S2E1: BREAKING CYCLES, NOT BREAKING AWAY: Re-connecting to what trauma couldn’t touch with Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck, Ph. D

Episode 1 | Season 2

Guest: Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck, Ph.D.

In this rich and moving conversation, Alefyah and Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck explore the ways cultural identity, grief, and healing weave through our personal and professional lives. Together, they look at how therapy can either reinforce harmful narratives—or open the door to reclaiming one’s cultural roots as a source of strength and belonging.

Dr. Pauline shares her lived experiences of navigating multiple cultural identities and the ways therapy has both supported and challenged that journey. She speaks candidly about the impact of loss, the internalized messages that can come from colonial and Western frameworks, and how she has learned to trust her own inner voice.

The conversation emphasizes the dangers of pathologizing cultural backgrounds in therapy, and instead, highlights the power of honoring ancestral gifts and traditions. Pauline and Alefyah also reflect on the importance of reconnecting with nature as a practice of grounding and remembering, especially in a world that often disconnects us from our bodies and our roots.

This episode is an invitation to therapists and clients alike: healing is not just about looking inward, but also about reaching back—toward our ancestors, our communities, and the cultural practices that help us remember who we are.

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Connect with Dr. Pauline Yeghnazar Peck

• Bridging Gaps, Breaking Cycles (coaching, speaking, consulting): pauline-peck.mykajabi.com/resources

• Noor Therapy and Wellness (group practice): www.noortherapyandwellness.com

• Instagram: @paulinethepsychologist

• TikTok: @paulinethepsychologist

• LinkedIn: Pauline Yeghnazar Peck

• Facebook: Pauline Yeghnazar Peck

• YouTube: Pauline Yeghnazar Peck or @paulinethepsychologist

✨ Connect with Deconstructing Therapy (Alefyah Taqui)

• Therapy/Consultation

• All Podcast Episodes

• Instagram: @taquitherapy & @deconstructingtherapy

• Facebook: @deconstructingtherapy

• TikTok: @deconstructingtherapy

• YouTube: @DeconstructingTherapy

Special Thanks: George Alvarez

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Deconstructing Therapy: The Need to Heal the Cultures
• (00:01:14) - Dr. Pauline Yugnizarpeck on Breaking Cy
• (00:02:24) - How To Heal Your Family's Mental Health
• (00:09:46) - As a healer, I learned to listen to my intuition
• (00:13:08) - Pauline on Her Cultural Disconnection
• (00:18:57) - On the Flow of Life
• (00:23:03) - The Decolonization of Therapy
• (00:29:24) - Free Download: The Immigrant Experience
• (00:33:36) - How to Connect with Your Body After Trauma
• (00:39:44) - Deconstructing Therapy