The Connected Community: Exploring Possibility

Have you ever found yourself giving so much to others that somewhere along the way, you lost sight of yourself? Are you giving from a place of genuine love and connection, or from a deeply ingrained belief that love, acceptance, and belonging must somehow be earned?

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck is joined by her husband, Adam Yazbeck, for an exploration of reciprocity in relationships, the hidden costs of people-pleasing, and the delicate balance between giving, receiving, and honoring our own needs. From starting out as an actor to w...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast: Exploring Possibility, host Nicky Yazbeck welcomes Harmony Kwiker, MA, LPC, ACS, a psychotherapist, author, educator, and founder of the Institute for Spiritual Alignment and The Awakened Therapist approach. Together, they explore why so many of us struggle to create fulfilling relationships, how childhood attachment wounds influence our adult connections, and what it takes to move beyond old patterns to experience deeper intimacy, emotional safety, and authentic love.

Raised in a family of healers, Harmony was introduced to meditation, breathwork, and alternative healing practices at a ve...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast: Exploring Possibility, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Bria Tavakoli, LPCC, a sex and relational therapist specializing in intimacy, sexuality, and relationships at Evolving Intimacy Psychotherapy. Bria is also the creator of Sex and Psychedelics 101 and brings nearly two decades of experience in yoga, meditation, and embodiment into her therapeutic work.

Together, Nicky and Bria challenge the cultural myth that women’s sexuality inevitably fades with age. Instead, midlife can become a powerful time of sexual discovery, when women begin questioning old conditioning, letting go of shame, becoming mor...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast: Exploring Possibility, I sit down with Britt Ritchie, a doctorate-prepared psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Mind Alchemy Mental Health in Denver, to explore ADHD in women and why it is so often missed until later in life.

We talk about the ways ADHD can look different in women, particularly those with inattentive or combined presentations who may never have fit the stereotypical picture of hyperactivity. For many women, years of developing strategies, masking symptoms, overachieving, and simply working harder can keep ADHD hidden. Then perimenopause and m...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast: Exploring Possibility, Nicky sits down with Grizz Berr for a conversation about psychedelics, ayahuasca, plant medicine, and the growing movement toward legalization. While psychedelic medicines continue to gain mainstream attention, Grizz offers a different perspective: What could be lost when sacred plant medicines become legalized, commercialized, and removed from the traditions that have protected them for generations?

Grizz is a provider of 5-star ayahuasca plant medicine retreats, offering U.S.-based weekend experiences designed for busy entrepreneurial parents. His retreats are rooted in traditional ceremony, authentic music, a...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast: Exploring Possibility, host Nicky Yazbeck sits down with clinical herbalist, Ayurvedic practitioner, and functional nutrition counselor Lila Swanberg for a fascinating exploration of Ayurveda, mental health, gut health, spirituality, and our relationship with disease and healing.

At the center of the conversation is a deceptively simple question: What are we digesting?

From an Ayurvedic perspective, digestion extends far beyond the food we put into our bodies. We are continually taking in experiences, information, emotions, relationships, stress, technology, and the world around us. Lila ex...

What happens when one of the most popular weight-loss medications collides with the realities of aging, metabolism, and muscle health? In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky sits down with Dr. Corey Winn, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, strength specialist, and movement expert with over 15 years of experience helping people build stronger, healthier bodies.

Dr. Winn specializes in supporting women through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond by focusing on what truly creates long-term health: preserving muscle, improving metabolism, increasing energy, and building resilience. Together, she and Nicky take a balanced, evidence-based look at the g...

Host Nicky Yazbeck welcomes Roger Peterson, an artist, musician, writer, and construction consultant, for a conversation about love, grief, healing, and the unexpected growth that can emerge after profound loss.

After the death of his wife, Brandy, Roger found himself moving through a grief that changed the way he understood life, love, spirituality, and connection. In this episode, Roger shares openly about the depth of that loss and the ways it continues to shape him. Rather than presenting grief as something to “get over,” he speaks about it as an ongoing relationship with love, memory, vulne...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Peter Berv, a certified Human Design analyst, trauma-informed guide, teacher, and shamanic practitioner whose lifelong journey into healing began after a birth injury set him on a quest to understand human potential, transformation, and authentic living. Over the years, Peter devoted himself to studying spiritual traditions, healing systems, shamanic practices, entheogens, and personal development from around the world. Through this exploration, he discovered Human Design, a system he describes as one of the most powerful tools for self-knowledge and awakening.

Drawing f...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky and Adam Yazbeck explore the deeper meaning of ego, identity, and the journey of becoming fully human. Rather than viewing ego as something inherently negative, they unpack its essential role in developing a grounded sense of self and why true spiritual growth requires a healthy, integrated ego rather than bypassing it.

