Hard Beautiful Journey - A Podcast For Healing, Personal Growth and Emotional Resilience

What if the pain you’re carrying…was never yours to begin with? In this powerful conversation, Rapid Transformational Therapist Kate Semeniuk shares how she helps people heal the deep subconscious beliefs formed in early childhood—beliefs that still shape our adult lives through anxiety, people-pleasing, burnout, and depression. Kate and I talk about the power of hypnotherapy, healing our inner child, and why we must stop saying “my anxiety” or “my depression.” This episode is a gift for anyone who’s been stuck in patterns they don’t understand and who’s finally ready to come home to themselves.00:00 – Welcome + Intro 02:00 – Kate’s “aha” moment that started her healing path 05:00 – The pain wasn’t outside—it was within 07:20 – How childhood beliefs silently shape adult patterns 11:00 – Co-parenting and conscious communication with kids 15:00 – The power of explaining pain to children 21:00 – What a RTT session actually looks like 27:00 – The ego’s grip and identity 30:00 – Depression and the loss of hope 35:00 – Becoming your own loving parent 40:00 – What we say after “I am” shapes our lives 46:00 – It’s time to rewire your beliefs 50:00 – Gratitude, healing, and final thoughts📲 Stay Connected: 🔗 Connect with Kate on Instagram: @kate.semeniuk 🌐 Learn more or book a session: katesemeniuk.com 🫶 Find healing tools and retreats with me: tiffcarson.com 🎙 Follow on Instagram: @iamtiffcarson

Grief can shatter the world as we know it - but it can also become a doorway to love, connection, and transformation. In this powerful conversation, grief specialist, thanatologist, and author Ligia M. Houben shares how losing her father at 12 years old shaped her life’s mission and led to her remarkable framework, The 11 Principles of Transformation®.Ligia opens up about losing her beloved mother at almost 101 years old, the healing power of rituals, the overlooked grief of losing “the person you used to be,” and why understanding your thoughts, presence, and emotional expression is essential on the grief journey.If you’re moving through loss - whether death, divorce, identity changes, transitions, or the loss of who you used to be - this conversation will wrap around your heart.Connect with Ligia:Website: https://ligiahouben.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ligiamhoubenConnect with Tiff:Instagram: @iamtiffcarsonWebsite: ⁠www.tiffcarson.com⁠

Mother-daughter relationships are beautiful, complicated, and sometimes…dramatic (trust me, I once called the cops on my mom in high school). In this episode, I sit down with Tes and Holly, the inspiring mother-daughter duo behind Heart to Heart Gatherings, to talk about boundaries, speaking up with love, and how even the hardest moments can lead to deeper connection.We explore finding your voice, setting loving boundaries, and growing through change - no matter what season of life you’re in.Connect with Tes & Holly here:Heart-to-Heart Website and waitlist sign-up for adult daughters and their mothers who might like to join an upcoming circle.tes@gatherbetter.co / gatherbetter.cohollyrcohen@gmail.com / http://we-hearyou.com (documentary Holly produced!)✨ Connect with Tiff: Website: www.tiffcarson.com Instagram: @iamtiffcarson

Are you showing up in your life…or just getting through the day?In this powerful episode, bestselling author and TEDx speaker Marcy Axelrod joins me to explore how we’re designed to thrive - and why most of us are just barely there. Based on neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, her model of Showing Up is transforming how people live, lead, parent, and heal.We talk about how to recognize when you’re off path, the simple shifts that change everything, and how to come back to yourself - even 1% at a time.🔗 Learn more about Marcy: https://choosetoshowup.com📲 Connect with Tiff: https://tiffcarson.com + @iamtiffcarson

What if your world started to disappear - literally? At nine years old, Laura Bratton was told she would go blind. But instead of letting that diagnosis define her, she chose to build a life of purpose, grit, and gratitude. In this heartfelt episode of Hard Beautiful Journey, Laura shares how she turned a life-altering challenge into a calling to help others. We talk about what it means to truly choose courage, how to move forward in the unknown, and why gratitude might just be the game-changer you didn’t know you needed.💛 Connect with Laura: Website: https://laurabratton.com Ubi Global: https://ubiglobal.org Book: Harnessing Courage✨ Connect with Tiff Carson: Guided Meditation & Weekly Newsletter: https://tiffcarson.com Instagram: @iamtiffcarson

