S: 02 Epi 01: “The Language of Spirit Animals: Wisdom, Respect, and Therapy”

S: 02 Epi 01: “The Language of Spirit Animals: Wisdom, Respect, and Therapy”Hosts: Alex Runolfson & John Cottrell The Rebel Clinicians Podcast returns with its Season Two premiere, and Alex and John open the season with a compelling new series on spirit animals, power animals, and totem animals. This episode sets the stage by exploring how animals serve as allies, guides, and teachers in both spiritual practice and therapeutic work.Together, they clarify the key distinctions between spirit animals, power animals, and totems, weaving in traditional stories, cultural examples, and clinical applications. From indigenous teachings of sacred reciprocity, to references in Wicked and ancient family crests, they illustrate how animals have carried wisdom across cultures and time.Listeners will discover practical ways to integrate animal symbolism into healing practices, including:Embodiment and yoga postures to explore traits like vision, strength, or boundaries.Dreamwork and archetypes to uncover unconscious meaning.Narrative therapy, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR using animal imagery as powerful resources.Trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practices to honor these traditions with integrity.Alex and John also share their personal experiences with animal allies—guides that have appeared in ceremony, dreams, and daily life, bringing unexpected messages of strength, healing, and transformation.This conversation is an invitation to expand curiosity, wonder, and play, while learning how to bring animal medicine into clinical, spiritual, and personal practice.✨ The Rebel Clinicians Podcast comes out every Monday.🎧 Download and listen to this episode on Spotify.👉 New listeners, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!