The Inner Alchemy Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Anita Johnston, Ph.D. and I talk about the power that metaphor and storytelling can have in the healing process. Think about the number of times that you hear something framed in a way you’ve never thought of before, likening something entirely different to your situation. With any luck, a lightbulb flips on, and all of a sudden, you have a new perspective!

As humans, we are really skilled at adapting mentally, but our nervous systems are still feeling the effects of a pretty traumatic year. In this episode of the Inner Alchemy Podcast, we’ll talk about self-judgment, finding support, and adopting a new mantra: “It’s not you, it’s the pandemic.”.

Barbara imparts incredible wisdom about the critical mindset shift needed to overcome imposter syndrome, the fun in failure, and Glennon Doyle’s cheetah quote in Untamed. If you have perfectionist tendencies, identify as a workaholic, or feel like you’re always chasing more, more, more, you’re going to want to tune into this one.

Maureen educates us on the significant differences between Career with a capital ‘C’ and purpose work, as well as a few tips to assessing if the career you’re in is truly in alignment with what you want out of your life. Her valuable insight about the decisions we make at eighteen versus how we grow into ourselves over time is sure to have you thinking about your own career and happiness choices.

Kate shares valuable insights on a topic that is often glossed over in our culture– the lifespan of motherhood. We talk about the expectations of motherhood, perinatal mood disorders, postpartum depression, and so much more. Kate also addresses the stigma associated with just wanting to be a “rich auntie” of the world and the utter BS that that stigma is.

The body is such an inherent tool to healing, but we often ignore it for the cognitive instead. Rachel and Paula’s purpose work is to show others how to get back in touch with this healing resource, especially as treatment for eating disorders.

Mary and I take a deep dive into the shame surrounding sensuality and eroticism and what it means to fully embrace your own sensuality. We discuss becoming more present in your body so that you can become more present in your daily life, giving some predictability to our own self-expression, and the steps to sensuality that come before upgrading your lingerie collection.

Shauna joins us to chat about how the cultural relationship with movement has become distorted and  motivated by self-loathing, and Shauna shares her own thoughts on how to get back to a place of joyful movement. We learn about Shauna’s personal path to healing her relationship with movement, what it’s been like to teach free online courses during COVID, and the art to a carefully curated workout playlist.

Unless you’re an artist in a professional capacity, odds are good that you stopped drawing and doodling somewhere around middle school. Lauren Fabrizio joins me on this episode to talk about bringing that tool back as a way to process emotions and experiences when there are no words.

Amy Harman joins us to discuss the toxic cycle of perfection and how normalized it has become in today’s perfection-chasing culture. Amy is a licensed marriage and family therapist, as well as the author of Perfectly Imperfect: Compassionate Strategies to Cultivate a Positive Body Image, and she has made it her life’s work to defeat the notion that in order to be our best we have to be the best.

Francie joins us on the Inner Alchemy Podcast to discuss what’s really going on in our psyche when our lack of motivation to exercise falls by the wayside. We discuss the danger of results-based motivation, the she-wolf archetype that lies inside each and every one of us, and the a-ha moments that can help us heal our relationships with our bodies.