Pragmatic Alchemy

"We will all be hit with a level of adversity, and many listeners probably already have. How do we use that to fuel us and to inspire us to keep moving forward? How do we use that to find meaning in our lives, to find that energy so that we can continue forward.”

We are so excited to welcome Daniel Gospodarek to the show! Daniel is a licensed certified social worker in private practice in Colorado, and he is also living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In this heartfelt conversation, Daniel shares his experience following a car accident that changed the course of his life forever. He shares the ways that accepting the truth of this new reality helped his own healing journey and the ways others can take a similar approach. Daniel is truly living alchemy every day, as he incorporates support and advocacy for the TBI community into his professional life.

From our guest

My name is Daniel Gospodarek, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Denver, Colorado. I sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) going into my senior year of high school that nearly took my life. This directed me to the 'helping profession.' My TBI needed immediate medical attention and I continue the recovery process to this day. I started my private practice which focuses on trauma/PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, and TBIs to support and empower those who experience these challenges live the lives they desire.

This amazing conversation with Carrie Allen explores the importance of community and the impact of capitalism, among other things, on our ability to form and maintain meaningful connections.

In this episode, Carrie and Courtney discuss the importance of community and the challenges of building and maintaining connections in today's society. They explore the idea that community happens in inconvenience and that true community requires effort and support.

They emphasize the simplicity of belonging and provide concrete steps for individuals to start building community in their lives. They also discuss the importance of consistency and finding the right fit for community engagement.

The conversation highlights the power of curiosity in forging new friendships and concludes with a call to continue the journey of community.

Takeaways

• Community happens in inconvenience and requires effort and support.

• Belonging is a simple yet essential aspect of community.

• Concrete steps to building community include identifying existing communities to participate in and taking small actions to connect with others.

• Consistency is key in building and maintaining community connections.

• Finding the right cadence for community engagement is important, as different communities have different cycles.

• Active participation and curiosity are essential in forging new friendships and connections.

• The journey of community is ongoing and requires continuous effort and learning.

About our guest
Carrie Allen is a visionary community builder and advocate, renowned for her transformative insights into the importance of genuine, interconnected communities. Drawing from her personal journey, she inspires us to remember the significance of true community and connections in various aspects of life, from parenthood to entrepreneurship to the core essence of being human. Her wisdom urges us to rethink our roles within communities, rediscover the magic of authentic connections, and actively foster empowering, uplifting environments. As the founder of The Human Array, Carrie brings over 20 years of community-building experience to create connected and conscious spaces for living, growing, and creating, where she empowers individuals to embrace authenticity and contribute to thriving, uplifting communities.

"Whenever we've talked about community of care, it's really been talking about how the systems have been built against us and how we're pushed to be independent, very productive.

And “self-care” is a form of just putting a bandaid on yourself when that's really not a way to have longevity within any sort of field; especially in something where you're caring for other people.”

We have arrived at our final episode of Season 3 and so we made sure to make it extra special! Courtney is joined by student affairs professionals Julie Olson Rand and Alyssa Klenotich to discuss all the ways #selfcare is a less effective strategy than a community of care.

The timing of this feels especially relevant - the hectic pace of the holidays and the imminent arrival of “New Year’s Resolutions” (if you’re into those sorts of things!). As we move forward, Julie and Alyssa offer this perspective that shows us where true wellbeing, healing, and support can take root in our frazzled lives.

About our guests:

Julie Olson Rand (she/they) serves as the Associate Director for Access Programs at the University of Minnesota.  Prior to beginning her role at the U of MN, she served as Director for Student Accessibility & Accommodations at St. Catherine University.

Her previous experience includes over ten years as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and an educator in the ASL interpreting program at St. Catherine University, overseeing students during their internships.

Julie is an alumni of the University of Minnesota, where she earned a B.A. and M.Ed. She also holds a post-baccalaureate certificate from St. Catherine University in ASL Interpreting.  Julie currently serves on the Board of Directors for ThinkSelf, a Deaf-led non-profit serving the Deaf community with advocacy and education programs.

In her free time, Julie enjoys making beaded jewelry and doing hot yoga.  Julie lives in Minneapolis with her partner and three children.

"It's medicine; it's an invitation into the medicine of expansion, contraction, but also where might you be invited into a different energy.”

We are thrilled to offer this incredibly special episode! Courtney had the opportunity to sit with rebel therapist, Debbie Mediate, and explore the intersections, parallels, benefits, and compatibilities of Western psychotherapy and "woo" practices: in this case, specifically astrology and tarot.

At the conclusion of this robust conversation, Debbie pulls out her deck and offers Courtney a tarot reading! You'll have to stay tuned to the postscript to find out the impact that reading had on Courtney's career explorations!

From our guest:

I have never had a sense of fitting in. I have always leaned into my love of adventure and rather impulsive nature. I am curious about most everything and love to explore my inner and outer worlds.

Thus was the birth of my private practice, Rebel Therapy.

My love of wisdom traditions and divination has been lifelong. What began as curiosity has, over the decades, become a deep knowledge and understanding of the power of tarot, astrology, and shamanic work to assist us with deepening our understanding of self. My own journey with these tools is an ever-present guide.

I am, by education and training, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. My career has taken me to both the west and east coast and has included working on acute inpatient psychiatric units, in residential facilities for folks living with schizophrenia, as a member of a mobile crisis team, and most recently as a psychotherapist for several private practice groups, an outpatient mental health clinic, and my own private practice.

With my own private practice, I have clinical expertise in traditional modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed work, solution-focused therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, all offered with compassion and warmth in a safe and empowering environment.

My passion for the metaphysical combined with my expertise and love of insight therapy brings me to this offering and a change to meet you on your journey to gaining and trusting your inner wisdom.

You can find Debbie at the following places:

"Every time you journal, you're opening yourself up to more insight and information about yourself.”

We are so excited to host Lauren Remer on the show! Lauren is a psychotherapist who integrates journaling, as well as mindfulness, meditation, and lunar cycles into her work with clients!

This conversation is fun and fascinating and Lauren offers some practical techniques to listeners who are wondering how and whether to incorporate journaling into their own wellbeing practices!

About our guest:

Lauren Remer is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of New York in the Hudson Valley region where she resides with her family. Lauren has always valued a holistic approach to life and has been fascinated by the science of the interconnectedness of the world since childhood. This interconnectedness serves as a big source of imagination and creativity in her life.

Lauren is an avid practitioner of mindfulness and healing practices, such as yoga, Reiki, meditation, breathwork, and journaling, and has expertise in person-centered, mindful, and trauma informed approaches in her work with others and clients. She offers individual counseling and guidance through her private practice that she runs out of her home.

Lauren is defined by her sense of care and nurture. Home and hearth being the domain Lauren feels most comfortable in and is where she also stays home to care for her family and their pets as well as the local flora and fauna and a garden she and her son grow and tend together.

You can find Lauren online:

Psychology Today Page

"If there's self judgment, it's gonna get in the way of our healing every step of the way. So if we can choose to believe that all behaviors make sense and all the ways that we are currently functioning make sense, we then can ask, well, why would it make sense? What is being reenacted in order for me to do something different this time now that I'm an adult and now that I am safe?”

We are so excited to welcome Natalie Gmora-Nyman to the show! Natalie is a licensed creative arts therapist who utilized drama therapy to help individuals heal from trauma.

In this episode Natalie and Courtney discuss the ways trauma shows up in the brain and the body and Natalie educates us on the efficacy of creative modalities in treatment. Themes of hope, play, curiosity, and creativity abound and the overall tone of this episode is optimistic and fun!

About our guest:

Natalie is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and a Registered Drama Therapist who specializes in working with interpersonal trauma.  Since becoming a New York State Licensed Therapist in 2016, she has worked in a variety of clinical settings offering treatment that is developed for addressing sexual trauma, abuse, neglect, and domestic violence.  Her treatment approach is integrative, active, and embodied.  She facilitates a virtual therapy group for survivors of sexual trauma and also provides training to other clinicians on trauma therapy techniques.  

"I think a lot of it is really about intuition. Nothing in particular happened with me other than getting more and more unhappy. I am generally a good natured, glass half full kind of person. And I wasn't that way. I wasn't that happy go lucky person.”

We are so excited to bring mom, psychotherapist, and women’s divorce group facilitator, Linda Beezer to the show! Linda is also a former student of Courtney’s, which may explain why this conversation feels like a cozy chat between two souls who have experienced the total-life-upheaval experience of divorce.

Linda offers listeners insights into her own story alongside excellent clinical perspectives, such a the supportive roles of friends, family, therapists, and small groups such as the one she runs (link below!). This conversation also touches upon identity, grit, resilience, intuition, trust, and Courtney and Linda’s other shared experience — parenting kids with special needs!

About our guest:
Linda Beezer (she/her) aims to help clients clarify their goals, assist them in working through issues from their past that are impacting their present, explore their strengths, and to learn positive ways to cope when problems arise.

Linda is experienced in and passionate about providing counseling for individuals, couples, and families of all backgrounds who wish to create lasting change but are feeling stuck in unhealthy patterns. She has a warm and open therapeutic style, and approaches therapy from the belief that everyone longs to be seen and understood. From this perspective, Linda strives to understand clients' needs, and works collaboratively and with cultural sensitivity to establish a strong therapeutic alliance and to create a space where people can feel supported, heard, and cared for. By using a person-centered approach incorporating elements of evidence-based treatment, such as cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness, Linda works closely, supportively, and non-judgmentally with clients to aid them in becoming more comfortable in their own skin, more empowered, with less anxiety and worry, and with increased confidence and sense of self-worth. This allows for more fulfilling relationships, and to live life with a sense of purpose, peace, and joy.

Linda has spent the past several decades advocating for services for individuals with developmental disabilities which will ultimately enhance the quality of their lives. Her volunteer experience includes having served on the Board of Directors for Crystal Run Village, Inc., an agency which provides services for empowerment of people with disabilities, as well as volunteer work with Cornell Cooperative Extension in conjunction with their Relatives as Parents Program. Linda received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from State University of New York at New Paltz.

"Community is all about shared experiences, right? So travel has given me an ability to see things and find the way we have shared experiences and looked for the commonality as opposed to looking for the differences.”

We are so excited to welcome Katherine Raynor, LMSW to the show! Kat is a social worker and college instructor, as well as a former Peace Corp volunteer. In this episode Kat talks with Courtney about the ways travel, and in particular exposure to other cultures and communities, shapes our world view!

From our guest:

I am a Licensed Social Worker who has lived and worked in the Hudson Valley for most of my life. As an alumni of the Concentration in Human Services at SUNY New Paltz, I am overjoyed to be teaching in a program that has given me so much.

Most of my professional experience in the United States before returning to SUNY New Paltz is in the field of domestic violence, community development, youth development, and professional supervision.

I also have an international background and strongly emphasize the importance of an international and multicultural perspective.

I'm a dual citizen of the US and Venezuela, and have also lived in El Salvador and Malawi.

During the episode, Kat mentioned some programs and organizations that are incredibly important to her. Please see the links below to learn more or to support!

"It's more yin or more yang.

And that helps people to relate more to the directionality, and the temperament, and the quality of the feelings rather than the merit of their feelings."

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael LaFemina to the podcast! In today's conversation Michael shares the tools found in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to better understand, relate to, and cope with our emotions.

About our guest:

Dr. Michael LaFemina, D.Ac, MS Ed is an acupuncturist and meditation & yoga teacher based out of New Paltz, NY. He is passionate about helping students and patients achieve optimal health of body, mind, and relationships by integrating meditation practices with Chinese Medicine and Yogic principles and practices. 

Dr. Michael has taught yoga and meditation at Columbia University Medical Center, Hofstra University's Honors College, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and was the Mindfulness Instructor at the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and is also currently the in-house lead meditation teacher at Stone Wave Yoga in Gardiner. 

"To share our joy or our delight with someone else is an act of vulnerability."

We are so joyful, and so delighted, to bring our first installment of the Pragmatic Alchemy Bookclub to you! This month's selection is Inciting Joy, by Ross Gay.

Courtney was joined by a lovely group of fellow readers to reflect on the resonant themes of the book, as well as Gay's other work, The Book of Delights, and the ways joy and delight show up in our every day lives.

"We have an incredible capacity for healing, if we just give ourselves a chance."

In our penultimate episode of Season Two, Courtney is delighted to welcome Terence P. Ward to the show! Terence is the author of Empty Cauldrons: Navigating Depression Through Magic and Ritual. In this conversation, Courtney and Terence talk about their experiences with depression, and Terence shares some of the healing strategies found in his book.

Terence and Courtney both write, and a good portion of this conversation centers on words: the differences and similarities between Paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft; conceptions of, and misconceptions about, depression; how to reframe the narrative about life and the challenges we face. They also ask the question: In terms of healing practices, which is "traditional"? Psychology in the Western tradition or ancient practices handed down generation after generation? And what, exactly, is "spicy psychology"??

Additionally, Terence discusses the practices of journaling that he writes about in Empty Cauldrons, as well as healing strategies that incorporate spellwork.

About our guest:

"Sometimes we need training wheels and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we're well-resourced enough to take on a hard thing and sometimes we're not. I look back and I feel like I would have saved myself so much angst and wasted energy by not shaming myself for whatever the place was that I was at."

Courtney is thrilled to welcome writer, long distance hiker, and former indoor kid, Nicole Antoinette to the show! Nicole's trail memoir, How to Be Alone is available now and her second memoir, What We Owe Ourselves is due out in September. At the moment of publication of this episode, Nicole is again out on the trails, spending 21 days on the Pacific Crest Trail!

The conversation between Nicole and Courtney spans a variety of topics, but the thread interwoven throughout is really one of self-compassion. How to be alone with ourselves. How to be a friend to ourselves. How to listen to our needs. How to meet them.

In between all that, Courtney and Nicole talk about podcasts, running, hiking, sobriety, divorce, rebuilding, telling the truth, and the finer art of introducing ourselves in ways that don't center our work!

About our guest:

Nicole Antoinette is a writer, long-distance hiker, and former indoor kid who never imagined she’d wind up spending months of each year pooping in the woods. 

She is the author of two adventure memoirs, HOW TO BE ALONE (April 3, 2023)  and WHAT WE OWE TO OURSELVES (September 5, 2023), and she writes a weekly newsletter on Substack called Wild Letters.

"Work life balance; there's not such a dichotomy. It's not like either/or. Work is part of our life. So how you choose to make your livelihood has to be some expression of who you are."

Courtney is so excited to be welcoming Debra Laks to the show! If Courtney wasn't already living her dream job, Debra's would be it! A clinical career counselor, specializing in "confusion reduction", Debra helps people find balance, fit, and fulfillment in their occupational pursuits. Courtney's interest in the field of career counseling is born of her own career confusion, a common theme of her lamentations from approximately 1998 through 2008, and served as entryway into the field of counseling and mental health.

In this wide ranging conversation, Debra and Courtney discuss the fallacy of "work-life balance", explore the ways career is tied to identity, and the importance of self-knowing. This leads, of course, to a little side discussion on one of Courtney's favorite topics: personality metrics! A lively discourse on Myers-Briggs typology, Holland codes, and astrology ensues!

Debra and Courtney also talk about the impact of, and lessons from, the COVID era, the role capitalism plays in our career choices, identity, and satisfaction, and the ways our work lives are changing in the 21st century. They also reflect on trauma v. burnout v. emotional fatigue, and the role of meaning making in career wellbeing.

"The chakras are energy centers. Physicists recognize that the entire universe is comprised of energy, so therefore, whether we feel like we are or not, we are a part of the universe. We are a part of all."

We are thrilled to welcome Ann Elizabeth Byrne to the show! Ann is a reiki master, meditation teacher, energy guide, and Olympic level lounger! Ann joins Courtney for an informative, fun, and delightful conversation on the chakra system. Ann takes us through each of the seven primary chakras, offering an explanation for the corresponding functions of each, how to tell if there is an imbalance or blockage, and what steps we can engage to clear that energy. Ann also talks about her reiki and meditation practices and how she integrates this work into chakra wellbeing.

About our guest:

Ann Byrne is a certified reiki and meditation master, and creator of Hudson Valley Meditation and Reiki. She brings guided meditation with reiki events throughout the Hudson Valley. She also offers affordable reiki healing sessions in a tranquil space surrounded by trees and water in Beacon, NY. Ann considers it a deep honor to bring peace and compassion to our community.

"How do I want to live my life so I can have the balance I really look for?"

Buckle up, friends! This episode is going to cover a lot of ground!

Today's guest, Kati Haynes, takes us on quite a journey: from a childhood in the 'Gunks, to the Army, to the darkness of a mental health crisis, to entrepreneurship, to mountain peaks both locally and afar. In between Courtney and Kati also discuss the joys and quirks of dog ownership, hiking gear, and their shared love of trivia nights at Rough Cut Brewing in Kerhonkson NY!

Kati has an amazing story and she tells it with wisdom, insight, and good humor. We are so delighted to she agreed to be on the show and to share this parts of herself with our audience.

This episode does touch on themes of mental health and abortion. If these topics are challenging for you, feel free to sit this one out, and we'll see you next week!

About our guest:

"My first question to you is going to be 'What is the first step? What is the simplest thing you can do to make a change in your life today?'."

Today we welcome counselor, coach, and healer Brittany Sanders to the show! Courtney and Bri spend this episode discussing the healing of trauma through the lens of nervous systems and embodied wellness.

Brittany’s work addresses “unmended trauma” and how reconnecting the mind, body, and soul provides a pathway toward healing. In this conversation, she shares her insights into what causes disconnection of these important aspects of ourselves and reveals the approaches and strategies she utilizes with clients on their own healing journeys.

About our guest:

"One way is not the way for every body, and everybody needs to listen to their own body and figure out what works for you."

Today we welcome author, speaker, and coach, Marika Blossfeldt to the show! Marika is an Estonian born, German raised, now bi-continental health coach, cookbook author, former artist and dancer! She's truly done it all! Marika's conversation with Courtney focuses on the science behind nutritional health and the mechanics of what is happening in the digestive process.

About our guest:

Find Marika's work at any of the following links!

"With intuition, it's soft and subtle. It can be easy to put it aside. Worry and anxiety are much louder."

Intuitive author and mentor Maria Blon joins Courtney on the podcast today. Maria's work has taken many shapes but a focus on sharing her insights and wisdom with others has been a common thread. Today she talks with Courtney about ways to invite creativity into our lives, how to recognize and trust intuition, and the joys of being playful and silly! As we shift into Spring, this feels like a welcome and timely discussion - particularly when Maria shares her thoughts on jumping in puddles!

"I like to help people think of the gut as a garden. You have to not just put the seeds in the ground but you have to have the right soil, you have to put the right nutrients in place."

Marie Murphy joins the show today to talk with us about mindful eating! Marie is a registered dietician specializing in gut health and food sensitivities. She is also a trained yoga teacher, helping her infuse her nutritional counseling with mindfulness practice. It's through this lens that Marie speaks with Courtney about how we can utilize mindful eating to feel and live better.

This conversation also touches upon disordered eating, and if that is a challenging topic for you, we invite you to sit this one out.

Within the context of mindful eating, Courtney and Marie talk about how to avoid emotional and habitual eating patterns, and Marie offers us a five step protocol on how to engage with eating mindfully.

About our guest:
Marie Murphy is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian, specializing in gut health and food sensitivities. Marie has been helping clients reach their health goals for more than 8 years. Marie works with clients to address complex gut-related health concerns, including:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• GERD/Reflux
• Autoimmune Diseases: Celiac, Hashimoto’s, Diabetes
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Marie holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Hunter College and completed her dietetic internship with the innovative and award-winning Wellness Workdays program in Massachusetts. Marie has also taught nutrition for dietitians in training at the graduate level and has the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and accurately. Marie is a Certified LEAP Therapist (CLP), using food sensitivity testing to help clients heal from inflammation caused by adverse food reactions. In addition to her work as a dietitian, Marie has more than 10 years of experience teaching yoga to groups of all ages and backgrounds. She enjoys blending nutrition therapy with practices of mindfulness and yoga. Marie helps individuals reach their health and wellness goals through individual coaching and online programs. In addition, Marie partners with educational institutions, health care providers, and employers to provide programs that promote health and wellness.

"It's about these little moments and choices. It's about once again, again, and again, and again, noticing where we're at and choosing to meet our own needs."

Jemma Schwartz, psychotherapist and yoga instructor, joins Courtney on the show to discuss how our nervous systems and emotions become dysregulated, and what we can do about it! Jemma's work focuses on the mind-body connection and the role of movement in helping to alleviate distressing emotions and nervous system activation.

We are, in many ways, delicately attuned creatures, and we live in a world that frequently results in prolonged exposure to provocative stimuli. Jemma's work, and explanations here, help us learn to recognize and compassionately respond to this activation thoughtfully and physically. It's a tough world out there, kids, and Jemma's helping us all move through it with increased ease.

About our guest, from Jemma:
I am a licensed clinical social worker and registered yoga instructor. I graduated with a BS in Psychology and Disaster Studies in 2006 from SUNY New Paltz, then completed the Master’s in Social Welfare program in 2012 at the University at Albany. I have gained rich experiences working in mental health clinics, home visiting programs and doctors offices, lending me to be skilled in treating clients with a wide age range and need in areas of mental health, substance use, maternal mental health, and chronic illness management.

I promote healing by tailoring interventions to the person sitting in front of me and the moment they are in. Through skilled and compassionate interventions, I aim to assist people in increasing self awareness of their thoughts, emotions and physical experiences. My passion centers around using the body to heal the mind. Such practices increase internal awareness, decrease stress, shift unhelpful patterns, and ultimately promote empowerment and wellness so that you can be the version of yourself you want to be in the world. I am trained to offer you Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Open Dialogue, Motivational Interviewing, Problem Solving Therapy, and Mindfulness modalities.

As a hungry life time learner, I earned my 200 hour yoga teacher certification in 2019 at The Living Seed after years of personal practice. As of 2021 I am a Licensed TIYT Clinical Facilitator with Sundara Therapy, offering their brilliant Overcome Anxiety Clinic. I am also a trained doula and have been blessed by being able to assist four mama’s in bringing their little ones into the world. My self care bag of tricks include spending purposeful time with husband, daughter & loved ones, my rescue pups Rubah and Rylee, practicing yoga and meditation, day dreaming about travel, traveling, music and cooking.

"Give the person that you love the permission, the empowerment, and the respect for the emotional experience that they are having because of their loss."

We are thrilled to welcome Aly Bird to the show. Aly's work focuses on supporting folks in their bereavement and all of the knowledge, expertise, and insight she has gained on this topic has come through her own profound grief experience. In addition to sharing her story and the origins of her book Grief Ally, Courtney and Aly discuss the practical ways one can support a loved one through grief. They get a bit philosophical and discuss the failings of Western conceptualizations around grief and loss and the ways this results in further isolation for those experiencing grief. They explore the Kubler-Ross Five Stages of Grief model and Aly shares her insights about the emotions tied to grief. Aly offers alternatives to the phrase "Let me know what you need", explains the differences between intuitive versus instrumental grief, and highlights the multiple layers of the grief experience. While this may sound, at first, like a tough topic, Aly's lighthearted and straight forward manner bring a surprising amount of levity and humor to this discussion!

About our guest:
Since her husband’s untimely death, Aly Bird has poured her heart into helping those who feel helpless during an unexpected crisis. Her extensive study of grief psychology and culture, combined with her own devastating first-hand knowledge, led her to create a roadmap for the courageous and dedicated individuals who are willing to show up for the people they love with unconditional love, empowerment, and reverence. A speaker and workshop leader, Aly shows a clear path to those who have the courage to take on the vital role of being a grief ally.

Recognizing that there must be a change the way our culture handles grief, Aly is committed to building a support and educational network not only for the ones who have experienced an earth-shattering loss, but the people who are often overlooked: the griever’s loved ones and trusted support system. Aiding in her mission, Aly is currently pursuing a graduate degree in counselling psychology, and a career in grief therapy.

Aly Bird is a coach and author with a BA from Carleton University and MSc in Social Planning from the University of Toronto. She is a member of Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and the Bereavement Ontario Network.

Keeping her life in balance, Aly is passionate about taking long walks with her dog, creating art, and singing at the top of her lungs every time she has the chance.

"We have cultural scripts that give us roles based on every aspect of identity and all of that impacts how am I relating to what I enjoy. I am always comparing how I feel internally with how I feel I should be doing externally. And that’s not really based in “what do I like”?".

In Part 2 of our mini-series on Sex, Sexuality, and Wellbeing, we are focusing on the reclamation and liberation of our pleasure with Somatic Pleasure Coach, Irene Morning. This conversation takes a deep dive into our sensory experiences, the impacts of trauma on our ability to access pleasure, and strategies for getting back into the body and reclaiming pleasure. Courtney and Irene also talk about the role socialization plays in our sexual identity and wellbeing, intimacy, vulnerability, communication, and how to better get our needs met.

About our guest:
Irene Morning, MS (she/her) is a somatic pleasure coach and the bestselling author of The Polyamory Paradox: Finding Your Confidence in Consensual Non-Monogamy. She weaves together extensive training in somatic healing and sexual health counseling with her lived experience as a queer, kinky, neurodivergent femme to help others reclaim pleasure as a guiding principle and create the relationships that fulfill their unique desires. In addition to her private coaching practice and writing, Irene is the founder and creator of Pleasure Coven (an ongoing group program for femmes reclaiming pleasure) as well as Vice President & Managing Director of Curiosity Bears (a sex-positive events community based in Southern California). Both her work and personal life revolve around the belief that centering our own pleasure is not only healing on an individual level, but also in service of interdependence and collective well being.

Links:

"You start to realize that the things you’re habitually doing may be causing more suffering and how can you love yourself more, how can you nurture yourself more, so you can start to change that relationship with yourself."

What starts out as a conversation about children's literature geared toward teaching parents and children mindfulness turns into one of the warmest, deepest, most vulnerable, and wonderful conversations we've had to date. Jenna Martin joins the show and talks with us about her book, Milo and the Wisdom of the Sea. By the end of their talk, Jenna and Courtney have also taken a deep dive (pun intended) into mindfulness, loss, grief, trauma, nervous system regulation, perspective shifts, and gratitude. Jenna's work focuses on helping people thrive through adversity and her views on post-traumatic growth are heart-felt and revelatory.

Jenna's work in helping parents and children connect with one another mindfully aims to release parents from the "heavy burdens" of protecting children (and ourselves) from the challenges and adversities of life. Through the teachings of Milo, and an invitation to mindfulness, we all learn how to better accept discomfort and just go with the flow (more puns, yay!).

About our guest:
Jenna Martin is the author and creator of “Milo and the Wisdom of the Sea”. It's the first in a series of chapter books dedicated to teaching children (ages 5 through 9) emotional resilience. Through the characters in her books, children learn how to recognize, name, and move big emotions through their bodies. On a deeper level, they also learn to trust their intuition, explore their own unique identity, cultivate self-compassion, and increase empathy for others.

"Any tool that you can give someone that helps them look at themselves through a lens of understanding and compassion can only be helpful."

Have you heard of Enneagram but aren't quite sure how it can be a positive aspect of your life? Have you wondered how to find your "type"? Are you like Courtney and see bits of yourself in more than one type (spoiler: we all have elements of all types!)? Join Courtney and her long-awaited guest, Margaret Rizzuto, for this informative and expansive conversation around Enneagram.

Margaret provides an overview of each type, and explains how wings, levels of development, and instincts shape each type with more detail. She happily dispels the myth that we are concretely and absolutely one type, and she shares her earliest experiences, personally and professionally with this tool. Courtney and Margaret discuss the intersections and similarities between Enneagram and other ways of viewing ourselves, specifically Myers-Briggs typology and astrology. Margaret and Courtney both share their favorite resources, as well, so that listeners can learn more about Enneagram as a tool toward self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-compassion.

About our guest:
Margaret is a native New Yorker who moved to Providence, RI in 2021 at the height of the real estate market and a global pandemic - what a ride!

Margaret has been working professionally in photography for over 15 years, she specializes in portrait work, primarily with women. She sees her work behind the camera as much more than just photographing. She’s passionate about helping women feel empowered, and she uses her camera as a tool for empowerment, helping women to see, embrace, and love themselves.

Margaret is also a certified Mindset Coach where once again, empowerment is a theme in her work. In her coaching work, she uses positive psychology tools, mindset shifts, gratitude, and one of her favorite tools, the Enneagram, to help create positive change. She considers herself a ‘perennial student’ of the enneagram. She believes that learning and embracing the enneagram is a worthy and lifelong study. As a Type 4, she fully embraces the "perfect imperfection" of life.

"It’s doing what works for us in order to allow ourselves to move to the next place and to feel empowered and confident about that. I think fear is part of that. It’s our relationship with fear that allows us to determine our own destinies."

We are so excited to welcome Lauree Ostrofsky to the podcast! Lauree has been an integral part of Courtney's entrepreneurial journey over the last several years and so it only seems right and fitting that they talk today about fear and how it shows up when you're on the cusp of something life changing.

Much of Lauree's current narrative begins with a devastating medical diagnosis. With candor, vulnerability, and honesty, Lauree shares the story of how her brain tumor helped her explore and work with her "A student" tendencies in a new way. Courtney and Lauree also dive into the linguistic complexities around courage, fear, and being brave.

Lauree gifts listeners with strategies that she has utilized on her own journey, as well as in her professional coaching work, including how to speak kindly and softly to yourself in times of fear. Lauree and Courtney also explore the role of trusting one's self in overcoming fear and extend the ongoing offer of being your pep squad whenever you need a reminder of how awesome you are!

Sharp eared listeners may hear a little noise in the background -- that is Courtney's elderly black lab Montana making her on-air debut! We see it as a gentle reminder that we keep it real here at Pragmatic Alchemy!

About our guest:
Lauree Ostrofsky is a speaker, author, coach, communications consultant, world traveler, introverted enthusiastic hugger, and the founder  of Simply Leap and Hudson Valley Women in Business.

You can find her books, I'm Scared and Doing It Anyway and Simply Leap: Seven Lessons for Facing Fear and Enjoying the Crap Out of Your Life, everywhere you buy your books (including Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz!).

"Empathy is the precursor to kindness. It is not an act of kindness. It is your ability to understand the need for, or the awareness of an opportunity, to act kind."

We are thrilled to launch Season 2 with this most special guest! Courtney and Mike go way back, all the way back to Fordham University in the Bronx in the late 90s. In this conversation they reflect not only on the ways their paths have continued to intersect and run alongside each other, but also all the ways those early professional experiences have informed the work they do today.

Coach Sgro's work is centered in understandings of empathy and emotional intelligence. He and Courtney discuss the connections between these ideas, kindness, social connection, and self-compassion. There are lots of laughs and opportunity to reminisce, as well!

"I think it's time to celebrate the people we've become, and the humans that we are, regardless of what that path was."

The deepest origins of this episode trace back to the mid-90s when Courtney and today's guest were college DJs together at WONY, the student-run station at the State University of New York, at Oneonta. Amanda Schwarz is a former college DJ, digital marketing and content professional, tea mentor, Courtney's sometime business coach, and brand new podcaster! Amanda's podcast "Aspirations, and what become of them" tackles the big questions around who we were, who we thought we would be, and who we've actually become.

Join Courtney and Amanda as they walk together through their own memory lane and explore the lessons they found along the way. In this episode all paths to greatness are celebrated - not in spite of the twists and turns, but because of them!

About our guest:
Amanda Schwarz, owner of Mended Digital, is a 15-year digital marketing & content vet who shares her industry experience with businesses that may not be able to access this kind of knowledge without hiring larger, more expensive agencies.

Now living in Mason OH, she works with companies both local and beyond to build digital presences that are based on their core values and capabilities, and realized collaboratively and with care.

"My work is about healing the soul and whatever helps us do that, to me, is 'spiritual'."

We are delighted to welcome Melanie Ryan to the podcast! Melanie is a teacher, healer, author, and facilitator, and she joins us today to discuss the ways spiritual practice moves us from "fragmented to whole". In this deep, wise, informative conversation, Melanie discusses her journey from traditional psychotherapist to understanding that which is spiritual as "spirit ritual". Drawing from the Analytical Psychology framework of Carl Jung, as well as Buddhism and Shamanic practices, Melanie has offered her message to the world in the form of The Golden Shadow Method. The focus of this work invites us to explore spiritual practices as a way of returning home to ourselves and that which is sacred.

About our guest:
Melanie Ryan is founder of The Golden Shadow Method which teaches individuals to heal and transform by restoring their connection to nature and the spiritual world. The Golden Shadow Method (GSM) addresses the deeply hidden psychological and mystical aspects of the unconscious. For over 30 years, Melanie had trained in holistic medicine and healing. She has additional certifications and initiations in the areas of: Jungian Psychology, Ancestral Healing, Buddhism, Asklepian Dream Healing, Energy Medicine, Naturopathy - Terrain Model, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Past Life Regression Therapy, Trauma Therapy, Yoga & Reiki. Her method integrates worldwide ancestral ways of healing and transformation.

"Some of the greatest healing comes in when you can sit in the middle of the paradox, of two seemingly opposite things, and simply be with it.

It is this, and, it is that."

Courtney is delighted to welcome Sharon Rosen to the podcast! This episode could have been hours long, and still may be only the start of an ongoing conversation between two healers are who infinitely curious about all manner of healing. Sharon shares her deep knowledge of multiple spiritual and philosophical modalities, as well as practically applied techniques for managing your own healing today. What an absolutely dreamy conversation!

About our guest:

Sharon Rosen is a healer, writer, and tea maven who supports accomplished, overextended women to take their seat in the center of their lives. Through mindfulness coaching, Kabbalistic healing, and hands-on bodywork, she helps them establish healthy boundaries while connecting to the power and grace of their innate wisdom and goodness.