What happened to you? Listening to the answer to this question for ourselves and others helps shift the framework of how we view our experiences and their impact. "Listening to Trauma" is a new curriculum created by Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin that seeks to deepen understanding of trauma and how to support our own healing and the healing of others. Listening to Trauma explores what trauma is, the types of trauma we might experience, the effects of trauma, and paths to healing. Connection is prevention, and when our stories are believed, we can begin to heal.

How often have you tried to share difficulties with another person and you experience dismissal, minimization or deflection. It's hard saying life is hard! Yes having struggles or challenges in life is a normal part of our human experience and it does not mean you are difficult, defective or less than any other person. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the hard parts of their lives and fully embrace them as part of being human.

Every experience we have ever had creates a personal perception lens with which we see the world. In order to connect with others and meet them where they are requires us to set aside what we know based on our experiences alone. To create relationship and connection, we need to approach people with curiosity and an open mind that creates space for definition and understanding. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through their experiences of meeting people where they are.

THIS IS OUR 50TH EPISODE FRIENDS! When we began our journey as podcasters on May 17, 2022, we had no idea what would become of "Real Vibes Only." All we knew for certain was that we were committed to sharing in real, authentic ways what we were learning about ourselves and others engaged through our training, presentations and Community Living Room. 22 months later and we are celebrating our 50th episode and a deeper connection with ourselves and each of you! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Disclaimer: Like all of our episodes, this episode is produced in an amateur-ish, very simple fashion. No editing or embellishing. Therefore, you will need to add your own bells and whistles to help us celebrate our 50th episode!

Doesn't it always feel like there is always someone who is smarter, more capable or better at navigating life than we are? Let me fill you in on a secret. There is NO ONE more qualified to live your life or make decisions about your life than YOU. The problem is that we are taught to look for our answers outside of ourselves and are rarely taught to trust ourselves to know what's best. Like any new skill or muscle, it takes practice and repetition to get good at it. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through their own journeys of learning to trust themselves and encourage you to do the same.

There are so many pieces of life that are simple in concept, but are not easy to implement. Working with emotions, supporting others, and essentially a lot of the framework of Emotional CPR is simple ... but sitting with the discomfort, practicing new ways of engaging with others, and deepening our relationship with ourselves is anything but easy. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the "simple things" and acknowledge how difficult they can be and how important self-compassion is to our process.

As human beings, most of us cringe at the word "fail" or "failure" because it can feel like success eluded us. But what if it could be reframed in a way that had a gentle and encouraging meaning? Join Lynn and Karen as they share a new acronym that can accomplish just that!

Our lives are filled with uncertainty. This was amplified exponentially when we were in the throes of a pandemic. Not only did we have questions specific to the pandemic, but political divide and the the rampant distribution of misinformation created even more uncertainty. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the discomfort of uncertainty and the importance of feeling our emotions to move beyond it.

Remember the childhood game "Chutes & Ladders?" Our journey of self-awareness can be similar. Sometimes we slide backwards and sometimes we are able to move forward in life in big ways. And, even with the discomfort that results, both pieces are important to our journey. Join Karen and Lynn as they sift through their awareness embracing their “Chutes & Ladders” in the process.

January hits and the dark, cold reality of winter often sets in for people. But it is exactly as nature intended. It provides us with time to journey inward and learn more about ourselves. In nature, many creatures hibernate. Winter gives us the opportunity to slow down, rest our bodies, and listen to what our bodies actually need. Join Lynn & Karen as they talk through the hard spots and opportunities that winter provides.

We all experience moments of frustration or anger with ourselves. Whether it's making a mistake or falling back into old patterns or hurting someone we love, it is normal to experience emotions in response to our words or actions. But somewhere along the way, the unresolved anger and frustration turns into an inner critic or bully and results in feelings of shame. Join Lynn and Karen as they take a lighthearted look at what pisses them off about being them.

Guess what? As human beings, we all create judgments about others. It's important to realize that our judgments are a reflection of our "personal perception lens" vs. anything remotely close to the whole truth. When we can pause and clear our minds of our judgments, we are better able to create and maintain authentic connection with others and ourselves. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the challenge of creating space for the unknowing of another's story and holding connection as the goal.

In our current society, many of us have learned through conditioning that we are only acceptable in the world if we are happy. But emotions are biological and all emotions are part of our human experience. How would our world heal if space was created for unconditional acceptance of emotion? Can we create that space for ourselves and others we connect with? Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the complexities of unconditional acceptance and incorporating it into our daily practice.

The holidays can be such a mixed bag of emotions, stress and the never-ending feeling that we should be doing something. Just take a look at our to-do list ... Right? Give yourself a holiday gift right now and join Karen and Lynn as they talk through holiday stressors and emotional whirlwinds, and then identify what they would like more of this holiday season and what they'd like to let go of.

Our world can seem incredibly dark right now. We witness world events that are broadcast live on social media that show unimaginable human suffering. We witness injustices in our country that impact people's lives and make it increasingly difficult to survive. We hold our individual hardships and challenges and those of our loved ones. Then, add in shortened daylight hours and the cold of winter and things can seem pretty bleak. But we have opportunities to recognize cracks of joy even in the midst of darkness. Join Karen and Lynn as they share more about the concept of cracks of joy when it all feels overwhelming.

There is a lot of talk on resiliency these days. It's used to acknowledge our ability to bounce back or the strength that we have to do hard things. The term resiliency can also be used in a harmful ways. Such as, using it to minimize the impact of the experience or avoid acknowledging that sometimes life is hard. Period. Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack the many layers of resiliency and raise awareness around the language and concepts we use.

Fear is an uncomfortable emotion. Period. Fear is also part of our human experience and it gives us important information about the world we are navigating. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through their own relationships with fear and their journeys to allow and embrace fear in their lives.

Oftentimes when we are in need of help, we are told by people in the helping profession what we need or what would be helpful rather than having someone ask us directly. You are the expert in your life and know, more than anyone else, what would be helpful in times of need. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the ways that help has been unhelpful in their lives and how we can trust and advocate for what we know is helpful for us.

Have you ever been frustrated with another's behavior? Inevitably. One of the most humanizing reactions we can have is the recognition that we frustrate people too. Join Karen and Lynn as they recognize how powerful it can be to adopt a "Just like me" mantra to all of the experiences life can throw our direction.

Fall shows us how beautiful it is to let things go. The leaves changing color and releasing from the tree to become nourishment for the ground. What if we could allow our letting go to nourish us and recognize the beauty in the process? Join Lynn and Karen as they share their experiences with letting go.