A Voice of Her Own

Why do we worship perfection? What gives when we pursue it? Why do we compare ourselves and talk harshly to ourselves, and why do we always find ourselves lacking? What does perfectionism steal from us, and what can we do instead?

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a perfectionism paralysis, or never given yourself the kudos you deserve, this episode is for you. You are enough.

In this episode I discuss:

• The relationship be...

Jessica Ateman in her own words: Lady. Wife. Mother. Daughter. Sister. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Art Therapist. LatinX. Marathon Runner. But who am I really? Those are labels that others have used to describe me or to describe accomplishments at various points in my life. I am a human, seeking to grow and help others grow. I am a nomad at heart. I love experiencing - good and bad - very much the existentialist. I...

Have you ever had something really great happen, and then instead of blissing out, you found yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop? 

Have you ever damped down your own feelings of joy for fear that there would be negative consequences?

It turns out, the fear of happiness is a real thing, and it has a name: Cherophobia, the aversion to happiness.

It has four strong predictors: an unhappy childhood, perfectionism, belief in bla...

Trust me when I tell you that this is the most important episode I’ve ever recorded.

My goal is to empower women to agency, authority, and action, but agency comes first. Without agency, the rest is pretty much impossible. And you cannot have agency when you’re afraid.

Carrie Slack was the first person on my list of guests I wanted on the podcast. Carrie teaches Empowerment Self-Defense, a mix of martial arts, feminist theory, and ...

Why is women’s anger so taboo? What causes our deep discomfort with expressions of anger, and why do we continually repress it regardless of the physical and mental health consequences? Is there a way that anger could be our friend? How do we recognize it, and how do we keep from turning into an “ugly, crazy, rage monster” if we dare to let it out? And what would happen if we decided to find our own fierceness and use it on our own...

Savanah McCarty is a cowgirl, social worker, non-profit founder, ranch boss, and advocate for the responsible use of plant medicine to heal trauma and treat mental health issues.

The owner of S+S Stables Equine Center for Mental Health in Bozeman, MT, Savanah’s journey - from creating her dream job as founder and executive director of a successful non-profit equine therapy program in Northern California to dealing with debilitatin...

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Oh, wait… it’s just my birthday.

Aging is so mysterious, isn’t it?

In this special birthday episode I discuss:

• Why aging has more in common with Area 51 than you’d think (okay, this might be a stretch but it’s my birthday, so just go with it)
• The way our psyche attaches to a certain conception of self at a particular age
• The wisdom of each decade
• The peace and acceptance of aging
• The Area 51 metap...

Holly in her own words: Holly Scaglione (she/her) holds a master's degree in social work and has over 20 years of service and leadership experience in the health and social services field, including teaching in the Social Work Graduate Program at Humboldt State University. She has Irish, English, French, German, Polish, and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and currently lives on unceded Wiyot Land.

Holly has been taught-from and moved by ...

Why do we complain about how busy we are but keep saying yes? What keeps us giving our time and energy away to everyone but ourselves? What would happen if we said no? How can we figure out what we should spend our precious time on, and what we should be brave enough to ditch?

This is an episode that springs out of a crisis of time, energy, and will in my own life, and what I began to understand as I looked back over the last two y...

Rachel in her own words: Rachel lives with her husband and children on the shores of Lake Michigan on what is the land of the Anishinaabe People. She cares for a garden with her community of friends and neighbors, a practice that allows her to tend to her love for land and connection with others. She is exploring the concept of liberation in relationships by challenging the narrative that any particular relationship needs to look a...

Have you ever had an irrational response to being seen, like a controversial post or a photo you put on social media? Have you found yourself censoring your true feelings and opinions so you’re not singled out? Do you tone down your sexiness or strength for fear that you’ll be labeled or even shunned?

These are all modern manifestations of the witch wound, a term for the intergenerational trauma women carry from the atrocities of t...

Stacey Ramsower is a somatic sex educator, holistic perinatal consultant, and doctoral student in clinical psychology. Combining guided somatic awareness with ritual and ayurvedic wisdom, Stacey’s calling is to educate and empower women to ‘imagine inhabiting your body as a site of power, pleasure, and trustworthy wisdom.’

“Pleasure is the primary motivational force… Pleasu...