Awaken Your Soul's Journey

Podcast host Angela interviews Richard Krauland, author of The Bridge from Science to God, about his shift from spiritual uncertainty and 24 years of atheism to belief after reading 22 pages of Matthew in 1994, where he felt overwhelmed by its wisdom and a repeated message to stop worrying about himself, care for others, and trust God with money; he began giving and felt guided afterward. Krauland discusses lifelong Crohn’s disease, the deaths of his brother and father, and a 2001 car accident that left him temporarily paralyzed, during which prayer brought a powerful reassurance that the paralysis would not last and hi...

Podcast host Angela interviews Ted Kopecko, author of the international best-seller “Finding JOY (Journey Of You): Finding Your Purpose, Value and Freedom,” about shifting from reactive, life-led living to intentional, joy-led living. Ted discusses how grief, lost dreams, and limiting beliefs can leave people stuck and regrets can build over time, arguing that many are conditioned to conform through childhood, school, and work. He outlines four pillars—mindset, identity, time, and direction—and recommends a daily non-negotiable 15-minute practice: give thanks, then read 15 pages of a self-motivating non-fiction book for a year to change perspective, relationships, and depression (“forward progressio...

Podcast host Angela welcomes Dr. Baruch “B” Halevi, a logotherapist, men’s coach, author, and ordained rabbi, to discuss why outward success can still feel empty and what he’s learned from officiating 500+ funerals. B shares how his father’s and grandmother’s suicides led him to help people, especially men, face fear and mortality, drawing on Viktor Frankl’s teachings that meaning is discovered through experiences, creative contribution, and suffering, and that tragedy can be transformed into triumph by choosing one’s response. Angela relates this to grieving her husband Blaine and creating her podcast. B describes his morning practice...

Podcast host Angela interviews Carol Brenner, a speaker, educator, and Shakespeare scholar who applies Shakespeare’s characters and stories to modern personal and business challenges through curricula on six psychological development stages and 12 “superpowers.” Brenner explains how Shakespeare’s multidimensional characters and soliloquies reveal inner psychology, and describes teaching methods that make the plays accessible, including dramatization, simplified scenes, narration, and film clips, noting iambic pentameter’s heart-like rhythm. She discusses grief and transformation through The Winter’s Tale and Much Ado About Nothing, emphasizing redemption and forgiveness. Brenner shares how Shakespeare became central to her spiritual search, her interest in...

Podcast host Angela interviews Zoom guest MonaLisa Coburn, teacher, consciousness author, founder of Soul Navigators Academy, and author of Downloads from One Consciousness and The Joy of One Consciousness (108 “recipes” for nurturing the soul). Coburn describes how her sister’s death in 1996 catalyzed her awakening, including losing her dreams, hearing divine guidance, and later seeing her healed sister warn her to slow down, which coincided with a near-accident and provided a sign to her grieving mother. She explains beliefs about soul contracts, guidance from spirit teams, mediumship, hypnotherapy/past lives, and grief as connected to unconditional love, self-love, and raisin...

Angela records a rare solo episode (episode 135) after 134 prior conversations, reflecting on how interviewing hundreds of people has changed her and what she knows now about grief, healing, love, and spirituality since losing her husband Blaine in 2021. She explains that grief is more than sadness and has physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions, with no fixed timeline, and that joy can exist alongside grief. She reframes healing and energy work as holding space for the body’s natural capacity to heal, while acknowledging that outcomes may not be about staying on earth. She describes continuing relationship and communication with Bl...

Angela welcomes transformational coach and evidential medium Steve Barton, creator of The Game of 10, to discuss grief, loss, and moving forward without “leaving someone behind.” Steve shares how therapy and a near-death/out-of-body experience shifted his perspective on consciousness and happiness, emphasizing that there’s no right timeline for grieving and you can only go through it. He explains The Game of 10 as a practical meditation to quiet overthinking and release fear, self-doubt, guilt, and shame, framing forgiveness as letting go of the thoughts and stories attached to pain. He describes a visualization inspired by Marianne Williamson to “give” hurt to a...

Angela welcomes author, speaker, and transformational coach Kelly Keefe, founder of The Heart Space and author of Rise Above Fear, to discuss how fear is a normal part of the human experience and why “feel the fear and do it anyway” can bypass parts of ourselves needing care. Kelly contrasts acting confident with embodying confidence, describing embodiment as coherence between the conscious mind and the nervous system. They explore control as a safety strategy rooted in early experiences and how nurturing the “younger self” can create sustainable change and more openness to flow.

http://www.thekellykeefe.com/

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Angela welcomes author and intuitive mentor Ellen Edmondson, whose spiritual awakening began through profound losses, including leaving a senior federal executive career and later losing her mother three months after her son was born. Ellen shares how grief can coexist with joy and become a catalyst for identity shifts, deeper purpose, and expanded capacity for love. She offers practical guidance for those in early grief, allow feelings without comparison, practice self-compassion, and use three check-in questions,to reconnect with inner guidance.

https://www.ellenedmondson.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ellenedmondson_loveandlight/

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Podcast host Angela interviews her partner, psychic medium and channeling teacher Kevin, about connecting with the “other side” beyond surface-level questions. Kevin says his calling is to help people understand that life continues after death and that mediumship is translating spiritual frequency into human language through thoughts and visuals, sometimes providing evidential details (e.g., Angela’s late husband). They discuss balancing spirituality with everyday life, the limits of what spirits can answer (such as “why” someone died), and how Kevin recognizes true connection through bodily sensations like goosebumps. Kevin shares beliefs about guides as soul-group members, surrendering control while hono...

Angela welcomes Neal Tricarico to discuss grief, the myth of “closure,” and finding meaning after profound loss. Neal shares his background working for more than two decades alongside Tony Robbins and his earlier spiritual training through Deepak Chopra, including meditation, and explains how those tools were tested when his son Anthony died by suicide two years ago. He describes Anthony’s high-functioning autism, depression during COVID, gaps they experienced in autism and mental-health support, and the statistics around suicidality for autistic youth. Neal and his wife founded the Endurant Movement nonprofit to raise awareness and help families, and he outlin...

Angela welcomes Patti Comeau-Simonson, a peer grief specialist and bereavement professional supporting grieving individuals since 2007, with a thanatology certificate and author of Recipes for Healing: Working Through Grief One Plate at a Time. Patti shares losing her husband David, finding purpose through hospice volunteer training about a year and a half later, volunteering nearly 12 years, then moving into bereavement work and further education. They discuss misconceptions that grief can be rushed, the need to do the work, how grief can resurface unexpectedly, and the value of rituals and a strong support system, including loss-specific support groups. Patti explains how...

Host Angela welcomes international writer, actor, and producer Nikki Borger, who moved to the U.S. in 2018 to pursue film acting but soon faced cascading losses: her mother’s sudden death, her stepdad’s pancreatic cancer and passing, both grandfathers’ deaths, her mother-in-law’s cancer returning, and caring for her biological father until he died earlier this year amid the pandemic, housing instability, visa pressure, and Hollywood strikes. Nikki shares how repeated grief affected her sense of safety, health, and relationships, and how stabilizing daily life while sitting with emotions led her to reframe her story through creativity. She discusse...

Angela welcomes guest Hakeem Bourne‑McFarlane, who shares how a childhood marked by addiction, instability, and the death of his younger brother, shaped his anger, identity, and later self-sabotage. Sports became his mask as he moved through Division I to Division III football, but injuries, five knee surgeries, substance use, and incarceration ultimately forced him into sobriety, honesty, and accountability. In jail, he began therapy, read personal development books and the Bible, and started writing his book, concluding that while trauma may not be one’s fault, healing is one’s responsibility. Hakeem explains the “Choose Yourself” process and Foundation...

Podcast host Angela welcomes Steve Ferrara, author of From Grief to Gratitude: A New Paradigm on Death, who shares how the death of his 23-year-old son in a car accident led him to journal daily for 20 years, later turning those journals into a book with an editor over several years. Steve describes key shifts in healing, including moving from anger and “why” questions toward acceptance, viewing the loss from his son’s perspective, and developing an ongoing inner relationship through journaling and meditation. He discusses seeking deeper understanding through spiritual teachers, books, retreats, and near-death experience research, rather than focusi...

Angela interviews science teacher and memoirist Katie Rizzo, who lost her firstborn son Nicholas to addiction on September 17, 2024 after years of opioid dependence, and describes how Al‑Anon and grief support groups helped her survive. Katie explains her framework from her forthcoming memoir, The Trimesters of Grief (Kohler Books), comparing mourning to pregnancy: early nausea and disorientation, a numb second stage where others “return to normal,” and a third stage where grief becomes visible as she shares openly and begins writing poetry to reach her son. She discusses Nick Cave’s idea of letting grief sit beside you, tending it throu...

Angela welcomes author and ICU nurse Theresa Evans to discuss her book, "Choosing to Die: A Daughter's Story of Supporting Her Mother's End of Life Through Assisted Death." Theresa shares how witnessing death as a nurse shaped her views, and how her perspective deepened when her mother, after years with end-stage heart failure and COPD, chose medical assistance in dying (MAID) on her 80th birthday. They explore the importance of having end-of-life conversations early, the complexities and empowerment involved in MAID, and the emotional toll of anticipatory grief when a date and time are known. Theresa describes tending her...

Angela interviews Sylvia Worsham, a three-times bestselling author, spiritual transformation coach, and host of the Release Doubt, Reveal Purpose podcast, about anticipatory grief, daily surrender to God, and finding joy during profound loss. Sylvia shares her complicated relationship with her father, how writing her memoir helped her forgive and heal before his terminal brain tumor diagnosis in 2023, and how surrender brought peace as he died. She also recounts surviving life-threatening pulmonary embolisms and a vena cava clot in 2012, which deepened her faith and later led her to leave a corporate career. Sylvia explains practical steps to let go of...

Angela interviews Jody Hudson, author of My Promise to Alex, motivational speaker,

and founder of the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation about her daughter Alex’s years-long

medical mystery that began with joint pain in fifth grade, escalated in high school, and

was finally diagnosed as Lyme disease after 40 doctors in 2017. Jody describes the

emotional toll of dismissal by the medical community, the complexity of Lyme treatment

and co-infections, and balancing cross-country care while working full time as a single

mother. She shares how faith sustained them, the mo...

Angela interviews Kristen Swan, a former business coach now devoted to life and spiritual guidance, about the power of story, curiosity, and self-discovery. Kristan describes three “buckets” of story—stories we tell ourselves, inherited stories, and stories we share—and compares storytelling to visual art as a way to reveal universal human truths and reduce isolation. They discuss vulnerability, using journaling prompts to begin, and how consistent pen-to-paper reflection helps identify patterns, joy, and the nuances of connection, especially for introverts. Kristen explains how reflecting on past outcomes can restore hope amid a heavy world, and she explores anger, grief, a...

Angela welcomes energy healing practitioner and author Dana Wylder, who shares how trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation preceded her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and sparked a deep exploration of mind-body healing. Dana explains the yogic model of the five koshas, arguing that chronic illness often arises “upstream” and can’t be addressed through physical treatment alone. They discuss reducing external noise and toxic inputs, listening to symptoms as messages, creating space through “being” before “doing,” and becoming your own health advocate amid overwhelming and conflicting advice. Dana describes sound healing with tuning forks, patterns she’s observed in autoimmune perso...

Angela interviews Dr. Lise Janelle, founder of the Heart Freedom Method and co-authoring a new book with Jack Canfield, about turning grief and hardship into healing and purpose. Dr. Lise shares how a series of losses in 1988—her father’s terminal cancer diagnosis, her 21-year-old brother’s death, and the end of a long relationship—sparked a lifelong mission to help others release emotional blocks. Drawing on Neuro Emotional Technique and the power of gratitude, she developed a method that identifies stuck emotional responses without needing physical contact. They discuss how challenges can build “wings,” how gratitude and opening the heart ca...

Podcast host Angela interviews Jessica Taylor, who describes a severe brain injury that erased much of her memory and education, brought profound grief to her and her family, and left her without adequate medical support in Toronto. Jessica says she rebuilt her life through determination, extensive reading, and 20 years of research that led to her book A Spiritual Awakening and her memoir From Tragedy to Triumph: Reawakening My Broken Brain, aiming to help families understand brain injury and offer a new perspective on life. She recounts experiences of altered consciousness, spontaneous poem writing, and a lasting disappearance...

Angela interviews professional artist Devorah Brinkerhoff, who created “Soul Portraits,” a mixed-media healing practice using personal materials like letters, photographs, journal pages, and legal documents to transform trauma and release old stories. Devorah describes how creativity is often dismissed in Western achievement culture, yet drawing and painting helped her self-connect, self-witness, and survive when words and even therapy couldn’t fully hold her experience. She shares how family conflict, lawsuits, and efforts to protect her children from sexual abuse led her to intuitively rip, reassemble, and paint over painful documents, creating relief and a sense of reclaiming herself. Devorah explai...

Angela welcomes grief and widow coach Kari Driskell, who was widowed at 38 with two young daughters, and discusses a direct, “no BS” approach to grief. Kari shares how platitudes and toxic positivity felt invalidating, why she believes there’s a difference between lifelong grief and “actively grieving,” and how healing can restore a fuller sense of aliveness rather than capping life at a reduced “new 100%.” She recounts her husband Eric’s sudden death from a massive brain aneurysm in 2017, the difficult aftermath of parenting through loss, and how she sought tools, experts, and community to rebuild her life without “letting go” of her...

Podcast host Angela interviews attorney, CPA, life coach, and author Stanley F. Bronstein, who describes losing his mother at age eight, receiving little explanation or support, and experiencing decades of delayed grief that contributed to obesity and disconnection. He recounts weight fluctuations through college, law school, and adulthood, a pivotal moment near age 50 when he weighed 320 pounds and committed to permanent lifestyle change, quitting alcohol and soda, progressively changing his diet to vegan, and building a daily walking practice that eventually reached 13–15 miles a day; he reports losing 220+ pounds naturally and walking 72,000 miles. A later family funeral triggered long-suppressed te...

Angela interviews Lee Atherton, a fire chaplain and end-of-life grief and resilience coach with over 15 years of experience, about helping people navigate dying, grief, and the unique challenges faced by first responders who regularly witness death. Lee shares how she moved from aspiring parish ministry into hospice chaplaincy and then fire chaplaincy, focusing on tools and resources that help people process emotions rather than suppress them, reducing fear and accumulated stress that can end careers. They discuss how grief differs across losses, how support should resonate with the individual, and how telling one’s story can aid healing without “gett...

Angela interviews Brheanna Myers, founder of Light and Breezy Coaching and creator of the Awaken Your Potential Method, about her spiritual awakening and near-death experience in 2020 after collapsing from fungal pneumonia and dying for six minutes. Brheanna describes leaving her body, experiencing unconditional love, being shown an “exit clause” in her soul contract, and seeing the quantum field’s interconnectedness, which led her into modalities like DNA activations, energy healing, and QHHT (Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique). She explains QHHT’s interview process, past-life regression, and connecting to the higher self for insight and healing, and emphasizes reprogramming the subconscious, living i...

Angela interviews grief educator Sylvia Wolfer, who lost her father to a heart attack at age seven, her younger brother in a road accident when she was 17, and her older brother in a car crash just before lockdown. Sylvia shares how years of unprocessed grief made her avoid everyday life and feel ambushed by triggers, leading to nervous system exhaustion, irritability, sleep and appetite disruption, and social withdrawal. She explains how neuroscience helped validate her experience and describes the brain’s time-space-connection map, noting that time and place disappear after loss while connection can remain. Sylvia offers grounded practices: te...

Angela interviews Reverend Kaleel Sakakeeny, an ordained animal chaplain, pastor, and credentialed grief counselor who founded the Boston-based nonprofit Animal Talks after the devastating loss of a beloved cat. Sakakeeny explains that pet loss is not merely “like” losing a family member—it is—and that unprocessed grief can be misunderstood by medical models that try to “fix” heartbreak as mental illness. He describes grief as a universal pain shared across many losses, distinguishes grief (the inner state) from mourning (the actions taken), and offers rituals such as journaling, creating memorial spaces, planting trees, and support groups to externalize sorrow. They...

Angela welcomes Dr. Sue McCreadie, a holistic pediatrician and midlife transformation expert, to discuss coping with grief and heavy uncertainty. Dr. Sue shares Tony Robbins’ idea that quality of life depends on how much uncertainty you can handle, relates her experience with multiple miscarriages, and describes a vivid dream that led her to try baby aspirin and later discover methylation issues that informed her work helping thousands of children. They discuss rituals for reconnecting to joy, including journaling, noticing “God winks,” and allowing waves of grief to be felt in order to heal. Dr. Sue explains growth through friction, bounda...

Angela welcomes Amy Thurman, bestselling author, international speaker, and creator of the Authentic Intelligence and authenticity score frameworks. Amy shares her lived experience of rebuilding her life after spending 10 years with a broken neck and a sheared brainstem that went undiagnosed for six months, leaving her incapacitated for nearly a year, costing her, her job and sense of self-worth, and bringing her close to suicide before choosing to fight to live and use her story to help others. The conversation focuses on authenticity as measurable and strategic, beginning with self-discovery removing layers of expectations, roles, and masks to reconnect...

In this episode, Angela interviews Tony Stoltzfus, a seasoned coach, trainer, and author of 21 books. Tony shares his journey of moving from a corporate job in custom furniture to discovering his true calling in coaching. He offers insights into overcoming life's toughest challenges, including financial struggles, family issues, and a devastating house fire, emphasizing the importance of faith, creative expression, and meaningful relationships. Tony also discusses how experiences and people, rather than traditional learning methods, transform lives and highlights the significance of Heaven in coping with loss and forging ahead. He shares practical advice for those grappling with grief...

In this heartwarming episode, host Angela welcomes Jay Deutsch, a self-love and mindset coach who has experienced profound grief and transformation. Jay shares his journey of losing his soulmate Larissa to suicide in 2015, navigating life as a single parent, and enduring a 'dark night of the soul.' He dives into the depths of his spiritual awakening, self-discovery, and the tools he harnessed to rebuild his life through neuroscience, NLP, and emotional healing. Jay's insights into grief, the power of self-love, and the importance of mindset offer valuable lessons for anyone on a similar path to healing and self-reinvention.<...

In this episode, host Angela welcomes Mark Motsenbocker to discuss the transformative power of giving and receiving. Mark shares his life journey of overcoming the early loss of his parents and the wisdom he gained from unexpected mentors. Highlighting the importance of purposeful and habitual acts of giving, Mark delves into meaningful quotes and biblical teachings that have shaped his life. The conversation touches on personal stories illustrating how small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact and emphasizes the significance of fostering a giving mindset in everyday life.

https://newdimensionsintlco.com/

https://www...

In this episode, Angela welcomes Sean Blackwell, author of 'Bipolar Awakenings: The Quest to Heal Bipolar Disorder,' to discuss his unique perspective on bipolar disorder, mental health, and spiritual transformation. Sean shares his journey from experiencing a misdiagnosed psychosis to becoming a healer focused on the intersection of psychology and spiritual awakening. The conversation dives deep into the misunderstood aspects of bipolar disorder, the impact of trauma, and the powerful healing potential of holotropic breathwork. Sean also shares personal anecdotes and stories from his work, providing insightful advice for those struggling with grief and trauma. This engaging discussion...

In this podcast episode, Angela welcomes Dr. Scott Guerin, an award-winning, bestselling author and educator with a profound interest in the mysteries of God, the universe, and humanity's role within it. Dr. Guerin shares insights from his latest book, 'Awkward Awakenings: Finding Our Way Home,' which invites readers to awaken to their divine nature and explore connections with intelligent life beyond Earth. In their engaging conversation, they discuss Dr. Guerin's spiritual journey, his shift from organized religion to spirituality, and the significance of channeling and meditative techniques. Dr. Guerin also recounts a transformative Akashic record reading that guided...

In this episode, Angela welcomes Lisa Rites, a certified grief educator and author. After transitioning from a 40-year career as a respiratory therapist, Lisa now helps individuals navigate their grief through education and support. This discussion delves into the societal discomfort around grief, the misconceptions about the grieving process, and the importance of having a supportive network. Lisa also shares insights from her personal journey through divorce and provides details on her book, which addresses the various stages of grief. Listeners are encouraged to seek support when needed.

https://www.lisaritesgrief.com/

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In this inspiring podcast episode, Angela welcomes Dr. Crystal Harrell, a bestselling author, motivational speaker, and mindfulness-based stress reduction instructor. Dr. Harrell shares her incredible journey from growing up in public housing in Alabama to earning a PhD in Public Health from Yale University. She delves into her spiritual awakening in 2018 that led her to reconnect with her wholeness and combine academic achievement with deep personal and spiritual growth. Through her book 'Crystal Clear', her TEDx talk, and initiatives like the Student Wellbeing Project, Dr. Harrell offers insights into the integration of science and spirituality. Join us as she...

In this podcast episode, Angela welcomes Melanie Smithson, a licensed somatic psychotherapist, business owner, certified spiritual integration hypnotherapist, and award-winning author. The conversation delves deeply into the nature of grief, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and the body's role in healing. Melanie shares her unique perspectives on moving through grief, emphasizing non-resistance, the significance of letting go, and how suppressed emotions can manifest physically. The discussion also touches upon societal attitudes towards emotions, practical approaches to embracing and releasing grief, and the spiritual aspects of connecting with loved ones who have passed. Melanie also introduces some of her practices...