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What happens when you stop trying to save the people you love and finally begin to see them? In this deeply personal episode of Not That Girl Anymore, Dawn celebrates her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary by sharing the story of how they found their way back to one another. She opens up about the religious beliefs that taught her to judge her parents, the grief of years spent confusing fear with love, and the safety she found in their arms when her own marriage fell apart. Through honest reflections on her father’s choice to change, her mother’s steady love, and her family’s willingness to grow alongside her, Dawn explores boundaries, healing, accountability, and the beauty of getting another chapter together. This is a heartfelt tribute to the people who kept showing up—and an invitation to be fully present for the love we have today. Subscribe and join the community at embraceyourbrave.org.

What if you’re not supposed to “find yourself”—because you’re finally getting the chance to choose who you want to become? In this episode of Not That Girl Anymore, Dawn explores what happens when healing moves beyond understanding what happened to you and becomes an invitation to discover who you are now. After years of being the good girl, keeping the peace, ignoring your own needs, and becoming who everyone else needed you to be, choosing yourself can feel unfamiliar—and even dangerous. But healing isn’t only about becoming softer or less triggered. Sometimes healing gives you your fight back. It reconnects you with the part of yourself that says, I matter too. Dawn talks about boundaries, listening to your body, using your voice, changing your mind, trying new things, and letting yourself want more. Because there are still people you haven’t met, places you haven’t been, things you haven’t tried, and versions of yourself you haven’t discovered yet. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just get to keep choosing yourself—one decision, one boundary, and one brave little “hell no” at a time. You are allowed to change. You are allowed to surprise yourself. You are allowed to build a life that actually feels like yours. You get to become her. Embrace Your Brave Website

What happens when girls are taught that being “good” means being nice, forgiving, selfless, obedient, and endlessly understanding—even when something inside them is screaming that they aren’t safe? In this deeply personal episode of Not That Girl Anymore, Dawn explores how women can be conditioned to override their instinct for self-preservation. From religion and purity culture to marriage, sexuality, and motherhood, she examines how these messages can lead to self-abandonment—and create fertile ground for narcissistic abuse and coercive control. This is a conversation about boundaries, anger, consent, sexuality, and learning to trust yourself again. Because healing isn't only about recognizing the person who hurt you. It's about recognizing yourself again—your instincts, your body, your voice, your boundaries, your no, and your yes. Maybe healing isn't becoming a different woman. Maybe it's remembering the woman you were before you learned to abandon yourself. embraceyourbrave.org

In this raw and deeply personal episode, Dawn is joined by Meg and Misha for a powerful conversation sparked by the documentary Death of a Pastor’s Wife. What begins as a discussion about the story quickly becomes something much bigger: an exploration of religious trauma, narcissistic abuse, purity culture, coercive control, and what can happen when women are taught to sacrifice their own identity, instincts, and safety in the name of being a “good wife” or “good Christian.” Misha, a trauma-informed coach and somatic healing practitioner specializing in narcissistic abuse, brings both professional insight and her own experience growing up in evangelical culture. Meg shares an intensely personal perspective on life as a pastor’s wife, the loss of identity she experienced, and the difficult process of recognizing and unlearning beliefs that shaped not only her relationships, but also what her children learned about relationships and womanhood. Together, they examine how spiritual authority can be weaponized, why abuse can become normalized inside religious communities, how shame and submission can silence women, and why leaving an abusive environment doesn't automatically undo years of conditioning. This conversation gets emotional because these aren't simply stories from a documentary. For many women, this is real life. Dawn, Meg, and Misha remind listeners that recognizing abuse, reclaiming your identity, and questioning what you've been taught can be part of finding your way back to yourself. Content Warning: This episode contains candid discussion of religious trauma, narcissistic and emotional abuse, sexual coercion, domestic violence, mental health, and other potentially triggering experiences.

What is narcissistic abuse—and how do you know if it’s happening to you? In this episode, Dawn goes back to the basics to explain what narcissistic abuse actually looks and feels like. Narcissistic abuse isn’t simply dealing with someone who is selfish, difficult, or hurtful. It is a pattern of emotional and psychological abuse that can slowly undermine your ability to trust your own reality, feelings, boundaries, and instincts. Dawn breaks down common narcissistic abuse tactics including gaslighting, blame shifting, DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender), projection, triangulation, silent treatment, coercive control, intimidation, isolation, and emotional manipulation. But recognizing narcissistic abuse isn’t always about knowing the terminology. Sometimes the biggest clues are found in how the relationship makes you feel. Do you constantly question yourself? Do you replay conversations wondering what really happened? Do you walk on eggshells or monitor someone else’s moods? Are you afraid of what will happen when you disagree, say no, or set a boundary? Do apologies actually lead to changed behavior? Do you feel more like yourself in this relationship—or have you slowly disappeared? Dawn also explores why leaving an emotionally or narcissistically abusive relationship can be incredibly complicated, especially when love, children, finances, fear, isolation, religious conditioning, custody concerns, and cycles of pain and connection are involved. You do not have to prove that someone is a narcissist before taking seriously what is happening to you. Start by paying attention to the patterns—and listening to yourself. ✨ RECLAIMING YOU Reclaiming You is a group for women healing from narcissistic and emotional abuse, as well as women who are still trying to understand what they have experienced. Together, women learn about gaslighting, DARVO, projection, triangulation, coercive control, boundaries, nervous system responses, and—most importantly—how to begin trusting themselves again. 📍 In Person: Mondays, 6:00–7:30 PM in Lafayette, Louisiana 💻 Online: Wednesdays, 6:00–7:30 PM Central Time You don’t have to have everything figured out before you come. Your experience matters. Your feelings matter. Your voice matters. And you matter. Maybe reclaiming yourself begins right here. Because remember: You’re Not That Girl Anymore. Reclaiming You Group #NarcissisticAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #Gaslighting #DARVO #CoerciveControl #NarcissisticRelationship #NarcissisticAbuseRecovery #EmotionalAbuseRecovery #ToxicRelationships #HealingFromAbuse #TraumaRecovery #ReclaimYourself

What happens when you stop looking at your past only through the lens of what happened to you and begin recognizing the strength that was inside you all along? In this raw and deeply personal conversation, Dawn and Meg continue exploring Meg’s journey of healing from emotional abuse, manipulation, complex PTSD, and painful relationship and family dynamics. Meg shares how EMDR therapy is helping her process traumatic memories differently—including one breakthrough that completely changed the way she viewed one of the most painful experiences of her previous marriage. They talk openly about PTSD nightmares, trauma responses, emotional abuse, gaslighting, family boundaries, religious and church trauma, self-betrayal, and what it means to finally trust yourself again. Meg also reflects on the enormous difference between the woman she was months ago and the woman she is becoming now—a woman learning that healing isn't simply about “taking her power back.” Sometimes it's realizing the power was there the entire time. This episode explores: EMDR therapy and trauma recoveryComplex PTSD and recurring nightmaresHealing after emotional and psychological abuseRecognizing manipulation and gaslightingSetting boundaries with difficult family membersReligious and church traumaReleasing shame and self-blameRebuilding self-trust after abusive relationshipsRecognizing trauma responses in everyday lifeMoving from survival mode into actually livingRediscovering your voice, identity, and personal power If you’ve ever wondered who you might become when you stop living according to everyone else’s expectations, this conversation is a powerful reminder: healing can change not only how you see your past—but how you choose to live your future.

In Part 2 of this deeply personal conversation, Meg picks up exactly where Part 1 left off: “And so I moved to the beach.” But leaving was only the beginning.Meg opens up about what it looks like to rebuild your life after abusive relationships, religious trauma, and years of being taught to put everyone else before yourself. She shares what she is learning about self-love, freedom, boundaries, and giving herself permission to create a life that actually feels like her own. The conversation goes deeper as Meg discusses her experience with EMDR therapy and how it is helping her reprocess painful experiences from her past—including her complicated relationship with her father. She shares the powerful realization that changed the way she saw their relationship: she could stop trying to fix someone who continued to choose himself and finally say, “And I choose me.” Dawn and Meg explore the difficult process of unlearning shame, releasing the need for approval, rebuilding self-worth, and recognizing that choosing yourself isn't the same as being selfish. They also talk about motherhood, the impact of healing on Meg's relationship with her children, and what it means to create joy and new memories after survival. This is the second half of Meg's story—not simply about leaving an abusive relationship, but about what comes after: healing from emotional and religious trauma, breaking old patterns, learning to trust yourself, and discovering who you are when you stop living for everyone else's expectations. And for the women listening who are afraid of what choosing themselves might cost, Meg leaves them with a message she fought hard to learn: “Baby, the well is deep, and go love yourself.” Part 2 is about freedom, healing, and finally becoming Not That Girl Anymore.

n Part 1 of this powerful conversation, Dawn sits down with her longtime friend Meg to unpack a story that began years ago in seminary—and eventually forced Meg to question everything she had been taught about marriage, faith, womanhood, and herself. Meg opens up about life inside an abusive marriage, the religious expectations that kept her trying to make it work, and what happened when she finally turned to church leadership for help. What followed was a painful reckoning with the systems, beliefs, and messages that had taught her to stay quiet, endure more, and put herself last. Together, Dawn and Meg explore purity culture, spiritual authority, shame, control, and the complicated process of realizing that choosing yourself doesn't make you selfish—it may be the very thing that saves you. This is a story about what happens when the life you were told to build begins to fall apart—and you finally start asking whether you're willing to keep being that girl anymore. embraceyourbrave.org

