Beyond The Surface Podcast

In 2019, Kathryn Elliott’s life changed completely. Within six weeks, she stopped drinking after decades of binge drinking and was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer.
 
In this episode, Kathryn shares how sobriety and cancer became the catalyst for a much deeper transformation. We talk about her relationship with alcohol, facing her own mortality, leaving a 22-year marriage, rebuilding her life and career, finding love again in her 50s and learning to reconnect with herself.
 
Kathryn also shares why removing alcohol can bring difficult emotions to the surface, and how moving through grief, vulnerability and discomfort ultimately helped her find greater clarity, confidence, self-love and connection.
 
In this episode, we cover:
•              Kathryn’s relationship with binge drinking and the moment she decided to stop drinking
•              Being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at 46
•              Why sobriety can feel harder before it feels better
•              Leaving a 22-year marriage and rebuilding her life
•              Changing careers and becoming an alcohol mindset coach
•              The pressure around drinking for women in midlife
•              Learning to sit with grief instead of numbing it
•              Heart-led healing and reconnecting with yourself
•              What Kathryn has gained from seven years alcohol-free
 
This episode is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to create a life that feels aligned, and that midlife really can be a time of reinvention.
 
Podcast Sponsor:
 
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.
 
Connect with Belinda:
 
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau
 
Connect with Kathryn:
 
Website: https://www.thealcoholmindsetcoach.com/
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholmindsetcoach/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thealcoholmindsetcoach/

Content warning: This episode discusses domestic violence, emotional abuse, coercive control, drug use and stalking.
Belinda sits down with Lauren Jane, founder of Find My Wild, to have an important and honest conversation about domestic violence and emotional abuse.
For years, Lauren was in an abusive relationship without recognising that what she was experiencing was domestic violence. She shares the moment her doctor helped her understand what was happening, what it took to leave with her children, and the challenges of rebuilding her life afterwards.
We also talk about recognising the signs of emotional and coercive abuse, how unhealthy patterns can become familiar, learning to trust yourself again, and the way Lauren realised she had started to become her own abuser through how she spoke to and treated herself.
Lauren’s experience ultimately led her to create Find My Wild, a survivor-led not-for-profit organisation and support platform in Australia providing free resources, community and guidance for people experiencing, leaving, or rebuilding their lives after domestic violence and emotional abuse.
In this episode, we discuss:
The early warning signs of emotional and coercive abuse
The moment Lauren realised she needed to leave
What life can look like after leaving an abusive relationship
Rebuilding your identity and learning to trust yourself again
How unhealthy behaviours can become familiar and feel normal
Why asking “Why didn’t you just leave?” can be so damaging
Lauren's WILD framework for supporting someone experiencing abuse
The story behind Find My Wild and its free app
WILD Conversations and Lauren’s next chapter
Creating safety, financial independence and a plan for leaving

If this episode brings someone to mind, consider sharing it with them gently. Sometimes simply knowing that someone believes you, sees you and is there when you’re ready to talk can make an enormous difference.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Lauren :
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/find.my.wild_by_lauren_jane/
Website: https://www.findmywild.com.au/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@find_my_wildbylaurenjane
Book: https://www.findmywild.com.au/copy-of-your-journey
Free Support App: https://findmywild.lovable.app/
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Australia's national 24/7 service providing free, confidential counselling, information, and support for people impacted by domestic, family, or sexual violence. It also assists friends, family members, and frontline workers supporting those affected.

Belinda sits down with Bianca Innes to discuss resilience, grief and rebuilding yourself after life-changing adversity.
At four years old, Bianca’s mother left the family after struggling with alcoholism and depression. Three years later, when Bianca was just seven, her mother passed away, leaving her to be raised by her dad and older brother.
At just 20, Bianca became the youngest person in Australia to be diagnosed with Stage 2B Grade 3 triple positive breast cancer. The diagnosis led to medically induced menopause and she was told she may never have children.
Bianca shares what it was like to have her symptoms dismissed, navigate cancer treatment, become a mother against the odds, and rebuild again after losing her brother in adulthood. This is a conversation about grief, resilience, identity and the quiet strength it takes to keep moving forward when life keeps changing the path beneath you.

In this episode, we discuss:
Losing a mother in childhood and navigating the mother wound
Advocating for yourself when you know something isn’t right
Being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at just 20
Medically induced menopause and its impact on identity and mental health
Becoming a mother after being told it may never happen
Losing a sibling and learning to live alongside grief
Rebuilding your identity after trauma
Using writing and journaling to process grief and emotions
Why kindness and one genuine conversation can change someone’s life
Sometimes life asks us to rebuild more than once. This conversation is a reminder that while we can’t choose every chapter, we can choose what we do with the story from here.
Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau
Connect with Bianca :
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biancainnes/
Bits and Boobs Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitsandboobs.podcast/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6STk9aVthilOQYwOmw72fr
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bits-and-boobs/id1825831621

In this solo episode, Belinda explores one of the biggest misconceptions about family relationships: that talking again, showing up for family dinners, or smiling for the family photo means healing has happened.
Real healing isn’t about avoiding difficult conversations or pretending the past never happened. It’s about acknowledging hurt, rebuilding trust, and understanding the difference between reconciliation and repair.
Whether you’re navigating family conflict, estrangement, or simply wanting healthier relationships, this episode will give you a new way of looking at what actually creates lasting connection.

We explore:
Why reconciliation and repair are two very different things
The difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking
Why every healthy relationship experiences ruptures
What genuine repair looks like and why trust is rebuilt through actions, not word
Why intentions don’t erase impact
How curiosity creates more connection than defensiveness
Why not every relationship can be repaired, and why that’s not always yours to carry
Questions to help you reflect on the health of your own relationships

Healthy relationships aren’t measured by how many family photos you have together. They’re measured by whether people feel safe enough to be honest with each other.
If you’ve ever wondered why a relationship still feels distant, even though you’re talking again, this episode will help you understand why.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Content warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide, alcohol misuse and mental health struggles.
 
In this episode, Belinda sits down with Tommy Herschell, founder of Find Ya Feet, a not-for-profit organisation delivering mental health and resilience workshops to schools, sporting clubs, workplaces and communities across Australia.
 
This conversation was inspired by the unexpected ripple effect of a previous Beyond the Surface episode with Kieran Foran. After hearing Kieran’s story, one young man reached out for help, leading him to Tommy and reinforcing the powerful belief that one honest conversation really can shift change forever.
 
Tommy shares his own journey with anxiety, anger, alcohol and unresolved childhood wounds, the counselling that helped him change his life, and how his experiences as a teacher inspired him to create Find Ya Feet.
 
What we cover:
•              The powerful ripple effect created when someone has the courage to share their story
•              How a previous Beyond the Surface episode with Kieran Foran encouraged a young man to reach out for help
•              Tommy’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol and the moment he knew something had to change
•              The role counselling played in helping him understand and change his patterns
•              The teachers and young people who inspired the creation of Find Ya Feet
•              What Find Ya Feet is and the meaning behind its name
•              Why vulnerability should be viewed as a strength
•              How honest conversations are helping change the culture within schools, sporting clubs, workplaces and communities
 
This is a raw and deeply moving conversation about breaking unhealthy cycles, speaking openly about what’s happening beneath the surface and having the courage to ask for help. If this episode makes you think of someone in your life, share it with them. You never know the impact one conversation could have.
 
Podcast Sponsor:
 
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.
 
Connect with Belinda:
 
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau
 
Connect with Tommy:
Website: https://findyafeet.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findyafeet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Find-Ya-Feet/100093913622167/
Email: contact@findyafeet.org