Beyond Words with Najwa Zebian

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You can be grateful for who you became without being grateful to the people who hurt you.
In this episode, I’m talking about the pressure we feel to look back at painful experiences and say, “I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.” Because while someone’s actions may have changed you, they don’t get credit for the strength it took to survive, heal, and rebuild yourself afterward.
I also share the conversation with Valerie Bertinelli while filming The Drew Barrymore Show that inspired this episode, why finding meaning in pain is different from being grateful for it, and how to put the credit for your healing back where it belongs.
They may have caused the pain. But you did the healing.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re supposed to thank someone for the person you became after they hurt you, this episode is for you.
Lead to Gold
Realistic wellness, without the social media BS.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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What do you do when you know walking away was the right decision, but you still miss them?
In this episode, I talk about the confusing space between knowing someone wasn’t right for you and still grieving the love, memories, and connection you experienced with them. Missing someone doesn’t mean you should go back. It doesn’t mean you made the wrong decision. And it definitely doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
We talk about shame, emotional avoidance, attachment, unresolved pain, and what it actually looks like to let yourself feel longing without allowing that longing to make your decisions for you.
Sometimes healing isn’t about convincing yourself not to miss them. It’s about being able to say: I miss you, and I’m still choosing me.
Lead to Gold
Realistic wellness, without the social media BS.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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What if the days when you feel like you’re not healing are actually the days when you’re doing the deepest healing?
In this episode, Najwa talks about grief, not only the grief of losing someone, but the grief of losing a relationship, a memory, a future you imagined, or even a version of yourself that no longer exists.
She opens up about the pressure to “get over it,” the tendency to intellectualize pain instead of feeling it, and why understanding what happened doesn’t necessarily make the hurt disappear.
Najwa also shares a practice that changed the way she moved through grief: returning, gently and at her own pace, to the places that held beautiful memories. Sometimes healing means allowing yourself to cry in the places you once laughed, accepting that a memory belongs to the past without trying to drag it back into your present.
If you’ve been judging yourself for how long it’s taking to move on, this episode is your reminder: you are not behind. You are not weak. You are in the middle of healing.
You don’t need someone else to give you closure. You can sit with yourself, honor what you feel, and slowly choose to move forward without abandoning yourself.

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This episode was recorded in October of last year. Enjoy! 
Lead to Gold
Realistic wellness, without the social media BS.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us Fan Mail
Have you ever waited for an apology, convinced it would finally give you peace?
In this episode, Najwa shares a deeply personal story about asking someone who hurt her to apologize, only to discover that the words she longed to hear could never provide the healing she was seeking. Drawing from The One Who Broke You Can't Heal You, she explores why we place so much weight on apologies, why validation from the person who hurt us can become a trap, and what it really takes to move forward.
This conversation goes beyond forgiveness and closure. Najwa dives into the painful reality of toxic relationships, gaslighting, trauma bonds, and the struggle to accept someone for who they truly are. She offers a compassionate reminder that your difficulty letting go was never a sign of weakness. It was a sign that you cared, hoped, and believed in the best of someone.
If you've ever felt stuck waiting for accountability, wondering why an apology didn't bring the relief you expected, or struggling to make sense of a relationship that changed you, this episode is for you.
Because healing doesn't begin when they apologize. It begins when you stop putting your life on hold while waiting for one.
In this episode:
Why an apology often feels more important than it actually is
The difference between remorse and accountability
How gaslighting disconnects you from yourself
Why it's so difficult to see people for who they truly are
The hidden cost of waiting for validation from the person who hurt you
What real healing looks like after betrayal, manipulation, or heartbreak
Plus, Najwa shares a personal update on her journey pursuing a master's degree in psychotherapy and reflects on the incredible impact readers have shared from The One Who Broke You Can't Heal You.
📖 The One Who Broke You Can't Heal You is available wherever books are sold in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats.
#HealingBeyondWords #TheOneWhoBrokeYouCantHealYou #HealingJourney #EmotionalHealing #TraumaRecovery #GaslightingAwareness #SelfWorth #RelationshipHealing #MentalHealthPodcast #NajwaZebian
Lead to Gold
Realistic wellness, without the social media BS.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify