Let’s Get Real with Jena Burris
Welcome to Let’s Get Real, the podcast for women who feel like they’re holding it all together on the outside… but falling apart on the inside.
If you’re exhausted from pretending, overwhelmed by the pressure to be everything for everyone, or unsure who you even are anymore—you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy.
Let’s Get Real is where we have honest conversations about the struggles most people avoid—healing emotional wounds, losing yourself in motherhood, rebuilding your identity, and learning how to live whole again.
I’m Jena Burris—wife, mom, and your host. With a background in marriage and family therapy, life coaching, and years spent navigating life behind the scenes of the NFL and Hollywood, I’m passionate about creating a space where real conversations lead to real healing.
Each week, you’ll hear real stories, practical tools, and the reminder that freedom is closer than you think. Because I believe that in order to heal, we have to get real.
New episodes every Tuesday. Real talk. Real tools. Real healing.
For speaking inquiries, brand partnerships, or workshop opportunities, visit www.jenaburris.com or email jena@jenaburris.com.
Let’s Get Real with Jena Burris
How Healing Ourselves Can Heal the World with Phyllis Leavitt
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How Healing Ourselves Can Heal the World with Phyllis Leavitt
Have you ever felt like the world is just… too much?
Too divided. Too loud. Too angry.
It’s easy to feel helpless when you look around and wonder, “How could anything I do possibly make a difference?”
But what if the greatest impact you could ever make on the world starts with healing what’s inside of you?
That’s the question we’re exploring in today’s conversation with Phyllis Leavitt, a psychotherapist and author who spent more than 30 years helping people work through trauma, family conflict, and deep emotional disconnection. Her newest book, America in Therapy, takes the same principles she’s used to help families heal—and applies them to an entire nation.
Because according to Phyllis, the same wounds that break families are the ones breaking society.
And the same tools that restore connection at home can restore compassion in the world.
The First Step in Healing: Relief
Phyllis shared that when someone begins the healing journey, the first thing she notices isn’t clarity, or joy—it’s relief.
Relief that they don’t have to pretend anymore.
Relief that they can cry without being judged.
Relief that someone finally sees them beneath the layers of coping and survival.
That’s the beginning of trust. And from that trust comes transformation.
“Whatever happened to you is not who you are.” — Phyllis Leavitt
When we experience that kind of acceptance, we begin to soften. We let go of self-blame. And we start to reconnect with the part of us that’s always been whole—just hidden under years of survival.
The Ripple Effect of Healing
Phyllis has seen hundreds of clients change their lives—and in doing so, change the world around them.
Parents who stopped yelling and started listening.
Leaders who stopped controlling and started empowering.
Individuals who stopped hiding and started showing up authentically.
Why This Conversation Matters
We’re living in a time of deep polarization and pain. But Phyllis believes—and I do too—that hope starts closer to home than we think.
It starts in our hearts.
In our families.
In the small, daily choices we make to respond with love instead of fear.
Healing is not selfish. It’s sacred work.
It’s how we make the world gentler, one person at a time.
If you loved this episode, click here to explore how healing your own heart can transform your relationships, leadership, and the world around you, starting today.
Connect with Phyllis Leavitt:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phyllis.leavitt
Website: https://www.phyllisleavitt.com/
P.S. If this episode resonates with you, please reach out. I truly want to hear your story. You can DM me on Instagram @jenaburris or email me at jena@jenaburris.com. Your voice matters — and I’m here for you.