Empowered through Compassion

03/17/2026

03/16/2026

In this conversation, David Polidi speaks with author and cultural critic Soraya Chemaly about the cultural mythology of resilience and what it means to truly heal after hardship. In much of Western culture, resilience is framed as an individual trait. We are encouraged to bounce back quickly, retur...

03/08/2026

A pastor reflects on witnessing violence as a child.

In my recent conversation with Pastor Michael Neely, he shared a story from his childhood that stayed with him and continues to shape his work today.

He speaks about the complicated and conflicting messages many families receive around violence. On the one hand we say we do not condone abuse. Yet at times we hit our children or tell abused partners to remain in marriages because it is believed to be God’s will.

In his important book Black Eyes and Sweet Talk, Pastor Neely challenges these messages directly. He shares a clear and compassionate perspective: God does not want people to be abused, and faith communities have a responsibility to protect survivors.

This was a powerful conversation about truth, safety, and the possibility of healing.

Listen to the newly released episode of The Empowered Through Compassion Podcast.

03/08/2026

In this episode of the Empowered Through Compassion podcast, David Polidi speaks with Pastor Michael Neely about domestic abuse, faith, and the responsibility of religious communities to protect those who are suffering. Pastor Neely is the author of Black Eyes and Sweet Talk: A Biblical Perspective....

03/06/2026

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03/06/2026

Empowered Newsletter

03/03/2026

In this special episode of Empowered Through Compassion, I am joined by my wife and partner in life and work, Heather Polidi, LICSW. After graduating from Boston University's School of Social Work in different years, we both began our careers at Wayside Youth and Family in different departments. Hea...

03/02/2026

What happens when the belief system that shaped you no longer feels true in your body?

In this week’s episode of Empowered Through Compassion, I had the joy of speaking with Brooke Kekos, trauma recovery mentor, clinical hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and author of Shattered, Broken, & Beautiful: Losing My Religion and Finding Faith.

Brooke was raised in a high control religious environment and shares her journey of reclaiming identity from the inside out.

We talk about religious trauma, childhood wounds that show up in adult relationships, and how healing begins when we gently turn toward the root instead of repeating the cycle.

I was honored to get to know Brooke, and speak with her about authenticity and inner authority in this episode. Brooke models through her life journey and book how to learn to trust your own voice and creating space for something new to grow in your life!

03/02/2026

In this episode of Empowered Through Compassion, I speak with Brooke Kekos, trauma recovery mentor, clinical hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and author of Shattered, Broken, & Beautiful: Losing My Religion and Finding Faith. Brooke was raised in a third-generation Jehovah’s Witness family an...

02/16/2026

Divorce can feel like the shattering of a world. In this episode, I sit down with Oona Mertz, a psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience, to explore what truly helps people navigate the emotional and relational complexity of divorce. After her own divorce and healing journey, Oona began lead...

02/14/2026

Episode Summary: In this conversation, we explore what it really means to understand IFS as a relational therapy. Alyce and I discuss how attention itself is relational, how Self-energy becomes an internal secure base. Everything happening inside our system shapes how we show up in our external rela...