26. Immigrating to the United States with Matthieu Villate

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26. Immigrating to the United States with Matthieu Villate

What does it mean to “be yourself” when you’re learning a new language and living in a new culture? Some of us find it hard to do even in our own language!

In the latest episode of The Vibrant Introvert, Matthieu Villate shares his story of immigrating to the United States from France and the struggle to be himself as he struggled to communicate, be heard, connect to others, and convey his unique sense of humor.

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23. Finding faith in Black maternal and infant health: A woman’s epic journey of infertility, miscarriage, & motherhood with Narissa Harris

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23. Finding faith in Black maternal and infant health: A woman’s epic journey of infertility, miscarriage, & motherhood with Narissa Harris

I invite you to join me on this journey, full of lots of twists and turns, of deep emotion, of experiencing cultural bias, of loss, of grief, of determination, of experiencing deep spiritual healing.

Our storyteller, Narissa Harris, is a licensed marriage and family therapist. In her work she runs a small private practice and spends most of her professional career providing trainings, workshops, consultations, and writings to help others increase their cultural awareness particularly when working within the African-American community. Narissa prides herself on using a real, direct, and unapologetic approach, while also creating safety and trust.

So, today I am sharing the epic journey of this amazing woman’s struggle with infertility, with miscarriage, and how losing hope was exactly what she needed in order to be open to a spiritual journey that would lead her right back to what she was looking for in the first place…her Faith.

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21. A mother's story of colic and stillborn birth with Dr. Diana Hill

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21. A mother's story of colic and stillborn birth with Dr. Diana Hill

Our storyteller, Diana Hill, dealt with discomfort as a mother…in a few different ways. Diana is an ACT-based psychologist, a mom, a fellow podcaster, and author. Diana shares how she experienced a colicky baby and the many discomforts that it came with…and learned how to form a new relationship with the crying, with the discomfort, with her son, and with her past grief. See how she made space for discomfort and how that little bit of space changed everything.

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15. Breaking the introvert bubble with Rebekah Perez

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15. Breaking the introvert bubble with Rebekah Perez

This is the first episode of the new season of the podcast formerly called ACT-Inspired Behavior. The show is now titled The Vibrant Introvert!

To start off our season, I want to ask you a question. What IS an introvert? How would you define the term? Of course there are many definitions out there, books written, blog posts…but what is YOUR definition?

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14. Journey toward a natural birth (Season 1 Bonus)

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14. Journey toward a natural birth (Season 1 Bonus)

This bonus episode is all about my journey toward a VBAC and natural birth. There is real audio from the beginning to end of my labor experience so hopefully you can feel like you are there, experiencing it alongside me. This is also the last episode of the podcast formerly titled “ACT-Inspired Behavior.” After this episode, I will publish episodes for season 2 under a new name, title “The Vibrant Introvert.” Listen to hear more about it!

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About the episode: Have you ever done something…scary? What was it and what made it so scary? Was it physically difficult, or emotionally difficult, or both? Did it fill you with fear as you prepared to do it?

But here’s the most important question. Why was it worth it?

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13. Speak life into yourself with Chauntae Gold

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13. Speak life into yourself with Chauntae Gold

Have you ever been put in a situation where you were forced to do something that didn’t ring true to you? Perhaps it was something your parent asked you to do. Perhaps it was a new rule at work…or something you felt pressured to do because of your friends?

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12. The imposter's struggle through career change with Greg Bodin

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12. The imposter's struggle through career change with Greg Bodin

I was once told that in one lifetime, you can have many different experiences, many different careers. You can live many lives in one life. I LOVE this message so much…this statement has really given me the freedom to choose, to change, to go where my heart and my compass leads me. And I would say that this mindset describes my own career path—I’ve switched career paths several times now and each of these experiences have only made my ability to adapt greater, my perspective that much richer…but the transition and the change itself never really gets easier, per se.

Greg Bodin, an ACT-based psychotherapist in San Francisco and our guest today, went through a major career change in his early 30’s…though he was encouraged by everyone around him, who were certain of his ability to become a therapist…

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10. When you try to change a person with Tayler Gowan

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10. When you try to change a person with Tayler Gowan

Do you ever look at other people’s family and wonder, how the hell do they get along so well? They look so happy. They seem to get along…I bet they go on skiing holidays and wear matching sweaters. And then, do you compare them to your family?

I’ve caught myself thinking: “If only they would change…then we’d finally get along.” I’d hazard to say that this line of thinking is common because… I’ve thought it a time or two.

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9. Finding value when everyday is the same with Courtney Bilton

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9. Finding value when everyday is the same with Courtney Bilton

See if you can guess what movie I’m referring to…Bill Murray is asleep in bed, covers pulled up to his chin and then the camera pans to the alarm clock. The clock’s number flips from 5:59 to 6:00 AM. And then the radio starts to play.

This scene plays out again and again and again throughout the entire movie. Because, it’s Groundhog Day. And, unfortunately, for Bill Murray, the day repeats itself over and over and over again. There’s no changing it. There’s no response he can make that will move him forward in time. He’s. Just. Stuck.

This is the movie that Courtney Bilton so very much relates to…She’s a mom of 2 young children, who last year around this time was preparing to return from her second year-long maternity leave. And, as you know, this was the same time last year when the pandemic hit causing everything in her life and everything in YOURS to pause.

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