Ep# 274 - Healing Through Integration, An Interview with Holistic healer and and Author Judy Tsafrir When I picked up this book, by the amazing and profound Judy Tsafrir, I was immediately taken by the title, Sacred Psychiatry. Judy is a holistic healer with a private psychiatry and psychoanalysis practice in Newton, Massachusetts. She is on the leading edge of consciousness and I am so grateful to have her here to share her story and her book with Empowering Chats. I opened this interview by asking Judy the questions: Why this title? How did it come about? Because personally, I have never seen psychiatry as sacred. Judy responded to my question by stating that traditional psychiatry is not sacred, it is conventionally practiced. It has completely lost touch with the part of that word “psyche” which has to do with our soul. She goes on to share that modern medicine has also lost the connection to the psyche and the soul. It is now based on scientific materialism and has no sense of the sacred. And the role that the sacred plays in healing. Her book opens with several quotes including one by the Greek philosopher, Plotinus where he states in part “all things depend on each other. Everything breathes together.” As Judy states, we cannot sparse out the mind from the body and the spirit. The point of the book she says is to illuminate that conventional psychiatry doesn’t encompass the sacred. Judy shares how in the conventional approach to psychiatry most often patients are prescribed medication to deal with depression or anxiety, which only addresses the symptom not the root cause. She has the belief that the more we heal ourselves and access the help of our ancestors it also has a profound impact on our descendants. Judy advocates for an individual to take responsibility for their health and become self-responsible. And in her book, she gives tools and insights to how the healing can come about. This is a time of tremendous change which is why this time on our planet is so difficult. We truly are entering a brand-new world. And part of this shift involves the individual and the collective and because we are all connected it is felt on all levels. Judy's book explores the power of the sacred to promote healing, which is especially crucial in our current climate of widespread fear and disconnection. To learn more about Judy Tsafrir visit: JudyTsafrirMD.com/ To purchase Judy's book visit: JudyTsafrirMDAuthor.com To learn more about me and how I show up in the world visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep# 273 - The Inner Frontier, An Interview with Intuitive Teacher and Author Kim Chestney I am so excited to welcome Kim Chestney to Empowering Chats once again. She first graced the airwaves with me back in 2021. Kim is an intuitive teacher and an author. Her latest book, The Illumination Code, Discover the Magic of the Universe is chock full of information about quantum intelligence and how we can get back into tapping into our intuition. It is set-up in a way that is easy to follow. Kim also outlines the 7 keys to unlock your quantum intelligence. Kim talks about the invisible field of energy that we cannot see but can most definitely feel – it is what connects all of us. This field is accessible to us through our intuition. This invisible energy that holds these codes can only be read and understood through our intuition. Our thinking minds cannot make sense of it, it must be felt through the pathways of our intuition. Kim and I both understand that the new frontier is really the inner frontier. It’s the shift of understanding that the wisdom we are seeking is only going to come from within us. This is especially true when we realize what we are capable of. The Illumination Code presents seven keys to help you unlock your inner dimension so you can access expanded states of awareness that exist beyond the limits of the rational mind. Kim’s book guides you in gaining profound insights to discover the true power of your own inner wisdom. The book is simple in its approach. It is presented with the language of quantum physics and yet it is not technical. I so appreciated Kim’s easy and clean approach to how we can access the magic that we all carry inside. Her down-to-earth approach and the engaging exercises she provides in the book makes it easy to expand the intuitive nature we all carry inside. Kim also started the Intuition Lab which offers leading-edge trainings with a modern-day approach to human intuitive ability, as a way to help people expand and develop their intuition. She offers programs and workshops through her Intuition Lab to help people gain clarity and reconnect to their deepest self and learn to access their intuition. To learn more about Kim Chestney visit: KimChestney.com To purchase her book, The Illumination Code visit: KimChestney.com/bookshop To learn more about the Intuition Lab visit: intuition-lab.com To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com
