Tending the Soul

Maggie Hollinbeck

Writer and therapist Maggie Hollinbeck talks about all things mental health -- how to protect it, heal it, and enjoy it. She sings the praises of practicing stubborn gladness, healing everyday trauma, and her love of words that don't have direct English translations. maggiehollinbeck.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 04/04/2025

    E004: Sisu with Liisa Kovala

    Today I’m excited to share my first interview for the podcast! I had a lovely conversation a few weeks ago with Liisa Kovala, a Finnish-Canadian writer and book coach. We found each other on Substack when we both shared posts about sisu around the same time. What is sisu? Well, listen up and you’ll hear all about it! GUEST BIO Liisa Kovala is a Finnish-Canadian writer and book coach. Her debut novel, Sisu’s Winter War, was released by Latitude 46 Publishing in 2022. Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) was translated and published by Docendo in Finland, and short-listed for a Northern Lit award. Liisa’s short stories and creative non-fiction have been published in a variety of anthologies and literary magazines, and she received first prize in Geist’s 18th Annual Literal Literary Postcard Short Story Contest. As a certified Author Accelerator fiction and memoir book coach, Liisa works with writers both in small group settings and individually. Liisa features fellow writers in her Women Writing newsletter, hosts the Women Writing Podcast and co-hosts Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreats with Dinah Laprairie. Learn more about Liisa at liisakovalabookcoach.com and visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:39 First Interview: Liisa Kovala on Sisu 00:56 Exploring the Concept of Sisu 03:15 Liisa's Journey and Work 06:06 Sisu in Historical Context 20:52 Practicing Sisu in Daily Life 31:26 The Importance of Community 35:35 Closing Remarks and Outro LINKS Maggie’s Substack Maggie’s website Liisa’s Substack Liisa’s website The book that started me on my sisu journey! (Note: this is an affiliate link and I think I get three tenths of a penny if you buy the book here.) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit maggiehollinbeck.substack.com

    E004: Sisu with Liisa Kovala
  2. 03/21/2025

    E003: Let's Talk About Trauma

    On this episode of Tending the Soul, we're diving into the topic of trauma. I explore the evolving definition of trauma, emphasizing that it is not necessarily the event itself but our response to it that determines its traumatic nature. I'll also frame trauma in the way I do with my clients: as a nervous system digestive issue, which vibes with ancient wisdom found in Ayurveda -- fun fact! We'll go over the differences between healing tools for trauma recovery, and preventative measures to build resilience. Practical tools for recovery, such as journaling, walking, and therapy techniques like brainspotting and EFT (tapping), are highlighted. Finally, we'll look at fundamental daily practices like sleep, exercise, meditation, and journaling for fostering a more trauma-resilient nervous system. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Tending the Soul 00:38 Understanding Trauma: Definition and Evolution 06:15 Trauma as a Digestive Issue 13:17 Tools for Trauma Recovery 18:24 Building Trauma Resilience 25:40 Conclusion and Resources LINKS Maggie's Substack: http://maggiehollinbeck.substack.com Bilateral music track (royalty-free): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YcD_HYhHDYlmx1WPhh-2yRPeY4YTZbpk/view?usp=drivesdk Waitlist for "Healing Everyday Trauma" Course: https://maggie-hollinbeck.myflodesk.com/het-waitlist-sas This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit maggiehollinbeck.substack.com

    E003: Let's Talk About Trauma
  3. 02/10/2025

    E000: Trailer

    This is the Tending the Soul podcast, formerly the Stubborn Gladness podcast! I’m your host, Maggie Hollinbeck and I am so glad we’re here together. On this podcast I’ll talk about mental health in America and around the world, sharing insights from my 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and trauma specialist. I'm passionate about making mental health accessible to anyone who wants it, even if you can’t afford or don't want to go to therapy, so I'll share helpful ideas, tools and practices that you can put to use in your life to feel less overwhelmed and more empowered in your life. I’ll also talk about the pursuit of happiness and simple ways to cultivate a kind of stubborn gladness in your life, even in hard times. And, because I'm a total word nerd, I’ll occasionally (okay, more than occasionally) talk about my love of words that don’t have direct translations into English — especially words that explain very valuable mental health concepts. If you want to take a more active role in cultivating happiness in your life and taking care of yourself when the world hits you hard, and learning some new vocabulary words, this is the place for you. Episodes will drop about twice a month, so if you like what you hear, you know what to do. Follow, subscribe, review and share! You’ll find more of my work at my Substack publication. Go to substack.com and search “Tending the Soul”. You can be a free subscriber or choose one of the paid subscriptions to become a part of my community and get access to my monthly care package as well as special live events and other goodies. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit maggiehollinbeck.substack.com

    E000: Trailer

Trailer

About

Writer and therapist Maggie Hollinbeck talks about all things mental health -- how to protect it, heal it, and enjoy it. She sings the praises of practicing stubborn gladness, healing everyday trauma, and her love of words that don't have direct English translations. maggiehollinbeck.substack.com