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In this raw, reflective, and soul-led solo episode, host Dr Nat Green shares a life update as she prepares for a long-awaited healing journey through Europe.

Following the powerful response to Episode 63 (on gaslighting, trauma, and systemic harm), this week is a heartfelt thank-you to you — her listeners — and an honest look at what comes next when we choose post-traumatic growth over perfection.

🧳 This episode is an invitation into the real-time, messy, sacred process of healing. It's about:

— Letting go of the systems and stories that kept her small
— Choosing joy, presence and awe — not in spite of trauma, but because of it
— Embracing the Liberated Voyager archetype
— Walking the walk of nervous system healing and embodiment
— Reconnecting with purpose through family, travel, and truth

Whether you’re in your own chapter of burnout or trauma recovery, grief, identity shift, or reinvention — this episode will resonate deeply.

✨ What You'll Hear:

• A raw check-in before departure for Europe
• Reflections on being witnessed in your truth
• The role of beauty, space, and travel in trauma integration
• Choosing purpose, joy, and embodiment as acts of defiance and devotion
• Why this trip is not a holiday — but a healing ritual

💬 “This journey isn’t about pretending I’m okay. It’s about integration. About letting the sun hit places that have stayed in the dark for too long.”

💛 Follow Along:

Join Dr Nat on Instagram at @drnatgreen and Facebook at Dr Natalie Green for real-time updates from Europe — the grief, the beauty, and the becoming.

🧠 Ready to walk the post-traumatic growth path with more intention?
Subscribe, share, and leave a review — and come grow with us. 🌱

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this powerful episode of Growing Tall Poppies, host Dr. Nat Green welcomes mentor and friend Melanie Benson to the show. Melanie, an expert in helping visionary leaders turn their brilliance into profitable visibility, shares her profound journey through personal trauma and professional growth. With over two decades of experience and a top 1% ranking podcast, Melanie discusses the deep-seated trauma that fueled her relentless ambition and the pivotal moments that led to her healing and transformation.

Listeners are invited to explore their own paths through Melanie’s insights on nervous system regulation, human design, and the power of integrating their experiences as pathways to becoming extraordinary leaders in their fields. Discover how to harness your inner strength, overcome obstacles, and make an unforgettable impact in the world.

Listen to Melanie Benson for an unfiltered, heart-expanding conversation about what really lies beneath chronic burnout, autoimmune illness, and the hustle to prove our worth.

Together, they explore how trauma—especially when left unacknowledged—becomes the silent driver behind overachievement, people-pleasing, and the need to control. Melanie vulnerably shares her own story of childhood trauma, chronic illness, and financial breakdown… and how these crises became catalysts for profound healing, reinvention, and purpose-driven leadership.

This conversation is a must-listen for high-performing women, coaches, therapists, and business leaders who are done performing success while silently struggling—and ready to reclaim their wholeness, and lead with sustainable impact.

💬 In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How unhealed trauma can manifest as overachievement, burnout, and autoimmune illness
• The moment Melanie realized her body was no longer willing to hustle for success
• Why childhood survival strategies often show up in business and leadership
• The grief of letting go of the old identity—and the freedom that follows
• The messy middle of reinvention and allowing yourself to not have it all together
• The healing power of becoming a “bonus mom” and breaking generational cycles
• Melanie’s tools for navigating visibility, intuition, and rebuilding from a place of truth
• A loving reminder that you are not behind—you’re on the edge of becoming

🔗 Connect with Melanie :

🌐 MelanieBenson.com
🎧 Amplify Your Success Podcast

FREE Resource

Melanie's BIO

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this powerful and soul-nourishing conversation, Dr. Nat Green is joined by grief and transformation expert Dr. Michelle Peticolas.

Dr. Michelle is an international bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker, and life transformation coach, and joins us to share her journey and expertise. Learn about Dr. Michelle's unique S.E.R.V.E. framework designed to help you transform complex grief into a path for achieving your soul's purpose. Explore powerful insights on dealing with grief, reconnecting with your true self, and living a life free of regrets.

Together, they explore how grief — especially early childhood and intergenerational trauma — can manifest in the body, and how reconnecting to our physical and emotional selves is key to true healing and post-traumatic growth.