What if your body was speaking to you—and you just didn’t know how to listen? In this episode of Hard Beautiful Journey, I sit down with Inna Segal, bestselling author of The Secret Language of Your Body, to explore how physical pain is often rooted in emotional trauma, suppressed energy, and ancestral patterns. Inna shares how healing begins when we reconnect with the body's innate wisdom and tune in to its messages. If you're carrying chronic pain, burnout, anxiety, or inherited grief, this episode will show you a powerful new way forward.🎧 Tune in for a conversation that blends intuition, somatic healing, and radical honesty.Connect with Inna: 🌐 www.innasegal.com 📘 @innasegal on Instagram 📖 Book: The Secret Language of Your Body (available wherever books are sold)Connect with Me (Tiff): 🌐 www.tiffcarson.com 📸 @iamtiffcarsonTimestamps:0:00 – Intro: Can your body speak?2:11 – Inna’s healing journey and the origin of her book6:34 – Pain as the body’s language10:50 – Emotional energy + physical symptoms15:05 – Why the mind often lies21:30 – Generational trauma and the body30:18 – Healing from chronic pain37:20 – Tools for reconnecting with your body44:15 – Inna’s message for anyone struggling48:00 – Closing reflections with Tiff

Have you ever wondered why overgiving feels like love, but leaves you burned out and resentful? In this powerful episode, psychotherapist and author Dr. Zoe Shaw joins me to explore the roots of complex shame, the hidden cost of people-pleasing, and how to create emotional safety in your relationships and within yourself.We break down the real meaning of codependency, how to set boundaries without guilt, and why your deepest strength is often found in your most painful places.Dr. Zoe’s new book, Stronger in the Difficult Places, is a must-read for anyone ready to stop abandoning themselves in the name of connection.💥 Key Topics:Complex shame vs. simple shameEmotional safety in relationshipsOvergiving as a form of controlBoundaries, resentment & self-worthHealing through vulnerability and community✨ Let's ask the real question: Are you showing up from love, or fear of disconnection?Chapters & Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome + Meet Dr. Zoe Shaw 02:00 – Why Dr. Zoe left traditional therapy for bigger impact 04:40 – How fear nearly stopped her from speaking 07:10 – Why the relationship with yourself is the hardest 09:15 – Cracked cups & complex shame 14:00 – How shame shows up in your daily life 17:30 – Why external compassion doesn’t always work 19:30 – The process of untangling shame 24:00 – Overgiving = control? Let’s talk about it 26:00 – The hidden cost of people-pleasing 28:00 – If they’re not okay, are you still okay? 30:00 – What emotional safety really means 33:00 – Boundaries, rejection & freedom 36:00 – Sisterhood and the healing power of community 37:30 – How to spot where your shame lives 39:00 – What Dr. Zoe is grateful for today 40:30 – Final reflection + free meditation + newsletter invite🌐 Connect with Dr. Zoe Shaw: Website: drzoeshaw.com Instagram: @DrZoeShaw Book: Stronger in the Difficult Places (available for pre-order now)💛 Connect with Tiff Carson: Website: tiffcarson.com Instagram: @iamtiffcarson

What if the very thing you've been holding back - your voice - is actually the key to your healing?This week on the podcast, I sit down with vocal alchemist and teacher Maryn Azoff to explore the incredible healing power of sound, chanting, and expression. Maryn’s Vocal Transformation Method helps people reclaim their voice - not just to speak, but to feel, heal, and connect.We talk about voice blocks, body memory, and even the parts of sound that make us squirm (hello sensual sound 👀). And yep…I was left speechless multiple times. On a podcast. About voice. 😂This episode made me wish I’d started this work years ago - and now I’m inviting you into it too.Chapters & Timestamps:00:00 – Episode Intro 02:00 – Maryn’s take on what the voice really is 06:00 – The accident that changed everything 12:30 – The healing power of humming 15:45 – Tiff’s own voice blocks 20:00 – Sound, sensuality & shame 28:00 – Chanting & chakra reprogramming 36:00 – Healing generational trauma through sound 44:00 – Reclaiming our range and resonance 53:00 – Final sound practice + I AM ritual 1:05:00 – Gratitude & closingMaryn’s Info: Website: https://vocaltransformation.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vocal_transformationConnect with Tiff: Free Guided Meditation: https://tiffcarson.com Weekly Exhale Newsletter: https://iamtiffcarson.myflodesk.com/qkccrin7qz

In this emotional and powerful episode of Hard Beautiful Journey, I sit down with Julie Barth—a mother of six, trauma survivor, and author of Notes from a Blackberry. Julie shares her journey through caregiving, the devastating loss of her first husband, surviving emotional abuse, and how she turned those experiences into a mission to help other women in crisis. If you're walking through grief, feeling stuck, or trying to find meaning again, this conversation will show you that healing is possible and power can be reclaimed.Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: How Much Can One Heart Take?01:00 - Meet Julie Barth03:00 - Surviving Loss and Finding Purpose07:00 - Notes from a Blackberry & Healing Through Writing11:00 - Caregiving, Identity & Loneliness13:00 - Physical Toll of Survival Mode16:00 - Building a Nonprofit After Trauma22:00 - Red Flags in Emotionally Abusive Relationships26:00 - Legacy, Faith, and Helping Others HealConnect with Julie: Website: https://www.juliebarthauthor.comFollow her daughter’s art: Facebook - Hope4TaytConnect with Tiff: Website: https://www.tiffcarson.comInstagram: @iamtiffcarson

Have you ever felt like talk therapy just scratched the surface—but your body was holding onto something deeper?In this soul-shifting episode, I sit down with intuitive guide Donnie Summers to explore how he turned years of depression, trauma, and suicidal ideation into a journey of spiritual and emotional healing. We talk about his sacred mentorship with the Yavapai tribe, how the body holds wisdom, the truth about our inner “parts,” and what it really takes to come home to yourself.💬 You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of EFT, Parts Work, somatic awareness, and how love can transform your life from the inside out.Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome + Intro 01:30 – Who is Donnie Summers (in his words) 05:00 – The moment that cracked him open 08:30 – The loss of a friend to suicide 10:00 – Mentorship with the Yavapai Tribe 15:30 – Emotional healing isn’t always pretty 17:00 – EFT + tapping saved his life 22:00 – The “parts” inside us: inner critics, exiles, protectors 29:00 – Learning to trust his intuition 36:00 – How to tune into the body 42:00 – The power of being witnessed 48:00 – How love taught Donnie to choose himself 52:00 – Gratitude & Closing🔗 Connect with Donnie: Website: www.beyondlimitscoaching.life🔗 Stay connected with me: Instagram: @iamtiffcarson Podcast: Hard Beautiful Journey Website: www.tiffcarson.com

When Ayla Casey's husband was diagnosed with young-onset colon cancer, her world cracked open. What followed was a sacred and painful journey through caregiving, loss, and deep transformation. In this episode, Ayla shares what it means to witness pain rather than bypass it, how grief lives in the body, and why she believes reclaiming your voice is the first step toward healing. We talk about metabolizing grief, choosing to stay, and how Ayla's legacy work now bridges music and healthcare to honor her husband's life.Chapters:0:00 - Intro: What It Means to Stay2:00 - Life Before the Diagnosis5:00 - The Shock of Young-Onset Cancer8:00 - Caregiving & Survival Mode13:00 - Numbing, Addiction, and Presence18:00 - Metabolizing Grief24:00 - Building a Legacy Through Music30:00 - Reclaiming the Body + Daily Joy38:00 - Practicing Presence After Loss44:00 - How Ayla Works with Grievers + Caregivers46:00 - Gratitude and Final ReflectionsConnect with Ayla:Website: alchemyforhumanhearts.comInstagram: @aylaccaseySubstack: alchemyforhumanhearts.substack.comConnect with Tiff:Website: tiffcarson.comInstagram: @iamtiffcarsonFree Meditation + Retreat Info: tiffcarson.com/retreat

What if the part of you you’ve spent your life trying to hide… is the very thing that could heal you—and others?In this powerful conversation, Tracey Napier—intuitive life coach, speaker, Reiki practitioner, and author of Get Changed—shares how she transformed her lifelong insecurity (her voice) into her greatest tool for purpose, healing, and connection. We talk about self-trust, spiritual nudges, healing stuck energy, and stepping into your power—especially when it scares you.💭 Let's ask: What if the thing you’re ashamed of is actually the thing that could set you free?Chapters 0:00 – Intro: What if your flaw is your calling? 2:12 – Who Tracey was before her healing journey 6:50 – Losing her mom & the start of deep transformation10:30 – Laid off after 26 years: the unexpected gift 13:18 – Hearing the divine message to write Get Changed 17:45 – Learning to trust herself again 20:10 – How movement + energy work helped her release trauma 25:00 – Reiki, tapping, and somatic healing 29:15 – The power of visualization + intention 34:00 – What a fulfilling life means to Tracey now 38:35 – How her energy has completely changed 42:00 – If you feel broken… listen to this 44:50 – Her coaching, speaking, and upcoming podcast plans49:00 – A final word on gratitude + using your voiceHow to Connect with Us✨Connect with Tracey:Website traceynapier.com Instagram + TikTok: @traceyjeannapier Her podcast: The Tracey Napier Podcast (YouTube + Audio platforms) Her book: Get Changed✨ Connect with me (Tiff Carson): Website: tiffcarson.com Instagram: @iamtiffcarson

What if the truth you've never said out loud could be the very thing that sets you free? In this raw and powerful conversation, I’m joined by Kath Essing—author, speaker, and survivor of childhood sexual abuse. We talk about the body’s wisdom, what healing really looks like, and why speaking your truth—out loud—can be both terrifying and life-giving. Whether you're a survivor, a support person, or just human, this episode will change the way you listen, support, and show up.Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction 2:10 – Who is Kath Essing today? 5:33 – How her body remembered the trauma 11:45 – Talking to kids about consent & safety 18:20 – Navigating family reactions 23:10 – When the legal system fails survivors 29:44 – Writing The Courage to Speak Your Truth 36:02 – What survivors really need from loved ones 41:00 – Somatic healing, breathwork, and embodiment 46:55 – Becoming an advocate 51:30 – Final thoughts + gratitudeConnect with Kath:Website: https://www.bespeak.auInstagram: @kath_essingFacebook: BeSpeak ConsultancyConnect with me:Instagram: @iamtiffcarsonFree Healing Meditation: https://www.tiffcarson.com/meditationJoin the private Facebook group: Healing Heart Journey (search + request)

In this soulful episode, Tiff sits down with floral oil painter and nonprofit founder Ovi Paulter, who shares her journey of healing from trauma and deep burnout through the quiet magic of creativity. Together, they explore how softness, beauty, and creating just for joy can be a lifeline—especially when life feels too heavy. Ovi’s story is a reminder that your healing doesn’t have to be loud to be life-changing.Chapters:0:00 - Welcome + Reflection 2:00 - Ovi’s story of burnout and rediscovering painting 7:20 - Why beauty isn’t a luxury 10:45 - The power of softness in healing 14:10 - How Floral Sessions with Ovi was born 19:00 - Releasing perfectionism in creativity 25:30 - What a painting session with Ovi feels like 32:00 - Why group creativity heals differently 34:00 - What’s lighting Ovi up right now 35:30 - Ovi’s gratitude moment🎨 Connect with Ovi on Instagram: @ovipaulterart 🌿 Connect with Tiff: @iamtiffcarson or visit tiffcarson.com

What if you didn’t have to fix your suffering—just release the parts of you that were never really you? In this profound conversation, Buddhist nun and Awakened teacher Thich Dieu Thien, gently guides us back to our Unborn Mind—the place of clarity, peace, and true compassion. We explore spiritual awakening, grief, letting go, and what it means to be fully alive and free. If you're carrying pain, burnout, or heartbreak, this episode is an invitation to return to yourself.📌 Chapters : 0:00 – Intro & reflection question 2:40 – Meet Thich Dieu Thien 5:52 – The moment of awakening 14:30 – Understanding the Unborn Mind 19:44 – Seeing suffering as a doorway 26:15 – Returning to presence in daily life 33:48 – Speaking truth and healing energy 38:00 – Compassion and releasing attachment 46:10 – Grief, spirit, and letting go 58:20 – Thich’s message for my brother 1:03:15 – How to connect with Thich 1:05:30 – Gratitude + Gentle Closing📲 Connect with us: Tiff Carson: @iamtiffcarson Guest: @azmthichdieuthien

What if the hardest thing you’ve ever faced… became the very thing that saved your life?Dan Reilly is a husband, father, and self-proclaimed ordinary guy—until life gave him three wake-up calls: a bank robbery, a wildfire evacuation, and a stage III esophageal cancer diagnosis. In this powerful conversation, Dan shares how he turned crisis into purpose, how writing helped him heal, and what it really means to get it right in midlife.We talk about resilience, healing, family, faith, and what it means to carry a backpack full of burdens—and finally put it down. If you’ve ever needed a reminder that second chances are real and you’re not too far gone to begin again, this episode is for you.🎒 Dan’s book Seize Your Second Chance is available now.🔗 CONNECT WITH US📖 Grab Dan’s book & connect: www.danielpreilly.com 📸 Dan on Facebook: @dan.reilly.773 🎙 Follow me on Instagram: @iamtiffcarson 🌐 My Website & Free Meditation: www.tiffcarson.com

