The Adult Chair Podcast with Michelle Chalfant

Episode Summary
Today, I'm joined by John R. Miles, host of Passion Struck and author of Passion Struck and You Matter, Luma!, for a powerful conversation about passion, purpose, burnout, and what it means to truly feel like we matter.
John shares his journey from being a high-achieving business executive to realizing that external success was not enough. Through his own healing work, he realized that the people he felt called to serve were the very people he had become: the burned out, broken, lonely, bored, and helpless.
We also talk about John's childhood trauma, including a traumatic brain injury at age five that led to a speech impediment, sensory challenges, and a deep desire to become invisible. Over time, he began to see how that early wound shaped his need to perform, achieve, and prove that he mattered. His healing journey became the foundation for his work around becoming "Passion Struck," taking action on your purpose, and rebuilding a sense of mattering from the inside out.
This episode is a beautiful reminder that passion does not always have to come from your career. It can come from service, relationships, creativity, healing, parenting, or using your gifts in a way that lights you up. When we begin to heal the parts of us that feel unseen, unworthy, or invisible, we can reconnect with purpose, take intentional action, and build a life that feels meaningful from the inside out.
Key Takeaways
External success does not always create inner fulfillment
Burnout can be a sign that something deeper is asking for our attention
Many people feel rewarded for their usefulness, but not seen in their humanness
Childhood wounds can shape how we seek approval, achievement, and validation as adults
Feeling invisible or like we do not matter can affect our relationships, work, family life, and sense of purpose
Passion is not only about work or career. It can come through relationships, service, creativity, parenting, or healing
Looking back at what lit you up as a child can help you reconnect with your gifts
Mattering starts within. Before we can fully help others feel like they matter, we must begin to feel that we matter too
Acts of kindness can help others feel seen while also strengthening our own sense of mattering
Helping children understand that they matter can support emotional wellbeing, self-worth, and connection
Resources from this Episode:
John Miles' Website
Purchase Passion Struck
Get You Matter, Luma! here
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary
In this episode, I'm sharing a conversation from Dr. Chris Magryta's podcast, Dr. M's Women and Children First Podcast, where he interviewed me about parenting, triggers, emotions, childhood wounds, and The Adult Chair model.
We talk about what it means to become an emotionally healthy adult, why our children model what we do more than what we say, and how triggers can show us the unconscious beliefs and younger parts of ourselves that are ready to be healed.
Chris and I also explore conscious parenting, co-regulation, self-worth, holding space, feeling emotions in the body, and why these emotional life skills belong not only in our homes, but in our schools and communities.
Key Takeaways:
The Adult Chair model helps us understand the parts of ourselves that react, feel, protect, and respond.
Many adults are walking around in adult bodies while reacting from younger versions of themselves.
Triggers are a gift because they reveal unconscious beliefs we may not otherwise see.
Co-regulation begins when we are able to stay grounded while someone else is having an emotion.
Parents do not need to fix every feeling their child has. They need to learn how to sit with them, listen, breathe, and hold space.
Conscious parenting means trusting your child's path while giving them structure, guidance, space, and support.
Self-worth is built by validating children for who they are, not only for what they do or how they perform.
Social media can make comparison and self-worth struggles even harder for kids and adults.
Emotions move through the body when we allow ourselves to feel them without building a story around them.
Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools we can use with ourselves, our children, and our triggers.
Resources from this Episode:
The Adult Chair Coaching Certification:
https://theadultchair.com/certification
The Adult Chair Trigger Kit:
https://theadultchair.com/triggerkit
Free Inner Child Resources:
https://theadultchair.com/innerchild
Free Self-Worth Masterclass:
https://theadultchair.com/selfworth
Chris Magryta's Podcast: Dr. M's Women and Children First Podcast
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary:
In this episode, I'm joined by Laura Dionisio, one of our Certified Adult Chair® Master Coaches, for a powerful and vulnerable conversation about what happens when we stop living from our protective masks and begin listening to what our body is trying to tell us.
Laura shares her journey from an engineering, high-achieving mindset into a more heart-open life led from within. She talks about the "badass" or "I've got this" mask she wore for years, how it protected her inner child, and what it looked like to finally begin letting that mask go.
We also talk about shame, inner child healing, and why so many of us keep running around the very feelings that are asking to be felt, metabolized, and released. Laura shares how The Adult Chair® framework helped her work with her adolescent parts instead of fighting them, and how she learned to reconnect with her body after years of living mostly from her head.
This episode is such a beautiful reminder that healing is not about becoming someone new. It is about softening the masks, turning toward the parts of us that feel afraid or ashamed, and learning how to live from the truth of who we really are.
Key Takeaways:
Protective masks often form when parts of us feel afraid, unsafe, ashamed, or unsupported
Laura's "tough" persona helped her feel protected, but eventually became something she was ready to release
Shame, unworthiness, and fear do not transform when we avoid them. We have to turn toward them with compassion
Feeling emotions in the body can feel confusing at first, especially if you have spent years living in your head
A body scan is a simple practice that helps you notice physical sensations without trying to change them
"Reverse bedtime procrastination" can be a sign that your needs, joy, or truth are being ignored during the day
Creating space between a realization and an action can help you own your truth without panicking
Fear and doubt do not always mean you are making the wrong decision. Sometimes they are protective parts trying to keep you safe
Resources from this Episode:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura.m.dionisio 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-dionisio/
The Pivot Point Podcast
FREE Heart-Aligned Career Transition Starter: https://www.leadintact.com/freebies/heart-aligned-career
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary
In this bonus episode, I'm answering the most common questions I receive about The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification Program and what makes this six-month experience so powerful.
I'll walk you through who the program is for, what you'll learn, why you don't need prior coaching experience, and how the certification supports both personal and professional transformation. This is not just about learning how to coach. It's about becoming the kind of person who can hold grounded, compassionate space for others while doing your own deep inner work.
I'll also share what's included in the program, from the four-day in-person training to monthly live teachings, personal coaching sessions, practicum hours, coach feedback, and business support.
Key Takeaways
You do not need previous coaching experience to join
This program includes both personal transformation and coach training
You'll learn The Adult Chair Coaching methodology, parts work, triggers, unconscious beliefs, nervous system awareness, intuition, and masterful listening
The program begins with a four-day in-person training in Phoenix
You'll receive live teaching, mentoring, coaching, feedback, and support throughout the six months
You'll also receive business training to help you begin building a coaching practice
Resources from this Episode:
The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification: Enroll Now!
Have more questions? Email Michelle at michelle@michellechalfant.com 
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary
Have you ever wanted to change a relationship with someone you love, but had no idea where to begin?
In this episode, I'm joined by Tracy Brown, one of my Adult Chair coaches, for a vulnerable conversation about how inner child work, parts work, and speaking from the heart helped her transform her relationship with her father.
Tracy shares how she moved through old hurt, resentment, and the story that her dad did not really want to be with her. After working with the younger parts of herself that felt forgotten and not special, she was able to speak her truth without blame, open her heart, and create a completely different outcome than her ego could have imagined.
Key Takeaways
The ego creates stories when we feel hurt, rejected, forgotten, or not prioritized
Stories can make us believe there is only one way someone can prove they love us
Parts work helps us identify the younger parts that are carrying old pain
Tracy discovered a three-year-old part of herself that felt lonely, sad, forgotten, and not special
Emotional release can create more space, softness, and compassion in the body
Speaking from the heart is different than speaking from the head or ego
Vulnerability invites a different kind of response from the other person
When we speak our truth without blame, we create space for deeper connection
The ego bases the future on what has happened in the past
Staying present allows the outcome to be better than we could have imagined
Journaling after inner work helps with integration and deeper understanding
Inner child work is ongoing, and younger parts may still need love and attention after a breakthrough
Resources from this Episode:
The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification:
https://theadultchair.com/certification
Connect with Tracy Brown:
https://coachingwithtracybrown.com
Connect with Tracy on IG @reidybrown
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant