Natalie Saves the World: One Podcast at a Time

"Loved You, Hated You": Surviving Toxic Love, Losing Yourself & Choosing You | Nikki Allen

What happens when you love someone so deeply that you lose yourself in the process — and then find the courage to transform that pain into art? In this episode, I sit down with Nikki Allen — singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and author of Loved You, Hated You — a bold, emotionally charged novel born from a real toxic relationship, a song written to survive it, and years of "soul surgery" to heal from it. We talk about: 💔 Why we stay in toxic relationships long after we know we should leave 🎭 The "six-month mask" — and why the anesthesia always wears off 🌱 What choosing yourself actually looks like in real life (not just as a concept) 🔥 How fear keeps us stuck — and what's waiting on the other side of it ✍️ Why fiction can tell truths that memoirs sometimes can't 🎬 The creative journey from heartbreak song → screenplay → novel Nikki's story is raw, real, and deeply relatable — and her message is clear: self-love isn't selfish. It's the foundation everything else is built on. 🔗 Connect with Nikki: nikkiallen.com 📖 Loved You, Hated You — available now

The Modern Citizen: Why America's Crisis Is Actually a Spiritual Awakening

What if the chaos, division, and darkness consuming America right now isn't a breakdown — but a burning away of everything that no longer serves us? In this episode, I sit down with Allen, aka The Paraclete — author of The Modern Citizen, Jungian thinker, and someone who has spent decades asking the questions most people are too comfortable to ask. We explore why this moment in history is unlike any other, what Carl Jung's concept of individuation reveals about America's collective shadow, and why the crisis we're living through may actually be the spiritual awakening humanity has been waiting for. We cover: * Why America's symbol may be shifting from the eagle to the phoenix — and what that means for all of us * Carl Jung's individuation process and how it mirrors what's happening collectively * The "shadow" of America — what it is and why we haven't faced it yet * Why materialism is the most dangerous idea in the world right now * What Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey tells us about this exact moment in history * How the work you do on yourself quietly ripples out into the world "The modern citizen is someone who is fully conscious of their existence." — Allen, The Paraclete 📖 Allen's Book: The Modern Citizen: The Spiritual Evolution of Humanity Available on Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/MODERN-CITIZEN-Spiritual-Evolution-Humanity/dp/B0FXW99ZT1/ [https://www.amazon.com/MODERN-CITIZEN-Spiritual-Evolution-Humanity/dp/B0FXW99ZT1/] 📚 Referenced in this episode: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell — a book Allen credits as life-changing and a major influence on his work. 📲 Connect with Allen: TikTok: @theparaclete9 Email: theparaclete9@gmail.com [theparaclete9@gmail.com]

From Suicidal to Shining: What a Therapist Learned by Healing Herself First

What does it look like to go from planning your own death to standing in your light — and then losing a child — and still choosing hope? Malisa Hepner is a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, author, and podcast host who has lived every layer of what she now teaches. In this conversation, she shares her journey from a childhood shaped by profound adversity, through her own mental health crisis, to the unimaginable loss of her 18-year-old son Jake — and how the tools she'd spent two years building are what's carrying her through. We talk about: * Why trauma creates separation between you and your true self * The three-step framework that changed everything: Quiet the Noise → Connect to Self → Embody the Light * Why shame is the real noise in your head — and how to turn it down * What grief actually looks like when you refuse to let it destroy you * Why your flaws are your magic, not your problems * Astrology, Kabbalah, and finding an anchor when everything feels dark This episode is for anyone who has ever felt too much and not enough at the same time. You are not broken. The light is closer than you think. ⚠️ Content note: This episode includes honest conversation about mental health, suicidal ideation, and loss.

Why Relationships Fail: Chaos Kids, Subconscious Patterns & How to Save Your Marriage with Larry Bilotta

In this episode of Natalie Saves the World, Natalie sits down with marriage counselor, author, and founder of You Can Save This Marriage, Larry Bilotta, to explore why relationships fail — and what it actually takes to heal them from the inside out. We dive into:🧠 What a "Chaos Kid" is and how childhood chaos silently shapes your relationships 🔄 The subconscious patterns driving conflict, avoidance, and self-sabotage 💔 The truth behind "I love you, but I'm not in love with you" ✨ Soft-hearted vs. hard-natured personalities — and why opposites attract (and clash) 🌱 Why it only takes one person to save a marriage — and how that actually works 🦊 Tools like "digging a foxhole" to break generational cycles before they repeat Larry spent 27 years in a deeply unhappy marriage before experiencing the breakthrough that transformed his life — and the lives of tens of thousands of others. He challenges conventional relationship advice and introduces powerful frameworks like the invisible lifestyle, the emotion train, and buckers — people so suppressed they're actively fighting their own minds. Natalie also gets personal, sharing her own experience with a long engagement that ended suddenly — and Larry helps her see it through a whole new lens. Whether you're struggling in your relationship, healing from heartbreak, or just trying to understand why you keep repeating the same patterns — this conversation will change how you see yourself and the people you love. Learn more about Larry's work: https://youcansavethismarriage.com [https://youcansavethismarriage.com] #Relationships #MarriageAdvice #ChaosKid #SubconsciousPatterns #NatalieSavesTheWorld #RelationshipHealing #SelfAwareness #Podcast #PersonalGrowth #BreakingCycles

Self-Trust & Spirituality: How to Ask Better Questions & Find Meaning in Everyday Life

Self-trust doesn't come from having all the answers—it comes from asking better questions. In this episode, I sit down with writer and storyteller Kristan Swan for a grounded conversation about spirituality that actually feels real. No fluff, no perfectionism—just honest insights about building trust in uncertainty, finding meaning in everyday moments, and rewriting the stories we tell ourselves. Kristan opens up about how a chaotic childhood of constant moving shaped her journey from trying to control everything to learning how to trust the process. We talk about daily spiritual practices that don't require you to be "better," the power of being a better stranger, and why solution-oriented thinking changes everything. What we cover: • How childhood uncertainty can build resilience and self-trust• Simple daily spiritual practices (hint: it starts before you open your eyes) • The concept of being a "better stranger" and why small acts matter • Solution-oriented vs. problem-oriented thinking • Living a life you could leave tomorrow with contentment • Why you don't need to be "better" to start your spiritual journey If you're tired of surface-level self-help and want real conversations about spirituality, meaning-making, and living with more intention, this one's for you. Connect with Kristan Swan: Website: kristanswan.com 💬 What's your biggest takeaway? Drop it in the comments below. 👉 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs to hear it.