In the episode, "The Start-Up Story of a Theater Company: An Interview with Alan Lutwin, President of Westchester Collaborative Theater (S6, E4)," Alan shares the journey of Westchester Collaborative Theater (WCT), located in Ossining, NY, a new play development company that incubates new works for the stage. By drawing in actors, writers and directors, WCT combines creative resources to bring original plays to fruition. Members participate in a lab process where, several times a month, new plays are read and critiqued. As the first time the work has been seen, plays workshopped in labs help forge the link between artists and the audience and community. Alan explains that as a public medium, a play needs to be tested and read in front of an audience to know what you have. After 14 years, WCT has become much more than a space to develop new theater pieces, but labs are still the core of the company.

Alan shares the journey of the startup, how it began, what keeps it going, and how it has grown. Today WCT has branched into holding space for all sorts of creative performances and happenings, such as jazz nights, comedy nights and theater classes. Alan offers advice on how to start-up a creative space in other communities, especially those suburbs already surrounding metro areas where theater is thriving only miles away, but is sometimes lacking in the nearby surrounding suburban communities.

To purchase tickets for upcoming events or to find out more about Westchester Collaborative Theater go to: https://www.wctheater.org/

Follow WTC on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/wctheater914/

#theatercompany #startup #culture #playwrights #communityarts #mentalhealth

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In the episode, “The A.W.A.R.E. Project and Crisis Taking Center Stage, with Crisis Counselor, Carlito Cabelin (S6 E3),” Carlito shares his personal journey on both sides of the mental health system. After his own positive experience in an outpatient program after a personal crisis, Carlito does not prosecute the system, but rather sheds light on what interactions with program and staff actually work and provide healing.

As an Employee-ownership industry executive, he balances his time as a NJ Certified Disaster Crisis Counselor and Mental Health Peer Support coach. Now, as a first responder for people in crisis, Carlito offers his ears and empathy to those who struggle as they call into his Crisis Text Line. He poses the point that everybody is in crisis in some way and gives his insight into what trauma and resilience look like.

Carlito shares his involvement with the A.W.A.R.E. project, which stands for: Are We Aware Of Religious Experiences, and describes it as a movement changing the current paradigm from pathologizing spiritual experience to normalizing it. Connecting with other first responders to share training programs, and working in partnership with Janet Werner on a docuseries and movie, Carlito continues to pave the way for new voices and experiences to be heard by mainstream ears.

To follow Carlito Cabelin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlitocabelin/

Or contact Carlito Cabelin at ccabelin@gmail.com

Follow on Facebook: Rethinking Mental Health Facebook

Follow on Linkedin: (7) A.W.A.R.E. (Are We Aware Of Religious Experiences): About | LinkedIn

#religiousexperience #areweaware #hotline #firstresponder #mentalheatlh #suicide

Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
And please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
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Twitter: @ jsiciliano

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In the episode, "Exploring Subconscious Architecture with Manex Ibar, Shaman, Mystic and Founder of Sphinx Code" (S6, E2), Manex shares his personal journey in discovering his shamanic path and how others can too. Manex points out that many who are tribal shamans, were initiated by those already on the path, unlike many in Western cultures, who are often considered psychotic.

Manex speaks about his channeled system of the Sphinx Code and how it can help others find their unique path and also shares about the science and spiritual perspective of the psychedelic revolution and what plant medicine can teach us.
Manex shares stories of others who have come into their own states of illumination through taking the shamanic path and brings to light how these ancient practices have a deeper technology that many of the modern world overlooks. Manex has an amazing gift with channeling wisdom from the other side and has astute clarity on this intriguing topic that he feels is his life purpose to share.

Bio:
Shaman Manex Ibar, a Mystic renowned for his transformative work as a spiritual guide, healer, and teacher. With a deep focus on reconnecting with nature's wisdom and unlocking our innate consciousness, Manex offers psychic clarity and practical techniques to illuminate individual paths toward realizing one's highest potential. From everyday individuals to prominent figures like doctors, CEOs, and celebrities, Manex has empowered a diverse range of clients, drawing upon his initiation into the Lakota medicine tradition at the age of 16 and wisdom gleaned from 12 master teachers across various lineages, including Tibetan Bon, Shoshone, and Algonquin traditions.

Through channeling and personal encounters with nature's elements, such as surviving lightning strikes, Manex simplifies complex spiritual concepts, facilitating transformative experiences with spirit consciousness. As the visionary founder of Sphinx Code, he leads the charge in pioneering the science of subconscious architecture, revolutionizing approaches to personal growth and enlightenment for seekers worldwide.

Learn more about Manex on his website:
https://manexibar.com/

Discover your Sphinx Code: https://sphinxcode.com/

Manex Ibar's essential oils have a very powerful effect on helping get out of depression/oppression (number 2 oil for energy is especially helpful) www.frequence.life

Follow Manex at:

https://www.facebook.com/manechibar

https://x.com/manexibar/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manex-ibar-778217/

https://www.instagram.com/theshamansays/

#mentalhealth #plantmedicine #shamanicjourney #sweatlodge #sphinxcode

Please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
Connect:
Instagram: @ jengaita
LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

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In the episode, "An Interview with Delicia Niami, Author of Kissing Asphalt: On Trauma, Healing, and Resilience (S6 E1)," Delicia joins the show sharing her 3 part memoir series, Resilient AF. The first book in the series, Kissing Asphalt: The Courageous True Story of One Child's Unbreakable Spirit—From Kidnapping & Abuse to Self-Love, tells the story of her early years within a traumatic set of experiences many might not have bounced back from. At the early age of 7, Delicia experienced being kidnapped by her own dad and brought to Bagdad Iraq.

Through all the trauma, Delicia shines light on the energy of growing up as a member of Generation X-- the culture of no phones and limited check up by parents--highlighting her deep interest in the GoGos and her adventures in weed culture. Her courage in sharing her ongoing dealings with molestation and how that colored her relationship with intimacy and relationships provides hope for anyone who experiences such violation.

Delicia’s second book, Not My Circus, chronicles the goings-on inside the courtroom dealing with her mother’s murder, while Book 3, The Queen of Silver Linings, shares Delicia’s healing journey using a variety of alternative modalities. Delicia uncovers a resilience within and offers a restorative view of how to keep moving forward in the face of such obstacles.

For anyone who has struggled with childhood trauma, Delicia’s unflinching journey through darkness and back to light will resonate. She has decided to share her story publicly in hopes that it will serve as a guide to the many who have suffered in silence and continue to struggle against the daunting weight imposed by childhood trauma.

Buy Delicia's book on Amazon or choose her Audiobook

Learn more about Delicia on her website: https://kissingasphalt.com/

#mentalhealth #trauma #recovery #resilientAF #livedexperience #kidnapping #plantmedicine #kissingasphalt #notmycircus #generationx #molestation

Please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
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LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

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In the episode, "Journeys Beyond the Frontier: On Treating and Interacting with Psychosis, A Conversation with Psychiatrist Mark Ragins (S5, E17)" I connect with Mark at the ISPS Conference at the University of Delaware where he was giving a talk, on the subject of psychosis and how those who suffer with it are treated by the medical field. Mark has a humanistic and compassionate approach when dealing with those who are sometimes the most feared and avoided characters in the area of mental illness, those with severe mental illness (SMI), and particularly psychosis. He invites in a new paradigm of relating to these patients, and views them as people, not diagnoses. In his embracing of using personal narrative to tell one's own story, he unveils a certain path to get to the healing: making meaning of own's own life in their own words.

Learn more about Mark at: markragins.com

Mark Ragins, MD was the Medical Director for 27 years at the Mental Health America Village in Long Beach, California, an award-winning model of recovery based mental health services, before leaving in 2017 to become the only campus psychiatrist at CSULB and in 2022 joined the Department of Health Services mobile clinics and street medicine teams working with homeless people on the streets throughout LA county.

His recent book, Journeys Beyond the Frontier: A Rebellious Guide to Psychosis and Other Extraordinary Experiences, is based on the true stories of more than 30 years of clinical work with some of the most underserved and difficult to engage people in our community. A true pioneer and leader of person-centered, recovery-based psychiatry, Mark has also won a number of awards in his field, including the American Psychiatric Association’s Arnold Van Amerigan Award in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association’s John Beard award for his outstanding lifetime contribution to psychiatric rehabilitation, and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) California’s recovery practitioner of the year.

#mentalhealth #mentalillness #psychosis #livedexperience #psychsurvivor #unhoused #homelessness #substanceabuse

Please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
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In the episode, "The New Language of Neurodiversity, Decolonization, Depathologization: On Location at the ISPS Conference with Six Voices on a Mission (S5, E16)," I go on location to connect with The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS), which is a pioneering organization with almost 70 years of advocating for transformative psychosocial understandings and approaches to psychosis that restore personhood, dignity, and well-being. The weekend-long conference held at the University of Delaware from October 27th-29th gathered clinicians, researchers, advocates, and people with lived experience, who are deeply invested in advancing psychological and social approaches to “psychosis,” while moving beyond frameworks of deficit and disease.

Connecting with a community of likeminded individuals, who recognize that the mental health system needs transformation beyond the biomedical paradigm was a riveting experience. In the following interview, I speak with six speakers at the event who give a message of hope and hold a more humane vision for an alternative mental health paradigm.

Vesper Moore is an indigenous political activist, leader, organizer, public speaker and educator in the psychiatric survivor and Disability Rights Movements. Vesper has brought the perspectives of mad, labeled "mentally ill," neurodivergent, disabled people and survivors to national and international spaces. Vesper works with both the US government and the United Nations in shaping strategies around trauma, intersectionality, and disability rights.

Dr. Calvin Chatlos is professor of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, with certification in adult, child and adolescent, and addiction psychiatry. Dr. Chatlos has presented at national and international conferences and is a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Since 2007, Sean Blackwell has been researching and teaching about the spiritual dimension and healing potential of bipolar disorder. His book, "Am I Bipolar, or Waking Up?," published in 2011, describes his own bipolar awakening, subsequent hospitalization, and complete recovery in 1996. Follow Sean on YouTube or at his website: bipolarawakenings.com.

Oryx Cohen is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Empowerment Center. He serves as president of the board for the Massachusetts Transformation Center and We R H. O. P. E., and is a master Emotional CPR trainer. Oryx co-produced and is a subject in the award-winning social action documentary Healing Voices, which was released in April 2016. You can follow his message on Instagram and on Tik Tok @ NECempowers.

South African Joshua Roberts combines his lived experience, with his Bachelors of Psychology and Masters in Theology to create a synergy between the inner / outer worlds. He's the COO of Inspired Mind Mental Health and works with NAMI and the National Empowerment Center. Josh's website is: InspiredMindMentalHealth.com Follow Josh on: Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.

Mija Bradford is a clinical therapist working in private practice since she graduated from Northwestern University Counseling Program in 2021. At six, Mija was introduced to the subtler energies in life and answered the healer's calling. Mija comes from a lineage of Africa

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In the episode, "An Interview with Tanya Frank, Author of Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood (S5, E15)," Tanya lends her powerful voice to the show, sharing her insight and experience with the mental health industry. Tanya’s association with the mental health system began in 2009 when Zach, Tanya’s son, was diagnosed in 2009 after his first episode with hearing voices. Both Zach and Tanya were not happy with the treatment offered, and Tanya opens up about his forced drugging and coercive hospitalization, as well as the alternative treatments that lent hope and relief.

Tanya also shares differences and similarities in mental health approaches to treatment between the US, the UK, and other nations that are moving onto a more compassionate path, who utilize programs such as Open Dialogue and the Soteria Network. Tanya acts as an advocate for families with experience of psychosis and stresses the importance of such support. While she acknowledges the power of the institution, she sees a new revolution emerging, consisting of a growing movement of critics of the status quo, as more people come forward to share their own stories and challenge the current paradigm. Tanya’s compassionate perspective and courageous heart gives hope to all who have lost faith in a system, that for so many survivors, not only proved unhelpful but aggressively harmful. Tanya’s book is so beautifully written with honesty, rawness, and openness, and her presence on the podcast is equally moving and enlightening.

To buy Tanya's book, go to:
https://www.amazon.com/Zig-Zag-Boy-Memoir-Madness-Motherhood/dp/0393531880

Bio:
Tanya Frank gained her MFA in Creative NonFiction at the University of California, Riverside. Her debut book, ZIG ZAG BOY: MOTHERHOOD, MADNESS & LETTING GO (Spring 2023) was an editors pick in the New York Times Review of Books. Tanya currently lives in London where she teaches and mentors writers with lived experience of psychosis. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The New York Times, The Washington Post and in various literary journals. She is the recipient of a 2022 Develop Your Creative Practice Award from the Arts Council England.

To learn more about Tanya, go to her website at: https://www.tanyafrank.com/
or follow her on Twitter: @TanFrankUK

#mentalhealth #mentalillness #psychosis #bigpharma #forceddrugging #livedexperience #psychsurvivor #forcedhospitalization #schizoaffective #DSM #ZigzagBoy

Please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
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In the episode, "The Vision and Voice of Janet Werner: The Documentary, the Movie, the Movement (S5, E14)," Janet joins the show to share her message on spiritual emergencies shedding light on the spiritual side of mental health, and specifically, the spiritually transformative experiences that often get misdiagnosed as mental illness.

Forty-four years ago while in her master’s degree program Janet had an astonishing mystical experience which turned into a spiritual emergency and resulted in being misdiagnosed as Bipolar, involuntarily hospitalized and required to take Lithium against her will. Twenty-five years later in 2005, Janet had another spiritual awakening, which was immediately pathologized given the prejudice from her former misdiagnosis. She was again involuntarily hospitalized, misdiagnosed as Bipolar and coerced into medication against her will. She is now speaking out to raise awareness of the spiritual side of mental health and specifically the DSM V code entitled "Religious or Spiritual Problem": V62.89.

Janet shares her personal journey with spiritual emergency, and how that has brought her to where she is today-- the leader of a global team of mental health experts, who are developing a docuseries (Breaking Open, Breaking Down, Breaking Through) and a mainstream feature movie (Calling God to the Witness Stand).

Bio:
Janet Werner is an independent entrepreneur and the President of U Have My Word LLC (www.UHaveMyWord.com) since 1988, which is a corporate consulting firm specializing in large scale system change. She is also the founder of a Meaningful Media that Matters in Mental Health project and Her mission is to ease the journey through change, transition and on to transformation, within and around the mental health system.

Along with her team she is leading an initiative to include spiritual competency in the 988 first responder training. Janet is also partnering with her team to establish a coalition of religious & spiritual leaders in New Jersey for the purpose of including these resources in mental health crisis support and patient care when hospitalized.

#bigpharma #spiritualemergency #mentalhealth #mentalillness #forcedhospitalization

To learn more about Janet and her projects, go to:
Calling God to the Witness Stand™ -

Video sample of Calling God to the Witness Stand (2) Calling God to the Witness Stand PR Media - YouTube

Rethinking Mental Health Facebook

Media that Matters Facebook

Janet’s story recorded at Rutgers University Assessing for Spiritual Emergency | Spiritual Emergency

Janet's book: N.O. Spells No. Y.E.S. Spells Yes.: Maybe So? It's Got to Go!: Werner, Janet: 9781945853098: Amazon.com: Books
Spoken word art:
07 Resume Track 7 Call Me Crazy Maybe...Just Don't Drive Me To Mental Hill - YouTube

YouTube live on 988:
https://youtu.be/zNt277TYcnQ?si=4DsBGGCpHTev3lDr
YouTube live on Psych Rights:
https://youtu.be/ADyn31uUPno?si=IoIzxLj4-32Rn29H

Please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
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