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All Roads Lead to Real Estate

A Maryland podcast hosted by Matt Rhine

Full Interview · August 3, 2026

Coming Home to Yourself with Dr. Colleen Quinn

Essence Merging · Hosted by Matt Rhine

Still from Matt Rhine’s interview with Dr. Colleen Quinn
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Psychology, writing & the meaning of home

Dr. Colleen QuinnLicensed Psychologist & Author

Inside the Interview

  • What feeling at home can mean beyond an address.
  • The experiences that shaped Essence Merging.
  • Where the book's title comes from.
  • Colleen's view of slow breathing and the nervous system.
  • Her perspective on trauma, relationships, and change.

Meet the Guest

Dr. Colleen Quinn

Dr. Colleen Quinn is a licensed psychologist and author of Essence Merging. Her work includes a trauma-informed, somatic-experiencing specialty and rebirthing breathwork.

More about Dr. Colleen Quinn

She discusses the experiences behind her book, breathing, relationships, and finding a sense of home.

Read the official profile ↗
  • PhDTrauma-informed psychology
  • Licensed PsychologistSomatic-experiencing practice
  • AuthorEssence Merging

Sources: profile ↗

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Interview highlights

Three conversations worth your time.

Choose a highlight to watch it in the full interview player above.

Still from Matt Rhine’s interview with Dr. Colleen Quinn

There’s More to You Than Your Day Job

Matt reflects on stress, emotions and the meaning we look for beyond our work.

Still from Matt Rhine’s interview with Dr. Colleen Quinn

The Experience Behind Essence Merging

Colleen tells the personal story behind the practice she calls Essence Merging and how she describes it.

Still from Matt Rhine’s interview with Dr. Colleen Quinn

What the Book Asks You to Explore

Colleen explains what she hopes readers will explore through her story and perspective.

From the interview

Questions and answers.

Use each timestamp to watch the answer in context.

What concerns might feel familiar?

Matt points to burnout, stress, unresolved pain, and a search for meaning—even for listeners skeptical of the topic.

Watch from 00:03:12 →

How can someone choose their own path?

Colleen says there is no single blueprint and encourages people to follow their bliss, describing many paths up the mountain.

Watch from 00:16:18 →

Where can someone learn about breathwork?

Colleen suggests the International Federation of Breath Workers directory for finding a guide, along with her guided videos for independent exploration.

Watch from 00:30:20 →

More questions

How did Colleen find breathwork?

She connects breathwork to exploring early-life trauma and spirituality in her own life.

Watch from 00:07:35 →
Why should therapists do their own work?

Colleen says she has spent time in counseling and believes therapists should examine their own experiences; she calls love her teacher.

Watch from 00:12:26 →
What is conscious breathing?

Colleen describes returning attention to the present by noticing the breath at the throat, nostrils, or belly.

Watch from 00:19:20 →
How does Colleen respond to frustration?

When cut off in traffic, she says she wishes the driver well and treats her irritation as information about herself.

Watch from 00:22:19 →
What role did a guide play in Colleen’s psychedelic experiences?

She says a guide accompanied her and describes surrender as part of those sessions.

Watch from 00:32:29 →
How does Colleen find meaning in routine moments?

She uses folding laundry as an example of noticing the cloth and the moment instead of taking them for granted.

Watch from 00:44:50 →
What does Matt want his children to learn?

He wants them to talk about feelings and ways of seeing the world early, reflecting on a “we choose happiness” sign at home.

Watch from 00:46:27 →
Why does Colleen use a cold plunge?

She says it helps her find peace and practice staying relaxed through discomfort; this is her personal experience.

Watch from 00:49:58 →
What are the three instincts in Colleen’s framework?

She names self-preservation, belonging, and sexual instinct, relating each to care, connection, or creation.

Watch from 00:53:50 →
What does Colleen hope readers get from her book?

She calls it a primer on loosening the ego’s hold on one’s life and what one creates.

Watch from 00:55:06 →
How does Colleen think about love and trust?

She believes allowing a partner freedom can make room for more love, a theme in her unconventional love story.

Watch from 00:56:09 →

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Read the full transcript →

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