Have you ever whispered to yourself, “I don’t know how much longer I can keep going?” In this raw and powerful episode of Hard Beautiful Journey, Tiff Carson sits down with therapist and podcast host Malisa Hepner, whose story reads like a trauma survivor’s handbook—childhood abuse, parental loss, CPTSD, and burnout so intense it nearly took her life. But what followed is a breathtaking example of choosing healing over perfection, embracing imperfection as power, and learning to love the fire within.This conversation is for anyone who feels broken, exhausted, or like they’ve lost themselves in the chaos of motherhood, trauma, and people-pleasing. We talk about nervous system regulation, parenting through grief, emotional hygiene, and what it really takes to rebuild a life you actually love.✨ We also explore Malisa’s incredible upcoming Empowerment Exchange Summit and how it aligns with finding your own timbre—the sound signature of your soul.Let this be your permission slip to stop holding it all together.Connect with Malisa Hepner:Instagram: @malisa.hepner Website: www.empoweredwithmalisahepner.orgConnect with Tiff Carson:Instagram:⁠ @iamtiffcarson⁠ Website:⁠ www.tiffcarson.com⁠

In this episode of Hard Beautiful Journey, Tiff sits down with former criminal trial lawyer turned author and spiritual seeker, Bob Martin. From Miami's cocaine cowboy era to Taoist teachings and deep soul shifts, Bob shares how he moved from a life built on power to one built on purpose. They explore the intersections of faith, storytelling, unconditional love, and why curiosity just might be the most spiritual act of all.0:00 Intro – From Power to Purpose 3:45 How Bob's Legal Career Collapsed Spiritually 11:12 Meeting the Taoist Grandmaster 20:04 The Wake-Up Call After 9/11 27:30 Writing Children of Abraham 36:48 Blending Taoism and Christianity 44:15 The Messy Middle in Faith 53:00 Garage Book Sales and Publishing Realities 1:02:20 What Healing Looks Like Now 1:08:40 One Thing Bob Hopes You RememberConnect with Tiff on Instagram: @iamtiffcarsonConnect with Bob on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awiseandhappylifeVisit Bob's website: awiseandhappylife.com

What if the thing you’re most afraid to let go of is the very thing keeping you stuck?In this powerful episode, transformational coach Michelle Gauthier shares her personal story of walking away from a high-achieving, burnout-fueled life to rebuild from the inside out. We talk about how to tune into your body’s whispers before they become screams, release perfectionism, reclaim joy, and live a life that feels as good as it looks.🎧 If you’ve ever wrapped your worth around your work or struggled to slow down, this is the conversation your heart’s been waiting for.00:00 – Intro 01:25 – When Michelle’s body said “Enough” 07:40 – Fear, divorce, and identity unraveling 13:00 – Signals from the body: anxiety, back pain & blood pressure 19:15 – Rebuilding a new life: what joy looks like now 26:40 – Dropping the disclaimer and the five “Whys” 33:10 – Sustainable life vs. busy life 39:00 – The myth of doing it all 42:55 – When joy felt like a luxury 48:10 – What would you say to your past self? 50:30 – The ripple effect of calm mothers 53:00 – Gratitude & closing reflections💛 Connect with Michelle on Instagram: @michellegauthiercoaching 🌿 Visit her website: www.michellegauthier.com 🎙️ Follow me on Instagram: @iamtiffcarson

What if grief wasn’t something to fix—but something to feel, carry, and even grow through? In this powerful episode of Hard Beautiful Journey, I sit down with Laura Walton—licensed therapist, grief and trauma expert, and founder of Grief on Purpose—to explore how unthinkable loss led her to the work she's doing today. Laura shares how losing her father and partner cracked her open, what it means to grieve with intention, and how her relationship with grief has shifted after nearly two decades. We talk spirituality, somatic healing, the loneliness of grief, and how your relationship with a loved one can continue long after they’re gone. If you're grieving—or supporting someone who is—this episode is here to remind you: you're not alone, and you will survive this.0:00 - Intro: Grief as a Beginning 2:24 - Laura’s Life Before Loss 5:01 - The Losses That Changed Everything 8:17 - What Grief Is (and Isn’t) 11:32 - Being Misunderstood in Grief 15:45 - Judgment & Silence Around Death 19:12 - Creating Grief on Purpose 22:38 - Evolving the Relationship with Grief 27:03 - Spirit Connection After Death 32:20 - Supporting Others Through Grief 36:01 - Using Your Voice 38:24 - Finding Your Tribe 41:33 - Yoga, Somatics & Grief in the Body 47:22 - What Society Gets Wrong About Grief 51:12 - Final Message for the Brokenhearted 56:20 - Gratitude + Gentle CloseCONNECT WITH US: Tiff on Instagram → @iamtiffcarson Laura on Instagram → @grief.on.purpose Laura’s Website → www.griefonpurpose.com