This heart-warming episode begins with Laura sharing a tender story about baking bread—and from there, we journey into the rich, soulful themes of her new book. We explore Internal Family Systems (IFS), the sacred essence of everyday life, and the profound connection between healing trauma, cultivating presence, and embodying wholeness. Together, we reflect on the beauty and challenge of truly being with our emotions and honoring the full range of the human experience. As Laura so beautifully sa...
Jun 27, 2025•59 min•Ep. 70
What if Mike White’s The White Lotus is more than just a dark comedy television series? What if we look at it as a striking exploration of the human psyche? In a recent episode of the Empowered Through Compassion podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sunni (Sun) Brown, a dynamic IFS practitioner, author of Gamestorming and The Doodle Revolution, and creator of Deep Self Design™. Together, we unpacked the psychological architecture of the show using the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 69
This week’s episode is nothing short of extraordinary. I am honored to welcome back IFS master Bob Falconer, and to be joined for the first time by Chelsea Rose Odhner and Dr. Jonathan S. Rose, two deeply insightful scholars and practitioners of Emanuel Swedenborg’s spiritual teachings. Together, we explore the sacred intersection of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and The Spirituality of Swedenborg. We all entered into conversation that transcended time, space, and discussed ways to go beyond the...
Jun 08, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 68
In this episode, we explore a powerful and often overlooked therapeutic trio: EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). If you’ve ever wondered how to help clients move from ambivalence to meaningful change—or how to make EMDR feel more relational and intuitive—this is the conversation for you. The Common Ground: Self-Leadership & Intrinsic Wisdom What ties IFS, EMDR, and MI together? At their core, all three approaches believe this: Clients hold the wisdom and...
May 31, 2025•49 min•Ep. 67
In this deeply meaningful episode, I had the honor of speaking with Ralph De La Rosa—teacher, healer, and radiant soul—who sadly passed away earlier this week. This episode is a tribute to Ralph’s immense heart and the wisdom they so generously shared with the world. We explored the profound intersections of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Buddhism, and I was struck by Ralph’s grace, clarity, and the gentle light they brought to even the heaviest of topics. Their book, Outshining Trauma, is a ...
May 16, 2025•53 min•Ep. 66
Part 2 with Julian: The Inner Sauron – Power, Possession, and the Psyche In this episode, Julian and I dive deep into The Lord of the Rings through the lens of psychology, mythology, and IFS (Internal Family Systems). We explore the dark allure of Sauron—not just as a villain seeking domination through the One Ring, but as a metaphor for the exiled forces within us all. Julian draws powerful parallels between Sauron and the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli, both powerful spirits who reside in higher re...
May 12, 2025•45 min•Ep. 65
It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Julian Bermudez, founder of Psychedelic Integration , about his deeply personal and powerful approach to healing. In this episode, Julian shares his philosophy of psychedelic integration as a sacred return—a coming home to the body, to the heart, and to the version of ourselves that existed before life’s pain forced us to adapt. Through his lived experience and the space he holds for others, Julian invites us to see integration not as a checklist, but as...
Apr 21, 2025•32 min•Ep. 64
I'm excited to share the latest episode of the Empowered Through Compassion podcast: Part 2 of my conversation with Sid Friedman. In this episode, we delve deeper into Sid's innovative approach to Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and his exploration of nonduality. Sid discusses his YouTube channel, Effortless IFS with Sid Friedman, where he offers insights into integrating IFS with nondual awareness. You can explore his videos here: Effortless IFS with Sid Friedman . We also talk about the ...
Apr 13, 2025•26 min•Ep. 63
This episode is part 1 of a beautiful conversation with my dear friend Sid Friedman. Sid-- along with Laura Patryas-- have created an incredible IFS Facebook community called "IFS Nondual Community." Sid shares with me, and the audience, what is meant by nonduality, and how this intersects with IFS. We also speak about NVC-- Nonviolent Communication, and I learn what a pro Sid is in this type of communication! This was such a fun and enjoyable episode-- to Sid, it feels like life is such a celeb...
Apr 07, 2025•26 min•Ep. 62
Families Overcoming Trauma – This Is Us NBC’s This Is Us has resonated deeply with audiences, largely because of its heartfelt portrayal of family, trauma, and healing. The show masterfully illustrates how each family member carries their own pain while remaining connected through love, resilience, and acceptance. It reminds us that healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about learning to live with it, together. In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Laura DeKraker Lang-Ree, whose ...
