web02.fireside.fm Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:38:56 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) The Permission Slip - Episodes Tagged with “#Spiritualawakening” https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/tags/%23spiritualawakening Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500 I love everything to do with consciousness - personal growth books, meditation, psychedelics, bodywork, Tantric retreats, chakras, Human Design, channeled works, you name it! For the past fifteen years, I’ve been on a deep healing journey. I regularly engage relative strangers in conversation about topics relating to consciousness, transformation and psychedelics (sometimes to their annoyance). I've been dancing around starting a podcast for a couple years now. My imposter syndrome has kept me thinking I don't have anything worthwhile to share, while I vainly attempt to find a community with whom I resonate. I've been fortunate to work with some really gifted practitioners during my journey. They not only gave me tools to heal, they gave me PERMISSION to heal. My intention in producing and distributing The Permission Slip podcast is to share knowledge of their talents with the rest of the world. Many of us have been programmed to believe that healing only comes from those in the medical profession who have gone through a particular set of training protocols. This is not true. Doctors and therapists and the like are (mostly) well-meaning and very good at what they do. Sometimes, more often than we are maybe lead to believe, what they recommend or do is not what is truly needed for healing. In the spirit of the following passage, I'm committing to a minimum of six podcasts that will be discussions with practitioners and healers from whom I've derived personal benefit. The purpose of this effort is therefore to shed light on the diverse ways of healing as well as moving into right relationship with oneself. Credits Renee LaVallee McKenna for the inspiration to create this in the first place. Abby Bruce (ma soeur) for the encouragement along the way. Damian Wiseman for the audio engineering expertise. en-us episodic You are allowed. Matt Kosterman I love everything to do with consciousness - personal growth books, meditation, psychedelics, bodywork, Tantric retreats, chakras, Human Design, channeled works, you name it! For the past fifteen years, I’ve been on a deep healing journey. I regularly engage relative strangers in conversation about topics relating to consciousness, transformation and psychedelics (sometimes to their annoyance). I've been dancing around starting a podcast for a couple years now. My imposter syndrome has kept me thinking I don't have anything worthwhile to share, while I vainly attempt to find a community with whom I resonate. I've been fortunate to work with some really gifted practitioners during my journey. They not only gave me tools to heal, they gave me PERMISSION to heal. My intention in producing and distributing The Permission Slip podcast is to share knowledge of their talents with the rest of the world. Many of us have been programmed to believe that healing only comes from those in the medical profession who have gone through a particular set of training protocols. This is not true. Doctors and therapists and the like are (mostly) well-meaning and very good at what they do. Sometimes, more often than we are maybe lead to believe, what they recommend or do is not what is truly needed for healing. In the spirit of the following passage, I'm committing to a minimum of six podcasts that will be discussions with practitioners and healers from whom I've derived personal benefit. The purpose of this effort is therefore to shed light on the diverse ways of healing as well as moving into right relationship with oneself. Credits Renee LaVallee McKenna for the inspiration to create this in the first place. Abby Bruce (ma soeur) for the encouragement along the way. Damian Wiseman for the audio engineering expertise. yes Conscious living, Embodiment, Transformation, Inner healing, Trauma release, Psychedelic integration, Energy work, Nervous system regulation, Authentic expression, Conscious relationships, Spiritual awakening, Shadow work, Self-remembrance, Intuitive guidance, Healing trauma, Mind-body connection Matt Kosterman matt@reknowing.com S2 | E5 Karen Kubicko, Psychic Intuitive, Reiki Master & More https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s2e5-kubicko c6550dd8-3979-4fa2-ac70-66132d3d069b Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500 Matt Kosterman full 2 Matt Kosterman I sat down with Pittsburgh-based psychic, hypnotist, and past life regressionist Karen Kubicko to talk about how two near-death experiences — one during an emergency C-section and another in a car accident — blew open her spiritual gifts and set her on a path of soul-level healing work. Together we explored past life regression as a tool for breaking deep-rooted patterns like abuse cycles, fear, and anxiety, and we got into how empathic sensitivity, spirit guides, and intuition can be understood, managed, and reclaimed. This one is a grounded, practical, and deeply personal look at what it means to wake up to the truth that we are far more than our current human experience. 1:12:35 yes Karen Kubicko grew up steeped in Catholic school traditions — but something always felt bigger just beneath the surface. In 11th grade, on her first day at a new public school, she heard a voice tell her she'd had a past life with a complete stranger in the hallway. She dismissed it. Decades later, that moment makes perfect sense. In this episode, Karen walks me through the pivotal experiences that cracked her open: a near-fatal emergency C-section that may have briefly stopped her heart, a vision of her deceased grandparents holding her newborn daughter, and years later, a car accident in which an archangel took her on a tour of what felt like her future. Each experience deepened her abilities and ultimately led her to train directly under renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Brian Weiss at the Omega Institute in New York. Today, Karen offers "whole soul readings," past life regression sessions, intuitive development classes, and Reiki — all aimed at helping people identify and clear the root causes of patterns that are holding them back in this lifetime. Whether it's recurring abusive relationships, irrational fears, chronic anxiety, or a general sense that something is missing, Karen's work helps clients trace those threads back to their source — and release them. Our conversation goes deep on several fascinating topics: How past life regression works and what a session with Karen actually looks like * The empath problem — why highly sensitive people absorb other people's emotions, how childhood trauma (hypervigilance, unsafe environments) keeps the "feelers" turned all the way up, and practical tools to dial them back down * Discernment — how to tell the difference between your own inner voice, ego chatter, and genuine intuitive guidance * Spirit guides and channeling — Karen's experience receiving information, and how she sets clear boundaries with the beings she works with * Dr. Brian Weiss and the origins of past life regression therapy — how a skeptical psychiatrist accidentally regressed a patient 5,000 years and changed the field of healing forever * Manifesting and timeline choice — the idea that every moment offers a choice between vibrational states, and how awareness of that gap between stimulus and response is itself a form of freedom Karen and I also connect the dots between indigenous wisdom traditions, empathic experience, and the growing global awakening — weaving in references to Paul Selig, Bashar/Darryl Anka, and the power of trusting what you receive, even when it first shows up as a horse and buggy in your living room. This is a beautiful, wide-ranging conversation for anyone curious about the soul's journey across lifetimes — and how understanding that journey can heal the one you're living right now. About Karen Karen Kubicko is a past life hypnotherapist, and intuitive psychic reader passionate about teaching and helping others heal through working with their spirit guides, angels, and healing the patterns found in their own past lives. She is the author of: Life Is Just Another Class—One Soul’s Journey through Past Life Regression, an account of 16 of her own past lives and Making True Love—Healing Relationship Patterns Through Past Life Regression which explores common root causes of relationship issues, plus provides insight on how to heal these patterns so you can find true love. Karen also utilizes her psychic skills to intuitively see someone’s whole soul experience including their past lives. Karen completed the Past Life Therapy Professional Training course with Dr. Brian Weiss. She received her hypnotherapy certification through the National Guild of Hypnotists. She has personally remembered over 200 past lives and has helped numerous others remember their own past lives. Connect with Karen Email: Karen@KarenKubicko.com Website: www.KarenKubicko.com Book a Personal Session: https://calendly.com/karen-kubicko YouTube: @KarenKubicko ~ https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKubicko Instagram: @KarenKubicko ~ https://www.instagram.com/karenkubicko Facebook (page): Karen A. Kubicko ~ https://www.facebook.com/KarenAKubicko LinkedIn: Karen Kubicko ~ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kubicko/ X (Twitter): @KarenKubicko ~ https://x.com/KarenKubicko Pinterest: Karen Kubicko ~ http://pinterest.com/karenkubicko/ RedBubble (art & merch): Karen A. Kubicko ~ https://www.redbubble.com/people/KKubicko Karen can be seen supporting her youngest child on the LMN Lifetime television show Ghost Inside My Child (S2 E1, 2014). For more on Karen Kubicko, please visit: https://www.karenkubicko.com/about-karen/ Special Guest: Karen Kubicko. past life regression, hypnotherapy, psychic intuitive, near-death experience, spirit guides, soul healing, Karen Kubicko, Brian Weiss, empath, empathic sensitivity, intuition development, Reiki, channeling, root cause healing, ancestral healing, hypervigilance, abuse recovery, whole soul reading, past life therapy, spiritual awakening, consciousness, chakras, archangels, Omega Institute, EFT tapping, manifesting, timeline shifting, Pittsburgh psychic, metaphysics, inner knowing Karen Kubicko grew up steeped in Catholic school traditions — but something always felt bigger just beneath the surface. In 11th grade, on her first day at a new public school, she heard a voice tell her she'd had a past life with a complete stranger in the hallway. She dismissed it. Decades later, that moment makes perfect sense.
In this episode, Karen walks me through the pivotal experiences that cracked her open: a near-fatal emergency C-section that may have briefly stopped her heart, a vision of her deceased grandparents holding her newborn daughter, and years later, a car accident in which an archangel took her on a tour of what felt like her future. Each experience deepened her abilities and ultimately led her to train directly under renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Brian Weiss at the Omega Institute in New York.
Today, Karen offers "whole soul readings," past life regression sessions, intuitive development classes, and Reiki — all aimed at helping people identify and clear the root causes of patterns that are holding them back in this lifetime. Whether it's recurring abusive relationships, irrational fears, chronic anxiety, or a general sense that something is missing, Karen's work helps clients trace those threads back to their source — and release them.
Our conversation goes deep on several fascinating topics:

