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In this deeply honest and illuminating conversation, host Andrea Atherton welcomes special guest Tyler Blandin, a substance abuse counselor with over 20 years of professional and personal recovery experience. Together, they explore one of the most misunderstood truths in addiction treatment: you cannot force someone into recovery. With compassion and clinical insight, this episode unpacks the painful reality individuals face when they desperately want change. Tyler shares how true transformation begins with willingness, and how attempts to control or coerce often deepen shame and resistance rather than inspire healing.

Andrea and Tyler also address the vulnerable question so many quietly ask: How do I know if I’m an addict or alcoholic? They clarify the difference between problematic use and addiction, discuss the emotional and behavioral markers that often go unnoticed, and demystify how programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous actually work. Together, they gently dismantle common misconceptions about 12-step recovery, revealing the spiritual, communal, and accountability-based foundations that have helped millions find lasting sobriety.

This episode also courageously confronts the cultural punishment model still embedded in how society responds to addiction. Andrea and Tyler examine the stigma surrounding medication-assisted treatment, particularly the shaming that can occur in some recovery spaces for those taking Suboxone. They explore how self-help communities can both save lives and, at times, unintentionally perpetuate harm. If you have ever loved someone struggling with addiction or questioned your own relationship with substances, this conversation offers clarity, hope, and a call toward more compassionate recovery pathways.

Tyler Blandin

https://emotionalnightmarespodcast.buzzsprout.com/

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In this intimate solo episode, Andrea Atherton invites listeners into a powerful exploration of embodied self-reflection and the quiet courage it takes to come home to oneself. Drawing from nearly three decades as a psychotherapist and love specialist, Andrea weaves personal story with clinical wisdom, offering a grounded and deeply human look at what it means to release the identities we were handed and reclaim the truth of who we are. This episode is not simply about insight—it is about integration.

Through vulnerable reflection and guided inquiry, Andrea explores how attachment wounds, trauma patterns, and the drive to prove our worth can subtly shape our relationships and sense of self. With compassion and clarity, she illuminates how disconnection from the body often keeps us stuck in cycles of overgiving, performing, or striving for love. Listeners will be gently guided toward a more regulated, embodied presence—one that fosters intimacy, self-trust, and authentic connection.

This episode offers spacious pauses for reflection, inviting you to slow down and listen inward. Whether you are navigating a transition, healing from relational pain, or feeling called to rediscover your deeper truth, this conversation serves as both mirror and medicine. Andrea’s voice is steady and welcoming, reminding you that beneath the conditioning and survival strategies, there is a self waiting to be remembered.

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In Episode 239, host Andrea Atherton and Mazona Shahar, a guide in spiritual work, ancestral wisdom, and human evolution, explore what it truly means to choose oneself in a culture that fears being alone. Together, they gently unpack the difference between loneliness and conscious solitude, inviting listeners to reconsider aloneness not as a deficit, but as a sacred initiation. This episode speaks directly to those who have felt pressure to constantly give, perform, or stay connected at the cost of their inner truth and are quietly yearning for something more authentic and whole.

Andrea and Mazona dive deeply into boundaries as an act of love for self and for others, revealing how overgiving and self-sacrifice often lead to a slow loss of identity. Through stories and reflections, they illuminate the importance of sitting in silence, listening beneath the noise, and allowing space for the Self to be known rather than having to perform. Ritual and creativity are explored as essential pathways back to our essence and healing our wounds, ways humans have remembered who they are beyond roles, expectations, and survival patterns inherited through lineage and culture.

As the conversation broadens, the episode shifts toward the collective moment we are in, with 2026 being framed as a threshold year, one that calls us to reclaim our true gifts and step into our divine purpose. While solitude is honored, so too is the essential need for community rooted in authenticity rather than obligation. This episode offers both grounding and inspiration for anyone navigating identity shifts, spiritual awakening, or a longing to live more aligned with their soul’s truth, reminding us that when we return to ourselves, we become better able to show up for one another and for the world.

Mazona Shahar

https://www.instagram.com/mazonashahar?igsh=dGpmcXA5NDc1a2Rt

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Fyk3ygwPw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://medium.com/@peace

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In Episode 238, Andrea Atherton explores the transformative power of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a practice that teaches us how to speak from the heart while staying deeply connected to ourselves and others. Many of us were never taught how to express our feelings and needs without blame, shame, or defensiveness—and as a result, our most important relationships can feel fractured, distant, or painful. In this episode, Andrea guides listeners through what NVC really is, why it matters, and how it can create safety and understanding even in the most challenging conversations.

Andrea breaks down the four core components of NVC—observations, feelings, needs, and requests—demonstrating how this framework allows us to speak our truth with clarity, compassion, and courage. She shares insights from her work as a psychotherapist and love expert, helping listeners recognize common patterns that trigger disconnection and showing how small shifts in communication can profoundly transform relationships.

This episode is a practical and gentle guide for anyone seeking to deepen connection, repair ruptures, and foster empathy in their personal and professional relationships. Whether you are navigating romantic partnerships, family dynamics, friendships, or your inner dialogue, Andrea offers a step-by-step approach to speaking and listening in ways that honor both yourself and others. Listeners will leave with tools to communicate more honestly, create understanding, and cultivate relationships that thrive on presence and compassion.

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Love is one of the most powerful forces shaping our lives, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode (Part Two - Part One Ep. 220) of the Love Anarchy Podcast, host Andrea Atherton explores how the stories we’ve been told about love, through childhood fairy tales, Hollywood romances, and even family and cultural expectations, often leave us chasing illusions. These beliefs about what love “should” look like can feel comforting at first, but in reality, they are myths that keep us stuck in cycles of disappointment, self-doubt, and strained relationships.

Andrea pulls back the curtain on five more common myths about love and relationships. From the idea that “safety comes first, before vulnerability” to the harmful belief that we can change someone to meet our needs, Andrea offers insights that challenge these illusions and open the door to new perspectives. Their conversation shines light on how to move beyond outdated expectations and begin cultivating deeper, healthier connections rooted in authenticity, growth, and self-worth.

So, if you’ve ever wondered why your love story doesn’t look like the movies, or questioned whether the "change to comfort and consistency means you are no longer in love,” this episode is for you. We invite you to embrace the truth that real love is sometimes messy, often provoking growth, and always richer when lived authentically. By the end of the conversation, you’ll feel inspired to release the myths that have been holding you back and begin rewriting your own real love story, one built on honesty, vulnerability, and true connection.

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Episode 236 welcomes listeners into a rich, integrative dialogue with host Andrea Atherton and Chinese medicine practitioner Keith Coley, as they explore the Eastern whole-person view of healing in contrast to the Western fixation on control and symptom management. Together, they examine how the urge to “make things happen” often bypasses the deeper intelligence of the body, leading to temporary relief rather than lasting transformation. This conversation invites a return to balance—one that honors timing, receptivity, and the body’s innate capacity to restore itself when truly listened to.

Andrea and Keith expand the discussion into the often-overlooked realm of yin energy, emotional stuckness, and somatic awareness. They explore how removing physical or emotional pain without addressing its source allows the pattern to re-emerge, often louder and more disruptive than before. Through the lens of Chinese medicine and somatic understanding, emotional stagnation is reframed as stored energy seeking movement and expression. Listeners are guided to consider how pain, tension, and recurring emotional patterns act as messages, pathways into deeper self-awareness rather than problems to be eliminated.

The episode concludes with a powerful exploration of sensitivity and strength. Rather than hardening or numbing in response to overwhelm, Keith and Andrea discuss how to remain open and sensitive while cultivating protective energetic power. This includes learning to work with body energy, recognizing somatic signals, and developing boundaries that are embodied rather than defensive. The result is a grounded, resilient presence, one that allows compassion, intuition, and vitality to coexist with discernment and self-protection.

Keith Coley

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In Episode 235, host Andrea Atherton is joined by fellow therapist Lisa Angelini for a thoughtful, clinically informed conversation about the relationship themes that are increasingly appearing in therapy rooms in 2025. Drawing on their combined decades of experience, they explore relationship recovery and repair through a deeper lens—one that centers not only on couples or partners, but also on the essential work of repairing the relationship with oneself. This episode reflects the growing awareness that many clients are not just struggling with their relationships, but with the fear of change that keeps them emotionally tethered to what is familiar, even when it is painful.

Andrea and Lisa speak candidly about the rise in unresolved grief and how avoidance of loss, endings, and disappointment is shaping modern relational patterns. They discuss why so many people present with a high tolerance for poor or harmful behavior, often rooted in early attachment and childhood wounds. The conversation highlights a common therapeutic theme: clients attempting to make others change to avoid their own pain, while losing connection to self-trust in the process. As therapists, they reflect on how relationships continue to act as powerful mirrors, revealing wounded parts that are asking for attention, compassion, and integration.

The episode closes with a meaningful exploration of endings, discernment, and the quiet grief that accompanies letting go of what no longer works. Andrea and Lisa name a growing therapeutic shift in 2025—moving clients away from obsessing over saving the relationship and toward choosing themselves with clarity and care. This conversation offers listeners a grounded, honest look at what healing truly asks of us, and why learning to trust ourselves may be the most important relationship repair of all.

Lisa Angelini

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-angelini-mapc-lpc-b0933812/

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As we stand at the threshold between 2025 and 2026, host Andrea Atherton offers this solo episode as an invitation to slow down and meet the New Year as a sacred cycle rather than a rushed reset. Instead of resolutions driven by pressure or self-improvement, Andrea explores the spiritual meaning of endings and beginnings—honoring what is complete, releasing what no longer serves, and recognizing this moment as a powerful pause for reflection and renewal. This episode centers cyclical time, conscious closure, and beginning again with intention.

In this solo reflection, Andrea gently guides listeners through the deeper layers of New Year ritual—why practices of release speak directly to the subconscious, how intentional reflection supports nervous system regulation, and how simple sacred tools such as journaling, candlelight, prayer, and embodied presence can create meaningful inner shifts. The conversation weaves together spirituality, emotional integration, and practical ritual, offering listeners accessible ways to clear emotional weight and open space for clarity, peace, and alignment.

This episode also serves as a ceremonial closing—honoring 2025 with gratitude and ushering in a new consciousness for 2026 rooted in presence, compassion, and self-trust. If you are longing to start fresh without urgency, or to move into the year ahead with greater awareness and support, this solo episode with Andrea Atherton invites you to listen not only with your mind, but with your body and heart. This is an offering for anyone ready to begin again with grace, intention, and conscious awareness.

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