It’s Both — Personal Growth For Real Life Transitions

Nikki P
  • 5.0 (27)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

If you’re living in the tension—mixed emotions, unclear answers, big decisions—this show helps with navigating transitions, overthinking, decision making, and emotional intelligence so you can find clarity and calm in real life. It’s Both is for people who feel the pull of two truths at once. Hosted by therapist-turned-storyteller Nikki P, each episode blends honest conversations with simple, practical tools—one kind next step at a time. We talk boundaries, anxiety, identity shifts, starting over after divorce, career pivots, faith questions, and more—always through a both/and lens. Expect real stories (not toxic positivity), language for mixed emotions, and frameworks that help you move forward without abandoning yourself. Whether you’re rebuilding identity, deconstructing and reconstructing faith, or stepping into a new season, this space helps you feel seen, feel less alone, and make gentler choices as you grow through transition. Because life isn’t either/or—it’s both.

  1. Navigating Transitions In Faith: I Believe—Differently

    5D AGO

    Navigating Transitions In Faith: I Believe—Differently

    When your beliefs shift, it can feel like you’re losing everything—community, certainty, even yourself. This conversation offers a grounded way to keep faith while navigating transitions with honesty and self-compassion—so you can say, “I believe—just differently,” and mean it. In this episode, Nashville minister David Perez shares his move from either/or religion to a spacious both/and spirituality. We get practical about rebuilding from the inside out—no shame, no hot takes—just tools that help real people through real change. You’ll learn: - How to make sense of a faith identity shift without burning your life down - A non-arguing approach to deconstruction (drop the rope, keep your peace) - What love-first theology looks like in everyday relationships - Simple practices for self-compassion and emotional regulation during doubt - How to find (or form) safe community while your beliefs evolve About the show: Honest conversations and practical tools for mixed emotions, navigating transitions, overthinking, decision making, and emotional intelligence—without toxic positivity. If this helped, follow the show for weekly episodes and share it with a friend who’s in the messy middle.   Get Connected & Support the Show: - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Get connected with David Moses Perez on his website, his church Spero Dei, & listen to his podcast Iconoclast - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation

    56 min
  2. Hell, Hope, & Emotional Intelligence ft. Brian Recker

    JAN 27

    Hell, Hope, & Emotional Intelligence ft. Brian Recker

    What happens when fear-based faith collapses—and you’re left to rebuild meaning without certainty? In this conversation with Brian Recker, we explore emotional intelligence as a grounding skill for navigating doubt, loss, and change without abandoning yourself. Together, we talk about how ideas like hell, punishment, and certainty shape the nervous system—and how emotional intelligence helps create clarity, self-compassion, and steadier decision making during seasons of deconstruction and identity shift. This episode offers language for holding mixed emotions, naming grief & growth, and staying present when faith no longer fits the way it used to. You’ll hear practical reflections on: - Emotional intelligence as a tool for uncertainty and inner conflict - Letting go of fear without rushing into false clarity - How grief and imagination interact during belief changes - Rebuilding trust in yourself after systems break down - Navigating transitions with honesty, agency, and compassion If you’re starting over spiritually, questioning inherited beliefs, or learning how to live without clear answers, this conversation offers grounded perspective for navigating transitions—without shame, pressure, or certainty traps. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Follow Brian Recker on Instagram, visit his website, & buy his book Hell Bent - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation

    1h 3m
  3. Navigating Transitions After Purity Culture | ft. Linda Kay Klein

    JAN 20

    Navigating Transitions After Purity Culture | ft. Linda Kay Klein

    Life transitions after purity culture can feel disorienting—shame, mixed messages, and binary thinking collide. With Linda Kay Klein, we name what life transitions look like during deconstruction and map one kinder next step so you don’t abandon yourself. We unpack what “purity culture” is, how right/wrong binaries create internal tornadoes, why bothness (grief and relief) shows up in change, and the real ways it shapes adulthood and sexuality. Linda shares a practical three-part recovery path—deconstruction + reconstruction together, finding solidarity so you’re not alone, and (when ready) turning healing outward. If you’ve felt torn between who you were told to be and who you’re becoming, this conversation offers language, relief, and a gentler way forward. If you’re navigating life transitions, follow for new episodes Tuesdays. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Follow Linda Kay Klein on Instagram & visit her website - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation

    1 hr
  4. Trust Your Inner Knowing: Decision Making — Rob Bell Pt 2

    JAN 13

    Trust Your Inner Knowing: Decision Making — Rob Bell Pt 2

    Feeling torn between selflessness and self-care while navigating transitions? In Part 2 with Rob Bell, we talk about reclaiming your inner knowing, how clarity emerges through stillness, and why healing isn’t “late”—it’s right on time. You’ll hear a practical reframe for decision making when life feels complex, plus Nikki’s story of how a boundary/self-trust question from 10 years ago changed the trajectory of her life. In this episode, we cover: - How systems and power structures can train you to doubt your own intuition - “The juice of life”: making choices without the fear of one perfect answer - Self-care vs. selflessness (and why taking care of yourself expands what you can give) - “Right on time” healing: releasing urgency and rebuilding peace of mind - How to stay engaged with a hard world without losing yourself This episode builds on Part 1 (“The Certainty Trap & Emotional Intelligence”). Listen to Part 1 HERE first for deeper context.  Follow It’s Both — Personal growth for real-life transitions for weekly conversations on growth, clarity, and real-life change. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Follow Rob Bell on Instagram & visit his website - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts

    38 min
  5. The Certainty Trap & Overthinking - Rob Bell Pt 1

    JAN 6

    The Certainty Trap & Overthinking - Rob Bell Pt 1

    Feeling stuck chasing the “right” answer? This episode uses emotional intelligence to break the certainty trap—so you can get out of your head, back into your body, and hold joy and grief side by side without spiraling. In Part 1 with Rob Bell, we explore why binary thinking feels like safety (and why it’s often scarcity in disguise), the relationship between grief and imagination, and how learning to feel what’s true can unlock clarity and your next step. In this episode, you’ll hear: - Why the mind craves either/or—and how the heart can hold both - How “rightness” can masquerade as moral certainty while actually fueling scarcity - The grief → imagination link (and why grief moves in waves) - Why we get stuck in our heads (and what it costs us) - A freeing reframe for the “I should be farther along” story This is Part 1. In Part 2, we get more practical about self-trust, embodiment, and choosing without certainty. Follow the show so you don’t miss Part 2—and share this with a friend who’s in the messy middle. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation - Follow Rob Bell on Instagram & visit his website - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts

    46 min
  6. Year’s End: Navigating Transitions with Grief and Gratitude

    12/23/2025

    Year’s End: Navigating Transitions with Grief and Gratitude

    Feeling mixed emotions at the end of the year? This solo reflection is for anyone navigating transitions while holding grief and gratitude at the same time—without forcing clarity or burning out. I share honestly about loneliness, identity shifts in motherhood, career changes, community loss, and our family’s upcoming move. You’ll hear why reflection (before resolutions) restores clarity, energy, and self-compassion—and how to honor what’s hard without minimizing what’s good. In this episode, you’ll get: - A calm reflection practice for the messy middle - How to hold grief and gratitude without choosing one - A nervous-system-friendly approach to big decisions - Language for naming loneliness and staying connected - A preview of the January faith series (Rob Bell, Linda Kay Klein, Brian Recker, David Perez) I’m off next week and back in January. If this resonated, follow the show, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with someone who’s holding a lot right now. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts - Follow the show on Instagram

    21 min
  7. Healing Trauma in Your Body with Emotional Intelligence

    12/16/2025

    Healing Trauma in Your Body with Emotional Intelligence

    Feel stuck in survival mode even though you “know” what you feel? This episode uses emotional intelligence to reconnect mind and body—so you can stop performing healing and start coming home to yourself. Therapist and educator Janice Holland (The Trauma Teacher) joins Nikki P to unpack what trauma really is (“what happens inside us”), how fight/flight/freeze/fawn show up in everyday life, and how to build safety without overwhelming your nervous system. In this episode, we cover: - Trauma as disconnection—and healing as reconnection - Fight/flight/freeze/fawn and how they map to overworking, numbness, and people-pleasing - How to build capacity slowly (desire, micro-choices, safe people) - Holiday boundaries: simple scripts + the reframe that makes them possible - Signals of real progress: sleep, digestion, ease, laughter, and less guilt If this helped, follow the show and share it with a friend who needs language for what they’re living. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation - Follow Janice Holland, The Trauma Teacher, on Instagram & YouTube - Get connected with Janice Janice Holland, The Trauma Teacher - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts

    1h 3m
  8. Divorce: Grief, Relief & Navigating Transitions ft. Oona Metz

    12/09/2025

    Divorce: Grief, Relief & Navigating Transitions ft. Oona Metz

    Feeling isolated, ashamed, or torn about divorce? If you’re navigating transitions with mixed emotions—grief and relief, anger and longing—this conversation will help you name what’s true with more self-compassion, clarity, and peace of mind. Therapist and author Oona Metz (founder of long-running divorce support groups for women; Unhitched: The Essential Divorce Guide for Women) explains why stress can make reading hard, how community reduces shame, and the language shifts that soften guilt and stigma (like “parenting time” vs. “custody” and “family restructuring” vs. “failed marriage”). We also talk through identity shift after divorce, letting go of attachment, and practical boundaries with family (and an unhealthy ex) so you can rebuild without losing yourself. In this episode, you’ll learn: - How to hold mixed emotions without self-judgment (and why nuance matters) - Why shame loves silence—and how support groups create self-awareness and confidence - A clear way to define what’s a safety issue vs. what you can let go - Co-parenting boundaries that reduce anxiety, uncertainty, and decision fatigue - The mindset shift from “who filed first” to “who left the marriage” (releasing guilt) - How healing and personal growth start with small acts of agency (even fixing the faucet/door) If you’re considering separation, in the messy middle, or rebuilding on the other side, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to do this without support. Get Connected & Support the Show: - Follow Oona Metz on Instagram - Get connected with Oona Metz (with links to order her upcoming book) - Subscribe, rate, & review It's Both on Apple Podcasts - Join the Courageous Living Group Transformation - Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions

    55 min
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About

If you’re living in the tension—mixed emotions, unclear answers, big decisions—this show helps with navigating transitions, overthinking, decision making, and emotional intelligence so you can find clarity and calm in real life. It’s Both is for people who feel the pull of two truths at once. Hosted by therapist-turned-storyteller Nikki P, each episode blends honest conversations with simple, practical tools—one kind next step at a time. We talk boundaries, anxiety, identity shifts, starting over after divorce, career pivots, faith questions, and more—always through a both/and lens. Expect real stories (not toxic positivity), language for mixed emotions, and frameworks that help you move forward without abandoning yourself. Whether you’re rebuilding identity, deconstructing and reconstructing faith, or stepping into a new season, this space helps you feel seen, feel less alone, and make gentler choices as you grow through transition. Because life isn’t either/or—it’s both.

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