Advertise on podcast: Thank You Heartbreak with Chelsea Leigh Trescott

Heartbreak can turn even the strongest among us into tireless editors of the past. We replay scenes, bargain with “what if,” and try to outrun regret. This conversation changes that script. With transformation specialist Dr. Dravon James, we explore forgiveness not as a soft ideal but as a rigorous, practical pathway to real happiness. Acceptance—“it is what it is”—stops sounding like surrender and starts feeling like authorship. As Dravon says, you can’t change a yellow wall to blue without first naming yellow. We dive into a blank-canvas practice that’s equal parts tender and disarming: release old labels, whisper “I am nothing,” and notice what appears. From that openness, the questions sharpen: Which version of me is complete? What wants to be created now? Along the way, we trade perfection for progress and explore how safety in relationships grows when we allow the power of “no.” Boundaries become bridges when consent enters hard conversations and curiosity replaces assumption. That’s where real repair begins. Dravon’s insights on self-trust come alive here: before self-love, rebuild faith in your own choices by noticing how often you’ve already shown up for yourself. When we tune into that inner station, synchronicity feels less like luck and more like alignment. Sometimes the truth within says a long relationship has run its course. Hearing it is hard. Ignoring it is harder. If you’re ready to stop punishing yourself, to let “no” deepen intimacy rather than threaten it, and to turn heartbreak into wisdom you can actually use, this episode is for you. Listen, share it with someone who needs a softer way forward, and leave a review so more people can find their path to everyday peace. Then tell us: what label are you ready to set down today? Connect with Dr. Dravon James: Website: https://drdravonjames.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdravonjames Facebook:  www.facebook.com/everydaypeacewithdrdravonjames Book: Forgiveness: The Pathway to Happiness Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Chelsea sits down with authors Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman to explore their novel Ten Thousand Light Years from Okay and what it means to be “better but not okay”—that space where life is moving forward, but your heart still carries the weight of grief, heartbreak, or uncertainty. We dive into unexpected heartbreak and how to move forward fearlessly when grief has robbed you of your invincibility. We also explore the gap between progress and pain, the individual path of healing, and the sustaining power of friendship in carrying you through grief. Whether you’re navigating heartbreak, a life shift, or just the overwhelm of being human, this episode reminds you that it’s okay to not be okay—and that feeling this way is part of breaking upward. Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman: Website: https://www.dobmeierkatzman.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katzndobs Amazon: Ten Thousand Light Years from Okay Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

In a world filled with uncertainty and challenges, finding happiness can often feel like an elusive goal. In this episode, Chelsea engages in a captivating conversation with author Beth Romero about her recently released book, Happy AF,  and her mission to prove that happiness is not just a fleeting emotion, but a choice that can be practiced and cultivated through consistent efforts.  Beth addresses the incongruence between internal feelings and outward presentation and emphasizes the distinction between joy and happiness, positioning the latter as a consistent commitment and a lens through which to interpret life. Happy AF becomes a poignant life raft toward cultivating practices such as gratitude and affirmations, particularly during bouts of heartbreak and depression. Chelsea and Beth delve into the significance of maintaining consistency in happiness practices, encouraging listeners to experiment with different approaches. They touch on the transformative power of empathy in relationships and the potential for altering one's internal narrative to cultivate a more authentic, supportive, and positive existence. Beth Romero: Website: https://bethromeroauthor.com Happy AF via Amazon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethromero12 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethromeroauthor1 Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

In this courageous episode, we explore the complex world of codependency, trauma, and the healing path towards self-sovereignty. Our guest speaker The Conscious Codependence Coach, Cheryl Fidelman, bravely shares how her own codependent patterns formed as a result of her early exposure to trauma and instability. At the tender age of 4, she was sexually molested and two years later her father left after a domestic violence dispute, leaving her to shoulder the weight and responsibility of managing her mother’s mental health struggles. Throughout the conversation, Cheryl introduces her own unique methodology, Conscious Codependency Recovery, designed to guide individuals on their journey to overcoming codependency and becoming a sovereign being with boundaries and an open heart.  She sheds light on the importance of recognizing the difference between true needs and codependent “illusions of needs,” our true selves and the "traumatic identity" we develop as a result of early life experiences, as well as the distinction between healthy intimacy and codependent intimacy.  We also take a deep dive into forgiveness, emphasizing the significance of self-responsibility and healing the impact of past trauma rather than focusing on the story and assigning blame, as well as the idea of breaking one’s own heart, as codependents often unconsciously create situations that lead to heartbreak. Join us in exploring how to break the cycle of codependency, find your true nature, access deep, healthy intimacy, and embody freedom through the healing process. Cheryl Fidelman: Website: https://cherylfidelman.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cherylfidelman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylfidelman Book a call: https://cherylfidelman.com/connect Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: breakupward@icloud,com Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Tune in as we sit down with the inspiring anti-bullying activist and author of "My Real-Life Rom Com," Carrie Berk. Together, we journey through the fascinating world of modern relationships, where the realms of dating apps, influencer status, and mental health intersect. Prepare to relate as we peel back the layers of our personal stories, revealing how our self-concept intricately weaves its threads into our love lives in this digital era. We'll challenge the notion that "people always leave" and explore why raising our expectations in relationships is not only possible but essential. Carrie Berk: Website: https://www.carrieberk.com My Real-Life Rom Com: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Bookshop. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/carrieberkk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carrieberkk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrieberkk Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/carrieberkk Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Celebrated for her prominent role in As the World Turns, actress Melanie Smith has redirected her professional journey toward the exploration of heartache, grief, and reinvention. Her endeavors have encompassed guiding numerous individuals in breaking free from their past, unearthing their authentic identities, and masterminding profound shifts in their life trajectories. Joining Thank You Heartbreak at the 7-minute mark, Melanie provides an exclusive peek into the genesis of her inaugural book, "Unfinished Business: 8 Steps to Heal Your Trauma, Transcend Your Past, and Transform Your Life." She delves deeply into the intricate tapestry of emotions that propelled her research, recounting her personal odyssey of conquering childhood illness and subsequent solitude, debunking the illusion of an idealized existence, and embarking on the profound inner journey that facilitated her harmonious union with self and others. Within this emotionally charged narrative lies the poignant tale of her mother's untimely departure due to a rare form of cancer, the tragic death of her sister, the dissolution of her marital bond, and the dizzying relinquishment of her once-cherished dream home. These cascading adversities served as the impetus for her to confront a fundamental query: "Who would I be, could I be, if nothing or no one had ever gotten in my way?" Melanie’s work surrounding Unfinished Business underscores the significance of addressing lingering unresolved issues, which have the potential to obstruct the path to self-discovery and self-fulfillment, ultimately preventing individuals from embracing their destined sense of self. Key episode themes: Trauma from being diverted from our perceived life purpose.Link between early validations and entrapment in adult obligations.Recovery as a vital life skill for inner peace and abundance through life's pain.Trust in oneself and a higher pattern.Value of charge-free and trigger-free dating.Body as a guide to finding our sweet spot of belonging.Girls abandon their bodies; boys abandon their hearts.Healing potential of relationships.Self-attunement for self-understanding.Distinguishing between the necessity for survival-driven special attention and ordinariness.Melanie Smith: Website: https://workwithmelaniesmith.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniesmithofficial Unfinished Business: https://unfinishedbusinessthebook.com Unfinished Business via Amazon: Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Clinical psychologist and author Dr. Cortney Warren is an expert on addictions, self-deception, romantic relationships, eating pathology, and the practice of psychology from a cross-cultural perspective. In today’s episode, she joins Chelsea 9:45 minutes in to talk about her latest self-help book on breakups, Letting Go of Your Ex: CBT Skills to Heal the Pain of a Breakup and Overcome Love Addiction.  