Hosted by Kevin Young Produced by J’aime Rothbard Societal conditioning and emotional wounding can make our search for authenticity seem daunting. In this episode, Allison unveils the path to authenticity and frames the obstacles we encounter along the way as opportunities for profound healing and reconnection. Imagine a life where you're present in every moment and recognize the unique gifts your individual experiences deliver. Authenticity isn't about perfection—it's about embracing your humanity; flaws, mistakes, and all.  Join us to hear fresh, compassionate perspectives on: Authenticity and Presence           Overcoming Obstacles      Healing Through Acceptance The roles played by: Trauma, Community, Connection, and Life's Continuity Allison explains how revisiting unresolved emotional experiences with kindness enables us to deepen our self-understanding and connection. By attuning to our bodies and emotions, being present in the moment, acknowledging our feelings, and recognizing that our limitations do not define our worth, allows our true selves to shine through. Compassionate self- or practitioner-led inquiry helps us understand and accept the parts of ourselves we've previously reviled or rejected. She explains that healing is a journey best taken with others, as being seen and heard facilitates self-regulation. By surrounding ourselves with those who offer unconditional acceptance—safe spaces—our authenticity will blossom and bloom. Regular self-reflection through journaling, meditation, or sharing true feelings also strengthens our connections and promotes authenticity.  Try Allison’s approach for yourself. Embrace the reality of life as it unfolds. See every individual, including yourself, as inherently worthy. Accepting yourself and others unconditionally—imperfections and all—paves the way for deeper connections… and invites your true self to shine. Dr. Allison Creech, M.ED, ND Allison has been part of Compassionate Inquiry® since 2019 and is honored to support others as a CI Practitioner, Facilitator, and Mentor.  A licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine with a professional focus on mind- body medicine and relational neuroscience, her clinical work has a focus on authenticity and embodiment, working with others to engage in a healing-centered process that restores a deep sense of connection and well being.   Allison has a Master's and a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has dedicated herself to advanced study of somatic modalities and psychedelic assisted therapy, recognizing that experiential shifts are a vital part of healing.   She has been on the faculty at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine for 20 years, where she enjoys her role as an educator who supports other professionals in their growth.  Allison believes in the power of human-to-human connection and works from a perspective of resiliency and confidence in the human spirit. Resources: Websites: Professional Website Compassionate Inquiry Profile Compassionate Inquiry® Links: Brene Brown’s First TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability Quotes:    The segment of this poem quoted in this episode is in bold text. For Someone Awakening To The Trauma Of His Or Her Past “For everything under the sun there is a time. This is the season of your awkward harvesting, When pain takes you where you would rather not go, Through the white curtain of yesterdays to a place You had forgotten you knew from the inside out; And a time when that bitter tree was planted That has grown always invisibly beside you And whose branches your awakened hands Now long to disentangle from your heart. You are coming to see how your looking often darkened When you should have felt safe enough to fall toward love, How deep down your eyes were always owned by something That faced them through a dark fester of thorns Converting whoever came into a further figure of the wrong; You could only see wha