Finding the Support and Mindset to Be Bold, Invite in Change, and Regain Play with Mr. D (S6, E5)

In the episode, "Through the Lens of Psychophobia with Dr. Michael Montgomery: Exploring the Modern Medicalization of Mental Health (S6 E9)," Dr. Montgomery shares with us in the podcast the phenomenon of psychophobia and how it manifests in today’s medicalization of mental health. Society’s fear of extreme states influences the model the system uses, and outcomes are negative due to the model itself. Dr. Montgomery believes it is time to return to a more humane interaction with those who suffer from extreme states that looks more deeply at the humanity of the patient and respects the interiority of the mind. Michael R. Montgomery, PhD, MSW, MA, MSc, LCSW, is an existential psychoanalyst with international expertise in complex trauma, extreme states (psychosis and mania), addiction, and conflict resolution. He trained at Regent’s University London, The Tavistock and Portman, and the Anna Freud Centre. In addition to his private practice, he leads Perform23, collaborating with specialists in movement, dance, and music to create alternative access points to healing and community, most notably supporting 5th Element and Plan B in post-conflict Belfast. He is also the founder of Peacefire.us, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering dialogue and understanding between individuals from diverse and often opposing backgrounds. He is a regular contributor to the Society for Existential Analysis (SEA) annual conference, the R.D. Laing Symposium, and ISPS-US. His clinical work is primarily community-based, focused on individuals typically excluded from quality care. With over 26 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and book chapters, he is currently developing a new book and podcast on psychophobia—the fear of the mind.To learn more about Dr. Montgomery’s theories, check out his paper: Psychophobia and its Cure: an Existential Phenomenological Perspective. Journal of Existential Analysis, 2025, 36(1): 51-66.Follow his website at: https://drmontgomery.com/ Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: LinkedIn: @jensicilianoBluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.socialSend us a text

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: [email protected] read her memoir: Reconciliation of the Heart: Memoir of Mary Clista Dahl: A Healing Journey to Joy, Love and CompassionDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: LinkedIn: @jensicilianoBluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.socialSend us a text

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: @bipolarwithyouPart 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: @mikepanasittiDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoBluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.socialSend us a text

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: [email protected] Al Galves at:Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-galves-b9b26752/YouTube: @algalves3512website: www.algalves.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoBluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.socialSend us a text

In the episode, "Finding the Support and Mindset to Be Bold, Invite in Change, and Regain Play with Mr. D (S6, E5)", I invite back my former Social Studies grammar school teacher, Don DiBenedetto, or Mr. D, to share his anecdotes and enthusiasm for how to bring in change into your life through learning how to align with the right mindset. Now a teacher of spirituality, Mr. D shows us through a variety of techniques how we all can co-create with the universe to bring into our lives our greatest wishes and dreams.#bipolarartist #manic #depression  #joyfulness #changefromwithin #wordsofwisdom #notascrazyasyouthink #mentalillness #mentalhealth #manifestingchange Follow Mr. D on:TikTok: @intro2spiritualityIG: @dondibenedetto1946Facebook: @dondibenedettoDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text

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 #mentalhealthDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text

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 [email protected] on Facebook: Rethinking Mental Health FacebookFollow on Linkedin: (7) A.W.A.R.E. (Are We Aware Of Religious Experiences): About | LinkedIn#religiousexperience #areweaware #hotline #firstresponder #mentalheatlh #suicideDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenAnd please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comConnect: Instagram: @ jengaitaLinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text

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.lifeFollow Manex at: https://www.facebook.com/manechibarhttps://x.com/manexibar/https://www.linkedin.com/in/manex-ibar-778217/https://www.instagram.com/theshamansays/#mentalhealth #plantmedicine #shamanicjourney #sweatlodge #sphinxcodePlease visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text

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 #molestationPlease visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text

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.comMark 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 #substanceabusePlease visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.comDon't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJenConnect:Instagram: @ jengaita LinkedIn: @ jensicilianoTwitter: @ jsicilianoSend us a text