Say It And Be Free | Ep. 4

About the GuestErin Washington is a best-selling author, wellness podcast host, and founder dedicated to helping women feel seen, empowered, and less alone. She hosts the Therein P with Erin Washington Podcast, sharing raw, honest conversations about body image, self-worth, sobriety, co-parenting, and life’s messiest transitions. A former Division I soccer athlete, Erin struggled with disordered eating and body image for decades before finding peace in her late 30s. In 2022, she founded the nonprofit Blue Butterfly Foundation, creating safe spaces for teenage girls to build confidence and resilience. She lives in the Atlanta area with her two children, and her books include Squats and Margaritas, From Pain to Purpose: Finding Meaning in the Mess, and the forthcoming children’s book I’m Just Like Me.Episode SummaryIn one of the most raw and moving conversations in the Wisdom From Within series, Jen Aks sits down with Erin Washington for an honest, deeply personal exploration of shame, the body, and what happens when you finally let the truth out. Erin shares her journey from Division I soccer athlete to a decade-long battle with bulimia — a secret she was determined to take to her grave — to the moment a writing coach told her no one would listen unless she told the truth. She did. And the world opened up. Erin also unpacks human design and sacral generators, the miraculous story behind the Blue Butterfly Foundation, and why she filed for divorce — not despite her kids, but for them. This episode is a masterclass in courageous vulnerability.What You’ll Learn• How Erin built her entire identity around soccer from age four — and what happened when she walked away from it in college• The difference between anorexia and exercise bulimia — and why the latter is so widely unrecognized• Why Erin was determined never to share her story — and what her writing coach said that changed everything• What it physically feels like in the body to release a secret you’ve carried for decades• How to find purpose inside the darkest thing you’re hiding — and why that darkness is probably what’s holding you back• What human design is, what a sacral generator is, and how getting a reading gave Erin permission to fully trust her body• The three real-life stories behind the Blue Butterfly Foundation — and the airport bin that made Erin’s whole body shake• How the Blue Butterfly Foundation events actually work — format, age range, small groups, moms, and sound baths• Why Erin filed for divorce — and the powerful question she asked herself about what she was modeling for her daughter• What to do if you haven’t found something that profoundly lights you up yetKey Concepts Introduced• Courageous Vulnerability — Erin’s core practice: sharing the exact thing you were never going to share, because that’s where the magic is• The Body Keeps the Score — even if you’ve stopped the behavior, you’re still carrying it until you release it• Human Design / Sacral Generator — a system for understanding how your body naturally makes decisions; for sacral generators, bodily feelings are the knowing• The Blue Butterfly — Erin’s sign from the universe, and the name of her nonprofit foundation for teenage girls• Modeling vs. Performing — the idea that staying in an unaligned life for the sake of others is actually modeling the wrong thing• Purpose Through Pain — the framework that any dark thing you’ve survived holds the seed of your greatest contributionResources & People Mentioned• Therein P with Erin Washington Podcast — available wherever you listen to podcasts; new episodes every Monday• Squats and Margaritas: A Journey to Finding Balance — Erin’s first book• From Pain to Purpose: Finding Meaning in the Mess — Erin’s second book, available on