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What does it really take to move from trauma, stress, and burnout into a life of vitality, purpose, and post-traumatic growth?

In this powerful episode of Growing Tall Poppies, I sit down with Dr. Deborah Zucker — naturopathic physician, mental health counselor, health coach, and award winning author of The Vitality Map and The Vitality Journal. Deborah shares her groundbreaking 9 Keys to Vital Living, which support deep healing, nervous system repair, and sustainable resilience.

Together, we explore:
✨ Why burnout is often a sign of unresolved trauma in the nervous system
✨ How cultivating resilience goes beyond self-care into nervous system repair
✨ The importance of saying a courageous “YES” — and pruning away draining “NOs”
✨ The role of community, connection, and vulnerability in true post-traumatic growth
✨ How to live like you matter — honoring your gifts without falling into self-sacrifice

Deborah also opens up about her own journey, navigating recurrent chronic fatigue, motherhood later in life, and the lessons she continues to learn about slowing down, honoring her truth, and showing up authentically.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burnt out, or unsure how to move forward after trauma, this conversation is filled with compassion, wisdom, and practical tools to help you reclaim vitality and wholeness.

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Deborah’s website: https://vitalmedicine.com
• The Vitality Map book + The Vitality Journal (available Oct 1 on Amazon & bookstores worldwide)
• Connect with Deborah on:-
• Instagram,
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• SPECIAL OFFER for Podcast Listeners :- Work with Dr Deborah and get 15% OFF ! PLUS a FREE download here:- vitalmedicine.com/podcast

💬 If this episode resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use hope and healing today.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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Following on from Dementia Action Week - In this deeply personal episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr. Nat Green opens up about her family’s raw and emotional journey through dementia and aged care. With both her Dad and StepMum living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, Nat shares the heartbreaking reality of navigating decline, hospital stays, and the difficult transition into aged care.

She speaks honestly about the guilt of being away, the grief of losing a parent while they’re still here, and the overwhelming responsibility that comes with caring for aging parents. Through her story, Nat offers comfort and compassion for families who may be facing the same challenges.

This episode is a reminder that while dementia can take away independence, memory, and clarity—it can’t erase love. And even in the middle of heartbreak, there are lessons of resilience, connection, and post-traumatic growth.

💜 If you’ve ever felt torn between caring for loved ones and living your own life, this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and less alone.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this episode of the Growing Tall Poppies Podcast, host Dr. Nat Green engages with Hope Pedraza, a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and host of the Hopeful and Wholesome podcast.

Hope discusses her multifaceted approach to healing from trauma, integrating functional labs, human design, clinical hypnotherapy, and NLP. She shares her personal journey through divorce, religious trauma, and major life changes, emphasizing the importance of body awareness and resilience in post-traumatic growth.

Tune in to discover how understanding and listening to your body can lead to deeper self-awareness, healing, and thriving after trauma.

Are you ready to move from surviving trauma to thriving in your life? In this transformative episode of Growing Tall Poppies, learn about how to heal from trauma, optimize your energy, and reconnect with your body’s wisdom.

Hope reveals her signature approach, blending functional labs, Human Design embodiment, and subconscious reprogramming, to help high-performing, spiritually curious women overcome burnout, reclaim their energy, and scale their lives with clarity and confidence.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How trauma shows up in your body and nervous system — and why listening to your body is the first step toward healing
• The role of Human Design in understanding your unique energy blueprint and making aligned decisions
• Practical ways to tune into your body through body scans and energy check-ins
• Why energy leaks can be the hidden source of physical symptoms and how to uncover them
• Strategies to strengthen resilience, optimism, and your inner guidance system
• Hope’s “Energy Leak Locator Quiz” to identify where your energy is leaking and how to rebalance it

Whether you’re navigating post-trauma growth, chronic stress, or burnout, this episode will give you actionable insights and tools to reconnect with your body, soul, and purpose.

