Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.
A huge thank you to Elisabeth-Ann Pitt for joining me on The Healing Place Podcast! Elisabeth shared her beautiful insights on alignment, empowering women, stress, her coaching course, Byron Katie’s The Work, and more, along with her personal story of overcoming adversity and finding alignment.
Bio:
“Elisabeth-Ann Pitt is a Life Coach, with a mission to empower other women to live their lives fully as themselves. She creates simple solutions to help women reconnect with their true selves, figure out what they want and who they are – in other words, she helps them choose ALIGNMENT OVER PERFECTION in every area of their lives. That means giving up everything we’ve ever been taught about who we’re supposed to be and what we’re supposed to do. “
Anticipatory anxiety is where a person experiences increased levels of anxiety by thinking about an event or situation in the future. Rather than being a specific disorder in its own right, anticipatory anxiety is a symptom commonly found in a number of anxiety related conditions, such as generalized anxiety. Anticipatory Anxiety can be extremely draining for people as it can last for months prior to an event. The worries people experience specifically focus on what they think might happen, often with catastrophic predictions about an event. The nature of negative predictions about the event will be the difference between an anxiety level that is incapacitating or merely uncomfortable.
A friend recently reached out to me prior to her drive from Cincinnati to Chicago to inquire about mindfulness practices. As she spoke, she talked about her fears of traveling alone, the possibility of heavy traffic, not knowing where she was going once she arrived in Chicago, and the known fact that she would be driving over bridges. All of which were causing her to experience heightened anxiety. I love it that she reached out to me, trauma-warrior research guru that I am, to discuss options.
I advised her to begin practicing mindfulness as that is my favorite go-to when experiencing anticipatory anxiety. I just happen to be working through my own bout with that pesky little symptom of my C-PTSD right now. We are preparing for a trip to Denver to visit my oldest son. While I am super pumped to see his cute face and the beauty of Colorado, I am also fretting flying, the high elevations, and being far from home.
I am well aware of these fears and why they are present, after my four year stint in EMDR therapy, so I honor their presence and just notice them without judgment. I remind myself these are physiological responses triggered by chemical surges in my brain in relation to past traumatic events. I am working at re-wiring my brain and creating new neural pathways, but that is still a work in process.
Think: brain pep talks! Do what scares you, Teri. You got this, girl!
My personal anticipatory anxiety goes something like this:
Lying in bed. Thinking about staying at The Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver with its rooftop pool and tennis courts. Then my knees start to sweat. Rooftop pool? How does that water not crack the roof and cause the building to crumble? Is there a guardrail? How high is it? Will I be able to ride the elevator up there? Will I feel it swaying? I swear, if that kid of ours goes near the edge, my heart will stop. I wonder how the drive is from the airport? I’m hoping we aren’t in heavy traffic. Especially on a busy highway. I’ll have to sit in the back. You should check out the city and enjoy it, Teri. No. What if you have a panic attack. You haven’t had one of those in a long time.
That all transpires in a mater of seconds. Ah, the joys of racing thoughts. But, then I reach into my coping skills tool box and start to pull out my calming strategies and redirect my thinking.
Deep breath. Closing my eyes slowly, I savor that breath. Now another. A smile creeps into the corners of my mouth. Another breath follows, even deeper. I reach over and grab a grounding stone lying bedside. I love this stone. It’s cool to the touch. And heavy in my hand. So smooth. Other than that rough little edge where it dropped into the gravel on a hike once. I wonder sometimes how long it might take for me to rub it smooth again. My fingers engage in their rhythmic dance along that edge.I’m excited to walk the one block trek from our hotel to the 16th Street Mall. I’ll let John pick a fun restaurant since he’s now a Denver pro. My sweet boy. The best hugger ever. Looking forward to that hug. If something triggers some anxiety, I’ll just hold onto his arm. He knows how to help his momma stay grounded. So blessed to have these children in my life. This trip is going to be amazing. I am going to savor every one of my senses. The sights of the city and atop the mountains in Estes Park. The tastes of new eateries. I wonder how crisp the air will be without Cincinnati humidity? I look forward to breathing it in, smelling The Rocky Mountain flora. We will definitely need to rent a boat on the lake so I can feel the cool water mist splashing onto my face. Oh, to hear the laughter of my children as they catch up with one another after months apart.
