HEAL with Kelly

I’ve always believed that healing starts with awareness — but this conversation with Dr. Ellen Vora took that belief to a whole new level. In this illuminating conversation, I sit down with Dr. Vora, a board-certified psychiatrist, acupuncturist, yoga teacher, and author of The Anatomy of Anxiety — and she’s redefining what it means to truly care for our mental health. In this episode, she shares how her own health crisis and years in conventional psychiatry led her to a more holistic path — one that honors both science and soul. We explore the two types of anxiety she defines in her book — False (avoidable) and True (purposeful) — and how understanding the difference can completely transform your relationship with anxiety. Ellen explains how hormones shape our mood and perception, why modern life keeps us stuck in “all yang, no yin,” and how small shifts in sleep, nourishment, and nervous-system care can restore balance. This conversation bridges logic and magic, reminding us that true mental health isn’t about fixing symptoms — it’s about coming back into balance, reclaiming your wholeness, and trusting your inner wisdom. Key Moments You'll Love ✨: 🧠 [0:00] False vs True Anxiety 💊 [3:37] Why Birth Control Changed Everything for Dr. Vora 🔮 [4:38] Becoming a Witch: Reclaiming the Feminine 📊 [27:32] Dignity Behind a Paywall & Corporate Consumerism 🌸 [38:13] Learning to Cry Better & Unfelt Grief 💀 [44:35] Choosing Connection: When Her Mom Passed Away 🧬 [54:48] Male vs Female Brains & The Corpus Callosum 🌙 [27:32] Honoring Your Cycle: Yin & Yang of Menstruation ⚡ [38:13] Nervous System Rewiring & Unresolved Trauma 🐪 [1:04:29] Trust in Allah But Tie Your Camel LINKS Dr. Ellen Vora website: https://ellenvora.com/ Dr. Ellen Vora on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellenvoramd/ The Anatomy of Anxiety book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WX7mai Shop my Swell Score Storefront and get 20% off with code HEAL20 your first order. And if you want deeper, year-round savings, join their Wellness VIP Membership. Use code HWK to get a $25 gift card added automatically, plus enjoy 15–25% savings on purchases throughout the year. See where you can watch HEAL Documentary now by going to:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/documentary.html ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read The HEAL Book with double the content of the movie:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/book.html⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Email Community:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.healwithkelly.co/subscribe.html⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We spend so much time trying not to age… but the real question isn’t how not to age — it’s how can we age well? In this heartfelt conversation of the HEAL with Kelly Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Kerry Burnight, leading Gerontologist and author of the bestselling book Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half, to explore what it truly means to live a long, meaningful, and joy-filled life. We talk about how to expand not just your lifespan or healthspan, but your joyspan— the quality of your days, your relationships, and your inner life. Dr. Kerry shares inspiring insights on how joy differs from happiness, why internalized ageism keeps us from thriving, and how autonomy, purpose, and connection become essential nutrients as we grow older. We also talk about what really matters at the end of life — and how to start cultivating it right now, no matter your age. A beautiful reminder that aging isn’t something to fear—it’s a sacred invitation to grow, love, and live more fully. Key Moments You'll Love ✨: 🌟 [0:00] The Fountain of Youth is Actually Joy 📖 [2:30] How Joy Span Was Born From Elder Abuse Work 🌱 [8:45] The Four Pillars: Grow, Connect, Adapt & Give 🍕 [15:10] The Pizza Delivery Story: Problem Solving at 90 💝 [17:15] Connection & The Five Rings of Friendship 🧠 [24:07] Adapting Through Crisis: The Brain Tumor Story 🎯 [30:05] The Power of Purpose & Giving What You Have 🔄 [39:45] Internalized Ageism & The Silver Tsunami Myth 👨‍👩‍👧 [47:26] Building Your Village & Proactive Connection 🛏️ [53:56] Autonomy vs Safety: The Hospital Bed Lesson LINKS Dr. Kerry Burnight’s website: https://drkerryburnight.com/ Dr. Kerry Burnight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_gerontologist/ Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half book: https://amzn.to/4o5AOqM Shop my Swell Score Storefront and get 20% off with code HEAL20. And if you want deeper, year-round savings, join their Wellness VIP Membership. Use code HWK to get a $25 gift card added automatically, plus enjoy 15–25% savings on purchases throughout the year. SPONSORS HONEYLOVE: Go to https://www.honeylove.com/HEAL and use our exclusive link to get 20% OFF. See where you can watch HEAL Documentary now by going to:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/documentary.html ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read The HEAL Book with double the content of the movie:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/book.html⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Email Community:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.healwithkelly.co/subscribe.html⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you stripped away every distraction —  your screens, your routines, and even your ability to see? What hidden thoughts would rise to the surface? What suppressed emotions would finally have room to move? And what would catch up to you that you have been running from, for potentially years. In this episode, I sit down with Scott Berman, the founder of Sky Cave Retreats, which is the first darkness retreat center in the United States. Scott has spent more than 70 days in total darkness and has guided over 600 people through this profound inner journey. And after doing a darkness retreat myself, I finally understand why Sky Caves is booked out for 3 years and has a 3000-person waitlist. Darkness itself is a threat to the nervous system. And Scott lets everyone know who signs up that their system will probably not react the way they anticipate. He shares that the only thing one needs to bring is HONESTY, and what happens to those who don’t.  