All Episodes

July 15, 2025 28 mins

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Eric shares his deeply personal journey of living under the crushing weight of depression and how he found a path toward healing. Instead of fighting against his pain, Eric discovered the transformative power of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which allowed him to engage with his depression in a new, compassionate way. Through personifying his struggle as a “boulder” and learning to soften toward the parts of himself he once rejected, Eric uncovered resilience, rootedness, and a renewed sense of hope.

Listeners will hear how acceptance, rather than resistance, opened the door to healing and how reframing depression as a protective force instead of an enemy helped Eric move forward with faith and curiosity. This conversation is a reminder that healing from depression is not about eradicating symptoms but learning to live with compassion for all parts of ourselves.

Primary Topics Covered:

  • Eric’s experience of living with the “boulder” of depression
  • The difference between intellectualizing depression and doing emotional “heartwork”
  • How Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy works and its role in healing
  • Shifting from resistance to acceptance in managing depression
  • The role of self-compassion and “softening” in recovery
  • Finding rootedness, faith, and curiosity when hope feels out of reach

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to the episode and mission of the podcast
 01:13 – Eric describes the crushing weight of depression
 02:22 – Signs of emerging from a prolonged depressive period
 04:28 – The importance of allowing grief and honest feelings
 05:37 – Eric’s metaphor of depression as a boulder
 07:40 – The added burden of shame in depression
 09:28 – Moving from intellectualizing depression to emotional “heartwork”
 10:04 – Discovering Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy
 12:47 – Personifying depression as “Atlas” holding the boulder
 14:12 – Reframing depression through compassion and acceptance
 15:38 – Eric finds faith, rootedness, and curiosity
 18:19 – The power of grace and self-compassion in healing
 20:10 – Letting go of expectations and embracing groundedness
 23:45 – Reflections on diagnosis, stigma, and compassion for differences
 25:32 – Understanding feelings as information and depression’s role in deepening care
 27:04 – Closing thoughts on resilience, growth, and ongoing healing

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options: https://recovery.com/
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.