Couch Talk W/ Dr. Anna Cabeca

Growing up with a mom struggling with severe mental illness, Karena Dawn learned early what it meant to carry heavy things in silence. That experience shaped so much of her life—including the dark years she rarely talked about. In this episode, she shares her journey from that painful silence to healing, forgiveness, and ultimately, purpose. We talk about how fitness became her lifeline and how she found her voice by telling the truth in her powerful memoir, The Big Silence. You may know Karena as the co-founder of Tone It Up, a wellness community that’s inspired millions of women—but behind the fitness empire is a woman who's walked through deep grief, trauma, and recovery. She shares what it was like to care for her mom after a stroke, how she’s working to break the stigma around mental illness, and why mental wellness is now at the heart of everything she does—including her work with The Big Silence Foundation and the board of NAMI. She opens up about how trauma can sneak into our health—especially during