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690. Why Your Leadership Style Might Be Burning You Out – With Anouk Brack

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

Release Date: 04/08/2025

769. Coaching Through the Meaning Crisis- with Mark Walsh and Dr. Helen Machen-Pearce show art 769. Coaching Through the Meaning Crisis- with Mark Walsh and Dr. Helen Machen-Pearce

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Helen Machen-Pearce about meaning coaching, modern nihilism, and why so many people today feel lost despite unprecedented comfort and freedom. We explore the collapse of traditional sources of meaning — including religion, community, family, and vocation — and how modern culture often replaces them with “idols” such as status, money, pleasure, productivity, and online validation. We discuss practical approaches to helping people reconnect with purpose through embodiment, values work, narrative coaching, death awareness, belonging, and service. Along...

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768. The Coaching Skill Nobody Wants to Practice - With Sean Fargo show art 768. The Coaching Skill Nobody Wants to Practice - With Sean Fargo

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I speak with former Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher Sean Fargo about the changing role of mindfulness in coaching, therapy, and modern culture. We explore why mindfulness went from being widely celebrated to increasingly questioned, and how trauma-awareness, attention fragmentation, and modern lifestyles have changed the way people relate to contemplative practice. We discuss the tension between classical Buddhist teachings and contemporary therapeutic culture, particularly around emotional expression, boundaries, discomfort, and the growing expectation that spiritual...

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767. Embodiment and the Blind Spots in Modern Therapy - With Andrew Hartz show art 767. Embodiment and the Blind Spots in Modern Therapy - With Andrew Hartz

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with clinical psychologist Andrew Hartz to explore emotional dysregulation, attention, and embodiment in the context of modern life and culture. We look at why so many people feel overwhelmed, reactive, or disconnected from themselves in increasingly fast and fragmented environments. Andrew suggests that what often appears as ideological or cultural conflict can be better understood through the lens of emotional regulation—specifically the difficulty of tolerating complexity, ambiguity, and discomfort. From an embodiment perspective, we explore how these patterns...

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766. Embodiment meets self-defense: training the body to say no - With Martijn Bos show art 766. Embodiment meets self-defense: training the body to say no - With Martijn Bos

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Martin Bos to explore the role of embodiment in building real-world confidence, boundaries, and resilience. We discuss how a felt sense of safety begins in the body, and why many people struggle to assert themselves—not from a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of embodied capacity. Martin shares his journey from martial arts into coaching, and how his work integrates physical training with emotional awareness and nervous system regulation. We explore how posture, presence, and perception shape how we respond under pressure, and why awareness is often more...

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765. From Skills to Meaning: Rethinking Coaching Through Embodiment and Faith - With Chandler Stevens show art 765. From Skills to Meaning: Rethinking Coaching Through Embodiment and Faith - With Chandler Stevens

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Chandler Stevens to explore the limits of coaching and psychology, and why deeper transformation may require something more. We discuss embodiment, attachment, and the growing pull toward spirituality among coaches and practitioners. Chandler shares insights on how connection—to self, others, and the transcendent—shapes wellbeing, and why meaning, beauty, and purpose can’t be reduced to technique alone. We also explore practical ways to integrate faith-informed perspectives into coaching without dogma. This is a grounded conversation about expanding...

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764. From Self-Regulation to Theoregulation: Expanding the Coaching Model - With Virginia Moutlia show art 764. From Self-Regulation to Theoregulation: Expanding the Coaching Model - With Virginia Moutlia

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Virginia to explore the idea of theoregulation and why coaching and psychology alone may not be enough to support real human wellbeing. We unpack the four types of regulation—self, co, eco, and theo—and look at how modern life has left many people disconnected from community, nature, and a deeper sense of meaning. We discuss how faith, tradition, and shared values can provide structure, resilience, and a way to relate to suffering that goes beyond quick fixes. Along the way, we explore topics like attachment, purpose, beauty, and the role of ritual in human...

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763. Why Modern Psychology Can’t Heal Us: Coaching, Virtue & Human Nature - With Daniel Sute show art 763. Why Modern Psychology Can’t Heal Us: Coaching, Virtue & Human Nature - With Daniel Sute

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel to explore why modern psychology and coaching often fail to address what truly matters in human life. We dive into the ways postmodern thinking and our obsession with pleasure and quick fixes have left people anxious, distracted, and disconnected from meaning. We discuss the difference between vice and virtue, and how our attachments can act like bandages over the wounds of life. Along the way, we talk about beauty, truth, and the role of tradition in helping us orient toward what is truly good. This is a grounded conversation about recovering a sense of...

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762. From Reaction to Relationship: The Art of Conscious Communication - WIth Jayaraja show art 762. From Reaction to Relationship: The Art of Conscious Communication - WIth Jayaraja

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Jayaraja to explore what really shapes how we communicate -both with others and with ourselves. We get into how our personal history and emotional patterns show up in every interaction, and why I’ve noticed I’m often a worse version of myself online. We unpack what’s going on there, and share some practical ways to pause, reflect, and communicate with a bit more awareness and integrity. We also dive into the inner voice—how harsh and self-critical it can be -and what it takes to shift that. Along the way, we talk about the value of deep, non-romantic...

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761. Why Aren’t People Having Kids? Meaning, Culture & Modern Life - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce show art 761. Why Aren’t People Having Kids? Meaning, Culture & Modern Life - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

I'm joined by Dr Helen again to explore the deeper cultural, psychological, and philosophical roots of declining birth rates across the modern world. Moving beyond economics and policy, they examine what happens when meaning, identity, and embodiment begin to erode in contemporary life. The discussion touches on everything from the role of religion and community, to the impact of anxiety, digital culture, and shifting social norms around relationships, sex, and family. They question whether modern materialism and the pursuit of convenience have unintentionally undermined one of humanity’s...

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760. Coaching In The Presence Of Trauma: Boundaries, Confidence & Ethics - With Julia Vaughan Smith show art 760. Coaching In The Presence Of Trauma: Boundaries, Confidence & Ethics - With Julia Vaughan Smith

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

Julia Vaughan Smith joins me to explore what it really means to be a trauma-aware coach. We unpack the fear many coaches carry of getting it wrong, causing harm, or stepping outside their scope, and how that can undermine confidence. We look at the difference between working with trauma and working on trauma, and why coaching doesn’t need to become therapy to be effective. We also explore the shadow sides of both coaching and psychotherapy, the rise of popular approaches like parts work, and how to stay grounded in good practice. Towards the end, we dive into the powerful dynamics between...

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More Episodes

In this insightful and grounded episode, I’m joined by Leadership Embodiment teacher and coach Anouk Brack to explore how centering and embodied practices can shift the way we lead, work, and relate - especially in high-stress or corporate environments.

We unpack the neuroscience of stress and self-regulation, the hidden causes of burnout and bore-out, and how trauma can shape our leadership styles. Anouk shares practical tools drawn from her work with executives and organizations, alongside reflections on Dutch embodiment culture and developmental models of personal growth.

Find out more about Anouk's work here: anouka.nl (in Dutch) or anouka.nl/en (in English)

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Anouk Brack, MSc, is the lead trainer for the ICF-accredited Leadership Embodiment Coach Certification programs in Europe. Trained by Wendy Palmer, founder of Leadership Embodiment, she brings over 25 years of experience in leadership development to help leaders integrate presence, confidence, and compassion under pressure. Rooted in mindfulness, aikido, and backed by neuroscience, her approach is clear, playful, and impactful. Anouk has authored three Dutch leadership books, with her first book on Leadership Embodiment currently being translated into English. 

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