Mar 23, 2025•41 min•Ep. 61
Welcome to this episode, where I am thrilled to be speaking with Athena Phillips about dissociation, the difference between coaching and therapy, and Back to the Future. Athena shares how IFS and EMDR can be complementary, but caution is needed when using EMDR with dissociative clients. Coaching and therapy have distinct roles, and in her business Athena has found a very symbiotic relationship between coaches and therapist for clients. We speak about Back to the Future, and some of the ways this...
Mar 01, 2025•40 min•Ep. 60
Therapist Burnout – A Systemic Issue, Not a Personal Failure 🎬 Pop Culture Connection: Severance – A dystopian take on work-life balance How our ‘work part’ is at risk of burnout when it is not given the emotional support and care that it needs. 📊 Burnout by the Numbers: 60-66% of workers report feeling burnout 30-70% of therapists experience burnout (especially post-pandemic) Some exploitive telehealth companies pay a s low as $30/hour 🛑 Signs of Burnout Emotional depletion Compassion fatigu...
Feb 23, 2025•47 min•Ep. 59
A re-uploaded version. Welcome to this new episode. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ned Johnson, a wonderful educator, author, and speaker. He is an expert in helping teens and tweens navigate the transition to adulthood, by bringing them the tools they need to be both successful and happy. Ned has found that some of the leading causes of poor test performance is the stress and pressure that youths feel to get good grades, and perform well. What is the solution? Can the solution really be as...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 58
I had the honor of sitting down with the Jan Broberg on my podcast. We spoke about her powerful story, the real-life events behind Peacock’s hit series A Friend of the Family, and how she turned unimaginable trauma into a message of hope, resilience, and healing. Jan's spirit is inspiring, as she uses her voice and story to encourage others to tell theirs. This episode shows how light can come from darkness. You can watch A Friend of the Family on Peacock. For more information, check out https:/...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 57
It was a pleasure to speak with Rebecca Kase this week on EMDR, Polyvagal and Parts work. She had so many interesting things to share, and I hope you enjoy this episode. Warmly, David Find out more about Rebecca here: https://www.rebeccakase.com/ https://www.traumatherapistinstitute.com/ You can find her book here: Books by Rebecca Kase...
Jan 21, 2025•42 min•Ep. 56
Here is my second upload for this episode. My AI attempts were not successful, so I edited this one myself. Sorry for any confusion. It was such a pleasure to speak with Victoria Anderson, a friend and classmate from IFS-Level one training. We speak about our experience, and then we compare it to... yep, the Squid Game. Luckily our experience was nothing like the Squid Game, except for some nerves when we started the class. We speak about some of the parts (that we are constructing) inside some ...
Jan 05, 2025•40 min•Ep. 55
In this episode, Andrew Dobo joins me to speak about EMDR, the Hero's journey and Jung. It was such an honor to have a conversation with Andrew who is a well respected EMDR trainer and an accomplished author. His books include, "The Hero's Journey: Integrating Jungian Psychology and EMDR Therapy" and, "Unburdening Souls at the Speed of Thought: Psychology, Christianity, and the Transforming Power of EMDR." Check out Andrew Dobo's Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@drandrewdobo He is ...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 54
It was such an honor to speak with Sandra Paulsen, and to learn from her wisdom. In the podcast, Sandra shared how she went to see a traditional healer, known as a Songoma. This healer turned to Sandra and said, "Why come see me? You are Songoma too!" We dive into EMDR, and Sandra even shares some of her thoughts on IFS therapy. Sandra shared how she definitely uses parts work, but sees this through the lens of Ego States. We speak about some of Sandra's amazing books, which include: "When There...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 53
On this episode we are speaking with Thomas Zimmerman, Ms.Ed., LPCC, is a mental health therapist who practices in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. He is an EMDR therapist, consultant and trainer. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist, consultant, and trainer. He is a writer, podcaster as well. Check out his new book, "EMDR with Complex Trauma" on Amazon. Check out his Podcast here: www.emdrpodcast.com Here is his website: www.emdrtom.com Here is his facebook group: www.facebo...
