Self-hatred is not yours to carry. It was placed there - by somone else - not you. Trauma, neglect, and oppression distort how we see ourselves, burying our inner light under layers of shame and survival. Look as the tactic of opressor to keep you caged and exiled so they can take more space, not you. But that brilliance—the part of you that was silenced—never truly disappeared.

In this episode of Exiled & Rising, Ana Mael guides you through a deep reflection on reclaiming your self-worth. This is not about forced self-love or toxic positivity. It’s about witnessing yourself again—beyond the judgment, beyond the pain, beyond what others made you believe about yourself.

What You’ll Take From This Episode

• How trauma and neglect plant the seeds of self-hatred and self-rejection
• Why your brilliance and inner light never truly disappeared, even if you no longer see it
• The voices that shaped your self-judgment—and how to begin breaking free
• A moment of reflection to reconnect with yourself after years of survival
• What it means to move from exile—internally and externally—into self-acceptance

Who This Episode is For

• Those who feel trapped in cycles of self-hatred, shame, or never feeling "enough"
• Survivors of neglect, abuse, systemic oppression, and intergenerational trauma
• People who have internalized the voices of those who tried to break them
• Anyone seeking self-compassion, deep healing, and a way back to themselves

Timestamps – Listen to the Parts That Speak to You

• [00:00] Welcome – Who this space is for and why you belong here
• [00:06] The unseen pain of self-hatred and how trauma buries our light
• [00:12] A guided self-reflection: seeing your own brilliance after years of survival
• [00:18] The power of looking up, meeting yourself, and reclaiming self-love
• [00:25] How to take healing deeper through somatic work and relational safety

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Meet Your Host: Ana Mael

Ana Mael is a genocide and war survivor, somatic therapist, and founder of the Somatic Trauma Recovery Center. She has dedicated her work to helping survivors reclaim their identity, dignity, and self-trust.
She is the bestselling author of The Trauma We Don’t Talk About—a #1 book in over 10 categories, including Mental Health, Personal Testimonies, and Memoirs.

Ana lives in Toronto, Canada, where she works directly with clients and educates mental health professionals and counsellors on displacement, exile, and war trauma recovery. She leads training programs, provides trauma-informed therapy, and conducts research to bridge the gap between somatic therapy and global crisis trauma care.