How past life regression works and what a session with Karen actually looks like

  • The empath problem — why highly sensitive people absorb other people's emotions, how childhood trauma (hypervigilance, unsafe environments) keeps the "feelers" turned all the way up, and practical tools to dial them back down
  • Discernment — how to tell the difference between your own inner voice, ego chatter, and genuine intuitive guidance
  • Spirit guides and channeling — Karen's experience receiving information, and how she sets clear boundaries with the beings she works with
  • Dr. Brian Weiss and the origins of past life regression therapy — how a skeptical psychiatrist accidentally regressed a patient 5,000 years and changed the field of healing forever
  • Manifesting and timeline choice — the idea that every moment offers a choice between vibrational states, and how awareness of that gap between stimulus and response is itself a form of freedom

Karen and I also connect the dots between indigenous wisdom traditions, empathic experience, and the growing global awakening — weaving in references to Paul Selig, Bashar/Darryl Anka, and the power of trusting what you receive, even when it first shows up as a horse and buggy in your living room.
This is a beautiful, wide-ranging conversation for anyone curious about the soul's journey across lifetimes — and how understanding that journey can heal the one you're living right now.

About Karen

Karen Kubicko is a past life hypnotherapist, and intuitive psychic reader passionate about teaching and helping others heal through working with their spirit guides, angels, and healing the patterns found in their own past lives. She is the author of: Life Is Just Another Class—One Soul’s Journey through Past Life Regression, an account of 16 of her own past lives and Making True Love—Healing Relationship Patterns Through Past Life Regression which explores common root causes of relationship issues, plus provides insight on how to heal these patterns so you can find true love.
Karen also utilizes her psychic skills to intuitively see someone’s whole soul experience including their past lives. Karen completed the Past Life Therapy Professional Training course with Dr. Brian Weiss. She received her hypnotherapy certification through the National Guild of Hypnotists. She has personally remembered over 200 past
lives and has helped numerous others remember their own past lives.

Connect with Karen

Email: Karen@KarenKubicko.com
Website: www.KarenKubicko.com
Book a Personal Session: https://calendly.com/karen-kubicko
YouTube: @KarenKubicko ~ https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKubicko
Instagram: @KarenKubicko ~ https://www.instagram.com/karenkubicko
Facebook (page): Karen A. Kubicko ~ https://www.facebook.com/KarenAKubicko
LinkedIn: Karen Kubicko ~ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kubicko/
X (Twitter): @KarenKubicko ~ https://x.com/KarenKubicko
Pinterest: Karen Kubicko ~ http://pinterest.com/karenkubicko/
RedBubble (art & merch): Karen A. Kubicko ~ https://www.redbubble.com/people/KKubicko
Karen can be seen supporting her youngest child on the LMN Lifetime television show Ghost Inside My Child (S2
E1, 2014).

For more on Karen Kubicko, please visit: https://www.karenkubicko.com/about-karen/

Special Guest: Karen Kubicko.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> Karen Kubicko grew up steeped in Catholic school traditions — but something always felt bigger just beneath the surface. In 11th grade, on her first day at a new public school, she heard a voice tell her she'd had a past life with a complete stranger in the hallway. She dismissed it. Decades later, that moment makes perfect sense.
In this episode, Karen walks me through the pivotal experiences that cracked her open: a near-fatal emergency C-section that may have briefly stopped her heart, a vision of her deceased grandparents holding her newborn daughter, and years later, a car accident in which an archangel took her on a tour of what felt like her future. Each experience deepened her abilities and ultimately led her to train directly under renowned psychiatrist and author Dr. Brian Weiss at the Omega Institute in New York.
Today, Karen offers "whole soul readings," past life regression sessions, intuitive development classes, and Reiki — all aimed at helping people identify and clear the root causes of patterns that are holding them back in this lifetime. Whether it's recurring abusive relationships, irrational fears, chronic anxiety, or a general sense that something is missing, Karen's work helps clients trace those threads back to their source — and release them.
Our conversation goes deep on several fascinating topics:

How past life regression works and what a session with Karen actually looks like

  • The empath problem — why highly sensitive people absorb other people's emotions, how childhood trauma (hypervigilance, unsafe environments) keeps the "feelers" turned all the way up, and practical tools to dial them back down
  • Discernment — how to tell the difference between your own inner voice, ego chatter, and genuine intuitive guidance
  • Spirit guides and channeling — Karen's experience receiving information, and how she sets clear boundaries with the beings she works with
  • Dr. Brian Weiss and the origins of past life regression therapy — how a skeptical psychiatrist accidentally regressed a patient 5,000 years and changed the field of healing forever
  • Manifesting and timeline choice — the idea that every moment offers a choice between vibrational states, and how awareness of that gap between stimulus and response is itself a form of freedom

Karen and I also connect the dots between indigenous wisdom traditions, empathic experience, and the growing global awakening — weaving in references to Paul Selig, Bashar/Darryl Anka, and the power of trusting what you receive, even when it first shows up as a horse and buggy in your living room.
This is a beautiful, wide-ranging conversation for anyone curious about the soul's journey across lifetimes — and how understanding that journey can heal the one you're living right now.

About Karen

Karen Kubicko is a past life hypnotherapist, and intuitive psychic reader passionate about teaching and helping others heal through working with their spirit guides, angels, and healing the patterns found in their own past lives. She is the author of: Life Is Just Another Class—One Soul’s Journey through Past Life Regression, an account of 16 of her own past lives and Making True Love—Healing Relationship Patterns Through Past Life Regression which explores common root causes of relationship issues, plus provides insight on how to heal these patterns so you can find true love.
Karen also utilizes her psychic skills to intuitively see someone’s whole soul experience including their past lives. Karen completed the Past Life Therapy Professional Training course with Dr. Brian Weiss. She received her hypnotherapy certification through the National Guild of Hypnotists. She has personally remembered over 200 past
lives and has helped numerous others remember their own past lives.

Connect with Karen

Email: Karen@KarenKubicko.com
Website: www.KarenKubicko.com
Book a Personal Session: https://calendly.com/karen-kubicko
YouTube: @KarenKubicko ~ https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKubicko
Instagram: @KarenKubicko ~ https://www.instagram.com/karenkubicko
Facebook (page): Karen A. Kubicko ~ https://www.facebook.com/KarenAKubicko
LinkedIn: Karen Kubicko ~ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-kubicko/
X (Twitter): @KarenKubicko ~ https://x.com/KarenKubicko
Pinterest: Karen Kubicko ~ http://pinterest.com/karenkubicko/
RedBubble (art & merch): Karen A. Kubicko ~ https://www.redbubble.com/people/KKubicko
Karen can be seen supporting her youngest child on the LMN Lifetime television show Ghost Inside My Child (S2
E1, 2014).

For more on Karen Kubicko, please visit: https://www.karenkubicko.com/about-karen/

Special Guest: Karen Kubicko.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> S2 | E3 Christopher Sunyata, Men's Coach, Meditation Teacher & Engineer https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s2e3-sunyata 5ea099c3-48a2-4325-8675-16185c9dcf6b Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0500 Matt Kosterman full 2 Matt Kosterman In this episode, I sit down with Christopher Sunyata—engineer, Buddhist meditation teacher, and men’s coach—to explore what it really means to embody grounded masculine presence. We talk about trauma, breath, kundalini energy, polarity, multi-orgasmic potential for men, and the profound link between sexuality and spiritual awakening. Christopher shares how bullying, a near-death childhood experience, divorce, fatherhood, psychotherapy, psychedelics, and decades of practice shaped the man he is today. This is a conversation about safety in the body, depth in relationship, and reclaiming sexuality as a path of consciousness—not performance. 1:19:21 yes In S2•E3, I speak with Christopher Sunyata, a former medical device engineer turned Buddhist meditation teacher and men’s coach based in Boulder, Colorado . We met at an Osho-inspired Deer Tribe workshop in Cave Creek, Arizona—an intensive container exploring sacred sexuality and polarity work . Christopher shares his origin story: • Raised Catholic in Decatur, Illinois, bullied through childhood  • A sensitive kid who later became a college rugby all-star—yet carried a fractured internal self-image  • A near-death suffocation accident in childhood that left a deep imprint in his nervous system  • Ten years of Jungian analysis, divorce after discovering an affair following a mushroom journey  • Intensive Buddhist practice and eventual immersion in embodied tantric work We explore how women’s somatic intuition became one of his greatest teachers—how feminine bodies read tension, contraction, and presence instantly . We discuss: • Why resting as “open awareness” makes men more trustworthy and attractive  • Breath-rate recovery and training the parasympathetic nervous system  • Why meditation, psychedelics, and sexuality all intersect as portals into death practice and ego dissolution  • His extensive work with plant medicines, including 5-MeO-DMT  • Sexual practice as spiritual practice • The difference between effort-based “techniques” and relaxed energetic openness • How men can access sustained, non-ejaculatory, full-body orgasmic states • Why relational polarity requires stability, not performance • The nervous system as the foundation of spiritual and relational growth Christopher’s central thesis: A man’s depth is revealed in how much intensity he can open through—without collapsing, grasping, or dissociating . We also explore how shame around sexuality has been weaponized socially and spiritually—and what happens when that shame is removed. This conversation bridges: • Trauma work • Buddhist meditation • Tantric polarity • Somatic nervous system regulation • Psychedelic awakening • Masculine leadership It’s an unapologetically honest conversation about embodied masculinity in a time when many men feel disconnected from purpose and presence. Special Guest: Christopher Sunyata. masculine embodiment, tantra, polarity, nervous system regulation, parasympathetic activation, kundalini, breathwork, multi-orgasmic men, sacred sexuality, men’s work, trauma healing, Buddhist meditation, 5-MeO-DMT, relational depth, spiritual awakening In S2•E3, I speak with Christopher Sunyata, a former medical device engineer turned Buddhist meditation teacher and men’s coach based in Boulder, Colorado . We met at an Osho-inspired Deer Tribe workshop in Cave Creek, Arizona—an intensive container exploring sacred sexuality and polarity work .

Christopher shares his origin story:
• Raised Catholic in Decatur, Illinois, bullied through childhood 
• A sensitive kid who later became a college rugby all-star—yet carried a fractured internal self-image 
• A near-death suffocation accident in childhood that left a deep imprint in his nervous system 
• Ten years of Jungian analysis, divorce after discovering an affair following a mushroom journey 
• Intensive Buddhist practice and eventual immersion in embodied tantric work

We explore how women’s somatic intuition became one of his greatest teachers—how feminine bodies read tension, contraction, and presence instantly .

We discuss:
• Why resting as “open awareness” makes men more trustworthy and attractive 
• Breath-rate recovery and training the parasympathetic nervous system 
• Why meditation, psychedelics, and sexuality all intersect as portals into death practice and ego dissolution 
• His extensive work with plant medicines, including 5-MeO-DMT 
• Sexual practice as spiritual practice
• The difference between effort-based “techniques” and relaxed energetic openness
• How men can access sustained, non-ejaculatory, full-body orgasmic states
• Why relational polarity requires stability, not performance
• The nervous system as the foundation of spiritual and relational growth

Christopher’s central thesis:

A man’s depth is revealed in how much intensity he can open through—without collapsing, grasping, or dissociating .

We also explore how shame around sexuality has been weaponized socially and spiritually—and what happens when that shame is removed.

This conversation bridges:
• Trauma work
• Buddhist meditation
• Tantric polarity
• Somatic nervous system regulation
• Psychedelic awakening
• Masculine leadership

It’s an unapologetically honest conversation about embodied masculinity in a time when many men feel disconnected from purpose and presence.

Special Guest: Christopher Sunyata.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> In S2•E3, I speak with Christopher Sunyata, a former medical device engineer turned Buddhist meditation teacher and men’s coach based in Boulder, Colorado . We met at an Osho-inspired Deer Tribe workshop in Cave Creek, Arizona—an intensive container exploring sacred sexuality and polarity work .

Christopher shares his origin story:
• Raised Catholic in Decatur, Illinois, bullied through childhood 
• A sensitive kid who later became a college rugby all-star—yet carried a fractured internal self-image 
• A near-death suffocation accident in childhood that left a deep imprint in his nervous system 
• Ten years of Jungian analysis, divorce after discovering an affair following a mushroom journey 
• Intensive Buddhist practice and eventual immersion in embodied tantric work

We explore how women’s somatic intuition became one of his greatest teachers—how feminine bodies read tension, contraction, and presence instantly .

We discuss:
• Why resting as “open awareness” makes men more trustworthy and attractive 
• Breath-rate recovery and training the parasympathetic nervous system 
• Why meditation, psychedelics, and sexuality all intersect as portals into death practice and ego dissolution 
• His extensive work with plant medicines, including 5-MeO-DMT 
• Sexual practice as spiritual practice
• The difference between effort-based “techniques” and relaxed energetic openness
• How men can access sustained, non-ejaculatory, full-body orgasmic states
• Why relational polarity requires stability, not performance
• The nervous system as the foundation of spiritual and relational growth

Christopher’s central thesis:

A man’s depth is revealed in how much intensity he can open through—without collapsing, grasping, or dissociating .

We also explore how shame around sexuality has been weaponized socially and spiritually—and what happens when that shame is removed.

This conversation bridges:
• Trauma work
• Buddhist meditation
• Tantric polarity
• Somatic nervous system regulation
• Psychedelic awakening
• Masculine leadership

It’s an unapologetically honest conversation about embodied masculinity in a time when many men feel disconnected from purpose and presence.

Special Guest: Christopher Sunyata.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> S1 | E18 Amy Anesi - Dear Friend & Former Spouse https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s1e18-amy-anesi 53f9d5a8-4da1-4567-ac6b-41100022e18a Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:00:00 -0600 Matt Kosterman full 1 Matt Kosterman In this extended season-finale episode, I sit down with my former wife, Amy Anesi, to tell the truth about our marriage, divorce, and what came after. We speak candidly about infidelity, financial collapse, emotional trauma, and the long road of healing that followed. Rather than re-litigating the past, we examine how conscious self-work can transform even the most painful endings into functional, respectful, and even loving relationships. Amy offers perspective I cannot access alone—calling out blind spots, grounding the narrative, and modeling what emotional maturity actually looks like. This episode is not about having a “perfect divorce.” It’s about doing your work so the past stops running your life. If you’ve experienced heartbreak, shame, relational collapse, or feel stuck in an old story about yourself, this conversation offers a radically different possibility. 1:46:37 yes This season-one finale of The Permission Slip is a deeply honest, unsanitized conversation between me and my former wife, Amy Anesi. We were married for 15 years, raised two daughters together, divorced after an affair, endured bankruptcy and foreclosure in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse—and then chose a different path forward. Instead of turning divorce into a lifelong war story, we explore what it looks like to take responsibility, metabolize pain, and consciously evolve beyond blame. This episode challenges the dominant cultural narrative that divorce must be ugly, adversarial, and permanently scarring. It doesn’t. With Amy as both witness and mirror, I share my own arc—from childhood conditioning and emotional repression, through infidelity, trauma, and collapse, into somatic healing, psychedelic therapy, nervous-system work, and spiritual awakening. What emerges is not a story of redemption, but of integration. This is a conversation about accountability without self-flagellation, healing without spiritual bypass, and what becomes possible when two people choose growth over grievance—for themselves and for their children. Special Guest: Amy Anesi. conscious divorce, post-divorce healing, co-parenting after divorce, trauma integration, emotional accountability, somatic healing, nervous system regulation, psychedelic therapy, MDMA therapy, personal responsibility, shadow work, spiritual awakening, masculine healing, relational repair, breaking generational patterns This season-one finale of The Permission Slip is a deeply honest, unsanitized conversation between me and my former wife, Amy Anesi. We were married for 15 years, raised two daughters together, divorced after an affair, endured bankruptcy and foreclosure in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse—and then chose a different path forward.

Instead of turning divorce into a lifelong war story, we explore what it looks like to take responsibility, metabolize pain, and consciously evolve beyond blame. This episode challenges the dominant cultural narrative that divorce must be ugly, adversarial, and permanently scarring. It doesn’t.

With Amy as both witness and mirror, I share my own arc—from childhood conditioning and emotional repression, through infidelity, trauma, and collapse, into somatic healing, psychedelic therapy, nervous-system work, and spiritual awakening. What emerges is not a story of redemption, but of integration.

This is a conversation about accountability without self-flagellation, healing without spiritual bypass, and what becomes possible when two people choose growth over grievance—for themselves and for their children.

Special Guest: Amy Anesi.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> This season-one finale of The Permission Slip is a deeply honest, unsanitized conversation between me and my former wife, Amy Anesi. We were married for 15 years, raised two daughters together, divorced after an affair, endured bankruptcy and foreclosure in the wake of the 2008 financial collapse—and then chose a different path forward.

Instead of turning divorce into a lifelong war story, we explore what it looks like to take responsibility, metabolize pain, and consciously evolve beyond blame. This episode challenges the dominant cultural narrative that divorce must be ugly, adversarial, and permanently scarring. It doesn’t.

With Amy as both witness and mirror, I share my own arc—from childhood conditioning and emotional repression, through infidelity, trauma, and collapse, into somatic healing, psychedelic therapy, nervous-system work, and spiritual awakening. What emerges is not a story of redemption, but of integration.

This is a conversation about accountability without self-flagellation, healing without spiritual bypass, and what becomes possible when two people choose growth over grievance—for themselves and for their children.

