Conversations With Maria Menounos

Hey, Heal Squad! We are joined by the real life ex-wife of the Wolf of Wall Street, Dr. Nadine Macaluso, and in this quick Heal in 10, she explains how trauma bonds form, why “high-functioning neurotics” often get stuck in toxic relationships, and how adaptive survival strategies from childhood like (people-pleasing or compartmentalizing) can end up keeping us trapped as adults. She also shares the truth about coercive control: it’s not always visible, but it works by belittling, micromanaging, threatening, and breaking someone down until they lose their sense of self. And here’s the empowering part, Dr. Nadine gives us the tools to start unwinding these patterns, from learning to say “no” to finally trusting that gut feeling we so often ignore. PLUS, we get into the science behind intuition,  including the vagus nerve and how your body actually warns you of danger before your mind catches up. If you’ve ever felt “crazy” in a relationship or questioned your own instincts, this episode will remind you: your