Mairead talks about the power of curiosity . This episode continues conversations about different approaches to heal from trauma. She shares her story and explains how indigenous wisdom can be a guide to process difficult life experiences and help to live a richer emotional life.

Guest:
Mairead Ashcroft. Art Therapist. Counselor. Nature Lover. Mairead uses compassion to support others who have experienced similar challenging life events resulting in Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mairead has dedicated many years of study on the effects of trauma on the brain and body, enhancing her counselling, art therapy and life coaching practice and her approach to recovery. Mairead participated in changing Australian laws by speaking in Parliament during the Victorian Inquiry 2011, and Australian Royal Commission into institutional responses into childhood sexual abuse 2014. In 2012 Mairead was awarded and Inspirational Woman’s Award by the Hobson’s Bay City Council in the area of childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence advocacy. Mairead and her adorable side kick, Moon Shadow the Therapy Dog are friendly faces in their hometown of Altona, Melbourne.

To learn more about Mairead or somatic bathing, please visit:
www.artoflifewithmairead.com
www.artoflifewithmairead.blogspot.com.au

Please note the time stamps for podcast content:
5:00 - Concept - Trauma and Protecting From Feeling
8:30 - Concept - Openness and Healing
9:30 - Story - Personal Experience of Trauma
13:00 - Concept - Replacing Judgment with Curiosity
14:30 - Example - Reframing Judgment to Curiosity around Trauma
19:30 - Idea - Strategies to Let Go of Judgement
22:00 - Strategy - Mindfulness
24:00 - Idea - Openness to Experience
28:00 - Idea - Power of Circles in the Healing Process
34:00 - Strategy - Use of Circles from Art of Life and Curiosity
39:00 - Idea - Connecting Circles, Mindfulness, and Curiosity related to Trauma
42:00 - Idea - Applying Curiosity and Taking Risk in Life
49:00 - Idea - Expressing Emotion and Full Range of Emotional Experience
50:00 - Strategies - Don't Do Everything on your Own
57:00 - Strategies - Power of Listening
60:00 - Quote - People don't really listen. They just wait for their turn to talk. -Chuck Palahnuik.
62:00 - Strategies - Listen, Dont Fix. Allow space for feelings.
64:00 - Idea - Prioritizing a Full Range of Feeling
65:00 - Book - The Emotional Lives of Teenagers - Lisa Damour
67:33 - Research - How trait curiosity influences psychological well-being and emotional exhaustion - Wang & Lei, 2015
70:00 - Concept - Curiosity in Turbulent Times
78:00 - Strategies - Look for People You Want to Emulate and Learn From
86:00 - Personal Strategy - Art!


Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Zendo: https://zendobeats.bandcamp.com/

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast