144: The Truth Behind Being “The Strong One”: Breaking the Pattern of Trauma and Find True Worth

Some women don’t just survive one hard season — they survive a pattern.

In this powerful opening conversation, Megan Babcock sits down with survivor advocate and author Julie Bonn Blank to explore the hidden emotional wounds behind being “the strong one.” From a young age, Julie learned to stay quiet, take responsibility for others, and believe that love meant enduring pain. What looked like strength on the outside was actually survival on the inside.

Together, Megan and Julie unpack how trauma patterns form and why so many women become overachievers, caretakers, and people-pleasers without realizing those traits are rooted in early dysfunction. They talk about codependency, emotional survival, and the difference between experiencing harm and living from a victim mindset that keeps you stuck.

This episode brings language to the silent burden many women carry and gently invites listeners to consider that the “strength” they’ve relied on may actually be a survival strategy that deserves healing.

If you’ve ever wondered why you keep ending up in the same relationship dynamics, why it feels so hard to rest, or why your needs feel inconvenient, this conversation will help you feel seen, understood, and hopeful that change is possible.

About Julie:
Julie Bonn Blank is a dedicated author, speaker, certified domestic violence advocate and founder of the advanced healing program: Broken Souls Restored. As a survivor of an afterlife experience in which she was sent back from heaven, she offers a unique perspective that inspires and motivates others. She is committed to spreading hope and healing to all. On her HeavenBlog.org site, you can find her heaven experience, recovery journal, other miraculous stories, and much of what God has been teaching her since her return.

Julie is the author of a multiple-award-winning suspense fiction series focused on healing from human trafficking, which has sold thousands of copies. “Routed to Heaven: How Near-Death Experiences, Afterlife Testimonies And Heavenly Insights Can Help You Live With Intention” released in 2025 and includes an account of her Heaven visit, as well as over twenty other testimonies.

When she is not writing, speaking, running her new nonprofit or overseeing recovery groups, she provides coaching and mentoring to authors and writers, while also overseeing Cascade Christian Writers.

Connect with Julie:
Website: https://juliebonnblank.com
Books: https://amzn.to/4r9u2Se
Interview with Randy Kay: https://linktree.com/juliebonnblank
BSR Web Link: https://juliebonnblank.com/broken-souls/
Free group session: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsHNYpCe11GABi7eOdwU1WnIynGgOWPWviewform

About the Host:
Megan Babcock is the founder of It’s Your Story to Tell. She is an award-winning coach, bestselling author, speaker, and podcast host whose work sits at the intersection of faith and neuroscience. She equips leaders to regulate their nervous systems, heal from trauma, and rise with purpose.

After more than twenty years in healthcare and her own journey through trauma, surrender, and spiritual renewal, Megan launched It’s Your Story to Tell in 2023. What once felt disqualifying became the foundation of her calling. She now helps others transform pain into legacy and live aligned, resilient, Spirit-led lives.

Connect with Megan:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganbakerbabcock
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itscoachmeganbabcock
Website: https://bit.ly/ItsYourStorytoTell

Resources:
Sacred Presence and Sacred Pathways: https://www.itsyourstorytotell.com/Sacred-presence-&-pathways
Unstuck Book: https://a.co/d/7CrzzZA
Free Transformation Resource Center: https://www.itsyourstorytotell.com/freeresourcecenter