Today's very special guest, Michael Alcée , is author of the book The Upside of OCD: Flight the Script to Reclaim Your Life . In our conversation, Michael explains what he means and does not mean when he talks about the "upside" of OCD; why Michael thinks all people with OCD start out as mini-existentialists and poets; and the key missing ingredient in many of our contemporary treatments for OCD. How can OCD be both meaningless and meaningful at the same time? What messages might OCD be trying t...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 103
It is a common refrain these days: we live in a culture of scarcity mindset. We are bombarded with messages of never enough, implicitly and explicitly warned that there is not enough money, time, attention, or even love for all of us. These messages shift us into fearful perspectives, limiting our ability to see and receive all the goodness around us. In a world where so many people are lacking basic survival needs and systems of care, we wrestle with dueling feelings of fear and guilt, aware th...
Jun 10, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 102
We're sharing a Patreon exclusive to our Gathering Gold feed today! In this episode, we're responding to our patron Jenny's question about how to deal with the discomfort and fear that comes along with stretching our comfort zones. We talk about values-based actions, purpose and meaning, our individual window of tolerance, and the importance of self-compassion. Visit patreon.com/gatheringgold to gain access to 30+ bonus episodes, with new ones coming out each month!...
May 23, 2025•31 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Welcome to the 100th episode of Gathering Gold! Today, we take a moment to pause and reflect on what it has meant to commit to this podcast for four years and regularly make trips together to fill up from a well of nourishing waters--waters of deep listening, conversation, reflection, and compassion. We talk about how and why we have tried to make this podcast a refuge, how it has impacted our relationship as family/friends/collaborators, and in what ways it has changed our own behavior and ways...
May 09, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 100
In contemporary society, we face more choices--and more decisions--than ever before. This can sometimes feel like a curse as much as it is also a blessing, especially for those of us struggle with indecisiveness. In today's episode, we discuss mindsets around decision-making that can help us find more ease around the little decisions ("What should I order from the menu?") and the big decisions ("Should I quit my job?"). References: Dr. Russ Harris article about hard decisions Sheryl's next round...
Apr 25, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 99
In today's follow-up to the Escape Hatch Fantasies episode , Sheryl and Victoria discuss the double-edged allure of ruminating on what could be? and what could have been? They discuss the difference between a fantasy and a dream for the future, how to work with the energy of regret, and what we can learn from the film Past Lives (2023) about making space for longing, mystery, and acceptance in the face of our many life choices and experiences....
Apr 11, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 98
In preparation for our next episode, we bring to you one of our most popular episodes to date: Escape Hatch Fantasies. Members of our Patreon can submit questions and reflections for our follow-up conversation about escape hatch fantasies at patreon.com/gatheringgold * * * We all indulge in fantasizing from time to time. Maybe you find yourself scrolling through Zillow looking at houses for sale, even though most of the time you love where you live. Perhaps you have romantic dreams about your ex...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 97
"You can read and listen and learn for years, but unless you take actions that create more well-being, you will remain stuck. While accurate information is important and often transformative, it's the compassionate actions we take on our own behalf that create long-lasting, deep-rooted, sustainable change." In today's episode, we introduce a new tool for healing anxiety at the root: Sheryl's forthcoming publication, The Healing Anxiety Workbook . Over decades of working with individuals struggli...
Mar 14, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Some children and adolescents bound toward the future, excitedly proclaiming, "I can't wait to grow up!" Others are a bit more unsure--some of us may resist growing up well into our 20s and beyond. Acts of resistance against adulthood can be big or small, noticeable or subtle. Even those who were excited to grow up in childhood may find that fears begin to dampen their enthusiasm as the reality of adult life sinks in. Where do these fears come from? What are some of the core beliefs and emotiona...
Feb 28, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 95
What does it mean to grow up? Is it about arriving at a destination at a specific time, after following the linear formula of job, marriage, house, baby? Or is it an ongoing process of development that happens both internally and externally, rippling through our inner world and shining forth in how we engage with the world? What does it mean to grow up on an emotional level? In this episode, we explore two internal pillars of adulthood that create a foundation for healthy development across the ...
Feb 07, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 94
“Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.” --Gabrielle. Roth Our heartbeat. Our breath. Our steps along the sidewalk. Our life happens in rhythms--breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat, step by step. We move in and out of seasons, feel a shift in tempo as our energy levels ebb and flow, fall into connection and disconnection with those around us. In today's episod...
Jan 24, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Sometimes, the month of January can start to feel like one long dark night. Many of us step off the carousel of the holiday season feeling a little dizzy and off-kilter. Some of us might even feel a sense of darkness or despair as we thud back into harsh reality (and, in certain parts of the world, deep winter). We may be teetering between hope and despair; grief and gratitude; anger and acceptance. We may feel faith slipping between our fingers; we may find ourselves craving a good, long sleep....
Jan 10, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 92
In the spirit of the season, we bring to you one of our most popular episodes to date: last year's episode about the Winter Solstice. We are also offering a special 15% off discount for any new Patreon sign-ups with code GOLD24 and are hosting a Winter Solstice gathering for the Meet-Up Members on Sunday, December 22, at 3 pm EST. Visit patreon.com/gatheringgold to learn more. * * * We are approaching the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere. In preparation for t...
Dec 20, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 91
We all know that practicing gratitude is good for us: we've read news articles about groundbreaking research on the benefits of gratitude, purchased gratitude journals, maybe started incorporating gratitude practices into family dinners or even work meetings. So why is it still sometimes so hard to really feel and and experience gratitude in an authentic and enriching way? And what are some pathways to an open heart when our gratitude "motor" is cold? That's what we're unpacking in today's episo...
Dec 06, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Leaves are falling from the trees. The world is shifting into hues of gray and brown, into sparseness and clarity. Meanwhile, we are entering into the holiday season. Amidst it all--the darkness and the light, the fatigue and the excitement--how can we stay present for the gifts all around us? Not the gifts wrapped in paper and bows, but the little, everyday miracles: the maple tree still wrapped in orange and golden leaves; the comfort and safety of a heated home; the magic of sharing a meal wi...
Nov 22, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 89
"There are times of heightened fear. And there are times when there is a lot of fear in the greater collective, in the culture. And I do think that one of our ultimate tasks, one of our ultimate spiritual tasks as human beings, in these bodies, is to work with fear and its opposite, which is love, but also is trust." In today's episode, Sheryl shares wisdom about grounding ourselves during uncertain and anxious times and guides us through a practice of connecting to our hearts, our minds, and ea...
Nov 08, 2024•33 min•Ep. 88
“I can tell you the names of Taylor Swift’s parents, but not my great-grandparents.” Can you relate to Victoria’s admission in today’s episode? Many of us have lost connection with our ancestors. Or rather, that connection was severed even before we were born, by cultural conditions that de-prioritize relationships in general, and familial bonds in particular. And: connecting to the unseen realm of ancestors goes beyond learning about our genealogy. We can draw strength and comfort from imaginal...
Oct 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 87
Sometimes, it all feels like too much: too much responsibility, too many expectations, too much sensation, too many feelings, too much hyper-vigilance. In these moments, we can be enveloped by a feeling of overwhelm. Sometimes, things really are just too much. Some things needs to give. Systems need to change. And, sometimes we pause for a moment to scan our inner world and find that certain mindsets, storylines, and habitual patterns are exacerbating or even creating the sense of overwhelm. Per...
Oct 11, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Meaning making. Connecting to breath. Aligning with nature. So many actions, big and small, can help us dig a little deeper into the soil of time, anchor ourselves against the buffeting winds of change and demands, especially as we shift into a new season. We recorded this conversation in front of a live virtual audience of Patreon community members , opening up the second half of the episode for group discussion on the topic of rooting into autumn. We are so grateful to the insightful, compassi...
Sep 27, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 85
We often resist doing things that we know are good for us—including inner work. We attend one therapy session and then stop showing up. We drag our heels on the way to yoga class. We let our journal grow dusty in the corner. Our resistance to change and to effort gets the best of our intention to grow. Today, we are exploring some of the voices and characters of resistance—including the inner child, inner teenager, and Wise Self—as well as the hidden benefits within resistance. How can we work w...
Sep 13, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 84
By nature or nurture, or some combination of the two, some of us are chronically risk averse–especially if we struggle with anxiety. While some cautiousness can be healthy, extreme risk aversion can keep us from engaging with the world deeply, living our values, and just plain enjoying life. By taking risks, we learn more about ourselves and the world. And by learning more about ourselves and the world, we learn how to take more intentional, skillful, and enriching risks. In today’s episode, we ...
Aug 30, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Our relationship with screens, digital devices, and online media is complicated. We can gain so much valuable information and connection in a more accessible way, but we can also get sucked into a vortex of information overload, analysis paralysis, social comparison, and doom scrolling. In today's episode, we discuss using our devices as tools to help us engage more deeply with the world, not as substitutes for living. We also discuss some of the blocks and obstacles that make it difficult to di...
Aug 16, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 82
In our last episode, we talked about why it can be hard to receive good things. Today, we are discussing the importance of actively adding good things to our lives. It can be easy to focus on all of the problems, challenges, and hardships we are facing, and to assume that if we could just remove those, then we could experience a greater sense of wellbeing. And while there are certainly times to focus on removal of things that are hurting us, there is also great power in pouring our attention int...
Aug 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 81
Today’s episode was requested by one of our lovely Patreon members , who asked us to talk about why it can be hard to receive good things, and how to do so with more ease. In this conversation, we discuss some of the stumbling blocks to the unfettered gratitude that we desire: blocks including guilt, shame, fear, and distrust. And, we discuss how we can orient ourselves towards more receptivity, reciprocity, courage, and openheartedness. References: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Robin Wall Kimmer...
Jul 19, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 80
We continue our deep dive into themes from Sheryl’s new audio collection Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife , with an exploration of the terrifying undertow of panic attacks. Sheryl shares how panic attacks have grabbed her in the ocean, in elevators, while driving, and at nightfall. She introduces the Greek mythological Pan, and gives us a sneak peek into how she befriended the god of pandemonium, which she unpacks in more depth in Thresholds. We talk about the subtle shades of light and shadow...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Sheryl and Victoria take a pause from exploring themes of Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife , in order to honor the Summer Solstice. Sheryl explains why it is so important to honor these season portals, and receive their goodness. Sheryl and Victoria reflect on their previous episode about Summer from three years ago, and discuss why Sheryl was so focused on loss, nostalgia, and grief at that time. Victoria unpacks how she has grown stronger in using her voice since that episode aired. Together...
Jun 20, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Sheryl has entered a new era in her parenting life: an era of letting go. Today’s episode continues a series exploring themes from Sheryl’s new audiobook, Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife , with a conversation about parenting. As Sheryl’s sons have grown into teenagers, and one has flown the nest (…literally!), Sheryl has welcomed grief, gratitude, and new beginnings. Offering personal stories about some of the hardest and most joyful moments in her midlife parenting journey, Sheryl reminds pa...
Jun 07, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Today, we're announcing an exciting new offering from Sheryl: a beautiful audiobook entitled Thresholds: Reflections at Midlife, which will be available next month! In today's episode, we share sneak peeks and talk about the seeds of inspiration for this compendium of dreams, poems, stories, and reflections. We discuss myths about midlife, a major decision that Sheryl faced about the direction of her work, and themes of visibility, vitality, self-trust, and leaning into a more feminine way. Refe...
May 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Rupture and repair. Rupture and repair. Rupture and repair. This is the rhythm of all close relationships—even the relationship between Sheryl and Victoria, as we discuss (gingerly, with care) in today’s episode. In any relationship, if we get close enough, we will eventually experience a rupture. We make mistakes, we let each other down, we hurt, and then, with courage, self-awareness, and a foundation of love, we can heal. Yet it is no small task to skillfully traverse ruptures and repairs. As...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 75
The wild has been banished, pushed to the edges of civilization, pushed to the edges of psyche. Wolves and coyotes, bears and bobcats, rage and sexuality and messiness and imperfection have all been relegated to the outskirts. We long for wildness. We long for freedom and aliveness, creativity and authenticity. And yet, we might also fear wildness—the way it can control us. The way we can burn others and be burned by it. How do we get in touch with our wild parts, and integrate them with the res...
Apr 19, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 74
