In this episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, I’m sharing a deeply personal conversation about the beliefs I inherited growing up, how religious conditioning shaped my relationship with myself, and the perfectionism that followed. These were the stories I carried for years: that I needed to be better, do more, fix myself, and earn love.

I explore how messages around religion, body image, shame, pleasure, and self-worth influenced the way I saw my body and my chronic illness journey. For a long time, I believed my pain meant I was doing something wrong. I thought if I...

Can unresolved trauma contribute to chronic illness? In this episode, Paula sits down with Dr. Anna Hodshire — atmospheric chemist, STEM mentor, professor, and host of the STEMdentity podcast — to discuss the powerful connection between IBS, stress, trauma, perfectionism, burnout, and nervous system healing. 

After the traumatic loss of her father as a teenager, Anna began developing chronic digestive issues, anxiety, and symptoms later labeled as IBS. Like many people struggling with chronic illness, she found herself frustrated with the medical system and searching for deeper answers beyond medications and temporary fixes.

Together, Paula and Anna explo...

📝 Episode Title

Near Death Experience, Chronic Illness & Somatic Healing with Dawn Christensen

✨ Episode Description

What if illness wasn’t your body failing—but your body speaking?

In this deeply moving episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, Paula sits down with somatic healing practitioner Dawn Christensen to explore a powerful journey through trauma, chronic illness, and spiritual awakening.

After surviving a near-fatal car accident at 19, Dawn experienced a profound near death experience that reshaped her entire life. From years of intense physical recovery to being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome...

In this raw and honest mini episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, Paula shares what it really looks like when healing doesn’t go as planned.

After a week of physical pain, GI issues, and unexpected insomnia, she opens up about something rarely talked about in the mindfulness and coaching space—the emotional spiral that can follow when nothing seems to be working.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated, or like you’re doing everything “right” but still struggling, this episode is for you.

Paula dives into:

In this raw and honest mini episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, Paula shares what it really looks like when healing doesn’t go as planned.

After a week of physical pain, GI issues, and unexpected insomnia, she opens up about something rarely talked about in the mindfulness and coaching space—the emotional spiral that can follow when nothing seems to be working.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated, or like you’re doing everything “right” but still struggling, this episode is for you.

Paula dives into:

What if your illness isn’t just something to fix… but something trying to guide you?

In this episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, I sit down with coach Shelly Groom to talk about her journey through anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic illness—and how it ultimately led her back to herself.

Shelly shares what it was like to go from panic attacks and ER visits to years of debilitating symptoms, being dismissed by doctors, and searching for answers that never seemed to come. Through time, self-discovery, and small but powerful shifts, she began to mov...

What if the thing you believe is “wrong” with you… is actually what’s trying to lead you back to yourself?

In this very first episode of Rewriting the Illness Story, I share my personal journey through chronic illness, years of misdiagnosis, and ultimately, a spiritual awakening that changed everything.

For over a decade, I struggled with debilitating pelvic pain, inflammation, and symptoms no one could fully explain. I tried everything—traditional medicine, alternative therapies, diets, surgeries—only to feel dismissed, unheard, and disconnected from my own body.

But what if illness isn’...

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek guidance from qualified professionals for your mental and physical health.

You can find me at:

https://www.instagram.com/rewritingtheillnessstory?igsh=MWEzZDc2bWFyaXpyZg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

OR 

rewritingillness@gmail.com

Music: Island Glow by Dirk Dealer

Book with Meditation: You Are Not your Pain Book by Danny Penman and Vidyamala Burch (on Amazon).   https://amzn.to/3PIT118

Cathy Heller https://cathyheller.samcart.com/referral/thisabundantlifebycathyheller/bT7...