Essence Merging: A Journey Into the Sacred Self

— In this profound and deeply heartfelt episode, Valeria sits down with Colleen Quinn to explore the sacred intersection of psychology, spirituality, breathwork, and soul awakening. Together, they dive into the transformational journey behind her upcoming book, Essence Merging — a raw and intimate exploration of trauma, healing, divine love, and the courage to return home to the authentic self. Through near-death experiences, conscious breathwork, mystical synchronicities, and emotional truth, Colleen shares how life's deepest wounds can become portals into awakening and radical self-love. Blending decades of clinical expertise with spiritual insight, this conversation invites listeners into a deeper understanding of what it means to heal not only the mind, but the soul itself. This episode is a powerful reminder that within every breakdown lies the possibility of transformation, and within every breath lives a pathway back to love. Valeria interviews Colleen Quinn — She is the author of  "Essence Merging." Colleen Quinn is a transpersonal psychologist with a child specialty along with certification in breathwork. The word psychology comes from the Greek meaning study of the soul. True healing always takes us into direct relationship with our own soul, bringing coherence to mind, body, and heart. This is Colleen's devotion, not only for herself, but for all. The most reliable way to converse with our own soul is through conscious, integrative breathwork. Colleen has taught psychology at The Ohio State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Columbus State Community College and was the dean at Hondros College.  Colleen has published research in many top-tier scientific journals, among them Emotion, Adolescent Psychology, and Residential Treatment for Children and Youth to name a few. In her private practice, spanning decades, Colleen used Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Both techniques use breathwork to find and feel our body's stored traumas, loving them to bring healing.  In 2018, Colleen had her second near-death experience, leading her to utter the plea, "let me be love in every moment." This was the catalyst for her spiritual awakening. Her profoundly intimate and raw transformation is chronicled in the upcoming book by Vanguard Press, Essence Merging, due out in April 2026. Colleen uses story to inspire others that there is so much more to life. Emotional truths are interwoven into an unconventional love story that connects us with Colleen and her breathwork partner as they follow the leadings of conscious breath into rediscovery of ancient tantric practices. SE and IFS come to life in her breathwork descent journeys. She weaves in pop culture, mystical synchronicities, psychology, and ancient traditions as she sheds her shame to in-spire others. This story is an invitation for readers to discover their own divine blueprint, and a guide to returning home to the sacred self.  To learn more about Colleen Quinn and her work, please visit: https://www.essencemerging.com/.