“I used to think healing couldn’t happen inside a relationship. Then I found someone who was healing, too.” — Nicole Ash
Nicole Ash spent years angry at the world, and at herself. As a child, she was often misunderstood. As a teen, jaded. And as a young woman, she learned how to use others before they could use her. But in this raw and revealing conversation, Nicole peels back the layers of a deeply personal journey, one where healing didn’t start in solitude, but in connection.
In this episode, Nicole shares how meeting Aaron, someone equally familiar with trauma, rewired her beliefs about love, growth, and what it means to heal together. She talks about confronting the emotional ghosts that shaped her early years, redefining what love looks like, and recognizing the spectrum of healing instead of chasing a perfect “before and after.”
Nicole also unpacks her version of the “four horsemen” of relationship destruction, and how gaslighting nearly derailed her ability to trust. But in finding Aaron, she didn’t just find a partner—she found a mirror. One that reflected both the work she still had to do and the woman she was becoming.
This episode is about more than surviving your past. It’s about learning that healing isn’t about waiting until you’re “ready.” It’s about starting, even when you’re still in pieces.
🧠 Things You’ll Find in This Episode:
How anger shaped Nicole’s early identity
Breaking the cycle of “use or be used”
Healing in a relationship vs. healing alone
The emotional evolution of trust, vulnerability, and cohabitation
Gaslighting and the hidden dynamics that kill relationships
The spectrum of healing and why “progress” looks different for everyone
✨ Guest Links:
🐾 Follow Nicole Ash on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ash1022nickel/
💬 Learn more about Aaron Ash’s journey (Nicole’s partner): NSLP Archive
👻 Are you into spooky stories? Well! Check out Nicole and Brittany's podcast: https://www.instagram.com/terror.shewrote/
⻤ Terror, She Wrote; Now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! https://open.spotify.com/show/3NzICW8Bf8CPC7Y8ptMov1
🎧 Watch or Listen Now
➡️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoStreetLightsPodcast
➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LIaDquk2li94WvC6XaITR
➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-street-lights-podcast-real-stories-on-mental-health/id1696321025
🌐 Website: https://nostreetlights.org
⛓️ Connect with Us:
➡️ Patreon (Free & Paid Tiers): https://www.patreon.com/NoStreetLights
➡️ Discord: https://discord.gg/PdYNqXgn
➡️ Need help now? Get 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/nslp
➡️ Donate to Support Mental Health Advocacy: https://fundly.com/light-the-way-support-mental-health-community-growth
📩 Contact us: nostreetlightspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music by Hyland Markle – @hylandmarkle
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