I AM MY Passion Project

What is going on in the online dating world? Is it full of empathetic/loving men, the ghosts of princes, or narcissists trying to make you feel like a rube? In this episode of I Am My Passion Project author Michelle Traub shares insights and tips that will help keep women dipping their toes into online dating, or those already fully immersed in the waters, feeling more empowered and safe.

Michelle Gibeault Traub is a writer, healing coach, and dietitian with a master’s degree in integrative health. More importantly, she is a sensitive empath who brings intuition and compassion to her work. Michelle’s book, “Online Dating for Sensitive Women,” is much needed dating guidance for all women, especially those who have been in or want to avoid being in a toxic or narcissistic relationship. This is the book she desperately wished she had when she experienced the challenges of online dating following her difficult divorce. 

Michelle draws from decades of experience in natural healing, yoga, meditation, astrology, and more to empower women to be their best. Follow Michelle at HappyHealthyHer.com, where she shares free natural healing tools, inspiration, and empowerment support.

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Dill Ward's great passion is creating energized & joyful social events that build community, inspire business development, and promote the work of women with her organization called Women with Moxie, courageous women in business. 

After hosting over 250 events both in person and online, Dill still sees a great need for women to continue to gather, lift each other up, and create a micro-economy within their social groups.

Dill literally has a sort of glow about her—kind of like a special unicorn complete with pixie dust and rainbows, and has a heart-centered approach to everything she does. The reason I thought she would be a great women to have on this season is that she truly is doing the hard work of making the world a better place for women by creating safe spaces for women to network.

She’s also a kickass sales person. She inspires me every time I talk to her and I’m happy to have her on I AM My Passion Project to spread her infectious motivation!

How to connect with Dill:

https://www.womenwithmoxie.com/cpages/home

IG: @dillwardgroup and @womenwithmoxie

FB: https://www.facebook.com/womenwithmoxie

email: [email protected]

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I Am My Passion Project has a new segment called, 50 Shades of Sexism! This new episode is a platform for co-hosts Darina Neyret and Lorna Nakell to apply a feminist lense to classic American Movies. You can have your favorite movies and think that they're non-threatening, charming, or "fun for the whole family" (as the trailer voice over would suggest). Or maybe you like more challenging psychological movies, dramas, or horror films. But, what we don't often think about when we're enjoying our favorite genres is that most of them have some element of sexism. That's because, unfortunately, sexism is so pervasive in our society. And, sexism and objectification, when it's so entwined in the media (either overtly or covertly), can cause a type of normalization which is harmful to all humans because of the way women become dehumanized and devalued.

So, in the service of helping make the world a better place for women (this season's theme), in this segment, Darina and Lorna point out the feminist pain-points in American films and offer creative suggestions for scripts, dialogue, etc., that they think would provide one of our favorite pastimes (movie watching) with more gender equality.

The movie that's up for some scrutinizing in this episode: Love Actually.

I Am My Passion Project has a new segment called, 50 Shades of Sexism! This new episode is a platform for co-hosts Darina Neyret and Lorna Nakell to apply a feminist lense to classic American Movies. You can have your favorite movies and think that they're non-threatening, charming, or "fun for the whole family" (as the trailer voice over would suggest). Or maybe you like more challenging psychological movies, dramas, or horror films. But, what we don't often think about when we're enjoying our favorite genres is that most of them have some element of sexism. That's because, unfortunately, sexism is so pervasive in our society. And, sexism and objectification, when it's so entwined in the media (either overtly or covertly), can cause a type of normalization which is harmful to all humans because of the way women become dehumanized and devalued.

So, in the service of helping make the world a better place for women (this season's theme), in this segment, Darina and Lorna point out the feminist pain-points in American films and offer creative suggestions for scripts, dialogue, etc., that they think would provide one of our favorite pastimes (movie watching) with more gender equality.

The movie that's up for some scrutinizing in this episode: Love Actually.

The current population of the world is approximately 8 billion people. That’s a lot. That’s a lot of people like you and me living through some challenges; shuffling about, making decisions, building things, eating, pooping, having sex... Of that 8 billion people, 50.5% are male and 49.5% are female. That seems pretty equal right—almost half and half? I would think control would be split right down the middle between men and women. So, then how is it that we live in a patriarchal society; a society designed by men for men?

In this season of I Am My Passion Project titled, "Let's Redesign the World as a Better and Safer Place for Women" we delve into issues of safety, functionality, and accessibility for women. You'll hear from several thought leaders in a variety of industries who have made significant contributions to help end sexism, provide education around gender equality, and provide safe spaces for women. And, you'll find hope and inspiration for ways that you can either continue making your own current contributions, or use your passions and creativity to come up with new solutions.

Stay connected:

• Keep up with I AM MY Passion Project’s latest episodes and related content by signing up for the newsletter at Womanhouse
• Follow @womanhouseprojects on IG for inspiration and updates

• Purchase, I Am Reclaiming Me: A Betrayed Partner's Daily Practice Journal for Women by Lorna Nakell
• Sign up for upcoming workshops and retreats

Note: I earn commissions from sponsored links.

While the holidays can be challenging for many folks for a variety of reasons (dealing with travel, having to spend time with extended family that you might not get along with, trying to stay on track with eating and spending money, etc.) it can be especially hard for couples who are additionally dealing with recovery from betrayal trauma. I'm talking specifically about the type of trauma when a spouse has been addicted to sex and/or porn. No matter what stage of recovery the betraying partner is in, or his wife who has been betrayed, the holidays can stir up some darkness. Folks who listened to season 1, episode 4 know that I know what recovery from betrayal is like. So, with this bonus episode, I offer the partners who are trying their darndest to be in healthy recovery, a conversation with Heidi Kinsella in hopes that you can receive some validation for the work you have done and gain some tips for staying healthy and connected.

Heidi is the President and Clinical Director at Fourth Dimension Counseling & Coaching, a group practice in Washington State that serves Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Arizona, California, and New York.  Heidi specializes in working with people who have been affected by sex addiction, infidelity, pornography, and substance abuse, including betrayal trauma.  She works with individuals, couples, families, groups and runs workshops and intensives at her ranch Maple Valley, Washington, which includes Equine Assisted Therapy.

She holds a National Certification as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Supervisor, a Certified Partner Trauma Therapist Supervisor, and a Certified Multiple Addictions Therapist from the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals, and is a licensed Substance Use Disorder Professional for the state of Washington. She also is a Certified Clinical Partner Specialist through The Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS). You can learn more about her extensive qualifications on her website: fourthdimensioncounseling.com

Stay connected:

• Keep up with I AM MY Passion Project’s latest episodes and related content by signing up for the newsletter at Womanhouse
• Follow @womanhouseprojects on IG for inspiration and updates

• Purchase, I Am Reclaiming Me: A Betrayed Partner's Daily Practice Journal for Women by Lorna Nakell
• Sign up for upcoming workshops and retreats

Note: I earn commissions from sponsored links.

I know you might have thought that season 1 was done, but here we are with a bonus episode. For this episode I interview the renowned expert on our pornified culture, Dr. Gail Dines. During our lively conversation she explains how girls and women are forced by our society into one of two roles: we're either be f*ckable, or invisible. What do you choose?

Dr. Gail Dines, a Professor Emerita of Sociology, has been researching and writing about the porn industry for well over thirty years. She is a recipient of the Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in North America, and author of numerous books and articles. Her latest book, Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, has been translated into five languages.

Dr. Dines is the founding president and CEO of the non-profit, Culture Reframed. Dedicated to building resilience and resistance in children and youth to the harms of a hypersexualized and pornified society, Culture Reframed develops cutting-edge educational programs that promote healthy development, relationships, and sexuality.

Dr. Dines has worked with organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, The Centers for Disease Control, The International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, as well as government bodies in the US, Brazil, UK, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Canada. She regularly appears on CNN, NPR, BBC, CBC, and writes for media outlets such as The Guardian, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and The Boston Globe.

Learn more about Culture Reframed

Watch a Ted Talk by Dr. Gail Dines

Purchase Pornland by Dr. Gail Dines

Stay connected:

• Keep up with I AM MY Passion Project’s latest episodes and related content by signing up for the newsletter at Womanhouse
• Follow @womanhouseprojects on IG for inspiration and updates

• Purchase, I Am Reclaiming Me: A Betrayed Partner's Daily Practice Journal for Women by Lorna Nakell
• Sign up for upcoming workshops and retreats

Note: I earn commissions from sponsored links.

It can take less than 11 seconds for a 9-year-old child to access hard-core porn on the internet without a credit card and without proof of age.

This episode shines an olympic-sized spotlight on the abuses that porn has on individuals watching porn, taking part in it as a performer, and on children being exploited by it. And, what was surprising to me as the interviewer was to learn about the dirty tactics that companies that we love use to profit from sexual exploitation and the porn industry.

My guest for this episode is Haley McNamara, the Director of the International Centre on Sexual Exploitation (INCOSE) in the UK, and a Vice President at the U.S. based National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE). She leads international efforts and joint campaigns to improve policies and education among global governing bodies, citizenry, and corporations regarding the full web of sexual exploitation issues. Her advocacy work has contributed to policy improvements in social media, online advertising, retail, and hotel industries. She has advocated against sexual exploitation to the United Nations, led international coalition campaigns, and presented to many government officials including Danish, Croatian, Colombian and Rwandan.

Haley regularly speaks and writes on topics including child sexual abuse, sex trafficking, prostitution, sexual objectification, the exploitation of males, and more. She has appeared on, or been quoted in, several outlets; the shortlist of which is the New York Times, NBC’s The Today Show, and BBC News. She has also written op-eds for another impressive list of outlets including the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, FoxNews.com, Washington Examiner. 

But, her reach doesn’t end there; she has also contributed to a digital middle school curriculum regarding the links between sex trafficking and pornography as well as the public health impacts of sex trafficking.

If you want to learn about the impacts of porn addiction on relationships you can listen to episode 4 and 7 of this podcast to hear personal stories—one of which is my own.

You can access the DIRTY DOZEN that NCOSE puts out annually here.

Learn how you can TAKE ACTION with NCOSE here.

Instagram: @endexploitation

Facebook: Center on Sexual Exploitation

RESOURCES:

Betrayal Trauma Recovery, "Is Pornography a Feminist Issue"

Gail Dines, "Growing Up in a Pornified Culture"

Stay connected:

• Keep up with I AM MY Passion Project’s latest episodes and related content by signing up for the newsletter at Womanhouse
• Follow @womanhouseprojects on IG for inspiration and updates

• Purchase, I Am Reclaiming Me: A Betrayed Partner's Daily Practice Journal for Women by Lorna Nakell
• Sign up for upcoming workshops and retreats

Note: I earn commissions from sponsored links.

If you think health and wellness has to go downhill after 50, or even 40, think again. My guest for this episode proves by example that with the right nutrition and fitness plan it's possible to not just age well but reach big health goals—even in your 70s.

At 77, Dr. Maria Sheehan is a natural body fitness competitor winning multiple gold and silver medals in bikini, swimsuit and sports model categories in international competitions since 2017. Her academic degrees include two master’s degrees and a doctorate, and she holds certifications as a personal trainer and health coach.

She has been featured on the Aging and Awesome TV series and is a sought-after speaker for audiences wishing to improve their health and turn back time.

She offers online programs and Aging Agelessly retreats in Panama and Costa Rica. I discovered her on Instagram and was impressed by her empowering content and the stunning images from her retreats. I think you might find her strength training call to action as motivational as I did.

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"What good is sitting alone in a room? Come hear the music play.—come taste the wine, start celebrating. Right this way, your table's waiting," sings actor Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. The message: do the best you can to overcome your hardships so that you can live life as full as you're able and go out with a bang. That outlook exemplifies the spirit of my guest for episode 8, Leah Baer.

Leah just began her 79th year and sees these late last years on earth as an adventure. She’s dedicated to helping women and resisting patriarchy in all its forms. Leah is a writer, storyteller, actor, poet, parent, grandparent, & lover of life. Her motto is: “My old age—where Thanatos & Eros meet—is my beginning.” Her writing has been published in VoiceCatcher, Unchaste Readers, Gleam & Women’s E News. She’s done storytelling and public speaking at Roar: Fierce Female Voices, Corporeal Writing, Booklovers Burlesque, and for Planned Parenthood & the NW Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

As part of her “old age is an adventure” project, she has recently taken a couple of voice lessons. And, I goaded her into singing a song for this episode—with me!

Leah is currently working on her one-woman show, “The Shimmer of Other Lives,” which will debut in the Fall of 2023.

You can find her on FB and IG @baerleah

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