Connect with Hope

Website:-

facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Podcast

✨ Resources from this episode:

• Hope’s website: hopefulandwholesome.com

Take the FREE Energy Leak Locator quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to fix it: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/67f804c78eec070015ad4d2e

If you’ve ever felt burned out, disconnected, or stuck after trauma, this episode will help you start listening to your body, reclaim your energy, and move forward with purpose.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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In this deeply insightful and inspiring episode of Growing Tall Poppies, host Dr. Nat Green sits down with the incredible Malisa Hepner — spiritual coach, healer, and advocate for self-acceptance — to explore how trauma can become a gateway to transformation.

Malisa is an LCSW in Oklahoma, an author and podcast host of Emotionally Unavailable Podcast. She has overcome an extensive history of childhood trauma, only to get well into adulthood before realizing trauma's significant, lasting impact. She reached burnout in every area of her life and experienced profound darkness. Deciding to give healing one more chance, she began moving the pieces of her life. She quit her job, she started a podcast and opened a private practice. She is now teaching others how to rid themselves of shame and find unconditional love for themselves and each other.

Malisa shares her journey from childhood trauma to burnout and mental health crisis in adulthood. She delves into her turning point, finding solace in the 'Finding Peace Workbook,' and integrating creative projects and spirituality into her healing. They explore self-acceptance, the importance of authenticity for mental health professionals, and creating meaningful connections. Listen to learn how Malisa transformed her pain into purpose, becoming a beacon of hope and a guide for others seeking to embrace post-traumatic growth.

What if the very challenges you’ve faced could become the stepping stones to your greatest growth?

Malisa shares her deeply personal journey of overcoming mental health struggles, peeling back layers of conditioning, and finding her true identity beyond labels and limitations. With warmth and wisdom, she reveals how reconnecting with spirituality, rewriting your inner narrative, and allowing self-acceptance can shift the trajectory of healing.

Together, Natalie and Malisa discuss:
✨ Why self-acceptance is the foundation of post-traumatic growth
✨ How identity, purpose, and spirituality are interwoven in healing
✨ Practical ways to reclaim your inner voice and reset your path
✨ Moving beyond survival mode into true thriving
✨ Breaking free from old mental health narratives and writing your own story

Whether you’re navigating life after trauma, seeking deeper meaning, or wanting to support others on their growth journey, this episode will leave you uplifted, empowered, and ready to embrace your authentic self.

📘 Malisa also shares her powerful Identity Workbook — a practical tool to help you connect with who you truly are.

Connect with Malisa:-
linktr.ee/Mdhepner

Instagram

Facebook

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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What does wandering the cobbled streets of Rome, standing in the shadow of the Colosseum, and navigating the beauty (and chaos!) of Cinque Terre have to do with healing after trauma? More than you might think !!

In this episode of Growing Tall Poppies, I share reflections from the final leg of my European journey — from the heat and hustle of Florence and Venice, to the awe-inspiring history of Rome, the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. These travels offered powerful lessons about resilience, courage, and the willingness to “step into the arena” of life, even when it feels easier to stay on the sidelines.

Inside, you’ll discover:
✨ Why the Colosseum is more than a tourist attraction — it’s a metaphor for the courage required in post-traumatic growth.
✨ How cobblestone streets remind us of the uneven, sometimes messy path of healing.
✨ What travel teaches us about flexibility, patience, and finding meaning in both the beauty and the discomfort.
✨ Strategies you can use right now to step back into your own “arena,” with authenticity, courage, and heart.

Whether you’ve faced trauma, loss, or just life’s unexpected turns, this episode is an invitation to reflect, reset, and reimagine what’s possible when you choose growth over fear.

🎧 Tune in now and let Italy’s timeless wisdom inspire your journey.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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This week on Growing Tall Poppies, I’m coming to you from breathtaking Interlaken, Switzerland — where the mountains meet the lake, and the stillness invites deep reflection.

The past few days have been about rest, recovery, and gentle exploration as my daughter continues to heal after falling seriously ill on our Europe trip. Thankfully, she’s feeling a little better each day — but like her mother, she has FOMO (fear of missing out) and doesn’t want to miss a single moment.

This got me thinking about the tension so many of us feel during healing — the pull between wanting to experience everything life offers and the need to slow down to truly recover.

In this heartfelt episode, I share:

• 🌄 The life and healing lessons I’ve learned from Switzerland’s lakes and mountains
• 💡 Why FOMO often intensifies for people in Post-Traumatic Growth
• 🛑 How to shift from “fear of missing out” to the “joy of missing out”
• 💤 Practical strategies for resting without guilt and still feeling fulfilled
• ❤️ The importance of presence and small, intentional moments in your healing journey

If you’ve ever struggled with slowing down — or felt like you were missing out while trying to heal — this episode will help you see rest as a gift, not a sacrifice.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to balance adventure and recovery so you can heal without regret.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Send us a Message to connect

In this special, unplanned and totally unscripted episode of Growing Tall Poppies, I’m coming to you live from Zurich with a raw and real update from my family trip across Europe—a journey that has been full of beauty, challenges, and unexpected lessons.

From the joy of flying business class for the first time, to walking 12,000 steps a day despite severe arthritis, and complex regional pain syndrome to navigating credit card fraud in Amsterdam, to watching my daughter battle serious illness in Paris and Switzerland—this trip has been nothing like I imagined.

But that’s life, isn’t it? Especially when you’ve been through trauma and are working towards Post-Traumatic Growth. Sometimes the biggest growth comes when we’re forced to adapt, let go of rigid expectations, and truly listen to what we (and our loved ones) need.

In this heartfelt conversation, I share:

• 🌍 My biggest lessons in flexibility, patience, and adaptability while traveling
• 🛑 Why taking time to pause, rest, and reflect is essential for healing
• 👩‍👧 How being a mum in crisis mode reminded me about the balance between self-sacrifice and self-care
• 💡 How to give yourself permission to revisit old patterns when they serve a purpose—and let go of the guilt attached to this
• ❤️ Why it’s okay when your goals change along the way

If you’ve ever felt frustrated when things didn’t go to plan—or struggled to balance your own needs with caring for others—this episode will give you both comfort and practical takeaways.

🎧 Listen in for a gentle reminder that healing isn’t about perfection—it’s about adaptability, compassion, and staying connected to what matters most.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Send us a Message to connect

In this raw, deeply honest follow-up to Episode 63, I share more of the untold story — the messy middle — of what happened after I first spoke up about my experience with professional harm and systemic failure.

What unfolds is a journey of gaslighting, bureaucratic stonewalling, and a complaint system that not only dismissed the truth — but later turned on me. From regulatory bodies and beyond, I walk you through what it’s like to speak out in a system designed to protect, but that too often silences the very people it claims to serve.

This episode is about:

• 💔 The toll of being dismissed, disbelieved, and re-traumatized
• 🧠 Navigating trauma within a bureaucratic system
• 🔥 The moment I chose not to wait for justice, but to reclaim my power
• 💡 The path forward — from victim to voice, from survival to post-traumatic growth

Whether you've experienced systemic harm in healthcare, mental health, or legal institutions — or supported others who have — this episode is for you.

🎧 Tune in to hear:

• The moment that broke me
• The silence that screamed louder than words
• The cost of speaking up
• And the choice I’m making now — to lead, to advocate, and to help others heal

👉 Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes of what comes next, including my travels, healing in real time, and sharing more about the post-traumatic growth that’s shaping my life and work.

💌 Loved this episode? Please subscribe, share, and leave a review — your support helps this message reach those who need it most.

It’s raw. It’s vulnerable. And it’s something so many of us can relate to — the re-trauma that happens when we turn to the system for support… and find more harm.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy. I’m sharing it because it’s time we stop being silent about the systems that silence us.

And now… I’m choosing something different:
✨ To heal out loud.
✨ To walk my talk.
✨ To show you, in real time, what post-traumatic growth can truly look like.

That means I’ll be taking a month off to travel through Europe, shedding more of the old and creating space for the new. Not just personally — but professionally, creatively, spiritually.

🌿 If you want to follow the journey, I’ll be sharing it all — raw, real, and unfiltered — on:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Thank you — for witnessing this, for walking beside me, and for believing in the power of healing, even when it’s messy.

With deep love and gratitude,
Dr. Natalie Green

P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. You never know the power of a story… until it helps someone else rise.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.