Today on the How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk and Nityda Gessel discuss a path towards healing with a trauma-conscious yoga approach. Nityda shares more on her Trauma Conscious Yoga Method and motivational words to help you towards healing. 

About Nityda Gessel:

Nityda Gessel, LCSW, E-RYT, is a mother, licensed somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, yoga educator, speaker, author, and heart-centered activist, residing on the unceded land of the Chesepian people, commonly known as Virginia Beach, VA. Nityda has devoted her life to uplifting others, working at the intersection of Eastern spirituality, holistic mental health, and embodied activism. She is the founder of the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute, creator of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method®,  and author of forthcoming Norton book on trauma healing and embodied spirituality.

Outline of the episode:

• [00:02:31] How yoga came into Nityda’s life
• [00:18:34] Slow therapy with trauma patients in private practice
• [00:27:46] The Trauma Conscious Yoga Method
• [00:32:30] Nityda’s start to trauma-informed yoga
• [00:36:45] Shifts in the yoga community
• [00:42:52] Practices to create a safe place for others
• [00:53:24] Supportive words for those struggling right now
• [00:55:18] What gives Nityda hope right now
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Resources:

Website: traumaconsciousyoga.com

Follow Nityda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma_conscious_yoga_method/

The Trauma Conscious Yoga Method on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcgzt-xiX9obhWy5UVgvpqA/videos

Tune into more: howwecanheal.com
Tell me about you: https://forms.gle/WuF5K8XggF7Spn1A9

Today on the How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk and Erica Chang come together to discuss their love of yoga. The pair talk about their experience working with traumatized youth, practicing yoga to feel grounded, and what teaching looks like today.

About Erica Chang:

Erica has practiced yoga since 2010 and completed her 200 hour yoga teacher certification with Pamela Higley at Samdhana Karana Yoga. She has also completed the Yoga Behind Bars training and volunteered at Remann Hall, teaching yoga and meditation to youth.

With yoga, she has found a melding of the best things in her life: spirit, athleticism, sweat, breath, laughter, community, and rhythm. Her goal as an instructor is to offer a space to explore, allowing others to become curious about what they are capable of as they leave a little stronger, a little softer and a lot more balanced.

Outline of the episode:

• [9:45] From practice to teaching
• [13:05] Teaching yoga at a youth detention center
• [21:01] Teaching yoga with a trauma approach
• [23:09] Erica’s work at the Attorney General's Office
• [25:43] Rooted tools for yoga teachers
• [28:31] Teaching yoga online and transitioning back to in person
• [35:48] Erica’s yoga practice
• [45:39] Bringing yoga to the youth
• [49:17] What gives Erica hope

Resources:

Join Erica on the mat: https://edgeworksclimbing.com/tacoma/fitness_instructors.html
Instagram @ericachang_
Find more at howwecanheal.com/podcast/

Tell me about you: https://forms.gle/WuF5K8XggF7Spn1A9

Today on the How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk, and Rha Goddess discuss society's relationship with money, the issue with Capitalism, and paving the way to a successful and fulfilling life. The entrepreneurial soul coach helps us better understand ourselves with her unique methodology.

Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

About Rha Goddess:
Rha Goddess is the entrepreneurial soul coach behind hundreds of breakthrough changemakers, cultural visionaries and social entrepreneurs. From multiple NY Times Bestsellers to multi-million dollar social enterprises, Rha’s unique methodology has empowered a new generation of conscious entrepreneurs to stay true, get paid, and do good. From the onset of her more than 30-year career as a cultural innovator, social impact strategist and creative change agent, Rha has drawn on the power of creativity, culture and community to move hearts, minds and policy.
Rha’s book, The Calling (St. Martin’s Press) leverages her unique methodology into a step by step blueprint for finding your purpose and making your most profitable contribution.Outline of the episode:

• [5:04] Awareness of money
• [11:02] Rha’s story of chasing money from a funder
• [20:13] When Rha took her relationship with money back
• [22:50] Viability and sustainability for nonprofits
• [31:11] Our relationship with money
• [36:46] 6 Root Causes
• [38:08] Society and scarcity
• [48:27] Paving the way to success
• [52:27] I've got issues with Capitalism
• [01:03:40] Moving our dollars in alignment with our values
• [01:15:27] What gives Rha hope

For more on Rha and the How We Can Heal Podcast, head to our website: www.howwecanheal.com

Today on the How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk, and Lynette Danylchuk break down trauma, dissociation & intergenerational resilience. Lynette, who I call Noonaheeyot (my sweet mama) helps us understand dissociation and what we can do to heal through these hard times. 

Listen on Apple | Spotify | Google | Amazon

About Lynette Danylchuk:

Lynette Danylchuk, PhD., is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the field of trauma and dissociation for over 30 years. She has worked with people struggling with PTSD and Dissociative Disorders.  She is a Past President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), and has received ISSTD’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  She is currently doing consultation work with therapists around the world, and completing the second edition of the book she and Kevin Connors co-authored, ‘Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation: A Practical Guide for Navigating Therapeutic Challenges’.

Outline of the episode:

• [4:13] Noonaheeyot”s start in trauma work
• [6:59] Working with Veterans
• [28:28] Understanding harm reductions
• [29:41]complex developmental trauma & the offensive as a defensive strategy
• [39:48] thoughts on parenting: should you let kids cry it out during sleep training?
• [42:15] What it’s like being a therapist and a parent at the same time
• [45:05] Common themes during Lynette’s 30 years of working with complexly traumatized people.
• [53:10] Advice for people who are having a hard time emotionally

Resources:

Find Lynette and Kevin’s book, Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation: A Practical Guide to Navigating Therapeutic Challenges.

Connect with Lynettte on LinkedIn & @ldanylchuk on Twitter

Find a therapist at https://isstd.connectedcommunity.org/network/network-find-a-professional

Join me this summer for a live training intensive in yoga for Trauma Recovery at https://howwecanheal.com/live/

In this episode of How We Can Heal, Lisa Danylchuk pauses to a look back at where we've been during Season One.  So, come with us as we select some of our favorite moments. We started with Gabby Bernstein, where we talked about trauma, dissociation, and what it means to have Happy Days.  We go on to hear from Kris Carr, Suzanne O'Brien, Guy MacPherson, Kira Willey, Tricia Huffman, Heather Hall, Rosita Cortizo, Christine Forner, Delia Ginorio, Dui Turner and Meghan Zipin.  It has been an absolute pleasure to interview all of these experts and share their sincere stories about "how we can heal."  

Season two launches July 5th. In the meantime, you’ve got a bit to catch up, re-listen to your favorite episodes, and share your thoughts with me at howwecanheal.com/podcast 

Next season we’ll be covering topics like trauma-informed yoga, the intersection of service work and economy, and so much more. 

The tragedy in Uvalde, TX, that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers has many people feeling confused, angry, and deeply sad.  Licensed psychotherapist and founder of the Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery Lisa Danylchuk has an open conversation discussing how you and why people may be feeling this traumatized and what they can do to help. "We just go into shutdown and overwhelm in the face of a really massive disaster. And that's actually biologically wired. It's supernormal. So if you're there just know. That's okay. And you're a human being with a nervous system," Lisa explains. In this bonus episode, she also interviews her producer and former TV broadcaster Christine O'Donnell who reported on the Sandy Hook tragedy on how she copes with traumas and triggers. 

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk and Meghan Zipin talk about how yoga helps address stress caused by extreme events. Boston Marathon is one of the major world marathon events hosted annually. But aside from being a world event, the Boston Marathon became even more famous because of what happened in 2013. Here, Meghan shares her first-hand experience of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing, what she struggled with in having PTSD, and what trauma-informed yoga means to people like her whose lives are penetrated by trauma.

Meghan Zipin on defining PTSD

After what took place during the 2013 Boston Marathon, everything seemingly changed right after for Meghan. Everything that happened before that was no more the custom in her daily life. It may have not impacted Meghan physically—but it affected her emotionally and mentally. From there on, constantly feeling jumpy became her routine. 

A constant hyper-vigilance and alertness perpetuated Meghan’s default body state. It interrupted her sleep at night. And because of the stress that the event perpetuated into her system, Meghan found it difficult to throw herself into anything that she couldn’t gauge as ‘predictable.’ The disorder she experienced became a pattern. And before she knew it, Meghan was already experiencing PTSD beyond what she could fully grasp about her condition.  

About Meghan Zipin:

Experienced Owner and emerging writer with a demonstrated history of working in the health wellness and fitness industry. Skilled in Business Planning, Market Research, Management, Healthcare, and Business Relationship Management. Strong healthcare services professional with an MBA focused in Management and Leadership from Boston College - Carroll School of Management.

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:11] How Meghan found yoga

●     [05:45] Yoga served as something that anchored me

●     [10:09]Yoga does a great job at helping us recognize how we can shift gears

●     [15:09] Meghan Zipin on the struggle to admit to having PTSD

●     [20:11] People with PTSD can’t identify and name what they’re going through

●     [27:18] The concern for ‘touch’ in trauma-informed yoga

●     [32:02] How Meghan transitions her clients from one move to another during yoga sessions

●     [38:17] You never really know what someone is going to walk away with after yoga sessions

●     [41:57] Meghan Zipin on using intake forms with clients

●     [48:30] What gives Meghan Zipin hope?

Resources:

Website:          https://www.meghanzipin.com/

LinkedIn:         https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-delaney-zipin-51851a35/

Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/mismegs82/?hl=en

Don’t forget to enroll by May 24th for the Yoga for Trauma Online Training Program:

http://howwecanheal.com/y4t/

 
Tell Me About You! I want to get to know the How We Can Heal Audience and how I can make the show even better. Tell me about you here: https://forms.gle/14s7XpU8WmhuPgrGA

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk, and Dui Turner talks about how yoga impacted her life as a woman in the military and her students' life on a bigger picture. As someone in her 40s, who's been in service for 25 years, Dui helps us understand how yoga can be carried through everything, how she champions women's inclusion and leadership, and about her upcoming book that talks about the science, the art, and the you of teaching yoga in the military.

Yoga in Context

"Yoga is a spectrum," Dui describes. It's a practice that welcomes and loves everyone that joins despite their background and knowledge of yoga. Whether you're in it for the exercise or for the fullness of the spiritual experience, yoga embraces everything in between in order for everyone to fully benefit from the practice, no matter what they aspire to achieve from doing it. 

With that being said, this is why trust is critical between a yogi and a student. A yogi is cautious about how they relate to students, and they strive to create safe spaces for everyone in their class. Whether a student is someone completely new to physical wellness or from the military trying to address trauma and stress, a yogi works best knowing that an approach to teaching yoga is not a one size fits all; it adjusts to each individual. 

About Dui Turner:

Duilia is an officer in the United States Air Force and a veteran of two major conflicts. She is also the founder of Integrative World, a community focusing on promoting healthy approaches and techniques to support balanced lifestyles. She has studied a variety of healing arts including Tai Chi, Qi Gong, sound therapy, meditation, and Yoga. She has also contributed to various yoga blogs, public talks and Yoga for Veterans trainings.

Dui completed the "Yoga Philosophy Intensive Course" offered by the AC Foundation in Hawaii. She has earned 200-hr and 500-hr Yoga certifications specializing in Yoga for veterans coping with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). She is a Transformative Coach, Certified Reiki Master and Health Coach. She is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She holds a B.S. in Meteorology and a MBA in Global Management.

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:06] Yoga pulled me in from Tai-chi

●     [06:44] How does yoga fit in the life of a military woman?

●     [12:35]Everybody in my generation has lost friends

●     [19:56] Yoga is a spectrum, and it embraces everything in between

●     [24:56] What is a yoga practice for? For life!

●     [33:39] Dui Turner on women's inclusion and leadership

●     [42:24] We're in an era of women's firsts' 

●     [48:25] The practices that Dui relies on every day

●     [55:08] Breathing goes with you everywhere 

●     [01:01:47] A book for yoga teachers in the military setting

 
Resources:

Website: https://www.integrativeworld.com/

MIND YOUR CLASS, Book by Duilia Mora Turner:

https://www.integrativeworld.com/book-mind-your-class

Breaking Barriers Podcast: https://www.audible.com/pd/Podcast/B08K57HG8N

Today on the How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk sits with Delia Ginorio to unfold the realities of working in the field of violence interception. In her experience and the experiences she's listened to, healing clearly is a journey. For everyone, it is lifelong work. In this talk, Delia shares the limitations and boundaries she sets for herself in survivor restoration. She also speaks on the areas she struggles at in work, how she determines when to work and when to walk away, and the pieces that give her hope to continue every day.

 Victims sometimes become perpetrators
For Delia Ginorio, the Director of the Survivor Restoration Program at the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, resources and support programs for survivors and victims of abuse and trauma are always critical. This helps survivors process what they've experienced and to have a platform where they can be heard. In her experience in the field, not having these can carry adverse effects on a survivor.
As Delia recalls her younger years, she puts into the picture how vital support is for abuse and trauma victims. Growing up with trauma, Delia identifies herself as a furious young woman. She carried so much anger that it wouldn't be hard for her to be aggressive to anyone. She was just waiting for somebody. If not for the direction she was taken to in her current career, Delia, in her own words, 'could easily be in prison right now.'

About Delia Ginorio:
Delia Ginorio is the Survivor Restoration Program Director for the San Francisco Sheriff's Department (SFSD) and a nationally recognized expert in criminal justice reform and approaches. Ms. Ginorio is a key leader in the award-winning Resolve to Stop the Violence Project (RSVP).  

Outline of the episode:
●     [02:03] One to three sessions are nothing in therapy

●     [08:46] Honoring Delia Ginorio's late mother

●     [14:21]Victims sometimes become perpetrators

●     [19:01] Delia Ginorio's limitations on animal abuse cases

●     [27:14] Violence isn't the answer

●     [32:42] Delia Ginorio – The hardest population for me to work with 

●     [38:19] It's healing and powerful for a survivor to share their stories and be heard

●     [43:11] It's easier to stay angry than to be deeply sad and hurt

●     [49:06] How does Delia find the balance between doing her work and not doing it

●     [55:07] But even some of the folks I thought were never going to change are my coworkers today!

Resources: 

DV Hotline #'s in San Francisco
 Woman Inc: (877) 384-3578
La Casa de las Madres: (877)503-1850
Riley Center: (415) 255-0165
SF Woman Against Rape: (415) 647-7273
 
Five Keys Schools and Programs
Community Works West – Justice Demands Humanity

RSVP Video Clip:
Resolve to Stop the Violence: Innovator's Focus
   
Domestic Violence Support and Resources
You are not alone. 24/7 help is available if you need support. Reach out for help if your partner or someone in your life is:
Putting you down
Hurting you
Threatening you
Making you feel afraid
In an emergency, call 911
If it is not safe to call 911, you can text 911.
24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 1-800-799-7233 anytime.

More Resources: https://bit.ly/3wiWZ2R

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk and Christine Forner break down dissociation, mindfulness, and securefulness. Even before becoming a therapist, Christine had always been exposed to trauma work. As she words it, Christine is someone whose more centered when around other people's challenges. Today, Christine helps us understand what securefulness means, the challenges to mindfulness and dissociation, why she believes mindfulness is our parent brain as humans, and much more. 

Dissociation and Mindfulness – Two Different Sides                                          

Christine, during the interview, describes how she's come to realize the polarity of dissociation and mindfulness as two opposing brain and body states. For her, dissociation is both concrete and abstract. The same thing with mindfulness. When a person is dissociative or mindful, either way, they'll experience feeling altered in the beginning. They think differently, hence why they're both in polar states.

Because they're two different points from two parallel extremes, aiming for the other while currently in the opposing state can often create a challenging transition. When a person is dissociated, a therapist suggesting mindfulness as an initial aid to the issue may seem like someone waking up a patient in the middle of open-heart surgery. 

About Christine Forner:

Christine Forner, B.A., B.S.W., M.S.W., R.S.W., has over thirty-five years of experience working with individuals with Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, Traumatic Dissociation, Developmental Trauma, and Dissociative Disorders. 

Christine started her career as a public educator for a sexual assault center, moving to a domestic violence center, and eventually was drawn to working at a feminist-based organization that focused on long-term counseling for women at a very low fee. It was here that she began her passion for working with individuals who experience traumatic dissociation.

Starting her own private practice in 2011, she has specialized training in EMDR, Ego State Therapy, Meditation, and Mindfulness for severely traumatized people and is a certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist. Receiving a degree in both Woman's Studies and Social Work, Christine has a unique background that helps individuals understand that much of human suffering is a side effect of an enormous number of traumatic experiences.

Christine teaches locally and at an international level on dissociation, complex trauma, the intersection of dissociation and mindfulness, as well as the role that misogyny and the patriarchy play in the origination and perpetuation of complex trauma dissociation, and the many layers of psychopathy.

Christine has won several Presidential awards, a Mid-Life career award, and is an International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation Fellow. She was the President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation in 2019, served on the board of the ISSTD since 2010, and was the ISSTD treasurer from 2012 to 2017.

Outline of the episode:

●     [03:37] Getting exposed to trauma at the age of 16

●     [05:33] My clients taught me how to be a therapist

●     [11:59]When and how did Christine get into mindfulness?

●     [18:00] When we're in a dissociative state…

●     [24:01] What does mindfulness feel like for someone whose extremely dissociative?

●     [30:37] Mindfulness is a relational thing

Resources & Articles Mentioned:
https://bit.ly/3y79iSr