The Empowered Through Compassion Podcast Podcast Por David Polidi arte de portada

The Empowered Through Compassion Podcast

The Empowered Through Compassion Podcast

De: David Polidi
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Empowered Through Compassion is a podcast exploring trauma healing and relational transformation. Through conversations with clinicians, researchers, and thought leaders, the show sits at the crossroads of therapeutic communities including Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and Motivational Interviewing. The podcast also explores emerging integrative approaches to trauma healing.

2023 Higiene y Vida Saludable Psicología Psicología y Salud Mental
Episodios
  • Foundations of IFS-Informed EMDR

    Foundations of IFS-Informed EMDR
    Apr 9 2026
    This special episode was recorded in front of a live audience. Heather and David Polidi host an incredible group of contributors to IFS Informed EMDR: Creative and Collaborative Approaches. We explored the foundational sections of the book. In this gathering we expressed our thoughts on healing, and how it is not a technique. Instead, it begins with awareness and with a relationship. Each contributor reflected on their chapter, and what stood out for them. In the introduction, David hoped to convey how everyone can healing their trauma wounds, no matter how much suffering someone carries. There is an inner wisdom that knows how to move toward healing when the right relational space is created. Our role as therapists is to help create that space. Zandra Bamford shared how impacted she has been through by IFS and its non-pathologizing nature. Particularly, Zandra felt it was a very gentle model to understand protectors. Then, we discussed the foundations of combining the two models in a unified way. Integration becomes a way of holding multiple perspectives at once. A key shift that emerges in IFS informed EMDR is focusing on "parts" as the true focus of healing, rather than memory networks. "Parts" hold pain, parts and organize around protection. As we deepen relationships with these parts, we can offer EMDR, and bilateral stimulation, to unburden these parts. Annabel McGoldrick emphasized how IFS invites us to stay aware of our own parts, our assumptions, and our internal responses as we sit with another. This awareness becomes part of the healing field itself. Bruce Hersey articulated the Syzygy model, which integrates EMDR, IFS, and Coherence Therapy. Bruce shared that instead of calling this work "parts work" he understands it as "Self work." Recognizing the importance of Self in the system, opens up a new way to appreciate necessary elements of dual awareness. Michelle Richardson expanded Syzygy's “Discovery” phase, and how valuable this is when working with highly protective systems. Peggy Kolodny’s shared how the integration of art, somatics, and Jungian active imagination, can also add so much to these trauma healing models. What emerges is not just a model, but a way of being. A way of practicing therapy that is slower, more relational, and deeply respectful of the complexity of the human system. Featured Guests & Resources Bruce Hersey Website: https://www.brucehersey.com Syzygy Institute: https://www.syzygyinstitute.com Bruce Hersey is a leading voice in the integration of EMDR and Internal Family Systems and co-founder of the Syzygy Institute. He is an EMDRIA-approved consultant and an IFS Approved Clinical Consultant who has presented internationally on IFS-informed EMDR integration. His work focuses on using multiple therapeutic lenses simultaneously to deepen trauma healing and reconsolidation processes. Annabel McGoldrick Website: https://mindfulsoulwellbeing.com/michelle-richardson/ Michelle Richardson is an EMDRIA-approved consultant, IFS-certified therapist, and co-founder of the Syzygy Institute. She specializes in complex trauma, dissociation, and attachment wounds, and is known for her work on the “Discovery” phase, helping therapists navigate highly protective and blended systems with clarity and compassion. Peggy Kolodny Peggy Kolodny is a licensed, board-certified art psychotherapist specializing in trauma treatment and the integration of EMDR, IFS, and expressive therapies. With decades of experience, she brings a unique perspective that incorporates somatic, symbolic, and creative processes into trauma healing, helping clients access nonverbal pathways to integration. Zandra Bamford Website: https://therapynorthwest.org/about/ Zandra Bamford is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and IFS Clinical Consultant with over 20 years of experience in complex trauma. She is the founder of Therapy North West and is known for her work in non-pathologizing approaches to mental health, bringing compassion, somatic awareness, and deep respect for protective systems into her clinical work. Heather Polidi (co-host) Co-creator of Empowered Through Compassion, Heather brings a grounded, relational presence to the podcast and contributes to shaping the therapeutic and conversational space. About the Podcast Empowered Through Compassion is a podcast where conversations about trauma healing meet the crossroads of Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and Motivational Interviewing. Through dialogue with leading voices in the field, we explore how compassion, connection, and relational presence can transform the way we understand and heal trauma. #EmpoweredThroughCompassion #IFS #EMDR #IFSInformedEMDR #TraumaHealing #PartsWork #SelfEnergy #RelationalHealing #SomaticHealing #CoherenceTherapy #TherapistsOfInstagram #TraumaTherapy #HealingIsPossible #CompassionInPractice #AttachmentHealing
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    1 h y 10 m
  • Self-Compassion, Being Enough and Our Common Humanity

    Self-Compassion, Being Enough and Our Common Humanity
    Apr 5 2026

    In this deeply moving and expansive conversation, David sits down with Soulla Demetriou, author, coach, and founder of Soulshine Retreats, to explore the heart of self-compassion and what it means to truly feel “enough.”

    Soulla shares how her work integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic awareness, mindfulness, and ancient wisdom traditions to help people reconnect with their inner world. At the center of her approach is a powerful idea: that the body holds deep wisdom, and that healing begins when we learn to listen.

    Together, David and Soulla explore the natural alignment between IFS and somatic practices, including yoga, and how both invite us into a more compassionate relationship with ourselves. They reflect on how safety, presence, and awareness open the door to new ways of responding to our inner experiences, rather than reacting from old patterns.

    Soulla also shares vulnerably about her own journey with complex trauma and how it shaped her path toward this work. Her upcoming book, You Have Always Been Enough, was born from a core question many of us carry: Am I enough?

    This conversation offers a grounded and hopeful path forward, highlighting how healing is not about fixing ourselves, but about building a compassionate relationship with the parts of us that have long felt unseen.

    Key Themes

    • Self-compassion is a foundation of healing
    • There can be a natural integration between IFS and somatic practices
    • The body as a source of wisdom and awareness
    • The space between stimulus and response is where our freedom is
    • Reparenting and building internal safety help us set boundaries
    • “Not being enough” is a universal wound
    • Healing as both personal and relational

    About Soulla Demetriou

    Soulla Demetriou is an author, transformation and somatic coach, and founder of Soulshine Retreats. With over 15 years of experience facilitating transformational work, she integrates Internal Family Systems, mindfulness, somatic practices, and ancient wisdom traditions to support deep healing and self-connection.

    Her work centers on self-compassion and the belief that we are inherently worthy and whole. Drawing from her own lived experience, including complex trauma and neurodivergence, Soulla offers a deeply embodied and relational approach to healing.

    Her upcoming book, You Have Always Been Enough: An Inner Guide to Self-Love and Inner Freedom, releases April 9, 2026.

    Resources Mentioned

    • Soulla’s Website: www.withsoulla.com
    • Book: You Have Always Been Enough
    • Instagram: www.instagram.com/withsoulla

    Pre-order links:

    • Kindle (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Have-Always-Been-Enough-ebook/dp/B0FD94DV6W
    • International: https://www.waterstones.com/book/you-have-always-been-enough/soulla-demetriou/9780008403577
    • US (Sept 2026): https://www.amazon.com/You-Have-Always-Been-Enough/dp/0008403570

    Bonus: Pre-orders before April 23 include access to a complimentary one-day Self-Compassion Retreat (April 24)

    The Empowered Through Compassion podcast explores trauma healing at the crossroads of Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and Motivational Interviewing. Through meaningful conversations with leading voices in the field, David and Heather create a space for reflection, learning, and connection, helping therapists and humans alike deepen their understanding of healing, relationship, and compassion.
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    49 m
  • The Resilience of Connection

    The Resilience of Connection
    Mar 16 2026

    In this conversation, David Polidi speaks with author and cultural critic Soraya Chemaly about the cultural mythology of resilience and what it means to truly heal after hardship.

    In much of Western culture, resilience is framed as an individual trait. We are encouraged to bounce back quickly, return to productivity, and prove our strength by pushing through pain. Soraya challenges this narrative and invites us to reconsider resilience through a relational lens.

    What if resilience is not primarily about individual toughness, but about connection?

    Throughout the conversation, Soraya explores how narratives of resilience have been shaped by individualism, gender conformity, colonial thinking, and dominance based hierarchies. These narratives often isolate people rather than helping them heal. When resilience becomes synonymous with endurance and productivity, it can reinforce systems of power that separate us from one another.

    David and Soraya explore how healing requires something very different. Healing often emerges through relational energy. It grows when people feel understood and connect with one another.

    The conversation also explores how cognitive flexibility allows us to adapt to life’s changes rather than attempting to return to a past version of ourselves. Ultimately, the myth that resilience is only an individual achievement, is not only inaccurate but dangerous. Instead, we can understand resilience is something that also grows through relationship, compassion, and shared humanity.

    Key Themes

    • The cultural myth of resilience and the pressure to “bounce back” • How individualism shapes Western ideas of strength • Trauma, grief, and the non linear nature of healing • Cognitive flexibility and adapting to change • Power structures that encourage separation and domination • Gender, hierarchy, and cultural narratives about strength • The erosion of social trust and the rise of loneliness • Why connection is one of the most powerful forces in healing

    A Quote from the Episode

    “You have to be a daily pessimist but an eternal optimist.”

    Soraya Chemaly reflects on the importance of holding both realism and hope at the same time. Strategic pessimism allows us to plan, organize, and act collectively, while long term optimism helps sustain movements for change and healing.

    Guest Bio

    Soraya Chemaly is an award winning writer, speaker, and cultural critic whose work focuses on gender, power, culture, and social justice. She is the author of Rage Becomes Her and The Resilience Myth. Her writing has appeared in publications including The Atlantic, Time, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. Her work examines how cultural narratives shape our understanding of emotions, power, and identity.

    Resources

    Soraya Chemaly’s website https://www.sorayachemaly.com

    The Resilience Myth by Soraya Chemaly https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Resilience-Myth/Soraya-Chemaly/9781982188733

    Podcast Description

    Empowered Through Compassion explores trauma healing at the crossroads of Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and Motivational Interviewing. Through conversations with therapists, researchers, and thought leaders, the podcast examines how compassion, relational attunement, and integrative approaches to therapy can support deeper healing for individuals, couples, and communities.
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    47 m
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