Unmasking the Self: How to Peel Back Layers and Reconnect to Your Core — Alicia Zielinski Straub

On this episode of Wellness Reimagined, host Shreya and licensed professional counselor Alicia Zielinski Straub unpack what “unmasking” really means—moving beyond conditioning, perfectionism, and performance to meet your core self with honesty. Alicia blends clinical counseling, somatic practices, breathwork, and yoga to show how the body tells the truth even when the mind spins. We cover leaving a high-pressure corporate career, navigating fear versus excitement during transitions, building nervous-system safety, and why discomfort is often the price of growth. If you’re seeking grounded, practical ways to get out of contraction, reconnect with purpose, and create genuine alignment, this conversation is for you.

About the guest:

Alicia Zielinski Straub is a Licensed Professional Counselor, somatic facilitator, yoga teacher, and retreat host. She guides clients to uncover authenticity through mindfulness, body awareness, and nervous-system informed tools—often taking the work into nature for deeper integration.

Key takeaways:

• Unmasking starts by noticing where you’re performing or people-pleasing; authenticity grows when you choose belonging over “fitting in.”

• Your body is reliable data: tension, shallow breath, and tightness signal contraction; ease and presence signal safety and alignment.

• Somatic skills—breath, stillness, orientation to senses—help shift from hypervigilance to parasympathetic “rest and digest,” where insight and choice return.

• Discomfort can be a cue for growth: step outside the familiar in small, repeatable ways to reset your baseline of safety and capacity.

• Habits aren’t identity: implicit patterns run on autopilot until you slow down, feel, and rewire with consistent practice.

• Supportive environments matter: nonjudgmental, curious communities help nervous systems relax so change can stick.

• Nature amplifies integration; walking and movement consolidate insights that arise in stillness or talk therapy.

• Practical checkpoints: track body signals, schedule daily micro-practices (2–5 minutes), and design “minimum viable” steps for change.

Connect with the guest:

• Website/Email: https://aliciazstraubcounseling.com/ (contact email available on site)
• Instagram & Facebook: @journeywithalicia

• Email/phone available via her website.

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Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer.

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