Conversations With a Wounded Healer

"We store so much stuff in our body. So, sometimes that's trauma, sometimes it's joy or whatever, and to be able to recognize, be aware and, like, feel what's happening and name it sounds like you're on your way to, you know, being connected to your body." ~Nicoletta Heidegger Healing is what happens to you while you're busy recording a podcast. This is the second in a series of deeply personal conversations but, unlike the first, I did not expect a landslide of emotion. I did not intend to share my real-time revelations with you. And yet, here we are. 100+ shows in and I feel as securely held by you, this amazing community, in this process as I did my guests Nicoletta Heidegger, MA, MeD, LMFT, who shepherded me through the spontaneous quake; and Rich Buino, LSW, my husband and post-show co-pilot. My hope is that all my messy vulnerability resonates with you and sheds welcome light on what can feel like a dark, lonely process. For the sake of mutual safety, this episode is preceded by a trigger warning regarding sexual trauma and minor attracted persons, more commonly labeled as pedophiles. Please take care of yourself, even if that means skipping this conversation. About Nicoletta. In addition to her work as a therapist and sexoligist, her PhD studies in human sexuality, and hosting duties of the much-lauded podcast Sluts and Scholars, she's a genuine old soul. Her empathic, careful handling of sexual divergence has led to her focus on preventative practices for minor attracted persons even as she runs counter to our culture's entrenched, shame-based attitudes toward sexuality. In the spirit of radical transparency, I knew that my on-air experience with Nicoletta required an equally revealing on-air debrief. Healing can take a long time, and each journey is wildly different. I am forever grateful to Rich for navigating these emotional switchbacks with me. There's no shame in doing this work out loud and I hope that this episode helps you lean into that space. Nicoletta Heidegger is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Sexologist currently pursuing her Phd in Human Sexuality. When not seeing clients, she hosts the sex positive, shame free, educational podcast sluts and scholars. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"There's definitely a deep, there's a deep fear of...annihilation isn't the right word but there's something about, like, going beyond the ego because it's unanchored, right? ~Sarah Buino "...as we move towards freedom, there's always madness… ~Livia Budrys Radical transparency is overwhelming, messy, scary. It's also empowering. In a year marked by long-overdue exposure of the myriad illnesses affecting our society, I humbly offer up the first of several deeply personal conversations. I'm grateful to my best friend and incredible human Livia Budrys for riding shotgun on this episode. She's a beautiful presence in my life and an insightful honorary co-host. If you're a longtime Conversations… fan - thank you, btw - you know I've no problem sharing (to a fault!). And why not? This stigma associated with therapists seeking support is both ridiculous and dangerous - to our own mental health and to how we show up for our clients. As Livia says, this year has forever changed the impetus for disclosure. It's no coincidence that as old ways of existing crumble under the weight of 2020, many folks feel buried under the bricks. I mean, who the hell can continue to carry all the things? Guess who thought she had to. Guess who fought to keep her foundation of complex childhood trauma tucked neatly under the weight of internalized perfectionism and societal expectation. Unsurprisingly, your girl fell into a crisis. I pushed through because life, until doing so was no longer an option. In a culture without limits, I'd run headlong towards mine, a cliff's edge where suicidal ideation eventually supplanted pushing through. But accepting that I needed intensive therapy and disentangling myself from daily life were two points along this healing journey road-blocked by ego and fear. None of my professional experience could save me from just letting go and doing the work. There's no therapeutic shorthand on the road to recovery. Far from a blow-by-blow chronicle of my stay, our discussion is more an exploration of my ongoing emotional transformation. This is me: wounded and healing in the same breath. What does it mean to live and practice in the full expression of that humanity, and why is it profoundly important that we all try to embody this spirit going forward? Let's pull back the curtain together. Livia Budrys is the pioneer of the Yoga-Informed Psychotherapy trainings and is dedicated to the integration of neurobiology, somatics, yoga and psychotherapy practices. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker holding a Masters of Social Service and Administration from the University of Chicago. Livia is also a Certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"This might be the last chance we have at saving our democracy." ~Jennifer Contarino This year, the personal is political. In service to your emotional wellbeing and the health of our democracy, my guest Jennifer Conterino, Psy.D and I are going there. Yup, we're exposing the damaging effects that an egregiously dangerous personality has had on our collective psyche not to mention the will of a nation in desperate need of healing. From years of petulant tweets to his most recent and most odious debate appearance, Trump anxiety disorder is real, y'all! Jennifer would know; she wrote a chapter on the subject for The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. Diagnosing the president is, of course, irresponsible as neither of us is his therapist. But diagnosis for our purposes is irrelevant. We're more concerned with how you're doing. It's no coincidence that being governed by this leader is akin to growing up under a narcissistic parent. Both scenarios leave their victims feeling unmoored and unsafe at best. At worst, these complex traumas repeat themselves, often manifesting as an inability to show outward empathy or inward compassion. With the current administration's survival strategies literally killing BIPOC and conditioning white folks to stay forever silent, is 2020 the wake-up call our country needs? Examining the motivation behind a dangerous huckster's rise to power is one step toward reasserting our agency. Asking ourselves how we want to show up in service to democracy is another. GUEST BIO: Jennifer Contarino, PsyD has been a Licensed Clinical Psychologist since 2004 and is the President of Mindful Psychology Associates, a group therapy practice in Evanston, IL. She is the author of the essay "Trump Anxiety Disorder" in the 2017 New York Times best selling book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Mental Health Experts Assess a President. In addition to her clinical work and managing her practice, she writes, speaks, and presents about psychological topics such as sociopolitical stress and anxiety, coping with uncertainty, and emotional intelligence skills. Here are some ways you can get involved and take action NOW: Register to Vote Swing Left Chicago - Swing Left helps you find the most impactful things you can do to help Democrats win the most important elections. Vote Forward - Participate in letter writing, encouraging US citizens to vote. WisDems - Wisconsin Democratic organization committed to protecting the integrity of elections in this critical state. Ohio Democratic Party - Find ways to volunteer in this critical state. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"It's a weird place to be when you're in the midst of your own work." ~Ashley Solomon First of all, you know I love getting to know new friends on air. Secondly, if you've listened to this show for a while (and why wouldn't you?!), you know I'm all in when the topic du jour is either NARM-adjacent or Enneagram-related. But when the conversation contains all the things? Oh, my! Ashley Solomon, PSY.D, CEDS, is founder of Gelia collaborative in Cincinnati and a new best friend. The collaborative is female-focused, supporting women's wellbeing and empowerment through behavioral health, leadership, coaching, content creation, and events. Ashley specializes in eating disorders, fertility, anxiety, and career issues. While both of us use different models in practice, our desire to help clients regain agency lost to the relational or developmental traumas experienced in childhood is aligned. "We can alter and change those things," she says, "through some of that inner child work and reparenting ourselves and kind of shifting things in our present-day relationships." Beyond her own inner child work, the Enneagram is the model that has resonated with Ashley the most on a personal and relational level. She describes it as a "cool uncovering" process which has provided her with a complete picture of her authentic nature. GUEST BIO: Dr. Ashley Solomon is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Galia Collaborative, a behavioral health and empowerment organization dedicated to elevating the impact of purpose-driven girls and women. She blends her love for research, her commitment to social justice, and her hard-earned experience to support women at challenge points in their lives. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"We have to be able to have these uncomfortable conversations and put in some uncomfortable strategies for people to move forward." ~Brandon Jones What, exactly, is intergenerational trauma? How does structural racism even work? For Brandon Jones, the answers are balled up in the same knot of his origins story. As a psychotherapist, a professor with dual Masters degrees, and a 2013 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, Brandon's committed to educating people about the intentional cycles of trauma and drama that supremacist culture has fostered within families of color. For white folks, confronting these life-long, centuries-old systems requires acknowledgement of advantages that most of us have come to rely on, consciously and unconsciously. Our conversation begins with Brandon's winding journey of self-discovery and travels through instances of early bias conditioning and "bootstrapping" - the racist myth that hard work is enough to level the playing field for all - in his own life. He sheds light on aspects of everyday, institutional racism, easy to overlook if you're not intimately acquainted with them. What I call out as ignorance or "blindness" on the part of white folks, Brandon defines as denial, the privilege to avoid confronting what is known - another underhanded tactic from the supremacy playbook. Listeners, you know how much I love a good chat! Well, Brandon humored yours truly so much that we almost ran out of time for the healer questions. Almost. GUEST BIO: Brandon Jones is a Psychotherapist, Professor and currently serves as the Integrated Services Manager at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center. He specializes in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Historical and Intergenerational trauma, Social/Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Leadership, and Youth Justice. Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Brandon has survived living in a home of domestic violence and various other forms of trauma. Brandon holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, a Masters in Community Psychology from Metropolitan State University, and a Masters in Psychotherapy (MFT) from Adler Graduate School. Brandon is also a 2013 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow. He is also a professor at Metropolitan State University and Century College. He lives by the motto of "Live life with Purpose on Purpose." For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I feel like there's so many different aspects of being a hairdresser. It's like, you're an artist, you're a counselor, a psychologist." ~Shimi Shiba If only someone could take the easy intimacy that hairstylists enjoy with their longtime clients and translate the magic into a formal therapeutic setting… Oh, wait! I've met such a person. In this episode, professional hairdresser Shimi Shiba shares the behind-the-chair insights that have prepared her for a return to school and propelled her toward a degree in counselling. Few vocations provide access to both a client's body and brain in quite the same way as hairdressing. Routine visits strengthen the trust established through touch and conversation. It's precisely this bonding that has prompted Illinois (the state in which Shimi practices) to enact a law requiring licensed stylists complete training to identify victims of domestic violence among their clientele. Now, as a graduate student, Shimi's melding structured learning with life experience. The years she's spent observing client behavior in front of a literal mirror will provide Shimi with a professional POV that's uniquely her own. "One thing that I've learned going to college and working on my bachelor's as an adult, the best sort of education I've had, like its own form of life college, has actually been being a hairdresser." Call it tHAIRapy. Shimi Shiba has been a hairdresser for 25 years (she started super young). She has a strong artistic eye and a true love of hair and makeup. She really loves connecting with people and personalizing a style to fit the individual. She doesn't believe in the "one size fits all" approach. In addition to her styling talents, Shimi is also quite adept at astrology and is studying to become a counselor. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"Maybe it's not about healing. Maybe it's just about being with people who are wounded too. It's maybe like wounded is we're alive together." ~Claude Cayemitte Hello friends! This is the episode in which Claude Cayemitte, LCSW blows my mind -- by answering the wounded healer question in a way I've never heard before. So, who is Claude Cayemitte? He's a NARM-certified, award-winning psychotherapist working with at-risk teenaged boys and their families. He's a self-described passionate consumer of and advocate for outlets that address issues relating to social justice, systemic racism, and all forms of oppression. He's a lover of comic books and chess. He's a hater of spreadsheets (#same). He's also a Black man living in a country grappling with the ugly, deadly realities of its white supremacist infrastructure and the confines of linear thinking. Claude encourages listeners to reclaim joy, self-care, and intimacy - with themselves and others. They're skills he's had to pick up along his journey. "All I saw was my pain. All I saw was my trauma," he recalls of his mental health challenge. "And I was so afraid of everyone else seeing it. But where I'm at now, like even with the George Floyd stuff, it's like I'm more than just that pain." (#same!) Claude Cayemitte is a licensed clinical social worker who has experience working with trauma in substance abuse treatment and marginalized communities. Claude is an award-winning psychotherapist, receiving the Minority Fellowship Award from the Council of Social Work Education for his work with at-risk teens. Claude is a NARM certified therapist who currently works at Family First Adolescent Services, a residential treatment center that incorporates NARM in their programming. Claude also sees patients through his private practice using teletherapy. In 2020, in collaboration with the NARM training institute, Claude presented a Cultural Misattunement webinar on the topic of racial trauma and its impact on the therapeutic process. Claude believes in the healing power of conversation, allowing him the privilege to help people overcome obstacles to being healthy, authentic and connected. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"Shame is the thing that keeps us from even admitting that there's an issue and that we might be complicit in it." ~Erin Law I'm back from a brief summer respite with a total buzzkill for some of my listeners: healing from supremacy culture sucks! There's no rest for the (white) weary while our Black brothers and sisters continue to fight for their lives. More bad news: not only is our path pot-holed with shame, it never ends. The farther down the road we go, the deeper the cracks we uncover. Luckily, multidisciplinary artist, somatic movement educator, and bodyworker Erin Law has dedicated herself to mapping this journey. Together with her coworkers at Activist Theology Project, she's co-creating a process in which fellow white folks can work on healing from supremacy culture's one-two punch of self-loathing and complacency. Erin is currently launching a new course: Unraveling Our Whiteness to support an embodied exploration and unraveling of whiteness and white supremacy culture. Guest Bio: Erin Law (they/she) is a multidisciplinary artist, somatic movement educator, bodyworker and emerging politicized healer based in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a B.A. in Dance from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, a M.F.A. in Dance from Smith College, a Certification in Laban Bartenieff Movement Analysis from the Integrated Movement Studies Program, and is a Licensed Massage Therapist. Currently Erin is the Embodiment and Somatics Curator at Activist Theology Project where she is focusing her work around the facilitation of social healing especially for folks positioned within the dominant culture who are seeking transformative justice. They also teach Somatics and Improvisation for diverse populations, practice Ashiatsu and Myofascial Release in their Massage Therapy work, and spearhead various creative projects at the intersection of somatic embodiment, social healing, queer theory, and performance art. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

As part of our "Archival August," we are re-releasing episodes from the past that have held specific significance for me recently, as I take some time for personal healing. This episode with David Clinton was really moving for me personally. David is from my same hometown and I don't know about you guys, but during the pandemic and everything that's been going on, there's been a lot of reflecting on the past and the ways in which our upbringing caused harm or trauma. David has become somebody that I have reached out to more regularly because he's just a really, really awesome guy. *** David Clinton is a private practice therapist in Naperville, Illinois. He's a native of Cincinnati and studied psychology and religion at Indiana university before entering his masters in clinical psychology from Wheaton college, he's counseled in private since 2002. He's also a guitarist and amateur photographer and an avid reader. David is married and a father of two children who fill his days with laughter, excitement and a significant amount of property damage. *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

As part of our "Archival August," we are re-releasing episodes from the past that have held specific significance for me recently, as I take some time for personal healing. Lisa Lackey, is one of the premier therapists in Chicago. And it's funny, I knew Lisa from afar for a really long time and kind of had put her on a pedestal. Early on, when we were starting to talk, I remember feeling honored that she was interested in connecting with me. And now she's somebody who I know that I can go to with absolutely anything and she's one of the most generous clinicians. I mean, I know a lot of generous clinicians, but for somebody of Lisa's caliber to be so generous is just truly exceptional. Lisa identifies as a black woman and she's been doing a lot of work in the anti-racism realm lately. And we don't really talk a lot about that in this episode, but the way that she's combining anti-racism work with empathy and compassion is I think truly what needs to happen in this country overall right now. *** Lisa Lackey has worked in the field of addiction and trauma since 1994. She's driven by the passion to support persons as they journey toward resolution from the inside out. Her clinical expertise is in the treatment of sexual addiction, trauma, and other addictions. She's worked as a pastor, leadership development consultant, and public speaker in a variety of venues. She loves learning and teaching what she learns. Her passion for what she does makes her a dynamic and compassionate therapist and an engaging speaker who connects as easily with individuals as she does with large audiences. Lisa's podcast is Insideout Conversations. *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

As part of our "Archival August," we are re-releasing episodes from the past that have held specific significance for me recently, as I take some time for personal healing. This episode with Tanya Markul felt right to share right now because the world is going through a major transformation and all the shadows are coming to light so we can transmute them. Tanya's latest book is The She Book v.2. *** Tanya Markul's path is one of the poetess, intuitive and wounded storyteller. An unwanted child, she was raised on barren soil, of shame, guilt and overwhelming self-hatred. From the womb, her inner navigation was tainted from an ancestry of addiction, instability, abuse and fear. Her journey to self-heal, and to become ready to guide others, has taken many arduous paths, risks and harrowing rebirths. In this episode, Sarah speaks with the Thug Unicorn herself: Tanya Markul. Tanya and Sarah discuss the ecstasy within the ache, what lies beneath our traumatic stories, and how we share our stories in an effort to inspire others to find their way out of trauma and pain. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

As part of our "Archival August," we are re-releasing episodes from the past that have held specific significance for me recently, as I take some time for personal healing. This episode was recorded in the very beginning of my anti-racism journey, a touching conversation at a pivotal moment. *** Mishara D. Winston, LCSW is a Black, queer, creative adventure therapist and the owner of an uncommon social & emotional wellness sanctuary called To Indy, With Love. To Indy, With Love focuses on gathering, playing, feeling for communal healing. Each of it's services (mental wellness coaching, experiences & speaking) are specifically crafted for Black, Indigenous & PoC, LGBTQIA+ people and Indiana folks of many faiths, helping them to remember our ancestors were mental health experts and we can socially and emotionally heal ourselves and each other. Her work is found at @toindywithlove on IG & FB and at www.toindywithlove.com. Mishara has redefined what it means to be an adventure therapist in the Midwest. She shares with Sarah her experience as a Black woman navigating the standards for professionalism (whiteness) in the field of social work and how she uses the power of choice to care for herself. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

A quick note to let you know that I'm taking a break in August, and why. Never fear, I'll be back in September and in the meantime, we are revisiting some friends from previous episodes. *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"Having those wounds shapes you, but also lets the next person know that they can heal from their wounds." ~Da'Jonese Turner Empathy + Empowerment = Resilience. That's a standard formula for wellbeing, but without access, whole communities never receive the attention they deserve. That leaves generations of traumas and day-to-day anxieties unidentified and unaddressed. Lean in to what Da'Jonese Turner, MA, has to say about the power of affordable, accessible wellness options for all. Da'Jonese is the founder of Me In The Making Wellness, a haven where Chicago's Black population and POC can experience mental health care from therapists who understand the emotional baggage -- not least of which is the "weakness" associated with asking for help. Da'Jonese fantasy of a mission-driven center has been a bricks and mortar reality since 2015 -- a lifetime ago by today's hurry-up and wait standards. 2020 continues to serve up wildly mixed messages: Stay home to avoid COVID19! Get out and protest for social change! CWH is grateful to Da'Jonese for opening up about her resulting mental fatigue and self-care (or not) routine. She shared with us an inspiring story from her practice and offered straightforward advice for white people new to the work of becoming anti-racist. "I would hope that for people who are struggling with race, when you know what racism is and what it looks like, to find somebody that they can talk to about it and figure it out from there." BIO: Da'Jonese Turner is a master's level clinician, who has built her career on the premise of helping others, especially today's youth and young adults. As the founder of Me in the Making Wellness, DaJonese continues to use her gifts and talents to facilitate change for the families served, through the organization's 3 pillars of Counseling, Coaching and Community outreach. When she is not working, Da'Jonese wears many other hats ~ dope daughter, super sister and supportive friend. She spends her time with all these lovely people and enjoying her favorite things: traveling, binge watching tv, listening to music and playing puzzle games. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I feel like everybody has healing qualities in one way or another. We all have gifts, right, and blessings and so I believe everybody... no matter who you are, has that." ~Ryanne Bright With friends like Ryanne Bright MA, LCPC, CADC, it's a wonder we haven't yet solved ALL of the world's problems. But we're working on it! Ryanne is the co-founder, co-owner and Chief Clinical Officer of The Family Recovery Centers in Chicagoland. As if she didn't have enough on her plate, she's also the founder of Chicago Integrative Center For Psychology. Her ability to reach high-risk kids, often without returning them to inpatient programs, has earned her the nickname "last chance Ryanne" (love that). Another characteristic that makes Ryanne perfectly suited to connect with the classically challenging to reach? She owns the healer label and all the wounds that got her here: an early reliance on drugs and alcohol as well as a youthful arrogance directed at her own therapy, even as she pursued her degree in the field. She encourages those new to the profession to commit to their own therapy as well (dear listener, after 100+ episodes, you know I'm down with this advice!) That's a foundational tenet of our grand plan for solving the world's problems. Ryanne and I kick around a few more ideas, like chipping away at the performative authenticity many inexperienced therapists rely on in session. Also, restoring art and intuitiveness to the science of care. Once we've conquered those tasks, all will be well. Listen in; you'll see. BIO: Ryanne is the Co-Owner/Co-Founder of The Family Recovery Centers (an intensive outpatient program for adolescents and their families in Lake Bluff, Hoffman Estates and St. Charles, IL) and The Chicago Integrative Center for Psychology (a large private practice in Lake Bluff, IL). In her 20 years of counseling, Ryanne has worked in multiple levels of care including intake coordination, private practice, intensive outpatient programs and inpatient units. She also has experience assessing potential psychiatric patients in the medical setting and working with special needs adults. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I think it's just really trying to take time to just sit. You don't even have to close your eyes. Just sit in your home and just look around. What do you hear? What do you feel in your body?" ~Jay Taylor Heads up, beautiful people: My conversation with Sound Meditation Facilitator Jay Taylor was recorded waaaay back in the spring, the earliest days of regional pandemic precautions and well before the murder of George Floyd. Some things have changed...and some have stayed the same. Which practices have you chosen to bring with you on this journey? Jay's Sit In Sound sessions use gongs, crystal bowls, and percussive instruments to create immersive experiences or sound baths. We discuss how these high-vibe gatherings work to draw out tension, relieve stress, and even help participants address trauma, experiences he's fostered in a wide range of settings (think corporate seminars, schools, addiction centers). "If you're feeling fear, anxiety, these types of things, we're trained at this point to push those things down...we get stuck in loops." Given our current socio-political-public-health environment, it's easier than ever to see how those loops perpetuate the stories we tell about ourselves and each other. Jay wants us to give our brains a break. Just sit for a bit and see what comes up. Whatever that is or isn't, you're doing the best you can. If you're curious about sound baths (and I know you are!), Jay shares a brief sample with us at the end of this episode. GUEST BIO: Half way through a 10 year career teaching students with disabilities, physical education, nutrition, and mindfulness, Jay took on the philosophy that everybody is trying their best all of the time AND that expanding our version of 'best' can be accomplished through the release of stress, healing of trauma, and the loving consideration of the body. Jay began facilitating Sound Meditations in 2018 and has shared his sounds with over 400 groups of participants in Chicago-land hospitals, addiction centers, non-profits, schools, clubs, galleries, yoga studios, and corporate offices. Through his work he has come to fully understand the power that vibration has in creating space for others to truly relax and feel rejuvenated. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"We're all just trying to figure out a way through it and praying and hoping beyond hope that this hurt and anxiety we feel in these moments are actual birth pains that are about to birth for us something new and beautiful that we haven't yet imagined, or that we've imagined and have never, ever thought possible." ~Anna Golladay Anna Golladay is a balm for anyone who doesn't exactly vibe with Christianity. As co-host of ActivisTheology podcast, along with her partner Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, Anna explores the myriad aspects of social healing. As a United Methodist pastor and co-director of the ActivisTheology, she's a compelling voice for liberation, equity, and inclusion, the same causes a certain radical mystic and activist was crucified for. Yup, Jesus. For those with an agnostic - or worse - relationship with Christianity, Anna's ministerial activism will come as a pleasant surprise. Anna's love for her church is far from blind. This white, CIS-gendered woman with the kick-ass hair (just sayin') is clear-eyed and confrontational. Anna doesn't confine her view to the lofty heights of the pulpit. Instead, she whole-heartedly embraces her role on the front lines of the battle for social transformation, going so far as to eschew the term ally for something far more involved. "I don't ever want to be called an ally again. I want to be an accomplice." Allyship provides cover, safety. Anna prefers to be close enough to those being harmed that she's hit with the stones instead of them. Yup...just like that radical mystic and activist from 2000 years ago. If you're interested in my conversation with Anna's partner and co-host Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza (and I know you are!), you can listen here. GUEST BIO: Anna Golladay thrives on curating creative, spiritual & entrepreneurial possibility. As a highly accomplished and multi-talented creative, marketing and branding expert, she has over 20 years of blended corporate, independent and not-for-profit experience. She is a minister in the United Methodist Church. Her ministry is focused on social justice and any inequity that exists both inside and outside the walls of the corporate church. She is diligent in her advocacy of full inclusion of all persons in the United Methodist denomination. As a queer justice advocate via faith and social construct arenas she boldly enters spaces of difference and stands firmly in the gap. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"The 12 steps are a return to the internal world...If you just do the cogs in a wheel, they will create an emotional rearrangement in you." ~Veronica Valli Hundreds of people take shaky steps toward sobriety every day. Veronica Valli began her journey 20 years ago this past May. Like many, she credits Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with helping her stay joyfully sober. But the author, podcast host, psychotherapist and coach knows not everyone shares her experience. That said, she's not about to let a recent New York Times OpEd piece get away with passing off misinformation as fact - especially where the care of female alcoholics in recovery is concerned. We chat about that blog post as well as her developmental trauma and eventual emotional sobriety. Her answers to our favorite healer questions lead to our discussion about her experiences with Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or tapping. These days, it's impossible to close the show without asking about COVID19. "I hope this is teaching us how we kind of have this...I mean, it's about connection," she says. Although referring optimistically to our post-pandemic future, Veronica's comment could just as easily apply to her affinity for AA. BIO Veronica Valli has been joyously sober since May 2nd 2000. Originally from the UK, she is a psychotherapist, Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner, Recovery Coach and Author of books 'Why you drink and How to stop' and 'Get Sober Get Free.' She is also the co-host of the Soberful Podcast. Veronica passionately believes that anyone can recover from an alcohol problem if they are given the right tools and support. She has personally helped thousands of women transform their lives. Veronica believes that alcohol is only a symptom of the problem and that to recover, thrive and become the women we are truly meant to be, we need to embrace a process of change. Now based in the USA she works with women all over the world through her online programs and Facebook groups. She is married and lives on Long Island with her husband and two sons. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"If you're not talking about power, then you're really not doing racial equity work or inclusive work." ~Brit Holmberg Brit Holmberg, MSW, LCSW, is a staff therapist at The Wellness Center of Loyola University and a longtime friend. He's also the co-creator, alongside his colleague Marion Malcome MSW, LCSW, of "Becoming An Anti-Racist Social Worker". Use of that hyphenate is critical to this conversation. Not racist is easy but anti-racist? That's where the real work sits and, spoiler alert: it never ends. As Brit explains, supporting the radical social changes Black people and people of color demand - and deserve - requires white allies to embark upon a life-long process of unlearning and decentering. So what does a CIS HET white guy know about racism? Glad you asked. Brit is clear on this point: he's not one of racism's intended victims. Instead, his mission is to make inroads with people who, like him, have long been the beneficiaries of white supremacist culture. Does that make him a healer, wounded or otherwise? You'll have to listen in to hear what Brit thinks about my favorite question. The process of becoming an anti-racist, though? That's transformative healing for those on both sides of that equation. Brit offers these excellent suggestions for your anti-racist syllabus: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard To Talk To White People About Racism - by Robin DiAngelo Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? - by Beverly Daniel Tatum White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible White Knapsack - by Peggy McIntosh I'm Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness - by Austin Channing Brown Code Switch Podcast - NPR For the complete list compiled by Marion and Brit: https://tinyurl.com/AntiracismSW *** Brit Holmberg (he/him, they/them) is a passionate community organizer, educator, and mental health practitioner who seeks to disrupt white supremacy culture and promote anti-racism at both the clinical and organizational levels. Brit lives with his family in Chicago, IL. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast *** Thank you to our sponsor (and editors) The Creative Impostor Studios! If you've been thinking about creating a podcast of your own, sign up for Andrea's Launch Your Podcast online class ASAP. Launch Your Podcast online class via Zoom Thursday July 9, 2020 7:00-8:15pm CST $50. First 15 to register by July 2nd are free. http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/healerlaunch Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"You've got to set up the dynamic, which is, we can talk about absolutely anything here. I'm not going to judge you. I'm not going to shame you. I can take it." ~Tristan Taormino Sex episode! Sexpisode? You decide. Either way, educator, author, and media-maker Tristan Taormino talks about the joys of her DIY career and what she wishes therapists knew about sex. From her first book, The Ultimate Guide To Anal Sex For Women (published waaay back in 1997) to her current podcast, Sex Out Loud, Tristan's dedicated her life to creating shame-free, inclusive spaces where knowledge and straightforward advice flourish. She's also a prolific maker of feminist porn and erotica and a champion of marginalized voices. She uses her various platforms to amplify the views of her LGBTQIA peers and other groups who are consistently excluded from the CIS male-dominated mainstream conversations around sex and pleasure. Tristan's gained plenty of cognitive insight into the client-therapist relationship. She's participated in years of dialectic behavioural therapy (DBT) to address her own childhood traumas and in continued support of her severe depression. She's witnessed firsthand how therapists' inherent sexual biases or avoidance tactics inhibit authentic therapeutic conversations. She urges therapists to stop waiting for clients to lead on the subject of sex. With a little grace and a lot of sex-positive education, therapists can gain competencies that support their clients' sexuality even if they themselves don't fully embrace every kink or intimate desire on the spectrum. *** Tristan Taormino is an award-winning sex educator, media maker, and speaker. She is the author of eight books and editor or co-editor of 25 anthologies. She keynotes, lectures, and teaches workshops around the world on sexual pleasure and health, relationships, and social justice. She is the host of the podcast Sex Out Loud. She is the creator of Sex Educator Boot Camp, a professional training program, and she runs a coaching and consulting business for sexuality professionals. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I hope that my work speaks from the scars and not the wounds." ~Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD Revolutions take work. The movement to dismantle supremacy culture rightly demands that much of the work be done off-camera, by those who benefit most from its proliferation. Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD engages those willing to do the requisite heavy lifting through stories (and, sometimes, food). As a queer activist, Latinx scholar, and public theologian, they stand at the intersections of systemic analysis and lived experience. As a white-passing person of color, they move through the world with the same power, access, and privilege afforded to those who've set the ground rules for centuries. Roberto invites white people to get dirty, to sit with our defenses and explore our tacit acceptance of supremacy culture. Only then, they say, can we join forces and begin to heal our world. "I think the work of coming together is our work...It's an ethics of togetherness because if we are together in a practice of being human with one another, we can actually reshape our democracy." The revolution is here. Are you in? *** Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD has been described in a myriad of ways: a scholar-activist, scholar-leader, thought-leader, teacher, public theologian, ethicist, poet of moral reason, and word artist. Among these ways of describing Dr. Roberto, they are also a visionary thinker who has spent two decades working in the hybrid space of church, academy, & movements seeking to not only disrupt but dismantle supremacy culture by focusing their PhD studies on new concepts of being & becoming, decolonizing knowledge production, & bridging with radical difference. They enflesh a deep hope of collaborating in these hybrid spaces where their work seeks to contribute to the ongoing work of collective liberation. Activist Theology as a disciplinary off-shoot of liberation theology & Movement idea has been incubating since 2008 with Dr. Roberto and further developed throughout their doctoral program and engagement with Movement leaders. Now, Activist Theology has the chance to emerge as a collaborative project. Dr. Roberto was named 1 of 10 Faith Leaders to watch by the Center for American Progress in 2018. As a scholar-activist, Dr. Roberto is committed to translating theory to action, so that our work in the hybrid spaces reflect the deep spiritual work of transforming self to transforming the world. Dr. Roberto writes & creates both academic & other valuable resources, including digital resources. Dr. Roberto is a non-binary Transqueer Latinx who calls Nashville, TN home. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gigs: Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

~We decided to re-release this episode because we couldn't think of a better voice to lead during this time. We have chosen to mute ourselves and support #amplifymelanatedvoices through June 7th. "We have inherited a system and there's nothing we can do about it except acknowledge that and dismantle it. But if we don't acknowledge it, then we are actually maintaining [it]." ~Derrick Dawson A conversation that eloquently connects the dots between capitalism and systemic racism? Straight talk about our American way of life and the foundation of white supremacy upon which it was built? Yes, please, to both! Derrick Dawson, co-program coordinator of the Regional Organizing for Anti-Racism, aka Chicago Roar, sheds light on the myriad ways white supremacy continues to fester and flourish. Using the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as metaphor and proving ground, Derrick hits our collective compliance with his high-powered truth rays. He exposes us to the vicious strategies employed by corporations and power-brokers hell-bent on destroying our relationship to our planet, our communities, and ourselves. Once you see the light, I guarantee you won't be able to look away. Derrick Dawson is a member of the AntiRacism Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, and served as its Co-Chair for three years. He is the Training Manager at the Chicago law firm of Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg in Chicago, and is a graduate student and teaching assistant in English Composition at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Derrick was also a broadcaster and journalist in the United States Navy, where he served for eight years on ships in Asia and the Pacific. For more information about antiracism resources, this is an excellent, though not exhaustive list: http://bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES 7 Virtual Mental Health Resources Supporting Black People Right Now If you'd like to support other black healers who've appeared on this show you can listen to the following episodes and support their work: Monika Black - 110 Lauren McBride - 98 Jade T. Perry - 66 Lisa Lackey - 58 Mishara Winston - 53 Jamila Kekulah Kinney - 38 VersAnnette Blackman - 34 For full show notes, more episodes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gig: Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

"I think the most transformative practice that I've come across is this ability to see that in all of our responses and reactivity and whatever it is we're all, deep down, these beautiful animals who wish that they could live in a world in which everyone's needs were met and everyone loved each other. And we all have that wish. And that's not the world we live in." ~Tim Desmond This is exactly what a planet in "time out" needs: a conversation with someone who can help us make sense of any effed up sitch. In his latest book, How To Stay Human In A F*cked Up World, author and Buddhist philosopher Tim Desmond, LMFT, invites us to peel back the layers that have been papered over of mindfulness practices. He helps us dive headlong into the process of self-inquiry, asking us to examine our motivations in hopes that we resurface with a more outward-facing practice. He even gives this Wounded Healer a crash course in compassionate rage - an incredibly helpful sidebar in light of so much pandemic-related dysfunction. Let the conscious-raising begin! *** Tim Desmond is an esteemed Buddhist philosopher who has lectured on psychology at Yale and leads a mental health project at Google. Despite an absent father, childhood homelessness, and losing a wife to cancer, Desmond has emerged with not only inner strength and joyful resilience, but also a deep understanding of human suffering necessary to advocate for those hurting all over the world. Through his work, Desmond realized the truth: we don't need a mindfulness practice for productivity or sleep, and it shouldn't come from religion, philosophy, or hypothetical situations. Instead, mindfulness should be rooted in the pain, sadness, loneliness, and trauma of the here and now, because it is the only true antidote for this sometimes-miserable world we call home. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gigs: Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715 Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

I'm happy to share with you an amazing podcast called Back From the Abyss! Our latest conversation was with Dr. Craig Heacock where we spoke a bit about his experiences working with psychedelics in psychotherapy. This episode "MDMA and the Inner Healer" showcases the story of a client and his experience with the MDMA-assisted therapy sessions. It's incredible! I'm sure you'll be as touched by this episode as I was. And of course, if you like this episode, make sure to follow/subscribe Back From the Abyss on your favorite podcast platform. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gigs: Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715 Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

"I've had a lot of losses and vicarious trauma in my practice and, I think, starting Back From The Abyss was also a way for me to put out just balloons of hope into the world and to remind myself that people do get better and people heal and people do the hard work of therapy." ~Dr. Craig Heacock For every harrowing loss with which Dr. Craig Heacock has had to come to terms, his practice is also populated by people who are recovering and thriving. He created Back From The Abyss in 2019 with those clients in mind as a way to share their stories of hope and healing. A quick glance at the podcast's episode guide speaks to the broad range of topics. The reoccurring focus, however, is on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, namely the use of ketamine and MDMA as therapeutic tools. Often maligned by us as street or club drugs, psychopharmacology has the potential to accelerate trust within the client/therapist relationship and enhance outcomes. Dr Heacock provides some much-needed context to this fascinating subject and shares his own journey to resilience before answering our favorite healer questions. HEADS UP: Be on the lookout for a Back From The Abyss episode right here on the CWH feed. *** Dr. Craig Heacock is an adolescent/adult psychiatrist and addiction specialist in Colorado. In addition to producing and hosting a psychiatric storytelling podcast called Back from the Abyss, he is a co-therapist in the Phase 3 trial of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. Dr. Heacock has a particular interest in the use of ketamine and other psychedelics to treat severe mood disorders and PTSD. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and did his psychiatry training at Brown University. For full show notes, guest information, and resources, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gigs: Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715 Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

"Well, that could've gone better…" Ever leave a therapy session wondering where things went off the rails or what you might've done differently? Meet your new best friends Carrie Wiita and Ben Fineman, co-hosts of Very Bad Therapy! They dropped by to discuss their show and managed to turn the tables on yours truly with questions of their own! VBT teases out the woulda, coulda, shoulda moments from some of the worst in-real-life therapy session stories that Carrie and Ben have ever heard. But they're not here to dish out blame-and-shame. Instead, they offer enlightened, empathetic course correction within a safe space, allowing vulnerability and professionalism to co-exist. If you've ever listened to a cringe-worthy therapy tale and thought 'Oh no, I've done that, too!', we're here for you. *** Very Bad Therapy gives voice to the stories that begin with an exasperated "You would not believe what happened with my therapist." Weekly episodes explore real-life stories of very bad therapy experiences as hosts Carrie Wiita and Ben Fineman seek to learn from diverse guests and experts in the field who help shed light on how things could have gone better. Supported by scientific research and a mission to bring out the best in psychotherapy through discussion of its worst moments, Very Bad Therapy is a corrective emotional experience for clinicians and clients alike. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gigs: Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715 Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

"We have inherited a system and there's nothing we can do about it except acknowledge that and dismantle it. But if we don't acknowledge it, then we are actually maintaining [it]." ~Derrick Dawson A conversation that eloquently connects the dots between capitalism and systemic racism? Straight talk about our American way of life and the foundation of white supremacy upon which it was built? Yes, please, to both! Derrick Dawson, co-program coordinator of the Regional Organizing for Anti-Racism, aka Chicago Roar, sheds light on the myriad ways white supremacy continues to fester and flourish. Using the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as metaphor and proving ground, Derrick hits our collective compliance with his high-powered truth rays. He exposes us to the vicious strategies employed by corporations and power-brokers hell-bent on destroying our relationship to our planet, our communities, and ourselves. Once you see the light, I guarantee you won't be able to look away. Derrick C. Dawson is Co-Program Coordinator for Chicago Regional Organizing for Antiracism (Chicago ROAR), and an organizer and trainer for Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training. He is also an ADA 25 Advancing Leadership 2020 Fellow. He served on the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, and served several terms as Co-Chair of the Antiracism Commission of the Chicago Diocese. Before becoming an antiracism organizer and trainer, Derrick served in the United States Navy as a broadcaster and journalist in the Pacific, and worked for over 20 years as a corporate trainer for major law firms in Chicago. He studied English and Linguistics at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago where he received a Bachelor's degree. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's virtual speaking gigs: Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715 Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

"Forgiveness is not a tool to heal trauma." ~Nate Postlethwait Here's the thing about my conversation with Nate Postlethwait: his story made this Wounded Healer all sorts of mad - in the best possible way! Buckle in because Nate's journey from confused and closeted to out and authentic is a white-knuckle ride on the complex trauma rollercoaster. There are enviable highs - travel, career success. There are stomach-churning lows - sexual abuse, intense religious indoctrination, conversion therapy. And then, there's a moment of messy, divine clarity when a broken man grabbed hold of his agency, stepped off that ride and found the other side of saved. Now, Nate's ready to share the lessons he's learned from "doing the work". He's currently busy prepping a coaching program with a unique six months on/one month off timeline. Beyond that, Nates wants to give back by creating a safe megaphone for others to use. "This version of the ride has come to a complete stop but there's so much more to Nate's story on the podcast! Go. Listen. Now! For complete show notes and links to connect with Nate, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. GUEST BIO In 2018, Nate Postlethwait sold almost everything he owned, left a lucrative career and boarded a plane for Croatia. He traveled internationally for six months while sharing his story of overcoming complex trauma, his battle with addiction and eventually coming out as gay. The story exposes the vulnerabilities many of us feel, but are afraid to say out loud. Several thousand people are following along and a community of survivors are finding solace amongst others who know their pain. Heads up: This conversation was recorded before shelter-in-place orders were rolled out across the US to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. You won't hear any reference to the pandemic in the episode beyond my introduction. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Sarah's upcoming virtual speaking gigs: Wednesday, June 3, 11am Central Illinois Higher Education Center - Trauma and Substance Abuse https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4346826168318216715 Tuesday, June 16, 1pm Central New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association - The Wounded Healer https://www.nhadaca.org/event-3805324/Registration

"The whole system was created to keep you distracted onto a battlefield. You could not have been put on this wonderful journey called life to fight. That could not be what we are here to do." ~Monika Black What do you get when a leadership maximizer and the Wounded Healer get together to discuss light and shadow, happiness and shame? A roadmap to joy and an invitation to claim your agency, naturally! Besides being an amazing human, Monika Black, PhD., is a positive psychology expert who's shifted to coaching, a space she says allows her to live and lead with authenticity. Pick an -ism (capitalism, racism, sexism, colonialism) and drill down to its essence, to the core of shame and pain. That's where adherents to and victims of the dark -isms find themselves, existing in the shadows. The -isms take away individual agency and force victims to work from a deficit. Monika sees her role as a guide out from under dark power structures. "I can't dispel the shadows," she said, "but in the light, they are irrelevant." Her words read like a mantra and, in many ways, that's Monika's work distilled to its most vital and pure sentiment. She's here to show her clients how they can address the shadows and ultimately reclaim the gifts of inner lightness and joy. For complete show notes and links to connect with Monika, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"You do your personal work. We really believe that we're the change agents and we can't take our clients anywhere we haven't gone." ~Adena Bank Lees Adena Bank Lees, LCSW, LISAC, BCETS, CP is an accomplished speaker, author, experiential trainer, and consultant working in traumatic stress and addiction. She's a leading authority on, and advocate for, psychodrama, a modality that employs guided role-play in private or group sessions. And Adena's encyclopedic knowledge of her field is as impressive as her compassion and empathy are genuine. This is one of those rich, inviting conversations that begs to be bookmarked for future re-listens; it's just that good! Adena clients face a wide range of challenges, from transgenerational trauma to covert emotional incest. She creates safe spaces in which intuition helps them rework their personal stories. This isn't an erasure of the past. Nor is it an exercise in traditional forgiveness. "It's the feeling, it's the understanding, it's the grieving of the losses, of the hopes and the dreams. And the I wish my childhood was like this. It wasn't. I can't go back. But, I got to grieve and at some point to make the choice. I'm not going to hold onto this anger." Accepting that we can live vibrantly and wholely with our wounds is a byproduct of owning one's agency. It's for this reason that Adena adamantly advises therapists to embark on self-healing journeys so they can better understand the client experience. Asked if she considers herself a wounded healer, she says, "I don't see myself as wounded anymore. I have parts that are wounded, but me as a whole? No. And I believe that was an important stage, an identity for me to have. And to be and to move through. I have wounds and I am in the process of assisting other people to heal." Truth! Note: This interview was recorded well before shelter-in-place orders were instituted across the United States in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the conversation does not reference the crisis. For complete show notes and links to connect with Adena, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I look at it kind of like "ally", right? I would prefer that other people would call me a healer rather than me calling me a healer. Just like I would prefer people calling me an ally rather than me calling myself an ally" ~Chris Hoff Where to begin with Chris Hoff, PhD, LMFT? Do I start by introducing you to The Radical Therapist, his highly binge-able podcast in which he interviews like-minded rebels in the healing arts? Is it better to go waaaaaay back to his years as a successful but unfulfilled tech entrepreneur? Perhaps you're more interested in his evolution from meditation newbie to devout Zen Buddhist? Or, maybe, you're looking for a kindred spirit in recovery, anxious to hear about his decades of sobriety? Whichever Chris you prefer, you're in luck! Our conversation is as multi-layered as the man himself. There's an obvious link between Chris' ability to exist in an easy flow with his woundedness and the years he spent trying to numb his unhappiness through work and substance abuse. His quest for spiritual and physical healing led him to Zen Buddhism and the study of psychology. His podcast is his attempt to heal it forward by questioning therapy's adherence to its current evidence-based approach. It's no accident that he chose the word radical for his podcast title. He thinks clients and fellow professionals are hungry to connect with people who embody the once pejorative term. An ex-punk rocker-slash-radical himself, Chris advocates infusing therapeutic practice with deeper, more intuitive understanding or, as he describes it, magic-with-a-K. Until his idea is widely adopted, he'll continue expanding his tribe of rebels, offering his hard-fought knowledge to clients and students. And dropping new episodes where everyone can find them. For complete show notes and links to connect with Chris, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

I've tried meditation but...eff that! Sound familiar? If meditation's super-precious, über-enlightened rep has put you off in the past, Sarah's guest Liza Kindred is here to reintroduce you to the practice - using language that this wounded healer is down with! Liza is a wearable tech consultant, a trauma-informed meditation instructor in training, and the author of Eff This! Meditation: 108 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for When You're Feeling Anxious, Stressed-Out, or Overwhelmed. In addition, she's also the creator of the Eff This! Meditation community, home to free meditation resources as well as a soon-to-be-launched online course. Accomplished as Liza is, she's about as unlikely a guide as you'll find within the rarified ranks of meditation teachers. In other words, she's perfect AF. "Have you heard of the phrase teach from the scar, not from the wound?" Liza asks near the end of the conversation. The quote, she says, reminds healers, parents, and teachers of all practices to use their wounds for good. But, doing so authentically can only be accomplished after the teacher has embarked on their own healing journey. For her book, Liza borrowed wisdom from a millennia's worth of teachings and distilled it into a guide for the modern age. Easy to flip through yet substantial enough to have an impact on even the most sceptical AF reader, Eff This! is mindfulness for anyone not buying into the Insta-imagery of what spirituality should look like. Instead, her book gives everyone permission to come into practice as they are. "That's one of the things I love about meditation and that I teach," she says. "There are so many ways to do it. There's different techniques that we can do and different things we can try with full respect for the fundamentals of where the practice came from. There is a richness of experience out there. If we're trying something and it's maybe not resonating, try something else, you know?" Yaaaassss! For complete show notes and links to connect with Liza, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Special invitation for you! Sarah is hosting a complimentary online gathering April 1st, 2020 from 7-8pm CST to support those of us feeling anxious, isolated or overwhelmed by current events. Join us tonight at 7pm CST here: https://fordham.zoom.us/j/536731875 Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I'm very grateful for the wounds that I have acquired in my life. And I see now how those wounds were openings to something greater." ~Gregory Koufacos The patriarchy, amiright?! They're an easy (and rightfully) targeted group. However, there's an entire generation growing up under the influence of our current system. What are we - therapists and society in general - doing to help them heal from the twin scourges of addiction and toxic masculinity? Gregory Koufacos MA, LCADC, NCRC, founder and CEO of Velocity Mentoring, is the bright light in the dark tunnel, not at the end of it. He and Sarah discuss his work with emerging men and bond over what addiction therapy practitioners can do to better support this community. So where do we begin? What can we do to advance the healing? Glad you asked! Primal Method, Greg's soon-to-be-published book, addresses those very same questions. "A big part of the process is teaching men that we cannot take what we want, right?" It's common-sense messaging that's rarely reinforced within the male population. "I want to immediately start to work with them and mentor them and move alongside life with them, to lead them and to go on a path of victory." Light in the tunnel! Special invitation for you! Sarah is hosting a complimentary online gathering April 1st, 2020 from 7-8pm CST to support those of us feeling anxious, isolated or overwhelmed by current events. Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/rSPQP896 and share your email to receive an invitation to join. *** Join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WoundedHealr Leave a review in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-a-wounded-healer/id1356225272 Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. For full show notes including resources discussed and our guests' contact information, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast.

"Each person is uniquely designed and each person is part of a big, giant puzzle of humanity." ~Robin Winn This episode is like...your brain on pure, vibrational energy. Robin Winn, veteran therapist, Human Design specialist, and the best-selling author of Understanding Your Clients Through Human Design, chats with Sarah about how this relatively new system of awareness can radically alter the way we interact and empower us to see (and appreciate!) each other for who we really are. Using Sarah's chart as an example, Robin explains some of the systems key components, including the four types of humanity. The results are compelling. Her analysis zeros in on this Wounded Healer's strengths, weaknesses, and childhood struggles. "This is why it's so helpful for a therapist or a coach or a business!" Robin says. "If I could do this for therapists, if I could use this with coaches, just think how much more quickly they could support their clients on their path and how empowering it would be!" Just think, indeed! Robin's so passionate about the impact Human Design can have on the parent-child relationship as well as client-therapist interactions, she's offering CWH listeners a free copy of her book! Simply drop her an email using "Sarah" in the subject line to [email protected]. Mind. Blown. Thank you, Robin! Special invitation for you! Sarah is hosting a complimentary online gathering April 1st, 2020 from 7-8pm CST to support those of us feeling anxious, isolated or overwhelmed by current events. Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/rSPQP896 and share your email to receive an invitation to join. *** Join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WoundedHealr Leave a review in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-a-wounded-healer/id1356225272 For full show notes including resources discussed and our guests' contact information, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I've been freaking out about this lately, and I saw on The Today Show yesterday, one of their medical experts said, "we have to remember that this is temporary." And as soon as I heard that, there was something in me that took a breath and was able to pause and stop freaking out for just a moment." ~Sarah Buino Sarah offers insights and practices for leaning into confidence and flexibility as tools in a time of crisis. With a balance of practical considerations as a business owner, personal reflection, and a trusty tarot card reading, Sarah shares a meditation and an app that just may help us get through this. Special invitation for you! Sarah is hosting a complimentary online gathering April 1st, 2020 from 7-8pm CST Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/rSPQP896 and share your email to receive an invitation to join. *** If you'd like to contribute to the work Sarah is doing, join the community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WoundedHealr Leave a review in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-a-wounded-healer/id1356225272 Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"It's hard to ask people to be comfortable with confusion. To let people sit in that a little is a challenge for most of us but vitally important. I see growth happening in discomfort." ~Chuck Bernsohn Pronouns are powerful. And comfort is overrated. In this episode, Sarah chats with Chuck Bernsohn, advocate for LGBTQ+ and chronic illness communities, about the profound - and provoking - conversations taking place around descriptive language norms and how word choice has the power to heal long-standing systems of oppression. As a non-binary queer person, Chuck knows firsthand how gendered language is used to reinforce institutional and personal biases. As a trans-affirming gender equity trainer, they work with both management teams and staff to create workplaces that are inclusive of all genders. If you're a beginning ally worried about using gender-neutral language incorrectly (or forgetting to use it at all), don't worry, you probably will at some point. And that's okay! Fragility - in all its forms - needs to be shattered in order for healing to begin. Walk into difficult conversations. Listen as someone speaks their truth. Arm yourself with tools to retrain your brain. Chuck recommends this graphic novel on gender-neutral pronoun usage and this simple exercise: every time you leave the house, silently acknowledge every person you pass with a they/them pronoun. Easy! "You have to take risks, right? You have to practice that language and you have to make mistakes and you have to get corrected." Join me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WoundedHealr Leave a review in Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-a-wounded-healer/id1356225272 Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi For full show notes including resources discussed and our guests' contact information, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast.

How do you show up when you're a therapist (or therapist-in-training)? It's this existential question that formed the foundation for The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide, a podcast created by Katie Vernoy and Curt Widhalm. If you've ever struggled with the prevailing wisdom that therapists should exist in session only as blank slates, you're not alone. "I was taught to be beige," says Katie of her formative training. But the idea of working from an emotionless center didn't sit well with her or Curt. So they built an online space in which practitioner authenticity, and all the challenges that came with that vulnerability, could be explored. As if the podcast wasn't enough, Katie and Curt also created Therapy Reimagined: The Modern Therapist Conference, a yearly event celebrating diversity, innovation, and connection for the #moderntherapist IRL. Of course, Curt and Katie serve up some healer and wounded healer realness and get into the thorny issue of continuing education hours. But Curt and Katie aren't the types to rail against the CEU system or the country's warped insurance model (ok maybe a little). Instead, they've joined forces to combat outdated traditions, educate new and not-so-new therapists alike, and build a better model for the future of mental health and welfare, This year's Therapy Reimagined conference will be held on September 25-26,2020 in Universal City, CA. Special Thanks to Our Sponsor! The Receptionist for iPad creates a seamless patient experience for your practice. Start your 14-day free trial at http://www.TheReceptionist.com/healer For full show notes including resources discussed and our guests' contact information, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"Sometimes, we need permission to be as awesome as we are." ~Sarah Prager You know that old saying about strangers being friends you just haven't met yet? This episode is exactly that. Sarah Prager LPC, LAC, is the clinical manager of co-occurring treatment at AllHealth Network Colorado as well as an EMDR practitioner and a Daring Way facilitator. So, that's TWO Sarahs in conversation about codependency, empathy, shame and Brené Brown for the price of one show! But the best part is Sarah's personal journey story. She came to this profession by accident! Sort of. The second-best part is that Sarah and Sarah became acquainted by accident. Sort of. "Now that I look back on my life, I realize I was always supposed to be doing this," she says. "I've seen addiction and mental health everywhere from my childhood and I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. It wasn't an accident." So how did she get here? Originally a musical theater major, Sarah's post-graduation search for work led her to a summer camp for traumatized girls. And, just like that, the next chapter of her life was written: performing arts major ditches the drama for trauma. Now several degrees removed from her dreams of Broadway stardom, her focus is squarely on fostering an environment in which clients can follow their own unique paths toward healing. "I don't take credit for people's healing. But because I'm open to their healing, and I hold space for them to do that, I think it happens and it's great. I love it. I feel it very deeply when someone else is healing their stuff." Sarah's honors her clients and her own wounded healer with a compassion that allows everyone's authenticity to reign. Special Thanks to Our Sponsors! The Receptionist for iPad creates a seamless patient experience for your practice. Start your 14-day free trial at http://www.TheReceptionist.com/healer Liberated Being is a private, online community that connects people who are on this path- of waking up and shifting their way of being- with the skillful guides that can help to make the journey more sane, kind, and clear. Created by Brooke Thomas from Bliss+Grit - Membership is open through March 4, 2020. https://www.liberatedbeing.community/ For full show notes including resources discussed and how to reach Lauren, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Ch

A flight attendant and a music teacher walk into a podcast… But not just any podcast, mind you. This is CWH's 100th episode! To celebrate, OG listeners Rachel and Margaret join the show to get giggly and get deep. They bond over their favorite episode (10!), and turn the tables on Sarah with a few questions of their own. Tons of fun, loads of a-ha! moments, and a couple dozen swears (naturally). Plus, the scoop on how Charlie the pyrite skull became the show's mascot. "You can be in service to others and still be on your own journey yourself," That's Margaret, a multitasking mother, musician, teacher, freelancer, and Patreon of this podcast, describing a CWH truth she's come to rely on while pursuing her own degree in social work. "I had this illusion that people who are therapists and people who help others have to have all their shit together already before doing that. I always felt like, well, I don't have my shit together so how can I help anybody else?" This podcast isn't called Conversations With A Wounded Healer for nothing! For superfan and flight attendant Rachel, the emotional stakes of her day-job couldn't be higher (pun intended). She's paid to literally help passengers keep their sh*t together! Beyond that though, she credits CWH showing her how to just be after resurfacing from an emotionally raw 2019. "Listening to your podcast, it was the first time that I realized 'Oh, no, like, therapists can be human beings and they can be flawed and complicated and that's ok!' That's been the main part of my journey and realizing that I actually do want to go back to school to be a therapist." Low life moments lead to higher lessons, everybody! 100 episodes in, this supportive community of wounded healers continues to grow and amaze with their insight and energy. Whether you're starting out here or have listened forever, thank you! Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

There are thousands of online personality tests, all designed to help you uncover your type -- or, at least provide an inventory of adjectives that probably, maybe, sort of describe you. The Enneagram is not a modern survey or sliding scale of attributes. Nor is it a superficial list of words. It's a system with ancient roots based in sacred geometry. "To know the Enneagram," says energy healer Rachel Alexandria, "is to have access to information about yourself that makes you feel like you're not broken, you're not wrong, and you're not alone." Rachel is a former psychotherapist who found herself dissatisfied with the limits inherent to office-bound therapy. She wanted to support her clients in the spaces between their visits: where they lived, how they worked, the projects they needed to complete. With the Enneagram's personality model as her foundation, she created a healing practice dedicated to accessing energies and guiding clients through their radical transformations. "I work with people to mainly help them create what they've really been aching to build." If you're new to the Enneagram model, Rachel shares some common principles in the episode using herself and Sarah as examples (types 8 and 3, respectively). In addition to her Enneagram work, Rachel is an author and a practitioner of tapping therapy. The practice is yet another way she promotes healing and wellbeing without limits. "I really want people to suffer less, have better lives." Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I feel like the Millennial generation...we're very into breaking the generational curses." ~Lauren McBride Behind the strong black woman archetype are millions of women seeking balance; safe spaces in which they can let down their guard without shame, fear, or judgement. Lauren McBride, LCPC, is poised to destigmatize mental health self-care in her community and, in the process, allow POC--especially women--the right to claim a more nuanced, authentic expression of self. Lauren's desire to concentrate on the black community, a portion of the population historically underserved by therapists and counselors of color, sprung from a childhood spent in foster care. As a black woman working with clients who've experienced past trauma, relational issues, depression, or anxiety, she understands the cultural implications around seeking assistance. For the strong black woman, asking for help can be tantamount to tearing down generations of defences. Ironically, that's exactly what Lauren aims to do: support POC in their quest to initiate profound conversations and bring about an end to traumatic family cycles. Says Lauren, "I'm going to be your coach and your cheerleader at the same time. And when you're out there in the field, I want to make sure that I provide you with the tools necessary to bring forth the change that you want to see because, clearly, you came here for a purpose." For full show notes including resources discussed and how to reach Lauren, visit http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The most massive characters are seared with scars." - Kahil Gibran Taking care of others? That's the easy part: shining a light so others can find their own way. But taking care of ourselves? Well… when the self is shrouded in shadows, the wounded healer can get lost in the dark. **Trigger warning for those with spiritual or religious wounding.** A dark night of the soul, a phrase based on the 16th-century poem of the same name by St. John of the Cross, is, essentially, the suffering one endures as they travel toward spiritual growth and ultimate union with the Divine (in St. John's case, God). I t's a kind of existential road trip in which the first leg of the journey is difficult and the second absolutely horrible. In the deep end of this crisis, the wounded healer abandons agency; sinking while waiting to be saved. But, by reclaiming the ability to make choices, we can reconnect with our Divine (however that being manifests for you). When we do the work of breaking down so we can align with our essential nature, our Divine helps us tap into our inner knowing -- even when the outside world has gone to hell. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"I use the same thing with offering mindfulness to people: you don't need to go right in to look at Medusa's eyes, you know, grab a shield... feel your feet on the floor and look around the room. Have a guide. Don't go into that bad neighborhood alone." ~Joe Clements Joe Clements is a sought after mindfulness meditation teacher and host of the hit podcast Spiritual AF…or Whatever. He has spent more than two decades applying the teachings of "Sit, Feel, Heal" to bring more awareness, compassion and presence into both his own life and that of his students'. Joe has dedicated himself to teaching mindfulness to the most at-risk populations because he believes that the simple, yet transformative practice can assist anyone in radically improving their lives. He believes that mindfulness may start on a meditation cushion but focuses his teachings on how these skills can be applied to our daily lives to become more resilient, compassionate, and more authentically ourselves. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"Wounded healer points back to something that we both hold really sacred, which is like, we're all human beings here. And we're never not human beings as long as we're in one of these things called the human body." ~Brooke Thomas Vanessa Scotto is a Counselor, meditation teacher, and Chinese Medicine practitioner whose work integrates spirituality and psychology. In her early 20's, Vanessa's own struggle with depression and anxiety catapulted her on an academic and personal journey. Along the way she earned two Master's degrees and logged over 20 years of clinical practice. Brooke Thomas has been in practice as a manual therapist (Rolfing practitioner) and movement educator since 2000. She is also the creator of the Liberated Body podcast. Her work is devoted to uncovering and celebrating how truly wondrous our bodies are; These gorgeous organisms that connect us to our deepest clarity, our world, and each other. Together, they host the podcast Bliss and Grit: conversations about being on a spiritual path in the modern world. Vanessa, Brooke and Sarah discuss their personal calls to attend to their own healing process, the identity deconstruction that comes with trauma work, and the many paths to healing. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"My role in this program is to create fertile ground. That's it. And then what I'm going to do is rely on the fertile ground to do the work of growing the plants. And so rather than being the guy that's growing the plants, I'm just creating the framework for that to happen." ~Jeremy French Jeremy French is a maker. He's made lots of cool things - a sober life worth living, a marriage, some really great kids, time to spend outside, some furniture, and a business --Making Whole-- that teaches addicts how to make these things for themselves. He's really excited to figure out how to help make more things that make life better for more people. Sarah and Jeremy discuss the unique ways his business helps people in early recovery learn about radical compassion, tolerating uncertainty, and solve problems. Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"That's our humanity: our capacity to feel things that much." ~James McDonald What happens to someone with an opioid addiction? Popular debate currently limits their recovery to two outcomes: a lifetime of fruitless struggle or death. Why don't we hear more and talk more about addicts getting better? Of addicts living meaningful lives? Those are the questions at the heart of James McDonald's work. He wants to change the public discourse so that conversations centered around addiction and recovery include positive narratives of hope and healing. Such shifts in perspective could positively impact the way addicts are supported and greatly improve recovery outcomes. In this final episode of 2020, James and Sarah discuss addiction and recovery in terms not often expressed in the mainstream dialogue. They also share their insights on a myriad of other topics -- personal trauma work, imposter syndrome -- and get to the heart of why wounded healers love the work they do. Originally hailing from Seattle, James is a Milwaukee transplant and current Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student at Marquette University. He is an aspiring psychologist and researcher passionate about whole-person healing. If you or someone you know qualifies for James' study, please contact him at: [email protected] Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

Sarah discusses the heartbreak, the gratitude, and the deep learning that comes from trauma work and difficult life circumstances. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

"When you create change in your body, you create change in your mind. Your perspective changes." ~Erica Hornthal, Chicago Dance Therapy Erica Hornthal is a licensed clinical professional counselor and board-certified dance/movement therapist based in Chicago. Erica is the CEO of Chicago Dance Therapy and in addition to private practice, she is dedicated to advocating and educating on the use of movement for mental health. Unsatisfied with her limited post-graduate options of either performer or dance studio owner, Erica forged her career in the space where her twin passions of movement and therapy met. Dance had long been Erica's mode of expression; movement allowed her to navigate the challenges she faced in her own life. At college, psychology fascinated her so the prospect of helping others physically move through their difficult situations and experiences was a natural fit. In Erica's practice, movement is the catalyst for change; her tool is the body itself. Even the tiniest alteration to the way a client uses their body improves their resilience and reinforces the possibility that change is possible -- from a deep cellular level outward. But the techniques used in dance and movement therapy are often misunderstood.Erica joins Sarah to dispels some common misconceptions surrounding dance therapy and, of course, they examine what it means to be a wounded healer, discussing how that empathy informs Erica's therapeutic modality. #healer #healing #woundedhealer #therapy #therapist #mentalhealth #mentalwellness #dancetherapy #dancetherapist #somatictherapy #dancemovementtherapy Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

Sarah discusses the term "beauty in the breakdown." In her younger years, it was a romanticism of depression and pain, but has shifted to an appreciation of the necessity of "breakdown" in order to evolve. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

Chantelle Thomas, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in addiction treatment, trauma and health psychology. As the executive clinical director at The Manor, in Slinger, Wisconsin, Dr. Thomas provides daily guidance to the clinical team in addition to the individual time she spends with guests and their families. Chantelle shares her view of ways we can shift our medical system to be more supportive of both healthcare workers and patients. Sarah and Chantelle discuss their love for the field of addiction and learning to access one's own darkness as a therapist. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi