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The thought of pursuing alternative therapies can be intimidating, especially when they involve psychedelic medicines. Yet with the right support, they may help people work through trauma and emotional blocks that traditional talk therapy alone can’t always address. Today, Gwendolyn Mitchell is joined by Courtney Watson, LMFT, Founder and CEO of Doorway Therapeutics, to discuss the role therapeutic psychedelics can play in healing. Courtney shares how ancestral guidance led her to psychedelic-assisted therapy and why representation matters as these treatments enter mainstream mental health care. She demystifies ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, explaining the role of assessment, preparation, and integration while addressing safety, addiction concerns, stigma, and barriers to access. Courtney also explores culturally affirming care, the importance of ceremony, and how therapy can support people navigating trauma, cancer, body changes, sexuality, grief, and end-of-life anxiety. Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about creating healing spaces that make room for the whole person.

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Introducing today’s guest, Courtney Watson, and her work with marginalized communities.

•    Why Courtney expanded her solo practice into a community-focused group practice.

•    How ancestral guidance led Courtney into psychedelic-assisted therapy.

•    The need for Black and queer providers as psychedelics enter mainstream care.

•    Doorway Therapeutics’ no-code-switching policy and the freedom to show up authentically.

•    How a postcolonial feminist lens shapes Courtney’s approach to therapy.

•    Why Courtney opened a legal ketamine clinic and how its therapeutic process works.

•    What ketamine-assisted therapy offers when talk therapy is not enough.

•    Ketamine safety, addiction concerns, and how it differs from ayahuasca.

•    The important role of ceremony and ancestral traditions in psychedelic healing.

•    Supporting people through cancer, body changes, sexuality, grief, and end of life.

•    Access to Doorways 501(c)(3) and its mission to subsidize psychedelic-assisted therapy.

•    How cost and stigma limit access to psychedelic therapy in Black communities.

•    Courtney’s love letter to her body as a physical archive of her ancestors.

Quotes:

“There needs to be queer and Black providers that are at the forefront with [these therapies] coming online to make sure that our people and our communities are also going to be able to receive all of the benefits that psychedelics have to offer.” — Courtney Watson [0:09:10]

“No code-switching allows for us to be a real community. And when we are a real community, as providers, then we really deeply get to understand how to serve the community that is our clients.” — Courtney Watson [0:14:55]

“A lot of the conversations, particularly in these times, that we're having around mental health, is that: ‘You are not the problem’. We are living on colonized land. We are living within colonized bodies and operating within colonized systems and structures, and that is hard.” — Courtney Watson [0:16:14]

“When I get to the place that [talk] therapy can't reach anymore, a lot of times that's related to trauma. It could be intergenerational trauma. It could be sexual trauma. There's a deep, deep repression, a deep anxiety, some sort of block, a place where it's like ‘talking is not going to get you through this.’” — Courtney Watson [0:22:26]

“The way that we hold the anxiety and the grief: that is what the therapeutic process is for. That's why we don't just give the medicine and leave you to it. You're held in a full container to be able to explore all of that before and/or after you are engaging with psychedelics.” — Courtney Watson [0:35:24]

“I am so proud to be a physical manifestation of my ancestors.” — Courtney Watson [0:43:09]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Courtney Watson

Courtney Watson on LinkedIn

Doorway Therapeutics

Doorway Therapeutics on Instagram

Doorway Therapeutics: IG guided reflection on the Doorway to Visibility

Access to Doorways 501(c)(3)

Access to Doorways 501(c)(3) on Instagram

Dianne M. Stewart

Dianne M. Stewart on LinkedIn

Words for the Dead: Part III — @‌rachel.grace.newman on Instagram

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
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Black women have the right to be understood, protected, and celebrated rather than dismissed, and the healthiest Black women begin as informed Black girls! Today, we welcome the founder of Aflo Health Foundation, Lisa Monroe, to discuss culturally responsive education and how she is empowering Black girls and women to advocate for their health through every stage of life. 

