Beyond The Surface Podcast

Belinda sits down with Christy Quinn for a beautiful and honest conversation about surrogacy, motherhood, neurodivergence, relationships and choosing joy through it all.
Currently pregnant as a surrogate, Christy shares what led her to carry a baby for another family, the realities of IVF, surrogacy and pregnancy, and how she and her husband have navigated the journey alongside raising their two sons.
We also talk about life inside a neurodivergent family, and what happens when everyone experiences the world a little differently. Christy shares the challenges, the lessons, and the incredible gifts that come with raising children who think and feel deeply.

What we cover:
Christy’s journey into altruistic surrogacy and what made her say yes
The realities of IVF, surrogacy and carrying a baby for another family
How she explained surrogacy to her two sons
Raising children in a neurodivergent family
The lessons she’s learned through motherhood, healing and forgiveness
Why dancing, joy and connection are such a big part of how Christy moves through life

Whether you’re curious about surrogacy, navigating neurodivergence, raising children or simply trying to parent in a way that honours who your child truly is, this conversation offers insight, compassion and a fresh perspective on doing life differently.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Christy:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christy_quinn_motherhood/

In this episode, Belinda sits down with Karlye Williamson, a Mental Health Occupational Therapist who helps people better understand what is happening in their body when they feel anxious, overwhelmed, tense, disconnected or caught in patterns of overthinking.
Karlye shares how her own experience with chronic back pain after having her first child led her to discover Stretch Therapy, a turning point that completely changed the way she understood pain, movement, mental health and the nervous system.
Together, Belinda and Karlye break down nervous system regulation in a simple, practical and easy-to-understand way. They explore why regulation isn’t about being calm all the time, how to recognise when your body is in fight, flight or shutdown, and the small everyday tools that can help you feel safer, more connected and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.
They also discuss why talk therapy alone is not always enough, the growing understanding of body-based approaches to healing, and practical strategies for managing overthinking, stress and nervous system dysregulation.

What we cover:
What nervous system regulation actually means and why it’s not about being calm all the time
How to recognise when you’re in fight, flight or shutdown
Why awareness is often the first step before any tool can be effective
The connection between chronic pain, stress and the nervous system
Why the body needs to feel safe before the mind can fully process and heal
Practical strategies for overthinking, including interrupting the loop, naming the circuit and giving your brain a job
How Stretch Therapy, breathwork, movement and sensory awareness can support regulation
What safety anchors are and how to identify your own
The powerful influence our environment has on our nervous system
Why healing isn’t always about thinking differently, but also about what needs to happen in the body

Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, stress, overwhelm, overthinking or simply want a better understanding of how your nervous system works, this episode is packed with practical tools and insights you can start using immediately.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Karlye:
Website: https://regulatemindandbody.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regulatemindandbody/

In this powerful conversation, Belinda sits down with Megan Coburn to explore her journey through breast cancer, chronic illness, childhood sexual abuse, and profound personal healing.
Megan shares what it was like discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, being diagnosed with breast cancer at just 36, undergoing a double mastectomy, and later navigating lupus and a series of serious health challenges that forced her to completely rethink the way she was living.
She also opens up about the resurfacing of childhood sexual abuse memories in adulthood, the impact of living in survival mode for decades, and the connection between emotional wellbeing, stress, and physical health.
This episode is a powerful reminder of the body’s wisdom, the importance of self-advocacy, and how healing often begins when we stop pushing through and start listening to ourselves.

What we cover:
Discovering the BRCA1 gene mutation and being diagnosed with breast cancer at 36
Undergoing a double mastectomy and later choosing implant removal
Living with lupus and navigating chronic illness
The resurfacing of childhood sexual abuse memories in adulthood
Growing up around significant family illness and becoming “the strong one”
The impact of stress, suppressed emotions, and living in survival mode
Learning to advocate for herself and take ownership of her healing journey
Moving to the Gold Coast and rebuilding life after adversity
The role of self-compassion, healing, and personal growth

Please note: This episode includes discussions about childhood sexual abuse, cancer, chronic illness, and mental health challenges. Please listen with care.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Megan:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megscob/

In this episode, Belinda sits down with Nicole Peterson to explore her extraordinary journey from growing up in Papua New Guinea and competing as an athlete, to stepping into the modelling and beauty industry and navigating the pressures that shaped the way she saw her body and herself.
 
Nicole opens up about getting breast implants at 18, the years of unexplained symptoms that followed, and how discovering breast implant illness ultimately led to her decision to have them removed.
 
She also shares the heartbreak of seven years of infertility and 11 rounds of IVF, and the emotional journey of accepting that motherhood was not going to be part of her story. Nicole reflects on surviving the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand, the PTSD that followed, and a later battle with Ross River virus that forced her to completely rebuild her health, lifestyle, and perspective on wellbeing.
 
What We Cover:
• Growing up in Papua New Guinea
• How athletics contributed to body image struggles
• Modelling, the beauty industry, and the pressure of feeling “not enough”
• Getting breast implants at 18, having three sets, and discovering breast implant illness
• Seven years of infertility and 11 rounds of IVF
• Surviving the Boxing Day tsunami and living with PTSD
• Ross River virus and chronic illness
• Rebuilding health through simple daily foundations
• What wellness looks like in midlife
 
Nicole’s story is a powerful reminder that even after life-changing challenges, trauma, and illness, it is possible to rebuild, heal, and reconnect with who you truly are.
 
Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.
 
Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau
 
Connect with Nicole:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole_peterson_lifestyle/

In this solo episode, I’m sharing a more personal side of my story, how I accidentally built a seven-figure business, ran more than 80 retreats across Australia, Bali and Fiji, and why I’ve made the decision to press pause on retreats in 2027.
This isn’t really an episode about business. It’s about intuition, trust, change, and learning to follow the internal nudges before you know exactly where they’re leading.
I talk about starting out as a stay-at-home mum, waking from a vivid dream that led me to write my first book, choosing to self-publish instead of handing over control, and how one unexpected conversation in a hotel gym in Fiji opened the door to my very first retreat.
What began as a one-off experience slowly became something much bigger, not through advertising, business plans or strategy, but through connection, word of mouth and simply saying yes to what felt aligned.
I also share why I’m feeling increasingly disconnected from parts of the healing space online, where vulnerability, trauma and personal growth can sometimes feel packaged for engagement rather than genuine connection.
This episode is a reminder that you don’t need to have your whole life figured out before you begin. Sometimes clarity comes after the decision, not before it.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau