PODCAST · health
Authentic Thriving Podcast
by Abies Sonia
Authentic Thriving Podcast is a trauma-informed mental health and personal development podcast hosted by Abies Sonia Ebenezer-Bamigbayan, a BACP-registered counsellor, life coach, and positive psychology practitioner. This podcast supports individuals navigating trauma, burnout, emotional suppression, people-pleasing, faith-related emotional wounds, and identity loss, particularly within African and Black diaspora communities. Each episode blends psychoeducation, cultural insight, reflective dialogue, and practical emotional tools to help listeners heal, reclaim self-worth, set healthy boundaries, and move toward inner harmony. 🎧 Important note: This podcast is educational and reflective and does not replace therapy
Episodes
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Doulas: The Support You Didn’t Know You Needed
Birth can be clinically safe and still feel emotionally unsafe. That tension sits at the heart of my conversation with Naomi, founder of Holding Her Space, and Lorene, a doula whose path into this work begins with baby loss and the quiet loneliness that so many families recognise. We talk openly...
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Why Do Some Couples Feel Further Apart After Raising a Family Together?
A marriage can look stable and still be starving. When we hear about couples divorcing after 20, 25, even 30 years, it is easy to blame a single event or a sudden change, but the truth is often slower and quieter: the emotional bond fades while life stays busy. We talk honestly about why that…
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Menopause Unpacked: Symptoms, HRT and What Every Woman Should Know
Menopause is talked about like a punchline, a secret, or something to “just endure”, but the reality is far more complex and far more important for long term health. I’m joined by Dr Joyce Igwekwe BK, a medical doctor, lifestyle medicine practitioner, and certified menopause practitioner, to…
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How to Spot Toxic Relationships, Set Boundaries and Protect Your Peace
We name what makes a relationship toxic and why it feels so confusing when disrespect shows up as jokes, favours, or “normal” family pressure. We also share the practical steps we use to spot the pattern, rebuild self-worth, and set boundaries that protect your peace. • toxic relationships…
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Don’t Suffer in Silence: Advocating for Yourself During Pregnancy
Silence can look like strength, but in pregnancy it can be a serious risk. We sit down with Olamide Shalanke, a nurse, midwife of 15+ years, and senior lecturer in the East Midlands, to talk about what she sees too often in UK maternity care: Black women and other ethnic minority women pushing...
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Protect Your Peace: The Secret of Healthy Adult Friendships
Friendship can be one of the best parts of adult life, yet it can also be the place we feel most misunderstood, used, or blindsided. We sit with the real question many people are quietly asking: why do some adult friendships end in backbiting, betrayal, and frustration, while others feel safe,...
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When Silence Becomes More Dangerous Than Cancer
If you’ve ever ignored a lump, a change, or a nagging symptom because you didn’t want to “say it out loud”, this conversation is for you. We’re joined by Laura Urubo, Founder and CEO of Cancer Care Diaspora, a Manchester-based charity supporting Black and other ethnic minority individuals…
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The Hidden Power Of Your Personality: Unlock Confidence & Purpose
Someone once told you you’re too loud, too quiet, too intense, too talkative, too stubborn, too much. Those words can either shrink a person for years or become the spark that wakes them up. We sit with that tension and ask a bigger question: what if the trait people criticise is the very place...
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The Hidden Cost Of Conditional Kindness
Kindness can look beautiful on the surface and still be a transaction underneath. We talk honestly about the moment “being kind” turns into a strategy: a way to climb, to be seen, to get access to certain rooms, or to polish a personal brand. If you have ever watched someone’s warmth disappear…
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How She Built a Book Club That Inspired Others to Pursue Their Vision
An introvert builds a reading club for adults and suddenly 8 people become 74. That is not a “social media trick” story, it is a story about courage, consistency, and doing the work so well you are proud to put your name on it. We sit down with Adedoja, founder of Read with Doja, to trace how her...
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Turn Failure To Your Teacher
You can do everything “right” and still watch the plan fall apart. If you have ever researched, budgeted, networked, prayed, and pushed through anyway, only to end up drained, embarrassed, and questioning your own judgement, you will recognise yourself here. I’m Abies Sonia Ebenezer Bamigbayan…
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Career Growth Without Burnout
Chronic work-related stress can make even a good job feel unsafe: you overthink every email, dread meetings, and carry the tension home. That is why I invited Foyeke Alibanogun, a programme development lead and multi-hyphenate professional, to talk through what actually helps when the workplace...
