Connectfulness practice

In this episode we’re reframing how to prepare parents for parenthood and dispelling the myth that you can't prepare for parenthood.  Our last few episodes have been about https://connectfulness.com/episode/006-stan-tatkin (why relationships are difficult) and https://connectfulness.com/episode/007-mark-wolynn (inherited family trauma) and as we dive into this content, we keep coming back to how significant the first 3-5 years of a child’s life and if we’re not preparing parents, it’s rippling … and so, we’re talking about creating a movement, a seed planting movement that literally prepares people to become parents. Rebecca is joined by Elly Taylor, perinatal relationship expert, author and founder of Becoming Us™ and Barb Buckner Suárez, health educator, writer, presenter, couples coach and Becoming Us™ facilitator and mentor. With Elly’s based in Australia, Barb in Portland Oregon, and Rebecca in NY, we’re literally holding a round-the-world, round-table discussion. Rebecca leads us

Have you ever said something like “I’m just wired this way” in response to someone asking why you can’t just relax and go with the flow more? Maybe you’re scared of certain smells, places, uniforms, noises and other common things found in everyday life without knowing where you developed that particular aversion. https://connectfulness.com/episode/006-stan-tatkin (As we discussed in our last episode), our brains hold onto the negative experiences for survival -- they become a reference guide to navigating life. But what if we don’t know why we’re reacting negatively towards the mere thought of these scenarios? Recently, I sat down with Mark Wolynn and dove into the topic of inherited family trauma and the science behind epigenetics. You won’t want to miss this discussion as I am sure you’ll be just as fascinated as I was with what Mark shares in regards to where our fears and stress triggers come from and what we can do about breaking the pattern for ourselves and loved ones. Mark Wolynn is the director of th

If you've ever wondered "why are relationships difficult?" you'll want to catch this episode with Dr. Stan Tatkin. We start with an exploration of how our species’ survival relies on an inborn negativity bias and how this same mechanism makes relationships difficult and more challenging to sustain under stress. Everyone’s experienced some form of relational loss and developmental trauma. And so, with this in mind, we’re also discussing how early development shapes each of us and our ability to self-regulate and foster safe, secure, adult romantic relationships. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, is a clinician, teacher, and developer of a Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy. He is also the author of several books on aspects of love and relationships, with his most recent one being We Do: Saying Yes to a Relationship of Depth, True Connection, and Enduring Love. Through his clinical practice in Calabasas, CA, workshops, couples’ retreats, and the PACT Institute, Stan and his wife, Tracey, train psychotherapists t

Cyndi Darnell is an internationally renowned sex and relationship therapist. Her approach spans the clinical to the esoteric. She’s spearheading progressive sex & relationships seminars and workshops for adults and clinicians that deeply change people’s lives. Cyndi’s on a mission to eliminate stigma from discussions around sex, erotisim and pleasure and changing our fears and transform it into freedom. In this episode, Cyndi and I discuss:How the sexual revolution missed the boat to discuss pleasure (especially womxn’s pleasure) that center on what each individual’s motivation is. Permission to own your motivation. Understanding the story that you’re holding onto that’s holding you back and causing you pain. Cyndi shares her distinct definitions of love and sex (much like chocolate and red wine). Sex changes over time and so we continue to learn about ourselves. The more we experience ourselves the more we understand our motivations. Internal motivation is vital, know why you want things to change. S

Mercedes Samudio, LCSW is a parent coach, speaker, bestselling author, and founder of the https://www.diversityinparentingconference.com/ (Diversity in Parenting conference) who helps parents and children communicate with each other, manage emotional trauma, navigate social media and technology together, and develop healthy parent-child relationships. She started the #EndParentShaming movement and coined the term Shame-Proof Parenting — using both to bring awareness to ending parent shame. Mercedes is on a mission to empower parents in believing in their innate ability to guide and raise healthy, happy children.  In this episode, Mercedes Samudio and I discuss:Mercedes' message and passion and how it’s deeply tied to her own healing and her ability to reconcile healing her inner child and how not being scared to discuss her own healing has enabled her to feel more connected to and assertive of her overall message. Dispelling the myth that once you become a parent you’re something/someone else. Parent's i

Dr. Stephen Snyder is a sex and relationship therapist, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and the author of the acclaimed sex and relationship book, https://www.sexualityresource.com/contents/book (LOVE WORTH MAKING: How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship). In this episode, Dr Snyder and I discuss:   The nature of desire and why you don’t need it.  Why we make ourselves crazy trying to cultivate desire instead of a-tuning ourselves to our long term partners through mindful moments of inspiration.  Why frustration is a good thing in relationships. Why your goal should be to get dumb and happy with your partner (according to Dr. Synder, this is the ticket to keep a long term erotic connection simmering). How to be seen, speak up, and find your voice.  Selfishness + making it easy.  Focus on wanting to consuming your partner — eroticism is about taking selfish joy in the other person

Susan Piver is a New York Times bestselling author of 9 books including her latest, https://www.amazon.com/Four-Noble-Truths-Love-Relationships/dp/1732277605 ( The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships), and a renowned Buddhist teacher.  Susan joins me to talk about how to survive the inevitable discomfort of relationships and how she discovered what she’s called the Four Noble Truths of Love during a rough patch in her own marriage while thinking they might be through and not knowing where to begin. Which is when a voice whispered to Susan “begin at the beginning, at the beginning are four noble truths.”  In this episode, Susan Piver and I discuss: How to work with discomfort. Discernment is the byproduct of awareness, provides a sense of guidance and clarity. “I spent too many years trying to be a different kind of person.” --Susan Piver Awareness is an operating system that can help us to accept one another and make room for differences. I read and we discussed thi

Welcome to the Connectfulness Practice Podcast. Here we settle in to the murky, tangled, and freaking hard parts of life to restore our relationship with the self, so it can ripple out to the people we love, the work we do, and the world around us. We can’t fix what’s wrong if we can’t talk about it. We can’t move the conversation forward if we’re not willing to be real about where we are now. And unless we push the edges of what it means to connect, nothing will ever change. I’m your host, Rebecca Wong. Every month I invite a fabulous, big-thinking guest to join me to talk about what it means to be human together. We’ll have deep conversations about the big stuff –– life, love, and legacy –– and how you can foster connection for yourself. Let’s start to reconnect the world, one conversation at a time. What to expect in future episodes: We’ll be exploring how we talk to ourselves affect the world we live in and the relationships we have and stories we tell ourselves make up who we are how we show up in the