July 2023 Issue : simplebooklet.com

Dear Readers, For Authentic Insider this Summer, I provide my 5 tips to staying sane. Also, where are we oneyear after Roe v. Wade was overturned? Kathryn Marsh provides an update in this month'sprosecutor's POV. Are you in the process of healing but have no idea where to go from here? Trauma Expert, MandyHarvey shares 5 ways to heal from your past and become a trauma-informed leader. How do you navigate a toxic relationship with the one person expected to be your caregiver? RicaRamos-Keenum shares what it's like to manage a relationship with a mother who didn't protect herfrom abuse and neglect. Internal Family Systems Therapy can help you unlock an unknown world of your past to help youheal. Author Sammie Bennett shares her experience finding the Upside Down Forest as shares herfables of trauma recovery. Trauma Educator Karen Gross shares a useful symbol of trauma: Sandbags. And as in every issue, we have our monthly AIM Summer Playlist, along with my picks for childrenand adult books about mental health. Plus, check out Joy Larkin's Twin Flame Readings to seewhat's in store for you this month. Happy Reading!Authentic Insider | Page 02Lorilee BinstockEditor in Chief

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5 Self-Care Tips to Keeping Sane thisSummerMany people look forward to what summer can bring; vacation and sunshine, but it alsohas the potential to be stressful because of the change in routines or lack there of. Hereare just a few quick trips to take care of your mental health during the summer months.01020304Get Outside:Natural light increases levels of vitamin D and serotonin, which are known toboost your mood. Whether it is taking a hike, hanging by the pool, orgardening, spending time outdoors is an essential part of self-care.Shift Your Environment:Getting out of town and experiencing a change in scenery is a greatway to unwind and re-focus your energy on the present. Whether it isan overnight getaway or a multi-week international trip, escaping thebusiness from the daily grind can help clear your mind and boost yourmood. This can help you immensely on your return home back to youreveryday routine.Stay Active:Whether it is going to the gym, a yoga class or taking a walk outside,physical activity is known to boost your mood. During the summermonths, it is easy to be a couch potato, which would result in negativeconsequences. Try to maintain 20-30 minutes of cardiovascularexercise each day. You may be surprised how good you feel.Keep a Healthy Sleep Schedule:Just because school is out for summer and your kids can stay up lateand sleep in does not mean they should. If you are a parent, try tomaintain a healthy and steady sleep schedule for yourself and yourkids, regardless of work and school schedules. It is recommendedthat we obtain 8-10 uninterrupted hours of sleep, as sleep hygiene isan essential component of our mental health.Authentic Insider | Page 10

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Internal Family Systems (IFS) Informed Psychedelic Assisted Therapy https://moxieschool.com/the-art-of-transformation/www.moxieschool.com heather@moxieschool.comConnect: The IFS Model (Internal Family Systems) is one of the fastest growing and most popular interventions for working with psychedelics. Why? Because it's such a natural and effective pairing 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 course teaches effective methods to deeply anchor transformation in your clients. No matter whatstage of the process you are working: preparation, guiding, or integration, an IFS Informed approach 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 MORELive Q&A CallTo Register for the call, click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/re gister/tZYscuivqD4rEtCnQpUDf8Cz75- hh3KRox1oJuly 19th, 7pm EST THE ART OF TRANSFORMAIONAll the details

