📺 Watch on YouTube and Spotify

“It’s very important for parents to have their own sense of purpose and their own dreams. The idea that parents are going to vicariously live through their kids…I think is extremely dangerous,” says holistic healer and former top national tennis player Dane Esses, who joins Mental Health in a Modern World to explore the hidden emotional costs that come with achievement-driven childhoods. Dane opens up about how the pressures of elite sports and unspoken family expectations created a pattern of tying self-worth to performance—leaving a legacy of anxiety, burnout, and addiction that often follows athletes into adulthood.

In this episode, Dane shares his journey from chasing temporary relief through winning on the court to finding genuine healing by unraveling the deep-rooted contracts formed in his family system. Alongside host Greg Schmaus, he explains why so many athletes and high-performers struggle after stepping out of the spotlight, the dangers of families outsourcing fulfillment to their children, and how to finally break free from generational patterns of guilt, people-pleasing, and “performing to keep the peace.”

Tune in to Mental Health in a Modern World for an inside look at Dane’s process—including a powerful live demo of parts work and family constellations—to discover what it really takes to transition from performance to authenticity, reclaim self-worth, and become the hero of your own story.

Unlock your potential and heal old wounds with these five powerful actions inspired by this episode:

1. Examine Your Motivation: Reflect on whether your drive to perform is rooted in your own passion or in the need to please others, especially family members.

2. Identify and Release Unhealthy Contracts: Practice naming and consciously letting go of unconscious contracts you've made to carry others' happiness or define your worth through external achievement.

3. Prioritize Authenticity Over Performance: Embrace play and enjoyment in your pursuits, allowing your true self to emerge rather than being ruled by competition or approval-seeking.

4. Set Emotional Boundaries: Recognize what emotional burdens are yours to carry and which belong to others, and return what's not yours to lighten your mind and body.

5. Engage in Daily Check-Ins: Implement a regular practice of self-reflection and playful activity to support integration, healing, and ongoing self-awareness.

Take the first step today—choose one action and commit to your own healing and authenticity!

Website - https://decodewithdane.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-esses-775a36307/

Paul Chek (holistic health and performance practitioner) - https://www.chekinstitute.com/

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“From my experience, when we are in our natural state of being, when we are in our unique vibration, we experience optimal health—but the further and further we get from our unique vibration, the more we create an opening for illness or dis-ease,” says Greg Schmaus, holistic health practitioner and integrative mental health coach, in this episode of Mental Health in a Modern World. Drawing on years of personal healing and thousands of client sessions, Greg Schmaus challenges the idea that more knowledge, consumption, or external achievement leads to wellbeing. Instead, he reveals how the essence of both healing and life itself is about letting go: subtraction, self-inquiry, and finding alignment with one's soul’s vibration.

Today, Greg Schmaus dives into the core of spirituality in a modern world, exploring how our inherited images of God—our Imago Dei—shape not only our spiritual outlook but also our archetypes of survival, our relationship with death, and ultimately our health. He unpacks how overstimulation, distraction, and “cheap dopamine” threaten our spiritual connection, and offers practical guidance for reclaiming intentionality, balancing creation versus consumption, and using meditative breathwork to access the heart—the true dwelling of the divine within us.

Tune in to Mental Health in a Modern World to discover how questioning your inherited beliefs—and living with deep intention—can unlock vitality, peace, and a greater sense of purpose.

Spiritual vitality in the modern world depends on tangible practices that align you with your unique vibration and empower conscious living. Start applying these today to transform your connection with yourself and the world.

1. Prioritize daily silence and solitude to access your soul and the divine—schedule intentional quiet time in your routine.

2. Immerse yourself in nature often so you can directly experience the living divine—go outside, truly witness, and connect.

3. Limit overstimulation, cheap dopamine, and distractions—put down your phone, reduce processed foods, and reclaim your focus.

4. Balance creation and consumption—commit to making something as often as you consume, even in small ways like cooking your own meals or creating content.

5. Set clear intentions for your actions and choices—before you eat, go online, or take any action, clarify your “why,” and choose consciously.

Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell (Translation) - https://amzn.to/3Vv1pdA

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“The more we build this relationship with our parts, the less they take over our system… the more we can be what's called self-led and work for our parts rather than from our parts, which is really a beautiful step in creating the life that we want,” says Greg Schmaus, holistic health practitioner and creator of the Internal Family Systems-inspired approach to mental health, on Mental Health in a Modern World.

After overcoming severe anxiety and OCD in his own life, Greg Schmaus dedicated over a decade to helping others heal using a unique fully integrated approach—fusing psycho-emotional healing, mindfulness, lifestyle coaching, and archetypal work. In this illuminating episode, he breaks down the art and science of “parts work”—a compassionate method for understanding and transforming the “managers,” “firefighters,” and “exiles” inside us all. Far from pathologizing behaviors like perfectionism, people-pleasing, or even addiction, Greg Schmaus explains how such patterns are protective in nature, and invites listeners into an experiential practice for unblending and befriending these inner parts.

Tune in to this week’s episode of Mental Health in a Modern World to discover how shifting your relationship to your internal system can create the foundation for genuine healing, self-leadership, and inner peace.

Unlock deeper self-understanding and healing by integrating parts work into your daily life.

1. Recognize and name the different parts within yourself—such as managers, firefighters, and exiles—to better understand your inner world [00:03:39](/timestamps/219).

2. Practice unblending by separating your core self from reactive or protective parts, allowing you to respond with compassion instead of reactivity [00:14:15](/timestamps/855).

3. Build a compassionate relationship with your parts by speaking for them rather than from them, reducing inner conflict and external drama [00:16:06](/timestamps/966).

4. Use the 6 Fs practice—Find, Focus, Flesh out, Feel toward, identify Fear, and Befriend—to systematically work with your protector parts [00:30:15](/timestamps/1815).

5. Regularly check in with your parts, maintaining an ongoing self-led relationship to promote healing and greater self-sovereignty [00:30:50](/timestamps/1850).

Start your practice today—choose one part, listen in, and take the first step toward a more harmonious inner world.

No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz - https://amzn.to/4c88Yp3

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“When your inner world becomes your whole environment, it really magnifies how much the mind creates our reality, how much our perceptual experience dictates our experience. Heaven or hell is really dependent on our state of consciousness.”

In this riveting solo episode of Mental Health in a Modern World, holistic health practitioner Greg Schmaus recounts his profound journey through a four-day darkness retreat in Poland—a spiritual technology used for centuries by shamans and Tibetan monks to catalyze advanced states of consciousness. Greg shares how this unique immersion in absolute darkness stripped away every external reference point, forcing him to confront the parts of himself he’d previously tried to escape.

He explores how the absence of light, time, and distraction brought him face-to-face with his attachments, routines, and sense of identity, ultimately allowing him to experience both deep peace and challenging moments—proving that mental state is everything. Greg describes the physiological reset, the emergence of endogenous visionary states, and the powerful spiritual lessons that led him to reconnect with his authentic self and the feminine aspect of divinity.

Tune in to Mental Health in a Modern World to discover how subtracting all external stimulation can illuminate the light within, and why embracing the void may be the medicine modern life so desperately needs.

Darkness teaches us that true healing and self-connection come from subtraction, surrender, and direct experience with our inner world.

1. Spend regular time in silence and solitude, removing distractions and external stimuli, to reconnect deeply with your authentic self.

2. Practice releasing attachments to routines, schedules, and the need for control—notice what expands in you when you let go.

3. Tune into your body’s natural rhythms without relying on external cues; eat, rest, and move based on internal signals rather than the clock.

4. Embrace both moments of bliss and discomfort as they arise—meet your entire inner landscape with curiosity, not avoidance.

5. Use mindful eating and sensory practices to become more present, attentive, and intuitive in your daily life.

Dare to step into your own darkness—unplug, let go, and discover the powerful light within you.

"All that's left is who you are without any outer reference points, which is such a more expansive, natural, truer, more authentic identity."

"In a world full of addition—more information, more material goods, more education, more things to consume—perhaps the greatest medicine is subtraction."

"What you're really afraid of in the darkness is what you're filling the darkness with, which is you. The fear of the darkness is really the fear of our own shadow, the fear of our own mind and the parts of us we’ve cast into the darkness."

Aubrey Marcus Podcast (Darkness Retreat episode & documentary) - https://www.aubreymarcus.com/pages/podcast

Ram Dass (Spiritual Teachings) - https://www.ramdass.org/

The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu - https://amzn.to/3XCWWD4

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“When you can quiet the mind and there’s not a wave or a ripple, that’s when you experience the true reflection of yourself—and the true reflection of reality,” says holistic health practitioner Greg Schmaus, who returns to Mental Health in a Modern World for a powerful solo episode on one of the most daunting challenges of our time: quieting a racing mind in an age of constant overstimulation. Drawing on his own journey overcoming severe anxiety and OCD, Greg dives into the real roots of mental chatter, unpacking why traditional approaches so often backfire and revealing how our thinking mind works more as a protector—like a loyal but overzealous watchdog—than a true enemy.

In this episode, Greg lays out the paradoxes of mind, why what you resist persists, and how befriending negative and intrusive thoughts leads to authentic inner calm. He shares two transformative meditation techniques (one for cultivating attention, the other for awareness), plus practical frameworks from Jungian psychology, Internal Family Systems, and Taoist wisdom. Greg also explores the powerful interplay between breath and thought, demonstrating how simple physical practices can break the loop of mental chaos.

Tune in to Mental Health in a Modern World to learn how to move beyond duality, train your “unruly puppy” of a mind, and discover how stillness is the gateway to your truest self.

Quieting a racing mind is possible with practical tools and self-understanding—here are five powerful actions you can take today:

1. **Practice Sustained Attention**: Use breath counting meditation daily—focus your attention on the in-breath and out-breath through your nose, counting up to 10, and gently return focus whenever your mind wanders.

2. **Cultivate Open Awareness**: Spend time each day in the “watchtower,” observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations without attachment or aversion; when you get hooked, simply note “thinking” and return to observing.

3. **Feel to Quiet the Mind**: When your mind is racy, ask yourself, “What am I resisting feeling right now?”—drop into your body and allow yourself to fully feel emotions, noticing how this naturally settles your thoughts.

4. **Befriend Negative and Intrusive Thoughts**: Instead of fighting or replacing negative or intrusive thoughts, thank them as protectors, and welcome them like an old friend for tea, turning resistance into curiosity and gratitude.

5. **Regulate with Breathwork and Movement**: Use practices like square breathing (inhale, hold, exhale, hold—each for four counts) and walking meditations matched to your breath to calm both mind and body.

Take one of these steps today—commit to a mindful moment and begin reclaiming your inner peace.

Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell (Translation) - https://amzn.to/3VK4CCQ

Open Focus Brain by Les Fehmi - https://amzn.to/3VKeTiJ

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it’ll rule your life and you’ll call it fate,” says Josh Trent, host of the Wellness and Wisdom podcast, who joins Mental Health in a Modern World to illuminate what true mental health really means in an era of speed and disconnection. Josh shares how his own early childhood trauma, from witnessing his mother’s struggle with mental illness to feeling abandoned and unsafe, became both his great wound and his eventual gift—fueling a lifelong journey to wholeness and authenticity.

In today’s episode, Josh traces his evolution from soul-numbing corporate work and addictive coping strategies to helping thousands through integrated healing that honors mind, body, and spirit. He reveals why so many symptoms of “mental illness” are actually threads pointing to deeper stories of self-abandonment, inherited trauma, and the masks we’re forced to wear to survive. Josh unpacks “emotional epigenetics,” explores the liberation that comes from radical self-responsibility and integration of all parts of self, and issues a clarion call for the return of true elders and embodied wisdom in our culture.

Tune into this compelling conversation to discover why chasing the “why” can be a fool’s game, how to break cycles of generational pain, and how presence, curiosity, and authentic connection are the bedrock of both personal and collective wellness.

Transforming your mental health starts with practical steps—let these actions guide your integration and healing journey.

1. Identify and Integrate Abandoned Parts of Self

Trace your symptoms and patterns back to the inner parts you may have exiled or rejected, then work to accept and reintegrate them for authentic wholeness [13:40](/timestamps/820).

2. Stop Excavating for "Why" and Focus on "What Happened"

Shift your healing inquiry from searching for reasons to clearly recognizing what occurred, allowing you to integrate lessons and move forward [23:01](/timestamps/1381).

3. Use the Liberation Loop Model for Transformational Change

Map your beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and actions (BTFA) in reverse to uncover core limiting beliefs, then consciously cultivate new beliefs through trust, faith, and consistent evidence-seeking action [01:02:40](/timestamps/3760).

4. Seek True Elders and Community for Support

Find guidance and healing within genuine community and elders—those whose embodied wisdom, humility, and presence can support your transformation [43:01](/timestamps/2581).

5. Make Curiosity and Self-Responsibility Daily Practices

Adopt a radically curious mindset and embrace ongoing self-inquiry; celebrate mistakes and remain open to growth instead of defending beliefs or identities [51:31](/timestamps/3091).

Start your journey today: pick one takeaway and put it into practice—your path to integration begins with a single, authentic step.

Website - wellnesswisdom.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtrent

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joshtrentofficial/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WellnessF/

X - https://x.com/wellnessforce

It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn - https://amzn.to/4i9ofqS

No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Dr. Richard Schwartz - https://amzn.to/3JU9JzY

How to Know Higher Worlds by Rudolf Steiner - https://amzn.to/44DaI28

Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill - https://amzn.to/3VJ5Rbh

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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"A lot of what we call disease is really just dis-ease with this mismatch of what we are designed for versus what we find ourselves in today," says Jeff Bohnen, psychiatry resident and holistic health practitioner, who joins Mental Health in a Modern World to illuminate why much of modern psychiatry misses the mark on both the root and treatment of mental illness.

Trained in both Western medicine and holistic health, Jeff Bohnen shares his inside perspective on the tension between pharmaceutical-driven psychiatric care and science-backed natural interventions like nutrition, movement, and spiritual health. He reveals why SSRI antidepressants (and the infamous "chemical imbalance" model) are far less effective than patients are led to believe—citing the real research numbers that pharmaceutical companies don't want you to know—and how vital factors such as vitamin D status, the gut-brain axis, and even daily sunlight are overlooked in mainstream mental health care.

Jeff Bohnen draws on both research and firsthand experience to explain how symptoms like depression and anxiety are the body’s intelligent but maladaptive attempts to cope with an artificial environment—akin to trying to swim a fish in sand. He outlines how common psychiatric diagnoses are often merely 'disorders of the human experience' calling for more than a pill or label, and offers a path forward for people and practitioners who are ready for a radically integrated approach.

Listen to this episode of Mental Health in a Modern World to discover what most psychiatrists never learned in med school, which interventions outperform antidepressants in clinical trials, and how the future of mental health will require us to reclaim ancient wisdom as much as cutting-edge science.

This episode is a wake-up call to approach mental health with greater depth, curiosity, and self-honesty—here are five powerful ways to take action starting today:

1. Address the Basics First: Prioritize quality sleep, reduce caffeine, eat whole foods, and establish a safe environment as the fundamental building blocks of mental well-being.

2. Embrace Holistic Tools: Integrate exercise, nutrition, meditation, breathwork, and time in nature into your daily routine—these accessible practices can outshine medications for many.

3. Question the Status Quo: Think critically about the effectiveness of psychiatric medications and explore evidence-based alternatives; don’t accept the "chemical imbalance" narrative at face value.

4. Personalize Your Healing: Align your approach to what resonates with your values and beliefs, whether it’s therapy, lifestyle changes, or spiritual exploration—your buy-in is essential for success.

5. Take Ownership and Get Curious: Don’t wait for the medical model to catch up; seek out research, question your symptoms, investigate micronutrient deficiencies, and become an advocate for your own health.

Start today—pick one small change from this list and make it yours.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbohnen

Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - https://amzn.to/3VE3Oro

Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - https://amzn.to/3z6zmBo

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) by American Psychiatric Association - https://amzn.to/4bte2E1

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“We’re part of this flow of life—and to get back to harmonizing our mind, our spirit, our body involves being in nature and being connected with all of those things,” says Jonny Suarez, doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, who joins Mental Health in a Modern World to reveal how the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine illuminates the path to true mental, physical, and spiritual health.

Jonny Suarez shares how his childhood obsession with kung fu films began a lifelong pursuit of the ‘warrior monk’ archetype, leading him into Chinese martial arts, holistic fitness, and a deep dive into Eastern healing. On the podcast, he unpacks how traditional Chinese medicine views the body not as a set of disconnected parts, but as an integrated system linking mind, body, and spirit—and why this makes it so radically effective for addressing chronic pain, emotional distress, traumas, and mental health challenges where Western medicine falls short.

He reveals how Chinese medicine’s focus on harmonizing and strengthening the body contrasts with the Western pharmaceutical tendency to block or suppress symptoms; why early life experiences—like the birth process and the mother-child bond—reverberate through adulthood in surprising ways; and how practices like time in nature and “shaking Qigong” restore balance lost to the overstimulation of modern life.

If you want a mind-expanding look at the connections between ancient wisdom, modern suffering, and true healing in the age of anxiety, tune in to this week’s Mental Health in a Modern World episode with Jonny Suarez.

Immerse yourself in these powerful ancient principles and rediscover harmony in your mind, body, and spirit.

1. Spend intentional time in nature to ground yourself and disconnect from overstimulation and devices.
2. Practice simple body-shaking Qigong daily to clear stagnant energy, rebalance your system, and return to center.
3. Prioritize nourishing connections—whether with loved ones or through self-care rituals—to build vital Yin (restorative) energy.
4. Address your health holistically: focus on strengthening and harmonizing your body’s systems, rather than just suppressing symptoms.
5. Create pockets of stillness throughout your day to counter the fracturing of your attention and reclaim clarity of mind.

Choose one to begin today and start your return to balance.

Website - https://unifiedfma.com/

Shaking Qigong (General reference; video resources available on YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shaking+qigong

Paul Chek’s Holistic Health and Nutrition Courses - https://chekinstitute.com/

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“We are metaphor, that we're made of metaphor. And so the issues that we have and the problems that we have with people are metaphors for the places where our brains are tied in knots and need to be untied and untangled so that we can become whoever it was brains were meant to be— in their snowflake, completely unique incarnation in the world.” says Sarah Peyton, researcher, teacher, and author specializing in relational neuroscience and nonviolent communication, who joins Mental Health in a Modern World for an unforgettable exploration of healing, trauma, and the forces shaping who we become.

Sarah Peyton draws on revolutionary findings in neuroscience, family constellation work, and her own lived experience to explain why so many of our struggles are rooted in inherited patterns, unconscious contracts, and a deep need for resonance and accompaniment—rather than advice or “fixes.” In this conversation, Greg Schmaus invites Sarah Peyton to unpack the science and soul of how trauma disrupts our natural capacity for connection, why metaphor is a biological language of the brain, and how precision and warmth together create the conditions for transformation.

Discover how the roles played by our earliest caregivers, unacknowledged grief, and “sabotaging” habits all point to what the nervous system has done to ensure our survival—and what’s truly required for lasting change. Listen to learn why we unconsciously replicate our family dynamics throughout life, how to uncover hidden “carrots” underlying self-sabotage, and what it really means to become the unique person your brain was always meant to be.

Discover transformative tools for healing, growth, and self-awareness from this episode. Start implementing these actionable steps in your own journey today:

1. Cultivate Resonance: Practice offering others both precision and warmth in your communication to foster emotional connection and relaxation in the body 05:53.
2. Embrace Metaphor: Use and notice metaphor in your language as a way to better understand yourself and create deeper connection with others 10:11.
3. Prioritize Accompaniment over Advice: When supporting others, focus on being present and attuned rather than jumping straight to advice-giving 11:28.
4. Identify and Update Unconscious Contracts: Reflect on self-sabotaging or restrictive patterns in your life, discover the hidden commitments driving them, and consciously choose healthier, updated behaviors 27:24.
5. Recognize and Heal Family and Ancestral Patterns: Notice how family imprints and constellations shape your actions, and work to untangle and release what no longer serves you 54:38.

Take your next step—choose one actionable point, practice it this week, and witness meaningful change in your life.

Website - https://sarahpeyton.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/empathybrain

X - twitter.com/resonantself

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/sarahpeyton

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahpeytonauthor/

W.W. Norton Publishing - https://wwnorton.com/

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

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Embark on The HTM Journey

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“There are no good archetypes, there are no bad archetypes. All archetypes have 50% light and 50% shadow,” says holistic health practitioner Greg Schmaus, who returns to Mental Health in a Modern World for a deep dive into the four survival archetypes and the unconscious contracts that shape our healing journeys. Drawing on teachings from Caroline Myss, Sarah Peyton, and Richard Schwartz, Greg exposes how the child, victim, saboteur, and prostitute archetypes underpin not just our challenges but also our paths to reclaiming inner empowerment and agency.

This conversation explores how these primal patterns originate in childhood, the hidden agreements we make to secure safety, and how our light and shadow sides work together beneath the surface. Greg unpacks how these archetypes influence everything from trauma responses and chronic pain, to relationship dynamics and self-sabotage. He shares practical frameworks for identifying your own unconscious contracts—and guides listeners through a meditative exercise to “unblend and befriend” the parts of ourselves that hold us back, transforming internal enemies into allies for growth.

Listen in to Mental Health in a Modern World for a revelatory dialogue that challenges how we see our suffering, provides tools for practical self-inquiry, and invites you to a more empowered, integrated path toward healing.

Transform your healing journey by bringing awareness and agency to your foundational patterns—here’s how to start:

1. Identify which of the four survival archetypes (child, victim, saboteur, or prostitute) most influences your current patterns and reflect on its impact in your life.
2. Write out an unconscious contract you may hold with one archetype, detailing the agreement, behavior, benefit, and cost involved.
3. Practice the guided meditation to connect with the part of yourself carrying this contract, using curiosity and compassion to understand its fears and history 33:31.
4. Actively observe moments when you compromise your values, self-sabotage, or default to victimhood, and consciously choose a new response aligned with your empowered self.
5. Unblend and befriend your protective parts by expressing gratitude for their role, then reclaim more agency and sovereignty over your choices 43:12.

Start today: pick one archetype and take a small step toward compassionate self-awareness and transformation.

Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss - https://amzn.to/3VUzSPT

Your Resonant Self: Guided Meditations and Exercises to Engage Your Brain's Capacity for Healing by Sarah Peyton - https://amzn.to/3zK1g9V

Internal Family Systems Therapy by Richard C. Schwartz - https://amzn.to/4bZqUE3

Website - https://www.healing4d.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4d_healing/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@gregschmaus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-schmaus-22929589/

🎙️🎙️🎙️

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Mentioned in this episode:

Embark on The HTM Journey

MHMW - HTM

Embark on The HTM Journey

MHMW - HTM