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205 – New Year, New Business, New Tarot Card Reading

I’m happy to be in 2023, and one of the reasons is…. (drum roll please!)… I’ve stepped down from my duties as president of Head/Heart Therapy and I am launching a new business called Head/Heart Business Therapy! 

The mission is to work directly with individual therapists, group practice owners, and larger healthcare and mental health organizations in order to transform through heart-centered and business-minded practices. I want to help therapists heal and I think that needs to happen at a more collective level. 

Don’t worry! Conversations With a Wounded Healer podcast isn’t going away. In fact, we have some cool sh*t coming up this year! So stay tuned…

Meanwhile, listen to this short solo episode to find out what the tarot cards had to say about the show for 2023.

Thank you so much for being here. I’m curious to see what’s coming this year and I hope to see you in one of my upcoming groups to support you in your professional healing practice.

Support for mental health workers:

If you work in the mental health field and are looking for support from like-minded people, check out our third installment of the Wounded Healers Virtual Group. It’s a juicy, sweet, and really cool place to connect. 

Virtual community for group practice owners:

I offer a working collective for group therapy practice owners who want to lead from the heart while building a thriving, ethical business. Join us at Wounded Healers as Leaders.

Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…

Website:

www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/

Instagram: 

@headheartbiztherapy

196 – Rusia Mohiuddin – People Are The Source Of All Power

I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of amazing folks. Believe me when I say there’s something special about the frequency from which Rusia Mohiuddin operates. She’s tapped into a universal rhythm that, in simplest terms, is the deep understanding that people are the source of all power.

If that level of embodiment comes across as too lofty for the “average” person to access, allow Rusia to share another vital facet of her being: “I have a potty mouth like a true New Yorker as well.” That’s what showing up as your whole self is all about.

As founder and principal of Universal Partnership (UP), Rusia combines her vast experience as a master trainer, facilitator, and somatic coach with generational wisdom––the lived understanding that social movements require holistic foundations to achieve healthy momentum.

Rusia centers on the cooperative rather than the singular: “If everything, all the ecosystems on earth, are reliant––our bodies and the ecosystems within them are reliant––why would all this reliancy then create societal systems that are unaligned and not reliant on each other, that’s actually reliant on the suffering and the oppression of most of us?” Hell if I know, but here we are, in the wake of every -ism coming before us.

There IS one -ism that can save us: collectivism. Us. The people with the power. It’s a lesson handed down to Rusia through her elders, and we all have access to similar wisdom––if we commit to relearning its language. 

GUEST BIO

Rusia N. Mohiuddin is a master trainer, facilitator, & somatic coach who pioneered the integration of somatics into an organizing framework. Her current mission, through Universal Partnership, has been developing a holistic model for social justice change work that places in its center the necessary transformation of social change agents.

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, visit: https://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

191 – Allison Staiger – Rage And The Emotional Labor Of Parenting

Given the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, honest insight into and support for modern-day parents or child caregiving are more necessary than ever. Although recorded weeks before the ruling, this conversation seems incredibly prescient. 

Allison Staiger, LCSW, is spiraling. “Have you heard of that term before? Spiral-linear?” she asks. I hadn’t but given her definition, it’s a concept I’m down with. “It’s where you’re still moving forward but there’s lots of cycles and you kind of cycle back. Things die and then are reborn.” 

Makes sense given Allison’s current physical and emotional “birthing” process. She’s deep in the process of relocating her life and fierce feminist care practice from Metairie, LA, to Chicago. Highwire Therapy supports new, expectant, hopeful, and grieving parents, helping them process perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, loss, birth trauma, caregiver burnout, infertility, and the general OMFG of becoming a parent. 

The Matriarchy, her nascent coaching practice, is a shame-free space in which folks can rage against the mom-chine (well-played, Allison!), assisting clients in liberating themselves from the mommy complex. Parent or no, Allison challenges all of us to get in touch with our righteous anger and, honestly, there’s no time like the present. Circle back to your Divine Feminine and give the patriarchal system of oppression a big middle finger.

GUEST BIO

Allison Staiger, LCSW, is the founder of Highwire Therapy, a psychotherapy private practice, and The Matriarchy, a feminist coaching practice. As a licensed clinical social worker certified in perinatal mental health, she works with new, expectant, hopeful, and grieving parents, offering support for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, pregnancy and infant loss, birth trauma, caregiver burnout, infertility, and the general holy shit-ness of becoming a parent. Fed up with the insufficient and oppressive norms and narratives in our current culture of caregiving, she created The Matriarchy to help parents socialized as mothers partner with their radical, rebellious anger, and channel it into fierce feminist care.

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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_Chi

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast

***

Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork.

190 – Satya Doyle Byock – Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood

Here’s a hot take for you: The teachings of a privileged white dude from the past can help us sort through our modern existential crises. OK, in the world of Jungian psychology, my pithy opening salvo is far from controversial; it’s indisputable. One of the folks translating Carl Jung’s classic analytical foundation into a contemporary application is Satya Doyle Byock, LPC. 

At The Salomé Institute of Jungian Studies, Satya and faculty provide online salons and seminars that delve into the power of Jung’s work to heal complex personal and societal issues. In addition to hosting the Institute’s podcast, Satya is about to release Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood, a much-needed guide for bridging the gap between adolescence and mid-life. 

“There’s kind of this whack-a-mole game of social justice where it’s like there’s a never-ending number of problems and pains and sufferings, and it’s so exhausting,” she says. “When I found Jung’s psychology, It really spoke to me from a feminist and anti-racist perspective.”

Even if you “don’t know” Jung, you know Jung. He coined the idea of the “introvert” and “extrovert” personalities, archetypes, and the power of the unconscious––a fundamental aspect Satya wants to rescue from the patriarchy’s toxic clutches. 

GUEST BIO

Satya Doyle Byock, LPC, is a psychotherapist in private practice, the director of and teacher at The Salome Institute of Jungian Studies, and the author of the forthcoming book “Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood,” to be published by Random House July 26, 2022

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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

189 – Kerri Kelly – Confronting the Myths of Whiteness and Wellness

My guest Kerri Kelly landed on the perfect summation for this episode: “It’s gonna be juicy y’all!” And it is, since our discussion centers on whiteness. Ha––leave it to whiteness to center itself here, there, everywhere. In this instance, however, whiteness and the cacophony of capitalism that almost always accompanies it, is drowned out by Kerri’s challenging, meaningful call-in. And she keeps that volume turned way up.

In her new book American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal, Kerri confronts the toxic systems (founded on whiteness) that have commodified wellness and prohibit everyone (including white folks) from enjoying genuine well-being. 

What qualifies her to make such a case? Well, Kerri is the founder of CTZNWELL, a movement that’s democratizing well-being for all and a yoga instructor with 20+ years of experience. She’s well-known for making waves in the wellness industry by challenging norms, disrupting systems and mobilizing people to act. She’s dedicated her life to kicking down doors and fighting for justice, traits she’s inherited from a long line of first-responder ancestors. 

Now that I see the lie of white supremacy everywhere (Perfectionism! Productivity! Individualism!), I recognize how thoroughly indoctrinated I am in the system and the harm caused by my own mistake. That repeated realization is tiresome, by design. White supremacy is engineered to keep us severed from self-discovery and the will to continually question and call out. This is challenging, lifetime work. 

GUEST BIO

Kerri Kelly is the founder of CTZNWELL, a movement that is democratizing well-being for all. A descendant of generations of firemen and first responders, Kerri has dedicated her life to kicking down doors and fighting for justice. She’s been teaching yoga for over 20 years and is known for making waves in the wellness industry by challenging norms, disrupting systems and mobilizing people to act. 

A community organizer, wellness activist and author of the forthcoming book American Detox: The Myth of Wellness and How We Can Truly Heal, Kerri is recognized across communities for her inspired work to bridge transformational practice with social justice. She’s been instrumental in translating the practices of wellbeing into social and political action, working in collaboration with community organizers, spiritual leaders and policymakers to transform our systems from the inside out. Her leadership has inspired a movement that is actively organizing around issues of racial and economic justice, healthcare as a human right, civic engagement and more.

Kerri is a powerful facilitator and TED speaker and is the host of the prominent podcast, CTZN. You can learn more about her work at kerrikelly.co and ctznwell.org

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast

GET CONNECTED

Wounded Healers Virtual Group: https://tinyurl.com/woundedhealersvg-2

***

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

188 – Meagan Thomas – Counteracting Patriarchal Conditioning with Boudoir Photography

The magic of great photography is that it uncovers emotions on both sides of the lens. But what if subject and audience are the same? That exposure arrives with all sorts of charged, squishy feelings––including a healthy dose of healing. That’s what I’m experiencing as I circle back to the beautiful new collection of branding images my guest Meagan Thomas took of me.

Meagan is a boudoir photographer specializing in capturing each client’s unique beauty, revealing the ravishing soul within so that they can bear witness to it, too.  You might be asking, “Hey Sarah, doesn’t boudoir photographer imply spicy shots of nakey folks?”

