Triggered and True

Laura Duncan and Brian Freise
  • 4.8 (90)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Semimonthly

If you feel emotionally overwhelmed, stuck in cycles of shame, blame, and judgment, or just exhausted from trying to fix yourself, this is a place to breathe.  Triggered & True® is a podcast about emotional healing, grief, and self-compassion with Laura Duncan, creator of the Compassion Method™, and co-host Brian Freise. Each episode Laura and Brian get honest about shame, anger, anxiety, and the triggers that run our lives — and walk through healing that begins with compassion instead of self-improvement.  For over 14 years, Laura has helped people through trauma, loss, and grief. The grief that doesn't follow a timeline and comes in waves. Brian is living proof it works: after years of debilitating panic attacks, he found actual relief through the Compassion Method.  The method is three words: Awareness, Comfort, Discovery. Or put simply: Feel your pain. Get comfort. Go play. Because healing isn't becoming someone new — it's returning to who you've always been. New episodes monthly on the third Saturday.  Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion: triggeredandtrue.com/weeklydose

  1. 3d ago

    (Ep. 73) Does God Even Hear Me? Why Prayer Feels So Hard

    You believe God loves you. So why does it feel like he isn't listening? 🙏 Prayer feels hard for so many devoted believers — not because their faith is weak, but because an old wound is whispering that God isn't really listening. In this episode, Laura Duncan and client-turned-co-host Brian Freise trace that feeling to its root: Brian shares the childhood memory that quietly taught him his voice didn't matter, and Laura shows how The Compassion Method heals the emotional triggers underneath so you can pray from your true self, receive love you don't have to earn, and become more — not less — of who you were made to be. In this episode:  🔹 Why prayer feels hard even when you believe — and the childhood wound that whispers "God isn't listening"  🔹 How deflating moments imprint like "a pin on a balloon" — and why the fall hurts more than the moment  🔹 The check-in that changes everything: "Am I praying from my true self, or my triggered self?"  🔹 Why "introvert" might really be parts of yourself you put away as a child — and how healing brings back your joy  🔹 What are we becoming — more or less? Why pain shrinks your world and healing expands it. 📩 Get our free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://triggeredandtrue.com/weeklydose ▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfUS1F1NkzCdSSrbHjZ297A 🔗 Learn more:  https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com Triggered and True is an emotional health podcast where Laura Duncan teaches The Compassion Method — a process for understanding emotional triggers, healing from shame, and reconnecting with your true self.

  2. Jun 20

    (Ep. 72) Why You Can't Force Emotional Growth: Shame, Self-Control & the Performance Trap

    Triggered and True is an emotional health podcast where Laura Duncan teaches The Compassion Method — a process for understanding emotional triggers, healing from shame, and reconnecting with your true self. In this special series episode, Laura and client-turned-co-host Brian Freise unpack the performance trap: the exhausting belief that acceptance has to be earned through behavior — and why the missing link for so many devoted believers isn't more devotion, but the unhealed wiring beneath their shame, anger, and unforgiveness. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 Why devoted believers still battle shame, anger, and unforgiveness — and why the problem isn't your devotion 🔹 What the "performance trap" is — and how trying to earn acceptance through behavior keeps you stuck 🔹 The Compassion Method's three steps — Awareness, Comfort, Discovery — and why you "can't tell an orange to grow" 🔹 Why superficial forgiveness fails — and what it actually needs to hold: comfort for the wound underneath 🔹 Why the offense we feel toward others is usually protecting a tender place inside us 🔹 How the Compassion Method re-codes the "childhood glitch" running beneath your "adult website" 🔹 The difference between true selflessness and the hidden selfishness of needy survival 📩 Get Laura's free Weekly Dose of Compassion — Two short notes. Delivered to your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura. — triggeredandtrue.com/weeklydose 🔗 Resources & links Triggered and True website: https://triggeredandtrue.com Laura Duncan: https://lauraduncan.com Subscribe to Triggered and True on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@triggeredandtruepod

  3. May 15

    (Ep. 71) Why You Can’t Truly Love God if You Hate Yourself

    Do you find yourself using prayer and worship to avoid your internal turmoil?  In this episode of Triggered and True, Brian Friesen and Laura Duncan explore the thin line between genuine faith and "medicating with God," a form of spiritual bypassing where we use religion to escape our pain rather than inviting God into it.   We tackle one of the most common objections to emotional healing: Is the Compassion Method Biblical? Laura shares her journey from performing "religious routines" to having a felt experience with Jesus, explaining how our earthly wounds can often skew our perception of a perfect Heavenly Father.

  4. Apr 17

    (Ep. 70) These 4 Beliefs Stop Emotional Healing (Objections to The Compassion Method)

    Are your own objections keeping you from coming home to yourself? 🏠 In this powerful episode of Triggered and True, Brian Friesi and Laura Duncan tackle the most common struggles people face when starting their healing journey. If you've ever thought, "My emotions will lead me astray," or "If I start crying, I'll never stop," this episode is for you. Laura breaks down the Compassion Method roadmap, explaining why the "check engine lights" of our emotions are actually gifts meant to protect us, not threats to be suppressed. We also explore the critical difference between talk therapy and true root-level healing, and why focusing on your own heart isn't "letting villains off the hook," but rather the most empowering move you can make.

  5. Mar 20

    (Ep. 69) Why Your Pain Is a Terrible Fuel Source (And What to Use Instead)

    Are you using your past pain, anxiety, or "chips on your shoulder" to drive your success? While society often views this as noble or "gritty," this episode reveals why fueling your life with triggered energy is a fast track to burnout and limited results. In Episode 69, Brian Friesen and Laura Duncan deconstruct the "noble" myth of suffering. They explore the biological and emotional costs of staying "triggered" to get work done and offer a more sustainable, limitless alternative: True Self Energy. 📌 Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome: Learning curves and technological triggers.  07:41 – The Quote: "Let pain be the fuel you burn." (And why it’s wrong).  14:14 – Limited vs. Limitless 25:47 – The Theology of Worth: You are the crown jewel of creation.  29:54 – Using Movies to learn how to receive comfort.  38:20 – Laura’s Story: Navigating the Beirut bombings with the Compassion Method.  49:38 – How Logic and Emotion become "Best Friends" in a crisis.  54:01 – Final Homework: Building your comfort muscles.

  6. Feb 20

    (Ep. 68) A Roadmap to True Freedom – Science, Stillness, and the Compassion Method

    In this powerful conversation, host Brian Freise sits down with Laura Duncan to explore why discipline and productivity alone can’t deliver lasting freedom, and why learning to be still might be the most radical and healing thing we can do. Drawing from Andrew Huberman’s podcast on brain science, Cal Newport’s Deep Work, and timeless biblical wisdom (Psalm 46:10, John 8), they unpack: Why constant stimulation (phones, email, multitasking) blocks memory consolidation, learning, and real rest How boredom is often a disguised cry for connection, especially connection with ourselves Why forced abstinence (e.g. quitting social media cold turkey) rarely creates freedom, true freedom comes from connection, not just behavior change The neuroscience behind “gap time” and how brief moments of stillness actually accelerate neuroplasticity How Jesus modeled living beyond the mundane by regularly withdrawing into stillness and presence A dead-simple daily practice: the 5-minute attunement exercise → 2–3 minutes of silence → Gently notice body sensations, thoughts, and emotions (no fixing) → Anchor with one true-self word or feeling Whether you’re overwhelmed by busyness, struggling with insomnia despite discipline, or just feel disconnected even when you’re “doing all the right things,” this episode offers both the why (science + scripture) and the how (a practical starting point).

  7. Jan 16

    (Ep. 67) Confidently being You: Turning Triggers into Tools for Growth and Freedom

    In this heartfelt conversation, Laura and Brian dive deep into what it really means to live as your true self, that place of boundless inspiration, optimism, and flow, versus operating from your triggered self, where external pressures lead to burnout and limitation. They explore how triggers aren't enemies to avoid, but powerful signals revealing hidden pain, numbness, or suppressed parts of ourselves. By understanding and working with triggers (like 'riding the wave'), we can transform them into catalysts for profound personal growth, better relationships, and even business success. From navigating empty nesting and holiday shifts, to embracing weaknesses through delegation and collaboration, to building legacies that outlast us, this episode is packed with practical insights on accepting limitations without  shame, focusing energy on strengths, and confidently showing up as you, even when it's not perfectly received. Whether you're facing life transitions, business challenges, or just wanting more authentic energy in your day-to-day, this one's for you. Tune in and discover how to access your inspired true self more often! 🎧 Dive Deeper Sign up to receive two free resources and begin your journey with The Compassion Method™: 👉 https://www.triggeredandtrue.com/learnmore-freeresources Vist https://www.lauraduncan.com/ for Compassion Method details. 💬 Have a question? Submit here: https://www.triggeredandtrue.com/ask Or share your thoughts in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you! 📲 Connect With Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091947567199 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triggeredandtruepodcast/ Laurn Duncon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lauraduncanconsulting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraduncanconsulting/ 🎙️ Listen & Subscribe on Your Favorite Platform Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triggered-and-true/id1553371567 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/297AeQeWaQyWTsPF1IT83K?dl_branch=1&si=IsAdEiviQxShixgtK3t_NA&nd=1&dlsi=879e46ab082e4188

  8. 12/22/2025

    (Ep. 66) Navigating the Emotional Minefield of the Holidays

    Holidays: joy, connection... and emotional landmines? In this special, Brian and Laura explore why family gatherings trigger us—rooted in oldest wounds and unmet childhood needs. From Laura's story of losing her husband to ALS and raising four kids through grief, they bust the "expectation trap" that amps up stress. Spot the four responses: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Triggers aren't foes—they're paths to your true self. Prep your heart with: Self-Attunement Exercise: 5-min check-in for body, mind, emotions, and core self. Remote Control Exercise: Process recent triggers like awkward comments. Shift to offensive self-care: boundaries for you, not against others. Focus on inner child pics, unmet "gifts," and nature of family (connection, not chaos). Thrive, don't just survive—rediscover wonder amid the mess. Tune in for hope, humor, and homework. Merry, heart-centered holidays! 🎄💖

See All (74)

4.8
out of 5
90 Ratings

About

If you feel emotionally overwhelmed, stuck in cycles of shame, blame, and judgment, or just exhausted from trying to fix yourself, this is a place to breathe.  Triggered & True® is a podcast about emotional healing, grief, and self-compassion with Laura Duncan, creator of the Compassion Method™, and co-host Brian Freise. Each episode Laura and Brian get honest about shame, anger, anxiety, and the triggers that run our lives — and walk through healing that begins with compassion instead of self-improvement.  For over 14 years, Laura has helped people through trauma, loss, and grief. The grief that doesn't follow a timeline and comes in waves. Brian is living proof it works: after years of debilitating panic attacks, he found actual relief through the Compassion Method.  The method is three words: Awareness, Comfort, Discovery. Or put simply: Feel your pain. Get comfort. Go play. Because healing isn't becoming someone new — it's returning to who you've always been. New episodes monthly on the third Saturday.  Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion: triggeredandtrue.com/weeklydose

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Duncan and Brian Freise
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Triggered and True
  • Show Website
    Triggered and True

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