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In this episode of Beyond Names, Dr. Habib Boerger welcomes Barbara McAfee, voice coach, author, speaker, performer, songwriter, and longtime teacher of authentic self-expression.
Barbara shares her remarkable spiritual journey—from Presbyterian Christianity and Lutheranism to Unitarian Universalism and an enduring love of the Sufi mystics Rumi and Hafiz. Along the way, she discovered that opening the voice could also mean opening the self: moving beyond fear, trauma, old stories, and the limitations we place on who we believe we are.
Together, Habib and Barbara explore the spiritual power of voice, sound, singing, and authentic expression. They talk about listening for the voice of God in our own voice, the "astonishing light" within each person, and the ways sound and chanting connect spiritual traditions across cultures.
Barbara also shares deeply moving stories about her father’s death, grief, and the unexpected spiritual awakening that came through being present at the end of his life. From there, the conversation opens into the sacred dimensions of sound, including the idea that creation itself is spoken, sung, or sounded into being.
The conversation then turns toward community singing, collective healing, leadership, resistance, and human connection. Barbara describes how singing can transform groups of strangers into a “living, breathing entity,” reminding us of our innate connection with one another.
And beneath it all is a powerful invitation: What is the story you carry about your own voice?
If you have ever felt afraid to speak, sing, create, lead, or fully express who you are, this conversation offers another possibility—that your voice may be more than a means of communication. It may be a doorway into healing, courage, community, and the astonishing light of your own being.
In this episode:
- Finding your authentic voice as a spiritual practice
- Rumi, Hafiz, and the connection between Sufism and sound
- Overcoming shame, stage fright, and fear of self-expression
- Grief, death, and unexpected spiritual awakening
- The sacred power of chanting, singing, and sound
- Voice, trauma, embodiment, and healing
- Community singing and collective connection
- Leadership without hierarchy
- Beauty as an innate human capacity
- Finding the courage to use your voice in service of what you love
- Reconnecting with the light within
Barbara McAfee is the author of Full Voice and Vocal Intelligence and has spent decades helping people discover greater freedom, authenticity, and possibility through their voices. Her work reminds us that when we transform our voice, our lives come along for the ride. To hear her song "Astonishing Light," visit https://barbaramcafee.bandcamp.com/track/astonishing-light.
To make an appointment with Dr. Habib, visit https://www.habibboerger.com/.
