Thrive the Podcast
Are you surviving or thriving? Join me, Rebecca Kase, licensed psychotherapist, author, trauma expert, yoga instructor, and learn how to thrive in your life. I bring you expert knowledge along with my own lived experience of what it means to go from surviving to thriving. We’ll explore what it means to thrive in the face of challenges, how to apply psychology and neuroscience to building a resilient nervous system, and how to use the Thrive 5 to create your best life.
Thrive the Podcast
Coming home to yourself: Challenging the Binary with Kristen Gmerek
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Rebecca Kase
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Season 1
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Episode 21
Here is what was covered in this episode:
- Introduction of Kristen Gmerek, who worked with my company before starting a new path in social work. We discussed how our connection evolved and how I encouraged Kristen’s career shift.
- Kristen (they/them) shared their journey of identity discovery, starting with a sense of confusion about gender roles as a child and how this led to embracing a non-binary identity.
- We explored the concept of identity crises and how societal constructs, like gender norms, can limit personal growth and self-expression.
- Kristen discussed their experiences with gender expression, the fluidity of pronouns, and how embracing their identity helped them thrive.
- We reflected on how questioning norms, gender-affirming care, and self-acceptance can be empowering, while acknowledging societal pressures.
- I shared my personal experience of coming out as bisexual later in life and how I navigated the internal and external aspects of this realization.
- We discussed the complexities of coming out, societal expectations, and how these constructs can make identity journeys more difficult.
- Kristen encouraged listeners to find safe spaces for self-reflection and questioning, emphasizing the importance of supportive environments in thriving.