Story Podcast

Join Michael McRay as he continues his conversation with emotional researcher Karla McLaren, diving deeper into how emotions serve as guides rather than problems to solve. Karla explains that when emotions feel overwhelming, it's often about our lack of skills to work with them rather than the intensity itself. She reframes depression as an intelligent system that removes energy to redirect us from destructive paths. Their conversation reveals how toxic positivity isolates those experiencing intense emotions, while slightly depressed people often see reality more clearly than eternally optimistic ones. Karla introduces "narrative completion"—how witnessing recovery and resolution is essential for healing, from trauma workers to personal relationships. In this episode, they also discuss:How to distinguish healthy internal shame from toxic external shaming messagesWhy intense emotions often indicate disconnection from parts of ourselves that need healingHow narrative completion helps heal trauma and unfinished