Ep. 157. In this episode, I sit down with retired psychotherapist Phyllis Leavitt to explore the urgent need for healing, in our personal lives and across America as a nation. Drawing from her decades of experience in trauma therapy, Phyllis reveals how personal healing is the foundation for national recovery, and how the same patterns of family dysfunction, abuse, and neglect we see in homes also play out not only in America but in nations worldwide.
This conversation is about breaking cycles of abuse, reconnecting to yourself through what you love, and recognizing that every person has the power to impact their community.
Segments
Introduction to Healing a Nation
The Need for National Therapy
Understanding Family Dynamics and Societal Impact
Collective Mental Health and Its Symptoms
Parallels Between Family Dysfunction and National Crisis
Psychotherapy as a Tool for Healing
Reconnecting with the Self
The Power of Individual Action
Bio
Phyllis Leavitt is a retired psychotherapist with over 34 years of experience working with children, families, couples, and individuals. A graduate of Antioch University with a Master’s in Psychology and Counselling, she co-directed the sexual abuse treatment program Parents United in Santa Fe, New Mexico before establishing her private practice.
Throughout her career, Phyllis specialized in treating abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, and their aftermath, integrating emotional wellbeing with spiritual healing and connection. She is the author of A Light in the Darkness, Into the Fire, and her latest book, America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis.
Now living in Taos, New Mexico with her husband, Phyllis is retired from clinical practice and devotes her time to writing, speaking, and inspiring others to find hope and healing both personally and collectively.
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