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t’s been a year since Dobbs v. Jackson Women’sHealth Organization was decided, reversing over fiftyyears of legal precedent regarding legal rights toabortion. When the United States Supreme Courtdecided Dobbs they ruled that access to abortionshould be left to the individual states. In this pastyear, close to 800 different pieces of legislation havebeen proposed across the United States regardinglegal access to abortion.As a direct result of the Dobbs decision fourteenstates have a near total or total ban on abortion.These states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia,Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri,North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee,Texas and West Virginia. Of these states only Idaho,Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia and Georgiaallowing an exception for rape or incest, but eventhis exception is extremely limited by these states.North Dakota and Georgia’s exception for rape orincest is only for the first 6 weeks of pregnancy andWest Virginia’s exception for rape and incest is onlyfor the first 8 weeks of pregnancy for adults and thenonly if law enforcement is involved and 14 weeks fora minor, but only if the minor’s guardian or physicianis involved. Additionally, Tennessee made abortiona felony, only permitting an affirmative defense fordoctors who performed an abortion in order to savethe life of a mother.A Y E A R S I N C E T H ED O B B S R U L I N GIn addition to the above states Nebraska and North Carolina have a 12 week ban and Arizona and Florida have a 15 week ban inplace. (Florida had passed a 6-week abortion ban, however the Florida State Courts have imposed an injunction on this ban).Nebraska and North Carolina’s bans include exceptions for rape and incest, however, Florida and Arizona laws do not includeexceptions for rape and incest. (Arizona’s governor has passed an executive order limiting prosecutions related to abortion).Why do exceptions for rape and incest matter? Despite some politicians pontificating that women can’t get pregnant whenthey’re raped, the facts prove otherwise. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures there are between 17,000and 32,000 rape related pregnancies in the United States every year. Outside of being forced to carry a child to term that aperson did not choose to have, the trauma that is caused by sexual assault cannot be overstated. One third of rape survivorshave contemplated suicide after their assault and 13% of survivors have actually attempted suicide. These statisticsconsidered just the impact of sexual assault and didn’t look at women being forced to remain pregnant with the child of the By Kathryn Marsh, Prosecutor's POVIAuthentic Insider | Page 121 ABC News, NPR, MSNBC News1Kilpatrick, D.G., Edmunds, C.N., & Seymour, A.K. (1992). Rape in America: A report to the nation. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center and Medical University of South Carolina.22

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Further, when considering maternal health care the timing ofabortion bans is important. When calculating a due date thecount is 40 weeks from the first date of a patient's lastmenstrual cycle. This calculation is also based on thestatistic of a “traditional” 28- day cycle. This means, whenconsidering a 6- week abortion ban the ban takes effect just2 weeks after a missed period. However, there are severalflaws with this calculation. 1) Only 13% of women have a 28-day cycle, the actual average cycle is 29.3 days and 65% ofwomen have a menstrual cycle that varies between 25 and30 days. A healthy menstrual cycle can be anywherebetween 21 and 40 days. Therefore, a woman who has ahealthy menstrual cycle of 40 days, in theory, could onlyhave 2 days from the date of her missed period to figure outshe’s pregnant and schedule an abortion. 2) Menstrualirregularities occur in 5-35.6% of women. A period may belate or skipped entirely for a number of reasons that don’tinclude pregnancy to include: stress; low body weight,obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, birth control, chronicdiseases, primary ovarian insufficiency, and thyroid issues.Many women have experienced a late or skipped period forthe above reasons and therefore don’t automatically assumepregnancy when their period is late. With a 6- week abortionban many women will have passed their window for anabortion before they even know they are pregnant. If alegislator doesn’t actually understand the menstrual cycle,due date calculations or reasons why a woman may have adelayed period they may be passing laws with unintendedconsequences and placing undue burdens on women.rapist, let alone consider the impacts of possibly beingsued for visitation by your rapist. Considering states withnear total bans on abortion; Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas,Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakotaand West Virginia require a sexual assault convictionbefore they will terminate the parental rights of rapists,compared to other states that allow a court to terminateparental rights of rapists by clear and convincing evidence.Statistically this means that women living in Alabama,Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri,Nebraska, North Dakota and West Virginia face the veryreal possibility of having to share parental rights with theirrapists as on average only 28 out of every 1000 sexualassaults result in a felony conviction. If these States aren’tgoing to include exceptions for rape and incest then theleast they should do is change their laws to ensure theparental rights of all rapists are terminated at a showing ofclear and convincing evidence and not based on a criminalconviction.Doing a deeper dive into the 14 states with total or neartotal bans on abortion, it is important to considerexceptions for the health of the mother. It is even more of achallenge as many of these states have the worst healthcare when it comes to maternal or child care. Looking atthe top ten worst states for maternal health these 14 statestake 9 of the 10 spots, specifically in order: Alabama,Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. These states also covermore than half of the top ten states for the worst infantmortality rates in the country, specifically taking up 6 ofthe top 10 spots are: Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, WestVirginia, South Dakota and Alabama. Considering theoverall well-being of children, looking at access to healthcare, education and economic well-being these states fill 7of the 10 worst states for child well-being, specifically:West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, Alabama,Mississippi, and Louisiana. If the purpose of abortion bansis to protect life, one would hope to see an increasedinvestment from these states in maternal health care, childhealth care and education."According to the NationalConference of State Legislaturesthere are between 17,000 and32,000 rape related pregnanciesin the United States every year."1Mylifetime.com 1RAINN.org/Statistics/criminal-justice-system22https://www.whattoexpect.com maternal health33WorldPopulationReview.com – Infant Mortality Rates by State44USA Today55 Whattoexpect.com/due-date-calculator66Healthline – “Forget the 28-Day Cycle. Women’s Fertility Is More Complicated77Healthline “Why is My Period Late? 8 Reasons Besides Pregnancy88

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Legal challenges are currently falling in three main camps. 1)Abortion bans violate the individual State Constitution even if itno longer violates the U.S. Constitution. There are currently legalchallenges based on the state constitutions in Ohio, Oklahoma,Georgia, and Utah. Prior to the Dobbs decision, challengesagainst abortion bans based on State Constitutions weresuccessful in: Alaska, California, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts,Minnesota, Montana, and New Jersey. 2) Health CareAmendment Challenges – When the Affordable Care Act waspassed several states passed amendments to their Constitutionsstating that it was a citizen’s fundamental right to make theirown health care and health insurance decisions. Currently thereare lawsuits in Wyoming and Ohio based on the right to healthcare decisions. These challenges have been successful at thelower court levels and are working their way through theappellate courts. 3) Religious Freedom Challenges. ReligiousFreedom Challenges are pending in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky,Missouri, Utah and Wyoming. Jewish, Muslim, Buddhism, theEpiscopal Church, the United Church of Christ and other religiousgroups have filed suits stating that abortion bans violate theirreligious freedoms – the Muslim faith allows abortion throughthe first 120 days of pregnancy and the Jewish faith believes thatlife begins when the child takes its first breath and allowsabortion for the health, including mental health, of the mother.In Indiana, a Judge has granted these religious groups classaction status, which means if their suit wins anyone in the statewhose religion supports abortion access would be protectedfrom the abortion bans.In the year since the passage of Dobbs, we are all swimming invery muddied waters, from individuals to medical professionalsand legal scholars. The single biggest factor when it comes toabortion access or bans will be local and state elections. If youdon’t like the path your state is on, get out and vote. In the year since Dobbs was decided there has alsobeen a dramatic medical impact: There were 24,290fewer legal abortions from July 2022 to March 2023compared to a period before Dobbs. There has been a43% increase in patients seeking sterilization and a47% increase in patience seeking IUDS. When itcomes to long-term impact on maternal care 64% ofsurveyed OB-GYNs have said the abortion restrictionshave worsened pregnancy-related deaths and 70%indicated there has been an increase in racial andethnic disparities in maternal health. Racial andethnic disparities were recently highlighted in thedeath of Olympian Tori Bowie. Outside of theseindividual impacts there is also an increased concernin the medical professions for being able to continueto provide quality maternal care moving forward. 55%of OB-GYNs stated that the new abortion restrictionshave made it harder to attract new doctors to thefield. If the number of doctors decrease, quality ofcare will also decrease, which may lead to an increasein maternal deaths and infant mortality rates.Although the 14 states discussed have imposed neartotal abortion bans they have not increased access tomaternal or child health care, and there has beennews story after news story of women forced to carrynon-viable fetuses, women suffering sterilization orhaving to have hysterectomies due to an inability toreceive proper reproductive health care formiscarriages, ectopic pregnancies and othercomplications. Without an increase in funding andaccess to care these tragedies will also increase. It'shard to know where the future of reproductive healthcare will be in the next few years as each state ismaking independent decisions, and there arecontinued legal challenges to all bans. "When it comes to long-term impacton maternal care 64% of surveyedOB-GYNs have said the abortionrestrictions have worsenedpregnancy-related deaths."Authentic Insider | Page 14#WeCount research project from the nonprofit Society of Family Planning1 KFF Obstetrician-Gynecologists Survey – 569 ob-gyns surveyed across the United States221

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T5HEAL FROMYOUR PAST,IMPROVEYOURHEALTH &BECOME ATRAUMA-INFORMEDLEADER ways to By Mandy Harvey, Trauma ExpertThere is a saying…”health is wealth”. This is amodification of the Roman poet Virgil’s famousquote that “the greatest wealth is health.” The ideathat our physical and mental well-being are themost valuable assets of all.I never truly understood this until my health beganto deteriorate in 2012 when the symptoms ofhypothyroid started draining my energy and mydiabetes management was so out of control it waslike riding the most extreme roller coaster withsuper highs and super lows, every day. I managed as best as I knew how (mostly ignoringor numbing the feelings of unworthiness, shameand guilt with food) but at a certain point thiswould all come crashing down on me. It took sittingin front of the refrigerator in the middle of the night,wondering if I could even reach the food to bringup my extremely low blood sugar, to realize that Ineeded to make some big changes.Authentic Insider | Page 16

