The Curious Empath (Formerly: Who We Are & What We Need)

Catherine Quiring
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  • Self-Improvement

The Curious Empath is a podcast for those who experience life with unusual depth — and want to explore it that way. Host Catherine Quiring follows genuine curiosity wherever it leads: healing and transformation, self-trust and sovereignty, spirituality and psychology, channeling and dreamwork, art, beauty, love, liberation, and the ongoing project of making the world a better place for all of us. Honest, wide-ranging conversation with fascinating people and ideas — and the belief that depth of feeling is a gift worth understanding.

  1. 3d ago

    Tarot as a Mirror with Katia Wallace

    On this shorter episode of The Curious Empath, Catherine welcomes healer, poet, artist, ritualist and mother Katia Wallace. Katia has more than ten years of experience reading tarot and lives in the UK, though she's originally from France. Katia shares how her Italian grandmother's tarot reading and her other grandmother's visits to healers shaped her path. She also describes how becoming a mother led her into womb healing and ancestral healing. She explains why she tells clients she isn't a fortune teller and walks through her nine-card pyramid spread. She also explains how flower therapy (communicating with the spirit of plants) differs from flower essences. In this episode: Katia's family roots in tarot and energy healingWomb healing and ancestral healing after her daughter's birthTarot as a mirror: what's leaving, what's ongoing, what's coming inThe nine-card pyramid spreadDestiny as co-creation rather than fateFlower therapy vs. flower essences, and noticing the plants that keep showing up for you Resources mentioned The Rebel Heart Tarot by Alice GristLinda Howe (books on the Akashic Records)Juliet Bryant (Juliet's Kitchen, ships to the US) My favorite Tarot & Oracle Decks (aff links) The Good Karma TarotThe Neoteric TarotThe Wild & Sacred Feminine Oracle DeckThe Medicine Woman Oracle Deck Connect with Katia - Website - Instagram Connect with Catherine - ⁠Website⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠Substack - Sacred Wild

  2. Sep 15

    From Immigrant Outsider to Inner Healer: Teda Kokoneshi on Writing, Therapy, and Reclaiming Your Story

    In this episode, Catherine sits down with Teda Kokoneshi, a licensed mental health counselor and self-published memoirist, to trace her winding path from immigrating to the United States at 18 through a green card lottery, to studying continental philosophy in Boston, chasing a publishing career in New York City, and ultimately finding her calling in clinical mental health counseling. Teda opens up about the disorientation of adapting to a radically different culture, the burnout that brought her back to Florida, and how discovering Carl Jung's analytical psychology became a turning point in understanding her own mind. She walks through how she uses active imagination, dreamwork, and art therapy with clients, and shares why she believes true social justice work has to be rooted in personal healing. Teda also talks about her memoir, Living to Tell the Story: A Memoir and a Map of Reconstruction After the Dark Night of the Soul, and the writing projects — poetry, short stories, essays — she has percolating next. Connect with Teda - Website - Instagram - Substack Connect with Catherine - ⁠Website⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠Substack Prentiss Hemphill Podcast

  3. Sep 6

    A Midwife for Voices: Grief, the Five Elements, and Reclaiming Your Full Range with Barbara McAfee

    "You can't change your voice without your life coming along for the ride." — Barbara McAfee What if your voice already knows what part of you needs attention — you just have to make the sound and listen? In this episode of The Curious Empath, I sit down with Barbara McAfee: singer, songwriter, voice teacher, author of two books on voice work, and the leader of a "comfort choir" of volunteers who sing for people who are dying, sick, or grieving. We start at the threshold — literally. Barbara talks about the retreats she leads on music, death, and dying, how she stumbled into death doula work at her father's bedside at 31, and why she believes grief and joy have always lived in the same room. We talk about a grief ritual she helped hold for hundreds of people at a singing camp in Iowa, and the collective grief so many of us are carrying right now. From there we go into Barbara's Five Elements Framework — a way of understanding the voice through Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Air, each with its own archetype, gift, and shadow side. We talk about the parts of our voices that go "offline" under trauma, culture, and gender norms; how reclaiming a silenced part of your voice is really a form of soul retrieval; and how Barbara can often hear someone's deepest gift — calm under pressure, seeing the future, cutting insight — just by the way they talk. This is a conversation about sound, grief, gender, gifts, and what it means to let your whole voice — and your whole self — come home. Connect with Barbara -  Website - Ted Talks - Instagram - Patreon - "Oh For Crying Out Loud" Song Connect with Catherine - ⁠Website⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠Substack - Soul Retrieval I'm Catherine — counselor, mystic, and neurodiverse adventurer living on the Emerald Coast of Florida. I help people define their neurodiversity, trust themselves, and live fully connected to Self and Source. I’d love to hear from you and walk alongside you on your journey. With a full heart,  Catherine

  4. Aug 24

    Meeting our Well of Emotions: Cristine Hull on Anger, Fear, Sadness, and Guilt

    Catherine sits down with Cristine Hull, PhD — founder of the Zero Point Meridian Technique and creator of Frequency Formulas — for a wide-ranging conversation about the road from living entirely "in her head" to becoming a practitioner of energy psychology and quantum healing. She and Catherine dig into brain integration and heart rate coherence, the neuroscience of different neurodivergent minds, Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies, and Cristine's Love Solve method for processing the four core negative emotions — anger, fear, sadness, and guilt — including some delightfully practical ways to actually get anger out of the body. Join Cristine for a free webinar 8/26/26! Contact Cristine - Website - Instagram - LinkedIn - YouTube Contact Catherine - Website⁠ - ⁠Substack

  5. Aug 5

    The Frequency of Truth: Divination, Intention & Energy with Demi Pietchell

    What is divination really for — predicting the future, or understanding the energy you're working with right now? In this episode, investigative metaphysician and certified Monroe Institute trainer Demi Pietchell joins me to unpack her eclectic toolkit (tarot, runes, shufflemancy, sound medicine) and the throughline beneath all of it: intention. We talk about how she tunes into collective energy from a distance, the discernment required to hold that kind of sensitivity, and how ancient sites like Malta's Oracle Chamber may have been built to resonate at frequencies that shift consciousness. A conversation about using insight to empower choice — not to hand over your agency to fate. Contact Demi: Website Sign up for her Manifestation Training Aug 7-9 (use code 20ce20 for a 20% discount) Contact Catherine: Website - Substack Editing and Logo by Catherine Quiring

  6. Jan 29

    The Invisible Wounds: Understanding Spiritual Abuse with Katherine Spearing

    In this conversation, Katherine Spearing discusses her new book, 'A Thousand Tiny Papercuts,' which explores the complexities of spiritual abuse and the journey to reclaim autonomy after leaving high-control religious environments. The discussion delves into the insidious nature of spiritual abuse, the confusion experienced by individuals trying to navigate their faith, and the emotional turmoil that often follows leaving such systems. The conversation also highlights the importance of understanding the BITE model of control and the potential for thriving after leaving these environments, emphasizing the need for healing and self-acceptance.

  7. Jan 22

    Understanding AuDHD with Megan Griffith

    Join Catherine Quiring in conversation with Megan Griffith, autistic and ADHD life coach, content creator, and author of Welcome to AuDHD: How to Survive and Thrive as an Adult with Autism and ADHD. This wide-ranging discussion explores what it means to live at the intersection of autism and ADHD, from communication differences and alexithymia to masking, self-trust, and disability identity. Megan shares her diagnostic journey through misdiagnosis, the research behind her book (including lived experience from her community), and practical tools like EFT tapping for emotional processing. Catherine and Megan discuss monotropic vs. polytropic thinking, the building blocks metaphor for masking, and how childhood emotional neglect affects neurodivergent people—even in loving homes where authentic selves weren't fully mirrored. This episode offers validation, clarity, and hope for anyone navigating neurodivergence, whether self-diagnosed or formally assessed. Resources: Neuroclastic Directory EFT (Emotion Freedom Technique) Tapping (with Sophia Graniela, another podcast guest) “HSP or Autism?” Neurodivergence Lived Experience Summit: 1/23-25/2026 Connect with Megan Website - Book Connect with Catherine: Website - Substack - YouTube - Neurodivergent Self-Diagnosis Consultation Key Topics: The History of AuDHD: Why autism and ADHD couldn't be diagnosed together until 2013 (DSM-5) Alexithymia Explained: Difficulty identifying emotions in the moment, but processing them later through "back doors" like journaling or intellectual processing EFT Tapping: A practical tool for accessing difficult emotions through meridian points and parasympathetic nervous system activation Communication Differences: How neurotypical people give 70% of information expecting you to fill in gaps, while autistic people typically give 100% Monotropic vs. Polytropic Thinking: Flashlight (deep focus) vs. lantern (broad attention) approaches to thinking and work Masking as Building Blocks: A trauma response metaphor—not a removable mask, but borrowed blocks that became part of your tower Self-Trust and Validation: How diagnosis (formal or self) can affirm "I was right about me all along" Disability Identity: Community perspectives on whether AuDHD is a disability, difference, or "it's complicated" Childhood Emotional Neglect: How unmirrored enthusiasm and unmet attachment needs affect neurodivergent children Intersectionality: Research findings on disability, police violence, and the "ugly laws" that prohibited visible disability in public until the 1970s Practical Tools: EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Three-step process: Acknowledgment → Validation → Gentle Reframe Taps meridian points while processing difficult emotions Helps access emotions through the "back door" for those with alexithymia The 24-Hour Rule for Self-Trust When trusted people disagree with your reality perception Put a pin in it for 24 hours Revisit to see if your perspective has shifted or held steady Neither perspective is necessarily "wrong" Meta Conversations Pausing during disagreements to discuss how the conversation is happening Addressing tone, communication style, and assumptions Creating clarity about different communication preferences Hi,⁠ I’m Catherine⁠. I’m grateful to share this time and space with you. I’m a counselor living on the Emerald Coast of Florida, on the unceded land of the Muscogee. I am a creative, mystic, and neurodiverse adventurer. I love writing, creating, and connecting. I love helping folx⁠ Befriend Your Inner Critic⁠,⁠ Become Your Own Best Friend⁠, and ⁠reclaim your untamed soul⁠. Thank you for being here in this sacred space we get to co-create, as we come home to ourselves and enjoy the fruit of that self-belonging. I love hearing from you and⁠ walking alongside you⁠ on your journey. My free gift to you: ⁠⁠3 steps to trust yourself⁠⁠. With a full heart, Catherine

