Unlocking the Power of Narrative Transformations | Dr. Julie Helmrich

Potent with Steven Lawson

Mar 12 2024 • 1 hr 7 mins

How might narrative psychology change your life?

On today's episode of Potent, Steven Lawson and Dr. Julie Helmrich dive into how shifting one's internal narratives could provide a hidden opportunity to 'unstuck' oneself and live a more potent life.

About Today's Guest

Dr Julie Helmrich is a psychologist with over 40 years of helping high achieving individuals, committed couples and small business owners shift narratives so that they can get unstuck around health issues, relationship concerns, and wealth creation.  She uses an 8-step framework that puts narrative shifting FIRST so that the TACTICAL efforts at a behavior level will work.

She has worked in every sector (government, corporate, not-for-profits, and has taught psychology and leadership in higher ed since 1981.

Dr. Helmrich has received multiple awards and accolades for her work, but her favorite one is being named as one of Milwaukee’s Most Creative People for a program that she created and delivers called “Shrink n Drink” that thousands of people have attended.

Dr Helmrich is accessible through her online programs for the public, couples, and small business owners at www.juliehelmrich.com

Her SIGNATURE program is called StoryFORMULA.

Show Notes

00:32 Intro -

03:52 Why Narrative Psychology?

05:15 Julie's Story

09:08 Genesis of Narrative Psychology

11:31 The Strategy: providing resources to fix problems

16:19 Iterations; Small Step Growth

18:46 A Profound Life

19:23 Self-care / Self-sufficiency

19:27 Inner Authority

21:22 Uncle Joe's Story

24:46 Quick win

27:33 Why do people do what doesn't work?

28:53 Analogies (poison)

30:51 Old Story -> Experience the impact

32:57 You only can do it for you

34:58 Fear of judgment

38:14 Shame (vs. guilt)

41:04 The role of community

46:33 Bad narratives in relationships

50:20 Argument Skills: Observation, Recovery convo, skilled dependency

54:06 Taller children, practicing skillful dependence

58:32 Practical next steps

The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney. Design by Kristin Bural of Soulbeam Studios.