Developing Meaning

A podcast about healing trauma and finding meaning.

Have you ever wondered what your therapist has figured out about life's big questions?

Join psychiatrist Dr. Dirk Winter as he speaks with colleagues, therapists, and other healers about what they have learned from their clinical work about how to heal trauma and build more meaning and purpose into our lives.

Developing Meaning is NOT CLINICAL ADVICE and is NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY INSTITUTIONS.  It is intended to play with ideas that are emerging, fringe, and outside of the mainstream in order to discover the meaning of life.

Produced by Dirk Winter and Violet Chernoff

#19: Margaret Conley - How We Heal Complex Trauma and Legacy Burdens with IFS.
Apr 30, 2025 – 01:21:54
#18: Ridghaus Follows the Golden Threads - A Story of Adoption, Grief and Meaning.
Mar 15, 2025 – 01:27:12
#17: Past Year Review (PYR) and Setting Intentions for Beginner's Mind, Questioning Assumptions, and Consilience in 2025.
Jan 12, 2025 – 33:11
#16: Jory Agate - Unitarian Minister and Internal Family Systems (IFS) Lead Trainer on Meaning, Kindness, and How IFS Heals Trauma.
Dec 15, 2024 – 55:56
#15: Do You Have One Mind or Many? How Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) Heals Trauma by Embracing Our Inner Multiplicity.
Nov 17, 2024 – 47:10
#14: Integrative Psychiatrist Dr. Bliss Lewis Shares Her Story of Holistic Healing, Building Communities, and How She Sets Her Life Intention
Sep 29, 2024 – 01:34:26
#13: Dr. Richard Brown Leads 6 Minutes of Coherent Breathing (Supplement to Episode 12)
Aug 9, 2024 – 06:19
#12: Dr. Richard Brown, Co-Creator of Breath Body Mind, on How Ancient Breathing Techniques Can Heal Trauma, Optimize Health, and Create Joy
Aug 9, 2024 – 01:34:16
#11: Deb Dana - on Polyvagal Therapy, Neuroscience of Connection, and How Meaning Emerges From Our Internal States
May 10, 2024 – 01:16:20
#10: EMDR and The Meaning Of Life In One Word with Dr. April Minjarez
Mar 17, 2024 – 01:09:40
#9: Dr. Richard Brockman - On Surviving His Mother's Suicide, Psychoanalysis, and Healing Trauma with Neuroscience, Storytelling and Love
Feb 10, 2024 – 01:30:15
#8: 2023 Year End Review: How a Meaning Inventory Can Guide Us Into a Better New Year
Jan 20, 2024 – 26:16
#7: Bruce Hersey - How I Built the Syzygy Institute - Healing Trauma by Combining EMDR, IFS, and Coherence Therapy.
Dec 10, 2023 – 01:28:01
#6: My First Ketamine Journey: Audio Diary of Ketamine Assisted Therapy Training Experience at Menla
Nov 21, 2023 – 01:00:06
#5: Dr. David Merrill - on Psychoanalysis, Writing, and the Value of Exploring Our Unconscious Mind with Honesty, Kindness and Courage.
Oct 9, 2023 – 01:02:06
#4: Justin Townsend, CEO of MycoMeditations - Journey into Psychedelic Retreats, Healing Trauma, and Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life.
Sep 26, 2023 – 01:51:41
#3: Dr. Jean Marmoreo - on Medically Assisted Dying, Living Wakes, and Meaning at the End of Life.
Aug 11, 2023 – 46:08
#2: Annette Dubreuil Discusses Eugene Gendlin's Felt Sense as it Applies to Meaning, Creativity, and More.
Aug 10, 2023 – 01:16:54
#1: Introducing the Developing Meaning Podcast
Aug 10, 2023 – 24:31

Recent Reviews

Dr. Lea Lis

Integrative psychiatry

Amazing podcast. I learned a lot about integrative psychiatry and a new way of thinking about mental health. Dr lea lis Psychiatrist
Brave new podcast

Brave new podcast

Dirk approaches this most ambitious of topics with his own quirky brand of sweetness, humility and widsdom. You’ll love listening to these conversations, as he gently guides the interview in equal parts the seasoned expert and the ever curious and delighted student. He’s asking the questions we all have but that most of us are afraid to ask.
Queen Foufou

Playing with meaning

Dirk’s skillful way of interacting and interviewing his guests makes this podcast a journey of surprises. Along the way you hear about other ways of being in the world; it broadens the perspective on creating meaning. I find the conversations stimulating and inspiring!
Listener in West Lafayette

Extremely thought provoking

Dirk’s guests discuss topics I rarely have time to think about in my daily life, but their experiences and insights always leave me with a great deal to ponder. I love that Dirk doesn’t limit his interviews to just 45 minutes. The episodes are long, but that gives more time for him and his guest to dig deep. They raise so many interesting questions about the meaning of life, what makes for a really fulfilling life, new ways to think about spirituality, and so much more. If your looking for honest conversations about meaning, this is one podcast you really need to check out.
DJHitzefrei

Thought-provoking and inspiring

Dirk’s interview with Justin Townsend is quite long — but never boring. I learned a lot and will definitely tune in to hear from other experts who are exploring meaning and how to develop meaning…
Joviskarma

Great to hear what is happening in minds of clinicians.

I am enjoying this podcast a lot!