Message In The Middle

In this episode of Message in the Middle, Marianne sits down with therapist, relationships coach, and emotional safety expert Diane McDowell to explore a powerful reframe:What if the challenges in your relationships aren’t about communication or compatibility… but about emotional safety?Because when emotional safety is missing, everything changes.You can know the tools. You can have the awareness. You can want to respond differently.But in the moment, none of it seems to matter.That’s because when the nervous system goes into survival mode, the brain gets hijacked. Logic disappears. And we shift into protection instead of connection.Diane introduces her Brain-to-Heart Code™, a process designed to help you “turn on the safety switch” internally, so you’re no longer relying on someone else to create the conditions you need to feel secure.This conversation explores what it really means to feel safe within yourself, and how that changes everything about how you show up in your relationships.When safety is restored: You stop reacting from fear You stop second-guessing yourself in the moment You stop adjusting who you are just to maintain connectionAnd instead: You respond from clarity You communicate from truth And connection becomes steady, not something you have to earnIf you’ve ever felt exhausted in your relationships, or like you’re constantly managing how you show up, this episode offers a grounded and hopeful shift in perspective.Connect with Diane:  https://www.emotionalsafetyco.com/free-tools Connect with Marianne:Website:  Message In The Middle with MarianneMessage In the Middle Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966Email:  Contact | Message In The Middle with MarianneSubscribe to Message In the Middle:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeLeave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.Keep the conversation going - Join us for more insightful conversations in the Message in the Middle Private Facebook Community & subscribe to Message in the Middle podcas...

What does it actually mean to be in a good relationship with yourself? Not the version you perform for the world. Not the one built on how much you get done or how little you ask for. The one underneath all of that. The one that shapes how safe you feel in your own body, how you respond when things fall apart, and whether you extend even a fraction of the compassion to yourself which you so freely give to everyone else.In this episode of Message in the Middle, I'm joined by Kerisma Vere, holistic wellness coach, author, and founder of Towards Wellness Coaching. Kerisma's work is trauma-informed, deeply compassionate, and built from lived experience navigating trauma, mental health challenges, addiction, and the long, non-linear path back to self-trust. She is the author of The Light Switch Myth: Contemporary Approaches to Creating Lasting Change, the companion journal Ways I Showed Up for Myself, and the creator of the seven-module course From Pressure to Path: A Compassionate Framework for Change.In this episode we explore:Why our self-relationship is the foundation of quality of life and connection with others.The real link between self-worth and coping mechanisms like addictionWhat the 'light switch myth' reveals about how we've been taught to approach change.Why small acts of self-support often matter more than dramatic transformationThe practice of self-gratitude and what it means to acknowledge how you've shown up for yourselfThis episode is for the woman who has spent years caring for everyone else and is just beginning to ask what it might feel like to turn that care inward. You're not behind. You're not broken. And you're not alone.Connect with Kerisma Vere:Website: https://www.towardswellnesscoaching.ca Connect with Marianne:Website:  Message In The Middle with MarianneMessage In the Middle Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847/YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@MessageInTheMiddle/playlistsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966Email:  Contact | Message In The Middle with MarianneSubscribe to Message In the Middle:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeLeave Us a Review: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review and share your favorite takeaway. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and bring you even more valuable content.Keep the conversation going - Join us for more insightful conversations in the Message in the Middle Private Facebook Community & subscribe to Message in the Middle podcas...