6: Spiritual Wounding, Finding Your Path, and Being With Fear

07/19/22 • 39 min

In today's episode we're talking about being with our fear. We explore how spiritual wounding and Western religions can disturb our spiritual needs, and how we can bring curiosity to both our feelings and our spiritual beliefs.

I share my story of being raised in a Seventh Day Adventist community, how I learned to sit with the fears that had been programmed into me in childhood, and how I found the strength to move through those fears and find a spiritual path that brought me peace and purpose.

Included in this episode are:

A practice for being with fear as a part.
Advice for allowing our body to be with our feelings somatically.
How we can cultivate an inner "wise adult."
Learning that all the justification we need is what works for us.

Timestamps:

0:00: Welcoming

0:45: Being with fear and discomfort

2:30: A practice for being with fear

9:35: My spiritual journey

14:30: The terror of not believing, and lie of an unkind god

18:30: Curiosity, and inviting the younger parts

24:15: Overjustifying ourselves

30:30: Finding who we are

About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Ferreira is a somatic psychotherapist in training. Her approach to mental health is holistic, non-judgmental, and centered in the belief that all beings have the capacity to heal, grow, and reduce suffering.

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Included in this episode are:

A practice for being with fear as a part.
Advice for allowing our body to be with our feelings somatically.
How we can cultivate an inner "wise adult."
Learning that all the justification we need is what works for us.

Timestamps:

0:00: Welcoming

0:45: Being with fear and discomfort

2:30: A practice for being with fear

9:35: My spiritual journey

14:30: The terror of not believing, and lie of an unkind god

18:30: Curiosity, and inviting the younger parts

24:15: Overjustifying ourselves

30:30: Finding who we are

Follow Me On:

Previous Episode

5: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Healthy Relationships

Today we're talking about navigating relationships as, or with, someone who has premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Relationships can be challenging under the best of circumstances, and PMDD includes symptoms that can make it uniquely difficult to find and stay in a fulfilling relationship. In this episode I talk about how we can do this through the lens of my own experiences. This includes:

Self-acceptance, and compassion.
Honesty to ourselves and others.
Sharing the experience.
Creating a fair balance of effort in the relationship.
The "GRACE" model of communication.

Timestamps:

0:00: Introduction

2:00: My relationship with relationships

13:15: The GRACE Model

19:30: What does it take to be with someone with PMDD?

27:50: "If you can't handle me on my worst day"

31:45: Navigating differences in communication style.

40:30: "The performance of perfection becomes the death of a relationship."

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Next Episode

7: Becoming a Therapist, and Learning from Therapy

I've received a number of questions related to becoming a therapist, what it's like to sit with people, what I've learned from my graduate program, and whether I'd recommend it to other people. Today I'm exploring those questions through the lens of my own experience training to become a somatic psychotherapist.

Topics:

0:00: Welcoming

1:20: The tree of therapy, and making your contribution.

3:00: Therapy as soul work.

5:00: Learning the language, and doing your own work.

8:50: Unpacking your material.

11:50: The stories we hold on to.

14:00: Vulnerability

18:10: A D&D metaphor because I literally can't help myself.

21:00: Supporting people in their self-healing.

24:00: Are you called, or are you driven?

30:00: Dropping the masks.