A curious pattern emerged within the last year:

People — usually friends or coaching clients — keep coming to us, almost sheepishly, and "confessing" that they sometimes use AI (particularly ChatGPT) for emotional support.

The thing is … we've used it for emotional support, too! AI has a lot of qualities that make it less messy than your average human.

It's a great listener, it's endlessly patient, and it has access to an infinite amount of knowledge and potential solutions. Plus, using it is (sadly) a LOT cheaper than what you'd pay your average therapist or coach.

But that certainly doesn't make it better than a human mental health professional. As helpful as AI might be, it can be equally as harmful—not all of the friends and clients who came to us ended up having a positive experience with their "robot therapist."

So, we asked two of our coach friends (and former podcast guests!), Amanda Johnson and Chelsea Jewel, to join us for a deep-dive exploration into the murky waters where AI mixes with mental health.

Listen in as we get into...

• How all four of us started out using AI, and how it quickly evolved for each of us
• Why it's easy, even if you're a coach or therapist, to have blind spots when it comes to AI
• How using AI as your therapist can actually bring up MORE trauma
• Our advice about how to interact with AI in an emotionally healthy way

This episode is SO thought-provoking. The questions that we tackle are ones that all of us should be taking seriously in a world where it's increasingly difficult to know what's real!

Leave a comment after you've listened to let us know what resonated most from this conversation.

MORE ABOUT AMANDA

Amanda Johnson is a trauma-informed and somatically trained, certified life coach and reiki master. Her passion lies in the belief that each of our hearts is guiding the way to our most expansive lives - but that to live from the heart, we need to first get in touch with who we really are, not who we've been told to be. This requires an exploration and understanding of our nervous systems, the patterns we have running in our bodies and minds, and how our energy works, so that we can bring ourselves into balance and deeper connection with our intuition. Through her work at Heartspark, Amanda is dedicated to creating a safe space for anyone with a curiosity about themselves to explore how to authentically be in relationship with Self, Sacred Partners and Source.

You can find her at heartsparksoul.com and on Instagram @heartsparksoul

MORE ABOUT CHELSEA

Chelsea Jewel is an Intuitive Astrologer, Soul Alignment Coach, and Energy Healer who is committed to using her gifts and vision to help co-create a more beautiful and just world for all beings. Chelsea's work combines a mix of storytelling, astrology, shadow work, and energy awareness to help her clients reconnect with their deeper soul essence and reclaim creative power within their life stories. Part healer, part artist, and part spiritual activist, Chelsea deeply believes that we are on the verge of a collective shift in consciousness and that our deep inner work, along with the creative actions that spring from it, serves a vital role in restoring humanity's relationships within the greater web of life.

You can find her at chelseajewel.com and on Instagram @chelseajewel33

PAST CLARITY ON FIRE EPISODES WITH AMANDA & CHELSEA

A deep dive into manifestation with Chelsea Jewel (March 2022)

From totally shut down to feeling your feelings again with Amanda Johnson (June 2023)

Bonus Book Club! Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel S.F. Heller (March 2024)

Exploring the nervous system with Amanda Johnson (May 2024)

ARTICLES ABOUT AI & MENTAL HEALTH

Wired: OpenAI Says Hundreds of Thousands of ChatGPT Users May Show Signs of Manic or Psychotic Crisis Every Week

New York Times: Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here's How It Happens.

The New Yorker: I Treated ChatGPT Like a Therapy Patient. What It Said Should Worry Us.

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Creative Consulting with Rachel

Check out our YouTube channel

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel (our first since June of 2024!), our advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.

This month we answered questions from two listeners who are both questioning what went "wrong" in their lives, how to recover from deep disappointment, and how the future can be better:

• Bottledottle, a medical school student who doesn't know if she wants to be a doctor anymore, and who is deeply afraid that she wasted her youth chasing values that don't matter to her now. How can she recover from the regret and sadness of spending years building a life that she might not want?
• Jodi, who lost not only her business, but all of the friends she believed she could trust, and ended up running away to another country with her husband. Now they have a barely livable house in a place that doesn't feel right, and she's had hundreds of job applications rejected. What can she do when she's tried fight and flight but nothing has worked?

Come leave a comment after you've listened to share how our advice for these listeners resonated with you!

WORK WITH US!

We currently have space for a handful of coaching clients!

Coaching takes you from doubt, confusion, and burnout to confidence, clarity, and fulfillment in a matter of months. And the best part? You don't have to think about how to get from Point A to Point B — we already know how.

