Shadow Work, WTF?

In this revealing episode of Shadow Work, WTF?, Caitlin and Lurinda pull back the curtain on the powerful three-day immersion that stands at the heart of Shadow Alchemy Certification. They explore why this deeply transformative experience isn't just another coaching workshop, but a genuine rite of passage for anyone serious about facilitating shadow work. If you've ever wondered what actually happens during these infamous immersions or why Caitlin considers them non-negotiable for shadow work practitioners, this conversation offers the unfiltered truth about facing your edges, being witnessed in your humanity, and emerging with unshakeable self-trust. This episode is for you if: * You're curious about what really happens in a Shadow Alchemy immersion * You want to understand why simply learning shadow work techniques isn't enough * You struggle with feeling like an imposter when coaching clients through their shadows * You're tired of over-preparing and intellectualising instead of truly embodying your work What we'll cover: * Why the immersion functions as a modern rite of passage for coaches * How being witnessed in your most vulnerable state creates a foundation for authentic coaching * The relationship between shame integration and magnetic presence as a coach * What to genuinely expect during the immersion (including what happens afterward) Key Points and Timestamps: 00:00:00 - The Immersion Philosophy Caitlin explains why the certification includes a three-day immersion and how it differs from other coaching programs that focus only on skill acquisition without embodiment. 08:30:00 - Meeting Your Edges Why the immersion intentionally creates a container where coaches must face what they've been avoiding, and how this translates to deeper client work. 24:00:00 - The Shame Integration Process Caitlin reveals how releasing inherited shame creates true aliveness and magnetism in your coaching practice. 40:00:00 - What Actually Happens After The reality of integration after an immersion experience, including potential physical responses, emotional shifts, and how the team supports graduates. 52:00:00 - The Choice That Changes Everything Lurinda shares her personal immersion experience and how the pivotal moment of choice creates lasting transformation in coaches' lives and businesses. Resources Mentioned: Shadow Alchemy Certification: shadowalchemycoaching.com [https://www.shadowalchemycoaching.com/] Follow Lurinda: @perspectivebylurinda [https://instagram.com/perspectivebylurinda] Shadow Alchemy Coaching Academy: @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy] Connect with Us: Loved this episode? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy]. We're genuinely curious about what landed for you. P.S. If you're ready to meet yourself at a deeper level and transform your coaching practice from the inside out, applications for the next Shadow Alchemy immersion in July are now open. This isn't for everyone—and that's the point. Visit shadowalchemycoaching.com [https://shadowalchemycoaching.com/] to learn more about this rite of passage.

In this solo episode of Shadow Work, WTF?, Caitlin addresses one of the most common frustrations coaches experience: knowing something's missing from their sessions but not understanding how to take clients deeper. If you've ever felt like you're having the same conversations with clients week after week, exhausting yourself with over-functioning, or avoiding certain topics out of fear, this episode pulls back the curtain on what's really happening. This episode is for you if: * Your clients say they "already know" their patterns but nothing's actually changing * You feel drained after coaching sessions from doing all the heavy lifting * You secretly doubt whether you can truly deliver the transformations you promise * You're watching other coaches create profound client breakthroughs while yours stay surface-level What we'll cover: * The crucial gap between intellectual awareness and embodied transformation * Why your clients are stuck in loops and how to break the cycle * The uncomfortable truth about why you're avoiding going deeper * How your own fears and shadows are reflecting back through your clients' "stuckness" Key Points and Timestamps: 00:00:00 - The Coaching Depth Dilemma Caitlin introduces the common challenge of coaches feeling they can't go deep enough with clients and how this creates imposter syndrome. 05:17:00 - Sign #1: "I Already Know That" Syndrome When clients intellectualise their patterns but nothing actually changes—the gap between awareness and integration. 09:32:00 - Sign #2: The Repeating Conversation Loop Why you keep having the same discussions with clients and what's actually happening beneath the surface. 13:18:00 - Sign #3: Exhaustion After Sessions How over-functioning and trying to "fix" clients creates burnout and prevents true transformation. 18:22:00 - Sign #4: Avoiding Depth Out of Fear The three core fears preventing coaches from going deeper: re-traumatisation, not holding emotions, and not having answers. 25:05:00 - Sign #5: Performing Instead of Facilitating When coaching becomes about proving your worth rather than being present with what the client truly needs. 30:12:00 - The Mirror Effect How your clients' patterns reflect your own areas that need deeper work and the importance of doing your own shadow work. Resources Mentioned: Shadow Alchemy Coaching Academy: @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy] Shadow Alchemy Coaching Website: shadowalchemycoaching.com [https://shadowalchemycoaching.com/] Complete by Caitlin: @completebycaitlin [https://www.instagram.com/complete_bycaitlin/] Connect with Us: If this episode hit a nerve, I want to hear about it. Screenshot it, share it on your stories, and tag @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy] with which sign you resonated with most. This could be the wake-up call another coach in your network has been waiting for. P.S. Ready to stop dancing around the surface with your clients? The Shadow Alchemy Certification isn't about adding more techniques to your toolbox... it's about transforming how you show up as a coach from the inside out. Applications are open at shadowalchemycoaching.com, and yes, you'll speak directly with Caitlin (no gatekeepers here).

In this episode of Shadow Work, WTF?, Caitlin and support coach Lurinda sit down with Mads, a Shadow Alchemy Certification student whose journey from sceptical single mum to shadow work coach reveals the transformative power of embracing vulnerability. What started as judgment toward Lurinda's career shift eventually led Mads to her own breakthrough moment, showing how our strongest resistance often points directly to our deepest healing. This episode dives into the messy reality of feminine and masculine energies, the freedom that comes from surrendering control, and how shadow work creates profound shifts beyond just mindset. This episode is for you if: * You pride yourself on being "hyper-independent" but secretly feel exhausted from doing it all * You've tried traditional therapy but still feel stuck in the same patterns * You're curious about shadow work but have been skeptical or resistant to trying it * You're a coach who wants to understand how to create deeper, more lasting transformations for clients What we'll cover: * Why our harshest judgments of others always reveal our own shadows * The misconceptions about feminine/masculine energy and how they impact our ability to receive support * How shadow work differs from traditional talk therapy in creating rapid transformation * The real responsibility that comes with being a transformational coach and why proper training matters Key Points and Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome Caitlin introduces Mads, with Lurinda sharing how they connected and Mads' inspiring journey to Shadow Alchemy. 05:29:00 - The Transformational First Session Mads shares the powerful shadow work session that changed everything, allowing her to embrace her feminine energy and open up to receiving support. 12:21:00 - The Feminine-Masculine Conversation A nuanced discussion about what feminine and masculine energies actually mean beyond societal gender roles and gender norms. 25:15:00 - Motherhood and Slowing Down Exploring how motherhood created a craving for connection and presence despite societal pressure to "do it all." 30:05:00 - Confronting Judgment as Shadow Mads reveals how her judgment of Lurinda's career shift was actually jealousy of her boldness and confidence. 41:45:00 - Beyond Talk Therapy Mads discusses the limitations of traditional therapy compared to the action-oriented transformation of shadow work. 48:36:00 - The Ethical Responsibility of Coaches An important conversation about safety, trauma, and the responsibility coaches have when doing transformational work. Resources Mentioned: Shadow Alchemy Coaching Academy: @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy] Connect with Mads on Instagram: @madsleonard__ [https://www.instagram.com/madsleonard__] Follow Lurinda: @perspectivebylurinda [https://www.instagram.com/perspectivebylurinda] Connect with Us: Loved this episode? Screenshot it, share it, and tag us with your biggest takeaway. Your journey from resistance to transformation might be just what someone else needs to hear today. P.S. If you've been curious about shadow work but something's been holding you back, this is your sign. The transformation you're resisting is usually exactly what you need. Visit shadowalchemycoaching.com [https://www.shadowalchemycoaching.com/] to explore certification or book a session with one of our coaches.

In this thought-provoking solo episode, Caitlin explores the exhausting cycle of self-improvement that keeps many of us feeling perpetually broken. After a cyclone-delayed recording, she shares powerful insights about why our relentless pursuit of "fixing" ourselves might be the very thing keeping us stuck. If you've ever felt burnt out by endless healing practices or wondered why achieving your goals didn't deliver the feelings you expected, this episode offers the perspective shift you might need. This episode is for you if: * You feel caught in an endless cycle of healing, manifesting, and self-improvement * You've achieved your goals but still don't feel the way you thought you would * You're exhausted by the constant internal battle of "not enough, not enough, not enough" What we'll cover: * The predictable journey through personal development (and where most people get stuck) * Why achieving your external goals often doesn't change your internal experience * How to recognise when your healing practices have become another form of sophisticated escapism Key Points and Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Cyclone Delays & Confessions * Caitlin admits this episode is late thanks to Queensland's first cyclone in 50 years and shares how it affected the Shadow Alchemy immersion. 04:44:00 - The Personal Development Entry Point * How we typically stumble into personal development when life feels hard, seeking something to "fix" what we believe is broken. 09:10:00 - The Honeymoon Phase * The dopamine hit of early manifestations and achievements that convince us "this stuff works!" and hook us into wanting more. 13:35:00 - The Reality Check Moment * The confronting realisation when you have everything you manifested, but still feel exactly the same inside. 20:00:00 - Diving Deeper: The Somatic Phase * Moving from mindset work to body-based practices, still subtly using healing as a way to escape the messy human experience. 27:28:00 - The Wall of Defeat (And Why It's Actually Perfect) * Why hitting rock bottom with your personal development efforts might be the breakthrough you've actually been needing. 36:04:00 - The Mountain Climbing Analogy * Caitlin's insightful comparison of personal development to climbing mountains, and why we often miss the simpler path that was there all along. 45:05:00 - The Liberating Truth * The perspective shift that changes everything: what if there was never anything broken to begin with? 50:00:00 - The Party Girl Revelation * A profound breathwork insight about control versus aliveness, and the judgment we place on different parts of ourselves. 54:05:00 - A Fresh Approach to Shadow Work * What if shadow work wasn't about fixing or changing parts of yourself, but about accepting all parts without conditions? Resources Mentioned: Shadow Alchemy Coaching Academy: @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://www.instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy] Shadow Alchemy Coaching on TikTok: @shadowalchemycoaching [https://www.tiktok.com/@shadowalchemycoaching] Connect with Us: Loved this episode? Share it with someone who might need to hear this message. Post it to your stories and tag us - we'd love to know which part resonated most with you. P.S. If you're ready for a different approach to shadow work, follow Shadow Alchemy Coaching Academy to discover how acceptance rather than "fixing" creates the transformation you've been seeking all along.

In this unfiltered episode of Shadow Work, WTF?, Caitlin and support coach Lurinda dive into the messy truth about self-trust in coaching. What started as a completely unplanned chat becomes the perfect demonstration of their message: true coaching happens when you trust yourself enough to loosen your grip on the rigid roadmap. They explore why so many coaches hide behind over-planning and scripts, and how building genuine self-trust creates the breakthrough moments your clients are actually paying for. This episode is for you if: * You panic at the thought of coaching without a bulletproof plan * You talk over clients because silence feels like you're failing * You secretly worry your clients will discover you don't have all the answers What we'll cover: * The dead giveaways you're coaching from fear instead of trust * How your relationship with yourself mirrors your coaching effectiveness * Why the simplest trust-building practices create the biggest client transformations Key Points and Timestamps: 01:19:00 - Trust Under Pressure Lurinda's real-time anxiety about "getting it right" perfectly illustrates the trust challenges we all face. 05:47:00 - The Planning Paradox Why obsessive session planning actually blocks your intuition and limits client breakthroughs. 20:00:00 - Self-Trust Red Flags The telltale signs you've lost trust: fast talking, constant interrupting, and that frantic energy clients can feel. 33:10:00 - Personal Trust Laboratory Lurinda shares how relationship challenges became her testing ground for deeper self-trust. 40:12:00 - The Magic of Messing Up Why owning your mistakes actually builds more trust than pretending to be perfect. 48:48:00 - The Liberation of Reality The relief that comes when you finally stop fighting where you actually are (spoiler: it's the only place transformation happens). Resources Mentioned: Shadow Alchemy Certification: shadowalchemycoaching.com [https://shadowalchemycoaching.com/] Follow Lurinda: @perspectivebylurinda [https://www.instagram.com/perspectivebylurinda] Shadow Alchemy Coaching Academy: @shadowalchemycoachingacademy [https://www.instagram.com/shadowalchemycoachingacademy/] Connect with Us: Loved this episode? Slide into our DMs with your biggest takeaway – we're genuinely nosy about what landed for you. If you're tired of performative coaching certifications that expect you to have your shit together from day one, Shadow Alchemy [https://shadowalchemycoaching.com/] might be what you’re looking for. We create space for you to be exactly where you are – messy parts included.