The Practice of Being Human

Marta Brummell
  • 5.0 (64)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

This podcast cultivates real conversations about real topics for young adults, parents, and everyone in between. It talks tools and practices for how to navigate the often treacherous and sweet road of being human, and how to walk it more consciously, skillfully, and successfully. Relationships, adulting, parenting, marriage and more will be on tap. Come join us! Interested in learning more? You can find Marta at www.martabrummell.com.

  1. 4D AGO

    The Other Side of the Diagnosis: A Mother’s Story of Love, Community, and Faith (Part 1)

    In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Marta is joined by Denise Harris, mother of cancer survivor Holly Harris, for a deeply human exploration of caregiving, faith, resilience, and what it means to love someone through a life-altering diagnosis. Together, they reflect on the moment everything changes, the emotional reality of being “the strong one,” and how faith, community, and small moments of kindness can become lifelines during crisis. Denise shares her experience walking beside her daughter through brain tumor diagnosis, surgery, and treatment while navigating her own fear, grief, and responsibility as a mother and caregiver. This is a spacious conversation about love, village support, self-care, and the unseen emotional work of holding others while learning who holds you. A grounded reminder that strength is not the absence of fear, it’s the willingness to stay present in the middle of it.

    25 min

  2. FEB 8

    Differentiation in Relationships: Staying Connected Without Losing Yourself

    In this episode, Marta explores what it means to stay rooted in yourself while staying deeply connected to the people you love.Building on her conversation with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Marta brings differentiation into real life through a story of a young woman navigating a brave, values-based conversation with her father. This episode focuses on emotional adulthood, self-authorship, and the courage it takes to move from approval-seeking into values-based living — to tolerate disappointment, hold your ground, and remain open-hearted in the face of fear and dysregulation. This is a grounded, compassionate conversation about belonging, agency, and learning how to love without shrinking, disappearing, or surrendering your truth.

    17 min

  3. FEB 1

    Yearning to Belong Part 2: Love, Differentiation & Growing Together Without Losing Yourself

    In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, Marta and Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife explore what it truly means to love in a way that allows both people to grow, remain connected, and stay true to themselves. This episode focuses on differentiation, emotional maturity, and the lifelong work of self-authorship — how we move beyond enmeshment, control, or self-erasure and into relationships rooted in awareness, responsibility, and respect. Together, they reflect on marriage, parenting, generational patterns, and the courage it takes to repair, listen, and keep becoming even when it’s uncomfortable. This is a grounded, human conversation about love as growth, connection as choice, and the sacred work of becoming whole without standing alone.

    18 min

  4. JAN 27

    Yearning to Belong Part 1: Spirituality, Identity & the Human Need for Connection

    In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Marta is joined by Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife for a thoughtful exploration of belonging, spirituality, identity, and the deep human longing to feel connected — to ourselves, to each other, and to something larger than us. Together, they reflect on how early faith traditions and family systems shape our sense of meaning, worthiness, and purpose, and how questioning, disillusionment, and curiosity are often essential parts of spiritual and emotional growth. This episode weaves through young adulthood, self-authorship, and values-driven living, offering a grounded reminder that becoming human is not about getting it “right,” but about choosing what is aligned, honest, and rooted in love rather than fear. This is a spacious conversation about yearning, connection, and creating a life shaped by meaning, belonging, and the courage to become. Learn More About Jennifer and Her Work Here!: https://www.finlayson-fife.com/

    23 min

  5. JAN 11

    Understanding Trauma and the Nervous System: The Real Path Back to Safety

    In this episode, Marta explores trauma, the nervous system, and the body’s remarkable capacity to adapt, protect, and heal. Through grounded psychology, nervous system science, and deeply human reflection, this conversation reframes trauma as an incomplete survival response — not a personal failing. Marta unpacks how early adaptations shape our anxiety, relationships, coping strategies, and sense of safety, and why healing must involve the body, not just insight or talk. Drawing from the work of Irene Lyon, Gabor Maté, and Dr. Becky Kennedy, this episode offers a compassionate lens on functional freeze, addiction, emotional patterns, and why so many of us learned to trade authenticity for attachment. This is a slow, spacious conversation about coming home to the body, building capacity for safety, and learning — gently — that the danger has passed.It’s an invitation to stop performing safety and begin to feel it, one step at a time.

    21 min

  6. JAN 4

    The Five R’s of Parenting: Relationship, Regulation, Reflection, Repair & Resilience

    In this episode, Marta explores the Five R’s of Parenting — relationship, regulation, reflection, repair, and resilience — and how these pillars shape the humans our children become. Rather than striving for perfection, this conversation centers on presence: how connection builds safety, how regulation opens learning, and how repair transforms rupture into trust. Marta shares personal reflections and real-life family moments, illustrating how conscious parenting begins with the work we are willing to do within ourselves. Through grounded psychology, heartfelt storytelling, and simple tools for everyday life, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for raising children who feel worthy, seen, and secure. It’s an invitation to slow down, get curious, communicate honestly, and create a relational home where emotion is met, not managed. This is a gentle but powerful conversation about the kind of parenting that heals — one where connection comes first, growth is shared, and resilience is built through love, not pressure.

    28 min

  7. 12/28/2025

    Sturdy Parenting Part 2: Anxiety, Regulation, and Raising Humans Who Feel Safe to Be Themselves

    In Part 2 of Sturdy Parenting, Marta explores anxiety, nervous system regulation, and what children truly need in order to feel safe, connected, and worthy. Building on the foundations of Part 1, this episode focuses on the difference between false anxiety (a body out of balance) and true anxiety (a heart that needs connection). Marta offers compassionate insight into how social media, perfectionism, frustration, and emotional overwhelm impact today’s kids, and how sturdy parents can respond with presence rather than control. Through practical tools, real-life examples, and deep relational wisdom, this episode reminds us that presence, not perfection, is what shapes our children and ourselves. This is a grounding, hopeful conversation about regulation, repair, and raising humans who know they belong.

    22 min

  8. 12/21/2025

    Sturdy Parenting Part 1: Staying Connected to Yourself While Raising a Human

    In Part 1 of this episode on Sturdy Parenting, Marta explores what it means to stay grounded, present, and connected to yourself while raising another human being. Parenting can feel tender, overwhelming, and humbling, especially when we realize that many of the skills required for emotional regulation, boundaries, and repair were never modeled for us. Marta reframes parenting as a learned practice rooted in awareness, nervous-system regulation, and compassion rather than perfection. Through personal stories and practical reflections, this episode invites parents and humans alike to soften self-blame, deepen self-connection, and step into sturdier leadership for themselves and for the people they love. Enjoy a grounding and honest conversation about growth, repair, and the sacred work of being human together.

    30 min
See All (183)

5
out of 5
64 Ratings

About

This podcast cultivates real conversations about real topics for young adults, parents, and everyone in between. It talks tools and practices for how to navigate the often treacherous and sweet road of being human, and how to walk it more consciously, skillfully, and successfully. Relationships, adulting, parenting, marriage and more will be on tap. Come join us! Interested in learning more? You can find Marta at www.martabrummell.com.

Information