Together, they discuss how childhood experiences shape identity, the tension between authenticity and social conditioning, and the often uncomfortable process of individuation. The conversation explores the relationship between ego and consciousness, the importance of shadow w...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Melissa Kim Corter for a deeply reflective conversation on the dark night of the soul and the role of shadow work in personal transformation. Together, they explore how periods of darkness, often marked by loss, illness, or identity collapse, can become catalysts for profound healing when approached with awareness and surrender.

Melissa brings a unique perspective shaped by decades of work with the hidden dimensions of the psyche. As the author of Apothecary for the Afflicted: Shadow Work for Invisible Wounds, a c...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Ania Halama for a conversation on working with ayahuasca in a way that is responsible, informed, and deeply intentional. After eight years living in Colombia and a decade in relationship with the medicine, four of those in service, Ania shares what most people don’t hear: the real preparation, the risks, the differences in ceremonies across regions, and why not all ayahuasca is the same.

She explains variations like crudo ayahuasca, a gentler preparation method that supports the nervous system, and speaks to...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck chats with transformational coach Ben Milston for a deeply honest conversation about breaking free from conditioning, healing emotional wounds, and reconnecting with your authentic self.

Ben shares his powerful journey from childhood struggles and depression into a path of self-discovery, emotional healing, and personal empowerment. Together, Nicky and Ben explore how internalized beliefs shape identity, self-worth, and relational patterns, and what it actually takes to unravel those patterns in a real, embodied way.

This conversation moves beyond surface-level self-development into th...

Dr. Joel Schwartz is a licensed clinical psychologist based in San Luis Obispo, California, with a private practice focused on complex and often misunderstood cases. He has worked across a wide range of settings, including colleges, clinics, a federal prison, and residential treatment centers, bringing depth and real-world experience to his work with diverse populations.

Joel is a thought leader in the neurodiversity movement, having coined the term Neurodiversity Affirmative Therapy and the identity-forward term “ADHDer,” offering a way for individuals to claim ADHD as a valid and meaningful part of who they are. His work...

In this special episode of The Connected Community Podcast: Exploring Possibility, the microphone turns toward host Nicky Yazbeck as she is interviewed by Bethany Shipley. The conversation offers listeners a deeper look into Nicky’s personal and professional journey, from her decades of work as a licensed clinical social worker and yoga teacher to her exploration of holistic and alternative healing practices. This episode invites listeners to see another side of Nicky: the healer, the learner, the question-asker, and the human being continually walking her own path of growth.

Bethany Shipley is a writer, speaker, and p...

Connect with me:

https://nickyYyoga.com

https://www.youtube.com/@TheConnectedCommunity

Keywords: Shadow work, inner work, self discovery, transformation, inner healing, deep healing authentic self, self awareness, integration

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Human Design analyst and guide Ellen M. Laura for a conversation about the future of humanity, the significance of the year 2027, and how to stay centered in times of collective uncertainty. Trained directly by Human Design founder Ra Uru Hu, Ellen brings decades of experience translating complex systems into practical, usable guidance for everyday life.

Together, Nicky and Ellen explore the widely discussed Human Design prediction that 2027 marks a major evolutionary shift in human consciousness, including the emergence of what are often c...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck meets with Shaneh Woods, founder of Prosperity First, CFO, and author of the upcoming book Profit Is Protest. Together, they explore a radically reimagined relationship with money; one that blends strategy and soul, numbers and nervous systems, spreadsheets and self-trust.

Shaneh invites listeners to move beyond traditional ideas of success and wealth, reframing prosperity as financial agency, overflow, and choice rather than hustle, burnout, or scarcity. The conversation dives deep into the energetic and emotional blocks that keep people from receiving, and how inherited m...

Two weeks ago, I realized I was doing exactly that. I was smiling through upset, pretending I was okay. My husband gently called it out: spiritual bypassing. It’s when we wear a mask of happiness, even when we’re struggling inside. We avoid emotions like anger or sadness because we’ve been told they’re 'not spiritual enough.' But here’s the truth: real healing happens when we feel, not when we suppress or fake it. The key? Notice your emotions, give them space, and they’ll transform naturally. It’s simple, but powerful. What emotion are you avoiding r...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Erica Ballard, women’s wellness coach, intuitive eating guide, and self-described lover of both science and woo, for an expansive conversation about intuitive eating, body wisdom, and the path toward true self-acceptance. With a Master of Science from Tufts University School of Medicine, certifications in integrative nutrition, NLP, and Reiki, and over a decade of experience in public health and wellness, Erica brings a rare blend of evidence-based insight and intuitive knowing to the conversation. Together, Nicky and Erica explore how many women become disconnected fr...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with KerryAnne “Ray” Kelley for a thoughtful conversation on trauma, embodiment, and the deeper mechanics of change. Ray shares her lived and professional experience as a trauma-informed, nervous-system-informed practitioner and the creator of the Blueprint Breakthrough, which is a framework designed to reveal how early imprints, belief systems, and adaptive survival strategies shape identity, behavior, and capacity.

Together, Nicky and Ray explore how the subconscious mind influences the majority of our daily choices and reactions, often long after the original experiences that shaped them. Rather than...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Scott Berman, founder of SkyCave Retreats, the first darkness retreat center in the United States. Scott spent nearly a decade living in solitude across the remote wilderness of Mount Shasta, California, and Southern Baja, Mexico, fasting, meditating, and immersing himself in the stillness of nature. These years of self-guided solo retreat work, combined with time spent at Goenka Vipassana centers and with teachers across multiple traditions, eventually inspired the creation of a sanctuary for others on a sincere spiritual path.

Scott r...

In this episode of The Connected Community: Exploring Possibility, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Christine Renee, founder of Moon Rising Shamanic Institute, for a deeply grounded conversation on Tantra, shamanic spirituality, energy awareness, and embodied awakening. With over two decades of experience in the spiritual and healing arts, Christine serves as a bridge between worlds, guiding seekers toward remembrance, sovereignty, and ecstatic aliveness.

This episode explores Tantra beyond its common misconceptions, reframing it as a powerful spiritual practice rooted in presence, breath, sound, movement, and conscious energy cultivation rather than sexuality alone. Christine unpacks how T...

In this episode of the Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck and Shantel Ochoa delve into the profound topic of conscious grieving. Shantel is a conscious grieving guide and the facilitator of a weekly support community dedicated to healing through loss with intention, presence, and spiritual awareness. Her work was born from the profound spiritual downloads she received following the passing of her son 12 years ago—an experience that initiated her own dark night of the soul and ultimately transformed her understanding of grief. During her deepest moments of mourning, Shantel received a life-altering message that reshaped her perspective on deat...

In this episode, host Nicky Yazbeck welcomes expert guest Adam Yazbeck, a nurse practitioner with a unique background spanning pediatric emergency medicine, intensive care, trauma work, and holistic mental health. Adam breaks down the science of psychedelics, explaining their etymology, how they affect brain function, and why they can enhance neuroplasticity, support trauma processing, and expand consciousness when used responsibly.

Together, they explore the differences between therapeutic and recreational use, the importance of set and setting, and why integration is essential for long-term healing. Adam emphasizes the role of community support and embodied practices in t...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck welcomes Shantel Ochoa, a Shamanic Reiki Practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, Ceremonialist, and intuitive Oracle and Tarot Reader, for a deeply transformative conversation on archetypes, shadow work, and spiritual healing. Shantel bridges ancient shamanic wisdom with modern energy medicine, helping others awaken to their soul’s purpose and embody a greater sense of inner peace, empowerment, and divine alignment.

Together, Nicky and Shantel explore the four core archetypes that shape every human experience, the Victim, Saboteur, Prostitute, and Child, and how understanding these energetic patterns can...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Alexandre Tsuk, founder of the BreathingCold Experience, to explore the life-changing power of breathwork, cold plunges, and emotional healing. Born in France and now rooted between Bali and India, Alexandre has guided over 7,000 people and trained nearly 600 facilitators in Breathwork, Authentic Relating, Conscious Movement, and Cold Exposure.

What began as a personal journey through depression became Alexandre’s mission to help others reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and return to a state of clarity and joy. Using simple, nat...

In this episode of the Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck speaks with Jessica Rector, a #1 best-selling author, motivational speaker, and former TV talk show host, about her transformative “Say Yes” philosophy. Jessica shares how embracing discomfort and stepping beyond her comfort zone helped her combat burnout, rediscover joy, and live a more intentional life.

Throughout the conversation, Jessica reflects on the power of saying yes to new opportunities while also learning when to say no to things that don’t align with personal values. She highlights the importance of play, curiosity, and self-awareness in buildin...

In this episode of the Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck interviews Tracy Fance, an intuitive and hypnotherapist with over 16 years of experience, to explore the profound world of past life regression. Tracy shares her lifelong fascination with past lives and reincarnation, which began in childhood and eventually led her to train as a hypnotherapist. Her journey reveals how unresolved experiences from previous lifetimes can deeply influence our current physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Throughout the conversation, Tracy discusses how past life regression can help individuals uncover the roots of persistent fears, patterns, and even p...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Benedict Beaumont, founder of Breathing Space, to explore the life-changing potential of conscious breathing.

Benedict shares his inspiring journey from being a high school teacher, overwhelmed by stress and burnout, to discovering the transformative power of breathwork during a pivotal trip to Bali in 2014. That experience opened his eyes to the innate healing power of the breath. Inspired by this awakening and supported by his wife Jennifer, whom he met at Everest Base Camp, Benedict trained as a breathwork facilitator in 2017 a...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck welcomes Amy McNally to explore the practice of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), often referred to as “tapping.” Together, they trace the origins of EFT, explain its scientific foundation, and highlight how this simple yet profound practice combines ancient Chinese acupressure with modern psychology to regulate the nervous system and reduce stress.

The conversation offers listeners a direct, hands-on experience with tapping, guiding them through a live practice designed to ease stress and anxiety in real time. Nicky and Amy also discuss how perspective shifts can u...

Sadhu Dah is a world-traveling digital nomad and spiritualist whose expertise in the occult and esoteric arts has taken him across the globe. Through cultural and spiritual travel documentaries for a major TV network, he captures the wisdom of indigenous peoples and explores what connects us across cultures.

In this conversation, Nicky Yazbeck and Sadhu Dah dive into the profound experiences of connecting with indigenous communities around the world. They reflect on the central role of music and food in community bonding, the contrast between individualism and collectivism, and the deep connection to land and n...

In this episode, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Erica Bonham to explore polyvagal theory and the vital role of the vagus nerve in emotional regulation and mental health. Together, they break down the different states of the nervous system, how co-regulation supports healing, and practical tools that can calm and reset the body. The conversation touches on the impact of collective trauma, the power of mindfulness, and the importance of finding personal practices that truly resonate. Erica also shares accessible exercises for toning the vagus nerve and emphasizes that healing requires both addressing trauma and cultivating joy.

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck is joined by Kate Evans, a psychologist and life and home decluttering coach, to explore the deeper emotional and psychological layers of decluttering. Together, they unpack why letting go of possessions can feel overwhelming and why clutter is rarely just about the physical items piling up.

Kate shares how decluttering is intimately tied to mental health, values, and personal history, highlighting the role of anxiety, depression, relationships, and even upbringing in shaping our attachment to things. She explains how sentimental value, the sunk cost fallacy, a...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck talks with Lisa Fitzpatrick, a pelvic and sexual health educator and physiotherapist with more than 30 years in women’s health. Lisa is the founder of the Sexy Menopause movement and Womankind Pelvic Care. After becoming a mother in 2000, she focused her clinical work on pelvic floor health and later broadened it to include sexual well-being and midlife care. Her approach combines physiotherapy with yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and practical empowerment skills.

The conversation looks at what actually changes in perimenopause and menopause and how thos...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, host Nicky Yazbeck talks with Christie Sears Thompson, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Colorado, about the Gottman Method, which is a leading approach to couples therapy. Together, they explore how this method equips partners with tools to repair, strengthen, and deepen their relationships.

Christie explains the core principle of treating the relationship itself as the client and outlines the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling. These are the four patterns that often predict relationship breakdown. She shares practical antidotes to these d...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck sits down with Andrea Schwieger, a certified registered nurse anesthetist who has journeyed from the high-intensity world of critical care and anesthesia to the cutting edge of mental health treatment.  Andrea graduated from a top-ranked anesthesia school in the United States and served as an intensive care nurse early in her career before becoming board-certified to lead surgical teams in the safe anesthetic care of patients. Drawing from her extensive medical background and personal healing journey, Andrea has become a leading voice in the safe and effective use of k...

In this powerful episode of The Connected Community, host Nicky Yazbeck is joined by Devon Kerns,visionary leader, entrepreneur, and plant medicine facilitator, to explore psychedelics, integration, and authentic self-discovery. With over 100 psychedelic experiences, more than 100,000 minutes of meditation, and having supported over 100 people through their integration journeys in the past year alone, Devon brings a wealth of lived experience to the conversation.

Together, they explore the sacred role of plant medicine in lifting the veil on who we truly are, the symbolic messages of animal allies like the owl, and how allowing ourselves to f...

As a highly empathic and intuitive child, Melissa Kim Corter was captivated by the dark corners of basements and the unseen aspects of the psyche. That early fascination laid the foundation for decades of work exploring the shadow side of human experience. In this rich and layered conversation, Melissa joins host Nicky Yazbeck to discuss how to approach shadow work and how it can be reframed not as something negative, but as a powerful portal for healing and integration.

Melissa shares her unique lens on shadow work, rooted in traditional Jungian studies and brought to l...

In this episode of The Connected Community Podcast, Nicky Yazbeck speaks with Patrick Fishley, a seasoned trauma nurse and transformational recovery coach, about the powerful healing potential of Iboga. Patrick brings over 30 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse specializing in Intensive Care Units, Emergency Rooms, and Trauma Bays, as well as extensive work in addictions and psychiatry.

Certified through Being True To You as an Addiction Recovery Psycho-Spiritual Integration Coach, Patrick began working with plant medicines in 2012, focusing primarily on Iboga and Ibogaine. Since then, he has served as medical director, lead facilitator, a...