When Healing Gets Honest: Trauma, Boundaries, and Finding Real Freedom

This conversation with Dr. Dawnmarie Risley-Childs stays with you. Not because it’s easy to hear, but because it’s real.

Dawnmarie shares her story of growing up in severe abuse and how that shaped her path into psychiatry, and eventually into a much deeper kind of healing. What stands out isn’t just what she’s been through, it’s how she talks about responsibility, boundaries, and what it actually takes to move forward when your past feels overwhelming.

There’s an honest look at things many women in recovery quietly wrestle with. The difference between coping and healing. The weight we carry in our bodies. The complicated truth about family, especially when safety and love don’t exist in the same place.

You’ll also hear a grounded perspective on newer approaches to trauma recovery, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, and why some people turn to it after trying everything else.

A few things we get into:

• What long-term trauma can do to your sense of self
 • Why boundaries can feel so uncomfortable, especially with family
 • The connection between trauma recovery and the body
 • Letting go of what you’ve been carrying for years
 • What real emotional healing can look like over time

This episode speaks directly to sober women and women in recovery who are doing the deeper work. The kind that goes beyond just removing alcohol and into rebuilding a life that actually feels steady and honest.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your sobriety journey, or like you’ve done a lot of work but something still feels heavy, this conversation might land in a meaningful way.

About the Host
 Shelby John is a licensed therapist and founder of Wholistic Living. Through the Confident Sober Women podcast, she explores sobriety, mental health, nervous system regulation, and emotional healing for women building a life after alcohol.

Connect with Shelby
 Website: https://shelbyjohn.com

Podcast: Confident Sober Women

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Oh, and by the way, if you didn’t know, my remote Neurofeedback Therapy program is up and running. Learn more here! Learn more about EMDR therapy, EMDR Intensives and Remote Neurofeedback.

And if you haven't read my memoir, grab a copy of Recovering in Recovery: The Life-Changing Joy of Sobriety wherever books are sold.