Soul Sessions | Jungian Coaching Podcast by CreativeMind

Episode: "Hidden Gift of Sadness"

Hosts: Debra Berndt Maldonado & Robert Maldonado, PhD
Date: September 8, 2025

Overview

In this deeply reflective episode, Debra Berndt Maldonado and Dr. Rob Maldonado explore the universal and often misunderstood emotion of sadness through the lens of Jungian psychology, Eastern spirituality, and social neuroscience. Rather than viewing sadness as negative or something to be avoided, they reframe it as a soulful guide—a powerful emotional signal inviting us to greater self-awareness, transformation, and ultimately, individuation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Distinguishing Sadness from Pathology

• Sadness vs. Depression

  • Sadness is a healthy, universal, and often meaningful emotional response.
  • Depression is a mood disorder characterized by a persistent inability to feel joy or pleasure, which impedes daily functioning.
  • Quote (Robert, 02:41): "One of the components [of depression] is the inability to experience happiness and joy from the things that you used to find joyful... Sadness is not where it's that severe.”

• When Sadness Becomes Chronic

  • Persistent, low-level sadness like dysthymia (6+ months) may require professional attention (Robert, 04:54).

2. Sadness as a Universal and Meaningful Experience

• Sadness arises naturally from experiences of loss, change, or longing, and is intertwined with love and attachment.

  • Debra (03:17): “The saddest time I've ever felt was when my father died… I loved him so much, that's why I feel sad. And so how can this sadness be a bad thing?”

• Cultural and familial messages often discourage open expression of sadness, promoting emotional suppression instead.

  • Debra (05:24): “When someone gets emotional, what's the first thing they say? I'm sorry… Why do we apologize for feeling sad?"

• Embracing, not denying, sadness is part of living fully.

  • Robert (06:03): "Stiff upper lip... but sadness is a powerful indicator of there's something going on in your life that you should pay attention to."

3. The Soulfulness and Creative Power of Sadness

• Sadness often connects us with our deepest humanity and creativity—found in music, art, and the beauty of vulnerability (Robert, 04:05).
• Shared human loss (e.g., famous Buddhist parable) reveals we are not alone in suffering (Debra & Robert, 07:18).

4. Sadness as a Gateway to Self-Knowledge and Transformation

• Jungian view: All emotions, including sadness, arise from the unconscious and carry messages.

  • Robert (09:11): "If we start to examine it… it will lead us to a deeper understanding of what our relationship with that person was really about."

• Sadness often signals what is missing or out of alignment in our lives, prompting inward exploration and purpose-seeking.

  • Debra (10:08): “[Sadness] is a great way to get us to look inward… Sadness is the absence of love. It made them look inward.”

• Dr. Rob on relationships: It is unfair and ineffective to rely on others to eliminate our sadness; growth comes from within (11:52).

5. Techniques for Working with Sadness

• Active Imagination:

  • A core Jungian coaching method for dialoguing with inner images and feelings, leading to deep insight.
  • Debra (14:13): "Imagination is the tool of the soul."

• Change is inherently uncomfortable ("There is no coming into consciousness without pain" - Jung). Real transformation requires courage and humility.

  • Debra (15:20): "You have to roll up your sleeves and be brave and courageous and face what you need to face in order to really change."
  • Robert (16:03): "The real inner work will put you through a test."

6. Compassionate Self-Attitude

• The key is to approach your sadness with friendliness, openness, and non-judgment—not as a problem to "fix."

  • Robert (19:07): "The approach is one of openness, friendliness, kindness."

• Practice self-compassion the way you would approach a suffering child (Robert, 19:11).

• Claire Dunn's insight, attributed by Debra (20:17):

  • “Something has come alive in me that needs my attention.”

7. The Deeper Call of Sadness

• Sadness can be a quiet but profound message from the soul—urging us to wake up, grow, and heed our true desires.

  • Robert (20:58): "It's kind of a whisper. It's not a loud thundering voice. It whispers to us from the inside."

• Self-inquiry is essential—don't mistake cathartic release (crying, venting) for real transformation.

  • Debra (22:05): "There's this element of pure awareness that needs to be a part of this process."

8. Embracing Irrational Wisdom

• The unconscious is not logical or rational; its messages may come as dreams, intuitions, emotions, or synchronicity (22:29–24:10).

• Don't judge sadness or try to "fix" yourself as broken—see it as a guide to deeper purpose.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Debra (03:17):
  “The saddest time I've ever felt was when my father died… I loved him so much, that's why I feel sad.”

• Robert (04:05):
  “It has a soulfulness to it… it's a depth.”

• Debra (07:18):
  (Paraphrasing Buddhist parable) “She went through the village and everyone was telling their sad story… she realized that she's not alone. Everyone loses someone.”

• Robert (13:13):
  “It is a kind of pain… if that pain prompts us to seek our growth, to seek individuation, to seek a deeper meaning of our life, then it's doing its job.”

• Debra (15:20):
  “There is no coming into consciousness without pain… you have to roll up your sleeves and be brave.”

• Robert (19:07):
  “The approach is one of openness, friendliness, kindness.”

• Debra (20:17):
  “Something has come alive in me that needs my attention.”

• Debra (25:30):
  “Wouldn't you say that the ego uses the emotions to keep us in limitation and the soul uses emotions to set us free?”

• Robert (25:38):
  “That's a beautiful way to put it.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30 – Introduction to Sadness as a Universal Emotion
• 01:33 – Distinguishing Sadness and Depression
• 03:17 – Personal Stories: Loss and Love
• 04:05 – Soulfulness, Art, and Sadness
• 05:24 – Social Messages about Expressing Sadness
• 07:18 – Buddhist Parable on Universal Grief
• 09:11 – Jungian Perspective: Sadness as a Gateway
• 10:08 – Sadness Prompting Inward Exploration
• 13:13 – Sadness as Pain and Catalyst for Growth
• 14:13 – Active Imagination as a Transformative Practice
• 15:20 – The Necessity of Pain in Transformation
• 19:07 – Self-Compassion and Friendliness as Approach
• 20:17 – “Something has come alive in me…”: The Soul’s Call
• 22:05 – The Balance: Awareness vs. Catharsis
• 22:29 – The Unconscious is Not Rational
• 24:50 – Sadness as Sacred
• 25:30 – Ego vs. Soul in the Use of Emotion
• 25:48 – Closing Advice: Embrace Sadness with Curiosity

Takeaways for Listeners

• Sadness is not a weakness or flaw—it's a vital aspect of human experience and growth.
• Embrace and befriend sadness as a guide; it points to what your soul needs.
• Transformation through sadness requires openness, self-inquiry, and a willingness to engage with the unconscious.
• Don't suppress or hurry to "fix" sadness; instead, bring awareness, curiosity, and self-compassion.
• Sadness can lead to deeper meaning, authenticity, and connection with yourself and others.

If you're currently experiencing sadness, approach it with curiosity and gentleness, recognizing it as your soul’s invitation to deeper living and potential transformation.