Shadow work is a great way to explore what happens when our need to be liked keeps us from being real.
In this episode of Wholehearted Loving, Georgianna and Steph begin with a literal light-and-shadow practice and move into the deeper truth of emotional shadow work: what we hide to stay safe. Georgianna shares a powerful story about her son saying he wanted to “saw his brother in half” — and how meeting that truth with compassion revealed what all humans need when we’re at our most raw. Steph reflects on her own learned “niceness” and how she used intellectual kindness to cover frustration and fear, creating emotional dissonance and disconnection.
Together, they explore how people-pleasing and palatability develop as protective strategies, how they block intimacy, and how self-awareness turns those patterns into power. From relationships to parenting to personal growth, they show what it really means to be fully human — not just polite.
Discover how:
Niceness can become a mask that hides our needs
Shadow work reveals the light we’ve hidden to stay safe
Real connection grows when we stop performing “fine”
"Like finding gold." – Alma W.
"The best therapy I've ever done for myself." – Sanjeev B.
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Every episode begins and ends with a body-based self-connection practice, so you can grow your capacity to be with all that life brings. We also include self-reflection and journaling prompts each week, posted on our Instagram @wholeheartedloving. New episodes every Sunday at 10am PT.
With love,
Georgianna & Steph