Dr. Michelle shares her personal story of feeling abandoned by her father at the age of two and how that shaped a lifetime of disconnection from her body and emotions. She opens up about people-pleasing, spiritual practice, body-based rituals, and the transformative power of storytelling. They also discuss the "three brains" (head, heart, and gut), curiosity as a healing force, and why your trauma — big or small — is always valid.

Whether you've experienced complex grief, early loss, or you're on the path of healing, this conversation is full of wisdom, compassion, and real-world practices that will inspire and empower.

This episode is packed with valuable advice for anyone looking to achieve post-traumatic growth and live a life filled with purpose, self-awareness, and deep inner peace. Listen in for inspiring stories, practical strategies, and a wealth of wisdom on navigating through trauma and beyond.

This episode covers:

• Why grief doesn't just live in the mind but also in the body, and how to start listening to its messages
• The difference between complex grief and “normal” grief
• Dr. Michelle’s morning ritual to reconnect with her body
• The role of people-pleasing and how it can become a hidden superpower and a gift
• How storytelling heals, — and crafting a new ending — is a transformative process and helps reframe the past
• Many trauma survivors "live in their heads" as a coping mechanism. True healing involves reconnecting all three of the — head (logic), heart (emotion), and gut (intuition) — to restore wholeness.
• The three most important values for healing and growth: peace, faith, and excellence
• How spiritual practice supports post-traumatic growth
• Why curiosity and willingness are essential qualities for transformation.

🔗 Connect with Michelle:

• Take the Complex Grief Checklist: www.complexchecklist.com
• Facebook:
• LinkedIn:
• Instagram
• Website:

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this deeply moving and transformative episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr. Nat Green welcomes the remarkable Dr. Selma Music — clinical psychologist, neuroscientist, confidence and visibility coach, and founder of Rise Above Borders.

Selma’s story is one of unimaginable trauma, extraordinary resilience, and radiant post-traumatic growth. As a war survivor, refugee, eldest daughter of migrants, and now a trailblazing leader for migrant women, Selma shares her powerful journey from invisibility and identity loss to bold, values-led leadership.

Together, Nat and Selma explore how trauma shapes identity and visibility, how post-traumatic growth requires community, and how to rise — without apology, without burnout, and without betraying who you are.

🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

Highlights

• Selma’s early life surviving the Bosnian War and losing close family to genocide
• Navigating identity loss as a displaced child, refugee, and new migrant
• The silent burden of being the eldest daughter of migrants
• Why playfulness, joy, and connection were missing pieces — and how she reclaimed them
• The unseen pressures of being the “first” in education and career
• Her shift from academic success to living aligned with her soul
• Healing visibility wounds and leading without betraying your values
• How imposter syndrome can be a protective part, not just a mindset flaw
• The dangers of traditional leadership programs that ignore trauma and cultural identity
• Why a trauma-informed, holistic approach is essential for post-traumatic growth
• The mission of Rise Above Borders and how it’s helping migrant women lead safely and boldly
• The importance of community, not just therapy, in long-term healing
• What Selma would tell her younger self — and how she’s become the lighthouse for others

💬 You’ll Love This Episode If You’ve Ever Asked:

• “Why do I still feel unsafe being seen?”
• “How do I lead without losing myself or betraying my roots?”
• “Can joy and leadership coexist after trauma?”
• “Is there a community that truly gets me?”
• “Why does my imposter syndrome feel like survival, not self-sabotage?”

Key Takeaways:

✔️ Hope for your healing
✔️ Permission to lead as your whole self
✔️ Insight into how trauma shapes identity
✔️ Strategies for safe, authentic visibility
✔️ A heartfelt reminder that you're not alone

📣 Connect with Dr. Selma Music:

Instagram: @RiseAboveBorders
📬 DM her to connect, collaborate or just say hey - go over to Insta -This is where she is most active and real conversations happen.

💥 Final Words from Dr. Selma:

“Imposter syndrome kept me safe. But now, I don’t need to hide. I’m here — whole, visible, and leading others to rise.”

💛 Final Words from Dr Nat:

“Selma is not just s

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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Have you ever walked into a medical appointment hoping for support — only to walk out questioning your sanity?

In this powerful episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr. Nat Green breaks her silence on the deeply personal and painful experiences she and many of her clients have faced within the healthcare and mental health systems. From being gaslit and dismissed, to surviving medical misadventures and a systemically mishandled allegation — Nat takes you inside the invisible battles that so many trauma survivors face.

Dr. Nat delves into the deeply personal and systemic issues that arise when the very systems designed to protect us—healthcare, mental health, regulatory bodies, and legal systems—end up causing more harm than healing.

⚠️ This episode dives deep into:

• Medical gaslighting and the dismissal of invisible illnesses
• How patriarchal power structures protect health professionals — not patients
• Why complaint systems re-traumatise rather than repair
• The emotional toll of speaking up in a system designed to silence
• How to turn pain into purpose and advocate for systemic change

If you’ve experienced chronic illness, complex trauma, or have been disbelieved by the very people meant to help — this episode is for you.

🧠 Topics We Cover:

• What it’s like to be gaslit by health professionals, and regulators
• The intersection of trauma, chronic pain, and medical misogyny
• The cultural conditioning inside the “boys’ club” of healthcare
• What true trauma-informed care should look like — and how to demand it
• Ways we can create real change and protect future patients

Dr. Nat shares her own experiences with medical trauma and the systemic barriers she faced, offering a poignant narrative on gaslighting, dismissal, and the fight for acknowledgment. She emphasizes the need for systemic change, highlighting the importance of sharing stories, advocating for trauma-informed systems, and building collective voices to challenge outdated, patriarchal structures. Tune in to discover how we can move forward, create meaningful change, and truly thrive after trauma.

Whether you’re a patient, a professional, or someone trying to make sense of what happened to you — this episode offers validation, insight, and a way forward.

🔗 Connect with Dr Nat

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

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

Website https://www.drnataliegreen.com.au

🗣️ Share this with someone who’s been dismissed, silenced, or hurt by a system that should have done better. You are not alone — and you are not the problem.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this powerful episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr. Nat Green is joined once again by Nichole Morrin, clinical psychologist, author, founder of the Invisible Health Network, & The Invisible CEO and creator of the revolutionary COMPASS-5 Model. Together, they unpack Nichi’s harrowing and inspiring journey—from life-threatening illnesses and diagnoses to her 17yo daughter’s shocking heart attack, and the medical dismissal that nearly cost her life.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating life with invisible illnesses, burnout, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, or trauma. Nichi shares how lived experience, medical gaslighting, and systemic failures ignited her mission to transform the healthcare system from within.

💡Key Takeaways:

✅ The link between trauma, invisible illnesses, and nervous system burnout

✅ Medical gaslighting is trauma. Patients deserve to be heard, believed, and treated holistically.
✅ Advocacy fatigue is real—especially for parents and professionals advocating over and over again in broken systems.
✅ Your dreams are still possible, even with a complex health condition. But the strategies must be different.
✅ Burnout is not weakness—it’s often a symptom of deeper, ignored stressors in the nervous system.

✅ Nichi’s COMPASS-5 framework – a trauma-informed, validation-based model that supports both patients and professionals

✅ Healing includes both body and soul: meditation, nervous system work, movement, and creative expression all matter.
✅ Professionals with lived experience have the power to lead the future of trauma-informed, sustainable care.

🔥 Episode Highlights:

🌿 Nichi recounts her daughter’s near-fatal heart attack at 17—initially dismissed as anxiety by paramedics.
🌿 How Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, endometriosis, and autoimmune disease shaped Nichi’s life and work.
🌿 The creation of COMPASS-5: a model that changes how invisible and complex conditions are supported systemically for patients and professionals.
🌿 Why most coaching/consulting programs fail those with chronic or fluctuating health—and how The Invisible CEO fills that gap.

This episode offers inspiration and practical advice for anyone looking to thrive after adversity and includes a candid, emotionally raw conversation about burnout, vicarious trauma, and letting go of shame for needing rest due to Invisible Conditions.

🌐 Connect with Nichi:

• Facebook:
• Facebook:
• Instagram:
• Website (coming soon):

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this powerful and heart-opening episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr Nat Green sit down with the radiant Kathy Rausch—a mandala artist, author, and teacher—who vulnerably shares how the darkest chapter of her life cracked her open to divine transformation through creativity. Kathy shares her powerful story of overcoming deep trauma and hitting rock bottom. After being disowned by her family and spiraling into despair, she shared how after attempting suicide she then found healing through the creation of mandalas. Kathy discovered the healing potential of mandala art—an ancient spiritual symbol of wholeness. That one moment, one circle, would go on to save her life.

Kathy walks us through:

• 🌸 Her deeply personal story of loss, trauma, and spiritual awakening
• 🎨 How creating mandalas helped her reconnect with her true self
• 🌀 The neuroscience behind mandalas and why they calm the nervous system
• ✨ The surprising connection between sacred geometry, creativity, and post-traumatic growth
• 💡 Why art can be therapy—even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush

Whether you're on your own healing journey or you're a therapist, coach, or health professional supporting others, this episode is a stunning reminder of the power of art, presence, and allowing the heart to lead.

Kathy also reveals insights from her book, 'Activate Divine Creativity,' and emphasizes the importance of self-belief, community, the power of giving yourself permission to feel and heal and the innate joy within us all.

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Kathy’s book: Activate Divine Creativity: The Life-Changing Magic of the Mandala
• Carl Jung’s use of mandalas in therapy
• The role of both hemispheres of the brain in healing through art
• How mandalas are now being integrated into trauma recovery, PTSD support, and even scientific institutions

Timestamps and Episode Flow

01:24 Meet Our Guest: Kathy Rausch

02:53 Kathy's Journey with Mandalas

05:32 The Healing Power of Mandalas

16:45 Scientific Validation and Broader Impact

21:35 Introduction to the Mandala Book

22:38 Impact and Feedback from Readers

27:32 The Healing Power of Mandalas

30:40 Community and Connection

31:50 Transformative Effects of Mandalas

🎧 Tune in for a truly transformative conversation that proves healing doesn’t always come from words—it can come from the simple, sacred act of drawing within a circle.

Connect with Kathy:-

Instagram:

Facebook:

LinkedIn:

YouTube:

Website:

Bio:

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Send us a Message to connect

In this powerful solo episode of Growing Tall Poppies, host Dr. Nat Green uncovers a hidden truth affecting thousands of health and helping professionals: the exhaustion, numbness, and loss of purpose you’re feeling may not just be burnout—it could be vicarious trauma.

While burnout is widely discussed, vicarious trauma often goes unrecognized. It’s the quiet, cumulative cost of absorbing the pain, stories, and suffering of others. In this episode, Dr. Nat explains how vicarious trauma differs from burnout and compassion fatigue, and why so many well-meaning professionals silently suffer without realizing what's really going on.

You’ll hear some more of her own story, gain clarity on the emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and existential symptoms of vicarious trauma, and discover gentle, practical steps for resetting your nervous system and reconnecting with your true self.

This is a must-listen for anyone who feels like they’ve lost their spark, identity, or joy in the work they once loved.

🗂️ Timestamps & Episode Flow:

• 00:00 – Welcome & Why This Episode Matters
• 01:40 – What Is Vicarious Trauma (And Why It’s So Often Missed)
• 03:39 – Signs & Symptoms: Emotional, Cognitive, Behavioral, and Existential
• 05:59 – Why This Goes Deeper Than Burnout
• 12:37 – Dr. Nat’s Personal Story & What She Learned
• 20:55 – Steps to Begin Healing: Regulating the Nervous System, Micro-Moments of Joy & Identity Reconnection
• 25:40 – Final Reflections + Invitation to Go Deeper

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• The hidden emotional toll of working in helping professions
• How vicarious trauma differs from burnout and compassion fatigue
• Why mindset work alone isn’t enough—you need nervous system repair
• The quiet grief of identity loss in your professional role

✨ Mentioned in This Episode:

• 🌱 Learn more about the Rising Phoenix program: DM Dr Nat on socials

💬 Let’s Connect:
If this episode resonated with you, take a screenshot, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag @drnatgreen—let’s spread this message to every exhausted health professional who needs to hear it.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.