Conversations With a Wounded Healer

Christine Leone, LCSW, has experience shining a light on realities folks would rather leave in the dark. As a child, she and her family left liberal NYC for Portland, OR, the little-big city advertised as a cultural and political utopia. In actuality, life in that PNW paradise was anything but. Christine and her family discovered that the city's progressive patina obscured a very different––and dangerous––reality. "Under the guise of liberalism, there's definite, blatant racism," she says, adding, "but I've discovered also that that's kind of everywhere." Christine argues that it's the less blatant, passive-aggressive racism embedded in well-meaning care systems that takes a more insidious toll. GUEST BIO Christine Leone has been a social worker and therapist since 2008. She was born in New York City, lived in Portland, OR, and has been settled in the Chicago area for over 20 years. For the last several years, she has been focused on creating a sense of home after divorce and seeking balance between self-care and community care while providing healing spaces for others. She currently lives with her eight-year-old son and partner of five years. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy NEW: Check out our cute new merch items!https://tinyurl.com/CWHmerch

When I say there's a palpable spiritual quality running through Anne's chat with Dr. Isha McKenzie-Mavinga, it's not me getting all woo-woo as I'm wont to do. Dr. Isha is an integrative transcultural psychotherapist, trainer, and supervisor in the UK with over three decades of professional experience. She's a lecturer, writer, and Reiki master as well as a published author, poet, editor, and, as Anne puts it so well, an amazing human. The profoundly intimate cadence of this conversation no doubt stems from Dr. Isha's role as Anne's mentor. But the mentee has to meet the mentor halfway; they have to pick up what the mentor is putting down. GUEST BIO Dr. Isha McKenzie-Mavinga has thirty-three years experience as a Transcultural Psychotherapist, Supervisor, Lecturer, Writer, and Reiki Master. As a published writer & poet, she is the author of 'Black Issues in the Therapeutic Process' (2009) and 'The Challenge of Racism in Therapeutic Practice' (2016). She also co-authored an autobiography, contributed papers and poetry to several anthologies, and most recently co-edited and presented in 'Therapy in Colour' (2023). Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy NEW: Check out our cute new merch items!https://tinyurl.com/CWHmerch

How's your nervous system these days? Oof. I don't ask to provoke. Still, I understand that the question can stir up immediate and unpleasant vibrations deep in the marrow, feelings that cannot be put into words. And that's okay. In fact, it's evolutionary. Courtney Rolfe is a psychotherapist, trainer, and speaker who has spent much of her professional career translating the language of Polyvagal Theory, those adaptive behavioral strategies that all mammals access to varying degrees. While the theory behind our vagus nerve's role in emotional, relational, and fight-or-flight responses is a modern field of study, that bone-deep knowledge is ancient wisdom, according to Courtney, and has always guided our lived experience. She's here to help us put language to that spine-tingly, unconscious knowing and become more aware of our agency in the process. GUEST BIO Courtney Rolfe is a psychotherapist, trainer, and speaker who uses the wisdom of the nervous system to guide and inform her clinical work. Courtney is passionate about teaching other healing professionals about the nervous system through the lens of the Polyvagal Theory. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy NEW: Check out our cute new merch items!https://tinyurl.com/CWHmerch

We're in it now, folks: the first episode of the rest of our lives. And, oh my, does Anne bring the sauce. Even better, her first guest delivers the spice! Dee Albert is a UK-based psychotherapist and trainee supervisor offering both long and short-term therapy plus group and individual supervision focused on navigating the impact of racism, the challenges of personal and cultural identity, and empowering women. Dee is also a shamanic student who weaves massage techniques, yoni steaming, cacao ceremonies, and other spiritual practices into her psychotherapy. This conversation is a vibrant reminder to all practitioners (regardless of modality) that showing up as our authentic selves is a therapeutic salve. Sprinkle your spice into every space. Without apology. GUEST BIO Dee Albert is an England-based psychotherapist who incorporates the personal navigation of her internal world in the work she does with her clients, culminating in a unique therapeutic approach. She is inspired by shamanism and spirituality. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy NEW: Check out our cute new merch items! https://tinyurl.com/CWHmerch

Change is effing hard! And also… change is what's needed so that we can fully embody our wildest dreams. Keen fans of the podcast will note that I've hinted at changes coming here, too. Well, today's the day I forgo cryptic signals in favor of the big reveal: Introducing my new co-host Anne Remy! Wait, what?! Who? Why? Maybe I should say, "Re-introducing Anne Remy" because you met her earlier this year (go listen now, if you haven't). Judging by the response to that episode, y'all love her as much as I do, so this change won't be as hard as you might imagine. To refresh: Anne is a fellow Ohio native, a humanist therapist, TCTSY trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator, a breathwork facilitator, and a yoga teacher living and working in the UK. The timing feels right, and Anne's presence, doubly so. She shares my desire to connect with a global community of radical visionaries––therapists, light workers, and healers who are revolutionizing their chosen modalities. That wasn't so hard, was it? Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy NEW: Check out our cute new merch items! https://tinyurl.com/CWHmerch

