EFR 921: Why You People-Please: Understanding the Fawning Trauma Response (Toxic Hope vs Reality) with Dr. Ingrid Clayton
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
Release Date: 01/26/2026
EFR 931: The Simple Philosophy That Will Help You Discover Your Purpose in Life with James Beshara
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by Audible, and In this deeply philosophical conversation, James Beshara explores the timeless question of who we really are beneath our roles, labels, and ambitions, drawing from Vedanta, psychology, and modern life. Through powerful metaphors like the allegory of the cave and the hero’s journey, James challenges the idea that we’re defined by our careers, identities, or need to belong—arguing instead that most people are “living in shadows,” mistaking societal conditioning for truth. The discussion reveals how our fear of rejection keeps us from...
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EFR 930: How to Make Heartbreak Suck LESS - Why You Can’t Let Go of Your Ex (And How to Finally Move On for Good) with Cole Zesiger
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by , and Breakups don’t just hurt emotionally—they rewire your brain. Cole Zesiger is here to unpack the science of heartbreak, why it can feel like addiction, and what actually helps you move forward. He dives into the truth about no-contact, attachment styles, and why many people stay stuck chasing closure or clinging to the idea of “the one.” Cole also shares practical strategies to rebuild your life after a breakup, explaining how healing comes from creating meaning, regulating your emotions, and building a life that feels better than the one...
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EFR 929: WELLNESS FATIGUE - The Hidden Reason Your Health Isn’t Improving (Stress, Gut Health & Burnout) with Dana James and Madison Miller
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by In this episode of Ever Forward Radio, we sit down with wellness experts and holistic nutritionists from Ancient + Brave, Dana James and Madison Miller, to unpack the modern epidemic of “wellness fatigue”—why more information, supplements, and optimization tools aren’t necessarily making us healthier. We dive deep into the hidden role of stress, the nervous system, and gut health, revealing how chronic cortisol, subconscious belief systems, and overcomplicated routines may be sabotaging progress. From practical insights on sleep, nutrition, and...
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EFR 928: How to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Protect Your Brain and How to Get Smarter at Any Age with Dr. Majid Fotuhi
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by , and Today we sit down with neurologist and brain health expert Majid Fotuhi, MD, PhD, author of , to challenge conventional thinking about Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. Dr. Fotuhi explains why Alzheimer’s may not be a single disease but rather the result of multiple processes—including inflammation, poor sleep, metabolic dysfunction, and lifestyle factors—that accumulate over time. The conversation explores the science behind brain shrinkage, the role of sleep in clearing toxins from the brain, why exercise may be one of the most...
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EFR 927: Why Healthy People Still Have Heart Attacks - Nitric Oxide & Heart Disease Explained by Dr. Christopher Davis
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by , , and Heart disease is still the number one cause of death worldwide, yet most people misunderstand what actually causes cardiovascular disease. In this episode of Ever Forward Radio, we sit down with interventional cardiologist Dr. Christopher Davis, MD to break down the real drivers of heart disease, the role of cholesterol, and why nitric oxide may be one of the most important molecules for cardiovascular health. This masterclass explores the science behind oxidized LDL, endothelial dysfunction, nitric oxide production, inflammation, and...
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EFR 926: Is C15:0 Just Another Wellness Industry Scam? The TRUTH About Saturated Fat and Essential Fatty Acids with Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
In this episode, we sit down again with veterinary epidemiologist and Fatty15 co-founder Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson to explore the emerging science behind C15:0, an odd-chain saturated fatty acid increasingly recognized as potentially essential for human health. The conversation begins by addressing skepticism and online claims that C15:0 research is a “scam,” before diving into the human and epidemiological evidence showing that higher circulating levels of C15:0 are associated with lower cardiometabolic disease risk. Dr. Venn-Watson explains why not all saturated fats behave the same...
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EFR 925: Astaxanthin: The Anti-Inflammatory Longevity SECRET You've Never Heard Of (Backed by 4,000 Studies) with David Watumull
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by In this episode, David Watumull breaks down the science behind astaxanthin — a powerful carotenoid antioxidant backed by over 4,000 peer-reviewed papers and 100+ human clinical trials — and explains why it may be one of the most underappreciated longevity compounds available today. The conversation explores how astaxanthin anchors across cellular membranes to protect mitochondria from oxidative stress, reduce chronic inflammation (“inflammaging”), support cardiovascular health by lowering oxidized LDL and CRP, and cross the blood-brain barrier to...
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EFR 924: How Fermented Foods Lower Inflammation by 25% and The Gut Health Strategy That Could Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease and More with Tim Spector
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by , , In this conversation, Dr. Tim Spector breaks down why modern life has quietly dismantled our relationship with fermented foods and how that loss may be fueling inflammation, metabolic disease, and poor mental health. Drawing from the landmark Stanford fermented foods study, he explains how just a few daily servings of fermented foods lowered inflammatory markers by 25%, outperforming fiber alone in immune impact. He outlines the hierarchy of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, why ultra-processed foods sabotage gut health, and how eating 30 diverse...
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EFR 923: Hydrogen Water Explained: The Smallest Molecule with Massive Health Benefits with Greg the Hydrogen Man
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by and What if the smallest molecule in the universe could have the biggest impact on your health? Welcome "Greg the Hydrogen Man" to explore the science, controversy, and real-world application of hydrogen water and molecular hydrogen therapy. This conversation goes beyond hydration — it explores how hydrogen acts as a biological signal, how it interacts with oxygen, and why it may be foundational to cellular health. Whether you’re into biohacking, longevity, performance, or holistic health, this episode will challenge how you think about water and what it...
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EFR 922: The Real Reason You Can’t Break Bad Habits (It’s Not Willpower)! Psychologist Explains the Science of Identity with Dr. Adi Jaffe
Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning
This episode is brought to you by , and In this episode of Ever Forward Radio, psychologist and addiction expert Dr. Adi Jaffe reframes addiction, compulsive behavior, and self-sabotage as intelligent coping strategies rather than personal failures. He explains why labeling people as “addicts” creates shame and traps identity, how early childhood and even preverbal experiences shape adult behavior, and why most habits don’t change through awareness alone. Dr. Jaffe introduces his SPARO Behavioral Loop—stimulus, perception, activation, response, outcome—to show how emotions and...
info_outlineThis episode is brought to you by LMNT, Audible and Strong Coffee Company.
You’ve probably heard of the trauma responses fight, flight, and freeze — but there’s a fourth response that may be shaping your life without you even realizing it: fawning.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Ingrid Clayton, PhD a clinical psychologist, trauma therapist, and author of Fawning, to understand why people-pleasing, over-accommodating, and self-abandonment are not personality flaws — they’re intelligent survival responses your nervous system learned to keep you safe.
You’ll learn how fawning develops when fight, flight, or freeze aren’t available — especially in childhood, unequal power dynamics, toxic relationships, and work environments where your safety or stability feels at risk. You’ll also discover how living in a chronic fawn response can quietly disconnect you from your needs, your voice, your body, and your sense of self.
This conversation helps you recognize why “just setting boundaries” often feels impossible, why you may disappear in relationships, and why choosing yourself can feel terrifying even when you know something needs to change. Most importantly, you’ll hear why none of this means something is wrong with you — you make sense.
If you’ve been stuck in survival mode, waiting for permission, approval, or safety outside yourself, this episode will help you understand what’s been happening beneath the surface — and how you can begin moving forward by reconnecting with who you truly are.
Follow Ingrid @ingridclaytonphd
Follow Chase @chase_chewning
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00:00 – Introducing the “Fourth F”: What Is Fawning?
02:16 – Why Fawning Is Not a Conscious Choice
03:40 – Power, Safety, and Why Fight or Flight Aren’t Always Options
07:43 – Living in Chronic Survival Mode
09:27 – When Fawning Becomes Your “Personality”
12:09 – Empaths, Hypervigilance, and Nervous System Trauma
13:40 – Apologizing to People Who Hurt You
16:22 – Befriending Bullies as De-Escalation
20:29 – Gender, Power, and Why Context Matters
24:03 – Ignoring a Partner’s Bad Behavior
26:43 – Toxic Hope vs Reality
28:27 – Presence as a Path Out of Fawning
31:24 – Reality as a Regulating Force
35:02 – Fawning in the Workplace & Overgiving
37:26 – Choosing Yourself for the First Time
40:29 – Becoming Who You Already Are
43:56 – Why “Just Set Boundaries” Fails Trauma Survivors
48:02 – Listening to Yourself as the Path Forward
51:12 – Writing Fawning & Seeing the Bigger System
55:06 – Somatic Tools to Regulate the Nervous System
01:02:27 – Health Costs of Chronic Fawning
01:04:03 – Self-Abandonment Explained
01:06:19 – What “Ever Forward” Means Through Trauma Healing
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Episode resources:
- FREE electrolyte sample pack with any purchase at https://www.DrinkLMNT.com/everforward
- FREE 30-day trial of my favorite audiobook app at https://www.AudibleTrial.com/everforward
- 15% off organic lattes and coffee with code CHASE at https://www.StrongCoffeeCompany.com
- Watch and subscribe on YouTube
- Get Dr. Clayton's book "Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back"