Emily Souder, LCSW-C, PMH-C is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland (www.emilysouder.com), as well as a writer, intuitive guide, and Reiki Master practitioner. She writes books to help readers find space to explore personal stories. She wrote Birth Story Brave in 2017 to walk parents through reflecting on their birth experiences, and published an updated version of this called Birth Story Brave, Reimagined in 2021. Her book Sparks is a self-help/memoir blend designed to inspire readers to intentionally step away from fear-based actions and move toward amusement, inner knowing, and trust. Emily's newest book, Birth Story Held for Loss, is a special space for readers who have experienced perinatal loss to explore their pregnancy/gestation, birth, and loss stories.

Emily is married with two children and loves tea & all things personal growth. She believes in doing deep personal healing work, and hopes you will join her.

Join Tekla's conversation with Emily, full of so many topics, including healing from birth loss and birth trauma through storytelling. Tekla & Emily have known each other for over a decade and have shared a similar healing journey- they have so much to share about:

• The power and importance of storytelling around birth- creating the space and time to tell your birth story, Emily has created beautiful and supported ways to do this through her books.
• How did Emily write books with 2 littles, and how she did it even with a pukey baby- moms are amazing!
• Working through grief of childbirth loss and even unexpected outcomes of birth- how these stories are held in the bodies and how storytelling and Reiki can release and heal this grief and trauma.
• The importance of amusement while healing and releasing energy and creating new stories.
• The resistance and fear that can arise when doing big healing work and how grounding and boundaries help move through these emotions.
• How Tekla's teaching of Reiki has evolved since Emily learned Reiki 1 with her almost 10 years ago and why it is even more supportive.
• We talk a lot about practice- if you've listened to the podcast, you know that is a theme!
• Living outside the "box" of the education system- both Emily and Tekla's choice to homeschool and why- how it is an act of resistance against white supremacy culture and the grind of our American culture.
• How Emily integrates social work, storytelling, and intuitive Reiki for her clients.
• What are stories and how can we release and change them in ourselves.

Connect with Emily and buy her books!

website (www.emilysouder.com)

IG (@overstimulated.mom.therapist)

email: nestingspacellc@gmail.com

Her page on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B079KH4NDZ?ingress=0&visitId=6f352425-8fd6-46a9-80e3-49fda8fd55ce