Episode Description / Show Notes:
I’ve been getting this question a lot lately: what’s the difference between coaching and traditional talk therapy? In this episode, I break it down using a client story (pseudonym: “Kathy”) that illustrates common patterns of hesitation, fear, and overthinking.

You’ll hear how coaching is different: we don’t just talk—we take action. I share how taking the first step, even when you don’t feel ready, opens the door to real progress, how processing fear in real time supports sustainable growth, and why nervous-system-informed guidance is essential for stepping into visibility without burning out.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The key difference between coaching and traditional therapy
• Why taking action—even small steps—is central to transformation
• How fear and resistance show up and why that’s a feature, not a bug
• The importance of nervous-system support, co-regulation, and reflection
• How to sustain progress while showing up authentically for your work

Who This Episode is For:
Sensitive creatives, healers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who want to take aligned action, show up authentically, and move past patterns of freeze or hesitation.

Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Learn more about working with me: www.annaholtzman.com
• Apply for private coaching if this episode resonates

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @anna_holtzman

In this powerful and heartfelt episode, Anna talks with Lauren Smallcomb—a certified mind-body practitioner, trauma-informed healer, and author of the forthcoming memoir Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom (coming September 2025).

Lauren shares her story of growing up as the golden child in a conservative Christian family system—and the painful unraveling that led her to reclaim her autonomy, identity, and voice. We talk about the hidden cost of perfectionism, the complexities of family estrangement, and the grief and liberation that come with choosing your own wholeness over external approval.

If you’ve ever wrestled with the question, “How much of my story should I share?” or struggled to reconcile your need for connection with your need for authenticity—this episode will speak to your soul.

We explore:

• ​What it means to be cast as the golden child (and how that role can harm)
• ​The double bind of family estrangement: “Do I stay and erase myself, or leave and be erased?”
• ​Rebuilding self-trust after leaving a family system or belief structure
• ​How to share personal stories without retraumatizing yourself
• ​The healing power of grief, creativity, and telling the truth

✨ Connect with Lauren:

• ​Website: flourishtherapy.kartra.com/page/goldenchild
• ​Instagram: @flourish_therapy
• ​Substack: @laurensmallcomb
• ​Book 📖 available now on Amazon: Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom
• ​Email: lauren@flourishtherapy.co
• ​YouTube: @flourishtherapy

🌀 Want support building self-trust in your own creative or entrepreneurial journey?Work with Anna 1:1, join a live workshop, or explore resources at annaholtzman.comFollow Anna on Instagram: @anna_holtzmanEmail: anna@annaholtzman.com

Have you ever had a moment where being visible suddenly felt… dangerous?

In this episode, I share a story I’ve never forgotten—from second grade, when I was the eager kid raising her hand… until my teacher said something that made me shrink. It was one sentence that planted a seed of shame and taught me that being seen might not be safe.

That moment became what I now call a visibility wound—an early experience where being visible led to shame, rejection, or punishment. And the thing is: those wounds don’t stay in childhood. They resurface every time we go to share something that feels vulnerable and meaningful.

Whether it’s launching an offer, posting on Instagram, speaking up in a meeting, or just sharing your voice in a group—you might notice fear, procrastination, or even total shutdown. That doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means your nervous system is doing its job to protect you.

But the good news is: visibility wounds can be healed. Not through pushing harder—but through compassion, safety, and gentle, consistent practice.

In this episode, I talk about:

• What a visibility wound actually is (and how to spot yours)
• How it shows up in creative and professional life
• Why these moments hit so hard—and how to work with them
• The 4 tools I use with myself and my clients to move through fear
• How visibility becomes easier when we stop going it alone

If you've ever frozen at the first step, ghosted your own goals, or judged yourself for not being more confident—this episode is for you.

🌱 Want Support Healing Your Visibility Wounds?

💻 Watch the free workshop:
Let Yourself Be Seen — a nervous-system-safe approach to being visible without burning out or abandoning yourself. www.annaholtzman.com/beseen

👥 Join the membership:
Seen & Safe — our cozy group coaching circle where you’ll get biweekly support, practical tools, and a safe place to melt fear and take meaningful steps toward your next creative or business leap. www.annaholtzman.com/seenandsafe

In this heartfelt and revealing episode, Anna sits down with New York City-based psychotherapist Sean Hershey, LCSW, to explore what it really means to heal—from chronic pain, from emotional repression, and from the lifelong habit of hiding parts of yourself to survive.

Sean is the host of the podcast Mind-Body Medicine for Chronic Pain, where he brings raw honesty, depth, and humor to the complex world of chronic symptom recovery. In today’s conversation, he shares what led him to this work, how his own experiences with pain and identity shape his approach as a therapist, and why expressing your truth—even when it’s scary—is a crucial part of healing.

We talk about:

• What it means to be “a highly functioning zombie”
• The emotional root causes of chronic pain
• Why Sean launched his podcast (and what it brought up for him emotionally)
• How telling your story can be a healing act
• The role of community and mentorship in building self-trust

If you’ve ever felt like you had to hide parts of yourself to get through life, or if you’re on your own healing path and looking for inspiration to keep going, this episode will speak directly to you.

Learn more about Sean and his work:

• 🌐 mindbodymedicineforchronicpain.com
• 📸 Instagram: @my_gay_therapist
• 🎧 Podcast: Mind-Body Medicine for Chronic Pain (available wherever you listen)

Work with Anna

If you’re a sensitive, purpose-driven human—like a coach, creative, or entrepreneur—who wants to build a life and business that feels deeply aligned (without overriding your nervous system), I’d love to support you.

