Growing Tall Poppies

From Dismissed to Determined: Breaking the Silence on Invisible Conditions and Leading Systemic Change

• Dr Natalie Green • Season 2 • Episode 62

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In this powerful episode of Growing Tall Poppies, Dr. Nat Green is joined once again by Nichole Morrin, clinical psychologist, author, founder of the Invisible Health Network, & The Invisible CEO and creator of the revolutionary COMPASS-5 Model. Together, they unpack Nichi’s harrowing and inspiring journey—from life-threatening illnesses and diagnoses to her 17yo daughter’s shocking heart attack, and the medical dismissal that nearly cost her life.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating life with invisible illnesses, burnout, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, or trauma. Nichi shares how lived experience, medical gaslighting, and systemic failures ignited her mission to transform the healthcare system from within.

💡Key Takeaways:

✅ The link between trauma, invisible illnesses, and nervous system burnout

✅ Medical gaslighting is trauma. Patients deserve to be heard, believed, and treated holistically.
✅ Advocacy fatigue is real—especially for parents and professionals advocating over and over again in broken systems.
✅ Your dreams are still possible, even with a complex health condition. But the strategies must be different.
✅ Burnout is not weakness—it’s often a symptom of deeper, ignored stressors in the nervous system.

✅ Nichi’s COMPASS-5 framework – a trauma-informed, validation-based model that supports both patients and professionals

 ✅ Healing includes both body and soul: meditation, nervous system work, movement, and creative expression all matter.
 ✅ Professionals with lived experience have the power to lead the future of trauma-informed, sustainable care.

🔥 Episode Highlights:

🌿 Nichi recounts her daughter’s near-fatal heart attack at 17—initially dismissed as anxiety by paramedics.
🌿 How Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, endometriosis, and autoimmune disease shaped Nichi’s life and work.
🌿 The creation of COMPASS-5: a model that changes how invisible and complex conditions are supported systemically for patients and professionals.
🌿 Why most coaching/consulting programs fail those with chronic or fluctuating health—and how The Invisible CEO fills that gap.
 

This episode offers inspiration and practical advice for anyone looking to thrive after adversity and includes a candid, emotionally raw conversation about burnout, vicarious trauma, and letting go of shame for needing rest due to Invisible Conditions.

🌐 Connect with Nichi:

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Dr Nat Green:

Welcome to the Growing Tall Poppies Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Nat Green, and I'm so excited to have you join me as we discuss what it means to navigate your way through post-traumatic growth and not just survive, but to thrive after trauma. Through our podcast, we will explore ways for you to create a life filled with greater purpose, self-awareness, and a deep inner peace. Through integrating the many years of knowledge and professional experience, as well as the wisdom of those who have experienced trauma firsthand. We'll combine psychology accelerated approaches. Coaching and personal experience to assist you, to learn, to grow and to thrive. I hope to empower you to create deeper awareness and understanding and stronger connections with yourself and with others, whilst also paving the way for those who have experienced trauma and adversity to reduce their suffering and become the very best versions of themselves. In order to thrive. Thank you so much for joining me on today's episode. I'm super excited and very grateful again today to bring you our next guest on the Growing Tall Poppies podcast. It's my absolute pleasure to welcome back because we had her as a guest last year on episode 20, my beautiful friend and amazing lady. Nichole Morrin, who shared her remarkable journey and her trauma story last year, but she has experienced so much even since last year, and she's kindly offered to come and chat with us again today. Sharing her personal experience and blending it with her professional experience. So let me welcome back my beautiful friend Nichi Morrin, and I'll give you a bit of an intro. So Nichole is a powerhouse of insight, empathy, and transformation. She's a clinical psychologist, author, sustainable health consultant, and founder of. Her latest huge project and mission, the Invisible Health Network. She is also the podcast host of Shine the Spotlight, and the creator of Compass-5, an interdisciplinary framework for complex conditions. This is a groundbreaking model, revolutionizing the way that we approach invisible and complex health conditions, and she is the amazing voice behind the invisible CEO. This is a movement supporting entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals who are living with invisible illnesses and want to lead, live and work sustainably. Nichi blends science, soul, and personal lived experience as an amazing woman living with conditions like hypermobility, endometriosis, and an autoimmune condition after her life being threatened. And later her daughter's life being threatened. And I know she's gonna share more about that today. She has made it her mission to change the health system from the inside out. So welcome, Nichi. I'm so excited to have you back.

Nichi Morrin:

Thank you so much, Nat. It is such a pleasure to be talking with you again.

Dr Nat Green:

Oh, I know that episode 20 that we did last year early in the Growing Tall Poppies podcast. We had such amazing feedback about you, how beautifully you shared your story and the wonderful mission that you're on. So I'd love if you could start by giving us a bit of a brief introduction of how life was back then and where you were at when you first came on.

Nichi Morrin:

Okay. So. Back then I shared my trauma history. I suppose I have always felt like a bit of an underdog and there's always seems to be something happening, something rare popping up. It's always those rare things that has seemed to be throughout the decades and I think. Briefly, what I shared back then is my story in regards to when my life was threatened, over a decade ago. I'll only briefly go over this, but back then I had all these nodules in my lungs. Doctors didn't know what they were, which is a common sort of story with me and my family. And they did hint at maybe it's lung cancer, and my life flashed before my eyes, and that was about six months after giving birth to my second child and being in the emergency department with all my organs shutting down, feeling I was going to die also. So there were two situations within six months apart. I remember I said back then, 'cause I was so scared, I just would never see my kids grow up. And I thought if I survive, I'm going to enroll in uni because I'd always wanted to. But those beliefs of am I smart enough? Am I good enough? How can I do that? I did survive, luckily, and I did enroll in uni and studied six years full time while working as a hairdresser and became a clinical psychologist. And I think back then I thought, I'm doing this because one, I want a career. And I was fascinated by psychology. But also I wanted more for my family. I wanted. More sustainability, more financial stability. I wanted something that interested me because my brain's just super busy and going constantly. Yes. But over the years, as more traumas occurred, I ended up realizing I traded one chair for another. So I traded standing behind the hairdressing chair with people to sitting in front of the therapy chair with people. Mm. So that was a light bulb moment, and that I only got to maybe five years ago, when When my health started deteriorating. And also my husband had invisible conditions. And then my eldest daughter at the age of about 14 started becoming unwell. And then throughout the years, my youngest daughter also started having those signs of invisible conditions around that same age. So as my health was deteriorating and I had several surgeries and, and I was looking for what is wrong with me is something that I kept saying like, there's something wrong. I had these big dreams and these visions of being able to create something great and trying to change the way I'm working with one-on-one therapy. Which was continuing to burn me out. It's not that I don't like it, I, I do really love psychology and enjoy my work, but with my health, I needed to change how I was working. And then I think even though I am good at listening to my body. I still wasn't fully listening, I still was doing the same things, but expecting things to change, which is what I teach my clients, you cannot do. But I was doing it

Dr Nat Green:

funny how we've gotta learn those lessons and, and sometimes we go round and round and round before we finally learn them, isn't it?

Nichi Morrin:

Absolutely. And then a few years ago. Everything just got worse with the chronic fatigue and then the pain, and then I could, in my spine and my hips, I could feel they were getting worse. No one knew what was going on. And as I know with my daughters who I'm very good at advocating for, yeah, we needed to go wider. And that is finding the right people to be able to help the people that are versed in invisible conditions and work with it, have that working knowledge and know what they're looking for. And that's when I actually did get diagnosed this year after. Decades of not knowing anything and just thinking, I'm a weird one. My rheumatologist said, you're not a weird one. You are actually an interesting one and you're a rheumatology patient. Like, we can work out what's going on with you. So in the last 12 months, I had found out I had. Adenomyosis endometriosis, PCOS autoimmune condition axial spondyloarthritis, and I had my diagnosis confirmed of hypermobility spectrum disorder, which Both my daughters have as well, also known as Ehlers Danlos syndrome. So it's on a sliding scale and a spectrum. These are areas I focus on in my clinical practice and I specialize in. And now I finally have my answers and I thought, now I actually know. Like that feeling was, it was a relief. But it also gave me answers of why I haven't been able to realize my dreams, that there isn't, it's not just me being a failure there is something there, and how can I change the way I live and work to still be able to do those things that I'm wanting? After I did get the diagnoses and I had answers, I really realized how. The six months before getting those answers, my light had dimmed those big dreams that I'd had for creating a network for invisible health and training health professionals, or, I had all these ideas and working with people more intimately that have invisible conditions. I had doubted myself so much. I think I had. Let those beliefs take over of how can I do this? My body's letting me down. Maybe I should just go get a job give up my ideas. And then after I did get answers, I think I started to pull myself out of that. And I thought, well, maybe I can do this. I just need to sort of. Think differently. I needed clarity in my goals and what I actually wanted to achieve and how I could do it sustainably. So I was sort of sitting in that space, just working on things slowly, but didn't have a clear direction yet. And then I had something massive happen. And that was my 17-year-old daughter called me one night in the middle of the night. And so we have a very long house, so we often will just call each other, someone phones at night. She's like, Mum I feel like there's a, a house sitting on my chest. Um, hopefully I don't cry while I'm telling this story.

Dr Nat Green:

It's a very challenging story, so it's totally okay if you're crying.

Nichi Morrin:

She said, I feel like my chest is being torn apart from the inside out. It's hard to breathe. I'm in 10, outta 10 pain. I feel like I'm dying. And I, I think I was. I think it was like I was partly zoned out, like for that and the next week ahead. Because I, I remained pretty calm throughout it all and I dunno how but we called the ambulance. It took probably 50 minutes for the ambulance to finally come and she was told. This is anxiety. Have some Panadol. I'm sure you'll be fine. Your heart is textbook perfect, and this does not go down well. So one. Invisible conditions is my area. That's what I focus on for years. Exactly. And I hear over and over, the stories of being dismissed, things not being recognized. Oh, it's just anxiety and boy does it grind my gears.

Dr Nat Green:

Oh, absolutely.

Nichi Morrin:

And when she's there, in 10 outta 10 pain. Feeling like your chest has been torn apart, feeling like there's a house sitting on your chest, the pressure, pain radiating through your body. This is not anxiety. No. I've got nothing against paramedics. They're brilliant and we need them, but this was a very dismissive circumstance. Twice she told them she has Ehler's Danlos syndrome, which is a red flag because Exactly. You have more fragility in your connective tissues. and the hearts included in that. Mm-hmm. They said to her, how do you spell that? And she said, I feel like I'm dying. I can't think right now. Like Google it. Mm. So because they couldn't spell it, they left it out of her reports and handover to the hospital.

Dr Nat Green:

That's frightening, isn't it? Oh really?

Nichi Morrin:

It's very frightening. And then. They said, oh, your heart's textbook perfect. And were talking to her about food and Red Rooster and that sort of thing, and, and they were, the paramedics were told this is not normal for her. So she has POTS, so postural orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome. Mm-hmm. With that, her heart's rarely under 100 beats a minute, and it's more when she's standing after the heart attack. It was sitting around that 75. So yes, it might look textbook perfect to them, but they were told this is not her normal clinical picture. So she wasn't looked in at as a whole and in the context of what was normal for her, so they weren't gonna take her to the hospital. They said, do you really wanna go? Like, we're going past anyway if you want us to take you. And it's like she's going to the hospital. So she was taken to the hospital. We followed her there and they were quite dismissive also, so they're like, oh, I'm sure it's costochondritis. So like inflammation in the ribs? Yeah. Um, we'll do a blood test. So if you have hypermobility or Ehlers Danlos your veins. They can be hypermobile too. Yes, and I said to them, she has hypermobile veins after digging for 45 minutes in her arm causing further distress. I said to them, can you please stop, put a heat pack on the other arm, raise the veins and try there with a, little butterfly needle? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Then they got a blood test. So we waited a couple hours and I, I just kept, I. Just wanting to know what was going on. I think every five minutes I was looking out the door. Hmm. And we, no one had come and seen us and told us what was going on. So I asked and said, are her blood test results back. And the doctor said, oh yeah, they are. And I said, well, what are they? And she goes oh no, it's fine. You know, we, oh wait. Um, actually I don't even know if these are her blood tests because we did seven at once.

Dr Nat Green:

Oh my goodness.

Nichi Morrin:

So she went back for to her desk for a minute and come back and said, oh no, they're right. We should really do a lung x-ray, but I'm sure it's fine. Just go home and come back if you get worse. So it was 5:00 AM by now. We were exhausted. We went home and had some sleep. And then during the next day she said, I just feel crap. She was quite short of breath. Just not feeling good. Mm-hmm. So I booked her in with our GP for the next morning and the doctor from the ED called, so this is 24 hours later, that doctor from the ED called me, said, oh, I've actually just read her results. Her troponin's elevated. So these results would've been there for 24 hours and you better get in for more tests. And I said, well, I'm on my way to the gp, send everything there. So we went to the GP and the gps like, it's not normal for a 17-year-old to have elevated troponin and she's not doing this. She said, go have an urgent blood test and urgent X-ray straight away. So we did that and an hour later we got the call her troponin's 10 times higher, get to the ED and we're gonna transfer you through to the next regional center immediately. Mm-hmm. So we did that and I don't think the doctors could really believe what was going on because they're like, they didn't really have an idea what was going on, but they're like you don't look like you've had anything happen. You're quite calm. And I said, she has been living with. Conditions ever since, um, having vaccine injury Mm. A few years ago. So I said, this isn't a, a new thing to not be feeling the greatest. She's quite resilient. So by the time we got transferred through to Toowoomba, they didn't really know what was going on. So they just kept monitoring and the treponin kept going up and up and up. Mm. It was two and a half days before we had a cardiologist even put eyes on us.

Dr Nat Green:

Two and a half days.

Nichi Morrin:

Two and a half days. When he finally come, he was brilliant, but he transferred us to a private hospital and we were told if you were older, you wouldn't have survived this long. So she was monitored. She, her treponin was starting to come down by this because it was three days later. Mm. He had an idea what type of heart attack it was. So we had tests and then, uh, surgical procedure, and it was found, it was SCAD, so spontaneous coronary artery dissection. So that caused the heart attack. This is a rare type of heart attack. Again. Rarely another,

Dr Nat Green:

another rare condition for your family.

Nichi Morrin:

Oh. And it most often occurs in females. So 70% of the time it's females with no known triggers, um, which is scary. And, and thank goodness she survived. She's still dealing with fatigue now. Yeah. But. She was very strong and resilient, but when I was sitting in that hospital with her, so we stayed in hospital for a week after I was sitting there and I thought, oh my God, like my fire was back. My light was full, and I thought. I have the skills, I have the knowledge, I have the lived experience. I cannot let fears or self-doubt, or my invisible conditions stop me from being this beacon of hope for other people. Hmm. And it makes me wanna cry when I think about it. But the amount of crap we have been through,

Dr Nat Green:

yeah.

Nichi Morrin:

There's a reason for that. And I fully believe everything's for a reason. And. Since all this has happened, I've been in talks with the Queensland Ambulance Service about clinical education across the board. I have been so up to my neck in research just researching as if I'm writing a PhD on the gaps in this health system and how I can fill it. And. From that I have come up with the COMPASS-5 model. So this is a interdisciplinary framework for managing and working with complex invisible health conditions. And this, I think where it fills a gap is not only does it provide support for. Having better outcomes for people that live with these conditions. Mm-hmm. But it also provides support for the health providers because since COVID, the number of complex presentations has increased dramatically. Burnout. And I am gonna talk about the word burnout because I see colleagues. Dissing the word burnout and

Dr Nat Green:

same

Nichi Morrin:

as someone who's been through it. Mm-hmm. And it is, so it's occurring that much everywhere in the population right now.

Dr Nat Green:

Yeah. Definitely.

Nichi Morrin:

It needs talking about, and when you can talk about it, you're being authentic. But my model, the COMPASS-5. Also supports the sustainability of the providers. So this training model does both, and I think that's where it fills a gap.

Dr Nat Green:

Wow. You have just given so much gold in that conversation. Firstly, I, and I know we've already talked about this, but this is the first time our listeners are hearing it. I want to thank you. From the bottom of my heart for sharing that story. So honestly, so openly, so vulnerably. And I know your beautiful girl and I've met her and she's amazing. And I know she'll be so grateful that she has a Mum who is like a dog with a bone and advocates and, and gets it. And will keep going and keep going because as you said, it saved her life. Yeah. And you know, we don't know what we don't know. Of course, and ambos paramedics, hospital staff don't always know about conditions, but you've highlighted the absolute importance and need for them to listen, to listen to a patient, a patient's parent advocate, if this is not a normal presentation for that patient. Listen to what you are being told and ask more questions, so Absolutely. Yeah. For you to be saying that and being dismissed as anxiety and having to keep pushing and be sent home and go back. Had you not known and continued to advocate, I'd hate to even think where you'd be

Nichi Morrin:

as everything was happening. 'Cause we spent time in three hospitals, two different emergency departments. I was documenting every single little thing that was happening, any change in her patterns. So I was up to date knowledgeable to be able to advocate for that. And I actually experienced advocacy fatigue also. Mm. Because. I had to advocate so much throughout it. Once we did get to the private hospital, they were very great. They were really good, but I still did have to advocate several times throughout this because they're all like, gee, you're a complex one. Oh, you're a rare one. Oh, you are the youngest we've ever seen in our cardiac ward. But these things happen and. It shouldn't take people losing their lives or not being listened to for change to occur. And I know with scad, so I've done a lot of research into scads since

Dr Nat Green:

I can imagine you have.

Nichi Morrin:

Um, I'm like a big researcher where I hyper fixate on what I'm researching. But a lot of people lose their lives because this is ignored. Exactly. And it is not picked up or it's left a long time. Mm-hmm. I think where my clinical compass so the COMPASS-5 program fills the gap is also because we have the bio-psychosocial clinical Reasoning Framework, where helps us look more holistically and at a whole person point of view. It's trauma informed because people with invisible conditions, they have a history of medical trauma, gaslighting, they are fearful of going to health professionals. Mm-hmm. So trauma is huge in this it's validation based communication. It's built on because we need to validate the client's lived experience. Yes, health professionals have all this knowledge, but they might spend a 30 to 60 minute, um, lesson Yeah. On these conditions. Where this persons might have lived with it for 20 years. They're the expert in their experience, and we need to listen to them. Yes. And that validation based communication reduces the likelihood of dismissal. Increases patient engagement and trust and it reduces the health provider's risk of being reported because that's one of the biggest AHPRA complaints Is the dismissal, the medical trauma and gaslighting, the things being ignored? Yes. So this helps reduce the provider risk. It's interdisciplinary collaboration, which is so important because we need that cross-professional understanding and shared care. For holistic outcomes, we cannot silo the professionals off when we look at multi-system complex conditions. And clinician sustainability and wellbeing. So the training actually has tools for them to maintain their own emotional health, wellbeing, reflective practice, peer support, and boundary setting. So it encompasses all of that.

Dr Nat Green:

Mm-hmm. And amazing.

Nichi Morrin:

And that's where I'm in the stage of development and then getting it out there.

Dr Nat Green:

I, as you know, I'm one of your biggest fans, Nichi. I just love the work you're doing. But as you know, and, and as a lot of my listeners know, I also have. Those invisible health conditions with thanks to you understanding what Ehlers Danlos is. Oh, is this what I've had all my life and why I've had all these issues? So getting that understanding is huge. But as you said, there are actually health professionals with a lot of these invisible conditions and with fried nervous systems because. As you said for yours was completely fried. Mine's been completely fried. It's that whole pushing through and pushing through mm-hmm. And continuing to burn ourselves out because we wanna make a difference and we wanna help people, but we also have our own underlying autoimmune health conditions that we often ignore. So I think this is pure brilliance. This Invisible Health Network and this COMPASS-5 model can change the entire way that professionals and patients are treated and impacted. Absolutely blown away by what you're developing and so excited. And I think this needs to be shared with everyone in the world. To be honest,

Nichi Morrin:

it's my goal to revolutionize healthcare. To make these changes. And as part of the Invisible Health Network, it's got the COMPASS-5 model for the health providers, and then it's got the invisible CEO, so it's got the two streams and the invisible CEO stream is specifically for. Professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs who are wanting those more sustainable ways to work because we should not have to choose between health and our purpose and your typical coaching and consulting programs out there, I have not found one that is built on. the nervous system based model for people, or they are entrepreneurs and big visionaries who live with invisible health conditions. Mm-hmm. Because the strategies are different for us, the accountability does not work like it does for typical people that are out there who are professionals, entrepreneurs, or business owners. And from my own lived experience, having that support network to help you with. Sustain your motivation, continue those dreams. Having that group of people that all get it to help you on your journey is so important. Not only for your own mental health, but for your purpose and at like that soul level. And I think recently I did go to a retreat with you and a bunch of other Professionals and entrepreneurs and being able to have that in a way that also supports you when you have those in invisible conditions is one, I don't know anywhere else where it's being done, and two, it is priceless.

Dr Nat Green:

Definitely. And I mean, there's again, so much gold in what you are sharing because with invisible health conditions and sustainability, you'll have days where you have to step back and you're not able to even get outta bed. And having a safe space, like what you are developing means that's okay. And so when you can only work a couple of days one week, but five days the next week. Being able to do that and have that happen and be okay is a hugely different way of looking at things.

Nichi Morrin:

Oh, absolutely. Because as a big dreaming entrepreneur or business owner with invisible conditions, we can often get stuck with the unpredictability of our health or our. Body not being able to support at a time what we are wishing for. Mm. Then there's emotional dysregulation, or our nervous systems might be amped up and there might be times where we're more. Sensitive to things and need to sort of wind back. And then there's inconsistency with getting our work done and boom, bust cycles and burnout, like the big word burnout that some people have an aversion to. Mm-hmm. Um, fear of visibility. And then there's guilt and or shame around having these ambitions also. So there's, there's so much going on that we need a different operating system and support system. For that sustainable success.

Dr Nat Green:

Yeah. And hearing you speak about burnout like that, and you know where I stand on that, that burnout is not spoken about or often in some professions worn as a badge of honor, and you just keep pushing through. Mm-hmm. We know we need to acknowledge that burnout is real. Yes, but you'll also know that from my perspective when we talk about burnout, I don't believe it's just burnout. I think as you've said, it's a very holistic picture, and underneath that is our nervous system. I. Has been holding yes space for other people for so long, trying to hold our own space when we've got all this other stuff going on and that often has this underlying layer of vicarious trauma. Yes. Where we've got this trauma that we've carried often unknowingly. But it's also got those layers of being gaslit, being dismissed, having our whole integrity threatened, as well as that fear of being seen as impaired in inverted commas that as a health professional or professional entrepreneur, am I a fraud? Am I an imposter? Is there something wrong? And should I not be doing this? 'cause I can't show up every day like everyone else.

Nichi Morrin:

Yes, exactly. And I, I think burnout is a term often used where if we imagine we have a tree, burnout is the branches and the leaves where it's a word sort of known for the, the things that we are feeling or we might be doing. But the trunk of that tree and that root system go far deeper and those roots. are all those vicarious traumas, all those things we've experienced or the things we've ingested on a nervous system level we don't even realize. So I think a lot of people burnout's like the common word, but it's so far deeper with a lot more going on than people either want to recognize or are actually conscious of.

Dr Nat Green:

Absolutely. I do think the way you've just described that is. Fantastic, because really it's the base of the tree, the foundation, but these roots, they spread far and wide and they're unseen. Just like the invisible conditions. They're under the ground. We know they're there, but we don't really understand or know which path they follow until we start digging and dig them up. Or snap the root off

Nichi Morrin:

Yeah, exactly. That's right.

Dr Nat Green:

Yeah, very powerful. And can we just go back for a minute? So, I mean, I know the outcome with your beautiful daughter. So did you wanna share where she's at now? Like so she definitely had a heart attack? Yes. Only because you kept pushing that people were able to actually see that. And where is she now?

Nichi Morrin:

So she's just turned 18. Woohoo. Very, really exciting. I can't believe it. She's already 18. Mm. Um, she's had to step back from her job just to try and get herself well. Mm-hmm. But that's okay because your health's a priority. Yeah. And fatigue. She's experiencing a lot of fatigue, but the medication she's on to protect the heart after a heart attack can also lead to fatigue. So hopefully when we go back in about a month's time, we can change that. And her fatigue might ease a little. Mm-hmm. But at the moment, she's happy. She still can't believe that she had a heart attack. But her resilience just inspires me and how strong she is. And she was all for me reaching out to the Queensland Ambulance Service mm-hmm. And having these discussions and investigations occurring for clinical education across the board, and she's very happy. That I am trying to make change in this space, not only for what she's experienced, for what I've experienced for what my younger daughter's experienced but, and also my nephew. So my, nephew has a rare brain tumor that was founded at 18 months. Uh, he's 13 now. And. The amount of times he's almost died, the amount of times. He's had stuff ignored. We had to call Ryan's rule at one stage. Mm. He nearly died several times and we ended up with a formal apology from the hospital for him being ignored at one stage at Brisbane Hospital. So Braxton's fight his page on Facebook. He's got thousands of followers following his journey, um, from a foundation I started for him years ago. So the rare and, the invisible has been something my family's lived with for 12, actually over 12 years. Mm-hmm. Uh, we've lived it. We have breathed it and. I think my family is very proud of what I'm trying to do. Mm. And they're so supportive of it because we need change to happen for everyone out there with invisible conditions that takes years to find out answers. Only yesterday I had someone say to me, and it brought tears to my eyes, they said. My mum passed a year ago, but if only my mum had found you before she passed, I think we would've got answers for what she had lived with her whole life. Oh. Um, and that was just like, oh my God, I just, the goosebumps that one need to get my stuff out there and happening. And also for the professionals, the other people. Like myself who work in the spaces, but wanna protect their wellbeing also.

Dr Nat Green:

Yes. And really who better to lead such a powerful movement than you? Like you've lived it, you've breathed it, and unfortunately had. the Experiences you've had recently on top of all your own experiences, had your daughter go through that as well and like you said, these experiences, I'm a firm believer in that as well happen for a reason. Yeah. 'cause it's through as professionals, our lived experience and the impact of that. If we don't experience that. With our education and knowledge and drive, then we can't lead the way and make the difference. So yeah, absolutely. I'm with you on that, that these things happen and it's about how you then turn that around Yeah. And pay it forward. Absolutely. Yeah. And make the difference in the world that you were born to do.

Nichi Morrin:

And and how you said about things happen for a reason. It just so happened that after her heart attack, I was just drawn back into the university space and I'm doing some teaching one day a week at a university now. And on that first day I met another colleague there and I just told her a five minute brief overview of. My story and what I'm doing and she's like, oh my God, I was meant to meet you and your stuff has to be out there. And I think even since then, just being back in that space and I just love being amongst the research and all that sort of stuff, and I've been heavily in the research since just building this, but I feel like now I'm on my path. I have the clarity and having that sort of. Group of entrepreneurs and professionals around me all doing similar things has really helped with my clarity and that motivation. But these lived experiences are my huge drivers.

Dr Nat Green:

Mm. Yeah. So lived experience, support from community. Yes. They're really important things. Yeah. What do you think you'd share One thing with our listeners that would help them as they navigate, you know, post-trauma or life with invisible conditions, and I know so many of my listeners have both as they move from the trauma through to post-traumatic growth. What would be one thing or many things that you could share that would help them?

Nichi Morrin:

I feel throughout all the trauma myself and my family have been through over the last 15 years, 15, 20 years. I think there were times where I would just think every, 'cause every single time I had something good happening. To be followed by something knocking me down again. So I'd start to think, I can't do anything good. I can't have happiness, I can't have any, my dreams happen because there was always something around the corner gonna knock me down. So I was sort of scared to be happy or scared to follow my dreams and I thought, how can I. Feel happy or do these things if others in my family are suffering and all these things are going on. So there were several times where that scared me. And I think one strength of mine is I do always look at what can I learn from these experiences? And I look at it with that glass half full of. What lessons can I learn from this? Because this is something I can move forward to help me with the things I'm trying to do. Yeah. Or help me get through. So reframing that mindset to look at instead of what life's happening or what life's doing to me and what have I done to bring on all this bad luck It's more what can I learn from this experience. To help me and help others move forward. And I know when, it did get really hard when my health really deteriorated a couple of years ago, not only like I did struggle more with mm-hmm thinking positive and that's where I actually had to massively practice what I preach. But I had to go beyond just. Reframing in a cognitive level mm-hmm. To step into my body at a soul level. Yes. So, to process that trauma, I had to stop and do meditation, um, do my tapping, do my stretches and my movements. So all those little half done stress and trauma cycles sitting on my nervous system, like half done washing machine, lung. Mm-hmm. I had to process them through movement and soul-based exercises. So what I actually did, like what I would've loved to do is take three months off and disappear off on an island. But I couldn't afford to do that.

Dr Nat Green:

That'd be nice, wouldn't it?

Nichi Morrin:

So I would, every morning I would measure where my body's at. Could I give myself some me time that morning and about four or five mornings a week I would where I would. Depending on my energy and where I was at, could I do 10 minutes? Could I do 30 minutes? And I would decide what my body wanted that day. What, what did it need? So there wasn't rigid goals. There wasn't, I had to go and work out at a gym because I can't do gyms. Mm-hmm. Um, but whether it was a 10 minute. Gentle on exercise by listening to a podcast. I was nurturing my creative side at the same time. Or was it 15 minutes of restorative yoga just on the mat, or was it doing stretching, just gentle stretching. For 10 minutes and then 10 minutes of listening to a podcast just to nurture my busy brain. So I did that and meditation too. I found that really helpful, especially for a busy ADHD entrepreneurial brain. I found short periods of meditation was helpful. Mm-hmm. So all this stuff I incorporated into my. I'm not gonna say daily. 'cause some days I couldn't do it. So weekly practices. Mm-hmm. And I was proud of myself for what I could do. And then walking. So this year I've incorporated trying to go for some walks in the afternoon just to get out and been mindful of my environment. So those body-based things I have found so important for. Getting through trauma and regulating that nervous system.

Dr Nat Green:

Absolutely. So really the key lessons and learnings for you have been to allow yourself to feel to connect in with your body Yeah. And to really tune into it and listen. Yeah. Not think what it might be and be in your head, but to connect. And that's that three brain stuff that Yes, we talked about before, that I do that head, the heart and the gut and really, yes, allowing them to integrate and feel, because when we're going through trauma and in order to cope with our invisible health conditions, we often shut down part of that, one of those brains because it's too painful.

Nichi Morrin:

Oh, absolutely. And that's one thing I see with people with invisible conditions. It is the gut brain. It is the heart. It is the entire lot that I work with in this space because this condition's a multisystem. They are not just one or the others. You have to work at this level. And one other thing for people with post-traumatic growth is reaching out to someone if you are not okay. That was something I always felt hard to do because I felt like a burden. I know a couple of times I reached out to you and I thought. Oh, but I don't wanna burden her or, or anything 'cause she's busy. But when you actually reach out and you just share the light for me, I get pulled into line a bit, a little, and I'm able to step back and pull myself back in instead of being all anxious and worried.

Dr Nat Green:

So allowing yourself to be held Yes. But also having. The courage to ask for help because we, I know myself as well. It's really hard to ask for help, you know, for whatever other internal chatter goes on. I don't wanna be seen as weak. I don't wanna be a burden. You know, we all have those conversations, but the reality is we can't carry the load alone because that continues to impact our nervous system and weighs down.

Nichi Morrin:

Mm-hmm. Absolutely.

Dr Nat Green:

Yeah. So tell me, Nichi, as we move to wrapping up this conversation, where can our listeners find out more about you and find you online and find out all about the exciting new things you're bringing to life?

Nichi Morrin:

So on Facebook, they can find me at the Invisible Health Network or the invisible CEO and on Instagram, they can find me at the invisible CEO my website. www.invisiblehealthnetwork.com in the process of being built. So that'll be mm-hmm. Finished hopefully within the next month. Excellent. Um, and then my COMPASS-5 training and my invisible CEO support will be launched.

Dr Nat Green:

How exciting.

Nichi Morrin:

It's all in motion.

Dr Nat Green:

You have done so much and all that really in less than a year since we last talked. You continue to, you know, inspire me and I love the work that you're doing, but again, I'm so sorry that you and your family have had to go through what you've been through to get you on this track. Yeah,

Nichi Morrin:

thank you. I think we're a resilient bunch, but we've had to learn to be.

Dr Nat Green:

Absolutely. And really, who better to pave the way for us to change systems, make a difference, and give hope to people with invisible conditions. And whether that's trauma or significant health conditions, they're all invisible.

Nichi Morrin:

Yes, exactly. Thank you.

Dr Nat Green:

So thank you, Nichi.

Nichi Morrin:

Thank you so much, Nat.

Dr Nat Green:

I'm really excited to see what you bring to life and yeah, we'll look forward to talking to you soon.

Nichi Morrin:

Thank you.

Dr Nat Green:

Bye. Thank you for joining me in this episode of Growing Tall Poppies. It is my deepest hope that today's episode may have inspired and empowered you to step fully into your post-traumatic growth, so that you can have absolute clarity around who you are, what matters the most to you, and to assist you to release your negative emotions. And regulate your nervous system so you can fully thrive. New episodes are published every Tuesday, and I hope you'll continue to join us as we explore both the strategies and the personal qualities required to fully live a life of post-traumatic growth and to thrive. So if it feels aligned to you and really resonates, then I invite you to hit subscribe and it would mean the world to us. If you could share this episode with others who you feel may benefit too, you may also find me on Instagram at Growing Tall Poppies and Facebook, Dr. Natalie Green. Remember, every moment is an opportunity to look for the lessons and to learn and increase your ability to live the life you desire and deserve. So for now, stay connected. Stay inspired. Stand tall like the tall poppy you are, and keep shining your light brightly in the world. Bye for.

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Dr Natalie Green

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