Dec 08, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Episode 51: Deconstructing Wicked with EMDR and Parts Welcome, and Happy Thanksgiving. My guest is Dr. Jamie Marich, and we had so much fun "nerding out" over the Wicked movie together! This was such a wonderful and enriching experience for me. Here are places you can find more information about Dr. Marich: www.redefinetherapy.com www.instituteforcreativemindfulness.com www.jamiemarich.com You can also check out Jamie's Substack: https://jamiemarich.substack.com This will also be on Youtube: htt...
Nov 28, 2024•53 min•Ep. 51
What an honor to speak with Nkem Ndefo today! I wanted to post this right away, because we are speaking about the election, and Nkem was very helpful in helping me take a step back and see a bigger picture of the election. I found it very profound when Nkem spoke about their vision for liberation of all. Their organization's vision is: "rooted in justice and flourishing in joy." We spoke about the important question we can ask ourselves "where is my political home?" As we spoke about politics an...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 47
Welcome to this special episode. Today, I am joined by 8 incredible EMDR influencers (together we have 6 podcasts and multiple Youtube channels between us). The esteemed guests: 1) Rotem Brayer 2) Thomas Zimmerman 3) Jennifer Savage and Bridger Falkentien 4) Kyle Poon 5) Tamera Brown and Kathy Couch 6) Rebecca Kase Spotify links-- The Art and Science of EMDR The EMDR Podcast Notice That Journey through the Eyes Thrive the Podcast You Tube-- Calm with Kyle I want to extend love and appreciation t...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 46
What a pleasure it was to speak with Arielle Schwartz for this episode. I learned so much, and I am honored to share this with everyone. We speak about some of the ways that she has changed the field! After listening to this episode, you are going to want to become part of her growing community too!
Oct 20, 2024•46 min•Ep. 45
Five Podcasters got together, and had a blast speaking about IFS (live)! They all have their own podcast-- including, The One Inside, Growing Faithfully, That Wellness Podcast, Healing Trauma From the Inside Out, and Empowered Through Compassion. What a beautiful group of podcasts. It was such a wonderful get together and share some "Self-energy" with each other and with the audience. I thought it would be fun to share all of this with you!
Oct 07, 2024•45 min•Ep. 44
I am so excited to share this incredible discussion with you. Rotem Brayer has created a community for EMDR practitioners, and we dive into some of his thoughts about EMDR, mindfulness and even IFS. He has so much to share, and I am thrilled to bring you this episode.
Sep 30, 2024•52 min•Ep. 43
Let dive into how we can understand OCD from an IFS lens. In this Part 2, Rob Fox and I continue to explore how we both use IFS and EMDR (and other modalities) to understand the allusive experience of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Sep 24, 2024•22 min•Ep. 42
Welcome to this episode where I speak with Rob Fox, who I am very excited to bring to this audience. Rob is certified in EMDR and IFS. In addition to having a lot of skills and knowledge on working with addictions, Rob also is a specialist when it comes to Obsessive-Compuslive Disorder (OCD). The focus in this two part conversation is how Rob works with OCD, and conceptualizes this disorder. He shares some of his personal experiences as well. it was a pleasure speaking with Rob!...
Sep 15, 2024•31 min
Hello and welcome to this beautiful episode. I had the honor of speaking with Susan West Kurz today, and I am really excited about sharing some of the work that she has been involved with. It is called "Biography" and we dive into speaking about it on todays episode. If you would like to find out more about Susan and her work, please check out the following websites: www.biographyandsocialart.com www.biographysocialart.org Enjoy the episode :)...
Sep 08, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Here is the second part of this wonderful conversation with Cindy. I hope that you enjoy this! We continue speaking about the ways that Bi-Tapp is able to help our internal system feel more grounded. We also speak about some of the cool features tha Bi-Tapp offers. Check out more information here: www.bi-tapp.com
Sep 04, 2024•38 min
It was such a pleasure speaking with Cindy Jones! This is the first part. We speak about her creation of Bi-Tapp which is a way to help clients regulate their emotions both in and out of the therapy office. Bi-Tapp is a way to help ourselves feel calmer, particularly when we are very activated. This could help us calm our bodies enough to be able to access some of the other skills that we have. Of course, we also speak about how this BLS tool is helpful in EMDR and IFS. I hope you enjoy this epi...
Sep 01, 2024•35 min
