What if the hardest feelings you have as a mother are actually the most important ones? In this deeply honest conversation, Dympna sits down with psychotherapist, researcher, and author Dr. Margo Lowy to explore the concept of maternal ambivalence and why naming it might be the most liberating thing a mother can do.

Dr. Lowy brings over 45 years of personal and professional experience to this conversation, drawing from her book on maternal ambivalence, her PhD research, and her work as a practicing psychotherapist. She challenges the polished, one-dimensional portrait of motherhood we see in social media and offers something far more honest, and far more human, in its place.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• What maternal ambivalence actually means — and why it's so often misunderstood. (Hint: it's not indifference, and it's not just "mixed feelings.")

• Why the difficult, dark feelings of motherhood aren't signs that something is wrong — they are the experience.

• How shame builds up when we suppress our complicated feelings, and what it looks like when women begin to work through it.

• The power of three guiding mantras Dr. Lowy returns to throughout her work: mothering is messy, it's interrupted, and it's loving — all at once.

• Why the idea that you're "making it up as you go along" is actually a gift, not a failure.

• How mothering is a lifelong process of holding on and letting go — from newborns to teenagers to adult children.

• The role of self-forgiveness, flow, and fluidity in becoming the mother you want to be.

• Why who you surround yourself with matters enormously — and how to build your "team."

• How our children learn emotional regulation by watching us navigate our own feelings.

• Why the narrative of motherhood needs to shift from exclusive (either/or) to inclusive (and/and).

Resources & Links

• 📖 Dr. Margo Lowy's book: https://drmargolowy.com/book/

• ✍️ Read her monthly articles on Psychology Today: http://psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/margo-lowy-phd

• 🎬 Film recommendation: A Happy Event (French film, 2000s)

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What happens when medicine meets storytelling? Dr. Danielle Ofri — physician, author, and founder of the Bellevue Literary Review — joins Prescribing Possibility for a conversation that will stay with you.

From asking patients what it's actually like to be sick, to 125 people walking past a wall of missing persons posters on October 9th, 2001 and choosing, in their grief, to gather and listen to poetry — this episode is a beautiful reminder of why the arts belong at the heart of medicine.

Dr. Ofri shares how a simple question to medical students ("just tell the patient what it's like to have diabetes") sparked a literary journal that is now celebrating its 25th anniversary and 50th issue. She also opens up about her forthcoming book on facing our fears of death — and why leaning into that conversation might be the most universal thing we can do.

Her dose of inspiration? You don't have to publish something for it to be meaningful to have written.

🕐 TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction

01:25 – How the Bellevue Literary Review was born

05:00 – Celebrating 25 years & Issue 50

06:17 – Launching the journal on October 9th, 2001

07:37 – Why we turn to the arts in times of vulnerability

08:22 – Dr. Ofri's unexpected path to writing

13:09 – How BLR evolved after COVID

23:59 – BLR Writing Studio & upcoming events

26:34 – Celeste Ng, Abraham Verghese & the writers BLR helped launch

30:34 – Dr. Ofri's new book on facing the fear of death

32:44 – Dose of Inspiration: put your thoughts on the page

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

Bellevue Literary Review → blreview.org

Subscribe to the BLR Weekly Newsletter → https://blreview.org/product-category/subscriptions/

BLR Upcoming Events: https://blreview.org/blog/#events

BLR Writing Studio (launching soon)

✨ CONNECT WITH DR. DANIELLE OFRI

Website: danielleofri.com

Bellevue Literary Review: blreview.org

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blreview/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danielle_ofri/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellevue-literary-review/

🎙️ CONNECT WITH PRESCRIBING POSSIBILITY

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dympnaweil/

Website: https://www.dympnaweil.com/

Subscribe so you never miss an episode ❤️

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Have you ever just known something before it happened? Felt a presence you couldn't explain? Received a sign so undeniable you couldn't write it off as coincidence?

In this episode, I sit down with Julie Jancius — world-renowned angel expert, host of the Angels and Awakening podcast, and Angel Reiki master — for one of the most honest, grounded, and genuinely surprising conversations I've ever had on this show. Julie has a gift for making the "woo woo" feel completely approachable, and she backs it up with science, history, and her own deeply personal story.

Whether you've been skeptical of anything spiritual, or you've quietly had experiences you've never told anyone — this one is for you.

About Julie Jancius

Julie Jancius is a podcaster, writer, healer, and Angel Reiki master whose work bridges science and spirituality in a way that doesn't require you to abandon either.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Julie Jancius: https://theangelmedium.com/links

Podcast: Angels and Awakening (search on any podcast platform)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelpodcast

Julie's Podcast: Angels and Awakening — available wherever you listen to podcasts

Angel Reiki School (In-Person): April 10–12, Oakbrook, Illinois

Angel Membership: Weekly Wednesday night teachings + community

Book a Reading with Julie: Find her at the links below

The Arrival (film, 2016) — referenced as a surprising gateway to understanding intuition

The Telepathy Tapes Podcast — referenced in discussion about sudden savant syndrome and consciousness

Connect with Dr. Dympna Weil

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.dympnaweil.com/

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In this episode, Dr. Jessica McIntyre (JMac) introduces a powerful framework that explains why external validation isn't enough, and what's actually missing in your career. She shares her own journey from a panic attack in the call room to discovering the difference between filling your "ego cup" (external achievements) and nourishing your "soul cup" (internal fulfillment).

This conversation will resonate deeply if you've ever felt successful on paper but empty in reality.

What You'll Learn

• The Ego Cup vs. Soul Cup Framework: What these concepts mean and why both matter

• The Call Room Wake-Up Call: How a panic attack during residency led to Dr. McIntyre's transformation

• Why High Achievers Feel Empty: The trap of living for external validation alone

• The ACE Approach: A simple 3-question decision-making tool (Aligned, Connected, Energized)

• Gratitude as Brain Training: How to rewire your brain with micro-practices

• Women's Circles Demystified: What they actually are (spoiler: not as "woo" as you think)

• The Physician Testimony Builder: A game-changing GPT tool for advocacy in under 3 minutes

• Tiny Shifts, Big Impact: Why one-degree changes matter more than dramatic overhauls
  

Guest Bio

Dr. Jessica McIntyre is a pediatric hospitalist, women's circle facilitator, and founder of the Women Physicians Collective. During the pandemic, she co-created a Facebook community that grew to 150,000 verified physicians and APPs. She now helps women physicians reconnect with themselves through community, CME education, and soul-filling work.

Resources Mentioned

• Women Physicians Collective: WomenPhysiciansCollective.com

• Instagram: @WomenPhysiciansCollective

• The Wild Woman Project: Retreat that sparked Dr. McIntyre's transformation: https://thewildwomanproject.com/

• GO (Guardians of the Overees) Advocacy Group: New Hampshire-based physician advocacy organization

Guest: Dr. Jessica McIntyre

• Instagram: @WomenPhysiciansCollective

• Website: WomenPhysiciansCollective.com

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In this deeply grounded and expansive conversation, host Dympna Weil sits down with author, speaker, and transformation coach Cynthia James to explore what it truly means to reclaim your voice — not a louder voice or a performative one, but an authentic voice rooted in values, embodiment, and integrity.

Together, they unpack how so many capable, thoughtful people learned that it was safer to stay quiet, how old identities and stories keep us stuck, and why healing doesn’t happen through force — but through inquiry, creativity, and integration. The conversation moves fluidly between personal trauma, collective grief, creative expression, and the quiet power of aligning our lives with what we truly value.

T

his episode is both a reflection on the state of the world and an invitation: to reconnect with your body, your voice, your community, and the deeper wisdom that already lives within you.

Key Takeaways

• Your past may inform you — but it does not have to define you

• The body is always communicating; learning its language restores choice

• Creativity isn’t optional — it’s a form of regulation and liberation

• When values and actions are misaligned, suffering follows

• Collective grief is real — and so is collective healing

• Community is not a luxury; it’s a nervous system need

• Living in integrity with your values is a powerful act of leadership

Memorable Quotes

• “Who are you if you no longer need the story that kept you safe?”

• “The body is a messenger — not the enemy.”

• “If we say we value humanity but act differently, the dissonance creates suffering.”

• “Community is a frequency — and when we live in integrity, we find one another.”

About the Guest

Cynthia James is an author, speaker, singer, and emotional integration leadership coach with decades of experience helping individuals, leaders, and teams reclaim their voices and live in alignment with their values. Drawing from lived experience, creative expression, and somatic awareness, her work centers on healing through embodiment, inquiry, and integration.

She is the author of several books, including Does My Voice Matter?, and the host of the podcast Women Awakening with Cynthia James.

🔗 Learn more at CynthiaJames.net

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What begins as unimaginable loss can become a powerful force for healing, hope, and connection.

In this deeply moving episode of Prescribing Possibility, Dr. Dympna Weil sits down with sisters Jaimie and Brooke DiPalma, the founders of PS I Love You Day, a nationwide mental health awareness initiative observed every year on the second Friday of February.

After losing their father to suicide when Brooke was just 14 and Jamie was 17, the sisters made a courageous decision: to transform their grief into a movement that would break stigma, open conversations, and remind people they are never alone. What started as a small school initiative has now grown into a movement celebrated by over 600 schools, communities, and organizations across the country.

Together, they share:

• The emotional story behind PS I Love You Day and how it was born

• How wearing purple became a symbol of connection and support

• Why mental health conversations matter, especially for young people

• How schools use kindness campaigns, post-it notes, assemblies, and week-long programming to change culture

• The importance of grassroots action and “just starting”

• How small acts of love can have lifelong ripple effects

• The evolution of PS I Love You Day from elementary schools to colleges and communities

• The powerful theme for 2026: Be the Light
  

This episode is a reminder that possibility lives even in the darkest places—and that one brave idea can change thousands of lives.

Key Takeaways

• You don’t have to be an expert or have funding to make impact—just belief and action

• Mental health conversations save lives when they’re made safe and visible

• Kindness, visibility, and community matter more than perfection

How to Get Involved
Wear purple on the second Friday of February in honor of PS I Love You Day.
Register your school, workplace, or community and access free resources at:
https://psiloveyouday.net/

Support Resources
If you or someone you love needs immediate help, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Support is always available. https://988lifeline.org/

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

Don't be a stranger. You can reach me at [email protected]

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There’s a kind of grief we rarely name.

In this episode of Prescribing Possibility, Dr. Dympna Weil explores what happens when the future you expected quietly unravels and you’re still expected to keep going.

This is a conversation about invisible grief: the grief of the life you thought you’d have, the version of yourself you were becoming, and the path that once felt logical, earned, and inevitable, until it wasn’t.

To continue this discussion after the show... Join the FREE Lounge community: https://rxpossibility.group.app/join_group

Drawing from her own experience as a physician whose health changed over time, Dr. Weil reflects on mourning not just illness or loss, but the loss of certainty, trust in one’s body, and an identity that once felt stable.

You’ll hear:

• Why grief doesn’t always come from something visibly “gone”

• How functioning, caregiving, and achievement can hide unresolved loss

• Why you’re allowed to grieve even if nothing looks “wrong” from the outside

• How gratitude for what remains can coexist with mourning what never came to be

• Three gentle ways to meet quiet grief with compassion rather than pressure

• 
  

This episode offers permission to slow down, name what hurts, and recognize that grief doesn’t mean you’re stuck, it may mean you’re standing at a threshold.

Sometimes honoring it is enough to let something new begin.

If this conversation resonates, know that you’re not alone, and that what you’re feeling is real, valid, and worthy of care.

Resources & Support

Learn more about Dr. Weil’s coaching programs and the Prescribing Possibility community at:
dympnaweil.com

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

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In this first episode of the new year, Prescribing Possibility returns with a gentle but honest conversation about something many high-functioning people quietly live with: nervous system exhaustion.

If your body feels tired, wired, or constantly on alert, this episode is for you. Your nervous system isn’t failing you. It’s protecting you.

In this solo episode, Dr. Dympna Weil explores what your nervous system may be trying to communicate beneath the push to keep going, do more, and hold it all together, and why regulation isn’t something you can think your way into.

You’ll hear:

• Why nervous system dysregulation is often misinterpreted as weakness or lack of discipline

• How chronic self-pressure and “being capable” can keep the body stuck in fight-or-flight

• A simple, in-the-moment practice to begin regulation right now

• How to interrupt old survival stories without forcing positive thinking

• Why success doesn’t have to require self-abandonment
  

Dr. Weil also introduces the C.A.L.M. Method, a practical framework built on Compassion, Awareness, Listening, and Mindfulness, designed for clinicians, helpers, and high-responsibility humans who are tired of carrying everything alone.

🎧 Download the free C.A.L.M. guide here >> https://dympna.myflodesk.com/calm

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

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Are you feeling the pressure to be grateful this holiday season, even when your heart feels heavy? Join Dr. Dympna Weil in this illuminating episode of PRESCRIBING POSSIBILITY, as she invites you to explore the often overlooked emotional labor of gratitude, particularly for caregivers and those who support others. “Gratitude can sometimes feel like an additional burden, especially for those who are caretakers,” Dympna poignantly states, shedding light on the complexities of emotional well-being during a time that is often painted as joyful and bright. This episode is not just about gratitude; it’s about personal transformation, mental health awareness, and the journey of self-discovery amidst the demands of life.

Through reflective dialogue and heartfelt exercises, Dympna encourages listeners to honor their silent struggles and recognize moments of personal sacrifice. By embracing the idea of slow gratitude, which may only surface after a period of reflection, we can find clarity and focus in our experiences, allowing us to appreciate the beauty of what we have let go of.

As we navigate the chaos of the holiday season, it’s essential to recognize that the pressure to feel grateful can lead to feelings of overwhelm and burnout. Dympna introduces listeners to three transformative forms of gratitude that are rarely acknowledged: the hidden labor of gratitude, slow retrospective gratitude, and gratitude for what we've released. These concepts are vital for anyone feeling the weight of expectation, particularly caregivers who often prioritize the needs of others over their own emotional health.

As we delve into these themes, Dympna emphasizes the importance of community healing and wellness support, particularly for those facing burnout and emotional exhaustion. This episode serves as a reminder that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and that acknowledging our feelings can lead to bold growth and healing conversations. With compassion and insight, Dr. Weil wraps up the episode sharing a heartfelt blessing, encouraging listeners to navigate their own experiences of gratitude and loss with grace and understanding.

Join us on this journey of healing and possibility, as we redefine what it means to embrace gratitude during the holiday season.

Tune in to PRESCRIBING POSSIBILITY and discover the power of gratitude that liberates rather than burdens, fostering a harmonious living that supports your well-being.

Thanks for listening. Your support means everything - so if you are moved to, please leave me a review and share this episode with a friend who may need the messages held here.

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Author and advocate Kelly Cervantes returns with a luminous new memoir, The Luckiest. In this intimate conversation, we talk about evolving identities—the “nesting dolls” we carry within us—real self-care for caregivers, partnership and resentment, and building a “garden” of support that keeps loved ones’ legacies alive. Kelly shares candidly about her daughter Adelaide, epilepsy advocacy, breast cancer, and what it means to keep becoming—again and again—through love and loss.
If you’ve ever had to pivot because life demanded it, this one’s for you.

Content note: grief/child loss, cancer (handled with care).
Find Kelly: website + socials kellygc411 on IG and FB
Pre-order: The Luckiest.
—
Hosted by Dr. Dympna Weil | Prescribing Possibility™ — conversations that grow healing, harmony, and hope.

—

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