Gems from this episode: overcoming love addiction with radical self-honesty, the skill of self-forgiveness, the courage to be honest with yourself and therein free to choose the life that aligns with who you really are, understanding why your own boundaries are so important to your own mental health, the power of the post-breakup pause, dating as an experiment and initiative of self-discovery, and why living and loving with your eyes wide open increases self-esteem and self-efficacy, decreases self-deception, and sets you up for a life of least regret. Dr. Cortney Warren Website: https://drcortney.com Letting Go of Your Ex: via Amazon  TEDx Talks: Honest Liars  Psychology Today: Blog YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcortneywarren TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drcortneywarren Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CortneySWarren Contact: https://drcortney.com/contact-cortney-warren Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Two-time guest, musician, beloved mindfulness writer, and author of Kickass Recovery, Billy Manas, joins Chelsea 9:30 minutes in for their yearly check-in about all the highs and lows they're recovering from. Billy Manas: Website: https://www.billymanas.com Kickass Recovery: via Amazon Substack: https://substack.com/profile/12500734-billy-manas elephant journal: https://www.elephantjournal.com/profile/billy-manas Music Show Dates: https://www.billymanas.com/shows Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billymanas2 Twitter: https://twitter.com/billymanas Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Thought leader and author of The Power of Wonder: The Extraordinary Emotion That Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, and Lead Monica Parker shines a spotlight on the magical yet little-understood human emotion that is wonder, making a case for how cultivating openness, curiosity, and absorption in the midst of everyday setbacks, disappointments, and heartbreaks can help us breathe, believe, and breakupward.  Monica Parker: Website: https://www.monica-parker.com The Book: https://www.monica-parker.com/the-book The Power of Wonder via Amazon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicacparker Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicacparker Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Keynote speaker, success coach, author, television host, and philanthropist, Simon T. Bailey's purpose in life is to help you discover your brilliance and increase psychological well-being. Today's guest helped me regain the strength, perspective, and incentive to bring myself back to life. It was a game changer and life saver. We discuss his book Ignite the Power of Women In Your Life—A Guide for Men, heartbreak of climbing the ladder of perceived success only to discover it was propped against the wrong wall, building a house but losing a home, chasing money but having no meaning, pursuing power without purpose and gaining status but having no satisfaction, the hopelessness that greets you and your relationship when you're focused on outward appearances more than internal connections, healing the mother wound, filling the hole within you in order to show up whole in relationships, latching onto relationships out of desperation versus inspiration, how cherishing goes steps beyond loving someone, dating with more intention and communication before even meeting, ego versus eco, igniting the power of women, affirming men, suicidal ideation, the power and encouragement of going "just a little bit more" and becoming who you're meant to be as you answer a problem connected to your unique wiring, and so much more poignant and life-enhancing insights. Forever grateful for Simon T. Bailey: Website: https://simontbailey.com Books: https://simontbailey.com/books Ignite the Power of Women in Your Life–A Guide for Men: https://www.amazon.com/Ignite-Power-Women-Your-Life Courses: https://simontbailey.com/courses Speaking; https://simontbailey.com/speaking Contact: [email protected] Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Psychotherapist, Truth Teller, and advocate for being a "difficult" woman, Tonya Lester joins Chelsea 9:10 minutes in to talk about the upside of being difficult (the good kind of difficult, that is), what's worse than heartbreak (spoiler: it doesn't involve a relationship ending), the masks we wear and the self we forfeit in order to attract and keep partners, freeing ourselves from the spiral of "if-only" I had been/done/or behaved like XYZ, the healing powers of curiosity, self-compassion, and vowing to use our past to change our future, internal family systems methodology, the motive of the mean voice, how shock absorbers in relationships always finish last, the power of self-possession,  "kind narcissism," and why presenting ourselves as fully — vulnerably and accurately — as soon as possible is the best way to set ourselves up for a love that aligns with our true nature and intentions. Psst: I loved this episode! Tonya Lester: Website: https://www.tonyalester.com Services: https://www.tonyalester.com/services Blog: https://www.tonyalester.com/blog Psychology Today Articles: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/tonya-lester-lcsw Free Quiz on Your Difficulty Level: https://assessments.catchengine.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyalesterpsychotherapy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tonyalesterlcsw Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

