Conversations With A Wounded Healer

Sarah Santacroce isn’t a therapist. She’s an author, podcaster, and successful marketing specialist who helps folks heal from the hustle and still earn a decent living. Through her humane-focused approach, she’s created a global movement that encourages people to bring more empathy and kindness to business and marketing.  Sarah knows what she’s talking about because she, too, used all the same stale sales and social strategies––and burned out of her thriving, high-stress marketing job. She’s since reevaluated her definition of success and challenged the popular seven Ps of marketing model. Sarah traded its static circles and created a more integrated and intuitive mandala version. If you think that marketing isn’t my usual line of chat, you’re right but also…the personal and professional are always connected. What could be more genuinely healing to our global psyche than a rebuke of the push! grow! results! mentality that capitalism has heaped on generations of would-be humane business owners and freelancers?

Emily Morris is my friend, fellow NARM practitioner, and colleague in the therapy world. For anyone who’s deep into that gray area of life––that nagging “middling” feeling of half-living, the push/pull of a sham existence––this story of sobriety and identity will resonate with you. Her trajectory from weekend partier to sober-curious to four years sober affirms that life needn’t fall apart in spectacular fashion before someone ditches alcohol for good. Getting sober often prompts other life changes. For Emily, that meant giving up weed and pursuing NARM therapy for her own healing. The process brought Emily back to her body to the point that she was fully able to realize her lifetime of compulsory heterosexuality, the disconnect she unconsciously engaged in by denying the vital, fundamental parts of herself to the point that she didn't even know she was gay! Since coming out, Emily has broken off a hetero engagement, moved to Nashville with a woman, broken off that relationship, and learned to set boundaries

Do you ever meet someone whose spirit surrounds your own with warmth and light and knowing? Yeah...Ebony Rutko is that spirit in human form. A clinical social worker with her practice in Canada, Ebony applies her advanced clinical training in NeuroAffective Relational Model™ (NARM) to help adults address issues with attachment, relational and developmental traumas.  If you’re new around here and have no idea what NARM is, Ebony’s heart-centered introduction to the model provides some high-vibe insight. If you’re a fan from way back, you know I love talking all things NARM. Ebony’s ongoing exploration of healing herself using NARM is a reminder that when we as therapists do our internal work, we build foundations strong enough to provide support for others. Ebony delivers straightforward observations about our search for connection and our desire to let go of the protective strategies that no longer serve us. We get in deep for a pithy episode: NARM, psychedelics, expansive universal truths. If you’re at all c

Spoiler Alert: The Cranky Therapist is not at all cranky. At least, this is the conclusion I came to after our chat. Instead, Jess Sprengle, the meme queen behind a catchy social persona, manages her private practice as well as her popular profiles and keeps herself grounded, in part, because she does her own work.  It’s important to highlight for folks that as therapists, we get something out of the therapy and that's part of what motivates us to choose this profession. That said, there’s an opposite side of the coin: workaholism.  While empathy is critical in what we do, we can push that resource to its limits, adding more clients to our roster when we just don’t have the time, space, or capacity to do so. Jess credits social media, specifically her IG and TikTok accounts, for providing a new outlet through which she can bond. Yes, followers can and do base assumptions about Jess’ private life/profession/looks, you name it. She appreciates the privilege of her visibility while also admitting that those assu

Melody Li has built a practice around getting smashy--and I am here for it! This Hong Kong-born, diasporic settler is a queer therapist of Color, mental health liberation activist, and all around badass. Their work focuses on liberating communities long neglected or, worse, harmed outright by whiteness in therapeutic spaces. What I find so magical about Melody is that they knew what they wanted but couldn’t find it in the current therapeutic structure so they created it themself. For the community, by the community. Boom. Melody, lays the groundwork for our exploration of decolonization, internalized biases, and land-back movements. If you’re new to any of these topics (even if you’re not), Melody’s personal and professional insights will guide your continued un-doctrination. This conversation is wall-to-wall mic drop moments, y’all, as well as an unveiling of Melody’s latest initiative. If you’re anything like me (which, duh, you’re listening so of course we’re like-minds), you’ll walk away from this convo i

Cédric Lebigre, an NLP practitioner, hypnotist, and musician living and working in France, scores his truth bombs with beats. If you’re binaural beat curious, fascinated by music and science, or want to cultivate a better understanding of what Shamanism is (and isn’t), welcome to a conversation with its own soundtrack. I’ve been listening to Cédric’s work via Insight Timer for a while now. There’s a science as to why this “brainwave entertainment” makes my mind happy: it’s feel-good music, elevated. He employs specific structures in his compositions, creating patterns that allow listeners to settle in deep enough that they experience a trance-like state (been there!). Binaural beats are potent allies in reducing gamma waves (faster) and increasing alpha waves (slower), but you don’t have to geek out on the science behind the sounds to benefit. Some of Cédric’s music has a Shamanistic quality (think rhythmic drumming) thanks to his training in that sacred space. He’s quick to rebuff anyone who burdens him with

Grief, especially for those experiencing the death of a parent who may have neglected, abused, ignored, or invalidated them, is complex and contradictory. Margo Jacquot, PsyD, agrees. We flip the script on standard responses to loss, explore the gifts and grind associated with addressing our wounds as therapists and discover a mutual fascination for a particular taxicab medium. For those whose childhoods were marked by difficult dynamics or unsafe experiences, there’s a lot to unpack after the death of that parent. Emotions like anger, rage, and relief are as valid (if not more so) than the tidier, expected responses like grief and sadness.  Healing early developmental wounds is a lifelong process. As a child, Margo’s misattunement expressed itself physically in the form of stomach cramps. Her mother sent her to a therapist and those three sessions, brief as they were, changed the course of Margo’s life. Today, she provides others with the same opportunity to feel heard and safely explore resolutions to their

What happens when two ENFJs come together for a light chat? An illuminating conversation about a life lived in the margins, creating spaces for genuine bodily autonomy, and engaging in revolutionary acts within the confines of the current therapeutic system.  Rahim Thawer, MSW RSW, is a queer Muslim social worker, psychotherapist, consultant, clinical supervisor, sessional lecturer and writer living, working, and organizing in Canada. He’s especially interested in supporting communities or agencies that serve LGBTQ folks and people affected by HIV, groups that often overlap with newcomers to Canada.  Rahim is a natural at welcoming others and appreciating the right everyone has to express their individuality. Much of Rahim’s work, whether that’s in session with clients or alone at his laptop, working on multiple books simultaneously, is dedicated to exploring and centering experiences currently deemed outside the norm.  His desire to lend language to support those experiences extends beyond LGBTQIA+ issues to

"Trauma" exists in many forms. Sara Moskowitz, LCSW, SEP, can trace some of her wounding back generations through the Jewish experience. Beyond that, much of the ongoing personal healing to which she's committed stems from a thoroughly modern - and complex - family dynamic. Donor-conceived humans - those individuals conceived using a third party to supply the sperm, egg (or combination), or embryo - often have additional existential baggage to unpack, especially if the donor in question is anonymous. Sara experienced a lifetime of unsubstantiated inklings that something was amiss. She didn't uncover the truth until her late 20s. Sara's story is an excellent example of failure in the environment, not a failure in the parent. Her journey also speaks to the importance of therapists doing the work on themselves. That's something of a manifesto around here. How can we expect to meet our clients where they are, accompany them on this journey, and provide them with the tools they need to heal if we're not exactly su

“You can speak your truth, and you can be honest, and you don't always need to defend what you did or what you said or how you are. You can just say it.” ~Brenna Guinan All of my favorite things conspired to make this chat with fellow therapist and host of Real Fckn Talk Brenna Guinan MHC-LP, CRC a must-listen (IMHO): Instagram friendship;  Some witchy topics; and NARM™.  That last entry is particularly significant because yours truly leads an impromptu NARM(ish) session on the show for the first time!  Our conversation expanded to include a brief but revealing look at how NARM sessions work. She got to experience firsthand how the process interrupts the old stories we tell ourselves and those we tell others. There’s a self-professed stubbornness about Brenna to which I think many can relate. She splits her time between licensed mental health counseling and rehabilitation counseling. For those who’ve not heard of rehabilitation counseling before, Brenna describes it as advocating for people (in her case, st

“Healers have to be so close to the wound...in order to actually heal it.” ~Dr. LaNail Plummer Dr. LaNail Plummer, founder and CEO of Onyx Therapy Group, has designed her life around healing her communities. The build process hasn’t been easy. As a Black, bisexual woman, she’s navigated multiple structural impediments. But the racism, homophobia, and religious rigidity that forced her to the margins unwittingly pushed her into her power: to create safe spaces for folks in the LGBTQ+ community.  It’s impossible to speak with a DC-based practitioner - especially one whose professional focus and personal identity align with marginalized folks - and not ask about their welfare as it relates to the insurrection on January 6th. Once again, LaNail’s deep desire to be in community with her people took over. Amid the assault, she offered vital transparent support - something I continually advocate for on both sides of the therapy relationship.  “We're just going to live this experience together,” she told her clients.

“It doesn't matter what your purpose is; it could be a doctor or a dog mom. Doesn't matter. But you're not gonna do it wholeheartedly if you're obsessing about the size of your thighs.” ~Alexa Silvaggio Chocolate and ketamine.  Yes, that would be a fantastic title for a double album! Instead, they’re the ingredients for a vibe-altering conversation with wellness entrepreneur and chocolatier Alexa Silvaggio. As CEO of Savage Chocolates, she helps people cultivate an experience of pleasure and presence through chocolate.  Alexa believes in pleasure done well, pleasure done mindfully. “I don't have any interest in consuming something that leaves me feeling worse than when I started,” she says. That goes as much for people and experiences as it does food.  Alexa’s affinity for pleasure - so often treated as a dirty word and frivolous pursuit in Western culture - was born out of the years she spent restricting herself into an eating disorder. Alexa began internalizing both the conspicuous and covert messages about

“A lot of the things that we have gone through have taught us a lot of lessons -- have made us stronger in certain ways.” ~Dr. Funnies Heads up: This episode with Dr. Funnies features some conversation around still-birth. If such discussions trigger you in any way, please take care should you choose to listen. From professional gaslighting and personal tragedy to hilarious memes and triumph of the spirit,  this episode covers the entire spectrum of human emotion. If you’ve listened to Conversations With A Wounded Healer for any length of time (say, one episode), you know my love for Instagram is next-level. It’s where I socialize with listeners and where I meet all of my new best friends, including today’s guest, Dr. Funnies.  Dr. Funnies is the brilliant brain behind Mental Health Funnies, the Instagram account she started in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown here in the US. Regardless of which side of the therapist/client relationship you occupy, the memes at Mental Health Funnies will make you sno

“It has to be your flag [...]. So, being able to do that internal work and say, ‘Oh, what is it that I want to be? What is it that I want to look like? And how do I want to present myself?’ and letting that be okay, keeping your flag the one that's flying rather than trying to be somebody else, no matter what it is.” ~Brian Thompson In the right hands, financial planning is a healing art. Wait, don’t tune out! I go cross-eyed, too, thinking about indexes and funds and allocations! Just hang with me a sec. I promise you’ll fall in love with my amazing guest Brian Thompson, tax attorney, certified financial planner™, registered life planner™, Forbes features writer, and podcaster. He’s also a super friend and my Al-Anon pal.  Brian occupies many intersections and all of them inform his approach to socially responsible investing (or ESG). You’ll leave here wiser and psyched about putting your values before your returns. I anticipate some whining. ‘But Sarah, if I put my values before my returns, I won’t have any

“I recognize within myself that there were huge cycles that needed to be broken. And, with having two girls, it was so important for me for those cycles to be broken.” ~Nellie D. This show, like life itself, is an exercise in connect-the-dots. From listeners linked around the globe (shout out, Saudi Arabia!), to friends met over on IG, to acquaintances made through other guests, we Wounded Healers vibe on levels that run deep.  Today’s guest is no exception. I met Nellie D. through Jim Martin of Unusual Buddha. She’s a self-described Mother extraordinaire and lifelong learner whose spiritual journey has led her about as far from her traditional evangelical Christian upbringing as one can venture: to a point where Buddhism and Wiccan philosophy intersect. Now let’s get witchy! I say that with complete respect and admiration. Of her hybrid Wiccan practice, Nellie says it’s all about education and healing.  As the mother of two daughters, she knows firsthand the “unlearning” that women require to maintain health

“I really thought, like, if people have the choice to choose what they pay, they're going to undervalue me, and I was so sure that everybody would pick the lower fees. I'm making more money than I've ever made!” ~ Celeste Meyer Celeste Meyer has created something folks on this planet need to see more examples of - a pretty yummy, juicy life for herself and those with whom she’s in alliance. From friends to clients to partners, this fat-bodied, South Asian queer woman has molded her professional and personal spaces into shapes that defy confinement. She rejects the rigidity of white supremacy’s boxes - and she’s doing very well outside of them, thankyouverymuch. Predominately centered on BIPOC, queer, trans, and fat clients, Celeste’s practice is where intersectionality - and the wounds so often heaped on top of those instances of confluence - is given its proper due. You’ll recognize the phrase liberation-focused therapy from previous episodes. At a macro level, it’s a framework that offers empowerment and he

“It's just so important to know that we're so interdependent, and we thrive through the ability to connect, and that's the bigger picture.” ~ Shiralee Patel I’m honored and a little bit giddy to be the first podcast on which Shiralee Patel, PT, DPT, has ever appeared. I mean E-V-E-R! So crazy to me because this wise woman isn’t “just” a physical therapist; she’s my PT.  Shiralee is a skilled professional whose niche in craniosacral therapy and visceral mobilization encompasses more than “just” adjustments or realignments. She’s an expert in these feeling arts - light touches and manipulations informed by the body’s systems. When providers like her pause and tune in to what the body has to say, they hear the infinite wisdom of organs and emotions; they then translate that information to support better overall health and wellbeing. Her work aims to bridge Western and Eastern healing philosophies, bringing both into balance. She does this through touch, palpating organs, and identifying where in the body certain

"Aren't you tired of endlessly reading about white men who can't help but murder people of color in our communities? Aren't you tired of being made to feel helpless because of apparent untreatable mental illness problems that apparently lead to mass violence?" ~Sarah Suzuki I recorded this on March 23rd, 2021. March 22nd, there was a shooting in Boulder, Colorado, and on March 16th, there was a shooting in Atlanta, Georgia. I woke up today and cried because this is ridiculous. And I don't even know what to say about it, but luckily I have brilliant friends who say brilliant things. My friend and former podcast guest, Sarah Suzuki has written an article called Stop Psychoanalyzing Mass Shooters: How in-depth psychological profiles perpetuate white supremacy. So I wanted to read this to you on the show. *** Sarah Suzuki is the founder of Chicago Compass Counseling, a group practice dedicated to serving the family system through inclusive, evidence-based behavior change counseling. She offers a self-paced onlin

“As we can release things that we're holding, we get to be more of ourselves and more of our own energy and more of our own essence and power. ” ~Dr. Sonali Deepika Of all the excellent words spoken in this conversation between Dr. Sonali Deepika and I, the one that stands out is pretty simple: shift. As in shift the male-dominated, white-centric, evidence-based paradigm that currently governs our Western approach to physical and mental wellbeing. OK, our discussion isn't nearly as heavy as all that sounds, thanks to Sonali's grounded nature and conviction in an alternate way forward, a luscious, magical path that reconnects people to their sacred ground.  Tired of the Western focus on verifiable symptoms and rigid diagnosis codes, Sonali ditched her psychiatry practice several years ago to search for a more holistic way to apply her knowledge and curiosity. The journey led her to her ancestral home of Sri Lanka and the pursuit of sensuality as a gateway to better health.   Sonali's affinity for this transfor

“It is my goal to own me, to own myself.” ~Dr. Davia J. Crutchfield, Ph.D. If you measure life along a linear trajectory, then yeah, Dr. Davia J. Crutchfield, Ph.D., and I have known each other for about a minute. But when it comes to anti-racism and healing wounds caused by white supremacy? Oh…we’re firing on a deeper, symbiotic wavelength! This is a chat between old friends who’ve just met. For a topic that’s so heavy, however, our conversation is buoyant and joyful. It’s also filled with enough snap-worthy points that you’ll want to take notes. Or bookmark this episode. Or have t-shirts printed. Dr. Davia is a cultural researcher as well as the co-creator and co-founder of BL&CK (pronounced “and Black”), an online community that celebrates the diversity of Blackness. At the top of the show, I asked Davia to describe Bl&ck. She painted a picture of an online space (for now) that ushers in positivity, wholeness, and wellness.  And she brought that same energy to this space. She calls our chat an “us”