The Practitioner’s Heart Podcast
Where Buddhist wisdom meets therapeutic practice. A gentle companion for your commute or quiet moments, offering insights to nourish your heart and soul.
LATEST EPISODES
Episode 1: "Gratitude & Acknowledgement"
In this episode of the Practitioner's Heart Podcast, host Poh emphasises the profound role of gratitude within Buddhist practice, highlighting the importance of acknowledging the teachings and compassion received from parents and Dharma teachers. Poh shares personal reflections on the impactful teachings from Venerable Master Shen-Kai and other spiritual guides from the Buddhahood Lineage. The episode urges listeners, especially therapists and healthcare workers, to integrate wisdom and compassion into their daily practices and cultivate a community dedicated to collective awakening and growth. Poh concludes with an invitation to listeners to engage with the podcast through sharing, feedback, and participation.
Episode 2: "The Middle Way: Reimagining Rest for Therapists and Healthcare Workers"
In this episode of 'The Practitioner's Heart Podcast,' host Poh Gan delves into the pervasive habit among therapists and healthcare workers of treating rest as a reward that needs to be earned. Drawing on Buddhist teachings and personal experiences, Poh discusses the concept of the Middle Way, a balanced path between extreme discipline and indulgence, to illustrate how rest should be considered an essential resource rather than a luxury or reward. The episode offers practical advice on integrating rest into daily routines, thereby enhancing the capacity for presence and compassion both in personal and professional life. Poh encourages listeners to rethink their approach to rest and provides insights on cultivating self-awareness and self-compassion.
Episode 3: "The Invisible Emotional Load of a Therapist: How to Hold Space Without Being Consumed"
In this episode of the Practitioner's Heart podcast, host Poh Gan explores the 'invisible emotional load' that therapists often carry. Drawing on Mahayana Buddhist psychology, Poh shares insights into how thoughts and emotions are like dust on a mirror—transient and not defining who we are. The episode discusses practical techniques for therapists to manage stress and emotional weight, offering a blend of theory and actionable advice. Poh also emphasizes the importance of recognizing and releasing emotions, ultimately fostering a practice of compassion without being overwhelmed. The episode includes practical examples, insights into handling empathy and compassion fatigue, and guidance on maintaining emotional clarity and balance.
WHAT THIS PODCAST EXPLORES
This space explores how therapists, counsellors, psychologists, healthcare practitioners and lay Buddhist practitioners can walk a heart-led path of integrating and practicing awareness and compassion in their personal and professional lives so that they can practice with clear minds and open hearts.
Embodied clinical presence
Buddhist psychology & modern therapy
Sustainable, heart-centred practice
Reflections beyond technique
Episode 9: Was Buddha the First ACT Therapist? Exploring Ancient Roots of Psychological Flexibility
by: Poh GanPublished on: 24/02/2026This episode invites therapists and helping professionals to look at ACT not just as a modern evidence-based model, but as part of a much older lineage of wisdom about the human mind.
Episode 8: Lessons from The Laughing Buddha for Therapists
by: Poh GanPublished on: 16/02/2026In this Lunar New Year special, Poh reflects on the rich cultural and spiritual significance of this season — especially for Asian diaspora therapists and healthcare workers navigating multiple identities, traditions, and inner parts.
Episode 7: A Conversation with Dr. Louise Hayes (Part 2): The Heart of Working with Young People
by: Poh GanPublished on: 09/02/2026In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Louise Hayes, we shift into the clinical and developmental heart of her work. Louise shares what she hopes practitioners pay attention to when learning new therapy models, and how to support young people with presence, curiosity, and compassion.
Episode 6: A Conversation with Dr. Louise Hayes: Integrating Buddhist Wisdom into Therapeutic Practice (Part 1)
by: Poh GanPublished on: 03/02/2026In Episode 6 of The Practitioner’s Heart Podcast, Poh Gan welcomes Dr. Louise Hayes, a respected psychologist whose work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has shaped how many clinicians support young people. This episode explores how Buddhist wisdom and psychological practice intersect to support both personal and professional sustainability.
