As the holidays roll in with their Hallmark movies, family interrogations about your dating life, and the perfectly curated couple photos popping up on IG... this fear can hit hard: “I’m never going to meet my person.”

In this raw, warm, and deeply hopeful episode, Lizzie and Dr. Patty sit down with Reiki master, business intuitive, and Dating Queen Samantha Bove. Samantha takes us from her own days of fear-driven relationships and scarcity to now being divinely in partnership with her King and guiding hundreds of women to do the same through her program Date Like a Queen.

If you’ve ever felt punished by singleness, terrified you’re “too much,” or secretly believe all the good ones are taken — this conversation is medicine. DM us or leave a review on what wisdom you're taking away from today's episode!

In This Episode We Explore:

• Why the holidays amplify the “I’ll be alone forever” story (and how to use this season as a portal instead)
• The dangerous myth that “If I were really healed, I’d already have my person”
• Queen energy: what it actually feels like to receive, lead, set boundaries, and trust yourself unapologetically
• How receiving is actually giving (and why men need you to let them give)
• Healing the sister-wound so other women stop feeling like competition
• Dating apps as a spiritual practice

Favorite Sammi Quotes

“Singleness is not a punishment. It’s an invitation.”

“Receiving is giving. When you let someone help you, you’re giving them the gift of getting to be generous.”

“Great queens know boundaries aren’t to keep people out — they’re to protect the kingdom.”

About Our Guest

Sammantha Bove is a Reiki master, business intuitive, archetypal coach, and the creator of Date Like a Queen — the program that helps women release hidden blocks, embody their inner Queen, and call in their King (or Queen). After years of fear-based choices and deep personal transformation, she now lives in New York with the partner she manifested. She’s passionate about playful, creative healing and proving that the journey to true love doesn’t have to be hard.

Links & Resources

→ Date Like a Queen: https://www.samanthabove.com/datelikeaqueen

→ Follow Sammantha on Instagram: @samantha.bove

→ Sammantha’s podcast: She's Too Much

→ Sacred Treehouse programs & workshops: https://sacredtreehouse.org

In this heartfelt holiday episode, Dr. Patty welcomes her dear friend and co-owner of Therapeutic Oasis, Christie Caggiani — a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, and eating-disorder specialist with over 35 years of experience.

Together they unpack why the holidays can feel so dysregulating around food (especially when you have trauma, attachment wounds, or a history of disordered eating), and how to move through this season with more kindness, presence, and trust in your body.

If family gatherings trigger old food rules, body comments, or emotional eating — this episode is your permission slip to do the holidays differently.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• How to stop the cycle of body & food shaming (especially with kids and teens)
• The #1 most important thing you can do for your nervous system this season
• How to cope with emotional eating without spiraling into guilt
• Practical ways to protect your peace at family gatherings (even when diet talk starts)
• Why “saving up” calories all day almost always backfires
• How to bring self-compassion to the table instead of perfectionism
• Simple cope-ahead strategies so you don’t have to white-knuckle it through December

Listen to the previous holiday survival episodes:

Ep.16 “When Holidays Feel Hard” with Dr. Vassilia Binensztok

Ep.17 "Holiday Survival Guide: 3 Quiet Hacks” with Lizzie Shutt

Download the guide HERE to carry the supportive hacks with you into the party!

If this episode helped, please share it with someone who dreads holiday food talk — it can be a very thoughtful gift you give this year ❤️

Leave us a review — it truly helps more people find the show and spread the message it's never too late to heal.

If holiday gatherings ever leave you activated, overwhelmed, or stuck in old patterns, this is the practical episode to keep in your pocket. In this solo episode Lizzie guides you through three discreet, powerful tools you can use at the Thanksgiving table, in the bathroom, or mid-conversation — no one will know you’re doing them.

You’ll actually practice each one during the episode so your body already knows what to do when the moment comes, tune in for:

• Using Mindfulness of Emotions and SUDS scale to address emotional dysregulation early
• The STOP skill — the pause button to keep your sanity
• Soothing Touch — to calm your nervous system with zero words
• The Self-Compassion Break — for guilt, shame, or negative self-talk spirals

FREE DOWNLOAD: Mindful Holiday Survival Kit cheat-sheet linked below

https://sacred-treehouse.mykajabi.com/pl/2148723154

Share this episode with a friend or family member you know will be navigating a challenging holiday season and leave us a 5 Star review to support these tools reaching others in the seasonal slumps (because you/we are not alone).

Explore upcoming classes and retreats at www.sacredtreehouse.org

In this episode of Bonded, Lizzie sits down with trauma therapist and author Dr. Vassilia Binensztok for a deeply compassionate conversation about why the holiday season can stir up so many emotional and relational challenges—and how you can genuinely support yourself through it.

Triggers around the holidays are incredibly common and often tied to old attachment patterns or childhood experiences, sometimes operating unconsciously. The first step toward healing is awareness: noticing the physical cues, emotional shifts, and reactive patterns that show up during this time of year. And because the holidays can pull on so many internal threads, boundaries—both internal and external—become essential tools for protecting your energy and staying grounded.

Whether it’s family conflict, old attachment wounds, grief, or the pressure to “feel festive,” this episode offers grounding, validating guidance for anyone who finds this season difficult.

• Nervous system signs that your body is preparing for stress—and how to recognize them early
• Practical strategies for building regulation and capacity during emotionally charged moments
• How mindfulness and self-compassion help interrupt shame and “should” thinking
• Creative ways to reclaim the holidays and make them your own—even if past memories are painful
• How to talk with partners and loved ones about boundaries, expectations, and emotional needs during this season

Dr. Vassilia Binensztok is a psychotherapist, trauma expert, writer, and founder of a group practice supporting clients across the lifespan. She specializes in complex trauma, relational wounds, anxiety, and somatic work—and brings a grounded, heartfelt approach to healing.

