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Soberly Speaking

Julia Rangiheuea
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Stories from everyday people sharing their darkest moments that led to sobriety. Shedding light on our struggles to help those still finding their way out. 

  1. What Childhood Sexual Abuse Does to Your Brain and Body (Subscriber Exclusive)

    1D AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    What Childhood Sexual Abuse Does to Your Brain and Body (Subscriber Exclusive)

    JOIN THE UNSPOKEN: https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking What happens to a child's brain during sexual abuse doesn't stay there. It shows up in their relationships, their bodies, and their sense of self, often without them ever knowing why. Melissa Beaton is a psychotherapist specialising in trauma. In this episode, she breaks down the neuroscience behind trauma responses, why arousal during abuse is biological and not a choice, and why freeze and fawn are survival mechanisms, not failures. She unpacks how childhood sexual abuse shows up later in life through hypersexuality, hyposexuality, chronic illness, self-sabotage, and broken intimacy, and what real healing actually looks like. Julia and Melissa also get into the difference between childhood and adult sexual abuse, what a regulated nervous system looks like in practice, and why healing has to happen in relationship, not isolation. Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse, trauma, PTSD, and its psychological and physiological effects. Listener discretion is advised. Ready to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs support in Australia, you can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit https://www.1800respect.org.au Creator & Host - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Julia Rangiheuea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Image & Logo - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jasmine Rule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Melissa on Instagram @melissabeaton.psychologist In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    30 min

  2. 4D AGO

    [DOCUMENTARY] When a Child Is Assaulted: A Survivor's Truth. A Psychologist's Insight.

    Trigger warning: this episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault.  Stacey was 14 years old when two strangers assaulted her. One night. A warehouse. An experience no child should ever survive. She did. And then she did something even harder. She took them to court as a child, and won. She has never spoken publicly about it. Until now. Melissa Beaton is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist who works with high-performing women who hold everything together are ready to take back control over their lives.She specialises in spotting the moment a woman overrides herself. For example, when anger turns into anxiety, when responsibility becomes control, and when “being capable” becomes self-abandonment.Her work combines intensive psychodynamic therapy and physiology-based breathwork to help women build boundaries, regulate their nervous systems and stop shrinking to keep the peace.She is the founder of Zenso House, a premium breathwork and retreat studio on the Gold Coast. www.zensohouse.com Follow Melissa Beaton on Instagram: @melissabeaton.psychologist Follow Stacey on Instagram: @Staasi_ Creator & Host: ⁠⁠Julia RangiheueaReady to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    33 min
  3. Cracking the Code on Addiction: Inside a Women's Rehab Prison (Subscriber Exclusive)

    MAR 11 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Cracking the Code on Addiction: Inside a Women's Rehab Prison (Subscriber Exclusive)

    Most women who leave mainstream prison walk out with a plastic bag and nothing else. No plan, no housing, no support. Just the same world that broke them, waiting on the other side of the gate. The re-offending rate reflects that. 43% are back inside within two years. In a women's rehabilitation prison, that number drops to 6-10%. Olivia is a provisional psychologist with five years in the addiction field, two and a half of them counselling women inside Australia's only women's rehabilitation prison. She's seen what it looks like when someone arrives broken and leaves with something to live for. She knows what makes the difference and where the system is still failing. The question is whether anyone in charge is listening. Ready to share your story? Email: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠](mailto:hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au) Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015 https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline Creator & Host- ⁠⁠Julia Rangiheuea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Image & Logo- ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jasmine Rule Follow Olivia on Instagram: @mindsovermatters_ In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    39 min
  4. Sian’s Drug Abuse Almost Cost Her Comedy Career

    MAR 8

    Sian’s Drug Abuse Almost Cost Her Comedy Career

    “Comedy is a hotbed of mental illness"  Sian Smyth is a stand-up comedian whose past includes domestic violence, drug abuse, sex addiction, and sex work. After leaving an almost decade-long violent relationship in which she saw the devil himself, Sian finally felt free to take control of her body and experiment with every drug imaginable. Her addiction cost her every friend, derailed her career, and led to psychotic episodes overseas. After hearing a voice telling her to go to a meeting, Sian is now almost a year clean and making comedy again. Trigger warning: This episode discusses domestic violence, sexual assault, substance use disorder and mental health including psychosis. Buy tickets to Sian's show HERE Follow Sian on Instagram: @siansmythcomic Creator & Host: ⁠⁠Julia Rangiheuea Ready to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    36 min
  5. “I Was Getting Through Three Bottles of Fireball a Night”. Aisha's Story of Alcohol Dependence and Recovery (Subscriber Exclusive)

    MAR 3 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    “I Was Getting Through Three Bottles of Fireball a Night”. Aisha's Story of Alcohol Dependence and Recovery (Subscriber Exclusive)

    JOIN THE UNSPOKEN: https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking Aisha never felt like she fit in. From a childhood marked by bullying, being sectioned at 17 and a string of misdiagnoses, she found her sense of belonging in alcohol. By 27 she was physically dependent, drinking through withdrawals, hiding bottles and getting through multiple litres of Fireball a night. It wasn't until she got sober that she finally received the diagnosis she'd been searching for her whole life, autism and ADHD, and suddenly everything started to make sense. In this conversation, Aisha speaks openly about what physical dependence really looks like, the four summers she spent in Ibiza that cemented her party girl identity, and how lockdown accelerated everything. She talks about moving to Canada in a last ditch attempt to stop drinking, the spiral that followed, and what it took to finally get on a flight home. She also shares what it was like to relapse after over a year sober, the kindling effect and why she knows she will never drink again. Julia and Aisha talk about the transfer of addiction, healing the inner child, and what it means to finally live an authentic life. They also touch on cross addiction, the difference between getting dry sober and actually doing the work, and why sobriety gave Aisha everything alcohol promised her it would. Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of alcohol dependence, physical withdrawal, and psychosis. Ready to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015 https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    44 min
  6. Psychosis, Control and Culture: Nikki on Reclaiming Her Identity

    MAR 1

    Psychosis, Control and Culture: Nikki on Reclaiming Her Identity

    Trigger warning: This episode discusses sexual assault, substance use disorder and mental health including psychosis.Have you ever been in psychosis? You hear the horror stories of people staying in it for days, weeks or months, but Nikki lived with it for five years. During that time she became someone she didn’t recognise: erratic, paranoid and eventually lashing out at a family member. Nikki believed her only way to escape the addiction and chaos she had known for most of her life was either to end her life or end up in jail. For Nikki, reconnecting with her Māori heritage has genuinely saved her life, helping her find identity, purpose and healing in ways she never expected. Follow Nikki on Instagram: @saladgirl___Creator & Host: ⁠⁠Julia RangiheueaReady to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    39 min
  7. “He Was Meant To Protect Me” Brenda’s Story of Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse (Subscriber Exclusive)

    FEB 25 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    “He Was Meant To Protect Me” Brenda’s Story of Surviving Childhood Sexual Abuse (Subscriber Exclusive)

    Brenda is just 21 years old, but her story spans a childhood marked by ongoing sexual abuse at the hands of her father. In this episode, she shares what it was like growing up in an unsafe home, carrying silence for years, and the moment everything finally came to light. In this conversation, Brenda speaks openly about her earliest memories, the confusion of knowing something wasn’t right, and why children so often can’t “just tell.” She reflects on the role poverty and isolation played in hiding the abuse, the day police intervened, and what it felt like when her father confessed. She also shares her experience of the court process, the sentence he received, and her fear that he could reoffend if released. Julia and Brenda talk about survival, manipulation, and the quiet ways trauma shapes a child’s sense of safety. They also explore what healing looks like now, rebuilding trust, reconnecting with her siblings, and learning how to feel safe in her own life. Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of child sexual abuse by a parent, family violence, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised. Ready to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs support in Australia, you can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule Follow Brenda on Instagram @myvoice.xo Learn more about Brenda’s petition at https://www.change.org/p/keep-a-convicted-sexual-abuser-behind-bars?source_location=search In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    39 min
  8. 180K in Debt from a Crippling Gambling Addiction

    FEB 22

    180K in Debt from a Crippling Gambling Addiction

    At 26, Henry Brayshaw was drowning in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt from his gambling addiction. Gambling had felt normal since childhood. Some of his earliest memories were placing bets on the Melbourne Cup and slipping into the TAB. What started as something familiar slowly became uncontrollable. As the debt piled up, so did the shame. He self-harmed and isolated himself in a dark room for days.The turning point wasn’t dramatic. It was honest. He told his best friend at the time, Annie, and that was the moment he stopped running. Now, he urges anyone struggling to register with BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion scheme. Register yourself with BetStop HERE Follow Henry on Instagram: @henry.brayshaw Trigger warning: This episode discusses childhood sexual abuse in detail. Ready to share your story? Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@soberlyspeaking.com.au⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised. The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Creator & Host- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Julia Rangiheuea⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Image & Logo- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jasmine Rule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

    41 min
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Stories from everyday people sharing their darkest moments that led to sobriety. Shedding light on our struggles to help those still finding their way out. 

Information

  • Creator
    Julia Rangiheuea
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    122
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Julia Rangiheuea
  • Show Website
    Soberly Speaking
  • Provider
    Julia Rangiheuea

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