In this deeply personal episode of The Inner Space Project Podcast, Dr. Patti Ashley honors the 55th anniversary of her father’s sudden passing by taking you on a reflective journey through her life of loss, love, and healing. Unlike previous episodes, this is not an interview, but rather an intimate solo exploration of how losing a parent at a young age can leave a lasting imprint your heart and mind.

Dr. Ashley shares poignant memories that weave together grief and gratitude. Reading passages from her memoir Letters to Freedom: From Fear to Love to Grace, she shares with you some of the ways early loss shapes identity, relationships, and the pursuit of meaning in one's life. She offers listeners a compassionate space to reflect on their own experiences of heartbreak, love, and loss.

Through raw emotion, personal storytelling, and reflections on the transformative power of love, this episode is a tribute to the enduring connections we carry with those who have left us. Whether you’ve experienced loss yourself, or are seeking deeper insight into the journey of healing, Dr. Patti’s words offer comfort, wisdom, and hope.

Tune in for a moving conversation about grief, remembrance, and the ways in which love transcends.

You can also purchase her touching memoir Letters to Freedom: From fear to love to grace in written, kindle, or audio versions.

MORE INFORMATION:

https://pattiashley.com/

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In this episode of The Inner Space Project podcast, Dr. Patti Ashley welcomes Dr. Anita Johnston, a clinical psychologist, eating disorder specialist, and author of the bestselling book Eating in the Light of the Moon. Together, they dive into the complexities of disordered eating and recovery, exploring the tension between our innate drives for connection and authenticity. Dr. Johnston shares her profound insights on how early life patterns influence our relationships with food and body image, often creating a gap filled by disordered behaviors.

Listeners will learn about the transformative power of storytelling and metaphor in healing, as well as the vital balance between the masculine (logical, goal-oriented) and feminine (emotional, intuitive) principles in recovery. Dr. Johnston emphasizes that complete recovery is possible, offering tools like curiosity to navigate inner struggles and reclaim authenticity while connecting with others.

This episode also introduces the wealth of resources available through Dr. Johnston’s Light of the Moon Cafe, including free gifts, self-study courses, and interactive workshops. A must-listen for anyone seeking to better understand the intersection of psychology, eating disorders, and personal growth.

MORE INFORMATION: https://pattiashley.com/

Dr. Anita Johnston: https://dranitajohnston.com/

https://lightofthemooncafe.com/

This heartfelt episode of The Inner Space Project Podcast highlights the beginnings of our lives and the importance of mental health care in the first 18 years of life. Host Dr. Patti Ashley welcomes her daughter, Elizabeth Herman, a seasoned school psychologist and mother of two, for an insightful discussion on the challenges and importance of mental health support in schools. Together, they delve into the day-to-day responsibilities of school psychologists, including psychological assessments, problem-solving meetings, and advocating for students with disabilities. Elizabeth sheds light on the critical but often overlooked role of school psychologists, the staffing shortages they face, and how parents can effectively advocate for their children’s needs within the education system.

The duo also highlights the collaborative efforts between psychologists and social workers, offering actionable advice for parents to tap into available resources. She shares her approach to connecting with students, from validating their emotions to empowering them to explore their inner world with curiosity and compassion.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone passionate about the intersection of education and mental health.

MORE INFORMATION: https://pattiashley.com/moms-in-real-life/

In this episode of The Inner Space Project Podcast, host Dr. Patti Ashley dives further into the concept of "liminal space"—a period of transition filled with uncertainty, yet rich with possibilities. Known for her heart-centered and authenticity-focused approach, Dr. Ashley defines liminal space as the "in-between" moments in life that challenge our need for control, inviting listeners to embrace both the fears and hopes that arise during these times. She also reflects on recent podcast segments, covering life’s beginnings, middles, and endings, including impactful conversations with guests like Zeynep Biringen, Laura Deal, and Karen Van Allen, who share stories of parenting, storytelling, and navigating grief. Dr. Ashley touches on her own experience of liminal space, both personally and professionally, and the importance of allowing inner growth to flourish in moments of the unknown.

MORE INFORMATION: https://pattiashley.com/

In this episode of the Inner Space Project Podcast, Dr. Patti Ashley speaks with Karen Van Allen, a facilitator of A Course in Miracles and volunteer at the Hospice of the Valley, about navigating grief and endings. Karen shares her personal story of loss, focusing on the tragic death of her daughter over 20 years ago. This life-altering event led her on a journey from an analytical, business-focused mindset to one of deep emotional healing and spiritual growth.

Karen discusses how grief stripped her of her identity and plunged her into feelings of victimhood and anger, which she learned to process through spiritual practices, especially A Course in Miracles. She reflects on the power of surrendering to a higher guidance and how signs, like yellow roses and feathers, reassured her along her path. Together, Dr. Ashley and Karen explore the complexities of grief, the importance of honoring anniversaries, and how loss can bring unexpected gifts, teaching us to live from the heart rather than the head.

This heartfelt conversation offers profound insights into finding meaning and peace through life's toughest transitions.

I hope you enjoy this rich conversation with Dr. Patti Ashley's dear friend, Laura Deal. Laura and Patti talk about how listening to stories can positively impact your emotional health. They also dive into the importance of metaphor in traditional tales and what that means for healing and wholeness. Laura shares with you ways that personal storytelling can be used to improve emotional health.

Laura is a storyteller, poet, dream reader, and laughter yoga leader. She tells traditional, personal, historical, and original stories to children and adults. She is the 2024 recipient of the J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Award. You can hear her stories on Story Story Podcast and the Apple Seed on BYU Radio, as well as her CDs, The Diffendaffer Taffy Cafe and Other Stories and Simple, Clever, and Wise. She's the author of The Newcomer's Guide to the Invisible Realm: A Journey through Dreams, Metaphor, and Imagination, andMarbles: New and Collected Poems.

Dr. Patti talks to Zeynep Biringen about the world-wide used emotional availability scale that she created. Biringen has identified four qualities of parents and two qualities of children related to emotional availability. For parents she looks for sensitivity, structuring, non-intrusiveness, and non-hostility. The two qualities in children that she looks for is child responsiveness and child involvement with parents. These six qualities make up what she describes as emotional availability (EA.)

Zeynep Biringen, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist in Colorado and Professor Emerita at Colorado State University (CSU). She conducted research on adult-child relationships at CSU for over 25 years and has trained literally thousands of professionals (researchers, mental health clinicians, and other practitioners) in the evidence-based EA System.

Inspired by her mentor Robert N. Emde’s conceptualizations of emotional availability and emotions as well as Bowlby/Ainsworth attachment theory, Biringen has spearheaded the understanding of emotional availability (EA) as a rigorous scientific assessment of adult-child relationships, developing and refining the Emotional Availability (EA) System. Encouraged by Robert N. Emde, Biringen began to train professionals in the system well over 30 years ago.

In this episode of The Inner Space Project Podcast, Dr. Patti Ashley introduces a new installment of the show focused on 'Liminal Space'. Being the state of uncertain transition, between the 'where we were' and 'where we're going,' and in the midst of everyones Beginnings, Middles, and Endings, Liminal Space is the perfect addition to Dr. Ashleys podcast structure and discussion of Inner Space.

In this first rendition, Dr. Ashley brings on her Social Media and Podcast Intern, Isabella, who is currently in a state of Liminal Space. A soon-to-be college graduate, Isabella is entering a chapter of intense change and transformation. While oftentimes a scary and stressful phase, Isabella explains her hopeful mindset and attempt to view this particular time in Liminal Space as an exciting one rather than daunting and debilitating. Dr. Ashley touches on her own, recent experience in Liminal Space moving back to Colorado, living in a rental home, and getting her new office (Niwot Therapy Collective) up and running.

The two also reflect on the first four episodes of The Inner Space Project Podcast, and share some of their favorite moments and highlights of Dr. Ashleys first few guests.

MORE INFORMATION: https://pattiashley.com/