Ritual Sisters

By Michelle Garcia and Kelly Gonynor

The show where we help you feel more grounded and connected through the magic of ritual! Two licensed therapists in conversation with experts in various fields from artists to comedians and more. We c... more

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FAQs about Ritual Sisters:

How many episodes does Ritual Sisters have?

The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.

Ritual Sisters episodes:

August 24, 2025 Episode 15: On Yoga with Susanna Barkataki
What are the roots of yoga? How can yoga help us fire up to engage in activism and our communities? How can we practice yoga if we don’t fit into the images we most commonly see of yoga practitioners? In today’s episode, we speak with Susanna Barkataki, certified yoga therapist and Ayurvedic practitioner, #1 bestselling author, and founder of Ignite & Yoke Yoga. Susanna dives into topics from her books, Embrace Yoga’s Roots and Ignite Your Yoga, to help us understand what yoga is all about and how everyone can use rituals within yogic philosophy to enhance their lives.

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
Embrace Yoga’s Roots
https://www.susannabarkataki.com/book
Ignite Your Yoga
https://www.susannabarkataki.com/iyy
Susanna TED Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37-I8A6iXY
8 Limbs of Yoga
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/the-8-limbs-of-yoga#bottom-line

...more
53min
August 10, 2025 Episode 14: On Gender Identity with Cass Howlett, LPCC
How can we explore and understand our gender identity? How can we support people in our lives who are questioning their gender? In today’s episode, we speak with Cass Howlett (they/them/theirs), a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate and Dance/Movement Therapist to answer these questions and more! Cass works for The Rainbow Circles, an LGBTQIA+ led and affirming therapy practice in Fort Collins, Colorado. They share many wonderful insights into how members of the trans and cis communities can explore and affirm gender identity!

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
The Rainbow Circles
https://www.therainbowcircles.com/
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611537/beyond-the-gender-binary-by-alok-vaid-menon-illustrated-by-ashley-lukashevsky/
Neuroqueer Heresies by Dr. Nick Walker
https://neuroqueer.com/neuroqueer-heresies/
“Sort Of” - HBO Max
https://www.hbomax.com/shows/sort-of/fd2a57e4-c0cc-497f-9989-34971877ff41
Ballez
https://www.youtube.com/@ballez.company

...more
51min
July 27, 2025 Episode 13: On Conscious Traveling with Paige McClanahan
How can we connect with the culture and people of the places we visit? How can we be stewards of the environment while traveling? In today’s episode, we speak with travel writer, speaker and author of “The New Tourist,” Paige McClanahan. She has worked as a journalist, reporting from more than a dozen countries, and is now shifting her focus towards travel writing. Paige talks about the ways that we can engage more deeply in our travels, approach new people and places with curiosity, and be a more respectful tourist overall.

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
The New Tourist
https://www.paigemcclanahan.com/book
Paige’s Newsletter
https://www.paigemcclanahan.com/newsletter
Black Paris Walking Tours
https://blackparistour.com/

...more
46min
July 13, 2025 Episode 12: On Youth Mental Health with Justin Romano, MD
How can we help our youth navigate childhood/adolescence in the age of technology? What is the impact of technology on mental health? How can families successfully navigate mental health diagnoses? We dig into all of this and more with Dr. Justin Romano, child/adolescent psychiatrist and co-host of Millennial Mental Health Chats Podcast! He answers all of your burning questions about kiddos and mental health - from ADHD/Autism Spectrum diagnoses to medication to setting limits on screen time.

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
Justin TED Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ldLwkj4dRc
“Stolen Focus” by Johann Hari
https://stolenfocusbook.com/
“The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt
https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book
“Lifestyle psychiatry”
https://www.appi.org/Products/General-Interest/Lifestyle-Psychiatry

...more
57min
June 29, 2025 Episode 11: On Military Culture with Jerry Pierson, LPCC and retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant
How can we better support the military and their families? How can people feel more confident transitioning into and out of the military? In today’s episode, we talk about these questions and more with Jerry Pierson. Jerry is a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant and current Licensed Practical Counselor. He is working on his PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision and focusing his dissertation on foreign-born military spouses.

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
SkillBridge
https://skillbridge.osd.mil/
International Association for Resiliency and Trauma Counseling
https://iartc.org/
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
www.niwrc.org

...more
41min
June 15, 2025 Episode 10: On Birding with Hannah Wurster, PhD
How can birding help us feel more connected and committed to the natural world? Who gets to call themselves a “birder”? We discuss this and more in this week’s episode with Hannah Wurster, PhD. Hannah is a Early Childhood Mental Health expert and birding enthusiast. She discusses how she fits birding into a busy schedule of being a full time working toddler mom - and how you can too!

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
“The Bird Way” by Jennifer Ackerman
https://www.jenniferackermanauthor.com/the-bird-way
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
https://www.aldoleopold.org/products/a-sand-county-almanac
Invisibilia Saving the Whales Episode
https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/812703083/two-heartbeats-a-minute
Merlin Birding App
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/?utm_source=adgrant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=merlin&utm_content=birdidapp&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=367929544&gbraid=0AAAAADzNbpx6-E__fRZTy__Ct6xep-G0Z&gclid=CjwKCAjw3f_BBhAPEiwAaA3K5JYrTkxmSgL-uJgwznUXBplY76Jt46sdh9Ariw1Q5oMWb0zNV3ZDdBoCU8wQAvD_BwE

...more
47min
June 01, 2025 Episode 9: How Can I Connect More to My Spirituality?
How do we slow down and notice what’s happening within and around us? How do we build a great connection to the universe? On today’s episode, we speak with spiritual mentors, Jon and Susan Hokama. We talk about spending time in nature, ancestral wisdom, and getting comfortable with the unknown.
Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram
Resources from today’s episode:
Center for Action and Contemplation
https://cac.org/
Wisdom and Money
https://wisdomandmoney.org/
“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
http://www.phys.unm.edu/~tw/fas/yits/archive/oliver_wildgeese.html

...more
57min
May 18, 2025 Episode 8: How Can I Build a Better Relationship With My Body?
Today we interview Layra Marte, a boudoir photographer based out of NYC and founder of Layra Marz Photography. We take a deep dive into ways to get comfortable with yourself, honor your body how it is right now, and listen to what you need.
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod
Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Resources from today’s episode:
Layra Marz Photography https://www.layramarz.com/
Shauna Shapiro Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeblJdB2-Vo
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/
The Body is Not an Apology https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/books/the-body-is-not-an-apology-the-power-of-radical-self-love-h2x6p
Kimberly Lucht coaching www.kimberlylucht.com/about
Love Your Body Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3iy792hWM3ipUN7KapTKxK?si=JJZgkGHNT6qQVljYdJ6blg

...more
56min
May 04, 2025 Episode 7: How Do I Build Better Relationships?
How do we make time for connection in a busy world? How do we rebuild connection after a difficult time? In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Tasha Seiter, founder of Heart of the Matter Therapy to unpack simple but effective ways that we can build better relationships right now. We talk about issues that come up in couples therapy, Dr. Seiter’s favorite rituals she’s learned from her clients, how families can be more intentional in how they move through their lives and so much more!

Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod on instagram

Resources from today’s episode:
Heart of the Matter Therapy
https://marriage-counseling-fort-collins.com/about/
The Gottman Institute
https://www.gottman.com/
Sensate Focus
https://www.smsna.org/patients/did-you-know/what-is-sensate-focus-and-how-does-it-work

...more
1h
April 20, 2025 Episode 6: How Can I Be Brave and Keep Learning?
On today’s episode we have professor Emerita of Indiana State University, Iris Rosa Santiago. She shares her wisdom from 43 years of running the African American Dance Company as well as starting a dance studio and company in her retirement! Iris has studied and taught dance all over the world and talks to us about expanding creative vocabulary, getting brave, and humbling ourselves. We also talk about how dance can help us literally and figuratively move through transitions.
Follow us: @ritualsisterspod
Contact us: ritualsisterspod.com
Resources from today’s episode:
Iris Rosa Dance Studio https://www.irisrosadance.com/
African American Dance Company and Indiana State University (Directed by Stafford C. Berry Jr) https://aaai.indiana.edu/ensembles/dance/index.html
...more
58min

FAQs about Ritual Sisters:

How many episodes does Ritual Sisters have?

The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.