In this episode, I have a deeply powerful and inspiring conversation with Dr. Joanne Cacciatore (@grief_doctor), a grief educator, bereaved mother, tenured professor, best-selling author, and more. Dr. Jo started the first therapeutic carefarm in the world (@selah_carefarm) for traumatic grief which was recently featured on Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry's Apple TV docuseries, "The Me You Can't See."   Dr. Jo and I talk about both the subtle and more obvious ways American culture often...

In this episode, I have a rich conversation with Becca Clegg (@beccaclegglpc), an inspiring author, psychotherapist, embodiment teacher, consultant, & speaker, about listening to & learning from your body's wisdom. Becca & I talk about what it means to live in an "embodied" way & why embodiment is so important. We also offer specific examples of how to recognize when you are veering toward disembodiment. Throughout our conversation, we share simple & accessible ways you...

In today's episode, I speak with Ameya Duprey (@ShaktiCare), board certified Ayurvedic practitioner, massage therapist and Ayurvedic postpartum doula about 5 key pillars of Ayurvedic wisdom ("eat, heat, sleep, love, and repeat") that can guide postpartum care that truly nurtures the birthing parent in the immediate aftermath of birth and for many years beyond. Ayurveda is a rich and complex holistic preventative medicine system originating in India over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda can promote...

In today's episode, I share some pearls of wisdom from Ayurveda, a rich and complex holistic preventative medicine system originating in India over 5,000 years ago. One translation of the word "Ayurveda" means "the science of life." Ayurveda can deepen your understanding of your unique mental and physical constitution in ways that can help you cultivate and craft your life in ways that promotes recalibration in times of stress, transition, and imbalance. Ayurvedic healing modalities include...

In today's episode, I briefly review what "high sensitivity" means. I also discuss different kinds of boundaries and containers that can help you thrive as an HSP. I also share examples of common barriers that many HSPs face in cultivating lifestyles that support boundaries and containers. I also offer some concrete tips and actionable strategies for for setting and maintaining boundaries as an HSP, including 1) ways to stay balanced in your life and consistently implement meaningful...

In today's episode, I describe the trait of high sensitivity and share some key research that is helpful in understanding high sensitivity. I also discuss how cultural values, families of origin, life experiences and relationships shape our perceptions of high sensitivity. The judgment and criticism that highly sensitive people (HSPs) often face from others can result in an internalization of these harmful messages and profound self-judgment. Because this self-judgment can really erode...

In today's episode, I focus on actionable ways that you can break the cycle of perfectionism and shift perfectionistic tendencies. I highlight various principles that I think are important to keep in mind as you go on this journey, as well as some helpful strategies and tips that I have found to be useful in addressing perfectionism in my own life and in the lives of the clients with whom I work. I start off by sharing a definition of perfectionism derived from decades of research, and then...

This week's episode is the second episode in a three-part series on perfectionism. This episode is intended to give you an opportunity to dive more deeply into different domains of your life (e.g., physical appearance, physical fitness, profession, hobbies/vocation, parenting/mentorship, relationships, sexual life, physical environment, vulnerability, relationship to time and space, relationship to success, self-worth/beliefs) and to thoughtfully and non-judgmentally consider some of your...

In this first episode of a 3-part series on perfectionism, I define perfectionism and outline three key dimensions: 1) 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮, which involves requiring perfection of yourself, 2) 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳-𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 which involves requiring perfection of other people, and 3) 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮, which involves believing that other people require perfection of you. I also help you examine the ways in which perfectionism may show up in varying degrees in different...

In this episode, I speak with Kira Willey (@kirawilley), an award-winning children’s music artist, author, kids’ yoga & mindfulness expert, TEDx speaker, & creator of Rockin’ Yoga school programs (read more about Kira below). Kira is an incredibly inspiring & passionate gem of a human, & she has dedicated herself so wholeheartedly to sharing the wisdom of "the 3 M's" (mindfulness, movement, & music) & their benefits for children & adults alike.   Kira shares...

In this episode, I speak with Jesse Brisendine (@jessebrisendine), a best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and world-renowned expert who, in his words, works with individuals and organizations to "move beyond their limitations, unlock their greatness, & build their Camelot." We highlight different kinds of supports that can help us navigate immense heartache when someone we love dearly dies. We discuss personalized rituals and how they can help us create habits and structure that...

In this episode, I speak with Kristjana Hillberg (@kristjana_hillberg), founder of Your Freelance Friend and host of the Red Door Podcast, about growing up in a system of religion that did not resonate with her. Through heartfelt and inspiring anecdotes about her personal journey, Kris shares how she stayed connected to her intuition throughout many difficult life experiences, which led to an ultimate realization that spirituality doesn't have to involve organized religion. We talk about how...

