The Michelle Chalfant Show — Life from the Adult Chair

I believe that we are born as beautiful, pure beings, connected to God/Source and full of love – our true selves.  Though we never lose our true essence, throughout our lives, we have experiences that wound us and we put on masks to feel safe in this world. This creates a sort of “false self” that covers up who we were really meant to be.  But I believe all of us can reconnect with our true selves – our Adult Chairs – and in doing so, live more authentic, peaceful and intuitive lives. This is the heart of The Adult Chair® model and a conscious choice we must make every day! In this episode, I’m sharing some practical ways you can live connected to your true self, including how to notice and work with the challenges that try to disconnect you from who you really are.  Listen to discover: ●       What connection to self means ●       Why staying connected to the true self is so important ●       The things that disconnect us from our true self ●       The power of feeling our emotions and working with triggers ●       The way our daily choices impact our connection with self As I share in a personal story in this show, there will always be someone or something that triggers us, distracts us or tries to pull us away from ourselves. But staying connected to self is a choice! We can decide that no one will take us away from us. And as always, remember this is a journey, and each moment of challenge is an opportunity to notice where you are on your path and how far you’ve come. You’ve got this! There really is no better way to live. “At the root of The Adult Chair is our true self.” - Michelle Chalfant “Your true self is underneath all these masks, these limiting beliefs.” - Michelle Chalfant “When I’m connected to my true self, I’m connected to my inner compass.” - Michelle Chalfant “When I’m connected with my true self, I have a connection with God, Source.” - Michelle Chalfant “Every time that you sit and work with these triggers and you don’t let them take you down, every time you work with them, that trigger begins to lose its power.” - Michelle Chalfant “When we’re triggered, there’s something in it for us.” - Michelle Chalfant “A trigger is something we carry with us.” - Michelle Chalfant “Holding that connection to the true self, which means staying in our Adult Chair no matter what, is the healthiest place for us to live. It’s the most authentic place to live. And it takes work.” - Michelle Chalfant  “I am not allowing anybody to disconnect me from myself.” - Michelle Chalfant “The world reflects where we are. The world is our mirror.” - Michelle Chalfant LINKS & RESOURCES  Summer 2023 Adult Chair® Coaching Certification - Doors Close Soon! https://theadultchair.com/certification Episode #364: How To Work With Triggers and Parts https://theadultchair.com/podcasts/364/  MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com    The Adult Chair Events https://theadultchair.com/events/   The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification    STAY CONNECTED  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Guess what? I got triggered this week. AND I was able to work through the trigger and meet the most beautiful younger part of myself using the tools in The Adult Chair® model. In this episode, I’m letting you guys in on exactly what happened and walking you step-by-step through how I transformed this trigger — and how you can use the exact same process the next time you’re triggered. It all started with a relatively simple interaction with my husband, Graham. Though we didn’t have a fight, this interaction brought up feelings of anger and rage in me.  As I dug into those feelings, I found that a 10-year-old part of me was feeling really scared and unsafe because the interaction reminded her of an unpredictable situation from childhood. And what happened afterwards was SO POWERFUL that it still gives me chills! Listen to discover: ●       What triggers are and where they come from ●       Why triggers are a HUGE opportunity to heal ●       The step-by-step trigger tool I used to transform my trigger ●       A powerful script for working with younger, scared parts of self ●       How working with triggers can lead to healthier relationships The really cool thing is that instead of letting my anger create a fight between Graham and me, we were able to have a really authentic conversation about what happened, and I left feeling seen and supported. This is the power of doing our work!  I wanted to openly share this story to not only equip you with the tools to work through a trigger, but also to show you that the goal isn’t to “arrive” or “stop getting triggered.” The goal is to do the lifelong work of turning inward to get to know and transform ourselves so we can connect more deeply with self and others.  "There are tools within this model that help us to heal and transform whatever is going on in our lives." - Michelle Chalfant "We have so many parts that are within us. So, when you get triggered, remember, it's an unconscious belief that's rising up inside of [you]." - Michelle Chalfant "Triggers are an opportunity for us to see what is unknown within ourselves." - Michelle Chalfant "Oftentimes anger and rage...it's a defense against a more vulnerable emotion." - Michelle Chalfant "Our emotions oftentimes are stacked." - Michelle Chalfant "Nobody can make you feel anything. How you feel is already within you." - Michelle Chalfant "Working with triggers is such an important thing to help us to heal and live with emotional balance…Working with triggers is a way to stay connected to yourself." - Michelle Chalfant LINKS & RESOURCES  Summer 2023 Adult Chair® Coaching Certification - Doors Now Open! https://theadultchair.com/certification MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com    The Adult Chair Events https://theadultchair.com/events/  The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification    STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Are you ready to have all your relationship questions answered by not one, but two couples therapists…who also happen to be a couple themselves?  Linda and Charlie Bloom are psychotherapists who have been married to each other for more than 50 years, and in this week’s episode, they’re spilling all their secrets about how to have healthy relationships – secrets from both their clinical training and their personal experience of building their marriage. This discussion is like getting weeks of counseling in just one hour!  We cover topics like: the role of self-worth in a relationship, how our partners can help us heal childhood wounding, the importance of asking for what we want and need, how to navigate conflict in a healthy way, what to do and not do during an argument, how to repair broken trust, what to do when your partner doesn’t want to work on the relationship and the underutilized habits that create great relationships. Though this is PACKED with information, we don’t just talk about concepts but give you practical advice on what to do in these situations, from how to hack your brain for more productive conflict to how to appeal to your partner’s self-interest to get the relationship you want. Listen to discover: ●       The surprising connection between self-worth and healthy relationships ●       Why some people have trouble receiving love ●       The importance of asking for what we want and need ●       Why we marry people like our parents ●       How to have healthy conflict in your relationship ●       The three words you should never say in an argument ●       How to get out of threat and fear states during conflict ●       What "committed listening" is and how to show up with more presence ●       What is required to rebuild trust when it's been broken ●       What to do if your partner doesn't want to work on the relationship ●       The most underutilized practice in relationships My favorite takeaway from this episode is that the key to having better relationships is believing it is possible. It’s so easy to get caught up in frustration, resentment and conflict and give up on a relationship that has potential (did you know most couples divorce without ever seeking therapy?). But we have so much power in our hands to change the dance of our relationships and make them work.  Though it takes two to tango and some relationships do end, Linda and Charlie give hopeful advice that will help you fight for your relationship instead of fighting with your partner – grounded in their own story of healing conflict and growing their love year after year.  "We can never give any more acceptance and appreciation to somebody else than we can give to ourselves...We can't give that experience of worth to another person if we haven't internalized it within ourselves." - Charlie Bloom "We learn to love ourselves through relationships." - Charlie Bloom "Don't expect [your partner] to know what's going on with you emotionally. That's your job to share with them what you need." - Michelle Chalfant "When I grew some courage and started to ask [for what I wanted], I got loved in the way I wanted to be loved." - Linda Bloom "There's a part of us that I think is innate within all human beings to want to feel whole, to want to feel integrated." - Charlie Bloom "If we can appeal to the other person's self-interest, that sometimes helps them to get over their conflict phobia." - Linda Bloom "One-hundred percent of the time, defensiveness is activated by fear." - Charlie Bloom "Starting a conversation or an argument with 'you, you, you,’ I call it throwing the shield up...That's not a conversation. It's defensiveness." - Michelle Chalfant "A lot of people, they think good communication is required for a good relationship. But they think about speaking. They don't think about the other side and how important the listening is." - Linda Bloom "One of the statistics that breaks my heart is that most people who get divorced never go to one couple's counseling session." - Linda Bloom “If you can respect your partner and what their path is, then all is well.” - Michelle Chalfant  “Of course we’re going to have differences, but they don’t have to turn into arguments and conflict.” - Linda Bloom  LINKS & RESOURCES  Linda and Charlie Bloom Website https://bloomwork.com/  "An End to Arguing" (Linda and Charlie Bloom Book) https://www.amazon.com/End-Arguing-Valuable-Lessons-Relationships/dp/1646638085  Linda and Charlie Bloom Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lindaandcharliebloom Linda and Charlie Bloom Instagram https://www.instagram.com/linda_charlie_bloom/ Summer 2023 Adult Chair® Coaching Certification - Doors Now Open! Use code SUMMER2023 to save $1,500 by April 23 https://theadultchair.com/certification Headspace Try free for 30 days https://headspace.com/adult30  MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com    The Adult Chair Events https://theadultchair.com/events/  The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification    STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

One of the things I get asked about the most is how parents can help their children grow up to be healthy adults. How do you set your kids up to naturally slide into their Adult Chair, while they are still literally children and adolescents?  I decided to put myself out there and talk with my son, Blake – who is now a young adult and coaching clients of his own – about his experiences growing up and what he believes is most important in helping kids get into their Adult Chairs.  In this vulnerable and authentic conversation, we talk about both of our experiences during Blake’s childhood, from the work I had to do around my own triggers and codependency to the delicate dance parents need between boundaries and allowing their children to have experiences and make mistakes that shape them. Blake also shares that most of the young people he works with feel isolated and like they’re not enough, leading them to look for external validation. He talks about how, through honesty, safety and unconditional love, parents can help kids navigate the unique cultural challenges of their time and address the most common questions in every human’s heart: “Who am I?” “Am I loved?” “Am I enough?” Listen to discover: ●       The balance between surrender and boundaries in parenting ●       How to encourage your kids to talk to you and open up to you ●       Demonstrating unconditional love, even when you have to discipline your kids ●       The common thing all young people (and humans) struggle with ●       The greatest gift you can give your kids ●       How to help your kids feel their emotions ●       Some of the unique challenges that kids today are facing, including porn and technology Blake was growing up during my years of private practice and working with The Adult Chair® model, so I think this is a beautiful story of what happens when parents and children are willing to learn and grow together.  I’m so proud of who Blake is today, and I hope this encourages you that you don’t have to be a “perfect” parent or have “perfect” kids to raise children who become healthy adults – all you need to do is show up with presence, a lot of love and your own Adult Chair. "Most of the time, people really don't want advice, but what you can do is just offer what you have to say without an expectation." - Blake Chalfant "The culture that we're raising kids in today is scary in some ways. And is not healthy." - Blake Chalfant "We have to surrender, but there has to be a balance of boundaries as well." - Michelle Chalfant "There's a very fine line between things that are gonna really come back to bite them in the ass and then your own projections of how you think they should be." - Blake Chalfant "No one feels like they're enough from a very young age, and we spent the rest of our life trying to fill that void with external validation." - Blake Chalfant "I think that's important too: owning your mistake, apologizing, cause you're modeling that for the kid." - Michelle Chalfant "These beautiful children are with you for a reason." - Michelle Chalfant "You can unconditionally love and support your kids while having extremely firm boundaries." - Blake Chalfant LINKS & RESOURCES  Blake Chalfant Website https://blakechalfant.com/  Blake Chalfant Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blake.chalfant  Blake Chalfant YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BlakeChalfant11  Summer 2023 Adult Chair® Coaching Certification - Doors Now Open! https://theadultchair.com/certification MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com    The Adult Chair Events https://theadultchair.com/events/  The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification    STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

We know that trauma and addiction affect the brain and body in so many ways. But when Dr. Elisa Hallerman overcame addiction and began working with others in recovery, she realized there was something big missing in the conversation about trauma and addiction: how it affects the soul.  This inspired her to create a new paradigm for talking about sobriety called “Soulbriety,” and it’s changing the game for how people heal.  In this episode, Dr. Hallerman shares all about what the soul is and how we can heal it from trauma, how she worked through her pain (and how you can too) and how to navigate a “dark night of the soul” to bring greater healing and wisdom into our lives.  She also talks about the different types of trauma, how they affect the body and brain and what trauma healing modalities are most effective for different situations. This episode is PACKED with practical information about healing trauma and addiction along with beautiful explanations of how our souls work and the journey each soul takes to grow in wisdom and maturity. Listen to discover: Dr. Hallerman's "Soulbriety" method of healing addiction and trauma What the soul is What trauma does to our soul How to create space to go into your soul and do the work One thing you can do if you're in pain right now Why some people are unhappy even if they have "everything" How to find a good trauma therapist The best trauma healing modalities  What a “dark night of the soul" is – and how it can lead to wisdom The stages of the soul journey and how to turn pain into purpose Dr. Hallerman's Recovery Management Agency If you have experienced trauma of any kind or find yourself in a difficult season of growth, this episode will give you hope, a higher perspective and helpful next steps to turn pain into purpose. "I think that everyone has some form of an addiction...We all have that desire to want instant gratification and to want something outside of ourselves to make ourselves feel better." - Dr. Elisa Hallerman "I describe trauma as soul loss." - Dr. Elisa Hallerman "When we're in pain as humans, the last thing that we typically do is sit, get curious and listen." - Michelle Chalfant "The inner work is really looking at and making what is unknown known." - Dr. Elisa Hallerman "Individuals are different, their trauma is different and the way that their bodies and brains interpret that event are going to be different." - Dr. Elisa Hallerman "If you have trauma, make sure you are finding the right therapist." - Michelle Chalfant "The dark nights of the soul are the moments in our life where we have to take the time and really have the patience to sit and really alchemize all of that information and that pain. And that is where the wisdom is going to come from." - Dr. Elisa Hallerman "What is that piece inside yourself that you haven't yet healed?" - Dr. Elisa Hallerman "When people think we've made mistakes in our lives, it's like 'Are they mistakes? Or can we turn them around and create something beautiful from what we've experienced in the past?’” - Michelle Chalfant LINKS & RESOURCES  Dr. Elisa Hallerman Website https://drhallerman.com/   Dr. Elisa Hallerman Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drelisahallerman/  "Soulbriety" (Dr. Elisa Hallerman Book) https://drhallerman.com/soulbriety/  The Adult Chair® Live – April 14-15, 2023 Attend in-person in Charlotte, NC or Virtually https://theadultchair.com/charlotte/  MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com     The Adult Chair Events https://theadultchair.com/events/  The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification     STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant 

Throughout our lives, we hear so many voices of others telling us who and how we should be. Societal norms, our parents, our partners…it can feel like everyone wants something for us and from us.  To cope with this, we develop limiting beliefs, survival strategies and masks that we wear. We start to think these things are really who we are, and they become our roadmap for life…unless we find the courage to look within and discover who we really want to be. In this episode, I talk with fellow life coach and kindness curator, Dr. Jeremy Goldberg, about how we can break out of the boxes that the world tries to put us in, find what we want in life and create a new reality of kindness on the planet. We talk about how to listen to your “heart whispers” instead of fear, what intuition does (and doesn’t) sound like, the role of the ego and the one thing you can do today to break through limiting beliefs. Jeremy is a master of making these big concepts simple through great metaphors and analogies that will help you find more authenticity and peace within.  Listen to discover: How one act of kindness changed Dr. Jeremy Goldberg’s life How to listen to your heart and find who you really are What the ego is + a bigger perspective on life How to audit your life and find your limiting beliefs Choosing wholeness over happiness Being human is hard, and we’re all trying to figure it out one day at a time. When we take the brave step to find our true self, live with compassion and treat our fellow humans with kindness, we not only change our lives…we can change the world!  “I believe that beliefs are choices.” - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg “People may not know who they are, but they do know that they’re not living the life that makes them peaceful. They know that they’re not living from their true self.” - Michelle Chalfant  “We’re all human, and we all have the same exact problems.” - Michelle Chalfant “Sometimes if we’re unclear about what we do want, we can approach that same thing from the opposite trajectory, which is, ‘What do you NOT want?’” - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg “It's really hard to change the picture when you’re living in the frame.” - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg “Heart whispers, and fear shouts.” - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg "The mind is really loud. Our brains are megaphones of fear, comparison, criticism and judgment. And so, my advice would be to get still and feel God." - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg "Intuition doesn't come at you with all this fear and screaming at you." - Michelle Chalfant "It's undeniable that your upbringing affects your life. It affects your nervous system. It affects the way that you see the world around you." - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg "I think a lot of people chase happiness instead of allowing wholeness." - Dr. Jeremy Goldberg LINKS & RESOURCES  Dr. Jeremy Goldberg Website https://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/ Dr. Jeremy Goldberg Instagram https://www.instagram.com/longdistancelovebombs/ Long Distance Love Bombs Podcast (Dr. Jeremy Goldberg Podcast) https://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/podcast  "It'll Be Okay, and You Will Be Too." (Dr. Jeremy Goldberg Book) https://www.amazon.com/Itll-Okay-You-Will-Too/dp/0692624724 The Adult Chair® Live – April 14-15, 2023 Attend in-person in Charlotte, NC or Virtually https://theadultchair.com/charlotte/  MORE ADULT CHAIR  The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com    The Adult Chair Events https://theadultchair.com/events/ The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification    STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/ The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

In my 25 years of private practice, the #1 issue I worked on with clients was feeling their emotions.  Whether someone was anxious, reactive and raging or numb to the world, the question they were all asking was, “What the heck do I do with these emotions?” I’ve been there too. And it breaks my heart, because experiencing emotions is one of the gifts of being human.  But the good news is that all of us can reclaim this part of ourselves and learn to feel our emotions. And when we do, it unlocks all kinds of possibilities in life!  In this episode, I’m breaking down why it’s so important that we learn to feel our emotions and some practical ways to do that. I’m also addressing some of the common fears and discomfort around feeling emotions (like, “What if I get stuck in this emotion?”) and helping you understand why this is your birthright – and how it can improve your relationships, your intuition and your life!  Listen to discover: ●       Why it's so important to feel your emotions ●       Why most humans struggle with this ●       Four practical ways to feel your emotions ●       How to connect with your inner child ●       How to overcome blocks in feeling emotions No one is born without emotions, but along the way, we learn to suppress them – and in turn, disconnect from who we really are.  Feeling emotions is the key to connecting back to yourself and one of the foundational pillars of being a healthy adult. I hope this episode helps guide you back to this essential part of you. "We'd have a completely different world if we were all able to tune into what our emotions are." - Michelle Chalfant "We become whole humans when we feel our emotions." - Michelle Chalfant "We're all born to feel emotions." - Michelle Chalfant "When we feel our emotions, it is a gateway into our intuition. We have enhanced intuition when we are in tune with and know what we are feeling emotionally." - Michelle Chalfant "Instead of asking yourself, 'What do I think?" ask yourself, "What do I feel?'" - Michelle Chalfant "Empathy is when we're able to tune into another person and feel what they're feeling. It's a beautiful skill to have." - Michelle Chalfant "Connecting with the inner child is simply activating an energy." - Michelle Chalfant "There's so much power in feeling our emotions." - Michelle Chalfant LINKS & RESOURCES  Free Inner Child Resource https://theadultchair.com/innerchild BRAND NEW: The Adult Chair® Live – April 14-15, 2023 Attend in-person in Charlotte, NC or Virtually https://theadultchair.com/charlotte/  Headspace Try it free for 30 days https://www.headspace.com/adult30  MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com  The Adult Chair® Events https://theadultchair.com/events/ The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

You just met the new love of your life, and after a season of single parenting, you’re so excited to build a life with your new partner and create a beautiful blended family.  But you don’t just have yourself to think about. Between their kids, your kids, exes and in-laws, forming new bonds and creating healthy dynamics can be, well, complicated. Not only do you want to be a great parent or stepparent to your blended family, but you’re also navigating brand new territory with your partner, from different parenting styles to setting healthy boundaries. Certified Adult Chair® Coach, Amber Jones, has lived this as a mom and stepmom to a blended family of six children, and in this show, she drops a wealth of wisdom on how to create connected blended families from your Adult Chair. We talk about the nitty gritty of boundaries with exes, building relationships with stepchildren, parenting roles, when to introduce your children to a new partner, and how to deepen your relationship with your partner.  And, like everything in The Adult Chair®, we know that the true work happens within, so Amber also walks us through how to work with our own triggers, the importance of self-worth and why navigating blended family dynamics can be such a beautiful opportunity to work on ourselves.  