S2.18: The Self-Leadership Superpower of Creativity and Compassion with IFS Therapist and Trainer Ruth Culver

I came across Ruth Culver during lockdown, when I was simultaneously exploring Internal Family systems-Inspired Coaching, and Polyvagal Theory. Ruth has trained in both disciplines and had developed the Thrive/Survive spiral which I continue to find super helpful (you can download it free from her website, link below).

In chatting with her by email I discovered she’s very down-to-earth and last year I did one of her online “Intuitive drawing” workshops called Drawing Into Self which was simply beautiful as I got to work with her 1:1 as the demo client.

Here's a sneak peek of what's in store:

• Shaking Up Trauma: Ruth dives into animal research on trauma recovery—turns out, a good shake can work wonders.
• Breakthrough Therapy: Ruth champions a fresh healing paradigm, blending the 'survive thrive spiral' with polyvagal theory and internal family systems.
• Unleashing Creativity: Discover the secret to unlocking creativity in leadership—spoiler: it's all about flow and regulation.
• Emotional Validation: We're calling it a superpower. Validating emotions isn't just kind; it's critical to coping and thriving.
• Mastering Self-Leadership: From group workshops to one-on-one sessions, Ruth and I unpack the power of self-guided growth within us all.
• Body Wisdom: Ruth highlights the body's role in emotional processing—listen to that gut feeling; it's smarter than you think.

This is a gentle, soulful episode, timed into the middle of midwinter as we Northern Hemisphere folk tune inwards. Tune in to embrace innovation, nurture self-awareness, and lead with heart and mind in harmony.

Here are some timestamps:

00:00 Promoting physical and mental health for empowerment.

09:28 Effective use of intuitive drawing in groups.

10:37 Women lead communities, using drawing for peace.

20:29 Magic happens in non-judgmental, creative listening spaces.

21:29 Mediating conflicts using learned couple counseling skills.

30:04 Therapist explains use of neuroscience in therapy.

32:19 Adrenaline response, fight or flight, submission, defense.

37:59 Overcoming old beliefs to achieve personal growth.

42:31 Anxious and depressed amid different spaces.

51:22 Acknowledge and release overwhelming energy for well-being.

57:31 Modern attachment theory challenges Western social norms.

01:03:29 Support for leaders and teams with mental health.

To check out more from Ruth and download her Thrive/Survive Spiral head to her website here.

If you enjoyed this or found it useful please subscribe on the show website, https://refreshingleadership.buzzsprout.com/
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Thank you!

To continue the conversation go to:
Website: https://katebrassington.com/ (where you can easily message me)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-brassington/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katebrassingto3
Email: kate@katebrassington.com