Special Guest: Amy Anesi.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> S1 | E17 Paul Selig - Psychic, Teacher & Author https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s1e17-selig cbf7c619-a0ae-4223-84ed-77b930710501 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0600 Matt Kosterman full 1 Matt Kosterman I speak with Paul Selig about his path into channeling, the teachings delivered through his Guides, and what they reveal about consciousness, fear, and divine union. We explore the Christ as a living principle within all beings, the role of free will and presence, and why awakening is an energetic shift rather than an intellectual one. This episode offers a look at discernment, embodiment, and what it means to live from a higher octave of awareness while fully engaged in human life. 58:05 yes I discovered the channeled work of Paul Selig and his "Guides" (whom have called themselves "Melchizedek") in late summer of 2020. I had fortunately been "softened" up considerably with psychedelic work including Psilocybin, MDMA, Ayahuasca and Mescaline in addition to some deep myofascial work by that point in my healing journey. A friend shared a link to a YouTube video and it was as if a tractor beam took hold of me. I was mesmerized and, after checking their stock online, was on my way to a bookstore 30 minutes away where I purchased three books. This work is one of the three pillars of my transformation - up there with psychedelics and somatic work. And it may not resonate with you. It was one of the clearest example of "When the student is ready, the teacher appears" I've experienced. Others have told similar stories. In this episode of The Permission Slip, I sit down with Paul Selig for a conversation about consciousness, channeling, and what it means to live in alignment with a higher order of truth while fully embodied as a human being. Paul shares his personal origin story — from an accomplished academic life to an unexpected spiritual awakening that opened him to hearing and working with the Guides. We explore how his abilities unfolded gradually, the role discipline and integrity played in stabilizing the work, and why true channeling is less about being “special” and more about becoming transparent to something greater. We move into the core teachings brought through the Guides: the nature of divine union, the Christ as a universal principle rather than a historical figure, and humanity’s current reckoning with fear, separation, and self-denial. We also discuss discernment in spiritual work, the difference between inspiration and channeling, free will, presence, and how awakening does not bypass the human experience — it transforms how we meet it. This conversation is not about belief systems or spiritual bypassing. It’s about lived experience, embodiment, and the practical integration of higher consciousness into daily life. Paul's website is https://paulselig.com Special Guest: Paul Selig. channeling, Paul Selig, divine union, consciousness, spiritual awakening, Guides, Christ consciousness, fear and separation, higher octave, embodiment, presence, discernment, free will, transformation, nondual awareness, metaphysics I discovered the channeled work of Paul Selig and his "Guides" (whom have called themselves "Melchizedek") in late summer of 2020. I had fortunately been "softened" up considerably with psychedelic work including Psilocybin, MDMA, Ayahuasca and Mescaline in addition to some deep myofascial work by that point in my healing journey. A friend shared a link to a YouTube video and it was as if a tractor beam took hold of me. I was mesmerized and, after checking their stock online, was on my way to a bookstore 30 minutes away where I purchased three books.

This work is one of the three pillars of my transformation - up there with psychedelics and somatic work. And it may not resonate with you. It was one of the clearest example of "When the student is ready, the teacher appears" I've experienced. Others have told similar stories.

In this episode of The Permission Slip, I sit down with Paul Selig for a conversation about consciousness, channeling, and what it means to live in alignment with a higher order of truth while fully embodied as a human being.

Paul shares his personal origin story — from an accomplished academic life to an unexpected spiritual awakening that opened him to hearing and working with the Guides. We explore how his abilities unfolded gradually, the role discipline and integrity played in stabilizing the work, and why true channeling is less about being “special” and more about becoming transparent to something greater.

We move into the core teachings brought through the Guides: the nature of divine union, the Christ as a universal principle rather than a historical figure, and humanity’s current reckoning with fear, separation, and self-denial. We also discuss discernment in spiritual work, the difference between inspiration and channeling, free will, presence, and how awakening does not bypass the human experience — it transforms how we meet it.

This conversation is not about belief systems or spiritual bypassing. It’s about lived experience, embodiment, and the practical integration of higher consciousness into daily life.

Paul's website is https://paulselig.com

Special Guest: Paul Selig.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> I discovered the channeled work of Paul Selig and his "Guides" (whom have called themselves "Melchizedek") in late summer of 2020. I had fortunately been "softened" up considerably with psychedelic work including Psilocybin, MDMA, Ayahuasca and Mescaline in addition to some deep myofascial work by that point in my healing journey. A friend shared a link to a YouTube video and it was as if a tractor beam took hold of me. I was mesmerized and, after checking their stock online, was on my way to a bookstore 30 minutes away where I purchased three books.

This work is one of the three pillars of my transformation - up there with psychedelics and somatic work. And it may not resonate with you. It was one of the clearest example of "When the student is ready, the teacher appears" I've experienced. Others have told similar stories.

In this episode of The Permission Slip, I sit down with Paul Selig for a conversation about consciousness, channeling, and what it means to live in alignment with a higher order of truth while fully embodied as a human being.

Paul shares his personal origin story — from an accomplished academic life to an unexpected spiritual awakening that opened him to hearing and working with the Guides. We explore how his abilities unfolded gradually, the role discipline and integrity played in stabilizing the work, and why true channeling is less about being “special” and more about becoming transparent to something greater.

We move into the core teachings brought through the Guides: the nature of divine union, the Christ as a universal principle rather than a historical figure, and humanity’s current reckoning with fear, separation, and self-denial. We also discuss discernment in spiritual work, the difference between inspiration and channeling, free will, presence, and how awakening does not bypass the human experience — it transforms how we meet it.

This conversation is not about belief systems or spiritual bypassing. It’s about lived experience, embodiment, and the practical integration of higher consciousness into daily life.

