Ciis Public Programs & Performances

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * The I Ching, also known as The Book of Changes, is a 3000-year-old Chinese divination text. Many use the I Ching as a tool for life guidance, spiritual practice, and ancestral connection. It is a revelation of metaphysical philosophy, epistemology, and ethics, as well as a book of occult secrets. * In this episode, celebrated occultist and scholar Benebell Wen is joined by certified professional tarot reader, creator, and author T. Susan Chang for an illuminating conversation on Benebell’s historic new translation and annotations of the I Ching which brings the power and mysticism of The Book of Changes to our contemporary world. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 15th, 2024. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public program

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * The seasons and cycles of nature have incredible power to affect everything in our lives—including our creativity. Author and poet Jacqueline Suskin’s latest book, A Year in Practice, is a seasonal guide for creative seekers offering holistic practices to find clarity, activate hope, and honor nature all year long. * In this episode, Jacqueline is joined by expressive arts therapist and CIIS Counseling Psychology programs professor Jenna Robinson in a conversation about how to explore and fortify your creative practice by accessing guidance provided by the rhythms of nature. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 31st, 2024. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In this episode, CIIS professor and clinical psychologist Jason Butler and clinical psychologist Genesee Herzberg are joined by psychotherapist and mentor in the CIIS Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold for a conversation exploring how psychedelic medicine can be incorporated into contemporary psychotherapy. * Together, Jason, Genesee, and Gisele examine the practice of psychedelic therapy and offer practical guidance for cultivating a highly effective, ethically grounded, and integral approach to psychedelic therapy. * This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on January 25th, 2024. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one,

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * The Zapatista movement emerging from Chiapas, Mexico over the past three decades has impacted people all over the world who struggle to liberate themselves from colonial capitalism and Cis-Heteropatiarchy. * Between 2012 and 2019, several delegations of CIIS students, staff, and faculty traveled to Chiapas. There they attended various educational encounters that compose part of what CIIS faculty Charlotte María Sáenz calls “Zapatista Seed Pedagogics,” a way to describe the mutual education between Zapatistas and those outside their autonomous territory. * In this episode Charlotte is joined by fellow CIIS faculty member Zara Zimbardo for a conversation exploring the ways the Zapatista movement bridges different worldviews, politics, and geographies to collectively revision and remake “a world in which many worlds fit,” an oft-repeated Zapatista slogan. * Th

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Dr. Lyla June is a renowned Indigenous musician, songwriter, poet, hip-hop artist, human ecologist, and community organizer. Her music and message center around intergenerational and inter-ethnic healing and are poetic articulations of Indigenous philosophies. Through her vibrant art across mediums and extensive community organizing efforts, Lyla offers pathways forward for Indigenous liberation and creates solidarity for Indigenous communities and their allies. * This episode was recorded live in San Francisco on November 3rd, 2023. Lyla was joined on stage by Preston Vargas, CIIS Director of the Center for Black and Indigenous Praxis, for a powerful evening of song and conversation exploring her life, art, and community organizing. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. * To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website c

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Sonya Renee Taylor is a world-renowned activist and thought leader on racial justice, body liberation, and transformational change. Her best-selling book, The Body Is Not an Apology, offers a radical framework for self-love and has helped many to identify and dismantle bodily-based hierarchies to build new worlds of possibility and justice. In Sonya’s newest book, The Book of Radical Answers, she provides honest, empowering and age-appropriate answers to real questions from young readers about health, sex, gender, race, and justice. * In this episode, CIIS Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Danielle Drake joins Sonya for a healing and transformative conversation that explores how we can open ourselves to seeking radical answers to the world’s most pressing and painful questions, and how we may find our own liberation through the jou

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Across what we now call California, Indigenous communities are fighting to protect and preserve languages, cultural practices, and ways of being. * In this episode, Two-Spirit Tongva/Ajachmem artist and tribal activist L. Frank and Ramaytush descendant and Founder of Muchia Te' Indigenous Land Trust Catalina Gomes share their personal journeys of learning and reconnecting with their tribal languages and discuss the fight for the visibility of Indigenous languages and cultural practices across California. * This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on October 10th, 2023. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on s

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she's always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred. * Her latest book, Falling Back in Love with Being Human, is a transformative collection of intimate and lyrical love letters that offer a path toward compassion, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. Whether prayers or spells or poems—and whether there’s a difference—she writes to affirm the outcasts and runaways she calls her kin. * In this episode, Kai Cheng is joined by qwoc expressive arts therapist and CIIS Counseling Psychology programs professor Jenna Robinson in a conversation about love and what it means to truly embrace the beauty

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * The planet is burning and flooding, divisions and conflicts between people are on the rise, and we’re are all processing the collective trauma of a global pandemic. Among therapists and healers, burnout is rampant; hopelessness and despair as well. As a healing practitioner, how can you practice good therapy when you feel like the world is ending? * In this episode, psychotherapists Larisa Garski and Justine Mastin are joined in a conversation with CIIS professor Christine Brooks on the difficulties of therapizing in today's world. Informed by narrative, Internal Family Systems, fanfic, and trauma sensitive therapy, Justine and Larisa share insights from their latest book, The Grieving Therapist, and offer a grief-informed framework for taking care of yourself as you take care of others. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 28th,

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In his latest book, Grounded, James Canton recounts his journey into the places where our ancestors experienced profound emotion—otherwise known as numinous experiences—to help us better understand who we are. In this episode, scholar and CIIS faculty in Philosophy and Religion Laura Pustarfi joins James for an inspiring conversation exploring how the sacred can be accessed by looking to the past, to our ancestors and where and how they fostered spiritual communion with the natural world. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 22nd, 2023.You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. * We hope that each episode of our podcast pro

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Healing doesn’t happen in isolation, and one of the best ways to move past individual trauma is through connection and community—healing ourselves and one another. * In this episode, wellness coach and licensed therapist Minaa B. is joined by trauma and racial healing leader Jenée Johnson in an inspiring and practical conversation on the power of collective healing in moving past trauma and adversity. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 14th, 2023.You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. * We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * What is the role of holistic and spiritual wisdom in social justice education? How do we address the disconnect between our social justice aspirations and institutions that are mired in bureaucratic processes? * In this episode, CIIS Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Danielle Drake and Women’s Spirituality faculty member Alka Arora address these questions and more in an illuminating conversation on how integral education—when understood through a critical feminist lens—can be a profound means of social transformation. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 6th, 2023.You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciis

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * How do ordinary people with busy lives leverage our actions in support of liberation, justice, and authentic connection? How can activists and social change-makers avoid burning out? How does the body factor into what our social movements might miss?  * Drawing on the somatic arts, trauma-informed psychology, and anti-oppressive movements, scholar/activist Rae Johnson helps us explore and transform the political realities of our everyday lives in a new way: by harnessing the felt experience of our bodies as the sites of our activism. In this episode, vocalist, sacred scholar, and artivist Amber McZeal talks with Rae about their latest book, Embodied Activism, and their perspectives on changing the world, one body at a time. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 23rd, 2023. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube cha

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Today we are excited to announce that we are returning to a weekly episode release schedule, so please make sure to subscribe and look for a new release from us each week starting with the next one featuring a conversation with Rae Johnson on embodied activism on May 30th! * Sharon Blackie is an award-winning writer and internationally recognized teacher whose work sits at the intersection of psychology, mythology, and ecology. Her best-selling book, If Women Rose Rooted is an inspiring exploration of femininity and relationship with landscape, and her latest, Hagitude, unearths the stories of elder women in European myth and folklore to highlight the different ways women can flourish throughout all stages of life. Her renowned writings invite us to explore how developing a relationship with myth and the land we live on can both enchant our lives and lead to a

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * How do we grieve our losses? How can we care for our spirits? Immigrant daughter, novice chaplain, bereaved friend, and author Chenxing Han explores these searing questions in her latest book One Long Listening. One of American Buddhism’s most vital new voices, Chenxing illuminates and reexamines Buddhism with new perspectives and invites us to dive into unknowingness. * In this episode, Chenxing is joined by Associate Professor and CIIS core faculty of Asian Contemplative and Transcultural Studies Jun Wang for a transformative conversation as they explore Chenxing’s journey through the wilds of grief and laughter, pain and impermanence. Drawing upon her Buddhist practice, experiences with a dying friend, bedside chaplaincy visits, and memories of a migratory childhood, Chenxing reconnects us to both the heartache and inexplicable brightness of being human. *

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Non-binary therapist, certified sex therapist, and transgender diversity and inclusion educator Rae McDaniel has spent decades exploring gender. Their recent book, Gender Magic, is a first-of-its-kind practical guide to achieving gender freedom with joy, curiosity, and pleasure for transgender and non-binary individuals, gender explorers, and those who love them. * In this episode, Rae is joined by Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigequeer soma-cultural sex therapist and sexuality educator Roger Kuhn for an empowering conversation about stepping into our fullest selves and imagining a life beyond gender binaries. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 28th, 2023.You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our w

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * At the heart of every healthy, fulfilling relationship lies the unshakable knowledge that we can trust another person with the care of our whole well-being. Yet most of us arrive at our relationships with triggers, traumas, and old patterning that can make this kind of intimacy challenging. * Renowned psychotherapist and couples therapy expert Stan Tatkin explores all the common complaints and conflicts we encounter in our relationships and provides key insights on how to navigate even the most contentious topics with understanding and respect in his latest book, In Each Other’s Care. * In this episode, Dr. Tatkin is joined by licensed psychologist and CIIS Associate Professor of Community Mental Health Elizabeth Markle for a conversation offering insights for therapists and couples alike about repairing relationships and reigniting love. * This episode was r

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Author, creative, host, and self-proclaimed "pleasure doula" Sara Elise is on a quest to examine the ingredients of our lives—those essential components that make up our days—in support of systemic transformation and radical change. Sara’s work, and latest book, A Recipe for More, offer a profound and challenging inquiry into the forces that keep us in a state of survival and limitation, asking us to consider a new way to live.  * In this episode, Sara is joined in conversation with Meckell Milburn, founder of the holistic wellness organization, Revolutionary Healing, and an Integrative Health Practitioner. Sara and Meckell explore the ideas of abundance, pleasure, and self-expansion by examining our connection to concepts like self-inflicted suffering, toxic positivity, rest, rage, visibility, and agency and share ways of bringing the ingredients of abundance

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * This is the CIIS Public Programs Podcast, featuring talks and conversations recorded live by the Public Programs department of California Institute of Integral Studies, a non-profit university located in San Francisco on unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Land. * Every family has a story. For some of us, our family of origin is a solid foundation that feeds our confidence and helps us navigate life’s challenges. For others, it’s a source of pain, hurt, and conflict that can feel like a lifelong burden. Licensed therapist and bestselling relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab is an expert in helping individuals reclaim their voice and set healthy boundaries. In her latest book, Drama Free, she offers clear advice for identifying dysfunctional family patterns and choosing the best path to breaking the cycle and moving forward. * In this episode, Nedra is joined by writer

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes (see below) properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Archetypal astrology is an approach influenced by Jungian and transpersonal psychology that studies the connection between the changing positions of the planets in the solar system and archetypal patterns in human experience and history. The evidence of consistent correlations between planetary alignments and world events, as seen through the lens of archetypal astrology, can provide us with an invaluable larger context for our time. * In this episode, CIIS Professor Emeritus and cultural historian Richard Tarnas provides an in-depth overview of what's happening with the planets now, helping us become more conscious of the deep unconscious, less like puppets and more like co-creative participants in relation to the archetypal powers within and around us to better understand the profound drama currently facing the Earth community. * This episode was recorded