This conversation is an invitation to stay. To stay in the discomfort, in the nuance, in the parts of ourselves we’d rather bypass.

In Part 2, I name something I’m still actively working through: my own bias. Not as a performance. Not as a checkbox. But as a lived, ongoing process of noticing, unlearning, and sitting with the discomfort that comes with it. This isn’t easy work. And it’s not supposed to be.

Shawn and I move through identity, belonging, and the layered realities that shape both.

He shares the story of his grandfather, a World War II veteran who served his country, and returned home to a system that denied him access to the very benefits that built generational wealth for others. We talk about how discriminatory banking practices and redlining didn’t just impact individuals. They shaped entire family trajectories, creating gaps that are still very much present today.

We also zoom out.

We talk about the legacy of “manifest destiny,” not just as history, but as a mindset that still shows up in how we move through the world, how we relate to land, power, and each other.

And we ask a harder question:

How do we hold all of this truth, and still choose kindness?

Not a passive, dismissive kindness. But an active, grounded one. The kind that doesn’t bypass harm, but also doesn’t dehumanize. The kind that requires accountability and humanity.

This episode is not about arriving at answers.
It’s about expanding our capacity to sit in the questions.

In this episode, we explore:

• Recognizing and naming personal bias without defensiveness
• The emotional labor of staying in discomfort instead of avoiding it
• The long-term impact of redlining and discriminatory lending on generational wealth
• The disconnect between military service and access to opportunity for Black veterans
• Manifest destiny as both history and ongoing narrative
• What it means to hold people accountable without stripping away their humanity
• The tension between truth-telling and compassion

This is a conversation that asks something of you.
To listen differently.
To reflect honestly.
To stay.

Simply Heard, The Space Between is a podcast produced by Simply Centered Psychological Services, in Raleigh, NC. Simply Heard, The Space Between is for educational and informational purposes, and not to be used as a replacement for therapy.

In part one of this mini-series, Dr. Jess Hayden sits down with Shawn Brown, a longtime friend and public servant, to talk about growing up as a Black kid from the city navigating predominantly white suburban schools through Rochester’s Urban–Suburban program.

Shawn reflects on high school experiences shaped by race, class, sports, and conditional belonging — what it meant to fit in, stand out, and move between worlds where the rules weren’t the same for everyone. The conversation follows those early lessons into adulthood, where Shawn now works inside the very systems that once shaped his access to opportunity.

This episode centers on belonging, identity, and how early experiences in school echo into work, leadership, and how we understand ourselves years later.

Find Dr. Jess Hayden at Simply Centered Psychological Services

Instagram: @Dr.JessHayden

In this conversation, Jessica Lynne and Randie London explore the profound journey of reclaiming the self amidst the complexities of relationships, emotional regulation, and personal growth. They discuss the importance of building a home within oneself, the challenges of self-abandonment, and the necessity of setting boundaries. Randie shares her personal experiences of healing and the transformative power of community, while emphasizing the significance of self-acceptance and authenticity in navigating life's challenges.

Find Dr. Randie London @lotusholistichealing

Register for her series: The Holistic Center For Soulful Living Smithtown, NY

Find Dr. Jess Hayden, Raleigh NC

@dr.jesshayden

Simply Centered Psychological Services

In Part 2 of Welcome Home: The Path to Self-Reclamation, Dr. Jess Hayden and Dr. Randie London continue a grounded, real conversation about what it actually looks like to come home to yourself—especially after heartbreak, loss, or years of over-functioning. Together, they explore how self-abandonment shows up in everyday moments (the subtle “self-editing” we normalize), why control can masquerade as care, and how reclaiming your inner “yes” and “no” becomes the beginning of self-trust.

This episode holds space for the messy middle: grief you don’t bypass, discomfort you don’t escape, and the practice—over time—of choosing yourself with compassion.

Work with Dr. Randie London

Dr. Randie London offers in-person workshops through The Holistic Center for Soulful Living in Smithtown, NY.

Find Randie on Instagram: @lotusholistichealing

Connect with Dr. Jess Hayden

Instagram + TikTok: @dr.jesshayden
Website: Simply Centered Psychological Services

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, mental health treatment, diagnosis, or medical care. If you’re experiencing significant distress or need support, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional in your area.

Simply Heard: The Space Between

Welcome Home — A Path to Self-Reclamation (Part 1)-Audio Story Teller Version

https://www.soulfullivingcenter.com/workshops/

This begins our mini-series on self-abandonment and what it truly means to come back to yourself.

Not fixing.
Not performing.
Not becoming a “better” version.

But noticing where we learned to leave ourselves —
and slowly, gently, learning how to return.

In this conversation, Dr. Randie London and I talk about identity, loss, collapse, and the brave work of saying:

“I want to come home to me.”

Holistic Center for Soulful Living (Smithtown, NY)

Workshop: Welcome Home — A Path to Self-Reclamation
Learn more / stay connected:

Dr. Randie London – Instagram
@lotusholistichealing
https://www.instagram.com/lotusholistichealing

https://www.simply-centered.com

Instagram
@dr.jesshayden
https://www.instagram.com/dr.jesshayden

TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@drjesshayden

More parts of this series are coming — stay with us.

Ever set a boundary and instantly think: “Ugh… I feel like the bad guy”? Same. This short episode explores why that happens — and how practicing clear, compassionate limits can actually create more honesty, respect, and ease in our relationships.

Work with me: www.simply-centered.com

Find me on Socials:

Instagram @dr.jesshayden

TikTok @drjesshayden

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Dr. Jessica Tomasula on internalized and implicit weight bias — and the quiet ways these beliefs shape how we see our bodies, our health, and our worth.

We revisit the Girl Scout cookie story and the subtle moments where children learn what bodies “mean,” often long before anyone says it out loud. We talk about grief, identity, and the years many of us spend trying to “fix” ourselves instead of understanding the systems that taught us to feel broken.

We also explore the complicated intersection of medicine, control, and hope — including the role of GLP-1 medications — with nuance and compassion, without blame or shame.

This conversation isn’t about what bodies should look like.
It’s about how to stay connected to them — and how to notice what we may be unintentionally passing down.

We discuss:

• what internalized weight bias actually is

• how body commentary becomes “normal” in families and culture

• grief for the time spent chasing smaller bodies

• the difference between control as care vs control as punishment

• how weight bias shows up in medical spaces

• GLP-1 medications and why the conversation is so complex

• rebuilding trust with our bodies and our values

If any of this feels tender, please listen at your own pace, take breaks, and come back when you’re ready.

—

Guest:
Dr. Jessica Tomasula — psychologist, researcher, and clinician specializing in body image, eating concerns, and health psychology.

Connect with Simply Heard:

Podcast • Stories • Conversations about “the space between”

Dr Jessica Tomasula at Live Well Psychological

Summary

This episode explores the complex issues surrounding internalized weight bias, disordered eating, and the societal messages that shape our perceptions of body image. Dr. Jess Hayden and Dr. Jessica Tomasula discuss how these biases begin at a young age, the impact of humor on self-worth, and the limitations of traditional health metrics like BMI. They also delve into the importance of promoting body acceptance and awareness in a society that often prioritizes appearance over health.

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Jessica Hayden, PhD

Jessica Tomasula, PhD