Counseling Psychology

Nick Blanc ’26 left a fulfilling career in homeless services to pursue undergraduate education at CIIS rooted in ancestral wisdom, indigenous traditions, and community healing.

Around the world, practitioners are rediscovering what artists, cultural workers, and community healers have long understood: that creativity and human connection are powerful forces for wellbeing.  

In this episode CIIS faculty Dr. Christine Brooks and Dr. Elizabeth Markle discuss how arts-based practices, dynamic community experiences, and connection-centered programming are reshaping the landscape of health. Together they examine emerging innovations such as social prescribing, a model that reimagines healthcare by formally “prescribing” experiences like movement, art, social connection, and service—elevating these everyday resources as legitimate pathways to wellbeing alongside medical care.  

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 25th 2026. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

What happens when art, therapy, and justice meet in one program? Explore how CIIS is shaping the next generation of expressive arts therapists.

Kimberly Koljat ’11 transformed personal loss into groundbreaking research on grief, embodiment, and connection in an increasingly digital world.

At CIIS’ 58th Commencement, the student speaker and the keynote speaker came from different worlds — and arrived at a very similar truth.
 

At the 2026 Scholarship Dinner, CIIS students and donors gathered to celebrate the journeys that generous giving makes possible.

After four decades leading CIIS' Drama Therapy Program, professor Renée Emunah reflects on a career spent fusing theatre and healing.

Don Hanlon Johnson, founder of the first graduate Somatics program in the U.S., retires after more than four decades at CIIS.

In his latest book, How I Know White People Are Crazy and Other Stories, psychologist Jonathan Lassiter pulls back the curtain on the mental health system and reveals the hurdles that Black psychologists and students are forced to endure in the field.

In this episode, Dr. Lassiter is joined by CIIS Expressive Arts Therapy core faculty Chevon Stewart, for a thought-provoking conversation exploring his experience as a Black gay man working as a psychologist under culturally insensitive supervisors and colleagues in America. They discuss how white ideology has harmed Black patients and how it dominates America’s mental health practices. Drawing from his research, and his own therapy, Dr. Lassiter shares the benefits we can all find when we center culture in our healing practices.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on December 4th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CIIS students and alumni reflect on the moments that changed everything — inside and outside the classroom.

What if your most beautiful love story turned into your biggest nightmare? And what if your most devastating heartbreak opened a pathway to your greatest awakening?

In her critically acclaimed novels and immensely popular works of nonfiction including Eat Pray Love and Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert expands our understanding of creativity, spirituality, and love. This episode features a powerful conversation between Elizabeth and psychotherapist and CIIS professor Emily Marinelli on love, loss, and breaking free.

This episode was recorded at the beautiful Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco on October 24th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Find your path to an expressive arts coaching career at CIIS.

Professor Phil Weglarz leads CIIS' Expressive Arts Therapy program, preparing students to integrate creative modalities into mental health services and community transformation.

What if the questions that draw us to learning could also reshape who we become? Across disciplines and life paths, curiosity emerges as sacred work, an opening into connection, healing, and transformation.

Parts Work, also known as Internal Family Systems, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. Parts Work allows you an all-access pass to wholeness by understanding, befriending, and leading the multiple voices within yourself.

In this episode, CIIS Somatic Psychology Professor Christine Gindi talks with psychotherapist and author Britt Frank about using Parts Work to meet our inner critics, inner children, and inner shadows to help tame anxiety, heal trauma, and overcome self-doubt.

This episode was recorded during an live online event at California Institute of Integral Studies on August 14th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Discover your fit among CIIS' five counseling psychology concentrations, each offering a unique path to becoming a transformative healer.

We are living in a world where the depths of division, violence, and destruction can no longer be ignored. Escalated forms of harm require an equally escalated response. Yet social movements often use tactics that tend to escalate an “us vs. them,” “right vs. wrong” worldview not conducive to healing. Activist, trainer, and practitioner of nonviolence and restorative justice Kazu Haga argues this binary worldview is at the heart of what is destroying both our relationships and our planet. If healing is our goal, we need social movements that center relationships.

In this episode, Kazu is joined by Assistant Professor at California Institute of Integral Studies in the Somatic Psychology program Deanna Jimenez for an inspiring conversation exploring insights from his decades of work in restorative justice and from his latest book Fierce Vulnerability. Kazu invites you to mobilize the power to stop harm by cultivating love to heal it.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 8th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Shaped by her own experience with the death of her father and her time co-founding The Dinner Party, a leading peer-support organization for people who’ve experienced a major loss, author facilitator Carla Fernandez’s work pushes back on the death-denying culture we live in. For too long, grief has been treated as something pitiable, simply sad, to be gotten over as soon as possible. But after 15 years of being in a community with fellow grievers, Carla has witnessed a different side of the story.

In this episode, Carla is joined by licensed marriage and family therapist and CIIS Associate Professor in Community Mental Health Gary Quan for a conversation viewing significant loss not as something to be swept under the rug, but an experience to be held with respect, a creative spirit, and with friends. Drawing from her work and her latest book, Renegade Grief, Carla shares inspiring stories of real grievers, patterns from across history, and fresh science.  

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 23rd, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Inside CIIS’ bold approach to community mental health and healing-centered education.

More than 10 million millennials are caring for aging parents before they've been able to fully launch their careers and consider starting their own families, and that's not including the incalculable numbers of people affected by long COVID. Writer and caregiver Jennifer N. Levin was 32 when her father was diagnosed with a rare degenerative illness. As she struggled with few resources and little support, she created Caregiver Collective, a national online support group for millennial caregivers. 

In this episode, Jennifer is joined by CIIS Assistant Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology program Emily Marinelli in a conversation exploring our current culture of care and the impact it has on millennial caregivers.  

Jennifer shares insights from her latest book Generation Care, which offers wisdom from her own experience and her support group, Caregiver Collective. Jennifer details the urgency of caregiving, the financial burden for caregivers, and ambiguous loss caregivers experience. She also offers a roadmap to the types of solutions that can begin helping people now as well as build future policies.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 16th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In 1979, Loretta Ross was a single mother who’d had to drop out of Howard University. She was working at Washington, DC’s Rape Crisis Center when she got a letter from a man in prison saying he wanted to learn how to not be a rapist anymore. At first, she was furious. As a survivor of sexual violence, she wanted to write back pouring out her rage. But instead, she made a different choice, a choice to reject the response her trauma was pushing her towards, a choice that set her on the path towards developing a philosophy that would come to guide her whole career: rather than calling people out, try to call even your unlikeliest allies in. Hold them accountable—but do so with love.

A Black Feminist, activist, professor, and author, Loretta has spent five remarkable decades in activism.  She’s deprogrammed white supremacists and taught convicted rapists the principles of feminism and it’s worked because the power of Loretta Ross’s message comes from who she is and what she’s lived through.  

Join CIIS Women’s Spirituality Professor Dr. Alka Arora for a powerful and inspiring conversation with Loretta about her life’s work and her latest book Calling In, a memoir-manifesto-handbook about how to rein in the excesses of cancel culture so we can truly communicate and solve problems together. Loretta discusses how using conversation instead of conflict—by focusing on your shared values over a desire for punishment—is the more strategic choice if you want to make real change.  

Whether in the workplace, on a college campus, or in your living room, learn how to transform frustrating and divisive conflicts that stand in the way of real connection with the people in your life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Integral Counseling Psychology M.A. graduate Marissa Huang gave one of two student speeches at CIIS’ 57th Commencement Ceremony.

The Integral Counseling Psychology concentration now offers an online-focused hybrid format of its M.A. in Counseling Psychology.

As we continue to navigate years of collective upheaval, are there ways for us to face the complexities of our time with joy, authenticity, and connection? Prentis Hemphill, embodiment practitioner, therapist, and activist, shows us that we don't have to carry our emotional burdens alone.

In this episode, Prentis is joined by comedian, author, and filmmaker W. Kamau Bell in a grounding conversation exploring the principles of embodiment awareness and how we can create a future in which healing is done in community.

In the conversation Prentis shares ideas from their latest book, What it Takes to Heal, which draws on their experiences as a trauma survivor and a clinician, as well as lessons learned from their time as a social movement architect. Prentis invites us to heal our bodies, minds, and souls, to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to bust down the doors of disconnection and take the necessary risks to reshape our world towards justice.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on June 27th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Dr. Thema Bryant is a psychologist and leading mental health expert with more than two decades of experience in clinical psychology and trauma recovery. As a trauma survivor herself, she knows that trauma and everyday challenges can cause us to disconnect and fall into survival mode. In her latest book, Reclaim Yourself, she shares accessible and practical steps toward creating the life you want while processing stress and trauma.

In this episode, Rachel Bryant talks with Dr. Thema Bryant about her life and work and how Dr. Bryant’s approach can help trauma survivors heal their emotions and actively take steps toward growth.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on July 11th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In the context of non-monogamy, compersion or the emotion of positive empathy is understood as sharing our partner’s joy regarding their other intimate relationship or relationships. Drawing upon her seminal research with consensually non-monogamous individuals, author and mindful dating and relationship coach, Dr. Marie (two-un) Thouin, unravels the complexity of compersion in her recent book, What is Compersion?, the first ever book to offer a comprehensive model of compersion and a practical roadmap to cultivating it.

In this episode, Dr. Thouin is joined by Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigequeer activist, artist, sex therapist, and somacultural theorist Dr. Roger Kuhn in a conversation exploring compersion as a roadmap for radical love in monogamous and non-monogamous consensual relationships.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 8th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

When a film touches us, makes us laugh, and has that feel-good spirit, we want more of it. We want a sequel! In this episode, psychotherapist and CIIS Assistant Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology program Emily Marinelli is joined by therapist and activist DDS Dobson-Smith for a conversation exploring the psychology of movie sequels from the 1980s and 1990s.

Sharing personal stories and insights from their latest book Comfort Sequels, Emily dives deep into the psychology behind what makes certain movie sequels memorable, safe, predictable, and comforting. These sequels are more of the universe we love—exploring something new while maintaining something familiar. Emily interprets characters, story arcs, and major themes while sharing fun and random behind-the-scenes facts about sequels including Grease 2, Gremlins 2, My Girl 2, Ghostbusters II, Batman Returns, and more.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on August 21st, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

For over 40 years somatic sex educator Dr. Betty Martin has explored the nuances of consent. In her framework and book, The Wheel of Consent, Dr. Martin traces the fundamental roots of consent back to our childhood conditioning. As children, many are taught that to be “good” we must ignore our body’s discomfort and be compliant. As adults, this conditioning remains with us until we unlearn it. The implications of this approach to consent education extends beyond touch and intimate relationships. When we forget how to notice what we really want, we lose our inner compass. When we continue to go along with things we don’t feel are right, we lose our ability to speak up against injustice.

In this episode, Dr. Martin is joined by Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigiqueer soma-cultural sex therapist, sexuality educator, writer, activist, and musician Dr. Roger Kuhn for an empowering conversation on the psychology of consent. Drawing upon her life’s work and The Wheel of Consent, Dr. Martin shares deeply nuanced ways to practice consent as an agreement that brings integrity, responsibility, and empowerment into human interaction—starting with touch and relationships—and further expanding our understanding of consent to social issues of equality and justice.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 30th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Generational silence is a term applied to families who have experienced suppressed thoughts or repressed emotions for at least two generations. Generational silence addresses both the cycle and impact of issues like substance abuse, religion, racism, education inequality, and parenting. In her latest book, Breaking Generational Silence, mental health expert Nicole Russell-Wharton speaks from her Black experience about how slavery left an intergenerational impact on her family and how understanding and healing the root of silence can finally break the cycle for generations to come.

In this episode, Nicole is joined by Assistant Professor of Somatic Psychology Deanna Jimenez for a transformative conversation exploring generational silence and healing from inherited trauma.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on February 13th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In her work, author, organizer, and designer Aida Mariam Davis explores the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, making explicit the ways that extraction, oppression, and enslavement serve the goals of empire—not least by severing ancestral connections and disrupting profound and ancient relationships to self, nature, and community. Her recent book, Kindred Creation, is a call and response to dream and design better worlds rooted in African lifeways: a path to Black freedom, a love letter to Black futures, and a blueprint to intergenerational Black joy and dignity—all (and always) on Black terms.

In this episode, Aida is joined by CIIS Director of the Center for Black & Indigenous Praxis Preston Vargas for a powerful conversation exploring African epistemologies and recalling the dignity and distinction of the African way of life. Aida shares her philosophical framework: remember, refuse, and reclaim as a vital guide for birthing new worlds and reclaiming land, language, lifestyle, and labor.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 19th, 2025. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Lifelong activist and educator Dean Spade dares us to decide that our interpersonal actions are not separate from our politics of liberation and resistance. Many activist projects and resistance groups fall apart because people treat each other poorly, trying desperately to live out the cultural myths about dating and relationships that we are fed from an early age. How do we bring our best thinking about freedom and justice into step with our desires for healing and connection?

In this episode, Dean is joined by CIIS Anthropology and Social Change Associate Professor Targol Mesbah in a liberating conversation on how to combat cultural scripts and take our relationships into our own hands, better preparing us for the work of changing the world.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on February 28, 2025. 

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

We live in a turbulent time with storms everywhere, of every size and shape. And like every generation before us, we must learn the art of surviving them, so we can help each other endure. In his work, bestselling author and spiritual teacher Mark Nepo explores the art and practice of finding the strength to meet adversity by using the timeless teachings of the heart.

In his life’s work as well as in his latest book, Surviving Storms, Mark articulates the heart’s process of renewal and connection with insight and accuracy. In this episode, Mark is joined by CIIS Professor and Program Chair for the MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and Writing Cindy Shearer for an empowering conversation on learning to overcome the storms of life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on November 30th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Black Queer Feminists Cara Page and Erica Woodland’s work focuses on political and spiritual liberation grounded in Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Queer and Trans healing justice lineages. Their work guides individuals through the history, legacies, and liberatory practices of healing justice—a political strategy of collective care and safety that intervenes in the generational trauma caused by systemic violence and oppression.

In this episode, Cara and Erica discuss their recent collaboration as editors of the anthology Healing Justice Lineages, a profound and urgent call to embrace community and survivor-led care strategies as models that push beyond commodified self-care, the policing of the medical industrial complex, and the surveillance of the public health system.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 2, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Resmaa Menakem is a healer, therapist, and a licensed clinical social worker renowned for his bestseller My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Resmaa is the originator and key advocate of Somatic Abolitionism, an embodied antiracist practice of living and culture building.

In this episode, CIIS Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rachel Bryant has a transformative conversation with Resmaa about his recent book, The Quaking of America, and how we can heal the historical and racialized trauma we carry in our bodies and our souls.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 10th, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

How can we cultivate the traits of a vibrant community in our own lives and what would it look like to prioritize caring and acceptance in our interactions with others? How can we, collectively, create a climate of true inclusivity, one where our differences both challenge and strengthen us?

After having meetings with different communities in the United States over the course of two years, psychologist Lisa Kentgen identified some key traits of vibrant, healthy communities that we can all apply to our own lives and networks. She compiled and expanded upon what she learned in her book, The Practice of Belonging: Six Lessons from Vibrant Communities to Combat Loneliness, Foster Diversity, and Cultivate Caring Relationships.

