Heart On My Sleeve

From Chaos to Calm: Healing Trauma Through the Body with Sammy Chessa

What happens when the pain we carry lives deeper than words?In this episode, Michaela sits down with spiritual healer and somatic therapist Sammy Chessa to explore the journey from deep childhood trauma to emotional regulation, purpose, and healing. Sammy shares her raw story of growing up between two countries, experiencing abuse and instability, battling an eating disorder, and numbing pain through drugs and partying before a life-changing turning point at 18.Through yoga, somatic work, and years of spiritual and scientific study, Sammy began to understand how trauma is stored in the body and why healing often requires more than traditional talk therapy. Together they unpack the missing bridge between understanding trauma intellectually and actually releasing it physically.This conversation explores nervous system regulation, the science behind somatic healing, and what it really looks like to move from survival to a grounded, regulated life. It’s an honest reminder that healing isn’t about becoming perfect - it’s about learning how to come back to yourself.

When the Truth Hits Harder Than the Pressure: A Leader’s Story of Letting Go and Leading Better with James Copsey

In this deeply honest conversation, we hear from senior executive James Copsey working at the highest levels of corporate affairs - a space known for its relentless pace, complexity, and high expectations.But beneath the external success was a personal struggle he could no longer keep quiet. He shares the moment he realised drinking had become a problem, the decision to stop, and how telling the truth about his mental health became a turning point - not just in his personal life, but in how he shows up as a leader.This episode is a powerful reflection on what it means to drop the mask in a world that rewards control, and how choosing honesty can be the most strategic move of all.

Shame, Seasons of Grief & Finding Magic After Loss with Paul Bennell

In this Heart On My Sleeve episode, host Michaela Overman sits down with Paul Bennell, Manager of Fundraising & Relationships at children’s grief charity Feel the Magic. Paul shares what it was like losing his mum to suicide at age 10, being bullied for his loss, and growing up hiding both his grief and his queer identity.Together they explore “winter” as a season of grief, shame as a bodyguard and handbrake, and the coping strategies that look “high-functioning” on the outside but quietly erode us inside. Paul reflects on learning to separate his worth from his mum’s death, to have hard conversations instead of ostriching, and how Feel the Magic now helps hundreds of kids - and the 10-year-old version of himself - feel seen, safe and less alone.Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and childhood bereavement.

Invisible but Heavy: Gaslighting, grit, and rebuilding after diagnosis with Emily Winters

When pain is invisible, so is the understanding. In this raw and heartfelt conversation, Michaela Overman sits down with her best friend Emily. Emily’s pain didn’t show up on scans — until it did. One of just 20 people globally with both cyclical Cushing’s and acromegaly, she shares the years of “it’s all in your head,” the friendships stretched thin, the surgery that changed everything, and what healing really looks like after. This is a conversation about invisible illness, repair, and choosing hope — even when your nervous system isn’t there yet.

Leading Without Losing Yourself: Vulnerability, Resilience & Real Performance with Dorothy Hisgrove

Leadership is often measured by targets and strategy - but the real story is human. In this Heart On My Sleeve episode, KPMG Australia’s National Managing Partner for People & Inclusion Dorothy Hisgrove opens up about the moments that reshaped her leadership: grief, self-reflection, and the courage to prioritise both results and wellbeing. We explore the gendered expectations on women leaders, how psychological safety unlocks high performance, and why joy and connection are not perks but infrastructure. Dorothy shares practical rituals to prevent burnout, the power of honest storytelling at work, and a simple rule for modern leadership: replace fixing with presence. If you’re stretched thin or leading teams through relentless change (hello, AI era), this conversation is a field guide to leading sustainably - without losing yourself.