Elevated Life Academy

What happens when a psychotherapist turns her own struggle to find care into a thriving community of healing? In this inspiring conversation, Rotem Stark , Registered Psychotherapist and founder of Stark Wellness Clinic in Toronto, shares how personal frustration with broken mental health systems became the spark for building something radically better. We explore Rotem’s journey from clinician to...

What if the exhaustion so many women carry isn’t personal, but ancestral? In this profound conversation with Annie, founder of Reclaiming Her Flame , we explore what it means to be a woman in the sandwich generation : holding space for aging parents while raising daughters who are watching our every move. Annie helps women break free from inherited patterns of over-functioning, over-giving, and ov...

What happens when you stop fighting your intuition and start trusting where it leads? In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Judy Hawley, a trauma therapist, clinical social worker, and creator of Manifestation Therapy ®: a powerful integration of neuroscience, somatic psychology, emotional processing, and universal energetic principles. Judy’s path has been anything but linear. From her early da...

In this powerful follow-up conversation, Katrina M. Johnson and Dr. Steven J. Rippe return to explore what happens when schools stop guessing what students need and start listening. Together, they unpack a growing movement inside schools that centers on belonging, resilience, and student-led change. This episode builds on a recent student conversation, where young people shared firsthand how initi...

When life throws you its toughest challenge, how do you respond? For Jonny Imerman, the answer was connection, compassion, and action. At just 26, Jonny was living a healthy, active life when an unexpected testicular cancer diagnosis changed everything. Two years of chemotherapy and surgeries later, Jonny realized a critical gap in the cancer journey: too many patients were going through it alone....

In this episode, we sit down with Phil Januszewski, nationally known keynote speaker, tattooed joy ambassador, and former high school chemistry teacher turned professional inspirer. After 20 years of teaching and witnessing too many brilliant educators, healthcare workers, and helping professionals running on empty, Phil made it his mission to help our world’s givers flourish again. Phil’s message...

This episode dives deep into the remarkable journey of John R. Spender, founder of A Journey of Riches , writing coach, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and living embodiment of resilience. Once unable to read or write until age ten, John has since co-authored over 45 books , guided more than 450 authors across 50+ countries , and created an award-winning film, The Gift in Adversity , featurin...

What happens when the life you’ve built no longer fits, even as you’re still living it? In this episode, we sit down with Megan Malick, grief guide, speaker, and author of A New Path: A Practical Workbook and Planner for the First Year of Grief and Settling Your Person’s Affairs. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified Brainspotting Practitioner, Megan invites us into a profound con...

What does it mean to teach and live, with our humanity at the center? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Judy Jaunzems-Fernuk, an educator, researcher, mental health practitioner, and parent whose work bridges the College of Education and the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. Grounded in decades of experience and reflection, Dr. Judy developed The Human Curriculum: a framework t...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Gilly Kahn, Atlanta-based psychologist, mother, and debut author of Allow Me to Interrupt: A Psychologist Reveals the Emotional Truth Behind Women's' ADHD . Originally from Miami and now calling Atlanta home, Gilly opens up about her journey from curious child to clinical expert, and how parenting her own "baby bears" informs her approach to both writing...

In this heartfelt conversation, trauma therapist-turned-coach Cherie Lindberg opens up about her deeply personal journey and the inspiration behind her new book, Sacred Knowing . After two decades helping others navigate trauma, Cherie experienced a profound shift following the loss of her childhood best friend, a moment that sparked her decision to move beyond trauma work and into coaching focuse...

In this episode, we sit down with Jessica Maitri, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Yoga Therapist, and Brainspotting practitioner based in Boise, Idaho. Over her 15 years in private practice, Jessica has woven traditional psychotherapy together with intuitive movement, energy attunement, and embodiment work—culminating in the creation of The Yothera Method . Born during the stillness of the COVI...

Ashley Buckner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist serving clients in Utah and California. Her path as a therapist began with a passion for supporting at-risk youth, which grew into a career dedicated to trauma healing. Today, she specializes in Brainspotting and provides care for adults, teens, and families, with a focus on trauma, anxiety, depression, and faith transitions. She is also p...

In this episode, movement and expressive arts therapist Cathy Williams invites us into the deeply personal and transformative story behind her work,  Intuitive Self . Based in Melbourne, Cathy creates embodied experiences and soulful spaces that help people reconnect with the subtle intelligence of their bodies—guiding them to move through life with greater intuition, trust, and ali...

What happens when a life built on excellence collides with an inner world of quiet suffering? In this powerful conversation, Stacey Nye shares her remarkable story of growing up immersed in the Olympic movement—surrounded by achievement, world-class athletes, and the pursuit of greatness. From her earliest years, the values of service, discipline, and striving were woven into her identity. By 16,...

What happens when three seasoned therapists mix 20+ years of trauma work, a dash of friendship, and a notebook full of witty one-liners? You get Unfiltered Therapists —a podcast where wisdom meets humor and healing goes beyond the therapy chair. Michelle, Kate, and Tiffany are longtime colleagues turned collaborators who believe mental health shouldn’t feel clinical, complicated, or out of reach....

From childhood songs that soothed her sensitive nervous system to a career devoted to helping others heal, Colleen Klym’s journey is a powerful testament to the connection between creativity and well-being. A licensed marriage and family therapist based in South Lake Tahoe, Colleen first discovered the healing power of music as a young girl struggling with asthma. Singing gave her breath, resonanc...

What happens when neuroscience, education, and hope come together in the classroom? In this episode, we sit down with Steven Rippe —an experienced educator, principal, and leader in designing innovative, nationally recognized schools—and Katrina Johnson , a clinical social worker, therapeutic recreation specialist, and certified Brainspotter rooted in both the Driftless and the healing arts. Toget...

What happens when success is no longer enough? Dr. Ron Stotts has spent over a decade guiding high-level entrepreneurs and C-suite leaders through a profound inner journey—one that transforms not just their leadership, but their lives and the lives of those they touch. In this episode, Dr. Stotts shares how he helps conscious leaders move beyond the invisible glass ceiling that traditional success...

What if your career wasn’t just about success, but about creating the life you truly want? In this episode, executive and life coach Matt Thieleman shares how coaching became both his profession and his spiritual path. Splitting his time between coaching other coaches and working with founders and entrepreneurs who are bold enough to try and change the world, Matt brings a deeply values-based appr...

What if a simple tool could help you heal, shift your inner world, and reclaim a life you love? In this inspiring conversation, Gene Monterastelli—host of the Tapping Q&A Podcast and founder of Tapping Q&A —shares how tapping transformed his own life and how he now teaches it as a powerful path to healing and authenticity. Once a performer who could juggle, tell stories, and even open for...

What happens when mindset meets movement? In this powerful episode, we dive into the transformative journey of Ashley and Joanna, co-founders of Vizcaya Coaching — a dynamic team blending mental strength with physical resilience. Joanna, a 16-year veteran of military service, turned her passion for personal fitness into a mission of helping others move better and live stronger through functional t...

What if healing didn’t have to be slow and painful? What if frequencies, sound, and the right modalities could gently transform even the deepest wounds? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Carol Ann Brayley , a seasoned clinical social worker and somatic experiencing practitioner based in Ontario, Canada, who brings over 30 years of trauma-informed psychotherapy to the conversation. Her sto...

In this episode, we dive deep into the heart of trauma with Ontario-based psychotherapist Jennifer Freedy , who brings over 25 years of experience and passion to the conversation. Jennifer shares her evolution from viewing trauma as a cognitive and behavioral issue to understanding it as a deeply embodied nervous system experience, especially when it stems from developmental and childhood wounds....

What happens when life literally forces you to stop and reassess your path? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jen Gilchrist — Speaker, Spiritual Teacher, and Retreat Leader — whose life today looks like a dream: daily meditations, creative flow, luxury self-care, and annual dolphin swims in Hawaii. But it wasn’t always this way. At 30, Jen was a single mom running a successful 6-figure be...