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself: Who taught you not to trust yourself? In this powerful episode of Not That Girl Anymore, trauma therapist and coach Dawn Bouillon explores one of the deepest wounds many survivors carry—the loss of self-trust. Whether you've experienced narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, religious trauma, childhood trauma, gaslighting, or codependency, healing often begins by reconnecting with the voice you've learned to ignore. Instead of asking, "What's wrong with me?" Dawn invites you to ask a different question: "Where did I lose myself?" In this episode, you'll discover: Why self-doubt is often learned—not inherited.How narcissistic abuse and gaslighting deepen existing wounds.The connection between codependency and self-abandonment.Why people-pleasing is a survival strategy, not a personality flaw.How religious trauma and childhood conditioning can disconnect you from your intuition.Practical insights for rebuilding self-trust and reconnecting with your authentic self. If you've ever questioned your instincts, struggled with boundaries, or wondered why unhealthy relationships keep repeating, this conversation offers compassion, clarity, and hope for your healing journey. 💙 If this episode resonated with you, please: 👍 Like this video 💬 Share your thoughts in the comments 📤 Send it to someone who needs to hear it 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about trauma recovery, emotional healing, narcissistic abuse recovery, and reclaiming your life. Dawn Bouillion: Website IG @embraceyourbrave #NarcissisticAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #TraumaHealing #Gaslighting #Codependency #ReligiousTrauma #PeoplePleasing #SelfTrust #HealingJourney #ComplexTrauma #InnerHealing #MentalHealth #Recovery #TraumaRecovery #NotThatGirlAnymore

Are therapists really encouraging people to cut off their families—or are we asking the wrong question? In this thought-provoking episode of Not That Girl Anymore, trauma therapist Dylan Bunion explores the growing debate around family estrangement and therapy. Rather than asking whether therapists are breaking families apart, Dylan challenges us to consider a deeper question: Why are so many people entering therapy carrying wounds from the people who were supposed to love and protect them? Drawing from years of clinical experience, Dylan explains what actually happens in the therapy room. Clients rarely seek permission to leave their families. Instead, they ask heartbreaking questions like, "Am I the problem?" "Why do I always feel guilty?" and "How much more of myself do I have to lose to keep this relationship?" This compassionate conversation explores the difference between healthy boundaries and self-abandonment, why accountability is essential for reconciliation, and how healing begins by reconnecting with yourself. In this episode, you'll learn: Why family estrangement usually comes after years of trying to repair the relationship.What therapists actually do—and don't do.The difference between forgiveness, reconciliation, and self-abandonment.Why healthy boundaries are often misunderstood.How trauma disconnects people from themselves—and how healing helps them come home again. Healing isn't about breaking families apart. It's about helping people stop breaking themselves apart just to keep everyone else comfortable.

Can you spot the patterns of narcissistic abuse before they change your life? In this powerful episode of Not That Girl Anymore, trauma therapist Dawn Bouillon shares why the documentary Narcissist's Playbook left her speechless—and why she believes everyone should watch it. If you've ever questioned your reality, blamed yourself for someone else's behavior, or struggled to explain the emotional confusion that comes from manipulation, gaslighting, or coercive control, this conversation will help put words to what so many survivors experience. Dawn explores why narcissistic abuse follows recognizable patterns across relationships, families, workplaces, religious organizations, and other systems of power. She explains how learning to recognize these patterns can replace shame with clarity, helping survivors understand they were never "crazy"—they were responding to prolonged psychological abuse. Whether you're a survivor, a loved one trying to understand someone else's experience, or a therapist, coach, teacher, attorney, or healthcare professional, this episode is an invitation to become more aware, more discerning, and more compassionate. In this episode you'll discover: Why narcissistic abuse is so confusing and difficult to recognizeThe common tactics of gaslighting, manipulation, and coercive controlWhy survivors often blame themselves instead of the abuseHow awareness leads to healing—not fearWhy professionals need better education about narcissistic abuseHow validation removes shame and opens the door to recovery This is more than a conversation about narcissism. It's about recognizing unhealthy patterns, believing survivors, and creating safer relationships and communities. If this episode resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need to hear that they are not alone. #NarcissisticAbuse #Gaslighting #TraumaHealing #EmotionalAbuse #CoerciveControl #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #HealingJourney #PsychologicalAbuse #Boundaries #NotThatGirlAnymore #DawnBouillon