I share my experience during 4 nights and 3 days in pitch blackness and the profound breakthroughs that occurred when I stopped running from, escaping, and numbing my deepest, rawest feelings. This episode is for anyone curious about nervous system healing, the addiction to the stories that hijack our minds, or what becomes possible when you meet yourself with honesty, zero distractions, and the primordial pressure of the dark. Scott is a beautiful human who leaves us with this question before we enter the cave and turn off the lights: “What would nurture do in this moment?” The answer is usually what we should follow to create the safety in our system we are all searching for.    This episode is for all those who are afraid of the dark and those who are afraid of the parts of themselves that may be trapped in the darkest recesses of their subconscious. Luckily, Scott has the compassion, calm, and skills to hold our hand through it all.  Key Moments You'll Love ✨: 🌑 [0:00] Introduction & Most Surprising Reactions in the Dark 🕯️ [4:49] Scott's Biggest Fear & The Journey to Solitude ⛰️ [8:17] How Sky Cave Retreats Was Born From Personal Experience 🧘 [12:57] Why Spiritual People Often Struggle More in Darkness 💡 [17:39] The Evolution: From Trauma to Three-Day Experiences 🌊 [25:13] Darkness vs Plant Medicine: Subtle vs Peak Experiences 💔 [39:52] Kelly's Experience: Anger, Armor & The Scared Little Girl 🔥 [45:44] Discharging Rage & Finding What's Underneath ❤️ [57:19] The Zero Gravity Chair Revelation: Internal Freedom 🙏 [1:23:44] Shame, Judgment & The Permission to Be Authentic LINKS Sky Caves Retreat website: https://www.skycaveretreats.com/ Sky Cave Retreat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skycaveretreats/ See where you can watch HEAL Documentary now by going to:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/documentary.html ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read The HEAL Book with double the content of the movie:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/book.html⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Email Community:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.healwithkelly.co/subscribe.html⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is extra special because I’m joined by my precious and precocious six-year-old daughter, Riley Grace Gores — my favorite guest of all time. We sat down for a sweet and silly conversation about all the things that light her up — from fashion to Disneyland adventures, singing lessons, and what she dreams of being when she grows up.   We also talk about family memories, the fire that changed our lives, and what she’s learned about bravery, kindness, and joy along the way. Riley even shares her favorite and least favorite things about yours truly, her ideal superpower (it involves candy), and a favorite impersonation that she learned from a certain Dancing with the Stars host.    It’s a tender, funny, and endearing conversation that reminded me how much wisdom and innocence lives in a child’s heart — and how healing (and awakening!) it can be to see the world through their eyes. By the way, Riley made sure I treated her like an Amex and “DO NOT leave home without her” :) . I hope this episode brings a smile to your face and a little more light to your day.   👗 [0:55] Riley's Fashion Journey & Isabel Marant Obsession 🔥 [6:30] The Palisades Fire: A Kid's Perspective 💄 [8:48] Summer Fridays Lip Gloss & Sister Lauren's Success 🎤 [9:52] Singing Lessons, Crushes & School Adventures 🎢 [13:33] Disneyland vs Legoland: The Verdict 🚗 [17:42] The Car Lock-In Trauma Story 🩵 [20:00] Sports, Travel & Palm Beach Love 🍦 [24:39] Blue Dye Ice Cream Meltdown & Body Awareness 😂 [31:23] Favorite Ways to Relax & What Makes Riley Laugh 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 [33:12] What Kids Wish Adults Did Better SPONSORS:HONEYLOVE: Go to https://www.honeylove.com/HEAL and use our exclusive link to get 20% OFF. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The body is always speaking — through tension, emotion, intuition, and energy. The question is: are we listening? In this week’s episode, I sit down with my dear friend Dr. John Amaral — a world-renowned energy practitioner, chiropractor, and educator who has worked with thousands of people across more than 70 countries, including Oscar-winning actors, Grammy-winning musicians, Olympic athletes, and global leaders, including his decades-long collaboration with Tony Robbins. We explore how trauma and emotion get trapped in the body, why awareness is essential for growth, and how developing somatic and energetic sensitivity allows us to feel, truly feel, what’s happening beneath the surface.   We talk about the difference between releasing energy and avoiding emotion, how the body adapts when we lose choice, and why feeling deeply — rather than bypassing discomfort — is the key to genuine healing and embodiment. When you reconnect to your body and learn to really feel ALL of the feels, healing becomes not something you chase — but something that naturally unfolds.  Key Moments You'll Love ✨ 🌊 [0:00] Introduction 💫 [1:43] From Disconnection to Healing 🧠 [7:15] Understanding Somatic Awareness vs Physical Awareness ⭐ [9:20] The Subtle Body & Energy Fields Explained 🎯 [15:21] How Energy Fields Organize Matter & Disease ⚡ [22:47] Why We Somaticize Emotions Into Physical Pain 🔓 [31:05] Breaking Free From State-Changing Addictions 🌀 [46:35] The Adaptation Patterns & Losing Our Choice 💝 [52:56] Thawing Out Rigidity & Learning to Feel Again 🌟 [1:05:21] Somatic Energy Training & The Future of Medicine LINKS John Amaral website: https://johnamaral.com/ John Amaral on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjohnamaral/ Dr. John Amaral's Somatic Energy Training: https://somaticenergy.com/ See where you can watch HEAL Documentary now by going to:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/documentary.html ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Read The HEAL Book with double the content of the movie:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.co/book.html⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Email Community:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.healwithkelly.co/subscribe.html⁠⁠⁠ Join Our Substack: ⁠⁠⁠https://healwithkelly.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices