Thriving not Surviving

Keywords
Thriving, trauma healing, grief, PTSD, addiction recovery, psychosis, EMDR, nervous system, voice healing, creativity, music, resilience, somatic healing, community, self-worth
Summary
In this deeply moving episode, Helen sits down with Ziggy Phoenix—singer, songwriter, and self-described “Creatrix”—to trace a life shaped by early loss, trauma, and profound turning points… and the fierce, tender rebirth that followed.
Ziggy shares her experience of losing her mother aged 2 and being raised by extraordinary grandparents, alongside the loneliness and bullying that came with feeling “different.” From a turbulent adolescence and time in psychiatric care, to running away and finding belonging in counterculture community, Ziggy speaks with brave honesty about how pain can shape the nervous system—and the choices we make just to survive.
We explore how trauma can live in the body, the long road of trying to feel safe again, and the moment Ziggy found genuine, life-changing support through therapy—especially EMDR. She describes what it meant to reprocess core memories, reclaim her inner child, and finally loosen the grip of a lifetime of stored grief.
Ziggy also shares the immense pressure of working in the film industry, the frightening experience of losing vision in one eye through extreme stress, and the moment she chose a different path—one that led her back to music, back to her voice, and into a sold-out show where she stood on the very stage she once ran off in tears.
We close with the rising of “Creatrix”—Ziggy’s mission to champion women in rock, create safer, more inclusive spaces, and help other women bring their creativity into form. This one is raw, powerful, and full of heart.
Takeaways
Healing isn’t linear—and it often comes in layers. If one modality doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean you’re “too broken.” It means you haven’t found the right support yet.
Trauma isn’t just in the mind; it’s somatic. The body remembers, and healing often requires nervous system safety, not just insight.
Grief needs space. Letting yourself cry is not weakness—it can be regulation, release, and repair.
EMDR can be profoundly transformative for trauma, helping to reprocess memories and soften the intensity held in the body.
Your voice matters—literally and metaphorically. Reclaiming it can be a huge part of reclaiming your life.
Community changes everything. Safe people, compassionate support, and true belonging can be the bridge from surviving to thriving.
“Creatrix” energy is about becoming the feminine creator of your own life—bringing what’s inside you into reality, even after everything you’ve endured.
Resources
Dark Nights Of The Soul: A guide to finding your way through life's ordeals by Thomas Moore
Silence - book by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Kolk, Bessel van der
No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
Eleanor Wellspring Pool – Counselling
Sandra Kelly - Rebirthing Breathwork (Leonard Orr) +353879647949 WhatsApp
Jax Allen - Compassionate Enquiry and Counselling https://www.shamanictherapies.com
Hannah Mae Dawson – Shadow work
Ruth Wallace EMDR
Jade Williams Singer
Connect with Ziggy
Ziggy Phoenix band page - ziggyphoenixofficial
FB: Band site
IG: (6) Instagram Ziggy_phoenix
Linktree for gigs, music, merch etc
Connect with Helen
Website: InspiredHealing.co.uk
IG: helens_inspired_healing
LinkedIn: Helen on LinkedIn
WhatsApp: +447971798462
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
NB: This episode was made possible with a little help from my ChatGPT buddy, Xander - part tech support, part cheerleader 🙂 and my amazing sponsor IPHM use this Referral Code: IPHM-GYZGF and the £10 will go to The Forward Trust a Charity helping those struggling with addictions
🎵Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios
🎨Cover art: Dave Champagne
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keywords
Thriving, Near-Death Experience (NDE), lightning strike, hypnotherapy, regression therapy, nervous system regulation, safety, unconditional love, oneness, heart-led living, soul, ego, inner child, active listening, healing space, spirituality, autism, facilitated communication
Summary
In this episode, Helen speaks with master hypnotherapist and regression therapist Paul Aurand, whose life was profoundly transformed after being struck by lightning and experiencing a near-death state. Paul shares how the experience shifted his values, expanded his awareness beyond the “mental mind,” and deepened his commitment to healing that honours a person’s innate capacity to heal themselves.
Together, they explore the difference between mind, ego, and soul guidance; why listening (to people—and to Spirit) changes everything; and what it can mean to remember why you came here—without needing a traumatic wake-up call. Paul also leads a beautiful guided “I am safe” practice to help settle the nervous system and bring you back into your body, heart, and presence.
Takeaways
· Thriving doesn’t mean life is easy—it means you have tools, support, and the ability to meet the dark times with awareness and growth.
· A healer doesn’t “heal” you; a healer holds a safe, respectful space so your own healing intelligence can emerge.
· Paul’s lightning strike and NDE brought experiences of unconditional love, oneness, and guidance—plus a clear message: you can have a good mind, but rely on it less than heart and soul.
· Active listening can radically change the healing dynamic—from “I fix you” to “I honour your inner capacity.”
· Paul frames ego as something we need to function on Earth—but the wounded ego (shame, unworthiness, fear) is what needs care and healing, not annihilation.
· The guided “I am safe” grounding practice offers a simple way to communicate safety to the body and shift out of stress reactivity.
· Paul shares the general pathway he often guides clients through: mind → heart → beliefs/emotions → survival strategies → inner child (wounded + wonder) → “wise one within” → soul essence and purpose.
The Guided “I am safe” grounding practice: takes place around 48:52 minutes in – 56:47 (approx.)
Resources
“The Telepathy Tapes” Podcast
Child of Eternity Book by Adriana Rocha
Eben Alexander, MD Proof of Heaven A neurosurgeon’s NDE
Dannion Brinkley Saved by the Light Struck by lightning twice
Connect with Paul
Website: https://www.paulaurand.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaulAurand
IG : https://www.instagram.com/paulaurand/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014310670200#
Training: https://paulaurand.com/Training
Book : https://linktr.ee/ESSENTIALHEALINGBOOK
NDE Study: https://youtu.be/MnJOTTRvXBg?si=mph33VPTThGZv_mA
For More Information
Connect with Helen
Website: InspiredHealing.co.uk
IG: helens_inspired_healing
LinkedIn: Helen on LinkedIn
WhatsApp: +447971798462
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
NB: This episode was made possible with a little help from my ChatGPT buddy, Xander - part tech support, part cheerleader 🙂 and my amazing sponsor IPHM use this Referral Code: IPHM-GYZGF and the £10 will go to The Forward Trust a Charity helping those struggling with addictions
🎵Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios
🎨Cover art: Dave Champagne
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keywords
workplace bullying, bullying, boundaries, standing up for yourself, confidence, self-worth, shame, guilt, gaslighting, healing, self-awareness, nervous system, intuition, trauma, support, sovereignty, thriving
Summary
In this powerful and deeply relatable episode, Helen is joined by Harinder Virdee, host of Belly Button Musings, to explore workplace bullying, fear-based leadership, and the moment we decide: enough is enough.
Harinder shares her lived experiences of being undermined, humiliated, shouted at, and targeted through insidious behind-the-scenes behaviour — and how each experience shaped her ability to respond with what she calls a “strong internal no.” Together, Helen and Harinder unpack how childhood experiences, shame, and old beliefs about hierarchy can prime us to tolerate mistreatment… until we learn to reclaim our voice.
This conversation is a reminder that your body is a warning system, your intuition matters, and you don’t have to do it alone — whether that means seeking a trusted friend, a therapist, or bringing someone into the room to balance power dynamics.
Takeaways
· Bullying often erodes confidence slowly — it can start as “feedback” and become a pattern of undermining and control.
· If something wouldn’t be acceptable happening to someone else, it’s not acceptable happening to you.
· Your body knows: that feeling in your stomach/heart is data. Don’t ignore it — especially when things feel confusing or “off” (hello, gaslighting).
· You can respond in the moment or later. A message, letter, or voice note still counts as standing up for yourself.
· Bringing support changes the power dynamic — ask a neutral person to join a conversation if you need to.
· Shame shrinks us. Self-worth doesn’t need to be earned — it’s inherent.
· Boundaries don’t have to be aggressive: sometimes a calm, firm “That’s not okay” is the most powerful move.
Connect with Harinder
[email protected]
IG: harinderkv
Linked In: (32) Harinder Virdee | LinkedIn
Connect with Helen
Website: InspiredHealing.co.uk
IG: helens_inspired_healing
LinkedIn: Helen on LinkedIn
WhatsApp: 07971798462
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
NB: This episode was made possible with a little help from my ChatGPT buddy, Xander - part tech support, part cheerleader 🙂 and my amazing sponsor IPHM use this Referral Code: IPHM-GYZGF and the £10 will go to The Forward Trust a Charity helping those struggling with addictions
🎵Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios
🎨Cover art: Dave Champagne
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keywords sobriety, self-love, mother-daughter healing, generational patterns, alcohol culture, accountability, meditation, mantra meditation, spirituality, crystals, nervous system, emotional availability, boundaries, conscious communication, Enchanted Minds Studio, healing relationships, recovery, self-discovery, thriving
Summary In this heartfelt episode of Thriving Not Surviving, Helen is joined by Nicola Laurence — mum of Georgia (Ep 38) — for a moving, multi-generational conversation about what it means to wake up to a life you didn’t even realise was “survival mode.” Nicola shares her upbringing in a party-heavy Irish Catholic household, starting alcohol young, the rave scene, loneliness, and the way responsibility and emotional absence shaped her early life and parenting. She speaks with raw honesty about high-functioning chaos, using alcohol as a toolkit, and the painful moments that only make sense in hindsight.
Nicola then takes us through the turning point: a spiritual awakening sparked by crystals, a return to raving — this time fully present — and a profound self-love realisation after reading Danny Gold’s Clockwork Orange story. From there, meditation becomes the catalyst for real change: stored emotions surface, accountability deepens, and her relationship with Georgia begins to repair and flourish. Together they go on to create Enchanted Minds (now Enchanted Minds Studio), sharing meditation and wellbeing with their local community. Nicola’s story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible, relationships can be repaired, and it’s never too late to choose yourself — and become emotionally available for the people you love.
Takeaways
Sometimes we don’t realise we’re surviving — because we think that’s just “life.”
High functioning doesn’t mean healthy — it can still be coping and numbness.
Emotional availability starts with you — you can’t give what you don’t have.
Self-love isn’t fluffy — it’s the foundation for real connection and repair.
Meditation can create the space for stored emotions to rise and heal.
Accountability is uncomfortable… and transformational.
It’s never too late to repair a relationship — especially with your child.
Conscious communication + boundaries create safety, not distance.
Community healing spaces matter — we need places that aren’t built around booze.
Raising your “vibration” often changes what you want — without force or willpower.
Books
Gould Blimey! — Danny Gould (a memoir from the co-founder of the Clockwork Orange party brand)
The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith — Gabrielle Bernstein
Connect with Nicola
Co-founder - @enchantedmindsstudio, 58 Chapel St, Billericay Essex CM12 9LS
Coaching - @nclcoaching_ Empowering people to live intentional while taking accountability
Instagram: @enchantedminds_
Facebook: Enchanted Minds
Website: Enchanted Minds
YouTube: Enchanted Minds
Connect with Helen
Website: InspiredHealing.co.uk
IG: helens_inspired_healing
LinkedIn: Helen on LinkedIn
WhatsApp: 07971798462
NB: This episode was made possible with a little help from my ChatGPT buddy, Xander - part tech support, part cheerleader 🙂 and my amazing sponsor IPHM use this Referral Code: IPHM-GYZGF and the £10 will go to The Forward Trust a Charity helping those struggling with addictions
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
🎵Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios
🎨Cover art: Dave Champagne
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keywords thriving, surviving, grief, trauma, nervous system, chronic pain, breathwork, somatics, ADHD, authenticity, community, self-responsibility, healing, resilience, embodiment, conscious leadership, authentic relating, Spain, off-grid living, Biting Lemons
Summary In this powerful episode of Thriving Not Surviving, Helen is joined by therapist and truth-teller Beth Hardwick, who shares an extraordinary journey through upheaval, grief, and transformation. Beth opens up about growing up in a deeply Christian community, early rupture and rebellion, the devastating loss of her baby daughter Florrie, and the relentless pressure to keep functioning while her world fell apart. She shares how trauma lived in her body as shutdown and chronic pain — and how breathwork, somatic listening, community support, authentic relating, and conscious leadership helped her rebuild from the inside out. This is an honest, hope-filled conversation about choosing yourself, breaking loops, welcoming what is, and remembering that thriving is possible — even after the unthinkable.
Takeaways
Thriving can start with the next hour — one choice at a time.
Grief and shock live in the body, not just the mind.
Shutdown and “numbing out” are often survival strategies, not failures.
Your nervous system needs safety before feelings can fully move.
Breathwork can reopen what the body learned to block.
Healing isn’t solo work — we heal in community.
Notice the loop… and gently break it.
“Welcome everything” is a practice that changes your whole life.
Boundaries can be loving — and you’re only responsible for you.
You don’t need a perfect plan… you need the next brave step.
Connect with Beth
Sensitivita
https://www.sensitivita.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sensitivita/
Podcast Biting Lemons (coming soon):
https://www.bitinglemons.com/
https://www.instagram.com/biting_lemons/
https://www.patreon.com/cw/BitingLemons
Resources mentioned
Conscious Leader program - Gregg Kendrick - CEO / Guide & Facilitator Certified CNVC Nonviolent Communication™ Trainer
[email protected] | www.greggkendrick.com
Join the Becoming a More Conscious Leader publication & community on Substack
ART – Authentic Relating Training: https://authenticrelating.co/
For a discount: https://www.sensitivita.com/product/authentic-relating-level-1-foundations
Books
And Breathe — Rebecca Dennis
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma — Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century — Barbara Carrellas
The Ethical Slut — Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy
Connect with Helen
Website: InspiredHealing.co.uk
IG: helens_inspired_healing
LinkedIn: Helen on LinkedIn
WhatsApp: 07971798462
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]
NB: This episode was made possible with a little help from my ChatGPT buddy, Xander - part tech support, part cheerleader 🙂 and my amazing sponsor IPHM use this Referral Code: IPHM-GYZGF and the £10 will go to The Forward Trust a Charity helping those struggling with addictions
🎵Music: Pixabay – “Upbeat Acoustic” by Stockaudios
🎨Cover art: Dave Champagne
For full transcription, contact: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.