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In this episode of The Story Beneath, host Susanne Cookson shares her experiences with family, marriage, and the expectations placed on her as a strong, capable woman. Through her story, she explores the cost of being 'the strong one,' and the importance of recognizing when to ask for help and prioritize self-care. Susanne shares the story behind the drive: a career she genuinely loved, chasing security and the freedom of knowing she'd never again have to depend on anyone. At 20, she fell for a charming man with a big, warm Italian family and married him pregnant at 21, in front of 450 guests, while her gut quietly screamed at her to slow down. When the drinking and unpredictability didn't stop, she left at 24 with her daughter. Her second marriage lasted 18 years. She was the organizer, the planner, the one who remembered every birthday and hosted every holiday. At work she had her sparkle; at home she got quieter, smaller, and eventually afraid to tell her own husband about a promotion she'd worked years for. Then came a panic attack on the side of a road and her body finally saying enough. This episode is about the difference between being able to handle something and being responsible for carrying it. If people call you strong, Susanne has a question for you: What happens when the person who always said yes, finally learns to say no? ⁠https://thestorybeneath.ca/

This episode discusses childhood trauma, domestic violence, and violence involving an animal. Listener discretion is advised. Host Susanne Cookson takes us back to the little girl who learned how to survive. She reflects on the complexities of childhood trauma, domestic violence, and her journey to understanding herself, her relationships, and the panic attack that made her stop in her tracks.  She shares her experience growing up in an unpredictable and often dangerous home environment. She reflects on the lessons learned from her childhood, the coping mechanisms she developed, and the moment she decided to run away at the age of fifteen.  She looks back on her childhood, exploring how early experiences shape coping mechanisms and resilience, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of oneself and the patterns that emerge in adult relationships. 

What happens when the life you worked so hard to build looks successful from the outside, but something inside you is asking you to stop? In the first episode of The Story Beneath, host Susanne Cookson shares the moment that changed the way she began to understand her life: a panic attack that seemed to come out of nowhere. By every external measure, Susanne had built a life she could be proud of. A successful career. A thriving business. A family she loved. Decades spent working hard, solving problems, showing up and being the person others could depend on. She had become very good at being strong. But beneath all that competence and momentum was a growing sense that something wasn't quite right. The panic attack forced Susanne to stop long enough to ask a question she hadn't really known how to ask before: Why do I feel so unsettled? That question became the beginning of a much deeper journey—not toward having all the answers, but toward becoming curious about herself. Why do I believe I always have to be strong? Why does this situation make me feel unsafe? Why do I react this way? Where did I learn that? And what might be underneath it? Episode 1 explores the difference between simply being self-aware and becoming self-curious—looking beyond what we do and beginning to wonder why we do it. As Susanne reveals her journey, a conversation about resilience, childhood patterns, emotional safety, old wounds, family, relationships and what can happen when the person who has always kept moving...finally stops. Because sometimes the moment that feels like everything is falling apart...is actually the moment you begin to see the story beneath. https://thestorybeneath.ca/

Susanne Cookson is the host of The Story Beneath; a podcast dedicated to the heartbreaks, the victories, and the turning points that quietly became defining moments. After more than thirty years shaking up the healthcare space, building and selling a multi-million dollar business, raising a beautiful family, and eventually retiring at 54, she realized there was still a lot of work to do. Who are you without the deadlines and meetings, and nothing but time? Who are you when everything stops? We rarely know the whole story, and that’s the story Susanne wants to uncover. Because…there's always more to the story. New episodes every other Thursday, follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. https://thestorybeneath.ca/