The Power To Her Podcast

Cheryls Story: Coercive Control, Courage & Starting Over

Episode 8 | She Left With Nothing — And Built Everything ⚠️ This episode contains discussions of domestic abuse and coercive control. Please take care of yourself while listening. In this episode, Stacey sits down with Cheryl — a mum of two, accountant-turned-entrepreneur, and domestic abuse survivor — for one of the most honest, important conversations yet on Power To Her. Cheryl opens up about leaving a coercive and controlling relationship in 2010 — long before coercive control was even a crime in the UK. With two boys under four, no job, and her confidence in pieces, she had no roadmap. What she did have was the will to keep going. In this conversation, Cheryl shares: * What coercive control actually looks like (and why so many women don't recognise it at first) * How post-separation abuse continued long after she left * The moment a police officer validated her experience — and why that changed everything * How she built a business from scratch while still healing * What Claire's Law is and how it could help you or someone you love * Why she believes the grass really IS greener on the other side — and how she's now helping other women see that too Cheryl now works with domestic abuse survivors in a local refuge, trains employers to spot the signs, and runs her own programme helping women reclaim their power and their finances. This episode is for the woman who is in it, just out of it, or supporting someone who is. You are not alone. And there is a life waiting for you on the other side. Resources mentioned: * Claire's Law — the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (search your local police force to request a check online, confidentially) * Your local council and Citizens Advice — more helpful than most people realise * Cheryl's DMs are open: @iamcherylsharp

Katies Story: I Looked Like I Had It All — I Was Falling Apart

Episode 7 | Katie's Story: Behind the Smile Please note: This episode discusses anxiety, depression, and OCD. If you're struggling, please reach out to a trusted friend, your GP, or a mental health professional. Have you ever looked at someone and thought — she's got it all together? In this episode, Stacey sits down with Katie, mindset coach and former teacher, whose story is one that so many women will quietly recognise. On the outside? Confident. Bubbly. Absolutely fine. On the inside? Battling crippling anxiety, depression, and OCD for over a decade — and not one person knew. Katie opens up about how her parents' divorce at six set the foundation for a life lived in survival mode. From losing two stone on a dream trip to Thailand because she couldn't leave the room, to performing at university while falling apart behind closed doors — Katie shares the raw reality of living with two completely different versions of yourself. She talks about the moment therapy changed everything, how EMDR helped her finally process what she'd been carrying since childhood, and the long road from people-pleasing perfectionist to the woman she is today — a mindset coach helping others do exactly what she had to do herself. This episode covers: * Growing up feeling deeply different and not understanding why * What OCD really looked like for Katie — and why nobody knew * EMDR therapy explained: what it is and why it worked when nothing else did * Leaving teaching, pivoting to coaching, and learning to trust her gut * The inner critic that gets louder when you go self-employed * Why vulnerability is the real definition of female strength * Learning to feel the full spectrum — including the joy If you've ever smiled on the outside while falling apart on the inside, this one's for you.

Katies Story: "She Was Told She Was 'Just a Teenager' — The Truth Was PMDD"

In this episode, Stacey is joined by 21-year-old Katie Cook, the voice behind The PMDD Diary, for an honest, raw, and powerful conversation about living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) — a severe hormone-based mood disorder that affects millions of women, yet barely anyone talks about. From the age of 12, Katie knew something wasn't right. She suffered crippling mood swings, heavy painful periods, and a level of anxiety and emotional pain she couldn't put into words. But every time she asked for help, she was told the same thing: "You're just a teenager. It's normal. You'll grow out of it." For nearly nine years, Katie was dismissed by doctors, even by a gynaecologist who wrote her off in five minutes on a video call. She started to believe she was the problem. That she was "just dramatic." That maybe she really was crazy. It wasn't until she was 18, sitting in a GP's office refusing to leave without an answer, that the words premenstrual dysphoric disorder were finally spoken — and her whole life made sense. In this episode, Katie shares: * What PMDD actually is (and why every woman needs to know about it) * The emotional toll of being dismissed by medical professionals for almost a decade * How she went from hiding her condition to running 10k and raising over £1,000 for the PMDD Project * Why she shows up on her platform with no makeup, in tears, no shower — and why that rawness matters * The advice she'd give her 13-year-old self * A message for every parent watching their daughter struggle behind a closed bedroom door This one is for the women who've been told "it's all in your head." For the mums trying to understand their daughters. For anyone who's ever felt like a burden when really, they just needed someone to sit beside them and ask if they wanted a cup of tea. Katie's story is a reminder: you are not crazy, you are not alone, and you absolutely have to advocate for yourself. Connect with Katie: Follow Katie on TikTok and Instagram: @pmdddiary_ Resources mentioned: The PMDD Project — research, advocacy, and awareness for PMDD

