Finding Your Way Back Home: A Journey of Healing and Transformation

The Healing Vibe: A Safe Space for Your Soul

Hi, I’m Denise. If you're reading this, it means I finally told that loud, nagging inner voice to take a seat. You know the one. "Who would want to hear your story?" That voice used to run the show.

For years, I stayed quiet. I thought I had to have all my sh*t together before I spoke up. Before I could start this dream business of helping others and being a mentor. I thought healing needed to be polished, professional, and perfect. But life? It doesn’t work like that. And healing sure as hell doesn’t.

So here I am, finally sharing my story. Not for attention or pity, but because someone out there might be going through something and needs to know they’re not alone. Just maybe, something in here feels familiar to you and makes you exhale for the first time in days. Because believe me, I’ve been through it.

The Backstory: Just a Glimpse

I’ve been a single mom since 2006, raising kids on my own while juggling survival, stress, and the silent shame of not being “enough.”

I’ve walked through:

• Divorce

• Death of loved ones

• Miscarriages

• Accidents

• Surgeries

• A sick child

• Financial ruin

• Emotional abuse

• Infidelity

• Menopause—not just the hot flashes, but the full-blown dark-night-of-the-soul kind

• Completing my education while working full-time and running a very busy business.

  
  

I burned the candle at both ends until there was barely anything left of me. And somehow, I’m still here. Still healing. Still holding space for joy. Still showing up.

(And yes, I realize how ridiculous it is to post my past experiences and traumas as though I was making a shopping list). It was weird for me too. But oh so validating. To look at it and think of all that I have overcome and only slightly unhinged!

Most people who know me professionally might be surprised to read this. Even some of my friends and family will probably be shocked. Why? Because I didn’t talk about it. I carried my pain quietly, with a smile on my face during the day, and tears that came only at night. I cried in the bathroom so my children wouldn’t hear. I buried it in my pillow so they could sleep in peace. I didn’t want to upset them. I didn’t want anyone to know how much I was really carrying.

That’s the part no one talks about: the silent strength. The invisible battles. But I’m done hiding it. This is me, finally letting the mask fall.

When Things Started to Shift

My peer counselling instructor and mentor never used the word “breakdown.” She said people crack open. Like a balloon that just keeps getting filled, with pressure, responsibilities, and trauma until it can’t hold one more ounce. And it bursts.

People are the same. We can only carry so much before it all spills out in a long overdue release. That cracking open? It’s not weakness. That’s when the healing begins.

And trust me, I’ve had a few cracks in my armor over the years. Small fractures here and there. Quiet moments of breakdown behind closed doors. But I’d never experienced a wide-open split, the kind that parts you like the damn Red Sea. Until I did. And something in me shifted.

I noticed a change in my demeanor and my presence. I’m still human. I still get my feelings hurt. People still piss me off. Situations still rattle me. But underneath it all, there’s this unshakable calm. A deep knowing that, somehow, everything will be okay. That I will be okay.

I didn’t find peace in perfection. I found it in surrender.

A Breath of Fresh Air: The Power of Breathwork

One of the biggest turning points came during a breathwork session this past year. I didn’t expect it to hit so hard, but it did. I cried. I released. I remembered myself. That session brought me back into my body. It cracked me open, for real. And this time, I didn’t patch myself back up.

There were other shifts, too. Reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins helped me finally release the need to manage everyone’s expectations. I had spent years trying to be liked, understood, and accepted. That book reminded me: Let them. Let them think what they think. Let them walk away. Let them judge. That shift gave me freedom I didn’t know I was allowed to have.

Then there was The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. I read it years ago, slowly, over time. It wasn’t some overnight transformation. But piece by piece, it helped me see life differently. It reminded me to find gratitude in the quiet things, a warm blanket, a deep breath, a kind word. When I couldn’t see much light, The Magic helped me notice sparkles in the shadows. And I realized… sometimes, the small stuff is the big stuff.

What I Really Think About Forgiveness

Let’s talk truth, because I’m not here to sugarcoat it. Many spiritual teachers and experts will tell you to forgive everyone who has hurt you. I don’t agree. I don’t believe everyone deserves forgiveness. But I do believe you deserve freedom.

To be free, to reclaim your joy, your power, your peace, you have to let go of what’s keeping you tied to the past. You don’t have to forgive the person who hurt you, especially if they haven’t taken accountability. But you do have to stop letting them rent space in your head.

I’m not talking about petty stuff, the minor stuff. You should absolutely forgive and move on. We’re not in junior high. Don’t get hung up on holding grudges for little things. Life is too short, and people make mistakes.

I’m talking about the big, soul-scarring stuff. You know what I mean. You don’t need to make peace with them; you need to make peace with yourself. You need to take your joy back. You need to stop letting what happened then decide who you are now.

That’s what I’ve been learning to do. Part of that is setting boundaries. I no longer make space for people who bring me down. I no longer hand out second chances just to keep the peace. I protect my energy like it’s sacred because it is.

The Breaking Point: Burnout, Boundaries & Letting Go

I didn’t even realize I was burnt out, not at first. I thought I was just tired. Overwhelmed. Stressed, like always. But then my body started shutting down and showing signs: pain, illness, brain fog, irritability. I couldn’t function like I used to, and I didn’t understand why.

I had been revving stress like a lunatic, surviving on adrenaline, pressure, and coffee for years.

Fun fact (that’s actually not so fun): Did you know we can get used to being stressed out, constantly on edge, or wrapped up in drama? Over time, our nervous system starts to see those states: fear, chaos, pressure as normal. Safe, even. Twisted, right? But familiar patterns feel comforting, even when they’re wrecking us.

Then one night, two years ago, I genuinely thought I was having a heart attack. My chest was tight, I couldn’t breathe, and I was gripped by this overwhelming fear. I was so spun up with stress, so burned out, I thought: This is it. That moment changed me.

I made the decision, right then and there, to sell my preschool business and focus on healing. I couldn’t keep running myself into the ground. Something had to give. And it did.

Burnout is real. It’s not just “being tired.” It’s a full-body crisis. Your body starts shutting down in self-defense. You lose focus. Your mood crashes. Your hormones get thrown off. You forget what joy even feels like. It’s terrifying how many of us walk around with functioning depression and high-functioning anxiety, not even realizing we’re breaking down because we’ve normalized exhaustion.

Menopause made it worse, no doubt, but the burnout? That was years in the making.

I remember someone making an analogy years ago that stuck with me. She said: “It’s like you’re in the water holding everyone else up, taking care of the bills, the food, the plans, making sure everyone else is okay, and you’ve got just one nostril sticking out of the water to breathe. And then one more thing gets added... and one more... and suddenly, you’re completely submerged.” That was me.

Eventually, I had to let go of people, roles, and relationships that were draining me. And that wasn’t easy. I lost people. A lot of people. Some couldn’t handle the version of me that said no. But it also showed me who was really there for me, not just for what I could give, but for who I am.

I’m grateful to say how blessed I am to have a beautiful family, a strong team, amazing friends, and a soul circle that truly sees and values me. Setting boundaries saved my life. And if you’re drowning, it might just save yours, too.

So What’s Next?

This blog, this space is just the beginning. I’ll be sharing more stories, more tools, more truth. I’ll be traveling across Canada, offering healing experiences. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll take this all the way to Italy or France. A woman can dream.

But more than anything, I want to hold space for people who’ve been through some sh*t and are still standing. Still hoping. Still healing. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to come home to yourself.

With love, fire, and a whole lot of grace,

Denise

Founder of The Healing Vibe