In this episode of Healing The Divide, we turn the tables for a roundtable discussion led by friend of the show, Pasha Niroo, as he interviews me along with Caio Rocha, Associate Fellow and Charter Member of the British Psychological Society.

Our conversation traverses the internal terrains of the healing journey, emotional awareness practices, and various approaches informing trauma integration. This was a deep and nuanced conversation touching thoughtfully upon the often invisible parts of our human experience. I highly recommend this episode for anyone who is surfing the shadow domains of their inner life and is looking to gather insights, tools, and practices to serve as companions along the way.

Another unique aspect of this conversation was that it was held between three men. There is a particular value in men not only doing their inner work but doing it openly and in community. This was definitely present in this episode and I’m so grateful to my collaborators, Pasha and Rishi (Caio) for bringing not just their intellectual wisdom but their respective heart wisdom to the talk as well.

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In this episode of Healing The Divide, I am joined by Jessica Baum, a licensed mental health counselor and author of the book Anxiously Attached.

This deeply insightful conversation explores attachment theory through a variety of lenses from attachment formation during our nervous system's development within the womb and evolving into our relationships with our primary caregivers and ultimately into the domain of intimate relationship and into socio-political paradigms.

I particularly connected to Jessica’s perspective on the conventional notion of triggers and reframing them as awakenings, inviting both curiosity and compassion. Our conversation explores the concept of co-regulation and its importance in healing and personal growth, in specificity how co-regulation supports self-regulation.

The discussion also delves into the impact of culture and politics on secure attachment and collective well-being. It highlights the polarization and division in society and examines the application of healing frameworks in service of such ideas as a trauma informed politics.

This episode traversed a breadth and depth of attachment theory driven into many unique and powerful contexts not typically spoken about. I found it utterly fascinating. And I hope you will as well!!

Christine Sylvain, founder and CEO of Path to College Fellowship, is on an incredibly inspiring mission to address educational inequities and secure the acceptance of high-achieving, low-income students into top-tier universities.

Christine discusses her personal story as the daughter of an immigrant and highlights the systemic challenges in the education system and the need for optimism, strategy, and support to close the wealth gap and empower social mobility from within communities of concentrated disadvantage.

Our conversation explores the challenges and complexities of the education system in the United States, focusing on the need for equal access to quality education. She emphasizes the importance of addressing the achievement gaps among different subgroups, particularly those based on race and class.

Christine discusses the importance of building strong relationships with students by providing them with a community-based mentorship system. She also shares her thoughts on the education system from a federal to state to community level, including the need for teacher recruitment and training programs, the importance of measuring school performance based on support for students, and the need for individualized learning.

These are the conversations we need to be having as a society and I hope this episode is a contribution to that purpose.