In this episode, Dr. Natalie Gruber sits down with Dr. Dan Siegel to explore the transformative, healing power of kindness. Dr. Siegel explains how trauma reflects moments where kindness was compromised in the past, leading to protective mechanisms that make it harder to feel emotions or receive kindness.
This inaugural episode of Kindness in Action makes a new contribution to the field of trauma treatment, exploring how kindness is not just beneficial—but a conduit—for healing trauma and restoring hope and possibility.
Connecting to the heart’s innate capacity for kindness—using Dr. Gruber’s KIND practice—we can begin to free ourselves from the past, heal, and become a source of kindness for ourselves and others. They also explore how practices like forgiveness, equanimity, and benevolence create the safety we need to rest in pure awareness, awareness of awareness. Through Dr. Siegel’s Wheel of Awareness, we discover how this awareness connects us to the plane of possibility, where love and infinite potential await.
Ultimately, through the fusion of Dr. Siegel and Dr. Gruber’s work, kindness becomes a resource we can return to again and again—liberating us from the past, renewing our sense of hope, and guiding us toward a more benevolent, connected life. Learning that no matter what has happened to us in the past, and whether we have learned or received kindness ourselves, it is never too late. The capacity for kindness within us is inextinguishable.
A wide range of listeners will find this episode transformational, including anyone seeking to cultivate a more connected and expansive life.
About Dr. Dan Siegel
A world renowned neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Dan Siegel is the founder and director of education at the Mindsight Institute and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He is the founding editor of the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology and has overseen the publication of more than one hundred textbooks exploring the mind and mental health through this interdisciplinary lens. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dan completed his postgraduate training at UCLA in pediatrics and psychiatry. Dan is an award-winning educator and the author of five New York Times bestsellers. His work has been translated into over forty languages and spans parenting, clinical practice, meditation, and the field he created: interpersonal neurobiology. Dan’s work has deeply shaped how we understand the brain, relationships, trauma, and healing.
🔗 Explore Dr. Siegel’s work:
Website: https://drdansiegel.com
Books: https://drdansiegel.com/books/
Instagram: @drdansiegel
About Dr. Natalie Gruber
Dr. Natalie Gruber is a clinical social worker, researcher, and mindfulness-based coach who integrates neuroscience, compassion, and mindfulness to support healing and transformation. She is the founder of In Kind Company, helping leaders, healthcare professionals, and teams cultivate presence, resilience, and authentic connection. Through her signature KIND practice, Natalie guides individuals and organizations to harness kindness as a resource for growth, creativity, and well-being.
🔗 Connect with Natalie:
Website: https://nataliegruber.com/
Coaching & consulting: https://inkindcoaching.com/
Instagram: @drnataliegruber
Newsletter: In Kind Words
Podcast: Kindness in Action
