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

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 African diaspora healers that have suffered from collective generational trauma.