Money: the root of all evil or a force for good? Maybe you grew up with little financial security, and that anxiety now strains your attempts to plan responsibly. Perhaps you've accumulated some wealth but have no idea where to invest it. River Nice, an anti-capitalist financial planner and the founder of Be Intentional Financial, LLC, wants to turn that storm of individual financial worry into a tsunami of collective financial activism, one client at a time. They acknowledge the harms of white supremacist, patriarchal capitalism and help families use their money to get as close to their ideal lives as possible. So what does River's profession have to do with healing? Oof. Capitalism has seeped into and monetized almost everything we come into contact with. Isn't it time we liberated ourselves and our communities from its grasp? GUEST BIO River Nice (they/them) is an anti-capitalist financial planner, meaning they acknowledge the harms of white supremacist, patriarchal capitalism and help individuals and families use their money to get as close to their ideal lives as possible! River helps their clients with topics like budgeting, debt, financial emergency preparedness, investing, insurance, and planning how to afford life goals like gender transition, family planning, buying a house, and retirement. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy NEW: Check out our cute new merch items! https://tinyurl.com/CWHmerch

My guests pulsate at such perceptive, heartfelt levels that I expect only aural soundscapes to emerge rather than actual conversation. I wouldn't be mad about that, but then we'd miss out on receiving the wisdom of folks like Kenji Kuramitsu, M.Div, LCSW. The two of us went spelunking in the deep caverns of generational trauma, shame, and resistance. Our conversation connected the many dots between what has become divided and what has gone willfully unaddressed. GUEST BIO Kenji Kuramitsu, LCSW, M.Div (he/him) is a mental health and spiritual care professional living in Chicago, IL. Kenji draws on training in health care chaplaincy, group psychotherapy, and anti-racism consulting to provide care in clinical, nonprofit, and movement settings. His creative writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and he is the author of "A Booklet of Uncommon Prayer: Collects for the #BlackLivesMatter Movement." Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy

True confession time. I have, on occasion, found myself getting comfy with a rote response to the world's -isms (capitalism, racism, ableism) and villainous influences (patriarchy and white supremacy). "I know" these ills deeply affect me, personally and professionally. "I know" what my responsibility is in challenging those forces and creating an equitable world. "I know" is a sign that I've grown too accustomed to my own answers. You know? Hurrah for Loretta Pyles, Ph.D.! Her writing forced a hard reboot of my "I know" attitude, flipping what had become automatic over to active and embodied. Loretta advocates for continual self-inquiry as critical to professional growth. She's dedicated her career to helping folks resuscitate the connections they've been conditioned to ignore: heart-mind, community, and nature. GUEST BIO Loretta Pyles, Ph.D., is Professor at the School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY. Her work centers on environmental disasters, racial/economic/gender justice, integrative healing, and human rewilding. She is the author of Progressive Community Organizing: Transformative Practice in a Globalizing World, 3rd ed. and Healing Justice: Holistic Self-Care for Change Makers. When she's not teaching or working on her new book on rewilding, she can be found playing outside or camping in her Volkswagen van. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy

Y'all know I've relinquished the ownership reigns of Head/Heart Therapy to the brilliant Rayell Grayson LCPC, CADC. If not, I urge you to check out our fantastic conversation. Now, it's time to welcome the rest of Head/Heart's leadership team: Clinical Manager Anna Goldberger, Director of Operations Benji Marton, and Clinical Director Joanna Taubeneck. Tune in to an excellent introduction to anti-capitalist, liberation-focused strategies for professional development in any role or industry. The Head/Heart team has been there, done that, and is still committed to doing the work. Active anti-racism? Compassionate accountability? Meaningful self-care? Tick! Tick! Tick! GUEST BIOS Anna Goldberger, LCSW (she/her), is a licensed clinical social worker and Clinical Manager at Head/Heart Therapy. Before becoming a social worker, she worked as a community organizer. Because of this experience, she recognizes the need for emotional, spiritual, and psychological healing among communities and individuals fighting for justice. She brings this recognition and a joy for holding compassionate healing space for all who need it into her therapeutic relationships. Benji Marton, LCSW (he/him), is a licensed clinical social worker and Director of Operations at Head/Heart Therapy. Benji believes therapy supports the telling of your story from a non-judgmental and curious lens. You, and only you, are the expert in your story. He sees therapy as a journey in which therapist and client experience together through a non-hierarchical relationship that focuses on empowerment. Benji is the guide, but ultimately, the journey is yours. Joanna Taubeneck, LCPC, R-DMT, GL-CMA, E-RYT (she/her) is a licensed clinical professional counselor, registered dance/movement therapist, certified movement analyst, and experienced registered yoga teacher. She's also the Clinical Director at Head/Heart Therapy. As a former dancer, Joanna is passionate about movement and acknowledges that the body holds deep, intuitive wisdom and also the imprints of our many life experiences. The body remembers, on a physiological level—oftentimes much more fully than does the brain—moments of calm and also moments of trauma. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy

We all need unofficial mentors and cheerleaders. One of mine is Samson Teklemariam. He "constructs clinical leadership models designed to navigate change in behavioral health and addiction treatment spaces, delivering results that improve quality patient care." That's the fancy stuff out of the way. What you really need to know about Samson is that he has a gift for encouraging folks to reach their potential as they lift others. What you need to know about our conversation is it's juicy! Let's explore ways to promote authenticity and accountability in peer-led recovery spaces. Let's break down strategies for maintaining that tightrope balance between the art and science of what a therapist does. Let's get real about sustainable anti-capitalist supervisory structures. Ready? Set? Let's go, Samson-style! GUEST BIO Samson Teklemariam, LPC, CPTM, is an industry thought leader with a track record for leading large-scale transformations that generated new thinking, shifted business models, and disrupted the marketplace. As a catalyst for innovation, Samson constructs clinical leadership models designed to navigate change in the behavioral health and addiction treatment and deliver results that improve quality patient care. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website: www.headheartbiztherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartBizTherapy/ Instagram: @headheartbiztherapy