The Mindful Psychology Podcast

Hi everyone! 

This is our last episode of the year and I'm so grateful to be connecting with you again. This week, we are exploring the idea of letting go.

For the first half of the episode, we will discuss letting go when we are working through things and how to set boundaries with ourselves. As with all things, balance is key. 

In the second half, we will talk about standards and expectations that may be holding us back, how we can gain insight into our beliefs, and we can start living a life aligned with who we truly are.

Topics covered: 

- Feeling our feelings vs. living in our feelings

- Regulating ourselves and cultivating security

- Tips for secure relating + letting go

- Distinguishing between what is serving us and what is not

- Decluttering and getting to the core of what we can learn form an experience and letting go of the rest

- Exploring standards and expectations + letting go

- Establishing our core values and how we can live in alignment with them

- When you look back on your life, what do you want to feel?

- Considerations for peace

- Final notes on letting go

Thank you so much for being here with me and for your continued support! I love and appreciate you all. Happy holidays and happy new year! 

Happy listening!

🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast we'll be exploring the difference between approval and acceptance. From there, we'll unpack what it means to be fully loved and accepted, rather than seeking the approval of others, which we may feel is love.

Topics covered: 

- Approval vs. acceptance

- Doing the work

- People who don't do the work

- Secure relating

- Tough truths and challenging conversation

- Showing up in a receptive way - coming from a place of security

- The different parts of relationships and how to separate them

- When it may be time to disconnect

- Boundary work

- Answering listener questions

- Tips for self-acceptance and self-love

Happy listening! 

🌸

To connect with me:

(I updated this episode to add important pieces I wanted to share and bring everything together in a loving way!)

Today on the podcast, we will continue our exploration of reclaiming our story. We will continue with the themes from last week and add to them. There will also be some lessons I've learned along the way, techniques I've found helpful over the years, and some considerations for you! 

Most of all, I'm hoping that what I share can be helpful to you and remind you that you're not alone. Although we have unique stories, of course, you are never alone. 

Topics covered: 

- More personal stories (thank you for listening!)

- Normalising feeling feelings

- Breaking free from roles assigned to you

- Boundaries

- Handling criticism and judgment of others

- Developing a true belief in who you are and not what you've been told you are

- Finding your voice and telling you story

- The pain behind the pain caused

- More self-acceptance and self compassion

- Forgiveness 

- Letting go

- Building the life of your dreams

Happy listening! 

🌸

To connect with me:

Hi everyone! 

(I updated this episode to add important pieces I wanted to share and bring everything together in a loving way!)

Today on the podcast, I will be getting vulnerable with you. You guys are amazing and so many of you reach out to me and share your stories. You also ask me questions and we have nice chats. In honour of reclaiming our story and being vulnerable, I will be sharing a few stories of my own with you. 

I want this space to be one of acceptance, safety, support, and love. This is a big deal for me, honestly, and I was very nervous, so hank you for holding space for me! 

Topics covered: 

- Personal stories of mine

- Feelings and dynamics throughout the years

- Doing the work 

- Courage to be vulnerable 

- Radical self-acceptance

- Setting boundaries

- Making big decision about your relationships

- Forgiveness

- Repairing and healing

- Reclaiming your story

- Choosing yourself

- Living a life of freedom and love

Happy listening! 

🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast, we will mainly be comparing and contrasting unhealthy and healthy dynamics. We'll look at examples, explore different contexts, and I'll offer some considerations. 

The goal here is to shine some light on more challenging relationships and then turn our attention to what is possible in relationships. Moreover, we can learn to figure out what we can do to have these healthy relationships. 

Topics covered: 

- Unhealthy behaviours

- Examples of toxic dynamics (jealousy/competition, narcissistic tendencies, and more)

- Reasons it may be hard to make sense of them

- Where our responsibility begins and ends

- The flip side in relationships (healthy relationships)

- The importance of feeling our feelings 

- Learning what to do with our thoughts and emotions

- Being mindful of our sensitivities and those of our loved ones in our relationships

- Tips for building healthy relationships

- Choosing to love ourselves (even when we may disappoint someone else)

and some more...

Happy listening! 

🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the show, we will be discussing why it's important to take responsibility in our relationships, as well as why it's important to let other take responsibility for their own actions. 

