In this expansive and deeply human conversation, I sit down with Mariya Javed-Payne, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Brainspotting Trainer and Consultant, and somatic psychotherapist, whose work lives at the intersection of science, spirituality, and cultural consciousness.

Mariya shares her powerful personal story of immigration, identity, and adaptation, growing up between India, Europe, and the United States in a Muslim family navigating racism, systemic barriers, and cultural dislocation. Rather than one defining moment, her path into healing emerged from years of lived experience, including a decade of active addiction and the slow, courageous process of coming back to herself.

We explore how these experiences shaped her passion for helping others be seen in their full humanity, and her commitment to approaches that go beyond surface-level healing. Through Brainspotting, somatic therapy, and non-ordinary states of consciousness, including ketamine, cannabis, and breathwork, Mariya supports deep, integrative transformation.

She also speaks to the importance of trauma-informed work through a post-colonial, anti-racist, and earth-honoring lens, challenging clinicians to move beyond technique and into true attunement and embodiment.

This conversation is a powerful invitation to examine healing through a wider lens, one that honors the body, the nervous system, cultural identity, and the unseen layers of human experience.

Mariya Javed-Payne is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and International Brainspotting Trainer and Consultant. She is a somatic psychotherapist and the owner of Awaken Consulting Services, a private practice and consultancy where she utilizes Brainspotting therapy and offers training and consultation on the treatment of trauma, somatic psychotherapies, psychedelic assisted therapy, anti-racism, and ancestral healing. She also utilizes psychedelic medicines and non-ordinary states of consciousness such as ketamine, cannabis, and breathwork with somatic therapy and Brainspotting. Anchored as a bridge between the mystical and scientific, Mariya has courageously supported and trained thousands of therapists and healers to embody attunement and provide trauma-responsive via a post-colonial and earth-honoring lens.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

www.awakenconsultingservices.com/trainings

www.awakened-roots.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariyajavedpayne

https://www.facebook.com/awakenconsultingservices

https://www.instagram.com/awakenconsultingservices/

What if productivity wasn’t about pushing harder, but about feeling better? In this thought-provoking conversation, psychotherapist, book author, and time management expert Risa Williams invites us to rethink what it truly means to “get stuff done.”

After facing her own bout of burnout as a university professor and mom during the pandemic, Risa began to explore a gentler, more compassionate approach to time management, one rooted in self-kindness rather than hustle. She noticed her clients were struggling with the same theme: burnout disguised as ambition.

In this episode, Risa shares tools from her best-selling books like The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit and The Procrastination Playbook, revealing how small, meaningful actions can help us reach big goals without sacrificing well-being. Together, we talk about:

• Why burnout has become the “background noise” of modern life.
• How to separate your self-worth from your productivity.
• Simple tools for managing goals with less overwhelm.
• How to access the feeling you’re chasing: peace, pride, relief, before you reach the milestone.
• How practicing daily self-kindness rewires the way we work and live.

Risa’s perspective is a refreshing antidote to modern hustle culture: proof that you can achieve more when you treat yourself with compassion.

Tune in for a practical, heart-centered roadmap to doing less, feeling more, and finally finding balance.

Risa Williams is a book author, psychotherapist, speaker, professor, and time management expert. She's the author of six self-help books, including: Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, The Procrastination Playbook, The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit, and The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit. She's also the host of The Motivation Mindset Podcast and the author of the kids' book, Max & The Imaginary Tree. She's been interviewed in Forbes Magazine, Wired, Wondermind, Business Insider, Parade, and Real Simple.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

instagram.com/risawilliamstherapy

www.linkedin.com/in/risawilliams/

risawilliams.com

Rob Daniels is a Canadian broadcaster, podcast host, public speaker, and author of Being Mindful of Others: The Key to Humanity Uniting. With more than 20 years in radio and media, Rob has dedicated his work to fostering deeper human connection through mindfulness, empathy, and meaningful conversation.

In this episode, we explore what it really means to use your voice with intention. Rob shares how stepping into discomfort—especially through writing—can unlock deeper self-awareness and a more authentic way of showing up in the world. He believes that anyone whose life or livelihood involves using their voice has a responsibility to explore it more deeply, and that writing is one of the most powerful ways to do that.

We talk about transforming pain into purpose, the daily practice of self-care, and how true compassion begins within but is meant to ripple outward. Rob also reflects on how mindfulness and awareness can help us reconnect not only with ourselves, but with each other in a more human, grounded way.

Rob Daniels (Robert Shatzky) is a Canadian broadcaster, podcast host, public speaker, and author of the book Being Mindful of Others: The Key to Humanity Uniting. With over 20 years in radio and media, Rob is passionate about fostering deeper human connection through mindfulness, empathy, self-awareness, and meaningful conversation. Through his podcast Awareness: Fostering a More Compassionate, Empathetic, and Accepting Society, along with his speaking engagements and book tour, he encourages people to transform pain into purpose and lead with greater compassion toward themselves and others.

Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

Instagram: @robdanielsonair

Facebook: Rob Daniels

Podcast: Awareness: Fostering a More Compassionate, Empathetic, and Accepting Society

Amazon Book Link: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1972121014

In this thought-provoking episode, I sit down with Melanie Twite, licensed clinical counselor, Brainspotting consultant, and educator, who is challenging how the field understands “trauma-informed care.”

Melanie brings a powerful perspective on the gap between learning trauma-informed modalities and truly understanding trauma itself. She shares how many clinicians are operating with trauma awareness, but not trauma literacy, and why that distinction matters more than we think.

From her work developing The A.U.R.A. Framework™ and The Trauma-Informed Brainspotting Practice, Melanie emphasizes the critical role of clinician presence over technique, especially when working with complexity, intensity, and the unknown.

We explore how a lack of understanding around the neurobiology, physiology, and lived experience of trauma impacts how clinicians show up, and what it really means to be grounded, attuned, and effective in the room.

If you’re a healer, coach, or clinician who wants to deepen your understanding beyond modalities, this conversation will challenge and expand the way you think about trauma and your role in the healing process.

Melanie Twite is a licensed clinical counselor in private practice, a Brainspotting consultant, and educator specializing in developing trauma-informed clinicians. Her work challenges the field’s shift toward modality-driven treatment and emphasizes the role of clinician presence in client outcomes. She developed The A.U.R.A. Framework™ and The Trauma-Informed Brainspotting Practice to help clinicians move beyond technique and into a grounded, attuned way of working—especially in moments of uncertainty, intensity, or complexity.

Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

Website: www.remedycounseling.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanietwite

Instagram: trauma.informed.practice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traumainformedbrainspottingpractice

In this evocative conversation with Annalise, author of Heal Your Witch Wound and the poetry collection Holy Blue, we journey into the fertile borderlands where creativity, healing, and the sacred feminine meet.

A multidisciplinary artist and TEDx speaker, Annalise works at the intersection of erotic dance, embodied writing, and somatic ritual. Through her 1:1 and group work in shamanic, psychedelic, and somatic therapy, she guides people into ecstatic embodiment—a return to reverence for the body, the earth, and the feminine.

We explore what it means to heal the “witch wound”: the inherited fear of feminine power, expression, and intuition. Annalise shares how expressive arts and archetypal embodiment can become portals for both personal and collective resurrection.

In this conversation:

• The connection between eroticism, creativity, and spirituality
• How art and healing merge into an act of public devotion
• Understanding and healing the Witch Wound in modern women
• Psychedelic and somatic practices as pathways to wholeness
• Why the body is the site of resurrection—not shame

This episode is an invitation to remember that healing, art, and sacred power are not separate—they are different expressions of the same creative fire.

Annalise is the author of two #1 bestselling books: Heal Your Witch Wound, and a poetry chapbook called Holy Blue and is a keynote speaker who has given a TEDx Talk on the intersection of erotic dance and embodied writing. She considers herself a multi-disciplinary artist who lives and works in the fertile borderlands between visual art, embodied writing, and healing on individual and collective levels. She provides shamanic+psychedelic+somatic therapy 1:1 and in groups with a signature blend of expressive arts and archetypal, ecstatic embodiment. She considers her work as a healer to be an imminent form of public art-making and part of a collective resurrection of reverence for the Feminine and for the earth.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

@anna_lee_lawless

What happens when a psychotherapist turns her own struggle to find care into a thriving community of healing? In this inspiring conversation, Rotem Stark, Registered Psychotherapist and founder of Stark Wellness Clinic in Toronto, shares how personal frustration with broken mental health systems became the spark for building something radically better.

We explore Rotem’s journey from clinician to entrepreneur, her mission to make therapy both accessible and transformational, and the philosophy that guides her work with individuals, couples, and families. She offers insight into how evidence-based and somatic approaches come together to foster deep, lasting change, and why support through every life stage is essential for growth.

You’ll also hear her reflections as a wife, mother, and lifelong learner on balancing care for others with care for self. Whether you’re a mental health professional, a parent, or simply someone seeking more grounded connection, Rotem’s story is a powerful reminder that healing often begins with saying, “There has to be a better way.”

Rotem Stark is a Registered Psychotherapist and the founder of Stark Wellness Clinic, a leading Toronto-based practice offering cutting-edge, evidence-based psychotherapy. The clinic specializes in advanced approaches to relationships, trauma, anxiety, ADHD, and somatic therapies. With over a decade of experience supporting individuals and couples, Rotem brings deep clinical expertise, including work with families at SickKids Hospital and teaching in the Adler Master’s of Psychology program, alongside lived insight as a wife and mother, providing thoughtful, compassionate care that supports meaningful and lasting change.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/stark-wellness-clinic-toronto-on/1192697

https://www.instagram.com/starkwellnessclinic/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Stark-Wellness-Clinic-61550840528338/

What if the exhaustion so many women carry isn’t personal, but ancestral? In this profound conversation with Annie, founder of Reclaiming Her Flame, we explore what it means to be a woman in the sandwich generation: holding space for aging parents while raising daughters who are watching our every move.

Annie helps women break free from inherited patterns of over-functioning, over-giving, and overriding their own needs. She invites us back into the wisdom of our bodies, our natural rhythms, and our power to lead without draining ourselves dry. Together, we unpack generational healing, feminine reclamation, and the shift from survival mode to rooted leadership.

Annie also shares a glimpse into her new mini course, “Raising Her Regulated,” designed to support mothers of teenage daughters who want to model emotional regulation, authenticity, and balance, even while navigating the complex dynamics of multigenerational caregiving.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it means to be the “bridge” between generations
• How women can consciously transform family patterns of burnout and silence
• The body’s hidden role in generational healing
• How to raise a regulated daughter while caring for aging parents
• Why feminine leadership begins with slowing down

Whether you’re a mother, caregiver, or change-maker ready to free your lineage from inherited exhaustion, this episode will help you remember: the healing begins with you.

Annie, founder of Reclaiming Her Flame, supports women in the sandwich generation who feel the weight of what came before them and the responsibility of what comes next for our daughters (and sons). Her work focuses on generational healing, feminine reclamation, and helping women step out of survival patterns that have shaped their families for generations. She calls women back to their natural cycles and rhythms, rejecting the pressure to over-function, over-give, and override their bodies, and guides them into rooted leadership instead of inherited exhaustion. She challenges women to become the bridge ... the ones who transform their lineage rather than unconsciously repeat it.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

Https://instagram.com/reclaimingherflame

Https://facebook.com/annie.v.mccarty

Https://reclaimingherflame.com

What happens when you stop fighting your intuition and start trusting where it leads? In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Judy Hawley, a trauma therapist, clinical social worker, and creator of Manifestation Therapy®: a powerful integration of neuroscience, somatic psychology, emotional processing, and universal energetic principles.

Judy’s path has been anything but linear. From her early days studying child psychology, navigating undiagnosed ADHD, and traveling the world after leaving university, to a first career in computer programming that left her restless, Judy eventually returned to her true calling: healing and human transformation.

After a profound personal loss, Judy followed her intuition into social work, earned multiple degrees in record time, and became a single mom while building a career in hospital and crisis treatment settings. Today, she combines evidence-based practices like Brainspotting, IFS, and EMDR with spiritual intuition to help clients regulate their nervous systems, heal emotional patterns, and manifest lives aligned with their highest purpose.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Judy’s remarkable shift from logic-driven careers to soul-led work
• How Manifestation Therapy® bridges science and spirit
• The role of intuition in trauma recovery and personal transformation
• What it means to live in energetic alignment after hardship and healing

If you’ve ever felt torn between practicality and passion, or wondered how to integrate evidence-based therapy with deeper spiritual work, this episode offers both guidance and inspiration.

