Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads

Season 15 reminded us why this podcast exists. In this special season ender, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down as friends — not interviewers — to reflect on the stories, lessons, laughter, and growth that defined the season, and how healing shows up when you keep showing up for each other.

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3.5 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to spark unfiltered conversations about the human mind.
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here: https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

 

Mental Health Quote

“Healing is easier when you’re not doing it alone — sometimes all it takes is someone willing to sit with you in the mess.” — G-Rex

Episode Description

This episode is different — and intentional. There are no guests this time. Just G-Rex and Dirty Skittles closing out Season 15 together, reflecting on what they learned, how they grew, and why this podcast has become more than just a show.

Throughout the season, we heard stories about anxiety, OCD, PTSD, medical trauma, parenting through crisis, creativity as healing, and learning how to advocate for yourself when life doesn’t play fair. But as we looked back, something else stood out just as clearly — the power of connection, humor, and friendship in the middle of hard seasons.

In this season ender, we talk honestly about growth, boundaries, resilience, and the lifelong work of healing. We reflect on how our guests helped us learn, laugh, and sometimes rethink the way we handle our own mental health. This conversation is about choosing hope, staying curious, and reminding ourselves that it’s okay to still be learning.

Season 15 comes full circle here — grounded, grateful, and hopeful for what’s next.

SEO Keywords: mental health podcast, season recap, healing journey, resilience, trauma recovery, anxiety support, PTSD healing, emotional wellness, self advocacy, hope, therapy tools, mental health awareness

Season 15 Episodes, Air Dates & Lessons Learned


Melissa — OCD & Anxiety Recovery: Real Tools That Actually Help
Aired 12/2/2025
Lesson: Intrusive thoughts don’t mean you’re broken — they’re signals you can learn to respond to instead of fear.


Virginia — Rising Inch by Inch: Hope, Healing, and Reclaiming Your Life
Aired 12/4/2025
Lesson: Healing doesn’t require giant leaps; consistent, small steps can rebuild an entire life.


Michael — Trauma Without the Pain: The Cortina Method That’s Changing PTSD Forever
Aired 12/9/2025
Lesson: You don’t have to relive trauma to heal it — effective therapy can reduce pain without re-traumatization.


Kelly — Traumatic Brain Injury, Neurofatigue, and the Fight to Feel ‘Normal’ Again
Aired 12/11/2025
Lesson: Invisible injuries are still real, and listening to your body early can change long-term outcomes.


Jenn Robb — Supporting a Child Through Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Thoughts
Aired 12/16/2025
Lesson: Loving someone through a mental health crisis requires fierce advocacy — and caregivers need care too.


Adriene Caldwell — Foster Care, Abuse, Suicide Survival, and the Power of Hope
Aired 12/18/2025
Lesson: Even the hardest beginnings don’t define your ending — hope can be learned and reclaimed.


Carrie — Mental Health, Trauma, and Healing Through Creativity
Aired 12/23/2025
Lesson: Creativity can be a powerful form of therapy and a way to choose yourself after trauma.


Talaya — Cancer, Medical Gaslighting, and Emotional Healing
Aired 12/30/2025
Lesson: Self-advocacy matters — especially when systems fail — and boundaries are part of healing.


Susanna Calvert — How to Build Emotional Resilience
Aired 1/6/2026
Lesson: Emotional resilience is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and strengthened at any age.


Amy Koford — Hypnotherapy for Anxiety, Fear, Trauma, and Deep Emotional Healing
Aired 1/8/2026
Lesson: Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all — alternative therapies can work when traditional approaches don’t.


Alisa — Trauma Therapy, EMDR, and Healing Without Re-Traumatization
Aired 1/13/2026
Lesson: Healing can be gentle, intentional, and effective without reopening old wounds.

Friendship Reflection

As we looked back on Season 15, what stood out most wasn’t just the topics — it was how much we learned together. Every guest taught us something new, challenged how we think, or reminded us that humor, honesty, and connection matter just as much as therapy tools.

This season reflected the way G-Rex and Dirty Skittles have grown alongside the show — using laughter to cope, learning from other people’s pain, and supporting each other through real life in real time. Season 15 reinforced that healing doesn’t happen in isolation, and friendship can be one of the strongest tools we have.

Key Takeaways

Healing isn’t linear — progress still counts.

Humor can be a coping tool, not an avoidance tactic.

Friendship and connection matter in recovery.

Advocacy and boundaries protect mental health.

Choosing hope is an ongoing decision.

Actionable Items

Revisit one episode that resonated and apply one takeaway this week.

Use humor or creativity as a grounding tool when things feel heavy.

Check in on a friend — healing is easier together.

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch
#HealingJourney #Resilience #TraumaRecovery #Hope #EmotionalWellness #TherapyWorks #MentalHealthSupport #PodcastCommunity #ChoosingHope #SeasonFinale

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If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trigger Notice

This episode includes discussions of trauma and past suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S., or visit https://findahelpline.com for global resources.

What if healing trauma didn’t require reliving every painful detail? In this powerful conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with trauma therapist Alisa Gracheva to discuss EMDR, self-awareness, and how real healing occurs without retraumatization.

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3.5 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to spark unfiltered conversations about the human mind.
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here: https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

 

Mental Health Quote

“You don’t have to relive the pain to heal it — you just have to feel safe enough to let it go.”
— Alisa Gracheva

Episode Description

Trauma healing doesn’t have to mean reopening every wound — and in this deeply grounding episode, Alisa Gracheva explains why. Joining G-Rex and Dirty Skittles, Alisa shares her journey from surviving early trauma and immigration upheaval to becoming a licensed trauma therapist specializing in EMDR and nervous-system–informed care.

Together, they unpack one of the biggest myths about trauma therapy: that you have to relive every painful detail to heal. Alisa explains how trauma lives in the body, not just the mind, and why safety, pacing, and self-awareness matter more than storytelling alone. The conversation weaves through personal healing, therapy, “speed dating,” seasonal depression, grounding practices, and the reality of holding space for others without losing yourself.

Alisa also shares the hardest lessons she’s faced — including financial loss, burnout, and learning to ask for help — while offering listeners a compassionate framework for change: self-awareness, willingness, and readiness. From boundaries and daily rituals to art, nature, and spirituality, this episode is a reminder that healing is not a destination — it’s a relationship with yourself.

If you’ve ever felt broken by trauma, exhausted by therapy that didn’t fit, or afraid that healing would hurt more than staying the same, this conversation offers hope, clarity, and permission to do it differently.

Keywords: Alisa Gracheva, trauma therapy, EMDR, healing trauma, nervous system regulation, mental health podcast, PTSD recovery, self-awareness, grounding techniques, therapy without retraumatization, spiritual healing, emotional wellness

Meet Our Guest — Alisa Gracheva

Alisa Gracheva is a licensed trauma therapist, EMDR practitioner, and author dedicated to helping people heal without re-traumatization. Blending evidence-based trauma therapy with spiritual awareness, Alisa supports clients in reconnecting with safety, self-trust, and wholeness after trauma.

Website: https://since.life/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisa_art/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisa-gracheva-61081670/
Book: Walking with Spirit: A Sacred Path to Wholeness

Key Takeaways

You don’t have to relive trauma in detail to heal it.

Trauma lives in the body — healing must involve the nervous system.

Finding the right therapist matters more than sticking with the first one.

Self-awareness is the first step toward real change.

Boundaries are essential for helpers, healers, and caregivers.

Healing is a lifelong relationship, not a finish line.

 

Actionable Items

If therapy hasn’t worked before, give yourself permission to try a different approach.

Add one grounding practice to your day (stretching, nature, breathwork, or art).

Ask yourself: “What would safety feel like right now?” — and honor that answer.

 

References Mentioned

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy

Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl

The Myth of Normal — Dr. Gabor Maté

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — https://988lifeline.org

Global Crisis Resources — https://findahelpline.com

 

Important Chapters

00:02 – Alisa’s journey into trauma therapy

07:30 – Why reliving trauma isn’t required for healing

12:00 – EMDR and trauma stored in the body

19:00 – Self-awareness, readiness, and willingness to change

28:00 – Grounding, nature, and nervous system regulation

38:00 – Boundaries, burnout, and caregiver self-care

45:00 – Advice to her younger self and hardest life lessons

Closing CTA

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!
Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch
#TraumaHealing #EMDRTherapy #NervousSystemHealing #PTSDRecovery
#TherapyWorks #EmotionalWellness #SpiritualHealing #GroundingPractices
#SelfAwareness #HealingJourney #MentalHealthSupport

***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trigger Notice

This episode includes discussions of anxiety, depression, trauma, and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, you are not alone. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For international resources, visit https://findahelpline.com.