Ep# 272 - Restoring Balance in Our Lives - An Interview with Healer and Author, Dr. Christopher Macklin We are in for a wild ride everyone. I have an amazing light leader and incredible man by the name of Dr. Christopher Macklin on Empowering Chats today. He is a healer and an author. His most recent book is called “Centering the Mind.” Christopher’s book came out in 2019 right before lock down and the pandemic. I remember praying and hoping that people would take this time of lockdown to look within and change their lives. And instead, we came out of this pandemic with more chronic stress and it is now creating havoc. Christopher recognized that the lockdown created so much separation with family, with society and it has divided people greatly. A lot of anger has been created as well. It is apparent the collective energy is affecting all of us. Christopher explains how as individuals and as a collective society we must become aware of the energy we are feeling. We must learn to identify our personal energy as separate from the energy of the collective. Christopher shared a story about his life from 2007 when he went bankrupt and his marriage dissolved. He was living in an apartment and went from having millions of pounds to having nothing. He turned to God and literally said: “Ok God this isn’t funny. I worked all my life and now what?” And the answer he received was something along the lines of “Because the time is now.” From there Christopher went on an amazing journey and he discovered his healing gifts, which he has brought to many, many people. Through his life experiences he has learned how we create dis-ease in our bodies by the stress we are living with. And many times we don’t address the stress or the negative emotions so they get bottled up and show up as dis-ease. Christopher and I had a truly magical connection and a very powerful chat. He conducts 2 free global healing meditations weekly as well as his one-on-one healing sessions. All are welcome to participate in the new protocol to remove health challenges, anxiety, Lyme/Morgellons/AIDS/HIV and experience Christopher's work. To learn more about Christopher visit: https://www.globalenlightenmentproject.com/christopher-macklin-staff To participate in the free global healing meditations visit: https://www.globalenlightenmentproject.com/vision-mission To Purchase Christopher's book, "Centering the Mind: Healing Stress, Anxiety, Depression, ADD, OCD & PTSD" visit: GlobalEnlightenmentProject.com/centering-the-mind To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com
Ep# 271 - Observe From A Higher Awareness - A Solo Show with your Host, Susan Burrell Our theme for April is Observant. When I looked up Observant (as I often do when I am going to chat about a specific theme) here’s one definition that came up: Adhering to a particular law or ritual. When you are observant you are adhering to. Like a philosophy, an idea, a ritual. Adhering to me feels like you’re stuck, or glued to something, even when it doesn’t feel correct. When my team and I came up with the theme for the year and consequently for each month and Observant showed up, so did other words like: openness, overflowing and opportunity. I feel like being observant also brings us an opportunity to witness, to be more, and to also shift our perspective. I am also using this phrase to reflect and “see” what is going on internally as well. The observer within oneself – observe your emotions are they moving through you. Or are you finding that your emotions are stuck on constant repeat? I feel with all the movement of our planets and particularly with both the solar eclipse and the lunar eclipse occurring this month we have an opportunity to shift even more. These eclipses I believe are change agents, showing up so that we can move, observe and change our internal landscape to better serve us in life. And we have the opportunity to aim for our highest potential. We must be observant and lift our awareness so that we can see the whole perspective that is accessible to us all. I believe this is where our intuition will expand and our wisdom will enlighten and grow. I also believe this is a way of ushering in a new way of being in Humanity, being in connection, being in touch with our human kindness and love. And it has to start with us. To listen learn more about how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep# 270 - Students Share Their Love and Rave - An Inspiring Chat with Some of My Students The theme for Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell for the year of 2024 is BE Potential. And each month we are focusing on a different aspect of rising to your Potential. For the month of March, we are focusing on what it means to reach for your potential. Some of the keywords that support this theme include, power, purpose and recognizing our own worth. And so, in this episode I talk about acceptance of who we are and how we show up in the world. For me personally, 2024 has been a remarkable year so far. I have stepped back into teaching classes and it has been profound for me as a teacher. I feel I am stepping into my full potential as a Master Teacher. My Intention when I teach is to create sustainable transformation so that when people go out into their world they have the skill sets and tools they need in order stay centered and continue on their path of transformation. I always try to create a very safe container for students to feel grounded in their sharing and in their transformation. In the first quarter of 2024, I offered a Light Leader 5-Day workshop and I am now getting ready to offer a 6-week class entitled, “Energy in Motion.” I invited 3 of my students, who are all beautiful shining lights, to share their experience of taking a class with me. These women graciously said yes to my invitation. Much of what they shared touched me deeply, and included the following. From Karen: “I have opened up so I can now move into an unknown direction and be at purpose with what is going on now in the world . . . and doing the exercises in the workshop has given me the courage to really face myself.” From Laurie: “I’ve been on a journey these last 5 years that have been very transformative for me. And it has been hard for me to accept the unknown, to allow and trust myself. The activities in Susan’s class