Whole by Design
Welcome to Whole by Design, a transformative podcast that challenges traditional mental health narratives and reminds us that our experiences make perfect sense no matter how challenging. Join Dr. Julie Lopez, founder of the Viva Center, as she brings her expertise in human systems to illuminate the complexities of mental health with compassion and clarity. Each month, Dr. Lopez and her remarkable guests explore beyond conventional thinking to reveal the brilliance of our human system and its innate resources for healing and adaptation. Through intimate conversations and powerful storytelling, you’ll discover fresh perspectives backed by science that pave the way to flourishing and authentic joy. Whether you’re navigating your own healing path or supporting loved ones, each episode offers practical insights, inspiring stories, and evidence-based approaches that honor your unique experience. Tune in to any episode that speaks to you and join a community that’s redefining wellness through a trauma-informed lens. When we understand ourselves more accurately as whole by design we shortcut the path to healing and thriving.
Listen on:
Episodes
Friday Nov 21, 2025
Friday Nov 21, 2025
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide and self-harm.
Suicidality can be complex, painful, and often misunderstood.
In this episode, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Faith Ferber, a trauma-informed Viva therapist, and her mother, Brenda Ferber, a writer, to explore Faith’s journey with mental health challenges from childhood through adolescence. They discuss early warning signs, the impact of family dynamics, and the one thing that ultimately helped Faith shift her relationship to suicidal thoughts.
This conversation offers insight, validation, and hope for anyone navigating mental health struggles in themselves or their loved ones.
Learn more about Faith Ferber - https://www.vivapartnership.com/our-team/faith-ferber-licsw-lcsw-lcsw-c/
Learn more about Brenda Ferber - http://brendaferber.com/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Tuesday Oct 21, 2025
Tuesday Oct 21, 2025
Poor sleep can affect more than just energy. It can shape mood, focus, and mental health in surprising ways.
In this episode, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Andres Barkil-Oteo to explore the hidden connection between sleep apnea and mental health. They discuss why sleep apnea often goes unnoticed, how it can mimic depression or ADHD, and what steps you can take to uncover and treat it.
This episode is an empowering discussion on the hidden impact of sleep apnea and why it is essential to take action so that you can restore your mental and physical vitality.
Learn more about Dr. Barkil-Oteo - https://www.washingtoninterventionalpsychiatry.com/team-member/andres-barkil-oteo/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Tuesday Sep 23, 2025
Tuesday Sep 23, 2025
Disordered eating impacts millions of Americans, yet so many people face it in silence. If you’re struggling, you are not alone.
In this episode, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Christie Dondero Bettwy, Executive Director of Rock Recovery, to talk about her personal journey of disordered eating recovery and her work making treatment more accessible. Together, they explore how cultural messages about food and bodies fuel shame, why so many people feel “not sick enough” to seek help, and what it takes to begin moving toward healing.
This conversation invites you to rethink the stories you’ve been told about bodies, worth, and food, and to imagine the possibility of making peace with your body, exactly as it is today.
Learn more about Rock Recovery - https://www.rockrecoveryed.org/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Monday Aug 25, 2025
Monday Aug 25, 2025
Psychedelics and breathwork may seem like very different paths to healing, but what if the breath alone could unlock the same powerful states of awareness?
In this episode, Dr. Julie Lopez speaks with Mark Worster, a psychiatric nurse, entrepreneur, and trauma survivor, about how deep breathwork can be a psychedelic experience without substances. Together, they explore non-ordinary states of consciousness, shadow work, and how accessing the subconscious through the body can lead to profound healing and joy.
If you’ve ever been curious about meditation, breathwork, holotropic breathwork, psychedelics, or wondered how to go beyond symptom relief to real transformation through non-chemical methods, this conversation is for you.
Learn more about Mark Worster’s work - https://nurse-mark.com/
Learn More about Dr. Julie’s Work: https://drjulielopez.com/
Learn More about The Viva Center: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with author, filmmaker, and advocate Zara Phillips to explore how co-dependency and hyperfixation act as survival mechanisms that can spiral into addictive patterns.
They unpack why we overthink, people-please, or fixate compulsively when safety feels uncertain, and reveal the two key components Zara credits with sustaining lasting recovery.
From Zara's groundbreaking advocacy work demanding government apologies for forced adoption practices to her personal insights on breaking free from people-pleasing, this episode offers both validation and practical tools for healing.
Whether you're adopted, in foster care, or simply recognize patterns of abandonment and codependency in your own life, this conversation provides a roadmap for reclaiming authenticity and finding peace.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ZARA PHILLIPS: www.zaraphillips.net
CONNECT WITH JULIE: https://drjulielopez.com/
CONNECT WITH THE VIVA CENTER: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Friday Jun 27, 2025
Friday Jun 27, 2025
Psychiatric medication can be life-changing, but for some teens, it becomes the only solution offered.If you or someone you love is on medication but still facing challenges and wondering why, this episode is for you. Discover how a personalized whole-body approach to teen mental health can create more lasting results.Dr. Britta Zimmer, Chief Medical Officer of Pacific Quest and expert in integrative psychiatry, shares what happens when mental health care focuses on band-aids instead of the whole person. She explains how trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and environmental factors often go untreated, resulting in cycles of overmedication and frustration.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PACIFIC QUEST: www.pacificquest.org
CONNECT WITH JULIE: https://drjulielopez.com/
CONNECT WITH THE VIVA CENTER: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Disorders of the gut aren’t just digestive issues; they’re often signals from your nervous system.If you’ve been struggling with gut issues, anxiety, or chronic discomfort that doctors can’t explain, this episode is for you.Dr. Ali Navidi, licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of GI Psychology, breaks down the science and psychology of the gut-brain connection. He explains how trauma, stress, and emotional survival patterns can disrupt digestion and how nervous system regulation and therapy can help restore balance.
We also explore the deep connection between gut health and mental health, and why treating one without addressing the other often leaves people stuck. Whether you're living with IBS or another GI disorder and carrying the emotional toll of feeling unheard, this conversation offers insights and hope.
CONNECT WITH DR. NAVIDI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnavidi/
CONNECT WITH JULIE: https://drjulielopez.com/
CONNECT WITH THE VIVA CENTER: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Friday Apr 25, 2025
Friday Apr 25, 2025
In this episode of Whole by Design, Robyn Brickel, an expert in trauma-informed clinical work, sheds light on how we are all built for survival. Robyn explores how healing deep-rooted wounds can lead to healthier connections, improved emotional regulation, and a more peaceful life. Tune in for valuable insights on recognizing trauma's impact and practical steps for healing that can transform the way you relate to yourself and others.
CONNECT WITH TRACY: www.BrickelandAssociates.comCONNECT WITH JULIE: https://drjulielopez.com/CONNECT WITH THE VIVA CENTER: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
Monday Mar 31, 2025
Monday Mar 31, 2025
Did you know you can use your imagination to rewire your brain and heal trauma? In this episode, Tracy, a leading expert in brain science, explains how visualizing nurturing experiences can create new neural pathways. Learn how the powerful therapeutic approach of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can reduce emotional reactivity and transform your mental health, helping you break free from old patterns and create lasting change.
CONNECT WITH TRACY: www.virginiafamilycounseling.com
CONNECT WITH JULIE: https://drjulielopez.com/
CONNECT WITH THE VIVA CENTER: https://www.vivapartnership.com/
#mentalhealth #podcast #emdrtherapy #neuroplasticity
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Feeling stuck, drained, or unsure of your next step? You’re not alone. In this episode of Whole by Design, Dr. Julie Lopez sits down with Pascale Cook-Fernandes—coach, Reiki master, and founder of Women Finding Clarity—to explore how overwhelm and self-doubt can keep us from fully showing up in our lives.
Pascale shares her powerful approach to stepping out of the fog and into clarity, drawing from energy work, self-awareness practices, and boundary-setting techniques. Discover how our confidence is directly connected to our body's energy centers and learn the three essential steps to reset your nervous system, reclaim your energy, and take aligned action.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, a caretaker, or simply someone navigating the complexities of modern life, this conversation will inspire you to turn inward, trust yourself, and make choices that truly serve you. Plus, Pascale shares a free tool to help you reset your energy in just five minutes—because small shifts can create lasting change.
CONNECT WITH PASCALE
🌐https://www.womenfindingclarity.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascale-cook-fernandes-womenfindingclarity/
https://www.youtube.com/@Women_Finding_Clarity
https://www.instagram.com/women_finding_clarity/
https://www.facebook.com/WomenFindingClarity
Get Pascale’s FREE 5-Minute Energy Reset for stress and overwhelm: https://www.womenfindingclarity.com/5-minute-energy-reset/julielopez
CONNECT WITH JULIE
https://web.facebook.com/drjulielopez/
https://www.instagram.com/drjulielopez/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-lopez-phd-3285243/
🌐https://drjulielopez.com/
Dr.Julie Lopez’s book, Live Empowered, is available on Amazon ➡️ https://amzn.to/4bKk0io
CONNECT WITH THE VIVA CENTER
https://www.facebook.com/vivacenter
https://www.instagram.com/vivacenterdc/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-viva-center
📧info@vivapartnership.com
🌐https://www.vivapartnership.com/
FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY:
https://resilientbrainproject.com/