Today, I’m joined by Dr. Dionne Bates. Dionne is a licensed professional counselor who holds a B.A. in sociology, an M.A. in counseling psychology, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.  Dr. Bates works with her clients to help them reach optimal mental health by  teaching them to affirm themselves, affirm others, and live authentically. After almost 20 years in clinical practice, Dionne has observed that the root of much mental and emotional distress is our inability to integrate our “true” selves into various realms of our lives.  Dionne recently published the Emotional Lifeline ..read more

I'm so grateful to be launching Season Three with the beautiful Agapi Stassinopoulos. I first met Agapi, and her equally beautiful sister, Arianna Huffington, when we were creating well-being programs for Arianna’s new endeavor Thrive Global. Right away, Agapi’s inner light filled every part of the room. Agapi’s latest book, Speaking With Spirit, is a beautiful journey of deep connection to "source," and I found it a profoundly powerful experience of connecting to our innate wisdom and our power to heal and grow. Today, we journey into Speaking With Spirit and also through Agapi’s own story an ..read more

Today, in this finale episode for Season Two, I’m truly thrilled to be joined by Dr. Karen Baikie—all the way from Australia! I started this podcast series in search of knowledge and experiences that can shift us beyond our abuse and trauma, because, as Maya Angelou encouraged us, “When we know better, we do better."  But, turning knowing into doing requires us to experience shifts that are deep and powerful enough to stop our habitual responses that hinder us rather than help us, and that happen faster than the speed of light when we are triggered in every day moments. That’s frustrating ..read more

Today, I’m joined by Katherine Barner - counsellor, coach, grief & trauma expert, author, speaker, and advocate against child sexual abuse. Katherine experienced child sexual abuse when she was fourteen, and her journey through abuse and other life trauma have fueled her journey to help others in the work to which she dedicates herself. In this podcast, we’re going to talk about Beyond Trauma and Loss – Breaking The Silence Cycle.  Katherine encourages people, “The truth is, life is tough and sometimes really bad things happen. I know because I've had my share—from abuse to divorce, t ..read more

Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Dr. Arielle Schwartz, PhD.  Dr. Schwartz encourages us, “You are not broken, in need of fixing. Rather, you are deeply hurt, in need of care.”  As a practicing clinical psychologist, Dr. Schwartz helps people navigate the difficult challenges we have in our lives by focusing on the whole person – mind and body - to help recover from traumatic events, find relief from depression or anxiety, develop and keep meaningful and nurturing relationships, and break free from destructive habits that can derail our lives. Dr. Schwartz is the developer of Resil ..read more

Today, we’re joined by Timika Chambers. Timika is a thriving survivor – a lioness, as she describes herself. Timika was born in Memphis, Tennessee.  At the age of 4 ½, Timika’s mother bought one-way bus tickets for herself and her three children – all under the age of 5 – to leave an abusive marriage. But for Timika, soon after, that journey turned into what she describes as, “the dark wilderness of sexual abuse by two family members.” Timika found purpose in healing herself and others through nursing, and then, even more-so, through writing. Today, Timika shares her story of finding purp ..read more

   Today, we’re joined by the wonderful Dr. Lindsay Gibson. Dr. Gibson dramatically and importantly spotlights how the “emotional immaturity” of parents can hinder and hold us back in our adulthood, and how we can regain trust in ourselves and break free from the destructive and confusing effects of negative “programming” from childhood.    In her book, Who You Were Meant To Be, Dr. Gibson focuses on how people can reconnect with their true self and sense of purpose, especially after experiencing negative parental impacts in childhood. In her subsequent books, Dr. Gibson i ..read more

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Pat Ogden, PhD - a pioneer in somatic psychology, and the creator of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy method. Dr. Ogden is founder of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute and co-founder of the Hakomi Institute; she is trained in a huge range of somatic and psychotherapeutic approaches to healing and wellness, and has over 45 years of experience working with individuals and groups. Throughout this podcast, you’ll hear us refer to the word somatic, which just means relating to or affecting the body—and often, especially after childhood abuse and trauma ..read more

Today, I feel so deeply deeply grateful to have Dr. Richard C. Schwartz PhD with us. I was so powerfully moved by Dr. Schwartz’s work before I spoke with him, and as you’ll hear, I have been even more powerfully moved by his work—unexpectedly in this podcast! —and I hope you will find that helpful during this experience today, as well as on your ongoing journey. In his most recent book, No Bad Parts, which features a foreword by Alanis Morissette, Dr. Schwartz shows us empowering new ways of understanding and healing the many parts that make us who we are. As Dr. Schwartz teaches, “Our parts c ..read more

Today, I’m so thrilled to have Deb Dana (LCSW) join us. Deb is a clinician, author, speaker, and consultant specializing in using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma and create ways of living that allow us to positively re-train and shift our nervous system responses. Deb’s work helps us master the skills to become more aware of our nervous system in each moment—and change the way we respond to the big and small challenges of life—especially after childhood abuse and trauma. Do you remember a recent conversation that "set you off?" Or, a triggering momen ..read more