“So I learned how to love me better. And that’s the way out of hell. How do I love me better? Not through words, not through platitudes, but through action.” ~Ellen “Radha” Katz 

Ellen “Radha” Katz at the harmonium during Bhakti Caravan rehearsal

In this episode, I talk with psychotherapist and kirtan musician Ellen Katz about:

• the roots of impostor syndrome,
• how we connect with our “inner wise person”,
• the importance of surrounding yourself with authentic teachers who can show you the way when you’re struggling,
• integrating science, art and spirituality in a professional setting,
• trusting yourself, loving yourself
• and how Pocahontas helped Ellen through challenging times.

Ellen’s Websites: www.innerbalancenow.com & www.ellenkatz.net

Inner Balance on Facebook * Meetup

The Bhakti Caravan on Facebook

“When you’re at the crossroads, ask yourself, ‘Is this thing I’m doing life enhancing or life depleting?’” ~Ellen Katz

Ellen’s Resources to explore for support when you you need to re-engage your inner wise person:

The altar of spiritual guides and teachers at a Bhakti Caravan kirtan

Archetypes – Jesus, Buddha, Mary, ancestors, spirit guides, totem animals*

Spiritual Teachers – Amma, Byron Katie, Tara Brach, Pema Chodron, Jack Kornfield

*These are NOT exhaustive lists, just a place to begin!

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Bhagavad Gita

“You’re not an impostor if you’re doing what you love.” ~Ellen Katz

Resources to help you make subtle, powerful shifts in your life & work:

From Ellen: Amma.org

Ellen Katz, MS, LMFT, Inner Balance 
Ellen has been in private practice as a psychotherapist in Palm Springs, California since 1983, and before that she worked as a music therapist in Ohio and California. She moved to Chicago in 2003, and currently practices both in Northbrook and downtown Chicago. Educated at the University of Michigan, UCLA and Vassar College, she received advanced training at Columbia University and California State University at Fullerton.

With undergraduate degrees in both Religious Studies and Ethnomusicology she has a foundation that extends far beyond traditional psychotherapy. In keeping with the contemporary wisdom for the treatment of addiction, Ellen has spent most of her career investigating how recovery, spirituality and creative expression are integrally related. Having taught in the past at California Baptist University, the University of Redlands and the College of the Desert, Ellen has recently joined the faculties at Common Ground and the Infinity Foundation, two leading non-profit organizations in the northern Chicago suburbs that specialize in providing provocative adult education for individuals who wish to continue college-level study without formally enrolling in a university structure.

Ellen’s specialties included all phases of addiction and co-addiction, as she consulted at the Betty Ford Center and co-produced the educational video, “When Helping Hurts: A Guide for the Codependent” with the Annenberg Center at Eisenhower Hospital, Rancho Mirage. Ellen’s interests grew to include the treatment of trauma, including sexual abuse, which then dovetailed with her interest in addiction, leading her to work with eating disorders, sexual addictions, love/fantasy addiction and other “process addictions.”

Ellen has been trained in Eriksonian hypnotherapy, and she is a certified practitioner of Holographic Memory Resolution and the Lifeline Technique. Her other interests include reading, writing, hiking, independent films, Ayurvedic medicine, yoga and playing music. She currently sings with a small ensemble in Chicago, and plays the piano, percussion and guitar for fun. Maintaining a small practice in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Ellen still commutes to the west coast every six to eight weeks.

That’s ME & vocalist Karishma rehearsing with Radha for The Bhakti Caravan.

The Bhakti Caravan Kirtan Band
Kirtan, the spiritual practice of singing, chanting the Divine, began in India centuries ago. We are a group of individuals from the Chicagoland area mixing our vast diverse musical and spiritual backgrounds to bring forth an ever evolving eclectic sound combing rich vocals with tribal, blues, electronic, Indian & rock influences, dedicated to soul & spiritual expansion.

The music carries the beautiful Sanskrit Chants of many Ancient Deities and High Energy Mantras. When we play this music, it allows the listener to go within themselves and then travel out to many foreign lands, cultures, different time periods and immerse themselves with the sacred chants.

Many believe that chanting is one of the most powerful known ways to elevate your spirit and transform your energy from stuck to free, dense to open, or darkness to light. This is an inward journey where the music will work for you and take you to a state of incredible joy and mental clarity.

This episode was mixed by Edwin R. Ruiz of Mondo Machine.
The Creative Impostor theme music was created by JoVia Armstrong.