allowed me to embrace all of it and trust it. And most importantly to be authentically me. This has been a hugely impactful experience for me that I would not trade for anything.” From Lynn: “My first class with you Susan was in 2022 and I came into the class a skeptic. By the end of the class, I learned to open up to all possibilities and to connect with other souls. Your class was a gift to me. I put trust in you, as our teacher and it taught me to trust myself and to trust in the Universe.” I am grateful for all of my students and for Karen, Laurie and Lynn’s courage to share their insights today on Empowering Chats. Thank you for listening. To learn more about the classes and workshops I offer please visit: SusanBurrell.com/workshops&classes To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep#269 - The Opulence Infusion - An Interview with Spiritual Mentor and Author, Jennifer Ruth Russell I am so grateful to introduce and welcome Jennifer Ruth Russell to Empowering Chats. I have known Jennifer for many, many, years and I am thrilled that she’s here to have an empowering chat with me. Jennifer wears many hats. She is a Singer / Songwriter, a Spiritual Mentor and an Author. She is also the creator of the Angels of Abundance Ascension Academy. Her newest book is called, Opulence Infusion, A New Faith Currency, which was inspired by a calling she got directly from Mother Mary. It changed her life. Opulence Infusion is the latest book in the series of books she has written in deep connection with Mother Mary. Jennifer shares her thoughts on ascension explaining that in her understanding it is about coming into true oneness with the Divine. And reaching our true potential and ascending into our highest vibration while still walking our journey on earth. I asked Jennifer how her book Opulence Infusion came about and why now? It came about, she said, as a response to the many years she had lived with the struggle of making money and her perception of limited supply. She was working with the “I Am” presence through the work of St. Germaine. And she clearly heard one day, “Why don’t you just precipitate pure gold, be the alchemist, create it out of pure nothing.” She was challenged by this request so much so that ultimately, she knew she had to rise to the challenge and so she began working with St. Germaine. However, the precipitating of gold did not sit in harmony with her or the energy our physical world has around gold so an internal shift took place that allowed for the creation of a faith currency. Which Jennifer explains is an easy, simple message of “All of our needs are met all of the time. Anytime, every time.” It’s a feminine energy – where abundance flows. Her Angels of Abundance Ascension Academy follows this same simple message. Jennifer designed the Academy to help students open up to their true wealth and abundance, by connecting with the Ascended Masters, the Angels, and the Elementals to help develop sacred gifts, while connecting with the support of a like-minded family. We all have many tools available to us and according to Jennifer it is time to shift into the next golden age which is the Aquarian age. To learn more about Jennifer and explore her books and her music visit: JenniferRuthRussell.com To Purchase Opulence Infusion, The New Faith Currency visit: JennifeRruthRussell.com/books Jennifer has also offered a free gift to our listeners. To unlock your Opulence Light Codes visit: AngelsOfAbundanceAscensionAcademy.com/ To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep#268 - Changing Lives - An Interview with Activist Dawn Manske I had an Empowering Chat with this incredible individual in May of 2022 and I think it’s time to re-air this interview. If you missed this the first time around or even if you heard it when it first aired, I encourage you to listen again. I am honored to welcome Dawn Manske, activist and CEO of Made For Freedom to Empowering Chats. Her story of courage and innovation is awe-inspiring. You may need Kleenex by your side as you listen to her journey of how her innovative social company came to be. Made For Freedom, uses fashion to empower victims of sex trafficking and other marginalized situations. The 10 years Dawn spent in China teaching English helped her to understand the unbalance produced by the devaluation of the girl child. This was her first exposure to poverty levels she had never seen before. In 2007 she viewed a documentary about sex trafficking that deeply affected her. She desperately wanted to see this horror and injustice come to an end but she had no idea what could be done from her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Dawn shares her story of how her dream to help rescue and restore girls being victimized started with a pair of pants. Made For Freedom arose as the number of compliments she received from complete strangers about her super-comfortable fisherman pants, (purchased in Thailand) soared. It was stories like these and others that compelled Dawn to make the following pledge, “If there is any way I can help girls like this by selling pants, I will sell pants.” That pledge marked the beginning of Made for Freedom, and Dawn hasn’t looked back since. She partners with centers that are located in the United States and abroad to sell products made by the survivors of human trafficking. It is a win-win situation. The women and girls are given dignified employment with skills that empower them to walk away from their former life and create a beautiful new life with a purpose. Together, with her partners, they are all committed to doing everything in their power to help women around the world know that we are all Made for Freedom. To learn more about Made For Freedom and to purchase their products visit: MadeForFreedom.com To learn more about Dawn Manske visit: MadeForFreedom.com/our-story To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com
