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Journey to the Soul A Podcast about Psychology and RelationshipsAuthor: Akiva Ragen
This podcast is the heartfelt creation of Akiva Ragen and Ilan Yifrah. Akiva Ragen is an emotional therapist who guides individuals through deep personal growth. Ilan Yifrah is a couples therapist and workshop facilitator, working alongside his wife Hila to help couples deepen their connection. He is also the head of the Couples Counseling Certification Program at the Rein Institute. If you feel a calling to deepen your personal or relational journey, to grow through the challenges you Language: en Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Dark Side of Therapy: Alice Miller and the Drama of the Gifted Child
Wednesday, 11 March, 2026
When does caring become self-repair?Can the wish to heal others grow from an unhealed childhood?When does empathy become a need to matter?In this episode, I explore the psychological idea introduced by Alice Miller in The Drama of the Gifted Child. Miller suggested that some children survive emotionally by becoming exceptionally attuned to the needs and feelings of their parents. This sensitivity can later develop into a remarkable ability to understand others-but it can also remain tied to an early need to secure love, recognition, or approval.In the world of therapy, this raises an uncomfortable question. The same qualities that make someone a gifted therapist-empathy, emotional intelligence, and deep sensitivity- may sometimes grow out of an earlier attempt to justify one’s existence in the eyes of others.In this episode, I examine the tension between genuine care and the subtle psychological need to feel indispensable. Drawing on Miller’s work and the broader psychoanalytic tradition, we look at the shadow side of helping: when the desire to heal others is intertwined with unresolved wounds of one’s own.My name is Akiva Ragen, and I am an certified counselor and a clincal MSW in training. dedicated to guiding individuals through their personal growth, both online and in my clinic in israel. I also host the podcast "Journey to the Soul," (In Hebrew) which delves into psychology and relationships. Additionally, I am the author of the book "The Secret of the Encounter." In my clinic, the therapeutic space is crafted to support and nurture key life processes, helping individuals to deeply reflect, process, and heal from the challenges they face, ultimately enabling meaningful growth. The issues I address are wide-ranging and encompass anxiety, relationship problems ,trauma, professional and family crises, addictions, unresolved past experiences, lack of clarity, creative blockages, loss of passion, depression, and overwhelming emptiness.To schedule a session online, please contact me by phone at 972+547688338 (WhatsApp is also available) or by email at akivaragen@gmail.com.
