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: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

  1. Jul 18

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

    What if the reason prayer feels so difficult has less to do with your faith—and more to do with the wounds you've carried since childhood? In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese continue their series on how the Compassion Method brings biblical truths to life by exploring prayer, forgiveness, loving your enemies, and other commands that often feel impossible to live out. Brian vulnerably shares a childhood memory that helped him understand why prayer had always felt like talking into the void. Although he believed God loved him, he struggled to believe God truly cared to hear him.  Laura helps trace that struggle back to a past experience of not feeling heard, revealing how our relationships with earthly caregivers often shape the way we experience our relationship with God. Together, they unpack a freeing truth: many of the hardest commands in Scripture become natural—not through trying harder—but through healing the places in our hearts that keep us from experiencing God's love.  When our wounds receive compassion, obedience becomes the fruit of relationship instead of the burden of performance. In this episode: 🔹 Brian's personal story of why prayer felt so difficult—and the childhood wound that helped explain it 🔹 How early experiences with parents and caregivers can shape the way we relate to God 🔹 Why biblical commands like prayer, forgiveness, and loving your enemies become possible through healing rather than willpower 🔹 The difference between behavior management and allowing God to transform your heart from the inside out 🔹 How the Compassion Method helps remove the barriers that keep you from experiencing a deeper relationship with God and others 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  2. Jun 20

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

    What if the Christian life was never meant to be about trying harder, but about healing deeply enough that love becomes natural? In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese continue their conversation about faith and emotional healing by exploring one of the biggest misunderstandings in the Christian life: the difference between producing the fruit of the Spirit and trying to manufacture it through willpower. Using Galatians 5 as the foundation, Laura explains why Scripture calls love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control fruit—not accomplishments.  Fruit isn't something we force; it's the natural result of a healthy root. In the same way, emotional healing and a deep relationship with God create the conditions where Christlike character grows from the inside out. Rather than leaving listeners with another list of spiritual behaviors to achieve, this episode offers a freeing invitation: stop striving to look like Jesus, and begin allowing Him to heal the places that keep His life from flowing naturally through you. In this episode: 🔹 Why the fruit of the Spirit is something God grows in us—not something we produce through willpower 🔹 How emotional healing removes the wounded patterns that keep Christlike character from flowing naturally 🔹 The connection between the Compassion Method, inner healing, and spiritual transformation 🔹 Why trying harder often leads to frustration—and why a relationship with God leads to lasting change 🔹 How healing your heart allows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control to become the natural overflow of your life 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  3. May 15

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

    What if the healing that's transforming your heart is more biblical than you've been led to believe? In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese continue their conversation about common objections to the Compassion Method by addressing one of the biggest questions they hear from Christians: Is this process actually biblical? Laura shares her own faith journey and explains how her relationship with God shaped the development of the Compassion Method from the very beginning.  Together, she and Brian explore why emotional healing and Christian faith never compete with one another—they have always been connected. Looking at Scripture through the lens of relationship rather than performance, they unpack how compassion, emotional awareness, and healing have been woven into God's heart all along. Rather than asking listeners to take their word for it, Laura points back to the life of Jesus, the Garden of Eden, and the consistent biblical pattern of God moving toward people in their pain before inviting them into transformation.  It's a conversation for anyone who's wondered whether emotional healing can truly deepen—not diminish—their walk with God. In this episode: 🔹 Laura shares how her own relationship with God led to the development of the Compassion Method 🔹 Why the Compassion Method is rooted in biblical principles of relationship, compassion, and restoration rather than self-improvement 🔹 What Scripture reveals about God's response to shame, pain, and emotional brokenness—from the Garden of Eden to the life of Jesus 🔹 The difference between healing through relationships and striving through performance or religious obligation 🔹 How emotional awareness and self-compassion can strengthen your Christian faith by helping you experience God's love more personally 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  4. Apr 17

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

    What if the emotions you've spent your whole life trying to avoid are actually trying to help you heal? In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese tackle one of the most common objections to the Compassion Method: "Shouldn't I ignore my feelings instead of paying attention to them?"  Together, they unpack why so many of us fear our emotions, where that fear comes from, and why learning to feel your pain is essential to emotional healing—not a threat to it. Laura explains that most of us didn't learn to distrust our emotions as adults—we learned it as children. When our feelings were ignored, shamed, or met with disconnection, we naturally came to believe that emotions were dangerous.  But emotions themselves aren't the problem. They're faithful messengers, revealing what's happening in our hearts and pointing us toward the places that still need compassion and comfort. Rather than letting emotions "drive the car," Laura offers a healthier picture: your true self stays in the driver's seat while your emotions are finally welcomed into the conversation.  Healing begins when we stop fighting what we feel and start understanding why we feel it. In this episode: 🔹 Why so many people believe feeling their emotions is dangerous—and where that belief usually begins 🔹 The difference between letting emotions guide your decisions and allowing them to reveal what your heart needs 🔹 How childhood experiences of shame and disconnection teach us to suppress our feelings instead of processing them 🔹 Why emotions are reliable indicators of what's happening inside you—even when they aren't telling you what to do 🔹 How the Compassion Method helps you feel your pain, receive comfort, and respond from your true self instead of your triggered self 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  5. Mar 20

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

    What if the questions you keep asking are actually pointing you toward the healing you've been looking for? In this special Q&A episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese answer listener questions about emotional healing, the Compassion Method, trauma, learning, and what it really looks like to grow when life feels overwhelming. From navigating new challenges and emotional triggers to understanding how the brain learns, Laura offers practical, compassionate guidance for questions many listeners wrestle with every day.  Along the way, the conversation reminds us that healing isn't about getting everything right the first time—it's about becoming curious, staying present with yourself, and allowing each challenge to become an opportunity for growth. Whether you're wondering why certain situations keep triggering you, how to apply the Compassion Method in real life, or simply need encouragement to keep going, this episode offers honest answers and hope-filled perspectives rooted in both neuroscience and compassion. In this episode: 🔹 Why learning something new often feels emotionally triggering—and what your brain is doing in those moments 🔹 Listener questions about trauma, emotional healing, and applying the Compassion Method in everyday life 🔹 The difference between reacting from old survival patterns and responding from your true self 🔹 Why curiosity and self-compassion create lasting growth far better than self-criticism or perfectionism 🔹 Practical encouragement for anyone who feels stuck, discouraged, or unsure whether healing is really happening 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  6. Feb 20

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

    What if the freedom you're searching for isn't found by doing more, but by learning how to be still? In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese explore what they call a roadmap to true freedom, weaving together neuroscience, emotional healing, the Compassion Method, and faith to show why lasting transformation begins with slowing down instead of striving harder. Laura explains that our brains are wired to stay busy, solve problems, and react automatically, making stillness feel uncomfortable, even threatening.  But it's in those quiet moments that we notice what's actually happening inside us. Rather than rushing to fix our emotions, we can learn to observe them with compassion, reconnect with our true self, and discover the freedom that has been there all along. The conversation offers both the science behind why stillness changes the brain and practical ways to incorporate it into everyday life.  Whether you're constantly busy, struggling with emotional triggers, or longing to hear God's voice more clearly, this episode offers a simple but powerful invitation: stop striving, become present, and let healing unfold. In this episode: 🔹 Why the brain naturally resists stillness—and how that keeps us trapped in old emotional patterns 🔹 The connection between neuroscience, emotional healing, and the Compassion Method 🔹 Why awareness begins with slowing down instead of trying to fix yourself 🔹 How stillness creates space to hear your emotions, reconnect with your true self, and experience God's presence more deeply 🔹 A practical daily exercise to help you become more aware of your body, your emotions, and the identity that's underneath them all 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  7. Jan 16

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

    What if the emotional trigger you're trying to avoid is actually the doorway to your healing? In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese challenge one of the biggest misconceptions about emotional triggers: that they're something to fear or eliminate.  Instead, they explain why triggers can become one of the greatest gifts in your emotional healing journey when you learn how to work with them instead of against them. Using the powerful picture of riding a wave rather than being crushed by it, Laura shows how emotional triggers stop feeling like they're happening to you when you approach them with curiosity and compassion.  What once felt overwhelming becomes an opportunity to uncover the pain beneath the reaction, comfort the part of you that's hurting, and discover the true self that has been there all along. If you've ever wished your triggers would simply disappear, this conversation offers a hopeful reframe: healing isn't about avoiding the waves—it's about learning how to ride them. In this episode: 🔹 Why emotional triggers are opportunities for healing rather than obstacles to overcome 🔹 The "wave" analogy that changes how you experience overwhelming emotions and emotional reactions 🔹 How the Compassion Method transforms triggers from something happening to you into something you can work with 🔹 Why curiosity and self-compassion create lasting emotional healing where self-protection and avoidance cannot 🔹 How every trigger holds an invitation to feel your pain, receive comfort, and reconnect with your true self 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

  8. 12/22/2025

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

    What if the holidays don't have to be something you survive—but something you actually experience? In this special holiday episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese explore why Christmas and family gatherings can stir up so many emotional triggers—and how you can approach them with greater peace, awareness, and self-compassion. Rather than offering another list of holiday coping strategies, Laura explains how the Compassion Method helps you prepare from the inside out.  Whether your triggers come from difficult family members, unmet expectations, loneliness, grief, finances, or childhood memories, the goal isn't simply to manage your reactions—it's to understand the wounds underneath them so your true self can remain present. The conversation is filled with practical ways to prepare before the holidays begin, from revisiting childhood Christmas memories to using the Remote Control Exercise and practicing brief moments of attunement throughout the day.  The result isn't a "perfect" holiday—it's becoming more connected to yourself so you can be more genuinely connected to the people around you. In this episode: 🔹 Why holiday stress is usually about much more than the holidays themselves—and what your emotional triggers are really pointing toward 🔹 How childhood Christmas experiences continue to shape your expectations, reactions, and relationships as an adult 🔹 Practical ways to prepare emotionally before family gatherings using the Compassion Method and the Remote Control Exercise 🔹 Why trying to avoid difficult people rarely brings lasting peace—and how caring for your own heart changes the experience instead 🔹 How to move through Christmas with greater presence, self-compassion, and connection so you're not just getting through the holidays, but actually living them 📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868 🔗 Learn more: https://triggeredandtrue.com https://lauraduncan.com

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: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

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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