AIM February 2024 : simplebooklet.com

AlwaysDDear Readers, It’s the month of Love! For this issue, we got our Gen Z contributor back. Sarah Correa-Dibar,spent the last year getting ready for her November 2023 wedding and now as a marriedwoman, she shares how Gen-Zers are looking at love and it starts from within. It’s Black History Month, and Martin Simms joins us to share his perspective on the inequality ofproviding care in the mental health space and the expanding industry of psychedelics, with hispiece, “A Bad Trip: A Good I.D.E.A?” It is also, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Approximately 1 in 3 adolescents is a victimof abuse by a dating partner. Our prosecutor’s POV contributor, Kathryn Marsh breaks downwhat to look for & how to prevent it. Our parenting POV expert, Tina Hamilton, breaks down why healing your inner child will helpthe connection with your children. I suggest checking out her December & January pieces aboutyour inner child, if you haven’t already. Jennifer Chesak, our Psychedelic POV contributor shares how psychedelics can help tend topsychological wounds before they take root and how to uproot what has already planted itself. Trauma Educator, Author, Artist, and former University president Karen Gross follows up herJanuary piece with the question, “Does Educational Leadership Failure RequireResignation/Firing? And as in every issue, we have our monthly AIM Playlist combining Black History Month andLove, along with my picks for children and adult books about mental health. Plus, check out JoyLarkin's Twin Flame Reading to see what's in store for you this February. Happy Reading!Lorilee BinstockAuthentic Insider | Page 02editor's noteLorilee BinstockEditor in Chief

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Internal Family Systems (IFS) Informed Psychedelic Assisted Therapy https://moxieschool.com/the-art-of-transformation/www.moxieschool.comheather@moxieschool.comConnect: The IFS Model (Internal Family Systems) is one of the fastest growing and most popularinterventions for working with psychedelics. Why? Because it's such a natural and effectivepairing for the material that expanded states naturally elicit. Fast track your opportunity to learn IFS by joining The Moxie School in this wildly exciting niche! If you want to learn IFS as it applies to expanded states, The Art of Transformation courseteaches effective methods to deeply anchor transformation in your clients. No matter whatstage of the process you are working: preparation, guiding, or integration, an IFS Informedapproach is key to supporting your clients in lasting transformational change. Lots of courses teach “about” psychedelic assisted therapy, this course teaches you the “how to” of doing interventions throughout psychedelic transformational work.Whether you are a therapist, coach, or guide - a medical professional, mental healthprofessional, or a mid-life career transition person - you are welcome! Bring your curiosity for IFS and your love for working with expanded states!LEARN MORETHE ART OFTRANSFORMAIONAll the detailsAuthentic Insider | Page 09

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She was quiet when she got in the car. Itwas only the second week of school, and Icould tell something was off.“How was your day, love?” I asked mydaughter, knowing full well that this isn’t thequestion that is going to get me answers.“Fine,” she responded, looking out thewindow.“What did you have for lunch?” I asked,because this girl loves to eat. It’s always mygateway into her day.“Rice, beans, chicken, melon, salad, and acookie,” she responded, still without lookingat me.“Who did you play with at recesstoday?” I asked, trying again.Silence.Finding connectionWritten by Tina Hamilton,The Healing ParentParentingPOV“What did you havefor lunch?” I asked,because this girl lovesto eat. It’s always mygateway into her day.Authentic Insider | Page 11

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“Sweetheart, are you OK?” I asked –hoping she would let me in to whateverhurt she was carrying.Silence, still.We locked eyes in the rear view mirror.Her eyes told me she wasn’t fine. Her eyespleaded with me to stop asking questions,to just be there with her, to take her hand,and to love her as only her mama could.Reaching my hand into the backseat, Isaid, “I love you, chickee.”“I love you too, mama,” she said, taking myoutreached hand in hers.We sat in silence for much of the ridehome, but as we exited the highway, shesaid, “Mama, I sat by myself at recesstoday.” She said it so quietly, I almostdidn’t hear her, but my body heard herclearly. All of the air was sucked from mylungs. My heart immediately tightened,and a familiar lump formed in my throat.Hot tears threatened to stain my flushedcheeks.True connection is not always verbalAuthentic Insider | Page 12

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It is parenting moments like this thatopen the door to usher in healing. The unhealed part of me - the lonelylittle 8-year-old sitting alone at recess -wanted to email my daughter’s teacherto demand answers.How could you let a little girl sit aloneduring recess?What safeguards are in place to protectagainst bullying?Were you even paying attention?Do you know what it feels like to feel soalone as a young child?But the wiser part of me recognized thatthis was an opportunity to dive deeperinto healing. The flood of emotionssignaled a wound that was ready to beexamined, processed, and released. An opportunity for my ownhealingI was transported back to myelementary school playground, myeyes frantically searching for a friend,someone to play with. But there wasno one. At least no one who wanted to playwith me.Disappointed, sad, and lonely, I slunkaway to the corner of the playground,longingly watching the other kidslaugh and play together. Turns out, that pain never left me, andwatching my daughter navigate asimilar situation flooded my body witha deep ache that left me breathless. Authentic Insider | Page 13

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We will pass down the lessons that welearned without considering whether ornot we believe those messages. Moments like the one I just shared areopportunities for us to question whetherwe want to act on the initial, knee-jerkreaction - in this case, emailing theteacher a rather curt email demandingshe do more to protect my daughter frombeing excluded - or, if we want to sit withthe flood of emotions, allowing them toshow us what needs healing. My hope is that you’ll choose the latter. The first step in any inner healing work isto bring awareness to the behaviors,thoughts, and habits that are surfacing.You’re unable to change anything thatyou are unaware of, and the moreawareness you bring to every situation,the deeper healing you’ll find.There are four main areas of awareness toconsider, they are outlined in detail on the next page . . .So how do you get started? Last month, I shared that as parents,we will parent from a place of learnedbehaviors and thought patterns. PhysicalMental SpatialEmotional 4 M a i n T y p e s o f A w a r e n e s s"The first step in any innerhealing work is to bring awareness to the behaviors, thoughts, andhabits that are surfacing. You’re unable to changeanything that you areunaware of"

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1234Emotional AwarenessBegin to build awareness of the 87 differentemotions that humans experience, from themore well-known emotions like anger andfrustration, to the more obscure emotions,like hubris (excessive pride) orschadenfreude (pleasure from another’smisfortune). The more familiar you are withthe different emotions available to you, thebetter you’ll be able to identify and processthem as they come up.Because of the work I had done prior to thismoment in the car, I was familiar with therange of emotions that were popping up forme. I was able to feel and identify them asthey came, and rather than act on them, Iwas able to allow them to move through mefreely. I didn’t rush to offer solutions orcomfort. I sat quietly and processed my ownemotions first.When we got home that afternoon, Iclimbed into the backseat with mydaughter. She barreled into my arms and lether tears flow. I held her in silence, allowingher the space to move through her ownemotions.Mental AwarenessConsider the thoughts that you hadbefore and during the situation. Isthere a particular story that you aretelling yourself? A belief or thoughtpattern that you are holding on to astruth? My daughter’s recount of her lonelyrecess immediately triggered fears ofnot having friends, of being alone, ofsadness, and then of anger andresentment. I felt angry for mydaughter and for my younger self,sitting alone at recess. My mind wasracing with things I wanted to say tothe teacher, and worse, the other 8-year-old girls who were excluding mydaughter. And I also recognized that rushing into save her from her pain would notserve her. It would not teach her howto fully feel and process her emotions,nor would my intervention help hernavigate the tribulations of childhood.Spatial AwarenessConsider what was happening in yoursurroundings - the level of noise, the mess,the chaos - before you were triggered. Whatabout your surroundings could have beenunsettling for you?Prior to my daughter sharing, my instincttold me she was upset. She was not herusual bubbly self after school. She was quietand wasn’t open to sharing about her day.In hindsight, I can see how her differentdemeanor triggered a place of worry withinme, even before she shared about her day. Iknew something was wrong, and I wasbracing for it.Physical AwarenessWhat sensations are there in your body?Where do you carry the tension? Whatpart of your body do you feel the emotionthe most? In the story I shared, I was short of breath,my eyes filled with tears, and there was alump in my throat. I immediately felt likethere was a belt around my heart, andmy stomach turned. I then felt the hotflash of anger bubble up inside of me. Mycheeks flushed, my fists clenched, andmy throat was tight.Authentic Insider | Page 15

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After a few minutes, she sat up,dried her tears, and asked, “can Igo play?”As parents, it is so important tobuild your self-awareness so youcan begin to understandyourself at a deeper level. Whenyou recognize the signs that youare unsettled, you can shift yourbehavior toward an intentionalresponse, rather than anexplosive reaction. By doing your own inner work,you not only become betteracquainted with the woundsand messages that you’recarrying from childhood, butyou’ll also become more awareof the moments when yourchildren need your silentsupport over your ungroundedsolutions. I could have reacted emotionallywhen my daughter first divulgedthat she was alone at recess, butthat would have made her painabout me. It would have takenthe space she needed to processher own pain and made it mine,and this moment would becomea core memory with messagesand a wound that remainunprocessed in her body.Inner work makes us aware of our ownwounds and our children’s needs

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Teen dating violenceTeen dating violenceawarenessawarenessT h e p h o n e b e e p e d a n dJ a n e j u m p e d a l i t t l e .T h e p h o n e b e e p e d a n dJ a n e j u m p e d a l i t t l e .W R I T T E N B Y K A T H R Y N M A R S HW R I T T E N B Y K A T H R Y N M A R S HHer friends asked if she was going to check herphone. “Not now, I’ll check it later”. Jane didn’twant to check her phone. She knew it would beMike, wondering where she was, again. Jane alsoknew it would be worse if she didn’t respond, butshe was just so tired. Tired of responding, tired ofcoming up with excuses, tired of trying to answerall his questions, tired of being on edge, andtired of being afraid of the consequences if Mikedidn’t like her answers.Authentic Insider | Page 20

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When they first started dating, Mike was the perfect boyfriend. Allher friends were jealous. He would leave her notes in her locker,show up when she was out with friends just to hand her a rose andleave. He would call every night to say good night and tell her heloved her. But somewhere along the way those sweet gesturestook on a more sinister tone. I T H A D N ’ T A L W A Y SB E E N L I K E T H I S .If Jane didn’t answer his call or text right away, Mike would getangry and accusatory. If he showed up where she was and therewas another guy there, suddenly Jane was cheating on him, itdidn’t matter that the guy was dating one of her friends. He insistedon knowing where she was and who she was with all the time, andyesterday he pushed her for the first time.Jane figured she was probably overreacting. It wasn’tlike Mike hurt her. He just pushed her against the wallto make sure she was listening to him, but still, shewas tired. When did dating stop being fun?Jane isn’t alone, she is one of millions of young people in theUnited States impacted by teen dating violence. DatingViolence can take place in person or through technology. Itcan include physical aggression, sexual violence,psychological aggression, and stalking.11:41Authentic Insider | Page 21

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Teen dating violence is common,approximately 1 in 3 adolescents is a victim ofabuse by a dating partner and violent datingbehavior often begins between the ages of 12and 16. Young women between the ages of 16and 24 experience dating violence at a rate 3times the national average. While teen dating violence may becommon, it’s not talked about. It’s not talkedabout by parents, rarely in schools or faithorganizations, and hardly ever by victims. Infact, only about 33% of teen dating abusesurvivors have ever told anyone about theabuse. . February is Teen Dating ViolenceAwareness Month, and it is imperative thatwe break the silence that surrounds this topicto help save lives. Approximately half of teenswho have experienced dating violence orrape have attempted suicide. 7Stalking is defined by the CDC as “a patternof repeated, unwanted attention and contactby a current or former partner that causesfear or safety concern for an individual victimor someone close to the victim.” . However, inthe teen dating violence realm stalking canstart out a lot more insidious, as stalkingbehaviors are first seen as romantic or sweetas opposed to unwanted or scary. It can bethe ultimate gaslighting tool. By the time avictim realizes that their partner is leavingthings in their locker all the time, or trackingtheir phone, needing to know where they are24/7, and showing up when they’re out withfriends isn’t romantic, the victim often doesn’tfeel they can report the behavior, or evencomplain because they have allowed it tohappen.Too often, dating violence or intimate partnerviolence is seen only as physical or sexualviolence, and psychological aggression andstalking gets left out of the conversation,especially when talking with our teens.The CDC defines psychological aggression as“the use of verbal and non-verbalcommunication with the intent to harm apartner mentally or emotionally and exertcontrol over a partner”. We can see this playout in relationships like Jane’s with repeatedtexts and calls and cheating accusations. Psychological aggression can also be seen inbelittling one’s partner, “you’re ugly”; “noone else would love you, you’re lucky to haveme”; “why can’t you put more effort intoyourself” or making threats or intimidatingone’s partner “Don’t make me hit you”; “Do Ihave to come over there and show you” andsometimes the psychological aggression isthreats against themselves. “If you leave me,I’ll kill myself.” Being a teen and going through puberty ishard enough on its own. Trying to figure outall the changes in your body, and managingchanging hormones without addingpsychological aggression on top of it.

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Leave the Other Half Behind, Look For A Cherry Instead.A newlywed's advice on the first step one could take for finding'the one' in the healthiest way.When my friends or colleagues askme how it feels to be married, mytrue response is “complete.” It’snot because my husband is my‘other half’ or ‘he completes me,’but because I feel like I don’t needanything else -- I feel completewith the love I receive. Being married was a dream for me,and my wedding was every dreamcome true.When I was younger, I would readHollywood magazines that wouldwrite about celebrity couples andhow they were each other’s ‘halves’and I never understood what wasso great about that. By Sarah Correa-DibarI would think: “Why would you want to behalf of an orange?” (I’ve always digestedthe things I read visually, so when I read‘half’ I pictured half of an orange). So I developed my visual analogy. Instead, Iwanted to strive to have a love like twocherries: Complete and flavorful bythemselves but linked together by onestem. Safe to say, I married my very owncherry.I have found that I was ready when I didn’tneed it (I never liked the phrase ‘it comeswhen you least expect it’). It came when Ifelt like I could walk into a bar by myself,take myself on a walk and read a book in acoffee shop, or take myself out to dinner.That is when I have found I was ready fortrue commitment. Authentic Insider | Page 26

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At this stage, you know what isworth your time and youhave an expectation of how youwant to feel on dates with thisperson – as comfortable as youare when you take yourself outon a date. Before I met my husband, I feltthe most confident andself-sufficient I’ve ever felt. Notjust physical confidence butconfidence, emotionally andmentally, too. I felt good knowing I hadroutines that did not depend onanyone else, not feeling like Ineeded the affirmation that Iwas pretty from some guy at thebar, not caring that I missed outon a pregame with some girlswho were too busy in their ownworld to care. Whenever you get to thepoint where you feel like you donot need company to feel goodabout yourself, that’s when youstart to subconsciously drawcloser to true love.Similarly, i believe it’s importantto take yourself out on solodates or dedicate quality time foryourself to be able to set the barthat fits your measurements forhow someone should treat you. I feel it’s important to carve outtime in your day for your self-care routines or hobbies you liketo do. The person who respectsthe time and energy you dedicatefor yourself does ultimatelyrespect you. It is important to note thatself-love is a never-endingjourney with many highs,lows, and no finaldestination. I think it’s important to loveyourself enough to know howyou want to and should beloved by someone else. Thatway you don’t have to be in toodeep in a challengingrelationship to stop and think,“Would I treat myself like thisperson is treating me?” If theanswer is no, you valueyourself enough to walk awaysimply because that treatmentis not reaching your standards.Authentic Insider | Page 27

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I married my first lovebecause I knew I would.Throughout high school andcollege, I would notstick around with someonewho, on the first coupledates, showed mannerismsor etiquette I didnot want to be around.I’m not going to lie and say Inever wanted a boyfriendbecause to be honest, I feellike everyone wants apartner. I wanted one forthe same reason everyoneelse did – someone to havefor yourself to telleverything to, confide inand feel comfortable with. Ialso did not want to wastemy time on anyone who Idid not immediately feelcould give that to me fromthe first couple of dates.This realization comes topeople in many differentways. For some, they havegone through a hardbreakup, for others, theymoved to another city, andfor me, it was annoyanceand selfishness (selfish withmy own time andemotions).Self-love doesn’t stop onceyou’ve found the one you wantto marry, it should always staywith you. A healthy relationship doesn’tgrow if you forget to cultivate it.A healthy courtship is separate,each partner starts datingshowing their own ‘best self’.Once the courtship becomes areal relationship, and slowly,into a potential marriage,improving your ‘best self’ is nolonger done as individuals butrather as a team. You should want as much morefor yourself as your partnerdoes, and vice versa. As youboth strive for more withinyourself, you’re simultaneouslystriving for more in yourrelationship. Self-love is self-improvement, and the samegoes for your relationship. I realized this after completing amarriage prep course. We weretold that during the Catholicwedding ceremony, the HolySpirit brings the individuals in acouple into one. After that, it allmade sense to me as to whyrelationships are healthy whenboth spouses strive to lifteach other and push each otherup every hill - because at theend of the day, you are helpingyourself reach the top of thathill.SELF-LOVE HAS A PLACEIN MARRIAGEAuthentic Insider | Page 28

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A BAD TRIP: A GOOD I.D.E.A?: I N C L U S I O N , D I V E R S I T Y , E Q U I T Y , &A C C E S S S T R A T E G I E S I N M E N T A LH E A L T H & T H E E M E R G I N GP S Y C H E D E L I C I N D U S T R Y F O R 2 0 2 4 THE JOURNEY Mental Healing is widely regardedas a “journey.” Journeys aresynonymous with the word “trips.”Coincidently, Psychedelicexperiences are called “trips” as welland are regarded as a “part of thehealing journey.” I’ll share my experience of my ownpersonal observations in dealingwith the mental health space andemerging psychedelic industrythrough the “journey” and “trip”metaphors. I will share insights,emotions, triumphs,disappointments, and thensolutions. B Y M A R T I N A L I S I M M S Authentic Insider | Page 31

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“THE ROAD TRIP”Now imagine you are preparing for a family roadtrip. This is a trip that your family regularly takesand one that you are always anticipating, butsomehow when it’s time to take the trip, you areeither placed in an uncomfortable corner underthe weight of baggage, isolated, or left outaltogether. EVERY YEAR! You’re made to feel like when they do bring you,it’s because of some reluctant obligation asopposed to someone who is truly wanted andwelcomed on the “trip.” When it’s time to take breaks and get snacks andresources needed for your comfort for the trip,everybody gets to decide first what theirresources are and if there is enough budget leftover for you, you can get what’s left to choosefrom. If not, sorry, they just didn’t have it in the budgetto begin with, yet they are all enjoying thatwhich the budget provided them, despite whatyou didn’t get. When you speak up about it, you’re told of all ofthe obstacles and barriers that were present sothey just couldn’t do it for YOU.Sometimes you’re not even thought of when thedecisions are made, not even factored into theplans at all. Imagine you are the reason that these“trips” are even taken in the first place.These healing “trips” were your idea. YOU provided the plans, procedures, rituals,and practices that began this “road trip” ofhealing in the first place. YOU made it a sacred practice and now you’reonly regarded as an afterthought onceeverybody else realized that this activity couldhelp so many people heal, and the amount ofprofits that could be made from thisbecoming a legalized mainstream practice.So even when you are on this “trip” withthem it really just feels like shit. But you know you still need the “trip”yourself because you know the historyand how powerful it can be for your owntransformation. This is the metaphor for theindigenous who originated thesesacred plant medicines for thesehealing road trips. Authentic Insider | Page 32

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“THE ROAD” Despite the stigmas surrounding both mentalillness and psychedelics, there has beensignificant progress in both industries and arecent surge of interest, intention, andinvestment, accelerated by the conditions of thePandemic. I’ve been advocating and working on theconvergence of sports and mental health forover half a decade. 2023 was a breakthroughyear for me professionally so I was able to gainaccess to some spaces that were not onlyinaccessible to me before, but they were alsounknown. This includes traditional talk therapyand psychedelics. I was presented the BET Joy Award for myMental Health Advocacy presented by Taraji P.Henson’s Boris L. Henson (BLH) Foundation. BLHhas been providing no-cost therapy solutions tothe black community for over 5 years now. I attended the Psychedelic Science Conferencepresented by MAPS in Denver. I also had aKeynote Address, plus 3 Panel Discussions at theWonderland Conference in Miami. I was also afeatured speaker on various Online MentalHealth Conferences throughout the year. In gaining access to new networks, as anewbie, and a relative outsider, you noticethings that the current occupiers of the spacemiss because they only see what they’ve beenseeing. Blind spots on a road trip could be deadly, so Iwill point them out from a different viewpointas someone who is in the vehicle but not inthe Driver’s seat. I had a bad trip that was hands down my mostprofound and impactful psychedelic experience.I went back to the site of the most traumaticmoment that I witnessed as a child. The one thattriggered me the most intensely as an adult. Iattempted to process it all through a MagicMushroom trip with a Shaman friend of minewho held space for me. My intention was to process the traumatic eventthat took place when I was a child. That incident just so happened to be outside of mychildhood home. It wasn’t my intention to haveto process the ‘OTHER’ past events, experiences,and effects of that house but DAMN THERE WASA LOT OF ‘OTHER SHIT’ TO PROCESS. “THE TRIP” This is where I learned of how strong our abilityis to suppress difficult emotions from thetraumatic events we experience. The effects havegrave implications. The industries of psychology and psychedelicshave both suppressed their histories ofprejudice, discrimination, exclusion, andexploitation. My goal is to bring solutions to this, which bringsme to a known ally for haphazard conditions on“trips” I suppressed more shit than I wasconsciously aware of. Authentic Insider | Page 33

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Creating awareness campaigns that target andwelcome these demographics to explore thebreakthrough possibilities of mental health solutionsand psychedelics. Include them in the planning and execution of the campaigns. – Utilize their leaders and influencers in thepromotions and advertisements of events and experiences that are being offered to otherdemographics. – Leverage supportive athletes and former athletes,who have been proven to transcend cultural andracial divides, to promote to the underserved groups Access - Provide Access via Scholarships andSponsorships to: – Events such as conferences and networking eventsto offset some groups from being excluded due to being priced out of these opportunities. – Educational Courses, such as trainings, courses,workshops, and seminars to help increase their knowledge bases – Certification Courses - which allows each individualto increase their knowledge base and theirprofessional offerings–Amplify - Use already established platforms to helpincrease exposure to leaders and innovators ofUnderrepresented Groups by: “AAA”“AAA” represents the solutions I have identifiedfor the leaders and innovators of these industriesto create healing change that prioritizes those ofunderserved groups that are so easily forgottenabout. The “AAA” Solution is to: Attract. Access. Amplify. Attract leaders of UnderrepresentedDemographics by: At the end of a “trip” we want to feel like we had fun, adventure, and that wehad access to all the things that were available for us to experience. We alsodon’t want to feel as if the things that are being championed, celebrated, andpromoted to others are being denied to us, for whatever reason. We want to experience THE BREAKTHROUGH EXPERIENCE, too, and not feellike we are “trippin” for wanting to be included in it. Prioritizing speaking opportunities for them Booking the leaders for radio, TV, andPodcasting appearances.Contracting, employing, and seekinginsights from them in the preparing andplanning stages of events and experiences sothat they can be authentically representedand financially supported for theircontribution to the growth of these healingmodalities and industries.AmplifyunderrepresentedvoicesAuthentic Insider | Page 34

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T e n d i n g t o w o u n d s b e f o r et r a u m a t a k e s r o o tJennifer Chesak ecently I fell on wet pavementand skinned my knee while walkingto a comedy show. No one everaccused me of being graceful! As ismy nature, I dusted off the debris,smoothed my skirt, laughed it off,and carried on.RPsychedelics POVI sat through the show, blooddripping down my leg, and theneventually cleaned and bandaged myknee when I got home. About a weeklater, I noticed the wound wasgrowing larger and more inflamedrather than healing. So I hauledmyself to urgent care, where adoctor prescribed an antibiotic fora bacterial infection. Another weeklater, the wound was worse yet. Thistime I headed to the emergency room,where doctors determined I also hada rapidly spreading fungalinfection. Good times, I tell you!My knee is better now, but the incidentstaunchly reminded me that when we don’ttend to trauma, it doesn’t go away.Instead, a litany of issues can comeback to bite us. My scraped knee is anexample of a minor physical trauma thatcould have turned into a major healthissue if I hadn’t addressed it. But wecan say the same for our psychologicaltraumas.Research shows that people whoexperienced trauma in childhood may bemore prone to having metabolic healthissues, such as diabetes, obesity, heartdisease and more. That’s because traumacan change our stress response, which istied to our metabolic health. Trauma ingeneral is associated with many physicaland mental health issues.Authentic Insider | Page 36

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The good news: we now know that psilocybin hasthe potential to help reduce the psychologicalresponse to trauma. My psilocybin journey wasbeneficial in reducing the effects of multipletraumas for me, one related to pet care andloss, something we don’t talk about enough asa society. But I want to talk about it in thiscolumn.About two years ago, we had to let go of ourdog, Fiver, who had been battling congestiveheart failure from a congenital valve defect.He’d gone into kidney failure from hismedications—something we knew might happen. Sowe took him to the vet, knowing we wouldn’t bebringing him back home.We had received the heart failure diagnosisabout two years before his passing. Overthose two years, I’d lost hours of sleepdispensing medications in the middle of thenight, letting him out to potty frequently,and counting Fiver’s breath rate while Ifretted about when the time would come thatwe’d have to say goodbye. Fiver was my soulmate. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say thosetwo years, and the grief after, weretraumatic. But in many ways, that’s exactlywhat I was doing, lying to myself in themoment.We sometimes ignore trauma because it’striggering. If we think about our traumas,they bring up fear, anxiety, depression,and more. So we avoid them. In the alteredstate of consciousness that psychedelicsinduce, however, we can view trauma with afiltered lens that protects us from thosetriggers. Researcher Gregor Hasler, MD,calls this the “helioscope effect” ofpsychedelics. A helioscope is aninstrument scientists use to safely lookat the sun. Well, when we’re on apsychedelic, we view trauma through a safelens as well, often seeing it with moredetail but without the overwhelmingtriggers. This can allow us to reprocessour trauma and reduce the psychologicaleffects of it.Authentic Insider | Page 37

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During my own psilocybin experience, I wasable to think about the years of palliativecare with Fiver and acknowledge that they weretough and traumatic and that the loss wasdevastating. But I was also able to find atrue peace in this great loss, gratitude forevery moment I got to spend with my best bud,and even gratitude for the whole experience.Instead of avoidance of the trauma, I’m nowable to lean into all my feelings related toeverything that transpired. And I’m OK.I’m better than OK, actually. I still get athickness in my throat and a welling behind myeyelids when I think about Fiver, but thosesymptoms are always followed by immense joy inknowing I got to have him in my life, inthinking about memories of him, and in knowingthat he is not really gone but instead isalways a part of me. Psilocybin, and the workI’ve done with this plant medicine, has turnedthe pain into feelings that fuel me ratherthan deplete me.We have many tools available to us totackle trauma, from therapy, meditation,and various forms of self-care to—youguessed it—psychedelics. The bottom lineis that we indeed need to tackle ourtraumas—big and small—in some way. Andsooner rather than later—lest thosetraumas fester, a la my scraped knee. Theknee incident also reminded me thathealing isn’t necessarily linear. Somedays our wounds will feel worse. Butthat’s a reason to stop and take stock ofone’s emotions, rather than shoving themdown where they undoubtedly will gnaw atyou.

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As the mental health crisis reaches devastating levels post pandemic, more and more people arelooking for ways to manage their mental health. How does a childhood sexual abuse survivor, a veteran struggling with PTSD and an athletesuffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), trauma, and addiction find effective healing andrelief? Psychedelics. A treatment that was studied and used as effective treatment for mental health disorders until itwas banned and categorized as a schedule I drug in the 1970s, psychedelics have providedmuch needed relief for thousands of people suffering from trauma and mental health issues.Regardless of the laws banning these treatments, the people who understood the power of thesemedicines feel more empowered to find ways to help others find healing through them. On thefollowing page click on the graphic to view the Proof of Concept for "Our Own PersonalRealities." An Upcoming Documentary about the Fight toBring Psychedelic Healing Back into the LightAuthentic Insider | Page 40

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Karen Gross,TraumaEducatorD O E S E D U C A T I O N A LL E A D E R S H I P F A I L U R ER E Q U I R ER E S I G N A T I O N / F I R I N G ?This is a follow-on piece to the one I justwrote on failed educational leadership(the result of Congressional testimonyabout whether call for the genocide ofJews violated university rules). Threeuniversity presidents from eliteinstitutions were, to be kind, ill-advisedand/or ill-equipped to answer thehypothetical posed by RepresentativeStefanik.For me, that hypothetical was one thatcould and should have been anticipated.(What were their lawyers thinking — ornot thinking?) In short, these threepresidents did not answer thehypothetical posed. And yes, the calls forgenocide of any group do and shouldviolate the institutional rules and normsof universities — no question in my mindabout that answer. It is/was ahypothetical that should and could havebeen answered inequivocally: calls forgenocide of Jewish people is and shouldbe a violation of our institutional normsand rules.THEBACKDROPWhether the First Amendment permitsthe speech raised in the hypothetical isanother question for another day (andit was NOT asked) and whether privateuniversity policies must follow FirstAmendment interpretations is anotherquestion for another day.Since the hearing, one president(UPenn) has resigned. So did her boardchair. To be sure, there werecontroversies surrounding herpresidency antecedent to her testimony. The MIT president has received herBoard’s full support. The Harvardpresident’s future hangs in the balance;she has been in office less than a yearand it must be noted that her responseto the Oct. 7 massacre was inexplicablydelayed, adding to the factors beingconsidered. There have been loud callsfor the Harvard President’s terminationand there has been loud support for hercontinued presidency from, amongothers, many faculty and students. Thedecision might be imminent.Authentic Insider | Page 44

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D O E S E D U C A T I O N A LL E A D E R S H I P F A I L U R ER E Q U I R ER E S I G N A T I O N / F I R I N G ?Here is what bothers me. Who gets to decide if aparticular university president stays or goes?Surely not Congress. Surely not RepresentativeStefanik (who notably stated one down, two to go).Donors want to decide but they too are not in aposition to decide who runs a university (although Isuspect many many university decisions are swayedby large donors whether we like that reality or not).Alums surely can have input on leadership choices. Socan students. So can faculty and staff. Indeed, thelatter groups often participate in presidentialselections. One assumes, therefore, that they canhave input on termination. That’s what votes of “noconfidence” are all about in fact.For me, the noise in the air is all about Congressionaland donor pressure for choices in leadership of thesethree elite institutions. Congress has many obligationsbut picking and/or terminating private universitypresidents is most assuredly not among them. Donorscan and should choose where to exercise their largessbut leadership selection and termination are notwithin their purview. One hopes $$$ doesn't decidewhich president stays or goes within a privateuniversity. Pollyannaish I suppose if I am candid.I think private university governing boards need todecide who leads and whose leadership should beterminated. Both decisions are critically important.Both decisions need to take into account a myriad offactors. Both decisions can be and often are difficult.Errors can be made with both decisions. But, makinghard decisions is what Boards are there to do andhard decisions are part of the obligation they have. Ifyou don’t want to make hard choices, don’t go on auniversity board.MY CONCERNSAnd, as an added aside, if one can’t think onone’s feet and hear and feel and respond to theaudience and the tenor of the questions byCongress folk and others listen and speak to theNorth Star that should guide us, it’s unwise totestify before Congress as a college or universitypresident. I was struck by the Board Chair’scomment with respect to the UPenn president:she was not herself that day [she testified] andwas exhausted. Seriously? As a universitypresident, it is my experience that one is alwaysexhausted and one needs to bring one’s best selfevery minute of every day to situations. And ifone makes mistakes, which are inevitable,apologize fast and well. Although that may notsave one’s job, it will save one’s sense of rightand wrong.Long ago, when I went to Baby Presidents’School run by Harvard’s School of Education (Iwas a college president for 8 years), there was arule of thumb. Any presidency under five years isa failure; the fit didn’t work and a bad choicewas made to the detriment of the educationalcommunity writ large. The President of UPennwas there way less than five years. The HarvardPresident has been there for under a year. Theresignation of one and the tenuous hold ofanother are both bad news. Really bad.Whatever happens at Harvard and whateverhas happened at UPenn and MIT, we need tothink harder and better about leadershipchoices, leadership roles, leadership obligationsand leadership mentoring. These threepresidents got bad advice — likely not just fromtheir lawyers. They tried to thread a thin needleand failed. They weren’t taking a law schoolexam; they were representing their institutions.IN SUMLeadership is hard. Leaders face toughdecisions. That is true. Their job security isfor their institutions to decide — not forCongress and donors to decide. On that, Iam clear. And, those decisions, like hiringdecisions, are not easy. Sadly, often times,the wrong decisions are made and theinstitutions and those who inhabit them paythe price not just over the near but over thelong term. Decision-making isn’t for the faintof heart.Authentic Insider | Page 45

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Authentic Insider | Page 48High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteemencourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves—inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what!Here's a little girl who knows what really matters. At oncesilly and serious, Karen Beaumont's joyous rhyming textand David Catrow's vibrant illustrations unite in a bookthat is sassy, soulful . . . and straight from the heart.*I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Accompanied by the vibrant illustrations of Ndubisi Okoye, eachverse in Love Your Amazing Self carries a theme that encourageskids to affirm the positive in themselves and their lives, including:Be True to Yourself, Find Your Magic, Stand up for Kindness,Embrace Impermanence, and Ask for Help. Short reflections andactivities accompanying each verse help kids embody themessages, strengthen their self-confidence, and bring greater joyinto their own lives and those around them.At school, Nathan quietly observes the ways his peers communicate.Even when they’re not talking, they’re expressing themselves in allsorts of ways!By witnessing the beauty of communication diversity, Nathan learnsand shows his classmates the essential lesson: Not only doeseveryone have something to say, but seeking to understand oneanother can be the greatest bridge to friendship and belonging.

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Trauma has always been part of the human experience, and traumatic events—both physical and emotional—can shake our very foundation and leave usforever changed. While we know more about the lasting neurological andphysical effects of trauma than we did a decade ago, few people realize thatexperiencing trauma doesn’t have to sentence you to a lifetime of suffering andgrief.The Unexpected Gift of Trauma offers a bold a new definition of trauma,touching on individual as well as collective and intergenerational trauma. MENTAL HEALTHBOOKS (FOR ADULTS)Cindy doesn't know what's happening to her. An American teenager living inSpain, rocked by nightmares revealing dark secrets. As a young girl, Cindyendured years of abuse at the hands of her father. As an adult, she seeksfreedom from her past while also dealing with her mother's death, divorce, andher son's ongoing health crises.Despite her father's unthinkable violation, Cindy cares for him as an old manfacing his mortality. In his final years, she interviews her dad, chasing his guiltyconfession before it's too late.Midnight Water: A Psychedelic Memoir by Katherine MacLean, Ph.D. is a storyof grief and redemption by a groundbreaking scientist who led the way inpsychedelic research. While birthing and raising her two children, leadingworkshops, psychedelic retreats, and training to become an MDMA therapist,MacLean' s traumatic past and the loss of her sister continue to haunt her.When her father is dying, MacLean realizes that she must dive straight into theheart of her own labyrinth in order to forgive him. Midnight Water is not only apersonal story of psychedelic healing but an inspired vision for a psychedelicfuture that positions women and family caregivers at the center of home-based healing, from birth through death.*I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Authentic Insider | Page 49

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For the month of February, The cards are showing a new love coming into someone'slife. A heart to heart conversation could be coming into the near future. If you arelooking to attract love, the best advice I can give from the cards is to focus on your ownlife. While you are enjoying this moment, you could attract love and othermanifestations.Others could be struggling to overcome codependency, which could mean addictionscould be affecting your romantic life. Maybe there could be other areas of your lifewhere you may feel codependent. It's a good time to work on your addictions,baggage, and insecurities. Always remember that you deserve love and you arelovable. Never let anyone make you feel differently.I do feel that you may have met your soulmate and that you could be with them rightnow or your soulmate is coming very soon. For some of you, it might be good to enjoyyour time with some playfulness so you can recapture the romance. So allow your inneryouthful spirit of fun to shine.There could be many of you who will see financial and material changes with manyattracting material and spiritual prosperity. There is going to be a lot of rejoicing incelebration. Love will begin. On the other hand someone else will experienceheartbreak. Someone will have decisions, choices, and movement to make. There is aneed to free yourself. It’s time to take back control over your life. A firm foundation willbegin this month. Monthly Collective ReadingsMonthly Collective Readings for All Signsfor All SignsJoy is a Narcissistic AbuseSurvivor who has made it her life'swork to help others through lifecoaching. She is also a healer,earth angel and psychic medium.If you would like coaching servicesfrom Joy and/or get your ownpersonal reading, please scan thebarcode below with yoursmartphone camera.READINGSPersonalINFOCoachingAuthentic Insider | Page 50