Our schedules are limited, so if this episode is resonating hard, consider it your sign to reach out:

Fill out the interest form here and one of us will be in touch ASAP to schedule a chat with you!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Dear Krachel: How do I stop blaming myself when things go wrong at work? (June 2024)

Dear Krachel: How do I improve my life without changing jobs again? (May 2024)

Dear Krachel: I've quit 3 jobs in the last year! How do I break the cycle? (April 2024)

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Creative Consulting with Rachel

Check out our YouTube channel

"If I didn't love you, I would hate you."

That's a direct quote that escaped my mouth while recording this episode with my former client, Jamie Knight. 😆

Jamie inspires such intensity because she's recovering from being that girl. You know, the cheer captain and valedictorian of her high school class. Got a bachelor's and master's degree at the same time, and had a 4.0 in both. Had a top-tier job offer before she even started her last semester of college. Ran half marathons, for fun! Excelled in her career and made absurdly good money by anyone's standards, let alone someone under 25.

But the shiny, awe-inspiring exterior, as it usually does, hid a level of burnout and misery that Jamie worked hard to ensure no one ever saw. That is, until she ended up chronically ill and needing major surgery.

In this brand-new interview with a normal person, Jamie and I discuss how we worked together to completely overhaul her relationship with her career. Listen in as we talk about:

• Why the masculine energy way of doing things was making her exhausted, sick, and feeling like a failure
• How we redefined things like productivity, consistency, discipline, and balance through a feminine lens, and how to do this for yourself
• Learning how to sit still, rest, and "do nothing," without guilt

If you've loved all of our conversations over the years about masculine vs. feminine energy, this one is an absolute must-listen!

MORE ABOUT JAMIE

Jamie Knight is the founder of Career Brilliance and the voice behind Jamie on Purpose, two platforms dedicated to helping people build careers and lives that feel both successful and sustainable. Through Career Brilliance, Jamie mentors early-career professionals who want to fast-track their path to leadership and enjoy their workday more. With Jamie on Purpose, she shares reflections on wellness, intentional living, and softer ambition, drawing from her own journey with chronic illness.

Jamie began her career in technology and management consulting before teaching at the university level. She now blends her professional background with a gentler way of working—offering mentorship that emphasizes business savvy and communication skills, alongside boundaries, self-trust, and sustainable rhythms for growth.

She is also the author of 7 Signposts: Find Your Direction in Life's Foundational Decisions, and across her YouTube channel, Substack, and career coaching programs and resources, you'll find tools, new mindsets, and (of course) a good pep talk to support your journey.

Learn more and get links to everything at jamieknight.co.

Career Brilliance:

careerbrilliance.co

instagram.com/careerbrilliance.co

youtube.com/@careerbrilliance

Jamie on Purpose:

jamieonpurpose.substack.com

instagram.com/jamieonpurpose

WORK WITH US!

We currently have space for a handful of coaching clients!

Coaching takes you from doubt, confusion, and burnout to confidence, clarity, and fulfillment in a matter of months. And the best part? You don't have to think about how to get from Point A to Point B — we already know how.

Our schedules are limited, so if this episode is resonating hard, consider it your sign to reach out:

Fill out the interest form here and one of us will be in touch ASAP to schedule a chat with you!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

How to make 7 of the biggest life decisions with Jamie Hillman Knight (October 2022)

Side Chat: How to work like a woman (in a world that doesn't want you to) (April 2018)

Side Chat: How to actually *do* feminine energy (June 2021)

LINKS

Creative Consulting with Rachel

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel

Need a little clarity, guidance, or just a fun pick-me-up?

Then today's your day, because we're back with the first Message from the Universe episode in over a year! ✨🔮

If you're new to this kind of episode, every once in a while, we sit down and pull a few cards from one of our favorite oracle decks and share the messages — and our interpretations — with you.

And every time, we end up with a message that feels spot-on and super timely.

So, come find out what today's message has in store for you! After you listen, leave a comment to share how this one spoke to you!

WE'RE TAKING ON COACHING CLIENTS!

One of the (spoiler alert) big messages from today's episode was ask for help.

So, if what you most need right now is help finding life and career direction, then we've got great news for you:

We currently have space for a handful of coaching clients!

Coaching takes you from doubt, confusion, and burnout to confidence, clarity, and fulfillment in a matter of months. And the best part? You don't have to think about how to get from Point A to Point B — we already know how.

Our schedules are limited, so if this episode is hitting you at just the right time, consider it a sign. 😉

Fill out the interest form here and one of us will be in touch ASAP to schedule a chat with you!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Bonus Book Club! The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (August 2018)

Message from the Universe: Expect the unexpected (May 2024)

Message from the Universe: Step aside and watch what happens next (April 2024)

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Heyyyy! Did you miss us? Or maybe completely forgot we existed and went on with your life? (Valid, if so).

Perhaps you felt a small void in your life where conversations between two friends about all things life and career used to be, that you haven't been able to fill in the last 15 months. If that's the case, we have GREAT news for you:

The Clarity on Fire Podcast is back!

If you'll recall, we went on hiatus back in June of 2024, mostly because life had taken some wild twists and turns. There's a LOT to share about what's happened since then. So, listen is as we get into…

• Rachel's pregnancy, birth, postpartum experiences & all of her very raw takes on what balancing motherhood with the rest of life has been like
• Kristen's journey with fertility and a new form of therapy she's dived into head first
• Our plans for the next few months when it comes to new podcast episodes

EVEN BETTER NEWS — WE'RE TAKING ON COACHING CLIENTS!

Coaching takes you from doubt, confusion, and burnout to confidence, clarity, and fulfillment in a matter of months.

And the best part? You don't have to think about how to get from Point A to Point B – we already know how.

We have room in our schedule for a limited amount of coaching clients right now, so if this email is hitting you at just the right time, consider it a sign!

Fill out the interest form here and one of us will be in touch ASAP to schedule a chat with you!

LINKS

Equine Connection Center site and Instagram @equineconnectioncenter

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel

In case you missed it, last week we announced that we're taking a podcasting hiatus – for a few reasons, but mostly because Rachel is having a baby later this year!

If you're new-ish to Clarity on Fire – or have been around for a while but want to introduce new people to us – that gives you an excellent opportunity to catch up on our over-400 episodes.

Buuuut we also know that's a LOT of content and you might be overwhelmed! 😅 So, we're making it easy for you (or your friends) to know where to start.

Here's where we recommend starting if you're new to Clarity on Fire:

• Before you do anything else, take (or re-take!) the Passion Profile Quiz. It's designed to help you pinpoint the intersection between your career and passions in a way that LITERALLY NO ONE ELSE ever talks about.

• After that, if you want to dive in to Passion Profiles on a deeper level, sign up for our free on-demand workshop: 3 Steps to Take Your Career from Stuck to Clear, Using Your Passion Profile

• Listen to the podcast episodes we list below (in order, for the biggest impact)!

If you're new, have fun diving in! And if you're a longtime fan, we'd love it if you forwarded this to someone who needs a little help getting unstuck and finding direction + fulfillment. ✨

TOP 13 EPISODES FOR MAXIMUM CLARITY

We've got SO MANY podcast episodes, it's hard to pick favorites. But if you're looking for life and career fulfillment and you need to learn the fundamentals of how to get there, in a way that most people aren't going to tell you, then look no further than these 13 episodes.

We've broken them down by category. Start with whatever category you like, but we recommend listening to the episodes in the order listed, in each section:

Life & Career Direction:

Side Chat: 6 ways to love (& keep) your job for years and years (May 2022)

Side Chat: 6 MORE ways to have a career you love (January 2023)

Side Chat: Why obsessing over your career doesn't work (March 2022)

Why career coaching has (almost) nothing to do with your career (October 2020)

Side Chat: The top questions to ask yourself when job searching, according to Passion Profile (April 2023)

Cultivating Intuition & Feminine Energy:

Side Chat: Honing your intuition (& knowing when it's really fear) (June 2019)

Side Chat: How to actually *do* feminine energy (June 2021)

Side Chat: How to work like a woman (in a world that doesn't want you to) (April 2018

Bonus Book Club! Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver (November 2018)

Personal Growth Fundamentals:

Side Chat: A deep dive into emotional maturity (February 2023)

Bonus Book Club! Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy (March 2023)

Bonus Book Club! Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel S.F. Heller (March 2024)

Side Chat: How attachment theory plays out at work (May 2023)

ONE MORE BIG THING

Even though we won't be podcasting for a while, we will still be coaching … but we won't be back with another official coaching enrollment this year!

So, if you're feeling the urge to work with us 1-on-1, reach out to us directly!

Fill out the form on this page at any time, and we'll schedule an intro chat to talk about the possibility of coaching.

And if you want to try out a little coaching before making a big commitment, then grab yourself a Power Hour! It's a 75-minute coaching session where we'll laser-focus on whatever issue is keeping you most stuck. Bonus, you can apply the cost of your Power Hour toward future 1:1 coaching!

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel

Yes, you read that subject line right — we're taking another hiatus from the podcast … because one of us is having a baby! 🤰🏼👀

So, without further ado, dive into this special episode where we share …

• ALL the details behind this baby announcement
• Our plans during the hiatus
• When you might hear from us on the podcast again
• And where you can find us in the meantime (because we've got new things cooking, in addition to the bun in the oven!)

We'll still be posting on Instagram occasionally while we're away, so follow us @clarityonfire if you haven't yet. You can also follow Rachel personally @racheleast18 and Kristen @whitestorkcoffeeco!

YOU CAN STILL WORK WITH US 1-ON-1 WHILE WE'RE ON HIATUS!

Even though we won't be podcasting for a while, we will still be coaching (until one of us starts maternity leave)!

So, if you're feeling the urge to work with us, you don't wait for a nudge!

Feel free to fill out the form on this page at any time, and we'll schedule an intro chat to talk about the possibility of coaching.

And if you want to try out a little coaching before making a big commitment, then grab yourself a Power Hour! It's a 75-minute coaching session where we'll laser-focus on whatever issue is keeping you most stuck. Bonus, you can apply the cost of your Power Hour toward future 1:1 coaching!

FOLLOW RACHEL ON SUBSTACK

Rachel started a Substack account! Her newsletter is Half Agony / Half Hope: Content, community, & coaching for women navigating the perils and joys of singledom, dating, and relationships.

Subscribe for FREE for access to new blogs and other fun content, like surprise podcast episodes, as well as to read Forever Alone in written form (and get season 2, when it releases)!

Paid subscribers get access to everything included in the free subscription, PLUS access to the community, where you can post comments and get feedback in the group forum, and join monthly community Zooms with Rachel.

And there's also a special 1-on-1 coaching subscription! These members receive everything paid subscribers do, as well as six hour-long coaching sessions a year (one every 2 months)!

Explore more and subscribe here!

CHECK OUT KRISTEN'S LATEST VENTURE – WHITE STORK COFFEE!

As you may already know, but definitely learned if you heard this episode, Kristen started another business! It's called White Stork Coffee, and it's a coffee & wellness company for women who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or generally wanting to balance their hormones for optimal health.

She's offering a limited number of people who fill out this form a totally free (shipping also free!) sample of her soon-to-be-released Fertility Spice Blend.

Plus, get 25% off your first order of coffee here!

And be sure to follow White Stork Coffee on Instagram @whitestorkcoffeeco.

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel

In the last few years my client Susanne went from having a very normal, run-of-the-mill career to relocating to Italy, renovating a beautiful property, and opening a retreat space (she calls it a "thinker's residence") for creative people who long for peace and quiet to work on their most important projects.

Getting to help Susanne take this dream from vision to reality has been a highlight of my last few years as a coach, and I'm so excited to finally get to share her story with all of you!

Listen in to this month's brand-new interview with a normal person, where Susanne and I get into…

• How she came up with such a big vision for her life, and how long she marinated on it before taking it seriously
• Why she blocked herself from acting on what she wanted for many years
• How she released some of her biggest, most debilitating limitations, and took huge risks (that clearly ended up paying off)
• The many ups and downs of turning her vision into a reality
• And what it's like now, running a property in Italy for creative people (and how you can stay there!)

Come leave a comment after you've listened to share how Susanne's journey resonated with you!

MORE ABOUT SUSANNE

Spiritually confused, fearful of action and inaction, and utterly confused by life—what it means and how to live it—while maintaining a façade of "functioning" ... this was Susanne's state of mind a couple of years ago. For way too long she tried to fit in, avoid mistakes, and attempt to act, be, and do what she thought others might find acceptable. Finally, she found the courage to cast off her debilitating fears and pursue what she truly wanted, and go all in on it. She allowed herself to dream—not bigger, but more aligned to who she is. She realized that once she let go of the fear of others' opinions, her life would no longer feel so exhausting. She discovered that she didn't need to change herself as much as her environment to better suit her, leading her to finally feel happy, fulfilled, and in love with life.

Susanne is the owner of Suflora, a sanctuary for thinkers, creators, and dreamers who want to rediscover their passion, dive deep into their work, and to emerge with something not just completed, but transformed into a masterpiece. Suflora's fully-equipped apartments are designed as your private think-tank, where you can work, cook, eat, rest, and create at your own pace, surrounded by the inspiring beauty of Umbria, Italy.

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

A minor pivot into a major dream life with normal person V. (May 2023)

Choose your own adventure with Austin Rose (April 2023)

From the hood of despair to happiest you've ever been with Tiffanie Hoang (September 2022)

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel

Welcome to another episode of Dear Krachel, our monthly advice segment where we answer listener questions about life, career, relationships, existential angst, and anything that helps you become a more whole, fulfilled version of yourself.

This month we answered questions from two listeners, who both happen to be teachers (but their issues are relevant to all of us)!

• Worry Worm, whose confidence takes a hit whenever her students don't meet their expected results. Is she bad at what she does, or are the kids slacking off?

• Tired Thriver, an elementary school teacher in her late 20's who likes a lot of the perks of teaching (predictable schedule, steady pay, job security, great benefits, and summers off to name a few), but who feels mentally and emotionally drained at the end of the work day. She doesn't necessarily want to have to change careers, but how possible is it for a Thriver to make a demanding job like this work?

Come leave a comment after you've listened to share how our advice for these listeners resonated with you!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Side Chat: The top question to ask yourself when job searching, according to Passion Profile (April 2023)

Side Chat: 6 ways to love (& keep) your job for years and years (May 2022)

Side Chat: 6 MORE ways to have a career you love (January 2023)

Side Chat: Passion Profiles & the Scale of Ambition (October 2021)

Side Chat: The 4 Passion Profiles (December 2018)

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel

It's the fifth Friday of the month, which means this should be a "bonus book club" episode––it isn't, but it's also not NOT a book club episode, either. 🙃😂

During our last book club conversation about Attached with Amanda Johnson – our friend, fellow coach, and all-around expert on attachment theory – we said that we wanted to have Amanda back on the podcast to have an episode devoted completely to the nervous system.

So, that's what we did!

Amanda is back on the podcast this month to help us explore all facets of the nervous system, using one book in particular to guide the way.

Listen in as we get into…

• What the nervous system actually is, and why it's SO important to understand your own
• What's happening in our bodies when we get triggered/scared/excited
• How to heal old, stuck issues that have been plaguing you for years (maybe even your entire life!)
• And soooo much more!

We're convinced that, at this point, there is NOTHING more important than understanding your nervous system. There's something all of us can learn in this episode!

And stay tuned until the end of the episode for a VERY generous offer from Amanda. 👀

Leave a comment after you've listened to let us know what resonated most from this conversation.

MORE ABOUT AMANDA

Amanda Johnson is the owner of Heartspark – a heart-centered life coaching and intuitive energy work practice based outside of Boston. Amanda's passion lies in the idea that each of our hearts is guiding the way to our most expansive lives – but that to live from the heart, we need to first get in touch with who we really are, not who we've been told to be. That requires a deep dive into how our emotions and energy are currently showing up, and identifying what shifts can be made to uncover the magic that exists within each of us. It also requires an understanding of how our bodies and minds work, so that we can bring ourselves into balance.

Through Heartspark, Amanda combines her experience, education and interests (she loves an adhd tangent!) to offer a variety of session types – everything from energy-focused coaching to intuitive visioning to workshops on the nervous system. Amanda has an undergraduate degree in journalism, an MBA from Boston College, and is a Reiki Master and iPEC Certified Life Coach. She believes that all of the answers you are looking for are within you, and that having the support to listen to yourself to find your truth is the way to freedom, evolution and fully enjoying your life experience! Heartspark is dedicated to creating a safe space for anyone with a curiosity about themselves to deeply connect with their soul purpose and unique gifts, and take steps to reach alignment.

You can find her at heartsparksoul.com and on IG @heartsparksoul

And get $100 off of Amanda's Nervous System Mapping Workshop with code CLARITYONFIRE throughout the entire month of June!

LISTEN TO THESE EPISODES NEXT

Bonus Book Club! Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel S.F. Heller (March 2024)

Bonus Book Club! Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy (March 2023)

Side Chat: How attachment theory plays out at work (May 2023)

From totally shut down to feeling your feelings again with Amanda Johnson (June 2023)

LINKS

Leave us a comment on this episode

Take the Passion Profile Quiz

Submit your question for a future episode of Dear Krachel

Check out our YouTube channel