Being Different Together

In this companion episode, Kelly uses the skills of Real Dialog to interview Nyssa about her unconventional path into healing work. 

Nyssa traces her journey from teen poetry nights and open mics, to aromatizing Manhattan after 9/11 with her mom’s aromatherapy team, to studying religious experience and Sanskrit, and ultimately building a career as a massage therapist, aromatherapist, and coach. 

Along the way, she shares how words, scent, and touch became tools for transformation, and why falling “off track” is actually part of the upward spiral.

Main Topics Covered:

• How a teen poetry night at the public library changed Nyssa’s life
• From marching band to a performing arts high school: Nyssa’s “vision quest” detour
• The open mic mentor who saw Nyssa’s talent and nudged her toward a new path
• What it was like aromatizing Manhattan after 9/11 with essential oils and chair massage
• How witnessing trauma care at Ground Zero redirected Nyssa’s career toward healing
• Why Nyssa chose massage and psychology over a traditional creative writing path
• Falling in love with religious studies and discovering Sanskrit as an “ancestral” language
• The connection between poetry, mantra, and having a numinous (holy “quaking”) experience
• Using scent, words, and intention as a kind of everyday spellwork for change
• What Nyssa learned from running her own healing center before and through the pandemic
• Redefining the “downward spiral” and why falling off track is actually part of the path
• How Nyssa now supports wellness solopreneurs to grow without burning out

Links:

Partner Thai Massage Workshop, February 21, 2026 at Gaze Hot Yoga: https://www.nyssahanger.com/workshops

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

Nyssa uses the principles of Real Dialogue to interview her wife and co-host, Kelly, about how she found her way into psychology, chemical dependency work, acupuncture, and Zen Buddhism. 

Kelly traces the breadcrumbs from Codependent No More on the back of the toilet and bedtime stories from the psych ward to Virginia Satir, Thich Nhat Hanh, her Zen teacher Lawson, and a whole-person practice that serves “the worried well.” 

The conversation lands on embodying the work, experiencing life as art in service of others, and inviting listeners to follow their own signs and symbols toward growth.

Main Topics Covered:

• How a paperback left on the back of a toilet (Codependent No More) quietly redirected a 17-year-old toward a life in mental health
• The moment a music-obsessed teenager ditched a University of Miami scholarship and a possible philharmonic future to study the humanities instead
• Bedtime stories from a closed psych ward in 1970s Fort Lauderdale and how they sparked a lifelong fascination with consciousness
• Discovering Virginia Satir, family systems, and the radical idea that “the identified patient” is never the only one who needs to change
• From Maslow and Jung to 12-step work: early influences that shaped Kelly’s view of human and divine potential
• How an Intro to Religion class, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, and Autobiography of a Yogi reframed spirituality—and even the Jesus story
• The “coming out” moment as a Buddhist on retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, and what it feels like when a teaching truly “rings the bell” inside you
• Finding a Zen teacher who felt like a lost child finding their mother—and why that relationship still brings Kelly to tears
• Why Kelly believes therapists are today’s secular shamans, working at the crossroads of body, mind, and spirit
• What happens when you treat the whole person: how mind–body work helps the “worried well” change jobs, relationships, and lives

Links:

Book: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

Book: Codependent, No More by Melody Beattie

Book: Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Book: The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin

Mozart Clarinet Concerto

Episode 3: https://www.nyssahanger.com/podcast/ep3

Episode 1: https://www.nyssahanger.com/podcast/ep1

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

In this episode, Nyssa and Kelly talk about what it means to be together as a companion to their previous conversation on being different. 

They share memories of how they met, how Thai massage shaped the early days of their connection, and how each of them first encountered the idea of conscious relationship. 

The conversation moves through their personal histories, key teachings from John Welwood, and the role of Real Dialogue in navigating conflict, intimacy, and growth.

Main Topics Covered

• How a Thai massage class, grief, and a post-pandemic hug-fest led to a surprising love story
• What “conscious relationship” actually means (and why both hosts made it their #1 non‑negotiable)
• The three dimensions of conscious relationship from John Welwood: evolutionary, personal, and sacred
• Why your most intimate relationships might be your deepest spiritual path
• How unresolved childhood wounds show up in partnership—and what to do when they do
• Conscious vs. unconscious relationship: projection, blame, and “cleaning up your side of the street”
• A middle‑of‑the‑night Advil incident as a perfect example of taking ownership instead of blaming your partner
• The role of dialogue as the core of communication in conscious relationships
• How to honor “being different” while staying deeply together

Links:

• Episode 2: www.nyssahanger.com/podcast/ep2
• Ordinary Magic by John Welwood
• Love Between Equals by Polly Young-Eisendrath
• Bodhi Sangha Thai Massage School (Ariela Grodner)
• Matlock on CBS / Paramount+

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

In this episode of Being Different Together, Nyssa and Kelly dive into what it means to be different and why our brains are wired to treat difference as a threat. They share personal stories from childhood, band days, identity, and relationships to highlight how difference can create conflict or become a catalyst for transformation. The conversation moves from instinct to intentionality, showing how Real Dialogue helps turn conflict into a play space for learning and connection.

Main Topics Covered

• Ever felt like the “odd one out”? Discover how embracing your differences could be your superpower.
• Honest and humorous personal stories about growing up feeling “different”—and why that’s totally normal.
• Find out why noticing differences is deeply human—and how it can shape our relationships for better or worse.
• What do pickles, band kids, and list-making reveal about partnership and individuality? Tune in for some relatable surprises!
• Hear how real dialog and intentional communication turn conflict from a “minefield” into a playground for growth.
• Learn how dialog therapy helped two people navigate their unique quirks and build a strong relationship.
• Get inspired to see everyday conflicts—in family, work, or love—not as threats, but as opportunities for discovery and self-improvement.

Links:

Episode 1 of Being Different Together: www.nyssahanger.com/podcast/ep1

Ani DiFranco’s song “IQ”: Ani DiFranco - My IQYouTube · HybridFalconOct 21, 2013

Cafe Hey (in Tampa): www.cafehey.com

Center For Real Dialogue: https://www.realdialogue.org/

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

In this episode of Being Different Together, Nyssa and Kelly introduce the practice of Real Dialogue and share the story of how they became a “demo couple” for dialogue therapy training with Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath and the Center for Real Dialogue. 

They talk about why this work matters in a world of divorce, estrangement, and “neurotic polarization,” and lay out the core objectives, conscious contract, and three main skills of Real Dialogue. 

The conversation weaves in their backgrounds in psychology, Buddhism, religious studies, and aromatherapy, all in service of learning to stay connected, stay curious, and be different together.

Main Topics Covered

• How we became the demo couple for dialogue therapy training with Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath in Vermont
• The lineage of dialogue therapy and the creation of Real Dialogue
• The mission of the Center for Real Dialogue: “make the secrets for authentic dialogue, healthy conflict, and developing our self-awareness through our differences available to all”
• Why this work matters: divorce, “an epidemic of estrangement,” and a culture that’s “neurotically polarized”
• The four objectives of Real Dialogue: know myself, speak and listen responsibly, end dehumanization and war, and learn from failure, defeat, and death
• The Three Cs of a “conscious contract”: committing to being different together, constraining ourselves, and containing the extremes of our emotions and impulses
• The three core skills of Real Dialogue: speaking for yourself, listening mindfully, remaining curious
• “Why be furious when you can remain curious” as a playful mantra for working with conflict and strong emotions

Links:

Center For Real Dialogue: https://www.realdialogue.org/

Dialogue Decalogue by Leonard Swindler: https://dialogueinstitute.org/dialogue-principles

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady

In this episode, Nyssa and Kelly introduce the heart of Being Different Together and share why conversations matter so deeply to their relationship, their work, and their community. 

They talk about Real Dialogue™, what conscious relationship means to them, and how holding difference creates more love, connection, and harmony. 

The episode sets the foundation for weekly conversations, future guests, and a shared commitment to relating with more curiosity and compassion.

Weekly Episodes coming on Thursdays starting Jan. 1, 2026!

Main Topics Covered

• What this podcast is about
• Learning the skills of Real Dialogue™
• Exploring conscious relationship
• Holding difference in marriage and work
• What to expect in the podcast

Links:

Center For Real Dialogue: https://www.realdialogue.org/

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady