How to open your mind to the magic that nature can offer us.
The forest was once our human home. On this week’s Connecting with Coincidence podcast, Psychologist Dana Klisanin urges us to enter the forest in order to open our minds to the magic that trees, plants, lakes and rivers can show us. Connect with the beings there, feel the messages flowing in and around you. The trees want you to admire them. They want to admire you.
Before diving into our fascinating discussion with Dana, I’ll share a coincidence story of my own called “Three Empathic Failures”, which involves two patients of mine and my own therapist.
One of the patients, Susie, was more vulnerable in a session than I’d seen her be in five years of therapy. I didn’t catch onto this, and any comment I made was taken as criticism by her. She got mad and hurt. We ended early, and I offered my apologies by email. Later, we were able to continue on as usual. The second patient, Megan, uses words to cover up emotions she doesn’t want to show. I confronted her gently about it, but she walked away, wanting to quit therapy after years of much success. Later, she watched a video of our session and realized her perceptions of me weren’t quite accurate. So we were able to work it out. The third person is my therapist. I told her about an amazing coincidence I had with someone at dance. She remarked, “You do that all the time.” She had missed my feeling of joy and connection, and I was hurt and angry. It reminded me of how my ex-wife could not acknowledge my abnormal experiences, and how my mother could not see me as anything but a way to gratify her ego. So what did I learn from this coincidence of three empathic failures? Be sure to listen to this week’s podcast to find out.
My guest on this week's podcast is Dana Klisanin, an innovative psychologist who was named one of Forbes’ “50 Leading Female Futurists”. She is deeply immersed in research exploring the resilience and adaptability of the human psyche in the face of existential challenges. This exploration is coupled with a profound commitment to fostering human-nature connections, exemplified by the founding of ReWilding: Lab — an initiative promoting nature’s therapeutic and healing benefits. Dana’s earlier investigations into digital behavior illuminated the positive potential of online platforms, highlighting digital expressions of altruism, kindness, and heroism.
Honored by the American Psychological Association and the World Futures Studies Federation, Dana’s insights are shared in numerous books, journals, and prominent media outlets including BBC, TIME, and Fast Company. As cofounder of Evolutionary Guidance Media R&D, Dana consults with individuals and organizations. Her debut middle-grade novel, Future Hack, celebrates environmental activism and youth resilience in a rapidly changing world.
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