In this episode, I speak with Isabelle Havers, an intuition coach who helps women make themselves their own priority by learning how to cultivate more joy & ease in their lives.  We talk about the pressures many of us face in workplace settings to overwork and over-perform in ways that lead to burnout and a disconnection from what we truly want and need emotionally, physically & spiritually. We talk about the principles of masculine and feminine energy that exist in many different...

In this episode, I share a variety of concrete, actionable tools from evidence-based psychology and other Eastern and Western healing traditions that can help you respond more effectively and holistically to self-criticism in different domains of your life. I cover a variety of strategies including mindfulness-based approaches (e.g., RAIN meditation, mindful self-compassion, cognitive defusion, visualization, metta, and connection to archetype and symbol), cognitive-behavioral techniques...

In this episode, I emphasize how essential it is to understand your relationship to self-criticism & the ways in which it shows up in your life. From this foundation of insight, you can then enhance your ability to respond to self-criticism more effectively, particularly with a compassionate stance, so that it becomes a less dominant force. I begin by offering examples of the multitude of influences that can cultivate & perpetuate self-criticism & then guide you through a...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Lori Brotto (@ubcshr), Registered Psychologist, Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia, Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute, leading international expert on the topic of sexuality, & author of the powerful book "Better Sex Through Mindfulness" (https://greystonebooks.com/products/better-sex-through-mindfulness).   Dr. Brotto conducts research on women’s sexual health &...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Jennifer J. Fryed, the Founder and President of the Center for Institutional Courage, Inc(https://www.institutionalcourage.org/), keynote speaker, author, and professor emerit of psychology with over 30 years of experience researching people and their relationships with institutions.)   Dr. Freyd emphasizes how it is in our nature as human beings to be sensitive to betrayal because experiencing betrayal can be so costly. She also explains how our wiring...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Robyn Walser, a warm-hearted soul with so much wisdom to share, about ways we can change our relationship to painful life experiences in order to move more freely in our lives. We talk about how living life with vitality, rather than focusing primarily on getting rid of certain symptoms, can help us meet painful emotions like anxiety and grief without shame and self-blame. We also discuss how mindfulness and compassion can help us meet human experiences with...

In this episode, I highlight different dynamics in our families of origin and ways they contribute to the development of certain patterns that help us survive and/or get our needs met, yet also can cause problems in our lives in adulthood (e.g., in terms of relationships, sense of self, responses to our emotions and ways of expressing them, etc.). Specifically, I focus on specific patterns and tendencies that can emerge from our family’s style of conflict resolution, use of criticism, values...

In this episode, I speak with Laura Lu (@themindhealthspot) about patriarchy and capitalism and the ways in which we are all affected by these systems as well as concrete actions we can take to heal from their harmful effects. We highlight several core problems that we have observed in ourselves, loved ones, clients, and communities stemming from these systems and share possible tools and strategies to not only promote individual and collective healing, but also to deconstruct, dismantle, and...

In this episode, I have a heartfelt and candid conversation with Leslie Rangel (@newsyogi), a journalist and yoga teacher, about the ways in which high-stress jobs like journalism can disconnect us from our deeper sense of meaning and purpose. We discuss ways that we can promote self-care & healing in order to come home to ourselves, to remember who we really are and why we do what we do professionally. We highlight specific practices that can be integrated into our daily lives (e.g.,...

Many of us have heard people say things like, “try not to judge yourself so much” or “let go of your judgments." While we may intellectually recognize that judgments may not be all that helpful, we do not always feel well-grounded in why letting go of judgments is so important, or clear about what to do instead of judging. In this episode we talk about: 1) what makes a judgment a judgment and how judgmental statements differ from nonjudgmental ones, 2) the ways in which judgments can both...

In this episode, I focus on concrete ways we can find our center ~ ways we can access a grounded sense of safety, stability, security, & soothing ~ even in really difficult times where we may be overwhelmed with stress, grief, fatigue, and pain. While we can and do access grounding through our body, full grounding doesn’t just involve the physical body. Thus, finding our center is a holistic process ~ involving body, mind, heart, & spirit ~ and one that can be unifying and create...

In this week's episode, I had the deep honor of speaking with Rona Fernandez, a 2nd generation Filipino-American, about her grief journey and the death of her beloved daughter Naima. She highlighted ways that various "containers" can support our grief process (e.g., space, time, nature, ritual, writing, art, sharing memories, social media, meaningful support and connection). She also offered some specific examples of ways in which we can explore and cultivate our own containers, especially...