5. Facing Your Trauma and Removing Social Masks - Chris Alvarado

The InnerView: Conversations That Go Beyond Comfort Zones for Real Personal Growth

Do you ever feel like how you present yourself to the world is different from who you really are ?

In this episode, Chris Alvarado, a renowned improv actor and coach, authentically reveals his journey of struggling with facing his traumas and confronting that aspect of his ‘self’ that seeks external validation. With Ben and Mitra offering compassionate guidance, the conversation delves into powerful themes of self-acceptance, healing through allowing ourselves to feel our emotions, and finding freedom in being fully seen. Chris' real-time discoveries offer profound insights into the delicate balance between growth and the fear of losing oneself.
What You’ll Learn:

• You’ll discover why facing your past traumas, while scary, is essential for personal growth and healing and how you can do it with more grace.
• You’ll learn about how you can go about fully feeling your emotions instead of suppressing them, and why this is so important for deeper transformation.
• You’ll see how applying improv principles like ‘yes and’, staying present, and embracing mistakes can help reduce anxiety and self-doubt in everyday life

If you’re someone who…

• Has trouble fully experiencing and processing your emotions, or
• Finds it difficult to be your authentic and true self in social environments, or
• Would like to learn new ways to look at and understand your trauma, or
• Are curious about how you can apply the principles of improv acting to your everyday life to be more open and confident,

….you’ll want to be sure to listen in on this episode. Enjoy!

Chapters:

00:00 : Introduction and Opening Thoughts

02:25 : The Facade We Build: Protecting vs. Healing

06:09 : Chris' Fear of Losing His Current Self

13:55 : Understanding and Embracing Traumas

19:02 : Chris on Leading with Vulnerability

22:27 : Finding Wholeness with Past Traumas

30:35 : How to Feel Your Stuck Emotions

43:22 : The Connection Between Improv and Life

Links :

Interested in improv coaching with Chris Alvarado (live or zoom)? Check out his website

https://www.chris-alvarado.com

Learn more about services offered by Mitra Manesh:

https://mitramanesh.com

Social Media:

@chrisalvarado (https://www.instagram.com/chrisalvarado/)

@theinnerview.live (https://bit.ly/4f61J0Q)

Bio:

Chris Alvarado is an accomplished improv actor, teacher, and coach with a passion for helping others unlock their creativity and confidence. He has built a reputation for creating supportive, collaborative environments that encourage experimentation, vulnerability, bold choices. With over 20 years of experience, Chris specializes in blending humor with depth, guiding students to discover authentic self-expression through improv. He regularly performs at Westside Comedy Theater and leads transformative workshops. Chris is known for his warm teaching style, which fosters both personal growth and artistic freedom.

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Keywords :

vulnerability and improv, emotional healing through improv, Chris Alvarado interview, balancing authenticity and fear, improv techniques for life, personal growth with improv, overcoming emotional walls, staying present in life and acting, fear of vulnerability, facing past traumas, how improv builds confidence, emotional self-expression, the power of presence, authentic self-discovery, trauma and personal growth,