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Episode 236: The Beginner’s Guide to Shadow Work

February 2, 2026 · 18 min

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In this episode of Unf*ck Your Relationships, I break down what shadow work actually is, why so many self-aware women still feel stuck after years of healing, and how hidden parts of you quietly run your relationships, boundaries, and self-worth.Shadow work isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about understanding the parts of you that learned to people please, shut down, over-explain, or self-abandon to feel safe. I explain that these patterns weren’t random, they were survival strategies formed when love or safety felt conditional. This is why behaviour is never the real issue, triggers point to the core wound underneath, and insight alone isn’t enough to create change.This episode is about moving from managing your patterns to leading yourself, by building awareness, nervous system safety, and embodied action, so you’re no longer run by old fears of rejection or abandonment, and can show up in relationships from self-connection, safety, and confidence.WORK WITH MICHELLE:Join THE CONNECTED WOMAN, a course for the woman who wants to go from anxious & self-abandoning in relationships to secure, confident and unf*ckwithable: https://michellepanning.com/the-connected-womanSign up for THE EXPERIENCE, an exclusive 12-month mentorship experience where you go all in on YOU (aka, you get direct access to me as a mentor, access to every offer I run over your year, and MORE): https://michellepanning.com/the-experienceCONNECT WITH MICHELLE:Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/michellepanningWebsite: http://www.michellepanning.com

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