Episode 157: Creativity, Fear, & Agency in Uncertain Times

(from Conversations with a Wounded Healer with Sarah Buino)

✨ Free resource: Uncover Your Zone of Genius
https://pages.drshawnhondorp.com/zone

You don’t need to be fearless to live creatively — you just need agency, permission, and space to choose.

Hey friends. Welcome back to the Innovative Therapist Podcast.

This episode is a little different than usual — it’s a conversation I had as a guest on Conversations with a Wounded Healer, hosted by the brilliant Sarah Buino — and I wanted to share it here because it speaks so directly to what so many therapists and helpers are wrestling with right now.

This conversation felt spacious, honest, and deeply human. We talked about healing, creativity, fear, therapy culture, and what it actually means to feel free — not in a performative or Instagrammable way, but in the quiet, embodied, real-life sense.

If you’ve been feeling unsettled, reflective, or quietly hungry for something more aligned lately, I think this one will land.

A therapist’s origin story (and what we don’t talk about enough)

Sarah asked me about my path into psychology — research, grad school, eating disorder work, and eventually private practice — and what emerged was something I think many of us know but don’t always name:

A lot of us came into this field while trying to heal ourselves.

We talked about:

The shame many therapists carry about their own histories
Why self-disclosure is still so taboo in some therapy spaces
How different fields (like addiction work) normalize lived experience in ways eating disorder and academic spaces often don’t

I shared how long it took me to feel less ashamed of my own healing journey — and how naming it publicly became healing in a new way.

Not because it was strategic.

But because it helped someone feel less alone.

Creativity isn’t “being artistic” — it’s being alive

One of the biggest themes of this conversation was creativity, and how misunderstood it is — especially among therapists.

So many people tell me:

“I’m not creative — I just wanted to hang out with cool people in person.”

But creativity isn’t about painting, writing, or performing.

It’s about authentic expression.

It’s about:

Listening to the parts of you that want to move, explore, rest, or try something new
Reconnecting with desires that were once shut down for safety or approval
Letting play exist without needing to turn it into productivity or impact

For me, dance has been a powerful entry point — not because it leads to anything impressive, but because it brings me back into my body, my intuition, and my aliveness.

Sometimes I dance for no reason at all.
And that, in itself, changes everything.

Fear, agency, and the difference between pushing and choosing

We spent a lot of time talking about fear — and how different people relate to it.

Some of us interpret fear as:

“Stop. Don’t do this.”

Others are wired to:

Push straight through it, no matter the cost

What I’m learning (and practicing) is something else entirely:

fear doesn’t get to decide — but it does get to be acknowledged.

Agency isn’t about being fearless.
It’s about knowing you have choice.

Choice to pause.
Choice to move forward.
Choice to change your mind.

And in a world that feels increasingly uncertain, cultivating that internal sense of agency matters more than ever.

Why this matters right now

We also talked about the bigger picture — systems, social media, therapy culture, and why everything feels so polarized and intense.

Online, it can feel like everyone is angry, rigid, and divided.
Offline, when we actually talk to one another, the nuance returns.

I shared how getting back into real, in-person spaces — meetups, conversations, movement, community — reminded me that most people want similar things:

safety
dignity
autonomy
belonging

And that creativity, play, and embodied practices may be one of the ways we reconnect — with ourselves and with each other.

What it means to be a “wounded healer”

Sarah asked me how I relate to the term wounded healer, and my answer surprised even me.

I do believe we are wounded — things happen to us, and they matter.
But I don’t believe those wounds define us forever.

I think of healing as ongoing, layered, and alive.

I’m not someone who heals others.
I’m someone who continues healing myself — and shows up in ways that help create the conditions for others to do the same.

A gift for you

If this conversation stirred something — a curiosity, a longing, a quiet nudge — I want to offer you a place to start.

✨ Uncover Your Zone of Genius
https://pages.drshawnhondorp.com/zone

This free guide helps you:

Identify what lights you up
Clarify your natural strengths
Reconnect with the kind of work and creativity that feels life-giving

It’s gentle, reflective, and designed to support agency over pressure.

When you download it, you’ll also join my email list, where I share:

reflections like this
upcoming workshops and gatherings
grounded approaches to creativity, goals, and aligned work
community invitations

Before you go

If you’re feeling afraid, uncertain, or overwhelmed right now — you’re not broken.
You’re human, living in a complex moment.

But you still have agency.
You still have choice.
And you still have access to creativity — even if it looks quieter or simpler than you expected.

Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is listen inward…
and move from there.

Disclaimer:
This blog and podcast content are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical or mental health advice.

Creativity, Fear, & Agency for Therapists and Helpers in Uncertain Times