We Are the Compassionate Revolution

It’s not uncommon for compassionate people to feel confused or guilty for not trusting a partner or loved one… even after years of lies and hurtful behavior. In this episode, Molly answers a question from someone being told her lack of trust signifies that she has control issues or a spiritual deficit.   Listener Question: “After 8 years of my partner’s repeated lies, he’s recently had a religious experience and claims he will never lie again. The problem is, I still don’t trust him — and now he says my lack of trust is actually a 'control issue' or a spiritual problem. Am I being a terrible partner, or am I right not to trust him?”   In this episode, Molly explains: Why demanding trust is a red flag and it needs to be built by actions over time. The difference between bodily wisdom and actual control issues. How setting boundaries supports healthy change for both partners.   If you’ve ever been made to feel guilty or like you have a character flaw for not trusting someone whose behavior has been consistently problematic, this episode will bring you clarity!   *****   Ask Molly a question at her voicemail box here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskMolly.   Take Molly’s FREE Boundaries Breakthrough mini-course to discover which of the 4 most common relationship traps has you in its grip (and how to break free)!   Order Molly's new book: The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

Content Warning: The following episode references an incident of sexual trauma. Listener discretion advised.   In this episode, Molly responds to a courageous question from a listener confused about a "transactional" power dynamic from childhood that has left her wondering: If I participated or "agreed" to my abuse, is it still abuse?   Question: "I’ve been doing childhood trauma work for the last three years, and it’s left me confused. I’m trying to figure out why I can’t figure it out — why my father’s obvious abuse doesn’t feel like abuse because it was transactional."   Molly dives into the neuroscience of the developing brain and how childhood trauma installs false beliefs about our self-worth before we even have the words or framework to understand what we’re experiencing. She explores how having a high responsibility drive can lead us to carry blame that was never ours to bear.   In this episode, Molly explores: the neuroscience of childhood trauma and the “responsibility trap” the power dynamics of transactional abuse survival vs. true choice how to begin returning blame energetically to where it belongs   Doing childhood trauma work takes guts. It is a radical act of rebellion to decide that you are worthy of healing. If you are ready to stop carrying blame that doesn’t belong to you, this episode is for you.   *****   Ask Molly a question at her voicemail box here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskMolly.   Enroll in Molly’s popular Boundaries 101 class to learn how to shed responsibility for the things that are not within your power and step into your true boundaries without guilt or apology.   Order Molly's new book: The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You.

In this deep-diving episode, Molly addresses an important question from a listener who has done a ton of personal growth but still struggles with intellectualizing and stuffing feelings.   Listener Question: "I collect mental health tips and self-help books, but I’m realizing it’s just a fancy way of avoiding my feelings. Now that I'm caregiving for my elderly parents, all the feelings I've 'stuffed' are coming back up and I'm turning to food to cope. Help! Any tips you can give me are welcome.”   Molly explores how society — and even many popular healing modalities — rewards us for intellectualizing emotions, "coping" well, and staying productive at the expense of our emotional health.   In this episode, learn: why intellectualizing feelings can keep us stuck how our bodies are healthy, wise, and intelligent for sending us alarm signals – even when they’re unpleasant and unwanted in the moment a practical exercise for transmuting stuffed feelings through gratitude, honor, and invocation how to transition from head knowledge to heart-centered healing.   *****   Ask Molly a question at her voicemail box here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskMolly.   Check out the revamped version of Molly’s FREE Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course and discover which of the 4 toxic relationship traps has you in its grip (and how to break free)!   Order Molly's new book: The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

This week, Molly dives into two tender, complex listener questions: one involving the pressure of outside opinions and another on setting boundaries with an adult child with complex needs.   Question 1: "I’ve never really known myself and find it difficult to set boundaries. I feel pressured to join a community because others say I 'should,' but my gut and even my dreams are screaming 'no.' How can I set boundaries when I don't even know who I am?" — Stephanie   Question 2: "I’m a single mom to a 19-year-old with ADHD, autism, and mental health limitations. My home dynamic feels like an abusive relationship, and logic and reasoning don't work. How do I set boundaries when I can't leave and my child won't cooperate?" — Krissy   In this episode, learn about: shifting the locus of control boundaries as self-discovery, as well as pro-relational boundaries the honor-self/honor-others framework the "strong one" trap permission to experiment   *****   Ask Molly a question at her voicemail box here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskMolly.   Take Molly’s acclaimed Boundaries 101 class to begin your own journey of self-discovery and boundary-setting in complex relationships.   Order Molly's new book: The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

Listener Question: "How can I help the world when I feel like nothing I do is enough? It just feels like the problems are too big and I'm just one person. Burying my head in the sand isn't the answer, but I want to." — Feeling Overwhelmed on the East Coast   In this episode, Molly answers a listener question about how to stay compassionate without drowning in hopelessness from all the terrible things happening in our world right now.   Molly breaks down how our desire to help often becomes trapped inside our dominant culture’s mindset, demanding immediate results and perfect outcomes. When we treat compassion like a job to be mastered, our emotional health tanks.    Using the powerful stories of Harriet Tubman and the original creator of Monopoly, Elizabeth Magie (whose original vision for the game was VERY different than the popular version many of us know), Molly illustrates how we can reclaim our heart-centered power by focusing on the unique role we’re supposed to play in this world rather than focusing on trying to fix all the broken systems alone.   In this episode, you’ll learn: How to spot the “performance rubric” in your own life. Why releasing the need for a specific outcome is a key to preventing burnout. How to find your unique calling and trust in the "compassionate revolution."   No need to bury your head in the sand: All you need to do is start moving into heart-centered power, one small action at a time.   *****   Ask Molly a question at her voicemail box here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskMolly.   Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.   Order Molly's new book: The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

NOTE: Beginning next week, episodes will be published on Thursdays (instead of Wednesdays). See you back here on Thursday, March 5, 2026!   This week on the podcast, Molly shares two exciting announcements!   First, Molly’s new book, The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You, is now officially available and pre-orders have been shipped out. Molly offers curious listeners insight into the roots and inspiration behind this book — a colorful illustrated parable that takes a sweeping look at human history and carves a hopeful path toward our collective future, examining what’s possible as compassionate people continue waking up and walking in their power.   The second update is a new podcast format: Molly will now be taking audience questions, which she will answer in upcoming episodes in a Q&A-style format! Use the link below to share a 90-second (or less) voicemail with your question, and you might be featured on a future episode and receive valuable feedback on your challenges as a compassionate person.   You can call in and send your questions to Molly’s voicemail box here: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskMolly.   *****   Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.   Order Molly's new book: The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed as a compassionate person in the world right now. We care so deeply, and seeing all the pain and injustice unfolding around us hurts our precious hearts.   But when we carry all that pain around inside us – rather than feeling, honoring, and releasing it – we don’t help the world become any better. We just collect more and more pain until we’re dysregulated and at risk of burnout.    More than ever, our world needs compassionate people grounded, regulated, and resourced. This guided meditation supports you in finding steadiness, presence, and calm connection to your body in moments when the world feels too heavy.   This meditation will help you: Come back into your body and the generous present moment Release the tension you’re holding Let your compassionate heart feel – but not keep – the pain Infuse love and light into the center of your being Allow yourself to simply be as you are right now   *****   Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.   Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.   Thank you to Alan_Frijns via Pixabay for the beautiful background music “Meditation at the River.”   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

What happens when your life changes in a single phone call?   What are the boundaries of your role as a compassionate parent when your child experiences a sudden, life-altering injury?   In this deeply moving episode, Molly sits down with Stacy Crawford — a mind-body practitioner with an M.S. in education, a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, and the founder of Klear Water Coaching & Wellness — to share the story of her son’s spinal cord injury at the age of 17 and the healing journey that followed for herself and her whole family.    Stacy brings us into the moment everything changed — and what happened in the days, months, and years that followed. Together, she and Molly explore the boundaries of crisis: what is needed in the moments after an emergency, how to help without overstepping your loved one’s boundaries, and the art of loving someone fiercely without losing yourself in the process.   In this episode, you’ll hear: What it’s like to receive “the call” — and how mind-body tools helped Stacy regulate her nervous system in her moment of crisis The impact of medical professionals repeatedly telling a 17-year-old, “You may never walk again” — and why language matters in trauma recovery How belonging to a community can have such a profound impact on healing  What ableism is and why it matters Fawning, overfunctioning, and the boundary work required to heal after the traumatic injury of a loved one The power of learning to respect your loved one’s boundaries during recovery Why accepting help is often the hardest — and most important — first step   *****   Today’s Guest: Stacy Crawford, M.S. Ed., is the founder of Klear Water Coaching & Wellness LLC and a lifelong educator devoted to helping individuals, leaders, and organizations reconnect with clarity, purpose, and their innate potential. With more than 15 years of coaching experience, Stacy brings an integrative approach that weaves mind–body awareness, embodiment, and depth coaching. Her work supports meaningful transformation, helping people cultivate self-trust, rediscover joy, and live and lead with greater clarity, alignment, and authenticity.   You can find Stacy at www.klearwatercoaching.com or follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Also, she and Valeyne Grotrian (from Episode 33!) are hosting a talking circle for women, and you can learn more here.   About Mason: Stacy’s son Mason Branstrator, now 22, is an entrepreneur, content creator, and public speaker. After years of recovery and finding his purpose, he is committed to making a difference in the lives of others. His work is focused on those with physical disabilities and spinal cord injuries but is meant to inspire all people. Through his channels, he shows the world what is possible for disabled and abled individuals alike.   You can find Mason at www.masonbran.com or by following him on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.   *****   Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.   Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

What does a love-based movement look like in practice?   This week, Molly interviews Minnesotan and narrative specialist Amy K. Thompson to talk about what she’s witnessing on the ground in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Amy holds a doctorate in physical therapy and a master’s degree in community and public health; she’s also a talented musician, artist, and poet. (We are also proud to have her as a coach inside Molly's Becoming Boundaried Bootcamp).   Molly and Amy reflect on the concept of compassionate nonviolence, taking inspiration from great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. They uncover how practices of community care and creative expression can help people metabolize fear and grief into something greater. They also examine the idea that pain (physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural) is transformed through witnessing, truth-telling, and love.   Remember: Love is not just a feeling, but can be a form of empowered action.   In this episode (recorded January 29, 2026), Molly and Amy explore: what’s unfolding on the ground in Minnesota, and how this movement reveals both our historical wounds and deep collective capacity for change. why the act of witnessing is a doorway to healing, both individually and collectively. what it looks like to show up in the face of fear without losing your center. how community gathering can help transmute grief and outrage into love in action. Amy’s poem “How to Kill a Poet” and how there are things violence cannot destroy. the deeper truth beneath this moment in history: that what we’re seeing in Minnesota is reflective of what’s possible when compassionate people stand together in their power.   *****   Today’s Guest: Amy K. Thompson has been in the narrative space professionally for ten years, and much longer as an artist, writer, musician, and poet. As a narrative specialist she's traveled the world speaking, listening, teaching, coaching, and facilitating narrative workshops and depth work with clients ranging from beekeepers to professional athletes, grandmothers to first graders – all to do one thing: to feel for the truth, to tell it, to do good with it, and to heal. Her journey into this work was through a doorway of pain, and her heart sings to work with the deep-hearted, soulful persons of this world – activists and creatives and change-makers to do good work while we're here, and find our way back to love. If you are ready to touch your story and let love tell it, she would love to meet you.   Find Amy and learn more about her services at: https://www.storywell.org/.   Amy also shared a couple of ways you can support those in Minnesota right now. You can find a list of grassroots efforts in Minnesota collecting donations HERE. Another neat way to spread the love is by sending a brief message of hope, inspiration or gratitude to folks working on the frontlines, which you can do HERE.   *****   Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.   Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

Molly was interviewed by Rachel Strong Smith on The Betrayal Trauma Recovery Bookshelf Podcast, and this week we’re bringing listeners part two of that interview! (Part one is available here.)   In this episode, Molly and Rachel continue to explore boundaries through a wider, more spacious lens – one that moves beyond rules, ultimatums, or control and into meaning, symbolism, and self-honoring truth.   Inspired by Molly’s upcoming book, The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You, this conversation invites a zoomed-out perspective on boundaries. Rooted in compassion and dignity, the two explore what it means to truly honor yourself and others.   For those navigating betrayal trauma, boundaries often feel confusing, heavy, or weaponized and something you’re told to “set” without ever being taught how to feel your way into them. This episode offers a different entry point.   Molly and Rachel discuss: Boundaries as symbols of self-respect rather than defenses What it means to honor me / honor you without self-abandonment How parables and story can bypass shame and speak directly to the nervous system Why boundaries are not punishments, but expressions of truth The “compassionate revolution” and choosing integrity over control   This is a reflective, meaning-rich conversation, especially for those healing from betrayal who are tired of black-and-white rules and longing for something more humane, spacious, and soul-honoring.   *****   Today’s Guest: Rachel Smith Strong understands betrayal trauma because she’s lived it. After experiencing the devastating impact of betrayal firsthand, Rachel found support that helped transform her life from constant trauma, isolation, and emotional suppression into authentic connection and boundaried living. She now helps guide others through their own healing process.   Rachel holds a Master of Science in Social Work (MSW), is a Board Certified Coach (BCC), and is an APSATS CPC-Candidate. In her work, Rachel focuses on boundary development, gaslighting recovery, addiction-related betrayal, emotional exploration, and mindfulness-based healing. The approach blends evidence-based techniques with deep empathy, guiding clients to reconnect with their authentic selves, create sustainable boundaries, and reclaim their voices. Rachel emphasizes that each healing journey is unique and offers both professional tools and heartfelt support to help individuals transform pain into purpose and trauma into authentic strength.   Find Rachel at The Betrayal Trauma Recovery Bookshelf Podcast, sign up for a free consultation with Rachel here, or join her on Instagram and Facebook.   *****   Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.   Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.   Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!