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Canaries in the Coal Mine

Canaries in the Coal Mine

By: Shannon
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About this listen

Welcome to Canaries in the Coal Mine—a podcast and YouTube channel for sensitive souls, truth-tellers, and cycle-breakers who see the fire before anyone else smells the smoke.



I’m Shannon—recovering party girl, trauma survivor, boundary-setter, and fellow feel-everything-er—and I’m here to help you stop gaslighting yourself, set sacred boundaries, and remember: your sensitivity is your superpower.


If you were raised around addiction, narcissism, codependency, or emotional neglect, you might feel like you're too much, too emotional, or just plain broken.



But here's the truth:
💛 You're not broken. You're not crazy. You're just the canary.



Through raw conversations, grounded tools, and gently rebellious truth-telling, we’ll explore healing from trauma, setting boundaries without guilt, reparenting ourselves, and rebuilding the nervous system—one deep breath at a time.



No toxic positivity. No bullshit. Just soul-level self-care, emotional wisdom, and some dry humor to get us through the hard stuff.


Whether you're just beginning to question your family patterns or knee-deep in breaking generational cycles—you belong here.




🎙️ New episodes every week.




Let’s stay connected:
🕊️ Free healing guide: www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com
📬 Email: shannon@thecanariesinthecoalmine.com
🎥 YouTube: @thecanariesinthecoalmine


© 2025 Canaries in the Coal Mine
Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • I Finally Told My Narcissistic Father the Truth About Our Childhood
    Jun 30 2025

    Narcissistic parent. Gaslighting. Childhood trauma. Estrangement. Emotional neglect. This video shares what happened when I confronted my father after years of silence and denial.

    It’s been one year since my father and I last spoke.
    Not because of a fight.
    But because I told the truth—about our childhood.
    About the emotional neglect.
    About the alcohol.
    About the silence.
    About the damage.

    This is the most personal video I’ve ever made.

    If you were raised by someone who gaslit you, denied your reality, or acted like your pain was a performance—this is for you.

    You’re not too sensitive. You’re not making it up. You’re remembering. And that means… you’re healing.


    ✨ Inside this video:
    • The final conversation I had with my narcissistic, emotionally immature father
    • How gaslighting distorts your memories
    • What emotional sobriety really means
    • Why estrangement isn’t cruelty—it’s clarity
    • How ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) gave me language, tools, and a path to healing
    • The radical power of saying: I was there. I remember. It mattered.



    📘 Mentioned in this video:
    • Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) Red Book
    • Melody Beattie – Book 'Codependent No More'


    Stay connected with me:
    🕊️ Morning Love Notes: https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/c6ivxhp4ti
    🎙️ Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: Search “Canaries in the Coal Mine”
    🛒 Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/canariesinthecoalmine
    📚 Visit The Canary Book Nook to browse the books that helped me heal: https://www.amazon.com/shop/canariesinthecoalmine/list/1UWPJFRWMMC0E?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_FHGV4NFMGJRZBN17BJED
    Subscribe here: @thecanariesinthecoalmine


    💬 Tell me in the comments:
    Have you ever tried to speak the truth to a parent who just... refused to hear it?




    #narcissisticfather #gaslighting #emotionalabuse #adultchildrenofalcoholics #cptsd #cyclebreaker #estrangement #innerchildhealing #nocontact #canariesinthecoalmine

    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • What It Really Means to Be the 'Cycle Breaker'
    Jun 16 2025

    Being a cycle breaker means healing generational trauma, setting boundaries, and choosing truth—even when it hurts. In this video, we explore what it really means to break toxic family patterns.

    Being the first in your family to say “no more” can feel lonely, exhausting, and invisible.
    But you are not broken. You are the beginning. 💛

    In today’s video, we’re talking about the unspoken truth of being the cycle breaker:
    the grief, the courage, the healing—and why it often feels like you’re falling apart before you come back home to yourself.

    If you’ve ever felt like the “too sensitive one,” the black sheep, or the emotional truth-teller no one clapped for—this is for you.

    👇 Grab the Free Companion Guide
    This downloadable PDF includes reflections, grounding tools, and affirmations to support you through the sacred (and often brutal) process of breaking the cycle.
    📥 [Insert Your Download Link Here]
    (No spam. No fluff. Just something to hold onto.)

    ✨ Subscribe for more healing conversations:
    https://www.youtube.com/@UCBqiRQtjkiWM-0CQ6tSaBuQ

    Stay connected with me:
    🕊️ Morning Love Notes: https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/c6ivxhp4ti
    🎙️ Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: Search “Canaries in the Coal Mine”
    🛒 Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/canariesinthecoalmine
    📚 The Canary Book Nook: https://www.amazon.com/shop/canariesinthecoalmine/list/1UWPJFRWMMC0E?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_FHGV4NFMGJRZBN17BJED




    #cyclebreakers #GenerationalHealing #cyclebreaker #TraumaHealing #dysfunctionalfamily

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • What Is Trauma, Really? (It's Not What You Think)
    May 19 2025

    Trauma isn’t always what we think.
    It doesn’t just come from war zones, accidents, or abuse.

    Sometimes, trauma comes quietly—from emotional neglect, disconnection, or growing up without the support you needed.

    In this healing deep-dive, we'll gently unpack:
    ✔️ What trauma really is (it's not the event-it's the body's response)
    ✔️ The difference between Big "T" and little "t" trauma
    ✔️ How emotional neglect and ongoing stress impact your nervous system
    ✔️ Common trauma responses like fawn, freeze, hyper-independence, and minimization
    ✔️ 5 Grounding Truths to help healing

    We're pulling insight from trusted trauma experts like Dr. Gabor Maté, Pete Walker, Glennon Doyle, Melody Beattie, and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk-along with real-world experiences that will help you feel seen, not pathologized.

    Because if you've been asking "What's wrong with me?" for years…
    It might be time to ask: "What happened to me?"

    -

    ✨ FREE DOWNLOADS for Sensitive Souls

    📝 NEW! What Counts as Trauma (And Why You're Not Crazy)
    👉 https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/7p5rqdzs20

    📘 Free Boundary Worksheet to complement the boundary episode
    👉 https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/9fm4dggzsl

    🛟 The Canary's Survival Guide – 7 Tools for Sensitive Souls
    👉 https://mailchi.mp/7d6d2342bb0b/the-canarys-survival-guide

    -

    💬 Let's Stay Connected --- Join the Canary Community!
    👉 Subscribe for weekly truth-telling, healing tools, and Canary content:
    🌐 Website: https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/
    📧 Email: shannon@thecanariesinthecoalmine.com


    -

    🎧 Prefer to Listen? New Podcast Episodes Every Monday at 6 AM:

    🎙 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/canaries-in-the-coal-mine/id1806861012

    🎙 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3YCPsXAhhgZ2zFoGgu0pux?si=f45eca1bae7449ed

    🎙 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fdcdd068-5132-4500-9b21-f4b747bbed54/canaries-in-the-coal-mine

    -

    ⚠️ Disclaimer:
    I am not a licensed therapist. This content is for educational purposes only. Please consult a licensed mental health professional if you need additional support.

    -

    #WhatIsTrauma #TraumaHealing #CPTSDRecovery #cptsd #EmotionalNeglect #childhoodtrauma #CanariesInTheCoalMine

    Show More Show Less
    21 mins

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