Gloria Confronts Her Rage: "Nobody Defends Me"

Gloria, a divorced attorney and one of eight women invited into Iyanla's House of Healing, has struggled with denial and pain since tragically losing three of her closest family members in quick succession. On the first night of their stay, sparks immediately fly when Gloria and former plus-size model Alana nearly come to blows. Iyanla steps in to help Gloria confront the real source of her fury.

When Iyanla sits down with Gloria and Alana to work through their conflict, Gloria is initially defensive of her behavior, but Iyanla quickly sets her straight. "I don't think you're aware of how you fight to be right," Iyanla says. "That's what lawyers do."

"Right," Gloria says. "Always defending everybody else, but nobody defends you."

"No, no. Always defending others, but nobody defends me," Iyanla says.

"Right. Nobody defends me," Gloria says softly.

"'And I'm furious about it,'" Iyanla says, offering Gloria the words to express her true feelings. "Oh, you can't own your fury? Own it. 'I'm furious about it.'"

The words hit home for Gloria. As her eyes begin to well up with tears, she reaches for a tissue.

"It's okay, Miss Gloria. Has anybody ever shown up to defend you?" Iyanla asks before stating the answer Gloria gives with a silent shake of her head. "Nobody."

Here, Iyanla helps Gloria take the first step toward healing by helping her to acknowledge a deep-seated truth about herself.