The Practitioner's Heart: Practical Buddhist Wisdom for Therapists and Healthcare Professionals

In this episode of The Practitioner’s Heart, I speak with Dr Chia-Ying Chou, founder and director of the San Francisco Center for Compassion Focused Therapies, a group psychotherapy practice and training hub for Compassion Focused Therapy, hoarding disorder, and clinician education.Dr Chou obtained her PhD from University College London, where her research focused on trauma. She later completed her postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco, working with individuals experiencing hoarding difficulties. Her work now focuses on the relationship between trauma, attachment, shame, compassion, and the fears and blocks around letting go and letting in.We begin by exploring the clinical definition of hoarding disorder, including the persistent difficulty discarding possessions, distress around letting go, and the impact of clutter on living spaces. But Dr Chou also invites us into a broader and more compassionate understanding: that hoarding is not simply about “stuff”. It is about attachment, safety, identity, loss, control, grief, and the very human tendency to hold on to what feels important — even when it may also be causing pain.Together, we explore how all of us may “hoard” in different ways. Some people hold on to objects. Others hold on to relationships, responsibilities, old identities, money, beliefs, status, or versions of themselves that no longer serve them.Dr Chou shares how Compassion Focused Therapy, or CFT, can support people experiencing hoarding difficulties by reducing shame, building inner safeness, strengthening self-worth, and helping people relate to themselves with greater kindness and courage. We also discuss the importance of not only “letting go”, but also letting in — letting in support, connection, vulnerability, embodied safety, and present-moment reality.Later in the conversation, Dr Chou speaks beautifully about her own Sōtō Zen Buddhist practice, daily meditation, sangha, silent retreats, and how the dharma shapes the way she understands suffering, psychotherapy, compassion and healing. We also explore her practice of Five Rhythms dance as a form of moving meditation, embodiment, emotional release and reconnecting with the wisdom of the body.This episode is for psychologists, therapists, counsellors, healthcare workers, Buddhist practitioners, compassion focused therapists, and anyone interested in the intersection of Buddhist psychology, psychotherapy, trauma, attachment, hoarding disorder and embodied practice.In this episode, we explore:What hoarding disorder is from a DSM-5 perspectiveWhy hoarding can be understood as a deeply human experienceThe connection between hoarding, attachment, trauma, grief and identityWhy people may hold on to objects, relationships, responsibilities or old versions of themselvesHow shame and stigma can prevent people with hoarding difficulties from seeking helpHow Compassion Focused Therapy supports people to build safeness and self-worthThe difference between letting go and letting inWhy letting go can feel threatening to the nervous systemHow embodiment, imagery and compassionate awareness can support changeThe role of interpersonal connection and loneliness in hoarding disorderDr Chou’s research into CFT for hoarding disorderCultural reflections on hoarding and savingHow Buddhist practice informs Dr Chou’s work as a therapistThe relationship between dharma, psychotherapy and causes and conditionsDaily meditation, sangha and Sōtō Zen practiceFive Rhythms dance as moving meditationHow therapists can care for the heart, body and mind while doing clinical workAbout Dr Chia-Ying ChouChia-Ying Chou is the founder and director of the San Francisco Center for Compassion Focused Therapies, a group psychotherapy practice and training hub for Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Hoarding Disorder. Dr. Chou obtained her PhD from University College London with a focus on trauma. She spent her postdoc years at University of California, San Francisco working with individuals experiencing hoarding, which she considers to be a relatable human experience and a form of difficulty letting-go. Dr. Chou’s interest focuses on the connection between trauma and the blocks and fears of letting-go and letting-in. She provides training and consultation for clinicians on CFT and hoarding disorder worldwide. Dr. Chou will offer a 6-week online workshop on hoarding starting January 13th (check your time zone). This workshop is open to adults experiencing hoarding or cluttering issues around the globe. More information can be found here: https://sfcompassion.regfox.com/compassionate-mind-training-for-hoardingConnect with Chia-YingInstagram: @sfcompassionFacebook: dr.chiayingWebsite: https://www.sfcompassion.com/Youtube: Dr. Chia-Ying ChouConnect with your host, Poh GanI’m a clinical psychologist, educational & developmental psychologist and board-approved supervisor specialising in neurodiversity-affirming care and cultural identity. Outside of work, I am a buddhist practitioner with a deep love in meditation and learning to walk the Bodhisattva path.Instagram: the.blossoming.therapistsWebsite: www.blossomingtrueself.com.au If this episode resonated:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsShare with a colleague or friendTag us on Instagram with your reflectionsSubscribe for more conversations with therapists on application of Buddhist and contemplative wisdom in work and personal lives.Disclaimer:The content discussed in this podcast is for inspiration and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical supervision, and our time together does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. Please seek professional support if you are in need.