The Virtuous Woman Trap (and Why You Feel So Damn Empty) with Dr. Julie Merriman
About this episode
This episode explores the virtuous woman trap and its impact on women's identity and emotional health with Dr. Julie Merriman.
What if your burnout isn’t about doing too much…but about believing your value comes from being needed? This week on Transforming 45, Lisa sits down with Dr. Julie Merriman—PhD, Certified Sex Counselor, trauma specialist, and creator of Soul Joy™—for a conversation that goes way deeper than “self-care.” They unpack the virtuous woman trap: the lifelong conditioning that teaches women to over-function, over-give, and override their own needs… until they don’t even feel themselves anymore. This episode is about nervous system survival, emotional numbness, identity loss—and what it actually takes to come home to yourself again. 🎧 New episodes drop every Thursday Listen on all podcast platforms + YouTube In this episode we talk about: The “good girl” conditioning that wires women for burnout Why high-achieving women feel empty (even when they’re successful) What “functional freeze” actually looks like in real life The moment Lisa realized: “I don’t feel my feet” Why you can’t think your way out of a feeling problem How disconnection impacts intimacy, desire, and relationships The truth about masculinity, safety, and emotional regulation Empty nest grief and identity loss in midlife…
People in this episode
Host: Lisa Boate
Guest: Dr. Julie Merriman
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Soul Joy™
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