What happens when we slow down long enough to notice what’s actually happening inside us during the workday?

In this conversation, I sit down with creative arts therapist Talia Smigielski to explore the surprising power of two paid hours a month spent in structured reflection.

We trace how a small organizational investment in employees can quietly reshape identity, leadership, and self-compassion years later — and how I’m living proof of it.

If you’ve ever wondered whether slowing down at work could happen without sacrificing quality or productivity, this conversation is for you.

This episode explores:

- How processing is different from standard meetings

- The cost of unprocessed workplace experience

- Why processing is an appropriate, necessary practice

- How reflective capacity shapes leadership and culture

Processing may not look productive, but it may be one of the most important professional spaces we can cultivate.

Timestamps

02:08 – Early patterns of self-silencing and performance

05:14 – Fear-driven achievement in leadership spaces

08:17 – Two paid hours a month: structured reflection

24:14 – Learning to stay present instead of shutting down

35:18 – What drama therapy is and why embodiment matters

36:44 – Trauma-informed care before it had a name

49:47 – The “flash flood” and the longing to become the hush

53:42 – A small workplace investment with lasting impact

Want to share a sound byte thanking someone who inspired some of element of your own becoming? [email protected]

Music is “Waters”, composed by Twin Cities musician, Ian Crawford

Need help getting un-stuck?

Chelsea Witbrook is a certified Somatic Enneagram facilitator and best-selling author of “Blessing My Demons.” As a Somatic Enneagram guide and Spiritual Director, she combines social justice awareness with compassionate guidance. Chelsea specializes in helping people who feel stuck by teaching them to establish Grounded Presence, connect with their Inner Observer, and respond to their body’s wisdom. Through her coaching, clients discover inner resources and learn to embrace all parts of themselves with radical compassion, finally releasing patterns that once held them captive: www.chelseawitbrook.com

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