Embracing Change – Ashley Davis Bush, LCSW

Contemplative writing isn’t about grammar or punctuation.  It’s about embarking on a process of discovery, depth, and integration.  It’s about intentionally jump starting change when necessary, changing your perspective, and also shifting your relationship with change.  Listen and learn as Ashley and Leaf talk about the ins and outs of using writing prompts for reflection.  This technique helps you mindfully … Read more about this episode...

Many of us dislike our bodies.  We feed our bodies with unhealthy food, judgment, and shame.  Whether we grow up with bad habits or we ingest cultural messages about beauty, we start to wage war with ourselves.  What if it could be different?  Listen as Ashley talks with Mara Schiavocampo, ABC News Correspondent and author of Thinspired about how … Read more about this episode...

Life doesn’t always seem to be moving forward. Even though we know that change is inevitable, it doesn’t always seem to be happening. We can feel completely stuck in any number of ways: with our relationship, our career, our finances, our physical health. Listen as Ashley talks with Carol Look who describes a simple and effective technique called “EFT: emotional … Read more about this episode...

Whether you are sick or well, you most likely visit a doctor or a dentist at least several times a year.  And if you have any medical concerns, you may have frequent tests, procedures, and even surgeries.  It is natural to experience some anxiety and fear as you face the uncertainties and vulnerabilities of all things medical.  However, it doesn’t … Read more about this episode...

What happens if you suddenly realize that you’re not living the life you were born to live?  What if you question your work, your marriage, your home and you realize that none of it reflects the authentic you?  Listen as Ashley talks with Lani McKinnon, a woman who recreated her life from the ground up.  Learn about how to … Read more about this episode...

Raising children is a big part of many people’s lives – a journey that requires an enormous amount of love, time, energy, and attention.  So when the children spread their wings and fly, leaving you in an empty nest, what happens next?  Join Ashley and her guest Katrina Kenison as they discuss the aspects of loss, grieving, transformation, and opportunity … Read more about this episode...

Have you ever felt like your life was drifting, meaningless?  Do you feel like a zombie going through the motions?  What might happen if you woke up?  Facing the fact that you won’t live forever can have a motivating impact on your days.  How might things change if you treated this year as the last year of your life?  What … Read more about this episode...

If you have a love/hate relationship with food, listen to this program and learn how to create a nourishing relationship with the food that nourishes you.  Ashley and her guest, Denise Lamothe unpack eating disorders of all types as well as solutions for turning things around.  It’s never too late to have a better relationship with the food in your … Read more about this episode...

It doesn’t matter how old you are when a parent dies.  It hurts.  This person who either supported you throughout your life – or didn’t – made a huge impact on you.  When they exit the planet, it is a profound rite of passage.  Even though it’s part of the expected life cycle, it can still be a painful reality.… Read more about this episode...

Resilience is about coping gracefully with life’s circumstances.  You might say that resilience is actually key in embracing change, in working with the challenges in your life.  Because when it comes down to it, it’s not what happens in your life that matters most, it’s how you handle what happens.  Fortunately, there are simple ways to rewire your brain for … Read more about this episode...

Intimacy, or ‘in to me see’, isn’t just about sex.  It’s about a quality of transparent connection in which your relationships and encounters with others are richer and deeper.  Whether you’re in a committed relationship and you’d like to have more sex, or you’d like to expand the depth of your friendships, listen as Ashley and her guest, Susan Lager… Read more about this episode...

Whether you suffer from depression or simply occasionally get the ‘blues’, this show is for you.  You can develop your innate, natural antidepressants within you by engaging in a few new simple habits.  Neuroplasticity allows you to rewire your brain for more happiness today.  Listen as Ashley talks with her guest, Dr. Elisha Goldstein, and learn how you can … Read more about this episode...

Self-care is more than kind behaviors and actions toward yourself.  Self-care is actually an ability to befriend yourself.  If you’re struggling with self-compassion – or if this is the year that you want to finally learn to love yourself – then listen and learn.  Ashley talks with Alaya Chadwick about trading in the subtle energies of self-violence for a new … Read more about this episode...

Does meditation seem like it takes too much work?  Feel like you don’t have the time to sit and chill out?  Bet you have a minute, a single minute.  Learn a technique that can turn your life around, one moment at a time.  Listen and learn as Ashley and Martin discuss a simple practice that you can incorporate into your … Read more about this episode...

Have you had an affair recently?  Purchased a sports car?  Traded in an older spouse for a younger version?  Moving past the cliché of a midlife crisis, Ashley and her guest Frankie Picasso talk about midlife possibility.  Learn how the midlife phase of life can become an opportunity for evaluation, meaning making, and intentional living. … Read more about this episode...

Divorce doesn’t have to be a full scale war.  In fact, it can be a life transition that creates opportunities for self-discovery and growth.  Listen as Ashley and Bill Ferguson share personal and professional experiences in the new method of ‘conscious uncoupling.’  You too can divorce as friends and create a new relationship with your ex.  It’s your choice how … Read more about this episode...

While many changes are welcome, others are simply much more challenging.  When a loved one is sick or dying, your world turns upside down.  How can you cope, release fears, shift your perspective, and discover the hidden gifts in the process? Ashley talks with Maria “Dancing Heart” Hoaglund about how to change with courage when you’re facing the real life … Read more about this episode...

If you find that fear, frustration, and resentment are taking up too much time and energy in your life, then this show is for you.  Listen as Ashley and her guest Bill Ferguson discuss specific ways to turn around these reactive aspects to living. Instead, learn how to invite in a new way of being in the world that is … Read more about this episode...