Lillie's Story: Surviving a Narcissist, Trusting Your Gut & Walking Away 8 Months Pregnant

Lillie's Story: Surviving a Narcissist, Trusting Your Gut & Walking Away 8 Months Pregnant In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Stacey sits down with Lillie, founder of Salves Skincare, who shares her raw and unfiltered story of surviving a narcissistic relationship and rebuilding her life from the ground up. Lillie opens up about how it all started — the designer clothes, the fancy car, the dream man who lavished her with gifts and made her feel like the most special woman in the world. And then slowly, almost invisibly, the drip, drip, drip began. The fly-away comments. The isolation. The OCD-level control. The role reversal that left her questioning her own sanity. By the time she was eight months pregnant with her second child, Lillie had been gaslit into believing she was the problem. Until one morning, locked in her downstairs toilet with her partner's phone, she found the email that confirmed what her gut had been screaming all along. This conversation is for every woman who has ever felt isolated, doubted herself, or wondered if she was the crazy one. It is for the woman who is still in it, still questioning, still trying to make sense of why she feels so unhappy in a life that "looks" perfect from the outside. In this episode we talk about: * How narcissists target empaths and the patterns to watch for * The drip-feed effect of emotional abuse and why it's so hard to spot * Gaslighting, isolation and the role reversal that strips you of your confidence * Why your gut instinct is one of the most powerful tools you have * How Lillie found the courage to leave, eight months pregnant with a toddler in tow * Rebuilding your identity, your boundaries and your life on your own terms * Finding real love after surviving the worst * Lillie's non-negotiable boundary speech on her first date with her now-husband Lillie's message to any woman listening who knows this is her story: "Just leave. However bad you think it might be, just leave. It only gets worse from there. The only way is up." This is a must-listen for any woman who needs the reminder that her gut is right, her worth is not up for negotiation, and she is never as stuck as she thinks she is.

Kim’s Story: It’s Never Too Late to Start Again: When Life Makes You Rethink Everything

Trigger warning: This episode includes conversations around ADHD, childhood trauma, mental illness, psychosis, emotional struggles, and difficult family experiences. Please listen with care. NOTE: At some points there's a very slight echo - so sorry but its a flipping brilliant episode - stick with it In this powerful and deeply honest episode, I sit down with Kim as she shares her story of courage, growth, and starting over. Kim opens up about receiving an ADHD diagnosis, growing up with a mother who experienced psychosis, and how those early life experiences shaped the way she learned to adapt, cope, and move through the world. We talk about motherhood, emotional resilience, and the journey of understanding what you truly want from life. Kim shares how, at the age of 40, she made the brave decision to leave her career in law and begin again by starting a marketing apprenticeship. Today, she successfully runs her own business, helping other women in business grow with confidence and clarity. This episode is raw, emotional, and deeply empowering. Kim’s openness reminds us that life’s struggles can often bring us back to what truly matters. Her story is a beautiful reminder that it is never too late to change direction, start again, and build a life that feels more aligned with who you are. You can find Kim on Instagram @kim_nextlevelwoman and @nextlevelwomanhq Thank you for listening, Stacey xox