When We Speak

On today's episode I am with Dr. Philip Butler. We discuss his introduction to IFS and what he's learned about himself and others, the Seekr App, his hope for IFS and the Black community, our faith evolution, and so so much more. This is such a breathtakingly truthful conversation and I feel honored to have had the opportunity.

Philip Butler is an international scholar whose work primarily focuses on the intersections of neuroscience, technology, spirituality and Blackness. He uses the wisdom of these spaces to engage in critical and constructive analysis on Black posthumanism, artificial intelligence and pluriversal future realities. He is also the founder of the Seekr Project, a distinctly Black conversational artificial intelligence with mental health capacities. Philip has theorized artificial cognitive architectures for synthetic evolving life forms (SELF), presented on emotionally regulating and spiritual experience inducing brain computer interfaces, and has constructed block chain protocols and conceptual logistics infrastructures for a world leader in the industrial hemp space. 

Today's episode is with Chris Burris and we discuss all things IFS and his new book, Creating Healing Circles: Using the Internal Family Systems Model in Facilitating Groups. During the conversation we also discuss

--the two types of healing that must take place in a person's life

--how Chris learned to navigate difficult stages that occur within group dynamics

-- what Chris wishes people understood about IFS

--how he creates safety in Black and Brown-centered training spaces

Chris Burris (M.Ed, LCMHCS, LMFT) is a Senior Lead Trainer for the Internal Family Systems Institute where he provides Level I, II, and III trainings in the IFS model. He has been an IFS Therapist since 1999 and a practicing psychotherapist since 1987. Chris is trained as a Marriage and Family Therapist and uses a mind-body approach to psychotherapy. He has worked extensively with children, adolescents, couples, individuals, and organizations. In addition, he has facilitated groups on topics such as men's issues, sacred activism, rite of passage, couples, healthy relationships, performance enhancement for artists, and bullying. Since 1990, he has been an active participant with men's groups and rites of passage programs. He also facilitates consultation and supervision groups for trained therapists. In addition to being a psychotherapist, Chris has trained in many nature bases models with Animus Valley institute, School of Lost Borders, The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and The Center for Conscious Eldering. Chris has been featured on multiple podcasts such as "IFS Talks", "The One Inside: An Internal Family Systems Podcast", "Truth, Love, and Beauty", and "Bossy, Brilliant, and Badass". He currently lives in Asheville, NC with his wife, Deena, and their daughters where they enjoy being active in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

In this week's conversation I am back with one of my closest friends, Monica DiCristina, LPC as we share personal stories in the form of heart talk.  

In this episode, Tasha and Monica combine their years of training and therapeutic practice to address this all too often oversimplified question: What does it really mean to love yourself? It is  our way of answering the questions stemming from one of the most foundational parts of mental health - loving and accepting yourself. I also briefly discuss Internal Family Systems and what it means to connect with Self during the healing process.

Monica DiCristina is a therapist with over fifteen years of experience in mental health. She runs a private practice in Atlanta, GA serving individuals and couples in therapy. Monica walks with people as they process difficult experiences, helping to bring healing to their relationship with themselves and others. She became a therapist after one changed her life in her early twenties, deciding she wanted to pass along the same hope and healing she experienced. The intersection of her years of therapy experience, her personal journey, and her faith inform her perspective.

In addition to her work in the therapy office, Monica carries out her heartfelt mission to collaborate with others in their process of healing, hope, and becoming through her Still Becoming podcast, writing, speaking, and as co-creator of the here app. Monica lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children, as well as their dog Sweetie.

In today's episode I am with Max Smothers ( they/them, he/him) and we discuss their earliest memories of questioning their gender and sexuality, barriers faced in their journey, family and friend support, what they wish the Black community understood about being queer and trans, and their recommendations for parents of trans youth, plus their experiences in college. Max Smothers is a junior at Columbia College Chicago. Max is a Creative Writing major and a Fine Arts minor. They are a nonbinary, LGBTQ+ artist and science fiction writer. They describe their work as wanting to be the loudest in the room.

Today's convo is with Toko-pa Turner. We discuss her book, "Belonging" and  I get to read some of my favorite passages of her book which was transformative for my healing journey. We also discuss how she's practicing belonging today, what inspired the creation of "Belonging", and her gift of being a dreamworker. Blending the mystical tradition of Sufism in which she was raised with a Jungian approach to dreamwork, Toko-pa founded the Dream School in 2001 from which thousands of students have since graduated.

She is the author of the award-winning book, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home, which explores the themes of exile and the search for belonging. Sometimes called a Midwife of the Psyche, Toko-pa’s work focuses on restoring the feminine, reconciling paradox, and facilitating grief & ritual practice. 

Today's convo is with my very good friend Marta and this is her second time appearing on the podcast. We discuss our queerness, religious upbringing, her introduction into polyamory and ethically non-monogamous relationships, the values that she brings into her work as an IFS clinician, and what she's learned about love because of her identity and relationships.

Marta has been immersed in IFS since 2013, she was legally trafficked from Colombia as an infant and now specializes in helping her community move through healing from adoption trauma, racial trauma and CPTSD. She is passionate about adopted and displaced people having the tools they need to be able to build and maintain healthy relationships, most importantly with themselves and all their parts. Marta is also passionate about speaking about queerness and polyamorous relationships.

For anyone who would like to reach out to Marta, email her at [email protected]

Today's episode is with three women who have deconstructed their faith and beliefs, are on a continued journey to become anti-racist, and they use their voice to advocate for marginalized and oppressed communities. I asked them to come on my podcast because I wanted to hear about their journey, which included a lot of loss, grief, trauma, and healing. We also discuss:

Who or what influenced their deconstructing faith journey

What they lost and gained along the way

 Questions they have about God today

Today's conversation is with my friend Nicki Pappas and we are discussing her  forthcoming memoir, As Familiar As Family. We also discuss her experiences with spiritual trauma and other traumas,  deconstructing her faith, what it means to have an embodied faith.

Today's episode is all about what I learned and what I wish I would have known while self-publishing my book, What Children Remember. The past 2 years of witnessing my book reach people all over the world has amazed me in ways I can't describe. Thank you to every person who has supported me, shared my book, and reached out to let me know that my story resonated with you.