Welcome to the Rose Woman Podcast. Today, we’re exploring how fear can shape the way we see ourselves and how we can begin choosing a different path.
My guest is Dr. Todd Burstain, MD, a physician, researcher, healthcare leader, and author with more than three decades of experience in medicine. He served as Chief Medical Information Officer at UW Medicine and Ochsner Health, where he focused on using technology, data, and science to improve healthcare. He has also led and published large-scale research and held national leadership roles in clinical informatics.
Throughout his career, Dr. Burstain became curious about a deeply personal question: How do the experiences that frighten and hurt us shape the way we understand ourselves? That question inspired his book, Fear Itself: Learning to See Yourself Through New Eyes. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and clinical experience, the book explores how the brain’s protective responses can influence our identities, relationships, and behavior long after the original threat has passed. It helps readers recognize fear-driven patterns, question the stories they’ve internalized, and reconnect with a more authentic sense of self. The book introduces eight fear-driven identities and offers a ten-step process for creating new meaning and seeing ourselves differently.
In this episode, we discuss how fear works, how it shows up in everyday life, and practical ways to respond with greater awareness and choice. Fear Itself is now available on Amazon, with the audiobook on Spotify. If the book speaks to you, I invite you to pick up a copy and, after reading it, consider leaving a review to help other readers discover it.
In this episode, we cover:
Helpful links:
Your host:
Courses, Retreats and Events by Christine:
Brought to you by Rosebud Woman, Award Winning Intimate and Body Care:
Founder, Rosebud Woman
Co-Founder, Radiant Farms and Sundari Gardens
Host, The Rose Woman on Love and Liberation:
Listen, Like, Share & Subscribe on Apple Podcast | Spotify
","author_name":"Christine Marie Mason"}