The Intense Mind Podcast

 Life’s Toughest Choice: When Choosing Yourself Means Career Change, Divorce, and Defining Free Will- Eric Windhorst, Imi Lo - Eric is Back! In this episode we discussed: the courage it takes to leave a secure career, the fear of hurting loved ones when leaving a family that no longer aligns with your truth,and the philosophical question of whether free will truly exists.  Read More »Life’s Toughest Choice: When Choosing Yourself Means Career Change, Divorce, and Defining Free Will- Eric Windhorst, Imi Lo
 Healing Intergenerational Trauma and Bonding with Immigrant Parents- with Amy Yip - Amy talked about her life and how it was affected by her immigrant parents' struggles and the sacrifices they made. Read More »Healing Intergenerational Trauma and Bonding with Immigrant Parents- with Amy Yip
 Loneliness and Finding Connection as a Highly Sensitive Gifted Man- Eric Windhorst -   In this episode, we have a highly sensitive, soulful gifted man as a guest. His name is Eric Windhorst,  a registered psychotherapist, educator, mentor, and writer, deeply passionate about personal growth and environmental well-being. Inspired by a profound personal crisis in his mid-20s, Eric embarked on a transformative journey through counseling, therapy, and coaching, eventually becoming a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario. His diverse academic background in social and cultural health studies, human geography, theology, and biology enriches his approach… Read More »Loneliness and Finding Connection as a Highly Sensitive Gifted Man- Eric Windhorst
 Torn Between Passions? Embrace Your Many Career Identities – with Dr Sarabeth Berk - Navigating career and purpose is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Many of us feel pulled between passion and practicality - it's natural to wonder how to stay true to yourself while also paying the bills. Read More »Torn Between Passions? Embrace Your Many Career Identities – with Dr Sarabeth Berk
 Understanding Gifted Kids Who Don’t Fit In- with Fiona Smith -   Summary: In this conversation, Fiona and I navigate the challenges faced by neurodivergent and gifted people in traditional education.  In this expansive exploration, Fiona provides valuable insights into neurodivergence, giftedness, and the interplay of intensity and empathy. This conversation aims to help in understanding and supporting diverse minds, with a particular emphasis on understanding gifted children in a world that sometimes struggles to grasp the depth and breadth of cognitive and emotional diversity. About Fiona: Fiona Smith is the… Read More »Understanding Gifted Kids Who Don’t Fit In- with Fiona Smith
 Minimalist Lifestyle and Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) – Gabe Bult, Imi Lo -  Minimalist Lifestyle and Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) for Families— Living an Unconventional Life.  — Based on the podcast conversation between Gabe Bult and Imi Lo In this podcast episode, I interviewed Gabe Bult, a Youtuber known for his unique approach to the minimalist lifestyle and FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) for families.  We discuss topics such as financial freedom, escaping from the bind of capitalism, the minimalist lifestyle, FIRE for families, and personal freedom. Gabe shares his unique approach… Read More »Minimalist Lifestyle and Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) – Gabe Bult, Imi Lo
 INFJ/ INFP: Unlock Your Potential and Overcome Shame- Lauren Sapala and Imi Lo - Lauren is a writer, writing coach, and teacher. She specializes in assisting intuitive writers, particularly those with INFJ and INFP personality types. In today's interview, we explore: - The idea of intuitive writing. - The challenges intuitive feeling personalities face in marketing and how to overcome them so we don't hold ourselves back. - Lauren's guidance in dealing with guilt and fear when going after our own desires and values, as opposed to society and our family's expectations. Lauren's core… Read More »INFJ/ INFP: Unlock Your Potential and Overcome Shame- Lauren Sapala and Imi Lo
 Neurodivergent traits, giftedness, sensory sensitivities, sharing our personal experiences- Dr. Nicole A. Tetreault and Imi Lo -     Dr. Nicole A. Tetreault is a psychologist and researcher specializing in the field of neurodiversity. She has conducted extensive research on topics such as giftedness, neurodiversity, and the brain differences associated with these conditions. She is also the author of "Insights into a Bright Mind," a book that delves into the intersection of neurodivergent traits, giftedness, and sensory sensitivities. During the interview, we discussed the concept of neurodiversity and explored various ways of processing and experiencing the world.… Read More »Neurodivergent traits, giftedness, sensory sensitivities, sharing our personal experiences- Dr. Nicole A. Tetreault and Imi Lo
 Highly sensitive, Intense and Gifted: Dating, Working, Thriving in a Neurotypical World – Abel Abelson and Imi Lo - https://youtu.be/sG-sV0iVcYY At forty years of age, Abel Abelson discovers that he is intellectually gifted. Suddenly his eternal “otherness” is no longer a flaw. It is being called an asset, a plus, a gift … But is it really? In the light of this discovery Abel revisits his past, unravels the present and reconstructs a future. Being intellectually gifted is just the tip of the iceberg. True meaning turns out to be hiding somewhere else, far beyond the “giftedness” concept. Today,… Read More »Highly sensitive, Intense and Gifted: Dating, Working, Thriving in a Neurotypical World – Abel Abelson and Imi Lo
 Overcontrol: Can Perfectionism Ruin Your Sex Life? – With Dr. Tom Murray -     About Dr Tom: Thomas L. Murray, Jr., Ph.D., forensic sexologist, international trainer, educator, and couples and sex therapist is a widely sought-after expert in sexuality and intimate relationships.For 20+ years, Murray has worked with everyday folks to embrace their weirdness, shed labels and shame, lean into anxiety, and build better and stronger relationships.Murray's doctorate is in marriage and family counseling from the University of Florida. Clinically, he combines a pull-no-punches, no-beating-around-the-bush style. This integrated style has helped folks… Read More »Overcontrol: Can Perfectionism Ruin Your Sex Life? – With Dr. Tom Murray
 Gifted Adults, Gifted Trauma: When Pain & Brilliance Collide. Jennifer Harvey Sallin, Intergifted, Imi Lo -     https://youtu.be/r5CBnlaZy-M     - Why are all resources for children, and what can gifted adults do? - What is gifted trauma; what are some ‘classic’ family roles gifted people ended up playing in their families? - Different ways of being gifted and why IQ isn’t everything - The family roles gifted females and sensitive men tend to take on the caretaker role in the family. - How can a gifted person find safety in the social world and… Read More »Gifted Adults, Gifted Trauma: When Pain & Brilliance Collide. Jennifer Harvey Sallin, Intergifted, Imi Lo
 ‘I Didn’t Know my Father had Autism’ – an Unexpected Bliss Road with Martha Engber, Imi Lo -       About the book from Martha Engber: BLISS ROAD is the memoir of a neurotypical daughter of an undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder parent.  Martha Engber’s honest and moving memoir illuminates the parent-child challenge presented by a neurological condition that affects over 75 million people worldwide. A hybrid of poetry and essays, Ms. Engber uses personal anecdotes, coupled with historical research and current statistics, to explain the emergence of autism over the last hundred years.   After describing the… Read More »‘I Didn’t Know my Father had Autism’ – an Unexpected Bliss Road with Martha Engber, Imi Lo
 BPD Empathy and Quiet BPD: Low empathy or high empathy? -   BPD Empathy Paradox, Quiet BPD, and more... I love, love, love this conversation  Kayla is a Youtuber and psychotherapist in training and has a beautiful channel called On the Line on YouTube. After receiving her own diagnosis, she set out to educate others about this often misunderstood mental disorder  There are many psychologists and experts who talk about BPD, but I was drawn to Kayla and wanted to talk to her because she is so open and clear in… Read More »BPD Empathy and Quiet BPD: Low empathy or high empathy?