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Sitting there with the cold air streaming downon me, I could envision a future where I letthese feelings, symptoms, and this lifestyledeplete my energy, vitality, and motivation tocare for myself.I could see a future where I die early and leavemy children to grow up without a mother justlike I had experienced.It was like a punch to the gut and a dark knightof the soul awakening!I knew deep down that I was a better personthan that. I was a better mother than that! Irefused IN THAT MOMENT to give up onmyself and asked the universe for help! The journey to healing my health rocked myworld in many ways. One of the most impactfulhowever was learning that our healthconditions and behaviors in adulthood areinfluenced by the experiences we have inchildhood such as abuse and neglect. This was a profound awareness for me andforever changed how I approached my healingand the process of leading myself, my childrenand my business with more compassion, grace,and love.I believe everyone needs to understand thisconnection not only because it’s a risk factor forall major chronic health conditions but alsobecause these early experiences affect everypart of our life. You can’t be your best self personally orprofessionally if you’re pouring from a cup that’sbeen cracked by trauma.One of the most impactfulhowever was learning thatour health conditions andbehaviors in adulthood areinfluenced by the experienceswe have in childhood such asabuse and neglect. Authentic Insider | Page 17

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In the case of childhood trauma, whenwe cannot fight or flee, the processcannot just switch off. As a result thetrauma gets frozen in the body and itchanges our threshold to stress. Inother words, it takes less to make usstressed. And the genes that shut offthe stress response are silenced. Over time as our body begins tomarinade in inflammatory toxins fromthe stress, we can develop constantchronic low grade inflammation in thebody and brain; increased free-radicalstress in the brain and body;sympathetic nervous system arousal; animbalanced immune system; hormonalimbalances and dysbiosis / leaky gut.When we face any kind of stressor,including an emotional stressor, ourbody goes through the process ofactivating our adrenals and releasingstress hormones to ready it to fight orflee the stressor.Our Issues Are InOur Tissues Over time as our bodybegins to marinade ininflammatory toxinsfrom the stress, we candevelop constant chroniclow grade inflammationin the body and brainAuthentic Insider | Page 18

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N O M A D I C | 2 4Holding back our voice and not speaking ourtruthHaving a lack of boundaries with our time andenergyBeing overly critical of ourselfConstantly comparing ourself to othersPerfectionismWorkaholismFeeling anxious, on edge, stressed, andoverwhelmed on a consistent basisHaving difficulty in regulating our emotionsand behaviorsWhen we experience a traumatic event inchildhood, the traumatized part of our psychebecomes “dissociated” from us. As we grow up,we often forget about it and the emotions relatedto it completely. However, there might be parts of us that are angryall the time, crying all the time, anxious and onhigh alert all the time, emotionally eating all thetime - all because the energy from the traumaticchildhood experience(s) still lies within our body.If left unresolved, as we become adults and liveour lives we might start to notice undesirablebehaviors in our personal and professional lifesuch as:HOW OUR CHILDHOODBIOGRAPHY BECOMESOUR BIOLOGY (AND SHOWS UP IN OURPROFESSIONAL LIFE)As our physical and mentalwell-being deteriorates so doesour ability to show up forourselves, for our family, ourfriends, and our job.Authentic Insider | Page 19We may also notice an increase in unpleasantphysical symptoms such as chronic fatigue,digestive issues (IBS, bloating, constipation,etc.), headaches, or autoimmune flares.As our physical and mental well-beingdeteriorates so does our ability to show upfor ourselves, for our family, our friends, andour job.

