Judging Meghan

This episode I sit down with therapists and coaches EJ and Tara from the Relationship Renovation podcast and a counseling center in Tucson. They share their own relationship story, including meeting, marrying quickly, and then facing intense challenges after having colicky twins while blending a family with four young children. Sleep deprivation, postpartum struggles, constant conflict, and a loss of intimacy put tremendous strain on their marriage and ultimately became the catalyst for a deeper understanding of relationships.

Their experience inspired them to create the research based Relationship Renovation Model and eventually train other therapists in their approach. We talk about emotional safety, attachment, family systems, nervous system regulation, and why you sometimes need to “regulate before you communicate.” They also share their “burnt toast” code word, which allows couples to call for a time out during conflict while creating a clear plan to come back together and continue the conversation.

We also discuss the importance of men doing their own emotional work, honesty, empathy, appreciation, and finding specialized couples therapy when you need more support. From major life transitions like empty nesting to the rise of “gray divorce,” we explore how relationships can change throughout the years and what it takes to keep choosing each other. Most importantly, this conversation is about being real, doing the work, and creating a relationship where both people feel safe, heard, and valued. You can learn more about EJ and Tara at relationshiprenovation.com.

Listen to the ‘Relationship Renovation’ Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all podcast platforms.

Find out more through their site here: https://relationshiprenovation.com/staff/tarah-kerwin-staff/

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #RelationshipRenovation #EJAndTara #Relationships #RelationshipAdvice #MarriageAdvice #Marriage #HealthyRelationships #CouplesTherapy #CouplesCounseling #RelationshipTherapy #EmotionalSafety #AttachmentTheory #NervousSystemRegulation #RegulateBeforeYouCommunicate #Communication #ConflictResolution #RelationshipGoals #Intimacy #EmotionalIntimacy #MarriageAfterKids #ParentingAndMarriage #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfWork #MensMentalHealth #Empathy #HealingRelationships #LongTermRelationships

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In this episode, I’m joined by Nicole Sciacca, a fitness professional and host of Shockin’ Y’all, for a deeply personal conversation about spirituality, “exit points,” divine protection, and the signs we may receive from the other side. We talk about how trauma and major life experiences can create clarity, shift our perspective, and ultimately lead us toward a deeper sense of purpose and faith.

Nicole shares her journey from growing up as a dancer in Birmingham, Alabama, to moving to Los Angeles and navigating a major back injury that completely changed her identity. She opens up about transitioning into fitness, mobility, and training women through midlife, with a focus on longevity, recovery, stress, and learning to care for our bodies through every stage of life.

Nicole also shares the devastating losses she has experienced, including finding her partner Matt after he passed away in his sleep and later losing her ex-husband. We talk about grief, the signs she continues to experience from those she has lost, and how therapy, EMDR, community, and faith have helped her heal while raising her 13 year old son. This is an honest and emotional conversation about loss, spirituality, healing, and finding meaning and purpose even when life takes us somewhere we never expected.

Find out more about Nicole’s fitness classes: https://www.sweatandstillness.com/

Follow Nicole here: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/?hl=en

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #NicoleSciacca #Grief #GriefJourney #GriefSupport #HealingAfterLoss #Fitness #Spirituality #SignsFromTheOtherSide #SignsFromLovedOnes #DivineProtection #Faith #HopeAfterLoss #FindingPurpose #Signs #TraumaHealing #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #EMDR #HealingJourney #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #MidlifeWellness #WomensHealth #MindBodyConnection

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This is a revisited episode with Penny Hawkins Smith, a compassionate hospice nurse, influencer, and author of Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living. With over 2 million followers, Penny uses her platform to educate, inspire, and bring light to the often-taboo topic of death.

Together, we delve into the emotional and spiritual depths of end-of-life care, from Penny’s personal journey of overcoming death anxiety to the remarkable, love-filled moments she’s witnessed at the bedside of her patients. We share stories of redemption, forgiveness, and the surprising ways people find peace and purpose in their final days. Penny opens up about the challenges of caregiving, the unkindness of online criticism, and the resilience it takes to continue helping others in the face of negativity.

We discuss the cultural taboos surrounding death and the importance of breaking the silence—not just to reduce fear, but to foster deeper connections with those we love. From deathbed visions to spiritual encounters with lost loved ones, this episode shines a light on the beauty, meaning, and energy that emerge when we embrace life’s final chapter.

This is an inspiring conversation about vulnerability, compassion, and the lessons we can all learn from the fragility of life. Whether you’ve experienced loss, are supporting a loved one, or are simply curious about what lies beyond, this episode will leave you reflecting on the enduring bonds that transcend life and death. Tune in for a journey of healing, hope, and the reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, there is light.

Find out more about Penny through her site: https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #resilience #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #podcasts #WellnessJourney #FindingMeaningInLoss #Influencer #Author #Caregiving #LivingFully #Mortality #HospiceNurse #GriefAndLoss #HealingThroughDeath #PennyHawkinsSmith #trauma #DeathAnxiety #EndOfLifeCare
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In this episode, I’m joined by former actor, author, and holistic life and business coach Randy Spelling for an honest conversation about growing up in one of Hollywood’s most famous families. As the son of legendary television producer Aaron Spelling and brother of Tori Spelling, Randy shares what life was really like behind the scenes, the unique challenges of growing up in the spotlight, and how fame shaped both his family and the relationships around him.

Randy opens up about his acting career, his experience filming Sons of Hollywood while privately coping with his father’s declining health and passing, and how grief and addiction became deeply intertwined. He candidly shares his journey to sobriety, the lessons he learned after hitting rock bottom, and why leaving Hollywood gave him the fresh start he needed to build a more meaningful life.

Today, Randy helps others create lasting change as a holistic life and business coach. We discuss breaking unhealthy patterns, finding confidence and purpose, redefining success beyond money and fame, and why true fulfillment comes from living authentically. It’s an inspiring conversation about resilience, healing, personal growth, and the courage to create a life that aligns with who you truly are.

Learn more about Randy’s coaching here: https://randyspelling.com/

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #RandySpelling #AaronSpelling #ToriSpelling #Hollywood #HollywoodLife #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Healing #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #TraumaHealing #Grief #Resilience #LifeCoach #HolisticHealth #Purpose #Confidence #Mindset #Transformation #Authenticity #Recovery #Podcast #MentalHealthPodcast #SelfImprovement #GrowthJourney #HealingJourney #Inspiration
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In this episode, I’m joined by grief coach, author, speaker, and Penny’s Flight founder Kate Doerge for a heartfelt conversation about loss, healing, and finding purpose after unimaginable tragedy. We begin by talking about the importance of supporting other women, overcoming jealousy, and choosing to lift one another up instead of competing. Kate shares her extraordinary story of losing her father to heart failure, her mother in a tragic car accident, and, most devastatingly, her daughter Penny, who passed away at just 16 years old after years of battling neurofibromatosis, multiple surgeries, and glioblastoma.

Kate opens up about the inspiration behind her book, Reimagining Grief, and explains how we can create a greater sense of agency in our healing through five powerful steps: connection, celebration, remaining open to signs from our loved ones, movement, and turning pain into purpose. She shares the meaningful signs she's received from Penny, the beautiful ways families can honor and celebrate those they've lost, and how Penny's legacy lives on through Penny's Flight, an incredible organization that has raised more than $6.4 million and launched over 120 chapters to help fund research for a cure for neurofibromatosis.

I also share my own experiences with grief, the signs I've felt from loved ones I've lost, and why faith, hope, and spirituality have become such important parts of my healing journey. This is an emotional and uplifting conversation about navigating life's hardest moments, finding light after loss, and discovering that even in our deepest grief, love never truly leaves us. If you've experienced loss or are supporting someone who has, I hope this episode reminds you that healing is possible, purpose can grow from pain, and you never have to walk through grief alone.

Learn more here:https://www.katedoerge.com/

Want to keep up to date with Kate? Follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/doergek/?hl=en

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #KateDoerge #ReimaginingGrief #Grief #GriefSupport #GriefJourney #HealingAfterLoss #HopeAfterLoss #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #Loss #Bereavement #Widowed #ChildLoss #Neurofibromatosis #Glioblastoma #PennysFlight #TraumaHealing #Resilience #PurposeAfterPain #SignsFromLovedOnes #FaithAndHealing #HealingJourney #ChooseHope #Podcast #PodcastLife #LifeJourney #Survivor #Hope #Courage #Empowerment #Education #WomenInLeadership
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