LEANING into the FIRE: a podcast about therapy

About LEANING into the FIRE: a podcast about therapy

LEANING INTO THE FIRE: A Podcast About Therapy Conversations That Change Lives Leaning Into the Fire: A Podcast About Therapy explores the real work of healing—what happens when people have the courage to face the parts of themselves they'd rather avoid. Hosted by Ed Peterson, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Therapist and Supervisor, the podcast features thoughtful conversations with therapists, authors, researchers, and other helping professionals about what truly helps people heal. Drawing from Attachment Theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Jungian psychology, trauma-informed therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and other evidence-based and depth-oriented approaches, each episode explores the ideas, struggles, breakthroughs, and moments of connection that shape our lives. Whether the topic is relationships, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, grief, spirituality, or personal growth, every conversation is an invitation to look beneath the surface and discover what makes lasting change possible. This podcast is for therapists, students, clients, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of themselves and others. Rather than offering quick fixes or surface-level advice, Leaning Into the Fire explores the deeper work of emotional healing—helping listeners build stronger relationships, cultivate greater self-awareness, and live with more authenticity, courage, and connection. Because sometimes the only way forward in life... is to learn to lean into the fire. 🔥

Publisher

Ed Peterson

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

15 Jul 2026

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

9 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   ADHD, Attachment, and Couples Therapy: A Conversation with Dr. Scott Woolley, EFT Trainer

   In this episode of LEANING INTO THE FIRE: couples therapy conversations, I sit down with Dr. Scott Woolley to explore neurodivergence—especially ADHD—through the lens of Emotionally Focused Therapy. Scott brings both depth and clarity as we unpack how ADHD isn’t just about attention or behavior, but about emotional processing, attachment, and the ways people experience connection. We get into how often ADHD is misunderstood in relationships, and how those misunderstandings can create painful ...

2. 

   21 Sept 2026

   LEANING INTO THE FIRE: an interview with Dr Teri Murphy on: The Dark Night of the Soul -- Finding Yourself During Big Life Changes

   Dr. Terry Murphy, an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) trainer and therapist, opens up about the deeply personal journey that unfolded as she prepared to step more fully into her role as a teacher and trainer. What began as a recognition that she needed to stop building outward and start turning inward became what she describes as a “dark night of the soul”—a season of intentionally stepping away from work, achievement, and external identities to discover what remained underneath it all. Terr...

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Inside Brave Love, Great Sex: Laurie Watson & George Faller’s New Book on Sex, Love, and Attachment — with Jim Thomas

   In this episode of Leaning Into the Fire: A Podcast About Therapy, I sit down with Dr. Laurie Watson and EFT Trainer Emeritus Jim Thomas to explore Laurie Watson and George Faller’s new book, Brave Love, Great Sex: Harnessing Attachment Theory for Passionate Relationships. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful idea: a couple’s emotional relationship and sexual relationship are deeply connected—but they don’t always follow the same pattern. As EFT therapists, we know the pursue-withdr...

4. 

   25 Aug 2026

   What Sue Would Want Us To Remember About EMPATHIC REFLECTION: an interview with Jim Thomas, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Trainer Emeritus

   Empathic Reflection: The Power of Truly Being With Someone In this episode, EFT Trainer Emeritus Jim Thomas takes us back to one of the most basic—and most powerful—skills in therapy: empathic reflection. Through conversation and live role plays, Jim demonstrates how staying close to a client’s actual words can help them feel deeply seen, understood, and emotionally safe. We explore why therapists often work too hard, move too quickly toward interpretation or intervention, and miss the transf...

5. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Ali Barbosa, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Trainer on Attachment, Vulnerability, and Individual Therapy

   In this episode of Leaning Into the Fire, I sit down with EFT trainer Ali Barbosa for a deeply personal conversation about attachment, emotional safety, and what it means to have a “safe harbor” when life becomes painful. Ali explores how attachment gives us a compassionate way to understand shame, fear, vulnerability, and the protective strategies we use when we feel overwhelmed. We then move beyond talking about therapy and into a real EFIT role play, with Ali as the therapist and me as the...

6. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Kathryn de Bruin, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) on mentorship and social connection among therapists

   Kathryn de Bruin, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), therapist and trainer shares with us her take on the need for therapists to connect through mentorship, social support, and co-regulation. She is a brilliant therapist and trainer and teacher, and she has a huge heart. You can listen to the full interview on the episode of the podcast: "LEANING INTO THE FIRE: a podcast about therapy" ----- here is the link to the episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603389

7. 

   25 Jul 2026

   Dr Debi Gilmore: A NEW SEASON OF LIFE: A NEW PODCAST AND MORE

   In this episode of LEANING INTO THE FIRE: Couples Therapy Conversations, I sit down with Dr. Debi Gilmore for a conversation about stepping into a new season of life—personally, professionally, and creatively. Debi brings a grounded, wise, and deeply human perspective as she shares what it’s been like to evolve after decades of motherhood, years of clinical work, and a growing presence as a leader, teacher, and now podcast host. This is a conversation about reinvention, courage, and staying o...

8. 

   24 Jul 2026

   Dr Ryan Rana on RESISTANT clients - what's the big deal?

   I am SO STOKED about this episode. Dr Ryan Rana is a rock star in the world of EFT. He trains therapists around the world and is a sought after speaker to corporations and groups of therapists. In this episode Ryan and I get right into one of the most frustrating parts of therapy—working with clients who are resistant, clients who block us at every turn as we search for vulnerability in them. Ryan artfully unpacks what “resistance” actually is from the attachment theory lens. He makes t...

9. 

   15 Jul 2026

   DR LISA PALMER OLSEN

   INTERVIEW WITH DR LISA PALMER OLSEN: What happens when more than 20 of the world's leading EFT trainers, trauma experts, and attachment researchers come together to tackle the toughest cases therapists face? In this episode of Leaning Into the Fire, Ed Peterson welcomes renowned EFT Trainer Lisa Palmer-Olsen for an inspiring conversation about the upcoming EFT Triage Conference in Las Vegas. Lisa shares the heart and vision behind this one-of-a-kind event, where leaders from Emotionally...

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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