Listen now (59 min) | In episode 81, Chris and Emma mark four years of the podcast with a candid look at what’s changed—in themselves, their work, and their relationship to the theory.
This year has been extraordinarily challenging for so many people! I have seen it in myself and in my patients. I have never been so able to navigate my, sometimes very, intense feelings in the moment as I have in this year. And I have needed to.
What you are saying matches what Ken Wilbur says about the stages of integral development. He points out that as we see a more complete view of reality within ourselves, and around us, we become more vulnerable and more sensitive to our feelings; more aware of them. And at the same time, we are able to bear these feelings with less suffering. I’m paraphrasing, of course.
I wonder if this is a collective rise in global consciousness.
Rachel, thank you for sharing this, both your own experience and what you're witnessing in your patients. That parallel process feels significant.
The Wilber connection resonates. Dąbrowski describes something similar: increased sensitivity as developmental potential, not pathology. The capacity to feel more intensely and hold those feelings without being overwhelmed—that's the work. 🙏
I love us 🥰 y'all brought me a big ol misty moment, thank you for seeing me and naming it and being wonderful at reciprocating. We're good at taking turns, and given all the twists of our lives it's super cool (to say the least!) that we have each other to lean on ✨
The appreciation is so mutual. 💫 What you model for us about presence and listening has been inspiring. And you're right about taking turns. That's been one of the unexpected gifts of this year, discovering we can actually lean on each other when things get hard without it being one-directional. Lucky us! ✨
As with the PDA: Resistance and Resilience podcast, I've been listening and wanting to respond with some comments. Yet, it's been a season where I've been occupied with other matters whose weight I hope lightens soon.
I really appreciate these annual reflection episodes. As the old saying goes, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I have a corollary to that: Myriads upon myriads of tiny steps lead to magnificent places: particularly when one pauses and looks back. And is suddenly astounded by how far they have come and the magnitude of what they have experienced.
You have certainly travelled far and wide!
To see Chris and Emma look back as they also chart the path forward is engaging and enlightening. It's particularly heartening when you can note that you'd do something differently and will strive to do just that in the future.. This builds trust in your words and actions. It shows you are curious, learning and growing; and not stuck within one rigid set of ideas. Well, that seems to be a theme around the podcast as it examines the TPD: how it was known, how it is perceived today, and to where it might go.
I welcome hearing more episodes around the lived experience of TPD by individuals. As you note, there is a place and importance for an academic perspective. Coupled with actual life stories (your own and others) brings the theory alive into a fuller perspective and dimension. It's such a dense and abstract theory (I love that part of it); yet seeing it applied within the context of a life gives deeper understanding (and raises new questions to explore).
I am also glad you are consciously choosing not to be a slave to a production schedule. It's better to have irregular intervals with content that is purposeful and thought out, rather than needing to produce "something" because of an arbitrary need to put something out weekly, monthly, etc. It helps maintain the high quality of what you do choose to put out there.
And lastly, I had been wondering about the future of the conference and am glad you clarified that it will not continue at least for now. It's not unlike a podcast schedule: you have to ask, "Are we doing this because it's meaningful or just because it's what we always do?" The latter risks becoming performative and lacking in genuine value. I sense you are asking questions like "What are we trying to accomplish?" "And is what we are doing serving the purpose of our mission?"
Thanks again, so very much, for these years of work. They have provided sustenance and helpful insight on my own journeys and, no doubt, for others.
Eric, thank you so much for this thoughtful reflection. I love your corollary about myriads of tiny steps. It captures something important about how growth actually happens, especially from a TPD perspective. We rarely recognize transformation while we're in it; the magnitude only becomes visible when we pause and look back.
Your observation about trust really hit me. Being willing to say "we'd do this differently" feels essential to the kind of work we're trying to do. If we're exploring a theory about growth and transformation, we'd better be modeling that ourselves rather than presenting as authorities with fixed answers.
I'm glad the lived experience direction resonates with you. Emma and I have been talking about how we want 2026 to include more episodes where it's just the two of us drawing on our own experiences to articulate what we've come to understand about TPD after four years of deep engagement. The academic grounding matters, but you're right—the theory comes alive differently when it's woven through actual lives and questions that emerge from living it.
And yes to your questions about purpose over performance. "Are we doing this because it's meaningful or just because it's what we always do?" is exactly the kind of question positive maladjustment asks us to keep asking. It's uncomfortable sometimes, but it keeps the work honest.
Thank you for being such a consistent, thoughtful presence in this community. Your comments always add something meaningful. I hope whatever you're carrying right now does lighten soon.
I’ve just begun listening to this episode but this line from the notes stands out: “The theory has become a real-time companion rather than a post-mortem tool.” This is beautiful to learn and it’s emblematic of people who have been walking the path and striving to learn and grow. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Eric, thank you for this. That line captures something Emma and I both recognized in ourselves this year: the shift from analyzing what happened to navigating what's happening. It's taken years of practice to get here, and I'm grateful you're walking alongside us.
Thanks for putting this out there!
