#180 The Trauma Ended Years Ago, And It's Probably Still Running Your Decisions. episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 16, 2026 · 38 MIN

#180 The Trauma Ended Years Ago, And It's Probably Still Running Your Decisions.

from Be The Wolf · host Genea Barnes

Genea was four years old the first time she learned that loving someone meant losing them. She was tied up and locked in a closet as a kid, and every time she fought her way free, the ropes came back tighter, until she stopped fighting altogether. She didn't stay stuck in that closet. She carried the rules she  made in there into everything after. She stayed in a relationship until it felt like it was her life or theirs. She kept trying to save a boss who wasn’t paying her until the stress gave her shingles in her early thirties.  She hired people to help her in business and then quietly sabotaged the help, because some part of her still believed nobody could actually be there for her. This is what happens when trauma doesn't just live in the memory of one event. It becomes the operating system underneath every decision that comes after it: who you trust, who you hire, what you tolerate, how long you stay.  Most people never trace the current decision back to the original one, because the original one doesn't look anything like the situation it's still running. If your life keeps hitting the same wall no matter how many times you change the location, the job, or the relationship, this is usually why. A few of the places it showed up in hers: 🔹 What she subconsciously did every time she hired someone to help her in business 🔹 Why she stayed single for most of her adult life, even with people she really wanted 🔹 The real reason she couldn't ask a housemate to leave, even as they wrecked the whole house 🔹 What her body did after months of trying to save a boss who never once paid her It was never about the boss or the relationship. It was a decision from childhood, showing up everywhere at once. About Genea Genea Barnes is a mentor, coach, and speaker whose early life was rooted in deep trauma and neglect. To stay safe, she learned to make everyone else feel good and put their needs first. It worked to survive, but it came with a cost. She lost her ability to discern what was truly right for her. And getting what she wanted came with the anxiety that it would be lost or taken away.  She was great at making other people’s dreams come true, but when it came to what she truly wanted, she self-sabotaged and procrastinated … always putting something else first.  She spent decades exploring and studying every modality under the sun to break free from those patterns and create a life that felt like joy, ease, and freedom.  Today, she empowers people to move away from and resolve conflict rooted in trauma, generational trauma, and sacrifice of self … so they can create the life they crave and access greater peace and freedom in all areas of their life.  This gives them access to loving, authentic relationships, consistent healthy habits, and success in business, finance, and career that feels like fulfilment and freedom.    Connect with Genea Weekly Be the Wolf Call (no cost) – Wednesdays, 7:00 AM PST / 10:00 AM EST https://be-the-wolf.kit.com/freedom Register & learn more about Be the Wolf In-Person Events https://bethewolfnow.com/events Website https://bethewolfnow.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/geneabarnes/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bethewolfnow LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/genea-barnes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@geneabarnes

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 16, 2026

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The babysitter’s kids used to tie Genea up and lock her in a closet. Every time she broke free, the ropes got tighter the next time, until she stopped trying at all, and even in her thirties, her nervous system was still running the same rule: staying was safer than getting out.

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#180 The Trauma Ended Years Ago, And It's Probably Still Running Your Decisions.

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