Foundations: Recent Episodes
Bryce Roberts and Rebecca Przybylski
A Podcast of Foxwood Counseling and Consulting focusing on all things related to self-awareness. Our hope is that this podcast will help you on your journey and exploration of who you are, what makes you tick, and how you might live a life more rooted in a sense of meaning and purpose.
In this episode Bryce and Becky pause to look back over 2023. Looking back to look forward can be a helpful practice at the end of the year...and poetry can be a wonderful support in the process too!
You will hear Becky and Bryce share a poem from Christine Valters Paintner titled "Visitation From Fox" which is found in the book Dreaming of Stones. To find the book and learn more about the author https://abbeyofthearts.com/books/dreaming-of-stones-poems/
We will take a nice long holiday break and be back in Feb 2024!
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In this episode Bryce and Becky chat with Dan and Lisa Holden about equine coaching.
Listen in and learn about:
What a session of equine coaching involves.
Soak up the wisdom Dan and Lisa offer about accessing deeper self-awareness by working with the horses.
And, hear Bryce's story of visiting Dan and Lisa and how the time with the horses personally helped him.
Learn more about Dan and Lisa and their work with horses at https://espirituhorse.com/
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome special guest, Dan Holden, to talk about why self-awareness matters. Dan has been an important mentor in Bryce's life and we are thrilled to have his wisdom on the show.
Learn more about Dan and his work in the world at https://danielholdenassociates.com
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For this Poetry Pause Bryce and Becky explore a David Whyte poem called The Opening of Eyes.
Bryce found this poem in the book Leading From Within: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Lead.
https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Within-Poetry-Sustains-Courage/dp/0787988693#:~:text=Leading%20from%20Within%20is%20a,or%20her%20life%20and%20work.
It was originally shared in the book Songs for Coming Home by David Whyte.
https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Coming-Home-David-Whyte/dp/0962152404
Listen in and find what stands out for you.
What invites you?
What questions arise for you?
What eye-opening moments have changed your life?
What eye-openers are right before you?
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Bryce and Becky welcome Jason Daniels to the show for a rich conversation about change and purpose.
Jason Daniels is a strategist, speaker, contributing journalist, former radio personality and author of the book Get Off the Gerbil Wheel: A Remarkable Way to Stop Running and Going Nowhere in Life. He currently serves as President and CEO of JAYRAMON LLC, a consultancy focused on collaborating with corporate, civic, social sector and non-profit organizations, providing strategic solutions to help build leadership effectiveness, scale impact, grow local and national partnerships and advance philanthropic effectiveness.
Find out more about Jason and his work at www.jayramon.com
Giving ourselves permission to change is essential. Listen in as we explore the topic.
You don't have to stay where you are.
You can experience life in new ways.
Jason talks about his book and generously offers listeners a way to get a free copy!
Hear actionable strategies to get off the wheel, be encouraged and inspired to live with greater purpose in your life.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome special guest Lesley Baker-Bowen of Holistic Hands Wellness Gallery. (www.holistichandswellnessgallery.org)
Lesley shares how we can strengthen our ability to listen to our bodies and what these awesome bodies are trying to tell us. You will hear Lesley offer wisdom from her training as an Occupational Therapist, a Craniosacral Therapist, and Reiki Master.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky jump in after summer break.
As summer winds down and we enter into the autumn season, this is the time to explore the paradox: we commonly resist change and long for things to be different.
Listen in and discover how the song of the cicada ties in to this topic!
Transition times are ripe for self-awareness. We invite you to welcome your curiosity and consider: What is changing in your life? What wants to change inside of you? Where are you resisting change? How you can support yourself though moments of transition and change?
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In this episode Bryce and Becky share why the last few weeks there were no episodes as previously planned. Life Happened!
We decided to use that as our topic for the day: Life Happens.
You'll hear us talk about what our inner experience is like when plans fall apart.
We chat about what we can do when things fall apart, touching on how we can support ourselves and one another when we experience gusty winds and stormy weather in life.
Finally, we share that we are heading on summer break and plan to return on September 11, 23 with new episodes. Thanks for joining us for this podcasting adventure! We are grateful for you.
**Also, you may hear/notice some recording glitches, troubles with mics and the synchronization of our voices in this episode, AND we've decided to let it be. Life happened and we are rolling with it.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky invite you to wander through a conversation discussing what it is about a walk in the woods that is so helpful to our self-awareness.
Join us as we explore the impact that a walk in the woods brings to our bodies, our overall perspective and our ability to connect with something larger than ourselves.
Listen in and discover how putting ourselves in the way of something beautiful is deeply good for us on an existential level.
You'll hear us refer to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's wise words, "Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries."
We discuss the gifts of walking in a familiar place and of opening to walk in a new place.
There are even a few poems that popped up on the path!
Be sure to look up David Whyte's "Lost" and Mary Oliver's "When I Am Among The Trees"!!
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In this episode Becky and Bryce share a piece of poetry by author and poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Gwendolyn is a well known 20th century writer. She is one of the most influential and widely read American poets. She has written more than 20 books and was the first Black poet to receive the Pulitzer. For more information on Gwendolyn and the poem in this episode visit :
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43310/a-song-in-the-front-yard
This episode focuses on her piece titled "Song In The Front Yard."
We explore themes of good vs bad, us vs. them, safe vs. free in this episode. As always, we invite you to pause and see what this poem evokes in you.
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In this episode, Bryce and Becky welcome special guest Kevin Anderson to the show. Kevin is a psychologist and poet in the Toledo area. You can find out more about him and his writing and work at his website www.thewingedlife.com
In this episode we begin with some lines from the well known and beloved poet Rilke as a way to enter into this conversation about living questions and shifting questions. Kevin invites us to consider that we are always living questions, and that misleading questions come to us so easily every day. But do we ever question the questions we are living??
Questions are powerful!
Sam Keen is known for saying "Nothing shapes our lives to much as the questions we ask."
In this episode you will hear several ways to support you in beginning to release the grip of the mind that often compels us to get everything figured out. When we wonder about how to question a question we happen to be stuck in, especially those that feel like running into a dead end, the good news is that we have lots of options to help us. You will hear how things like taking a pause, spending time in nature, playing with words or art, and even paying attention to our physical bodies can support us when we need to shift a question.
The sculpture Becky referred to is titled Expansion* and the artist is Paige Bradley. You can learn more about the artist and sculpture at http://paigebradley.com/blog/the-story-of-expansion/
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In this episode Becky and Bryce discuss the topic of Brokenness. You will hear:
-What we mean by the term 'Brokenness'
-Three typical ways humans deal with brokenness and what else we can do with it
-How embracing brokenness is central to living an integrated and whole life
-There are parts of each of us that are imperfect and that is OK, perfection is not the same as wholeness
-Welcoming all of our imperfections and brokenness is essential to telling the truth about our lives
-When we begin to embrace our brokenness, the voice of fear will show up, and we can learn to tenderly approach fear as we go into this work of knowing ourselves more deeply
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In this episode Becky and Bryce bring a poem by Carrie Newcomer to the show.
Carrie Newcomer is a songwriter, recording artist, performer and educator. She has been described as a "prairie mystic" by the Boston Globe and one who "asks all the right questions" by Rolling Stone Magazine. Carrie has 19 nationally released albums on Available Light & Concord/Rounder Records including Until Now, The Point of Arrival and The Beautiful Not Yet. Carrie has released three books of poetry & essays, A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays, The Beautiful Not Yet: Poems and Essays & Lyrics, and Until Now: Poetry by Carrie Newcomer.
Discover more about Carrie at https://www.carrienewcomer.com
The poem shared on this episode is titled "Pretending" and is found in her Until Now: Poetry book.
Enjoy!
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome special guest Sam Melden to the show. Sam has served as the Executive Director of Food for Thought, has worked at the Center of Servant Leadership and at Leadership Toledo, and is now serving as City of Toledo District 5 City Council Member.
In this episode we explore things like:
-What happens when a civic leader lacks self-awareness??!!
-Citizen vs Consumer Mindset
'How may I serve? ' vs. 'What's in it for me?'
-How to live in the tension between personal values and trying to consistently represent the community you serve/represent
-A brilliant quote from Parker Palmer's book Healing the Heart of Democracy
-We leave you with a challenge: If you don't engage and show up in the civic space, who will? Decisions are made by those who show up.
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In this episode Becky and Bryce explore the second part of the listening series. To frame this topic they discuss three aspects of outward listening which include: quieting the self, allowing for silence, and honoring the other.
You will hear:
-How being a good listener is not an either/or
-That all humans have the capacity to listen well and it is a capacity we can develop, and it shifts in various moments, situations, and times in our lives
-Why every human needs to listen consciously in order to live fully
-Some practical tools to support you in being able to listen well with others
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In this episode Becky and Bryce explore what it means to tune the ear of your heart, to listen inside oneself. You'll hear the hosts discuss how there is a deep wisdom that becomes available to us when we listen within.
-The work of refining an inner ear is a life's work, but it is one of the best entryways into the fox, the soul or the true self.
-Inner listening work is imperative to growth, knowing ourselves deeply and to feeling more regulated, peaceful and calm in our lives.
-The inner wisdom that is accessed as we learn to listen within seems to maintain a simplicity and honesty to it, but it also holds transformational power.
-Inner listening informs behavior that is filled with meaning, purpose and integrity.
-We can learn to tune our inner ear more and more by giving ourselves permission to pause for brief moments.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky share a nested poem written by local author Kevin Anderson. Kevin is a respected psychologist, author and poet. You can find out more about him at his website www.thewingedlife.com
At the beginning of the year, many of us are reflecting on where we want to go, what we want to do, changes we need to make, etc. No matter what threshold or decision or crossing you happen to find yourself at right now, this poem is an incredible gift for your path. It is included in Kevin's book titled "Now is Where God Lives."
You can buy this book and check out his other books at https://www.thewingedlife.com/kevin-anderson-books-store
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome special guest Sara Best to the show to discuss the role of assessments in the world of self-awareness. Sara is the Principal and Co-Founder of Real Good Ventures and a self-proclaimed "Boss-Hole Prevention Specialist." You will want check out her podcast called the Boss Hole Chronicles (https://www.realgoodventures.com/the-bosshole-chronicles.)
In this episode you will hear about a handful of assessment tools including the Enneagram, the EQ-i 2.0, The Leadership Circle 360 and the Predictive Index.
Each of these tools supports us in tapping into and then leveraging our strengths as well as identifying areas that need adjustment. The data these tools provide can support us in getting out of the various kinds of drama in our lives by making challenging areas a little more transparent for us. Assessment tools can open the door to greater awareness, and with greater awareness come more choices and with more choices come more feelings of empowerment.
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www.realgoodventures.com
In this episode Bryce and Becky explore the topic of Paradox, and how it can be a powerful tool and framework allowing us to be more self-aware. It can also support us to make room for more nuance and truth in our inner world and in relationship to others.
You will hear:
- The hosts describe the paradox framework as used in the Foundations Program
-Examples of common paradoxes
-Personal stories involving paradox
-Reference to Parker Palmer's book titled The Promise of Paradox
-And more
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In this episode Becky and Bryce share a poem by David Whyte, a poet who has deeply impacted each of them. David Whyte's writing explores the timeless relationship of human beings to their world, to creation, to others, and to the end of life itself. He makes his home in the Pacific Northwest, where rain and changeable skies remind him of the other, more distant homes from which he comes: Yorkshire, Wales and Ireland.
In this poetry break you'll hear the hosts read Everything Is Waiting For You a few times and then reflect on lines that stand out to each of them, followed by where those words intersect their own lived experiences.
Use the link below to hear David Whyte read Everything Is Waiting For You, recorded when he was a guest at On Being.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmA4s8r630s
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In this episode Bryce and Becky explore our relationship with food. Listen in as they chat about various aspects of our complex human relationship to food-basic survival, normalized eating, and the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders.
Our relationship with food offers us many opportunities for greater self-awareness!
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In this episode Becky and Bryce welcome two special guests from SAME Cafe (So All May Eat) to discuss self-awareness and food.
Brad Allen Reubendale is the CEO of So All May Eat / SAME Cafe and Cory Wolin is the Executive Director of SAME Cafe Toledo. They share the mission of SAME, how each of them found their way to SAME and how it has impacted their lives.
We go on to discuss how food is a powerful connector and conveyor/ stimulator of memory as well as a primary way to build community and dignity for all people.
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https://samecafetoledo.org
https://www.soallmayeat.org
In this episode Bryce and Becky explore what it means to live a justice oriented life. Justice orientation requires that we drill down to a deeper place below the surface level of "should". Frederick Buechner refers to that foxy place as an intersection: "the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep need meet."
Listen in as Bryce and Becky chat about how justice issues are too vast and too important to show up trying to solve them out of a sense of guilt and fear. Justice issues require a deeper part of us to show up, something beyond our guilt and fear. It requires our heart, our soul, our fox.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky talk about boundaries.
Listen in to find out:
-What are boundaries?
-How boundaries are linked with needs
-3 steps to setting a boundary
-How solid boundaries lead to a deeper sense of wholeness and peace
-The most important rule about setting a boundary
-Some examples
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In this Poetry Break Becky and Bryce share a poem from Hafiz a 14th Century Persian Sufi Poet . You will hear them reflect on the poem titled: Dropping Keys. This piece invites us to juxtapose and ponder the mindset of the small person and the wise one.You can find Dropping Keys in the book, The Gift, at this link:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/331522/the-gift-by-renderings-of-hafiz-by-daniel-ladinsky/
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome special guest Wendy Nathan to the show. Wendy is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in the Toledo area. She was recently recognized by the Ohio Counselor Association as Counselor of the Year as well (in 2021).
Therapy can provide a safe place for another trained set of eyes to help us see what we struggle to see and deal with on our own. That is one of the main ways that therapy can support us in growing our self-awareness.
This episode takes a look various threads related to therapy including:
-what is therapy
-what are the differences between different therapeutic providers
-when to go to therapy
-what happens when it's time to be done with therapist or when we have to change providers
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome two new guest experts to the show to explore the topic of Grief. Dorothy Mockensturm, Managing Director of Good Grief of Northwest Ohio and Pam Przybylski, Lead Chaplain at Mercy St. Anne's Hospital help us explore this important topic.
This conversation is rich and full. Tune in and discover:
-Why is talking about grief so hard?
-There are many faces of grief
-Grief changes you and it can teach you about yourself
-How grief is like a roller coaster
-Grief is an expression of our whole self coming out and saying "I'm here."
-Self- awareness invites us to get honest about how we are experiencing grief and it's many faces.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky explore the beloved American poet David Wagoner's poem "Lost." Times of being lost are common to the human condition. Lostness offers us an invitation to slow down and connect with our true self more deeply.
This poem has a special place in Bryce's heart and he shares some of his personal experience about how this poem came to him during his own time of lostness.
You can learn more about David Wagoner here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/david-wagoner
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In this episode Bryce and Becky explore the topic of Empathy.
You will hear them offer a definition of empathy (including some etymology for all the nerdy word lovers out there). Also, they tease out the difference between empathy and sympathy and how empathy is linked to but different from compassion. They end the episode by modeling a little empathy building exercise that you can quickly employ in your life to build your empathy muscles.
Becky and Bryce also refer to a Brene Brown video and you can link to it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw
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In this episode Bryce and Becky introduce listeners to American poet Mary Oliver.
Oliver is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award Winning Poet. The New York Times acknowledged Mary Oliver as “far and away, this country’s best-selling poet.” Of special note for us as we record in NW Ohio, Mary Oliver was born in a small town in Ohio, and she published her first book of poetry in 1963 at the age of 28.
Becky was drawn to share the poem "I Am Standing" which can be found in Mary Oliver's book titled, Evidence. After reading the poem a couple of times, Bryce and Becky each share what's resonant including how nature has a way of calling us back to our true/ core self. Even the smallest creatures, if we dare to stand up and go be with nature, can transport us into a place of gratitude for our own and all of life.You can go here for more info on this book of poetry: https://maryoliver.beacon.org/2009/12/evidence-2/index.htmlwww.foxwoodcc.org
In this episode Bryce and Becky explore how community is about safety, protection and survival and that community strengthens our collective ability to create things that build the common good. We are better together. Evolutionarily, we are built for community and we are designed to connect.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky explore the topic of community again and they tune into the idea that community requires vulnerability. This lands us in a paradoxical place. Listen in to some of their own stories and examples as they tease out this layer of community together.
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In this episode, Becky and Bryce dive back into the topic of community and they explore how community can challenge us, calling us back to ourselves and out of our comfort zones. You will hear them discuss the ways that community can come alongside and help us reorient during particularly foggy times in life, and they share some personal examples from their own lives about how that has played out.
Challenge in community is something many of us avoid, but it can actually be a powerful tool for our growth and self-awareness. Even though is doesn't always feel good, we need people who can tell us when we are "off," people who will then "stay in it" with us as we find our way back to ourselves.
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In this episode Becky and Bryce explore how the sense of belonging in community is not permanent.
You will hear Bryce and Becky refer to and offer two categories from Martin Buber (I-Thou and I-It) as a framework to support this exploration into community.
They share how the balance of trust inside community is fluid and yet we need to be able to count on the balance to be there enough of the time. Community can be beautiful and incredibly messy. When the balance is exhausted, and we all have those experiences, then what??
Bryce and Becky speak frankly about how each of us has the capacity to choose what we really want in our relationships and that includes whether we keep them or not when trust has been damaged. There are no "have to's".
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In this episode Bryce and Becky define community and then explore two core ways humans resolve the tension that exists around community and belonging. You'll hear about two false narratives that operate as pressure release valves, but how using them also creates inner confusion for us. Becoming more aware of these false narratives can empower us to open up to new possibilities and choices for how we live our lives.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome Bob Anderson back to the show for a special Poetry Break.
Becky shares one of her pieces titled "We Are One" and you can find it at her website http://alisteninglife.com/we-are-one/
Then, Bob reads a Rainer Maria Rilke poem which is found in The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke and can be read here https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/448438-my-life-is-not-this-steeply-sloping-hour-in-which
The three explore and share what stands out to them and how the two poems intersect.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome special guest Bob Anderson to the show. Bob has been a mentor to Bryce and is the founder of the Leadership Circle.
Listen in as Bob shares the Leadership Circle origin story, some key markers that helped him on his creative path, and what it means to listen deeply for the ways life is speaking to you about what matters and what you must do.
You won't want to miss it as he shares how learning to listen deeply, from the inside out while offering our "yes" leads to all the doors opening.
www.Leadershipcircle.com
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In this episode Bryce and Becky welcome their first guest to the podcast, Danielle Johnson. Danielle is the Development and Alumni Relations Manager at Leadership Toledo. She is also an experienced and savy traveler helping us consider why travel is an excellent way to grow our Self-Awareness.
Listen in as Danielle invites us to consider what it means to have roots and wings.
We can be rooted where we are, and also take off and learn about ourselves and others through travel.
https://www.foxwoodcc.org
In this episode, Bryce and Becky continue the conversation about Vision Statements and why they matter. What happens when a person or a company doesn't have a vision or doesn't utilize it?? Drift.
Listen in and find out how effective visioning work can provide the alignment you need to help you and your corporation move forward.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky explore Vision. What is a vision?
Together, they share a working definition of what a vision is, offer some examples of vision statements from successful companies, and dig into the Vision of Foxwood.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky talk about what it means to live at the intersection of wholeheartedness. What becomes possible when we seek to welcome the wholeness of who we are while also aligning our actions, thoughts and behaviors with our most essential self??
Becky and Bryce share quotes from Brene Brown and Vaclav Havel as well as personal examples and stories to help listeners enter into this important topic.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky invite listeners to explore how poetry is a vehicle to greater self-awareness as well as a product of self-awareness. They share some excerpts from a couple of their favorite poets like David Whyte and John O'Donahue.
In the last half of this episode, Bryce and Becky each offer a reading of John O'Donahue's poem For Citizenship. Listen in as they share what this piece evokes in each of their hearts and minds, and explore how this poem speaks to you as well.
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In this episode Bryce and Becky share an overview of the Foundations Program.
You will learn what to expect about the length of the program as well as the size and type of group. You will hear about the core content, what alumni of the program are saying, and get some of the most asked questions answered all right here.
https://www.foxwoodcc.org/servant-leadership
Welcome to Foundations a podcast by Foxwood Counseling and Consulting dedicated to all things related to self- awareness.
In this first episode you will meet hosts Bryce Roberts, MA, LPC and Becky Przybylski, MDiv, Integral Associate Coach™. They share how Foxwood got its name and introduce you to the FOX.
https://www.foxwoodcc.org
In this episode, Bryce shares some of the history of the Foundations Program for which the Podcast is named.
You will learn how it began, how it evolved and some of the key collaborators along the way.
https://www.foxwoodcc.org/servant-leadership