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Lifestyle interventions: adopt a "Be gentle toyour nervous system lifestyle" and incorporatemethods like yoga, mediation, breathing, andmovement that is funAddress current relationships & culturalinfluences: remove or reduce access toanyone who is an “energy vampire” or “energydrainer” and create a circle of support withpeople who are positive and encouragingabout your healingIn focusing on this healing approach you notonly clear the energy of old trauma and restoreyour health but you also build resilience for allof life's challenges; and best of all become atrauma-informed leader who can create safeand compassionate spaces for others to thriveand grow.Remember, the healing journey is not linear -be patient, move through it with compassionand grace and NEVER give up!In focusing on this healingapproach you not only clearthe energy of old trauma andrestore your health but youalso build resilience for all oflife's challengesAuthentic Insider | Page 20 Know thyself: build awareness andreflect on the consistent unpleasantthoughts, beliefs and behaviors thatrun in your daily lifeHeal the body's story: utilize nervoussystem regulation techniques and seekout body-based somatic healingpractitioners to help you release theenergy of unresolved trauma from yourbodyClean up the physical body &environment: remove and replacefoods and products that add to thelevel of inflammation in the bodyH E A L I N G W I T H H O P EI T ' S B E S T T O T A K E A M U L T I F A C T O R I A L C O N C U R R E N T A P P R O A C H T OH E A L I N G O U R H E A L T H A N D O U R A D V E R S E C H I L D H O O D E X P E R I E N C E S . H E R EA R E S O M E I D E A S T O C O N S I D E R .

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Navigating a ToxicRelationship: A Journeyfrom Hurtto HealingAuthor, Nobody's DaughterShe put pot roasts on the table, clean sheetson my bed and school lunch money in myhand. In many ways, my mother took goodcare of me. But emotionally, she was toxic. I was in fifth grade when she discovered mystepdad had been sexually abusing me, andwhile the evidence was indisputable, mymother chose denial as her copingmechanism. When we met with a childprotective investigator, they handed me alimp doll and asked me to point to the partshe’d fondled. I sheepishly explained thehorrors of his naked body at my bedside, hiscigarette breath in my ear. I felt both shameand relief as I heard my small voice in theroom. I was free from the burden of secrets,but there was a price to pay. I’d lost mymother in ways I couldn’t comprehend. At home with my stepfather scowling andsucking on cigarettes, my life resumed as ifthe abuse was a nightmare I’d onlyimagined. Unable to grieve or process mymother’s rejection, I played my role in thefamily charade. A good daughter does asshe’s told. They say love makes you vulnerable, but it canalso make you prey. Toxic people aren’t easy tospot, but in hindsight, I see how my motherwielded her power, how she ruled bymanipulation. My eagerness to gain hermaternal affection and cling to the relationshipno matter the cost, put my heart in her hands.She held it high, and used it like a grenade.Asserting my needs was a risk I was too afraidto take. By Rica Ramos-KeenumSAuthentic Insider | Page 23 Uncovering the WoundIt never occurred to me that our toxic mother-daughter dynamic could cause psychologicaldamage, could affect my future and skew myperception of a healthy relationship. In mymind, abuse was synonymous with love. And so,at 18, when a good-looking guy bought meflowers and cards, when he handed me a papercup of gas station coffee with just the rightamount of cream, I deemed him the perfect

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“With this business,I am able to support myfamily and haveincreased my confidenceas well."mate. As I got to know him, I ignored the brightred flags and eventually married him despite hisdrastic mood swings and brazen manipulations.Just as I’d done with my mother, I traded myautonomy for his happiness and saw his smallacts of kindness as proof of his love andcommitment. I was a codependent woman withno radar for guilt-tripping and gaslightingbehavior. Decades and a painful divorce later, I learnedthe term “mother wound” when I read aPsychology Today article in which Sherry Gaba,LCSW wrote, “The best way to think of themother wound is a loss or a lack of mothering.” She explained how people tend to see neglect assomething that only mentally ill, drug addicted,physically abusive or overtly troubled mothersdo. But sometimes the mothers who damage oremotionally harm us are the ones wearingaprons in the kitchen (or the men bearing gifts).As I read those words, the past came into focus. Some time later, I met a new man and hisgenuinely loving family. After five yearstogether, we planned our October wedding, butI wrestled with the decision I knew I needed tomake. If I were to invite my mother, I wouldhave to create clear boundaries by insisting shecome without my abuser, who was still and willlikely forever be her husband. I’d lost sleepprior to this conversation, and even after I’dunderstood the toxicity of her presence in mylife, it felt impossible to challenge her. I’d beenconditioned to avoid conflict, but somehow Ifound the courage. Trauma Becomes Depression Inevitably, my mother rejected my weddinginvitation and shamed me with the usual guilttrip. “How could I be so ungrateful?” Not longafter, I found it hard to get out of bed. Writingprojects had always given my life color, but noweverything was black and gray. I’d beendepressed on other occasions, but this camefrom a deeper place, as if something had shakenthe pain loose from the dark corners of mybody and mind. I sought help from a professional, but wasskeptical. When I opened up to my newtherapist, I was shocked at the intensity andspeed of what spilled out. I was angry, and forthe first time I let myself say it. I waited for herAuthentic Insider | Page 24to tell me to embrace forgiveness, to show mymother compassion and to be an empatheticdaughter. Throughout the years, many peopletried to coax me down that path. “Your motherdid the best she could,” they’d said. But that putthe burden on me, and left me feeling chastisedfor pursuing authenticity. The world oftenplaces mothers on a pedestal and stigmatizesdaughters who stand their ground. Tactfully, my therapist advised me to limitcontact with my mother, and I’ve since learnedto ‘mother my inner child.’ And of all the healingconversations I’ve had in therapy, there’s onetruth I carry with me. “You have the right to feelyour feelings.” It’s a simple statement, but onemany daughters are denied. Although I still wrestle with letting go of myexpectations, I allowed myself the space to

