Join Sheryl Paul, a counselor informed by the Jungian depth psychological tradition, and her co-host Victoria Russell, as they dive into the realms of our inner worlds and explore actions we can take to grow more self-trust and self-love. These bi-weekly episodes will provide guidance for diminishing fear and shame, embracing sensitivity and creativity, and approaching life with curiosity and compassion.
Episodes
19 minutes ago
19 minutes ago
Sheryl and Victoria reflect on their experiences of Sheryl's first-ever in-person retreat: Another Way. For five days, nestled in a Colorado valley, the retreatants engaged in dream work and rituals; practiced council; moved mindfully; and connected to creativity.
Inside a circle of compassion and wisdom, tears and laughter flowed with ease. A web of deep, healing connection was woven--invisible threads of love that now stretch across continents and oceans.
In this conversation, Sheryl and Victoria share the guiding principles of the retreat, emphasizing gentleness, safety, and empowerment; dispel myths about what a retreat experience "should" look like; and explore how, no matter what, showing up with an open heart is more than enough.
References:
- "Another Way" Gathering Gold episode
- How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, Jenny Odell
- Animal Spirit Deck, Kim Kranz
- Projective identification dreamwork, Jeremy Taylor
Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold
Some of our recent bonus episodes include:
Victoria's Psychotropic Experience | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Friday May 29, 2026
Friday May 29, 2026
Sheryl and Victoria share a favorite bonus conversation from the Patreon library ("Dear Highly Sensitive Parent") and current reflections on why it still resonates so deeply--especially now. Sheryl shares some of her most potent, painful, and life-changing experiences in early motherhood and the practices that held and grounded her in the toughest moments. And, she and Victoria discuss Sheryl's first-ever in-person retreat (!) and her new community offering for mothers: The Gathering Well.
References:
- Interested in joining a future retreat? Email Sheryl: sheryl@conscious-transitions.com
Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold
Some of our recent bonus episodes include:
Victoria's Psychotropic Experience | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Monday May 11, 2026
Monday May 11, 2026
Sheryl and Victoria unpack how children—and adults—can become pigeonholed as “the smart one,” “the athlete,” “the good girl,” or “the creative one,” and what happens when those identities start to feel limiting.
Through personal stories about parenting, childhood passions, sibling dynamics, and evolving career paths, they reflect on the importance of allowing young people the freedom to grow, pivot, and surprise us. The conversation touches on intrinsic motivation, the difference between genuine passion and externally imposed expectations, and how gifts and talents can both ground us and become tangled with self-worth.
Sheryl and Victoria also explore the tension between encouraging perseverance and honoring a child’s authentic sense of self, sharing examples of how identity can unfold in unexpected ways. Along the way, they discuss multi-potentiality, growth mindset, perfectionism, gender expectations, and the deep human need to feel seen, valued, and free to contain multitudes.
References:
Other Gathering Gold episodes:
Films:
- High School Musical (2006)
- Whiplash (2014)
Books:
Music:
TED Talk:
Monday Apr 27, 2026
Monday Apr 27, 2026
In today's episode, we are exploring the emotional intensity of the middle school years, reflecting on both the pain and the “gold” of this stage—revisiting experiences of loneliness and self-consciousness alongside connection, self-discovery, and courage.
We discuss how shifting attention from family to peers can deepen feelings of rejection, while also opening the door to more meaningful friendships and self-expression.
We share how important it was for us to feel truly seen at this age—especially by supportive adults—and how small moments of recognition became lifelong anchors.
In searching for the gold within them, we discover how these "middle" years are not just a time to endure, but a formative, tender, and transformative chapter that shapes who we become.
References:
- “Don’t You Dare Teach My Daughter to Fear the Forest” by TY Chambers
- Dire Straights podcast episode: "Jeffrey Epstein, Les Wexner, and the 90s Mall"
- The Genius Myth by Michael Meade
Monday Apr 13, 2026
Monday Apr 13, 2026
When the topic of spiritual practice comes up, what comes to mind?
Going to a religious service? Connecting with nature? Meditating?
There are so many ways to connect of a sense of something bigger than ourselves. There is one vital pathways that is sometimes overlooked: Connecting with each other.
In today's episode, we're exploring how connecting with other people -- both real and imaginal, in our memories and in the here-and-now -- can help us grow stronger and softer, safer and braver, more present and more expansive.
References:
Other Gathering Gold and Conscious Transitions work:
- Gathering Gold episode on "Spiritual Longing"
- Sheryl's course "Open Your Heart: A 30-Day Course to Feel More Love and Attraction for Your Partner"
Comedy
- John Mulaney on "Stranger Danger"
- Tig Notaro's "Hello, I have cancer"
Quotes
- Mr. Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
- Maya Angelou:
“I’ve had a lot of clouds, but I have had so many rainbows…..and one of the things I do when I step up on a stage, when I stand up to translate, when I go to teach my classes, when I go to direct a movie, I bring everyone who has ever been kind to me with me.”
“Black, White, Asian, Spanish-speaking, Native American, Gay, Straight, everybody. I say come with me — I’m going on this stage. Come with me. I need you now. Long dead….you see.. so I don’t ever feel, I have no help.” “I’ve had rainbows in my clouds.and the thing to do it seems to me… Is to prepare yourself so that you can be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud."
- William Blake: “I sought my God and my God I couldn't find;
I sought my soul and my soul eluded me;
I sought to serve my brother in his need, and I found all three;
My God, my soul, and thee.”
Music
Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold
Some of our recent bonus episodes include:
Victoria's Psychotropic Experience | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Friday Mar 20, 2026
"I don't like change."
Many highly sensitive souls have uttered these words at one time or another. Perhaps we've said them recently, as we watched neighbors move away, or babies grow into toddlers, or winter slip into spring.
Maybe we haven't dared speak them aloud since childhood, decades ago, when someone rolled their eyes in response and told us to buck up.
In today's episode, we are exploring the contours of change--the good, the hard, the heartbreaking, and the joyful. How can we meet our growing pains and open our hearts with tenderness and compassion amidst the inevitable winds of change?
References:
Related Gathering Gold Episodes...
...about Time:
...about Receiving:
Why It's Hard to Receive Good Things
...about Objects:
- Artifacts of the Heart
- Bonus episode: Emotional Support for Spring Cleaning
Books
ACT Made Simple by Dr. Russ Harris
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Poetry
“Mysteries, Yes” by Mary Oliver
Films
Toy Story (1995)
Music
- “La La Lu” from Lady and the Tramp
- “All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison
- “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
- “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold
Some of our recent bonus episodes include:
Victoria's Psychotropic Experience | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Note: We've decided to take a pause on the topic of romantasy, but we may come back to it down the road :)
In this special episode, we are sharing our recent webinar with Daev Finn, an artist, psychotherapist, and Sheryl's loving husband.
After years working as a visual effects artist, Daev realized it was time for a change, and he made the transition to become a psychotherapist. Here, he reflects on the personal demons and dreams that pulled him from and to this path, the influence of art and myth on this work, and the process of unlearning much of what he was taught about what it means to be a man.
You can find out more about Daev's work at his website and contact him by email at daev.finn@icloud.com
References:
Psychology & Myth
- Bill Moyers Special: Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth
Daev's Writing
Films
Music
- "On the Nature of Daylight," from The Blue Notebooks
Related Gathering Gold and Perennials Episodes
Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold
Some of our recent bonus episodes include:
Victoria's Psychotropic Experience | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Friday Feb 13, 2026
Friday Feb 13, 2026
"Be glad of your human heart....Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”
What if the meteoric rise of the romantasy genre isn’t about fae courts and dragon riders—but about our deepest and most human longings?
Romantasy has taken the publishing world by storm. While some dismiss these stories as escapist fantasy, we believe their deeper power lies in how they illuminate the human heart.
In this series on the alchemy of romantasy, we explore the mythic and psychological currents running through books like A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing. Through the lenses of Jung and the Hero’s (and Heroine's) Journey, we examine the desire to individuate, to be truly seen, to claim inner sovereignty, to find belonging, security, and freedom—and to join with a soulmate who honors the self we are becoming.
Join us as we ask why these stories resonate so profoundly right now, and what they reveal about who we are.
References:
Books & Series
-
A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J. Maas
-
Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros
Psychology & Myth
Pop Culture
Related Gathering Gold Episodes
Join us on Patreon for bonus content and virtual gatherings: patreon.com/gatheringgold
Some of our recent bonus episodes include:
What Sheryl Forgot and Victoria's Experiment | The Slipstream of Time | Give and Receiving - Shudder - Feedback | The Problem with Pedestals | Are Intrusive Thoughts like Stray Cats?
Gathering Gold
Join Sheryl Paul, a counselor informed by the Jungian depth psychological tradition, and her co-host Victoria Russell, as they dive into the realms of our inner worlds and explore actions we can take to grow more self-trust and self-love. These bi-weekly episodes will provide guidance for diminishing fear and shame, embracing sensitivity and creativity, and approaching life with curiosity and compassion.