Empathy By Design

What does it actually look like to practice relationships in real time, especially when your nervous system is activated and your patterns are already in motion? In this episode of Empathy by Design, I sit down with Candice Cox, LCSW, founder of the KHAOS Kommunity, a healing space for people who are ready to move beyond survival and begin practicing growth within the context of real relationships...

In this episode of Empathy By Design, host Julie sits down with Courtney from Align Integral Coaching to unpack burnout — not as a failure, but as a signal from your nervous system that something needs to change. They explore what burnout feels like from the inside, how it shows up in individuals and organizations, and what practices can help restore capacity and resilience. Timestamps: 0:00 – Wel...

What if feeling “zapped” isn’t a personal failure—but a signal that our systems are misaligned with how we actually function? In this live Empathy by Design conversation, I’m joined by Clay Gill—FLOW-certified coach, AuDHD advocate, and creator of the POWER Assessment™—to explore how energy, capacity, and design intersect for neurodivergent minds. Clay’s work helps people understand what’s fueling...

When Leadership Carries Too Much: Designing Systems That Support Humans Join Julie Johnson, host of Empathy by Design, in conversation with Amy Cornforth Long, lawyer and leadership consultant, as they explore how to build sustainable systems in law firms and organizations. This episode dives deep into the hidden cost of ambiguity in leadership, revealing how unclear systems force founders and lea...

When motivation stops working, it’s easy to assume something is wrong with us. But what if motivation was never the right starting point? In this episode, Julie Johnson explores why motivation often fails — not because people lack discipline, but because nervous systems need orientation and capacity before choice is possible. Drawing from polyvagal theory, somatic UX, and years of working inside d...

Join hosts Julie and Katie Kurtz for a deep dive into why trust isn't just a feeling—it's a behavior we can practice and build. In this live edition of Empathy By Design (part of the Signals and Systems newsletter), they explore the neuroscience of trust and how it intersects with trauma-informed leadership.   Katie, creator of the Trust Works certification program, breaks down her TRUST acronym (...

This is part of a three-part series on Art as Nervous System Attunement with Dr. Anu French . If you haven’t listened to the previous two podcast episodes yet, we gently recommend starting there — they include a somatic practice that sets the foundation for what we’re exploring here. In this episode of the Empathy by Design Podcast, host we welcome Dr. Annu French, a pediatrician specializing in i...

Integrative Practice Lab: Art, Somatics & Healing (Part 2) with Dr. Anu French & Julie Johnson Download the Integrate App: https://letsintegrate.live/app Explore Dr. Anu French’s RedBubble Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/anufrench/shop Episode Summary In this experiential part-two episode of our three-part series with integrative pediatrician and artist Dr. Anu French, we step dire...

Soft Edges, Strong Roots: Art, Healing, and Nervous-System Leadership with Dr. Anu French In this episode, Julie sits down with artist, pediatrician, and integrative healer Dr. Anu French to explore how creativity becomes medicine, how art regulates the nervous system, and why beauty is a form of repair. Together, they move through the spirals of identity, healing, and leadership — weaving polyvag...

with Shannon Knight, LCSW Author of Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow & Co-Host of Tarot Diagnosis In a time when so many people are craving deeper, more meaningful transformation, shadow work has re-emerged as a powerful pathway — not as a trend, but as a remembering. A remembering that healing is not just about soothing… it’s about integrating the parts of ourselves we’ve hidden, armored, or outgro...

In this episode of Empathy By Design, Julie Johnson sits down with Sabrina Johnson — hypnotherapist, RTT practitioner, Reiki master, and spiritual mentor — to explore how hypnosis and subconscious work can support women and high achievers who are carrying burnout, pressure, and old survival patterns in their nervous systems. Together, we trace the link between somatics, the subconscious, and desig...

What happens when we treat design as a practice of intention, attunement, and aliveness—not control? In this rich conversation, host Julie Johnson welcomes strategist/facilitator/designer Lydia Hooper to explore trauma-informed, healing-centered design across personal, relational, and systemic layers. We unpack Daniel Hallin’s “Spheres of Consensus/Controversy/Deviance,” how creatives work the edg...

Here’s a single, merged narrative you can drop into your show page: Empathy by Design is where trauma-informed practice meets innovation, leadership, and human connection. Hosted by Julie Johnson and produced by the Integrate Trauma-Informed Network, the show explores how understanding trauma reshapes the spaces we create and the systems we lead—helping leaders, educators, and product designers in...

Empathy by Design welcomes Janice Debo, a confidence, courage, and connection coach, for a deep dive into the art of trauma-informed leadership and personal development. Host Julie Johnson and Janice explore how empathy, courage, and confidence intertwine in both personal and professional growth. They discuss the cyclical nature of building confidence, overcoming people-pleasing, setting boundarie...

What does it look like to design human-centered systems—from the inside out? In this episode of The By Design Podcast, Julie Johnson sits down with Chasen Forehand, Executive Director of HR4U, to explore how empathy, trauma awareness, and community can transform both workplaces and lives. Chasen shares his deeply personal journey from trauma and addiction to founding HR4U and Transformation Kitche...

Short description (for Apple/Spotify) Tiny, well-placed practices—what we call Tiny Signals—can gently rewire the nervous system. In this episode, Julie and therapist Sarah O’Brien, LCSW blend BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits, polyvagal theory, and DBT to show how micro-moments become durable skills for self-soothing, boundaries, and repair. Expect clear examples you can use today, from a one-breath phone pa...

  What do app design and the human nervous system have in common? More than you think. In this episode, I explore why the real challenge in digital health isn’t access to tools, but creating *behavior change that lasts.* We’ll look at how tiny habits — like a single breath, a hum, or a moment with nature — can build trust and regulation, and why layering content like a curriculum helps people move...

On this episode of the Empathy by Design podcast, host Julie Johnson is joined by Sarah O'Brien, Katie Kurtz, and community manager Fihmiya Hamdan for an insightful conversation on embodying trauma-informed leadership in a fast-paced, ever-changing world. Together, they explore the essence of leading with authenticity, building resilience, and fostering inclusion within organizational culture. Lis...

  In this episode of Empathy By Design, host Julie welcomes Sarit Zimmerman Rogers, a body-based somatic experiencing practitioner. They discuss the upcoming monthly workshop 'Unpacking Loss' on June 28th, which will explore working through grief with a somatic and trauma-informed lens. The conversation delves into various methods of addressing grief, highlighting the importance of empathy, body-b...

Navigating Grief: Insights and Practices with Karla Halbert In this episode of 'Empathy By Design,' host Julie Johnson engages in a profound discussion with grief activist and yoga therapist Carla Halbert. They dive into the unique facets of grief, including how it intertwines with trauma, and explore how practices such as yoga, chakra work, and somatic exercises can help in navigating the complex...

Description In this episode of the Empathy By Design Podcast, we discuss the importance of creating trauma-informed spaces and the skills necessary for effective trauma-informed care. The featured guest, Katie Kurtz , a trauma-informed care expert and member of the Affinity Group, shares her journey and expertise in trauma-informed leadership and training. Katie emphasizes the importance of unders...

In this episode of 'Empathy by Design' by the Integrate Trauma-informed Network, host Julie explores how empathy can be integrated into systems with guests Dr. Ram Zieganfuss and Brianna Young from Moravian University. They discuss their Doctor of Education program focused on transformational leadership, co-design, and human-centered approaches. Dr. Zieganfuss explains the program's emphasis on ex...

In this episode of 'Empathy by Design,' Julie Johnson, co-founder of Integrate Trauma-Informed Network, interviews Robin Mandel, a trauma-informed yoga teacher and disability rights activist. They discuss the importance of intentional design in both physical and digital spaces to create safe environments. Robin shares insights on her work integrating disability justice with trauma-informed breath...

In this episode of Empathy By Design, host Julie talks with Sally Miller, a yin yoga teacher, about her journey from Vinyasa to yin yoga, the principles and practices of yin, and the importance of pausing to feel. Sally shares insights into how yin yoga cultivates stillness, empathy, and self-awareness. They delve into the benefits of somatic practices, the role of pausing in everyday life, and te...

In this episode of Empathy By Design, we welcome Dr. Diaz, a distinguished social scientist with a background in clinical psychology and virtual reality. Dr. Diaz discusses her innovative approach to conflict through her self-constructed DOT model. She emphasizes the importance of conflict resiliency rather than conflict resolution, arguing that conflict is a natural part of human interaction that...