FWD JOY by Chrissy Rutherford

Aycee Brown is a psychic medium, astrologer, and human design expert who's spent over 15 years guiding high-profile leaders, creatives, and seekers through the questions that keep them up at night. She's the author of Embody Your Magic and holds an MBA in marketing, a rare combination of mystic and strategist that shows up in how she works. In this conversation, Aycee and Chrissy get into what she calls "the boring middle," that stuck-in-limbo feeling so many people are sitting with right now, plus the Leo/Aquarius node shift, why texting every day isn't intimacy, reading your birth chart as a business plan, and why the antidote to spiraling on astrology content is simply learning to trust yourself again.

In this episode, bestselling author, actress, and producer Robinne Lee joins Chrissy for a conversation about creativity, reinvention, and writing women as complex, fully realized people.From growing up with Jamaican immigrant parents to navigating Hollywood, attending Columbia Law School, and becoming the author of The Idea of You, Robinne reflects on the unexpected path that shaped her career. She also discusses her new novel, Crash Into Me, exploring themes of identity, desire, motherhood, race, sexuality, and belonging.Together, they dive into the realities of pursuing creative work, the importance of telling stories that challenge cultural expectations, and why it's never too late to choose the life that's most authentic to you.

This week on FWD JOY, Chrissy sits down with licensed clinical social worker Alyssa Mancao for an honest conversation about therapy, trauma, anxiety, and the modalities people can’t stop talking about right now: CBT, EMDR, brainspotting, and trauma-informed therapy.Together, they unpack why your relationship with your therapist matters more than any trendy modality, what EMDR actually feels like in practice, and how unresolved experiences can quietly shape the way we move through the world for years. Chrissy also opens up about her own experiences with anxiety, panic attacks, fear of flying, emetophobia, and the evolving nature of her healing journey.If you’ve ever wondered whether therapy is “working,” struggled to find the right therapist, or questioned whether your experiences are “bad enough” to count as trauma, this episode is for you.*ShopMy is my favorite platform for recommendations because it feels curated rather than overwhelming. I love being able to organize all my beauty, fashion, and wellness favorites in one place. And if you’re someone who’s always recommending products to friends anyway, you can easily earn commission from those recommendations too. If you want to join, you can use my referral link/code here: shopmy.us/join/chrissyford

This week, Chrissy sits down with therapist, relationship expert, and returning guest Vienna Pharaon Pharaon for an honest conversation about modern dating, anxious attachment, limerence, nervous system regulation, and what it actually means to keep your heart open in a dating landscape that can feel increasingly bleak.Together, they unpack the emotional patterns that keep us stuck, why awareness alone isn’t enough to change behavior, and the difference between someone who won’t show up for you versus someone who genuinely can’t. They also explore the internet’s favorite dating phrases like “if he wanted to, he would,” detachment culture, and why so many people are struggling to balance hope with self-protection.From fantasy spirals and situationships to flirting in Milan and learning how to self-regulate through heartbreak, this episode is a compassionate deep dive into love, capacity, healing, and the courage it takes to stay openhearted anyway.

On this episode of FWD JOY, Chrissy sits down with astrocartography expert Helena Woods for a conversation about place, identity, and how where you are can shape who you become.Helena shares her journey into astrology, from early curiosity to building a business around mapping people’s lives through location. They get into the fundamentals of astrocartography, what it means to have planetary lines across the world, and how different places can activate different parts of your chart.Together, they explore how to think about travel with intention, the difference between Venus, Mars, and Saturn lines, and why finding love or success in a new city isn’t always as simple as booking a flight. Helena also breaks down the role of timing, relocation charts, and why some places feel instantly familiar while others push you to grow.Plus, Chrissy reflects on her own experiences living between New York and London, unexpected connections to Sweden, and what it really means to find a place that feels like home.

On this episode of FWD JOY, Chrissy sits down with CNN anchor and senior political correspondent Abby Phillip for a conversation about ambition, anxiety, identity, and what it really takes to stay grounded in an overwhelming world.Abby opens up about growing up as the child of Trinidadian immigrants, why she didn’t always have a clear vision for her future, and how she found her way from pre-med at Harvard to one of the most visible roles in journalism. They talk about career pivots, risk-taking, and why building skills matters more than clinging to a rigid five-year plan.Plus, Abby shares her honest thoughts on self-care, meditation, acupuncture, motherhood, and the everyday practices that help her release stress and protect her peace.