Speak Plainly Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What if confidently confronting your partner's avoidance could lead to a more secure and transparent relationship? Join me on the Speak Plainly podcast as I break down the innovative concept of "aggressive attachment," a theory born out of personal experiences that redefines how we interact with avoidant partners. Through vivid stories from my own life, including in...

Send us Fan Mail What if the true face of ADHD isn't the hyperactive boy disrupting the classroom, but the quiet girl lost in her own thoughts? Uncover why girls are often overlooked in ADHD diagnoses during childhood, leading to a later-life reckoning where rates between genders even out. We peel back the layers of societal expectations and biological nuances, revealing how inattentiveness i...

Send us Fan Mail  This episode sheds light on my own struggles and the devastating loss of my brother who lost his battle with it after serving as a marine as well as my own suicidal attempts when young. By distinguishing between the desire to escape pain and the wish to end one's life, we explore the subtle shifts in these emotions and the role of self-awareness in recognizing and addressing...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered how billionaires like Elon Musk leverage debt to magnify their wealth, while the average person struggles with inflation? Join us as we unravel the mysteries of economics with my good friend Jess Doenges.  We start with the foundational concept of transactions and then explore the distinctions between the fiscal and real economies.  Our discussion ranges fro...

Send us Fan Mail Are humans truly unique in their propensity for violence, or do our primate relatives share this dark trait?  Join us for a compelling exploration of the Gombe War, where we uncover the chilling parallels between human and chimpanzee behaviors. We'll discuss the groundbreaking work of Jane Goodall in Gombe Stream National Park, detailing the bloody civil war that erupted foll...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could experience the majestic Annapurna Circuit without spending a fortune? Let us take you on a captivating journey through Nepal's Himalayan treasures, where we reveal essential tips on group planning, navigating Nepal's trekking legalities, and choosing the best time to embark on this adventure.we delve into high-altitude trials and the heartwarming rest d...

Send us Fan Mail Is empathy truly scarce, or are we simply running low on energy to act on it? In this eye-opening episode of Speak Plainly, I'll challenge the prevailing belief that empathy is limited in our world.  Instead, I argue that empathy is abundant but often goes untapped due to the finite nature of our human energy. Drawing inspiration from Darwin’s insights and children's nat...

Send us Fan Mail Ever flown to the other side of the world to spend time with someone and then get ghosted? I now have. Or ever found yourself up late at night, belting out Celine Dion songs with a new lover who feels like a mirror to your past?  Join me, Owl Medicine, as I kick off Season Three of the Speak Plainly podcast by sharing my heartfelt reflections from a recent international trip, with...

Send us Fan Mail  This is the last Podcast episode in this format for a while. I hope you like it. We do some house keeping up front followed by a quick word of grieving thanks to recent unfortunate circumstances. Speak Plainly Podcast will be on a temporary hold in this format. I am headed on an adventure! I'm setting off to explore the wonders of Nepal, Ladakh, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand....

Send us Fan Mail  Through personal stories and reflections, this episode illuminates the often unseen battle between our need for attachment and the quest for our truest selves.  We'll explore the 'doer', 'hostile', 'darkness',  'ghost' and 'are we good?' personalities, understanding how each one acts as a suit of armor, originally crafted in...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wanted to NOT care what someone else thinks? Doesn't that sound nice? Have you even stopped yourself from doing or asking something important to you because you were afraid what someone might think or how they might judge you?  How cool would it be to no longer be bothered by what other people think? How awesome and freeing would it be to no longer be concerned with anot...

Send us Fan Mail  Join me as we journey into the heart of inherited trauma, bridging the gap between science and spirituality by bringing clarity to a nebulous but very important topic.  This episode I talk about the types on inherited trauma: inter-generational trauma inherited trauma  collective trauma cultural trauma Together we explore the way that trauma and its echos are passed from one gene...

Send us Fan Mail We've unraveled the storied tapestry that is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its classical roots, delving into a philosophy that views health through the intricate lens of relationships, rather than isolated symptoms. The principles of yin and yang serve as the bedrock of this episode, providing a foundation for understanding how every aspect of our being is interconne...

Send us Fan Mail Today we confront the stark reality that our understanding of human behavior could be deeply skewed. With an overwhelming majority of psychological studies based on a narrow demographic slice of humanity, the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) bias raises profound questions about the universality of research findings.  Then, we navigate the intimate an...

Send us Fan Mail If you find yourself attracted to broken toxic people there is one harsh reality that you must understand. YOU ARE TOXIC TOO! No exceptions.  This heart-to-heart is an ultimate call to arms against the cycle of toxicity we're all too familiar with. It's about transforming our empathy into sympathy that doesn't just resonate, but also alleviates, the challenges faced...

Send us Fan Mail  In a conversation that's as timely as it is timeless, my incredible friend Jess and I unpack the notion that "The Revolution is Personal Evolution." With Presidents Day providing the backdrop and Black History Month lending its rich context, we couldn't have chosen a more opportune moment to dive into this transformative topic. By revisiting the legendary Gil...

Send us Fan Mail . We delve into the subconscious processes that drive this quest not as a deliberate pursuit of unhappiness, but as a manifestation of preexisting emotional struggles. As we navigate the complexities of these emotional mechanisms, I introduce a mantra that encourages a shift from blame to understanding, shedding light on how perceived malice might just be a misunderstanding or a l...

Send us Fan Mail  Our esteemed guest, Trip Omashanti, author and yogi, joins me to illuminate this complex picture, where ancient yoga sutras converse with the language of modern psychology. We traverse the landscapes of Sanskrit scholarship to understand the subtle echoes of trauma embedded within terms such as samskaras and vasanas, revealing connections that transcend time and cultural boundari...

Send us Fan Mail Growing up, I never realized that my constant quest for approval was a beacon of my blurred childhood, where I often stepped into shoes too big for my little feet to fill. Today's episode peels back the layers of parentification, a complex journey many of us unknowingly embark on when thrust into adult roles too soon. Through stories and insights, we examine the ways in which...

Send us Fan Mail As the winter chill sets in, emotions can run as deep and cold as the season itself. I'm Al Medicine, your host, inviting you to join me on a personal journey through the stark landscape of grief. During an extraordinary cold snap in the Pacific Northwest, with nothing but silence for company, my thoughts wandered to the loss of my cherished dog, Key. This poignant exploratio...

Send us Fan Mail I kept hearing that seed oils were bad for me but no one ever really said why... or how. So I wanted to know. I dove into the science to find the mechanisms of action of seed oils supposed negative effect in the body. So in this episode were doing a little bit of biochemistry but only a little. We're pouring the facts on seed oils, those omnipresent ingredients that have slip...

Send us Fan Mail Are you feeling adrift on life's tumultuous sea, constantly tossed about by the opinions of others? We've all been there. But what if we told you that you could reclaim your self-worth and emerge stronger from life's challenges? On this episode of Speak Plainly, we're getting real about self-worth, self-esteem, and self-respect.  We'll unpack the five C&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt alone in a crowded room? You're not alone. In this deeply personal and insightful episode of the Speak Plainly podcast, we confront the often ignored yet pervasive issue of loneliness head-on. We'll take you through an expedition of the mind, unraveling the complexities of loneliness, its many facades, and the deep-seated causes that give birth to this common h...

Send us Fan Mail Coming home for the holidays after a long absence? I've been there, and I know the trepidation that can come along with those family reunions. I haven't been home for Christmas since my brother's death in 2007 and, trust me, I'm grappling with my own set of concerns. This episode is all about how to navigate these complex family dynamics during the holiday seas...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back! Todays episode explores where do our values come from? What informs what we believe to be right or wrong? What influences what we hold near and dear to our hearts?  There are some obvious answers like our family and our culture. But where did they get it from? There had to be an origin right? even if arbitrary as a beginning point there must be some hidden guiding fa...