In the episode, "Relinquishing the Label, Embracing the Voices, and Healing in an Alternative Paradigm with author Mary Clista Dahl" (S6, E8), Mary shares her story about letting go of the label, embracing an alternative paradigm, and learning to listen to the voices. Mary sees breakdowns not as a symptom of a disordered mind, but as the response to a crazy culture. She puts forth an approach to healing through many modalities, and offers a sacred space in which her Twelve Angels programs and gatherings can flourish.

Mary Clista Dahl has lived experience of “psychosis” and is well known in the national and international mental health communities for promoting hopeful recovery solutions for what is clinically described as serious mental illness, encouraging others to understand their labels as attributes. She enjoys speaking, writing and introducing others to compassionate care options.

Mary is an author who is also passionate about holistic health, interested in integrative healing practices and is a certified aromatherapist and Reiki Master. She earned her Masters Degree in Integrative Health and Healing and recognizes the role that nature plays in our well being.

To learn more about Mary Clista Dahl, connect to her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capturelifewriting/

or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcdahl/

Check out her website: https://www.twelveangels.org

email: MaryClistalaughs@gmail.com

To read her memoir: Reconciliation of the Heart: Memoir of Mary Clista Dahl: A Healing Journey to Joy, Love and Compassion

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
Connect:
LinkedIn: @jensiciliano
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.social

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In the episode, “A Lived Experience Dialogue: Facing Our Pasts, Reinventing Our Futures with Tom Woodrow and Mike Panasitti (S6, E7),” I sit with two success stories of people who have suffered with forms of mental illness who have come out on the other side.

Part 1:

When Tom Woodrow was 17, his life took a sharp turn. During a road trip with friends, Tom experienced his first manic episode, and subsequently ended up in a psychiatric hospital-misdiagnosed with depression and subjected to electroshock therapy. After years of struggling, and after nearly losing his life in India during a volunteer trip, he met two counselors from a mental health charity, who taught him to manage moods, avoid triggers, and stay well with skills that have kept him stable for 20 years. Today he helps others who also live with bipolar disorder, understanding how overwhelming it can be. He offers support programs that help people manage their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives.

To learn more about Tom, follow him at:

Instagram: @bipolarwithyou

Part 2:

Mike Panasitti was born in East Los Angeles in 1969 and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a former patient of California's Department of State Hospitals. From 2015 to 2018 he was a prisoner at New Folsom, a maximum security prison near Sacramento. Mike is now an exhibiting artist, as well as a poet and prose writer whose publishing credits include poems in Matter, creative non-fiction in WALL Literary Journal, and over 40 short stories posted on Reedsy Prompts. He currently lives in the city of Santa Ana and is enrolled as a student of creative writing at Saddleback College. Mike shares how he become acquainted with the mental health industrial complex and bravely reveals what he’s learned from prolonged institutionalization. Envisioning a new path, Mike is committe3d to making his dreams come true as a professional artist and writer.

To learn more about Mike, follow him at:

Instagram: @mikepanasitti

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
Connect: Instagram: @ jengaita
LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.social

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In the episode, "Spotlight on Psychotherapy Beyond Traditional Boundaries with Al Galves: Finding Well-being by Targeting the Underlying Causes of Mental Distress, (S6, E6)" psychoanalyst Galves joins the show to share his own personal lived experience and his insight on the problems with the traditional treatment model in psychiatry. Author of "Harness Your Dark Side: Mastering Jealousy, Rage, Frustration and Other Negative Emotions," Al shares compelling stories that reveal the importance of addressing unmet emotional needs to combat depression and dissatisfaction.

Galves challenges the medical model of mental illness arguing that mental health issues are not just biological disorders to be masked with medication but are tied to our emotions and life experiences. He emphasizes taking personal responsibility and explores the profound benefits of psychotherapy and other alternative approaches like support groups and exercise. Discover why confronting your emotions—even the negative ones—can lead to authentic personal growth as Al underscores the significance of connection, self-expression, and capability in fostering mental health and happiness.

Al dives into the complex nature of diagnoses like psychosis, highlighting the importance of understanding these conditions as responses to overwhelming experiences rather than mere pathologies. Through therapeutic approaches like the Soteria House model and the work of psychologist John Weir Perry, we explore how psychosis and other mental health issues can be seen as survival strategies. Al’s compassionate insights challenge the limitations of the medical model, offering listeners a glimpse into a more humanistic and empowering approach to mental well-being.

Don't miss Al’s generous offer of his book and insights for those eager to explore these ideas further. If you'd like a copy of his book, email him and let him know: agalves2003@comcast.net

Follow Al Galves at:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-galves-b9b26752/

YouTube: @algalves3512

website: www.algalves.com

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
Connect: Instagram: @ jengaita
LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.social

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