After last episode’s heavy reflection on current events in the United States, Katie and Allie shift toward coping with the emotional weight of living in a divided country. They speak honestly about grief, anger, exhaustion, and the tension between hope and despair, while also stepping back to name the cultural and psychological dynamics at play, including patterns like the Drama Triangle, ego strength in our reactions, and what it takes to stay present when your world feels like it’s on fire.

This episode shares tangible tools and grounding practices to help you stay regulated while navigating a difficult political climate and holding vision for a hopeful path forward.

We discuss:

• The 10/30/60 Principle introduced by a shamanic teacher, Sierra McFeeters, of Indigenous Roots Institute
• "beginners mind" and other grounding practices to help you stay regulated and present
• tangible ways to hold vision for a better future
• how to manage emotional flooding by prioritizing joy and being strategic about your media consumption

RESOURCES:

1. Episode 62 Naming What We're Feeling Part 1: Minneapolis, ICE, Renée Good & Alex Pretti
2. Sierra McFeeters, Indigenous Roots Institute
3. Heather Cox Richardson - political historian
4. Ground News

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Thoughts, questions, guest requests, or episode ideas? Email us: selfcenteredthepod@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The Self Centered with Katie and Allie Podcast is intended for entertainment, educational, and reflective purposes only. The views, opinions, experiences, and content shared by the hosts and guests are personal and subjective. They are not presented as objective facts or as representative of any professional body, organization, or field, including psychotherapy, coaching, or personal training.

This podcast includes personal reflections on dynamics in various relationships, platonic, family, romantic, and professional. General references to “family,” “an ex,” or “a friend”, for example, are intentionally vague to protect anonymity and do not refer to every individual in those categories. When names are used, they are fictitious, and identifying details are altered. Some information shared is based on research or professional experience, not personal history.

The information provided does not constitute medical, mental health, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with qualified, licensed professionals. Listeners are strongly encouraged to seek the advice and support of appropriate professionals for their own needs.

The hosts, guests, and creators of the podcast disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damages arising from the use of, reliance on, or interpretation of the podcast content or any linked materials. Use of this podcast and related content is at your own risk. By listening, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.

In this episode, Katie and Allie sit with what it feels like to watch the country fracture in real time. We speak openly about grief, anger, confusion, and the exhaustion of watching violence become normalized. The conversation reflects on recent events, including the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by ICE, as well as the arrest of journalist Don Lemon, and what these moments reveal about systemic oppression, political division, and the long road ahead for meaningful change.

We also reflect on how news and social media shape our understanding of current events, how dynamics like the Drama Triangle and ego strength show up in our reactions, and what it feels like to engage with people who support systems that we believe cause harm.

There are no clean answers here. This conversation names the weight of the moment and the difficulty of holding grief, anger, and uncertainty while still trying to imagine a way forward.

We Discuss:

• Our personal response to the ICE shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti
• How polarized reporting and social media echo chambers shape our perceptions
• Identifying dynamics like the Drama Triangle and ego strength in political and personal interactions
• How trauma, violence, and systemic oppression affect people across divides
• Reframing how to interact with people whose beliefs or political alignment don't align with your own

RESOURCES:

1. The Ego Series: Episodes 27-30
2. The Drama Triangle: Episode 42
3. The Codependency Series: Episodes 48-51
4. Ground News

Love the show? A quick rating or review helps us so much!

New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe so you don’t miss out.

Follow us on IG: selfcentered.pod

Thoughts, questions, guest requests, or episode ideas? Email us: selfcenteredthepod@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The Self Centered with Katie and Allie Podcast is intended for entertainment, educational, and reflective purposes only. The views, opinions, experiences, and content shared by the hosts and guests are personal and subjective. They are not presented as objective facts or as representative of any professional body, organization, or field, including psychotherapy, coaching, or personal training.

This podcast includes personal reflections on dynamics in various relationships, platonic, family, romantic, and professional. General references to “family,” “an ex,” or “a friend”, for example, are intentionally vague to protect anonymity and do not refer to every individual in those categories. When names are used, they are fictitious, and identifying details are altered. Some information shared is based on research or professional experience, not personal history.

The information provided does not constitute medical, mental health, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with qualified, licensed professionals. Listeners are strongly encouraged to seek the advice and support of appropriate professionals for their own needs.

The hosts, guests, and creators of the podcast disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damages arising from the use of, reliance on, or interpretation of the podcast content or any linked materials. Use of this podcast and related content is at your own risk. By listening, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.

In this episode, we kick off a new ongoing series, Centered or Not, which reflects on the narratives we absorb through pop culture and how those messages shape our understanding of power, healing, and self-worth.

Today's exploration? Two iconic breakup anthems: "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood and "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus.

Katie and Allie use these two anthems to explore contrasting messages about reclaiming power after a breakup... from revenge and validation to self-love and rebuilding from within. Along the way, they reflect on how similar messaging showed up in advice many of us received growing up, via religion, and in conversations about how we’re “supposed” to move on.

We Explore:

• How pop culture frames power as retaliation vs. self-connection
• The difference between internal and external sources of validation
• Why anger can be valid without being the place we stay
• How breakup narratives have evolved and how we’ve evolved with them
• What it looks like to be self-centered without becoming closed off or hyper-independent

Love the show? A quick rating or review helps us so much!

New episodes every Tuesday – hit subscribe so you don’t miss out.

Follow us on IG: selfcentered.pod

Thoughts, questions, guest requests, or episode ideas? Email us: selfcenteredthepod@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER: The Self Centered with Katie and Allie Podcast is intended for entertainment, educational, and reflective purposes only. The views, opinions, experiences, and content shared by the hosts and guests are personal and subjective. They are not presented as objective facts or as representative of any professional body, organization, or field, including psychotherapy, coaching, or personal training.

This podcast includes personal reflections on dynamics in various relationships, platonic, family, romantic, and professional. General references to “family,” “an ex,” or “a friend”, for example, are intentionally vague to protect anonymity and do not refer to every individual in those categories. When names are used, they are fictitious, and identifying details are altered. Some information shared is based on research or professional experience, not personal history.

The information provided does not constitute medical, mental health, legal, or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with qualified, licensed professionals. Listeners are strongly encouraged to seek the advice and support of appropriate professionals for their own needs.

The hosts, guests, and creators of the podcast disclaim all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damages arising from the use of, reliance on, or interpretation of the podcast content or any linked materials. Use of this podcast and related content is at your own risk. By listening, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.