From Perfectionism to Freedom: Malisa Hepner on Burnout, Shame, and Choosing to Live

In this raw and deeply transformative conversation, Dr. Jessie sits down with Malisa Hepner therapist, speaker, podcast host, and creator of Emotionally Unavailable—for an unfiltered exploration of trauma, perfectionism, burnout, shame, and what it truly takes to come home to yourself. Malisa shares her journey from growing up in Moore, Oklahoma in a childhood marked by addiction, instability, abuse, and loss—to becoming the “strong one,” the high achiever, the therapist who looked successful on paper but felt broken inside. She speaks candidly about: • Burning down her childhood home and surviving chaos • Losing both parents to addiction-related deaths • Being the “golden child” shaped by criticism and religious shame • Marrying young in search of validation and worth • Living as a high-functioning perfectionist fueled by achievement • Wearing the mask of resilience while drowning internally What followed was not collapse — it was awakening. After years of burnout, codependency, and people-pleasing, Malisa reached a mental health breaking point. For the first time, she made a plan to end her life. And in the quiet space of choosing a date, something shifted. Instead of choosing death, she chose truth. This episode explores: • Suicidal ideation in high-functioning women • The hidden cost of perfectionism and external validation • Burnout in helping professions • Shame archetypes and the voices in our heads • Nervous system dysregulation and trauma responses • Spiritual awakening as expanded consciousness • Reclaiming your fire instead of extinguishing it • The radical act of self-love after a lifetime of self-abandonment Through her private practice, digital workbooks, public speaking, and podcast platform, Malisa now helps others understand one powerful truth: This episode is for anyone who: • Looks successful but feels empty inside • Has been labeled “strong” but feels exhausted • Struggles with people-pleasing and perfectionism • Has battled shame or suicidal thoughts in silence • Is ready to stop performing and start living Malisa’s story is not about surviving trauma. It’s about unbecoming who you had to be in order to survive. Connect with Malisa Hepner: 🔹Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malisa.hepner/?hl=en 🔹Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558789720560 🔹Threads: https://www.threads.com/@malisa.hepnerxmt=AQGztEFJvP2wQhoiGOXp1OoLDmimazmqGfP-3E8jNb2iIrY #TraumaHealing #MentalHealthAwareness #SpiritualAwakening #HealingJourney #BurnoutRecovery #PerfectionismRecovery