Whole by Design

When you're overwhelmed, it can be hard to think clearly, slow down, or figure out what you need. But what if a simple question could help you interrupt that reaction and reconnect with the present?
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Sara Mindel, somatic psychotherapist and co-founder of Supporting Roles, to explore how stress builds in the body, why we often ignore early signs of overwhelm, and how body-based approaches can help us respond differently.
Sara shares three practical ways to work with an overwhelmed nervous system, including using your senses, asking present-focused questions, and one surprising question to ask yourself when your brain feels overloaded.
You'll come away with simple ways to recognize stress earlier, reconnect with the present, and give yourself more room to respond rather than react.
Learn more about Sara and her work: 
https://www.embodiedpsychotherapydc.com/
https://www.supportingroles.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramindellicsw/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/

What if helping your child regulate starts with your own nervous system?
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Gabriele Nicolet, speech-language pathologist and parent coach - specializing in parenting Neurodivergent children, to explore the powerful connection between nervous system regulation, co-regulation, connection, and neurodivergent parenting. Together, they discuss why challenging behavior may be communicating an unmet need, how a parent's regulation can influence a child's ability to regulate, and why connection often matters more than attention.
Gabriele shares practical ways to respond when your child is overwhelmed, including how to stay grounded during big emotions, recognize the need beneath challenging behavior, and use a simple validation approach that helps you connect with your child while still setting boundaries.
You'll also learn why parents of neurodivergent children specifically can become the "forgotten patient," how to start noticing the small wins, and why supporting the whole family system can create meaningful change.
A powerful conversation about neurodivergent parenting, emotional regulation, co-regulation, nervous system regulation, and building stronger parent-child connection.
Learn more about Gabriele and her work: 
gabrielenicolet.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielenicolet/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRJrTbDH_M51G6IlB3aAtxw
https://www.instagram.com/gabriele_nicolet
https://www.facebook.com/gabriele.nicolet
https://complicatedkids.com
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/ 

What if you could shift your mood, release difficult emotions, and reset your state in just a few minutes? Music may be one of the most accessible tools for doing exactly that.
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with professional singer Jennifer Gilmore to explore the powerful connection between music, mood, emotions, and healing. Together, they discuss how music can influence the way we feel, interrupt negative thought patterns, support emotional expression, and help us reconnect with ourselves.
Jennifer shares how she uses music as a practical tool for emotional regulation and mood shifting, including her simple three-minute reset.
This conversation is a reminder that supporting your emotional wellbeing doesn't always have to be complicated. Sometimes, the right song can help you reconnect, release, and reset.
 
Learn more about Jennifer and her work: 
jennifergilmoremusic.com
singthethingsyoucannotsay.com 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifergilmoresings
https://youtube.com/@singthethingsyoucannotsay 
 
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/ 

Stories have the power to inspire, build trust, and create meaningful change. But they also have the potential to cause harm, sometimes unintentionally.
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and Make a Scene Media founder Taylor Kampia to explore the growing practice of trauma-informed storytelling and why it matters. Together, they discuss how psychological safety, authenticity, and ethical communication create stronger connections and greater impact than sensationalism ever could.
You'll learn why authentic storytelling begins long before a story is ever shared, how stories can empower rather than exploit, and a practical framework for building trust, reducing harm, and communicating with greater intention. Whether you're sharing your own story or amplifying someone else's, these principles can transform the way you inspire others.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that the most impactful stories aren't the loudest. They're the ones that help people feel seen, safe, and understood.
Learn more about Taylor and her work: https://www.makeascenemedia.com/team | https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-kampia/ 
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/ 

How do you know whether you're following your own path or someone else's expectations? Whether you're questioning what's next, considering a change, or starting your career, this conversation explores how to recognize the difference between external pressure and internal alignment.
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with David Gofman, founder of Gofman Therapy and Consulting, to explore the quarter-life career crisis and what it reveals about making authentic life and career decisions.
David shares how the body signals misalignment, what resistance and boredom can teach us, and three practical ways to move toward work that feels more aligned, whether you're choosing your first career or making a change later in life.
If you've ever questioned your direction, this episode offers a compassionate framework for moving forward with greater clarity and confidence.
 
Learn more about David Gofman and his work:
https://gofmantherapyandconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgofman/ 
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/ 

What if the most effective thing you could do as a leader, or as a human, had nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with how you show up?
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Daniel Lieberman, founder and CEO of Valuable Leadership, to explore his model of "humanship" and the Beacon Effect, a six-part framework for cutting through uncertainty, building genuine trust, and protecting the dignity of everyone around you.
Together, they explore how the way we regulate ourselves shapes every relationship and interaction we're part of, at work, at home, and everywhere in between.
You'll leave with a deeper understanding of how to build trust in any room you walk into, how to stay anchored when circumstances shift, and how to use three simple steps before any hard conversation to access more clarity, presence, and dignity-preserving action.
This episode is for anyone who leads,  a team, a family, or simply themselves and wants to show up in a way people can truly trust.
 
Learn more about Daniel Lieberman and his work:
https://www.valuableleadership.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/humanship
https://humanship.substack.com/ 
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/

Grief doesn’t always follow a clear path. For many people, it can feel layered, disorienting, and difficult to move through, especially when the emotions don’t resolve in the ways we expect.
If you’ve been feeling stuck in your grief or unsure how to carry both the love and the pain, this conversation offers a way of understanding what’s happening beneath the surface.
In this episode, Dr. Julie Lopez and grief expert Aurena Green explore the reality of complicated grief, why it can feel so complex, why it doesn’t follow a predictable timeline, and what it can look like to begin moving through it in a way that honors your full emotional experience.
You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to stay present with intense emotions without shutting down, how to hold both the beauty and difficulty of your relationships, and how to begin reconnecting with yourself in a way that feels more grounded, more open, and more alive.
This is a thoughtful, honest look at grief that makes space for the full experience, without rushing it or trying to simplify what it means to move forward.
 
Learn more about Aurena Green and her work:
https://www.inner-compass-therapy.com/  
https://hackyournervoussystem.org/products/planetgrief 
https://www.instagram.com/planet.grief 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/aurena-r-green-clifton-va/1407401
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/

Stress is often treated like something to eliminate, but what if understanding it differently could help you move through life with more clarity, strength, and intention?
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez is joined by clinician and clinical director Amanda Good to explore the stress equation, a practical framework for understanding why stress affects people differently and how lasting balance is created.
Together, they break down how demands, coping capacity, internal beliefs, and support systems interact to shape your experience of stress. Amanda explains why managing stress is not just about coping in the moment, but about identifying where imbalance lives and knowing how to shift it.
This conversation also explores how difficult experiences can become catalysts for growth, offering insight into resilience, deeper self-awareness, stronger relationships, and renewed meaning after hard seasons of life.
 
Learn more about The Sibley Group & Amanda Good: 
thesibleygroupdc.com 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-good-85844a1ab 
https://www.instagram.com/amandagoodlicsw/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/

What do high-pressure emergency response and intimate relationships have in common? Communication under stress.
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) Lee Collins to explore what truly strengthens connection in relationships.
Drawing from his background in corporate leadership, emergency response, and clinical counseling, Lee shares how high-pressure environments reveal the communication patterns that either build trust or break it down. He unpacks the subtle shifts that move relationships from conflict to connection and explains why emotional awareness is the foundation.
This episode offers actionable insight into relationship skills, communication, and emotional regulation, helping you show up stronger in love, work, and life.
 
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/

Fertility is often framed as a purely biological issue, but what if there’s more shaping our ability to create and receive in life than we realize?
In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez is joined by Dr. Natalie Grigorian, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and Master of Acupuncture, to explore the hidden factors that influence fertility, not just in conception, but across all areas of life.
Together, they discuss how stress, the nervous system, and natural rhythms shape fertility and vitality. Dr. Gregorian shares how listening to the body’s signals, honoring cycles, and creating conditions for safety and receptivity can support healing, growth, and resilience.
This conversation offers perspective, insight, and practical guidance for anyone feeling stuck, depleted, or curious about how fertility extends beyond reproduction into creativity, work, relationships, and overall well-being.
 
Learn more about Dr. Natalie Grigorian & Aetherium Health: 
https://aetheriumhealth.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliegrigorian/
https://www.instagram.com/aetheriumhealth/
https://www.instagram.com/dr.natalieg/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/ 
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/