Relationship As Medicine

What happens when (as is the focus in most western grad school programs) we emphasize diagnosis and prescription over the therapeutic relationship and holistic healing? We might end up with excellent theoretical knowledge and clinical skills, and while those things are important, they're only one piece of the support that's needed to facilitate effective and lasting healing and growth. So how do we start (or continue) to shift the focus of therapeutic work towards a more integrated, accepting and holistic approach? Join Silvana Espinoza and I as we explore what it takes to decolonize therapy and coaching practices. We discuss why the process starts with decolonizing ourselves—examining the values, biases, and systems we've unconsciously absorbed. Listen in to discover what grad school didn't teach you about reclaiming your own healing medicine and approaches that honor community and right relationship, as we envision a future of healing that resists the mental health industrial complex and centers authentic connection and liberation. Through our conversation, you will find some actionable steps and thought-provoking insights for creating a practice rooted in justice, equity, and genuine care. Silvana Espinoza Lau is an embodied liberation and decolonization consultant and coach for therapists, healers, and service providers. Silvana coaches therapists and healers who want to incorporate decolonized, liberation focused and anti-oppressive values in their practices in an embodied way and consults with mental health agencies that want to center therapy seekers with minoritized identities. She also consults with mental health agencies on how to incorporate decolonial mental health practices. Silvana is an LMFT in private practice in unceded Kalapuya territory (Oregon), and a clinical supervisor and consultant to both licensed and prelicensed clinicians with a focus on anti-oppressive and decolonized therapy practice. You can find Silvana in these places: IG: @decolonizeyourpractice FB: www.facebook.com/decolonizeyourpractice Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/silvana-espinoza-lau-906498233

In this episode of Relationship As Medicine, we explore the power of intentional relationships and the ripple effect of our actions. Topics include the pitfalls of spiritual bypassing, the necessity of rest and reciprocity, and how to create a bigger impact by doing less. We also dive into decolonizing coaching & healing relationships and building authentic relationships. I hope this conversation acts as an invitation to you to reflect on how your small ripples can lead to meaningful waves of change. Emily Anne Brant is an Indigenous writer, speaker & mentor working at the intersection of personal development and decolonization. She is Turtle clan, from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation. Emily is on a mission to decolonize the personal development and coaching industry and works with coaches, leaders and all types of therapists and healers to create more inclusive spaces. At the heart of it all is fostering communities where everyone feels seen, safe, and truly supported so that we can grow and rise together! You can find Emily in these places: Emily's Website: www.emilyannebrant.com Emily's Instagram: www.instagram.com/emilyannebrant FREE E-BOOK: www.emilyannebrant.com/decolonize The Round Table Replay Box: https://www.emilyannebrant.com/the-round-table-replay-box

In a culture that glorifies self-help, therapy, and coaching as solo journeys to self-improvement, many of us have absorbed the belief that we must “do it all” ourselves. But what does this push for hyper self-reliance cost us? Join me as I speak with Catherine Hale, nervous system coach and educator, as we dive deep into the concept of co-regulation and explore how our tendency toward self-sufficiency often leads to isolation and a sense of separation from our communities. We explore how to know if it's safe to show up authentically and vulnerably with others, how we can navigate the delicate balance between being open and protecting our boundaries, and, most importantly, what conditions do we need to feel secure enough to bring our whole selves into community? True connection requires a willingness to show up for ourselves and others, rediscovering the healing that can only happen when we're seen, heard, and supported. Whether you're curious about building deeper relationships or ready to let go of the pressure to “do it alone,” this episode is your invitation to embrace the power of togetherness. Meet Catherine, a passionate nervous system coach and educator who inspires seasoned change-makers—coaches, healers, and leaders—to unlock their full potential. With her guidance, individuals can tap into the extraordinary power of post-traumatic growth, transforming their healing journey into a path of empowerment and purpose. In 2023, Catherine launched the Culture of Care training, a groundbreaking program that fosters a holistic approach to trauma-informed care. Designed for practitioners and facilitators, this training equips them with the skills to create safe, sensitive environments that honor the diverse needs of individuals and groups. Catherine believes that by mastering trauma-informed techniques and understanding the intricacies of the nervous system, we can collectively cultivate a culture that empowers profound transformations in our lives and work. Together, we can build the beautiful world our hearts know is possible—one that thrives on compassion, resilience, and deep connection. Find Catherine in these places: Website: https://catherinehale.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinehaleuk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinehale.co.uk

Trusting Your Inner Compass: Cultivating Intuition, Clarity, and Confidence In this episode, join Bre and I as we dive deep into the art of trusting your intuition in a society that often values logic and external validation over inner knowing. We discuss how to overcome the stigma around intuition, especially for those who have experienced trauma or oppression, and explore ways to create a sense of safety when reconnecting with your inner voice. We cover practical strategies for those caught in cycles of overthinking and procrastination, offering insights on how to break free and trust yourself in taking the next steps forward. We also unpack the difference between a trauma response and true intuition, helping you recognize signs when you're acting out of fear versus genuine inner wisdom. If you've ever felt disconnected from your body as a means of staying safe, we discuss how to gently tap back into bodily sensations and use them as a guide for decision-making. Plus, we share simple practices and visualizations to help you build trust in your intuition and enhance your self-confidence. Tune in for an enlightening conversation full of practical tips and compassionate guidance to support you on your journey back to your own inner compass. Bre Crawford is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Wholehearted Life Coach and founder of Orchard Physical Therapy + Coaching. Her work as a Doctor of Physical Therapy centers around the belief that our bodies are resilient and capable of healing. She's passionate about co-creating a space for her patients to connect to their bodies through mindfulness, movement, and pain science education. As a Life Coach, she helps folks who feel stuck in overwhelm, uncertainty, and self-doubt find clarity and confidence to live their most fulfilled life - with ease and joy. Bre has a workshop coming up on November 19th, which you can find out about here (live & recorded): Embody Your Intuition: From Overthinking and Uncertainty to Clarity and Confidence www.orchardbend.com/workshop And you can also find her in these places: www.orchardbend.com And you can find Shelby here: www.shelby-leigh.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

Join us in "Peace with Self, Peace with Food," where we dive deep into the intricate relationship between nourishment, body image, and our nervous systems. This podcast explores the barriers to true nourishment, both physically and emotionally, and how attachment, development, and physiology shape our eating behaviors. We'll uncover why certain behaviors and experiences can't be changed through thinking alone, and how healing can involve profound physiological shifts, as we support the nervous system in regulation and the attachment system with care. You'll learn how nourishment goes beyond food, touching on boundaries, chronic illness, and even breathing practices that support a deep connection inside and out. Discover a new paradigm emerging in the understanding of nourishment and well-being, and gain practical insights into how to support yourself and others on this journey toward peace with both self and food. While this episode centers around food and body image, Galina's book and this conversation supports healing around many different types of challenges in our lives. We could call it all: tending to nourishment challenges in mind, body and heart. Galina Denzel is a somatic practitioner and author based in Colorado. She helps people who struggle with emotional eating recover and enjoy peace, well-being and authentic connection with themselves and their loved ones.She is the author of Peace with Self Peace with Food - a trauma healing approach for emotional eating. Galina's Current Offerings: Free chapter of Peace with Self, Peace with Food www.purebelonging.com FB: purebelonging IG: @galinadenzel Shelby's Current Offerings: Remembering Who You are: A 3-Part Series on Belonging, Becoming and Being www.shelby-leigh.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

The result of nervous system regulation isn't just being calm all of the time.  As our regulation increases, we gain range. It gives us this incredible ability to welcome all parts of ourselves and be present for many more experiences.  We get to voraciously experience life's highs and lows without shutting down. Instead we are here for it - grounded, centered and connected to each moment whether it being fast or slow, high or low, pleasant or unpleasant or anywhere in between. My definition of healing trauma is "to embrace." When we are able to slow down enough and allow anything to come up and meet it with warmth and care.  As we begin to practice slowing down, our entire histories tend to show up in our bodies/hearts and minds. In a healing process... we have space to allow all of it and meet it in a new way. We can either do old school pushing into the discomfort and try to dig it to the root OR we could softly welcome it like we were welcoming an old friend and follow the body's wisdom to see what wants to unfold next. When we can allow all parts with this level of spaciousness and range - we don't have to effort to cut out past experiences, try to figure them out or fix them. Instead we have the bandwidth to expand wide enough to be with all that arises - sensations, emotions, experiences... all of it. When we're healing through nervous system regulation work, we're growing a greater sense of somatic safety which brings us a wide range to face all of life's experiences. How do we grow ourselves wide enough to welcome it and be with it just like we would be with an old friend? And that naturally allows for trauma resolution... we come into new relationship to it. We learn that we can be with discomfort, we learn that we can be with pain and suffering and grief because it's part of being human.  And we ALSO learn that we can be with joy and play and pleasure and aliveness. The more we have capacity for one of these, the more we have capacity for all of them. It allows us to have that full spectrum of our humanity. It gives us back who we are, what we want to do and how we want to be. As our trauma physiology gets updated to the safety available in the present moment, we get to exhale into infinite possibilities of how to engage with life, with ourselves and others.  We make empowered choices out of our greatest intentions - moving from an entirely new paradigm. Shelby's Current Offerings: Free 3-Part Training Starting on August 20 - Art of Presence ⁠⁠⁠⁠Body of Work Program⁠⁠⁠⁠ Healing Through Wholeness - Embrace Program ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

The result of nervous system regulation isn't just being calm all of the time.  As our regulation increases, we gain range.  It gives us this incredible ability to welcome all parts of ourselves and be present for many more experiences.  We get to voraciously experience life's highs and lows without shutting down.  Instead we are here for it - grounded, centered and connected to each moment whether it being fast or slow, high or low, pleasant or unpleasant or anywhere in between. My definition of healing trauma is “to embrace.” When we are able to slow down enough and allow anything to come up and meet it with warmth and care.  As we begin to practice slowing down, our entire histories tend to show up in our bodies/hearts and minds. In a healing process… we have space to allow all of it and meet it in a new way. We can either do old school pushing into the discomfort and try to dig it to the root OR we could softly welcome it like we were welcoming an old friend and follow the body's wisdom to see what wants to unfold next. When we can allow all parts with this level of spaciousness and range - we don't have to effort to cut out past experiences, try to figure them out or fix them.  Instead we have the bandwidth to expand wide enough to be with all that arises - sensations, emotions, experiences… all of it. When we're healing through nervous system regulation work, we're growing a greater sense of somatic safety which brings us a wide range to face all of life's experiences. How do we grow ourselves wide enough to welcome it and be with it just like we would be with an old friend? And that naturally allows for trauma resolution… we come into new relationship to it.  We learn that we can be with discomfort, we learn that we can be with pain and suffering and grief because it's part of being human.  And we ALSO learn that we can be with joy and play and pleasure and aliveness. The more we have capacity for one of these, the more we have capacity for all of them.   It allows us to have that full spectrum of our humanity.  It gives us back who we are, what we want to do and how we want to be. As our trauma physiology gets updated to the safety available in the present moment, we get to exhale into infinite possibilities of how to engage with life, with ourselves and others.  We make empowered choices out of our greatest intentions - moving from an entirely new paradigm. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 25-Minute Connection Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter Sign Up + Free 7 Day Guided Course⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Body of Work⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

In a culture that tends to drive a state of urgency and action, it's an act of rebellion to practice and choose spaciousness.  That old paradigm is one I no longer subscribe to and I'll tell you why and how. The more regulated our nervous systems get, the easier it is to consciously choose peace and ease within - even amidst challenge. I am adamant about the power of discernment and choice. It's not easy… especially when our physiology has been conditioned to a state of survival and stress.  It goes against the stream to find ways to pause when we believe we need to be in action. When we can commit ourselves to spaciousness, presence and peace - there are so many possibilities of healing, growth and awakening in ways we may have only dreamed of. Less becomes more.  More wisdom, more precise action, more boundaries, more clarity.  Because when we know how to slow down and come back home to our own center in a moment - everything we need is right there. This is also true of how we sit with our clients as coaches and therapists.  When we learn that slow is the new fast and we go lighter to go deeper we give our clients some of the greatest gifts.  When we push for big transformations out of a state of urgency and wanting to feel helpful, fix or figure out - we're out of the present moment and we're possibly putting more pressure on our clients when what would be healing is to take the very familiar pressure off. What might be possible when we're settled deeply in ourselves and we can trust that state of being fully and completely? When we can learn to sit with the unknown, the discomfort and what's truly alive here in the present moment (even if we don't' like it), we have the ultimate super power.  Especially when we can sit with it with curiosity and care.  We can learn to do that for ourselves and others.  This is a revolutionary gift. Too often we're trying to heal with the same oppressive mechanisms that we were hurt by.  Through standing in this revolutionary commitment to an entirely new way of being with ourselves and others - we are choosing a new paradigm to move from. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 25-Minute Connection Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Newsletter Sign Up + Free 7 Day Guided Course⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Body of Work⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

Having taught meditation for decades and sharing various practices, I have learned that for me… I need both consistency AND variety.  Others need the same thing every day. And others need to scattered bouts of showing up. Listen in and see if there's one thing that you can take with you that helps you give yourself permission to see what most supports YOU.  There's so much space to remember who we are through practice and it doesn't have to look any particular way.   Practicing what's nourishing for us brings us towards our highest goals.  Can we do that while putting perfectionism aside and allow it to be a never-ending experiment? It's easy to get distracted or shut down, especially when practice starts opening us towards what we most want (that old “rubber band” effect).  How do we keep showing up no matter what we're facing whether pleasant/unpleasant/neither? While life keeps lifing? We're all different.  We all need different practices and permission to explore where we put comparison and rigidity aside. There is one big thing I share in this podcast about what ultimately helps us return again and again to what helps us expand into our greatest intentions for ourselves.  Listen in and see what that is. Whether your regular or daily practice is meditation, journaling, feeding yourself well, budgeting, showing up for therapy or healing work, a movement practice… can you find a way to fight for yourself and what matters most… whole-heartedly?  Here's how. Ask yourself… “what is the most loving thing I can do in this moment?” Maybe today it's 3 breaths and saying “it's safe to feel this.”  Whatever it is. Start listening in to your mind/heart/body and see if you can show up as best you can.  It takes practice and remind yourself you get to start over and have do-overs anytime. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 25-Minute Connection Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Newsletter Sign Up + Free 7 Day Guided Course ⁠⁠Body of Work⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

Start here and see where you go with your practice(s). Have you ever started a practice thinking it would help you get to where you want to go?  Only to realize a day or weeks or months in that it felt impossible to keep going?  This applies to everything from exercise to meditation to money management to therapy or coaching or nutrition.  If resistance didn't exist… there are so many more possibilities of healing.  Check out this episode to learn about how to move from stuck to effortless over time.  I explore concepts around why we stop or get stuck or shut down and how we can compassionately and curiously move towards ease and flow in showing up in our lives in a way that is nourishing and wildly supportive so that we can move towards our greatest goals of self-trust, freedom, awakening, strength, power, steadiness, flow, connection, AND MORE. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 25-Minute Connection Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Healing Through Wholeness⁠ ⁠Body of Work⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠

This episode we bring something different. Mari Mu interviews me, Shelby Leigh on my thoughts and views around a new paradigm of healing. It's a revolutionary path towards trauma healing and beyond. Both practitioners and folks in a process of healing their own trauma will take something meaningful away from this episode. We also talk about an exciting new 9-Month offering that starts in September 2024! Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 25-Minute Connection Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Healing Through Wholeness Body of Work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Mari: www.mari.mu

Kristin joins me again as we settle in to the moment and really explore and enjoy the aftermath of my Soulful Retreat in Panama. If you were curious how it went and also about some of my behind the scenes process... here's a window in to all of that. It was an epic coming home and a remembering of our deepest hearts. This time spent reflecting together really anchored in the nourishment of it all. Kristin Mathes, LCSW is a psychotherapist specializing in trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Depression. She owns and operates her own private practice where she works with women and adolescents who are finding themselves trapped by physical symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression. Much of her therapeutic practice is inspired by her time spent as a Wilderness Therapist guiding clients through wilderness expeditions. Nature has always shown her how much our present-day activities disconnect us from our Self, our body, and our relationships. And, importantly, how our physical and emotional health issues can arise from such disconnection. ⁠Kristin is launching registration for FLOW, her surf therapy retreat in March of 2025 ⁠EMERGE Instagram Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 Intro Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.shelby-leigh.com

Natalia Sanyal returns to The Relationship As Medicine Podcast for a second time. We dive into trauma-informed and anti-oppressive marketing PRACTICES for business owners. We take a look at how to care for our audience AND ourselves when marketing from this perspective. We look at some outdated ways of marketing and talk about possibilities of an entirely new foundation and paradigm of marketing that's inspired, supportive and creates ease and connection.

Stephen Terrell joins me for a third time in this inspiring episode about bringing a caring heart to our work in supporting clients on their trauma healing journey. We: Talk about a pet peeve of how clinicians talk about trauma. Explore the difference between pain and suffering Share about nervous system regulation work vs. pathology Look at how a somatic trauma treatment without words can actually work Emphasize how having an agenda in trauma healing can be counter-productive and make us and our clients work far too hard. And... SO much more. Have a listen and let us know how it lands for you. We truly want to know. More about Stephen:  Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP, is a leading expert in the field of Developmental Trauma and Adoption and is recognized around the world for his work in Developmental Trauma and Healing. He understands Developmental Trauma from the inside out and the outside in. Terrell has performed more than 25,000 individual Transforming Touch® sessions and taught thousands of students from around the world in the art of Transforming Touch® as it relates to healing Developmental Trauma.  ⁠Website

Gail Susan Gordon joins me as we look at nervous system regulation within the therapeutic relationship, whether working with individual adults or supporting parents, caregivers and children. As we support and foster attunement and regulation within the healing relationship, we create the conditions that allow people to grow and flourish. Gail describes her compassionate view on how to best support the healing process for adults who've had challenging childhoods. You're sure to leave this episode feeling warmth in your heart and more grounded and at ease. About Gail, in her own words: My own journey has taught me that healing is not only possible, it's a reality one can count on. When I bring together my training and my personal experience, I'm able to support people to move forward in a meaningful way.I've worked as a psychotherapist with children and adults for almost 15 years. My training includes advanced studies in early development, trauma and somatics (body-oriented therapies). My work incorporates the impact of culture and social/political oppression in our daily lives.A special interest has been integrating the body into therapy through many programs, including Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Resilience and Regulation, and Transforming the Experienced Based Brain/Transforming Touch. Learning the abundance of ways the body and mind are designed to heal from stress and trauma is an ongoing revelation. I share with you what I learn, incorporating it into my approach to working together. I'm looking forward to our journey. You can learn more about Gail and her services on her website

Jivana Heyman shares how accessibility flows naturally from ethics. We explore how accessibility and trauma informed care weave together as we support those in our care. This conversation applies not only to. yoga teachers and facilitators but to anyone in a supporting and healing role. We delve into the theme of sharing power and why we do this with those in our care. Collaboration is key in how we show up and empower students, clients and participants. This conversation is sure to leave you feeling inspired and with some fresh perspectives in your approach to healing whether you're facilitator or participant. About Jivana: Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He's the author of the books: Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and a new book, The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. Over the past thirty years of teaching yoga, Jivana has focused on welcoming all people to yoga and celebrating our individuality and our differences. His work has focused on dismantling ableism in the yoga world, as well as looking at the intersection of yoga and social justice. His books, classes, and trainings offer support to yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition. More information at jivanaheyman.com Facebook Instagram Soulful Retreat:

Justin Salamon and I explore the intersections between the therapeutic power of working in the outdoor industry and supporting clients in our healing modalities. We explore river running, nature, regulation, intuition, sharing power and why we don't give our clients “psychic downloads”. Listen in a find out more about how we can become a safer space for those we support. About Justin Justin Salamon, MA - Certified Rolfer: "My first experience with Rolfing® SI was in 2000 when I was seeking help for chronic shoulder dislocations. I was an avid climber, backpacker and paddler working in the outdoor industry but injuries threatened my ability to continue my livelihood. My first ten series was transformative – walking was joyful in a way I had never experienced, breathing was effortless, my coordination improved and old pains disappeared. I realized that I needed to study Rolfing SI to understand the changes that had occurred in my body and to share the work with others. Since 2002 I have been privileged to practice Rolfing Structural Integration, and in the process help clients of all ages and backgrounds. I approach each session as an opportunity to understand the physical and psycho-biological patterns that make each client unique, and enjoy the challenge of helping each person become pain-free, embodied, and more comfortable in his/her everyday life. Rolfing fuels my passion for deepening my knowledge of the human body and the human experience through formal education and independent study. When I am not Rolfing you can find me helping with the management of Canyon Explorations where we offer 13-18 day human powered river trips through Grand Canyon. I still get on the river as a Guide and Trip Leader but have more time to devote to Rolfing and management. My free time is spent exploring the mountains, rivers and canyons. Most importantly my time is spent learning, adventuring and growing with my children." ⁠Website⁠ Soulful Retreat:

In this episode, Sarah Buino and I dive into the current business landscape of therapists and care providers. We shine a light on the prevalent issue of burnout gripping many within these professions, particularly in our current times. Sarah shares her personal journey, from the early days in community mental health to running group therapy practices. Through her experiences, we uncover valuable lessons and insights that have shaped her path. As we navigate the conversation, it becomes evident that a pandemic of burnout is silently affecting therapists and care providers on a wide scale. This episode serves as an illuminating exploration of the challenges within these professions, offering a candid look at the struggles many practitioners face. Together, Sarah and I discuss strategies to navigate and alleviate burnout, emphasizing the importance of finding ease and steadiness in the midst of demanding roles. Whether you're a therapist or a care provider of any kind, this episode provides valuable insights into the unique challenges faced and the crucial role of self-care and support. Tune in for a conversation that sheds light on the realities of the field and offers guidance on cultivating resilience and well-being in the face of burnout. About Sarah Sarah Buino is a speaker, educator, therapist and the founder of the therapy practice Head/Heart Therapy, Inc and consulting organization Head/Heart Business Therapy. She's a member of the adjunct faculty at Loyola University Chicago and a podcast host. Her podcast called Conversations With a Wounded Healer examines the role of one's own healing while being a care-giving professional. Sarah's new podcast series The Burnt Out Practice Owner discusses the current state of group therapy practice ownership—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sarah's Authentic Leaders Group, an 8- month program for therapists who want to enhance their leadership skills, begins this Friday, February 9, 2024 Website Instagram Facebook

This week, I am so grateful to welcome Kristen Ales, LPC & Kristin Mathes, LCSW of the Wilder Wellness Podcast. Our conversation delves into the power of connection through group experiential work - a topic that we've been reflecting a lot on lately. We also explore how we as practitioners learn to let go of old habits, particularly the tendency to push ourselves too hard in not only our own healing journeys but also in our professional lives.  The three of us also share our experiences facilitating retreats in nature and the power of connecting in groups. Kristin gives us a preview of her deep prep for launching EMERGE, a surf therapy retreat which involves a lot of somatic-based practices with Mother Ocean - happening in February 2025. And in a very vulnerable and honest share, I open up about my process around planning my upcoming retreat and what it's been like in getting the word out about it. This episode invites you into a circle of kind, regulated, well-intentioned, compassionate and wonderfully inspired humans. For healing practitioners (especially for those who focus on trauma healing and nervous system regulation), I hope this episode serves you as a deep exhale. Wilder Wellness is a podcast all about exploring our relationship with our bodies, minds, and communities through an adventurous lens. Tune in each week as Kristen Ales & Kristin Mathes navigate new topics around emotional health, physical health, and living life outside of the box. Kristen and Kristin are two licensed therapists, & friends, for empowering and inspiring interviews with wellness professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, and big thinkers, dreamers & doers who are changing the prescription for true well-being. Website Instagram: @wilderwellnessco About Kristin + Kristen Kristin Mathes, LCSW is a psychotherapist specializing in trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, and Depression. She owns and operates her own private practice where she works with women and adolescents who are finding themselves trapped by physical symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression. Much of her therapeutic practice is inspired by her time spent as a Wilderness Therapist guiding clients through wilderness expeditions. Nature has always shown her how much our present-day activities disconnect us from our Self, our body, and our relationships. And, importantly, how our physical and emotional health issues can arise from such disconnection. Check out Kristin's website to learn more about her work. Kristin is launching registration for Emerge, her surf therapy retreat on February 21, 2024 EMERGE Instagram Kristen Ales, LPC is a licensed therapist who specializes in disordered eating and negative body image. After years of disordered eating and hating her body, Kristen built a more trusting and respectful relationship with her body through outdoor activity. Since her early twenties, Kristen has spent years guiding outdoor adventure trips which led to her receiving her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis in Wilderness Therapy.  Since receiving her Master's degree, Kristen has founded her own company Wilder Wellness. She works with women of all sizes to help them build confidence in their bodies, on and off of the trail. In this work, Kristen has created and facilitated size-inclusive outdoor adventure retreats, designed online group programs, and courses, and works with clients individually in her clinical practice.  In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, cooking, and finding new ways to bring her creativity to life.

I am so moved and honored to welcome Kelly McDaniel LPC, NCC to the podcast to discuss her book Mother Hunger, a personal life-changer that I frequently recommend to my clients. During this powerful conversation, we explore the term “Mother Hunger” and its various impacts on daughters with mothers who weren't able to tend to them in nurturing and supportive ways. We also discuss: The importance of using non-pathologizing language on experiences that are often so shamed   Yearning for nurturance, protection, and guidance and how someone might start the healing process Mother Hunger as an Epigenetic inheritance from our maternal lineage and how it affects a mother-child bond Implicit Memory and how our bodies carry experiences that elude verbal expression for many Disorganized attachment and confronting the labels society attaches, such as “bipolar disorder” and “borderline personality disorder”  and how these may reflect deeper, unmet needs. Whether you're a mental health professional or someone healing their own Mother Hunger, this conversation will offer insights and connection in a kind and compassionate way. I left this conversation feeling deeply touched by the depth and topics we navigated through and truly in awe of Kelly's ability to put words to such a heartbreaking experience that I have not only experienced but I know many of you have as well. About Kelly McDaniel, LPC, NCC Kelly McDaniel is a licensed professional counselor,author, mother, and women's advocate. In her first book Ready to Heal, (2008) she named an attachment injury as “Mother Hunger” and started a movement. Women resonated with the concept and wanted treatment. Since then, Kelly devotes herself to nurturing insecure attachment and maternal deprivation in adult women. In her second book, Mother Hunger, Kelly speaks to the millions of women who suffer with a life-long emotional burden that adversely affects self-worth, eating patterns, and relational wellness. Catch Kelly speaking at Hay House's I Can Do It! event in March 2024, located in Pheonix, AZ.  Website Purchase Mother Hunger  Instagram: @kellymcdanieltherapy

Te and I dream together about the upcoming retreat in Panama, exploring how somatic-focused movement offers deep nourishment and support for the nervous system work we'll be diving into on the retreat. We delve into Te's inclusive approach that honors all bodies that carry diverse stories and experiences about movement.   Take a peek into this conversation to get a feel for Te's morning practice, which will set the tone for each day of our retreat. Join us in Panama for Soulful in May - there are still spots left, and it would be an honor to support you on your journey from burnout to inspiration and newfound clarity as a health and wellness provider.  This retreat is designed especially for those on a trauma-healing journey, aiming to deepen the understanding of the impact of "less is more". Join us to find your True North through gently settling your nervous system and sinking into spaciousness so you can listen, receive and respond to the wisdom of your body, heart and mind.   In addition to our daily movement practices, you'll find teachings and workshops on how to welcome all parts of yourself, alongside coaches, therapists, and health and well-being professionals surrounded by the sea and tropical forests Reserve your place today and step into a space of renewal.  About Teresa Teresa Prado has been a movement instructor for the past seven years after finishing the Rizze Yoga Immersion Training in Vancouver. Since then, they have done extensive training in somatic movement alongside training and volunteering with Yoga Outreach to offer free trauma-informed movement practices to a diverse population, from rehab centres to seniors' homes. With a slow and steady rhythm in order to be inclusive of all bodies and abilities, Teresa encourages folks to tap into their needs to experience the class however they wish. The main objective is to offer a safer space for people to connect with their bodies and explore what movement, breath and mindfulness means to themselves.

In this episode of the podcast, I chat with Lacey Nagar Ammerman on how practitioners and care providers can best support individuals with different abilities or chronic health conditions through a trauma-informed approach to ensure they feel seen, acknowledged, and understood in their healing journey. Lacey also shares her deeply personal journey through navigating muscular dystrophy in her personal life and in her business and how it has fueled her passion for supporting her clients with disabilities and body challenges.  We also discuss:  Health diagnoses as traumatic events and how to support people through them (especially when their diagnoses are ongoing and progressive) How to be more inclusive of people with different abilities (whether visible or not) in meditations, practices, resourcing, etc How to resource in the body when we don't trust or feel good in our bodies because of illness What “confidence” or “body image” means for Lacey and her clients  Tips and tools for practitioners who may be working with confidence and body image in themselves or their clients About Lacey:  Lacey Nagar Ammerman is a Confidence & Certified Body Image Coach, author, and mentor. Her mission is to make a difference in the lives of women through confidence in their bodies, businesses, and relationships so they can show up fully, make more money, and create yummy partnerships. Instagram: @gracefulrisingcoaching Website: confidenceandmagic.com Check out the Productivity Journal and 5-Minute Journal here. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠Free 1:1 Intro Call⁠⁠ ⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠www.shelby-leigh.com

Janel Phillips, founder and co-owner of Sansara Resort in Cambutal, Panamá joins me for an inspiring conversation about the experience and land where we'll be hosting our Soulful Retreat.  She shares the synchronistic story of how she and her husband found themselves in picturesque Cambutal and how it's unfolded into the special and sacred place it is today.  Together we look at the experience of retreat participants, including the delicious cuisine, the adventures along the Southern Panamanian coast, and the interactions with staff.   Learn why this retreat destination serves as the perfect place for allowing our nervous systems to find balance and regulation and how you can truly take up nourishment and goodness from each moment during this experience. You can register for Soulful now, which takes place on May 12-28, 2024. Born out of burnout, this gathering of deep feelers, sensitive souls and adventurous spirits is a grounding, spacious, connecting way to return home to your deepest heart.  About Janel:  As a former high-school teacher, Janel continued her studies around the world to encompass her passion for yoga, working with educators, healers, and yoga teachers before opening a Canadian-based yoga business. Through her experiences and passion, she began to realize how important it was to me to develop a business model that focused on the mind-body-earth connection and healthy living for both clients and the earth. Along with her husband Mike, they wanted to create a place that catered to all, and shared their passion and belief in a simpler, more organic lifestyle, where people can slow down, unplug, and escape their hectic lifestyles, and thus Sansara Resort came into fruition.  Janel and Milke strongly  believe in giving back to and improving our community by utilizing the benefits of tourism to promote sustainable development and employment in Cambutal. They  support our community by employing local residents and purchasing local products whenever possible. Sansara Website Instagram Check out my favorite Productivity Journal and 5-Minute Journal ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠Free 1:1 Intro Call⁠⁠ ⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠www.shelby-leigh.com

In this episode, I am joined by Nuria Reed to explore embodiment-focused decolonization work from her perspective as a white-bodied practitioner with European lineage.  We delve into the power of this work in fostering a sense of deep belonging - whether it's with the natural world, with each other, or inside themselves. She explains the concept of Embodied Ancestral Awakening, shedding light on its important role in trauma healing. By becoming more rooted and secure in our own identities, we can forge more compassionate and connected relationships with each other, our work as practitioners, and the world.   Nuria is a certified sex coach, anthropology enthusiast, animist practitioner, and professional in transformation and liberation. Her approach is trauma-informed somatic-based coaching specifically for sexuality, spiritual awakening, and ancestral healing and her philosophy is planted in the reclaimed animist traditions of her ancestors and the Tantra of her yogic lineage. With 10,000 hours of teaching and training experience and two decades of transformative personal work, Nuria lives, breathes, and embodies liberation through pleasure. Nuria's 6-week program Ancestral Awakening will begin in November 2023. Ancestral Awakening is an intimate group course for women who long for an authentic and ancient spirituality. Find out more about the program here.  Instagram: @embodied_ancestral_awakening Website: www.nuriareed.com Also, check out my favorite Productivity Journal and 5-Minute Journal ⁠here⁠. Registration is open NOW for Soulful: A Somatic Embodiment Retreat for Healing & Wellness Practitioners.⁠⁠Born out of burnout, this gathering of deep feelers, sensitive souls and adventurous spirits is a grounding, spacious, connecting way to return home to your deepest heart.

In this special episode of the podcast, I wanted to take the time to talk with you about my upcoming retreat, Soulful. I dive into my intentions that will go into this retreat and share the inspiration behind this offering. I give a glimpse of what your experience will be like, exploring the day-to-day schedule and the deep HOW and WHY of it all. If you've been curious about what this retreat will be like, have a listen! Born out of burnout, this retreat is meant to guide you into deep nourishment and re-alignment with your soul's compass. This gathering of deep feelers, sensitive souls and adventurous spirits is a grounding, spacious, connecting way to return home to your deepest heart. You are invited to come celebrate and luxuriate in the company of other coaches, therapists and health and well-being professionals (or for anybody who supports others in their day-to day) surrounded by the sea and tropical forests. This unique trauma-informed retreat is designed to help you regulate your nervous system through somatic and embodied practices so that you can expand your capacity for even more well-being, health, wealth, connection, clarity, and steadiness. You give so much to others, here is a time to allow yourself to receive, be held and lean in. Register now to save $300 before October 1st! In the episode, I mention the EXPAND 10-Day Series on Insight Timer App Or, you can find it on YouTube Also, check out my favorite Productivity Journal and 5-Minute Journal here. Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 1:1 Intro Call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.shelby-leigh.com

Michelle Saltz and I get together to chat about how our healing and embodiment work can be supported by nature. In this episode, she takes us through what inspires her to support people in this work and the ways in which she supports them through art therapy and coaching.  We also talk about: Breathwork and other impactful tools to support us in being present The importance of being consistent with practices that actually support us in a way that is authentic and unique to us Listening to the body and to nature as a way of regulating and being at ease in life in a connected way. Being with the natural changes that occur.  How we can allow ourselves to just be and sit with the ever-changing landscape of life About Michelle As an Art Therapist, Intimacy and Relationship Coach and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Michelle has been guiding clients for over 20 years using tools such as breath, meditation, imagery and movement to regulate and shift their experiences to make powerful choices. She is a passionate believer that the body speaks its own language, carries infinite wisdom and can serve as compass and guide. She embraces transitions, relationships and nature as teachers and her experience informs her practice. Her life has been an evolving journey of self-discovery and an ongoing resource in her work. Read more about her upcoming program, HOME IN, an intimate 12-month container designed for women who give so much and do it so well, to feel nourished, replenished and fall madly in love with themselves and their lives. Website: seasonsoflove.me

I am so excited to be joined by Megan deBoer again as we reflect on expanding, receiving money/abundance, what we see in the clients we work with and what inspires us to do this work.  We touch on:  Expanding our capacities to cope with ebbs and flows within our businesses The “Nourishment Barrier” and how we can lean into support and learn tools that help us know that money is safe to receive and hold The intersection of love, money & security and how the lack of safety in one of these domains can ultimately lead to dysregulation and shape our responses to receiving abundance Importance of embodiment work and nervous system support in healing our relationship with money and abundance How to trust ourselves to receive and give ourselves permission to receive  This work not only applies to money, but about whatever it is we need to flourish in our businesses and lives. We also announce our upcoming workshop A Somatic Approach To Receive & Expand,  happening on September 7th. This workshop is geared toward service-based business owners and people in the healing & helping space. This is about learning to receive, being in the conversation and exploration you need to flourish in your business, and learning to open up to trust. Together, we will guide you in building resources of safety and how to do this in a slow and mindful way to bring a layer of stability to our relationship with money and abundance.   When we have safety in our systems, so much more is possible. We hope to see you there! Click here to Sign Up. Check out our previous episode together here. Megan deBoer is the founder of Tended Wealth, a business that helps individuals heal their emotional and practical relationship to money. As a certified Financial Recovery Counselor, her approach considers the context of our current financial circumstance: our lived experience, our family of origin, and the broad culture that together shape our beliefs about money. She is passionate about transforming this fundamental part of our lives from shame and overwhelm to a sense of agency, clarity, and potential. She specializes in helping women who are self-employed to radically increase their earning. Her course participants and 1:1 clients regularly attest to the life-changing power of this work. You can read more about Megan's work on her website. Instagram Registration is open NOW for Soulful: A Somatic Embodiment Retreat for Healing & Wellness Practitioners.⁠Born out of burnout, this gathering of deep feelers, sensitive souls and adventurous spirits is a grounding, spacious, connecting way to return home to your deepest heart.

