Episode Seven: Interview w/Emily Barnhardt, LCSW
Powerful Vulnerability
Welcome back to Powerful Vulnerability! Today, we are joined by Emily Barnhardt. Emily is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a consultant with the Bridging Families™ Institute at Crossnore Communities for Children, a child welfare nonprofit in North Carolina supporting children and families across the foster care continuum. In her role, she helps lead the expansion of an innovative professional foster parenting model rooted in trauma-informed, family-centered practice and focused on reimagining how families experience the foster care system. Emily holds a BA in Sociology from the...
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Episode Six: Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Fulgaro
Powerful Vulnerability
Welcome back to Powerful Vulnerability! Today we are joined by Dr. Elizabeth Fulgaro. Dr. Fulgaro is an award-winning author and songwriter. As Dr. United States of America 2026 she is spreading her message, “It’s all about healing hearts.” Dr. Fulgaro has personally experienced how devastating self-deprecating thoughts and inner wounds can be. She is passionate about facilitating inner healing and longs for each person to embrace her innate, priceless value and choose to courageously become more fully who she is. Dr. Fulgaro has written 9 books and developed more than 250 song prayers...
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Episode Five: Interview with Dr. Kaitlin Swanson
Powerful Vulnerability
Welcome back to Powerful Vulnerability! Today we are joined by one of Dr. Ashley's best friends in the whole world, Dr. Kaitlin Swanson. Dr. Swanson graduated with her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2009 and with her doctorate in psychology from Rutgers University in 2016. Dr. Swanson spent her career as a school psychologist for at risk middle schools. Dr. Swanson now lives in New Jersey with her husband of nine years, Jon. She has been battling ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) for over nine years and has become paralyzed, losing her ability...
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Episode Four: Interview with Alagie Jammeh
Powerful Vulnerability
Welcome back to the Powerful Vulnerability podcast! Today we are joined by Alagie Jammeh. Alagie is a political asylee. His uncle, who was the president and dictator of his native Gambia for 20 years, threatened Alagie after he expressed support for human rights while in the US for college. He previously worked as the 2020 Almami Cyllah Human Rights Fellow at Amnesty International USA as well as in think tanks and on Capitol Hill. He holds a Master's from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, focusing on Security Policy and Conflict Resolution, and a...
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Episode Three : Interview with Charles Halley
Powerful Vulnerability
On today's episode of Powerful Vulnerability, Dr. Ashley And Catherine are joined by Charles Halley. Charles is a husband, father of two and teacher. He has spent the majority of his adult life in service and standing in solidarity with people groups around the world. He talks with us today about his experiences in South Africa and India and working with genocide survivors in refugee communities of Palestinians and Rohinga peoples. Charles references some resources and organizations in his interview that can be found below: Books: “Christ in the rubble’ - Munthar Issac ...
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The Powerful Vulnerability Podcast Trailer
Powerful Vulnerability
The Powerful Vulnerability Podcast is a new project where Dr. Ashley Abaie and her co-host, Catherine Russler, bring to light and tenderly hold people's most vulnerability stories. It is a depository for shared wisdom. It is a project designed to empower each other through shared storytelling. And we hope it will help us all remember each other's humanity and value. Coming November 2025.
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Episode Two: Interview with Dr. Ashley (Part II)
Powerful Vulnerability
In episode two, we are continuing our interview of Dr. Ashley about her memoir, Coming Free. If you recall, we left off last episode where Dr. Ashley’s visa to stay in Ukraine was denied. Today, she will tell us how she survived two abusive marriages and the wisdom she gained in rebuilding. You can find Coming Free on Amazon at https://amzn.to/479hp10
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Episode One: Interview with Dr. Ashley (Part I)
Powerful Vulnerability
Welcome to the first episode of The Powerful Vulnerability Podcast, with your hosts, Dr. Ashley and Catherine Russler. The Powerful Vulnerability Podcast is a new project where your hosts bring to light and tenderly hold people's most vulnerability stories. It is a depository for shared wisdom. It is a project designed to empower each other through shared storytelling. And we hope it will help us all remember each other's humanity and value. In our inaugural episode, Catherine interviews Dr. Ashley on the first half of her book, Coming Free. Listen in for deep wisdom that sets the stage for...
info_outlineIn episode two, we are continuing our interview of Dr. Ashley about her memoir, Coming Free. If you recall, we left off last episode where Dr. Ashley’s visa to stay in Ukraine was denied. Today, she will tell us how she survived two abusive marriages and the wisdom she gained in rebuilding.
You can find Coming Free on Amazon at https://amzn.to/479hp10