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The Truth Isn't Enough: Why Timing Matters For Your Mental Health
You might be an honest person and still be the reason trust keeps cracking. That sounds harsh, but it’s one of the most common relationship traps: we tell the truth only when we’re asked, then we’re shocked when our partner, friend, or family member feels blindsided and betrayed. I’m unpacking…
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Stop Douching: A Conversation on Feminine Health, Mental Wellbeing and African Women
Silence can be deadly when it comes to women’s health, especially in communities where you’re taught to endure pain and keep private problems private. We sit down with Dr Ebunoluwa, a UK obstetrics and gynaecology doctor trained in Nigeria, to talk honestly about the health issues African women...
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Abies Sonia: Turning Trauma Counselling Into Strength
We flip the script as our host becomes the guest, unpacking what trauma-informed coaching really means and why burnout can sit behind joy, competence, and a busy life. We share real signs of chronic stress, the beliefs that keep people stuck, and a simple first step to protect your emotional...
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The Strong Black Woman Trap: Hidden Patterns Hurting Your Mental Health
The people who make everyone laugh can be the closest to breaking. We talk with Oby Dike, a lawyer, about what happens when you wear too many hats and start believing you’re not allowed to fail: firstborn pressure, motherhood, marriage strain, career setbacks, and the quiet shame of “not being...
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Demystifying God Spoke To Me
Ever felt left out when someone says “God told me” and you’re still waiting for a voice from heaven? We open up a grounded, hope-filled guide to recognising how God actually speaks today often quieter than you expect, always kinder than you think. From scripture that comes alive at the exact…
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Delayed, Not Denied: Trusting God's Process
What if the delay you fear is the very process that shapes your breakthrough? We sit down with Inibeghe Ebong to trace her path from newlywed expectations to a years-long wait for conception, across countries and a pandemic, and into a testimony that arrived before the fertility clinic could call...
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Character Nurturing: Helping or Hurting Curiosity?
We challenge harmful labels and show how to turn “too much” into strength through belief, guidance, and practice. Real stories and practical steps help parents and adults nurture curiosity, choose the right mediums, and build confidence that lasts. • seeing traits as raw material not flaws •...
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Faith In Action
What if the season you’re trying hardest to escape is the place where your character is forged and your joy deepens? Today we share a lived‑in story of practical faith: long visa delays that split a new marriage across continents, a miscarriage and a high‑risk pregnancy that ended with a healthy...
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Space Is A Mirror: What You Allow Shapes Who You Become
What if the quality of your life is simply the story your space is telling back to you? Today we pull apart the idea of “space” across four domains physical, mental, spiritual, and relational and show how small, deliberate shifts create outsized results in mood, clarity, and connection. We start...
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Rewriting What Black Means In Our Minds
We explore how erased history, language loss, and foreign validation fuel identity crises among black children and adults, then map practical steps for parents, teachers, and leaders to build Afrocentric pride with depth and care. Dr Ronke Posh shares tools from the Rooted Movement, from language...
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Stop Competing, Start Collaborating
What if the story you were told about success, beat the class, top the target, outshine the room, has been holding you back from the very growth you want? We pull back the curtain on how competition sneaks into classrooms, living rooms, and boardrooms, shaping self‑worth and turning partners into...
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Herbal Care Reduces Hospital Visits
We trace Wumi’s journey from a night in A&E to a life built around plants, practical research, and patient care. We show how a family garden grew into teas for BP, sleep, and more, and why slow living and good boundaries keep the mission humane. • redefining herbalist as plant medicine practice •...
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From Low Light To Lively Days: Practical Ways To Beat Winter Blues
The shorter days arrive, the duvet clings a little tighter, and motivation slips. We’re tackling winter blues head‑on with a soulful, practical guide to keeping your energy bright, your routines steady, and your home full of warmth. I start by drawing a clear line between everyday winter dips and...
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Motherhood In Seasons: Raising Kind Boys
We explore how seasons shape marriage, parenting, and career, and how inner peace can turn burnout into calm strength. Mo shares the choices that moved her from law to baking and from resentment to friendship and fun at home. • redefining work life balance as seasonal, not static • solo parenting...