I am beyond grateful to have gotten to share this time with my teacher and mentor, Stephen Terrell. I've been eager to get this episode out since we recorded it last month.  Can't wait to hear your thoughts. I'm often asked “how is THIS nervous system regulation work different from other regulation work?” and “HOW does it actually work?” and so many other questions.  If you want to hear more about how this deep trauma healing modality was created from the man who created it, now's the time!  Join me as I sit down with Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP, a renowned expert in the field of nervous system regulation work. In this conversation, we delve into the intricacies of this practice and explore its profound impact on healing and wellness. Together, we attempt to demystify the concept of nervous system regulation work as we ask, what exactly does it entail? In an attempt to answer this question, we explore:  The distinction between working with a trained practitioner versus engaging in guided nervous system regulation practices on our own The relationship between faith and science in nervous system regulation work Practical insights and techniques to help these professionals navigate the demands of their work while maintaining their own well-being Why self-regulation is vital for creating safe and grounded spaces for clients and how practitioners can cultivate this skill both in and out of sessions How to find a skilled practitioner in the field of nervous system regulation work We hope that this episode gives you great insight into this kind of work, let us know what you think! More about Stephen:  Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP, is a leading expert in the field of Developmental Trauma and Adoption and is recognized around the world for his work in Developmental Trauma and Healing. He understands Developmental Trauma from the inside out and the outside in. Terrell has performed more than 25,000 individual Transforming Touch® sessions and taught thousands of students from around the world in the art of Transforming Touch® as it relates to healing Developmental Trauma.  Website Registration is open NOW for Soulful: A Somatic Embodiment Retreat for Healing & Wellness Practitioners.Born out of burnout, this gathering of deep feelers, sensitive souls and adventurous spirits is a grounding, spacious, connecting way to return home to your deepest heart.

Welcome to Part 3 of a special 3-session series with Tamsin Crimmens, who generously offered to go live with me for some focused business coaching and nervous system support. During these discussions, we delve into deeply personal topics that bridge the personal and professional aspects of her life.  My intention in recording these sessions is to offer examples of embodied support and to demonstrate how we tend to trauma in a somatic and slow way. My hope is that these sessions bring us all more regulation and clarity as we're navigating significant moments in our lives and businesses. Tamsin is a writer and mentor for (quietly) revolutionary coaches, healers and world-changers. To explore more of her work, check out these links: ⁠⁠www.tamsincrimmens.co.uk⁠⁠ Instagram: @⁠⁠tamsincrimmens⁠ If you're interested in working with Shelby, ⁠sign up for a free intro call here⁠⁠ PS: ✨ SAVE THE DATE: Born out of burnout, this gathering of deep feelers, sensitive souls and adventurous spirits is a grounding, spacious, connecting way to return home to your deepest heart.

Welcome to Part 2 of a special 3-session series with Tamsin Crimmens, who generously offered to go live with me for some focused business coaching and nervous system support. During these discussions, we delve into deeply personal topics that bridge the personal and professional aspects of her life.  My intention in recording these sessions is to offer examples of embodied support and to demonstrate how we tend to trauma in a somatic and slow way. My hope is that these sessions bring us all more regulation and clarity as we're navigating significant moments in our lives and businesses. Tamsin is a writer and mentor for (quietly) revolutionary coaches, healers and world-changers. To explore more of her work, check out these links: ⁠www.tamsincrimmens.co.uk⁠ Instagram: @⁠tamsincrimmens If you're interested in working with Shelby, sign up for a free intro call here⁠ Other Ways To Connect With Shelby: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.shelby-leigh.com

Welcome to Part 1 of a special 3-session series with Tamsin Crimmens, who generously offered to go live with me for some focused business coaching and nervous system support. During these discussions, we delve into deeply personal topics that bridge the personal and professional aspects of her life.  My intention in recording these sessions is to offer examples of embodied support and to demonstrate how we tend to trauma in a somatic and slow way. My hope is that these sessions bring us all more regulation and clarity as we're navigating significant moments in our lives and businesses. Tamsin is a writer and mentor for (quietly) revolutionary coaches, healers and world-changers. To explore more of her work, check out these links: ⁠www.tamsincrimmens.co.uk⁠ Instagram: @⁠tamsincrimmens If you're interested in working with Shelby, sign up for a free intro call here Connect With Shelby: ⁠@fierceheart.shelbyleigh⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠www.shelby-leigh.com

How 3 weeks on and 1 (or more) weeks off each month changed everything. In this solo episode, I share about the incredible work structure I've set up for myself that supports my nervous system and my heart and soul's highest purpose. I talk about the anxieties and fears and stories that show up each time I do this and the subsequent freedom that comes afterwards. I share about the very real benefits of pausing intentionally to go inwards - these feel like the biggest and most significant investments in my business, my health and my entire life. I also share a very simple way that I add spacious structure to keep myself grounded and nurtured during these times. This is truly an act of revolution against cultural messages to hustle and I love getting to welcome you into it. Connect with Shelby: ⁠Free 1:1 Intro Call⁠ @fierceheart.shelbyleigh Facebook LinkedIn YouTube www.shelby-leigh.com

Dené Logan and I delve into the realms of self-discovery, authenticity, and spirituality. In this episode, we explore the power of presence and trust in one's unique path. We dive deep into the experience of struggle and suffering and the meaning it plays in our lives. Our conversation takes us on a journey towards a connection with something greater, whether it be spirit, source, or the divine. Join us as we give you permission to drop the "shoulds" and create space for your own authentic expression of this present moment. About Dené:  Dené is a therapist, facilitator, and co-host of the podcast, Cheaper than Therapy.  She is known for her nurturing presence and authenticity. Dené specializes in supporting couples in finding more fulfillment in their relationships, and utilizing her background in depth psychology to explore how each of us can reclaim the aspects of our authentic selves we've been societally conditioned to turn away from. Her first book, Liberated Love: A Guide to Healing Relationships by Reclaiming the Masculine and Feminine Within, will be released in May of 2024. IG: @dene.logan TikTok: @msinterdependentLinktree Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh Facebook LinkedIn YouTube www.shelby-leigh.com www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

Katie returns for a second episode as we explore the importance of being trauma-informed in any industry that involves caring for humans. Katie and I discuss how this form of care is a practice of humanity and connection, and how it can lead to boundless possibilities for healing and growth for all parties involved. We emphasize that trauma-informed care is a long game and stress the importance of showing up in this way, even if we think we may not need to. Tune in to learn more about the significance of trauma informed care! About Katie:  Katie Kurtz, MSW LISW-S (she/her) is a subject matter expert on trauma-informed care and its application across multi-disciplinary industries. Using the Trauma Competency Framework™, Katie trains and mentors leaders of all kinds of ways to make trauma-informed care inclusive and adoptable for all professions.  Katie is the author of the Contain Card Deck©, a reflective tool to hold space for yourself and others. Website: Katie-Kurtz.com Instagram: @_katiekurtz LinkedIn Also, right now in April if you'd like to deepen your skills, knowledge and embodiment of trauma informed care there's an incredible offering happening - Shelby's Body of Work and Creating Safer Space programs are available for up to $850 off! Check it out here Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh Facebook LinkedIn www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

In this week's episode, I was so happy to talk with Katie Kurtz about trauma-informed care. During this talk, we emphasize that being trauma-informed requires not just knowledge, but also active practice and integration of skills. We go into: Katie's working definitions of trauma and trauma informed care The difference between trauma awareness, trauma-informed care, and being trauma-responsive Why we DON'T use the term “safe space” And we look at the myth that trauma-informed care is a clinical approach reserved only for clinicians to use. …and so much more! Listeners can expect to gain a deeper understanding of trauma and the knowing that having your own lived experience is enough to be trauma-informed. About Katie: Katie Kurtz, MSW LISW-S (she/her) is a subject matter expert on trauma-informed care and its application across multi-disciplinary industries. Using the Trauma Competency Framework™, Katie trains and mentors leaders of all kinds of ways to make trauma-informed care inclusive and adoptable for all professions. Katie is the author of the Contain Card Deck©, a reflective tool to hold space for yourself and others. Additionally, Katie is a partner and Chief of Content and Consultation for the Evellere Group, a social impact consulting firm specializing in trauma responsive cultures of care. Website: Katie-Kurtz.com Instagram: @_katiekurtz LinkedIn

In this deeply personal episode, I'm interviewed by Danielle Cohen for her private online group, Visibility Medicine, which she generously offered to let me publish on my podcast. This discussion bridges my personal life and business, where: Danielle asks me about my visibility wounds and we explore my experience of neurodiversity and the impacts of complex trauma I share about an unfortunate experience I had that kept me silent in the coaching world for years I describe the ruptures that shook me to the core as I lost my voice and am still finding words to speak again, and how that has inspired my intention to be a refuge for myself and others through my work and in my life Many of the stories I share are about breaking unspoken contracts in many venues of life and how I found the empowerment to make that happen. Connect With Danielle: Instagram: @daniellecohenphotography Websites: www.visibilitymedicine.com + www.danielle-cohen.com Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh Facebook LinkedIn www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

In this episode, Juna Mustad, SEP joins me again for a meaningful conversation about Anger. What is anger? Where does it come from? And how can you learn to welcome and embrace anger to live a more expressed and authentic life with energy and clarity? In this episode, we'll be exploring these questions and shine a light on: How learning to welcome and embrace anger allows us to live a more expressed and authentic life with energy and clarity. Why it's important to set boundaries around your feelings How safety plays a crucial role in not letting us get in touch with anger and express it. How anger shows up in our bodies Benefits and tools for creating a greater relationship with anger Top 6 things that anger stuffers can do with their anger. About Juna: Juna Mustad, SEP is a Coach, & Intuitive. Over the last 13 years, Juna has been supporting people to develop emotional intelligence, grow their intuition, create healthy relationships and embrace their full potential. She works with individuals and groups around the world to support them in healing, embodiment and enhancing overall wellbeing. Juna is trained as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, a coach, and is also an intuitive. Through her work, she aims to bridge the worlds of spirituality with greater body awareness and emotional intelligence. Check out Juna's upcoming course, The People Pleaser's Guide to Anger, a 6-week journey of cultivating a healthier relationship with your anger, boundaries, and innate power, beginning on March 5, 2023. Website: www.JunaMustad.com Instagram: @juna.mustad Facebook: Juna Mustad Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh Facebook LinkedIn www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

Will Rēzin and I got together today to discuss the importance of leaning into support as a coach, therapist, healer and/or helper. We not only talk about many aspects of my own Body of Work and my program Body of Work... we talk about how high integrity and ethical care providers can up-level their skill so they can be regulated, centered and skilled when sitting with clients and running their businesses with ease. Curious about Body of Work? Find out more about it here: www.shelby-leigh.com/body-of-work And, here is Will and his incredible work: www.rezinconsulting.com/ Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

This is Part 2 of a 2-part series. Following up on the last episode, Ryan McGladrey, DOMTP and I bring you more conversations as well as somatic practices around embodying presence and the "how-to's" of meeting each moment. Some topics we delve into in this episode are: Listening as a skill: The how-to's of that + exploring the concept of active receptivity Going deeper by going lighter Coming home to ourselves in each moment How to meet each other with genuine presence How to welcome what's been exiled and care about anything that shows up with ourselves or the people we work with Download the 9-minute guided experience from this episode directly on our website. We hope that there's something you can take away and integrate from this episode that will support you in finding home in your mind, heart, and body, and in the present moment. About Ryan: Ryan is trained as an osteopath, somatic coach, and body-mind educator, his work is the fruit of over two decades of ongoing study and practice in a wide range of specialized approaches to healing and growth. He works with clients to resolve pressing life challenges, especially concerning physical function, emotional development, and spiritual motivation. Through addressing restrictions in movement and feeling, Ryan helps people reconnect with their abilities to heal and thrive. He also offers innovative trainings in how to effectively use whole-body intelligence to meet the challenges and possibilities of twenty-first century life. You can email Ryan at: bendtuina@hotmail.com Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. In this episode series, Ryan McGladrey, DOMTP and I nerd out about the nuances of embodied presence and how that can serve and support those we work with. The foundation of our conversation is exploring the simplicity of being present with another human and the power of seeing people just as they are. Throughout both episodes, we examine the following: Our top tips on how do we go deeper by going lighter and how can we come home to ourselves in each moment? We get vulnerable on how do we meet each other with genuine presence and what medicine, healing and growth comes from it for each of us. How do we welcome what's been exiled and care about anything that shows up with our clients and patients in sessions? Ryan and I have known each other for nearly 20 years and this episode is a glimpse of our many conversations discussing how we can be most supportive in our therapeutic connections. Click here for Part II, where we go into more of the "how-to's" and practices of what we explore here. About Ryan: Ryan is trained as an osteopath, somatic coach, and body-mind educator, his work is the fruit of over two decades of ongoing study and practice in a wide range of specialized approaches to healing and growth. He works with clients to resolve pressing life challenges, especially concerning physical function, emotional development, and spiritual motivation. Through addressing restrictions in movement and feeling, Ryan helps people reconnect with their abilities to heal and thrive. He also offers innovative trainings in how to effectively use whole-body intelligence to meet the challenges and possibilities of twenty-first century life. You can email Ryan at: bendtuina@hotmail.com Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

How do we use marketing as a force for good? Natalia Sanyal joins me in an engaging conversation around how we can connect with our audiences and clients in a way that doesn't cause harm. Drawing from our own lived experience and our work with clients, we discuss: The potential to feel more aligned with the way we share our work to the world in a marketing space that has historically been oppressive, manipulative and demanding How we can give ourselves more space for marketing in a trauma-informed way, while giving ourselves so much permission to be imperfect and to truly have space to be ourselves By working together as a culture, we can find ways to create choice, empowerment and inspiration towards marketing that is high integrity. About Natalia Natalia is an anti-oppressive copywriter and brand messaging strategist. In the last decade, she has worked with billion-dollar businesses, New York Times bestselling authors, and award-winning marketing agencies. Now she teaches high-integrity personal brands to use marketing as a force for good—so that they can create demand without causing harm to humanity and to themselves. Website: www.nataliasanyal.com Check out Natalia's Get Embodied marketing program for high-integrity personal brands. Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

In this episode, Danielle Cohen and I discuss what's happening in the field right now in ourselves and our clients around business growth. We approach questions like: How do we approach business growth authentically? How do we stay healthy, inspired and in a state of self-trust when we can't control external circumstances around income, marketing and industry "standards"? If you are a helper, a wellness entrepreneur, a creative, a coach or a therapist, this might resonate with you and offer you new ways of grounding down into your business - doing your thing, your way. We can be in our work in a connected, embodied and supported way. Whatever your bank account doesn't or doesn't do - you get to feel more steady and secure. About Danielle: Danielle Cohen (she/her) is a visibility coach and brand photographer with a unique approach to helping pro-social creative entrepreneurs, coaches, visionaries, and healers (aka beacons) step into and offer their greatest work by becoming more visible on their terms, owning their story and their magic, having the impact they're here to have and thriving while doing it. Connect With Danielle: Instagram: @daniellecohenphotography Websites: www.visibilitymedicine.com + www.danielle-cohen.com Connect With Shelby Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

This is a behind-the-scenes follow-up conversation to the Nourish Experience that Tamsin Crimmens and I offered last month. We were so fired up about the themes and concepts that we wanted to keep going. We cover topics such as: How we define and experience success somatically Moving from capitalist/patriarchal productivity, performance and comparison to sustainable, healthy and connected business Institutionalizing Empathy and Feeling Creating structures that support and nourish your body and all the other bodies you know Anchoring inner resources and stitching them together More definitions of what regulation really is and how we support it Supporting unique brains and approaches to work in ways that are supportive ....and more! If you love the conversation and want to sign up for Nourish to be guided through a 2-hour somatic experience of this, it's available for you to sink into right now! https://shelby-leigh.thinkific.com/pages/nourish Here is a little bit more about Tamsin: Tamsin is a writer and mentor for (quietly) revolutionary coaches, healers and world-changers. She's obsessed with helping best-kept-secrets who'd love to be more “industry famous” to discover the medicine in their message, feel safe enough to share it, and get paid for their ideas. A rare mix of space holder, storyteller and entrepreneur, she helps women who are tired of playing small to activate their Inner Creatrix (that all-powerful creative energy that makes magical messaging) so they can freak their audience out and have them saying “How are you inside my head!!?” As a former journalist with bylines in ELLE, Stylist, Grazia, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Sunday Times Style mag, she's written about it all and interviewed everyone from Caitlin Moran to Stella McCartney. Along a journey that's taken in everything from political communications and women's magazines to the world of yoga, womb and somatic healing, Tamsin follows the philosophy of 'Body First, Mind Second', to support her clients to access their deepest truth and express it in a way that builds sustainable success. To explore more of her work, check out these links: www.tamsincrimmens.co.uk Instagram: @tamsincrimmens Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

In sitting down with Stephanie Somatics, we dive into how our body is more than just a vehicle that transports us from place to place - it's an interpreter for life. Coming home to the body is a practice that we can practice for the rest of our lives. In this episode we look at how we move from looking for what's wrong and how to fix it to a more empowered and connected approach to healing, we see what's possible in terms of deep trauma healing for ourselves and those we work with. We talk about pacing, creating the therapeutic container together with our clients, permission to practice embodied and curious relationships and put aside assumptions, so that sitting in a regulated nervous system becomes a way of living instead of a concept in our minds. We also laugh and rant about our views on building trust... you might be surprised at what you hear! About Stephanie Stephanie Somatics is a body-focused mental-health practitioner, and supports folks through her offering of Somatic Healing. She has a MA in Clinical and Mental Health: Somatic Psychology and blends this with her own intuition and flavor to help guide clients towards themselves and healing. She works with people who are ready to overcome the ways their past traumas impact their present life from a body integrated perspective. Teaching how to find safety in the body, anxiety management, and emotional validation, Stephanie facilitates with the belief that we follow your body's lead.Through her own journey of healing, she found great power in listening and learning from the body about how to better connect and deepen our relationship to self. Her goal is to walk alongside her clients, helping them discover their own bodies' natural wisdom and come home to themselves. Connect with Stephanie Website: stephaniesomatics.com Instagram: @stephaniesomatics Connect with Shelby: Instagram: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh support@shelby-leigh.com www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com Body Of Work

Natalie Smalls, MFT shares with us about the power of community, relationship to the ocean, and how holding safer and braver spaces in surfing can support womxn to reclaim their healing, power and belonging. She talks about her own path of healing and how the ocean guided her into living a life now that is beyond anything she had ever imagined and how she now gets to see this unfold in those she works with all around the world in her program Groundswell Community Project. Natalie is a licensed California Marriage and Family Therapist with my back ground in utilizing art, somatic, and eco therapy for trauma recovery. She founded Groundswell Community Project as a surf therapy non-profit in 2016 with the mission and vision of holding safer and brave spaces for intersectional communities of womxn to reclaim their healing, power, and belonging in mother oceans waves together. Since 2016 they have developed the first trauma informed somatic surf therapy curriculum and trainings that are accredited by CAMFT for CEUs and have trained and support surf therapy programs around the world. Connect with Natalie: https://www.groundswellcommunity.org/ instagram: @groundswellcommunityproject Connect with Shelby: IG: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.shelby-leigh.com https://shelby-leigh.com/embodied-coaching-experience www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com

Joe Clements and I sit down to reflect on the power of trauma informed mindfulness and the emotional awareness. He shares about his story growing up in Santa Cruz and how he never could have anticipated being where he is today and what got him here. We share our own snapshots of how we move from overwhelm to being in relationship to emotions in new ways. Joe also shares about how he brings his love of punk music into mindfulness and how it helps him come into contact with the present moment in ways that works for him and his nervous system. Connect with Joe: josephclements.com Insta - _joe.clements_ TikTok - Hella_Meditated Connect with Shelby: IG: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.shelby-leigh.com https://shelby-leigh.com/embodied-coaching-experience www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com

In this Solo episode, I talk about the main thing I see that gets missed MOST as care providers - coaches, therapists, doctors, facilitators. It takes a lot to be able to catch these precious, important moments with clients. Especially clients who have insecure attachment and past trauma. When we can get comfortable and regulated enough in ourselves to stay with our clients through these cycles of everything from challenges to lightness, we create a safety and intimacy and empowerment that goes beyond that which most practitioners are offering. Have a listen and let me know how it lands for you! I'm really excited about this new podcast and want to keep shaping it around what's supportive and engaging for YOU.

Selena La'Chelle Collazo, M.A., M.Ed., A.M./Ph.D. takes us on an incredible journey of her life's path and how embodiment practices like yoga and mindfulness saved her life. She shares deeply around how bringing these practices in various ways around the world have impacted the lives of so many. This episode sparks so much inspiration around how to wake up and drop into our bodies amidst everything from suffering to joy. We also explore the concept of relational mindfulness and how it's an incredible tool for social justice and connected leadership. About Selena: Selena La'Chelle Collazo, M.A., M.Ed., A.M./Ph.D. (she/her) is certified yoga teacher, mindfulness educator, and psychotherapist offering mindfulness-based and Solutions Focused interventions rooted in Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Liberation Psychology. Selena is also a Partner at WholeSchool Mindfulness, a non-profit organization working at the intersection of education, justice, and mindfulness where she stewards Mindfulness Director outreach, recruitment, and selection. Connect with Selena: www.pramanawellness.com @pramanawellness (IG, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) www.wholeschoolmindfulness.org www.ibme.com Connect with Shelby: IG: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.shelby-leigh.com https://shelby-leigh.com/embodied-coaching-experience www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com

In this Solo episode, I get up on my soapbox around quitting the hustle, the comparing and the push as care providers and entrepreneurs growing businesses. So many of my clients are often stunned by the power of slowing down and simplifying and what happens in their businesses and relationship to their businesses when they can work with themselves to allow more space and rest. When we feel safe enough to let the urgency go (or go into the background), there's an immense amount of space to listen, to be inspired, to generate income, to welcome dream clients, to hold money... and more. While often not easy at first because it goes against so much conditioning and survival responses - it is deep medicine for the soul of any growing business. Connect with Shelby: IG: @fierceheart.shelbyleigh www.shelby-leigh.com https://shelby-leigh.com/embodied-coaching-experience www.creatingsaferspace.com www.creatingsaferhealthcare.com

Kim Coffin vulnerably shares her story of betrayal, loss and abandonment. We explore topics of money, power and control as they have related to both of our experiences in our families of origin. We explore how we have both moved through complex relational trauma in different and similar ways and how we both hold it now. They're vulnerable stories of trauma and incredible healing and empowerment. Have a listen and let me know how it lands for you! I'm really excited about this new podcast and want to keep shaping it around what's supportive and engaging for YOU.

This episode will leave you feeling loved, inspired, on fire with purpose and ready to challenge some norms. SharRon Jamison, life strategist, author, minister, entrepreneur, and corporate leader, joins me for a powerful conversation around the 4 things needed in healing trauma to get to full liberation. She motivates and supports high performing womxn around the world to tap into their own unique purpose, pleasure and unstoppable courage. We explore human-centered, dignity-affirming trauma informed care for people who carry various identities and how trauma informed care is not one-size-fits-all. Have a listen and let me know how it lands for you! I'm really excited about this new podcast and want to keep shaping it around what's supportive and engaging for YOU.