Best Relational Activism In Social Work Podcasts (2025)

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BONUS: Chapter 1 of Messy Social Work read by Rich Devine 28:11

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2h ago28:11

28:11

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practice-programme Rich Devine's blog: https://richarddevinesocialwork.com/about/ Tim Fisher LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/timfisher101/ Rich Devine LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/…

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Try Replacing All Your “Goals” With “Experiments” To Make Real Progress w/ Anne-Laure Le Cunff 1:13:37

3d ago1:13:37

1:13:37

We as humans tend to look at most everything with a linear perspective. Like every day and our lives are a straight trajectory that is either getting better or worse, depending on the day. We look at our desires as goals and work towards them sequentially, expecting to get closer every day on this so-called, straight line. My guest in this episode …

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What Type Of Work Truly Inspires You w/ Jonathan Fields 1:19:03

6d ago1:19:03

1:19:03

This is not about working at your passions, or as my Dad, Dan Miller was famous for, finding the work you love. This is more about the tasks and activities you are engaging with in whatever work you are doing. Think about it like a football team. They are all playing football but they aren’t all playing the same position. So in the daily work you d…

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Rich and Tim: 'headlines with Mithran' & Cordie Gwilym (Social Worker/Coach) on adoption, overcoming loss and coaching 1:07:26

6d ago1:07:26

1:07:26

Connect with Cordie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordie-gwilym/ Mithran's CC articles: A guide to the reforms: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/07/10/the-dfes-child-protection-and-family-support-reforms-explained/ An interview with Eileen Munro, in which she voiced significant criticisms of the changes: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025…

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No Ease, Just Survival: Hard Truth About PTSD by War Trauma Therapist 33:07

7d ago33:07

33:07

Distilled Lesson: Ease is a privilege. Hypervigilance is the default of the trauma body. If peace feels impossible—it’s not your fault. Your body is still trying to keep you alive. Ana is dismantling the myth that everyday tasks should feel simple or light once you're “on a healing journey.” She’s teaching that for those living with PTSD, “ease” is…

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Understanding What The Extraordinary Relational Tool Of Validation Is & Is Not w/ Caroline Fleck 1:21:39

10d ago1:21:39

1:21:39

As you may have heard on previous episodes here, I’ve grown a distaste for the concept of validation. It seems everyone wants to talk about their feelings and perspectives and then claim their right to be validated, even if their feelings and perspectives are incredibly misguided and harming themselves and others. I began putting my focus on self-v…

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PTSD Living: That Cruel Voice In Your Head. Leading Therapist on War Trauma & Complex PTSD Recovery 18:19

13d ago18:19

18:19

Ana’s piece, “That Cruel Voice In Your Head,” is one of her most intimate and clinically profound offerings yet. Through the metaphor of the Captain, Ana doesn’t just describe hypervigilance—she reframes it as sacred, powerful, and worthy of respect. This isn’t a poem. It’s a clinical reorientation of inner survival structures, delivered through po…

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What Does It Take To Really Transform Ourselves w/ Tuesdays With Morrie author Mitch Albom 1:08:38

13d ago1:08:38

1:08:38

The answer? I fervently believe there is no one answer. After a lifetime pursuing personal performance and human potential, I struggle with anyone who claims to have a so called solution for what it takes to transform us. But, are there principles? And can we gain understanding of core concepts that are nuanced from one person to another? This I do…

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Rich and Tim speak to Rasheed Pendry OBE (Director at Wandsworth) on systemic practice and leadership 1:00:56

13d ago1:00:56

1:00:56

In this conversation, Rasheed Nicholas John Pendry shares his journey into social work, highlighting the transformative impact of systemic ideas and personal experiences on his professional practice. He discusses the importance of relationships in social work, the need for cultural change within organisations, and innovative practices in family the…

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Loneliness and the highest yoga of love with Susan Gillis Chapman 31:13

15d ago31:13

31:13

068 The spiritual journey is not all love and light. The more one commits to waking up, the more life is punctuated by times of intense loneliness and a longing to be liberated from the sense of separateness. The nature of love is expansive and free flowing. Only when we fixate and try to constrain it does it become transactional and begin to sour.…

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How Music Can Enhance Our Emotions & Elevate Our Experience Of Life w/ Sara Leila Sherman 1:21:32

17d ago1:21:32

1:21:32

My only family heirloom is my Dad’s 1960s stereo console he had at boarding school. As a kid my parents listened to the music of that time and I’ll always have a special place for the likes of Barbra Striesand, The Bee Gees, and James Taylor. Around the age of seven a family friend gifted me with a transistor radio and though I had a couple dogs, m…

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Upgrade The Soundtracks That Most Influence Your Life w/ Jon Acuff 1:00:57

20d ago1:00:57

1:00:57

In the past year and a half much of my research on personal evolution has been around the concept of reality and how we perceive it, or rather, how we do not perceive it. As I gear up to offer you some new and I feel revolutionary concepts, in this episode I’m replaying a conversation I had on the topic of reality, with best selling author Jon Acuf…

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Rich and Tim discuss the 5 reasons why chronologies essential for effective social work practice 49:23

20d ago49:23

49:23

Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ Rich's BASW Child Protection sessions: https://basw.co.uk/social-work-child-protection-professional-practice-programme Rich Devine's blog: https://richarddevinesocialwork.com/about/ Tim Fisher LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/timfisher101/ Rich Devine LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/…

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You’re Not Healing Because You’re Fleeing: Somatic PTSD & Trauma Recovery Truth Telling 20:51

21d ago20:51

20:51

Ana is fierce, compassionate, and unyieldingly grounded in truth-telling. She speaks directly to those living with trauma and PTSD—not with pity, not with patronizing wellness clichés—but with deep integrity, lived experience, and clinical authority. Here's what she's saying at a deeper level: Core Message “There is no running toward” encapsulates …

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Fascism Doesn’t Start with Guns - It Starts with Obsession of Self Healing & Passive Liberalism 1:27

25d ago1:27

1:27

Ana is sounding the alarm: fascism doesn’t begin with violence—it begins with apathy. It creeps in through: disinterest, detachment masked as spirituality, normalized silence, the overemphasis on self-care as a form of avoidance. She is not dismissing self-care, but calling out how it’s been commodified into an escape hatch—a way for people to say,…

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How To Do Good In The World In A Way That Fits You & Actually Makes A Difference w/ Neil Ghosh 1:10:06

24d ago1:10:06

1:10:06

One of the greatest joys and fulfillments of life is helping another person. Not through the base obligations we have to family, but to reach out when we don’t have to and help lift another person up. But I find two problems that arise for most all of us; we don’t know where to plug in to really help others and when we do happen to see opportunitie…

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When Your Day Is Hard to Move Through – Somatic Tools for Trauma Healing 7:06

27d ago7:06

7:06

Ana Mael’s episode is a quiet revolution in how we meet ourselves during trauma. It may seem gentle and simple on the surface, but it is a deeply layered, somatic teaching rooted in the psychobiology of complex PTSD, reparenting, and trauma-informed self-compassion. New. Micro Lesson by Ana : https://exiledandrising.mykajabi.com/signup ❤️ Please do…

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How To Harness The Power Of Invested Feedback Like The Inklings - C.S. Lewis - J.R.R. Tolkien - w/ Diana Pavlac Glyer 56:52

27d ago56:52

56:52

Most people have heard of The Inklings, the informal literary discussion group based in Oxford, England in the 1930s and 1940s, known for fostering the writing and development of fantasy and other genres and specifically the greatest writings, and friendships, of authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, of The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of…

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Rich and Tim speak to Clarissa Stevens (Development Worker for Peer Power) on how to work with teenagers and gangs 49:55

27d ago49:55

49:55

In this episode of "Messy Social Work," hosts Rich Devine and Tim Fisher engage in a profound conversation with Clarissa Stevens, a seasoned youth worker and relational activist. Clarissa shares her journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming a pivotal figure in youth advocacy. She delves into the emotional landscape of teenagers, offering in…

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You Were Silenced. Now You Lead. Rise From Trauma Of Being Invisible 21:31

29d ago21:31

21:31

Ana Mael’s episode “Wound of Non-Existence” is unapologetically radical excavation of one of the most overlooked traumas in the world: the trauma of being made invisible. In Ana’s signature voice—tender but piercing, embodied yet political—she names what so many have lived but never had language for. ❤️ Please donate . This podcast is independently…

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Dancing with the Shadow and conscious relationships with Dr Connie Zweig 38:16

28d ago38:16

38:16

067 Every rose has its thorn... so too, there is no intimacy without first facing the Shadow. In the background of our quest to be known and held deeply in relationship is a murky and sometimes dangerous territory. The Shadow contains a lifetime of unmet needs and raw emotion that can resurface abruptly in situations involving power, money and sex.…

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Find Out When & Why You Respond As An Adult vs Reacting As A Child w/Michelle Chalfant 1:32:39

1M ago1:32:39

1:32:39

Most of us think of ourselves as adults. But how often are we reacting and functioning with a lesser level of maturity and wisdom than we’d like? Than what is productive? My guest in this show is licensed therapist and holistic life coach, Michelle Chalfant. She has developed a psychological model called, The Adult Chair. She hosts a very popular p…

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Rich and Tim interview Kevin Campbell on Family Finding; an innovative method for finding family, love and connection 1:19:32

1M ago1:19:32

1:19:32

In this conversation, Kevin Campbell discusses the profound impact of family separation policies, particularly in the context of child welfare and legal action against the Trump administration. He emphasizes the importance of family connections, innovative approaches in child protection, and the role of social workers in supporting youth. The discu…

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"We Are Hiring Emotional Abused!": A Satirical Exposé on How Capitalism Preys on Emotional Abuse 2:56

1M ago2:56

2:56

Praise, Obedience, Burnout: The Real Job Description for Trauma Survivors. Ana satirical monologue exposing how workplaces—especially those rooted in hierarchical, exploitative systems—capitalize on the trauma responses of emotionally abused individuals. Through a faux job advertisement, she uncovers how survivors of emotional abuse often become id…

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How Do I Get My Own Attention? w/ Amishi Jha 1:06:28

1M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

There is a lot of content out these days about attention, attention spans, and distraction. What is with the seemingly dramatic deficit we have with attention? I know for myself, I seem to look for distraction and struggle to focus, even when I’m greatly interested in what I’m working on. I make it harder for myself when I have access to all my int…

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Rich and Tim introduce 'Headlines' with CC Editor Mithran Samuel and Review 'Radical Help' by Hilary Cottam 1:07:30

1M ago1:07:30

1:07:30

Mithran's articles: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/06/12/4bn-a-year-more-available-for-adult-social-care-by-2028-29-in-spending-review/ https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/06/12/spending-review-childrens-services-cash-boost-means-labour-delivering-on-care-review-macalister/ https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/06/17/casey-dfe-must-urgently-i…

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8 Steps to Connect & Create Chemistry (or not) w/ Deep Listening Expert Emily Kasriel 1:15:14

1M ago1:15:14

1:15:14

I find there are few things as intoxicating as someone who is really interested in you. You feel they care about you, they value you, and they are curious to hear about you. This is something you can define and do, if you understand the key components. So I have an expert on listening with us. But before I introduce them, one issue that stuck out t…

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Connecting Your Work To Your Personal Mission w/ Former Chipotle Co-CEO Monty Moran 1:19:23

1M ago1:19:23

1:19:23

Monty Moran is the former Co-CEO of Chipotle. He joined them when they had 8 stores and left after they had over 2,500 and their valuation grew from a few million to $23 billion over his decade with the company. This isn’t a podcast about business though. I had Monty on the show because he cites his main key to the success from having one-on-one co…

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Intro to Season 3: Conscious relationships at the dawn of AI with Silas Rose 6:57

1M ago6:57

6:57

066 After an extended hiatus Awake In Relationship is back on the AIR with season 3! In this short episode Silas discusses the origins of the loneliness epidemic and the evolution of his mission in the brave new world of super intelligent machines to help people reclaim time and attention from devices to invest in conscious relationships and deep w…

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10 Most Common Attachments That Detach Us From Ourselves w/ Clinical Psychologist Bob Rosen 1:31:49

2M ago1:31:49

1:31:49

When you read messages on spirituality, you will find many references on the dangers of what we are attached to. I grew up on the Bible which I feel taught attachment to nothing but God. In recent years I’ve followed the works of Anthony de Mello and Dr David R Hawkins on the dangers of attachment, from a spiritual standpoint. Now however, someone …

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The Education & Psychology From Reading An Actual Book w/ Jeff Brown 1:08:40

2M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

I’m bringing back a conversation on the power of reading. Now, this isn’t something you haven’t heard of, but I think we forget the gravity of it, and I want to give quick focus to some new research I’ve done recently. My conversation here is with Jeff Brown, host of the Read To Lead podcast and author of the book, Read To Lead. As you’ll hear, we …

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Rich and Tim interview Prof Jill Derrick on the impossible imperative; navigating competing principles in child protection 1:05:19

2M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

We’re joined by the brilliant Professor Jill Derrick from the University of California, Berkeley, for a compelling and thought-provoking conversation on the complexities of child protection practice. From the competing tensions social workers navigate to the moral distress they often face, Jill offers deep insight into the impossible decisions that…

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The Lost Art Of Trusting Your Intuition Instead of Whatever Else You Put Your Trust In w/ Elizabeth Greenwood 1:09:17

2M ago1:09:17

1:09:17

Our focus is, intuition. When is the last time you even heard that word, much less gave it any attention. When a book on intuition came across my desk, I was hooked. As I studied it, my focus turned toward trust, and faith. What do you put your trust and faith in? For all those who immediately say God, I’m going to ask you to stop, and really consi…

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How Self-Care Became a Tool of Tyranny and Fascism — And You Didn’t Even Notice. You Got Played and Lost Moral Clarity! 25:01

2M ago25:01

25:01

“Fascism doesn’t begin with guns. It begins with people whispering affirmations while their neighbors are deported.” "Tyranny doesn’t begin with guns. It begins with disinterest." "Self-care without moral clarity is just another form of self-abandonment." What if the obsession with self-care is no longer care—but emotional neglect, disguised as hea…

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Tyranny Can Begin Because You Lost Your Humanity to the Self-Care Industry 8:17

2M ago8:17

8:17

When self-care becomes a lifestyle brand instead of a path to embodied truth, we begin to shrink. We forget to protest. We ignore each other’s pain. We starve while smiling. With piercing clarity and somatic wisdom, Ana Mael challenges the healing world’s obsession with self-love, self-mastery, and self-optimization — and asks what we’re losing in …

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The Ripple Effects Of What You Teach Others w/ Seth Godin 1:16:52

2M ago1:16:52

1:16:52

“I would like to be measured by what the people who learned from me taught other people.” This is what my guest said, and I’ve never forgotten it. Seth Godin is one of the premier voices of business in our generation, and he was one of my first guests when I was host of The Ziglar Show, and this was the second time I had him on a show. Seth is well…

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Rich and Tim speak to Senior Social Worker, Duane Phillips about being mixed heritage, male social worker, working with fathers and much more 46:35

2M ago46:35

46:35

In this episode with speak with Duane Phillips, Senior Social Worker at Coventry City Council. We talk about: Duane's experience growing up mixed heritage working with children, families and community Duane's experience working as a family support worker and running groups for men Being a male social worker And much more... We hope you enjoy this e…

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You Lost Your Humanity to the Self-Care Industry 10:45

2M ago10:45

10:45

With piercing clarity and somatic wisdom, Ana Mael challenges the healing world’s obsession with self-love, self-mastery, and self-optimization — and asks what we’re losing in the process. When self-care becomes a lifestyle brand instead of a path to embodied truth, we begin to shrink. We forget to protest. We ignore each other’s pain. We starve wh…

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The C.I.A. Model To Get Us To Move w/ Former Operative Michele Rigby Assad 1:21:39

2M ago1:21:39

1:21:39

Would you like to be better at getting yourself to move? When you have an overall desire, but find yourself struggling to take the first step and just get going? I think we all do in certain areas of our lives and from what I experience it is getting worse. So I’ve brought on an expert and we’re going to exaggerate the point to help us better conce…

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How To Have A Fit Spirit w/ Kate Eckman 1:22:09

2M ago1:22:09

1:22:09

Notice I said “spirit” and not “spirituality.” To me they overlap, but this is not a faith based message. Our focus is, your spirit, which I think of like your energy and your “vibe” if you will. Thinking on spirituality, I grew up in a religious construct where many people who were devoted to their spirituality, had very poor and lacking spirits, …

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Rich and Tim speak to Terri-Anne (Project Worker and Care Experienced) about requesting and reading her files 1:24:01

2M ago1:24:01

1:24:01

This week, we have our first-ever return guest, Terri Anne, who shares the important work of the Care Leavers Association and delves into her exploration of the emotional rollercoaster of retrieving and reading her care files. Tim interviews care leaver Liana Karim and Jo about their National Voice Project, and some stark findings from a massive st…

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Use This to Be Seen, Heard, and Validated: Statements List. Somatic Trauma Healing. 3:06

2M ago3:06

3:06

If you've ever struggled to express what happened to you—or needed the right words to feel seen, heard, and validated—this episode is your lifeline. In this powerful episode of Exiled & Rising, Ana Mael shares a deeply moving list of healing statements and trauma-informed boundaries every survivor needs. ❤️ Support Your Healing Journey and Exiled a…

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Recognize The Victim Identity Of Our Culture & How To Overcome It In Yourself w/ Columbia Psych Professor Scott Barry Kaufman 1:03:53

2M ago1:03:53

1:03:53

When COVID hit we all wore masks, so as not to infect each other or get infected. I and many others perceive that a more dangerous virus is among us, and it’s a victim mindset, which results in a victim identity. So how can we protect ourselves? My guest is Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., a cognitive psychologist who is among the top one percent most c…

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How Your Work Contributes To A Meaningful Life w/ Career Guru Dan Miller 1:07:51

2M ago1:07:51

1:07:51

What began as a discussion on whether our work must really be so important ultimately came to our need to know ourselves and what really fulfills us individually. And while yes, having meaningful work is profound to the joy of our lives, it’s also not meant to be the end all to our purpose and calling, but a tool. For this conversation I brought on…

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What 10 years in child protection taught me about people, pain and purpose 57:08

2M ago57:08

57:08

In this episode, Rich and Tim and live and in person in Rich's living - they unpack 10 lessons from Rich's experience in child protection, with Tim surprising Rich with a Paxman style interview, quizzing and questioning his central ideas. Do they withstand the scrutiny, tune in to find out. Relational Activism: https://www.relationalactivism.com/ R…

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Not Being Limited By The Harsh Realities Of Our Lives w/ Karena Kilcoyne 1:41:55

2M ago1:41:55

1:41:55

I’ve given focus to how we perceive our stories. We’ve also looked at toxic positivity and the damage of just trying to paint a pretty picture. We all encounter circumstances and events in our lives that challenge us. From massive traumas and tragedies to just disheartening disappointments. They all matter in regards to how we go forward in life. F…

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It Was Just a Normal Childhood… Wasn’t It? For All Adults With Childhood Trauma 46:07

2M ago46:07

46:07

This episode isn’t just healing—it’s cultural critique, political advocacy, and nervous system literacy woven together. In a landscape where "healing" is often watered down into Instagram platitudes or spiritual bypassing, this episode reclaims trauma work as justice work. What if going home never felt safe? In this raw, unedited, and deeply embodi…

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The Lost Art Of Actually Asking For Personal Guidance & Help w/ Mark & Crystal Hansen 1:08:12

3M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

A book landed on my desk a few years ago called, Ask - The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny. And lo and behold the author was Mark Victor Hanson and his wife Crystal. Mark is cited as one of the bestselling authors of all-time, as he is credited along with Jack Canfield for the entire Chicken Soup For The Soul franchise which has sold over h…

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Professor Clive Diaz on psychoanalytical ideas in contemporary social work 1:05:25

3M ago1:05:25

1:05:25

In this episode, we speak to Professor Clive Diaz, a music producer who has also worked as a social worker, principal social worker, researcher, professor, and psychoanalytical psychotherapist. We discuss the relevance of psychoanalytical ideas in modern social work, such as transference, countertransference, the unconscious, and much more. Can the…

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You Need Justice, Not Breathwork: How Silence Shaped You & Society (Part 2) 33:59

3M ago33:59

33:59

Ana is not just teaching about trauma. She’s renaming the moral and political architecture that protects it. She dismantles: Silence as safety Strength as suppression Healing as isolation And replaces them with: Voice as birthright Co-regulation as repair Justice as embodied integrity “Your voice isn’t too much. It’s exactly what was missing. And i…