In this deeply reflective and expansive conversation, Dr. Jessie sits down with Phyllis Leavitt — psychotherapist, author, and spiritual teacher — to explore a life shaped by early emotional trauma, profound spiritual awakening, and decades of inner healing.
Phyllis shares her journey growing up in an emotionally disconnected household, navigating childhood abuse, fear, dissociation, and a deep sense of not belonging. From early out-of-body experiences and a lifelong connection to the divine, to spiritual seeking, motherhood, therapy, and ultimately becoming a psychotherapist herself, her story is one of resilience, courage, and integration.
This episode weaves together psychology and spirituality, revealing how true healing often requires tending to both — the emotional wounds we carry and the deeper essence guiding us forward.
In this episode, we explore:
• Growing up emotionally unsupported and the impact of early trauma
• Dissociation, fear, and feeling disconnected from the body
• Out-of-body experiences and early spiritual awareness
• Loneliness, anxiety, and the search for belonging
• Nature, the desert, and encounters with divine guidance
• Spiritual communities, therapy, and the “dark night of the soul”
• Motherhood as a catalyst for remembering and healing trauma
• Journaling as a gateway to inner wisdom and guidance
• Integrating psychology and spirituality in the healing process
• Becoming a psychotherapist through lived experience
• Healing not only individuals, but families, cultures, and nations
Phyllis speaks with honesty, depth, and compassion about trauma, recovery, and the quiet voice within that leads us home to ourselves. Her perspective offers reassurance to anyone who has felt disconnected, overwhelmed, or unsure of their place in the world.
This conversation is especially for those questioning their inner experience, navigating healing later in life, or sensing that psychology and spirituality are meant to work together — not apart.
✨ Connect with Phyllis Leavitt:
🔹 Website: https://phyllisleavitt.com/
🔹 Book: America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis
🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phyllis.leavitt
🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phyllis_e_leavitt/
🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-leavitt-630179255/
🔹 Twitter: https://x.com/PhyllisLeavitt2
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOdxqvDK9N421AZ5TTxqUgQ
💬 If this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share what stood out to you most in the comments.
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