Is saying exactly what you think really the same as being authentic?

Alejandra's upcoming book, Language Alchemy: The Essential Communication Toolkit for a Life of Peace, Authenticity, and Meaning, is now available for pre-order.

The book goes deeper into these ideas with practical tools, real examples, and reflections designed to help readers become more aware of what's happening within themselves and communicate with greater honesty, authenticity, and care.

Pre-order the Book: https://www.languagealchemybook.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-language-alchemy-podcast/id1576461366

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yTj9hSotq8EAjPCYg2jYw?si=aQNuoStRQomTNUKHGSD56A&nd=1&dlsi=064dcb42ba8d4706

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Original music by Gary Lapow: http://open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqD

In this episode, Alejandra Siroka speaks with Dr. Chrissie Ott, a physician leader, board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, integrative medicine, and obesity medicine, and an ICF-certified coach. Together, they explore the role that language, presence, and relationship play in healthcare, and how the words used between physicians and patients can either create connection or contribute to disconnection.

Chrissie reflects on her experiences as both a physician and a patient, including how language such as “non-compliant” or “failed treatment” can reveal assumptions about the physician-patient relationship. Alejandra and Chrissie discuss moving beyond a top-down model of care toward communication grounded in curiosity, informed choice, dignity, empathy, and respect. They also explore how cultural assumptions and biases can influence the way healthcare providers communicate with patients, particularly multicultural patients and those who speak languages other than English.

Throughout their conversation, Alejandra and Chrissie explore what becomes possible when healthcare providers bring their full presence and humanity into the room, even when they have only a few minutes with a patient. Chrissie shares how mindfulness, empathic listening, positive regard, curiosity, and relational care can support more meaningful interactions, while Alejandra reflects on the communication skills that can help healthcare professionals navigate conflict, recognize bias, and relate to each patient as a whole human being.

Quotes

• “Nobody's a villain in this situation. But the behaviors, they deserve to be thought about. The communication approaches, they deserve to slow down and be r- Like, what is it you are hoping to get out of this visit today?” (Chrissie Ott)
• “Conflicts don't have to be a battle. They can be an opportunity for connection. They can be an opportunity for curiosity and finding out what could work, what we could do differently, how we could collaborate in a deeper way.” (Alejandra Siroka)
• “Being in connection with another human and noticing how they are a delight makes medicine so much more fun than the drudgery of, ‘I have to go do this admission and this task again.’ Instead, it's like, ‘No, let's go talk to this human being and learn their story.’” (Chrissie Ott)
• “If all you have is seven minutes, in seven minutes, I think, as you're saying, if you are embodied, if you are present, you can have empathy, you can have curiosity, you can move away from judgment and more into observations.” (Alejandra Siroka)

To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-language-alchemy-podcast/id1576461366

To leave a review on Spotify, click: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yTj9hSotq8EAjPCYg2jYw?si=aQNuoStRQomTNUKHGSD56A&nd=1&dlsi=064dcb42ba8d4706

To work with Alejandra, visit: www.languagealchemy.com/workwithme

To join the Language Alchemy mailing list, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/mailinglist

To ask questions you'd like Alejandra to answer in the podcast, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/podcastquestion

To pre-order Language Alchemy: The Essential Communication Tool Kit for a Life of Peace, Authenticity and Meaning, visit:https://www.languagealchemybook.com/

Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqD

What if the way we respond in difficult moments could help create more connection and belonging?

In this final episode of the Multicultural Communication and Belonging series, Alejandra Siroka reflects on the eight-episode journey exploring culture, belonging, language, accents, microaggressions, and the ways our communication can either open or close the door to connection.

Alejandra introduces AIR, a Language Alchemy® communication practice you can benefit from for life. This practice can help us recognize our inherited patterns and reactive habits, create a bridge between our values and the words we choose and respond skillfully when it’s time to take responsibility when our communication has an unintended negative impact.

As she closes the series, Alejandra reminds listeners that transformative communication is not simply a skill, but an ongoing practice and a form of evolutionary activism through which we can choose, conversation by conversation, what kind of world we want to contribute to.

Quotes

• “ There are so many ways of saying the same message. And so, we can choose different words that do not perpetuate further pain, misinformation, or divisiveness. And instead, we can express ourselves in a way that communicates our interconnectedness, that values all human beings, and that brings forth dignity for all .” (5:42 | Alejandra Siroka)
• “ Belonging is what it feels like to be accepted as you are, not in spite of your differences, but including them. Because you, like everyone else, is both a unique being and also a valuable and a valuable member of our precious and diverse human family.” (7:31 | Alejandra Siroka)
•  ”Awareness in communication means noticing before, during, and after a conversation who you are communicating with, what you are communicating about, and how you are communicating it. When you bring awareness to your communication, you ask yourself, "Am I communicating in alignment with my values, or am I communicating in alignment with my inherited patterns and reactive habits?" (9:10 | Alejandra Siroka)
• “ Good intentions do not erase impact, and when we cause harm, even unintentionally, we need to acknowledge it and own it honestly without collapsing into shame. This is what mature, conscious adults do.” (12:19 | Alejandra Siroka)

To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-language-alchemy-podcast/id1576461366

To leave a review on Spotify, click: https://open.spotify.com/show/5yTj9hSotq8EAjPCYg2jYw?si=aQNuoStRQomTNUKHGSD56A&nd=1&dlsi=064dcb42ba8d4706

To work with Alejandra, visit: www.languagealchemy.com/workwithme

To join the Language Alchemy mailing list, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/mailinglist

To ask questions you'd like Alejandra to answer in the podcast, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/podcastquestion

To find out about 1:1 transformative communication coaching with Alejandra, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/oneonone

To find out about couple transformative communication coaching with Alejandra, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/couples

To schedule a reduced-rate coaching consultation with Alejandra, visit: https://www.languagealchemy.com/newclient

To follow Alejandra on instagram follow @languagealchemy

Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqD