Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this episode, my guest is Dr. Dan Siegel. In this deep conversation, we explored themes of grief, connection, the quantum realm, integration in a biological sense, the work of Joanna Macy, losing our parents and staying connected with them, and the shared humanity that binds us all together, while also addressing the challenges we face in today's world and how we can find new ways of living.

Dr. Dan Siegel is the Founder and Director of Education of the Mindsight Institute and founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, where he was also Co-Principal Investigator of the Center for Culture, Brain and Development and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine.

An award-winning educator, Dan is the author of five New York Times bestsellers and over fifteen other books which have been translated into over forty languages. As the founding editor of the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology (“IPNB”), Dan has overseen the publication of one hundred books in the transdisciplinary IPNB framework which focuses on the mind and mental health.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dan completed his postgraduate training at UCLA specializing in pediatrics, and adult, adolescent, and child psychiatry. He was trained in attachment research and narrative analysis through a National Institute of Mental Health research training fellowship focusing on how relationships shape our autobiographical ways of making sense of our lives and influence our development across the lifespan

Learn more about Dr. Dan Siegel and purchase his books

Find the Mindsight Institute here

Bob Sima’s song “The Measure,” performed with Dr. Dan Siegel in Baltimore (YouTube)

Find Bob Sima’s music with Shannon Plummer at Where the Light Gets In

Joanna Macy’s The Work That Reconnects is found here.

Karen O’Brien’s work - Quantum Social Change Substack

If you're interested in being notified when I announce the details of the new Therapy Chat membership - open to anyone, not just therapists - submit your info on this form. Thanks!

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast

Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more.

Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network.

TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.

Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productions: https://vaudeoproductions.com

This week's guest is Vanessa Bennett, LMFT, author of the new book "The Motherhood Myth: A Depth Therapist's Guide to Redefine Parenting, Reimagine Intimacy, and Reclaim the Self."

In this soulful conversation, through the lens of depth psychology, Vanessa Bennett explores themes of motherhood, and some of the archetypal wounds that women carry, including the mother wound, sister wound, witch wound, and father wound. We discuss societal myths surrounding motherhood and the importance of reclaiming one's self and intuition after becoming a parent. I shared about my mother wound.

Vanessa Bennett, LMFT, is a licensed depth psychotherapist, author, and facilitator known for her no-nonsense yet compassionate approach to personal growth and healing. She is the coauthor of the bestselling relationship book It’s Not Me, It’s You with her partner John Kim and co-hosts the Cheaper Than Therapy podcast. A former New Yorker now based in Los Angeles, Vanessa leads transformational retreats and workshops grounded in Jungian and depth-oriented psychology. Through her writing, teaching, and digital content, she helps others break generational patterns and reconnect with their truest selves.

Find everything Vanessa Bennett offers on her website here.

If you're interested in being notified when I announce the details of the new Therapy Chat membership - open to anyone, not just therapists - which will open in September, 2025, submit your info on this form. Thanks!

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast

Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more.

Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network.

TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.

Podcast produced by Vaudeo Productions - https://vaudeoproductions.com

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, I’m sharing an incredibly rich and soul-stirring conversation with psychotherapist and author, Francis Weller.

Recently retired after 43 years in practice, Francis shares profound insights from his fieldwork—sitting with grieving people for over four decades to understand what the individual and collective psyche are trying to express through symptoms and suffering. We delve into how grief saturates almost every human experience, from addiction to childhood wounds, and how our culture often teaches us to avoid it.

This episode explores the concept of "soul work" and how indigenous traditions offer profound wisdom on community, ritual, and the "primary satisfactions" that keep us strong and fluid. Francis illuminates how Western individualism has ripped apart these vital connections and what it has cost us. We also discuss his new book, In the Absence of the Ordinary, Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty, and how it couldn't be more timely for the times we're living in.

Learn more about Francis Weller's work on his website and find his newest book here.

To view The Eternal Song, the film that Francis Weller described in this episode, go here:

https://theeternalsong.org/

If you're interested in being notified when I announce the details of the new Therapy Chat membership - open to anyone, not just therapists - which will open in September, 2025, submit your info on this form. Thanks!

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast

Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more.

Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network.

TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.

Love Therapy Chat? Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe where you listen to your podcasts! Thank you!

Podcast produced by Vaudeo Productions - https://vaudeoproductions.com