  8. Jan 21

    From Religious Control to Self-Compassion: Healing Your Inner Controller - Inner Critics Series #6

    Have you ever caught yourself in cycles of self-sabotage, then felt like this proved you were fundamentally flawed? For years, many of us were told this was evidence of our “sinful nature.” But what if that explanation isn’t just wrong—what if it’s creating the very problems it claims to solve? This episode explores religious trauma through Internal Family Systems therapy, revealing how “dying to self” theology creates internal oppression, and offering a revolutionary alternative based on self-compassion rather than self-control. What you’ll learn: ✓ How religious environments create the “Inner Controller”—an internal slave master ✓ Why “dying to self” doctrine is psychologically harmful, especially for sensitive minds ✓ The neuroscience showing self-compassion works better than self-control for growth ✓ Internal Family Systems alternative: parts with good intentions vs “sinful nature” ✓ Why your “self-sabotage” might actually be self-protection needing updates ✓ How to rebuild spirituality from wholeness rather than brokenness Perfect for: Religious trauma survivors questioning harmful theology People deconstructing faith while wanting to maintain spiritual connection Anyone taught their emotions, body, or instincts can’t be trusted Those struggling with shame-based identity from religious conditioning Individuals healing from spiritual abuse or authoritarian religious environments Key theological reframes: Human behavior stems from need-meeting, not cosmic battle between good/evil Your core Self already embodies “fruits of the spirit”—they’re not borrowed from outside Parts of you labeled “sinful” may actually be authentic aspects needing integration Self-compassion isn’t self-indulgence—it’s neurologically necessary for growth Important notes: This episode respects diverse spiritual beliefs while addressing harmful applications Focuses on psychological healing, not theological debate Includes resources for religious trauma recovery Content may be triggering for those with severe religious trauma If you’re struggling with: Depression or anxiety related to religious experiences Thoughts of self-harm connected to religious shame Severe religious trauma symptoms Please reach out to mental health professionals trained in religious trauma recovery. Part of the Befriending Your Inner Critics series: This penultimate episode addresses the Inner Controller—the critic formed in religious environments that taught you to distrust your own heart, mind, and instincts. Recovery involves updating these parts with compassionate truth. Next steps: Befriend Your Inner Critic Course Your worth is not contingent on your performance. You are loved exactly as you are. Connect with Catherine: Website - Substack - Pinterest - YouTube Hi, I’m Catherine. I’m grateful to share this time and space with you. I’m a counselor living on the Emerald Coast of Florida, on the unceded land of the Muscogee. I am a creative, mystic, and neurodiverse adventurer. I love writing, creating, and connecting. I love helping folx Befriend Your Inner Critic, Become Your Own Best Friend, and reclaim your untamed soul. Thank you for being here in this sacred space we get to co-create, as we come home to ourselves and enjoy the fruit of that self-belonging. I love hearing from you and walking alongside you on your journey. My free gift to you: ⁠3 steps to trust yourself⁠. With a full heart, Catherine

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The Curious Empath is a podcast for those who experience life with unusual depth — and want to explore it that way. Host Catherine Quiring follows genuine curiosity wherever it leads: healing and transformation, self-trust and sovereignty, spirituality and psychology, channeling and dreamwork, art, beauty, love, liberation, and the ongoing project of making the world a better place for all of us. Honest, wide-ranging conversation with fascinating people and ideas — and the belief that depth of feeling is a gift worth understanding.

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