Have you ever had a headache that wouldn't go away, constant brain fog, tight shoulders, stomach issues, or found yourself getting sick more often—and wondered if stress might be showing up in your body? In this episode of Not That Girl Anymore, trauma therapist and coach Dawn Bouillon explores the powerful connection between stress, trauma, the nervous system, and physical symptoms. Inspired by her own experience of waking up with a stress-induced fever blister, Dawn shares how our bodies often recognize overwhelm long before our minds do. If you've ever struggled with anxiety, chronic stress, emotional abuse, hypervigilance, or feeling like you're always in survival mode, this conversation will help you understand why your body reacts the way it does—and why it's not working against you. In this episode you'll discover: • Why stress often shows up as physical symptoms • How trauma affects the nervous system • Why your body isn't betraying you—it's trying to protect you • The connection between emotional abuse, chronic stress, and hypervigilance • How to move from self-judgment to self-compassion • Simple ways to help your nervous system feel safe again • Why healing begins by listening to your body instead of fighting it Your body has been carrying your story for a long time. The question is: what has it been trying to tell you? If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs the reminder that healing is possible. Youtube Website #Stress #TraumaHealing #NervousSystem #AnxietyRecovery #MentalHealth #EmotionalHealing #TraumaRecovery #SelfCompassion #EmotionalAbuse #HealingJourney

Can you love someone and still choose distance? Absolutely—and sometimes it's the healthiest decision you can make. In this episode of Not That Girl Anymore, trauma therapist and coach Dawn Bouillon explores one of the most misunderstood parts of healing: setting healthy boundaries with people you still love. If you've ever struggled with guilt over creating distance from a family member, partner, friend, or loved one, this conversation offers the validation and clarity you may need. You'll discover why boundaries are not rejection, why forgiveness doesn't always require reconciliation, and how trauma can teach us to prioritize everyone else's needs while abandoning our own. Dawn shares compassionate insights into healing from emotional abuse, people-pleasing, codependency, toxic relationships, and chronic survival mode while learning to reconnect with your own voice, intuition, and peace. In this episode, you'll learn: Why you can love someone without allowing unlimited access to your life.The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.How healthy boundaries support emotional healing and nervous system regulation.Why protecting your peace is not selfish.How to release guilt and choose yourself without losing your compassion. If you're healing from trauma, navigating difficult family relationships, recovering from emotional manipulation, or learning to set boundaries without shame, this episode will remind you that your healing matters—and so do you. Keywords: healthy boundaries, trauma recovery, emotional healing, toxic relationships, family boundaries, codependency recovery, forgiveness, reconciliation, self-worth, people pleasing, emotional abuse recovery, nervous system healing, self-love, mental health, trauma therapist, healing journey.

Have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling like your pain disappeared while everyone else's emotions took center stage? In this deeply personal solo episode of Not That Girl Anymore, Dawn Bouillon explores one of the most painful patterns trauma can create: becoming the emotional caretaker for everyone else while quietly abandoning yourself. Through compassionate storytelling and gentle reflection, Dawn unpacks why survivors of emotional abuse and relational trauma often become experts at understanding everyone else's pain—but struggle to believe their own deserves space. She explores how empathy without boundaries can lead to self-abandonment, why our nervous systems learn to stay silent, and how healing begins when we finally allow our own hearts to matter. In this episode, you'll discover: Why your pain deserves to be heard without being minimized or redirected.How trauma teaches us to prioritize everyone else's emotions over our own.The difference between empathy and self-abandonment.Why healthy relationships make room for accountability, repair, and both people's experiences.How boundaries become an act of self-respect—not selfishness.A simple reflection to help you reconnect with what your heart truly needs. If you've spent years being the strong one, the peacekeeper, or the person everyone leans on, this conversation is your reminder that your story, your healing, and your heart matter too. Because you don't have to disappear anymore.

Dawn Bouillon explores the often-overlooked reality of the mother wound and the lasting impact of growing up with an emotionally unsafe, controlling, manipulative, critical, or abusive mother. With compassion, honesty, and deep understanding, Dawn invites listeners to examine the patterns that may have followed them into adulthood—from people-pleasing, perfectionism, and self-abandonment to boundary struggles, anxiety, shame, and difficulty trusting themselves. This powerful episode offers validation for those who have spent years minimizing their pain, questioning their experiences, or feeling responsible for a parent's emotions. Dawn discusses the effects of emotional abuse, enmeshment, criticism, control, competition, religious manipulation, and the grief that comes from mourning the mother you needed but never had. Whether you're a daughter, son, or anyone navigating the complex emotions of loving someone who hurt you, this conversation is an invitation to stop carrying the burden alone, tell the truth about your experience, and begin healing with honesty and self-compassion. Topics include: • The mother wound and childhood emotional trauma • People-pleasing, perfectionism, and self-abandonment • Emotional abuse, manipulation, and control • Boundaries, guilt, and healing from family dysfunction • Childhood trauma and nervous system survival patterns • Grieving the parent you needed but didn't have • Reclaiming your voice, identity, and self-worth • Finding a healthier path forward through truth and healing If you've ever wondered why certain family dynamics still affect you today, this episode offers a gentle but powerful invitation to a better way.