✨ Learn more and apply to work with me, visit annaholtzman.com or find me on Instagram @anna_holtzman

Episode Description / Show Notes:
Ever feel like your story is messy, scattered, or unclear—and that’s holding you back from stepping fully into your purpose? In this episode, I share a metaphor from my 10 years working in reality TV—soft scripting—and how it taught me to find the through threads in the chaos.

I’ll break down how this concept applies to your life and work:

• How to sift through the raw material of your experiences to discover your unique voice.
• Why trying to force your story or follow someone else’s blueprint backfires.
• How to nurture your emerging story so it grows naturally into its fullest expression.

Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, stepping into visibility as a sensitive creative, or exploring a new identity, soft scripting is a practical, nervous-system-friendly approach to clarifying your purpose and showing up authentically.

I also share a new opportunity to practice this in community: my Seen & Safe group membership, a supportive space for sensitive creatives, coaches, and entrepreneurs to grow in visibility without burning out.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The reality TV concept of soft scripting and why it’s a powerful metaphor for life and work.
• How to find the through threads in your experiences and start shaping your story.
• A gentle, collaborative approach to visibility that respects your nervous system.

Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Join Seen & Safe: AnnaHoltzman.com/seenandsafe
• Email me with your thoughts or reflections: anna@annaholtzman.com

Who This Episode is For:
Sensitive creatives, coaches, healers, and entrepreneurs who want to show up authentically, discover their voice, and step into purpose without burning out.

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @annaholtzman

In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Febuary—trauma-informed writing coach, embodiment teacher, founder of For Women Who Roar, and author of Brave the Page: How Writing Our Hard Stories Brings Healing and Wholeness. Megan shares her journey into storytelling as a healing practice and how writing from a trauma-informed lens can transform not only the stories we tell but who we become in the process.

We dive into concepts like “creative consensuality,” how to approach writing with compassion and care, and why it’s not about the end product but the healing that happens along the way. If you’ve been curious about using writing to process trauma, find your voice, or build creative community, this conversation offers gentle guidance and inspiration.

Connect with Megan Febuary:

• Website: meganafebuary.com
• For Women Who Roar: forwomenwhoroar.com
• Instagram: @meganfebuary
• Instagram: @forwomenwhoroar
• Book: Brave the Page: How Writing Our Hard Stories Brings Healing and Wholeness

Connect with Anna Holtzman:

• Website: annaholtzman.com
• Instagram: @anna_holtzman
• Email: anna@annaholtzman.com

In this episode, I get real about what it’s like to have a sensitive nervous system—and how that sensitivity, while it can sometimes derail your day, is actually a source of creativity, intuition, and connection. I share a recent experience with our cat, Billie, whose vet visit turned into a spiral of worry about her dental health. Through journaling, self-compassion, and nervous system regulation, I navigated the overwhelm and found my way back into flow—and discovered how even the most challenging moments can inform and inspire our work.

If you often feel sensitive, overstimulated, or “derailed” by small daily stressors, this episode is for you. I’ll show you why taking care of your nervous system isn’t wasted time—it’s a key part of doing meaningful work, showing up authentically, and fueling your creativity.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to reframe sensitivity as a superpower instead of a barrier
• Practical ways to tend to your nervous system when small stressors feel big
• How to move through fear, overwhelm, or self-criticism without getting stuck
• Why the way we handle everyday disruptions is actually connected to our creativity and purpose

Join Me Live for My Workshop:
I also invite you to join my free live workshop, Let Yourself Be Seen, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 1pm ET. This is for sensitive creatives and entrepreneurs who want to share their work without losing themselves. We’ll explore how to:

• Use fear as a gateway into authentic self-expression
• Share your work without burning out or abandoning yourself
• Make visibility feel energizing, not performative or draining

Sign up here: www.annaholtzman.com/beseen

If you've ever looked around at your life and thought, "Is this it?"—this episode is your wake-up call. Speaker, author, and "aliveness evangelist" Jodi Wellman joins me for a bold, funny, and deeply honest conversation about what it means to really live before we die.

We talk about what snapped her out of autopilot, how grief cracked her open to a more vibrant life, and why facing our mortality can actually be the most life-affirming move we can make. Jodi shares stories and strategies from her new book, You Only Die Once, and we explore how trusting yourself and embracing your aliveness are deeply intertwined.

Whether you're feeling stuck in a life that looks great on paper but feels flat, or you're just craving more zing in your everyday, this conversation is packed with perspective, humor, and permission to want more out of your time above ground.

We talk about:

• What it means to be a “highly functioning zombie”
• How grief (and the death of her mom) woke Jodi up
• Why death is actually one of the most motivating forces for joy and change
• How to stop squandering your precious time
• Practical tools for snapping out of autopilot
• The difference between productivity and aliveness
• Why it’s okay (and necessary!) to want more from your one life

More from Jodi Wellman:

• Website: https://fourthousandmondays.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fourthousandmondays/
• Book: You Only Die Once (Available wherever books are sold)

Work with me:
If this episode stirred something in you—if you're craving more boldness, more clarity, more you in your life and work—I’d love to support you. I help sensitive, ambitious humans like you overcome fear and visibility blocks so you can share your voice and build a business that feels aligned and alive. Learn more and book a free call here: https://www.annaholtzman.com/breakthrough

Subscribe + Share:
If you loved this episode, subscribe to How to Trust Yourself on your favorite podcast app and share it with a friend who’s ready to stop sleepwalking and start really living.