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Uprooted to Thriving: Staying Mentally Strong After Relocating
Moving abroad can look like a win on every scoreboard better schools, safer streets, wider options while a quieter story unfolds inside our homes. We open up about the emotional reality children face after relocation: the loss of familiar language and humour, the sudden visibility of hair and…
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School Transitions Through Gen Z Eyes
We explore how a Gen Z student navigates big school transitions, from primary to secondary, through lockdown homeschooling, GCSEs, and into college. We focus on values-led friendships, safer choices, practical study habits, and how parents can offer steady support. • moving from small classes to...
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Celebrating Black History Beyond October
Culture should not wait for a calendar. We dive into how to live Black History Month every day through what we wear, cook, say, and teach so identity becomes a steady practice rather than a themed moment. From a colourful Ashoke suit in a boardroom to a pot of jollof shared at work, we unpack the...
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Transforming Hurt into Hope: Leading Community Change
You never forget the first time someone tells you, “I’m hungry, but I’m not allowed to go out.” That sentence set off a chain reaction: an African food bank that feeds dignity as much as stomachs, a Pidgin English translation service that makes NHS guidance usable, and a befriending network that...
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Collaboration & Calm: The Hilda Baci Formula
Collaboration doesn’t fail because people don’t care; it fails because fear, vague promises, and power games crush trust long before the work begins. Today we unpack a cleaner, calmer way to partner grounded in a real-world case: Chef Hilda Bassi’s record-setting jollof cook and the brand...
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3 Miracles After Seven IVFs - Miscarriage and Etopic Pregnancy
We share Kemi’s fierce and tender journey through endometriosis, seven IVFs, loss, depression, radical kindness, and a surprise natural conception. Faith, community, and simple daily habits turn a long wait into a story of courage and restoration. • Safe space for mental, emotional and holistic...
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Navigating Judgment After Vulnerability
Vulnerability, when misunderstood, often gets labelled as weakness. Yet, it's actually one of our most powerful tools for emotional liberation and authentic connection. This episode explores what happens when vulnerability is met with judgment instead of compassion. We dive deep into a listener's...
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Unveiling African Trauma Syndrome
We explore the concept of "African Trauma Syndrome" – the unique psychological and emotional challenges experienced by children across African cultures shaped by cultural expectations and social norms. Ayo, a young Gen Z voice, joins the conversation to share authentic perspectives on how certain...
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Overcoming Post-Traumatic Slavery Syndrome
Have you ever caught yourself doubting a product simply because it was made by a Black person? Or feeling the need to change your accent, name, or appearance to "fit in" with non-Black spaces? These seemingly small behaviors reveal a deeper issue Post-Traumatic Slavery Syndrome. This powerful...
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Breaking the Chains Of Domestic Violence
What makes someone become violent toward their intimate partner? What invisible chains keep victims trapped in abusive relationships? And how do we heal not just ourselves, but our children from the lasting trauma of domestic violence? Dr. Blessy Ntamu, a distinguished psychologist with over two...
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Beyond the Altar: Prioritizing Your Mental Wellbeing
The soul-crushing weight of religious manipulation often goes unnoticed until you're drowning in it. After receiving a heartfelt message from a listener trapped in a controlling prayer group, I felt compelled to explore how seemingly benign spiritual communities can become psychological cages.…
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Faith in the Waiting Room: Seven kids After
Samantha Lubanzu shares her extraordinary journey of waiting 10 years for children before going on to have seven, including a miraculous twin pregnancy predicted by her three-year-old daughter. Her story demonstrates how maintaining faith, pursuing other goals, and celebrating others during...
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Lupus Does not Define Us, It Refines our Strength
Lupus presents unique challenges across different healthcare systems, with financial barriers in Nigeria contrasting sharply with workplace stigma issues in the UK. This powerful conversation reveals the physical, emotional and social impacts of living with an invisible illness. • Lupus mimics...
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Transforming Life's Wait Times Into Wisdom
Have you ever felt stuck in a seemingly endless waiting period? That uncomfortable space between what is and what could be can feel excruciating—whether you're waiting for medical results, career advancement, relationship milestones, or financial breakthroughs. This deeply reflective episode...