Ep#267 - The Healing of Trauma, An Interview with Efu Nyaki, a healer and author of "Healing Trauma Through Family Constellations and Somatic Experiencing." The theme for this month of March is all about Potential. Our Potential. And exploring what that might look like in our lives. I am thrilled to welcome Efu Nyaki to this episode to discuss the healing of trauma. Efu is a healer and the author of Healing Trauma Through Family Constellations and Somatic Experiencing. So what is Family Constellations and why is this important in the healing of trauma? Efu describes it as a new modality that is well known to our ancestors. It is an approach that looks at problems with a systemic view. It means that when resolving conflicts within the family (or organization, community, etc.) the whole system must be looked at. In the case of a family system, the family is seen as a whole and solutions are sought through movements of the soul/spirit, as a living and active being. This type of therapy connects the family with all ancestors to get to the root of the problem and reveal the patterns that show up in families from generation to generation. Efu also touches on Somatic Healing in her book. This type of therapy helps with the healing of trauma through body awareness. Efu goes on to explain that through balance of the body the person can experience healing. When this occurs many times it also removes the need to get revenge against the person(s) they feel did them harm. Until balance is reached conflict and tragedies will continue to show up. Much of this healing involves going into the body to release the anger or rage that is being carried. So often people feel they can go into the head or the mind to “talk” their way out of the imbalance. That doesn’t work. The body needs to be engaged and needs to feel the movement and release of the energy. We shared a powerful and enlightening chat. Efu also shared some of her story about growing up on the slope of mountain Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. Here is where she gained the essence and vital healing energy from her ancestors so she could do the work she does and share it with the world. To learn more about Efu Nyaki please visit her website at: HealingTraumaWell.com To purchase her book, Healing Trauma Through Family Constellations and Somatic Experiencing, visit: Amazon.com To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com
Ep #265 - Exploring The Frontiers of Your POTENTIAL - A Solo Show with your Host, Susan Burrell As we enter into the month of March I am exploring the theme of “Potential” which is our theme for Empowering Chats for the month. And of course, I had to look up the word. Here are some dictionary definitions of Potential: Possible as opposed to actual. Capable of becoming or considered a worthwhile possibility. I recently taught a workshop entitled, “Are You A Light Leader?” And in this class, we talked about the frontier of our boundaries. The boundaries being the stable thing of our awareness of what we are willing to do or not do. And I believe our boundaries can also be an extension to the frontier of where we are willing to go. Sometimes I think we need to move a bit through this fluid state of living and extend our boundaries. Think about what it means to move into a new frontier, to move beyond what was. I believe POTENTIAL is not about the outward incentive of, for example, “I need to become the CEO of my company.” I believe our POTENTIAL is an inner journey of excavation and exploration. I believe we are in a constant dynamic motion and interaction with the quantum field. And if that is so, which I believe it is, then our POTENTIAL isn’t about what is out there in the physical realm but rather about the deeper, inner and intuitive expression of our inner world. And this for me means paying close attention to our intuition. Our container of POTENTIAL begins and grows from within, from the inner connection of what I call Source Energy. And we all have access to Source Energy. If you are resonating with what is being shared here I invite you to check out my upcoming classes for Light Leaders and other workshops I will be offering this year. My workshops / classes will push you to your frontier of POTENTIAL and introduce you to the possibilities of what lies within your inner landscape. I am eager to share the interviews I have had with this month’s guests. Many of them are phenomenal authors doing existential work. They are doing work that I believe we are all being called to do. So be sure to stay tuned. To learn more about my upcoming workshop, Energy in Action visit: SusanBurrell.com/workshops To learn more about how show up in the world visit my website: SusanBurrell.com/
Ep #264 - You Are Enough – An Interview with author and love activist, Scott Stabile What a joy it is to welcome, author and love activist, Scott Stabile to Empowering Chats, The first thing that caught me was the title of Scott’s book: Enough As You Are. That alone says so much. Scott shared that the title came about as a way to show that love and you are always enough. No matter where you currently sit in your life you are always enough as you are. Scott is a love activist and sees love as the most powerful force we have to work with. Love is the umbrella term he uses to encompass kindness, empathy, compassion and all the other words and things we do to give and receive love. Scott believes it is the one energy that can actually create healing in the world. Scott and I also shared a conversation about our relationship with self. It is an everlasting one, it is our foundation and the more we come into wholeness with ourselves the more we will be able to offer that to those we come in contact with. It is active work to love yourself and to recognize you are enough. Scott says this many times over regardless of the path you are on to remember that at any given moment we are enough. Ask yourself: Who do I want to be within the face of the world I am seeing? Scott's answer is to always stand in love, be in love. There are many things we cannot control but we can control how we are showing up. To learn more about Scott Stabile visit: ScottStabile.com To purchase Scott's book, Enough As You Are, visit: https://www.newworldlibrary.com/New-Releases/ENOUGH-AS-YOU-ARE To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep #263 Boost Your Energy - An Interview with Intuitive Energy Healer, Dr. Mary Sanders. We are continuing our theme of Eternal for the month of February. And so with that I also want to include the embracing of the Eternal and welcome my guest, Dr. Mary Sanders. Dr. Mary is an Intuitive Energy Healer and is stunning in her vibrancy. We shared a deep, Empowering Chat about the Energy Patterns that we hold and how that manifests in our lives. Much of what manifests is our soul’s essence, it is the original blueprint we came into this planet with. Dr. Mary works with her own wisdom and intuition acquired in energy to help women over 40 bounce back from burnout. She is a doctor of Chiropractic with an emphasis in Functional Nutrition. She also has a Certification in Positive Psychology. It is through the integration of all of her practical experience and life experience that she is able to help others heal themselves. The pathway of Dr. Mary’s work is to ground the discordant energy. She recognizes that we are always doing the best we can with the tools that we have. And learning how to be self-compassionate, although hard for many of us, is one way to heal. Dr. Mary and her co-facilitator, Cathleen Wasielewski are hosting the Embody Your Soul Retreat in March. It is for yoga enthusiasts and meditators. Interested in hearing more visit: https://www.drmarysanders.com/embody-your-soul-retreat-1 Mary is also offering a free gift for my listeners. To access her guide on how to boost your energy centers visit her website at: DrMarySanders.com To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep #262 - Open To Life - An Interview with author, Emily Thiroux Thrett. This Episode of Empowering Chats is about grief. And this month’s theme is “Eternal.” I intentionally placed this interview under this theme. I believe that all of us have an eternal essence, an eternal soul and an eternal energy that stays in the hearts of those we come in contact with even when we have left our physical bodies. My guest, Emily Thiroux Threatt is here to talk about grief and how to find our happiness within the folds of losing someone close to us. Her latest book is called, The Grief and Happiness Handbook, which is also a guidebook. This handbook has exercises to help guide you out of your grief. Emily lost 2 wonderful husbands who ironically both died of the same thing. After losing her first husband who was sick for 2 years, she never thought she’d marry again but then she met Ron, her second husband. He was a new thought minister and together they practiced living in the moment. And after his diagnosis she thought that practice of living in the moment was going to make all the difference in the world. And in some ways, it did help her, when he transitioned, but in other ways not so much. For a time, she found herself quite lost with no motivation to do much of anything but watch TV. Then she began to journal and found that writing grounded her. The more she wrote the more she found it grounding. What she realized is that when one is grieving, they often get stuck and are not sure where to go. Everything looks and feels different. She found that she needed guidance on where to go next. And this experience of writing, creating grief cards and slowly re-emerging into daily life is how she began to heal. She took what she learned and began to work with others in her community who were navigating grief and encouraged people to come up with intentions that would serve them directly. Sometimes they are simple intentions like “today I am going to eat healthy.” Emily says as divine beings we can embrace both grief and happiness as they do not have to directly oppose each other. The one thing people who are grieving should know is to take care of themselves and remember to ask for help. This is especially important in the early stages of grief. Watch and observe what you are doing. Be with people, go outside and allow yourself to be happy and around people you love. Do not hide. Emily also founded the non-profit, The Grief and Happiness Alliance where she offers weekly classes and meetings. She lives in Maui, Hawaii and also has a link where you can offer donations to the victims of the Maui fire so that her handbook can be available for anyone directly affected by the fire. To learn more about Emily visit: LovingAndLivingYourWayThroughGrief.com To purchase her book visit: LovingAndLivingYourWayThroughGrief.com/books/ To learn more about the Grief and Happiness Alliance visit: GriefAndHappiness.com To support the Maui Effort visit: GriefAndHappiness.com/maui-grief-relief To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com
EP #261 - Embracing the Eternal, A solo show with your host, Susan Burrell In this episode of "Empowering Chats" we investigate what it means to be eternal. What does it mean to embrace eternality? You all know me so well by now so you know I always like to give the dictionary definition of the special word I am focusing on. This month that word is "Eternal." And many of the guests that I will be interviewing this month will be around the theme of eternality. So here goes. Eternal is defined as: Without beginning or end. Lasting forever. Occurring again and again. Enduring. Endless. Unchanged by Time. Ask yourself, what if I could embrace my eternal spirit? What if I could live my potential from that eternal spirit? From that space where there is no beginning or end. This is a large concept to take in. What does eternal actually mean to you? Does it mean living a very long life? Eternity is life infinity. It is infinite. That is where I believe potential lives. In the infinite. When I know that I am aligned with divine spirit and my eternal soul -- and the beingness of my whole self, then life gets that much sweeter. For me it’s all about embracing the eternal aspect of myself. And staying in a space of wonder and curiosity. I want to invite you to tap into your potential and explore more of who you are. If you are interested in having some guidance through this process, I encourage you to check out my book, "Live An Empowered Life, A 30-Day Journey." It is full of inspirational quotes and journaling prompts with interactive exercises to get you moving toward your full potential and embracing all that you are. To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com To purchase my book, "Live An Empowered Life, A 30-Day Journey Book," visit: SusanBurrell.com/book INSTAGRAM In this episode of "Empowering Chats" we investigate what it means to be eternal. What does it mean to embrace eternality? You all know me so well by now so you know I always like to give the dictionary definition of the special word I am focusing on. This month that word is "Eternal." And many of the guests that I will be interviewing this month will be around the theme of eternality. So here goes. Eternal is defined as: Without beginning or end. Lasting forever. Occurring again and again. Enduring. Endless. Unchanged by Time. This is a large concept to take in. What does eternal actually mean to you? Eternity is life infinity. It is infinite. That is where I believe potential lives. In the infinite. When I know that I am aligned with divine spirit and my eternal soul -- and the beingness of my whole self, then life gets that much sweeter. I want to invite you to tap into your potential and explore more of who you are. If you are interested in having some guidance through this process, I encourage you to check out my book, "Live An Empowered Life, A 30-Day Journey." It is full of inspirational quotes and journaling prompts with interactive exercises to get you moving toward your full potential and embracing all that you are
EP #260 - The Healing Path for Adoptees, An Interview with Author and Podcast Host, Michelle Madrid. Welcome to this episode of Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell. I have a very special guest today. Her name is Michelle Madrid and she has recently penned a book called, Let Us Be Greater: A Gentle Guided Path to Healing for Adoptees. In her book, Michelle documents her own story of being an International Adoptee who was born in the UK to an English Mom and a Spanish Father. Her biological mom was married with 3 kids. Michelle was the product of her mother’s affair with a Spanish man, her biological father. Ultimately Michelle was placed in foster care in the UK when she was about 8 weeks old. She was eventually adopted by an American Family when she reached her young toddler years. Michelle’s journey to learn how to deal with being an adoptee began when she was in college. She explored her relationship with her biological mom who would often dispense advice like, “C’mon time for you to get a stiff upper lip and move on.” OR advice from her adopted mother sounded something like this, “Just be grateful I saved you from a very hard space it's time for you to just move forward.” Her life path guided her to seek answers and ways to help others who may have had similar experiences as an adopted child. Michelle has learned that the complex emotions and psychological turmoil of adoption — including feelings of anger, distrust, confusion, and unworthiness — are best healed through identification, exploration and understanding. Written with compassion and authenticity, her book Let Us Be Greater helps adoptees and their families feel heard, seen, and understood as they work to build open, fulfilling and healthy relationships. Michelle offers many healing practices for adoptees throughout the book. It is filled with exercises to help adoptees work through their challenges in order to tap into their authentic self. It is also a great resource for families that are considering adoption. To learn more about Michelle Madrid visit: TheMichelleMadrid.com/ To purchase her book, "Let Us Be Greater" visit: TheMichelleMadrid.com/book-let-us-be-greater To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
