17. From Self-Abandonment to Self-Remembrance with Colleen Avis

In this honest and deeply reflective episode, Jess is joined by Colleen Avis—integrative life coach, mindfulness mentor, and author of the Sacred Spaces: Subtle Shifts for Mind, Body, and Home Transformation series. Their conversation covers everything from identity, healing, and the quiet, powerful process of coming home to yourself.

At just 16, Colleen’s life was upended when her father suddenly disappeared—abandoning her, her younger brother, and their mother without warning or support. Thrust into survival mode, they found themselves navigating deep scarcity, even relying on dumpster diving for food. That rupture shaped the next several decades of Colleen’s life, leading to patterns of self-abandonment, overachieving, and disconnect as she tried to outrun her pain.

But eventually, the version of herself she had created to cope began to crack—and she couldn’t ignore the whispers from within any longer.

Jess and Colleen explore:

• How childhood trauma and scarcity can lead to self-abandonment
• The identities we build to survive—and how to slowly unravel them
• The power of asking “Who am I?” and honoring the answer
• Why healing isn’t always loud—it often starts with stillness
• What it looks like to return to yourself, one subtle shift at a time
  
  

This episode is a compassionate invitation to pause, soften, and remember who you were before the world told you who to be. If you’re in a season of transition or craving deeper alignment, this one’s for you.

About Colleen Avis

Colleen Avis supports personal transformation through a grounded and holistic approach. She helps individuals design lives and environments that reflect who they truly are—spaces where authenticity, confidence, and joy feel natural and sustainable. Drawing on over a decade of expertise and her personal healing journey, Colleen walks alongside clients as they move through change with clarity, self-trust, and renewed purpose. Her work helps untangle long-held beliefs, interrupt patterns that no longer serve, and uncover the quiet truths beneath the noise. As a certified integrative life coach, Ayurveda health and mindfulness mentor, and yoga instructor, Colleen helps clients reconnect with what’s essential—within themselves and in the environments that hold them.

Learn More about Colleen Avis and Sacred Spaces: 

Website: https://www.colleenaviscoaching.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleen_avis_coaching/

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour