The Language Alchemy Podcast

Having a New Year’s resolution is a popular ritual, especially one involving a new hobby, habit, or skill. This year, I’m inviting you to go deeper and try something different. Can you envision yourself setting an intention with how you communicate in the new year? From my experiences, both personally and from working with clients, I’ve witnessed the beautiful benefits that are possible when you f...

How can we communicate to children during the holidays regarding their behavior, gifts they may be receiving, and family rituals can have a lasting effect on their life. Caroline Griswold joins me in this episode to help parents learn how to find joy and connection when communicating with their children. Caroline is a parenting coach who is passionate about facilitating respectful communication be...

Grief can impact us all during the holiday season. The collective grief we’ve been experiencing during this global pandemic has been unprecedented in our lifetime. And even though we all experience grief or know someone who’s going through it, we don’t really know how to talk about it. Do we use words like loss, passing, dying, or what? Do we way we’re okay when clearly we are in mourning? In this...

Who are you when you show up to spend time with your family? Are you comfortable sharing your authentic self? In today’s episode, I’m sharing a transformative communication tool that can help you show up with your family as the person you truly are. This communication model is called the Johari Window, and I wish it was more widely known! We’ll go in depth to explore each of the components of this...

During the holiday season, you may be spending more concentrated time with family, than you have in the past 2 years. And even though some things have changed, you may be wondering if your family dynamics would stay the same. Do you wish you could change how your friends and family communicate because that would make it easier for you to spend time with them? Then, listen to this episode! Takeaway...

For many people, and perhaps you as well, having a virtual holiday celebration with family members last year was a welcome break. As we head back to in-person gatherings this year, you may notice uncomfortable feelings emerging again. In this episode, I’m sharing two ways to work with your feelings so that you can enjoy the holidays and even bring connection, peace, and healing to the relationship...

Many people ask me for book recommendations or want to know my opinion about popular books on communication. In this episode, I review the book “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life” written by one of my dear teachers, Marshall Rosenberg, PhD. In Marshall's approach there are four sequential steps, which I describe in detail and give you examples about each of them. I also share 10 teachin...

Do you wonder what is“politically correct” or “right” language to refer to people or groups of people? Do you often worry you’ll use offensive words unintentionally? That’s exactly the question sent in by “M” which I am answering today. “Alejandra,” writes M., “I'm feeling anxious about what to say to people when I meet people for the first time. With all that I have been learning about systemic r...

Communication on social media has the potential to be frustrating or painful, which is why this is the third episode in a row devoted to the topic. We looked at interpersonal dialogue in episode 14, and inner dialogue in episode 15, so now it’s time to examine cancel culture. You may be surprised to find out the origins of cancel culture don’t have anything to do with social media! Although it doe...

As you scroll through social media, do you sometimes feel stress, frustration, and pain when you see certain posts? In episode 14, we considered interpersonal social media communication, but what about when posts elicit inner divisiveness? In this episode I’ll talk about the relationship between social media and your inner dialogue. I’ll share some things we tend to hear in our heads when we read...

Are you using social media with awareness, or are you allowing it to foster divisiveness and pain? Facebook specifically has been in the news recently regarding the way it’s platform promotes polarizing content. At the same time, we can’t dismiss our own choices when it comes to what we post and comment. We share part of the responsibility for creating an environment of collaboration, kindness, an...

Despite what you may have heard before, getting triggered is not a bad thing and I’ll show you how in this episode. I’ll talk about how when you get to know your triggers and trigger reactions well, you can actually get closer to cultivating peace, connection, or love. You’ll hear about the three important things we must acknowledge about triggers and how we respond to them. And by the end of the...

Are there times when you don’t know what to say? Maybe you stay quiet and end up feeling bad later because you missed a chance to say something meaningful. If you have this experience, or know people who do, you’ll find this episode helpful. When you lose your ability to say something, you go into communication shut down and later spend a lot of energy rehashing those conversations in your head. I...

Do you avoid conversations that, while important, may also be uncomfortable? When you do, you may use phrases such as “I don’t want to talk about that” or “Now is not the time.” When we say or do things to not talk about something important, you create disconnection. Often, we don’t even realize the ways we are avoiding connection because it has become your habitual way to communicate. However, yo...

You know that using language to attack others creates disconnection, separation, and divisiveness. What you may not have considered much is that attacking comes in many forms. Would you like to know if you are engaging in one of them? I’m going to share with you various forms of the two main ways we attack others with language to help you raise your awareness about the use of your language that ma...

Your inner critic is that voice you hear in your head that tells you that you’re not good enough, capable enough, smart, or brave. This inner critic will keep you stuck and disconnected - unless you transform this internal communication so you can thrive. Today, we’re going to unpack where this inner critic starts and how it becomes so ingrained in our psyche. I’ll share two stories demonstrating...

Do you wonder how to uncover your own “true self” that is often spoken about? Are you unsure how to handle biases in your own thoughts or others attacking you with words? I will answer these two questions brought so generously by listeners Britt and Angel. Our first question was sent in by Britt - “I don't understand how you're supposed to know your true self or your truth. How do you do this?” Be...

Labels are one of the most disconnecting language devices in our communication. It’s important to watch out for them if you want to build true connection in your interactions. Today, I want to raise your awareness of the presence of labels in your own life. Some labels are vocalized, while others are felt even if no words are spoken. Either way, they could be dangerous. Even labels that sound posi...

You may have heard or even said that “communication is everything,” but what does that really mean? In this episode, I share with you the science that supports that communication is the foundation of everything you want in your life, including surviving. Let’s start at the beginning and consider infants and children to get a clear picture of why our ability to form connections was literally a matt...

“The little beings in our lives are learning how to communicate from us adults. It’s very important that we learn how to use our language with the little ones around us.“ In this episode, I’ve invited Caroline Griswold to have this discussion with us today. This conversation will be useful for you, whether you are a parent yourself or not. Caroline is a respectful parenting coach who works with pa...

Have you gotten into an argument with someone because of your decision or doubt about what to do regarding the COVID-19 vaccine? If so, you are not alone. You might find yourself giving or receiving judgement, criticism, and disconnection with those who make different choices from your own. How can we approach these conversations instead with conscious choice and build connection? It starts, as co...

Have you ever wondered how to know when to speak up and when to be silent? Or are you curious about how to make your communication more authentic? You are not alone in having these questions and in today’s Q&A style episode, I will answer both through the Language Alchemy lens. The first question for today is from Kandy - “How can we know when it is best to speak up or be silent in a conversation?...

Do you have unnecessary stress or tension in your relationships? Then this episode is for you! In this episode, I talk about the link between tension and stress in your life and relationships and the language you speak.  You’ll hear about the benefits of paying attention to language and the perils of taking your language for granted. Just like when you pay attention to your breath after learning p...

Alejandra Siroka wants you to experience the transformative power of language in your life. Tracing her fascination with language through her life since she was a little girl, She's seen the harming as well as the healing power of words. She's studied several languages, became a translator, interpreter, and language teacher. But, it was her marriage, a relationship she wanted to have for life, tha...