 Giftedness, Existential Depression and Advice for the Gifted – Lisa Van Gamert, the Gifted Guru. -   Today we talk to a real expert on the subject of giftedness, Lisa Van Gamert In this conversation we talked about: Lisa's definition of giftedness. What existential depression actually is. Lisa's nuanced definition of perfectionism and why there can be a healthy, functioning form of perfectionism. The existential problem of loneliness when you can not find your people and do not feel like you have anyone to lean on.  Career advice for the gifted and why autonomy is key. … Read More »Giftedness, Existential Depression and Advice for the Gifted – Lisa Van Gamert, the Gifted Guru.
 Highly Sensitive Children, Highly Sensitive Parents – with Melissa Schwartz - In this episode, we talk to Melissa Schwartz, who was actually our first podcast guest !! Melissa has just published an amazing book about highly sensitive children!! As we know, this really is an underserved population. How would we know if our kids are highly sensitive? How do we cope if we are also highly sensitive? What do we do when we see them struggling,  when we see extreme reactions, or when we see them struggling in school with their peers?… Read More »Highly Sensitive Children, Highly Sensitive Parents – with Melissa Schwartz
 The Enneagram: Nine Ways of Surviving in the World- Beatrice Chestnut and Imi Lo -  This is absolutely one of my favourite episodes of all time!  Enneagram is a knowledge system that is very close to my heart and has been for years. I was pretty star-struck and beyond delighted to be able to talk with Beatrice Chestnut, one of my favourite authors on the Enneagram. We went really deep on this one on all the character structures, their core fears, dominant features, relationship patterns, etc.  It may be more suited to people who already… Read More »The Enneagram: Nine Ways of Surviving in the World- Beatrice Chestnut and Imi Lo
 A Clinician’s Unique View to Feeling Down- With Dr. Pete Kelly - In this very detailed conversation with the most passionate, wonderful Dr. Pete Kelly, we discussed a wide variety to subjects that has to do with mental health and some of the latest research in the field.   In this conversation, we discussed — Pete’s unique persepctive on depression based on his experience — His observation of people who are attracted to the mental health profession, and what they tend to do — How he works with depression and what he has… Read More »A Clinician’s Unique View to Feeling Down- With Dr. Pete Kelly
 How To Amend Your Sibling Relationship Before It’s Too Late — Dr. Avidan Milevsky and Imi Lo -   How To Amend Your Sibling Relationship Before It’s Too Late — Dr. Avidan Milevsky and Imi Lo Today we talk to an expert in sibling relationships, Dr. Avidan Milevsky. In this conversation, we managed to squeeze in a lot of topics. Dr. Avidan is clearly very passionate and knowledgeable. We started by him sharing his personal story of being one of five.  Then we explored:  Why you and your sibling could grow up in the same house but turn… Read More »How To Amend Your Sibling Relationship Before It’s Too Late — Dr. Avidan Milevsky and Imi Lo
 OCPD, the Driven Personality and the Healthy Compulsive  — Jungian Analyst Gary Trosclair and Imi Lo - OCPD, the Driven Personality and the Healthy Compulsive — Jungian Analyst Gary Trosclair and Imi Lo Today we have Jungian Analyst Gary Trosclair, talking about what he calls the Driven Personality, and what we clinically call Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. I love how Gary highlights the positive aspect of the driven personality. In his words, a healthily compulsive person can use their natural disposition in service of love, compassion, and the greater good.  Even if we struggle with tendencies of… Read More »OCPD, the Driven Personality and the Healthy Compulsive  — Jungian Analyst Gary Trosclair and Imi Lo
 Sensitive on the Inside and Tough on the Outside? Everything you need to know about ‘Overcontrol’ — Hope Arnold with Imi Lo -     This is the probably most comprehensive and informative conversation we can have about overcontrol. All credits go to Hope Arnold, a brilliant RO-DBT therapist who specializes in this trait. We cover everything about over-control— its definition, presentation, origins, and treatment methods. It is very much relevant to highly sensitive people as Overcontrol is often developed out of an innate underlying sensitivity towards perceived threats.  If you find yourself having issues with perfectionism, rigidity, emotional loneliness, and that traditional… Read More »Sensitive on the Inside and Tough on the Outside? Everything you need to know about ‘Overcontrol’ — Hope Arnold with Imi Lo
 Sex Unshackled! Sapiosexual, Demisexual, Asexual, Kinks, BDSM (On Being Different) -   As you know, many intense and sensitive people have felt different and on the fringe of society all their lives. For this reason, I have started to make episodes that are all about being different— different meaning being non-mainstream in terms of lifestyle, life choices, and the way you are. Consider this episode as a first step, and I hope there will be more to come!  Today, we are talking to Becky Crepsley-Fox. Becky is a registered sexologist and… Read More »Sex Unshackled! Sapiosexual, Demisexual, Asexual, Kinks, BDSM (On Being Different)
 A Deep Dive Into The Psychology of BPD, Splitting, Projection, Anxiety and Therapy –  Jon Frederickson and Imi Lo -   Today, we are talking to Dr. Jon Frederickson. He is a therapist with over 25 years of experience, especially specializing in working with people with personality disorders. Jon is also the founder of Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy. It is based on psychoanalytic ideas such as transference and defense mechanisms but is renewed into a much more active and pragmatic format than traditional psychoanalysis.   In this conversation, we dived deep— deeper than ever, into topics such as: Borderline… Read More »A Deep Dive Into The Psychology of BPD, Splitting, Projection, Anxiety and Therapy –  Jon Frederickson and Imi Lo
 Have you Been Subjected to Narcissistic Abuse? – with David DeMars -     Hi friends, Today we are touching on the sensitive subject of narcissistic abuse. I am talking to David DeMars, who is a coach and a video producer based in Las Vegas. He is a survivor of Complex Trauma and abusive relationships, and he now specializes in ​toxic relationship recovery and he helps people heal from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by emotional abuse.    We will address the following questions: What do Narcissistic abuse, Narcissistic parenting co-dependency… Read More »Have you Been Subjected to Narcissistic Abuse? – with David DeMars
 Five Ways of Being Intense— A Fun Chat with Jessie Mannisto from the Third Factor Magazine about overexcitabilities, giftedness, and more - Five Ways of Being Intense— A Fun Chat with Jessie Mannisto from the Third Factor Magazine about overexcitabilities, giftedness, and more   Today, I am sharing with you a fun, lighthearted but informative conversation I have with Jessie Mannisto. Jessie is the Editor in Chief of the Third Factor magazine.  Third Factor is a thought-provoking magazine that helps the creative, the quirky, and the gifted understand themselves. It is for those who experience life intensely, those who are teeming with complexity, complex… Read More »Five Ways of Being Intense— A Fun Chat with Jessie Mannisto from the Third Factor Magazine about overexcitabilities, giftedness, and more
 Do you Have Thin Skin? What Does That Mean for Your Health, Relationships and Spirituality? -       Today we have Michael Jawer, a writer and researcher whose works explore emotion as the foundation for personality, health, and spirituality. I knew of Mike’s work from the beginning of my career a decade ago. In his newest work, Sensitive Soul, he continues his exploration of why different people process their feelings differently. He talks about  how ‘thin boundary people’ differ from ‘thick boundary people, and what the upshot is for health and illness. In today’s extremely… Read More »Do you Have Thin Skin? What Does That Mean for Your Health, Relationships and Spirituality?
 Deconstructing Anxiety: What is Your Core Fear That Underlies Everything? - Dr. Todd Pressman suggests we can all reveal one core fear at the root of all the other emotional difficulties we have, and that core fear is going to be the same every time.  These five core fears are: abandonment, loss of identity, loss of meaning, loss of purpose and death.  Read More »Deconstructing Anxiety: What is Your Core Fear That Underlies Everything?
 Listen to The Words of Your Soul: a Poet’s Guide to the Artist’s Block with Julia Fehrenbacher -       Today’s episode is very special and a little different than usual.  If you have a desire to express yourself through any art form, If you have creativity blockages, If you believe in the power of words and poetry, this conversation is for you. Today we are speaking with artist and poet Julia Fehrenbacher. I was introduced to her by our previous guest Steven Hayes, who used one of Julia’s poems in his book The Liberated Mind. This time, we… Read More »Listen to The Words of Your Soul: a Poet’s Guide to the Artist’s Block with Julia Fehrenbacher
 Existential Crisis, Dreams and Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life  – With Dr. James Hollis -       Today’s episode is, on a personal level, deeply meaningful to me. Some time ago, I went through what I now know was a crisis of the Soul. As always, I went and search for answers in books and philosophies. That was when I found Dr James Hollis’s work on Jungian Psychology.  Dr Hollis is a Jungian psychoanalyst and the author of sixteen books, his work is incredibly extensive and accessible. In today’s long conversation, we honed in… Read More »Existential Crisis, Dreams and Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life  – With Dr. James Hollis
 All About Fear, Anxiety and Panic with Karla McLaren Round 2 - All About Fear, Anxiety and Panic     I am very excited to bring back a past guest, pioneer in the field of studying empath, empathy and emotional intelligence Karla McLaren. In the last episode with Karla, we discussed hyper empathy and she offered us some great tips on setting emotional boundaries. Today we will talk to Karla about her new book Embracing Anxiety, which feels like what we all need to learn in this trying time. We will cover… Read More »All About Fear, Anxiety and Panic with Karla McLaren Round 2
 On Emotional Eating, Perfectionism and Nice Boys/ Girls Syndrome with Karen Koenig -     Do you sometimes eat even when you are not hungry, but just feel bored, angry or empty? Are you chronically stressed because you try to be perfect all the time? My conversation with emotional eating expert Karen Koenig ends up being not just about eating, but our deeply unconscious patterns and personality tendencies that hold us back, such as perfectionism and what she calls nice boys and girls syndrome. This conversation was both intimate and practical. We shared… Read More »On Emotional Eating, Perfectionism and Nice Boys/ Girls Syndrome with Karen Koenig
 ‘Too Much and not Enough’— Embracing Intensity, ADHD and Giftedness with Aurora Holtzman - Today we will talk to Aurora Holtzman, she came on  my radar as one of the very few people out there who talks about ‘intensity’. In fact she has a podcast called ‘Embracing Intensity’! After years of feeling “too much,” Aurora finally realized that intensity, in the form of excitability, is the source of her greatest power. Now instead of beating herself up about not measuring up to her own self-imposed standards, she is on a mission to help outside-the-box… Read More »‘Too Much and not Enough’— Embracing Intensity, ADHD and Giftedness with Aurora Holtzman
 What if Normal Therapy Doesn’t Work For You? Should You Try to Control Your Emotions?   Conversation with Steven Hayes - This is an incredibly rich conversation, in which you will hear: What you can do if CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) doesn’t work for you; Why panic is what you feel when you are trying not to feel anxious, and depression is what happens when you refuse to feel sad; How you can gain ‘real control’ over your emotions; and Why psychedelics help some people but not all. Finally, Steven leads us through a guided exercise that you can while do… Read More »What if Normal Therapy Doesn’t Work For You? Should You Try to Control Your Emotions?   Conversation with Steven Hayes
 Processing Intense Emotions with Arts – Conversation With Artist Alessia Camoirano Bruges - In this conversation, we talked about how her chaotic childhood has affected her relationships today, the fear of abandonment,  love addiction, how we can release anger and resentment towards our family, and also, her creative process. Read More »Processing Intense Emotions with Arts – Conversation With Artist Alessia Camoirano Bruges
 What If You Are An Empath?  What Are Your Emotions Telling You? Conversation with Karla McLaren -       What does being an Empath mean? Are some people born more empathic than others? How can we manage emotions overwhelm as an empath? How can we set better emotional boundaries? What about Anger? What is anger there to teach us? How do we burn our secret Shame contracts? Today, I have the pleasure of speaking to Karla McLaren, and download all her wisdom regarding everything to do with Empaths, Empathy and Emotions. I asked Karla about the… Read More »What If You Are An Empath?  What Are Your Emotions Telling You? Conversation with Karla McLaren
 Being Uncommon: How Your MBTI Personality Type Changes The Experience of Giftedness – with Willem Kuipers - Willem is the author of the book Enjoying the Gift of Being Uncommon, where he explores the gifts and challenges of being a highly intelligent, highly intense and sensitive person, and introduces three practices to become more effective in work and private life. Read More »Being Uncommon: How Your MBTI Personality Type Changes The Experience of Giftedness – with Willem Kuipers
 ADHD And How to Thrive When You Are Out-Of-Sync With The World- with Rebecca Champ - Today’s episode is special. Usually, I talk to guests who I have never met in person before. Today, we will interview Rebecca Champ, one of my most important friends. I have known Becca for 8 years now, I would like to share with you her energy, intelligence, compassion and humility.In the first part of the show, Rebecca teaches us everything we need to know about ADHD. But this episode is not just for ADHD-ers! In our conversation, we addressed issues such… Read More »ADHD And How to Thrive When You Are Out-Of-Sync With The World- with Rebecca Champ
 Surviving Adversity With The Power Of Now – With Corrie Lo - I have found this conversation with Corrie Lo to be tremendously beautiful and vulnerable. Corrie’s strong spirit is revealed in every line she uttered, yet you cannot help but feel moved by her vulnerability. She reminds us of the internet fragility in human life and our place in it. Read More »Surviving Adversity With The Power Of Now – With Corrie Lo
 Do Depression, Anxiety and Mania Exist? Conversation with Eric Maisel - I have the honour of having a conversation with Eric Maisel. Eric is the author of more than 50 books and is widely regarded as America's foremost creativity coach. His most famous books include Fearless Creating (1995), The Van Gogh's Blues (2002), Coaching the Artist Within (2005), and The Atheist's Way (2009). In this article, we discuss what it means to live an authentic life, why the idea of mental illness as a construct, and more specifically, what depression, anxiety… Read More »Do Depression, Anxiety and Mania Exist? Conversation with Eric Maisel
 Have You Been Harmed By Authoritarian Parenting? Conversation with Eric Maisel - I have the honour of talking to Eric Maisel. Eric is the author of more than 50 books and is widely regarded as America's foremost creativity coach. His most famous books include Fearless Creating (1995), The Van Gogh's Blues (2002), Coaching the Artist Within (2005), and The Atheist's Way (2009).  In this article, we discuss the wounds of being children of authoritarian people, how we can liberate ourselves, and Eric's advice on parenting. This article is largely based on a… Read More »Have You Been Harmed By Authoritarian Parenting? Conversation with Eric Maisel
 Why Do Sensitive and Creative People Get Depressed? – Conversation with Douglas Eby - In this episode, we discussed what Douglas Eby did when years ago he could not find any information on high sensitivity and intensity. We see what we can learn from actors who are emotionally intense. We will answer the question: Why sensitive people are more prone to depression and it might not be a bad thing. Finally, we explore what constitutes exceptional creativity and why gifted women have a hard time accepting their talents. Resources mentioned: - Elaine Aron- The… Read More »Why Do Sensitive and Creative People Get Depressed? – Conversation with Douglas Eby
 Welcome To The Eggshell Transformations Podcast! - Eggshell Transformationsis a podcast dedicated to people who are emotionally intense, sensitive and gifted. In this teaser, you will hear snippets from the upcoming three episodes, where we talk to intense people and experts around the world. We will hear their stories and lean life strategies from: Melissa Schwartz, the co-creator of Leading Edge Parenting, co-author of Authentic Parenting Power and author of soon to be released, Under the Hood: A Manual to Understand the Inner Workings of Children. She… Read More »Welcome To The Eggshell Transformations Podcast!