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In this episode of "Science of the Soul," join host myself and my podcast editor Will as we delve into the creation and impact of my latest publication, "The Culturally Informed Trauma Workbook." This digital resource is designed to support individuals in therapy by providing a culturally relevant lens to understanding and healing from trauma.
We explain the significance of integrating cultural contexts into trauma work, highlighting how this approach can enhance healing and personal growth. The workbook, tailored for individuals familiar with therapy and mental health practitioners, offers a blend of psychoeducation (videos, texts, quizzes, images) and interactive exercises that acknowledge the diverse cultural backgrounds of Australia's transcultural society.
Discover how this innovative resource empowers people to draw on their cultural strengths and unique blends, fostering a more inclusive and supportive therapeutic environment. I also share insights into the upcoming modules of the workbook, which will focus on present and future growth, promising to guide users toward a more content and meaningful life.
Tune in to learn more about how this valuable resource scaffolds trauma healing and find out how you can access it to enhance your clients' or your own journey of self-discovery and recovery.
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Join me as I delve into the intricacies of mental health, therapy, and the human psyche. In this episode, I welcome Jim Schirmer, a therapist, lecturer, and writer with a unique blended background in psychology, counselling, philosophy, ethics, and theology.
Together, we explore the intersection of these fields with psychotherapy and discuss the importance of virtues in therapeutic practice. He highlights the significant impact of the therapist's personality on therapy outcomes, noting that therapist effects can influence up to 10% of therapy success.
Jim shares his journey from youth work to academia, highlighting the rewarding experiences of teaching and practicing counseling. He reflects on the significant role of virtues like honesty, courage, and compassion in therapy, as well as their broader application in daily life. The conversation also touches on the challenges and complexities of ethical dilemmas and how virtues can guide practitioners and individuals alike.
We then further discuss the phenomenon of post-traumatic growth and the nuanced understanding of trauma and adversity. We examine the concept of virtues as ideals that regulate behavior and how they can help navigate life's perplexities.
This insightful episode offers a fresh perspective on personal and professional development, encouraging listeners to embrace the transformative power of virtues.
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Join me with Stacey Morris, a seasoned marriage and funeral celebrant, as she shares her inspiring 16-year journey into celebrancy, sparked by her own wedding experience.
Stacey tells us about her unique profession as we dive deep into the art of personalizing ceremonies, building connections, and compares her approaches between weddings and funerals.
She reflects on the sanctity of marriage, the impact of mental health, and the crucial role of self-care for supporters.
Stacey shed her insight on:- Differences between the emotional landscapes of weddings and funerals in terms of love and loss- Navigating mental health challenges within marriage, including PTSD and postnatal depression (PND)- Offers practical advice for early-stage couples on maintaining a healthy, evolving relationship, and- Highlights the essential role of community, communication, and support systems in marriage.
We also:
- Explore the impact of past experiences on current relationships, and
- Reflect on the different experiences of couples who get married early versus later in life.
Finally, Stacey and I explore the importance of community, open communication, and evolving with your partner to sustain a healthy relationship.
You can find Stacey on:
Instagram - @sunny_coast_celebrant
Facebook – @staceymorriscelebrant
Website – www.staceymorriscelebrant.com.au
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In this episode, I’m excited to introduce Richmond, a pioneering physiotherapist and founder of TRE Australia. Richmond is at the forefront of neurogenic or spontaneous movement, boasting a background in mental health, youth suicide prevention, and an Advanced Diploma in Aboriginal Studies. He's also the creator of the world's first online TRE course.
In this insightful conversation, we delve into the world of TRE, which stands for Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises. Richmond explains how simple exercises can lead to muscle fatigue, triggering natural shaking and trembling. These neurogenic tremors are not signs of weakness but the body’s way of dissipating tension and stress, aiding in calming the nervous system.
We also explore the cultural perspectives on shaking and trembling, contrasting Western stigmatization with the acceptance and utilization of these natural processes in other cultures. Richmond shares fascinating examples from the Kalahari Bushmen to traditional Swahili midwives, highlighting the importance of allowing the body to release stress naturally.
Join us as we discuss:
- the balance between control and surrender
- the physiological aspects of grief and loss
- integrating grief and trauma
- the role of movement when processing emotions
- grief and psychedelics
- grief as a verb
- the physiology of laughter and crying
- and how practices like TRE can help us reconnect with our bodies, move through trauma, and embrace life's inevitable challenges.
Tune in for a deep dive into the body's natural healing processes and learn how to flow through life’s ups and downs.
To reach Richmond and access his free courses and podcasts:
Free online TRE course
www.trecourse.com
Free podcasts & presentations from Richmond https://www.treaustralia.com/free-resources/
Contact Richmond
www.treaustralia.com
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In this podcast I talk to Tom Schmidt, a university Chaplain Coordinator. Tom studied theology, and sheds light on how spirituality influences one’s mental health. We discuss a contemplative meditation practice, Lectio Divina and the role of spirituality in mental wellbeing.
Tom takes us through a perspective shift, highlighting the function of faith in one’s sense of self, and purposefulness in life. Together, we discuss how various other wisdom traditions informs our spirituality and subsequently mental health.
Tom insightfully uses various metaphors to illuminate topics of:
The spiritual practice of Lectio DivinaBargaining with God as a result of purely dogmatic spiritual practiceThe concept of WholenessThe function of WholenessRelationships with self and the divineScience and Faith -
Lisa Hoy-Chiang is a university counsellor and project manager, in charge of embedding mental wellness and wellbeing in university curriculum across various courses. She supervises research students, and authored a book for young people titled "Restful Adventures: A Guide to Deliberate Rest for Children." Lisa is a Certified Nutritionist and also holds Board Certification and Fellowship for Lifestyle Medicine.
Lisa explains to us what Lifestyle Medicine is, what it looks like in community, and how it has been in practice throughout human history, as observed in the Blue Zones.
We delve into the importance of fostering authentic relationships in our communities for our wellbeing. We explored cultural messages and norms around vulnerabilities, stigmas, and discussed the role of food in strengthening social connections.
We talked about cultural love languages and how food and acts of service have been an integral expression of love for many collectivist cultures. We addressed the blending cultures, drawing the valuable traditions of various cultures into our way of being as a transcultural person.
Lisa and I shared our ancestry and how they colour our approaches in life, and our paradigms. We also delved into the functions of virtues such as compassion, intentionality, and humility in order to bridge cultural differences and improve psychological wellbeing.
The second half of the podcast addressed more practical strategies for wellbeing such as exercise, sleep, socialisation, and diet. Lisa shed light upon some surprising research on exercise:
- autonomy on exercise (negatively geared)
- types of exercises that benefit different genders
- traditional group exercises
Lisa and I also speak to the importance of sleep, and how it affects our emotional and psychological wellbeing.
We also impart other actionable nuggets of wisdom such as:
- an ancient premeditation practice for anxiety management,
- rituals to shift spatial spaces and maintain psychological clarity,
- disciplining the mind around work and rest,
- setting boundaries within the home
We hope you found this episode enlightening, engaging, and applicable.
You can find Lisa Hoy-Chiang on all social media platforms:
linktr.ee/wellmind.insight
Her book, Restful Adventures, can be found on Amazon and is available in print and eBook.
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CW2YJFLR?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_7CZE3A13CKK90A80C8QY
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Dr Karenne Hills was once a registered nurse before switching over to a career in counselling. She has been a counsellor for 25 years, a lecturer of counselling for 11 years, and her areas of expertise and interest are in children and adults with disabilities.
In this podcast, Dr Karenne Hills provided a deeply empathetic and educated exploration two major issues: Making meaning with people with disabilities and demystifying narcissism. The initial part of the podcast explored:
how she conducted research with non-verbal poets,
her journey as a mother raising two children with disabilities,
how she made meaning from her struggles, and
how she recognised the gifts and value of people with disabilities.
The rest of the podcast dives into the clinical definitions of narcissism, the types of narcissism, the psychological makeup of people with narcissistic personality disorders, how narcissism develops, and how it manifests.
Dr Karenne speculated over how narcissism manifests due to gender differences, highlights how strongly narcissism impacts the family, influences of family of origin, and lead to the development of codependency in intimate partners. She also talks about:
the patterns that develop within the individuals and families living with a narcissistic personality,
what couple counselling looks like,
growing up with narcissistic parents, and
the general consensus amongst experts on such relationships.
Our conversation later delves into whether psychedelics would be able to attain ego dissolution for people with narcissistic personality disorders, as well as how intimate partners psychologically and emotionally suffer from an ever-shifting reality.
Finally, Dr Karenne Hills leaves us with sound advice drawn from lived experience and evidence-based research on how to deal with narcissistic partners.
To learn more about how to navigate your communication with family members who you suspect have narcissistic personality disorders, visit the podcast link below by Rick Hanson & Forrest Hanson:
Being Well Podcast: Understanding Narcissism and Narcissistic Traits with Dr. Craig Malkin
https://rickhanson.com/being-well-podcast-understanding-narcissism-and-narcissistic-traits-with-dr-craig-malkin/
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Roisin Taylor is a personal violence counsellor who supports university students facing family violence, domestic violence and sexual abuse. Roisin is also engaged in a lot of prevention work in order to help students mitigate the risks involved when working in the sex industry as well as in domestic violence.
In this podcast, Roisin drew attention to the importance of understanding and learning about relationships, drawing boundaries, spotting red flags, understanding personality types, reflecting on early life attachment styles and how they play out in adult relationships, and the impacts of trauma.
With regards to people working in the sex industry, Roisin discussed:
- risk factors for violence and sexual abuse
- what establishing boundaries might look like
- expectations
- assertive communication
- trauma history
- non-consensual sharing of images such as revenge porn and,
- how to manage and prevent such incidents.
We discussed the societal stigma, as well as the shift in societal acceptance.
We also explored:
- the psychological and mental demands of working in the industry.
- coping mechanisms and various types of dissociation
- the different mindsets people have when entering the industry
Finally, we discussed domestic violence by emphasising the role of power and control, the types of abuse, the cycle of violence, various forms of abuse including multiple pregnancies and religious abuse and such.
Roisin also sheds some light upon ways to support loved ones who are experiencing violence.
If you or someone you care about are experiencing violence, or might be at risk, visit the links below to empower yourselves towards comprehensive care, education, safety plans, reporting and 24/7 crisis hotlines.
E-safety:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzk2sDxlKEy8OPDiyeKaUSU2IHbjCFU0DrrtPvslTDvTIGw1ngEuLQ8aAm4oEALw_wcB
1800RESPECT:
https://www.1800respect.org.au/
1800 737 732
DVConnect:
https://www.dvconnect.org/
1800 811 811
Men's Referral Service (Yes, men face domestic violence too. Less physical violence, more emotional and psychological violence):
https://ntv.org.au/get-help/
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Natajsa Wagner is a trauma psychotherapist and trainer. In this episode, Natajsa talks about the different types of trauma, and shares with us how she works with trauma. Natajsa talks about ensuring that clients have a base in safety and stabilisation, before progressing into processing memories and meaning making.
We discuss various trauma-related topics such as:
- Posttraumatic growth (PTG)
- The non-linear trajectory of trauma recovery
- The differences between PTSD and CPTSD
- When corporal punishment (physical punishment such as caning, often inflicted by parents and teachers) is traumatic and when it is not
- The cultural aspect of interpreting the corporal punishment
- Attachment patterns
- The Blue Knot Foundation (National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma)
- Ego Dissolution & Identity Shifts from PTG
- Structural Dissociation and Parts Work
- Multiple Personality Disorders (DID: Dissociative Identity Disorder)
Check out The Blue Knot Foundation: https://blueknot.org.au/ or call them at 1300 657 380
Natajsa can be reached through her website and social media:
https://www.natajsawagner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NatajsaWagnerPsychotherapy/
For informative and humorous content, follow her on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/natajsa_wagner/
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Isiah McKimmie is a renowned couple's counsellor and sexologist in Australia. Apart from her work, Isiah also lectures, works with a crisis hotline, and writes for news.com.au's Relationship Rehab column. Isiah has multiple degrees and postgrad qualifications in the field of intimacy, and had shared some profound insights on the various challenges we face, as psychosexual beings.
Our conversation touches on:
- common concerns she encounters with clients
- mismatched desires in couples, and the emotions felt as a result
- Isiah's general 3 Tiered Approach: Connection, Communication, and Sexual Intimacy
- reluctance, anxiety, shame & taboo
- sex education & sexual exercises
- Isiah's journey into education & career in human intimacy
- sexual expectations in mature couples
- changes in sexuality over the course of our lives
- other forms of intimacy and deep relational needs
- recovering from infidelity
- relationship challenges in couple's going through IVF
Isiah can be reached through her website and social media:
https://isiah-mckimmie.com
https://www.instagram.com/isiahmckimmie.sexologist/?hl=en
Isiah also has a blog and podcast. Her resources are well worth checking out:
https://isiah-mckimmie.com/blog-podcast/
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Sharon Stern is a clinical psychologist who specialises in trauma work. Sharon talks to us about multiplicity, i.e. the different parts of ourselves. She explains how we often reduce our different selves to one self. She references literature and figure of speech to explain this idea further.
We talk about how this translates into the therapy space. We touched on:
- Philosophically in Greek mythology
- Freud's life
- Balancing between the parts of our ourselves
- Ownership of our parts
- How our parts ensure our survival
- Compartmentalizing & Dissociation
- The Vagus Nerve
- Experiences in Early Childhood and how that can shape our parts
We finally arrive to Love & Compassion as an antidote, and how therapy helps us learn to tool to integrate of the different parts of ourselves.
If you'd like to get in touch with Sharon, you can visit her website at:
https://www.sharonsternpsychologist.com/
Or write to her at [email protected].
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This episode introduces Mary Weru, a senior case manager working in sexual health and blood borne virus in the Northern Territory.
Mary was a colleague from a few years ago, and she has always exuded extreme positivity and competence. She is now in the role of managing vulnerable individuals with sexually transmittable viruses, as well as campaigning for the education of these viruses.
Through her work, she realised the intricacies and complexities of the vulnerable population and their 'resistance to treatment.'
She tells us about the challenges of the people she treats, and brings us insight into their lived experiences.
She also brings to the table a passionate discussion of how she negotiates her role, as a mediator between the medical professionals and the wellbeing of her clients. She describes the tension these two groups have towards each other.
As a result, the delicate balance between education and empathy seems to be a skill she has developed, working in this field.
Amongst all this, we also lightheartedly touch on transgender health and identity of Sister Girls in the Northern Territory. She shares anecdotes of the confusion professionals face when identifying Sister Girls for legal and medical purposes.
Ultimately, Mary brings to home the importance of de-stigmatizing the nature of blood borne viruses, the effectiveness of the treatments of HIV and Hepatitis, developing effective family systems, and also how commonly prevalent they are in our society.
This conversation with Mary has illuminated a lot of my personal misconceptions about the reality of living with such viruses, as well as broadened my understanding on the topic. We hope this podcast will do the same for you.
Visit NTAHC and the NT Health Website for more information.
You can learn more from:
NTAHC (Northern Territory Aids and Hepatitis Council)
https://www.ntahc.org.au/
ASHM
ASHM provides support to the HIV, viral hepatitis and sexual health workforce.
https://www.ashm.org.au/
NT Health
For professionals: https://health.nt.gov.au/professionals/centre-for-disease-control/resources-and-publications
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In this episode I’d like to share a wonderful experience I had a few weeks ago with the radio show Only human on 4zzz.
I was invited and interviewed by Dr Kim Stewart and Belle, and we talked about my PhD research in bereavement, trauma counselling for people with a refugee background, and culturally aware psychotherapy.
I talk about the Muslim population in Australia and Southeast Queensland, and the diversity in which it presents. We talk about the types of grief, the existential crises that can emerge from losing someone you love, and what support looks like. We also explored my experiences working with the humanitarian settlement program in Australia.
I feel very privileged to have had this experience with such warm and seasoned hosts. It’s definitely different being the interviewee for a change.
So if you’re keen to know a little bit about my background, and some of my professional passions, and you have about 30 or so minutes to spare, I humbly invite you to tune in.
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Officially, Isabel Osuna-Gatty is known a National Disability Coordination Officer in South Australia. In layman's terms, Isabel describes herself as a community educator. She engages with the Spanish speaking community, hosts her own radio show and online chat platform for Spanish speaking women worldwide.
Isabel is originally from Venezuela, and her experiences with disability and social exclusion has primed her for her work today. To learn more about Isabel's personal history, tune into Growing Bold Within the CALD Community in the link below:
https://www.feroscare.com.au/grow-bold-podcast/season-two/episode-3-growing-bold-within-the-cald-community
Her background is in psychology, counselling, education and supporting disabilities. Her choice of medium is predominantly in the arts, whether verbal, digital, or plain ol' visual arts.
In this podcast, we explore trauma and learning amongst multicultural communities (migrant and/or refugee). We discuss how communication during group activities empower participants towards education and employment, as they assimilate and acculturate in Australia.
Isabel educates us on how to approach such activities with cultural sensitivity, with a trauma-informed approach. This includes housekeeping rules of:
what to saywhat not to say when participating during the group sessionshow to create trust and rapport implicitly (disguised assistance)We discuss the challenges and strategies of working with trauma survivors who do not choose to address their past traumas.
Here, we go in-depth to paint a vivid picture to take listeners through the extreme paradigm shift they face in order to grasp their challenges and experiences.
We also draw upon our personal experiences as young students, and reflect upon teaching methods of the past. Isabel presents the 'glass half-full' philosophy to illustrate the types of educators, some of whom can be detrimental to the potential future success of youths that present with disabilities.
She presents the work of Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator, and advocates his method of education and learning.
You can connect with Isabel via LinkedIn at https://au.linkedin.com/in/isabel-osuna-gatty-83b38419
or visit her website at https://isabelosunagatty.com/
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Princess R. Lakshman is an inspiring and impressive personality. Princess is a qualified in traditional medicine, remedial masseuse, life coach, clinical nutritionist, and counsellor. She is also a writer, a poet, and is still continuing her post-graduate education in mental health. Her latest book, The Soul Speaks, is available on: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Xlibris Publishers.
However, her extensive list of qualifications are simply a reflection of her desire to help and heal. Her remarkably holistic approaches further underscores her passion. Princess shares with us on how her journey of challenges and illnesses shaped her to who she is today. She tells us about her abusive marriage, her problematic family history and how she was disowned for religious reasons, and her encounter with a brain tumour. It is not surprising that she suffered from PTSD.
However, this podcast is not about PTSD- instead it is about how Princess battled her wars and transcended them. This podcast is about Post-Traumatic Growth: PTG. Princess shares with us on how she turned her life around, and achieved growth through: a daily practice of self-awareness, mindfulness, changing her victim mentality, and narrative therapy. She approaches PTG through being aware of, accepting, and navigating through her 'darkness'. She talks about how she works with her own shame and guilt in order to transcend the darkness instead of rejecting it. She is also a spiritually-informed practitioner, therefore approaches challenges with an existential appreciation.
A key highlight of the conversation is when Princess and I unpacked the difference between responding and reacting. She calls this "a gift of solitude." This particular insight of hers has permanently reframed my understanding of 'respond VS react' in a profound way. Thank you Princess, for sparing your time and sharing your knowledge with us.
You can connect with Princess R. Lakshman through:
https://mindbodyhealinghub.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mindbodyhealinghub/
https://www.instagram.com/muslimahmindmatters/
https://www.facebook.com/princessrlakshman/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-r-lakshman-46697616/
Her new book, The Soul Speaks, which I absolutely love, is available on:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
XLIBRIS PUBLISHERS
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Sidqie is a Professional Life Coach and works with fathers, young adults and leaders. He focuses on building emotionally intelligent families, and is particularly passionate about working with Men & Mental Health.
In this episode, Sidqie very humbly recounts his personal journey, including relationship breakdowns, and the major turning point of him losing a dear friend to suicide.
Sidqie also dives into issues of the stigma of men’s mental health, cultural influences, issues around men’s attitudes towards vulnerability, and draws on some intimate familial anecdotes of how his emotions of pain and anguish were not acknowledged nor received. Yet, Sidqie manages to reframe some of his most unfortunate tales with compassion and understanding.
He shares a holistic account on the multifaceted areas of mental health awareness amongst men such as:
Issues around shame,Negative self-talk,Various behavioural manifestations of escapism such as gaming,Impacts on work, children, and romantic relationships.Sidqie also offers some insights and practices into reflecting and bringing the unconscious to the conscious mind.
You can find Sidqie at https://www.facebook.com/reconnectq/ and https://www.instagram.com/reconnect.q/ Reconnect Q provides coaching services for Fathers, Men and Youth in aspects of Life, Business and Leadership.
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In this episode, Padre Perona beautifully uses metaphors and biblical literature to illustrate the two opposing narratives of God as the Tyrant & God as Freedom.
He talks about how religion seemingly functions as an outwork control, despite its focus on inward transformation through love, interpretation and insight.
We discuss the aspects of:
How believing in Christ can be used to dodge or escape or delay character accountability;How Christ is a frame of reference for good character; andHow Christ is seen as God, rather than a Prophet- and implications of that on one's spirituality.Padre Perona also interprets for us the Gospel of John in terms of how it highlights forgiveness, as well as why the Ten Commandments appear to be expressed negatively.
Towards the end, we further unpack death anxiety for believers, where many experience fear in their last moments. He shares his approaches when working with death anxiety through the concept of Grace.
Please refer to the links below if you'd would like to learn more about Padre Perona and his work.
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPeronalifewithchrist
http://lifewithchrist.com.au/
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This is an in-depth two-part podcast with Padre Chris Perona, a Biblical Counsellor. Padre Perona has had a colourful journey where his passions have not only led him to ministerial work for 15 years, but also through a career in nursing and advertising somewhere in between.
In this podcast, he shares his holistic approach of counselling from a spiritual framework, namely from a creationist paradigm. He candidly draws on his He also explains the difference between ministerial work and counselling, where he introduces the Freudian idea that a psychotherapist is in fact, a secular pastor.
Throughout Part 1, we discuss our perspectives on humanity, spiritual love, grief and pain, healing, injustice, hope, and meaning. By interpreting Psalm 77, Padre Perona extrapolates how core aspects of religion, aids in reframing life’s experience, which can cradle the mental health of believers.
We further address the philosophical standpoint of religion on mental health in terms of creating meaning for the ubiquitous suffering, therefore bolstering existential crises.
Towards the end of the hour, we address his perspectives of Yin & Yang and Karma alongside the Biblical understandings of Good & Evil.
Finally, we find ourselves on the topic of being ‘born again’, and it brought me to realise how this belief can undeniably mitigate intrapsychic distress.
Books referenced in the podcast:
The Question of Lay Analysis (Freud, 1969).
Man's Search for Meaning (Frankl, 1946).
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Scott Andrews is a travelling nurse and a practising Buddhist for over a decade. Together, we delve deeply into ways of approaching fear, the nuances of using 'will' and bravado versus love and acceptance.
"If you can empower yourself with the ability to feel love... that doesn't consume any energy at all, in fact it generates energy."
We go further extrapolating elements of compassion in approaching fear, namely compassion to a part of the self- and this is where I realise the link with psychotherapy and 'parts' work.
We also unpack concepts involving the ego, intellect, and how wisdom prevails when we allow it to. We literally break down the mental processes involved, to learn or unlearn the approaches towards embracing (not so much confronting) our fears.
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Sanja Stojcic is a Holistic Therapist. She runs the College of Conscious Living where she engages with the Creative Arts towards professional AND personal growth. Issues around personal transformation, embodied traumas, parental contamination, building trust within a closed group, authenticity, and altruism were explored during this warm, humorous, yet heartfelt conversation. Tune in to learn more about the fundamental ideas and structure behind working with 1) the realisation, 2) the expression and, 3) the healing of embodied traumas.
Visit https://collegeofconsciousliving.com/ for more information.
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