In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I sit down with Dr Emma Seppälä—clinical psychologist, researcher, and author of Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos.

Emma’s work offers such a powerful and timely message: that even in the midst of modern chaos and overwhelm, we can reclaim a deep sense of inner freedom. In our conversation, we explore what it means to live more authentically and with greater presence, and how to overcome the bound state—that sense of being stuck in patterns of self-criticism, emotional suppression, and digital overload.

Emma shares practical, science-backed tools for cultivating resilience and calm, including emotional awareness, breathwork, and meditation. We also talk about trauma, the fear of vulnerability, and how compassion can open a new way forward.

I found this conversation inspiring, and I hope it offers you insight, encouragement, and maybe even a little inner sovereignty of your own.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to Compassion in a T-Shirt

00:21 Meet Dr Emma Seppälä: Reclaiming Inner Sovereignty

02:21 Understanding Sovereignty and Self-Criticism

05:18 The Bound State: Real-Life Examples

10:04 Emotional Authenticity and Meditation

15:35 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety and PTSD

22:53 The Limits of Emotion Regulation

23:45 Paradigm Shifts in Psychology

24:09 Physiological Approaches to Trauma

25:33 The Fear of Criticism and Vulnerability

28:16 Reconnecting with Nature

32:19 Sovereignty in Relationships

37:04 The Power of Compassion

39:36 Conclusion and Reflections

Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy this meaningful conversation with Dr Emma Seppälä.

LINKS:

Emma Seppälä website

https://www.emmaseppala.com/

Sovereign: the book website

https://www.iamsov.com/

Breathing-based meditation decreases posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in U.S. military veterans: a randomized controlled longitudinal study (Seppala et al., 2014)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25158633/

If you would like to learn more about compassion focused therapy, you can find Dr Stan Steindl's book The Gifts of Compassion here:

https://www.ausapress.com/p/the-gifts-of-compassion-how-to-understand-and-overcome-suffering/

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Video hashtags:

selfcompassion, traumahealing, breathwork, emotionalresilience, mentalhealth, emmaseppala