What if anxiety wasn’t your enemy—just old programming that needs an update? In this powerful conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Amy Koford, also known as The Happy Hypnotist, to talk about fear, trauma, and how hypnotherapy can help rewire the subconscious mind for lasting emotional healing.
Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3.5 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to spark unfiltered conversations about the human mind.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here: https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

 

Mental Health Quote

“You don’t have to believe every thought you have—especially the ones rooted in fear.”
— Amy Koford
 

Episode Description

Anxiety has a way of convincing us that control equals safety—but what if letting go is where healing actually begins? In this eye-opening episode, Amy Koford, bestselling author, clinical hypnotist, and motivational speaker, joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to break down how hypnotherapy helps people release fear, process trauma, and find real emotional peace.
Amy shares her personal journey through depression, postpartum struggles, and life-threatening illness—experiences that shaped her mission to help others heal faster and deeper than traditional talk therapy alone. Together, the trio explores why anxiety often becomes a “security blanket,” how subconscious beliefs shape emotional reactions, and why so many people struggle to quiet their minds at night.

This conversation dives into how hypnotherapy works with the subconscious mind to reframe trauma, release stored emotional responses, and replace fear with calm, confidence, and clarity. Amy also explains why sleep improves, anxiety eases, and emotional healing accelerates when the nervous system finally feels safe.

If you’ve tried therapy, medication, or coping strategies and still feel stuck, this episode offers a hopeful, practical alternative. It’s a reminder that you’re not broken—you’re responding exactly how a nervous system learns to survive. Sometimes healing doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from reprogramming what’s been running quietly in the background all along.

SEO Keywords:

Amy Koford, hypnotherapy for anxiety, trauma healing, fear and anxiety, subconscious mind, emotional healing, mental health podcast, anxiety relief, hypnosis therapy, healing trauma, sleep anxiety, mindset reprogramming

 

Meet Our Guest — Amy Koford

Amy Koford, known as The Happy Hypnotist, is a bestselling author, clinical hypnotist, motivational speaker, and CEO of Amy Koford. With thousands of one-on-one hypnotherapy sessions completed, Amy helps people overcome anxiety, depression, trauma, fear, insomnia, and self-doubt by reprogramming the subconscious mind. Her mission is to create a world where love wins over fear.
Connect with Amy:

Website: https://www.amykoford.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amythehappyhypnotist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.koford

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-koford-012637184/

Key Takeaways

Anxiety is often learned, which means it can be unlearned.

Fear is not protection—it is outdated programming.

Hypnotherapy works by addressing subconscious patterns, not just surface thoughts.

You do not need to remember trauma for healing to occur.

Letting go of control can be the most empowering step toward peace.

Actionable Items

When anxiety hits, ask yourself: What thought am I believing right now?

Practice allowing calm instead of fighting fear; resistance fuels anxiety.

Explore alternative healing modalities like hypnotherapy alongside therapy.

References Mentioned

Hardwired to Rise – Live Fearlessly, Prosperously, and Optimally by Amy Koford

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org

Global Crisis Resources: https://findahelpline.com

Important Chapters

00:06 – Amy’s journey into hypnotherapy and why traditional therapy wasn’t enough

00:12 – Why control fuels anxiety and how to release it

00:20 – Subconscious vs. conscious mind explained simply

00:29 – Trauma storage, memory blocking, and emotional release

00:37 – Why hypnotherapy improves sleep and calms the nervous system

00:45 – Fear as a “security blanket” and how to let it go

00:52 – Amy’s mission: creating a world where love beats fear

Subscribe, Rate, and Review
Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories. Rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #Hypnotherapy #AnxietyRelief #TraumaHealing #EmotionalHealing #SubconsciousMind #FearRecovery #MindsetShift #HealingJourney #MentalWellness #AnxietySupport
***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trigger Notice

This episode includes discussion of trauma, mental health challenges, and suicide statistics.
If you or someone you love is struggling, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For global resources, visit: https://findahelpline.com
 

What better way to kick off 2026 than with a conversation about emotional resilience? In the very first episode of the new year, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Susanna Calvert to talk about healing trauma, reclaiming personal power, and learning the skills most of us were never taught — but desperately need.

