Sara Banyan, actress and film-maker, discussing childhood trauma

Show Notes

Keywords

trauma, healing, spirituality, self-trust, storytelling, mental health, survivors, empowerment, personal growth, coaching

Summary

In this conversation, Sara Banyan shares her profound journey of overcoming trauma and the impact it has had on her life. From her early struggles with depression and confusion to discovering the roots of her pain in childhood trauma, Sara emphasises the importance of understanding and addressing trauma. She discusses the role of spirituality in her healing process, the significance of self-trust, and the challenges of sharing her truth with others. Through her experiences, she highlights the power of storytelling and the creation of her film, aimed at empowering survivors and fostering a movement of belief and support.

Takeaways

Sara's journey began with a struggle against depression and confusion.

Trauma can manifest in various ways, affecting mental, emotional, and physical health.

Spirituality played a crucial role in Sara's healing process.

Learning to trust oneself is essential for recovery from trauma.

People-pleasing behaviours often stem from past trauma and insecurity.

It's important to find safe spaces to share one's story.

Survivors should focus on their own healing beyond trying to help others.

The impact of trauma can create invisible scars that affect daily life.

Storytelling can be a powerful tool for healing and empowerment.

Creating a supportive community is vital for survivors.

Sound bites

"I struggled to want to live."

"You can't rush your healing."

"I believe you."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sara Banyan's Journey

01:55 Unpacking Trauma and Its Effects

07:51 The Role of Spirituality in Healing

11:49 Learning to Trust Oneself

16:51 Navigating the World of Acting and Public Perception

22:39 Embracing Individuality and Authenticity

24:12 Embracing Individuality in Healing

25:52 Navigating Political Distractions and Social Media

27:36 The Importance of Self-Care and Healing

31:23 Listening and Believing Survivors

33:21 Finding the Right Support for Trauma

36:59 The Journey to Enlightenment

38:35 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

41:47 Sharing Your Truth and Empowerment

44:02 Creating Change Through Storytelling

 

 

Sarah Banyan Transcript

 

Melanie Suzanne Wilson (00:00)

Welcome, Sarah Banyan, to the podcast. It is an honour to have you here and, and you have quite a story. So let's dive right in, and I'm ready to hear what's your story.

 

Sara Banyan (00:18)

Woo, thank you, Melanie, it's so nice to meet you. ⁓ So my story is like everyone, we all have incredible stories of how we've gotten here, so I'm gonna try and keep mine very brief. ⁓ I grew up in a small town in Northern California, I became an actress, I worked in film and TV, and ⁓ I started developing a coaching system. And started working with a ton of actors, athletes, hosts, and entertainers. At the same time, while I was succeeding, it was like the duck underwater, you know, just constantly paddling, paddling, paddling, and feeling like I was just swimming to stay afloat because of my own struggle with depression, with confusion, with physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual issues that were arising from something that I couldn't figure out. And being a child of two shrinks, I did have access to some incredible psychiatric care, but no one was. I got a lot of people diagnosing me, but a lot of different things happening; I was consistent. No one could figure it out. And I just knew that most, that I had a lot of highs, but

 

Melanie Suzanne Wilson (01:36)

No one could figure that.

 

Sara Banyan (01:45)

I also struggled to want to like be here a lot of the time. And it wasn't that I wanted to kill myself, it's that I was struggling to want to live. And I couldn't understand a well of pain inside of me. And in my early 40s, I was seeing a psychiatrist in Los Angeles for over a year and a half. And he finally said, I think what we're dealing with is trauma. And he said specifically pre-verbal. And that… then he referred me to a colleague of his who specialised in extreme