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this episode, Poh is joined by Vi-An Nguyen, an organisational psychologist and founder of An Tam Coaching and Psychology in Melbourne. Vi-An works with adults from diverse cultural backgrounds who are navigating burnout, cultural identity, family expectations, work stress and the complex layers of intergenerational experience.This conversation explores the intersection of psychology, Buddhism, cultural wisdom, embodiment and self-trust.Vi-An shares her experience of growing up culturally Buddhist in a Vietnamese family, reconnecting with Buddhist teachings as an adult, and finding meaning in simple rituals such as bowing, prayer, ancestor connection and mindful awareness. She reflects on how Buddhism has become a way of “coming home” — to herself, to her body, and to the wisdom passed down through her lineage.Together, Poh and Vi-An explore the experience of being a second-generation migrant in Australia, including the tension between filial piety, gratitude, family expectations and personal autonomy. They discuss the pressure many children of migrants feel to choose “safe” careers, be high-achieving, and honour parental sacrifice — while also learning to listen to their own body, intuition and values.Vi-An also speaks openly about her experience of burnout, IBS symptoms, and how reconnecting with her body helped her make significant life and career changes. This leads into a broader discussion about holistic health, ancestral wisdom, intergenerational healing, and how therapists from diverse cultural backgrounds can continue to do their own reflective work while supporting clients with similar experiences.This episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, listen inwardly, and remember that wisdom may already be present — in the body, in our cultural roots, in our ancestors, and in the quiet moments when we allow ourselves to be still.In this episode, we explore:Vi-An’s journey from organisational psychology and consulting into counselling and private practiceWhat it means to grow up culturally Buddhist in a Vietnamese familyReconnecting with Buddhist teachings as an adultThe role of ritual, prayer, bowing and ancestor connection in everyday lifeMindfulness as a foundation for emotional regulation, self-trust and values-based livingThe Buddhist teaching of non-attachment and how it can support clients in therapyVi-An’s metaphor of loosening the grip on the steering wheelBurnout, IBS and learning to listen to the bodyThe experience of living between collectivist and individualistic culturesFilial piety, family pressure, guilt and shame in second-generation migrant experiencesChoosing a career path against family expectationsCultural identity, family wounds and healing as therapistsIntergenerational trauma and intergenerational wisdomPatriarchy, racial hierarchies, systemic stress and embodied wellbeingWhy community and connection matter in preventing burnoutHow women of colour and therapists from culturally diverse backgrounds can practise self-trustThe importance of coming back to the basics: stillness, presence and inner wisdomAbout Vi-AnVi-An Nguyen is an organisational psychologist and founder of An Tâm Coaching and Psychology in Melbourne, where she works with adults from diverse backgrounds navigating burnout, cultural identity, and family pressure. With a background in consulting and community health, she's drawn to what's underneath the surface; how culture, family, and identity shape our health and wellbeing. She's passionate about holistic health and looking at the bigger picture - exploring where psychology and cultural wisdom actually meet.Connect with Vi-AnInstagram: @antampsychologyWebsite: https://www.antampsychology.com/Connect with your host, Poh GanI’m a clinical psychologist, educational & developmental psychologist and board-approved supervisor specialising in neurodiversity-affirming care and cultural identity. Outside of work, I am a buddhist practitioner with a deep love in meditation and learning to walk the Bodhisattva path. Instagram: the.blossoming.therapistsWebsite: www.blossomingtrueself.com.au If this episode resonated:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsShare with a colleague or friend in the Asian diasporaTag us on Instagram with your reflectionsSubscribe for more conversations with therapists on application of Buddhist and contemplative wisdom in work and personal lives. Disclaimer:The content discussed in this podcast is for inspiration and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical supervision, and our time together does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. Please seek professional support if you are in need.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this solo reflective episode, I explore what happens when therapists grieve while continuing to hold space for the pain, trauma, and loss of others. As therapists, personal loss can still leave us feeling shattered, dysregulated, foggy, overwhelmed, and deeply human.This episode is especially for therapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, and mental health practitioners who are carrying their own grief while supporting clients through theirs.Through a Buddhist and trauma-informed lens, I reflect on how chanting the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra — also known as the Dìzàng Sutra — rituals, community, supervision, parts work, and spiritual practice helped me slowly metabolise grief and transform pain into tenderness, compassion, and a renewed commitment to life.It is a therapist-to-therapist conversation about grief, loss, impermanence, continuing bonds with our loved ones and Buddhist practice.Why therapists are not immune to grief and lossThe pressure therapists may feel to “cope better”How personal grief can affect clinical work, concentration, emotional regulation, and capacityWhy grief is not unethical, but unawareness of its impact can become riskyThe importance of supervision, workload adjustment, therapy, healing work, and community supportHow grief can feel especially intense for highly sensitive and neurodivergent therapistsBuddhist teachings on impermanence, non-attachment, compassion, and deathThe role of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva / Dìzàng Bodhisattva in grief, filial piety, and dedication of meritHow chanting, ritual, rhythm, breath, and community can support nervous system regulationContinuing bonds with deceased parents and loved onesGrief as love meeting impermanenceTransforming grief into compassion, values, and bodhisattva vowsMay we remember that we are not outside the human condition. May love and compassion help us to remember the light in us. Connect with your host, Poh GanI’m an educational & developmental psychologist and board-approved supervisor specialising in neurodiversity-affirming care and cultural identity. Outside of work, I am a buddhist practitioner with a deep love in meditation and learning to walk the Bodhisattva path.Instagram: the.blossoming.therapistsWebsite: www.blossomingtrueself.com.au If this episode resonated:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsShare with a colleague or friend in the Asian diasporaTag us on Instagram with your reflectionsSubscribe for more conversations with therapists on application of Buddhist and contemplative wisdom in work and personal lives. Disclaimer:The content discussed in this podcast is for inspiration and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical supervision, and our time together does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. Please seek professional support if you are in need.Let us know what you took away from this conversation!Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the showLet us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this solo episode, Poh shares insights from the first Bodhi Inner Path Circle reflective book club, where a small group of therapists gathered online to read and contemplate a chapter from Dynamics of the Mind by Reverend Ming-An Chen.Although only three people were present, the circle held something deeply nourishing: connection, shared practice, loving kindness, and the relief that, “I am not alone on this path.”This episode explores how Buddhist teachings on Buddha nature, consciousness, cause, conditions and effect, seeds of the mind, and pure awareness can speak directly to the inner life of therapists.Poh reflects on how contemplative practice is not simply something therapists do outside of clinical work to “stay sane.” Rather, cultivating awareness may be one of the deepest forms of practitioner care, supporting therapists to sit with grief, rage, despair, trauma and suffering without becoming burdened by what they hold.Through the lenses of Buddhist psychology, EMDR, Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), behaviourism and clinical supervision, this episode invites listeners to return to the spacious awareness beneath the roles, identities and inner critic stories that so often shape the therapist’s experience.IN THIS EPISODE, POH EXPLORESThe joy and tenderness of gathering in an online Buddhist reflective book clubWhy Sangha and community matter, especially for therapists in rural or isolated areasThe meaning of Buddha nature and pure, pristine awarenessThe Buddhist teaching of cause, conditions and effectHow “what gets watered grows” connects with behaviourism, reinforcement and neuropsychologyThe metaphor of the mind as a gardenHow anxiety spirals and inner critic patterns become strengthened over timeWhy no mental pattern is a life sentenceThe resonance between Buddhist psychology and EMDR memory reprocessingHow traumatic memories can be understood as seeds ripening when conditions ariseThe connection between Buddha nature and our innate healing capacityWhy therapist presence is not self-indulgence, but a clinical responsibilityLinks between Buddhist awareness, ACT’s observing self and IFS Self energyThe therapist’s inner critic and the clinging to “I, me and mine”How burnout can be intensified by attachment to identity, perfectionism and the need to fixThe difference between “I am anxious” and “anxiety is here”How cultivating pure awareness can soften burnout, self-doubt and over-identificationA gentle practice invitation: asking, “What is aware of this thought?”This episode is especially for:Psychologists, therapists, counsellors and mental health practitionersBuddhist practitioners integrating Dharma with clinical workTherapists seeking Sangha, community and reflective practiceRural and regional practitioners feeling spiritually or professionally isolatedEMDR, ACT, IFS and trauma-informed cliniciansEarly career psychologists navigating self-doubt and inner criticismPractitioners interested in burnout prevention and contemplative self-careAnyone curious about Buddhist psychology, pure awareness and the therapist’s inner lifeConnect with your host, Poh GanI’m an educational & developmental psychologist and board-approved supervisor specialising in neurodiversity-affirming care and cultural identity. Outside of work, I am a buddhist practitioner with a deep love in meditation and learning to walk the Bodhisattva path.Instagram: the.blossoming.therapistsWebsite: www.blossomingtrueself.com.au If this episode resonated:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsShare with a colleague or friend in the Asian diasporaTag us on Instagram with your reflectionsSubscribe for more conversations with therapists on application of Buddhist and contemplative wisdom in work and personal lives. Disclaimer:The content discussed in this podcast is for inspiration and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical supervision, and our time together does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. Please seek professional support if you are in need.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this rich and heartfelt conversation, I sit down with Dr Bee Lim — clinical psychologist, accredited EMDR practitioner, author of Welcome Home: Healing Trauma and Reclaiming Wholeness, and co‑founder of Mind Health Collective.Together, we explore the emotional landscapes of trauma, cultural identity, intergenerational stories, contemplative practice, and the parts of ourselves we abandon in order to survive.Whether you are a therapist, psychologist, Asian diaspora practitioner, or someone navigating belonging and healing, this episode offers wisdom, validation, and gentle grounding.In this episode, we explore:• Why Bee wrote Welcome Home and how the four animal characters were chosen• Intergenerational Trauma in the Asian diaspora and the “silence”• Cultural identity, migration, and the pressure to constantly “prove yourself”• The concept of cultural dissociation and how therapists lose parts of themselves during Western clinical training• How to practice culturally responsive therapy without pathologising culture• IFS‑informed parts work through an Asian lens• The wolf part: anger, silencing, and reclaiming agency• The crane part: intellectualising, observing, dissociating from the body• How contemplative practice supports therapists to return to themselves• Grief, gardening, and the slow rituals that reconnect us to the body• How we can become “future ancestors” who pass on emotional wealth• What it means to be “enough” in a culture of survival and strivingWho this episode is for:• Therapists and psychologists seeking culturally responsive frameworks• EMDR, IFS, ACT, and trauma‑informed practitioners• Asian diaspora therapists and clients navigating identity + belonging• First‑generation migrants healing intergenerational narratives• Readers of Welcome Home and those curious about parts work• Anyone longing for a gentler relationship with themselvesAbout Dr Bee LimDr Bee Lim is a clinical psychologist and accredited EMDR practitioner whose work centres trauma, identity, displacement, and cultural lineage. Born in Malaysia, trained in New Zealand, and now based in Sydney, she integrates clinical rigour with culturally attuned, trauma‑informed care.She is the author of Welcome Home, co‑founder of Mind Health Collective, and founder of BeTuned, a therapeutic game‑based platform.Learn more at:Meet the four parts of you. Take Dr Bee Lim's free Homecoming Profile: homecoming.drbeelim.comThen come home to the full story in her book, Welcome Home: drbeelim.com/welcomehomeFollow Bee on InstagramResources mentioned:• When Culture Looks Like Pathology: Understanding Cultural Dissociation in Diaspora Clients Webinar (mentioned)Connect with your host, Poh GanI’m an educational & developmental psychologist and board-approved supervisor specialising in neurodiversity-affirming care and cultural identity. Outside of work, I am a buddhist practitioner with a deep love in meditation and learning to walk the Bodhisattva path. Instagram: the.blossoming.therapistsWebsite: www.blossomingtrueself.com.au If this episode resonated:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsShare with a colleague or friend in the Asian diasporaTag us on Instagram with your reflectionsSubscribe for more conversations with therapists on application of Buddhist and contemplative wisdom in work and personal lives. Disclaimer:The content discussed in this podcast is for inspiration and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical supervision, and our time together does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. Please seek professional support if you are in need.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this episode of The Practitioner’s Heart, we explore the powerful difference between cognitive insight and embodied clarity — and why this distinction matters so deeply for therapists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers, and all helping professionals.As modern practitioners, we are trained to analyse, understand, formulate, and conceptualise. Yet many of us still struggle with the same patterns our clients face: overthinking, emotional exhaustion, nervous system activation, analysis paralysis, and the familiar “I know what to do… but I just can’t do it.”This episode offers a gentle, practical, and dharma-informed understanding of why insight alone isn’t enough — and how therapists can cultivate the embodied presence we long for in our personal lives and clinical work.In this episode, you’ll learn:the difference between knowing and seeing clearlywhy insight doesn’t regulate the nervous system (and what does)how habitual tendencies (7th consciousness) shape our reactionscommon therapist patterns: perfectionism, overfunctioning, people‑pleasing, self-sacrificehow clinging, aversion, and preferences influence our clinical presencewhat embodied clarity looks like in the therapy roomhow to work with the thinking mind without getting caught in itBuddhist psychology on habit force, mind karma, and innate Buddha naturesimple ways to return to spacious awareness throughout your dayhow meditation, breath, and moment‑to‑moment noticing soften reactivityThis episode is especially helpful if you feel mentally “busy,” emotionally overloaded after sessions, or disconnected from your inner stillness — even though you know all the things you’re “supposed to do.”What we explore from Buddhist psychology:the 7th consciousness and the habitual mindthe mechanics of clinging, comparing, grasping, and avoidancehow practice helps us recognise and soften our mind’s conditioningreturning to the “clear water” beneath the glitterremembering our innate Buddha nature in daily life and clinical workFor therapists craving deeper spiritual practice:If you’re longing to integrate Buddhist wisdom beyond theory — in a way that supports your nervous system, your clarity, and your presence with clients — I invite you to explore the Bodhi Inner Path Circle, now open for enrollment.It’s a contemplative community for therapists and healthcare workers who want to practice meditation, cultivate embodied clarity, and reconnect with inner stillness.✨ Join the Bodhi Inner Path CircleAbout your hostI’m Poh Gan — psychologist, Buddhist practitioner, parent of two, and fellow human with a busy mind and a deep love for collective awakening. This podcast offers practical Buddhist wisdom for therapists and healthcare workers navigating modern life with compassionate hearts.🌿 If this episode supported you:• Share it with a colleague• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify• Subscribe so you never miss an episodeYour support helps this growing community reach other practitioners who need these teachings.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this reflective and heartfelt episode, host Poh Gan explores a question many modern therapists quietly hold: How do we stay grounded, wise, and spiritually aligned in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?As AI tools become woven into our clinical work, personal lives, and even our contemplative practice, Poh invites us to pause and consider what makes us uniquely human — our consciousness, our lived experience, our vulnerability, our capacity for awakening, and our shared journey through suffering and healing.Drawing from Buddhist psychology, her own lived experience as a therapist with a busy, neurodivergent mind, and teachings from her master, Poh offers a compassionate inquiry into the promises and pitfalls of AI. She gently guides us back to the core human capacities that cannot be automated: presence, embodiment, attention, and deep wisdom that emerges only through lived experience.This episode is a call to slow down, return to stillness, and reconnect with what truly matters — for ourselves, our clients, and our collective awakening.In This Episode, We Explore:How AI tools are shaping the lives and workflows of therapistsThe illusion of productivity and why “fast output” isn’t the same as wisdomWhy therapists may feel spiritually or emotionally “off” when relying heavily on AIHow attention — our most precious spiritual resource — is being affectedThe difference between knowledge (which AI can provide) and wisdom (which it cannot)Why lived experience, embodiment, and awakening are uniquely humanThe psychological, existential, and spiritual questions arising in the AI eraHow community, co‑regulation, and shared practice protect us from isolationWhat it means to course‑correct and realign with our valuesGentle, practical guidance for staying grounded amidst rapid technological changeKey TakeawaysAI can enhance efficiency but cannot replace lived experience, consciousness, or awakening.Attention is your most sacred resource. Protect it fiercely.Slowness is a radical spiritual practice in an age of acceleration.Your imperfect human voice matters more than polished AI‑generated content.Community is medicine. Practising together supports wisdom, resilience, and connection.Wisdom emerges through direct experience, not from predictable AI patterns.Our spiritual work remains the same: understanding the mind, reducing suffering, and walking toward awakening.Five Tips to Stay Grounded in the AI EraProtect your attention — create boundaries with technology.Reconnect with your body — regulate your nervous system daily.Choose depth over speed — value process, not just output.Stay anchored in community — gather with fellow practitioners.Remember that AI does not have spiritual essence and consciousness and thus cannot have awakening like us. Connect With Poh• Instagram: @the.blossoming.therapists• Join the Bodhi Inner Path Circle• www.blossomingtrueself.com.auLet us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this episode of The Practitioner’s Heart, we explore one of the most powerful – and often misunderstood – sources of support for therapists: dharma friendship.Whether you call it spiritual friendship, kalyāṇamitta, fa lü, or simply “wise companions,” having people who share your aspiration for awakening can transform your personal and professional life.Drawing from 22 years of practice in the Australia Buddhist Bliss Culture Mission, Poh shares how dharma friends and the bodhisattva path have carried her through distraction, burnout, emotional overwhelm, and the everyday challenges of being a therapist in the modern world.You’ll hear about:• what “dharma friendship” truly means in Buddhist tradition• why therapists need spiritual companionship to stay grounded• how community protects us from burnout, isolation, and overwhelm• the role of Sangha and community, shared intention, and steady practice• why awakening and bodhisattva path is a long, lived process. It does not happen overnight• how we inspire one another through compassion, clarity, and ethical living• the importance of having a nurturing “nursery” for your Bodhi sprout• why so many therapists feel spiritually alone — and how online dharma community fills the gap• the deep nourishment that comes from practising with people who “get you”• how Buddhist wisdom enriches process‑based therapies like ACTPoh also introduces the Bodhi Inner Path Circle, a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise, study Buddha‑Dharma, and reconnect with their inner refuge.We meet every fortnight from July — and the founding member rate is just $55/month.Join the waitlist nowThis episode is for you if:• you’re a therapist or healer or health professional feeling spiritually isolated• you struggle to maintain a consistent meditation practice• you crave deeper conversations about meaning and awakening• you want support integrating Buddhist wisdom into your daily life and clinical practice• you’re longing for community, clarity, and steady inner refuge• you want to walk the bodhisattva path or at least curious about itMay you find dharma friends who nourish your heart and support your awakening.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In this episode, Poh explores how Buddhist practice can support therapists in cultivating secure attachment within themselves — and how this inner steadiness naturally supports nervous system regulation, compassionate presence, and therapeutic effectiveness.As therapists, we often become the emotional anchor for others while quietly carrying our own stress, attachment wounds, self-doubt, or emotional fatigue beneath the surface. In this conversation, Poh gently reflects on the intersection of Buddhist wisdom, attachment science, ACT, and nervous system regulation — offering a grounded pathway back to clarity, connection, and inner refuge.Through Dharma-informed reflections and practical insight, Poh explores how contemplative practice can soften our clinging to identity, perfectionism, and performance, while helping us embody a more spacious, compassionate, and regulated way of being with ourselves and others.In this episode, Poh explores:• What secure attachment means for therapists and helping professionals• The difference between non-attachment and emotional avoidance• How Buddhist practice strengthens emotional safety, steadiness, and connection• Why clinging to identity and “being the perfect therapist” creates suffering• ACT concepts such as self-as-context and spacious awareness• The relationship between Buddha nature, wholeness, and inner refuge• How chanting, coherent breathing, meditation, and mantra support nervous system regulation• Buddhist practices that support co-regulation and ventral vagal grounding• How therapist presence itself can become healing and regulating for clients• Interconnectedness, shared humanity, and compassionate relatingJoin the Bodhi Inner Path CircleIf you’ve been longing for a contemplative space to slow down, reconnect, and practise alongside like-hearted therapists and dharma friends, the Bodhi Inner Path Circle may be a nourishing home for you.Beginning July 2026, this monthly membership community includes:• Fortnightly meditation and contemplative practice• Dharma-informed book club gatherings• Gentle Buddhist teachings tailored for therapists• A moderated practitioner community away from social media• Support for nervous system regulation, reflection, and spiritual practiceFounding Member Offer: $55/monthJoin the waitlist: https://blossomingtrueself.com.au/communitywaitlistConnect & Support the PodcastIf this episode resonated with you, please consider sharing it with a colleague or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps this contemplative community reach more therapists and helping professionals seeking grounded, sustainable practice.A Gentle ReminderThis podcast is for education and inspiration purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy, supervision, psychological care, or clinical advice.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show

In Part 2 of my deeply nourishing conversation with Dr. Hayley D. Quinn, we turn toward the realities so many therapists, psychologists, and helping professionals quietly carry: burnout, self‑neglect, emotional labour, and the pressure to keep going even when our bodies and hearts are exhausted.In this grounded and compassionate dialogue, Hayley shares her lived experience of profound burnout, how she rebuilt her life from the inside out, and how she now supports others to create sustainable, values‑aligned ways of working.Together, we explore:The hidden patterns of self‑neglect common in caring professionsWhy therapists often disconnect from their own needsBurnout as a systemic, not personal, failingHow late‑identified neurodivergence (autism + ADHD) transformed Hayley’s understanding of energy, pacing, and wellbeingWhat sustainable work looks like for neurodivergent clinicians and helpersWhy compassionate self‑relationship is essential for avoiding burnoutPractical strategies for working in ways that honour your nervous systemAllowing yourself to redefine success, productivity, and worthBuilding a life and career that fits you, rather than forcing yourself to fit the professionThis episode is validating, honest, and deeply supportive — especially if you have ever felt tired, overwhelmed, or quietly depleted while continuing to care for everyone else.Hayley speaks with clarity and warmth about returning to your inner wisdom, listening to the signals of your body, and creating a life aligned with your values, your neurotype, and your wellbeing.About Our Guest - Dr Hayley D Quinn, mindset and wellbeing coachDr Hayley D Quinn is a mindset and wellbeing coach, speaker, trainer and former clinical psychologist. She is a late-identified proud Autistic woman with ADHD. Hayley is the author of From Self-Neglect to Self-Compassion: A compassionate guide to creating a thriving life. She is the host of the Welcome to Self® podcast and past president of Compassionate Mind Australia. Combining clinical expertise, Compassion Focused Therapy training and lived experience to help people prevent burnout, prioritise wellbeing and create thriving lives and businesses that feel meaningful and purposeful.Resources & Links:1. Learn more about Hayley's work https://drhayleydquinn.com/2. Buy Hayley's book, From Self-Neglect to Self-Compassion: A Compassionate Guide to Creating a Thriving Life. 3. Follow Hayley on InstagramDisclaimer:The content discussed in this podcast is for inspiration and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for therapy or clinical supervision, and our time together does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. Please seek professional support if you are in need.Let us know what you took away from this conversation! Bodhi Inner Path Circle is a contemplative membership community for therapists who long for a regular, supportive, spiritually grounded place to practise meditation, learn Buddha‑Dharma in reflective practice, and connect with dharma friends. It is currently open for enrolment! You're warmly invited to join us to start your cultivation and practice today! Support the show