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Living with Lupus but Thriving
What happens when your own body becomes your enemy? In this powerful conversation, therapist and PhD researcher IJ Asike shares her extraordinary journey living with lupus - an autoimmune disease where the body's defense systems attack its own tissues and organs. From unexplained childhood...
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Men's Silent Struggle: How Modern Men Balance Their Emotional Health
Dad coach Jube Ojomo shares insights on men's mental health, highlighting how childhood experiences shape fatherhood and emotional processing patterns in men. • Growing up in Nigeria with structured discipline and family traditions that influenced his own parenting style • Transforming his...
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Men Ought to Cry
When was the last time you saw a man cry openly? The phrase "men don't cry" has been ingrained in our collective consciousness for generations, but at what cost? In this powerful Father's Day conversation, I sit down with Don Kester OSHIOREAME, a respected creative professional and relationship...
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A Father's Gift: Understanding the Different Types of Fatherhood
Fatherhood extends far beyond biological connections, encompassing various roles that shape children's lives and emotional development. We explore the different types of fathers and their unique challenges and contributions to family dynamics. • Present fathers provide emotional availability and...
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Gratitude in the face of Adversity: A Life Long Commitment
What transforms a person from the depths of suicidal thoughts to becoming a beacon of positivity and change? Adewunmi Adisa's remarkable journey reveals how gratitude can become a lifeline when facing life's greatest challenges. Growing up in Ipodo, Ikeja an environment where violence and…
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Beneath the facade: Exploring the mind of a single independent Woman - Part 2
What does it truly mean to thrive as a single, independent woman in today's world? Our compelling conversation with Uche delves into the profound journey of single motherhood, exploring the space between societal expectations and authentic living. "Motherhood is a role. Woman is who I am." This...
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Beneath the Facade: Exploring The Mind of a Single Independent Woman - Part 1
What happens when society merges your identity as a woman with your role as a mother? In this groundbreaking conversation, we're joined by Uche, a 38-year-old single independent woman who boldly challenges the way we think about identity, boundaries, and self-prioritization. Uche illuminates the...
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Religious Trauma: The Price of Blind Faith Episode
Religious Trauma: The Price of Blind Faith: This is a heavy topic. Which brings profound and complex issue that affects many individuals who have experienced harm or distress as a result of their religious upbringing or community. Often, this trauma stems from environments that emphasize strict...
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Who Am I Without the Labels Trauma Gave Me?
Who am i without the labels trauma gave me? This question invites a journey of self-discovery and healing, an exploration of identity beyond the scars of the past. Without the labels, you are an individual full of potential, creativity, and resilience. You are someone capable of growth, with the...
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How to Maximise your Talent
On Season 2 episode 13th on Authentic thriving podcast, the title is How to Maximise your Talent. I shared on how to maximise your talent. We are all naturally great at different things but in other to authentically thrive with out talent, we have to adopt TALENT, which stands for Teachable: be...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Authentic Thriving Podcast is a trauma-informed mental health and personal development podcast hosted by Abies Sonia Ebenezer-Bamigbayan, a BACP-registered counsellor, life coach, and positive psychology practitioner.
This podcast supports individuals navigating trauma, burnout, emotional suppression, people-pleasing, faith-related emotional wounds, and identity loss, particularly within African and Black diaspora communities.
Each episode blends psychoeducation, cultural insight, reflective dialogue, and practical emotional tools to help listeners heal, reclaim self-worth, set healthy boundaries, and move toward inner harmony.
🎧 Important note: This podcast is educational and reflective and does not replace therapy
HOSTED BY
Abies Sonia
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Authentic Thriving Podcast have?
Authentic Thriving Podcast currently has 62 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Authentic Thriving Podcast about?
Authentic Thriving Podcast is a trauma-informed mental health and personal development podcast hosted by Abies Sonia Ebenezer-Bamigbayan, a BACP-registered counsellor, life coach, and positive psychology practitioner. This podcast supports individuals navigating trauma, burnout, emotional...
How often does Authentic Thriving Podcast release new episodes?
Authentic Thriving Podcast has 62 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Authentic Thriving Podcast?
You can listen to Authentic Thriving Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Authentic Thriving Podcast?
Authentic Thriving Podcast is created and hosted by Abies Sonia.
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