Real Vibes Only

Guess what? As human beings, we all create judgments about others. It's important to realize that our judgments are a reflection of our "personal perception lens" vs. anything remotely close to the whole truth. When we can pause and clear our minds of our judgments, we are better able to create and maintain authentic connection with others and ourselves. Join Karen and Lynn as they t...

In our current society, many of us have learned through conditioning that we are only acceptable in the world if we are happy. But emotions are biological and all emotions are part of our human experience. How would our world heal if space was created for unconditional acceptance of emotion? Can we create that space for ourselves and others we connect with? Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through...

The holidays can be such a mixed bag of emotions, stress and the never-ending feeling that we should be doing something. Just take a look at our to-do list ... Right? Give yourself a holiday gift right now and join Karen and Lynn as they talk through holiday stressors and emotional whirlwinds, and then identify what they would like more of this holiday season and what they'd like to let go of.

Our world can seem incredibly dark right now. We witness world events that are broadcast live on social media that show unimaginable human suffering. We witness injustices in our country that impact people's lives and make it increasingly difficult to survive. We hold our individual hardships and challenges and those of our loved ones. Then, add in shortened daylight hours and the cold of wint...

There is a lot of talk on resiliency these days. It's used to acknowledge our ability to bounce back or the strength that we have to do hard things. The term resiliency can also be used in a harmful ways. Such as, using it to minimize the impact of the experience or avoid acknowledging that sometimes life is hard. Period. Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack the many layers of resiliency and rai...

Fear is an uncomfortable emotion. Period. Fear is also part of our human experience and it gives us important information about the world we are navigating. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through their own relationships with fear and their journeys to allow and embrace fear in their lives.

Oftentimes when we are in need of help, we are told by people in the helping profession what we need or what would be helpful rather than having someone ask us directly. You are the expert in your life and know, more than anyone else, what would be helpful in times of need. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the ways that help has been unhelpful in their lives and how we can trust and advoca...

Have you ever been frustrated with another's behavior? Inevitably. One of the most humanizing reactions we can have is the recognition that we frustrate people too. Join Karen and Lynn as they recognize how powerful it can be to adopt a "Just like me" mantra to all of the experiences life can throw our direction.

Fall shows us how beautiful it is to let things go. The leaves changing color and releasing from the tree to become nourishment for the ground. What if we could allow our letting go to nourish us and recognize the beauty in the process? Join Lynn and Karen as they share their experiences with letting go.

We all experience change each and every day. Recognizing and accepting change when it occurs can be challenging. With a short phrase "It's like this now," we can extend self-compassion, love and acceptance to where we are in the present and honor how temporary it can be. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through the powerful shift that can happen when we stay grounded in the present.

We have all experienced times in our life where we may have felt defective or broken. Navigating life is complicated and hard at times. In our work, Karen and I often share with others the value that we hold that all people are fundamentally whole. We believe that we were born whole and are impacted by a myriad of experiences that cause us to question it. Join us as we share the powerful shift tha...

We are all connected. Whether it is a tragic event that is far from us or one in our backyard, we feel the emotion, grief and empathy as if it is our own. Empathy for the human experience is universal and deeply needed in our world. Join Karen and Lynn as they share their own experiences of connection with near and far and how they navigate through the emotions.

In the work that we do, we often hear about the conditioning and pressure many feel to stay positive or happy. Here's the real deal folks ... it is an impossible ask. As human beings, we all experience ups and downs and moments of no direction at all. So know that whatever you are experiencing, however you are showing up in the world, you are not alone. Join Karen and Lynn as they take a REAL...

NEW EPISODE: A primary tenet of the work we do is the power of “Connection as Prevention.” Whether we are talking suicide prevention, mental health challenges, substance use, physical illness or any other condition that creates a feeling of isolation, connection is prevention. In this episode, Karen and Lynn talk through the impact of social isolation and loneliness, how epidemic it truly is, and...

Each of us has learned how to navigate the world through our family, community and collective cultures ... and this includes our relationship with emotion. How do you engage with your own emotions? How do you engage with the emotions of others? Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack all of the conditional messaging we've received and how to unlearn and relearn a more natural, more human way of bei...

In the last few weeks, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people reaching out to us regarding compassion fatigue and burnout. Some are organizations looking for new ways to support their employees. Others are individuals who have reached their tipping point and can no longer function in their work environment due to overwhelm, the ongoing pressure of trying to "catch up,"...

Our lives are constantly in transition, but are we aware of how we are navigating them? Karen and Lynn talk through the transitions occurring in their own lives and how creating pause can help us extend empathy to ourselves through the process.

The Impact of Collective Trauma

Life can often provide us with opportunities to reflect on how our life is working. Are there things that are important to us ... that we would like to hold onto? And, are there things that no longer serve us or align with the person we are becoming? In this episode, Karen and Lynn share on ways that they have been reflecting on their lives and the power of holding on and letting go.

What is the Community Living Room? The Community Living Room is grounded in the present, offering a healing space for people to be seen, heard, and valued just as they are. It is focused on present-moment connection and support.

We talk to many people in community through our work and an overwhelming majority of people express feelings of exhaustion. When we take the time to slow down and look at all we are holding, it is not surprising. Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack the many layers of "challenge" that each are holding and how our exhaustion is not only warranted but very, very real.

Join us for the recording from our LIVE podcast hosted by the Women's Fund for the Fox Valley Region - Connection Matters, sponsored by Barbara & William Kelly. Hosts Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin discuss Normalize a New You: Pandemic Recovery for Women. The global pandemic put our lives on hold. We had so much on our shoulders, we lost people, experiences, and opportunities. We ar...

In the realm of emotion, very often there is a vary narrow box of "acceptable" emotional expression. Too much joy or excitement falls into that category. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through the very essence of joy and creating space in our life to fully experience it.

Taken from the poem "An Invitation to Brave Space" by Mickey ScottBey Jones, this episode addresses one of the more challenging aspects of being human - acknowledging when we cause harm to another person. And yet, it is inevitable and a piece of the human condition. In this episode, Karen and Lynn talk through their own challenges of causing harm and the process they used to honor their emotions i...

We hear often that we should love ourselves more, but what exactly does that mean and, more importantly, how do we begin to do it? Join Karen Iverson Riggers and Lynn McLaughlin as they talk about their own journeys in self-love.