The Hidden Weight of ANCESTRAL GRIEF | Francis Weller

Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week, I’m sharing an incredibly rich and soul-stirring conversation with psychotherapist and author, Francis Weller.

Recently retired after 43 years in practice, Francis shares profound insights from his fieldwork—sitting with grieving people for over four decades to understand what the individual and collective psyche are trying to express through symptoms and suffering. We delve into how grief saturates almost every human experience, from addiction to childhood wounds, and how our culture often teaches us to avoid it.

This episode explores the concept of "soul work" and how indigenous traditions offer profound wisdom on community, ritual, and the "primary satisfactions" that keep us strong and fluid. Francis illuminates how Western individualism has ripped apart these vital connections and what it has cost us. We also discuss his new book, In the Absence of the Ordinary, Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty, and how it couldn't be more timely for the times we're living in.

Francis Weller Online
https://www.francisweller.net

New Book
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

To view The Eternal Song, the film that Francis Weller described in this episode, go here:
https://theeternalsong.org/

If you're interested in being notified when I announce the details of the new Therapy Chat membership - open to anyone, not just therapists - which will open in September 2025, submit your info on this form - https://forms.gle/LMTFuNJjATWz2YJ1A

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❤️ Laura Reagan, LCSW-C. Owner of Baltimore Annapolis Center for Integrative Healing, and founder of Trauma Therapist Network. I host Therapy Chat and Trauma Chat Podcasts and offer trauma psychotherapy, clinical supervision, consulting, coaching, and training.

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Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productions: https://vaudeoproductions.com

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