Empowered Through Compassion

In this inspiring conversation with Corey Busch, we explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS) opens the door to deeper spiritual connection and relational healing. Together, we reflect on the gift of seeing our inner multiplicity and how this awareness naturally connects us to our family, our community, and even to the spiritual universe. Corey shares how meaningful Christian centering prayer was for him. This contemplative practice of silently resting in a sacred word became a lifeline for Corey during when he was struggling with physical pain and traditional mindfulness was not fully working. Through centering prayer, Corey discovered that he could “come home to Self” without asking parts to step aside. There was an abiding and always present love that Corey found within himself. Rather than going through all the formal steps of IFS, Corey found a way to simply relax, unblend, and return to the OK-ness of Self. This was not something that he used to replace IFS (he still loves this model) but rather, it was something to augment IFS. This shift revealed another way to unblend from parts. Rather than asking to see if they would relax back, or even witnessing them, Corey was able to just spend time appreciating the divine presence and unconditional love all around him. This is part one. Part two is a conversation with Corey about his “IFS Love Practice” which outlines his gentle and effortless way to reconnect with Self.   Key Insights in this Episode: Multiplicity opens us to interconnectedness. Centering prayer as a doorway to Self. Self as abiding love, always here, beneath parts’ striving. Effortless IFS: resting in Self without an agenda. Spontaneous healing through simple awareness.   #InternalFamilySystems #IFS #SelfLeadership #CenteringPrayer #ChristianMysticism #SpiritualHealing #PartsWork #TraumaHealing #AbidingLove #ContemplativePractice #Mindfulness #SpiritualityAndTherapy #IFSCommunity #HealingJourney #SelfEnergy #CompassionateHealing #Wholeness #EffortlessIFS #EmotionalHealing #PodcastForHealing

In this conversation with Kathy Couch and Tamera Brown, we explore what it really means to move from competition to collaboration in the healing professions. Too often, therapists feel pressured to compare themselves to others, and start feeling better than, less than, not enough... As Tamera beautifully describes, healing is a tapestry: and all of our voices matters. Every one of us, whether we are therapists or clients (or both) have something unique and valuable to offer.  Kathy brings her wisdom from working with the original EMDR text, showing therapists how to stay grounded in the foundations while also translating them into meaningful, accurate notes. Her work reminds us that documentation isn’t just paperwork; it’s part of the therapeutic process itself. We discuss the wisdom of Dr. Arielle Schwartz, and bringing in awareness of our own nervous-system.  This episode is an invitation to honor your uniqueness and value and feel welcomed into the healing EMDR space!  Find out more about Tamera and Kathy's Journey Through the Eyes Podcast here: https://www.rewired360.com/podcasts/journey-through-the-eyes-an-emdr-podcast   Find out more about Kathy's Rewired360 here: https://www.rewired360.com   #WoundedHealer #HeartOfEMDR #TherapistCommunity #HealingTapestry #EMDRTherapy #CollaborationOverCompetition

In this episode, I sit down with Stacy Ruse, LPC, a visionary therapist and consultant who beautifully integrates EMDR with Internal Family Systems (IFS), weaving in somatic and spiritual practices. Stacy describes how the structured brilliance of EMDR provides a foundation for trauma healing, while the soulful depth of IFS brings creativity, compassion, and transformative energy into the process. Together, these approaches create a powerful synergy to honor both the nervous system and the client’s inner world of parts. Stacy shares how EMDR’s Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model was a game-changer in understanding trauma for her. When we add this with IFS we can invite an ongoing relationship with our authentic Self, and with the parts of our psyche. Self-energy is like a tuning fork, and our job as therapists can be to help clients resonate with their Self, and be the guides for their healing. Bilateral stimulation (BLS) can be used to connect with protectors, honoring their positive intentions and empowering clients by continually checking in with what feels right for their system. As Stacy reminds us, in both EMDR and IFS we set an intention, but then step out of the way, allowing the client’s system to lead. Beyond her clinical work, Stacy offers training, workshops, and consultation for therapists around the world. She teaches IFS, EMDR, somatic approaches, and polyvagal-informed practices through live courses, retreats, and even cruise-based learning experiences. She provides both individual and group consultation, helping clinicians integrate EMDR, IFS, and somatic wisdom into their practice. Stacy also shares free resources, meditations, and videos through her website and social media, and she is currently developing two books slated for release in 2026. Stacy’s passion is contagious—reminding us that EMDR and IFS are more than just models; they are pathways to deep compassion and creativity. Learn more about Stacy’s offerings at stacyruse.com and follow her on Instagram @aglowcounseling.

In this heartful and energizing conversation, we sit down with the incredible Natalie Deering—therapist, podcast host, IFS practitioner, and authenticity advocate—to explore the beautiful intersections between healing, creativity, and connection. Natalie shares the story of how she first discovered Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and how it’s become not just a modality but a life practice. We also dive into what inspired her to launch her own podcast, That Wellness Podcast with Natalie Deering, and how stepping into that space has allowed her to embrace vulnerability, creativity, and impact in new ways. Together, we explore the metaphor of mountain climbing to describe the IFS journey: how each part of us is like a climber trying to ascend, and Self-energy serves as both the rope and the steady presence that anchors and guides the climb. As Natalie puts it, “It’s not just about getting to the top of the mountain. It’s the journey.” We also talk about Natalie’s current writing project—a forthcoming book that weaves together our nervous systems, and IFS to better understand anxiety-and her personal journey through this. Her vision is to offer readers a compassionate, integrative framework that helps them befriend their anxious parts and move toward greater safety and connection in their bodies and lives. Whether you're a therapist, creative, or just someone walking your own healing path, you’ll find inspiration in how Natalie approaches life and work with openness, grounded care, and humor. Instagram: @NatalieDeering Website: ndwellnessservices.com Allison at Scroll Media: https://www.scrollmedia.co/about  Learn about Empowered Through Compassion: empoweredthroughcompassion.com  

In this episode of Empowered through Compassion, we dive into the heart of relational healing with Maureen Bethea and Christina Frank—two dynamic Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists who specialize in EMDR intensives for couples. With decades of experience, they offer a trauma-informed, attachment-centered approach that helps partners not only heal past wounds, but also rediscover one another through deeper empathy and connection. Founders of Fairfax Integrative Therapy in Virginia, Maureen and Christina are also trainers, supervisors, and leaders in the field of relational EMDR. Their approach blends Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic awareness, and powerful EMDR protocols to create transformation in relationships marked by high conflict, trauma, or disconnection.  Together, we explore how EMDR can move beyond the individual and become a shared journey—one where partners witness each other's pain with compassion, and where Self energy becomes the foundation for healing. You’ll hear how Phase 1 and 2 of EMDR lay the groundwork for accessing Self energy, and how couples can learn to "interweave" support in the therapy room—holding space, offering presence, and becoming co-regulators in each other’s healing. This episode is packed with clinical insight, heart, and practical takeaways. Whether you're a therapist curious about EMDR with couples, or a partner longing to heal through connection, this conversation will leave you hopeful about what’s possible. 🎧 Don’t miss this one—it's a game-changer for relational healing. Check out their training website at: www.integrativeresourcenetwork.com And their practice: https://fairfaxintegrativetherapy.com/ 

What if healing doesn’t come from expertise, but from empathy? In this transformative conversation, David Polidi sits down with internationally renowned Motivational Interviewing trainer Stephen Andrew to explore what it really means to be present with someone in their pain. Stephen challenges the dominant medical model of mental health—assess, diagnose, and treat—and offers instead a radically human approach: one rooted in compassion, collaboration, and what he calls radical humility. Drawing from decades of experience, Stephen shares how MI is not just a technique, but a way of being—a spiritual, relational posture that meets people where they are, without judgment or agenda. Together, David and Stephen dive into the concept of the “trauma injury”—a phrase that invites healing and hope rather than pathology. They explore how many of our deepest wounds stem from power imbalances, and how true healing can only happen in spaces where we move from “power over” to “power with.” You’ll hear powerful reflections on: The three G’s of empathy: genuine, gentle, and a guess Why MI is Carl Rogers 2.0 How trauma teaches us to believe we don’t matter—and how empathy can quiet the nervous system enough for hope to return Why empathy is not a performance, but a presence How the “container” of compassion and acceptance allows the “medicine” of empowerment and partnership to emerge This episode isn’t just for therapists—it’s for anyone who wants to show up more fully, more authentically, and more tenderly in their relationships. If you’ve ever wondered what real healing looks like—or how to hold space for someone else’s pain—this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. “The individual is like a garden to be tended, not a machine to be repaired.” —Stephen Andrew Stephen's is CEO of Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) please check it out here: https://www.hetimaine.org/

🎙️ New Episode: Healing Trauma, Dismantling Whiteness, and Building Community with David Archer Welcome back to Empowered Through Compassion. You won’t want to miss this powerful and deeply inspiring episode. Today, I sit down with David Archer, Today, I sit down with David Archer, the author of Anti-Racist Psychotherapy, an EMDR therapy trainer and complex/racial trauma specialist from Montreal Canada and the founder of Archer Therapy (https://archertherapy.com). He is a brilliant voice in trauma-informed care, and we explore the vital intersection between personal healing and collective liberation. We dive into what it means to practice trauma-focused care in a way that honors ancestral wisdom, community connection, and cultural context. Together, we examine the construct of whiteness and white supremacy in America—not just as historical realities, but as living systems that shape how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the land. David invites us to consider how colonization continues not just through land and violence, but through language, ideology, and the very ways we understand healing. We reflect on how internal healing fuels social change, and how reconnecting with indigenous perspectives and ancestral cycles can lead us to greater joy, justice, and wholeness. As David beautifully shares, healing is not just personal—it’s communal, spiritual, and revolutionary. David is currently collaborating with Thomas Zimmerman, developer of the Four Blinks approach to Flash. David himself is the creator of the Rhythm and Processing strategy, and together, they’ve developed a groundbreaking presentation: 👉 “Foundations of Trauma-Focused Care” — an experiential training designed to support healing from complex trauma and dissociation. This innovative approach invites you not only to learn, but to become part of a growing community of healers. Participants engage in real-time practice and biweekly consultation groups—forming a movement toward a more connected, compassionate, and inclusive model of care for the 21st century. 🌱 Join the revolution in mental health. Visit their site for registration and more information: Click Here You won't want to miss other books by David Archer: Anti-Racist Psychotherapy: Confronting Systemic Racism and Healing Racial Trauma (https://amzn.to/3aYwxSs) Black Meditation: Ten Practices for Self-Care, Mindfulness, and Self-Determination (https://amzn.to/3JEnhm7) Racial Trauma Recovery: Healing Our Past Using Rhythm and Processing (https://amzn.to/3C8HY89). Black Mountain: Fight for the Future (http://amzn.to/3qhKTYP). Transforming Complex Trauma: Reflections on Anti-Racist Psychotherapy (https://amzn.to/48Wff3r)    

Laura Patryas, an author, lecturer, and therapist, intertwines her expertise in optometry and metaphysics with her passion for healing through IFS and non-duality. In this heartfelt discussion, she shares a poignant story about baking bread, illustrating the sacredness of everyday moments. Topics range from the transformative power of presence in healing trauma to navigating self-awareness within IFS. Laura also highlights embracing uncertainty as a pathway to fulfillment and the integral role of community in the journey of self-discovery.

What if Mike White’s The White Lotus is more than just a dark comedy television series? What if we look at it as a striking exploration of the human psyche? In a recent episode of the Empowered Through Compassion podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sunni (Sun) Brown, a dynamic IFS practitioner, author of Gamestorming and The Doodle Revolution, and creator of Deep Self Design™. Together, we unpacked the psychological architecture of the show using the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. Sunni brings a rare blend of creativity, compassion, and clarity to her work, infusing IFS with elements of Zen, mindfulness, Hakomi, design thinking, with a deep appreciation of the powerful modality of doodling! With over 1.6 million views on her TED Talk, she is no stranger to harnessing storytelling to illuminate complex inner worlds. Our conversation turned The White Lotus from a binge-worthy show into a rich case study of internal dynamics—hypothesizing that some of the repeating themes might even reflect Mike White (the creator) own inner system!

Join IFS master Bob Falconer, who co-authored a book on Internal Family Systems, along with Chelsea Rose Odhner, a licensed massage therapist and IFS practitioner, and Jonathan S. Rose, a scholar of Emanuel Swedenborg's teachings. They delve into the profound connections between IFS and Swedenborg's spiritual insights. The discussion covers the 'middle realm' of angelic guidance, the sacred nature of healing as an ongoing journey, and the transformative power of love and understanding within spiritual evolution. Expect deep reflections on integrating inner and outer realities!