In this episode, Paul Krauss, MA, LPC speaks with psychotherapist and author Dr. Sylvia Kalicinski to unpack why so many people — including high-achievers and even therapists themselves — quietly struggle with feeling alone, even when surrounded by others. Drawing on her new book, Lonely AF: A Therapist's No BS Guide to Feeling Less Alone (Wiley/Jossey-Bass, March 2026), Sylvia shares the personal roots of her work: growing up as the child of Polish immigrants and losing her mother at a young age, experiences that shaped her clinical understanding of disconnection long before she named it professionally.
The conversation centers on Sylvia's original HEART Method — Honor emotions, Explore family system, Acknowledge pain, Rewrite your narrative, Turn within — a trauma-informed framework she developed over 20+ years of clinical practice to help clients move from chronic disconnection toward genuine, sustainable relationships with themselves and others. Paul and Sylvia dig into why loneliness functions as an unspoken epidemic, how generational trauma gets passed down through family systems, and why even people with advanced degrees and outward success can feel like they're never quite "enough." Much more discussion goes over practical solutions for people, whether they be in the medical field or are just trying to navigate the current changes in the world as they attempt to connect with others.
Dr. Sylvia Kalicinski, Ph.D., LMFT, is a psychotherapist, speaker, and author with more than 20 years of clinical experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She currently serves as Clinical Lead at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach and maintains a private practice, Mindfulness Family Solutions, PLLC, in Miami. Drawing on family systems theory, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care, she developed the HEART Method — Honor emotions, Explore family system, Acknowledge pain, Rewrite your narrative, Turn within — a compassionate, no-fluff framework for emotional healing
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Paul Krauss MA LPC is a Co-founder of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, Psychology Today, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433.
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Original Music:
”Alright” from the album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)
"Lonely" from Closing Time by Tom Waits (Spotify)
"Little Trip to Heaven (On the Wings of Your Love)" from Closing Time by Tom Waits (Spotify)