Listen to discover: Amber's story of navigating divorce, dating and remarriage in a blended family of six kids When to introduce your kids to a new partner How to navigate different parenting styles The two most common struggles for blended families   The importance of centering the relationship and the "couple bubble" How to deal with pressures from outside the relationship  How long-term relationships can be a mirror for growth The power of gratitude in your relationship   Tips for increasing connection with your partner Amber is a wonderful relationship coach, and whether you’re part of a blended family, considering dating again, dating someone with children or just looking to strengthen your relationship, kids or no kids, this episode is for you! "We both really believe that the relationship is the foundation of the whole family." - Amber Jones "You have to be a unified front." - Michelle Chalfant  "Your self-worth has to be very intact. You have to know that you're worthy and that your partner loves you and that you're good enough." - Amber Jones "I think that when it comes to exes, it's really the responsibility of the partner whose ex it is to manage and handle the ex. " - Amber Jones  "You've got to be #1 on each other's list." - Michelle Chalfant  "The biggest problems that I see are because of other people outside of the relationship causing issues within the relationship." - Amber Jones "I think there's so much power in those words of just saying, 'I believe you. I believe your experience.'" - Amber Jones "Triggers are a gift because they show us our inner beliefs about ourselves." - Michelle Chalfant LINKS & RESOURCES  Amber Jones Website https://www.amberjonescoaching.com/ Amber Jones Instagram https://instagram.com/amberjonescoaching/ Episode #98: Transforming Triggers https://theadultchair.com/podcasts/98-transforming-triggers/  MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com  The Adult Chair® Events https://theadultchair.com/events/ The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Rob Volpe, CEO of Ignite360 and author of "Tell Me More About That," shares his expertise on empathy, illuminating its critical role in our divided society. He reveals shocking statistics about empathy's decline and discusses how emotional and cognitive empathy differ. Listeners will learn five actionable steps to foster empathy, enhance relationships, and connect meaningfully, even amidst political tensions. Volpe emphasizes that empathy isn’t about agreement but about understanding, encouraging everyone to engage authentically for a more harmonious world.

Cheers. Salud. Skol.  Wherever you are in the world, it seems like alcohol punctuates every celebration.  But have we stopped to ask if alcohol is really good for us? Or have we paused to get curious about why we drink – and when it moves from genuine enjoyment to unhealthy numbing out? Recently, I’ve noticed more people having conversations about sobriety, from giving up drinking entirely to swapping a few cocktails for mocktails, and I thought it was time we talked about alcohol through the lens of The Adult Chair®. In this episode, I’m chatting with Laura McKowen, who has written extensively about getting sober and runs a global sobriety support community. She openly and vulnerably shares her story of using alcohol to numb her emotions, why and how she got sober and what her life looks like now. We talked about how our culture normalizes excessive drinking, all the emotions that come up when getting sober and ways to tell if you might have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. If you’re at all “sober curious,” you’re going to love hearing her perspective!  Listen to discover: ●       Laura's story of getting sober and why she chose to stop drinking ●       How drinking culture normalizes excessive drinking ●       Busting health myths about alcohol ●       The connection between alcohol and anxiety ●       How Laura's life got better when she got sober ●       The way we use alcohol to numb our emotions ●       How to develop a healthier relationship with alcohol, whether you choose to cut it out completely or enjoy it in moderation Like everything in The Adult Chair, we aren’t talking in terms of “do” or “don’t” or “good” or “bad,” but about bringing consciousness into the decisions we make. My goal for this show is not to tell you to stop drinking, but to encourage you to take a closer look at when you drink, why you drink and how you drink so you can truly live life to the fullest: present, awake and alive! "I knew I liked to drink a little too much. I loved it a little too much." - Laura McKowen [When offered a drink after a bad day] "I don't want a glass of wine. I would like to come talk to you about my emotions though." - Michelle Chalfant "We end up recreating our life in a way that decenters alcohol...my life is still my life." - Laura McKowen "When you are drinking even a little more than you want to, it keeps you from facing the truth." - Laura McKowen "Alcohol provides a really great shield to just sort of skim across the top of life." - Laura McKowen "I was in a lot of emotional pain. I know that's exactly why I reached for alcohol." - Michelle Chalfant "We don't get away with not feeling things. It goes somewhere." - Laura McKowen "Shame disconnects us from our humanity and the humanity in other people." - Laura McKowen "The not drinking wasn't the cure....it was actually connecting with other people in a meaningful way and healing in relationship with people that allowed me to heal." - Laura McKowen LINKS & RESOURCES  Laura McKowen Website https://www.lauramckowen.com/  Laura McKowen Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laura_mckowen/ "Push Off From Here" (Laura McKowen Book) https://www.lauramckowen.com/books  The Self-Worth Meditation Bundle https://theadultchair.com/worthy  MORE ADULT CHAIR The Adult Chair® Website https://theadultchair.com  The Adult Chair® Events https://theadultchair.com/events/ The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification https://theadultchair.com/certification STAY CONNECTED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant/  The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant