Story & Lesson Highlights with Dr. Ava Cadell of Los Angeles

Dr. Ava Cadell shared her story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ava, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
I lose track of time when I am at my spiritual retreat, especially when I sit in stillness near the Buddhist Temple and the magnificent 11-foot Stupa that holds a golden Buddha within. In that sacred space, time softens. The outside world fades, and I return to myself.

I find myself again in the quiet listening to my breath, feeling the earth beneath me, and allowing the wisdom of stillness to guide me home. The Stupa reminds me that within each of us is a golden essence, waiting to be honored and remembered.

When we step into sacred space with intention, we don’t escape life, we reconnect with its deepest truth.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dr. Ava Cadell, a love and relationship expert, author of 11 books, global speaker and the founder of Loveology University, where I train love and healing coaches globally. Recently I purchased a spiritual retreat from Zen Monks and call it Loveology Retreat. For decades, my work has been devoted to helping people heal, reconnect with themselves, and learn how to give and receive love, to themselves, in relationships and in life. Nobody teaches us that, so it became my lifelong mission!

What makes my work unique is the integration of the science of love and spirituality. Through Loveology University, I offer transformational education in love, healing, and personal growth to coaches. Through my spiritual retreat, with a Buddhist Temple and an 11-foot Stupa with a golden Buddha inside, I have created immersive experiences where people can slow down from a hectic life, become one with nature and find peace of mind. I welcome families, friends and group leaders to come and experience my 45-acre retreat with three houses that can accommodate up to 20 people overnight.

My journey has taught me that love is not something we fall into, but it’s something we can learn, practice, and embody. Everything I create is designed to support people through life’s transitions and guide them back to wholeness, clarity, and inner peace.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Bonds break when people become disconnected from themselves. When we stop listening inward, we project unmet needs, unspoken fears, and old wounds onto others, whether in relationships, families, or leadership roles. Without awareness, communication becomes transactional, and trust quietly erodes.

What restores those bonds is intentional space for reflection, learning, and healing. That’s why I created Loveology University and my spiritual retreat. Through education, conscious dialogue, and sacred stillness, people slow down enough to remember who they are and how they want to show up with others.

When individuals reconnect with themselves, they naturally reconnect with each other. Bonds are restored through awareness, empathy, and shared growth—and that is the foundation of lasting relationships, aligned leadership, and thriving communities. It is never too late to restore broken bonds between people, as long as you are willing to forgive, because without forgiveness you cannot heal and without healing, you cannot experience true love!

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
My wounds began as an abused child and morphed into a troubled teenager with unhealthy relationships. I had to break the habit of my old self-destructive behavior to reinvent my new empowered self. I didn’t want to carry my painful emotional baggage with me. I believed that leaving the past behind me, I would find a bright future waiting for me! But first I had to forgive everyone who traumatized me, by perceiving my suffering as a gift to help others.
I found unconditional self-love through the power of forgiveness and reparented myself. You can forgive for whatever you didn’t get enough of as a child, whether it was a lack of love, affection, attention, or recognition. We all missed out on something, but whoever denied you your needs in the past can be forgiven and released to make more room for the love you deserve in your life. When we forgive someone who has hurt us, we are healing ourselves within. Whatever happened to you that was unkind, painful, abusive, or traumatic can be healed because your mind is the most powerful tool you have for healing and you are the medicine.
We must also forgive ourselves because we will continue to make mistakes and accept that our mistakes are part of life’s lessons. Without mistakes there can be no forgiveness and without forgiveness there can be no self-love or true love with others. Forgiving is a very bold act of love and a show of confidence in yourself. Replaying your pain over and over in your mind just makes you feel worse, so press your stop button in your head and replace negative self-talk with compliments of what makes you unique and loveable. We all have qualities, such as being a good listener, having a great sense of humor, being generous with others and being kind. I tell my clients and students to write down at least three qualities they love about themselves and then say them out loud every day before going to sleep and first thing in the morning.
Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of stress.
As longevity reshapes how long we live, it also reshapes how long we love, partner, parent, and redefine intimacy across decades of life. Our relationships were never designed for longer lifespans, and yet they may be the most powerful support system we have as we age.
Today, I share this message through my online university, retreats, and speaking engagements, where I help individuals, couples, teams, and leaders turn pain into purpose. When we learn how to heal consciously, we don’t just recover, we become more connected, resilient, and capable of creating meaningful impact in our relationships, our work, and the quality of our lives.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I am committed to a lifelong mission of teaching love as a conscious practice, one that shapes how we lead, how we heal, and how we relate to one another. Through Loveology University, my spiritual retreat, and my global speaking, I am sharing my belief that the meaning of life is learning how to give and receive love!

This is a legacy that extends beyond me. It’s about creating a world where emotional intelligence is valued as highly as intellect, where healing is seen as strength, and where love becomes the foundation of how we build families, businesses, and communities.
I was fortunate to meet the Dalai Lama at his Temple in Dharamshala, India while doing a five city speaking tour and he said, “If you want to be immortal, educate and influence others.” If my work contributes anything lasting, I hope it’s this: Love is a Universal language that must be prioritized in order for it to become the compass by which future generations choose how they live!

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, role and possessions, all that would remain is my loving energy because consciousness and energy are one!

A brilliant scientist said, “Energy cannot be destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.” Everything is energy. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality.” Alfred Einstein.
Everything we think, feel, say, and do carries energy, and that energy shapes our experiences. When we consistently choose thoughts, emotions, and actions that align with the reality we desire, whether that is love, health, abundance, or peace, we begin to shift our internal frequency. Over time, life responds. Opportunities appear, relationships evolve, and choices feel more aligned. It’s not about forcing outcomes, but about becoming the energetic match for what you wish to experience.
We can all increase our vibrational frequency by speaking kindly to ourselves, spending time in nature, meditating or practicing creative visualization, doing art therapy, listening to music, holding crystals, healing with water therapy, nourishing foods, pet therapy, yoga, sensate focus and other healthy holistic activities that makes us feel positive.
Research in psychology and neuroscience shows that individuals who cultivate positive emotional states, emotional regulation, and a growth-oriented mindset tend to experience greater success in relationships, health, and career. When we align our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with the life we desire, our outcomes naturally begin to change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.avacadell.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dravacadell/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drava/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/dravacadell

Image Credits
Anneliphoto

Barbhauserphoto