My anticipatory anxiety is now silenced. Perhaps it will poke its annoying head out of hiding again. But, I know how to put it in its place.
Back to my friend who was traveling to Chicago.
She called me today as she drove back home to Cincy. I was happy to hear her voice sounding perky. When I asked about her trip, she replied, “Oh, Teri, it was wonderful!” Yay! I then inquired about the six hour drive. She spent the next thirty-one minutes telling me about the strategies she used throughout her trip. How she brought along one of her stuffed otters someone had gifted her from the Cincinnati Zoo, having stuffed the little guy into a pocket of her purse, and reaching for him to touch the softness as she approached a sky-way bridge into the city. She discussed the pep talks she gave herself, You’re fine. You’re doing great. Just stay focused on your lane. The songs she sang along with and the phone calls she made in order to pass the time and keep her mind re-directed from anxious thoughts.
Her friend lives on the fortieth floor of a high-rise condo overlooking Navy Pier so her fear of heights was another anticipatory anxiety. She explained how the elevator ride was smooth and quick and her friend kept the shades shut in the bedroom in order to allow her to settle in. She took stunning photos of the scenery from forty floors above the city streets, but avoided stepping onto the balcony. Honoring her needs. I love that.
She also challenged herself to new adventures, such as an architecture tour of the city from a boat cruising along the Chicago River. Her friend praised her for how well she was doing throughout their escapades. She even watched the fireworks display through the windows of her friend’s condo upon returning from their day of tours and sight-seeing. She told me she continued to use mindfulness techniques to shake off her anxieties and enjoy the present moment. Again, I love this!
Mindfulness as defined by me: reminding myself to re-direct any old habitual scary thought patterns back to this moment, right here, right now, and all the joyous beauty to be found in it by use of my senses. I open myself up to all things smile-inducing in this moment in time.
So, how do you stop anticipatory anxiety? Practice mindfulness. As often as possible. Soon you will be living mindfully aware. And anticipatory anxiety may try to sneak in a word or two, but you can mindfully remind it to sit down and shut up. You have a beautiful life to enjoy without its input.
While I have an overflowing tool box of coping skills to utilize whenever those terrifying symptoms of my C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) pop up, I have recently been focusing specifically on keeping them at bay by using my new “I am lean, I am strong” mantra. I have been on a mission to make myself feel stronger physically along with the added perk of trimming my menopausal waistline. I am amazed by how much stronger I feel mentally and psychologically as a side-effect of my new attitude and regimen.
Following is a list of ways I have been proactively taking more healing strides in my life. Literally.
Smartwatch
My Fitbit Versa, coordinating phone app, and chosen clock face on the watch all keep me motivated and moving. I have set reminders for myself to move at least 250 steps per hour. That keeps me from sitting too long at my computer while at the office (I have a stand-up desk in my home office, but not at my company office . . . more on that in a moment).
I recently bumped my daily step goal to 11,000. And I’m doing it! I grab our therapy dog, Sammie, and head out for a hike at our local nature preserve almost daily (Sammie is afraid of water falling from the sky so we stay indoors on rainy days). Those nature hikes are challenging yet so unbelievably peaceful. Birds chirping, frogs croaking, breezes rustling. I truly find it soul-quenching.
I even hit my goal on The Fourth of July amid a pool party at a friend’s place and family movie night. If I have a few thousand steps to go to make it to 10,000 for the day, I’ll turn on some music in our backyard and walk laps around our pool, while the dogs lounge in the grass curiously watching me move along my oval path.
My trick ankle is less swollen, my wobbly knees are stronger, my resting heart rate is lower, and my anxiety symptoms are staying further and further away. Yay!
I am lean. I am strong.
Swimming
We are blessed to have a beautiful in-ground pool in our idyllic backyard. We are known in our community for hosting movie parties for families. I’ve lost track of the amount of times someone has commented how our little slice of paradise reminds them of being on vacation. There’s a tiki hut, trampoline, gardens, bird feeders, an island marker sign, Adirondack chairs surrounding a fire pit in the sand, cushioned chairs under a canopy umbrella, and even a Florida Marlin hanging on the back fence.
Luckily our summer weather is usually sunny and hot so our water temperature in the pool stays in the mid-eighties. Positively delightful for evening swims. I have recently discovered if I run in the water, my waterproof Fitbit actually counts the steps. Another way to reach my step goal while moving other muscles as I work to keep myself afloat.
Engaging my teenage daughter in swimming races helps keep me moving toward my lean and strong goal. All the while, helping my body regulate itself. Thereby keeping me calmer and empowered when triggered. Creating this sanctuary as part of our home was purposeful as I have utilized it often when needing grounding. From placing my hand on our sturdy maple tree to digging my hands into the soil while I garden or just sitting quietly while practicing mindfulness exercises. It all helps me keep those C-PTSD symptoms in check.
I am lean. I am strong. I am grounded.
Gym
Joining a new gym which recently opened close to our home was a family venture. We toured it together and made a commitment to our health as a group effort. We even signed up with a personal trainer just to assess our individual needs and discover ways we could kick-start ourselves into healthier choices.
I love the water yoga classes in the warm-water pool, although I have yet to attempt the cold-water lap pool. I think I’m a bit too spoiled by our sun-kissed water at home. I am trying out new exercise classes such as Pilates and a kick-ass Metabolic Strength session. Yoga is always a perk, as well. I’m looking forward to trying Zumba again, too.
A sampling of available classes at our local gym include: group cycling, cardio muscle, cardio kickboxing, TRX circuit, Barre circuit, various yoga choices, aqua arthritis, core cardio in the pool, and many more. Plus, I try to warm up on the stair stepper, rowing machine, or treadmill. Our trainer taught us about the medicine ball, balance balls, weight machines, free weights, and more. I love the idea of strengthening my body.
My favorite activity, however, has to be my almost daily treks to the track with our daughter. I love, love, love the fact that this kiddo comes to me every day and asks, “Can we go to the track and then shoot hoops in the gym?” How cool is that? I get to hang out with my thirteen-year-old and compete with her for steps on our Fitbits then help her with basketball drills as we continue working up a sweat in the air-conditioned gym.
I am lean. I am strong. I am grounded. I am motivated.
(And teaching this girl to feel strong, too.)
Biking
I had an old beat up mountain bike with tires that deflated once a week. It served me well when my older kids were little. How many times I attached their carrier to the back of that bike and took them on riding adventures through campgrounds and our neighborhood streets.
Last year I decided it was time to treat myself to a new ride! So I actually went test-driving new bikes. We have a little shop a few miles from my office that touts themselves as one of the oldest bicycle shops in the United States. Pretty cool.
They were quite patient with me as I took one by one by one out for a spin. Then I saw THE one. I had to have it. Not because of the price. Or the design. Or the speed. Or the accessories. Why? Because of the color. Ha! This mint green bike made me feel like I was back on my favorite island, cruising along under the droopy Spanish Moss. It is the cutest bike I’ve ever seen. I actually smiled at it this morning as I hopped into my car to head off to work.
We have a bike trail close by that stretches seventy miles. Not that I’ve ever ridden the entire length of it. Although I did train for a half-marathon on it and walked 13.2 miles of it back in 2010. It’s a beautiful trail surrounded by trees and rivers and quiet neighborhoods. It even runs through the fun little city of Loveland, Ohio, lined with breweries, shops, and restaurants along that stretch.
The joy I find in biking is that it gives me the ability to move faster than my fifty-something-year-old legs can travel on their own. The biking wind tickles my skin and I can’t help but smiles as I glide along the trail.
However, I also am quite mindful in my rides. I stumbled upon the sweetest little snail attempting to make his way across the hot asphalt a few weeks ago. I stopped to find a leaf, let him slooooooowly climb on board, then moved him off into the woods to cool off. I think he winked a thank you my way.
I am lean. I am strong. I am grounded. I am motivated. I am happy.
Standing Desk
I promised I would loop back around on this one. I am standing at mine in my home office (a.k.a. sacred writing space) right now. When I take a moment to contemplate an idea or search my brain for a word, I swing my hips back and forth, letting my arms move in rhythm. More heart rate, more muscle tone, more steps registered. Leaner and stronger. Calmer and more grounded.
There’s the blessing of being surrounded by my meditative music, the scent of an iced almond chai candle burning, and lots of angel paintings and figurines smiling at me as I move in this space.
Research shows the benefits of standing desks to be: lowering health risks, increasing energy, and improve productivity, among other positive results. See the article 7 Benefits of a Standing Desk. I know, for myself, my hip pain from sitting for prolonged periods of time (a drawback of being a writer, podcaster, and business owner) has been reduced drastically since I started using a standing desk.
Plus, when I’m already standing, if a great song comes on my 80’s station on Pandora, I can break right into dance. Hopefully I’m not scaring the neighbors too much with my disco moves.
I am lean. I am strong. I am grounded. I am motivated. I am happy. I am a dancing machine.
I wish you peace along your healing journey. I hope you find your positive affirmations that keep you motivated and moving. If you want to borrow mine, just remember . . . you are lean, you are strong, you are grounded, you are motivated, you are happy, and you are a dancing machine!
Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.
What an insightful and eye-opening conversation I shared with Dr. Amir Rashidian of Mid-Atlantic Chiropractic Center. Dr. Rashidian shared his brilliant philosophies on stress, eating habits, healing, and more, along with his personal story of hope and healing.
Bio:
“Dr. Amir Rashidian is the founder of the Mid-Atlantic Chiropractic Center, where the focus is improving health of people through drugless solutions. He recently published ‘The StressProof Life’, which documented the real-life stories of his most memorable patients while showing the readers the secret to becoming the kind of person who is able to handle any amount of stress on that journey toward greatness.”
As producer and host of The Healing Place Podcast, I have been asked quite a bit, “So, how do I start a podcast?” I thought I’d share my podcast journey with the world via my blog as I’m sure there are many others who are intrigued by the idea of sharing their magnificent content dreams with the universe.
A Catchy Name
In the summer of 2017, a therapist friend of mine asked me if I’d be interested in creating a podcast with her. Well, yeah! How much fun would THAT be? We sat down next to a fire pit in my backyard one summer evening and giggled with anticipation over the possibilities, including a name for our new venture. We decided it had to do with healing, as that is what both of us do, one professionally and one as soul-work. Hence, The Healing Place Podcast name. Simple. Yet, profound. A place for folks to gather to discuss healing journeys, options, stories, paths, modalities, and so much more.
A Logo
This same therapist friend reached out to an artistic friend of hers for a logo design and we both loved the first draft that came back. The colors were perfect and, again, the design was simple. It had a welcoming and peaceful feel to it. There are many options available for logo creation: Google “logo creation” and you will find both free and paid services available; like us, you can ask a creative colleague or friend; there are podcast logo creations available online; and some podcast hosting sites will help with the creation of your logo.
Format Concept
The first nine episodes of The Healing Place Podcast were a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants adventure. We literally had no idea what we were doing! But, we kept it fun and light-hearted as we learned. My co-host and I sat down over dinner at a local dive one evening and came up with potential guests to invite onto the show, possible topics, and a time frame for length of interviews. Based upon our financial constraints, we decided to go with a weekly show to last between thirty to forty-five minutes per episode.
Secure a Hosting Site
I searched options for hosting sites and came across Blubrry. We were drawn to the ease of creation and their fee program. We wanted to work with a hosting site that allowed us to publish our episodes on Apple’s iTunes. There are many hosting platforms available and an online search will bring up a plethora of options.
The perks of Blubrry, as listed on their website, are:
Blubrry Hosting (at Blubrry.com or with WordPress)
Unlimited downloads
No contracts, cancel anytime
Optimized for Apple and podcasting platforms
Audio, audiobook, video, ePub and PDF supported
Media hosted on our top-tier content delivery network (CDN) with more than 35 data centers throughout the world to provide the lowest latency (response time in seconds) possible
Upload using HTML5 technology, no special uploading tools or software required
Automated ID3 tagging (both artwork and textual metadata written to your mp3s)
Episodes hosted until you cancel service
Media validation (make sure your media will play on all podcast platforms)
Premium Podcast Statistics included ($5-a-month value)
Free technical support by email, phone and video
FTP access is available upon request
American owned-and-operated in the United States, our primary business is for podcasting!
After our first nine episodes, my co-host decided to step away from the podcast due to personal time constraints (working a full-time gig as a therapist in a mental health agency along with a weekend and evening job in a private-practice therapy program). I elected to continue with the podcast and decided to take it in a new direction. The format had been casual and filled with laughter and interviews with friends or just conversations between myself and my co-host on healing concepts.
I sat down and created a list of questions I wanted to review with my guests and came up with the following:
Hello! Thank you so very much for agreeing to join me on an upcoming podcast. I would like our interview to be a conversation between friends, filled with informative discussions, laughter, and guidance for our listeners.
I know some folks like the idea of having questions to lead the way. So, I have decided to compile a list of topics and questions. While we might not have time to cover them all, I will mostly pull from this list. Please review them and, if there is anything you would like me to address specifically or avoid altogether, just let me know.
I want this to be an enjoyable process for all. Therefore, I am open to any and all suggestions for your visit with our audience.
Peace, Teri
1) Today, we welcome (insert your name), who is joining us to discuss (insert your topic of interest)
2) Please tell us a little bit about . . . (your story, why you are passionate about this subject, your therapy modality, your theories, etc.)
3) If you could reach as many people in the world as possible with your message, who would you want your audience to be? (i.e. children, teens, addicts, those with suicidal ideation, struggling parents, single moms, single dads, LGBTQ community, and so forth)
4) Why is (insert your topic) so important to YOU?
5) Are there any myths or facts you would like to clarify for our listeners?
6) What support and resources have YOU utilized or recommend for our audience?
7) How did you overcome/handle (insert topic)? What do you suggest our listeners do to help them overcome/handle (insert topic)?
8) If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who could help you with (insert topic), who would it be?
9) What is your dream job? Does it revolve around this topic? Do want to be more involved in (insert topic)?
copyright Teri Wellbrock
Decide on Guest List
At first, I reached out to friends and family, asking those who had triumphed over trauma to join me on air to discuss their journey. Topics included “Parenting a Child with Anxiety” and “Battling Breast Cancer” along with interviews with friends in therapist and healing capacity roles joining me to discuss “Trauma-informed Care” and Louise Hay’s book “You Can Heal Your Life” along with several other hope and healing related topics.
Those early interviews were filled with poor recordings as I was using a $20.00 microphone I had purchased on Amazon and a free editing software that left me scrambling for how-to videos for correcting background noises and fuzzy-buzzies. However, I really did learn quite a bit about sound quality as I stumbled through those episodes. I used Audacity for those early recordings when I was only creating audio formats for Blubrry and iTunes.
Purchase Quality Recording Equipment and Editing Software
I eventually realized that this podcast really did have a growing audience and I needed to treat it as a business in lieu of a fun little healing hobby. I was watching the stats grow and grow. Suddenly The Healing Place Podcast was being downloaded in countries outside of the United States (it has now been downloaded in thirty-one countries!)
With that came the exciting emails from agents reaching out to me on behalf of their clients with inquiries of joining me on the podcast! To say I was blown away with enthusiasm would be an understatement. I was now interviewing amazing souls from all over the world. Italy. Bali. Vancouver. And the far reaches of the United States from Washington state to Massachusetts and many places in between.
I ended up purchasing a Logitech HD 1080p camera to mount on my desk with a tripod along with an Audio-Technica podcast-quality microphone. I added a stand-up desk option to keep me from sitting so much while editing the video and audio recordings.
YouTube came across my radar as an option for promoting the podcast and I decided to start recording videos of interviews as well as maintaining the audio format. Therefore a quality recording app became a priority.
I elected to use Zoom. This allowed me the opportunity to schedule podcast interviews, send links to guests, and record our conversations all from one application.
Editing software then needed to be upgraded to something that allowed video editing so I researched (looking for a simple, affordable, and time-generous option) and came across Filmora by Wondershare. And it has been perfect for my needs. Allowing me to save edited recordings in MP3 audio format and MP4 video formats.
Create a Simple Five to Ten Second Musical Intro
My original co-host had a friend who created our intro music as a favor. It was quite long and I just never thought to research how much time should be dedicated to an intro piece. Once I discovered an intro should be contained to five to ten seconds, I made another change to The Healing Place Podcast music.
And Filmora by Wondershare had options for me to choose from as part of the program. Yay!
Social Media Campaigns
Part of promoting the podcast included a Facebook page from the get-go. We wanted to put it out to friends and family that we had created this healing space. That was the start of growing an audience.
I belong to an absolutely amazing online community called ACEs Connection. ACEs, for those of you who are not aware, is the acronym for Adverse Childhood Experiences. You can listen in as Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry discuss the impact of ACEs and research being conducted on their 60 Minutes episode here. I began promoting podcast interviews in this online community and a beautiful side-effect occurred, beyond the positive feedback, of having other community members reach out asking to join me on the podcast. So cool!
I was logged into my Blubrry account a few months ago and noticed a blurb on my WordPress page stating I could add my podcast to Spotify. Well, cool beans! I followed the link, filled out the application and within a matter of moments my request was submitted.
Last, but Certainly Not Least, Ask for Testimonials
I decided to do a little email blast to past podcast guests thanking them for joining me on air. A most sincere gesture of gratitude as I would not have this healing platform without them. As part of the email, I requested a testimonial if they felt inclined to write one up. The response was overwhelming. And continues to be. My eyes well up with tears and my heart overflows with joy at each new testimonial.
I then created visuals with collections of testimonials using PixTeller (another free online app). I am the queen of finding quality programs with no or small fees. I eventually upgraded to the Pro PixTeller as I wanted more options, but the fee is minimal and worth it.
What a beautiful way to promote your podcast and let others know your show is worth listening in on!
P.S. Scheduling
A podcast guest introduced me to the Calendly app for scheduling. This allows the guest to choose from available time slots without having to email back and forth regarding availability on both our parts. All I do is send them my calendar link. Again, I use the free service. Thanks, Suzy Gruber, for the heads up!
I invite you to join my subscription following – just complete the Hope for Healing pop up. Thank you so much, in advance!
After struggling with severe panic attacks for over twenty-five years, following horrific trauma during my first twenty-two years of life, I finally found my way onto the healing path in 2013. I began EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) along with reading everything I could on trauma-recovery. I began practicing mindfulness exercises, meditation, yoga, tapping (or EFT), and many other healing modalities in order to “fill my coping skills tool box.”
Following is a list of those books that had a profound impact on my life and have helped me create a life filled with tranquility and joy. While I may not have agreed with every word written, I did find powerful answers, delicious little tidbits, and inspirational guidance within each book.
I am always amazed when my podcast guests refer to these same books during our interviews. I would love to know if you have read any of these empowering books and their impact on your healing journey: https://teriwellbrock.com/contact-us/ .
I wish you continued healing and success in finding the tools that best help you along your path to recovery.
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
You are not doomed by your genes and hardwired to be a certain way for the rest of your life. A new science is emerging that empowers all human beings to create the reality they choose. In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, renowned author, speaker, researcher, and chiropractor Dr. Joe Dispenza combines the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
In The Power of Habit, award-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to the sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness–being awake and fully aware. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
A totally accessible user’s guide from the creator of a scientifically proven form of psychotherapy that has successfully treated millions of people worldwide.
Whether we’ve experienced small setbacks or major traumas, we are all influenced by memories and experiences we may not remember or don’t fully understand. Getting Past Your Past offers practical procedures that demystify the human condition and empower readers looking to achieve real change. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
Waking the Tiger offers a new and hopeful vision of trauma. It views the human animal as a unique being, endowed with an instinctual capacity. It asks and answers an intriguing question: why are animals in the wild, though threatened routinely, rarely traumatized? By understanding the dynamics that make wild animals virtually immune to traumatic symptoms, the mystery of human trauma is revealed. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
An astonishing new science called “neuroplasticity” is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they’ve transformed. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
The fear of abandonment is one of our most primal fears, and deservedly so. Its pain is often overwhelming, and can leave its mark on the rest of your life. In the midst of the hurt, it’s hard to see an end to your feelings of rejection, shame, and betrayal.
In this updated edition of the groundbreaking book, Susan Anderson, a therapist who has specialized in helping people with loss, heartbreak, and abandonment for more than thirty years, shares recent discoveries in neuroscience that help put your pain in perspective. (read more at book link)
Book cover excerpt
A leading neuroplasticity researcher and the coauthor of the groundbreaking books Brain Lock and The Mind and the Brain, Jeffrey M. Schwartz has spent his career studying the human brain. He pioneered the first mindfulness-based treatment program for people suffering from OCD, teaching patients how to achieve long-term relief from their compulsions. (read more at book link)
Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.
