Who We Are & What We Need – Details, episodes & analysis

Today on the show, I’m joined by Amber Watson Landau, owner and lead speech therapist of Let’s Get Talking LLC. We discuss Amber’s unique approach to therapy, her experience leading social skills groups, the sensory system and sensory strategies, Amber’s personal journey with ADHD, the importance of setting boundaries and self-care, and finding educational resources and community so that you can see yourself for who you are. This fall, Amber is expected to launch All Seasons, a membership community aimed at connecting parents in the same, beautifully chaotic season of life. 

Resources Related to the Podcast

• Courage affirmation

Connect with Amber

• Instagram

Connect with Catherine

• Therapy + Coaching

• Learning + Support

• ⁠Empathic Changemakers (formerly Collective Care)

• Instagram

• Substack 

Edited by Jasmine Skye Smith

Logo by Catherine Quiring

Sarah Allison, Tea Chaplain, is my guest today. Sarah is going to be our "internet auntie" for the Empathic Changemakers (formerly Collective Care) community space we are creating. You can join us starting today! 

In this episode we discuss protecting your spirit, healthy boundaries, disability and ableism, social models and medical models of ableism, neurodivergence (autism in particular), disability (fibromyalgia in particular), imposter syndrome around labels, meeting soul and somatic needs, and self-care as a vital part of collective care and vice versa. 

Resources Related to the Podcast

• Collective Care Community Space

Connect with Sarah

• Sarah's links

Connect with Catherine

• Therapy + Coaching

• Learning + Support

• Empathic Changemakers (formerly Collective Care)

• Instagram

• Substack 

Edited by Catherine Quiring

Logo by Catherine Quiring

Andrew Lang and I discuss spiritual practices that bring self-knowing, build on self-trust, and lead to connection and embodiment.

Some of the related topics we cover include:

• alexithymia
• interoception
• neurodivergence
• paradigms of our society forming a constricting box:
• dualism
• neopatriarchy
• white supremacy
• capitalism
• demands that we fit in certain ways - mechanisms to shut us down, tame us, quiet us, shame us, marginalize us
• C-PTSD from societal norms and restrictions, conditioned reactions, survival responses
• problem > solution > sales funnel to tell more people
• spirituality as deep connection > god language fell away
• re-humanizing
• anger in pursuit of justice being responded to with anger in pursuit of control and order, and becomes a cycle
• discernment -what is our move to make? just like we have different gifts, we may have different responses to the fight-and-annihilate energy so present in our world and news cycles
• posture of sit up, lean in
• capacity for discomfort
• building capacity
• coming alive
• I can handle it - I’m not alone, I can trust myself, I have agency and a voice, it’s a challenge, it's not insurmountable, cycle of harm and repair, tolerance of others’ emotional responses to us
• the right-sizing practice
• keep us connected to safety, belonging, dignity; also: self, others, land, history, community

culture around sexual assault - how do we approach that?

• one way is through inner work with men to address these types of questions and constraints...

• a vision for my life that didn’t work out
• what do I do? can’t cry, can’t express anger
• grief around a dream that didn’t happen
• I don’t know what to do with this feeling of pent-up energy
• don’t know who to talk to
• Cole Arthur Riley - can’t live on self-care and self-love alone - who will hold you?
• response to feminine movement  - how do we hold our identities lightly?
• work and identity

Carl Jung and Shadow work in spiritual practices:

• look for where the defensiveness is - you’ve hit a shadow
• what’s becoming possible
• another shadow/fear - disorder
• success, comfort, identity, security
• how do we build consent and autonomy?

You can learn more about Andrew and connect with him at andrewglang.com

Show Notes by Catherine Quiring

Editing by: Somnath Basumatary

Logo by: Catherine Quiring

@catherinequiring (IG)

@cqcounseling (fb)

catherinequiring.substack.com

I want you to know that self-trust is possible. That knowing your inherent worth is possible. That self-love and enjoying your own company is possible. You can recover from people-pleasing. You can enjoy a life of self-trust.

I appreciate my friend Rosie sharing her story of developing self-trust and self-acceptance in this episode. I hope it inspires you and brings you hope.

Show Notes by Catherine Quiring

Editing by: Somnath Basumatary

Logo by: Catherine Quiring

@catherinequiring (IG)

@cqcounseling (fb)

catherinequiring.substack.com

Living by what supports inner and collective care, rather than external demands and expectations. Creating communities, societies, and systems that honor needs and create well-being.

Toward Psychologies of Liberation by Mary Watkins & Helene Shulman

Healing beliefs about ourselves a la EMDR

⁠Blackfoot Siksika Care-based society⁠

Your Body is a Revolution by Tara Teng

Lost childhood messages - from Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Ruso & Ross Hudson

Show Notes by Catherine Quiring

Editing by: Somnath Basumatary

Logo by: Catherine Quiring

@catherinequiring (IG)

@cqcounseling (fb)

catherinequiring.substack.com

Oh, the audacity to be well rested, to rest without guilt! We get to reclaim rest as a part of listening to ourselves, living an embodied existence (rather than from our heads), caring for our needs (rather than bypassing or talking ourselves out of them), and resisting capitalism's attempt to use us up and burn us out.

Check out Tricia Hersey's Nap Ministry and her book Rest is Resistance.

The Order-Disorder-Reorder framework is found in Richard Rohr's book The Wisdom Pattern.

Explore types of rest you can reclaim: "How to Get the Rest You Desperately Need" by Catherine Quiring

Get update of new episodes and share your thoughts!

@catherinequiring (IG)

@cqcounseling (fb)

catherinequiring.substack.com

Show Notes by Catherine Quiring

Editing by: Somnath Basumatary

Logo by: Catherine Quiring

Come explore with me - who we are, and what we need to thrive. When we approach the inner physics of human nature with curiosity and compassion, we find it. We will explore what a needs-based (rather than authority-based) life and society could look like perspectives, voices, and ways of knowing that have been left out for too long. Join me to collectively challenge worldviews and systems that feed off of, and perpetuate, trauma.

Some episodes I will be flying solo, and other episodes, I will be hosting guests. I will be drawing from such frameworks as Internal Family Systems & Liberation Psychology, as well as the frameworks and viewpoints guests bring in to share with us.

Get update of new episodes and share your thoughts: ⁠Substack⁠, ⁠@catherinequiring⁠ & ⁠@who_we_are_pod⁠

Logo by Catherine Quiring

Editing by Somnath Basumatary

Welcome to Season 2 of Who We Are & What We Need Podcast!

My guest today is Zachary Helton:

Author | Spiritual Care Provider | Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life |

We discuss:

* how to not confuse the form with the deeper transformational work of spirituality

* how facing his anxiety and doing the deeper work has had profound effects on his well-being

* how exploring and creating stories can be a place of healing and well-being

A quote from Zach's website about who he is and what he does to meet our collective needs: " I work to remind us to listen to our inner-knowing and remember what we really are, because when we do that, love, joy, peace, and justice are natural by-products." (⁠⁠zhelton.com⁠⁠)

You can find Zach at:

IG: @zachary_helton

TikTok: @zhelton2

Facebook: @ZachHelton2

zhelton.com

Edited by: Javon Winston

Cover art: Catherine Quiring

@catherinequiring

catherinequiring.com/podcasts

Today's Guest: Frances Cutshaw

Frances is a DMin student focusing her work on spiritual resilience in the aftermath of shame and creating refuge spaces beyond religious structures.

Frances is particularly and personally interested in the colorful ways women recover from the nonconsensual theologies that have victimized them for centuries across geopolitical landscapes.

Summary:

Frances Cutshaw and Catherine Quiring discuss their personal journeys of self-discovery and overcoming shame in the context of religion and spirituality. They explore the importance of giving oneself permission to experience the full range of human emotions and to move away from shame. They also discuss the role of leadership in creating spaces of acceptance and support, and the need for leaders to have the space to experience their own emotions and ask for what they need. The conversation touches on the work of Brené Brown and the concept of shame versus shalom in religious settings. The conversation explores the themes of shame, healing, and spirituality. Catherine Quiring discusses how shame plays out in the community and how many people come from a fundamentalist Christian background. She emphasizes the importance of allowing oneself to be okay with being apart from the institutional church and exploring how Christianity was misrepresented. The conversation also touches on the topics of sovereignty, embodiment, and the wisdom of the body. Catherine shares her work with the Order of Hildegard, a community that supports spiritual leaders and fosters healing and growth.

Takeaways:

Giving oneself permission to experience the full range of human emotions is essential for personal growth and healing.

Leaders need space to experience their own emotions and ask for what they need in order to create supportive and accepting environments.

The work of Brené Brown, particularly her research on shame, can be instrumental in overcoming shame and embracing vulnerability.

Religious institutions can perpetuate shame, and there is a need to deconstruct and move past religious shame to promote healing and acceptance.

The Order of Hildegard, founded by Frances Cutshaw, aims to create a space for individuals to explore their spirituality and overcome shame, emphasizing agency and personal growth. Shame can be a significant issue for individuals who have a problematic relationship with Christianity, and it is important to allow oneself time and permission to explore and heal from this shame.

The journey of healing and spirituality involves moving away from shame and towards a sense of shalom, which includes liberation, non-binary thinking, and finding treasures within Christianity.

Listening to and honoring the wisdom of the body is crucial for healing and discerning what feels safe and authentic.

The Order of Hildegard provides a supportive community for spiritual leaders to explore their beliefs and grow in their understanding of themselves and their spirituality.

Find Frances at:

@cutshawfrances (IG)

@FrancesCutshaw (fb)

@orderofhildegard

Frances@orderofhildegard.org

https://www.orderofhildegard.org

Show Notes written by AI and Catherine Quiring

Editing and Logo by Catherine Quiring

(I apologize for the rough edit. I'm working on a fix for it!)

@catherinequiring (IG)

@cqcounseling (fb)

catherinequiring.com, cqcounseling.com

In this conversation, Catherine Quiring and Therapy for Bohemians creator, Maggie Evans, discuss the importance of creating space and finding rest in their lives. They explore the concept of quiet and how it relates to their need for solitude and creativity. They also touch on neurodivergence and how it influences their self-care practices. Maggie shares her experience as a single parent and an entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of having supportive relationships and connections. They also discuss the role of astrology and nature in finding grounding and hopefulness.

Takeaways:

• Creating space and finding rest are essential for personal well-being and creativity.
• Understanding and honoring one's neurodivergence can lead to a more self-referencing approach to self-care.
• Having supportive relationships and connections is crucial for single parents and entrepreneurs.
• Astrology and nature can provide grounding and hopefulness in challenging times.

Resources:

Returning Home to Our Bodies by Abigail Rose Clarke

The Pattern (astrology app)

Chani Nicholas

Jenara Nerenberg: Divergent Mind

Elaine Aron: The Highly-Sensitive Person (caveat: Elaine Aron has some helpful things to say here, but some of her comments have been called out as disrespectful to the neurodiverse community)

"The Neurodivergent Princess and the Pea"

Connect with Maggie:

www.therapyforbohemians.com

@therapyforbohemians

(Summary created by AI and Catherine Quiring)

Editing and Logo by Catherine Quiring

(I apologize for the rough edit. I'm working on a fix for it!)

catherinequiring.com, cqcounseling.com

@catherinequiring (IG)

@cqcounseling (fb)