How to Make Peace with Self-Doubt, Grief, and Being the 'Chill,' Low-Maintenance Woman — with Dr. Ellen Vora

A decade ago, Dr. Ellen Vora was six months pregnant when her mother died suddenly. Weeks later, lying on an acupuncturist's table, she heard: "I have a message coming through from your mom." She's not a psychic. She's a Yale- and Columbia-trained psychiatrist, and that moment cracked open everything she thought she knew about medicine, grief, and what it means to trust what you can't prove.Ellen is back at The Brave Table with her new book, Season of the Witch: A Psychiatrist's Case for Magic. We talk about why she believes we're all witches, the real cost of being the "chill," low-maintenance woman, why women healers were hunted, and the five practices for reclaiming the parts of yourself you were taught to exile. And she shares, for the first time on this show, what her sister found in their mother's desk.What you'll get from this episodeEllen's definition of a witch, and why she thinks every woman has one inside herThe hidden cost of performing the 'chill girl': how silencing your body's needs becomes a betrayal of the selfThe acupuncture session, the message from her mom, and the 'who knew?' moment that changed how she practices psychiatryWhy integrating your skeptical and mystical sides is a mental health strategy, not just a spiritual oneThe half-written novel in her mother's desk, and what it says about the dreams we carry for the women before us🔗 CONNECT WITH DR. Ellen VoraSeason of the Witch: A Psychiatrist's Case for Magic — out now The Anatomy of Anxiety : https://linktr.ee/ellenvoramdEllen on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ellenvoramd/ Website https://linktr.ee/ellenvoramdEllen's first Brave Table episodeDr. Neeta: @neetabhushan · The Brave Table: @thebravetable🌿 FOLLOW DR. NEETAYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCYur-0JccshlS90RO2ZfuUg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neetabhushan/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/thebravetable/?hl=enTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neeta.bhushanThis Episode is Sponsored by Chai Tonics🌸 This Women’s History Month, celebrate your circle with the gift of ritual — buy 2 Chai Tonics and get 1 free. Spread the love, share the pause, and sip slow together at https://bit.ly/chaitonics.Discover which chai blend matches your vibe with my FREE quiz:⁠ https://chaitonics.com/pages/chai-quiz Breathe better with JASPR🌿 Spring cleaning starts with your air. Protect your home with JASPR and get $200 off with code BRAVE at https://jaspr.co/brave, because caring for your people begins with the space that holds them. Support your body with REJŪVMy go-to science-backed red light therapy for faster recovery, reduced soreness, and deeper repair. Try it today with code BRAVETABLE: https://werejuv.com/?ref=NEETABHUSHAN