Private Practice: https://www.junocounseling.com/about-us/about-dr-binensztok

Surviving and Savoring Thanksgiving: https://citylifestyle.com/articles/surviving-and-savoring-thanksgiving

In this solo episode, Dr. Patty Shutt explores why the holidays—often portrayed as joyful and bright—can actually stir deep emotional triggers, especially for those with early attachment wounds or complex family dynamics. Drawing from her own reflections and clinical experience, Patty shares how mindfulness, self-compassion, and awareness of nervous system patterns can help us move through the season with more care and grounding.

Whether you find yourself over-giving, over-scheduling, or feeling anxious before family gatherings, this episode offers gentle tools to prepare, regulate, and find moments of genuine connection amid the chaos.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why the holidays can activate old family patterns and attachment wounds
• How the nervous system prepares for rejection, judgment, or disappointment
• Common survival responses (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn) that surface during family gatherings
• Mindfulness practices to notice triggers before they take over
• Self-compassion strategies for soothing and grounding when activated
• How to set boundaries, create new rituals, and give yourself permission to opt out when needed
• Ways to support others who might be struggling this season

Key Takeaway:

You don’t need to perform joy to belong. Slowing down, noticing what’s happening in your body, and meeting yourself with compassion can transform how you move through the holidays—and your relationships. #GiftofPresence

Connect with Us:

👉 Follow @SacredTreehouse on Instagram

👉 Learn more about upcoming mindfulness events at Sacred Treehouse

👉 Have a question or topic you’d like us to explore? Send us a message—we’d love to hear from you!

In this episode, Lizzie and Dr. Patty sit down with therapist and mindfulness teacher Michelle Becker to explore how self-compassion can transform relationships—both with ourselves and the ones we love. Michelle shares insights from her Mindful Self-Compassion and Compassion for Couples programs, offering practical tools to build emotional safety, foster intimacy, and meet our own needs.

Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or simply curious about self-compassion, this episode is packed with actionable guidance to cultivate kindness toward yourself and others, improve communication, and create healthier, more secure connections.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why self-compassion is essential for meeting your own emotional needs and choosing healthier relationships.
• How early attachment experiences influence our ability to give and receive compassion.
• Practical exercises for couples and individuals to foster connection, gratitude, and safety.
• How men and partners often engage with self-compassion differently—and why couples programs can be a gentle entry point.
• Communication tools to help partners listen deeply without trying to fix or solve.

“Even if your partner wants to, or your doctor wants to… they can’t always be there for you. But with self-compassion, you always have access.” – Michelle Becker

Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Michelle’s Book: Compassion for Couples: Building the Skills of Loving Connection
• Explore Michelle's Couples Program: https://wisecompassion.com/about/
• Mindful Self-Compassion Course with Patty: https://sacred-treehouse.mykajabi.com/msc

For couples interested in attending a couples retreat, please fill out our interest for to be notified when enrollment opens: https://forms.gle/cQxaz9HfurJjH4Zh9

In this episode of Bonded, Lizzie and Dr. Patty continue their exploration of where science meets soul — this time diving into the powerful, experiential practice of Family Constellation work.

Family Constellation invites us to see how our struggles may not start with us — they often belong to the wider family system. Through group representation, unseen loyalties, ruptures, and inherited generational patterns can surface and find resolution in ways that words alone could never reach.

Lizzie and Patty share personal stories and reflections from their own experiences in constellations — revealing how healing often unfolds quietly, gently, and beyond the intellect. They discuss how group work itself becomes a container for safety and transformation, offering deep shifts in connection, belonging, and flow.

This conversation also gives a glimpse into their upcoming In Tune with Life Retreat — a four-day immersive experience happening January 1–4, 2026 in Florida. The retreat weaves mindfulness, self-compassion, and family constellation work to help participants release old patterns, reconnect with life’s natural flow, and begin the new year grounded and renewed.

✨ Learn more about the In Tune with Life Retreat

→ https://sacred-treehouse.mykajabi.com/in-tune-with-life-retreat

Listen now to discover:

• How family constellation reveals generational patterns we carry
• Why group healing is such a powerful catalyst for transformation
• The connection between attachment theory, nervous system repair, and collective healing
• What it feels like to experience a constellation from the inside
• How retreat spaces recreate the conditions for safety, presence, and deep connection, essential ingredients for attachment trauma healing

In this episode of Bonded, Dr. Patty and Lizzie open up about their recent journey to Brazil for the Wild Women Amazon Reiki Retreat. They explore how safety, attachment, and trauma healing are supported not only through evidence-based psychology—but also through energy work, group connection, and nature-based experiences.

Using powerful metaphors from the natural world, Patty and Lizzie discuss how true growth and healing can only happen when we feel safe—when the “soil” of our inner world is rich enough to allow new branches of transformation to grow.

Conversation Highlights:

• The intersection of evidence-based therapy and energy healing
• Lessons and insights from their Amazon retreat experience
• How group work fosters safety and co-regulation
• The vital role of self-compassion and mindfulness in trauma healing
• Why integrating science and spirit offers deeper whole-healing

Upcoming Retreat:

If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to join us in 2026 for our In Tune with Life Retreat + Family Constellation — a transformational 4-day immersive experience blending mindfulness, systemic healing, yoga, and nourishing community at the beautiful ATHA Retreat House.

January 1–4, 2026 at ATHA Retreat House and Yoga Shala in Delray Beach, FL

Click to learn more + reserve your spot or visit our website www.SacredTreehouse.org