Words in the Wilderness

Jacky Power
  • 5.0 (10)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Words In The Wilderness is a podcast for changemakers, cycle breakers, and anyone tired of flatlining their existence with "fine." Hosted by Jacky Power, the Therapeutic Poet, each episode uses poetry as a foundation for exploring the wobbly, lonely terrain of becoming — of unlearning and unlayering — whether you're leaving a relationship, finding your voice, or simply learning that "I matter" is a truth, not an opinion. Sometimes with guests bringing professional insight or lived experience, sometimes raw and personal, this isn't a podcast about five steps to fix yourself. You're not broken. Your feelings are wisdom to decode. It's about having a cheerleader in your pocket when the path gets lonely and everyone else is questioning your choices. for brave souls who've awakened to their truth and are now navigating the wilderness of transformation

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    From Hulp To Hope

    Do you ever feel the urge to cry out, but swallow it back down instead? That specific, lonely feeling when you want to howl but it feels pointless, so you gulp it down instead — and there's no one to reason out your sadness, your guilt, your fear with. This episode maps the journey from that swallowed feeling all the way through to hope using the unexpected power of poetry to witness, name, and navigate what we're really going through. In this episode: Why we need our own vocabulary,  and how making up words can be the first act of self-understandingThe Frustration Triangle: the three places we instinctively go when change gets hard: blamer, self-shamer, or up-you-gamerWhat's really underneath blame How writing your shitty first draft of emotions can unlock the vulnerable wound hiding behind the vitriolWhat happens when someone who harmed you never takes accountability  and how we end up turning that inwardWhy the blank page is the perfect therapist: it doesn't answer back, doesn't charge you anything, and never fails to witness

    21 min

  2. 1 APR

    Why Words Help with Dr. Stephanie Aspin

    You were probably taught that poetry has a meaning, and your job is to find it. That's exactly why so many of us decided it wasn't for us. In this episode, Jacky is joined by Dr. Stephanie Aspin  - poet, therapist, academic, and author of Poetry and Therapy: Why Words Help  - for a conversation that might just change how you think about language, feeling, and what it means to be witnessed. Stephanie describes a poem not as a text to be decoded but as a little machine  -  a kinetic object where meaning shifts and moves. And in that movement, something therapeutic happens: language speaks back. It holds what we can't say directly. It gives us agency over a story we thought was fixed. In this episode: Why poetry has a bad rap  The poem as container: how an image can hold fear, grief, rage at arm's lengthWhat it means when language "speaks back"  - and why writing can reveal what we didn't know we knewHow to take your very first tentative steps with therapeutic poetry (even if you're completely resistant)Why all poetry is therapeutic  - whether it was written to be or not  | Quote from the episode: "The me in my poems is the articulate me that's okay  - and says I'm okay. And the world, if it thinks I'm not okay, it's wrong." About Dr. Stephanie Aspin:Websites: https://stephanieaspin.com/https://a-typicats.com/ Link to her book: https://www.pccs-books.co.uk/products/poetry-and-therapy-why-words-help Poem Links:https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/the-masque-of-anarchy/https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/101581/poems-of-protest-resistance-and-empowermenthttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/education/glossary/found-poemhttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Revolution-in-Poetic-Language-by-Julia-Kristeva-author-Margaret-Waller-translator/9780231214599?srsltid=AfmBOopuTEDNlgFqEEJYiqZHR4r7ZQN-FLs-RjDCnnQvMNvl2349pMrd

    41 min

  3. 18 MAR

    The Heap Of Hulps

    You know that moment when something rises in your throat - a howl, a truth, a need - and you just... swallow it back down? Jacky has a word for that. Hulp. A howl and a gulp combined. And this episode begins there; right in that frozen, swallowed place, because that's exactly where Jacky found herself when she sat down to record! This is an episode about what it actually feels like to start something. A behind the scenes look at the recording and deleting, the shame that crawls up when old wounds surface, the "here we go again" of it... Jacky takes you through the process she used to move from freeze to finally pressing record: writing a letter from her fear, sitting with the grief of it, reaching out - and what happened when she did. In this episode: The HULP poem - and what it means to have a pile of swallowed truthsWhy the antidote to shame is love, not self-improvementThe gap between your ideal self and your actual self - and why staying with the actual is where the richness livesWhy feeling like you don't fit in might mean you're a leader, not a misfitLink to the Youtube video Jacky refers to in the epsiode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0872fKNtIw

    20 min

  4. SEASON 6, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    Trailer: Welcome to Words in the Wilderness

    For the scared souls, the never-dared souls, the lost and double-crossed souls — the ones sitting in the wilderness of change, wondering if anyone else feels this way. Words in the Wilderness is a podcast for people in the messy middle of becoming who they really are. Hosted by therapist and poet Jacky Power, this is the space where we stop performing and start witnessing. Where your feelings aren't problems to solve - they're wisdom to decode. Through poetry, honest storytelling and real conversations, Jacky accompanies the changemakers and cycle-breakers who are walking away from what doesn't serve them, toward something that finally feels true. Each episode uses original poetry as a starting point  -  to bypass our defences and reach the feelings we haven't found words for yet. This is not a podcast about having it figured out. It's a companion for the brave work of figuring it out - one poem at a time. This podcast is for you if: • You've made a big life change and feel more lost than you expected • You're exhausted from performing 'fine' while something truer waits underneath • You've never thought poetry was 'for you' - but you're open to being surprised • You want to feel less alone in the wilderness of becoming "Please receive my words as gifts. Each poem a billet-doux, each line a delicate heart string to see the tough times through. All I'm ever trying to say — all I want to do — is encourage you to be who you are. To be the you-est you."

    3 min
  5. The Therapeutic Poet in conversation with Thomas Delaney

    18/10/2024

    The Therapeutic Poet in conversation with Thomas Delaney

    Understanding Addiction, Recovery, and Transformation   In this powerful episode, we sit down with Thomas Delaney, who shares his deeply personal journey from ketamine addiction to recovery and advocacy. During his recovery, Thomas has spoken to audiences in the thousands and reached an online global audience of over 20 million people.  He has spoken at some of the UK’s most significant wellbeing events and the world’s largest performance arts festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Thomas's story offers a raw and honest look into the complexities of addiction, the challenges of recovery, and the potential for profound personal transformation.   Key topics discussed:   1. The interplay between childhood trauma, intergenerational patterns, and addiction 2. Hierarchies within addiction and their impact on treatment and societal perceptions 3. The realities of residential treatment and the recovery process 4. Power dynamics and stigma surrounding addiction 5. Controversies of ketamine therapy for mental health treatment 6. The importance of addressing underlying causes rather than just symptoms 7. Finding purpose and meaning in life after addiction   Highlights:   - Thomas's courageous sharing of his personal experiences with addiction and recovery - Insights into the nuanced nature of addiction and the challenges of seeking help - Discussion on the use of substances to treat addiction and mental health issues - Emphasis on holistic approaches to healing and recovery - The power of finding purpose and meaning in recovery   Takeaways:   This episode underscores that recovery is not just about abstaining from substances, but about rebuilding a life filled with connection, purpose, and self-understanding. Thomas's journey offers hope and inspiration for anyone struggling with addiction or supporting someone on their recovery path.   Remember, healing is possible, and every step towards recovery is a victory worth celebrating.   Join addiction psychologist and poet Jacky Power and her guest Thomas Delaney  for this enlightening and thought-provoking conversation that aims to destigmatise addiction and help those affected feel less alone in their struggles.

    1hr 18min
  6. In conversation with Deb Casserly

    09/09/2024

    In conversation with Deb Casserly

    A mother's journey through addiction and loss.

    1 hr
  7. In conversation with Aga Kehinde and Jess Mór

    11/02/2024

    In conversation with Aga Kehinde and Jess Mór

    EFT practitioners Aga Kehinde, who is originally from that town and  and Jessica Mór, who until February 2022 had been living in Ukraine due to her spouse’s work, join me today to talk about their experience of co-creating  ‘Support for Slupsk’ The project has now delivered training to more than 800 people working for the services of the town of Slupsk, Poland who are coming into direct contact with the Ukrainian refugee population. The training has involved participants learning tapping and somatic trauma relief tools, the neurobiology of how they work, and the confidence and skills to use and share this knowledge and tools as they move through this challenging time.

    40 min
  8. The Therapeutic Poet in conversation with Aga Kehinde and Sharon Osterfield

    11/02/2024

    The Therapeutic Poet in conversation with Aga Kehinde and Sharon Osterfield

    Words in the Wilderness

    44 min
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Trailer

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out of 5
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About

Words In The Wilderness is a podcast for changemakers, cycle breakers, and anyone tired of flatlining their existence with "fine." Hosted by Jacky Power, the Therapeutic Poet, each episode uses poetry as a foundation for exploring the wobbly, lonely terrain of becoming — of unlearning and unlayering — whether you're leaving a relationship, finding your voice, or simply learning that "I matter" is a truth, not an opinion. Sometimes with guests bringing professional insight or lived experience, sometimes raw and personal, this isn't a podcast about five steps to fix yourself. You're not broken. Your feelings are wisdom to decode. It's about having a cheerleader in your pocket when the path gets lonely and everyone else is questioning your choices. for brave souls who've awakened to their truth and are now navigating the wilderness of transformation

Information

  • Creator
    Jacky Power
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 All poetry performed is subject to copyright and may not be broadcast or shared without consent.
  • Show Website
    Words in the Wilderness