The Authentic You - Unleash Your Potential with Kristina Holle, founder of Authentic You Coaching

The Authentic You - Unleash Your Potential with Kristina Holle, founder of Authentic You Coaching

What drives someone to seek a life beyond addiction and unresolved pain? This conversation on *Recovery Recharged* brings together host Ellen Stewart and healer and coach Janessa Finley Ford to talk frankly about trauma, brain injury and addiction, and how they can all tangle together. The chat kicks off with Janessa explaining her alternative and holistic approach, using energy psychology, applied kinesiology, Enneagram work and various tapping methods to help clients release blocks and "unleash [their] true potential".

She keeps things practical, sharing a striking story of a woman gripped by a fear of heights on a hike; after less than ten minutes of tapping on her worst fears, the woman was able to reach the summit, laughing with her group instead of freezing in panic.

Janessa also opens up about her own history: a childhood trauma at eight, repressed memories, teen depression, an eating disorder, early marriage and divorce, and a long pattern of self-sabotage until memories resurfaced at 35. From there, she dug into healing work and now uses that experience to help others. Her simple definition that "trauma is unresolved distress" makes the concept easier to grasp, especially as she separates everyday adversity from deeper wounds that keep being relived.

For people in recovery, the episode looks closely at how untreated trauma can feed addiction, how traumatic brain injury and even high fevers or certain treatments can affect judgement, impulsivity and relapse, and why building a solid foundation for sobriety takes time. Janessa describes working with clients over a year, addressing trauma, personality patterns and brain injury together rather than in isolation. The tone stays direct but hopeful, with a strong message that addiction doesn’t mean someone is broken.

As Janessa puts it, healing trauma and understanding life experiences "is going to actually be what sets you free." If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s more behind your patterns than just willpower, this conversation might be worth your time.