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“The world oftenplaces mothers on apedestal andstigmatizesdaughters who standtheir ground."mourn my losses. Compelled to turn my tearsinto pages and chapters, I wrote my secondbook as a means to release the past. In manyways, it became a love letter to myself and amessage to the women who could relate tomy experiences. By taking control of thenarrative, I gave voice to the girl who livedinside. It was both empowering and essential.For decades, I’d ached for validation,believing that if my mother wouldacknowledge my pain, I could finally heal. It’s human nature to long for understanding,but seeking it from those who refuse to listenonly carves a greater wound. So to thosestuck in a toxic relationship, I offer my hard-won wisdom: You hold the pen to your story,and the power to write your happy ending. Authentic Insider | Page 25 Rica Ramos-Keenum is a former journalistand the author of “Petals of Rain” and“Nobody’s Daughter: A Memoir of Healingthe Mother Wound.” She’s learned to findstrength in stories, and healing in honoringher heart. Rica loves to connect with womenwho’ve suffered trauma, and to share thework of fellow authors whose words enrichour lives. Reach out at Ricawrites.com, and follow herjourney on social media.

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FFor most of my adult life, I’d found solace inwriting. When I struggled in marriage, inmotherhood, in life, I still came back to mylaptop. So it felt as if my whole worldturned upside down when, in the spring of2016, I could no longer write.I had felt a growing unease as Springapproached. I’d always endurednightmares, but they were growing morefrequent, more vivid. I’d always felt thesteady hum of anxiety, but now it rang outlike a loud dinner bell. I could barelyfunction. I certainly couldn’t write.So I went to counseling. I’d been tocounseling before, in my early 20s, and hadattended several recovery groups as well.But something deeper was brewing. I couldfeel it in my bones.In our first session, my new counselorexplained the basics of Internal FamilySystems (IFS)—how different internal partsworked together as part of a system. Forsome reason, this really resonated with me.So I closed my eyes and let my inner worldreveal itself to me. One of the first images that came to mindwas a fairytale-like forest where all the treesgrew upside down. I didn’t think too hardabout this, but I remember it felt fitting. Mylife had never felt more upside down.The sessions continued, and the younger placesinside felt safe enough to share their secretswith me. Slowly, I uncovered the stuff ofnightmares—horrific abuse I’d endured as achild. But, with my counselor’s help, Iunburdened the little ones from the traumathey’d carried.After one of the conversations where I was notbelieved, I began to write about a princess whosaw a dragon no one else could see. Shetraveled to a forest where all the trees grewupside down. The story surprised me. The writingsurprised me. Maybe I was writing a picturebook for children? Slowly, I uncoveredthe stuff of nightmares—horrific abuse I’dendured as a child.But, with mycounselor’s help, Iunburdened the littleones from the traumathey’d carried.Authentic Insider | Page 28

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I finished the book and passed it along totwo dear friends. These women, who knewabout my childhood abuse, gently coaxedmore of the story from me. It wasn’t exactlya picture book for children. I was writing toadults—to their injured young places inside.The stories kept coming, and I discoveredwriting had indeed returned. I felt like meagain, only, a deeper and truer me. The stories came to a total of five, andtogether, they are The Upside-Down Forest:Fables on Trauma Recovery. The writing ofthis collection was such a gift to me. I hopethe reading of it will be a gift to othersurvivors as well.Sammie Bennett lives in WinterGarden, Florida with her two kids andhusband. She loves chai lattes, PBSMasterpiece shows, and walks withher wild dog. She is also a survivor ofchildhood trauma and hopes her storiesand poems speak to other survivors. Authentic Insider | Page 29

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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 31

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B Y K A R E N G R O S S , T R A U M AE D U C A T O R & A R T I S T just finished reading Charlotte Maya’s movingmemoir, Sushi Tuesdays. My reading of it touchedme on both professional and personal levels. Indeed,who goes through life without dealing with grief,howsoever defined? Short answer: No one. And tobe clear: grief does not always derive from death;termination on relationships through divorce canproduce grief. Grief can come from injuries, whetherthrough shootings or loss of a limb.What I want to do here is share, expand and explorea symbol of grief that appears in Maya’s book.Maya’s college friend points out that grief is like aheavy sandbag. If we never pick the sandbag (grief)up, we will keep tripping over it. And, when we pickthe sandbag up, we note that the bag has a tinyhole that lets its sand drain out over time. Mayakeeps referencing this sandbag as she and herfamily and friends process her late husband’ssuicide.The Sandbag’s Shapeand DrainingI want to expand and add some nuance tothe sandbag symbol in the context oftrauma. Grief is but one form that traumacan take. We have trauma everywhere. Wedon’t have to look far to see traumatizedadults and children. So, we are surroundedby sandbags. They are at our feeteverywhere we are.But, one key for me is that even if you liftthe sandbag and it starts draining, itchanges shape. And the shape it takesmoving forward is not uniform about thoseholding the sandbag. There is no ONEsandbag and no ONE drainage system.SandbagsandTrauma: A UsefulSymbolfor Us All IAuthentic Insider | Page 34

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Fourth, the sandbag never disappearsalthough we may assume it does. There isalways a wee bit of sand in it — sand grainsstay around. Not to trivialize this but if youhave ever lived near a beach, you knowsand goes everywhere and even whencleaned up, it reappears out of nowhere.And the sandbag is never actuallydestroyed.Fifth, the sandbag presence in our life canbe changed over time. We can paint thesandbag. We can add color to it. We candecorate it. We can move it into newplaces and spaces. We can give it a home,a comfortable place to rest — literally andfiguratively. Imagine the sandbag as apiece of evolving art. We can give thesandbag a place in our contemporary lives.Sixth, what happens to all the sand thatspills out of the sandbag over time? Does itjust sit there? Do we sweep it away? Do weturn it into beaches in our minds? We can’tjust let the sand pile up. We need to find aplace for not just the sandbag but thesand. If you lift the sandbag andit starts draining, itchanges shape. And theshape it takes movingforward is not uniformabout those holding thesandbag. Our sandbags may look similar on the ground butwhen lifted and draining, they look and feeldifferent. The bag’s shape, the speed of draining, theweight of the bag at any given time — these all vary.And, sandbags need to get lifted by both childrenand adults. Imagine a large sandbag’s ability tooverpower a young person; just getting it off theground is hard. Denial is easier. Just read Maya’sbook to see the different ways her two young son’sdeal with their father’s suicide.For me, one key to appreciating the depth of thesandbag symbol is to breakdown its “life.”First, one needs to see the sandbag. Not everyonesees it; some folks just keep tripping.Second, even if one sees the sandbag, lifting is istough for children and adults. We often need helpwith getting the load into our arms (minds andbodies). And we need to know we need help. Yes,people can offer help but those with big sandbagsneed to be able to also ask for help.Third, how the sand drains differs from situation tosituation and person to person. That meanshomogenizing how we help those struggling withgrief or trauma is a flawed approach. We need to seepeople’s situations contextually. By way of example:Death of a parent is not identical for all children.Some children know their parent is dying and canprocess it. Death by suicide is something altogetherdifferent. The age of the child, the gender of theparent dying and the child surviving all matter.Authentic Insider | Page 35

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YOUR SUMMER PLAYLIST "Heat Wave" by Glass Animals"calm down" by Selena gomez & rema"living in a haze" by milky chance "I ain't worried" by one republic"Flowers" by miley cyrus"Cold heart" by elton john & dua lipa"Girl like me" by black eyed peas & shakira "stay" by Kid leroi & Justin Bieber‘"Karma" by taylor swift"Now my life is sweet like cinnamon" by lana del rey"Karma" By taylor swift & ice spice"Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)" by DuaLipa"Fast Car" by Luke Combs "Oh My God" BY Adele"players" By coi leroy“Unholy” by Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras Summer is the time to getout & get Vitamin D. Enjoyyourself by the water, inthe woods, or just relaxing.If you can't spend yourwhole summer relaxing,make a little time each dayfor it, even if it's steppingoutside & taking a deepbreath in sunshine.Authentic Insider | Page 38

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Pi's just like any other kid robot: They love to listen to music, play withtheir dog, and hang out with their friends. And when their teacherannounces a field trip to Olde Silicon Valley, Pi couldn't be more excited!They daydream of all the awesome things they want to see and dothere––but also begin to worry about all the things that could go wrong. . . Then, on the way home, Pi feels a ZAP! They try to avoid the strangefeeling, but the Zaps keep happening. Pi doesn't understand. They havea firewall installed! What could be going on?Helping kids set healthy boundaries for their private parts can be adaunting and awkward task for parents, counselors and educators.Written from a kid's point of view, I Said No! makes this task a loteasier. To help Zack cope with a real-life experience he had with afriend, he and his mom wrote a book to help prepare other kids todeal with a range of problematic situations. I Said No! uses kid-friendly language and illustrations to help parents and concernedadults give kids guidance they can understand, practice and use. *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 39One day, Ellie was feeling too grumpy to eat pancakes. Her mom says,“That happens sometimes” and gets a yoga mat out of the closet. Ellieand her mom do various yoga poses and breathing exercises. Then it’spancake time! “A good introduction to mindfulness and yoga, this bookhighlights how trying something new can improve feelings,” says anexpert from the Child Mind Institute

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This collection of illustrated fables depicts different aspects of traumarecovery—from hearing your inner voice, to grieving past pain, towaking forgotten dreams. Each short story is accompanied by apersonal introduction, insightful questions, and rich illustrations.MENTAL HEALTHBOOKS (FOR ADULTS)In her early early forties and about to remarry, Rica Ramos realizes thatstarting over could mean leaving her mother behind. She longs to heal therelationship, but her mother still refuses to acknowledge the sexual abuseRica suffered at the hands of her stepfather, or her own culpabilitythroughout the years. With old traumas resurfacing and a new life unfoldingbefore her, Rica grasps the power of unspoken grief—and the potential tosuffer or heal. Will she and her mother ever cross the chasm between them,or are some secrets meant to stay buried?As a young widow, Charlotte cried, cursed, meditated, medicated,downward-dogged, and ran as a way to make sense of her husband’ssuicide. As the mother of two bereft sons, she summoned her innerstrength and clarity in order to provide steady guidance for them tonavigate their own ways through the ensuing months and years. Herstory offers intimate moments, powerful lessons, as well as practicalways through which not only suicide survivors but any of usexperiencing loss can move forward to live lives of joy and purpose.*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 40

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The cards I pulled for the month of July 2023, showed many endings, new beginnings, growth, change,liberation, and transition that many could be going through at this time. Many of you are wanting to learnfrom the past or you may have already done so. For those who are single, it is good to have faith that love iscoming. In fact, there may be a surprise meeting or an invitation. But I feel that many of you could behesitant or the person that is inviting you out is feeling this way. Those of you who are single and not looking,it’s a good time to be spending time with family and children.Again I’m seeing a lot of stalking, watching, looking, gaslighting, and focusing outward. I'm not sure if this isyou, someone else, or the people who could be around you. Singles could be meeting a new person and justdating to get a feel of what type of person you like. For those who are in a connection with someone, I amgetting that someone may be having issues with boundaries. Singles, necessary time to love yourself. Even formarried couples, be sure that you take care of yourself so that way you can be your happy, whole, andcomplete self for your partner..Balance is key this month whether it's within a marriage, relationship, or even if you are single. I feel asthough having more patience will definitely work in your favor for this month. I understand wanting to makethings happen fast! But sometimes it's best to wait on the Universe! In regards to work and career this month, I see that it is working out for you to cooperate instead of feelinglike you have to compete with others. There is more and enough to go around. At the bottom of the deck Ishuffled, I was seeing that someone needs to release jealousy as well! That is only for a few select people! Onthe other hand, I feel that several people may need to have the courage to ask for and accept help. Don'tfeel like it's weak to ask for help, because it's not! Strength is knowing what you need and asking for help whennecessary. Remember it's okay to receive everything you want. The power of prayer can be helpful on yourjourney, especially if you have goals and dreams. I really hope this reading was helpful. Have a nice summer. If you would like to learn more please book areading at www.livenarcfree.comMonthly Collective ReadingsMonthly Collective Readings for All Signsfor All Signswith Joy Larkin (July 1, 2023 - July 31, 2023) Joy 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 41