In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Michael sits down with trauma therapist and author Kristin Duncombe to explore the long shadows cast by childhood abuse—and the courageous path to healing.

Kristin shares her story of surviving chronic sexual abuse at the hands of a U.S. diplomat while living overseas, the institutional cover-up that followed, and the profound sense of unworthiness that shaped her adolescence and adult relationships. Together, she and Michael dive into the realities of complex trauma: the coping mechanisms we develop to survive, the patterns we unconsciously repeat, and the radical, uncomfortable, necessary act of reclaiming our truth.

From navigating toxic relationships to breaking cycles of people-pleasing and self-doubt, this conversation is a raw, honest look at what healing really means. You’ll hear about the breaking point that changed everything for Kristin, how she found her voice, and the steps anyone can take to begin their own recovery journey.

Whether you're carrying the weight of your past or walking alongside someone who is, this episode is a reminder that healing is possible—and it begins with telling the truth.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story.

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken

LINKS:

Website: https://www.kristinduncombe.com

Kristin on IG: https://www.instagram.com/kristin_louise_duncombe/

Kristin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-duncombe-62441553/

Why do we keep returning to the same painful thoughts, even after awareness kicks in?

In this eye-opening episode, Michael Unbroken sits down with award-winning psychologist Dr. Betsy Holmberg to explore how trauma shapes our brain, fuels negative self-talk, and keeps us trapped in cycles of shame, anxiety, and coping mechanisms that no longer serve us.

Dr. Holmberg brings groundbreaking insight into the default mode network (DMN)—the part of your brain responsible for that relentless inner critic—and explains how trauma strengthens this network while weakening the one responsible for focus, calm, and choice. They talk through the science behind addiction, why healing feels impossible some days, and how to begin flipping the switch from stuck to free.

If you've ever felt broken, overwhelmed by your reactions, or lost in the loop of "what's wrong with me?", this episode will not only validate your experience but give you real tools to understand it—and start shifting out of it.

• Why your brain resists healing (and how to work with it)
• How trauma hijacks your nervous system
• The real reason we return to harmful habits
• Why sharing your story might be your turning point
• How to quiet the DMN and strengthen your sense of self

You are not your thoughts. You are not broken. This episode is your starting point for change.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story.

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken

LINKS:

Website: https://betsyholmberg.com/

Unkind Mind: The Neuroscience of Why Women Are So Hard on Themselves―and How to Quiet Your Inner Critic for Good: https://betsyholmberg.com/elementor-page-2529/

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN

From the moment we're born, we’re wrapped in a relationship that shapes our soul — the one we have with our mother. For some, it's a source of comfort. For others, a source of pain. But for all of us, it's foundational.

Jackie Tantillo is currently the Host and Exec Producer of the "Should Have Listened to my Mother" Podcast. SHLTMM Podcast is a 2024 People's Choice Podcast Award Winner for best podcast in the "Society and Culture" Category. SHLTMM is also a 2024 Nominee in two additional categories including, "Best Female" Hosted Podcast & Best Podcast in the "Kids and Family" category. SHLTMM is an ongoing conversation about mothers/female role models and the role they play/played in ones life.

Jackie has worked in broadcasting as on-air talent (radio), on camera talent (commercials and industrials), a national and international Voice Over talent, Voice Over Acting Instructor and producer and production coordinator for over four decades.

In this episode, I sit down with Jackie Tantillo who has spent years speaking to hundreds of guests about one of the most complex, personal relationships we experience. We talk about identity, memory, trauma, forgiveness, and the stories we carry about our mothers, the ones we’ve lived and the ones we’re still trying to rewrite.

Jackie shares her own story of growing up in a vibrant, chaotic, loving Italian-American home. I share pieces of mine, a home shaped by pain, abuse, and ultimately, a journey toward reconciliation. Together, we explore what it means to become who you are because of, or in spite of your mother.

This isn’t just an episode about moms. It’s about healing, about breaking cycles, and about finding your voice through the stories we often leave unspoken.

If you’ve ever struggled with your past… if you're a parent trying to do better… or if you just want to feel seen in your human messiness — this one's for you.

************* LINKS & RESOURCES *************

Learn how to heal and overcome childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, ptsd, cptsd, higher ACE scores, anxiety, depression, and mental health issues and illness. Learn tools that therapists, trauma coaches, mindset leaders, neuroscientists, and researchers use to help people heal and recover from mental health problems. Discover real and practical advice and guidance for how to understand and overcome childhood trauma, abuse, and narc abuse mental trauma. Heal your body and mind, stop limiting beliefs, end self-sabotage, and become the HERO of your own story.

Join our FREE COMMUNITY as a member of the Unbroken Nation: https://www.thinkunbrokenacademy.com/share/AEGok414shubQSzq?utm_source=manual

Download the first three chapters of the Award-Winning Book Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma: https://book.thinkunbroken.com/

Join the Think Unbroken Trauma Transformation Course: https://coaching.thinkunbroken.com/

@Michael Unbroken: https://www.instagram.com/michaelunbroken/

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelunbroken

LINKS:

Website: https://www.jackietantillo.com/

Jackie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-tantillo/

Our Sponsors:

* Check out Babbel: babbel.com/UNBROKEN