In Season 3, Episode 3 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward sits down with Davina Kotulski—a licensed therapist, author, and internationally recognized LGBTQ+ advocate—to explore how we can cultivate inner resilience, healing, and authenticity in a deeply divided world.

Drawing from decades of clinical experience, Davina shares compassionate, practical tools for navigating emotional triggers, political stress, and collective trauma—while staying grounded in love, self-awareness, and truth.

Together, TJ and Davina unpack:

The emotional impact of political and cultural polarization

Lessons from LGBTQ+ history, including the AIDS crisis and the marriage equality movement. How to balance activism with inner peace

The difference between reactivity and conscious response

Why self-care and nervous system regulation are essential right now

How to stay connected to your truth—even in difficult conversations

Davina’s work bridges mental health, social justice, and spiritual growth, offering a powerful roadmap for anyone seeking to live with greater authenticity, resilience, and self-acceptance.

🎧 Whether you’re navigating sobriety or seeking deeper meaning, this episode offers insight, validation, and inspiration.

👉 Please subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Dr. Davina Kotulski: https://drdavinakotulski.com/

In Season 3, Episode 2 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward sits down with Brittany Leach, Marketing Director at Gossip Grill, to explore the transformative journey of healing, sobriety, and self-discovery within the LGBTQ+ community.

Brittany shares her personal story of stepping away from alcohol, confronting suppressed emotions, and rediscovering joy in its most authentic form. What begins as a conversation about nightlife and community quickly evolves into a profound exploration of identity, trauma, and what it truly means to “meet yourself.”

With over 17 years at Gossip Grill, Brittany has helped shape one of the most inclusive and community-driven spaces in San Diego. This organization gives back nearly $500,000 annually to causes including mental health, unhoused support, and trans advocacy. Her work blends storytelling, connection, and purpose-driven marketing to create meaningful impact both online and in real life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why sobriety can initially feel harder—not easier

How identity shifts when you remove coping mechanisms

The role of community in healing and transformation

Why compassion is the key to personal and collective growth

How moments of joy signal true emotional recovery

🎧 Whether you’re navigating sobriety, questioning your identity, or seeking deeper meaning, this episode offers insight, validation, and inspiration.

👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more:

Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

In Season 3, Episode 1 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward interviews Heather Hester, speaker, author, advocate, and host of the award-winning More Human. More Kind. podcast—to explore what it truly means to support and love LGBTQ+ children.

Heather shares her personal journey as a parent of two LGBTQ+ kids, opening up about the fear, confusion, and deep transformation that followed her son’s coming out at 16. What began as a search for answers became a mission to help other families navigate similar experiences with compassion and courage.

As the author of Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias, Embrace Your Child. Empower Their Authenticity: Heather’s work centers on meeting people exactly where they are—guiding them through complex, emotional moments with a calm, grounded presence.

Together, TJ and Heather dive into:

The intersection of faith and LGBTQ+ identity

How to move through fear-based beliefs

Why doing your own “inner work” as a parent matters

The importance of community, boundaries, and grace

Letting go of control and embracing authentic connection

👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more:

Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Heather Hester: https://www.heatherhester.net

In Season 2, Episode 26 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward sits down with licensed marriage and family therapist Betsy Spier to explore the complex and often hidden impact of internalized homophobia.

Even after coming out, many LGBTQ people carry unconscious shame shaped by cultural messaging, family dynamics, and early life experiences. Betsy shares her personal story of growing up during the feminist movement, navigating identity in the late 70s and 80s, and discovering how deeply internalized beliefs can linger—even after decades of personal growth.

Together, TJ and Betsy unpack how shame, trauma, and identity conditioning affect LGBTQ mental health and discuss practical ways to heal through awareness, connection, experiential therapy, and inner child work.

They also explore:

• How internalized homophobia shows up in everyday thoughts and behaviors

• Why awareness is the first step toward healing

• The power of experiential therapy and psychodrama

• Why connection—not isolation—is essential for recovery

• The importance of self-acceptance and internal safety

This conversation is a compassionate and insightful look at the journey toward authenticity, healing, and deeper self-love within the LGBTQ community. If you’re interested in LGBTQ mental health, trauma recovery, self-acceptance, or personal growth, this episode offers powerful tools and perspectives.

👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗

Learn more:

Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com T

J Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Betsy Spier: https://betsyspier.com

In Season 2, Episode 25 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward welcomes Rev. Cindy Edelson, Senior Minister of Centers for Spiritual Living in Salt Lake City. Together, they explore the deeper call for healing within the LGBTQ+ community and the transformative power of compassion, connection, and spiritual awareness.

Rev. Cindy shares her experience building an LGBTQ+ and allies support group in Utah and how authentic dialogue can break down fear, misunderstanding, and division. The conversation dives into topics many LGBTQ+ people can relate to—childhood shame, internalized beliefs, spiritual trauma, and the journey back to self-acceptance.

TJ and Cindy also explore how practices like mindfulness, awareness, and spiritual teachings can help people break free from negative mental loops, media overload, and “doomscrolling,” allowing us to create a more loving relationship with ourselves and others. If you’ve ever struggled with shame, felt disconnected from your spiritual path, or wondered how to create deeper compassion in a polarized world, this conversation offers insight, hope, and practical tools for healing.

Topics covered include: Healing LGBTQ+ shame and internalized stigma, Building a connection between LGBTQ+ people and allies, Breaking free from doomscrolling and negativity, The role of spirituality in healing trauma, Self-compassion and learning to be gentle with yourself

👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Rev. Cindy Edelson: https://spirituallyfree.org/leadership

In Season 2, Episode 24 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward welcomes Brian Nachreiner, a queer man in long-term addiction recovery. They discuss Brian's journey and the podcast's mission to highlight individuals making a difference in the lgbtqia community. This conversation explores gay self-acceptance and strategies for healing shame, fostering shame resilience, and supporting a thriving recovery. and the internalized shame many LGBTQ+ people carry—especially those raised in religious environments. Growing up in a Catholic household, he shares how early messages of “being wrong” became embedded as core beliefs, shaping his self-perception long into adulthood. Together, they unpack how internalized homophobia often becomes indistinguishable from shame and why true healing requires more than intellectual understanding. The discussion moves beyond cultural commentary into the heart of recovery and self-discovery, touching on 12-step foundations, therapy, meditation, inner child work, sobriety, emotional rock bottoms, and the myth that we are fundamentally broken.

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🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

In Season 2, Episode 23 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward welcomes Roy Sciortino, LMFT, to explore the complex layers of trauma, attachment, and healing within the LGBTQ+ community. Together, they unpack transgenerational trauma—how secrecy, shame, and survival strategies formed in earlier generations continue to shape intimacy, identity, and relationships today. Royce offers moving reflections on queer history, internalized fear, and the ways marginalized communities have learned to protect themselves—often at the cost of authentic connection.

The conversation dives into attachment theory and how early experiences of parental rejection, gender policing, and societal stigma influence adult relationships. Both TJ and Royce vulnerably share personal stories of avoidant and anxious attachment, early sexual experiences marked by secrecy and shame, and the unconscious belief of being “unlovable.” With compassion and clarity, they reframe these patterns not as flaws, but as “brilliant strategies” developed for safety and survival. They also connect trauma and attachment to substance use, highlighting how the search for safety, security, and comfort can drive both relational dynamics and addictive behaviors. This episode is an invitation to lean into authentic attachment, embrace compassion for the strategies that once protected us, and trust that the desire for healing is itself proof of our capacity to transform.

👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing:https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com

Roy Sciortino: https://www.roycetherapy.com/

In Season 2, Episode 22 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward sits down with Reese Clark explore a powerful question: What are we really talking about when we talk about healing? Moving beyond the myth of healing as a finish line, they reframe it as an ongoing return to wholeness. Together, they unpack how shame—particularly within the LGBTQ+ community—can create a false identity of brokenness, and how true transformation begins when we question that narrative. Through personal stories and clinical insight, they examine the shift from trying to “fix” ourselves to witnessing and integrating all parts of who we are.

Reese Clark, a trauma-informed clinician and member of the team at The Camp Recovery Center near Santa Cruz, brings both lived wisdom and professional expertise to this conversation. Reese and TJ discuss the capital-S Self—the essential nature beneath addiction and trauma—along with TJ’s integrative “Four Rooms” framework (physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual). This episode is a powerful invitation for clinicians, healers, and anyone on a recovery journey to move from pathology to possibility, embrace presence over performance, and rediscover the wholeness that has always been there.

👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation.

🔗 Learn more:

Element Q Healing:https://www.elementqhealingcenter.com

TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com