of Impact. Her work weaves together Taoist philosophy, tantra, kundalini, and plant medicine. Before her success, she was a young woman quietly falling apart, cycling through rock bottoms, and reaching for anything external that might make her feel whole, a feeling she had never truly known. Katherine explains what finally shifted, including a plant medicine ceremony, and what she learned on the other side of it.  Click 'play' to see if psychedelics might be your next (unexpected) healing modality. What You Will Learn [00:07:30] Childhood existential anxiety — and distorting her voice to feel safe [00:13:30] Why plant medicine wasn't the magic bullet she expected [00:17:00] Why not feeling safe to share kept her deeply isolated [00:30:30] What her first ayahuasca ceremony actually felt like — and the dark night of the soul that followed [00:36:00] What coming back into the body actually felt like [00:46:00] How the medicine wheel explains why so many people experience energy crashes and empty creation [00:53:30] What Women of Impact is — and what it's actually designed to do [01:01:00] Why healing isn't something you're always doing — it's a dance Resources Mentioned Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian WeissLet’s Connect! Katherine Petrullo Website | Instagram Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  6. Jul 22

    Burnout, Over-Functioning, and Learning to Ask for Help: Rebekah’s Story | Healing Heroines

    Rebekah Jordan's story isn't one dramatic moment but rather a series of seasons, some marked by beautiful momentum, and some by very real collapse. As a lifelong educator, student, and explorer who spent decades teaching students of all ages, Rebekah shares with Chandler what it took to walk away from a school she founded, what it looks like to over-function in silence, and the small rituals that have helped her find her way back to herself.   Click 'play' to hear how her journey unfolds... What You Will Learn [00:07:30] Growing up where the filter was never "will I be able to," but always "let's find out"[00:12:30] What she was really searching for when she drove cross-country — and whether she found it[00:22:00] What breaking down in the Eisenhower Tunnel taught her about walking through the doors that open[00:31:00] What nervous system collapse actually looked like when she hit her breaking point[00:37:00] What she wants the woman who says "I'm fine" when she's not to understand[00:40:00] What over-functioning looks like in practice — and what it costs over time[00:45:30] Why resentment lives in the envy category, not the anger category[00:49:00] The small rituals she's built to create real transition between work and the rest of lifeResources Mentioned Atlas of the Heart by Brené BrownLet’s Connect! Rebekah Jordan LinkedIn | Instagram Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe to The Bridge  Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  7. Jul 15

    Training Your Brain and Nervous System with Neurofeedback: Laura's Story | Healing Heroines

    For most of her life, Healing Heroine Laura Mahony knew she experienced the world differently. Highly sensitive, deeply perceptive, and constantly adapting to fit in, she spent decades searching for answers - turning over every stone in an effort to understand herself. It wasn't until she discovered neurofeedback that everything finally clicked.  In this conversation, Laura shares how retraining her brain helped quiet a lifetime of hypervigilance, reconnect her with the present moment, and transform the way she relates to herself and others. She and Chandler explore masking, trauma, neurodivergence, nervous system regulation, and why understanding your brain may be one of the most compassionate things you can do for yourself. You'll also hear Chandler share her own neurofeedback journey and the remarkable shifts she's experienced in sleep, anxiety, and everyday life after just a few weeks of training What You Will Learn [00:10:00] What it was actually like growing up as a child who could feel and perceive things others around her could not[00:16:30] When masking started — and what it was quietly costing her[00:20:00] How anxiety showed up in her body as a child and why she describes herself as having been "armored"[00:30:00] Why she stopped needing a label to validate her experiences[00:34:00] How neurofeedback works — measuring the brain's electrical activity and training it toward flexibility and stabilization[00:46:30] What a neurofeedback session actually looks like in practice[00:54:00] Why she built Lux Neuro and what she believes people deserve when it comes to understanding themselves Let’s Connect! Laura Mahony LuxNeuro | GET 10% OFF one month of remote training or counseling if you mention Healing Heroes Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

  8. Jul 8

    Getting "Unstuck" After Deep Betrayal: Debi's Story | Healing Heroines

    Betrayal is something that no one is prepared for. Whether you've been betrayed by a relative, close friend, or spouse, these traumatic experiences can leave lasting emotional and physical wounds. Chandler sits down with Dr. Debi Silber, founder of the Post Betrayal Transformation Institute, to discuss why betrayal impacts us so deeply and what it takes to move beyond it.  Drawing from both her personal experience with betrayal and years of research, Debi explains the stages of betrayal recovery, how to recognize when you're stuck, and what true transformation looks like.  What You Will Learn [00:08:00] Why betrayal creates a unique kind of heartbreak[00:11:30] The moment she realized traditional healing wasn't enough[00:16:30] How her personal story became the foundation of her work[00:24:30] Why rebuilding trust starts with yourself[00:33:00] The five stages of healing after betrayal[00:36:30] How unresolved betrayal can keep you emotionally stuck[00:43:00] Who Unstuck was written for and why[00:47:30] What transformation looks like on the other side of betrayalResources Mentioned Trust Again by Dr. Debi SilberUnstuck by Dr. Debi SilberLet’s Connect! Dr. Debi Silber Website | Instagram | TEDx Talk: Do You Have Post Betrayal Syndrome? Chandler Stroud Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Happiness Academy is now Healing Heroines, a signature space for women who are ready to feel more grounded, more peaceful, and more aligned — inside and out.  Download a complimentary Healing Roadmap to discover our Past, Present, and Possible framework. Want personalized guidance for your healing journey? Book a call with Chandler! Mixing and editing provided by Next Day Podcast. Text message us questions, requests, or comments!

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4.8
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About

Welcome to The Healing Heroes: Holistic Wellness for Women where high-achieving women finally learn how to heal for real. Each week, host Chandler Stroud sits down with world-class healers—her very own “Heroes” who helped transform her life—to reveal the unexpected, science-backed, and soul-centered practices that calm anxiety, unwind stress, heal stored trauma in the body, and rebuild self-worth from the inside out. If you’ve ever felt like you should be happier, healthier, or more at peace… you’re not alone. This show is your invitation to come home to yourself.

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