Yes. Yes, it does. And while my branding images aren’t nakey (natch), time spent in Meagan’s company, whether through a photography session or simply via this conversation, is a reminder of/return to our beauty beyond the physical. She makes women feel strong, assured, and sexy as hell.

I say “women”, but Meagan’s objective is to create an environment where everyone is free to embrace and embody their enoughness. And confidence comes from unlearning all the conditioning that’s force-fed to us by advertising. Even with my clothes on, I had to grapple with capitalism forever expropriating my desirability––as a professional person, a sensual being, and all the complexities in between. 

Under Meagan’s guidance, I experienced the freedom to pose and play. To experiment in my body. To be seen and see me. “I think my biggest goal is to remove contempt from your psyche,” she says. “If you can go from the contempt of ‘I hate this” to ‘It’s not that bad. I’ve done my job.”

Job well done. I cried when I received the final images from Meagan. I like who I see.

GET CONNECTED

Crave with Mishara D. Winston: www.misharadwinston.com/crave

Wounded Healers Virtual Group: https://tinyurl.com/woundedhealersvg-2

GUEST BIO

Meagan Thomas is a boudoir photographer who specializes in identifying the unique beauty of each client she engages with. In every image she wants to see evidence of the ravishing soul within, so that her clients can see it too.

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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

187 – Linda Roberts – Love, Loss, and Learning to Communicate with Our Pets

It’s not every day that I speak with an animal psychic. Allow me to head off any skepticism by saying this is no “talk to the animals” farce. If you’ve ever experienced the special bond from loving an animal, you likely shared moments of complete synchronicity, as if you both spoke a common language. When that beloved animal passes, the loss is immense. Overwhelming. I say this as someone who has missed her little Oscar every day since he left this world in 2019.

Regardless of species, Linda Roberts says we all have an innate capacity to connect telepathically with our furry (or scaly) companions if we remove self-doubt and balance logic with intuition. Oh, and practice, as is the case with any new-to-us language. 

For those not up to the work, Linda is a fantastic intermediary. She’s a life-long animal lover who’s honored her ability to communicate with creatures great and small through energetic, heartfelt connections.

Linda doesn’t limit her work to end of life or afterlife communication. She shares several stories of pet-owner impasse and insight into the mind of pandemic pets who find themselves thrust into long periods of loneliness after two years of 24/7 wfh companionship. That pee on your sofa is no joke! 

GET CONNECTED

Crave with Mishara D. Winston: www.misharadwinston.com/crave

Wounded Healers Virtual Group: https://tinyurl.com/woundedhealersvg-2

GUEST BIO

Linda Roberts is a lifelong animal lover who enjoys working and living with a variety of animals. Linda feels honored to have the ability to communicate with them. It’s through an energetic, heartfelt connection that she is able to acquire an understanding of the animal’s thoughts, actions, and feelings.  She has experience working with cats, dogs, horses, birds, and reptiles.  Linda enjoys helping people to solve the mysteries surrounding their animal’s behaviors and health concerns. She also enjoys teaching others to tap into this natural ability.  

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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

186 – Dr. Barbara Shabazz – Accountability, Action, and the Path to Collective Liberation

If I had to pick one word to describe this conversation with Dr. Barbara Shabazz, PsyD, my choice is easy: intentionality. And possibility. And community. And… Y’all know by now that I refuse to play nice with arbitrary limits! 

I could turn to the 20k folks who follow her over on IG for additional superlatives. Not to mention the clients who seek Barbara’s guidance via Intentional Activities, her multi-format personal and professional coaching practice. Add members of Intentional Activities Academy, the inclusive, non-judgemental, anti-oppressive virtual collective. However, as is always the case, it’s best to let my guests do the talking. 

“What we don’t repair, we repeat. Not talking about it, not addressing it, doesn’t make it go away.”

Are you keen to discover why top-tier talent is leaving managed care in droves to pursue careers in coaching? 

Not sure why diversity initiatives continue to fail academia? 

Can’t understand why we, as a society, haven’t yet moved beyond whiteness and supremacy culture? 

I humbly submit the quote above for your review.

GET CONNECTED

Voicemail for 200th episode: https://speak-to.us/convoswithawoundedhealer

Waiting List for Wounded Healers Virtual Group: https://tinyurl.com/WoundedHealerWaitlist

GUEST BIO

Dr. Barbara Shabazz is a clinical psychologist who coaches. She has spent 25+ years helping folks in the therapeutic setting, community, and classroom. Her goal with her company, Intentional Activities, is to tap into the inherent strengths of each client, equipping them with the tools necessary to live a more action-oriented and authentic life.

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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

185 – Caitlin Olsen – Coaching and Coping Through A Crisis of Faith

Where organized religion goes, the need for therapy often follows. There’s no shortage of examples in which Christianity’s original pitch––to love and care for one another––has gotten corrupted by those delivering Jesus’ message. 

But what if you’re called to fight for your faith? What if you believe that your generation is the breath of fresh air its stagnant lungs need? Or, what if you want to offer a safe space where other disillusioned faithful can ask WTAF? 

What if you’re all that. And a Mormon?

Caitlin Olsen is a trained therapist and mental health coach who offers expert guidance for the modern Mormon woman. So much of Caitlin’s story resonates, especially her struggles with mental health compounded by a global health crisis and a former US president who exploited the pandemic for political gain. 

Those four years shook Caitlin’s faith, forcing her to question her place within the Mormon Church. Caitlin still believes that there’s a place for faith in her life. 

Our conversation reminds me that we can celebrate the values of a faith tradition and rejoice in its gospel if we’re called to do so. We can also love the promise of religion yet set out to make our spiritual way. Whatever our path, we have agency; we can challenge those that block our way or take a road less traveled.

GET CONNECTED

Voicemail for 200th episode: https://speak-to.us/convoswithawoundedhealer

Waiting List for Wounded Healers Virtual Group: https://tinyurl.com/WoundedHealerWaitlist

GUEST BIO

Caitlin Olsen is a trained therapist, mental health coach, and lifelong Mormon. She runs group programs, creates self-paced courses, and works 1:1 with incredible coaching clients under her business, Caitlin Olsen Co. Her mission is to destigmatize mental health care, change some family trees for the better, and bring mental health to the forefront of Mormonism.

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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

184 – Val Jencks – Embodying the Longevity of Wisdom

What a time to be alive, huh? I say so with tongue firmly planted in my cheek because when crisis cycles like the one we’re currently in arise, instinct often overrides my ability to analyze. I rush for the deep end with an overwhelming need to do everything, even as I realize I’ve stretched myself too thin to do anything.

Raise your hand if you’ve been there; done that. Val Jencks, MS, LMFT, LCPC, gets it. In addition to spending nearly three decades mentoring new therapists and working with couples and families at her Chicago-based group practice, this self-described “serial volunteer” has also dedicated her life to advocating for people impacted by trauma, mental illness, and addiction. Oh, and btw, she’s a stand-up legend who co-founded Laughing Matters In Chicago, a nonprofit that produces comedy events supporting young performers in recovery. But wait, there’s more. Val’s 2015 TEDx Talk “How to Rewrite History” is a message for anyone who has witnessed or survived youth abuse.

But the beauty of Val’s wisdom isn’t in how she keeps all the balls in the air. Instead, those times when she’s let the balls fall (because yeah, life) provide the most insight. Multiple crises have taught Val the importance of establishing a new orbit, mindful that her wellbeing (not to mention that of her family, colleagues, and clients) hangs in the balance.

However, taking care of oneself is easier said than done, especially for entrepreneurs in the healing space. When crisis crashes into capitalism, a flood of self-serving propaganda follows, pressuring individuals to practice resilience amid the storm. 

Post-traumatic growth doesn’t come quickly; it reveals itself by inches or less. “I just am much more comfortable with myself. I’m less judgmental of myself.”  And less compelled to dive in head-first without checking her own vitals.

Special Note: For those interested in providing tangible support to LGBTQIA+ communities under threat in Texas and Florida, the following is a small list of vetted resources:

Resources for Texas Trans Kids

www.txtranskids.org

www.transtexas.org/resources

www.transequality.org/additional-help

www.transhealthconsulting.com/mentalhealth

Resources to Oppose Florida Don’t Say Gay Bill

Take Action via Equality Florida – http://eqfl.org/act

Florida Coalition for Trans Liberation – www.fc4tl.org

Safe School South Florida – http://safeschoolssouthflorida.org

SAVE LGBTQ – www.save.lgbt

GET CONNECTED

Voicemail for 200th episode: https://speak-to.us/convoswithawoundedhealer

Waiting List for Wounded Healers Virtual Group: https://tinyurl.com/WoundedHealerWaitlist

GUEST BIO

Val Jencks, MS, LMFT, LCPC, has spent nearly three decades working with couples and families in her Chicago practice, Prairie Family Therapy. Often described as a “serial volunteer,” she has a strong penchant for championing the underserved, with decades of advocacy for people impacted by trauma, mental illness and addiction. She also co-founded “Laughing Matters in Chicago,” a nonprofit dedicated to producing comedy events that support young performers in recovery. Her 2015 TEDx talk “How to Rewrite History” is a message for anyone who has witnessed or survived youth abuse. 

For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, 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

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