Written by Luis Vicente Garcia, Business Performance-Leadership-Success Coach Luis Vicente García is a business coach, international speaker, and best-selling author, known for helping entrepreneurs and leaders elevate performance through mindset, motivation, and strategic leadership. In my last two Brainz articles, I explored how leaders are navigating a world defined by constant change. In "The Triple Crisis of 2025," we identified the three forces reshaping leadership, strategy, sanity, and spirit. In "From Triple Crisis to Resilient Growth," we discussed the three pathways that help leaders turn pressure into performance, namely strategic agility, human-centered leadership, and purpose-driven innovation. Now, as we approach the final months of the year, it's crucial to focus on the human side of resilient growth, the people, the values, and the purpose that transform leadership from survival into inspiration. Because while systems, processes, strategies, and now AI matter, it’s people who make resilience possible. The most successful organizations in 2025 aren't necessarily the most efficient. They are the most human. And in a time when machines are taking over more of the work we once did, what truly sets us apart is our ability to connect, collaborate, and care. The future will not belong to the most automated companies, but to the most technologically advanced and emotionally intelligent ones, particularly those that understand that relationships, trust, and shared purpose are still the ultimate drivers of performance. 1. Purpose as the core of resilience If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that strategy alone doesn’t sustain a team through adversity. What sustains people is meaning, a clear understanding of why their work matters. Purpose acts as the internal compass that keeps teams aligned when the map changes. When challenges arise, as we have all learned, teams grounded in shared purpose respond with focus and unity instead of confusion and fatigue. A few months ago, I worked with a small business that had faced enormous external pressure, supply chain disruption, economic uncertainty, and declining demand. Yet, despite all odds, their team maintained energy and optimism. When I asked the CEO how they kept morale so high, she answered, “Because everyone here knows why we exist, we’re not just selling a product, we’re solving a problem that matters.” Always bear in mind that 'purpose' is the catalyst that converts mere effort into active engagement. It elevates work from a mere task to a significant contribution. And it's this sense of contribution of doing something meaningful that fuels long-term resilience. 2. Building emotional resilience in teams Resilience is often misunderstood as strength. However, true resilience is not about resisting pressure. It's about absorbing, adapting, and growing through it. Emotional resilience, especially within teams, is built on a foundation of empathy, trust, and shared accountability. Leaders who cultivate emotional resilience create what psychologists call psychological safety, an environment where people can speak honestly, share ideas, and admit mistakes without fear. This safety is what allows creativity and adaptability to flourish, even in high-pressure situations. Trust and transparency are key in building emotional resilience. I remember working with a leadership team that had to make difficult financial decisions during a downturn. Instead of shielding employees from bad news, the CEO chose radical transparency. She explained the reality, involved her team in problem-solving, and made space for concerns and suggestions. The result? Instead of disengagement, there was renewed commitment because people felt respected and trusted. In resilience, transparency builds trust, and trust builds strength. It's a reminder that people don't just want strong leaders. They want leaders who are real. This story is a testament to the power of trust and transparency in building emotional resilience and fostering a sense of security and confidence. 3. Leadership behaviors that inspire resilience Resilient leadership is not a mindset you declare. It’s a behavior you demonstrate. This behavior is revealed in how you lead during uncertainty, communicate under pressure, and inspire trust when others lose confidence. Leaders who inspire trust and adaptability tend to share four key habits. They lead with transparency in times of uncertainty, communicate with empathy under pressure, inspire trust when others lose confidence, and show consistency while empowering their teams. These leaders motivate people and foster adaptability, two essential qualities in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world. And when leaders trust their teams to act, make decisions, and own results, they fuel not only confidence but also accountability. In June this year, I had the chance to give a five-day dynamic leadership training to Nigerian oil executives in Doha, Qatar, and you can imagine how deep some of our conversations went. One day, I told them, “People don’t follow perfection, they follow presence.” The exchange that followed was incredible. The team’s VP mentioned that a leader’s presence is like an anchor. It doesn’t stop the waves, but it keeps the ship steady. And it made me realize that teams draw strength not from a leader who never wavers, but from one who remains grounded and human in the midst of change. 4. Creating cultures of meaning and performance When organizations combine purpose, trust, and empowerment, they create cultures that are both resilient and high performing. Meaningful work becomes a shared value, not a slogan. People show up not because they have to, but because they want to contribute to something they believe in. We've seen this shift across industries. From startups with distributed teams to global companies like Patagonia or Unilever, purpose-driven cultures consistently outperform those built only on profit metrics. They attract top talent, foster innovation, and sustain engagement through complex cycles. The connection is clear. Purpose fuels motivation, motivation fuels performance, and performance fuels resilience. As leaders, our role is to ensure this cycle stays alive, to keep people inspired, connected, and aligned with a mission that matters. Purpose and resilience are not separate ideas. They are two sides of the same leadership coin. You can’t build resilience without meaning, and you can’t sustain purpose without people who feel valued. If purpose gives direction, people give energy, and performance gives results, then culture is the glue that holds them together, the invisible force that turns shared meaning into sustained excellence. Culture transforms purpose into behavior and behavior into results. It’s where strategy meets humanity, and where leadership becomes legacy. Resilient leadership begins when leaders decide to lead with heart, combining strength with empathy, and strategy with humanity. The great paradox of our time is that in a world powered by technology and data, it’s the human element that gives organizations their edge. As we move towards 2026, leaders who cultivate this balance will be the ones who inspire not just results, but renewal. And their teams will give their best because they believe it matters.   “People don’t give their best because they have to, they do it because they believe it matters.” – Luis Vicente García Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Luis Vicente Garcia Luis Vicente Garcia, Business Performance-Leadership-Success Coach Luis Vicente García is a business performance coach, international speaker, and best-selling author with over 35 years of experience in leadership, motivation, and strategic growth. A former CFO and CEO, he now empowers professionals through Incrementum Academy and his signature concept, Motitud, the fusion of motivation and positive attitude. Certified by Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield, Luis helps entrepreneurs and leaders unlock their full potential. He writes regularly for global platforms and is a recognized voice on mindset, productivity, and leadership transformation.

Written by Berta Kaguako, Health and Social Care Consultant Berta Kaguako is the Co-Founder and Managing Director for EthVida, a patient educational platform that promotes plant medicine and a holistic healthcare approach. As a patient herself, Berta has made a remarkable transformation, using cannabis based medical products to manage 7 diagnoses and 50+ symptoms. And now advocates for plant medicine. Mental health doesn’t discriminate, but access to support does. Across the UK, ethnic minority communities face a mental health crisis that too often goes unseen. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and isolation are on the rise, yet seeking help remains a cultural, financial, and systemic challenge. For many, opening up to a doctor or therapist feels impossible, not because the pain isn’t real, but because the system doesn’t feel safe. When care isn’t accessible, people find their own ways to cope. And for many, that coping mechanism is cannabis. The hidden act of self-medication In communities where mental health is rarely spoken about and even less often treated, self-medication becomes a silent survival tool. People turn to cannabis not for recreation, but for relief to sleep, to quiet racing thoughts, to ease the weight of stress and unspoken trauma. It’s an act of healing born out of necessity. Yet, what’s often seen as “misuse” is, in truth, a reflection of a system that’s failed to provide alternatives. A 2024 UK study found that 1.77 million adults are using illicit cannabis to self-treat diagnosed health conditions, most commonly anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. This means that for every legally prescribed patient, dozens are managing their conditions alone, without oversight or guidance.[1] Despite its growing normalisation, cannabis use among ethnic minorities remains heavily stigmatised. Conversations about mental health are still taboo in many cultures, and the judgment attached to cannabis adds another layer of shame. The result? People continue to medicate in silence without support, without structure, and without safety. Legal, but not for everyone When medical cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018, it was hailed as a turning point for compassionate care. Yet, seven years later, data reveal a glaring gap. Very few ethnic minority patients are accessing medical cannabis services. As of 2025, between 50,000 and 60,000 patients are legally prescribed medical cannabis in the UK, projected to rise to around 80,000 by the end of the year. Nearly all prescriptions are issued privately. NHS access remains extremely limited to conditions like severe epilepsy, MS spasticity, and chemotherapy-related nausea. Meanwhile, an estimated 1.77 million people continue to self-medicate with illicit cannabis for health reasons. This divide highlights a key inequality that legality doesn’t always equal accessibility. The same structural barriers that have historically limited access to mental healthcare, mistrust, cost, stigma, and lack of representation, are now mirrored in the medical cannabis landscape. Even with legality on their side, many still fear the consequences of admitting to cannabis use to a doctor. That fear is not unfounded. It’s rooted in generations of over-policing, criminalisation, and systemic bias. The double standard Walk into any high street wellness shop today and you’ll find CBD oils, cannabis-derived balms, and hemp teas marketed as holistic essentials. Yet, for Black and South Asian communities, the same plant carries connotations of criminality rather than care. This isn’t just cultural, it’s systemic. Black people in England are 3.5 times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than White people (228 per 100,000 vs. 64 per 100,000). Black people are also four times more likely to be stopped and searched by police, 24.5 searches per 1,000 compared to 5.9 per 1,000 for White people.[2] So, while cannabis has been rebranded as a luxury medicine or wellness trend for some, it remains a symbol of danger and deviance for others. The message is clear that cannabis is “healing” when you’re white and “harmful” when you’re not. A call for change: Building a cannabis pathway If cannabis genuinely helps people manage pain, anxiety, and trauma, then everyone deserves equal access to that care. We need a culturally competent cannabis pathway, one that recognises and responds to the realities faced by ethnic minority patients. This means: Representation and training: Clinicians should understand cultural beliefs, historical mistrust, and stigma. Affordability and access: The current private model excludes low-income and marginalised patients. NHS pathways must expand. Clinical oversight for self-medicating patients: Many already use cannabis. They deserve safe, informed care. Repairing historical harm: Communities most criminalised by past cannabis laws must be prioritised in today’s medical frameworks. This isn’t just about prescribing a plant. It’s about rebuilding trust, representation, and fairness in a healthcare system that has long left people behind. From punishment to healing For too long, we’ve criminalised coping and punished pain. Cannabis legalisation should have been an opportunity to right historic wrongs, to turn stigma into support. But until racial inequities in access, legitimacy, and representation are addressed, those wrongs continue. It’s time to change the narrative. It’s time to listen, learn, and lead with compassion. And it’s time to ensure that the communities that carried the stigma of cannabis for decades are finally given a place at the table, not as outsiders, but as equals in healing. Final thoughts The story of medical cannabis in the UK is one of progress shadowed by inequality. The law may have changed, but the lived reality hasn’t, at least not for everyone. Ethnic minorities remain disproportionately affected by mental health challenges, over-policed for cannabis use, and under-represented in legal cannabis treatment programmes. The numbers tell a clear story. Millions are self-medicating in silence while only tens of thousands receive care under supervision. Cannabis, when used responsibly and supported by clinical guidance, can be a lifeline. But healing cannot flourish in fear. True reform requires more than legislation. It demands empathy, education, and equity. Until our systems reflect those values, cannabis will remain both medicine and metaphor, a plant that reveals not only how we heal but who we allow to heal. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Berta Kaguako Berta Kaguako, Health and Social Care Consultant Berta Kaguako is a Health and Social Care Consultant, with an Undergraduate in Psychotherapy and a Master's in Psychoanalysis. Berta’s background is in Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Children & Families: in both a therapeutic and senior management capacity, having won 3x Blooming Strong Awards (Recognition from UN for contribution to violence against Women). Berta is also the Co-Founder and Managing Director for EthVida, and independently runs the wellbeing service/educational platform. References: [1] Martins, D. et al. (2024). The use of illicit cannabis for self-medication in the UK: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE/PubMed Central (PMC11337234) . [2] UK Government – Ethnicity Facts & Figures. (2023). Detentions under the Mental Health Act . [3] Office for National Statistics (ONS). (2024). Stop and search statistics, England and Wales: year ending March 2023 . [4] NHS Digital. (2024). Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures 2023–24 . [5] Public Health England/NatCen. (2024). Non-opiate and Cannabis Drug Use in Minority Ethnic Groups . [6] Cannabis Industry Council (CIC). (2023). Number of UK Medical Cannabis Patients Reaches 32,000 . [7] Releaf UK. (2024). How Many Medical Cannabis Patients Are There in the UK? [8] ITIJ (International Travel & Health Insurance Journal). (2024). UK’s Demand for Medical Cannabis Surges . [9] Cannabis Health News. (2022). Survey reveals a broad spectrum of issues facing UK cannabis patients . [10] UK Government – Ethnicity Facts & Figures. (2023). Adults using NHS-funded mental health and learning disability services . [11] Home Office. (2024). Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales: Stop and Search, Arrests and Mental Health Detentions, Year Ending March 2024 . [12] NICE Guidelines (NG144)  – Cannabis-based medicinal products .

Written by Suzanne Rath, Executive Health Coach & Speaker Suzanne Rath is an executive health coach & speaker who gives people their vitality back. She does this through empowering them to take back just 20% more health for more purpose, productivity & prosperity. You’re a capable mountaineer who sees a range that’s beautiful. You’re sure it’ll make a positive impact on someone or something if you climb it, so off you set. Long days. Shifting weather. All in pursuit of betterment, impact, legacy. As the journey continues, there comes a point where you can’t go it alone. You hire other climbers to go with you. If you’re lucky, they’ll have experience, but what you really need is a range of people and skills for a good support crew. Early on, people absorb behaviours from you. You spend time training them on and off the mountain, even sending them to other mountaineering schools to learn new skills. You still carry the bulk of the load. After all, that’s what servant leadership looks like, right? At the beginning, you give up a lot of your time, energy, and resources. And with your small team and your heavy pack, if someone forgets their food, tent, or way, you can easily pull another bar or jacket from yours. You reach your first small peak. Everyone celebrates. But there are more peaks ahead, and the weather keeps changing. You’re climbing for something bigger than yourself. But slowly, you start to feel the straps cutting in. The higher you go, the thinner the air. Conversations shrink to logistics, and the joy of the climb fades into fatigue. You start to forget why you began in the first place. You gather more people. By now, your core guides know the systems. They are managing the food, setting up camp, and keeping the lines. But every so often, you arrive to find no camp set, no food ready. Sometimes you spot small groups wandering toward crevasses. When you redirect them, instead of gratitude, you overhear murmurs about freedom and micromanagement. New climbers join. They say they’re keen, but at mealtimes, they hang back. You’re frustrated. Why aren’t the experienced guides bringing them up to speed? You create videos, checklists, and written procedures. No one seems to read them. And at times, you wonder if anyone’s even aiming for the same summit anymore. This is how my founding and scaling journey has often felt. Has yours? Founders are different. I work with leaders, founders, and high-performing women in male-dominated industries, people who are purposeful catalysts. And the truth is, without the right support systems, you can’t scale sustainably. That’s why my ENDURES™ framework exists, because when endurance fails, performance collapses. And those who play above the line and put in the work deserve to reach life’s ultimate summits, over and over again. If you’re reading this and your shoulders ache, it’s time to ask, "What am I still carrying that someone else could hold?" and "What systems, habits, or mindsets do I need to shed to climb lighter?" The mountain isn’t going anywhere, but your energy might if you don’t stop and re-pack. In my founder and business journey, I’ve been a high performer in both sustainable and unsustainable ways. Here’s how I use my ENDURES™ formula to help my clients achieve sustainable high performance. I’d love to know which one resonates most with you. Envision: You know the old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” We need to have a clear picture of our biggest vision. I work with people in many ways to achieve this, so that instead of hitting arbitrary goals that look good on paper, they achieve dreams that feel good. Navigate: Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. The path to any peak begins with the first step in the right direction, so we need to work out what that is and take it. Drive: It’s important to have the mindset, tools, and strategies to drive through the hard when we need to. Not all the time, but when it counts. From biohacking tools to building mental muscles to thrive, this is all a part of my work. Use recovery: Olympic athletes often experience post-gold medal depression, and it’s the same for founders. Often, when the founders I work with achieve a big goal, they feel empty. I’ve certainly been there. One reason for this is that we’re mentally and physically exhausted. For ongoing high performance through life, we must learn how to use recovery as a strategy. Refocus and reset: It’s very easy to get drawn off course, whether you’re leading a team or climbing a mountain. I work with my coaching clients to develop the tools to refocus and reset regularly, so that they end the day feeling fulfilled, not frazzled. Elevate: Ever hit a goal and wondered, “What’s next?” It’s essential to have something to aim for in life. This section is about finding what matters to you and growing there. Support systems: Throughout our lives, our capacity to achieve great things is influenced by the room we’re in. So we must regularly assess the support systems around us to help us thrive. Whether this year has been great or you’ve felt like you’re grinding more than growing, now is the perfect time to start refocusing and resetting as you plan for 2026. I’m hosting a free online planning and strategy session on December 1st at 6 p.m. AEST. I’d love to see you there. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from   Suzanne Rat h Suzanne Rath, Executive Health Coach & Speaker Suzanne Rath is a leader in the health and leadership field. A multi-award-winning Allied Health professional and health entrepreneur whose clinics are at the forefront of innovation and multi-disciplinary health care, her mission is to inspire a million people to take back control of their own health. Having thrived after a life-changing accident which sapped her vitality and later suffering leader burnout, Suzanne aims for participants in her programs to reclaim their vitality, becoming more purposeful, productive & prosperous through taking back control of just 20% more health.

Written by Lindsey Leavitt, Transformational Coach Lindsey Leavitt is a transformational coach. Her expertise stems from her lived experience of abuse, mental illness, and chronic pain. Lindsey's transformation has inspired her to utilize her knowledge and abilities as an artist/musician to advocate, empower, and lift others. Discover how true liberation goes beyond escape, focusing on building systems that promote sovereignty, healing, and freedom. Explore the biological, relational, and economic frameworks necessary to dismantle control and create lasting change in every aspect of life. The myth of escape Most people think liberation is escape, running from cages, breaking from chains, fleeing the architecture of control. But escape is temporary. Systems of oppression adapt. They reconfigure. They rebuild inside your nervous system, inside your language, inside your choices. Liberation is not running away. Liberation is building. Blueprints of power Control was never accidental. It was engineered: Families designed dependency. Institutions designed obedience. Religions designed self-betrayal. Cultures designed shame as currency. If oppression has blueprints, so must freedom. Liberation cannot be improvised, it must be constructed with the same precision that control once used to enslave. Engineering the nervous system The first system of liberation is biological. The body is the battlefield. Trauma loops the nervous system into constant alarms. Liberation teaches it safety again. Dissociation splits memory from truth. Liberation reintegrates what was severed. Shame wires survival around secrecy. Liberation rewires it with exposure and truth. Healing is not a soft hobby. It is neurological rebellion. Liberation as architecture Imagine freedom as a house you build: Foundation: Self-awareness and self-love, poured like unbreakable concrete. Framework: Boundaries, steel beams that hold weight without apology. Walls: Relationships that respect sovereignty instead of collapse it. Roof: Truth, protection that does not block light but lets it flood in. Rooms: Spaces of creativity, rebellion, laughter, and sacred rage. Where control once dictated design, we build differently, a home that does not collapse under lies. Generational repair Liberation is never private. Trauma flows across generations like a poisoned river. So does healing. When one person builds differently, the blueprint alters: Children grow up seeing truth honored, not denied. Families learn intimacy without domination. Communities practice leadership without control. Liberation scales. One healed body becomes many. Liberation economics Systems of control demand dependency, on money, approval, doctrine, shame. Systems of liberation demand sovereignty: Income not built on exploitation. Communities not built on silence. Power not built on fear. To liberate yourself economically is to starve the machine. To create new ways of exchange is to seed an entirely new world. The courage of construction This is not about being fearless. Fear will come. Courage is the act of building anyway. Liberation requires audacity: To name what was hidden. To refuse the blueprint of dependency. To risk being called dangerous, disobedient, and defiant. Because we are dangerous to systems that prey on silence. The invitation This is the work of our era, not just dismantling systems of control but designing systems of liberation. Not only breaking chains but forging new architecture – inner, relational, cultural. We are not waiting for saviors. We are not surviving anymore. We are engineers of sovereignty. We are builders of freedom. Follow me on  Facebook and   Instagram  for more info! Read more from Lindsey Leavitt Lindsey Leavitt, Transformational Coach Lindsey Leavitt is a transformational coach. She is certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). The model focuses on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness. Lindsey battled with anxiety and depression throughout her life. She implemented various therapeutic modalities, but none were effective. Finally, Lindsey implemented the DBT approach, which changed her life forever. Now she is helping others take back their power, regain control of their lives, and start living an abundant life.

Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview Chan Ming Yang is an inspiring educator, entrepreneur, and public speaking coach passionate about helping young people discover their voice and confidence. Through his innovative communication and leadership programs, he has empowered thousands of students to speak boldly, think critically, and lead with heart. Ming Yang believes that when individuals learn to express themselves authentically, they unlock the power to create meaningful change in their lives and communities.   Chan Ming Yang What inspired you to start Speech Academy Asia? I started Speech Academy Asia because I saw a silent epidemic in classrooms — brilliant children who couldn’t express themselves. They had ideas, imagination, and intelligence, but when asked to speak, they froze. In schools, we spend years teaching children what to think, but almost no time teaching them how to express what they think. That gap — between potential and communication — is where confidence is lost. I wanted to change that. I envisioned a place where every child could discover that their voice matters — where confidence isn’t something you’re born with, but something you train like a muscle. Speech Academy Asia was born out of that belief. It began as a small enrichment program and grew into a nationwide movement — now training thousands of children to not only speak with confidence, but to lead with conviction. Our mission has always been simple: “to transform children from passive learners into active communicators — ready for the real world.” How would you describe your teaching philosophy in just a few words? “Confidence through experience, not instruction.” We don’t lecture students about confidence — we let them experience it. Our philosophy is built on action-based learning. From the very first class, children stand up, move, speak, and engage in real scenarios. They role-play as news anchors, storytellers, debaters, or even entrepreneurs pitching ideas. When a child experiences the thrill of being heard — that spark of applause or recognition — their mindset shifts. Fear turns into excitement. Doubt turns into pride. Our approach blends emotional intelligence, creativity, and leadership. We help children understand that confidence is not perfection — it’s the courage to express yourself authentically, even when you’re nervous. In a few words: “We don’t build speakers. We build confident thinkers.” What makes your approach to public speaking training unique? Most public speaking programs teach techniques — voice projection, gestures, and eye contact. We go beyond performance; we train personality transformation. Our methodology blends psychology, performance arts, and entrepreneurship. We believe public speaking is not just about presentation — it’s about presence. Here’s what makes us different: Psychology-Driven Curriculum – rooted in behavioural science and Neuro Somatics™, we help children rewire their emotional responses to stress and fear. Performance Arts Integration – speech & drama techniques help them express creatively, not mechanically. Monthly Showcases – every child presents on stage; parents witness tangible growth every term. Our goal is not just eloquence. It’s real-world readiness — children who can speak, lead, and think critically in any environment, from school to future boardrooms. Can you explain how methods like Neuro Somatics™ help students build confidence? Neuro Somatics™ is the science behind how body movement affects the brain’s emotional state. We’ve adapted it for children to reprogram their fight-or-flight responses during public speaking. When a child feels nervous — their heart races, hands shake, voice trembles — it’s not weakness, it’s the body reacting to fear. Through Neuro Somatics™, we teach them to: Recognize these physical cues Use posture, breathwork, and movement to regain calm and focus Anchor positive emotional states before stepping on stage It’s a neuroscience-backed way of turning anxiety into energy. The result? Children don’t just look confident — their nervous system feels confident. This approach creates sustainable, lifelong composure. It’s why even our youngest students can perform confidently in front of hundreds — not through memorization, but through mental conditioning. We often say, “We don’t eliminate stage fright. We teach children to dance with it.” How do you measure success or progress among your students? Confidence isn’t an exam subject — you can’t score it on paper. But you can see it. You can feel it. We measure progress through three key dimensions: Stage Performance Milestones  – Every student delivers a live showcase every term. Parents witness how posture, clarity, and expression improve. Confidence Scorecards  – Trainers assess growth in voice, creativity, and emotional expression, giving parents personalized feedback. Leadership Activation  – Students who were once quiet begin volunteering to host, lead discussions, or mentor younger peers. We also monitor emotional indicators: willingness to participate, eye contact, laughter frequency, initiative in group discussions. In essence, success = visibility of growth — when parents say, “My child speaks with joy now.” That’s the measure that matters most. What challenges do students usually face when learning public speaking, and how do you help them overcome these? The three most common challenges are: Fear of Judgment  – “What if people laugh at me?” Perfection Paralysis  – “What if I make a mistake?” Lack of Emotional Connection  – speaking like a robot, not a storyteller. We tackle these through an ecosystem of support: Safe Learning Space  – no student is ever mocked or corrected harshly. Mistakes are celebrated as part of growth. Gamified Confidence Drills  – drama games, spontaneous roleplay, and story battles train quick thinking and courage. Neuro Somatics™ Training  – resets fear response through body awareness. Empathy Coaching  – we teach kids to connect emotionally with their audience, not just deliver lines. When a student realizes that the audience isn’t judging — they’re listening — everything changes. The moment they hear applause, confidence becomes addictive. That’s the turning point we create. What is your vision for the future of Speech Academy Asia? Our vision is to build Asia’s first global communication and innovation institute for youth — where every child learns not only how to speak, but how to create, lead, and influence. We are expanding our framework to integrate entrepreneurship, media training, and global collaboration. Children will not just deliver speeches — they will: Produce short-form video pitches and creative storytelling content Work with mentors from business, media, and education sectors Build global confidence portfolios — photos, videos, and achievements that open opportunities beyond school walls We are designing a world where public speaking is not an enrichment skill, but a life skill — as fundamental as literacy. In the long term, we aim for global recognition — establishing Speech Academy Asia as the gold standard in communication education. We want our graduates to be the next generation of TEDx speakers, innovators, social leaders, and changemakers. Our ultimate goal: To make confidence a global language — spoken by every child, everywhere. Closing Quote for Global Media: “Speech Academy Asia isn’t just an academy. It’s a movement — empowering a generation of young voices who will lead, innovate, and inspire the world.” For more info, follow Chan Ming Yang on Instagram , Facebook , and visit his website .

Written by: Marie Murphy, Ph.D. , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. The end of an affair can be a uniquely painful experience. Sure, the end of any romantic relationship can be plenty sad – maybe even excruciatingly so – but if your relationship was an affair, its end may seem especially difficult. Grieving the loss of a secret lover If the relationship was a secret, you may not have anyone to support you as you grieve your loss. You may wish, desperately, for someone to be there to witness your pain and help you bear it… but for all kinds of reasons, you may not want or be able to turn to your usual sources of support. Furthermore, if you don’t want anyone to know that you’re upset – because you don’t want anyone to know why you’re upset – you may feel compelled to hide your pain, put on a happy face, and keep up appearances, when all you want to do is sob and wail all day, every day. Or just crawl into a hole and die! As if that weren’t enough, you may have gotten the message that your grief is not legitimate. There’s an idea out there that if you’ve been part of an affair, you did something wrong, and therefore you deserve whatever pain you experience as a result of participating in the illicit relationship… or that you aren’t allowed to feel pain at all if your affair relationship ends. Ouch. Finally, even if the circumstances of any breakup have the potential to be complicated, the circumstances surrounding the end of affair relationships may be even more so. For instance, maybe your affair partner broke up with you very suddenly or abruptly because their spouse found out about what they were up to, and your affair partner (who very quickly became your former affair partner) asked you not to contact them ever again. Or maybe your affair partner’s SPOUSE contacted you and made it abundantly clear that your affair was over. Yikes. Any ending can be tough, but some endings are definitely tougher than others. So what do you do with all of your sadness, longing, grief, and heartache? Here are my main recommendations on how to get over affair partner. Legitimize your own pain and allow yourself to feel it Yes, it might be a total bummer if you don’t have anyone to talk to about your situation. Yes, you might really prefer to have a bunch of sympathetic shoulders to cry on, rather than having to deal with your pain privately. It’s fair enough to wish for sources of external support. And it might be the case that you can find external support, if you want it. You might be able to confide in someone you know and trust. It might seem like no one you know will understand or be sympathetic to what you’re going through, but you might be surprised. And of course, you can find a compassionate professional to talk to if you don’t want to share your story with anyone you know. And I am one such compassionate professional! You can schedule a time to talk with me here, if you like. But whether you have the external support you’d like or not, you can support yourself as you move through your grief. Many of us are in the habit of wanting others to validate our experiences, or affirm the legitimacy of our pain when we’re hurting. That’s fine, to an extent – meaningful connections with other humans are part of what makes life worth living, after all – but we don’t need to let our desire for support from others get in the way of supporting ourselves. we can validate our own feelings. we can honor the legitimacy of our experiences. We can witness ourselves as we mourn our losses in private. And moreover, only we can digest our own feelings. No matter how much support – or “support” – we get from others, digesting our feelings remains our sole responsibility. Decide if you want to do anything differently If you’re the person who ended the relationship, and you’re finding yourself extremely sad now that it’s over, you get to decide: is your sadness an indication that you might have ended the relationship too hastily, for reasons that you don’t really like? Affairs can be pretty stressful, after all, and sometimes people end their affairs in the hope that doing so will put an end to all of their stress, and thus, solve all of their problems. And sometimes that sort of works, but sometimes it really doesn’t. Maybe breaking up with your affair partner isn’t the resolution to your infidelity situation that makes the most sense for you. If you think you might have ended your relationship too hastily, or for the wrong reasons, you get to decide what you want to do about that. You might want to see if you can reconnect with your affair partner, and figure out how to continue that relationship. Maybe they’re the unicorn in your life, and you don’t want to let them get away! If you decide to keep your relationship with them going, that may mean you may have other decisions to make – such as, what you want to do about your marriage, if you are married – but that doesn’t have to be an insurmountable problem. Similarly, if your affair partner broke up with you, and you want to ask them to reconsider, you can (assuming they haven’t cut off all contact with you, of course). You can ask someone to reconsider in a classy, considerate manner. You don’t have to beg or plead or stalk your former – or possibly former – affair partner. You can tell them why you think your relationship deserves another chance, give them a chance to consider what you’ve said, and then respect their decision. Sometimes great love is worth fighting for – even if the relationship began under slightly complicated circumstances. But it’s also incredibly important to recognize that sometimes sadness is simply a reflection of the fact that something you’ve cherished has come to a conclusion. Sometimes grief is just a normal, natural, and inevitable reminder that everything in life is impermanent – even relationships with people we care about deeply. Sometimes the most appropriate response to feeling sad when a relationship ends is to give ourselves adequate time to honor and mourn our loss… so that we can eventually feel ready to move on to our next chapter. The difficult thing about that, of course, is that so many of us don’t LIKE feeling sad. We don’t WANT to feel loss. We don’t want to feel grief, or sorrow, or anguish, or any of those kinds of feelings. Here’s the deal, people: all human emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, are a natural, normal, inevitable, and even beautiful part of the human experience. And moreover, when we’re willing to ALLOW ourselves to feel our most uncomfortable feelings, they tend to give us less trouble than they do when we try to avoid or resist them. Take control of your narrative When a relationship you’ve very much enjoyed comes to an end, it’s completely reasonable to not like that at all. If you think your breakup with your affair partner is a big problem, and an instance of something going horribly awry in the cosmic scheme of things, that is totally human, and completely understandable. You probably want to give yourself a generous amount of time to view the end of your affair as a great tragedy, if that’s the way you see it. You want to give yourself ample time to be as displeased as you want to be about the way things ended – and about the very fact that things ended. You may think that your breakup is the worst thing that has ever happened to anyone, and that’s okay. Appropriate, even! But you probably don’t want to keep on thinking that way forever. Letting go of affair partner At some point, you will probably want to move forward and feel better. At some point, you will probably not want the end of your affair relationship to seem like a life-defining tragedy. So after you have given yourself ample time to legitimize your sadness, allow yourself to feel your own emotions, and let yourself be very upset about the end of your relationship, there will come a time for you to decide how you want to intentionally think about the end of your affair. You have the power to focus on what you learned and gained from your past experiences – and to use this knowledge as fuel for creating the life you want to live, going forward. You have the power to think about what happened in your affair relationship in a way that enhances your capacity to engage in future romantic relationships in ways you feel great about. If you want help digesting the pain of your affair coming to an end, I’m here for you. I’m a relationship coach and I provide non-judgmental assistance to folks who are engaging in anything they think counts as infidelity. Schedule an introductory coaching session with me. Or check out my podcast , “Your Secret is Safe with Me.” Visit my website for more info! Read more from Marie! Marie Murphy, Ph.D., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Dr. Marie Murphy is a relationship coach and the host of the podcast, “Your Secret is Safe with Me.” Dr. Murphy helps people who are engaging in anything they think counts as infidelity to deal with their feelings, clarify what they want, and make decisions about what they’re going to do – without shame, blame, or judgments. She believes that if you’re cheating on your partner, you deserve guidance and support that respects the fullness of your humanity, and the complexity of your situation, no matter what you’re doing. Resolving your situation in a way that’s truly right for you IS possible, and Dr. Murphy can help you do it.

Written by Heather L. Hurwitt, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Heather L. Hurwitt, MA, LMFT, LMHC, is a committed advocate for those healing from trauma and abuse, with an emphasis on narcissistic abuse recovery. As a trauma-informed clinician specializing in EMDR therapy, she empowers clients to overcome childhood and adult traumas while fostering a nurturing environment for transformational healing. In recent years, the rise of social media has transformed the way individuals communicate, share experiences, and build personal brands. With platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, users are often encouraged to curate their lives to present an idealized image of themselves. This environment has sparked a growing concern among mental health professionals regarding the potential link between social media use and increasing levels of narcissism in society. What is narcissism? Narcissism, characterized by a sense of self-importance, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, has become a subject of extensive research as its prevalence appears to be on the rise, particularly among younger generations. Studies indicate that the constant exposure to filtered images and curated content on social media can lead to a heightened sense of self-importance and an obsession with external validation. Users may feel compelled to present a perfected version of themselves, which can escalate feelings of inadequacy when comparing oneself to others. Misguided emphasis? One of the key mechanisms through which social media influences narcissism is the immediate feedback loop it creates. The desire for likes, shares, and comments can drive individuals to engage in self-promotional behaviors. This superficial interaction often overshadows more meaningful relationships and connections, as users may prioritize online approval over real-life engagement.   Furthermore, social media platforms can promote a culture of comparison, where individuals frequently measure their self-worth against that of their peers. These platforms often highlight success stories, leading to feelings of envy and low self-esteem for those who perceive themselves as falling short. In this competitive digital arena, users may develop an inflated perception of their own importance in a bid to gain attention and validation.   Societal impact It is crucial to consider the implications of these trends, as research suggests that rising narcissism can lead to various societal issues, including reduced empathy and increased conflict in personal relationships. As individuals become more engrossed in their online personas, the value placed on authentic connections may diminish, causing a decline in interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Solution: Awareness and intentionality In response to this growing concern, many experts advocate for a more mindful approach to social media use. Educating users about the potential pitfalls and encouraging them to engage more genuinely online can help mitigate the addictive tendencies that promote narcissistic behavior. By fostering awareness of the need for authentic interactions, individuals may begin to recognize the importance of balance in their online and offline lives.   While social media offers countless opportunities for connection and self-expression, it is essential to critically assess its potential influence on narcissism. Recognizing and addressing these trends can lead to healthier interactions both online and offline, promoting a more empathetic and connected society.   Through greater awareness and more responsible use, we can navigate the complexities of social media without compromising our values and relationships. Understanding and addressing the influence of social media on narcissism is an ongoing challenge that requires vigilance and dedication from individuals, parents, and society at large. How families can fight back against social media In today’s digital age, social media has become a prominent part of everyday life, particularly for children and teenagers. While these online platforms offer opportunities for connection and self-expression, they also present challenges, including the pressure to conform and curate a perfect image. As such, it is critical for parents to play an active role in   guiding their children  toward authenticity in these social media spaces.   Open communication The foundation of teaching authenticity begins with open and honest communication. Parents should encourage their children to express their thoughts and feelings about social media. Discussing the difference between online personas and real life is essential, helping children understand that what they see often reflects curated highlights of others' lives rather than a genuine depiction. Set clear guidelines Establishing boundaries regarding social media use is important. Parents should work with their children to set guidelines that promote healthy engagement. This may include the amount of time spent online, the types of content shared, and the importance of privacy settings. Understanding the implications of their online actions can empower children to make more informed choices. Promote critical thinking Encouraging children to think critically about the content they consume can help them remain authentic. Teach them to question the authenticity of the images and messages they see. Discuss the concept of “likes” and interactions as just one form of validation, and emphasize that self-worth should not be tied to online approval. Model authenticity Parents can profoundly influence their children's behavior by modeling authenticity themselves. Sharing personal experiences, including struggles and failures, can demonstrate that everyone grapples with their identity and self-image. By being honest about their own social media use, parents send a powerful message about the importance of authenticity. Encourage offline self-expression Support your children in finding their voice and interests outside of social media platforms. Encourage them to participate in activities that reflect their true selves, such as art, sports, or volunteer work. When children engage in real-life experiences, they develop a sense of identity  that transcends online validation.   Address cyberbullying It’s crucial to address the reality of cyberbullying and its impact on authenticity. Equip children with the tools to navigate negative interactions online, and reinforce that it’s okay to distance themselves from toxic environments. Create a safe space where they can share their experiences and feelings without fear of judgment. Celebrate diversity Teach children to appreciate diversity in online spaces. Encourage them to follow accounts that promote body positivity, mental health awareness, and authentic representation. Celebrating varied voices can help children understand that it’s normal to be different and that authenticity often lies in embracing one’s unique qualities. Societal effect As social media becomes a bigger part of our lives, it's vital to teach children how to manage their online presence while staying authentic. Learning responsible social media use helps them develop critical thinking, recognize genuine interactions, and understand the consequences of their actions. This fosters genuine relationships and empathy, reducing instances of cyberbullying. Encouraging children to balance their online and real-life experiences promotes self-acceptance and resilience against the pressures of online popularity. Ultimately, by instilling these values early on, we can nurture a future generation that values thoughtful communication and genuine connections, contributing to a more compassionate society. As they   Tips for adults Social media can be a powerful tool for adults, but using it responsibly is crucial for maintaining authenticity and avoiding narcissistic traits. Here are some suggestions to help:   Curate content thoughtfully: Share posts that reflect genuine interests and values rather than just seeking validation through likes and comments. Authenticity resonates more than curated perfection. Engage meaningfully: Instead of broadcasting to your audience, focus on building connections. Respond to comments, initiate conversations, and engage with others’ content in a constructive manner. Limit comparison: Recognize that social media often portrays an idealized version of life. Avoid comparing yourself to others, as this can lead to feelings of inadequacy and narcissistic behaviors. Set boundaries: Define when and how often you use social media. Creating time limits can prevent overindulgence and the compulsive need for online validation. Reflect on motivations: Before posting, ask yourself why you are sharing this content. Are you seeking affirmation, or is it a genuine representation of your thoughts and experiences? By practicing these strategies, adults can enjoy the benefits of social media while staying true to themselves and minimizing unhealthy traits. Conclusion In conclusion, while social media serves as a powerful tool for connection and expression, it also poses a hidden danger by promoting narcissistic traits  among its users. The curated nature of online personas leads individuals to cultivate an obsession with self-image and validation through likes and comments, fostering an unhealthy prioritization of appearance over authenticity. As we navigate the complexities of digital interaction, it is crucial to remain aware of these effects and strive for a balance that values genuine relationships over superficial metrics of success. By recognizing and addressing this issue, we can work toward a healthier online environment that encourages self-reflection and empathy rather than self-obsession. Need help? Nothing is more satisfying than an authentic and well-lived life, free from the bondage of fear regarding what others think of you. Embracing your true self allows for personal growth and fulfillment, ultimately leading to a more meaningful existence. If you or someone you know would like to further explore your values and find your purpose beyond the confines of social media pressure and influence, or for guidance in navigating complex relationship dynamics, reach out to us at A Satisfied Mind Counseling and see how we can help. Follow me on Instagram , LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from  Heather L. Hurwitt Heather L. Hurwitt, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Heather L. Hurwitt is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and owner of A Satisfied Mind Counseling. With a dedicated focus on trauma recovery, Heather specializes in compassionately supporting clients who have experienced narcissistic abuse, guiding them to break free from toxic relationship patterns. As a survivor herself, she brings deep empathy and understanding to the therapeutic process, guiding clients on their path to healing. Her mission is to inspire individuals to reclaim their lives, reconnect with their authentic selves, and embrace personal transformation, leading them toward satisfying and abundant lives.