This year has been extraordinarily challenging for so many people! I have seen it in myself and in my patients. I have never been so able to navigate my, sometimes very, intense feelings in the moment as I have in this year. And I have needed to.
What you are saying matches what Ken Wilbur says about the stages of integral development. He points out that as we see a more complete view of reality within ourselves, and around us, we become more vulnerable and more sensitive to our feelings; more aware of them. And at the same time, we are able to bear these feelings with less suffering. I’m paraphrasing, of course.
I wonder if this is a collective rise in global consciousness.
Rachel, thank you for sharing this, both your own experience and what you're witnessing in your patients. That parallel process feels significant.
The Wilber connection resonates. Dąbrowski describes something similar: increased sensitivity as developmental potential, not pathology. The capacity to feel more intensely and hold those feelings without being overwhelmed—that's the work. 🙏
I love us 🥰 y'all brought me a big ol misty moment, thank you for seeing me and naming it and being wonderful at reciprocating. We're good at taking turns, and given all the twists of our lives it's super cool (to say the least!) that we have each other to lean on ✨
The appreciation is so mutual. 💫 What you model for us about presence and listening has been inspiring. And you're right about taking turns. That's been one of the unexpected gifts of this year, discovering we can actually lean on each other when things get hard without it being one-directional. Lucky us! ✨
As with the PDA: Resistance and Resilience podcast, I've been listening and wanting to respond with some comments. Yet, it's been a season where I've been occupied with other matters whose weight I hope lightens soon.
I really appreciate these annual reflection episodes. As the old saying goes, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I have a corollary to that: Myriads upon myriads of tiny steps lead to magnificent places: particularly when one pauses and looks back. And is suddenly astounded by how far they have come and the magnitude of what they have experienced.
You have certainly travelled far and wide!
To see Chris and Emma look back as they also chart the path forward is engaging and enlightening. It's particularly heartening when you can note that you'd do something differently and will strive to do just that in the future.. This builds trust in your words and actions. It shows you are curious, learning and growing; and not stuck within one rigid set of ideas. Well, that seems to be a theme around the podcast as it examines the TPD: how it was known, how it is perceived today, and to where it might go.
I welcome hearing more episodes around the lived experience of TPD by individuals. As you note, there is a place and importance for an academic perspective. Coupled with actual life stories (your own and others) brings the theory alive into a fuller perspective and dimension. It's such a dense and abstract theory (I love that part of it); yet seeing it applied within the context of a life gives deeper understanding (and raises new questions to explore).
I am also glad you are consciously choosing not to be a slave to a production schedule. It's better to have irregular intervals with content that is purposeful and thought out, rather than needing to produce "something" because of an arbitrary need to put something out weekly, monthly, etc. It helps maintain the high quality of what you do choose to put out there.
And lastly, I had been wondering about the future of the conference and am glad you clarified that it will not continue at least for now. It's not unlike a podcast schedule: you have to ask, "Are we doing this because it's meaningful or just because it's what we always do?" The latter risks becoming performative and lacking in genuine value. I sense you are asking questions like "What are we trying to accomplish?" "And is what we are doing serving the purpose of our mission?"
Thanks again, so very much, for these years of work. They have provided sustenance and helpful insight on my own journeys and, no doubt, for others.
Eric, thank you so much for this thoughtful reflection. I love your corollary about myriads of tiny steps. It captures something important about how growth actually happens, especially from a TPD perspective. We rarely recognize transformation while we're in it; the magnitude only becomes visible when we pause and look back.
Your observation about trust really hit me. Being willing to say "we'd do this differently" feels essential to the kind of work we're trying to do. If we're exploring a theory about growth and transformation, we'd better be modeling that ourselves rather than presenting as authorities with fixed answers.
I'm glad the lived experience direction resonates with you. Emma and I have been talking about how we want 2026 to include more episodes where it's just the two of us drawing on our own experiences to articulate what we've come to understand about TPD after four years of deep engagement. The academic grounding matters, but you're right—the theory comes alive differently when it's woven through actual lives and questions that emerge from living it.
And yes to your questions about purpose over performance. "Are we doing this because it's meaningful or just because it's what we always do?" is exactly the kind of question positive maladjustment asks us to keep asking. It's uncomfortable sometimes, but it keeps the work honest.
Thank you for being such a consistent, thoughtful presence in this community. Your comments always add something meaningful. I hope whatever you're carrying right now does lighten soon.
Wooooow. Time flies! It's time to enter the Podcast elementary school!
We’re growing up! 😂🥰
Podcast Puberty with radical acceleration and advanced development is gonna be so intense and complex lol!
I’ve just begun listening to this episode but this line from the notes stands out: “The theory has become a real-time companion rather than a post-mortem tool.” This is beautiful to learn and it’s emblematic of people who have been walking the path and striving to learn and grow. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Eric, thank you for this. That line captures something Emma and I both recognized in ourselves this year: the shift from analyzing what happened to navigating what's happening. It's taken years of practice to get here, and I'm grateful you're walking alongside us.