I enjoyed the opportunity to sit down with Rachel Grant of Rachel Grant Coaching to discuss The Three Stages of Recovery from Childhood Abuse, her Beyond Surviving program, who inspires her, healing opportunities, and much more.
Bio:
“Rachel Grant is the owner and founder of Rachel Grant Coaching and is a Sexual Abuse Recovery Coach. She is also the author of Beyond Surviving: The Final Stage in Recovery from Sexual Abuse.
She brings to the table a passionate belief that her clients do not have to remain trapped or confronted daily by the thoughts or behaviors that result from abuse. Through her own journey of recovery from sexual abuse, she has gained insight and understanding about what it takes to overcome abuse. This makes it possible for her to relate to and appreciate your struggles intimately.
Based on her desire to foster community, intimacy, and connection, she has dedicated much of her time to understanding relationships and communication and how they are impacted by abuse. For her, how we are relating to others is crucial to improving the overall quality of our lives. In addition to the lessons she’s learned along the way, she has attended various lectures and trainings to further hone her skills.
Her program, Beyond Surviving, has been specifically designed to change the way we think about and heal from abuse. Based on her educational training, study of neuroscience, and lessons learned from her own journey, she has successfully used this program since 2007 to help her clients break free from the past and move on with their lives.”
Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.
A huge thank you to Kathleen Hanagan for joining me on the podcast to discuss her role as a psychotherapist, healer, author, and much more! What a beautiful conversation we shared as we touched on subjects such as her book Loveseed: The Template for Birthing a New World, Jesus and Mary Magdalene, various healing modalities, nature, and the abounding possibilities available for healing.
Bio:
“Kathleen is a psychotherapist, modern mystic, shaman, and spiritual adventurer and author of Loveseed: The Template For Birthing A New World. Her personal mission is to help her clients liberate themselves from their fears and limiting perceptions of who they are and what they can do.”
Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.
I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down with Jen Johnson to discuss the gifts contained in mindfulness practice, her counseling services as well as her coaching work with clients all over the world, her photography and writing outlets, along with sharing pieces of her own healing journey with us. Thank you, Jen, for joining me on the podcast and shining your beautiful light of hope into the world.
Bio:
“Jen Johnson, MS, MS, MFA, LPC, CRC, BCC, E-RYT is a mindfulness coach, Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and Licensed Professional Counselor. She is also a photographer and writer. Jen teaches mindfulness for mind body healing. Her areas of specialty include women’s health and wellness (thyroid disorders, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, weight loss), stress reduction, healing from trauma and difficult times, creativity, and grief and loss. Jen offers a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction MBSR online 8-week course that teaches mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga for stress reduction.”
Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.
David Kenney shares his insights on adopting traumatized children, the impact of ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), healing avenues, trauma recovery, and much more during our in-depth conversation. Thank you, David, for joining me on-air and helping others along their healing journey.
Bio:
“David J. Kenney is a seasoned speaker having presented to parent and professional groups at colleges, universities and educational in-services on topics such as healing trauma, stress management, anxiety reduction, helping children with attention deficits, behavior as a language, general parenting and achieving success in our schools.
David has been a school psychologist for over twenty-eight years in a diverse group of educational settings, from rich to poor, from one of the highest ranked schools in the state to one with much less success. He has worked in urban, suburban and rural settings. He currently teaches psychology courses at Lansing Community College.
As an undergraduate student, David was invited to the 1985 National Fairweather conference to present a program he developed using creative writing with chronic, schizophrenic patients. This project was spotlighted in the Detroit Free Press on August 30, 1985. In 1986, David graduated, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and again as a Specialist in School Psychology in 1989. He was liaison to the Michigan State Board of Education from 1995 to 1997 and served as President of the Michigan Association of School Psychologists in 1997-98.
But all achievements pale when compared to raising traumatized children to a healthy maturity. Children wounded by the world have been given little reason to trust it, so there were no guarantees of successful outcomes. Through his committed efforts, Dave and Barb learned strategies to heal harmed children. His expertise and insight has been noted by colleagues, who continue to seek him out for mentoring and training.”
