Emotional Support Animals are bullsh*t. 

I said it. If you’re feeling a certain way about what I’ve just said - defensive, perhaps - this episode is definitely for you.

This is about emotional self-regulation, about how animals can and do serve the purpose of supporting us emotionally, but not by slapping a vest on them so that we can justify taking them places.

CLARIFICATION - this is NOT about legitimate Service Animals - animals defined by the Americans with Disability Act as being trained to execute a specific and defined task for its handler that is life supporting/necessary. 

So the point - the fact that when I am being the leader my dogs need - in that process I take care of their needs and in so doing, I feel better. So they support me, but only by my supporting them first.

Kind of like the world around me. When I make it so that other people’s behavior or the circumstances of my life need to be a certain way in order for me to be okay, I’m set up for failure.

The truth is that I get to regulate myself. My internal circumstances ARE the solution.

In a world where what passes for radical honesty usually means someone is just letting things fly outta their pie-hole without much care for others, it’s time for radically authentic conversation. Conscious communication is simple, but often isn’t easy. That’s why Cathy Brooks created Talk, Unleashed – a weekly podcast of radically honest conversation about — everything. Whether her own musings or in conversation with industry leaders, each episode invites curiosity. 

Curiosity not about what people do, but why they do it. Who they are and what makes them tick. It’s about digging underneath to reveal the thing that is most true - that we are more alike than we are not. A mix of solo episodes where Cathy shares her insights and experience or Cathy engaged in conversation with fascinating humans doing amazing things. No matter the format - it’s unvarnished, radically honest and entirely unleashed. 

This podcast compliments Unleashed Leadership, the coaching business through which Cathy works with symphony orchestras, corporate clients, and individuals to help them unleash and untether their leadership and connect with others in a way that truly engages.

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