Vanessa Bennett returns to the show this week! A highly regarded licensed holistic psychotherapist, clinical entrepreneur, mental health content creator, and the author of the best-selling relationship book, “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” Vanessa brings a wealth of expertise. Her unique perspective on fostering healthy relationships and navigating codependency provides valuable insights.

In this episode, Vanessa and I delve into the intricacies of codependency and its impact on relationships and self-identity. Vanessa guides us in understanding the concept of codependence and sheds light on how it influences our behaviors and choices. Vanessa’s profound wisdom on this subject promises to be enlightening and transformative, making this episode a must-listen for anyone seeking to improve their mental and emotional well-being.

Featured topics:

• You can’t talk about the individual without talking about the collective: Codependency, patriarchy, and white supremacy are intertwined—and should all be talked about within the realm of mental health (6:46)
• How codependency manifests in relationships (11:25)
• What to do to reclaim your sense of self (16:28)
• Evaluating (all) relationships is normal—if it no longer works for you, that’s okay! (22:45)
• Can you ever eradicate codependency in your life? (24:01)
• Micromoments and self-identity: ”Whenever you do the hard thing, you are laying a brick on the foundation of the sense of Self.” (34:27)
• How mindful practices can help you sit with your emotions and recover from codependency (37:13)

Learn more about Vanessa Bennett:

After over a decade of grinding in the New York City corporate world, Vanessa Bennett realized her work, her relationships, and honestly, her life felt…off. She didn’t see it at first, but her path was finding her — and the journey she started to help herself ended up being her path to helping others.

Cue the montage of her moving across the country, having a few breakdowns, heartbreaks, setbacks, taking hundreds of hours of trainings and workshops in yoga, yoga therapy, nutrition, somatic therapy, and reading lots and lots of books. Oh yeah, all while becoming a licensed therapist.

It turns out that this passion paired well with her unique background in telling stories through marketing and corporate strategy, a longtime practice of meditation and yoga, and the fact that she’s a New Yorker who cuts to the point.

Today, Vanessa lives in Los Angeles and puts all of this to work as an Author, Licensed Holistic Psychotherapist, clinical entrepreneur and mental health content creator. She co-hosts the Cheaper Than Therapy Podcast, leads soul based retreats and workshops, and creates and facilitates curriculum for non-profit and corporate trainings, events, and conferences.

Resources & Links:

Pre-order Kate’s book “The D Word” 

Vanessa’s website
Vanessa on Instagram
Vanessa on TikTok

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