The Constructed Awareness Podcast

Host: Tyler Orr, PhD, LPC

Guest: Lei Rhyne, LPC

00:00 Introduction

00:21 Meet Lei Rhyne, LPC

02:44 What is Expressive Arts Therapy?

07:28 The history and foundations of Expressive Arts Therapy

10:56 Training and certification in Expressive Arts Therapy

12:48 Why expressive arts goes beyond traditional talk therapy

14:31 What an Expressive Arts Therapy session looks like

19:03 Externalizing thoughts and emotions

20:20 How Constructed Awareness complements Expressive Arts Therapy

21:27 Why externalizing experience matters

22:44 How do you actually process emotions?

26:05 Introduction to Constructed Awareness

27:39 The three building blocks of experience

29:30 Understanding orientation

33:32 CA resourcing, tuning, and memory reconstructing

36:16 Lei's experience integrating CA into clinical practice

38:15 Bringing Expressive Arts Therapy into Constructed Awareness

42:37 What a combined CA + Expressive Arts session looks like

50:26 Using art to understand emotions

52:08 A nonverbal pathway to trauma healing

53:51 Constructed Awareness training updates and reduced tuition

58:00 How to connect with Lei Rhyne

59:00 Closing

• 00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Jandita Zaki
• 02:40 – Overview of CA and its first principle: awareness brings change
• 04:55 – Ron Kurtz’s influence and the concept of “violence” in therapy
• 07:20 – Jandita’s personal experience discovering nonviolence in CA training
• 12:05 – Filling vs holding space: therapist discomfort and the urge to help
• 19:10 – Sitting with silence vs holding silence in session
• 23:30 – Resistance, duality, and how advice-giving creates tension
• 25:50 – Helping interns move from fixing to presence
• 28:10 – Mindfulness as repression vs mindfulness as presence
• 32:40 – Sitting with emotions without promising outcomes
• 37:05 – Nonviolent language: “I want you to” vs invitational phrasing
• 41:40 – Co-regulation, childhood experiences, and emotions as involuntary
• 46:10 – Cultural perspectives on emotions like anger
• 50:40 – Eurocentric therapy vs CA’s flexible building blocks of experience
• 55:40 – How CA helps clients discover their own inner wisdom
• 58:00 – How to connect with Jandita and resources on Constructed Awareness

• 00:00 — Introduction to the episode and guest
• 02:00 — Phil’s academic and clinical background
• 05:00 — Tyler explains the three core principles of CA
• 08:30 — Mental, sensation, and external orientations explained
• 12:00 — What is an emotion? Constructed vs classical views
• 15:00 — The Schachter–Singer experiment and the two-factor theory
• 18:00 — How CA’s third building block emerged from clinical work
• 21:00 — Cultural differences in emotion (e.g., awe, loneliness)
• 24:00 — Snake story: a real-world example of building block activation
• 28:30 — CA’s nonviolence: not trying to change clients' emotions
• 31:45 — The “noise gate” metaphor and sensory cutoff
• 34:45 — Social, historical, and political forces that shape orientation
• 36:45 — Orientation and empathy: what we can and can’t control
• 39:55 — Emotions as concepts: storm and spaghetti metaphors
• 43:30 — Emotion history: Shakespeare, grief, and evolving language
• 47:00 — Fear vs curiosity and how breaking emotion into parts helps
• 50:00 — CA’s contribution: naming the building blocks, not just the concept
• 53:00 — Limitations of existing theories of emotion
• 55:30 — Final reflections on the evolving language of emotion
• 1:02:45 — Closing thoughts: There’s more to emotion than a word
• 1:04:00 — Where to learn more about CA and connect with the guests

Key Moments & Timestamps: 00:00–02:00 – Intro and guest introductions Tyler introduces Jamie and Christina and sets up the conversation as a three-way dialogue among different orientation styles. 02:00–04:30 – Overview of Constructed Awareness theory Tyler explains the three building blocks (thoughts, sensations, external senses) and the CA principles. 06:08–09:03 – Orientation patterns in clients The group discusses which orientations are most common and how these patterns show up in their practices. 09:03–13:05 – Jamie on sensation orientation and being a highly sensitive person Jamie shares how CA helped her trust her embodied experience and manage empathic overwhelm. 17:52–20:31 – Jamie on how she regulates through physical comfort She describes using weighted blankets, ice water, and sensory tuning to stay grounded. 21:38–24:10 – Jamie on movement and nonverbal expression Jamie talks about how shaking, vocal vibration, and physical release help regulate emotion. 25:02–27:00 – Tyler on the contrast between mental and sensation orientation Tyler shares how moving out of his mind and into his body during CA practices changed his perspective on regulation. 27:17–30:36 – Christina on external orientation and people-pleasing Christina discusses how being externally oriented led to disconnection from her inner world and how CA helped her return to it. 30:36–33:52 – Christina on disembodiment and reclaiming her body She explains how being present with sensations helped her heal from chronic illness and reconnect with herself. 35:42–37:44 – Tyler’s story of becoming aware of his environment for the first time He recounts a powerful moment of shifting from mental to external orientation. 38:22–43:04 – Attachment patterns and how orientation styles develop The group reflects on how childhood experiences shape which building blocks we cling to. 44:06–46:35 – Chronic illness and orientation Jamie and Christina describe how CA has helped clients reduce pain and Jamie shares her own story of resolving chronic migraines. 46:35–53:44 – “Talking With Your Hands” and building a sensation vocabulary Jamie and Christina explain how describing internal sensations using tactile language supports regulation and clarity. 55:17–57:15 – Jamie and Tyler on the difference between drowning in sensation and observing it Jamie reflects on how the building blocks support each other and allow for true emotional presence. 57:15–58:57 – Wrapping up: CA, tuning, and how awareness leads to change Tyler shares a powerful story of how CA helped him break a conflict pattern and respond differently through awareness. 01:01:07–01:03:12 – Where to learn more and closing remarks The guests share how to contact them, and Tyler announces upcoming CA trainings and CE offerings.

