In this episode of the Death & Sex Podcast, Stephen Thomas and Dr. Caleb Bradley welcome back author Val Walker for a return conversation that picks up right where they left off.

Author Val Walker, writer of

• Healing Through Wonder — her most recent release, exploring how awe restores us after trauma and loss
• The Art of Comforting
• 400 Friends and No One to Call: Breaking Through Isolation and Building Community

Drawing on over 30 years as a rehabilitation counselor, Val has witnessed firsthand how moments of awe and wonder can pull people out of grief, trauma, and rumination. In this episode, she walks the hosts through researcher Dr. Dacher Keltner's eight categories of awe, from human heroism and collective effervescence to nature, music, and the sacred mystery of life's greatest passages. She also breaks down the six scientifically studied features of an awe moment, including the sense of vastness, the feeling of time stopping, the "small self," and physical sensations like goosebumps that signal your nervous system is resetting.

The conversation moves from solar eclipses and space exploration to comic book art, the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, and why "third places" matter more than we realize. Val makes the case that cultivating awe isn't a luxury, it's an act of resistance against cynicism and the forces that drain us of our humanity. And for those in grief or trauma who feel too numb to experience wonder at all, she offers a gentler entry point: awe doesn't require joy. Sometimes, something simply strange or fascinating is enough to start a reset.

Whether you're a clinician, a griever, or just someone who hasn't felt wonder in a while, this episode is a reminder that your sense of awe is still there and worth protecting.

Visit valwalkerauthor.com to learn more about her, her books, and links to her socials!

Three counselors walk into a podcast... and get really honest about what therapy is actually like.

Stephen, Dr. Kailey, and Raven from Refuge Counseling sit down to talk about all the stuff people get wrong about therapy. The TikTok myths, the "blank slate" therapist trope, why having good rapport with your counselor isn't always enough, and what you should actually be asking before you book that first session.

They also get into some fun stuff, like whether therapists are allowed to cry, how humor fits into heavy conversations, what couples counseling is really like, and why "that's not real" might be the most useful thing a therapist can say to you.

If you've ever been curious about therapy, intimidated by it, or just want to hear counselors talk like actual humans, this one's for you.

Can a blue heron really change the path of your life? It seems so. Today we talk with Val Walker, author of 400 Friends and No One to Call, Healing Through Wonder, and The Art of Comforting, about how a moment with a giant blue heron saved her life and changed its trajectory. Was it the bird that saved her? Or was it the realization of the awe and wonder the world holds?

#counseling #author #birdwatching #podcast #mentalhealthcare