In this conversation, you’ll hear all about Lisa’s impressive 18-year career, when she became aware of the unique challenges Black women face in healthcare, what made her want to help Black girls grow into women who know and trust their bodies, and so much more! We delve into Aflo Health Foundation and how her daughters inspired its creation before discussing the concept of ‘body sovereignty’ and why it’s essential. 

Our guest touches on the exclusion of Black girls and women in mainstream healthcare, what culturally responsive health education looks like in practice, and how body confidence and understanding shift for Black women when they reclaim their lineage. She also talks us through her ‘empower, learn, and share’ model and tells us about her programs that support Black girls as they grow into women. Lisa even reminds us that healing begins with reconnecting to yourself and shares how she takes care of herself. Finally, she tells us what she hopes this work will achieve in the near future and reads us her own love letter to her body. Thanks for tuning in!  

 Key Points From This Episode:

•    Welcoming Lisa Monroe to the show and a bit about her career. 

•    When she became passionate about changing Black women’s health outcomes. 

•    What inspired her to create Aflo Health Foundation and what ‘Aflo’ means. 

•    A breakdown of what ‘body sovereignty’ means and why it’s so important. 

•    Culturally responsive health education and how it includes Black women.

•    What shifts for Black women when they start to understand their lineage. 

•    The three pillars of the Aflo model: Empower, learn, and share.  

•    What Body Sovereignty Camp is and what the girls learn from the experience.

•    How the A Flow Code and Aflo XOXO programs meet girls in different seasons. 

•    The kinds of questions Lisa is seeing girls ask and how she handles them.

•    What Lisa would say to a woman who wishes she had access to what she’s building. 

•    Why healing the body begins with knowing it and how Lisa takes care of herself. 

•    The world our guest is building towards with the work she is doing. 

•    What a young Black girl’s love letter to her body should include. 

Quotes:

“The real protection isn’t shielding – our girls from the world, that’s not realistic. It’s preparing them to move confidently through it.” — Lisa Monroe [0:06:05]

“Our bodies deserve to be understood and celebrated and protected rather than feared and shamed.” — Lisa Monroe [0:07:51]

“Our bodies aren’t problems to solve; they’re gifts we should understand and cherish, and I want every Black girl to grow up believing that.” — Lisa Monroe [0:08:10]

“I believe something beautiful happens when a girl realizes [she’s] part of a much larger story.” — Lisa Monroe [0:13:38]

“We can’t change what we weren’t taught, but we can choose what we reclaim and what we pass on from this moment forward.” — Lisa Monroe [0:21:36]

“One of the biggest mistakes we’ve made is believing we have to wait until Black women become patients before investing in their health.” — Lisa Monroe [0:26:17]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lisa Monroe on LinkedIn

Aflo Health Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
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In this episode, host Gwendolyn Mitchell — founder and President of Moyo Institute — steps away from the usual guest format to reflect on gratitude, offering heartfelt thanks to the sponsors, partner organizations, donors, volunteers, and community members who made the Love Letters to Our Bodies Day of Renewal a resounding success. Gwendolyn also introduces the 2026 Dynamic Sisters honorees and previews upcoming Moyo Institute programs.

In this episode, host Gwendolyn Mitchell — founder and President of Moyo Institute — steps away from the usual guest format to reflect on gratitude, offering heartfelt thanks to the sponsors, partner organizations, donors, volunteers, and community members who made the Love Letters to Our Bodies Day of Renewal a resounding success. Gwendolyn also introduces the 2026 Dynamic Sisters honorees and previews upcoming Moyo Institute programs.

•     Lloyd Symington Foundation — five-year supporter of the Love Letters to Our Bodies project, funding visionary cancer programs. Thanks to board members Toby Symington, Marion Werner, and Katrina Mayo.

•     Red Oak Opportunity Foundation (ROOF) — funded by realtor commissions from Red Oak Realty, ROOF support made the expansion from workshops into the Day of Renewal possible. Special thanks to Vanessa Bergman (owner, Red Oak Realty) and Catherine Stern (realtor, Red Oak Realty) for advocating for the project.

•     Kaiser Permanente, Office of Public Affairs — financial support, encouragement, and event bags for participants.

•     Charlotte Maxwell Clinic — five-year partner helping spread the word to clients. Thanks to former Executive Director Melbra Watts, current Director Ray Rieder, Medical Director Nishanga Bliss (ear seed treatments), and Sachi.

•     East Bay Healing House — provided Reiki treatments and a sound bath for participants. Founded by Adriana Parrish.

•     Black Ladies Advocating for Cancer Care (BLACC) — research partners with Stanford Medicine Office of Community Engagement on a Food as Medicine project. Thanks to Stanford representative Barakah and Food Indy founder Suzette Chaumette.

•     Esencia Botanicals; Marina Bay Melville Farmers Market; Eris Picks; Salsa Yucatecas; Cand-Ginger Beer; Willis Dog Treats

•     All Health and Beauty (Chu Teng, founder) — micro-facial demonstrations featuring skincare products from Jeju Island, Korea

•     Lucky Stores — raffle gift certificate

•     Trader Joe's — raffle groceries

•     Berkeley Rep Theatre — raffle tickets

•     Jerome Brunet — coffee table book Into the Light, gifted to volunteer coordinator Dr. Cindy LeBlanc

•     DoubleTree by Hilton — two-night room stay with breakfast and parking for a 2026 Dynamic Sister

•     Marriott Oakland City Center — two-night room stay with breakfast for a 2026 Dynamic Sister

•     Claremont Resort and Club — $150 meal voucher for a 2026 Dynamic Sister, paired with a one-night DoubleTree stay

•     Cindy Howell (certified health coach) — two bioresonance scans

•     Jennifer Grobe — energy psychology tapping session

•     Kitava Kitchen — meal gift certificate

•     White Lotus Thai Cuisine (Albany) — meal gift certificate

•     Dr. Chiquita Tuttle (BLACC) — electronic blood pressure monitors for the raffle

•     Moyo Institute board members Ellen Goodman, Bill Pegg, Helen Eliades, and Dr. Lucretia Bolin — funded four $100 Amazon gift certificates for the raffle

Event volunteers were coordinated by Dr. Cindy LeBlanc, with support from Miranda Mallard, Roshunda Collins, and Rosemary Ongpin. Pre-event support came from Patricia Hansen, Sandy at the Beach, Catherine Stern, and Chu Tang.

•     Reverend Jackie Mungo — Founder, The Healing Institute Global Network

•     Juanita Waugh — Co-Founder, Black Ladies Advocating for Cancer Care

•     Melody Johnson — Founder, Hart to Heart Food Pantry

Each woman who attended the Day of Renewal received an inspirational card deck spanning four categories: Loving My Body, Reclaiming My Power, Activating My Spirit, and Restoring My Joy.

•     Love Notes to Self: Every Cell Is Listening — a four-hour workshop exploring the relationship between emotions and the body's healing process. Next session: August 8 - https://buytickets.at/moyoinstituteinc/2219375

•     Love Letters to Our Bodies Workshop — a deeper, two-day healing experience. Next session: September.

Learn more and stay connected: moyoinstitute.org

Questions or topic suggestions for future episodes? Reach out to Moyo Institute at [email protected] or 510-904-4069.

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
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Sometimes the strongest pathway to better health starts within the communities we trust most. In this episode, Gwendolyn Mitchell is joined by Michelle Moseley, Program Manager of Health Education and Community Outreach at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Marion Harris, nurse, educator, and faith health leader, for an important conversation about the role faith communities can play in improving health outcomes for Black women facing cancer. Together, they explore how partnerships between healthcare institutions and churches can help close gaps in access, education, and support, particularly in communities that have historically been underserved. Michelle shares how UCSF approaches community outreach, health education, and long-term engagement to advance health equity, while Marion reflects on how her own breast cancer journey shaped her commitment to faith-based health advocacy. The conversation also explores the healing role of faith communities, barriers created by systemic inequities, and why community connection can be a powerful part of navigating illness. Listen in for a thoughtful discussion on health, healing, and caring for the whole person.

 Key Points From This Episode:

•    Introducing today’s guests, Michelle Moseley and Marion Harris.

•    An overview of UCSF’s cancer education and cancer information programs.

•    The difference between outreach, health education, and long-term community engagement.

•    Marion’s breast cancer journey and what led her into faith-based health advocacy.

•    How faith communities help improve health outcomes for Black women with cancer.

•    The unique role churches play in providing care, support, and community connection.

•    Healing versus curing and the importance of supporting the whole person.

•    Health inequities and why Black women face disproportionate cancer disparities.

•    Finding support and community while navigating a broken healthcare system.

•    How faith communities help address barriers to healthier lifestyle changes.

•    The importance of meeting people where they are when supporting healing journeys.

•    UCSF’s faith-based partnerships and community health education resources.

•    Reflections on slowing down, self-care, and caring for mind, body, and spirit.

Quotes:

“This work is a product of my life. I'm a breast cancer survivor, having had my first diagnosis in my late 20s.” — Marion Harris [0:07:45]

“This work is so necessary in my opinion, and I don't even see it as work, as for me it's a mission and a calling, and something that I just have to be involved in.” — Marion Harris [0:10:19]

“Sometimes when we're talking healing, we're really saying cure, because we want the disease to just go away, but there's not always a cure. But healing can be threefold: mind, body, and spirit.” — Marion Harris [0:17:15]

“Black people have the highest death rate for many cancers: breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, which are some of the most common cancers, and each of them has screening tests for possible early detection, early diagnosis. Unfortunately, we have a broken healthcare system.” — Michelle Moseley [0:23:25]

“There are many things against us. There are also many people and resources that can help get us through.” — Michelle Moseley [0:26:01]

“The most important thing is to honor the person, meet them where they are.” — Marion Harris [0:35:04]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Michelle Moseley on LinkedIn

Marion Harris on LinkedIn

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC)

UCSF HDFCCC Office of Community Engagement

Connect with the UCSF HDFCCC Office of Community Engagement

UCSF Faith & Health Communities Committee

UCSF Community Advisory Board

UCSF Abundant Life Health Ministries Network

Michelle Moseley email

Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal

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No one should have to face cancer alone. In this episode, Gwendolyn Mitchell welcomes Reverend Jackie Mungo, Founder of the Healing Institute Global Network, to share the personal journey that transformed her life and inspired a decade of service to individuals and families impacted by cancer. Jackie reflects on her own experience with misdiagnosis, the loss of her husband to cancer, and the calling that led her to create a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that no one faces cancer alone. Together, she and Gwendolyn explore the challenges patients encounter at the earliest stages of diagnosis, the importance of advocacy and emotional support, and the health disparities that continue to affect women of color. Jackie also shares how companionship, spiritual support, and community connection can help people navigate uncertainty and find hope throughout the cancer journey. Listen in for an inspiring conversation about resilience, healing, and the power of showing up for one another.

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Introducing today’s guest, Reverend Jackie Mungo, and her work within the field of cancer.

•    What healing means to Jackie and the vision behind the Healing Institute Global Network.

•    Why misdiagnosis remains one of the biggest challenges in cancer care.

•    Jackie’s treatment companionship service and the power of having someone by your side.

•    How spiritual support helps people navigate a cancer diagnosis.

•    Health disparities and barriers that affect women of color.

•    Why cultural understanding and humility matter in healthcare settings.

•    How the Healing Institute's fashion show empowers cancer survivors.

•    Jackie’s message for anyone facing a new cancer diagnosis.

•    Reflections on self-love, joy, and living life to the fullest.

Quotes:

“I was always told that I had a healing in me—a healing presence.” — Jackie Mungo [0:06:24]

“I offer my service to go with them, and I take them, and I sit with them, I take notes, and just be that extra listening ear, and also to ask questions that people don't even think to ask. Because I've been there before, and know the ropes.” — Jackie Mungo [0:10:30]

“You don't think sometimes that what you do matters until people come back and say that it really does.” — Jackie Mungo [0:17:18]

“I don't want anybody to go through the cancer diagnosis by themselves.” — Jackie Mungo [0:20:07]

“Be kind to yourself, enjoy yourself, love on yourself, and just do all the things that make you happy.” — Jackie Mungo [0:21:57]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jackie Mungo on LinkedIn

The Healing Institute Global Network

The Healing Institute Global Network | Past Events

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
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Many of the struggles we carry as adults have roots in the experiences that shaped us as children. In this episode of the Love Letters to Our Bodies podcast, Gwendolyn Mitchell welcomes psychologist, author, and spiritual teacher Dr. Brenda Wade for a deeply personal conversation about healing the lasting impact of trauma and reclaiming a sense of wholeness. An internationally recognized speaker and executive trainer, Dr. Wade combines science, psychology, and personal evolution in her approach to healing and well-being. Reflecting on her own upbringing and decades of work supporting others, Dr. Wade shares insights into the connection between emotional pain, physical health, and spiritual well-being. She and Gwendolyn discuss the effects of harsh parenting, racism, addiction, and intergenerational trauma, while also exploring the role of community and compassionate relationships in the healing process. From learning to regulate the nervous system to developing a more loving relationship with ourselves, this conversation offers powerful reminders that healing is possible at any stage of life. Listen in for an honest conversation about healing old wounds and building a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Introducing licensed psychologist, author, and spiritual teacher Dr. Brenda Wade.

•    The childhood experiences that shaped her life's work in healing and psychology.

•    How trauma, racism, and family history can affect future generations.

•    The lasting impact of harsh parenting on emotional and nervous system health.

•    What Dr. Wade learned from reconnecting with Africa and her ancestral roots.

•    Why remembering and sharing our stories is part of the healing process.

•    Addiction as an attempt to numb pain and the importance of recovery support.

•    How unhealed trauma, racism, and stress continue to affect communities today.

•    A simple heart-centered practice for finding calm, connection, and support.

•    Finding the people who help us heal and see our potential.

•    Breaking cycles of harm and creating healthier futures for the next generation.

•    The powerful connection between relationship health and physical well-being.

•    Learning to embrace your worth and cultivate self-love.

Quotes:

“When you have that trauma, first in the family, the grandparents, my parents, there's no way not to feel it. And what it does over time is it creates chronic anxiety. Chronic anxiety turns into chronic depression.” — @drbrendawade [0:06:27]

“I'm telling my story, because if we don't tell it, we can't heal. It stays inside us, and it's suppressed.” — @drbrendawade[0:13:36]

“I love the 12-step programs, because it's about spiritual wholeness.” — @drbrendawade [0:17:21]

“We are not stuck with any patterns if we make the choice to address the pattern.” — @drbrendawade [0:23:17]

“If you have children, you have to do that work. You have to do your work, so you don't harm them and make the next generation suffer.” — @drbrendawade [0:28:29]

“Just tap your sternum. Let that heart do its work. The heart is a healer if we allow it to do the healing.” — @drbrendawade [0:37:21]

“We all have possibilities; we all have ways that we can let our light shine.” — @drbrendawade [0:44:35]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Brenda Wade

Dr. Brenda Wade on LinkedIn

Dr. Brenda Wade on YouTube

Dr. Brenda Wade on Instagram

Dr. Brenda Wade on Facebook

Dr. Brenda Wade on X

Modern Love & Relationship Training

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
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[00:00:00] Hello fam The DNA of the Love Letters to Our Bodies podcast is made up of heart-centered and heartfelt conversations on health, healing, and happiness by, for, and about Black women. As we enter Season 4, I want to thank you all for listening, for sharing with friends and your family members, and ask you to follow us and send us your feedback.

What do you want to hear about? What's important to you? If you know of a sister who would make a great guest, let us know. We're slowly building an archive of sisters making important and meaningful [00:01:00] contributions to the lives of others, and there are so, so many unsung sheroes. Help us to put their voices on the map.

We'll start Season 4 with a conversation with Dr. Brenda Wade on Healing Childhood Trauma. We'll speak with Jackie Mungo regarding her personal journey that led her to establish the Healing Institute Global Network. We'll be having a conversation with Michelle Mosley and Marion Harris, both of UCSF about the Cancer Education and Community Engagement Program at UCSF.

And you'll enjoy a conversation that we'll have with ChyTea of the [00:02:00] Wellness Tribe about Kemetic yoga. We'll be speaking with a young sister by the name of Roshonda Parker of Royal Touch Wellness about massage and healing. And we'll speak with Courtney Watson of Doorway Therapeutics about psychedelic-assisted therapy… and much, much more.

In fact, we may even broadcast live from the Love Letters to Our Bodies: Day of Renewal Wellness Summit on Friday, July 17th in Oakland. Our partners for that event are Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, Black Ladies Advocating for Cancer Care, and East Bay Healing House. And our sponsors are the Lloyd Symington Foundation, the Red Oak Opportunity Foundation, and Kaiser Permanente.

So, we have quite a [00:03:00] bit of very interesting, information to share with you, beautiful conversations to share with you, and we invite you to join us for Season 4. Remember, this is Love Letters to Our Bodies A podcast of conversations on health, healing, and happiness by, for, and about Black women.

We look forward to having you with us for Season 4. Thank you

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
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Healing often begins in the moments when someone feels safe, supported, and truly cared for. In this episode of the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies podcast, Gwendolyn Mitchell is joined by Maggie Burgett, a certified Healing Touch practitioner and longtime volunteer supporting people in cancer treatment. She is also trained as a Compassion Ambassador through the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). Drawing on years of experience volunteering at Stanford Hospital and serving on the board of Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, Maggie shares how energy-based practices can help people reconnect with their bodies and move through illness with greater calm and compassion. Together, they explore what Healing Touch is, how it works with the body’s energetic system, and why practices like Reiki, mindfulness, and Tai Chi can play an important role alongside traditional medical care. The conversation also touches on trauma stored in the body, the importance of intentional listening, compassionate presence, and why healing often begins by slowing down enough to truly pay attention to ourselves. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation about energy healing, compassion, and what it means to care for the whole person.

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Introducing Healing Touch practitioner Maggie Burgett and her journey into energy healing.

•    The origins of Stanford’s Healing Partners supportive care program.

•    What Healing Touch is and how it works alongside traditional medical care.

•    Exploring the similarities between Healing Touch and Reiki.

•    How Healing Touch works with the body’s energetic system to support healing.

•    The connection between trauma, blocked energy, and physical symptoms.

•    Research on Healing Touch benefits, including its role in reducing anxiety and pain.

•    What Maggie witnesses in clients during and after healing sessions.

•    How Tai Chi, mindfulness, and self-compassion support healing work.

•    Charlotte Maxwell Clinic’s commitment to accessible integrative cancer care.

•    Reflections on the Love Letters to Our Bodies workshops.

•    How compassion training deepened Maggie’s healing and listening practices.

•    Maggie’s heartfelt love letter to her own body.

Quotes:

“In basic terms, healing touch is a relaxing, nurturing energy therapy. It uses gentle touch to assist in balancing the client's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.” — Maggie Burgett [0:10:47]

“Healing touch works with your energy field to support your natural ability to heal. It's safe for all ages and works in harmony with standard medical care.” — Maggie Burgett [0:11:17]

“The body is a beautiful machine, and if we get out of the way and let it do what it knows how to do, then there's a better chance that it can heal itself.” — Maggie Burgett [0:22:21]

“Healing touch sessions provide healing for the practitioner, as well.” — Maggie Burgett [0:29:39]

“Everybody should have access to integrative care because it complements standard medical care and is part of the whole healing of the body.” — Maggie Burgett [0:34:38]

“Thank you, dear body, for your strength and resilience, for making me pay attention to you, and setting me straight when I wander.” — Maggie Burgett [0:42:30]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Maggie Burgett

Maggie Burgett on LinkedIn

Healing Beyond Borders

San Francisco Bay Area Healing Touch Community

Stanford Medicine: Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE)

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic: Integrative Cancer Care

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn

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In this solo session, host Gwen Mitchell explores the groundbreaking science of Dr. Candace Pert and her landmark work on Molecules of Emotion— and what it means for Black and African American women navigating health, healing, and cancer.

What You'll Learn

• What peptides are and why they matter for your health
• The story of Dr. Candace Pert and her discovery of the opiate receptor in the 1970s
• How emotions create real chemical messengers in the body — and travel to every cell
• What happens when emotions get chronically blocked and how it can affect the immune system
• Why releasing emotions (tears, laughter, honest conversation) supports the body's capacity to heal
• The concept of the BodyMind — one integrated system, not two separate things
• Three practical steps you can take right now to begin supporting your emotional and physical health

Three Places to Start

1.     Give yourself permission to feel — fear, grief, anger, exhaustion, hope. Journal, allow tears, use prayer and creative expression to move emotion through the body rather than storing it.

2.     Change the conversation with your body — notice how you speak to yourself. Begin to introduce something softer: gratitude, gentleness, love. Your body hears every word.

Come into community — human connection changes our chemistry. You are not meant to walk this road alone.

Featured Work

• Molecules of Emotion by Dr. Candace Pert

About the Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc., a nonprofit offering heart-centered educational experiences, and the Lloyd Symington Foundation, which supports visionary grassroots cancer programs.

Connect

• Website: moyoinstitute.org
• Follow on social media & subscribe so you don't miss an episode
• Have a topic you'd like discussed? Let them know!

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How can herbalism go beyond traditional medicine to meet our needs? During this episode, Gwendolyn Mitchell interviews a guest with rich knowledge about Black North American Herbalism, particularly as it pertains to women going through a health crisis. Shereel Washington is an accomplished herbalist and serves as the principal of Ixalted Natural Body Care and Botanicals, a health and body restorative herbal business that specializes in creating customized herbal formulations to support and restore overall health and wellness. Join us as she shares how her multi-faceted background in dance, martial arts, and herbalism, as first taught to her by her grandmother, has informed her life and work. Next, we dive into the details of how she uses herbalism to support women according to their symptoms, constitution, and needs. Lastly, Shereel offers some pearls of wisdom for women in the middle of a health journey of any kind: start where you are with what you have.

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Shereel’s background as a herbalist, martial artist, dance teacher, and performer. 

•    How she came up with the name Ixalted after running an arts program with her husband, called Ixalt.

•    Shereel’s first herbal teacher: her grandmother.

•    How Ixalted customizes herbal remedies specific to the symptoms, constitution, and needs of her clients. 

•    Why it is important to Shereel to preserve the history and knowledge of Black North American herbalism. 

•    What herbs can offer to women in the middle of health crises that other medicines cannot. 

•    Herbal remedies to support the cancer healing process. 

•    How Shereel’s work helps women to take care of themselves productively.

•    Limitations that women of color experience when exploring plant medicine.

•    Advice for women in the middle of a health journey. 

Quotes: 

“Herbs are meant to first change our internal terrain.” — Shereel Washington [0:31:01]

“Herbs invite us to – [be] more introspective and say, ‘what change, even if it’s one change, can I make to improve the quality of my life?’” —  Shereel Washington [0:43:55]

“Taking care of yourself is productive. Noticing your body so that you can continue to do the things that you love but also to walk in a way that’s going to help you not cross that threshold of harm to yourself and to be able to know when you need to pull back to take care.” —  Shereel Washington [0:46:59]

“You have more time than you think. Pay attention to what’s inside you and around you. You have more available than you realize. It’s not over until God says it’s over.” —  Shereel Washington [0:55:51]

“Know that you have more time than you think and try [not to] allow fear to be the boss.” —  Shereel Washington [0:57:00]

 Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Shereel Washington on Instagram
Shereel Washington on LinkedIn
Ixalted Natural Body Care and Botanicals

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute