The Medicine of Empathy to Mend Our Trauma Injury

What if healing doesn’t come from expertise, but from empathy?In this transformative conversation, David Polidi sits down with internationally renowned Motivational Interviewing trainer Stephen Andrew to explore what it really means to be present with someone in their pain. Stephen challenges the dominant medical model of mental health—assess, diagnose, and treat—and offers instead a radically human approach: one rooted in compassion, collaboration, and what he calls radical humility. Drawing from decades of experience, Stephen shares how MI is not just a technique, but a way of being—a spiritual, relational posture that meets people where they are, without judgment or agenda. Together, David and Stephen dive into the concept of the “trauma injury”—a phrase that invites healing and hope rather than pathology. They explore how many of our deepest wounds stem from power imbalances, and how true healing can only happen in spaces where we move from “power over” to “power with.” You’ll hear powerful reflections on: The three G’s of empathy: genuine, gentle, and a guess Why MI is Carl Rogers 2.0 How trauma teaches us to believe we don’t matter—and how empathy can quiet the nervous system enough for hope to return Why empathy is not a performance, but a presence How the “container” of compassion and acceptance allows the “medicine” of empowerment and partnership to emerge This episode isn’t just for therapists—it’s for anyone who wants to show up more fully, more authentically, and more tenderly in their relationships. If you’ve ever wondered what real healing looks like—or how to hold space for someone else’s pain—this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. “The individual is like a garden to be tended, not a machine to be repaired.” —Stephen Andrew