Judy Hawley, is a trauma therapist, clinical social worker, and Manifestation Coach. She has authored books and created Manifestation Therapy®, a modality that integrates neuroscience, somatic psychology, emotional processing and universal energetic principles. She supports purpose-driven individuals to heal emotional patterns, regulate their nervous systems, align with their deeper purpose and highest self. Judy blends evidence based modalities such as Brainspotting, IFS, EMDR and more with spiritual intuition to support clients and create lasting transformation.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

Guest Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifestationtherapy/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manifestation_therapy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyhawley/

Website: https://manifestationtherapy.com/

Podcast: https://manifestationtherapy.com/manifestation-therapy-podcast/

Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/fyllWos

Take the Free Universal Principles Course:https://manifestationtherapy.com/courses/

In this powerful follow-up conversation, Katrina M. Johnson and Dr. Steven J. Rippe return to explore what happens when schools stop guessing what students need and start listening.

Together, they unpack a growing movement inside schools that centers on belonging, resilience, and student-led change. This episode builds on a recent student conversation, where young people shared firsthand how initiatives like Sources of Strength and emerging group Brainspotting practices are transforming their school culture from the inside out.

With limited time and resources, this school community made a bold “reset/refresh” decision: prioritizing space for students to explore what hope and belonging truly feel like. The results are already rippling outward.

You’ll hear how:

• Student voice is becoming a driving force behind school-wide transformation
• Practices like Brainspotting are being thoughtfully introduced in group and implicit ways
• Belonging is shifting from a concept to a lived, shared experience
• Hope is being operationalized, not just talked about, in real time

Most importantly, this episode amplifies what the students themselves are saying:

“It brings the school together.”

“It helps us understand ourselves and each other.”

“It gives the school more hope… more unity… more energy.”

This is a conversation about more than programs; it’s about creating systems where every student feels seen, valued, and connected.

If you care about youth mental health, trauma-informed education, or building sustainable cultures of belonging, this episode offers both inspiration and a blueprint.

Katrina M. Johnson is a licensed clinical and school social worker, Brainspotting therapist, systems strategist, mother, and dairy farmer advancing the science of hope through comprehensive school mental health systems. As the founder of Connect Strength, she leads data-driven, cross-sector work to expand equitable access to care in rural communities. She specializes in elevating youth voice as a core driver of resilience, bridging neuroscience, lived experience, and community collaboration. Her work creates sustainable pathways for belonging and well-being for youth and the systems that support them.

Dr. Steven J. Rippe is a successful educator, principal, and university administrator. He partners with students and educators to create nationally recognized schools and high-performing, joyful learning communities—grounded in the transformative power of hope.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.comcap

When life throws you its toughest challenge, how do you respond? For Jonny Imerman, the answer was connection, compassion, and action.

At just 26, Jonny was living a healthy, active life when an unexpected testicular cancer diagnosis changed everything. Two years of chemotherapy and surgeries later, Jonny realized a critical gap in the cancer journey: too many patients were going through it alone. What began as a small group of survivors mentoring newly diagnosed patients became Imerman Angels, a Chicago-born nonprofit that now connects over 16,000 cancer survivors and families across 120+ countries.

In this episode, Jonny shares:

1. How his personal fight with cancer inspired a movement of one-on-one peer mentorship around the world.
2. The power of community and shared experience in healing and resilience.
3. His evolution from survivor to social entrepreneur through CLOZTALK, a mission-driven B Corp helping nearly 500 nonprofits share their identity through custom apparel.

Jonny’s story is a masterclass in transforming adversity into purpose-driven impact. You'll come away believing that even in our hardest seasons, connection can be the spark that creates something extraordinary.

Listen now to discover how one person’s pain became a global network of hope and healing.

Jonny Imerman grew up in Metro Detroit, and shortly after graduating from the University of Michigan, he was diagnosed with advanced cancer & had 2 years of chemo & surgeries.

Jonny co-founded ImermanAngels.org, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides free one-on-one peer cancer support for thousands of cancer families each year in 120+ countries.

Jonny also co-founded, CLOZTALK.com, a B Corp that creates web stores, & designs & sells logo apparel, for nearly 500 nonprofits.

Want to know how you can begin your journey to hope and healing? Visit Elevated Life Academy for classes and free resources for personal development and healing.

Resources:

CherieLindberg.com

ElevatedLifeAcademy.com

Guest Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/imermanangels/