EP #259 - Thriving with Cancer, An Interview with Jan Adrian, author and Executive Director of the non-profit, Healing Journeys. I am not only honored but so grateful to have Jan Adrian as a guest once again on Empowering Chats. I last interviewed Jan about 2 years ago and since that time she has written a memoir entitled, Coloring Outside the Lines, Surviving and Thriving with Cancer for 30+ Years. In this powerful chat Jan shares her life journey about living with cancer for over 30 years and how she came to understand and accept that she was never going to "beat" the cancer. She learned to accept her diagnosis and the many times it continued to show up in her body, even though her initial response was usually, "Oh S**T" she always found her way to the silver lining. Jan never intended to write a book, she felt there were too many books already written about cancer. However, after much prodding from her friends and those she worked with at her non-profit, Healing Journeys, she realized there had never been a book written from the point of view of living and thriving with cancer. So she decided she would write her memoir with cancer as the focal point. Jan's book is both inspiring and informative. It is not just about cancer but about resilience, trusting your intuition and your body. She shares stories from her childhood, including one that began at the young age of 16 when she was diagnosed with an unknown disease. The doctors could not pinpoint what was causing her symptoms or why she was so ill. She was eventually seen by a chiropractor who primarily used diet to help her body heal. In her book, Jan describes the many strategies she used for healing, and how she learned that everything that washed up on her beach could be used for the growth of her soul. To purchase Coloring Outside the Lines and learn more about Jan visit: HealingJourneys.org/coloring-outside-the-lines-surviving-and-thriving-with-cancer-for-30-years-by-jan-adrian/ Her book can also be purchased on Amazon. To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit my website at: SusanBurrell.com
Ep#258 - Time for Brave Action, An Interview with Leadership Coach, Clara Chorley I am honored to welcome, author and career and leadership development coach, Clara Chorley to Empowering Chats. We jumped right into this chat with a new way of defining bravery. And then pulling apart how to access it in our everyday life. Clara defines bravery by first stating what it is not. It is not what is portrayed in the movies, like the Indian Jones character fighting his enemies in the jungles of South America or the warrior with his sword going off to war to battle the “bad” guys. It is not any of those things but rather something more subtle and powerful. According to Clara true bravery is very personal and can be very complicated. It is personal because only you can know where it is you need to be brave. It is not what society deems to be brave but rather what your inner voice is calling you to be brave about. It is that ever powerful inner knowing of what you need to do to shift, change or enhance your life. This sort of bravery requires you to go after the things you really want, not what others are telling you is important or what society deems you need to have or go after, but rather investigating what brings you joy. And it may take both vulnerability and bravery to access that which is calling to you. People that do more brave things have been shown to heal faster. There have been clinical studies done on this subject. There has also been research surrounding how being braver in your life can also extend your life. It is all about moving bravely toward who we want to be and what we want to include in our lives. And this includes reaching for your fullest potential and bringing joy into your life. To learn more about Clara Chorley please visit: ClarityUnlimited.com To tap into your FREE Clarity Coaching Gift please message Clara directly through her Linkedin page: www.linkedin.com/in/clara-chorley Be sure to mention "Clarity Coaching Gift" and that you heard about this on my podcast Empowering Chats. She is offering these for only a limited time. To Learn more about how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep#257 - Reaching For Your Highest Potential, A Solo Show with your host, Susan Burrell. Welcome to 2024. I am excited to jump start 2024 and share with all of you what my team and I came up with for our theme this year. As we were brainstorming at the end of 2023 the word potential kept bouncing around in my head. And so that is how we came to settle on: BE Potential as the theme for Empowering Chats for 2024. The definition of Potential is as follows: Capable of being or becoming. Other words that showed in the definition included: Inherent, hidden, budding future, unrealized and undeveloped. So as you enter this new year I invite you to take a few minutes or more, maybe 15 or 20 to sit in the quiet and listen. If you journal, have that handy as well. And ask yourself: What is my potential? Am I living it? OR Is it undeveloped? Or hidden? Does it feel safe or daunting to step into my potential? For me personally, I believe that becoming my full potential takes a lot of bravery and courage. And yet as I develop my potential, I feel more bountiful and more expansive. 2023 for me was about expanding . . . and now it’s about expanding into my full potential. Again, I invite you to do the same. To explore your inner landscape and see all the possibilities laid out for you. I think it’s really about reaching for that high frequency of love. Growing into your potential is necessary for our individual growth and for the greater good of humanity. It can be a wonderful adventure where you can access your abilities and become more aware of who you are. So again, as I welcome in the new year of 2024 I encourage you to join me on this journey and make Empowering Chats a regular part of your podcast listening. I hope to inspire and encourage you to stay curious and expand into your potential.
Ep#256 - From Cradle to Career - An interview with Nadine Templer, Senior Director of Volunteer Programs for the non-profit, HOPE Worldwide. This is the month of giving and every year in December I like to focus on ways we can give to others in our life that do not necessarily involve material gifts. One of the ways I do this is by including discussions and interviews with people who are involved in the nonprofit world. So in that vein I am honored to introduce Nadine Templer, the Senior Director of Volunteer Programs for the non-profit, HOPE Worldwide. This organization has been around since the 1990s. It has been serving people since the AIDs epidemic in South Africa. They are an international organization that serves many people all over the world. Nadine lives in Nepal and works specifically to impact the people of Nepal. For the last 30 years HOPE worldwide has run a sustainable educational program for the poor and under-served children of Nepal. The school teaches the children that are the poorest of the poor. Many of these children come from families that have migrated from the Himalayas and the villages of Nepal. Many of these families come to Kathmandu in search of work and their children do not go to school. Those are the children that are enrolled in the school. It is an elementary school that goes from preschool to the 5th grade. The classes are small and the children are fed 2 meals a day. Nadine shared that the children are very energetic and eager to learn. Over half of the staff are graduates of the school and the perfect fit for this school as they understand the background and the life these children are living. Many of the kids are provided with scholarships so they can continue their education and most importantly HOPE worldwide follows through with this kids until they get to University and get a job. Nadine had this to say, “We are very proud of the sustainable practice we have created. We do that by engaging with the child until they are in a career. We like to live by the saying, From Cradle to Career." I shared with Nadine how this practice for me comes down to how “one person” can lift up others – all it takes is one person to begin the change and make a difference. Anyone who wishes to give to this program specifically can do so through the HOPE worldwide website and they can give directly to the Nepal program by specifying that when they donate. It’s all about learning how your gift can help others and volunteering is also another way to find joy. And the lessons we can learn from the many communities around the world are endless. To learn more about HOPE Worldwide or to donate please visit: Hopeww.org To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit: SusanBurrell.com
Ep.# 255 - The Gift of Giving - A Solo Show with your host, Susan Burrell Another year has come and gone. Hard to believe. As many of you know the theme for this year was, and still is “BE Expansive.” I hope through the many shows we presented this year you have all found ways to expand your minds and tap into your willingness to explore new frontiers and be present with the truth of who you are. Personally, I think that’s a gift that you can give directly to yourself. And speaking of gifts. December is also the month of giving or as I like to say it, “The gift of giving” because when you give to yourself you are also giving to others and when you give to others you are giving to yourself. For the past few years my team and I have gotten together to give assistance to others by way of donating to non-profit organizations. It has been a powerful process for me and for my team to know we are giving to organizations that can assist others. Some of the organizations that I continue to support include: Canine Companions, Planned Parenthood, ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and International Rescue Committee. I am calling to all of you to look inside your heart and think about giving in order to help someone you may never meet. There are many non-profit organizations to explore that likely fit into something you’d like to donate to. By giving in this way, I believe we create ripples of love that go out into humanity while also being a way of being of service to others. I hope you give the gift of love not just to yourself but to others as well this season. And if you are looking for additional ways to bring calm to your inner landscape as you navigate the busy holidays, I invite you to explore my guided meditations on Insight Timer which can easily be accessed via my website. If you need a special gift for someone in your life who may be struggling with finding their purpose, I highly recommend my book, “Live An Empowered Life, A 30-Day Journey Book,” also found on my website. It is accompanied by videos and journal prompts to assist and guide you through this 30-Day Journey. To learn more about the non-profits I mentioned in the show please visit: GriefAndHappiness.com aspca.org PlannedParenthood.org Canine.org rescue.org To learn more about how I show up in the world visit: SusanBurrell.com To access my guided meditations, visit: InsightTimer.com/SusanBurrell To purchase my book or my affirmation cards please visit: SusanBurrell.com/book
Ep.# 254 Communicating with Your Pets. An Interview with Joan Ranquet. My guest for this episode of Empowering Chats is Joan Ranquet. She has a unique niche in life. She is an animal communicator, an educator, a TEDx Speaker and the author of Emotional Freedom Technique for Animals and their Humans, Creating a Harmonious Relationship through Tapping. I love this book. It is organized and easy to follow. Joan clearly spells out how EFT techniques can be applied to your pets. I asked Joan to explain what EFT is and how she translated it into working with animals. Joan started out as an animal communicator. And what she found was that EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique, worked for her when dealing with high emotions and so she felt it could also be used to help animals. Joan describes EFT as: Tapping with your fingers on a series of acupuncture points which are connected to meridians in your body. And those meridians are connected to organ systems and in Chinese Medicine they believe each organ holds an emotional value. The points we focus on are calming emotional points. One of the aspects of this human / animal relationship that Joan touches on in her book is the way we humans see life through a “human” lens whereas animals see it differently and yet we think our pets see the world in the same way. The more we know about our pets and how they need to function in their world the better we will be as owners. One of Joan’s goals is to have her book available at shelters where new pet owners can utilize EFT or tapping to help their pet acclimate to a new life. Many shelter animals have been abused or neglected and consequently may have behavioral issues that can be addressed with tapping. The tapping technique works similarly for pets as it does for humans insofar as tapping on the same meridian points. The difference is that the pet owner is doing the tapping on the animal and using a reassuring voice coupled with loving affirmations. This technique has proven to make a difference. Joan’s whole goal is to help animals be their better self and we as pet owners can help support that. Joan has several books out that all speak to animal lovers and how we can learn to better communicate with our pets and be loving, supportive pet owners. To learn more about Joan Ranquet please visit her website at: JoanRanquet.com To purchase her book, Emotional Freedom Technique for Animals and their Humans, visit: Innertraditions.com/books/emotional-freedom-technique-for-animals-and-their-humans To learn more about how I show up in the world visit:SusanBurrell.com