How to Heal Without Pretending You're Okay | Dr. Cristi Bundukamara EP357

Send us Fan Mail At some point, life changes all of us. Maybe you've experienced the loss of someone you love, divorce, burnout, a frightening diagnosis, children leaving home, menopause, or simply woke up one day and realized you didn't recognize yourself anymore. People often tell us to "be strong," but very few teach us what mental strength actually looks like. In this heartfelt episode of **It's Hertime**, Cody Jean Sanders sits down with psychiatric nurse practitioner, Army veteran, retired Navy Reserve Commander, author, and creator of the **Mentally STRONG Method**, **Dr. Cristi Bundukamara (Dr. B)**, for a conversation about grief, burnout, emotional resilience, and healing after life's hardest seasons. After experiencing unimaginable personal loss—including the loss of three children and her husband—Dr. B combined her professional expertise with her own journey through grief to develop a practical framework that helps people move forward without pretending they're okay. Today, she teaches thousands of people how to build genuine mental strength through practical, everyday tools rooted in both clinical psychology and lived experience.  In this episode, we discuss: - What mental strength actually looks like (and what it doesn't) - Why understanding your emotions isn't always enough to create healing - The difference between grief, burnout, depression, and chronic stress - Why so many women feel stuck after major life transitions - How perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking, and staying busy can become unhealthy coping mechanisms - The connection between hormones, stress, and emotional health - How to stop catastrophic thinking and regulate your nervous system - What it means to grieve the version of yourself you used to be - Practical daily habits that build resilience over time - How to begin trusting yourself again If you've ever felt like you had to hold it all together for everyone else, this conversation is for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, fresh perspective, and the reminder that healing doesn't require pretending everything is fine. Connect with Dr. Cristi Bundukamara 🌐 **Website:** Mentally STRONG 🎙 **Speaker Website:** Dr. Cristi Bundukamara 🧠 **The Mentally STRONG Method:** Learn the Mentally STRONG Method Connect with Cody Jean Sanders 📸 Instagram: @codyjeansanders 🎙 Subscribe to **It's Hertime** for weekly conversations that help women better understand their hormones, metabolism, mental health, and how to build a healthier, happier, more colorful life. If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need this conversation today? You never know whose life might be changed by hearing the message that they don't have to pretend they're okay in order to begin healing. Did you learn something new today? Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share this episode with all the girls you love. We would appreciate it if you'd also leave us a rating and review on iTunes. Want to join our Mixhers Girl community and keep this conversation going? We'd love to hear your thoughts, feelings and experiences! Join us HERE! Join Mixhers email list and be the first to have access to new products and be the girl in the know! Follow Cody Instagram: @codyjeansanders