What if power isn't something to avoid—but something to learn? Francine Proulx-Kenzle and Sarah Buino explore sociocracy, personal power, burnout, and how early childhood experiences shape the way we show up in systems.

I'm going to say something that might make a few therapists squirm: power is not the enemy. And yet… so many of us act like it is.

In this conversation with Francine Proulx-Kenzle, I kept coming back to a core truth that I think we—especially in the therapy world—need to hear again and again: power simply exists. What matters is how we relate to it.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Power isn't something you have or don't have—it's something you learn to use

• Avoiding power often leads to recreating the same harmful dynamics

• Burnout is often a sign of disconnection from your own needs and agency

• Systems like sociocracy show us what shared, humane power can look like

• Healing isn't about becoming perfect—it's about staying in relationship with your humanity

If there's one thing I want you to take from this conversation, it's this: you don't have to reject power to be a good person. You just have to learn how to use it differently. And that work starts with you.

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