In this episode of Unraveling, Mary Wilson talks with psychotherapist and group facilitator Donna Harris, LCSW, CGP, about the challenging work of healing across lines of difference. Donna explains that real connection in group settings isn’t built by avoiding discomfort, but by risking it with care, curiosity, and accountability. She speaks to the importance of confronting bias, honoring impact over intent, and working through the mistrust that often exists in diverse spaces.

Donna highlights the power of affinity groups, spaces where people with shared identities can speak freely without navigating broader societal dynamics. She also pushes back on the idea that simply being surrounded by diversity equates to engaging with it, and critiques traditional therapy models for overlooking systemic forces like racism and sexism. For Donna, group work is a powerful, small-scale practice in collective healing, one that helps us truly see and connect across the lines that too often divide us.

Resources:

• Donna's private practice website, Intercultural Counseling
• The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, a national, multiracial, anti-racist collective of organizers and educators, is dedicated to building a movement for social transformation.
• Stir Fry Seminars, cross-cultural and communications training programs for managers, supervisors, H.R., admin executives, education professionals, social services leaders and agencies.

If you enjoy Unravelling, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us and tell you friends about us!

And listeners, take note! We always want to hear from you with reactions, topic ideas, stories or other suggestions. Send us an email, an old fashioned voice message, or a voice memo by using unravel@brattlebororetreat.org or by calling 802-258-POD3 (802-258-7633)!

What makes a therapy group more than just a room full of people? In this episode, group psychotherapist J. Scott Rutan, Ph.D. joins Kurt to explore the transformative power of group therapy. Drawing on Dr. Rutan's decades of experience, he shares how people often reenact personal dynamics in groups, sometimes unconsciously, which gives therapists and peers the opportunity to reflect those patterns back in real-time. Rutan emphasizes that group therapy doesn't just talk about problems—it lives them, revealing defenses that protect against deeper vulnerability.

Dr. Rutan highlights the unique power of group therapy, where multiple members act as mirrors, making interpersonal patterns more visible than in individual therapy. Group dynamics often bring to light behaviors that individuals can describe but not fully demonstrate one-on-one. He and Kurt explore the deep human need for belonging, the therapist’s role as both leader and participant, and why groups so often become the place where the most profound change happens.

Links
Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy by J. Scott Rutan, Walter Stone, & Joseph Shay
This widely adopted text and clinical reference covers the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of setting up therapy groups and making them work.

If you enjoy Unravelling, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us and tell you friends about us!

And listeners, take note! We always want to hear from you with reactions, topic ideas, stories or other suggestions. Send us an email, an old fashioned voice message, or a voice memo by using unravel@brattlebororetreat.org or by calling 802-258-POD3 (802-258-7633)!

In this episode of Unravelling, Mary sits down with Lane Gardner, musician, educator, and founder of Thread, a nonprofit using collaborative songwriting to help communities heal from trauma. Lane shares the story of a powerful workshop with students affected by a school shooting, illustrating how music became a lifeline and a symbol of resilience.
Through personal reflection and professional insight, Lane explains how creativity can serve as a powerful tool for self-expression, emotional release, and connection. Whether it's a simple drumbeat, a line of lyrics, or a moment of movement, Lane shows us how tapping into our innate creativity can help us navigate pain and reclaim our voice.

This episode highlights the transformative power of the arts, the importance of safe spaces, and why creativity isn't just for artists but for all of us.

Links
Lane's website: https://lanegardner.com/
Song written by Marjory Stoneman Douglas students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrgTEJm__w
Lane's album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/49dPMfbxhXlBhd9154hRne

If you enjoy Unravelling, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to us and tell you friends about us!

And listeners, take note! We always want to hear from you with reactions, topic ideas, stories or other suggestions. Send us an email, an old fashioned voice message, or a voice memo by using unravel@brattlebororetreat.org or by calling 802-258-POD3 (802-258-7633)!