In this episode Dr. Kentgen is joined by CIIS professor in Counseling Psychology, Shoshana Simons, for a conversation about how we can transform our social relationships and build communities that appreciate difference, encourage authentic expression, and foster an environment of belonging and mutual care.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 2nd, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Integrative physician, author, and activist Tanmeet Sethi’s work focuses on shifting our nervous system and biochemistry into a form of joy at the cellular level. Dr. Sethi has worked globally and locally on the frontlines with the most marginalized communities, as well as with victims of school shootings, survivors of hurricanes, and citizens impacted by police violence. She shares her methods and lessons learned in her recent book Joy Is My Justice.

In this episode, Dr. Sethi is joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Anjuli Sherin for a conversation about rediscovering joy and how to reframe joy as an act of resistance to reclaim resilience and sense of purpose as a unique human right.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 2, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Every family has a story. For some of us, our family of origin is a solid foundation that feeds our confidence and helps us navigate life’s challenges. For others, it’s a source of pain, hurt, and conflict that can feel like a lifelong burden.

Licensed therapist and bestselling relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab is an expert in helping individuals reclaim their voice and set healthy boundaries. In her latest book, Drama Free, she offers clear advice for identifying dysfunctional family patterns and choosing the best path to breaking the cycle and moving forward.

In this episode, Nedra is joined by writer, author, and licensed mental health professional Minaa B. in a conversation about understanding and moving past family struggles—and living your life, your way.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 23rd, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

At the heart of every healthy, fulfilling relationship lies the unshakable knowledge that we can trust another person with the care of our whole well-being. Yet most of us arrive at our relationships with triggers, traumas, and old patterning that can make this kind of intimacy challenging.

Renowned psychotherapist and couples therapy expert Stan Tatkin explores all the common complaints and conflicts we encounter in our relationships and provides key insights on how to navigate even the most contentious topics with understanding and respect in his latest book, In Each Other’s Care.

In this episode, Dr. Tatkin is joined by licensed psychologist and CIIS Associate Professor of Community Mental Health Elizabeth Markle for a conversation offering insights for therapists and couples alike about repairing relationships and reigniting love.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 1st, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Sharon Blackie is an award-winning writer and internationally recognized teacher whose work sits at the intersection of psychology, mythology, and ecology.

Her best-selling book, If Women Rose Rooted is an inspiring exploration of femininity and relationship with landscape, and her latest, Hagitude, unearths the stories of elder women in European myth and folklore to highlight the different ways women can flourish throughout all stages of life. Her renowned writings invite us to explore how developing a relationship with myth and the land we live on can both enchant our lives and lead to a greater sense of meaning and belonging in the world.

In this episode, Sharon is joined by CIIS Integral Counseling Psychology Associate Professor Rachael Vaughan for a transformative conversation on the importance of myth and land in our lives.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 28th, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

How do ordinary people with busy lives leverage our actions in support of liberation, justice, and authentic connection? How can activists and social change-makers avoid burning out? How does the body factor into what our social movements might miss? 

Drawing on the somatic arts, trauma-informed psychology, and anti-oppressive movements, scholar/activist Rae Johnson helps us explore and transform the political realities of our everyday lives in a new way: by harnessing the felt experience of our bodies as the sites of our activism. In this episode, vocalist, sacred scholar, and artivist Amber McZeal talks with Rae about their latest book, Embodied Activism, and their perspectives on changing the world, one body at a time.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 23rd, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation, and one of the best ways to move past individual trauma is through connection and community—healing ourselves and one another.

In this episode, wellness coach and licensed therapist Minaa B. is joined by trauma and racial healing leader Jenée Johnson in an inspiring and practical conversation on the power of collective healing in moving past trauma and adversity.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 14th, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The planet is burning and flooding, divisions and conflicts between people are on the rise, and we’re are all processing the collective trauma of a global pandemic. Among therapists and healers, burnout is rampant; hopelessness and despair as well. As a healing practitioner, how can you practice good therapy when you feel like the world is ending?

In this episode, psychotherapists Larisa Garski and Justine Mastin are joined in a conversation with CIIS professor Christine Brooks on the difficulties of therapizing in today's world. Informed by narrative, Internal Family Systems, fanfic, and trauma sensitive therapy, Justine and Larisa share insights from their latest book, The Grieving Therapist, and offer a grief-informed framework for taking care of yourself as you take care of others.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 28th, 2023. A transcript is below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she's always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred.

Her latest book, Falling Back in Love with Being Human, is a transformative collection of intimate and lyrical love letters that offer a path toward compassion, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. Whether prayers or spells or poems—and whether there’s a difference—she writes to affirm the outcasts and runaways she calls her kin.

In this episode, Kai Cheng is joined by qwoc expressive arts therapist and CIIS Counseling Psychology programs professor Jenna Robinson in a conversation about love and what it means to truly embrace the beauty of being human.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 19th, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

What role does dominant culture play in how we experience the sensations, thoughts, feelings, and deeper existential mysteries of our bodies? Dr. Roger Kuhn, a Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigequeer activist, artist, sex therapist, and somacultural theorist, believes that Two-Spirit people hold a unique and valuable perspective. Straddling colonial imposition and tribal significance, Two-Spirit identity offers a powerful decolonizing framework to achieve freedom and navigate the toxic systems of domination that impose upon the precious truth of who we are.

In this episode, Dr. Kuhn is joined by queer nonbinary therapist and mediator Jay Tzvia Helfand for a conversation illuminating the ways our bodies offer portals to our own liberation and how viewing our bodies through a somacultural lens can help us better understand how dominant culture informs and, all too often, misinforms our relationship to our bodies.

Dr. Kuhn discusses his latest book, Somacultural Liberation, based on his revolutionary mode of inquiry, Somacultural Liberation, an embodied practice that helps people connect with the intersections of their identity. Dr. Kuhn’s approach illuminates the full impact of our cultural reality in shaping both our individual and shared sense of self.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 20th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Sonya Renee Taylor is a world-renowned activist and thought leader on racial justice, body liberation, and transformational change. Her best-selling book, The Body Is Not an Apology, offers a radical framework for self-love and has helped many to identify and dismantle bodily-based hierarchies to build new worlds of possibility and justice.

In Sonya’s newest book, The Book of Radical Answers, she provides honest, empowering and age-appropriate answers to real questions from young readers about health, sex, gender, race, and justice.

In this episode, CIIS Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Danielle Drake joins Sonya for a healing and transformative conversation that explores how we can open ourselves to seeking radical answers to the world’s most pressing and painful questions, and how we may find our own liberation through the journey.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 25th, 2023. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, CIIS professor and clinical psychologist Jason Butler and clinical psychologist Genesee Herzberg are joined by psychotherapist and mentor in the CIIS Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold for a conversation exploring how psychedelic medicine can be incorporated into contemporary psychotherapy.

Together, Jason, Genesee, and Gisele examine the practice of psychedelic therapy and offer practical guidance for cultivating a highly effective, ethically grounded, and integral approach to psychedelic therapy.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on January 25th, 2024.  A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The seasons and cycles of nature have incredible power to affect everything in our lives—including our creativity. Author and poet Jacqueline Suskin’s latest book, A Year in Practice, is a seasonal guide for creative seekers offering holistic practices to find clarity, activate hope, and honor nature all year long.

In this episode, Jacqueline is joined by expressive arts therapist and CIIS Counseling Psychology program professor Jenna Robinson in a conversation about how to explore and fortify your creative practice by accessing guidance provided by the rhythms of nature.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 31, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing Dr. Peter A. Levine changed the way psychologists, doctors, and healers understand and treat the wounds of trauma and abuse.

In this conversation with CIIS professor of Somatic Psychology Rae Johnson, he shares his own experience of severe childhood trauma and how he helped thousands of others before resolving his own trauma. Sharing insights from his recent memoir, An Autobiography of Trauma, Dr. Levine explains how being guided through Somatic Experiencing allowed him to illuminate and untangle his traumatic wounds and shares the history of the Somatic Experiencing method being derived from his studies of wild animals in their natural environments, neurobiology, and more than 50 years of clinical observations.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 16th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Writer and somatic facilitator Abigail Rose Clarke reminds us that truly meaningful embodiment practices nurture our relationships among self, nature, and community. In her latest book, Returning Home to Our Bodies, Abigail offers guidance for harnessing the vitality of curiosity and experimentation, accessing nature as a path to possibility, embracing the necessity of difference, exposing the lie of universal isolation, uncovering the truth of endless capacity, and exploring awe as a driving force for transformation.

In this episode, Abigail is joined by second generation astrologer, intuitive, somatic educator and practitioner Renee Sills in a conversation that imagines a world beyond systems of domination, marginalization, and isolation to nurture embodied, whole-community liberation.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 6, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Alexis Nikole Nelson aka Black Forager uses her platform to engage with millions—yelling, singing, and celebrating the hidden bounty of edible plants waiting to be found in our backyards, on our nature hikes, growing from our sidewalks and in our parks across the world.

In this episode, Alexis is joined by CIIS associate professor, activist, and licensed creative arts therapist Britton Williams for an engaging and joyful conversation about Alexis’ life and work, food justice and foraging for edible plants to enrich palates and the planet.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 12, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Did you know that attachment styles impact more than romantic relationships? As it turns out, most of us are thinking about Attachment Theory all wrong, and in her recent book, The New Rules of Attachment, triple board-certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist Dr. Judy Ho provides clarity. Grounded in the science of attachment, Dr. Ho’s game-changing approach shows that our attachment style impacts every aspect of our lives. Moreover, we can all learn to become securely attached, no matter what attachment style we developed in childhood.

In this episode, Dr. Ho is joined by Kini Chang, Chair and Core Faculty of CIIS’ Community Mental Health Master's in Counseling Psychology program, for a conversation with Dr. Ho about her latest book and how to begin to develop unconditional self-love and a meaningful, joyful life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 17th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Empathy is so much more than feeling deeply—it holds transformative power to heal ourselves, strengthen our relationships, and amplify our purpose. Psychiatrist and bestselling author Judith Orloff presents empathy as a daily healing practice and a form of emotional intelligence accessible to all. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and energy medicine, Dr. Orloff’s newest book, The Genius of Empathy, shows us how to access our sensitivities, soothe our nervous systems, and stop absorbing the emotions of others.

In this episode, Dr. Orloff is joined by empath, spiritual seeker, and intuitive healer Laura Rowe for a conversation about igniting empathy as a superpower for transformative personal healing, deeper relationships, and more potent work in the world.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 24th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Alice Wong is an acclaimed disabled activist whose work and writing has shaped the modern conversation around disability. As the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, her work foregrounds the stories of those living with disabilities and paints a vibrant picture of disability media and culture.

In her latest book, Disability Intimacy, Alice uses her distinctive voice to highlight and curate stories of intimacy. More than sex, more than romantic love, the pieces in her stunning and illuminating new anthology offer broader and more inclusive definitions of what it can mean to be intimate with another person.

In this episode, Alice is joined in a conversation with writer, educator and trainer for transformative justice and disability justice Mia Mingus. Their conversation about Alice’s life and work will free your thinking, invigorate your spirit, and delight your desires.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 18th, 2024. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Get access to the online workshop series on intergenerational trauma with Kini Chang, LMFT, Chair of the Community Mental Health program at CIIS

Community Mental Health alumna Nichole Pettway on using her experiences to help others navigate uncharted waters 

Community Mental Health graduate Dr. Patsy Tito on bringing mental health support to the Samoan and Pacific Islander community

Sibling Directors on Drama, Therapy, and Drama Therapy

Joy and resilience: we need both to thrive. But even though resilience is rightly buzzing as a self-care goal, we live in a world that makes it attainable to some and inaccessible to others.

In her latest book, Joyous Resilience: A Path to Individual Healing and Collective Thriving in an Inequitable World, Pakistani American Clinical Therapist Anjuli Sherin offers a culturally informed, body-centered model of healing accompanied by the compelling and diverse stories of Black, POC, LGBTQIA+, Immigrant, and other marginalized people, who found ways to thrive and embrace joy using this model to heal intergenerational and collective trauma.

In this episode, Monique LeSarre, executive director of Rafiki Coalition joins Anjuli for a moving and joyful conversation about her work as a therapist and the lessons she shares in Joyous Resilience.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 26, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The American Dream as it has been defined for more than a century is about the well-paying job, the nuclear family, and upward mobility. But what both clouds and defines that dream is the distance between us, our neighbors, and that we, our communities, are defined by the dichotomy of winners and losers. What has been lost in many people’s day to day and in the larger American Dream is the key element that helped many of us to succeed in the first place—community.

In this episode, author and activist Mia Birdsong is joined by Rachel Bryant for a conversation on reclaiming family, friendship, and communities. Sharing insights from her book, How We Show Up, Mia highlights how we can return to our inherent connectedness to find strength, safety, and support in vulnerability and generosity, in asking for help, and in being accountable.

This episode contains some explicit language. It was recorded during a live online event on April 22, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

NOTE: This episode features guided participatory rest practices that include moments of silence at the beginning and end of the conversation.

Restoring your body, mind, and spirit amid change is an act of courage, empowerment, and hope. Drawing wisdom from yoga philosophy and her many years of teaching experience, yoga teacher and activist Octavia Raheem offers motivation and guidance to restore ourselves through various forms of change in our lives. Her practice comes to life in her latest book, Pause, Rest, Be, where she provides simple restorative yoga poses and offers short teachings and reflections to see us through times of ending and beginning as well as liminal or transitional space.

In this episode, somatic and transpersonal psychotherapist Deanna Jimenez joins Octavia for a conversation on how slowing down, stillness, and deeper connection to our own transitions empowers us to move through personal and collective shifts with more grace as well as what it means to navigate change with presence and courage.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 13th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Hope without action is, at best, naive. At its worst, it tricks you into giving up the power and agency you have to change systems that cause suffering. Transformative learning and social justice educator Kari Grain’s concept of critical hope calls for a spark of passion and an abiding belief that transformation is not just possible, but vital. This is hope in action: a vibrant, engaged practice and a commitment to honoring transformative potential across a vast spectrum of experience.

In her latest book, Critical Hope, Dr. Grain asserts that hope is necessary but hope alone is not enough. In this episode, Dr. Grain is joined by CIIS Chief Diversity Officer Rachel Bryant for a conversation introducing the seven principles for practicing critical hope and exploring how hope isn’t something you have—it’s something you do.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 5th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

An interview with Drama Therapy alumna Grace Walcott about her documentary, “River of Life LGBTQ+”

Native or tribal sovereignty refers to the right of American Indians and Alaska Natives to govern themselves. In some definitions native or tribal sovereignty is an inherent right, whether the tribe is federally recognized or not. But what does native sovereignty mean to Indigenous peoples, non-Indigenous peoples, governments, organizations, and beyond?

Gregg Castro, Cultural Director for the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, has worked on preserving his Indigenous heritage for three decades as a writer-activist and by educating the broader world about the Ramaytush Ohlone—the Indigenous people of the land now called San Francisco.

In this episode, Gregg is joined by Lazzuly Mello, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Core Faculty in the Community Mental Health program at CIIS, for an illuminating conversation exploring the complexities of native sovereignty from his perspective as a member and advocate for multiple California tribes.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 22nd, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Yung Pueblo’s (Diego Perez) path to deep healing began after years of drug use had taken a toll on his mind and body. Searching for a way forward, he found that by honestly examining and addressing the anxieties and fears that he had been running away from, he no longer felt like a stranger inside of his heart and mind. Once he dedicated himself to meditation and trusting his intuition, he started to finally feel mentally lighter—with more love emerging from within. This was not an easy journey, and it's one that he is still on, but it showed him that real healing is possible.

In this episode, Damali Robertson joins Diego for an inspiring conversation exploring how we can all move forward in our healing—from learning self-compassion to letting go, to becoming emotionally mature. Drawing upon insights from his life and latest book, Lighter, Diego shares that as our minds begin to stop feeling overburdened with tension, we can reconnect with the present, and the world around us will become more inviting, crisp, and newly vibrant.

This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco on October 14th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CIIS Professor Jason Butler discusses his new book on the potential, pitfalls, and guidelines for psychedelic medicine and care in treating mental illness.

An offering by CIIS Student Mia Cruz opened up the 55th Commencement Ceremony of the California Institute for Integral Studies

Kini Chang joined as new Chair of Community Mental Health and comes from a liberation and social justice lens when working with trauma associated with systemic oppression, social inequity, community violence, abuse and attachment, juvenile justice reformation, and traumatic grief and loss.

Our Graduating Student Reflection Speech at the 55th Convocation Ceremony of California Institute for Integral Studies

In this episode, author Jabari Asim is in conversation with former CIIS Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Denise Boston about his book, We Can't Breathe.

The book is about a different side of American history - one that doesn't depend on a narrative steeped in oppression, but rather reveals African American voices telling their own stories.

This episode was recorded during an event on November 1, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

There are few subjects in American life that prompt more discussion and controversy than immigration. Drawing on his own experience as an Indian-born teenager growing up in New York City, and on years of reporting around the world, author and journalist Suketu Mehta tackles this issue head-on.

In this conversation with multicultural counseling expert Jyoti Rao, Suketu talks about his latest book This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto and his belief that immigrants bring great benefits, enabling countries and communities to flourish.

This episode was recorded during an event on June 8, 2020 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Author, editor, and Baltimore native D. Watkins is joined by equity expert Y-Vonne Hutchinson for this conversation about the lessons D has learned navigating two very distinct worlds—the hood and the elite sanctums of prominent black thinkers and public figures.

This episode was recorded during an event in 2020 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

In unsettling and uncertain times, the individual and collective heartbreak that lives in both our bodies and our communities can feel insurmountable. Many of us have been conditioned by the dominant culture to not name, focus on, or wade through the difficulties in our lives. But in order to heal, we must make space for grief, prioritizing our wholeness and humanity.

Social justice activist, social worker, and yoga teacher Michelle Cassandra Johnson offers the tools people need to be present and open hearted with their grief. In this episode, program innovation leader in mindfulness, trauma, and racial healing Jenée Johnson talks with Michelle about her latest book, Finding Refuge, as well as her life and work helping people to process family, community, and global grief.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 4th, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Astrologer and psychic medium Jessica Lanyadoo is joined in conversation by M.A. in Somatic Counseling Psychology student and local actor Madeline H.D. Brown to discuss self-compassion, astrology, and why you should never look at your crush’s chart.

This episode was originally recorded live with an in-person audience on March 20th, 2019. A transcript is available below.

Born in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, mindfulness teacher Sister Dang Nghiem (Sister D) is an inspiration for anyone who has ever suffered from abuse, life-changing loss, severe illness, or the aftermath of war. Her work brings together her experience as a survivor, certified MD, and ordained Buddhist teacher to offer a body-based, practical approach to healing from life’s most difficult and painful experiences.

In this episode, CIIS Integrative Health Studies Professor Megan Lipsett talks with Sister D about her life, her work, and her newest book to learn how the practice of mindfulness can help us access our strength as survivors and tap into the joy of being alive.

This episode contains mentions of abuse, trauma, and violence. It includes a brief guided meditation lead by Sister D. It was recorded during a live online event on January 21, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Whether we feel unworthy, alienated, or anxious about our place in the world, the absence of belonging is the great silent wound of our times.

In this episode, award-winning author, teacher, and dreamworker Toko-pa Turner and licensed psychotherapist and CIIS Faculty Rachael Vaughan have a nourishing conversation about what it means to belong and the power of our dreams.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 9, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The field of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has been growing rapidly in recent years with decriminalization efforts moving forward on local, state, and federal levels. Ketamine was first developed in the 1960s as a surgical anesthetic for humans. In recent years, it was discovered that ketamine also has rapid acting anti-depressant and anti-obsessional properties.

In this episode, clinician Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold has a conversation with psychologist Raquel Bennett about her experience working as a ketamine specialist over the past 19 years and the exploding field of therapeutic ketamine.

Learn more about Raquel's personal experience using Ketamine in an interview.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 4, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

It is well known that mental healthcare and therapy are not systems that are readily accessible to everyone, especially those from marginalized communities. Created and maintained by white men, most traditional therapeutic practices do not address systematic oppression, ancestral trauma, LGTBQIA+ mental health and wellness, and the general mental, emotional, or physical plight of BIPOC and marginalized communities.

Psychologist and CIIS alumni Dr. Jennifer Mullan has spent much of her career addressing these inequities and providing spaces for healing through the use of decolonizing practices like centralizing historical and intergenerational trauma, which she identifies as ancestral trauma.

In this episode, educator and sexologist Bianca Laureano joins Dr. Mullan for a warm and powerful conversation exploring how we can tend to our emotional and mental health while also holding systemic oppression accountable.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 11, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Most of us understand grief as sorrow experienced after a loss—the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a change in life circumstance. According to author and Buddhist end-of-life caregiver, Breeshia Wade, grief is bigger than what’s happened to us, larger than a reaction to a one-time event. It is something that is connected to what we fear, what we love, and what we aspire to.

Drawing on stories from her own life as a Black woman and from the people she has midwifed through the end of life, Breeshia connects sorrow not only to specific incidents, but also to the ongoing trauma that is part and parcel of systemic oppression. She broadens the mainstream conception of grief to explore its intersections with race, gender, social justice, and trauma.

In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Bree McDaniel has a conversation with Breeshia about her life, her work, and her latest book, Grieving While Black: An Antiracist Take on Oppression and Sorrow.

This episode contains explicit language. It was recorded during a live online event on March 18, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Healthy boundaries. We all know setting healthy boundaries can help us to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships. But what does “setting healthy boundaries” really mean? How can we successfully express our needs without offending others?

In this episode, licensed counselor and relationship expert Nedra Glover Tawwab is joined in conversation with licensed psychologist Elizabeth Markle. They discuss Nedra’s book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace in which she shares techniques to identify and express our needs clearly and without apology while unravelling the root problems behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 31, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

As the effects of aggressive policing and mass incarceration harm historically marginalized communities and tear families apart, how do we define safety? In a time when the most powerful institutions in the United States are embracing repressive and racist systems that keep many communities struggling and in fear, we need to reimagine what safety means.

In this episode, community leader and lawyer Zach Norris is joined in a conversation with CIIS professor and restorative justice expert sonya shah about how we can shift our mindset and embrace a new vision for public safety that overturns more than 200 years of fear-based discrimination, othering, and punishment.

This episode contains mentions of violence and death by suicide. This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 23, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

MDMA is currently in phase three of clinical trial research studies for the treatment of trauma in the United States, Canada, and Israel.

In this episode, clinician and CIIS professor Gisele Fernandes-Osterhold has a conversation with Israel-based MAPS clinician-researcher Keren Tzarfaty on the benefits and therapeutic applications of MDMA assisted psychotherapy. Keren and Gisele go deep into the nature of the psychedelic experience, the principles that guide the therapeutic work, and the new paradigm this study offers to treatment of PTSD and to psychotherapy in general.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 6, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Racism permeates every aspect of society. Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism in which people of color are disproportionately burdened with health hazards through policies and practices that force them to live in proximity to sources of toxic waste such as sewage works, mines, landfills, power stations, major roads, and emitters of airborne particulate matter.

In this episode, co-founder of Movement Generation: Justice and Ecology Project, Gopal Dayaneni is joined by community organizer and environmental justice advocate Carla Maria Pérez for a powerful conversation exploring the connections between environmental racism and climate change and what we can do as individuals and communities to address and heal from the harms of both.

This episode contains explicit language. It was recorded during a live online event on April, 28, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Disability affects all of us, directly or indirectly, at one point or another. Examining the complexities of disability issues with wisdom, humor, and honesty, author and disability advocate Rebekah Taussig seeks to normalize the lived experience of disabled persons while also advocating for improvements and a paradigm shift—something that we all play a necessary part in.

In this episode, self-proclaimed queer, Black, biracial Glamputee Alex Locust joins writer, teacher, and creator of the Instagram account @sitting_pretty, Rebekah Taussig for a conversation about her book, also titled Sitting Pretty, as well as her life and her work.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on July 22nd, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The divides we experience within us and between us are not only a threat to our physical and emotional health—they are also the weapons and the outcomes of structural oppression. Meditation teacher and author Kate Johnson believes that through wise relationships it is possible to transform the barriers created by societal injustice.

In this episode, licensed psychologist and CIIS faculty Elizabeth Markle has a conversation with Kate about her latest book, Radical Friendship, in which she illuminates seven strategies to help us embody our deepest values in our relationships and how to show up for each other’s liberation.

This episode contains explicit language. It was recorded during a live online event on September 15th, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In a society where unconscious bias, microaggressions, institutionalized racism, and systemic injustices are deeply ingrained, healing is an ongoing process. Author, meditation teacher, and law professor Rhonda Magee teaches that in order to have the difficult conversations required for working toward racial justice, inner work is essential.

In this episode, Damali Robertson has a conversation with Rhonda about her life and work, as well as her latest book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice, in which Rhonda shares ways mindfulness can heal ourselves, and transform our communities.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 22nd, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Family Constellations begins with this premise—it did not start with me. Many of us become entangled with the unhappiness of those who came before us, unconsciously adopting destructive familial patterns of anxiety, depression, failure, and even illness and addiction.

Family Constellations therapist Marine Sélénée uses her unique approach to this philosophy to help her clients get to the root of their pain.

In this episode, CIIS faculty in Expressive Arts Therapy Mimi Savage joins Marine for a conversational introduction to Family Constellations and how we can all harness this philosophy to take ownership of our lives.

This episode contains explicit language. It was recorded during a live online event on October 14th, 2021.A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Experienced mindfulness teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo provides accessible advice on navigating difficult times of transition by drawing on Buddhist teachings on impermanence to help us establish equanimity and resilience.

In this episode, CIIS Integrative Health Studies Professor Megan Lipsett talks with Kaira Jewel about her teaching and her latest book, We Were Made for These Times, which offers teaching on meditation and a step-by-step process to nurture deeper freedom and stability in daily life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 28th, 2021. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Welcome, Britton Williams!

In this conversation with CIIS Counseling Psychology program Professor Rachael Vaughan, award-winning neuroscientist Matthew Walker reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep, explaining how we can harness its transformative power to change our lives for the better.

This episode was originally recorded live with an in-person audience on October 9th, 2017. A transcript is available below.

In this episode, author and teacher Oren Jay Sofer is in conversation with Somatic Psychology Professor Terese Gjernes about mindful and nonviolent communication skills.

This episode was recorded during an event on December 12, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. A transcript is available below.

When facing anxiety, we usually try to make it go away. But what if this emotion was actually trying to help? According to empathy pioneer and author Karla McLaren, when we ignore or repress our anxiety, it can overwhelm us, but when we learn to welcome anxiety, we can access its remarkable gifts.

In this episode, Karla is joined by licensed psychologist Elizabeth Markle for an in-depth conversation on anxiety as an essential source of foresight, intuition, and energy. Drawing from her latest book, Embracing Anxiety, Karla shares practices for befriending your anxiety at any level and illuminates how this vital emotion—when engaged wisely—can help you focus, plan, take action, and fulfill your goals.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 24, 2020. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

We live in a world where entitlement, incivility, and narcissism are incentivized. How do we learn to negotiate a world that often gaslights us and empowers the loudest and most toxic voices?

In this episode, CIIS Community Mental Health professor and psychologist Elizabeth Markle has a conversation with psychologist and narcissism expert Dr. Ramani Durvasula exploring the new normal of narcissism and incivility and how to stay sane in a narcissistic world.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 2, 2020. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Disability studies scholar Sara Acevedo discusses disability culture and identity, from the perspective of disability communities themselves.

This episode was recorded during an event on March 14, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. A transcript is available below.

As a body justice advocate and leader Dr. Joy Arlene Renee Cox believes that the spaces carved out by third-wave feminism and the fat liberation movement fail at achieving true inclusivity and intersectionality. She believes that fat Black women need to create their own safe spaces and community—instead of tirelessly working to educate, chastise, and strive against dominant groups.

Dr. Cox’s latest book, Fat Girls in Black Bodies: Creating Communities of Our Own, breaks down the myths, stereotypes, tropes, and outright lies we’ve been sold about race, body size, belonging, and health.

In this episode, educator and sexologist Bianca I. Laureano talks with Dr. Cox about rejecting the myths and lies that hold back fat Black women, and ways for their communities to flourish.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 7, 2020. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), has been a relentless advocate for developing legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics paired with psychotherapy for decades. He is also a teacher for the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research.

In this episode, licensed psychotherapist Gisele Fernandes has a fascinating conversation with Rick about the future of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Diving into his vast knowledge of the science of psychedelics, Rick discusses how drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA affect your brain. He shares how, when paired with psychotherapy, psychedelics could change the way we treat PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and more.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 23, 2020. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CONTENT ADVISORY: This episode contains references to the existence of traumatic events such as assault, rape, and suicide.

Integral Counseling Psychology student Erika Abrahamian educates CIIS about the Iranian protests following the murder of Mahsa Amini and her personal connections as an Iranian American.

As a New York Times bestselling author and renowned clinical psychologist, Dr. Shefali’s work teaches women how to transcend their fears and illusions, break free from societal expectations, and rediscover the person they were always meant to be: fully present, conscious, and fulfilled.

In this episode, Enneagram expert and life coach Lara Heller talks with Dr. Shefali about her latest book, A Radical Awakening, and how to uncover our inner truth and powers to help heal ourselves and our planet.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 4th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

The first of a two-part interview series celebrating the boundary-defying work of Chris Dorosz

We all experience anxiety. Regardless of how bad it can feel, anxiety is part of what makes us human and may not necessarily be a bad thing. According to psychologist, author, and anxiety researcher Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, that uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty can be productive.

In Dr. Dennis-Tiwary's work and writing she addresses both generalized anxiety—which we all face—and anxiety disorders, when our anxious reactions and feelings prevent us from functioning effectively. In this episode, somatic and transpersonal psychotherapist Deanna Jimenez talks with Dr. Dennis-Tiwary about her latest book, Future Tense. They explore looking at anxiety in a new way to offer hope to those suffering from it along with a way forward to better managing anxiety to spark creativity and joy for a more productive life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 2nd, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Facilitator and transformational coach Judy Wilkins-Smith believes the key to transformation lies in decoding the patterns embedded in your life—unconscious patterns that you inherited from your family system. In her latest book, Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint, Judy shares a variety of strategies and practices to help people detect hidden and multigenerational patterns, recognize their purpose, and then break the cycles, supporting their ability to create an extraordinary life.

In this episode, licensed psychologist and CIIS professor of Community Mental Health Elizabeth Markle joins Judy in a conversation on learning how to break free from the patterns that hold us back.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 15th, 2022. A transcript is available below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Being a healer today often means navigating complexities and challenges. Healers of all modalities can feel sidelined, underfunded, or delegitimized within a Western capitalist framework.

In this episode, licensed psychologist and CIIS faculty Elizabeth Markle talks with somatic psychotherapist, author, and podcaster Laura Mae Northrup about her latest book, Radical Healership, in which Laura offers an authentic, spiritually grounded approach to finding a true path to working in a healing profession.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 2nd, 2022. Access the transcript below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Listen and watch as students and alumni talk about their experiences in the Drama Therapy program at CIIS

For years, Mark Epstein kept his beliefs as a Buddhist separate from his work as a psychiatrist. But as he became more forthcoming with his patients about his spiritual learning, he was surprised to find many were eager to hear more. The divisions between the psychological, emotional, and the spiritual were not as distinct as one might think.

In this episode, Dr. Epstein is joined by CIIS professor and psychologist Alzak Amlani in a conversation about his life, his work, and his latest book, The Zen of Therapy.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 26th, 2022. Access the transcript below.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CIIS Standard Exam pass rate was 85%, compared with 64% for all schools in California.

Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues. All too often, however, the focus is not on basic survival for the many, but on increasing privilege for the few.

In Mikki Kendall's latest book, Hood Feminism, she takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement, arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. Drawing on her own experiences with hunger, violence, and hyper-sexualization, she delivers an irrefutable indictment of a movement in flux and issues a ferocious clarion call to all would-be feminists.

In this episode, psychologist and CIIS Professor Danielle Drake talks with Mikki about writing Hood Feminism, her life, and the lessons she has learned.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 23, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

We all tell ourselves stories about who we are. Many of these stories are self-critical and disempowering. Through the practice of self-compassion, we can rewrite these stories and become more authentic and powerful versions of ourselves—transforming not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us.

For author Marianne Ingheim the practice of self-compassion changed her life in ways big and small, helping her unlearn harsh self-criticism, survive multiple tragedies, and live more authentically.

In this episode, Integral Psychologist Kendra Diaz-Ford talks with Marianne about her experiences unlearning self-critical patterns in order to live a happier, more courageous life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 10, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Counseling astrologer, writer, and CIIS alumna, Chani Nicholas talks about the path that lead her to CIIS and her social justice approach to astrology

Drawing on her decades of clinical experience with couples, and incorporating spiritual practices, social justice perspectives, current news stories, and neuro-scientific findings, Dr. Molly Howes has developed an unsparing, accessible and ultimately optimistic model for apologies.

In this episode, Artificial Intelligence scientist and a Buddhist teacher Nikki Mirghafori talks with Dr. Howes about her work, her latest book, and how we can all learn to craft an effective apology.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 20, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset) is a Native American attorney, teacher, and award-winning activist who grew up on the Penobscot Indian Reservation (Indian Island), Maine, and is the author of Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change.

In this episode, she is joined in a conversation with healer and movement builder Brenda Salgado. Together they explore Native American mythology and cosmology as a means of healing our collective wounds.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 1, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Fifty years after meaningful efforts toward civil rights, the United States remains overwhelmingly unjust. Our current solutions to make the world more equitable and just—from desegregation to diversity and representation—are not enough.

In this episode, somatic psychologist Sherri Taylor talks with author Calvin Baker about his book A More Perfect Reunion, in which he presents a profound, masterful reading of US history from the colonial era forward, along with a trenchant critique of the obstacles in our current political and cultural moment. It is also a timely call to action.

Calvin and Sherri's conversation reminds us that we live in a revolutionary democracy and that we are at a crucial moment to finish the revolution.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on July 23, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

As social distancing becomes a new way of life, connecting with friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors can be difficult and stressful. Suddenly we find ourselves in a new social landscape at a time when we need our communities most. Many are experiencing feelings of isolation and depression. All over the world, from balcony sing-alongs to Zoom graduation parties, people are finding new ways to connect to each other. What does this new normal mean for our mental health? How can we cultivate, maintain, and grow our relationships in these difficult times?

In this episode, Professor of Expressive Arts Therapy and Expressive Arts Coaching and Community Building and therapist Christine Brooks and author of Millenneagram Hannah Paasch explore human connection in COVID-19 and beyond. They talk about connection at this time, drawing upon knowledge of the enneagram and other tools for understanding yourself and those around you.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on June 11, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, modern mystic Thomas Hübl and cosmologist Brian Swimme explore the cosmos and discuss ways to move from being a society informed by trauma to a society that heals trauma.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 9th, 2020. You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CIIS students participate in collaborative research into school-based psychotherapy programs

Elizabeth Markle is a clinical psychologist turned radical community health innovator who brings decades of intentional community experience to her re-visioning of healthcare.

In this episode, health coach Susanna Merlo talks with Dr. Markle about her journey launching her community and “behavioral pharmacy”, Open Source Wellness, and her vision for the transformation of our nation’s clinical and social systems.

This episode was recorded during an event on February 27, 2020 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Somatic therapy combines talk therapy and bodywork to treat a wide range of psychological and physiological conditions, ranging from stress and anxiety to depression and PTSD. Nowhere has somatics proven more effective than in the treatment of trauma.

In this episode, author and somatics practitioner Staci Haines is joined in a conversation with therapist and CIIS professor Emily Marinelli. They discuss Staci’s book The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice, and share a restorative justice approach to somatic therapy, integrating mind-body healing with social activism.

This episode was recorded during an event on February 6, 2020 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Author Nishta J. Mehra is the daughter of Indian American immigrants, the wife of a white woman from Texas, and the mother of an adopted black child. Her life is a series of intersecting boundaries—of race, gender, sexuality, and religion—and her essays have examined the ways she navigates the various communities and ideologies that make up her family's life.

In this episode, Nishta is joined by integral psychology professor and therapist Daniela Koenig for a conversation about family and motherhood, race, and raising a black child in America today.

This episode was recorded during an event on November 28, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

In her book, For the Love of Men, award-winning journalist Liz Plank offers a witty, insightful, and deeply researched guide for what we can all do about toxic masculinity.

In this episode, Liz is joined by therapist and Bay Area men’s group leader Sarwang Parikh for a conversation about the future of gender roles and how finding a new way forward for men has the possibility to change the world.

This episode contains explicit language and was recorded during an event on November 14, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

In this conversation, psychologist Christine Brooks talks with author and social critic Erica Williams Simon about how she got “story smart” to challenge the narratives about fear, work, identity, success, love, and life that we have all been taught.

This episode was recorded during an event on August 15, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

Join Native American psychologist Leslie Gray for this conversation with don Jose Ruiz about his life and work traveling the world to share the teachings of his ancestors.

This episode was recorded during an event on August 8, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

In this episode, diversity and inclusion specialist Denise Boston has a conversation with author and academic DaMaris B. Hill that spans poetry, history, and current events to illuminate the lives of extraordinary women, and examines the impact they have had on our society today.

This episode was recorded during an event on July 25, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

Join Stanford’s social media expert, Jeff Hancock, and Director of the Trust Project, Sally Lehrman, as they examine the erosion of truth online, how our psychological and social dynamics impact our culture, and what we can do to rebuild our collective grasp on the truth.

This episode was recorded during an event on July 18, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

In this episode, therapist Ivy Tiegel talks with cartoonist Rachel Lindsay about Rx, her graphic memoir, and her experiences working as an artist with bipolar disorder.

This episode was recorded during an event on June 20, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

In this conversation with psychologist Jyoti Rao, poet Jessica Semaan discusses her latest work, Child of the Moon, and how creating poetry has helped her heal from her traumatic childhood during the Lebanese Civil War.

This episode was recorded during an event on June 12, 2019 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California. 

Dr. Cornel West is one of America's most provocative public intellectuals and the world-renowned author of Race Matters. His writings weave together the traditions of the Black Baptist Church, social justice, progressive politics, and jazz.

In this episode, Dr. Cornel West is in conversation with former CIIS Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Denise Boston about the burdens black men carry in society.

This episode was recorded during an event on April 10, 2015 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Physician and award winning author, Dr Gabor Mate, discusses his research at the intersection of addiction, science, psychology, and compassion.

This episode was recorded during an event on October 30, 2015 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

The story of Jezebel Delilah X—a self professed "quirky, queer, black girl from South Central LA” and how literature and theatre saved her life.

This episode includes explicit language. It was recorded during an event on November 4, 2015 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

The newest faculty member of the Community Mental Health program comes with a background in radical health activism

In this episode, author Huda Al-Marashi talks with Daniela Koenig about the process of navigating love and expectations while straddling two cultures.

This episode was recorded during an event on November 29, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Sharmila Sen, executive editor of Harvard University Press, discusses her recent book, Not Quite Not White: Losing and Finding Race in America, and talks about growing up as an immigrant in America with Counseling Psychology professor Jyoti Rao. This event was part of The Haresh Joan Shah Lecture and Performance Series.

This episode was recorded during an event on September 20, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

In this episode, inherited family trauma expert Mark Wolynn is joined in conversation by Richard Buggs to discuss how the traumas of our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents can affect us. Mark shares how inherited family trauma shapes who we are and how he works with patients to end the cycle.

This episode was recorded during an event on May 10, 2016 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

CIIS Professor and psychologist Alzak Amlani examines the benefits of developing the soul. 

This talk is part of our Big Ideas at CIIS series and was recorded during an event on September 20, 2016 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Chicano performance artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña is joined by author and performer Larry Bogad for this performative conversation, GGGPS: The Guillermo Gómez-Peña Positioning System. 

This event was part of the Dancing with the So Called Dead Festival, a collaboration with the MFA Program in Theatre-Performance Making and The Arts @ CIIS.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 26, 20216.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, psychologist and professor Alinne Barrera joins psychiatrist and UCSF Clinical Informatics fellow Steven Chan to explore how recent advances in technology and artificial intelligence are changing the way we seek and provide mental health care.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on September 12, 2018.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Psychologist and author Eduardo Duran is joined in conversation by CIIS student Natalie Bell to discuss the legacy of historical trauma for Native American populations.

This episode was recorded during an event on November 4, 2016 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Co-founders of the performance company Curious, Leslie Hill and Helen Paris, are joined in conversation by CIIS Visiting Faculty Member Ryan Tacata to talk about their work. 

This event was part of the Dancing with the So Called Dead Festival, a collaboration with the MFA Program in Theatre-Performance Making and The Arts @ CIIS.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 15, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Self compassion researcher Kristin Neff joins Michael Klein to examine how self compassion can lower anxiety and depression, and support more satisfying relationships.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 1, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, ICU doctor and palliative care expert Dr. Jessica Zitter is joined in conversation by CIIS Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to discuss her drive to help patients find a better path to the end of life.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 5, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Author and therapist Kate Levinson is joined in conversation with CIIS’ Kelly Kelly to discuss the intersection of money, business, and gender.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 12, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

CIIS faculty member and Expressive Arts Therapist Danielle Drake examines how communities who engage in creative processes can inspire social change. This talk was part of the Big Ideas at CIIS series.

This episode was recorded during an event on April 5, 2017 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Author and psychologist Harriet Lerner is joined in conversation by CIIS faculty member Barbara Morrill to explore what makes a good apology, and why they're so important.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 3, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Author and physician Gabor Maté is joined in conversation by CIIS Professor Meg Jordan to explore his life and work in trauma and addiction.

This episode was recorded during an event on April 7, 2017 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Author and psychologist Shefali Tsabary is joined in conversation by Dean of Alumni Richard Buggs to explore the ways we unconsciously pass on psychological pain to our children.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 9, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this conversation with Steven Tierney, Professor of Community Mental Health at CIIS, Pulitzer Prize finalist Robert Wright shares his journey exploring psychology, philosophy, and meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 19, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Join San Francisco poet Brynn Saito for a conversation with Layli Long Soldier about her journey creating her latest collection of poetry WHEREAS, which she wrote as a response to the congressional resolution “Apology to Native Peoples.”

This episode was recorded during a live online event on November 30, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, Dr. Yalom is joined in a conversation with Integral Counseling Psychology core faculty Barbara Morrill about his life, his work, and the profound power of self-reflection.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on December 7, 2017.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, journalist and poet Minal Hajratwala draws from the realms of creativity and politicized somatics to talk about migration and the body. This event was part of the Haresh and Joan Shah Lecture and Performance Series.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 21, 2018.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

In this episode, author Joy DeGruy was joined in conversation by former CIIS Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Denise Boston to explore how trans-generational trauma and systems of oppression influence race relations in America.

This episode was recorded during an event on January 19, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

In this episode, psychologist and author Stuart Ablon is joined in conversation by Nicolle Zapien to explore the science of how people change.

This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 29, 2018.

You can watch a recording of this episode and many more episodes on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube Channel.

Activist, author, and former Black Panther Party member Angela Davis talks with CIIS Professor Danielle Drake about her life and work.

This episode was recorded during an event on April 13, 2018 in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California.

Expressive Arts Therapy students offer weekly after-school programs for elementary school children

Alumna Dr. Shefali Tsabary shares how CIIS' Drama Therapy program sent her on a journey of self-awareness and introspection

An Integral Counseling Psychology alum and Bay Area transplant helps promote social justice as a therapist in a Kansas prison

Dr. Elizabeth Markle's Nonprofit Addresses Need for New Support Systems in Healthcare

Helping LGBTQ individuals and couples find culturally-competent and experienced therapists 

Integral Counseling Psychology alumna Karen Martin and her daughter Amanda both grew as students at CIIS, but their experiences reflect different facets of the Institute

New Book Explores Roles and Methodologies of Therapeutic Theatre

 Universities.com ranks CIIS high on list of top ten schools nationwide

Counseling Psychology students connect with 60+ agencies at the annual Practicum Fair

Stage Ai's Summer Blossom festival brought CIIS values to life in China through arts, healing, and cross-cultural connection.

Ian's utter unconventionality opens the door to creativity by its very presence

An interview with a Somatic Psychology graduate Chris Restivo

Somatic Psychology student Adrian Orozco Blair works at the Living Arts Counseling Center. He is now completing 1 semester of post practicum at this same site.

Warrior-Healers Rise

Spotlighting on the 6 degree programs in CIIS' School of Professional Psychology and Health

For more than 30 years, CIIS' 6 Psychotherapy Counseling Centers have been providing low-fee services to the Bay Area

A visual, nonlinear timeline of nine critical psychological frameworks at CIIS

In the Bay Area, our need for increased and better quality mental health services is urgent

Expressive Arts Therapy Alum Suraya Keating directed a production of Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice" starring male inmates at San Quentin State Prison

The integral message resonates with a large audience

Integral Counseling Psychology Alum Travis Mathews awarded $75K Filmmaking Grant

CIIS is leading cross-cultural collaboration around counseling psychology in China.

The Integral Counseling Center at Church Street is now offering therapy in Arabic, Catalan, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Tagalog.

A social and emotional art-based research study will be supported

Expressive Arts Therapy Professor Denise Boston taught in Hangzhou, China in the summer of 2014

Theatre for Change pieces grow out of improvisation, methods of drama therapy, self-revelatory performance, educational theatre, and Theatre of the Oppressed

Experts from multiple backgrounds in the Symposium explored solutions to the rising tide of violence facing our country.

Alum Karin von Daler co-developed the Dialectical Behavior Therapy oriented method for working with people struggling with intense emotional dysregulation

Enriched perspectives on the transformative potential of theatre arts

Expressive Arts Therapy Students Archive for ArtsChange

Drama Therapy student, Angelica Medina appeared in and helped write the collaborative theater production