For many people, change starts with awareness. You notice the pattern.You tell yourself this time will be different.You understand what you are doing. And yet, somehow, you find yourself back in the same place. If you have ever thought, “Why do I keep doing this when I know better?”, you

Betrayal changes more than a relationship. It can change how you see yourself, how you see other people and how safe you feel in the world. Whether betrayal comes from a partner, family member, friend or someone you trusted deeply, its effects can linger long after the event itself. For

Content note: This article discusses self-harm, emotional distress and young people’s mental health. There are no graphic details, but some readers may find the subject difficult. Please read at your own pace, take a break if you need to, and seek professional support if this topic feels particularly close to

In a recent episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia sits down with mindset and emotional mastery coach Nikki Evans, founder of Mind Health School, to explore emotional regulation, unresolved trauma, and the nervous system. Their conversation is grounded, practical, and very human. Nikki shares how her own short temper

If you have ever felt like you understand your trauma, you know what happened, you can name the patterns, but your body still reacts like it is happening now, you are not alone. In Episode 8 of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia is joined by Lucy Superfox to explore Root

What if a PTSD or Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis was not actually the end of your story?   In this episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia speaks with Emily Katz about her journey from trauma diagnoses, addiction and survival mode into structured self-healing, sobriety and purpose. This conversation explores

When you have been holding everything together for years, survival mode can start to feel like your normal. You keep going, you cope, you push through, and you tell yourself you will feel better when the next thing is sorted. A bit more time. A bit more money. A bit

Healing Through Sound: My Conversation With Lilli Badcock on Sound Reiki, Trauma, and Finding Peace Trigger warning: This post discusses sensitive topics, including anxiety, grief, trauma responses, and mental health. Disclaimer: This content is for education and support only and is not medical advice or a substitute for professional care.

Trauma does not just live in our memories. It lives in our nervous system, in our reactions, in the way we move through the world, and in the patterns we sometimes struggle to understand or change. If you have ever found yourself thinking, Why am I like this? or Why

It’s Not Just in Your Head: Trauma in the Body & Somatic Healing with Hannah Rzysko For many people, healing starts with understanding. You read the books.You listen to the podcasts.You start to recognise your patterns. And yet something still feels stuck. If you have ever thought, “I know why

I Thought My Childhood Was Normal. Until I Realised It Wasn’t. There is a moment that catches so many people by surprise. It doesn’t happen during childhood. It doesn’t happen the day you leave home. Often, it doesn’t happen until your thirties, forties or even later. It’s the moment you

Late ADHD and Autism Diagnosis: Emily Edwards on Masking, Identity and Being Truly Heard   What does it mean to be truly heard? For many people, especially those who are neurodivergent, it is something they have rarely experienced. In this conversation, Lydia speaks with Emily Edwards, a neurodivergent coach and

Leading With Heart: Why the Best Leaders Make People Feel Seen When you think about great leadership, what comes to mind? Titles? Power? Authority? The loudest voice in the room? For many of us, those are the images we’ve grown up with. For decades, leadership was often associated with control,

There is a moment in healing that no one really prepares you for. You have been doing the work. You understand your triggers more. You have better boundaries. You feel safer than you used to. And then… you feel sad. Or flat.Or unexpectedly angry.Or more emotional than you were before. And

When people talk about domestic abuse, the focus is often on one thing: leaving. We hear phrases like “Why didn’t they just leave?” or “Once they’re out, they can start again.” While leaving an abusive relationship is often the first step towards safety, it is rarely the end of the

Trauma recovery can feel confusing, lonely, and expensive. Many people know something is “off” in their body or relationships, but they do not always have the language for it yet. Others have tried talking therapy and left feeling unheard, stuck, or like they are doing healing “wrong”. In this episode

Healing Does Not Start With Perfection In Episode 20 of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia is joined by Lisa King, self-loveologist, speaker, radio presenter and advocate for self-expression and emotional healing. This episode is a deeply honest conversation about trauma, self-worth, grief, boundaries and learning how to reconnect with yourself

Grief is never simple. But when loss comes suddenly, without warning, and through suicide, it can leave behind layers of shock, confusion and unanswered questions that feel impossible to carry. In this episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia speaks with Joanne, a therapist, bereavement advocate and founder of Souled

For many women, being told they “just have bad PMS” is something they hear repeatedly. From doctors. From family. Sometimes even from themselves. But for some, what they’re experiencing goes far beyond premenstrual irritability or low mood. In this episode of Riding the Trauma Train, I’m joined by Karli Hart

Sometimes healing doesn’t start with a breakthrough. Sometimes it starts with a quiet realisation:“I’m exhausted… and I can’t keep doing it this way.” In this episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia is joined by Dana Grant — host of The Dana Grant Show and author of The Truth Within

There is something incredibly healing about being truly heard. Not interrupted.Not analysed.Not rushed towards a solution. Just heard. In Episode 22 of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia sits down with Dee Jodel for a deeply honest and grounding conversation about trauma, inner child healing, women’s circles, cacao ceremonies, emotional safety

Leaving an abusive relationship can take an enormous amount of courage. But what happens after you leave? There can be an assumption that once somebody is out of an abusive situation, they are safe, so life should begin returning to normal. The reality can be far more complicated. In Episode

When we think about fitness, most of us picture exercise plans, strength training, step counts and performance goals. What we don’t often think about is safety. Not physical safety alone, but emotional and psychological safety too. Yet for many people, the way they experience fitness is shaped not only by

When we think about trauma, we often picture emotional wounds, difficult memories or the impact it has on our mental health. But what if trauma also affects your gut, your eating habits and even the way your body holds onto weight? These are the questions Lydia explores in Episode 28

What if your intuition is not random? What if it is something your nervous system learned through survival? In this week’s episode of Riding the Trauma Train, I sat down with Sheetal Story for one of the most fascinating and emotionally honest conversations I’ve had on the podcast so far.

There are moments in life when you look in the mirror and realise you’ve become someone you don’t recognise. Not overnight. Not because you consciously chose to change. But because life, relationships, expectations and experiences have slowly shaped you into someone who feels further and further away from the person

What if anxiety isn’t something to fear, fight or get rid of? What if understanding why anxiety exists could completely change the relationship you have with it? In Episode 35 of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia is joined by award-winning anxiety specialist, clinical hypnotherapist, professional speaker and author Caroline Cavanagh,

Perimenopause can be confusing, overwhelming and, for many women, completely unexpected. In this episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia speaks with Caroline Milne, a former NHS nurse and menopause coach, about what happens when hormonal change meets grief, stress and major life transitions. Caroline shares her deeply personal experience

Content note: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse, confronting an abuser, shame, guilt, anger, and the concept of “victim mentality”. Please take gentle care while reading. Pause if you need to, and seek support if anything feels activating. This blog is for education and empowerment and is not

Have you ever been in the middle of a totally normal day, and then something happens, a comment, a message, a scene on TV, a memory, and suddenly you feel it again? That familiar drop in your stomach. The tight chest. The shutdown. The spiralling thoughts. And then the whisper

What happens when you have spent so long surviving that you stop feeling connected to your own body? You might understand what happened to you. You might have talked about it, processed parts of it and learnt why you respond in certain ways. But your body can still feel like

What if the drive to achieve, prove yourself, or keep going is not ambition at all, but survival? In this powerful episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia is joined by Kellie Fennell, who shares the truth behind a life that looked successful on the outside but was fuelled by

Six months after Riding the Trauma Train first left the station, Lydia is taking a moment to look back. Not because six months marks the beginning of her healing journey. That journey started long before the podcast. Instead, this milestone is an opportunity to reflect on what has happened since

Content note: This article includes discussion of childhood trauma, addiction, suicidal ideation, self-harm, abuse, grief and recovery. Please read gently and take care of yourself. This content is not a replacement for therapeutic support.   In this deeply moving conversation on Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia speaks with Abby Teixeira

Have you ever found yourself asking… “Why did I react like that?” “Why can’t I just let it go?” “Why do I always put everyone else first?” For so many people, those questions are followed by shame. We convince ourselves that we’re too sensitive, too emotional or simply broken. But