Can compassion be trained? In this inspiring episode of Love and Compassion with Gissele, Dr. Olga Klimecki—neuroscientist and compassion researcher—joins us to explore the science of compassion and what helps people genuinely care for others, even those they find difficult to like.

Discover how play can transform your relationship in this enlightening conversation with Peter Anderson, “The Playful Couple.” In Choosing Play in Relationships: From Conflict to Connection, we explore practical strategies to turn tension into joy, strengthen intimacy, and reconnect with your partner in meaningful ways. Whether you’re navigating conflict, seeking more fun in your marriage, or curious about building deeper connection, this episode offers actionable insights and inspiring stories to help you bring playfulness, love, and laughter back into your relationship.

Part 2 of my chat with Britton and Carolee and they share their story of trying different types of school systems from Walford and Montesori to Unschooling to determine the path of greatest soul development for their children. We talk about why schools don't focus on skill development such as love and compassion in this episode.

Listen to PART 1 of this podcast episode with Britton and Carolee as they share their struggles in dealing with infidelity with compassion for themselves and their partners. They share how their childhood and upbringing lead them to having issues within their relationship and how a "BIG" decision changed their entire lives and the lives of their children.

In this powerful episode, I sit down with two courageous mothers from Palestine and Israel, members of the Parent Circle Friends, who share their journeys of grief, reconciliation, and hope. Through their unimaginable loss, they have chosen love over hatred, showing us what it truly takes to build a more united and peaceful world.

Are you struggling at work? Do you wish that workplaces could be more forgiving or more humanizing? Listen to this powerful and moving chat with Dr. Jenn Griggs about ensuring people's dignity, the importance of authenticity, and the power of forgiveness at work.

Listen to this powerful episode with Vivien Kalvaria as we discuss her memoir, My Name is not Rifka. In this chat, we discuss silence, intergenerational trauma, the banality of evil, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Tired of red vs. blue? Meet Scott Grace, the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, as we explore how to heal division with humor, heart, and his new book Beyond Red and Blue. Politics, peace, and poetry—this episode has it all, one rhyme at a time!

In this deeply moving episode, Sonny Von Cleveland shares his extraordinary journey of survival and transformation from enduring childhood sexual abuse and rape in prison to spending 19 months in solitary confinement. But this is not a story about staying broken, it's a story about choosing love over hate.
Sonny opens up about the radical act of forgiveness, the power of compassion, and what it truly takes to create a more loving world. We explore healing from trauma, confronting greed and ego, and finding the courage to transform pain into purpose. His message is clear: no matter what we’ve lived through, we all have the power to love.
If you're searching for hope, healing, or a reason to believe in the human spirit again then this episode is for you.

Discover how compassion boosts business performance in this powerful podcast episode with Dr. Bruno Cignacco, author of The Art of Compassionate Business. Learn practical strategies to build trust, improve employee wellbeing, and create a more human-centered workplace culture. Ideal for leaders, entrepreneurs, and HR professionals looking to drive success through heart and purpose.

Discover how to create spaces that support peace, presence, and emotional well-being. In this soulful conversation, interior designer Kim Depole shares how her time with Thich Nhat Hanh and the teachings of mindful living transformed her design philosophy. Learn how to design from the inside out, turning your home or workspace into a sacred, healing environment. Perfect for those interested in mindful interior design, conscious living, and creating intentional, soul-nourishing spaces.

What if animals could speak—and we could truly understand them? In this powerful episode of Love and Compassion with Gissele, world-renowned animal communicator and telepath Penelope Smith shares how she discovered the ability to communicate with animals through telepathy—and how this deep interspecies connection can lead to greater compassion, healing, and mutual understanding.

hat does it take to bring real compassion into the child welfare system?

In this heartfelt episode, we talk with Peter Mutabazi—author, advocate, and single Black foster and adoptive father—about his extraordinary journey from surviving life on the streets of Uganda to fostering over 36 children in the U.S. With raw honesty and deep wisdom, Peter shares the joys and challenges of being a foster parent, the unique barriers faced by Black single men in the system, and why love, safety, and belonging must be at the core of how we care for vulnerable children.

This is more than a story—it's a call to action to reimagine the child welfare system with compassion at its center.

🎧 Tune in for inspiration, insight, and a powerful reminder that one person can truly make a difference.

#FosterCare #ChildWelfare #PeterMutabazi #NowIAmKnown #CompassionateParenting #Adoption #SocialJustice #Podcast

In today’s evolving workplace, emotional intelligence isn’t optional—it’s essential. In this powerful episode, leadership coach and business strategist Jeff Ma joins us to talk about how love, compassion, and vulnerability are transforming company culture and improving team performance. We explore how to lead with empathy, create a psychologically safe environment, and have honest, difficult conversations at work. You’ll learn how forgiveness, trust, and authenticity can increase employee engagement, reduce burnout, and fuel long-term success. Whether you're a CEO, manager, or team member, this conversation offers actionable insights for building a more human, high-performing workplace.

In this powerful episode, Sean Hemeon opens up about growing up Mormon, coming out as gay, battling addiction, and learning to forgive himself. We explore religion, shame, manifesting, and what it really means to live authentically. A must-listen for anyone on a healing journey.

Do you want to know about the connection between love and money? Do you desire to understand what your passions are and how to live authentically? then listen to this conversation with Ghary D. Won around his experiences with homelessness, how a mindset shift helped him overcome that challenge and how his relationship with abundance changed after a conversation he had with money.

We are living in a time of great division. Where rights are being eliminated, and people are struggling more than ever finding common ground. Additionally, people seem to be struggling more internally. They are feeling more burnt out. Many spiritual traditions claim that love is the answer. But how? Listen to my chat with Scott Stabile, on the power of love. We will discuss why choosing love is always the better choice and the connection between self-love and love for others. A must listen if you are interested in understanding how love can help us heal.

Transcript



[00:00:00]



Gissele: Hello and welcome to the love and compassion podcast with Gissele.



We believe that love and compassion have the power to heal our lives and our worlds. Don't forget to like, and subscribe for more amazing content. we're doing an amazing documentary called the courage to love. Focusing on sharing stories of those who have chosen to do the unthinkable, loving and forgiving those who are the most hurtful through their stories, we will find out what the impact of forgiving and caring for our opponents is for those doing the forgiving.



And for those who were forgiven, we'll also hear from experts about whether it is in our nature to love and to come together with those with whom we disagree. We'll be doing fundraising in March with lots of amazing perks. If you're interested in the documentary, you want to nominate someone or support us financially,



Please look out for the information coming out in March. On today's podcast, we'll be talking about [00:01:00] punishment free parenting. Our guest today is Rebecca Wolf. She is author of the book, The Gift of a Punishment Free Childhood. She is a parenting mentor, educator, and mother. She supports parents through mentoring and workshops and navigating their parenting journeys.



Using punishment free practices, however, her most important work was raising her own children without punishment. Her extensive personal experiences, contribute to her ability to guide others on their parenting journeys. Rebecca is a certified parenting educator for the redirecting children's behavior program.



and has conducted extensive research on how punishment impacts children's behavior. Rebecca has a Ph. D. from the University of Northern Colorado in education and has been a lifelong teacher and learner. Please join me in welcoming Rebecca. Hi, Rebecca. [00:02:00] Hello.



Rebecca: Thank you,



Gissele: Giselle. As I was saying to you before, I love your book.



Absolutely love it. I wish I had found this book earlier in my parenting experience. Because I feel like my husband and I really had to struggle to learn by making lots of mistakes with our kids.



So I wish we had found your book. And so I was strongly encouraging my listeners, especially who are starting out in the parenting journey, or even if they have kids today, because you talk about teens to get it. Can you tell the audience a little bit about how you decided to go punishment free?



Rebecca: Yeah, absolutely. So, as you shared in my biography, I was trained to work for the Redirecting Children's Behavior Parenting Workshops. And in that work, it, it, There still was punishment included, but it really started to emphasize the idea of redirecting right rather than punishing. Let's [00:03:00] redirect.



And so I had kind of this solid foundation. And but what I'll share is that it was really when I started thinking about some of the crises that we're seeing. In the world now. I live in Colorado. And so the Columbine high school shooting that happened back in 1999 was pretty impactful for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about that, thinking about that family, those parents you know, the parents on both sides, the parents of the shooters, the parents of those who lost their lives that day.



And there are many, many factors that go into a situation like that.



But



Rebecca: it was clear that the reason those two boys walked into that high school was to punish their classmates. And so I'm like, why do we think that that is the solution? And if you think about it, it's because that's what most,

Are you craving true intimacy? do you have difficulties expressing your needs for intimacy, connection, touch and sex? Then tune into this episode of the love and compassion podcast with Gissele. Today, we talk to Luyba Venable who is a sex coach focusing on the needs of men and women for greater connection, unity, communication, and love.

Are you dealing with a recent loss? are you experiencing the possible loss of a loved one? if you are, then this podcast episode is for you. Listen as I chat with Dr. Jan Schwartz, about the three types of intelligence needed to handle the most difficult moments in your life. In this episode, she shares her experiences in helping her dog, address and heal a terminal cancer. Do not miss this exciting episode full of wisdom.