 

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3.5 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to spark unfiltered conversations about the human mind.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:
https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a
 

Mental Health Quote

“Resilience isn’t about being tough or pushing through — it’s about learning how to come home to yourself after life knocks you down.”
— Susanna Calvert
 

Episode Description

As the first episode of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads for 2026, this conversation sets the tone for the year ahead — honest, hopeful, and rooted in real tools for mental health. Resilience is often treated like a personality trait — something you either have or you don’t. But Susanna Calvert is here to dismantle that myth and show why emotional resilience is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and strengthened at any stage of life.
In this deeply thoughtful episode, Susanna joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to share how her own experiences with generational trauma, spiritual awakening, and repeated “dark nights of the soul” led her to create the Foundation for Family and Community Healing. Drawing from decades in higher education and well-being research, she explains why grit and “toughing it out” aren’t enough — and how unhealed trauma quietly shapes families, schools, workplaces, and entire communities.

The conversation explores why emotional education should be as foundational as reading or math, how kids and adults alike benefit from learning resilience together, and why community-wide healing is the missing piece in today’s mental health crisis. Susanna also introduces the concept of the Hero’s — or “Shiro’s” — Journey, offering a powerful framework for turning crisis into growth and hopelessness into meaning.

This episode is a reminder that healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken — it’s about reclaiming your power, learning new skills, and choosing to grow even when life feels overwhelming. If you’re looking for a grounded, hopeful way to start 2026, this conversation is it.

Keywords: emotional resilience, mental health healing, trauma recovery, generational trauma, resilience skills, emotional wellness, community healing, childhood trauma, mental health education, personal growth, coping skills, self-healing

 

Meet Our Guest — Susanna Calvert

Dr. Susanna (Sanna) Wu-Pong Calvert, MAPP, PhD is the Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation for Family and Community Healing, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching emotional resilience and well-being as learnable life skills. She is also the Founder of Sanctuary of Earth and the Community Director at MentalHealth.com, blending science, education, and spiritual growth to support healing for individuals and communities worldwide.
Connect with Susanna:

Website: http://www.HealingEdu.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familyandcommunityhealing/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyandCommunityHealing

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanna-wu-pong-calvert-551b616/

 

Key Takeaways

Emotional resilience is a skill — not a personality trait.

Unhealed trauma often gets passed down quietly through generations.

Grit alone doesn’t heal; awareness and skill-building do.

Kids and adults learn resilience best when communities heal together.

A crisis can become a doorway to growth when we’re given the right tools.

 

Actionable Items

Notice where you’re “pushing through” instead of checking in with yourself.

Practice naming your emotions without judgment — awareness builds resilience.

Seek out skill-based mental health resources, not just motivation or inspiration.

 

References Mentioned

Foundation for Family and Community Healing — http://www.HealingEdu.org

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — https://988lifeline.org

Global Crisis Resources — https://findahelpline.com

 

Important Chapters

00:01 – Why resilience must be taught, not assumed

06:40 – Generational trauma and the limits of “being tough”

14:30 – Why schools and workplaces miss emotional education

23:45 – The Hero’s (Shiro’s) Journey as a healing roadmap

31:10 – Social media, overwhelm, and reclaiming personal power

37:45 – Hope, healing, and building a better future together

 

Subscribe, Rate, and Review!
As we step into a new year, we’re grateful you’re here — choosing healing, growth, and real conversations with us. Remember to subscribe for more inspiring stories, rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our Website:
https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews
 

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch
#EmotionalResilience #TraumaHealing #GenerationalHealing #CommunityWellbeing
#MentalHealthEducation #HealingJourney #ResilienceSkills #HopeFor2026
***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when your body knows something is wrong, but the system refuses to listen? In this robust conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with cancer thriver and advocate Talaya Dendy to talk about medical gaslighting, emotional survival, and what it takes to fight for your life, literally and emotionally. This is our final episode of 2025, and we are closing the year with a reminder that you deserve to be heard.

Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 3.5 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to spark unfiltered conversations about the human mind.

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:

https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

 

Mental Health Quote

“Those gaps in the system are the problem, you’re not.” — Talaya Dendy
 

Episode Description

Being told “it’s probably nothing” nearly cost Talaya Dendy her life.
In this candid, emotionally grounded episode, Talaya joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to share what it was like to be dismissed by a doctor, diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma a year later, and then left alone with the news on a Friday afternoon. What followed was not only a fight against cancer, but a battle against medical gaslighting, isolation, and a healthcare system that too often forgets the person behind the chart.

Talaya opens up about navigating cancer in her early 30s, enduring months of chemotherapy and radiation, and managing the stress of a new workplace while trying to protect her insurance and privacy. She also shares the heartbreak of learning who shows up and who disappears when your life is upended, and how boundaries become survival tools, not “nice-to-haves.”

Along the way, Talaya explains how journaling, mindset work, faith, and self-advocacy helped her stay grounded when support systems fell short. That lived experience ultimately became her purpose: serving others as a cancer doula and board-certified patient advocate, helping people ask better questions, get better care, and feel less alone.

As we close out our last show of 2025, this episode is a powerful reminder as we enter the new year: you are not a burden, you are not “too much,” and you have every right to demand care that is competent and compassionate.

Keywords: Talaya Dendy, cancer thriver, medical gaslighting, emotional healing, cancer trauma, self-advocacy, patient advocacy, cancer support, mental health podcast, emotional wellness, boundaries, healthcare trauma, survivorship, healing journey

 

Meet Our Guest — Talaya Dendy

Talaya Dendy is a cancer thriver, Cancer Doula, Board-Certified Patient Advocate, Health & Wellness Coach, and host of the Navigating Cancer TOGETHER podcast. After surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she dedicated her work to filling the emotional and advocacy gaps in cancer care. Hence, patients and families feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout the journey.
Website: https://www.ontheotherside.life

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ontheotherside17/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/NCTpodcastfan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talayadendy/

 

Key Takeaways

Medical gaslighting is real, and trusting your body can save your life.

You have the right to ask questions, seek second opinions, and walk away.

Cancer impacts mental health just as much as it affects the body.

Not everyone will show up, and that clarity can change your life.

Advocacy is a skill that can be learned, even in survival mode.

 
Actionable Items

Write down symptoms and concerns before appointments, and bring them with you.

Practice one boundary this week that protects your health or energy.

Ask yourself: “Do I feel heard here?” If not, consider another provider or a second opinion.

 
References Mentioned

Journaling as a therapeutic practice

Patient self-advocacy in healthcare

 
Important Chapters

00:01 — Talaya’s lump is dismissed, and the path to diagnosis begins

05:00 — Getting the diagnosis by phone and feeling abandoned

12:30 — Learning self-advocacy and reframing “doctor knows best.”

18:00 — Isolation in treatment spaces and rejecting negativity

27:30 — Work, disability leave, insurance stress, and lack of empathy

39:00 — Leaving corporate and becoming a cancer doula and advocate

45:40 — Advice to her younger self and reclaiming worth

50:45 — Favorite word: Thriver; least favorite word: Authenticity

Closing CTA

Subscribe, Rate, and Review.
Thank you for being part of our 2025. This is our last episode of the year, and we will be back with a new episode on 1/6/26.
Leave a review or visit: https://goesoninourheads.net/add-your-podcast-reviews
 

#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #CancerThriver #MedicalGaslighting #CancerSupport #PatientAdvocacy #EmotionalHealing #HealthcareTrauma #HealingJourney #CancerSurvivorship #BoundariesMatter #AdvocateForYourself #LifeAfterCancer

***************************************************************************
If You Need Support, Reach Out
If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.
United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub
Stay Connected with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Official Website: goesoninourheads.net
Facebook: @shltthatgoesoninourheads
Instagram: @grex_and_dirtyskittles
LinkedIn: G-Rex and Dirty Skittles
Join Our Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Merch Store: goesoninourheads.shop
Audio Editing by NJz Audio

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.