S2E13: “West Medicine: Letting Go, Grief, and the Courage to Transform”

S2E13: “West Medicine: Letting Go, Grief, and the Courage to Transform”Hosts: Alex Runolfson & John Cottrell The Sacred Directions series continues on this week's episode of The Rebel Clinicians Podcast, as Alex and John turn toward the West--the direction of the setting sun, the long exhale, and the powerful medicine of letting go.In many traditions, the West is associated with autumn, the element of water, and the invitation to slow down, become still, and listen more deeply. Alex and John explore how West medicine supports clinicians, healers, and helpers in working with emotion, grief, shadow material, and transformation--the places we tend to avoid, but the places where real growth often begins. They reflect on Bear as a guiding archetype for the West: retreating into the cave, digesting what life has offered, and emerging changed. They also explore related cross-cultural teachings, including Jaguar in South American cosmology, Celtic themes of the Otherworld and dream-time, and Norse symbolism of the sea and initiation.This conversation weaves together practical clinical insights and embodied tools--such as journaling prompts, boundary work, somatic support, trauma processing modalities, and TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises)--to help you explore what you're carrying, what no longer serves, and what you're ready to release. You'll also hear John connect the West to yogic symbolism of the back body--support, resilience, and the deeper question: do you have your own back?If you're in a season of transition, reflection, or emotional processing, this episode offers language, structure, and grounded practices to help you move forward with clarity and maturity--without leaving parts of yourself behind.Download the audio episode on Spotify, and if you're new here, subscribe so you never miss an episode. The Rebel Clinicians Podcast drops every Monday.And if you want to support the show and access bonus content, become a member of our Patreon community for as little as $5 per month.