Written by Polly Angel, Founder, The Angel Path Polly Angel is the founder of The Angel Path and creator of the "Meet Your Inner Team" emotional intelligence system. As an RTT practitioner and somatic trauma-informed coach, she specialises in helping women overcome generational patterns whilst teaching emotional intelligence to young people. As youth mental health problems surge by 50% in just three years. Forward-thinking parents are rejecting plastic toys in favour of gifts that create lasting transformation. This October, The Angel Path launches "Meet Your Inner Team," a complete emotional intelligence system teaching children and adults to understand their emotions as helpful messengers rather than problems to fix. These revolutionary tools make therapeutic concepts accessible for families, offering the gift of understanding that serves children throughout their lives. What is emotional intelligence and why does it matter? Emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to understand, use, and manage emotions in positive ways. Unlike IQ, which remains relatively fixed throughout life, emotional intelligence can be developed and strengthened at any age, though research consistently shows that starting early yields the most profound results. According to the Mental Health Foundation (2024), 20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year. More alarmingly, research from The Children's Society (2022) reveals that in the last three years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem has increased by 50%. Yet traditional education systems still focus almost exclusively on academic intelligence, leaving children ill-equipped to navigate their emotional landscape. The consequences of this emotional illiteracy are profound. Adults spend decades in therapy unlearning limiting beliefs formed in childhood, struggling with anxiety, people-pleasing patterns, and chronic self-doubt, patterns that could have been prevented with early emotional intelligence education. The problem with traditional approaches to children's emotions Walk into any bookshop and you'll find shelves dedicated to teaching children to "manage" emotions, "control" feelings, and "calm down" when upset. Whilst well-intentioned, this approach fundamentally misses the point. Emotions aren't problems requiring management, they are wisdom requiring understanding. When we teach children that anxiety is "bad" and should be eliminated, we teach them to fight a protective part of themselves that is scanning for danger to keep them safe. When we tell them to "stop being angry," we silence the part that is trying to set boundaries and protect their needs. This battle against emotions creates internal warfare that follows people into adulthood, manifesting as chronic stress, disconnection from authentic needs, and physical symptoms the body uses to communicate what the mind refuses to acknowledge. Introducing internal family systems for families Internal Family Systems (IFS), developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, offers a revolutionary alternative. Rather than viewing difficult emotions as problems, IFS recognises that we all have different "parts" within us, each with their own feelings, protective strategies, and important jobs. The worried part isn't malfunctioning, it is scanning for danger. The perfectionist part isn't being difficult, it is protecting you from criticism. The sad part isn't weak, it is processing loss and asking for comfort. Research demonstrates that when people learn to befriend their emotions rather than fight them, anxiety decreases significantly, whilst self-compassion and resilience increase. This paradigm shift, from fighting emotions to understanding them, creates a lasting transformation that no amount of "calm down" techniques can achieve. Meet your inner team: making IFS accessible to all ages Following extensive work helping women break free from people-pleasing patterns through Rapid Transformational Therapy, Polly Angel recognised a crucial gap. Most limiting beliefs form between ages 0 and 8, yet therapeutic tools are typically not introduced until adulthood, after decades of suffering. This realisation sparked the creation of "Meet Your Inner Team," a complete emotional intelligence system that makes IFS principles accessible from childhood through adulthood. The children's book (ages 5-10) Beautifully illustrated storytelling introduces young children to their emotional "team members" through engaging narratives they can relate to. Rather than being told their feelings are problems, children discover that different parts of them serve protective purposes. The book includes a pull-out chart for ongoing family conversations and eight character cards that allow children to physically interact with emotional concepts. This multi-sensory approach aligns perfectly with how young minds learn best, through story, visual learning, and tactile interaction. Parents report profound shifts. "Instead of saying 'calm down,' we now ask 'which part needs attention right now?' My daughter can identify when her Worrier is big versus when her Sad One needs comfort. The whole conversation has changed." The card deck (ages 12+) Designed for teens, young adults, and adults seeking deeper emotional intelligence, the comprehensive card deck introduces 21 distinct inner team members across four categories. The Guardians (Your Protectors): Parts that guard against possible future pain, The Worrier, The Perfectionist, The Caretaker, The Peacekeeper, The Controller. Rather than seeing these as character flaws, users learn to appreciate how these parts developed to keep them safe. The Hidden Hearts (Your Tender Parts): Vulnerable parts that hide to protect themselves from harm, The Lonely One, The Sad One, The Frightened One. Understanding these parts helps develop self-compassion rather than self-criticism. The Reactors (Your Quick Responders): Parts that create distractions from present pain, The Workaholic, The Escapist, The Exploder. Recognising these patterns helps users understand coping mechanisms without judgment. The Inner Guides (Your Wise Leaders): Authentic elements representing who we truly are, The Wise Self, The Confident One, The Healer, The Creator. These parts can lead with compassion when we are not overwhelmed by protective patterns. The accompanying guidebook provides frameworks for personal reflection, family discussions, and therapeutic settings. Counsellors and educators are already expressing interest in incorporating these tools into professional practice. The business case: why emotional intelligence predicts success For entrepreneurs and high achievers reading this, consider the hours spent battling imposter syndrome, managing people-pleasing patterns, or recovering from chronic perfectionism. These aren't personality traits, they are protective parts formed in childhood that now limit professional potential. Research from Yale University demonstrates that schools implementing comprehensive emotional intelligence programmes see a 23-point improvement in academic test scores alongside significant decreases in behavioural problems. The neurological explanation is clear, when people understand and regulate emotions effectively, the prefrontal cortex develops optimally, enhancing decision-making, creativity, and executive function. In business contexts, leaders with high emotional intelligence create more innovative teams, navigate conflict more effectively, and build more resilient organisations. The Meet Your Inner Team approach provides the foundation for developing these crucial capabilities from childhood through adulthood. What if the next generation could be equipped with emotional intelligence tools before limiting patterns became entrenched? What if your own children could learn at eight what took you until thirty-eight to understand? Beyond products: a movement toward preventive mental health Meet Your Inner Team represents more than new products entering the market. It is part of a larger movement toward preventive emotional health education through The Angel Path and The Superpower Academy, which delivers interactive workshops in schools and youth organisations, teaching young people that their minds are superpowers. Rather than waiting for mental health crises to develop, this approach teaches emotional intelligence during the crucial years when patterns become established. The philosophy is simple but revolutionary, understanding is power. When people understand that emotions are not problems to be fixed but wisdom to be honoured, they transform not just their own lives but their relationships, families, and communities. For those interested in exploring how childhood experiences shape adult patterns , the connection between emotional suppression and physical health is increasingly well documented in therapeutic research. This Christmas, gift understanding instead of more toys In a world where children receive an average of seventy new toys each year, only to lose interest within weeks, the Meet Your Inner Team system offers something increasingly rare, tools children will use throughout their lives, returning to them during challenging transitions, relationship difficulties, or moments of self-doubt. This is the gift that says, “I believe in equipping you with wisdom, not just entertaining you with things.” It is the gift that keeps giving, not through warranties or upgrades, but through the profound understanding that emotions are messengers deserving respect, not enemies requiring defeat. Available now for early supporters, these products arrive perfectly timed for families seeking meaningful Christmas gifts that create lasting transformation. For educators wanting practical classroom tools, for therapists seeking accessible client resources, and for parents determined to break generational patterns, this system bridges therapeutic concepts with everyday application. The science behind starting early International research published in peer-reviewed academic journals reveals that 50% of mental health problems are established by age fourteen and 75% by age twenty-four, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age. The opportunity cost of waiting is profound. Every year without emotional intelligence education is another year of neural pathways being reinforced around limiting beliefs, another year of protective patterns becoming more entrenched, and another year closer to the anxiety, depression, or chronic stress that brings adults to therapy. The Meet Your Inner Team system interrupts this trajectory, offering children and families the understanding that typically comes only after years of struggle, or never arrives at all. Start your family's emotional intelligence journey today The greatest gift you can give the children in your life isn't another toy that breaks or another book that gets forgotten, it is the understanding that will serve them every single day for the rest of their lives. Meet Your Inner Team is available now, perfectly timed for Christmas gift-giving. Order the children's book for ages five to ten, the card deck for ages twelve and up, or both to create a complete family emotional intelligence system that grows with your children. Visit The Angel Path shop to secure your copies and be among the first families to experience this revolutionary approach to emotional intelligence. For schools and organisations interested in bringing The Superpower Academy workshops to young people, learn more about the programme here . Because understanding is power, and every generation deserves access to that power. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , or visit my website for more info! Read more from Polly Angel Polly Angel, Founder, The Angel Path Polly Angel is a Rapid Transformational Therapy practitioner, IFS & Somatic trauma-informed coach, and founder of The Angel Path – Guidance toward Wellness. After her own transformative healing journey from chronic people-pleasing and debilitating migraines, she became passionate about helping others break free from limiting patterns. She specialises in working with women who appear strong on the outside but feel exhausted from putting everyone else first. Through The Angel Path, Polly offers individual RTT sessions and created "Meet Your Inner Team," a revolutionary emotional intelligence system for all ages. Her mission: Understanding is power, and every person deserves to understand their own emotional wisdom.

Written by Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Toren Ylfa is an ex-martial artist, trauma-informed practitioner, and Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher known for mythic branding, survivor-led advocacy, and scholarly fire. As the author of Sigil of the Mind (title forthcoming), Toren transforms lived experience into fierce, poetic reclamation. Reiki balances energy by restoring flow, clearing blockages, and reconnecting the body to its natural rhythm. This article explores how and why it works, with practical insight into the process. What is energy imbalance? Energy imbalance manifests as fatigue, anxiety, irritability, chronic pain, or emotional numbness. In Reiki, this imbalance is understood as a disruption in the flow of ki, the Japanese term for life force energy. When energy stagnates or becomes blocked, the body’s physical, emotional, and spiritual system, lose coherence. Reiki seeks to restore this coherence by channeling universal energy through the practitioner’s hands into the recipient’s energy field. How does Reiki restore balance? Reiki does not force change. It facilitates it. The practitioner places their hands on or near the body, allowing energy to flow where it’s needed. This process is non-invasive and intuitive. The energy moves through the chakras, seven primary energy centres aligned along the spine, each governing specific aspects of health and emotion. For example, the root chakra governs safety and survival. If blocked, one may feel anxious or disconnected. Reiki applied to this area can help release fear and restore grounding. The heart chakra, associated with love and grief, often holds emotional trauma. Reiki here can soften emotional rigidity and invite compassion. Can Reiki heal emotional trauma? Yes, but not by erasing it. Reiki helps the body process stored trauma by creating a safe, energetic space. According to trauma-informed practitioners, Reiki can support nervous system regulation, reduce hypervigilance, and promote emotional release. It does not replace therapy but complements it. Survivors often report feeling lighter, more centred, and less reactive after sessions. Is Usui Reiki backed by science or spirit? Both. Reiki’s mechanisms are not fully understood by conventional science, but studies have shown reductions in stress, anxiety, and pain. Hospitals increasingly offer Reiki as part of integrative care. While critics cite placebo effects, practitioners argue that healing is not limited to what can be measured. The absence of quantifiable proof does not negate lived experience. Should you try Reiki before therapy? Reiki is not a substitute for therapy, but it can be a powerful precursor. For those who struggle to verbalise trauma or feel overwhelmed by talk therapy, Reiki offers a non-verbal, somatic entry point. It can calm the nervous system, making therapeutic work more accessible. Does Reiki work for chronic pain? Many recipients report relief from chronic pain after Reiki sessions. While it doesn’t cure structural issues, it can reduce inflammation, ease muscle tension, and shift pain perception. Reiki’s calming effect on the nervous system may also interrupt pain cycles. Reiki vs. acupuncture: Which heals faster? Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate meridians, Reiki uses hands to channel energy. Acupuncture may yield faster physical results for pain, while Reiki often works more deeply on emotional and spiritual levels. Healing speed depends on the individual’s needs and receptivity. Usui Reiki vs. crystal healing Usui Reiki relies solely on universal energy and practitioner intention. Crystal healing uses stones with specific vibrational properties. Reiki is adaptable and portable, crystal healing requires tools. Reiki’s strength lies in its simplicity and directness. Western vs. traditional Japanese Reiki Western Reiki often includes chakra models, guided visualisations, and affirmations. Traditional Japanese Reiki (e.g., Usui Reiki Ryōhō) emphasises breathwork, meditation, and intuitive sensing. Western styles may feel more structured, Japanese styles more internal and subtle. Energy healing vs. talk therapy Talk therapy engages the mind, energy healing engages the body. Trauma often resides in the nervous system, beyond language. Reiki can access these layers, making it a valuable complement to verbal processing. Neither is superior, they serve different functions. 7 ways Reiki transforms your mindset: Reiki cultivates presence, reduces reactivity, enhances intuition, softens self-judgment, deepens empathy, restores hope, and strengthens boundaries. 5 Reiki hand positions every beginner should know: Crown, heart, solar plexus, root, and hands, these positions cover the major energy centres and offer a full-body reset. 9 signs your energy field needs clearing: Irritability, fatigue, brain fog, emotional numbness, sleep disruption, chronic pain, digestive issues, anxiety, and feeling “off.” 6 myths about Reiki that block healing: That it’s religious, placebo, only for women, requires belief, needs crystals, or is passive. None are true. 10% of your day is enough: Just 15 minutes of Reiki daily can shift your baseline. Consistency matters more than duration. 7 steps to raise your vibration: Ground, breathe, set intention, scan body, apply Reiki, release tension, close with gratitude. 3 minutes can shift your mood: Even brief self-Reiki can calm the nervous system and reset emotional tone. 5 rituals to boost Reiki by 80%: Breathwork, journaling, nature immersion, silence, and post-session integration. Reiki isn’t “woo”, it’s fierce: It meets trauma where it lives, in the body. It’s not soft. It’s surgical. Stop calling Reiki soft: It demands presence, discipline, and surrender. That’s warrior work. You don’t need crystals: Reiki flows through intention and connection. Tools are optional. Reiki isn’t passive: It requires deep listening, energetic hygiene, and active engagement. Why Reiki works: It restores coherence. You feel it when the body exhales and the mind quiets. What makes Usui Reiki unique: It’s lineage-based, minimalist, and rooted in breath and presence. Why survivors choose Reiki: It bypasses language, honours boundaries, and restores agency. What Reiki reveals: It shows where you hold grief, fear, and resistance, and how to release them. The 8 best practices: Self-Reiki, breathwork, meditation, journaling, grounding, silence, intention-setting, and integration. The 5 best times: Morning, post-conflict, before sleep, after therapy, during grief. Best books: The Reiki Manual , The Spirit of Reiki , Reiki: The Healing Touch , Japanese Reiki Handbook . Best breathwork blends: Box breathing, alternate nostril, coherent breathing, and silent breath awareness. 12 hacks for calm: Hand positions, breath, music, nature, silence, intention, grounding, hydration, journaling, movement, scent, and sleep. 7 hacks for empaths: Shielding, grounding, breathwork, boundaries, nature, silence, and energetic hygiene. 10 hacks for sleep: Reiki on heart, breathwork, silence, intention, no screens, grounding, lavender, journaling, warm bath, gratitude. 5 power hacks: Scan body, set intention, breathe deeply, apply Reiki, integrate. 8 mistakes Overthinking, skipping breath, rushing, doubting, comparing, neglecting self-Reiki, ignoring intuition, avoiding integration. Trying to control the energy. Reiki flows where it’s needed. Skipping breathwork: Reiki without breath is like fire without oxygen. Breath anchors the practitioner, regulates the nervous system, and opens the energetic channels. Skipping it dulls the transmission. Rushing through sessions: Speed betrays depth. Reiki requires stillness, not haste. Rushing through hand positions or cutting sessions short out of impatience undermines the body’s chance to recalibrate. Doubting sensations: Many beginners dismiss subtle sensations, tingling, warmth, or emotional shifts, as imagination. But Reiki speaks in whispers. Doubt silences the dialogue. Trust builds sensitivity. Comparing experiences: No two sessions are alike. Comparing your journey to others, especially dramatic accounts, creates false expectations. Reiki meets you where you are, not where someone else is. Neglecting self-Reiki: Some practitioners focus only on treating others. But self-Reiki is foundational. It builds energetic hygiene, deepens intuition, and prevents burnout. You are your first client. Ignoring intuition: Rigidly following hand charts or protocols without listening to the body’s cues limits the practice. Reiki is intuitive. The hands know where to go if you let them. Avoiding integration: Healing doesn’t end when the session does. Journaling, rest, hydration, and reflection are part of the process. Skipping integration leaves the energy suspended and ungrounded. 5 myths that slow healing: That Reiki is placebo, religious, passive, tool-dependent, or only for trauma. Common beginner mistakes: Skipping breathwork, rushing sessions, doubting sensations, ignoring boundaries, and forgetting integration. Follow me on Instagram ,   LinkedIn , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Toren Ylfa Toren Ylfa, Tattooed Alkhemist Toren Ylfa is a mythic advocate, ex-martial artist, and trauma-informed practitioner known for transforming lived experience into fierce, poetic scholarship. After surviving complex trauma, Toren forged a path through biochemistry, psychology, and energy work—becoming a Traditional Japanese Reiki Master Teacher and expert in CBT, DBT, REBT, EFT, and NLP. Their work blends Celtic and Viking motifs with survivor-led critique, dismantling stigma through academic rigor and ancestral fire. Toren is the author of Sigil of the Mind (title forthcoming) and creator of Sigil of the Unquiet, a podcast that weaves global statistics, legal analysis, and mythic cadence into transformative advocacy. Their mission: Reclaim the narrative. Burn the silence.

Written by Dr. LJ Rose, Therapist, Author, Professional Speaker Dr. LJ Rose is an international expert in mind dynamics, psychology, and alternative healing modalities. Author of eight self-help books, she is the founder of the Natural Wellness Academy, offering professional online coaching certification and one-on-one mentoring in niche wellness careers since 2013. Neurodiversity-affirming coaching shifts the focus from fitting in to thriving authentically. Rather than teaching neurodivergent individuals to mask or adapt, this approach celebrates their unique strengths, encourages self-advocacy, and promotes true inclusion. The result is transformation, not through conformity, but through recognition, reflection, and reclamation. How did we get here? Neurodiversity has become an increasingly recognized framework for understanding some of our differences. The term, coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in the late 1990s, reflects a shift from seeing conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or Tourette’s syndrome as deficits, to viewing them as natural variations in human neurology.[1] This reframing has been part of the growing awareness, experiences, and increased recognition of neurodivergence, which in turn has led to a growth in neurodiversity coaching, an approach that seeks to support neurodivergent individuals to better manage and thrive in a world not designed with the variations of neurodivergent processing in mind. However, many coaching programs marketed as “neurodiversity-aware” still subtly reinforce conformity. There can also be gentle pressure from parents to prioritize helping neurodivergent clients to manage, mask, or fit into existing workplace or societal norms, rather than helping them to explore, understand, and value their neurodivergent experience. These approaches, while understandable and well-intentioned, can perpetuate the very dynamics that create the most stress and potential burnout for neurodivergent people.[2] Burnout for a neurodivergent individual is a far cry from extreme fatigue and can manifest as “profound fatigue, heightened sensory sensitivities, and a loss of skills, particularly executive functioning and speech abilities”.[3] As the subject of neurodiversity grows in society’s awareness, with mixed quality of information being readily available, it is worth examining the growing importance of neurodiversity-affirming coaching. Simon Egerton , neurodivergent coaching specialist, explains how this affirming model acknowledges the validity of neurodivergent experience, recognizes the costs of chronic “fitting in,” and seeks to empower individuals to advocate for themselves and others, but importantly, at a pace and in a manner that is manageable for them. Self-awareness and self-care then become key tenets. Egerton emphasizes that positive coaching of neurodivergent people should never be designed around a focus on adjusting the individual to the environment, but rather about supporting the person to understand their needs, express them with confidence, and build sustainable, self-aligned ways of living and working. The hidden costs of fitting in For many neurodivergent people, perhaps especially those who are late diagnosed, the effort to appear “neurotypical” has been deeply learned and comes at a steep cost. Research on masking, the conscious or unconscious suppression of natural traits to conform to expected norms, shows that it is linked to anxiety, depression, and exhaustion.[4] Masking may involve forcing eye contact, rehearsing social interactions, over-managing attention or emotions, hiding sensory sensitivities, and much more. Over time, the constant vigilance this requires can lead to burnout, a loss of knowing one’s own identity, and even trauma-like symptoms.[5] In workplace coaching, the dominant narrative has long been about “performance optimization” and being a “professional fit.” For neurodivergent clients, this can easily translate into subtle or not-so-subtle pressure to adapt their natural communication, workflow, or energy patterns to match a neurotypical environment. Such approaches risk reinforcing ableist assumptions that there is a “correct” way to think, work, or relate. A neurodiversity-affirming coach then helps their clients recognize that their experiences, such as chronic fatigue, disconnection, or anxiety, are not personal weaknesses but completely understandable responses to a chronic misalignment between social expectations, an unsympathetic environment, and the reality of their neurobiological processing, which includes frequent dysregulation of the nervous system. This reframing is not merely therapeutic, it can be liberating. From deficit to difference: a paradigm shift in coaching The neurodiversity paradigm can also offer a profound reorientation for the coaching profession. Instead of seeing neurodivergence as something to be treated or managed, it recognizes it as part of human diversity, with its own unique strengths and challenges.[6] Traditional coaching models have tended to emphasize measurable outcomes and behavioral adjustment. While useful, they may inadvertently position the neurodivergent client as someone who must “fix” themselves to succeed. A neurodiversity-affirming approach redefines success as authentic thriving, developing strategies that align with each individual’s natural wiring. Language plays a crucial role here. Terms like “high-functioning” or “disorder” carry implicit judgments. In contrast, affirming coaching adopts identity-first and strengths-based language to validate the client’s lived experience.[7] The core of neurodiversity-affirming coaching At its heart, neurodiversity-affirming coaching is about recognition, reflection, and reclamation. Recognition: Clients are supported to recognize their own cognitive patterns, sensory preferences, communication styles, and emotional rhythms as legitimate aspects of their identity, not faults to correct. Reflection: Clients are supported to reflect on how their environment and histories have shaped their self-perception as well as society’s, often unlearning internalized ableism. Reclamation: Coaching becomes a space to reclaim agency, identifying supports, boundaries, and advocacy strategies that enable authentic living. The benefits of affirmative coaching Validation and psychological safety: For many neurodivergent adults who have spent years being misunderstood or dismissed, simply hearing a validating phrase like “That makes total sense” can be profoundly healing. Authentic self-understanding: Clients begin to understand what truly supports or drains them, developing greater self-knowledge and self-compassion. Improved well-being: Coaching that encourages authenticity helps to reduce stress and burnout.[8] Enhanced self-advocacy: As clients gain clarity, they begin to communicate their needs more confidently and to connect more deeply and authentically with those around them, including loved ones. Community connection: Recognizing shared experiences fosters belonging and collective empowerment.[9] Towards a culture of authenticity and inclusion The broader impact of neurodiversity-affirming coaching extends beyond the individual. When neurodivergent people are supported to show up authentically, they model inclusive practices that benefit everyone.[10] For organizations and workplaces, this might mean moving from accommodation to inclusion through new design measures, creating environments that are flexible enough to suit diverse minds from the outset. Conclusion The benefits of neurodiversity-affirming coaching are both personal and cultural. For individuals, it means moving from experiences of exhaustion and isolation, or even a sense of rejection, to greater self-acceptance, and from merely coping towards a deeper sense of connection. For the wider community, it fosters empathy, innovation, and inclusion. My main resource in this article, Simon Egerton, is the co-creator of a cutting-edge certified neurodivergence life coaching program through the Natural Wellness Academy, recognized by the International Coaching Federation. This program seeks to embody more enlightened approaches to coaching and incorporating neurodiversity in the workplace. Real transformation perhaps comes when coaches facilitate an inner change, away from imposed conformity towards a greater sense of identity and emotional liberation, where differences are celebrated proudly as integral to our common humanity. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. LJ Rose Dr. LJ Rose, Therapist, Author, Professional Speaker LindaJoy Rose, Ph.D., is the founder of the Natural Wellness Academy est. 2013 training mind/body/spirit wellness coaches in 40+ countries. The author of eight self-help books, including Your Mind: The Owner’s Manual, Dr. LJ is a pioneer in the worldwide training of hypnotherapy, subconscious dynamics, Jungian archetypes, and healthy lifestyle hacks. References: [1] Singer, J. (1999) 'Why Can’t You Be Normal for Once in Your Life?' From a 'Problem with No Name' to the Emergence of a New Category of Difference. In: M. Corker & S. French (eds.), Disability Discourse. Buckingham: Open University Press, pp.59–70. [2] Raymaker, D.M. et al. (2020). Having All of Your Internal Resources Exhausted Beyond Measure and Being Left with No Clean-Up Crew: Defining Autistic Burnout. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2), pp.132–143. [3] Neff, M-A. (2024) Self-Care for Autistic People, p56 [4] Hull, L. et al. (2017) 'Putting on My Best Normal': Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), pp.2519–2534. [5] Botha, M. (2020). Autistic Camouflage and the Costs of Conformity. Autism in Adulthood, 2(4), pp.336–347. [6] Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities. San Francisco: Autonomous Press. [7] Brown, L.X.Z. (2019). Identity-First Language and the Neurodiversity Movement. In: D. Murray (ed.), Autism and Society: Critical Reflections. London: Routledge, pp. 53–68. [8] Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The 'What' and 'Why' of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), pp.227–268. [9] Den Houting, J. (2019). Neurodiversity: An Insider’s Perspective. Autism, 23(2), pp.271–273. [10] Austin, R.D. & Pisano, G.P. (2017) Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage. Harvard Business Review, 95(3), pp.96–103. [11] Chapman, R. (2023). Neurodiversity and the Social Model of Disability: Moving from Theory to Practice. Disability & Society, 38(2), pp.241–258. [12] Milton, D. (2012). On the Ontological Status of Autism: The 'Double Empathy Problem'. Disability & Society, 27(6), pp.883–887.

Written by Dr. Kristine Medyanik, Dynamic Educator, Facilitator, and Leadership Strategist Dr. Kristine Medyanik is a dynamic leadership development facilitator in classrooms, corportate environments and conferneces. She uses humor and stories to make concepts come to life and leaves audiences with tangible tools to positively impact their own leadership practice both professionally and personally. Ever wonder why one teammate craves structure and detailed plans while another thrives on last-minute inspiration and spontaneous action? Or why one person’s blunt “just being honest” feedback feels like a direct and helpful truth, yet to another, it lands with an “ouch” and creates a defensive reaction? These moments aren't merely random personality clashes or minor communication hiccups; they are profound opportunities for understanding the diverse ways individuals approach their work and interactions. The Wayz to Lead assessment offers a powerful framework to help teams uncover the fundamental "why" behind how people naturally communicate, collaborate, and lead. It’s designed to be simple to understand, relatable in its insights, and surprisingly accurate in its portrayal of individual and team dynamics. By clearly identifying whether you primarily operate as a My Way, Nice Way, Fun Way, or Right Way leader, you gain invaluable self-awareness, but more importantly, you gain an understanding of others' communication needs. This understanding is not just about personal growth; it's about learning not only how to work better as an individual, optimizing your own contributions and preferred methods, but, crucially, how to work better together as a cohesive and high-performing team. It unlocks the secrets to leveraging each other's strengths, navigating differences with empathy, and building a more effective and harmonious collaborative environment. My way: The driver Confident, decisive, and independent, My Way leaders like to make things happen. They’re vision-driven, assertive, and thrive on efficiency and results. Communication tips: Be direct and concise, get to the point and respect their time. Frame feedback around outcomes and impact rather than emotion. Supervisory tips: Give them autonomy with clear expectations, they’ll rise to the challenge. Offer opportunities for leadership and decision-making; they like to be in control of their success. Nice way: The nurturer Kind, thoughtful, and loyal, Nice Way leaders value relationships above all. They bring harmony, empathy, and connection to the team. Communication tips: Lead with warmth and appreciation, they need to feel valued. Avoid harsh or abrupt feedback; use a gentle and supportive tone. Supervisory tips: Offer reassurance during change, they prefer stability and clear expectations. Encourage boundary-setting so their caring nature doesn’t lead to burnout. Fun way: The enthusiast Energetic, optimistic, and spontaneous, Fun Way leaders bring creativity and excitement to the workplace. They love people, ideas, and possibilities. Communication tips: Keep it upbeat and collaborative, they respond to enthusiasm. Avoid micromanaging or too many details; focus on the big picture. Supervisory tips: Recognize their contributions publicly, they love positive energy. Provide variety and flexibility to keep their engagement high. Right way: The analyzer Detail-oriented, consistent, and dependable, Right Way leaders bring structure and quality to everything they do. They ensure things get done correctly, not just quickly. Communication tips: Be specific and factual, clarity builds their trust. Give them time to process before expecting a decision. Supervisory tips: Respect their need for order and process; don’t surprise them with last-minute changes. Offer detailed feedback and recognize accuracy, they take pride in precision. Why doing personality work as a team matters: Unlocking collective potential When teams embark on the journey of understanding their individual Way to Lead together, a profound and transformative shift occurs. What once appeared as frustrating differences, those quirks and working styles that could lead to friction, suddenly emerge as invaluable strengths that beautifully complement and balance one another. This collective self-awareness is not merely an interesting exercise; it's a strategic investment in the team's health and effectiveness. Each "Way to Lead" brings a distinct and essential contribution: The Fun Way injects vital energy and enthusiasm into projects and daily interactions. These individuals often excel at fostering a positive atmosphere, inspiring creativity, and ensuring that the team remains engaged and motivated, even through challenging times. Their ability to see the lighter side and celebrate successes keeps morale high. The Right Way ensures meticulous quality, adherence to standards, and thoughtful consideration of details. These team members are often the guardians of precision, accuracy, and best practices. They bring a critical eye, ensuring that work is thoroughly reviewed, well-structured, and meets high benchmarks, preventing costly errors and rework. The My Way champions progress, innovation, and decisive action. These individuals are often the driving force behind getting things done, pushing boundaries, and overcoming obstacles. They bring a sense of urgency and determination, ensuring that initiatives move forward and that the team remains focused on achieving its objectives. The Nice Way fosters deep connection, empathy, and harmonious relationships within the team. These members are often the glue that holds the team together, ensuring that everyone feels heard, valued, and supported. They excel at mediating conflicts, building consensus, and creating an inclusive environment where collaboration thrives. By recognizing and appreciating these diverse approaches, teams move beyond surface-level interactions. They begin to communicate more clearly, as they understand the underlying motivations and perspectives of their colleagues. Collaboration becomes significantly more effective because members can intentionally leverage each other's strengths, assigning tasks and responsibilities in a way that maximizes individual talents and collective output. Most importantly, there's a deep-seated respect for what each person genuinely brings to the table, acknowledging that every "Way to Lead" is indispensable for comprehensive success. This isn't just about personality awareness; it's about dynamic team alignment in action. It's the conscious cultivation of an environment where individual differences are not just tolerated but celebrated as the very foundation of a robust, resilient, and high-performing collective. When a team understands and embraces its varied internal dynamics, it unlocks its full potential, transforming challenges into opportunities and good performance into exceptional achievement. Ready to discover your Way to Lead? Take the free personality quiz here or bring your whole team together for a virtual personality workshop for only $275! Schedule your session today, book a workshop . Order your Wayz to Lead “UnCourse” on Amazon! What’s an UnCourse ? When you understand the Wayz to Lead, you don’t just lead better, you connect better, build better, and succeed together. Follow me on Facebook , LinkedIn , and visit my website for more info! Read more from Dr. Kristine Medyanik Dr. Kristine Medyanik, Dynamic Educator, Facilitator, and Leadership Strategist Dr. Kristine Medyanik is a dynamic leadership development facilitator in classrooms, corportate environments and conferneces. She uses humor and stories to make concepts come to life and leaves audiences with tangible tools to positively impact their own leadership practice both professionally and personally.

Written by Alneja Gašpar Horvat, Special Guest Writer and Executive Contributor Love doesn’t just touch our hearts. It affects our health and well-being, ignites creativity, transforms our bodies and hormones, and shapes our ability to create life. When we feel emotionally safe, the body puts down its guard, softens, and opens to receive love, abundance, and life itself. When we don’t, it contracts and starts protecting itself by blocking the very things we desire. The hidden ingredient behind love, health, and happiness Emotional safety is the hidden fuel, the secret ingredient that can make or break our lives. The absence of it can kill love, break up families, and shut down our bodies. It’s not just an emotional state. It’s a biological, energetic, and spiritual foundation that supports healing, connection, and the natural flow of creation. Essentially, emotional safety gives birth to happiness, lasting relationships, and even children. What does it mean to feel safe in love? Love is the most beautiful and, at the same time, terrifying necessity of life. We all long for it, yet we all fear it for the same reason. We believe it’s the foundation of happiness and fulfillment. We were told so as children. Every fairy tale ends with “they got married, had children, and lived happily ever after.” We grew up believing that love alone brings happiness. But what about all those times it doesn’t? What about those times, when love makes us lose ourselves, shrink to meet someone else’s expectations, give up on our dreams and goals, or become caretakers instead of partners? Love on its own is not enough. Without emotional safety, love can easily turn into pain, tears, and disappointment. It can make us disappear or become someone we are not. So, is it still worth loving? Absolutely. But for love to last, it must be paired with safety. How many times have you said or heard “I love you”, and yet the love eventually faded? “I love you” is not the measure of a healthy, long-lasting relationship. We all know we can love deeply, even in toxic relationships, but in those, we never/rarely feel safe, seen, or understood. When emotional safety is missing, love begins to fade Not because the love itself disappears, but because the body and heart can’t stay open where they don’t feel safe. Somewhere along the way, we gave way too much power to those three little words, “I love you.” We were taught to see them as the expression and ultimate sign of love and safety, as if hearing them could guarantee connection or belonging. But love alone isn’t what makes us feel secure. Words can comfort us for a moment, but without presence, empathy, and consistency, they slowly lose their magic. True safety isn’t found in what we say, it’s found in what we feel It’s in the voice that soothes, the eyes that truly see us, and the arms that hold us even when we’re not at our best. Love may start with words, but it only lasts when we feel safe enough to stay open to it. Emotional safety is the quiet confidence that you can be your full self, messy, joyful, imperfect, vulnerable, and human, without fear of rejection or shame. It’s the deep breath your body takes when your partner’s presence feels like home. The person you feel safe with is the one to keep. The one who lasts. The one your body won’t reject. It’s the person you’ll never cheat on, hurt, or abandon, the one you’ll joyfully return to after a long day because with them, you feel safe, seen, and understood. This is the kind of love that lasts, that doesn’t break up families, and that can even create new life. In my work as a Fertility & Mama Coach, I often see couples who love each other deeply, but struggle to conceive. Beneath that struggle, there’s almost always a lack of emotional safety and trust, rooted in painful childhood experiences. The body always reacts to our sense of safety When a woman feels truly seen and understood, her nervous system shifts from protect to create, from infertility to fertility. The stress hormones that once kept her body in fight-or-flight begin to ease, and her natural cycles of emotion, energy, and fertility start to harmonize. When a woman feels safe, she can finally surrender, trust, and open, not only to love but to life itself. Love isn’t just an emotion. It’s a biological signal. It tells the body whether to open or to close. How do unresolved childhood wounds shape adult relationships? Relationships are mirrors, reflections of the places within us that still ache to be seen, held, and healed. No matter how old we are, we remain extensions of our inner child. Everything that our younger self didn’t heal will eventually resurface in our relationships. Love has a way of stirring up old wounds. It triggers us in the very places where we are most tender and vulnerable, our loneliness, our fear of not being good enough, the ache of always coming last, the pain of broken promises, or the repetition of unhealthy patterns we swore we’d never repeat. How we respond to these wounds, whether we suppress them, project them, or finally allow ourselves to feel them, is a topic for another time. But one thing is certain, unresolved childhood pain shapes every relationship we have, with our business partners, life purpose, body, friends, family, children, and even love. The inner child wants nothing more than to feel safe, loved, and accepted. If it has experienced rejection, inconsistency, or emotional neglect, it learns to protect itself. In adulthood, these protective patterns show up in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. We seek validation, avoid vulnerability, overgive, or unconsciously attract partners who mirror the pain we never resolved. These are not flaws. They are coping mechanisms, the body’s way of trying to stay safe. Healing begins when we stop judging these patterns and start listening to them. Every trigger, every emotional wall, is really a message from our inner child, a cry for help and reassurance. “I’m scared. Can I trust this? Is this safe?” When the inner child feels truly safe, it relaxes. And when it does, so does the heart and the body. The biology of safety: How the nervous system mirrors love Emotional safety isn’t abstract, it’s physiological. The autonomic nervous system, particularly the vagus nerve, constantly monitors whether we are safe or threatened. When we feel safe, the parasympathetic system, often called the “rest, digest, and create” mode, takes over. Heart rate stabilizes, digestion improves, hormones balance, and blood flow returns to the reproductive organs. This is the biological state where conception, creativity, and deep connection are most possible. When we feel unsafe, emotionally or physically, the sympathetic system takes charge. Cortisol and adrenaline flood the body, diverting energy away from non-essential functions, like digestion and reproduction. In an unsafe relationship, love and reproduction often just shut down. When that happens, it doesn’t mean your body is broken. Your body is just protecting you from danger, resurfacing childhood pain, the wrong person, unsafe choices, or harmful patterns. It’s the same mechanism that stops ovulation or delays menstruation during famine or danger. The body reacts to perceived physical or emotional threat to keep you and your future offspring safe. For women, especially those who have experienced early trauma, emotional safety is essential. The body needs to know it is truly safe, not just to be open to love, but to create life. Deep down, the body seeks reassurance. That this partner is trustworthy, that together they will not repeat the pain of the past, and that any children born from this union will be loved, protected, and free from ancestral wounds. Women are guided by their inner mother archetype, the instinct to nurture, protect, and create life. When that inner mother feels safe, and the inner child within us feels seen, held, and understood, love blossoms naturally. And when love feels safe, the body follows, it relaxes, opens, and creates with ease. In other words, without emotional safety, the mother archetype blocks the heart and body to protect both herself and her future children. Even the deepest desire to conceive may be subconsciously blocked to prevent entering an unsafe or toxic relationship. Emotional safety isn’t just supportive. It’s biologically essential for love, intimacy, and fertility to thrive. Conscious relationships as a path to healing, love, and fertility Luckily, love is not always a reflection of unhealed childhood pain or a source of heartache. When experienced in emotional safety, it becomes a powerful medicine, unlocking passion, creativity, fertility, and inner peace. Conscious, emotionally attuned relationships provide a corrective experience, one where our nervous system learns that closeness doesn’t have to mean danger. And that is the beauty of love. It can heal and rewire us. When we feel safe with someone, our body begins to rewrite old stories: “I’m good enough.” “I’m not too much.” “It’s safe to love and be loved.” “Love doesn’t disappear when I reveal my true self.” This emotional rewiring has a profound impact on well-being as well as fertility. I’ve witnessed women who, after years of struggle, conceived naturally once their emotional landscape shifted, when they felt safe enough to open, trust, and receive. Healing the heart often opens the womb. 8 simple ways to create emotional safety in love Now, let’s be real, no relationship is perfect, nor is it supposed to be. Emotional safety isn’t something that only exists in flawless relationships. It’s something we can cultivate with loving intention, persistence, and care, in any relationship built on mutual respect and a willingness to grow together. It’s rarely something that magically appears overnight, and if it’s still missing in your relationship, it doesn’t mean you have to walk away. Every love story deserves to be fought for. When both partners give and receive equally, emotional safety can slowly be created and strengthened over time. Love, like anything we truly value, our health, our business, or a strong, fit body, needs regular attention, care, and daily nourishment. Love isn’t something to take for granted. If we don’t show up, nurture it, and grow together day by day, it can fall out of balance, just like a body without exercise and a healthy diet, or a business left unattended. So, if you want to give your relationship a fair chance and create emotional safety where it feels missing, start following these 8 simple rules: Listen to understand, not to fix. When your partner shares, hold space without jumping to solutions. Being heard is healing in itself. Soften your body. Notice when you’re tense during a conflict. Don’t react. Take a breath and remind yourself, “I’m safe now.” Use repair, not perfection. Emotional safety isn’t built by never hurting each other, but by knowing how to reconnect afterwards. Share your inner world. Vulnerability invites intimacy. When you share what you truly feel, you teach your partner how to love you better. Ask more and talk less. Show your significant other you care. Allow your partner to vent, cry, and share safely. Don’t try to fix things for them. Help them release the pain and inspire them to find solutions. Prioritize self-safety. Emotional safety begins within. The more you can self-soothe and stay present, the more your body feels like home and acts safe around others. Make small gestures. Prove you remember, care, see, hear, and understand your partner. Give each other small moments of safety, a kind glance, a calm tone, a long hug. These will accumulate over time, teaching the body to relax, open, and receive again. Love, like anything we truly care about, thrives when we show up every day with attention, presence, and intention. Why “I feel safe, seen, and understood” is the most beautiful compliment you can ever receive Essentially, the greatest gift we can give or receive in love isn’t “I love you,” but “With you, I feel safe, seen, and understood.” That sentence carries the essence of trust, surrender, and healing. It signals to the nervous system, “I can exhale. I don’t need to fight, hide, or protect anymore.” For women, especially when making huge life decisions like marriage, moving in together, pregnancy, motherhood, or navigating fertility challenges, that exhale can be life-changing. When the heart feels safe, the body follows, opening to intimacy, creation, and the possibility of new life. Because love, in its truest form, is not about fixing or chasing, it’s about allowing the body, the heart, and the spirit to feel safe enough to bloom. How your level of emotional safety shapes your love, life, and fertility Your relationships are not just emotional experiences. They are reflections of your personal and spiritual maturity. The safer you feel within yourself, the safer others feel around you because as you heal, you cultivate safety, the kind that softens your body, steadies your heart, and creates the inner space where love and life can truly thrive. Whether your goal is deeper intimacy, emotional healing, or conceiving new life, keep this in mind, “Like seeds in rich soil, people flourish where they feel safe.” When your inner child feels held, your heart opens. When your heart opens, your body follows. And when your body feels safe, love, creation, and miracles no longer need permission, they simply happen. How to step into emotional safety? Whether you’re calling in love, preparing to welcome new life, or learning to balance motherhood and business, remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Open up to your partner, a trusted friend, someone who’s walked a similar path, or a professional who can help you feel safe again. Healing happens in connection when you allow yourself to be vulnerable, seen, and supported. I’ve been working as a Fertility & Mama Coach in Slovenia for over 12 years now, and I’m thrilled to have recently expanded my work and mission to an international audience. If you’re ready to nurture emotional safety, create deeper connection, and step fully into love, family, and your own power, but don’t have someone to confide in right now, I’m here to walk this path with you. You are not alone. Together, we can help you feel safe again. For any questions about love, fertility, or challenges with motherhood, you can email me directly at alneja@baby-spell.com . If you’re trying to get pregnant and feel stuck, schedule a diagnostic counseling session with me. Or explore my signature 12-week fertility program, Unlock Your Fertility , designed to help you release hidden blocks and align mind, body, and heart for conception. Follow me on Facebook , Instagram , and visit my website  for more info! Read more from Alneja Gašpar Horvat Alneja Gašpar Horvat , Special Guest Writer and Executive Contributor Alneja Gašpar Horvat is a Fertility & Mama Coach and Transformational Mentor who helps women and couples unlock fertility, heal emotional wounds, and create conscious, loving families. With over a decade of experience, she guides clients through conception, pregnancy, motherhood, and the delicate balance between work, love, and self. Through her holistic and intuitive approach, Alneja empowers women to release ancestral patterns, reconnect with their bodies, and build healthier generations rooted in love, safety, and purpose.