00:00 - 02:00: Introduction to the episode with Tyler Orr and Ann Simmons. Ann shares her background as a dual-certified therapist in Constructed Awareness (CA) and EMDR.

02:00 - 05:00: Ann discusses her journey to becoming certified in EMDR and CA, including how she met Tyler and her experience with CA Level 1 training.

06:00 - 09:00: Tyler shares his journey with EMDR, including his training and experience as an EMDR trainer. He discusses how his work with phases one and two led to developing CA.

10:00 - 14:00: Explanation of the foundational principles of CA:

Awareness brings change.

Experiences are constructed from thoughts, sensations, and external perceptions.

Individuals naturally orient to one building block more than the others.

15:00 - 20:00: Discussion of how CA integrates with EMDR, including how tuning techniques from CA complement EMDR’s structured approach.

21:00 - 25:00: Ann shares practical applications of CA in her EMDR practice, highlighting how CA enhances awareness and helps clients process more fully.

26:00 - 30:00: Tyler explains how CA focuses on awareness rather than changing thoughts directly, contrasting it with CBT’s cognitive restructuring.

31:00 - 35:00: The concept of "tuning" in CA, where therapists help clients switch awareness between thoughts, sensations, and external perceptions.

36:00 - 40:00: Comparison between CA and EMDR processing, with Ann discussing how CA feels more interactive and client-centered.

41:00 - 45:00: Discussion of how CA principles help therapists stay engaged and adaptive, while also being flexible with clients' needs.

46:00 - 50:00: Insights on how CA training enriches personal awareness and therapeutic practice.

51:00 - 55:00: Tyler discusses upcoming CA and EMDR integrated training sessions, designed for EMDR therapists interested in incorporating CA techniques.

56:00 - 58:30: Closing remarks, information on how to connect with Ann and Tyler, and where to learn more about Constructed Awareness.

- Pain is real, even when not linked to tissue damage. It’s a brain-based protective response, not a something originating in the body.
- CA is a mindfulness-based, trauma-informed model that helps clients reconnect with disowned or underdeveloped parts of their experience.
- Tuning helps clients avoid overwhelm by shifting attention across different types of awareness, rather than diving straight into distressing material.
- The hosts suggest that chronic pain often arises from repressed emotional experiences, especially feelings of powerlessness.
- Many clients come to therapy expecting to accept a life with chronic pain, but end up experiencing transformation and relief.
- CA research has already shown early results in reducing symptoms of trauma and chronic pain.

Guest: Stephanie Levin, LCHMC
Host: Tyler Orr

Timestamps & Topics:

00:00 – 05:00 | Introduction

• Tyler welcomes listeners to the first episode.
• Introduction to the podcast’s purpose: exploring Constructed Awareness (CA).
• Tyler introduces guest Stephanie Levin.

05:01 – 09:00 | What is Constructed Awareness (CA)?

• Overview of CA as a model of therapy.
• Explanation of CA’s three core principles.

09:01 – 18:00 | The First Principle: Awareness Brings Change

• Tyler shares how he discovered that bringing awareness to experience creates transformation.
• Discussion on how CA differs from willpower-driven approaches.

18:01 – 22:00 | The Second Principle: Three Building Blocks of Experience

• Exploration of thoughts, sensations, and external perceptions.
• Connection to Schachter and Singer’s two-factor theory of emotion.

22:01 – 28:00 | CA’s Evolution from EMDR Therapy

• Tyler’s early experiences as an EMDR therapist.
• The development of CA’s orientation theory within EMDR resourcing.

28:01 – 33:00 | The Shift from an EMDR Technique to a New Model

• How CA started as an advanced EMDR training but became its own therapy model.
• The role of phases one and two in EMDR and how CA structured them differently.

33:01 – 40:00 | Orientation Styles: A More Dynamic Understanding of Personality

• How CA shifted from categorizing people into types to recognizing fluid orientation patterns.
• Real-life examples of orientation shifts in different contexts.

40:01 – 45:00 | CA in Personal and Professional Growth

• Stephanie shares how CA helped her navigate grief and loss.
• Discussion on how CA allows therapists to access fuller awareness of their own experiences.

45:01 – 50:00 | The Role of Nonviolence in CA Therapy

• Shifting from directive therapy to an invitation-based approach.
• Recognizing therapist biases and letting clients guide their own process.

50:01 – 55:00 | CA’s Impact on Clients and Therapy Sessions

• How CA helps clients deconstruct emotions into their building blocks.
• The shift from labeling emotions to experiencing them fully.

55:01 – 60:00 | Challenges in Establishing CA as a Model

• The struggle of gaining recognition and research validation.
• Early research efforts comparing CA with EMDR.

60:01 – End | Closing Thoughts

• Future directions for CA and research.
• Teasers for upcoming podcast episodes.
• Encouragement for therapists to explore CA in their own practices.