Rena Malik, MD Podcast Moment: The Real Reason You Repeat the Same Relationships (It’s Not Bad Luck)
Jan 21, 2026
In this discussion, Jessica Baum, a licensed psychotherapist and author, shares her expertise on healing attachment wounds and emotional trauma. She explains how unresolved childhood experiences shape adult relationships and the importance of experiencing vulnerability in therapy. Topics also include the roles of protectors like workaholism, and the profound connections between trauma and sexual health. Baum presents practical strategies for personal growth and emphasizes the necessity of finding the right support for meaningful change.
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Re-Experiencing Wounds Changes The Body
- Healing requires re-experiencing early wounds within safety so the nervous system updates expectations.
- Jessica Baum emphasizes that disconfirming relational experiences change how your body stores memories.
Avoidance Protects But Fuels Repetition
- Avoidance functions as a necessary protector but also causes the wound to replay in indirect ways.
- Jessica Baum argues that meeting wounds in safety prevents them from unconsciously making choices for you.
Therapy Revealed Younger Parts And Freedom
- Jessica Baum recounts long-term therapy that unearthed younger parts and felt intense but led to greater freedom.
- She says walking through the pain beat repeating patterns that nearly harmed her life.