You know that exercise will improve your life, right?  But it’s so hard to fit it in (and sometimes hard to do!)  Is it possible to become athletic even if you’ve never been so inclined?  In fact, it is!  It’s never too late to start moving your body and reaping the benefits of exercise.  Join Ashley as she reveals her … Read more about this episode...

If you feel like the treadmill of life is going too fast for you, then listen now!  Even if your life is busy, complicated, and overly stressed, you can start creating small changes in your life that will invite more simplicity and stillness.  Listen as Ashley talks with Karen Horneffer-Ginter, author of Full Cup, Thirsty Spirit about how you … Read more about this episode...

How do you let go of a past that haunts you, of an abusive childhood, or of a traumatic history? Join Ashley as she talks with New York Times bestselling author Dave Pelzer who survived a childhood of horrific abuse. Listen as he talks about what he’s learned through the years about resilience, forgiveness, and owning his self-worth. You won’t … Read more about this episode...

Have you ever wanted help in creating the change that you desire in your life?  Learn how you could benefit from a specific tool to harness the powerful law of attraction.  Listen to Ashley as she chats with Michael Pearlman about a contemplative tool for focusing your intention, creating a vision for change, and then translating that into action.   If … Read more about this episode...

Depression affects millions and millions of people. Our first impulse is to stop the pain by popping a pill. However, the same change in brain chemistry that is achieved with medication is possible with nonmedicative approaches as well. Listen and learn effective ways to overcome depression, either as an alternative to medication or as a supplement to medication. Ashley and … Read more about this episode...

The human spirit may be resilient, but how do you find the strength to survive utter devastation? How do you pick up the pieces of a shattered life and continue on? Join Ashley as she talks to Nancy Sharp, author of Both Sides Now who lived the experience of triumphing over tragedy. Nancy learned that her husband’s cancer had … Read more about this episode...

Although we get married with the best of intentions, 50% of us will eventually get divorced. Does it have to be a contentious experience? Can the process unfold with relative peacefulness, compassion, and kindness? Listen as Ashley talks with a Buddhist order member who has been meditating for 30 years. Bodhipaksa and Ashley both share their experiences with managing anger, … Read more about this episode...

If you’ve ever suffered from low self-esteem or felt that your life was hopeless, listen to this program about how to make positive mental shifts. It is possible to claim your power and make changes to have a happier life. Ashley and Mal discuss Mal’s five steps toward inner freedom that is part of her Alpha Chick model. She developed … Read more about this episode...

Depression affects millions and millions of people. Our first impulse is to stop the pain by popping a pill. However, the same change in brain chemistry that is achieved with medication is possible with nonmedicative approaches as well. Listen and learn effective ways to overcome depression, either as an alternative to medication or as a supplement to medication. Ashley and … Read more about this episode...

We all want to be happy and free from suffering. Is it possible even if our circumstances are less than favorable? Can we change our perceptions so that happiness is guaranteed and permanent? Join Ashley and her guest Daniel Parmagianni, author of “The Magnificent Truths of our Existence” as they unlock the secrets to finding happiness NOW. Listen and learn … Read more about this episode...

Each of us knows that we will die – death is not optional. In fact, it’s the biggest and most massive ‘change’ that we’ll ever face. And yet, most of us don’t spend any time reflecting on our own deaths and what might be the ultimate next chapter. Join Ashley as she talks with Sandra Champlain, author of “We Don’t … Read more about this episode...

How does life unfold when you’ve had a childhood of severe physical and verbal abuse? How do you change a trajectory of violence, struggle, and dead end opportunities? How do you bounce back after extreme personal loss? You make change happen. Listen as Ashley talks with Darrell Foster, a personal trainer to Hollywood stars, an athlete, and the author of … Read more about this episode...

The human spirit may be resilient, but how do you find the strength to survive utter devastation? How do you pick up the pieces of a shattered life and continue on? Join Ashley as she talks to Nancy Sharp, author of Both Sides Now who lived the experience of triumphing over tragedy. Nancy learned that her husband’s cancer had … Read more about this episode...

The statistics are not in our favor! Fifty percent of first marriages end in divorce and sixty percent of second marriages end in divorce. So, if you’ve been married and divorced – are you crazy to think about trying it again? Can you make “I do” mean “til death do us part”? Today on “Embracing Change,” Ashley and her guest … Read more about this episode...

Do you get hijacked by your emotions? Is it your boss, your mother, your husband who really pushes your buttons? Are you spending too much time having tense arguments and disagreements? Now is the time to learn better skills for navigating conflict. Today, on “Embracing Change” Ashley talks with author and conflict resolution expert Judy Ringer about how to change … Read more about this episode...

Becoming a mother is a huge privilege, a great blessing, and also an enormous challenge. How do you manage your energy levels? How do you shift your identities, your priorities? How do you manage the lifelong dance of loving and letting go? Today, on “Embracing Change” Ashley talks with Claire Houston, a therapist, minister, and director of Women Supporting Women… Read more about this episode...

Did you try to initiate change with a New Year’s Resolution? If you did, chances are that it’s long forgotten. What if there was a way to improve your life bit by bit, year by year, with a single word? Welcome to the “Word of the Year”, an invitation to adopt an inspiring word that will be your guiding compass … Read more about this episode...

Whenever a couple walks down the aisle and says “I do,” they have every intention of remaining faithful. However, the demands of busy lives along with access to the world via the internet makes it easier than ever to have emotional and physical affairs. Can a relationship survive and even thrive after a betrayal? Today, on “Embracing Change,” Ashley talks … Read more about this episode...

Life is full of many losses – some that are expected and others that come completely out of the blue. Imagine getting that dreaded phone call that someone you love has been killed in an accident. How do you cope with it? How do you manage the kind of grief that leaves you debilitated with panic attacks and post-traumatic stress … Read more about this episode...