By Aundi Kolber and Ann Boyd

Aundi Kolber: Strong like Water

“We are worthy to be listened to and attuned to. That is a valid and necessary human need. And the beauty is that it actually makes us able to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” — Aundi Kolber

Therapist Aundi Kolber returns to talk with us about cultivating inner strength, paying attention to our needs, and ways to stay grounded in God's love.

Many of us have been raised with the idea that strength means pushing your own limits in order to achieve your goals. But what if there was another way? A way that honored your needs while also cultivating strength? In this conversation, author and therapist Aundi Kolber walks us through a fresh vision of strength as we discuss her book Strong like Water: Finding the Freedom, Safety, and Compassion to Move through Hard Things — and Experience True Flourishing. This is Aundi’s third time on the podcast and I’m so glad she is back with us. Aundi’s deep faith informs her understanding of strength, and the tools she suggests for growth are very relevant for anyone facing hard things while also desiring to stay grounded in God’s love. Our conversation takes a deep dive into psychology as Aundi describes three types of strength and their roles in the context of healing from trauma. We touch on the concept of comparative suffering and we also discuss the way our nervous systems affect our bodily responses. Aundi generously shares a few strategies to use as “compassionate resources” — the term she uses for those practical tools that help us care for our emotional needs. And if you listen to the end of the podcast, I’ve included a bonus from our conversation in which Aundi talks with us about how to distinguish between self-care behaviors and numbing behaviors in ourselves.

So jump right in! We're so glad you're here.

You can listen on iTunes or at The Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Further resources for this interview:



 

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on StockSnap

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About the Author

Aundi Kolber is a licensed professional counselor (MA, LPC), an author, and a speaker living in Castle Rock, Colorado. She has received additional training in her specialization of trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. She has written for Relevant, CT Women, and (in)courage. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge about the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain. Aundi is happily married to her best friend, Brendan, and is the proud mom of Matia and Jude.

Ann is the Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast host and the interim editor for The Well. She has worked for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 1997, exploring her interests in community, spiritual formation, and writing. Ann has a BM in Music Education from Northwestern University and lives in Chicago, Illinois with one husband, two spunky teenage daughters, and three snuggly cats. You’ll often find Ann baking sweet treats in the kitchen while listening to a podcast or audiobook.

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