We'll discuss: 

- The role of defence mechanisms and how they affect our relationships

- Being compassionate and understanding of our own stories + the stories of others

- Realising that understanding does not mean making excuses

- When and how to set boundaries

- When and how to take responsibility

- Handling conflict resolution with loved ones

- Navigating challenging dynamics

- Finding balance in boundaries, compassion, and responsibility

- Final hopeful notes 

Happy listening!

🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast we will unpacking what defense mechanisms are, how they can be displayed, and why. We'll look at some examples and explore how to apply compassion to this.

We will move through feelings of shame, embarrassment, and guilt using the practice of compassion. Then, we'll see how we can practice this with loved ones.

For the second half of the show, we will talk about more difficult dynamics and challenging personalities. In this portion, we will distinguish between things being done "to us" vs. people doing things "for themselves". This is a really important part of understanding the dynamic, defense mechanisms, and allowing space for compassion. 

At the end, we will take a quick look at the role boundaries play in all of this. 

Lastly, I would like to leave you with a note:

Be yourself proudly and unapologetically. You don't have to let other people define who you are or what you think of yourself. You don't need to dim your light because someone else is intimidated. You don't have to shine less bright because someone else feels you stole it form them. There is enough light for everyone.

Happy listening!

🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast, I will picking up where we left off last week and adding some information about how we can decode trauma. 

We will cover the science of the topics, as well as how this may actually feel in real life. We will then explore different mindfulness techniques used to regulate the nervous system and get us into a more receptive state. 

This is important in order to understand why we do what we do and how to move forward in healthy ways. 

We will cover different topics including trauma responses, parts of the brain, mindfulness, easing anxiety, and go over several examples.

*Please note that all of this content is for educational purposes only. This podcast does not provide diagnosis or treatment. For specific questions about your personal needs, please reach out to me or to a trusted health care professional. 

Happy listening!

🌸

To connect with me:

Hey everyone! We're back with a new season, a new episode, and some updates. 

Today, I share some exciting stuff I have going on, some love for our newest island home, and a fun episode! 

Most importantly, we are talking about understanding the science of how we store memories, and how these memories have contexts that can teach us a lot about our narratives. We'll then integrate some mindfulness to start working on awareness and how this can help us rebuild our brain's patterns.

Sometimes, we have adaptive mechanisms that were created to protect us, but that may not be necessary anymore. They can even cause more harm! Other times, we use our stored memories to bring about more good memories and healthy patterns. 

In this episode, we are beginning to unpack all of this, how to identify your patterns, and how to decode them. 

Happy listening!

🌸

To connect with me:

Welcome to the last episode of season 3! 

I'm so excited to be celebrating 3 seasons with you and this lovely podcast project. In this episode, I will sharing some updates, some person stories, and a summary of central themes from this season. (Including our move to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria!!)

I hope this episode leaves you with some nuggets of knowledge, inspiration, and support for your personal journey. 

Thank you so much for all your continued support. My hear tis truly so full. :)

Happy listening!

🌸

To connect with me:

Today we are joined by Ashley McHan (again), a Psychotherapist and Yoga Therapist who specializes is trauma and eating disorders. We will be picking up from where we left off in our last episode and discuss trauma, how it affects us, and how this relates to disordered eating, and more.

Ashley really does a wonderful job of breaking this all down for us. I love this episode because of the way Ashley takes the time to structure the information so logically and make everything flow eloquently. 

NOTES on EMDR:

The intention of EMDR is to heal trauma in all forms. What it does for us is what we so often struggle to do on our own, to see ourselves through new eyes, to see our experiences with a new lens, one that allows that compassion and understanding that we need to release the believes of ourselves that we have carried forward as a result of the experience. This then allows us to see how the experience changed us, how we attempted to cope and compensate after the experience. This is typically where we see the development of disorder eating patterns, amongst many other harmful yet well intentioned patterns of coping. This new vantage point allows people to more easily understand the role of the patterns, to see why they are compelled to act and why they feel so reliant on the disordered eating as if to survive mentally, physically or emotionally.

When it comes to the type of trauma we are discussing today, a block to healing can be that we haven’t had our experience seen or validated. We tend to look at ourselves, especially our past selves, with a great deal of judgment. I see one of the greatest struggles in teh human experience to be with self-compassion. We view ourselves differently than we view others, we hold ourselve to different (typically unreasonable) standards. When we look back on our past pains we tend to self-blame, to feel it was our fault or due to our own weakness or defectiveness. So we keep our experiences hidden, shadowed, and we suffer alone. This is especially true of experiences that ivoked shame for us.

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Dr. Kristen Lee - head of the Behavior Science program at Northeastern University and author of the forthcoming Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More and Offer Yourself to the World. I thought she’d make a great guest on The Mindful Psychology podcast.

Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, is an award-winning behavioral science and leadership professor, clinician, researcher, activist, comedian, and author. She has over two decades of clinical experience in outpatient mental health, and thirteen years of teaching and leadership roles in higher education. She leads the Behavior Science program at Northeastern University and lives in Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.In Worth The Risk, Lee shows readers that by “microdosing” small acts of bravery and connection, we can regain the self-confidence and resilience we need to be successful and live full and meaningful lives. “We are hardwired for risk-taking,” she says. “As we become more comfortable with the uncomfortable, our nervous system changes to support us in experiencing a bold, adventurous, colorful life.”

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Jodie Eleanor, a therapist, a functional medicine practitioner, and anxiety expert. She is also the founder of the Holistic Anxiety Fix. 

Jodi will be talking to us about how to begin to understand and heal anxiety holistically, but considering different pieces of our over health and nurturing the link between them.

Terri will explain her steps to forming a healthy listening relationships with the people in our lives and share her personal experience too!

Today on the podcast, I will be unpacking how to navigate situations that make us doubt ourselves and lack trust in relationships. 

I will break down my 3 KEY STEPS for checking our triggers and developing trust in ourselves and our relationships.

1. Checking Trigger 2. Deciding Whether or Not to Pursue 3. It Starts With Me

We can all be triggered at times. Life happens! Things can kick off and we suddenly find ourselves in highly activated states. The trouble is when we find ourselves LIVING in activated states. 

Then, once we are regulated and have entered a receptive state, what happens next?

Episode topics: 

- What happens when our activated state becomes our "always state"

- Discussing why people who have been hurt may hurt others

- Exploring other ways in which we can stay stuck in our trauma

- 3 key steps: 1. Checking Trigger 2. Deciding Whether or Not to Pursue 3. It Starts With Me

- Explaining how we can take ourselves out of REACTIVITY and place ourselves into RECEPTIVITY

- Understanding that it's not an attack on us - it's not about us

- What is about us

- Some final thoughts

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Hello everyone! Today on the podcast, I will be reading out 3 questions from listeners and answering them!

Of course, this will be anonymous and I have received permission to use these questions. 

Here they are:

1. "My sister and I grew up together. Our dad was very mean but mostly to me. I don’t have a relationship with him but she always maintained one. She said it was hard for her to grow up in the house and watch how my dad treated me but then why is she so willing to have a relationship with him? She gets upset when I talk about how hard it was to be singled out. It’s just so invalidating. Am I wrong to feel this way?"

2. "I’ve been trying to take a distance from a toxic person in my life and I keep getting mixed options. On one hand my wife is reassuring me that I’m doing the right thing and I know I am. But then my brother is telling me to keep the peace and stop being so dramatic. I start to doubt myself and feel guilty. What should I do?"

3. "Every time I make decisions in my family that are different, I get met with such condescending comments. I’m always told “oh poor you, that’s sounds awful.” Or “I know you have your own challenges but that’s a stupid decision. My only challenge is conversing with them! I am living a life I’m happy in for once and every time I interact with them, I just feel like I want to scream! Is there something wrong with me?"

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Hello everyone! I'm so happy to be with you today. In this episode, I will share some personal experiences I had as we explore the concepts of old stories and new beginnings. 

Old stories can often hold us back and we may not even know they're there! Whether it be a story about relationship dynamics or society's expectations of us, we all have narratives. In this episode, I want to start talking about ways in which we can start developing awareness and take actions. This is all in the effort to understand why we live as we do and how we can continue to grow to make our lives more healthy. 

Thank you for allowing me to share my experiences. 

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today we are joined by Ashley McHan, a Psychotherapist and Yoga Therapist who specializes is trauma and eating disorders. We will discuss eating disorders, disordered eating, and some aspects of trauma. We will then explore why they develop and why it makes sense. 

Ashley really does a wonderful job of breaking this all down for us. 

NOTES on EMDR:

The intention of EMDR is to heal trauma in all forms. What it does for us is what we so often struggle to do on our own, to see ourselves through new eyes, to see our experiences with a new lens, one that allows that compassion and understanding that we need to release the believes of ourselves that we have carried forward as a result of the experience. This then allows us to see how the experience changed us, how we attempted to cope and compensate after the experience. This is typically where we see the development of disorder eating patterns, amongst many other harmful yet well intentioned patterns of coping. This new vantage point allows people to more easily understand the role of the patterns, to see why they are compelled to act and why they feel so reliant on the disordered eating as if to survive mentally, physically or emotionally.

When it comes to the type of trauma we are discussing today, a block to healing can be that we haven’t had our experience seen or validated. We tend to look at ourselves, especially our past selves, with a great deal of judgment. I see one of the greatest struggles in teh human experience to be with self-compassion. We view ourselves differently than we view others, we hold ourselve to different (typically unreasonable) standards. When we look back on our past pains we tend to self-blame, to feel it was our fault or due to our own weakness or defectiveness. So we keep our experiences hidden, shadowed, and we suffer alone. This is especially true of experiences that ivoked shame for us.

To connect with Ashley:

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Kelly Smith. We will be exploring the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices, and applying them to different situations. In this episode, you will leave with actionable steps you can start practicing today!

Kelly is the founder of Yoga For You, and the host of the Mindful in Minutes podcast. She's an E-RYT 500, YACEP, and a location independent yoga and meditation teacher. She believes that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to yoga and meditation, and that your practice should be as unique as you are.

To connect with Kelly: 

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Katrina McGiffin. We will be discussing nutrition, yoga, connection to the math, and other conscious practices. 

As an Integrative Nutritionist and  Yoga Teacher, Katrina is passionate about bringing the science of nutrition together with the energy of yoga. She operates with the philosophy that living and eating is best guided by the rhythms of nature. She works with her clients to move beyond just identifying the perfect diet and supplements to transform the individual relationship with food and cultivate an intuitive connection between mind and body.

To connect with Katrina:

Today, we are joined by Dr. McMahon and Jacqueline TrumbI’ll as we discuss Borderline Personality Disorder, its development, and treatment.

Today on the the podcast, we will be diving deeper into trauma healing by understanding our patterns, learning new ones, and applying these to relationships.

Topics covered: 

- Recap of Part 1

- How our experiences affect us and play out

- More on trauma

- Understanding patterns and their importance

- Practices for resourcing and relearning

- Notes on regulating, mindfulness, and self-compassion

- Distancing from toxic dynamics

- Exploring forgiveness

- Final thoughts on healing and finding peace

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the show, we are talking about trauma and how it creates changes in our nervous systems. We will explore how our experience leave "evidence" behind and play out in our relationships.

Topics covered: 

- PTSD vs. C-PTSD (briefly)

- How experiences shape the way we relate to the world

- Understanding biological reactions before the cognitive process

- Practices for grounding and regulating the nervous system

- Examples of activation and what happens when we perceive threat

- How healthy practices create change in our patterns

- Changing our association with negative events

- A note on boundaries

- A note on what happens when we decide to separate from a toxic dynamic

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast, we will be discussing practices of mindfulness and self-compassion, and how you can start applying them to your life.

Topics covered:

- Defining mindfulness and self-compassion

- Exploring comparison and feelings of jealousy

- Why is emotional regulation important and how is it done?

- What is true connection and why do we need it?

- Begin to understand what stories you believe about yourself and the world

- Learn how you can start unpacking your core beliefs and mapping out your patterns

- Practices for mindfulness and self-compassion

- Modifying self talk and your whole narrative

- The importance of relearning and rewiring

and more...

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Tanya Cole-Lesnick as we discuss the power of connection, vulnerability, and transformation.

Tanya has been a psychotherapist and coach since 1995. She received her master’s degree in social work from New York University after group therapy changed her life. She has extensive experience in outpatient hospital mental health, private practice, and wellness center settings. From those experiences over the years she has identified her most important focus—helping people to live lives that light them up. She does this by helping clients to access and honor their truth, to change habits that don’t serve them, and to heal faulty narratives so that they are living in alignment inside and out. Her work revolves around intimate groups as the sharing of inner worlds and being human together in a safe space is what she finds to be the most powerful way for lives to transform.

To connect with Tanya:

Today on the podcast we will be looking at the science behind shame and guilt, as well as the difference between the two. Then, we will explore how they play out in the way we live and relate to others. 

We will discuss different kinds of relationships and see how opinions, criticism, shame, and guilt look different and bring about different dynamics and resolutions. We will also look at boundary work in difficult relationships and how they can make us question ourselves, and stay in shame.

With that, I'll offer different perspectives and a general framework on what we can consider in different situations and with different relationships.  

This is work that you can do with a Therapist, but it's also important to find safe trusted people with whom you can build security and practice this boundary work and shame work. 

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. 

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast, we will explore topics related to shame, judgment, criticism, opinions, toxic behaviour, and gossip. We will be unpacking these as a normal part of life that we cannot control. 

We will balance this out by exploring what we CAN control and change the narrative a bit. We will consider embracing healing, truth, boundaries, kindness, and love with regards to betrayal, toxic dynamics, and our healing journey.

* No, I will not lecture you about how we "must forgive and send love" to everyone. I will, however, share some reframing techniques with you and how some of those can include love and compassion. I will also talk about forgiveness as a fluid and personal choice. 

Topics covered: 

- Handling shame, judgment, and betrayal

- Going from activation to regulation

- Main principles of boundaries

- Truths to keep in mind when dealing with challenges/difficult dynamics

- Beginning to repattern and relearn

- Incorporating compassion, kindness, and forgiveness on a personal way that we choose

- When deciding to disconnect from people

- and more

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today we are joined by a very special guest, Jessie Kanzer, the author of Don't Just Sit There, Do Nothing. 

For years, Jessie felt like a failure, unable to hustle hard enough to “make it,” either as an actress or in the rat race. Her childhood as a Russian immigrant in post-Cold War America heightened her insecurity and threatened her identity, desperate as she was to fit into a culture that was alien at best and hostile at worst. This loss and eventual reclamation of her sense of self sent her on a spiritual journey during which she discovered the Tao Te Ching, which changed everything for her. The Tao taught her that there was power in stillness, and that all struggles come bearing gifts if you know how to recognize them. Her message will connect with listeners desperate to find grounding as we move into a new year with filled with trepidation and no guarantees of a return to normalcy.

During this interview:

·  How to trust their intuition and inner voice whenever doubts creep in

·  How losing sight of your true identity can be a gift (as long as you find it again)

·  How the Tao can cure you of perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies

·  Why it’s important to continue to embrace stillness, even amidst a push to return to “normal” following the pandemic

·  The Tao’s wisdom on parenting, especially how the act of letting go can be the ultimate form of love

·  How the Tao can teach you to value yourself and not give your power away in romantic relationships

In a culture that insists on constant motion and self-improvement, the Tao Te Ching’s philosophy reminds us that there’s power in slowing down and making room for stillness in our lives. Don’t Just Sit There, Do Nothing offers practical actionable insights on incorporating its wisdom into your everyday life.

Today on the podcast, I will be discussing ways in which we can develop trust inside ourselves, with the people around us, and in the world. I will offer some examples and considerations, including daily habits you can start implementing today. 

We will also talk about how to handle challenging situations and how it is especially important to trust in ourselves and stay in our security. I will give you steps to not only regulating but also sorting through the experience, practicing your boundary work, and connecting to your safety.

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

On this episode of the mini series on Developing Secure Attachment, we are discussing Disorganised Attachment. 

We will recap the break dow of attachment, as we are exploring it on the show, and compare and contract Organised and Disorganised Attachment Styles. We will also look at how disorganised attachment develops and what it looks like in adulthood.

• We will cover considerations and practices that can help us heal, build trust inside of ourselves, and empower us to develop secure relationships with ourselves and others.
• We will also explore how to deal with all of this when faced with a triggering situation, a toxic dynamic, or a challenging person. We will discuss these points in this episode.

A really important piece here is remembering that what we don't know can still hurt us, because what we do not heal will reveal itself to us. 

This is why we work to be aware of our triggers and patterns and explore why they are this way. Through this work, we can learn to understand how we relate to ourselves and the world around us. With all of the knowledge and insight we gain, we can begin to re-learn and re-pattern so that our way of experiencing life can be healthier, and as a result, the way we relate can be more secure. 

As always, working with a Therapist is so helpful here, but so is practice. In other words, working to consciously create secure relationships with safe people. 

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today we have a special guest join on to talk about relationships! Dr. Abby Medcalf is a Psychologist, an author, a podcaster, and speaker. In this episode we will discuss relationships, communication, boundaries, conflict resolution, and more.

Abby is so knowledgeable about human behaviour and relationship dynamics. I love the way she breaks teachings down and shares her insight in functional ways. One of the best parts is that she always leaves you with actionable steps you can start putting in place today.

To connect with Dr. Medcalf:

This part of the Mini Series on Developing Secure Attachment is all about Avoidant/Dismissive Attachment.

I will unpack this attachment style and break it down into how it develops and why, then move toward what this looks like in the research that's been done, and translate it to what it can look like in adulthood.

Then, I'll discuss what research has taught us about interactions in these cases. In other words, what is a solution to avoiding the rejection we are sure will take place? What do we do to avoid it?

Next, we'll look at ways in which we can regulate in these situations, and focus on allowing some space, or breathing room. This will be necessary in creating an environment conducive to cultivating security and connection. 

Lastly, we will apply all this to difficult situations and dynamics. Most of the episode is really to focus on what happens in generally healthy relationships. Whilst it can always be challenging to get in touch with our feelings about a situation or be vulnerable with loved ones, these symptoms are exacerbated by more distressing situations. We can sometimes externalise to avoid dealing with feelings.

Boundaries remain important in these situations and choosing not to engage will be helpful. However, we still can allow ourselves to feel our feelings about difficult situations and do any internal work and healing we may need. 

Tune in for more!

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

This part of the Mini Series on Developing Secure Attachment is all about Anxious/Preoccupied Attachment. 

I will unpack this attachment style and break it down into how it develops and why, then move toward what this looks like in the research that's been done, and translate it to what it can look like in adulthood. 

Then, I'll discuss what research has taught us about interactions in these cases. In other words, if we are met with a possible solution, does it sooth us? Why or why not? 

Next, we'll look at considerations for regulating and solutions when dealing with these challenges. We'll pay particular attention to ways in which we can regulate the nervous system, and connect inward in order to develop a strong sense of self (essential part of security). 

Lastly, I will spend some talk talking about what happens we are dealing with difficult personalities or toxic dynamics, and get activated in this anxious way. I wanted to make this a separate point, because it is especially important to stay rooted in ourselves in these cases. Furthermore, it is really helpful if we can practice cultivating this sense of security inside us that will allow us to feel safe rather than protective in these situations. 

This might look like no longer feeling the need to justify ourselves or over explain. We may also no longer feel affected by the opinions and judgments of others. 

I hope you enjoy this episode!

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

***MINI SERIES ALERT***

I am very excited to share that we will be having a Mini Series on Developing Secure Attachment. This means, we'll be unpacking attachment styles, trauma, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and more, to dive into how we can build healthy relationships with ourselves and others.

We will exploring aspects of Interpersonal Neurobiology and Mindfulness, to name a couple, in order to begin understanding our triggers and patterns. This will allow us to start making sense of the way in which we live our lives and the changes we would like to make. From there, we can apply teachings and put them into practice. 

This will be supported by scientific research and evidence-based resources. 

Let's do this together, with openness, mindful awareness, and a generous helping of compassion. 

Welcome to the Developing Secure Attachment Mini Series! 

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

In this episode, we will be unpacking one of my favourite topics: BOUNDARIES. This episode is a re-recording of our Boundaries Unpacked episode from the Summer. New and improved! :)

I wanted to unpack this complex topic because of how interesting boundary work is and how truly important healthy boundary setting is.

• What are boundaries NOT
• What ARE boundaries 
• Why set boundaries
• Examples of what healthy boundaries are not - personal, with loved ones, in conflict
• Examples of what healthy boundaries can look like - personal, with loved ones, in conflict 
• What is NOT debatable about boundaries - These are SO important!
• Why boundary work is complex and important
• Explaining HEALTHY boundary setting
• A few more key concepts to keep in mind about boundaries and healing

and some more...

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Happy new year! 

Today on the podcast, we will be talking about different kind of detox and how we can reclaim who we are for our own good. I'll provide examples and considerations for how to develop healthier thought patterns, emotional regulation techniques, and resources for cultivating security in yourself and in your relationships. 

I will also unpack the different ways in which you can learn to mindfully heal by identifying what is holing you back or causing you distress, working through it, replacing with healthy habits, and reclaiming your life. I will apply this to different situations and relationships.

Generally, it will be broken down into:

Detoxing, Replacing, Reclaiming in...

Your relationship with yourself

Your relationships with others

Your relationships "without others", as I call it - Where there is something unresolved/unhealed but the relationship is "over".

Topics covered:

- Identifying thoughts and feelings

- Correcting unhelpful dialogue

- Self-Compassion

- Ego-based vs. Mindfulness-based or Activation/Reaction vs. Regulation/Response

- Some boundary talk - particularly where our responsibility ends in conflict

- Foundations of secure attachment

- Offering yourself closure

- Kindness, compassion, understanding, and even forgiveness do not mean excusing

- Examples to help explore the different teachings

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

This week on the podcast I will be unpacking the different attachment styles and trauma responses. There have been many questions about these topics, and rightfully so!

So I do my best in this episode to explore the different aspects of these loaded themes.

Topics covered:

- What is attachment

- What are attachment styles

- Does our AS matter

- Can our AS change

- Identifying our AS + patterns

- Different trauma responses

- What we can learn from our responses

- Tips for emotional regulation + soothing

- Tips for healing + building secure attachment

- Tips to answer one of the most the most popular question:

"I'm doing all this work, and I'm scared that when I interact with certain people, I will lose my progress and security. What can I do?"

*NOTE: All content is created for educational purposes only and does not replace work with a mental health professional. If you have any questions about this or the content, please contact me below.

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

This week on the podcast, we will be talking about jealousy as it tends to play out and what you can do to hold your own in these situations. We will also talk abut narcissism again and draw some links between jealousy and narcissism. 

Jealousy is a really big topic and has been highly requested (thank you!). I also think it's very important because we can all have conflicting feelings sometimes, or compare ourselves to others, and even feel envious. This can lead us to being very discouraged and hard on ourselves. It becomes particularly challenging, however, when we give in to feelings of jealousy and behave in unhealthy ways. It can cause a lot of harm, and even abuse.

Though I will be emphasising how to handle and heal from being on the receiving end of jealous behaviour, I will also discuss what can be done when feelings of jealousy arise. 

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

This week on the podcast we will be talking about narcissism. I'll unpack Narcissism into 3 different types and give example of what this might look like in real life. Throughout the episode, I will draw comparisons between the different types, so that we can explore the differences and similarities, and what this could mean in relationships (family, romantic, etc.).

Topics include:

• What narcissism is
• Different types of narcissism
• How to spot the signs
• Major red flags
• Gaslighting, exploitation, scapegoating, etc.
• When it starts to boarder on or even become a personality disorder
• The ways in which this can show up in relationships
• Considerations for handling these relationships and healing

and more...

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

This week on the podcast, I will be talking about REPAIR in different types of relationships. Understanding our behaviour and learning to correct what is not healthy for us and our loved ones is so important. Moreover, recognising unhealthy behaviours and patterns in our relationships will allow us to build secure attachment with ourselves and others. 

Topics covered: 

- What repair means

- Our nervous system in relationships

- Secure attachment and how to cultivate it

- How repair in relationships can look

- Repair with yourself

- What you can do when repair in the relationship is not an option

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today on the podcast I am looking at abuse from 2 main lenses: 

1. The negative impact of people trying to deny (and justify) abuse
2. The use of knowledge and standing to assert power and abuse others (by mental health professionals and others)

These topics have come up a lot in conversation and in therapy, so I wanted to shine some light on what happens when people try to make excuses for abuse and what we need to keep in mind in terms of how to protect ourselves. 

In this episode, I offer some warning signs and red flags, as well as some general considerations for practice. As always, this content is for educational purposes only and does not substitute work with a mental health professional.

Topics covered:

- What happens when people try to deny and/or justify abuse

- Explanations are not excuses - we can understand/feel compassion, but there is still no excuse for abuse

- Common excuses people use to justify abuse or gaslight others

- What we can do to hold our own

- Understanding the steps: Acknowledgement, Taking Responsibility, Correction, and Repair. 

- What happens when people abuse of knowledge or their position to assert power and control

- Common techniques people use to gaslight and manipulate 

- Practicing disengagement

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

This week on the podcast, I am replaying one of the most popular episodes of the show!

I will be unpacking different aspects of Anxiety, how it is caused, and some different techniques to manage, ease, and prevent anxiety.

It will be broken down into 5 main principles. I'll expand on each one and offer examples.

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Hi everyone!

Today on the show, I will be answering some of the most common questions I received in the last few weeks. The questions mostly came from the episodes on Boundaries, Letting Go, and some others. 

Topics covered: 

- Why do we do the work? What's point?

- How can we learn to heal and forgive?

- What's difference between "moving on" and "letting go"?

- When I have reactions or feelings, does it mean I am not healed?

- Can you practice love, kindness, and compassion as well as boundaries?

and some more...

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today we are joined by Dr. Amy Johnson who is offering a ground-breaking new paradigm in mental health that taps into our natural and innate health to find resilience to overcome issues like habits and anxiety easily, with no willpower.

Amy Johnson, PhD is a psychologist, coach, author, and speaker who shares a groundbreaking new approach that helps people find lasting freedom from unwanted habits, anxiety, and self-doubt via insight rather than willpower.

She is the author of Being Human, The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit, and Just a Thought: A No-Willpower Approach to End Self-Doubt and Make Peace with Your Mind. In 2017, she opened The Little School of Big Change, an online school that has helped thousands of people find freedom from anxiety and habits and live a more peaceful life.

Amy also shares the no-willpower approach in her top-rated podcast, Changeable, and she’s trained over 70 coaches in her Change Coach Training Program. She has been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and Oprah.com, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and Self magazine.

Today we are joined by Jan Winhall, MSW FOT, who will be talking to use about the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model and how we can us different modalities to understand and heal trauma and addiction. In her book, Jan draws significant links between trauma and addiction, and creates a framework for clinicians to apply to their practice. 

"I started my career as a social worker/psychotherapist 40 years ago. I listened with non-pathologizing ears and heard shocking stories of sexual torture, and responses that confused me.

Women were cutting themselves, burning their bodies, sucking on bars of soap, having compulsive sex with strangers, bingeing and purging huge quantities of food, and abusing drugs and alcohol. As I listened I learned that somehow these self-harming behaviors were “helping” them to escape intolerable emotional states. They were shifting their mood from flooding anxiety to numbing deadness, or vice versa.

Because these behaviours were so helpful they were compulsively repeated and often became addictions."

Connect with Jan Winhall MSW FOT

This week on the podcast, I'll be unpacking the notion of letting go and the role it plays in our healing journey. 

We will explore different stages of dealing with challenging experiences and how to create a sense a safety and security inside fo ourselves. 

Topics covered: 

- What does "let go" actually mean? 

- When + how letting go and surrendering be healthy

- Some ways in which we can ease anxiety and create security in our nervous system

- Mindful practices for the healing journey

- How our past can teach us lessons and help us move forward

and more...

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Hello everyone! I'm back for season 3 and I'm so excited for the content ahead! 

This week, we are talking about gaslighting. It's a really hot topic these days, as it should be, and one of my favourites. 

I'll be unpacking what gaslighting is, how it shows up (with examples), and what we can do about it. 

Most importantly, I am shining light on some toxic behaviours and dynamics here, as well as what you can do when confronted with this. This is so critical, because when dealing with abuse, there are no excuses. We can understand, but it does not make it ok. 

You deserve to feel safe, secure, and loved within yourself and your relationships. You deserve to feel seen and heard. I hope this can offer some support.

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me:

Today we are joined by Mollie Birney. Mollie Birney is a Clinical Coach in virtual private practice. She provides life coaching with an eye towards mental health to high-achieving professionals seeking efficient, authentic transitions and behavioral change. Her clinical perspective draws upon her years as a therapist in inpatient, residential and outpatient treatment programs, and as a private consultant and interventionist for families in crisis. These clinical underpinnings are now the foundation of her work as a personal coach for high-performing individuals addressing issues of anxiety, emotional evolution, relationships and self-destructive patterns. She holds a masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University with a specialization in Addiction Studies, and based on her own recovery she also has a personal soft spot for working with disordered eating.

You can find Mollie:

Today we are joined by Tess Brigham. Tess is an expert psychotherapist, certified life coach, and public speaker. She specializes in helping millennials discover their unique life path in order to go out into the world and make an impact. Tess’ acclaimed one-on-one coaching empowers young adults to gain the confidence they need to create their dream life through concrete and actionable steps.

As a therapist who has worked intimately with millennials for the past decade, Tess has expert insights on the mental health challenges young adults are uniquely facing during unprecedented times. Tess would love to share her tips and insights on mental wellness while navigating career transitions and burnout including:

A sought after source, Tess has been featured in Forbes, Oprah Magazine, ThriveGlobal, HuffPost, Thought Catalog, Insider, Yahoo! News, Bustle, NBC, Real Simple, and more.Dubbed the ‘Millennial Therapist’ by CNBC, Tess Brigham specializes in helping millennials discover their unique life path. She offers individuals concrete tools and skills on navigating obstacles in their lives when feeling lost. Tess is a vital resource for those who may be feeling stuck, uninspired, or uncertain by where they are in life. She brings her experience within the worlds of psychotherapy and coaching together to work with young adults on relationships, mental health and career development.

Happy listening!

With love,

G 🌸

To connect with me: