The Freedom From Empty Podcast

Breaking the Chains of Fatphobia (Part Two)

My conversation with Kate Brosnan, a weight-neutral, non-diet, Registered Dietician, continues in this episode as we challenge some of the commonly held beliefs about the association between weight and health, weight stigma in healthcare, and the truth about weight cycling. We also explore the dangers of applying hyper-performance behaviors to our attempts to manage weight. 

Breaking the Chains of Fatphobia (Part One)

In this first of two interview episodes with Kate Brosnan, a weight neutral, non diet, registered dietician, Kate shares about the journey she has been on as a mother and dietician who realized that the beliefs and behaviors about food she was passing down to her daughter were having unintended consequences. Fatphobia is a harmful, socially acceptable form of discrimination that is keeping many of us stuck in unhealthy and sometimes dangerous behaviors. And we are passing these beliefs down to the next generation. After we recorded this interview, I had the opportunity to use some of the language and perspective that Kate shared with me in a tough conversation with one of my kiddos (who was in tears over body shame) and I want you to know that I felt so much more equipped to have this conversation in a supportive way. You may be surprised by what you learn in this episode.

What If You Were Born a Badass?

What if YOU were born a badass? I think we arrived here with the capacity to be total badasses. And then the world gets a hold of us. So for many, the journey back to self and soul is a journey of unlearning, of unbecoming, of ceasing to resist. It’s the gooey middle of the caterpillar’s transmutation into a butterfly. We keep dissolving and peeling back the layers until we come to the root of our being. A part of ourselves long since forgotten. The part of us that is unfettered by who the world told us we had to be in order to survive and be deemed acceptable and worthy. The part of us that is still connected to source if only by a single glimmering thread. For more on the journey back to ourselves (and our own inner badass) listen in.

Interview with Bonnie Casamassima

From a very young age, we have been inundated with messages that we can only trust those authorities and institutions that are outside of us. We have been taught not to trust ourselves. I sat down with Bonnie Casamassima as she shared her story. Listen in to hear what prompted her to go on a journey of "unlearning" and how she is translating her journey (and the juxtaposition of both the seen and unseen) into her work. If you are in the midst of an unbecoming or a personal transformation, I think you will find Bonnie's story to be one of hope.

Quiet Wins

So much of our culture is focused on quick fixes, magic bullets, and hacks. But healing cannot be hacked. And some of the most significant milestones--the ones that announce that healing has happened or is still happening--aren’t loud, demonstrative or performative. Listen in to hear more about how quiet wins can be powerful reminders that we are making progress on our healing journey. 

Interview with Bailey Rose

Just over five years ago, at 19 years old, Bailey Rose was forced to choose between freedom and financial support from her parents. She chose freedom. In this episode, Bailey shares the story of what it took to break free from a narcissistic parent and the unexpected ripple effects of her decision. Bailey also offers validation and hope to others who may be caught in a narcissistic relationship. 

What Are You Going to Quit?

Our culture has come to celebrate performing and persisting at all costs. But what if some of those costs are actually way too high? What if not quitting could cost us our lives, families, relationships, careers . . . everything? Maybe we should break the stigma around quitting. Maybe we should learn to quit more and to celebrate others when they do the same. What are you going to quit?

It Isn't Your Fault

I have come to believe that many of us are just out here living our lives, unwittingly playing out our (unresolved) traumas on each other because we don’t fully understand or appreciate what is actually playing out in our bodies and minds or the impact that traumatic energy is having on us and the people around us. In this episode, I explore symptoms of unresolved trauma and make the case for taking personal responsibility for what comes next.

Does Your Self-Preservation Button Work?

Last week something occurred to me that hadn’t hit me in quite the same way before. Some of us may not have our self-preservation button engaged. Or, we are so accustomed to overriding the warning signs, that we don’t take reasonable steps to stop and fuel ourselves when the need is imminent.

This Isn't About Self Improvement

I see you. You think if you are struggling you must not be “doing it right.” If you could just be a “better” version of yourself, life wouldn’t feel so overwhelming or challenging. What if I told you that this isn’t about self-improvement?! What if I told you that this is about nurturing the person you already are? The person who gives life your all, and who is UNDERSTANDABLY exhausted?!?