Feeling Beings Who Think

Being Seen for Who We Are

“To live in the truth that we are worthy of love and belonging. Period. That is the gospel message.” It was a joy to have this conversation with the Rev. Canon Erika von Haaran, Episcopal priest, Certified Daring Way Facilitator, Certified ILS Enneagram Coach, and founder of Haven Consulting & Coaching. I share her belief in that powerful gospel truth and hope her story of calling, discernment, and vocation inspires renewed awareness of that truth for you! Thanks for listening!
You can connect with Erika at Haven Consulting & Coaching
Bio
An Episcopal priest for nearly 17 years, von Haaren’s calling began in tiny Minnesota churches in the Mississippi River Valley. After an undergrad degree in Theatre Arts from the U of MN, she earned an M.Div. from General Seminary in 2006. She landed at Saint Barnabas in Scottsdale as an associate priest for mission ministries. Over that 14-year tenure, she was promoted to Vicar/COO: Chief of Staff and strategic developer with oversight of all program departments. 
In 2014, von Haaren became a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator and a Certified ILSEnneagram Coach in 2021 to help people explore their lives and relationships with God in new ways. She has served on the Standing Committee of the Diocese of AZ as a professor for the Deacon Formation Academy. She recently stepped down as Chair of the Commission on Ministry after a 5-year tenure. 
In 2020, Erika partnered all of the above with the work of Interim Ministry in a move to Resurrection Episcopal Church in Gilbert. In that year, the mission saw a 25% growth in membership and a 30% increase in stewardship all while articulating priorities, standardizing systems, and deepening discipleship.That same year, Haven Consulting & Coaching was born to serve people, groups and businesses who seek a teacher/companion/strategist as they discern their goals, define their futures, and learn how to get to those places with deliberate wisdom. In early 2022, von Haaren was named Interim Rector at Christ Church of the Ascension in Paradise Valley, leading the way in strategically positioning the parish for strength to lead into a new permanent rectorship.
In 2022, she was honored for her contributions by being named an Honorary Canon of the Diocese of Arizona. Erika is a mother to three children, an avid reader, an occasional crafter, and a devoted weight-lifter, who loves Ted Lasso, and Little House on the Prairie. She seeks to live each day with her values as her guide: empathy, grace, love, and integrity.

Relationships We Carry

"Any type of personal change is just as much art as science, and it's a co-creative process." A desire for change is often the catalyst for seeking a therapist, coach, or helping professional. But we seek support in understanding ourselves and our motivations for myriad reasons. Today I’m speaking with David Kitchings, a Licensed Professional Counselor – i.e. therapist - with a private practice in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he works with individuals and couples.  He is a Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, an approved IFS clinical consultant, and is on staff for IFS trainings and IFIO (Intimacy from the Inside Out) trainings. Thanks for listening!
Bio - 
In addition to the above, David teaches introductory IFS workshops and has experience in IFS-inspired executive coaching and IFS-inspired psychedelic integration.  David returned to psychotherapy in 2015 after years spent working as an attorney, business owner, and stay-at-home dad to three children. He spent time in Singapore and Switzerland, working with expatriates. David has a deep interest in spirituality, art, and music.  You can learn more at www.davidkitchings.com.  You can learn more about IFS at https://ifs-institute.com/ and IFIO at www.toniherbineblank.com/  

Discovering Our Values

“There are certain things you have to experience for it to change you.” Today my conversation partner is Candace Chance, Founder of the V.I.P. strategy and design firm and several more entrepreneurial endeavors to support strategic visioning in communities. Candace shares personally and professionally about the experiences that led her to discover her core value of being an ambassador and bridge-builder between cultures and people and different ways of being in the world.  Thanks for listening - and thanks for sharing!
Bio
Candace is a Baltimore City native (with Guyanese roots) who spent a decade exploring the dynamics of social & economic ecosystems. She has been developing strategies to serve the development of regenerative and self-determined communities. 
Candace founded The V.P.I. Firm (Vision, Performance, & Impact): a process and strategy design firm for community development & social impact. She also co-founded Momo|Wucha, an equity real estate development firm. 
As if that wasn’t enough, Candace is also the Interim Executive Director (previously founding Board President) of BCIITY (Baltimore City Intergenerational Initiative for Trauma & Youth), a community-managed alliance of over 60 organizations and social enterprises, disseminating over $3.5 million to community-grown solutions. Other volunteer work includes sitting on the 
board of Maryland’s 1st Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts & Entertainment District in West Baltimore, advisor for CLLCTIVLY and Project Niche, and member of the Alumnae & Alumni of Goucher College’s Public Service Award Committee.

The Power of Storytelling

"When you create an environment where authenticity is the winning quality instead of perfection, you bring out the best in people, the most human, the least judgmental." This is the power of storytelling! This connects and creates sacred space between people. Today my conversation is with Jessica Myles Henkin and Laura Wexler, Founders, Producers and Hosts of "The Stoop Storytelling Series" in Baltimore. I hope you find encouragement, and insights, to listen to others and share some stories of your own. Thanks for listening!
Click here to learn more about Jessica, Laura and The Stoop!
Click here to listen to a Stoop story I shared with a live audience.

Embodied Wisdom

“What does your body tell you about your life now?” That's a hard question! I am not someone who easily attunes to the wisdom of my body. When I think of wisdom, I think of being in my head, not my body. Today my guest is Marietta Vis, a somatics leadership coach who invites us to explore and embrace embodied self-awareness. I'm grateful for Marietta's sharing some of her story with me and for the generous ways, she shares her work with the world.
You can connect with Marietta, and sign-up for her community offerings here: www.VisiveCoaching.com
 
Subscribe to Marietta's newsletter on LinkedIn.
 
Or schedule some time with Marietta to explore more. 

Shame and Healing

"There is not a perfect place we get to where we aren't wounded by life." I know this is true, and I wish it weren't! My guest today is my close friend and colleague, The Rev. Mark Robin Collins and we are discussing the classic and best-selling book, "Healing the Shame that Binds You" by John Bradshaw. Thanks for listening!
Click here to watch the YouTube video of Bradshaw we discuss.
Bio
The Rev. Mark Robin Collins is an Episcopal priest and rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Glen Rock, New Jersey. He serves on the Commission on Ministry for the Diocese of Newark and is co-chair of the diocese’s Strategic Visioning process. Previously, he served at Christ & St. Stephen’s and Church of the Holy Trinity in Manhattan after graduating from General Theological Seminary in New York with prizes for preaching and church history. His seminary experience included study at Canterbury Cathedral in England as a Canterbury Scholar. Mark’s other ministries include being a parish Stewardship consultant and leading retreats for LGBTQ+ people recovering from addiction.
Prior to seminary, Mark worked as a fundraiser for the International Rescue Committee, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and City Harvest. Mark has been an abortion rights advocate and clinic defender, AIDS activist and fundraiser, and an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. He and his husband Denton will celebrate the 27th year of their relationship later this year. Yes, that is a slight Southern accent -- Mark is originally from Memphis, Tennessee.
 

Being with Empathy and Grace

“There are more ways of being, seeing, showing up, perceiving and understanding than what is innate or natural for us.” Yes, yes! Today my guest is Brad Farrington, an ordained minister, executive leadership coach, and founder of New Waters Group, LLC.  And he utilizes the Enneagram as a framework for himself and others to discover ways of being we can cultivate. Thanks, Brad, for this engaging and dynamic conversation. Thanks for listening!
Click here to find Richard Rohr's resources on the Enneagram.
 
Bio
The Rev. Brad Farrington is an ordained minister, executive leadership coach, and founder of New Waters Group, LLC. He received his Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching at Georgetown University, Master of Divinity at Emory University, and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religion at Appalachian State University. He is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as well as an Integrative Enneagram Accredited Practitioner (iEQ9). Through his 25+ year career he has served in numerous lead roles, including being a pastor, campus minister, nonprofit executive director, and small business owner and entrepreneur. 
 
His life’s calling is to help others claim their unique identity, clarify their purpose, and connect to a greater journey of life as they navigate their next steps – personally, professionally, or organizationally. He lives in the mountains of North Carolina in Boone with his wife and two teenage children.

Inviting Introspection

"We want to be seen for who we are, and that starts with taking time to see into ourselves." Today I'm talking about tarot cards and confessing my heresy with author Brittany Muller. In her book, "The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Guide to the Cards" Brittany shares how the tarot can become an unexpected - and not heretical! - tool in our desire to pause, contemplate and look inside ourselves for the wisdom we need. Thanks for listening!
In our conversation we refer to the Rider-Waite Tarot deck
Brittany Muller is an Austin-based writer and an enthusiastic believer in the beautiful strangeness of Christianity. A devout Catholic with an equally devout sense of curiosity, her favorite pastime is finding new ways to think about God. She is the author of The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Guide to the Cards, from St. Martin’s Essentials. 

The Gift of Not Knowing

"Not knowing is most intimate." Do you know this Buddhist teaching? I wanted to take a pause in conversations and talk with you briefly about how this wisdom supports me in this work and in all our efforts to live into who we are called to be. I also want to let you know about some of the upcoming conversations I'm looking forward to sharing! Thanks for listening.

Discerning Our Calls

"We connect with people when we reveal ourselves." This takes most of us time to learn and maybe even more time to trust because vulnerability is as scary as it is courageous. My guest today is the Rev. Dina Van Klaveren, an Episcopal priest and leader in the church. She shares her experiences of connection and ways she practices intentional discernment in the callings of her vocation and career. We also talk about her experience in the courageous and vulnerable endeavor of being a candidate for bishop in the church. Thank you for listening, and thank you for sharing!
Bio - Dina is an Episcopal priest and Jesus follower who loves exploring how the Good News calls us to live into a joy, clarity and freedom that is worth the work it requires. She is committed to human flourishing, in herself, her family, her community, and the world.  Dina is rector of St. Andrew’s, Glenwood and priest-in-charge of St. Paul’s, Poplar Springs; chair of the board of the Claggett Center; and member of the TENS and El Hogar boards. You can find her at goodnewslifestyle.net.