What happens when military service, racial trauma, profound loss, and EMDR converge into a path of healing, purpose, and compassion?

In this powerful episode of Empowered Through Compassion, I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Arielle Jordan. She is an army veteran, trauma therapist, EMDR consultant and trainer, author, and advocate whose work sits at the intersection of lived experience and evidence-based healing.

Dr. Jordan shared her experience serving in the military as a Black woman and mother, naming both the strength she developed through service and the racism she endured within military systems, and her devastating loss of her daughter and father in a short period of time. Her story is an inspirational one, where she was able to move through adversary with grace and determination.

Dr. Jordan spoke with honesty about how EMDR became not just a professional modality, but a deeply personal pathway for healing. We explored how trauma lives in the body and how compassionate, attuned therapy can help people metabolize pain that feels unbearable. Her work brings a vital racial trauma lens to EMDR, reminding clinicians and clients alike that trauma is often both personal and systemic, and must be treated with humility, cultural awareness, and care.

Her incredible books are:

Holding Space: My Story of Grief, Remembering, and Thriving After Traumatic Loss

United We Serve, United We Heal.

Find out more about Dr. Jordan here:

https://www.ariellenjordan.com/

#EmpoweredThroughCompassion #TraumaHealing #TherapyPodcast #HealingConversations #CompassionCentered #EMDRTherapy

Welcome to this latest episode. I am so thrilled to welcome back Jamie Marich to the podcast. In this episode we returned to Wicked and dove into a discussion about how Wicked: For Good can connect to therapy, trauma, parts, and of course politics.

Jamie is a leader in trauma treatment, EMDR, dissociation, queer-affirming healing, and expressive arts therapy. They are also the author of many important books and a powerful voice in the trauma community.

So, Jamie was a perfect guest to speak about how deeply Wicked has touched both of our systems, and how we can connect this powerful story to our work in the field. We explored some of the symbolic language of the movie, and how the narrative could be integrated into trauma work.

Wicked offers a story about oppression, identity, longing, courage, and hope. We can also see our political climate of fear and manipulation reflected in this story. The resistance to this, we learn, is friendship. 

A powerful message of this movie was how we can see things from multiple perspectives. It was great riffing on this with Jamie in this episode. We explored how Glinda was able to step outside of her "bubble" and observe some of the ways she was adding to the evil of the universe.

For my system it was also so interesting to see the multi-dimensional aspects of Glinda, and how she had a lot of sadness that was being exiled in her system.

It was so much fun to speak with Jamie about the magic in this movie, and about the magic of being a part of multiple worlds (such as Elphaba). Stepping out of our perspective, and being able to hold the multiplicity really does seem to enable magic! 

We even got a chance to speak about Jamie's new book, Queering EMDR, which is such a gift to the therapy community! I hope you enjoy this special episode!

You can learn more about Jamie's work at:

jamiemarich.com

Jamie's newest published book:

jamiemarich.substack.com

David's Substack:

empoweredthroughcompassion.substack.com.

In this episode of Empowered Through Compassion, I sit down with psychologist Dr. Tori Olds to explore the simple and profound act of slowing down. Tori is known for her clarity, depth, and ability to translate complex emotional processes into something the body can feel. Our conversation centers on what becomes possible when we pause long enough to listen to the quiet truths living inside us.

Together we explore Coherence Therapy and the idea that symptoms are not random. They are expressions of implicit emotional learning. These learnings often formed early in life, outside of conscious awareness, and continue to shape how we protect ourselves. Coherence Therapy gives us a way to bring these emotional truths into the light, making the implicit explicit. When people can see the juxtapositions or mismatches between what they consciously believe and what their inner emotional world holds as true, real transformation becomes possible.

Tori and I also talk about the elegance in the language and pacing of Internal Family Systems. Both of us have found that integration of models invites a more complete picture to understand how our inner systems are structured, and how we can heal trauma. 

If you have ever felt stuck in the same emotional patterns, or sensed that something deeper is guiding your reactions, this conversation offers insight into what is going on in your mind and how it connects to your emotional history. This episode is an invitation to turn toward all of it with compassion.

#EmpoweredThroughCompassion

In this episode of Empowered through Compassion, I sit down with psychotherapist, trauma expert and peace-journalism pioneer Annabel McGoldrick to explore one of the most urgent humanitarian crises of our time: the crisis in Palestine. We spoke about how healing works, and the importance of connection, balance and equality.

Annabel brings together nearly 25 years as a clinician specializing in trauma, EMDR and IFS-informed therapy, alongside her earlier career and passion in peace journalism. She has a deep commitment to opening up dialogue even for difficult and needed topics. We speak about how the silencing by our field, of the horrors that have been going on in Palestine feels antithetical to the healing work we are tasked to do.

Together, we explore how the story of Gaza has been told, and discuss how it might be re-told in ways that reclaim the voices of the those who continue to be oppressed and subjugated in this space. 

Annabel's event that she is organizing is called "Breaking the Silence: Trauma Therapists Talk about Gaza." Gabor Mate will be the guest of honor. You can buy tickets here: 

https://events.humanitix.com/breaking-the-silence-trauma-therapists-talk-about-gaza

The event will feature trauma therapists and activists to share wisdom and reflect on what it takes to truly listen to Palestinian voices, to understand deep collective wounds, and to consider how trauma-informed care intersects with humanitarian justice.

There will be emotionally powerful conversation, reminding us that amid conflict and pain, we have the power to listen to provide our presence, which are radical acts of peace! 

If you’re drawn to conversations that sit at the intersection of power, trauma, identity and hope, this episode is for you! I’m deeply grateful to Annabel for her generosity of voice and for modeling what it looks like to hold suffering with complexity and dignity.

You can find out more information about Annabel at her website:

https://emdrinsight.com 

In this episode of Empowered Through Compassion, I sit down with clinician-trainer Michelle Richardson, who is the co-founder of the Syzygy Institute. Michelle is a leading voice in integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. We explore how these two powerful models can be woven together to create deeper healing. Michelle shares how she has found how creating space and building meaningful relationships with protector parts can in itself be extremely healing.

Whether you’re an EMDR therapist looking for parts-work fluency, or an IFS practitioner exploring reprocessing protocols, this episode offers actionable insights, clinical humility & relational depth. Tune in to find out how you can deepen your clinical toolkit, and expand your confidence in parts-informed trauma work.

Syzygy:

https://www.syzygyinstitute.com/

Michelle's Practice:

https://mindfulsoulwellbeing.com/

#EmpoweredThroughCompassion #ETCmodel #IFS #EMDR #IFSInformedEMDR #SyzygyInstitute #TraumaTherapy #TherapyTraining #PartsWork #TraumaInformed

In this episode of I speak with Musenge Luchembe, a gifted ecotherapist, licensed psychotherapist, and IFS-certified clinician who was a program assistant when I took my IFIO (Intimacy From the Inside Out) training.

In this episode, Musenge and I dive into how nature and the natural world can support deep healing, bringing together her work in ecotherapy, somatic modalities and couples work. She shares reflections on how being held by the land, the elements, and relational attunement fosters integration and opens the way toward wholeness.

You can find more about Musenge on her website: Musenge.com

Here is a special bonus to the upcoming episode with Musenge Luchembe. Throught this special ecotherapy meditation, she invites us to become a non-human being, and reconnect with nature's deeper and majestical powers.  This invites us into a space within that is quiet, spacious and alive. 

It's one of those moments you'll want to keep revisiting. And each time you return, you'll be able to find something new. 

Music is more than just sound, it’s a universal language that connects us and heals us. In this episode, I sit down with Alison Hughey, a gifted music therapist who brings people together through the power of music. From adults who are neurodivergent and struggle with stillness, to individuals living with dementia, Alison creates pathways of safety and belonging through sound.

Our conversation explores how music reaches the into the unconscious parts of us, and deep into our body and stirs powerful memories and emotions. Alison shares how the nervous system can be calmed through melodies, beats, lyrics, singing and movement. 

We also talk about music as a tool for emotional expression. For trauma survivors, songwriting or playing music can help release a variety of feelings from anger to grief to anxiety. For those with dementia, familiar songs can connect them to happy moments in their past. 

Alison’s dogs even joins the conversation, adding to the ambience and authenticity of the episode by singing their own rendition of, “Let’s All Bark at the Lawn Mower Guy.”

It was such a pleasure speaking with Alison about music, and taking a deeper dive into the magic of music therapy. 

Find out more about Alison:

On Instagram: @composeyourselfcare

On the web: Carolinamusictherapy.com

This special bonus episode features a guided meditation from Corey, continuing our conversation from Part 2. Corey invites us into his "IFS Love Practice" demonstrating how he connects with his parts in a very accepting and compassionate way. This meditation is a powerful tool for inner healing, and I hope this inspires you to take some time to experience a deep connection within. 

#IFS #Meditation #InnerHealing #GuidedMeditation #SelfCompassion #MindfulnessPodcast #TraumaHealing

In this second conversation with Corey Busch, we explore the difference between using Internal Family Systems (IFS) for healing and for awakening. Corey has developed what he calls the IFS Love Practice, a way of blending mindful meditation with IFS. In this practice, a part is accepted just the way it shows up. It does not need to relax back, or change, or be healed. It already is OK.

Together, we reflect on:

* How awakening can be a practice of settling into what is already here, rather than striving for change.

* How mindful meditation can be used in IFS to reassure parts that they are welcome exactly as they are

* The invitation to parts that they can change or not change (however they see fit).

* The many “flavors” of love, and the ocean-like OK-ness of Self.

This conversation reminds us that love and acceptance aren’t something our parts need to earn, but rather they can "awaken to" and feel how this energy is already around them. 

To find out more about Corey, check out his website:

coreybusch.com/

We also celebrate our love and admiration for Sid, who can be found here:

effortlessifs.com 

#InternalFamilySystems #IFS #PartsWork #SelfHealing #TraumaHealing #Mindfulness #Meditation #Awakening #SelfAcceptance #Compassion #HealingJourney #Podcast