As a pain avoidant culture, we’ve been taught to fix what hurts us. To rush to the solve. To make it go away. That something’s wrong with us if we’re not feeling lovable. In today's episode, transformational and potentiality coach and author of 911 From Your Soul, Jeanine Thompson provides us an alternative approach and her signature soul solution, encouraging us to surrender to the challenge, journey, or crisis and rest in the darkness until the next reveal illuminates. Jeanine Thompson: Website: https://www.jeaninethompson.net Services: https://www.jeaninethompson.net/potentiality-coaching 911 From Your Soul: https://www.jeaninethompson.net/book-release Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jeaninethompson_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeaninethompsonllc Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Married since 1972 and trained as psychotherapists, relationship counselors, and seminar leaders, Linda and Charlie Bloom join Chelsea 10:30 minutes in to talk about their 5th book, An End to Arguing: 101 Valuable Lessons for All Relationships. We dive deep into preventing painful interpersonal conflict, dropping the mask and exposing the whole spectrum of who you are early, dating with the agreement that you’re both practice partners who will do the best in this now moment while holding out the vision of where’d you’d like to go, the need to confront your partner about any misalignments before making the decision to leave, the importance of staying on the responsible side of a breakup, the vulnerability and threat that comes with caring, what drives us toward someone who is different than us, why there’s no passion without authenticity, how to ignite closeness after times of separation, and how the value and pleasure of a relationship only comes once you’ve hung in through the times when many people call it quits. Linda and Charlie Bloom: Website: https://bloomwork.com Services: https://bloomwork.com/our-services Latest Book: An End to Arguing: 101 Valuable Lessons for All Relationships Psychology Today Blog: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/linda-and-charlie-bloom YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV3lPZs0gRNYCTQ6vgz4Q6Q Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindaandcharliebloom Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Author, poet, and advocate Lindsey Frazier joins Chelsea 7:45 minutes in to dive deeper into her memoir Oh Love, Come Close. We hit the bottom and bring up all the gold, like living with high-functioning depression, the stigma surrounding antidepressants and how taking medication isn’t about surrendering to our weakness but rather choosing endurance, suicidal ideation and the desire to escape our inescapable madness, combating the shame voices by hitting them with self-belief, leading by the mantra that "vulnerability breeds vulnerability" in parenting, the consequences of meeting our partner when we are in total trauma and the all too relatable fantasy that marriage will save us from our core wound, coming face to face with our sexuality, a partner’s indefinitely, and the stories raging within, the healing power of a couple breaking into their own humanness right in front of each other’s eyes, the redemptive moment when you see something bigger than oneself at play, stepping back and letting God move us, and coming to the end of ourselves and realizing that is the best place we could be. Lindsey Frazier: Website: https://www.lindseyfrazier.me/ Memoir: Oh Love, Come Close Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseyfrazier TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lindsey_frazier Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindseyfrazier Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott

Psychic therapist, medium, podcast host of The Genna Effect, and author of The Secret That’s Holding You Back, Vincent Genna, joins Chelsea 5:30 minutes in to explain how we are always manifesting what we believe about ourselves — hence, why the most courageous work we can ever undergo is discovering (and changing!) what it is we actually believe.  Standout takeaways: every hurt creates a scar which, left unhealed, can be inflamed by future painful events, all the “I’m nots” — I’m not smart enough, I’m not good enough, etc. — has a common denominator pain of “I’m not lovable,” as soon as we detach from source, we feel abandoned, neglected, jealous, and angry, coping mechanisms are in place so we survive not thrive which is why we must disempower our defense mechanisms as adults, the 3 R exercise for better beliefs: review, replace, reinforce, attraction has nothing to do with another person, and everything to do with our beliefs about ourselves, the healing part of us that is loving ourselves more is not going to choose partners out of desperation, discretion comes with true self-love, reparenting ourselves sounds like the adult version of ourselves reasoning with our inner child, the harming effects of relationships built on a sexual foundation versus an emotional foundation first, and the major reason for mindfulness is to hear and understand what we are thinking so we can change it and evolve beyond our habits and history. Vincent Genna: Website & Services: https://vincentgenna.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vinnygenna Twitter: https://twitter.com/vgbelieve Book: The Secret That’s Holding You Back Podcast: The Genna Effect Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Website: https://breakupward.com Email: [email protected] Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/musings Chelsea Leigh Trescott: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/thankyouheartbreak Advice Column: https://www.huffpost.com Writing: https://thoughtcatalog.com/chelsea-leigh-trescott