Curt Thompson discusses healing from trauma through storytelling and empathy. He shares the story of Cora, who struggles with emotional disconnection. Topics include the transformative power of suffering, accepting love, confessional communities, co-regulation in therapy, and healing through support in story groups.

Jimmy McGee and Rebecca Wheeler Walston join me to talk about how they came to understand the importance of trauma and story engagement. If you want to engage your story in more depth, the Impact Movement is hosting an online event called Hope and Anchor Story Weekend. This zoom event will take place Sept 30 to Oct 1. You can find out more here. Support the Podcast

I am joined today by my friend Rebekah, who shares a story from when she was six years old. Topics covered include: feeling like there is something wrong with you but not knowing what it is, self-doubt about how you see reality, difficulty trusting your gut, learning to listen to your body and to trust the information that it is giving you. Support the podcast

Mary Ellen Owen shares her journey with sorrow and grief, discussing the importance of healing and embracing tears. The concept of 'whaling women' is explored, as well as the struggle trauma survivors face in accessing and embracing their tears. The transformative power of grief, dance, and the presence of others is emphasized in finding healing.

Heather Stringer, an expert in creating healing rituals, joins the podcast to discuss the transformative power of ritual in healing from grief and trauma. They explore symbols of self-discovery and personal growth, emphasize the role of witnesses and community in accepting and integrating past experiences, and encourage listeners to heed their inner wisdom for clarity and alignment.

I am joined by Cathy Loerzel to talk about how to engage another person’s story. Effective story engagement is not a magical skill that some people have and some people don’t. It can be learned. Today we give a preview of some of the principles and tactics of effective story engagement. If you want to learn more, consider joining us on Saturday, May 13, for a zoom conference on How to Engage Another Person’s Story. You can sign up here. Support the podcast

Jay Stringer joins me to talk about the relationship between our current sexual difficulties and our story in our family of origin. Sexual struggles are rooted in our stories—and, very often, our stories of attachment to our primary caretakers. As Jay puts it, “When it comes to sexual struggles, there are always two story lines at play: there is the story line of your present sexual struggles, and then there is the story line of your growing up experiences which set you up for those present sexual struggles.” If you want to explore your sexual story in more depth, please sign up for the Sexual Attachment Conference on May 5-6. You can sign up here.  Support the podcast

Explore the importance of rituals in healing sorrow and grief, incorporating symbolism and personalized experiences. Learn how rituals can involve witnesses and the power of emotional connection. Discover the effectiveness of rituals in reconnecting with discarded parts of your story and embracing unfelt emotions.

This is part 2 in a series of episodes on how to engage our sorrow and grief in a way that brings healing. The focus today is on the four conditions needed to allow us to work with sorrow and grief. First, we need to own that our sorrows and griefs matter and should be taken seriously. Second, we need to gradually move from a posture of contempt toward our sorrow and grief to a posture of compassion and kindness and welcome. Third, we need to find a few people who can be the village for us… this will allow us to risk sharing our sorrow and grief with other people. And, fourth, we need to move our bodies in a way that allows for the integration and release of our sorrow and grief.  Support the podcast

For most modern people, the place we find ourselves is in a land where grief and sorrow are unwelcome. Most of us do not feel like the people around us can bear the depth of our sorrow and grief. And since we don’t want to risk our sense of belonging—our sense of acceptance—we hide our sorrow and grief. But sorrow and grief are real. In today’s episode, I identify some of the types of sorrow and grief that we all carry. Then I discuss the immense cost of denying our sorrow/grief and invite you to consider what it would look like to welcome your sorrow and grief and bring it into the light. Support the podcast