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Dr. Louise Stanger, a licensed clinical social worker with more than 35 years of experience, author, and global parenting expert, joins Abdullah Boulad for a deeply human conversation on grief, resilience, family patterns, and the moments that quietly shape our lives.

She reflects on losing a child to SIDS, the sudden death of her spouse, and the painful silence surrounding her father’s passing. Louise speaks about unanswered questions, generational wounds, and how the body often carries what the mind is not yet ready to hold.

This episode offers perspective for anyone navigating loss, supporting someone through grief, or trying to understand how our histories influence the way we love, parent, and build relationships.

About Dr Louise
Dr Louise Stanger is a respected clinician, interventionist, educator, and author who has supported families through addiction, trauma, and major life transitions. Her approach blends research, empathy, and practical guidance to help people strengthen relationships, rebuild trust, and create meaningful change with compassion.

00:00:00 – Introducing Dr Louise Stanger
00:01:47 – A Life’s Mission Born From Grief
00:02:11 – Generational Trauma and Family History
00:02:33 – Losing a Child to SIDS
00:03:44 – Sudden Loss of a Spouse
00:06:13 – Her Father’s Suicide and Childhood Silence
00:07:33 – Education, Mentors, and Becoming a Social Worker
00:09:43 – Learning the Truth About Her Father
00:12:01 – First Teaching Job and Early Encouragement
00:12:33 – Grief, Secrecy, and Maternal Support
00:14:40 – Teenage Turmoil and Emotional Survival
00:16:41 – The Power of Safe Havens and Mentors
00:17:40 – What Makes a Safe Space Safe?
00:21:33 – How Grief Shaped Her Parenting and Marriage
00:25:29 – Coping Through Friendship and Creativity
00:30:31 – Learning to Be Present Again
00:31:32 – How She Defines Grief Today
00:34:09 – From Pain to Resilience and Choice
00:41:40 – Debunking Myths About Grief
00:44:02 – Interventions, Family Portraits, and New Beginnings
00:47:04 – Portraiture, Mapping, and Systemic Insight
00:51:44 – Family Interventions and Long-Term Change
00:55:25 – What “Invitation to Change” Really Means
01:02:35 – Reflections at 79: Staying Present
01:14:40 – Final Wisdom: Keep Falling Up

For further mental health information and support, visit The Balance RehabClinic website: https://balancerehabclinic.com/

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You can order Abdullah’s book, ‘Living A Life In Balance’, here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...

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Paul Denniston, founder of Grief Yoga, joins Abdullah Boulad for a conversation that moves through grief, movement, identity, and the ways the body holds what the mind cannot always process.

Paul reflects on how his path began in places of anxiety, emotional suppression, and coping mechanisms that numbed rather than healed. He speaks openly about his childhood, his relationship with his sister, and the anticipatory grief that shaped so much of his inner world. From hitting rock bottom to entering recovery, he shares the moments and the people, who helped him find steadiness again.

Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about yoga, connection, healing, and the body’s role in emotional health.

About Paul:
Paul Denniston is the founder of Grief Yoga, a therapeutic movement method that helps people express and process emotional pain through the body. With experience in yoga, breathwork, dance, and movement therapy, he has trained thousands of mental health professionals, hospice workers, and grief counselors worldwide.

00:00:00 – Discovering Yoga Through Grief and Anxiety
00:01:03 – Introduction to Paul Denniston
00:02:06 – Childhood, Religion, and Emotional Suppression
00:03:32 – Coping Mechanisms: Food, Substances, and Anxiety
00:04:44 – Yoga as a Gateway for Emotional Release
00:07:05 – Addiction and Rock Bottom
00:10:46 – Relationship with Sister and Anticipatory Grief
00:15:27 – The Wake-Up Call and Beginning Recovery
00:17:03 – Support Systems and Somatic Practice
00:21:01 – First Yoga Class and Impact of Kindness
00:25:04 – From Fitness to Deep Connection in Yoga
00:28:34 – Gender, Misconceptions, and Spiritual Identity
00:31:52 – Integrating Mind, Body, and Spirit
00:36:19 – Western vs. Eastern Yoga Approaches
00:41:37 – Redefining Grief as Unwanted Change
00:45:15 – The Grief Yoga Cycle of Transformation
00:48:41 – Where Trauma Lives in the Body
00:53:42 – Grief Brain and Emotional Fog
01:02:48 – Movement, Breath, and Voice Techniques
01:14:22 – Guided Laughter Yoga Practice
01:20:09 – Balance, Joy, and Closing Reflections

For further mental health information and support, visit The Balance RehabClinic website: https://balancerehabclinic.com/

Follow Abdullah Boulad:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahboulad/
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Follow Paul Denniston:
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You can order Abdullah’s book, ‘Living A Life In Balance’, here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...

Follow The Balance RehabClinic:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebalancerehabclinic/

#LivingALifeInBalance #podcast #yoga #mentalhealthpodcast #music #soundhealing #emotionalintelligence #wellbeing #therapy #resiliencebuilding #innergrowth #mentalwellness #podcastepisode #youtubepodcast #mentalhealth #healing #wellness #wellbeing #support

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Bea Palya, singer, songwriter, and vocal artist, joins Abdullah Boulad on Living a Life in Balance for a heartfelt conversation about healing, creativity, and the power of the human voice.

Speaking with honesty and clarity, Bea reflects on the profound shifts that followed her divorce and the pain that took her to a very low point. She shares how music became the light she held onto, and how writing songs and using her voice helped her move through grief, rebuild her inner world, and reconnect with herself. Her story is a reminder that the darkest moments can become the ground where something new and meaningful begins to grow.

🔗 Tune in for a gentle and deeply authentic exploration of the voice as a healing tool, the resilience that emerges in difficult times, and the unexpected ways creativity can guide us back to balance.

About Bea:
Bea Palya is a Hungarian singer and vocal artist known for her emotionally rich sound and her ability to weave personal storytelling with profound musical expression. Through decades of performance, teaching, and artistic exploration, she has developed a unique approach to voice work that blends music, embodiment, and emotional honesty. Her work continues to inspire people to use their own voice as a pathway to healing, freedom, and inner connection.

00:00:00 – Welcome and Introduction to Bea Palya
00:01:46 – Musical Childhood and Folk Rituals
00:02:30 – First Breakup and Therapeutic Singing
00:05:11 – Songwriting and Emotional Expression
00:06:22 – Creating the “Sing Yourself to Freedom” Method
00:07:34 – From Performer to Teacher
00:08:43 – Singing in Community and Connection
00:09:17 – Emotional Resonance of Folk Songs
00:10:53 – Music’s Physical Impact
00:11:51 – Divorce, Rebirth, and Writing Anthems
00:15:24 – Covid, Growth, and Online Teaching
00:17:34 – Fear of Success and Expanding Reach
00:19:38 – Roots, Loneliness, and Ambition
00:23:50 – The 4 Pillars of Her Voice Method
00:29:55 – Breaking Perfectionism Through Singing
00:36:21 – Voice, Sexuality, and Energy Work
00:55:56 – Using Voice in Trauma Recovery
01:27:47 – Live Song Performance and Final Reflection

For further mental health information and support, visit The Balance RehabClinic website: https://balancerehabclinic.com/

Follow Abdullah Boulad:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahboulad/
https://www.instagram.com/abdullahboulad/

Follow Bea Palya:
https://www.instagram.com/palyabea/%E2%80%8B

You can order Abdullah’s book, ‘Living A Life In Balance’, here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...

Follow The Balance RehabClinic:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thebalancerehabclinic/

#LivingALifeInBalance #podcast #mentalhealthpodcast #music #soundhealing #emotionalintelligence #wellbeing #therapy #resiliencebuilding #innergrowth #mentalwellness #podcastepisode #youtubepodcast #mentalhealth #healing #wellness #wellbeing #support