Paul's website is https://paulselig.com

Special Guest: Paul Selig.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> S1 | E9 Ben Goldberger - Breathworking Psychotherapist https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s1e9-goldberger 32275c6e-3578-45e0-913f-dd1276d58975 Sat, 04 Oct 2025 11:45:00 -0500 Matt Kosterman full 1 Matt Kosterman Licensed psychotherapist and breathwork facilitator Ben Goldberger joins me to talk about non-ordinary states of consciousness, men’s work, and the healing power of breath. A grounded, soulful exploration of how we move toward wholeness—one breath at a time. 1:13:56 yes In this intimate and wide-ranging conversation, I sit down with licensed psychotherapist Ben Goldberger, LCSW—founder of We Are Medicine. Ben shares his personal journey from depression, disconnection, and rebellion in his 20s to finding healing through men’s work, psychotherapy, and holotropic-style breathwork. They explore how non-ordinary states of consciousness can open pathways to integration and wholeness, what it means to reclaim personal agency in healing, and why deep breathwork can be as transformative as psychedelics—without the pharmacology. The episode also weaves in themes of trauma release, body-based therapy, spiritual awakening, meditation, and miracles, offering listeners both inspiration and grounded tools for inner work. ** Ben's Bio ** Ben Goldberger is a breathwork facilitator and trauma-focused psychotherapist practicing in the Chicago area since 2010. He is passionate about helping others access their innate abilities to heal and change through the use of intuitive, somatic methods, combined with more conventional analytical approaches. Ben offers monthly breathwork workshops, private breathwork and a variety of talk and somatic therapy modalities meant for all ages including EMDR, Jungian-informed psychotherapy, and family therapy of all kinds. Website: https://wearemedicine.net Special Guest: Ben Goldberger. Ben Goldberger, Breathwork, Holotropic Breathwork, We Are Medicine, Trauma Healing, Non-Ordinary States, Somatic Therapy, Psychedelics, EMDR, Inner Child, Meditation, Men’s Work, Healing Journey, Consciousness, Integration, Chicago Therapists, Spiritual Growth, Self-Agency, Mind-Body Connection In this intimate and wide-ranging conversation, I sit down with licensed psychotherapist Ben Goldberger, LCSW—founder of We Are Medicine. Ben shares his personal journey from depression, disconnection, and rebellion in his 20s to finding healing through men’s work, psychotherapy, and holotropic-style breathwork.
They explore how non-ordinary states of consciousness can open pathways to integration and wholeness, what it means to reclaim personal agency in healing, and why deep breathwork can be as transformative as psychedelics—without the pharmacology.
The episode also weaves in themes of trauma release, body-based therapy, spiritual awakening, meditation, and miracles, offering listeners both inspiration and grounded tools for inner work.

** Ben's Bio **

Ben Goldberger is a breathwork facilitator and trauma-focused psychotherapist practicing in the Chicago area since 2010. He is passionate about helping others access their innate abilities to heal and change through the use of intuitive, somatic methods, combined with more conventional analytical approaches. Ben offers monthly breathwork workshops, private breathwork and a variety of talk and somatic therapy modalities meant for all ages including EMDR, Jungian-informed psychotherapy, and family therapy of all kinds.

Website: https://wearemedicine.net

Special Guest: Ben Goldberger.

Support The Permission Slip

Links:

]]> In this intimate and wide-ranging conversation, I sit down with licensed psychotherapist Ben Goldberger, LCSW—founder of We Are Medicine. Ben shares his personal journey from depression, disconnection, and rebellion in his 20s to finding healing through men’s work, psychotherapy, and holotropic-style breathwork.
They explore how non-ordinary states of consciousness can open pathways to integration and wholeness, what it means to reclaim personal agency in healing, and why deep breathwork can be as transformative as psychedelics—without the pharmacology.
The episode also weaves in themes of trauma release, body-based therapy, spiritual awakening, meditation, and miracles, offering listeners both inspiration and grounded tools for inner work.

** Ben's Bio **

Ben Goldberger is a breathwork facilitator and trauma-focused psychotherapist practicing in the Chicago area since 2010. He is passionate about helping others access their innate abilities to heal and change through the use of intuitive, somatic methods, combined with more conventional analytical approaches. Ben offers monthly breathwork workshops, private breathwork and a variety of talk and somatic therapy modalities meant for all ages including EMDR, Jungian-informed psychotherapy, and family therapy of all kinds.

Website: https://wearemedicine.net

Special Guest: Ben Goldberger.

Support The Permission Slip

Links:

]]> S1 | E7 Lizzi Cutler - Intuitive https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s1e7-cutler 3e5f399c-4d07-4f08-a79b-9d04f327e2b9 Wed, 06 Aug 2025 14:00:00 -0500 Matt Kosterman full 1 Matt Kosterman Lizzi Cutler shares her intuitive journey and energetic healing work, offering insight into how clearing deep-rooted blocks and listening to the body can open the door to abundance, clarity, and empowered self-love. 1:13:33 yes In this episode, I reconnect with Lizzi Cutler, an intuitive and transformational energy worker who once guided me through a powerful healing process that helped clear energetic blocks around abundance—blocks I didn’t even uncover during years of therapy or plant medicine journeys. Lizzi shares her story of growing up in suburban Chicago, always feeling like an outsider and spiritually aware from a young age. Her path led her through yoga, meditation, and eventually discovering her unique intuitive gifts, which she now uses to help clients identify and clear deeply embedded energetic patterns. Lizzi describes her work as communicating soul-to-soul, often receiving playful, grounded messages in her own language. Her approach is part energetic scanning, part intuitive guidance, and part energetic “cleaning lady,” as she calls it—helping people release energetic blockages that manifest as chronic scarcity, emotional pain, or confusion. We discuss the importance of listening to the body for intuitive yes/no responses, the trap of trying to manifest from a place of resistance, and the need for more play in our adult lives. Lizzi’s clients range from spiritual seekers to medical professionals, all seeking clarity, healing, and permission to live in alignment with their higher selves. Lizzi's Bio Lizzi Cutler is a transformational coach with a proven track record of helping high achievers and individuals seeking deeper personal growth overcome stress, remove emotional and energetic blockages, and elevate both their personal and professional lives. Known for delivering lasting results, Lizzi uses a variety of techniques, including energy work, guided visualization, and emotional clearing, to empower her clients to release tension, realign their focus, and unlock their full potential. Her approach is infused with hope and optimism, creating an environment where clients can break through limitations and see new possibilities. Whether you're aiming for peak performance or seeking balance in your everyday life, Lizzi’s holistic, results-driven methods offer a path to breakthrough achievements, renewed confidence, and sustained success. Her mission is to equip high performers with the tools for self-awareness, balance, and long-term personal and professional growth, while fostering a sense of hope for a brighter future. https://lizzicutler.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/lizzicutler/ Lizzi Cutler, Energy healing, Intuitive coach, Emotional blocks, Abundance mindset, Spiritual healing, Human design, Subconscious programming, Clearing scarcity patterns, Channeling higher self, Trauma release, Psychedelic integration, Healing through the body, Somatic intuition, Inner child work, Quantum healing, Manifestation myths In this episode, I reconnect with Lizzi Cutler, an intuitive and transformational energy worker who once guided me through a powerful healing process that helped clear energetic blocks around abundance—blocks I didn’t even uncover during years of therapy or plant medicine journeys. Lizzi shares her story of growing up in suburban Chicago, always feeling like an outsider and spiritually aware from a young age. Her path led her through yoga, meditation, and eventually discovering her unique intuitive gifts, which she now uses to help clients identify and clear deeply embedded energetic patterns.
Lizzi describes her work as communicating soul-to-soul, often receiving playful, grounded messages in her own language. Her approach is part energetic scanning, part intuitive guidance, and part energetic “cleaning lady,” as she calls it—helping people release energetic blockages that manifest as chronic scarcity, emotional pain, or confusion. We discuss the importance of listening to the body for intuitive yes/no responses, the trap of trying to manifest from a place of resistance, and the need for more play in our adult lives. Lizzi’s clients range from spiritual seekers to medical professionals, all seeking clarity, healing, and permission to live in alignment with their higher selves.

Lizzi's Bio

Lizzi Cutler is a transformational coach with a proven track record of helping high achievers and individuals seeking deeper personal growth overcome stress, remove emotional and energetic blockages, and elevate both their personal and professional lives. Known for delivering lasting results, Lizzi uses a variety of techniques, including energy work, guided visualization, and emotional clearing, to empower her clients to release tension, realign their focus, and unlock their full potential. Her approach is infused with hope and optimism, creating an environment where clients can break through limitations and see new possibilities. Whether you're aiming for peak performance or seeking balance in your everyday life, Lizzi’s holistic, results-driven methods offer a path to breakthrough achievements, renewed confidence, and sustained success. Her mission is to equip high performers with the tools for self-awareness, balance, and long-term personal and professional growth, while fostering a sense of hope for a brighter future.

https://lizzicutler.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lizzicutler/

Support The Permission Slip

Links:

]]> In this episode, I reconnect with Lizzi Cutler, an intuitive and transformational energy worker who once guided me through a powerful healing process that helped clear energetic blocks around abundance—blocks I didn’t even uncover during years of therapy or plant medicine journeys. Lizzi shares her story of growing up in suburban Chicago, always feeling like an outsider and spiritually aware from a young age. Her path led her through yoga, meditation, and eventually discovering her unique intuitive gifts, which she now uses to help clients identify and clear deeply embedded energetic patterns.
Lizzi describes her work as communicating soul-to-soul, often receiving playful, grounded messages in her own language. Her approach is part energetic scanning, part intuitive guidance, and part energetic “cleaning lady,” as she calls it—helping people release energetic blockages that manifest as chronic scarcity, emotional pain, or confusion. We discuss the importance of listening to the body for intuitive yes/no responses, the trap of trying to manifest from a place of resistance, and the need for more play in our adult lives. Lizzi’s clients range from spiritual seekers to medical professionals, all seeking clarity, healing, and permission to live in alignment with their higher selves.

Lizzi's Bio

Lizzi Cutler is a transformational coach with a proven track record of helping high achievers and individuals seeking deeper personal growth overcome stress, remove emotional and energetic blockages, and elevate both their personal and professional lives. Known for delivering lasting results, Lizzi uses a variety of techniques, including energy work, guided visualization, and emotional clearing, to empower her clients to release tension, realign their focus, and unlock their full potential. Her approach is infused with hope and optimism, creating an environment where clients can break through limitations and see new possibilities. Whether you're aiming for peak performance or seeking balance in your everyday life, Lizzi’s holistic, results-driven methods offer a path to breakthrough achievements, renewed confidence, and sustained success. Her mission is to equip high performers with the tools for self-awareness, balance, and long-term personal and professional growth, while fostering a sense of hope for a brighter future.

https://lizzicutler.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lizzicutler/

Support The Permission Slip

Links:

]]> S1 | E1 Renee LaVallee McKenna - Spiritual PsiKologist https://thepermissionslip.fireside.fm/s1e1-mckenna f79a168b-e511-4f50-abea-e7d342bd159f Sat, 07 Jun 2025 21:00:00 -0500 Matt Kosterman full 1 Matt Kosterman In this premiere episode, I share my journey from depression and disconnection to healing and purpose, joined by Renee LaVallee McKenna as we explore addiction, transformation, and the power of giving yourself permission to change. 1:01:42 yes In the first episode of The Permission Slip, I touch my journey healing from decades of depression, addiction, and physical pain to a place of deep presence and purpose. For much of my life, I felt like I didn’t belong here—as in on Earth, here, in a body. Despite building a successful business and raising two beautiful daughters, I was deeply disconnected, numbing myself with alcohol and later navigating chronic pain through a medical system that was not designed to deal with spiritual issues. My healing truly began after a psilocybin journey cracked me open, leading me to explore alternative modalities, spiritual practices, and inner transformation. This podcast is my offering to others who are seeking their own way out of pain and into authenticity, embodiment, and joy. My first guest, Renee LaVallee McKenna, has played a pivotal role in my healing. She’s a former multi-substance addict turned spiritual psychologist who brings a grounded, no-BS approach to deep inner work. In our conversation, we talk about addiction as a search for the right algorithm, the hero’s journey as a framework for healing, and the ways unresolved trauma lives in the body. Renee shares how her own rock bottoms became portals to growth and how she found her calling by surrendering to something bigger than herself. Our discussion touches on themes like self-responsibility, spiritual awakening without substances, and the intelligence of our body and nervous system. If you’ve ever felt stuck, numb, or like your life is “fine” but missing something essential, I hope this episode offers a glimpse of what’s possible when you give yourself permission to heal. Reneé's Bio I'm a Boston-born mentor, hypnotherapist and Shamanic healer who guides people to heal and transform on a soul level. My individual sessions, workshops, groups and mentorship programs in Spiritual Psi-Kology offer a unique blend of neo-Shamanism and Buddhist philosophy with hypnotherapy and body-based mindfulness. I bring my 30+ years of experience as a recovering addict and ex-crazy person to my weekly podcast (https://www.reneemckenna.com/podcast), sharing snackable teachings on spirituality, psychology and all things personal growth. All of the work I do with clients, I have experienced in my own therapy and personal growth work. I consider myself a mentor, guide and navigator for your own soul's journey. I DO NOT practice as a licensed psychologist or counselor. I have a Masters degree in Transpersonal Psychology and am a certified clinical hypotherapist. For 14 years I studied DepthHypnosis, Shamanism and Energy Work with Dr. Isa Gucciardi and have been a student of Lifespan Integration, Hakomi Method and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and healing methods. Through my own inner work and practice, I have come to believe that spiritual and intuitive methods of healing are more effective and transformative than the more intellectually and physically based approach of Western psychology. The work of Spiritual Psi-Kology is intended as an alternative and a compliment to Western psychology and many find this work to be a great addition to traditional talk therapy, psychology and psychiatry. My book, workbook and guided audio series Allies & Demons: Working With Spirit For Power And Healing (https://www.amazon.com/Allies-Demons-Working-Spirit-Healing/dp/1703725808/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RJ4G2SW08LNR&keywords=allies+%26+demons&qid=1578848789&sprefix=allies+%26%2Cdigital-text%2C270&sr=8-1) is available on Amazon and Audible. Allies and Demons guides you through the 15 basic inner journeys of Spiritual Psi-Kology. This powerful book is filled with inspiring client stories, soul level wisdom, and my personal journey of healing and empowerment. I know the extremes of success and failure. From bankruptcy to grad school, from divorce and homelessness to motherhood and art teacher, from addict and alcoholic to lead of Women's March 2017 (https://www.reneemckenna.com/women-s-march-january-2017), I bring the wisdom gained from my many life experiences to my students and clients world-wide. My passion is to bring this work that has healed and transformed my life to all who need it. My free content includes a weekly podcast (https://www.reneemckenna.com/podcast), healing workshops on Insight Timer and content on Youtube. My year-long Mentorship Program (https://www.reneemckenna.com/mentorship) trains therapists, counselors and healers in the grounded and practical tools of Spiritual Psi-Kology. I also offer Healthy Healer Workshops offering tools for healthy boundaries, energy medicine and spiritual connection for other practitioners. Check out my artwork here (http://reneemckenna.squarespace.com/). Special Guest: Renee LaVallee McKenna, MA. Spiritual Awakening, Psychedelic Healing, Addiction Recovery, Trauma Integration, Energy Work, Inner Child Healing, Somatic Therapy, Shadow Work, Consciousness Expansion, The Hero’s Journey, Nervous System Healing, Emotional Release, Personal Transformation, Renee LaVallee McKenna, Matt Kosterman, In the first episode of The Permission Slip, I touch my journey healing from decades of depression, addiction, and physical pain to a place of deep presence and purpose. For much of my life, I felt like I didn’t belong here—as in on Earth, here, in a body. Despite building a successful business and raising two beautiful daughters, I was deeply disconnected, numbing myself with alcohol and later navigating chronic pain through a medical system that was not designed to deal with spiritual issues. My healing truly began after a psilocybin journey cracked me open, leading me to explore alternative modalities, spiritual practices, and inner transformation. This podcast is my offering to others who are seeking their own way out of pain and into authenticity, embodiment, and joy.
My first guest, Renee LaVallee McKenna, has played a pivotal role in my healing. She’s a former multi-substance addict turned spiritual psychologist who brings a grounded, no-BS approach to deep inner work. In our conversation, we talk about addiction as a search for the right algorithm, the hero’s journey as a framework for healing, and the ways unresolved trauma lives in the body. Renee shares how her own rock bottoms became portals to growth and how she found her calling by surrendering to something bigger than herself. Our discussion touches on themes like self-responsibility, spiritual awakening without substances, and the intelligence of our body and nervous system. If you’ve ever felt stuck, numb, or like your life is “fine” but missing something essential, I hope this episode offers a glimpse of what’s possible when you give yourself permission to heal.

Reneé's Bio

I'm a Boston-born mentor, hypnotherapist and Shamanic healer who guides people to heal and transform on a soul level. My individual sessions, workshops, groups and mentorship programs in Spiritual Psi-Kology offer a unique blend of neo-Shamanism and Buddhist philosophy with hypnotherapy and body-based mindfulness.

I bring my 30+ years of experience as a recovering addict and ex-crazy person to my weekly podcast, sharing snackable teachings on spirituality, psychology and all things personal growth.

All of the work I do with clients, I have experienced in my own therapy and personal growth work. I consider myself a mentor, guide and navigator for your own soul's journey. I DO NOT practice as a licensed psychologist or counselor.

I have a Masters degree in Transpersonal Psychology and am a certified clinical hypotherapist. For 14 years I studied DepthHypnosis, Shamanism and Energy Work with Dr. Isa Gucciardi and have been a student of Lifespan Integration, Hakomi Method and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and healing methods.

Through my own inner work and practice, I have come to believe that spiritual and intuitive methods of healing are more effective and transformative than the more intellectually and physically based approach of Western psychology. The work of Spiritual Psi-Kology is intended as an alternative and a compliment to Western psychology and many find this work to be a great addition to traditional talk therapy, psychology and psychiatry.

My book, workbook and guided audio series Allies & Demons: Working With Spirit For Power And Healing is available on Amazon and Audible. Allies and Demons guides you through the 15 basic inner journeys of Spiritual Psi-Kology. This powerful book is filled with inspiring client stories, soul level wisdom, and my personal journey of healing and empowerment.

I know the extremes of success and failure. From bankruptcy to grad school, from divorce and homelessness to motherhood and art teacher, from addict and alcoholic to lead of Women's March 2017, I bring the wisdom gained from my many life experiences to my students and clients world-wide.

My passion is to bring this work that has healed and transformed my life to all who need it. My free content includes a weekly podcast, healing workshops on Insight Timer and content on Youtube. My year-long Mentorship Program trains therapists, counselors and healers in the grounded and practical tools of Spiritual Psi-Kology. I also offer Healthy Healer Workshops offering tools for healthy boundaries, energy medicine and spiritual connection for other practitioners.

Check out my artwork here.

Special Guest: Renee LaVallee McKenna, MA.

Support The Permission Slip

]]> In the first episode of The Permission Slip, I touch my journey healing from decades of depression, addiction, and physical pain to a place of deep presence and purpose. For much of my life, I felt like I didn’t belong here—as in on Earth, here, in a body. Despite building a successful business and raising two beautiful daughters, I was deeply disconnected, numbing myself with alcohol and later navigating chronic pain through a medical system that was not designed to deal with spiritual issues. My healing truly began after a psilocybin journey cracked me open, leading me to explore alternative modalities, spiritual practices, and inner transformation. This podcast is my offering to others who are seeking their own way out of pain and into authenticity, embodiment, and joy.
My first guest, Renee LaVallee McKenna, has played a pivotal role in my healing. She’s a former multi-substance addict turned spiritual psychologist who brings a grounded, no-BS approach to deep inner work. In our conversation, we talk about addiction as a search for the right algorithm, the hero’s journey as a framework for healing, and the ways unresolved trauma lives in the body. Renee shares how her own rock bottoms became portals to growth and how she found her calling by surrendering to something bigger than herself. Our discussion touches on themes like self-responsibility, spiritual awakening without substances, and the intelligence of our body and nervous system. If you’ve ever felt stuck, numb, or like your life is “fine” but missing something essential, I hope this episode offers a glimpse of what’s possible when you give yourself permission to heal.

Reneé's Bio

I'm a Boston-born mentor, hypnotherapist and Shamanic healer who guides people to heal and transform on a soul level. My individual sessions, workshops, groups and mentorship programs in Spiritual Psi-Kology offer a unique blend of neo-Shamanism and Buddhist philosophy with hypnotherapy and body-based mindfulness.

I bring my 30+ years of experience as a recovering addict and ex-crazy person to my weekly podcast, sharing snackable teachings on spirituality, psychology and all things personal growth.

All of the work I do with clients, I have experienced in my own therapy and personal growth work. I consider myself a mentor, guide and navigator for your own soul's journey. I DO NOT practice as a licensed psychologist or counselor.

I have a Masters degree in Transpersonal Psychology and am a certified clinical hypotherapist. For 14 years I studied DepthHypnosis, Shamanism and Energy Work with Dr. Isa Gucciardi and have been a student of Lifespan Integration, Hakomi Method and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and healing methods.

Through my own inner work and practice, I have come to believe that spiritual and intuitive methods of healing are more effective and transformative than the more intellectually and physically based approach of Western psychology. The work of Spiritual Psi-Kology is intended as an alternative and a compliment to Western psychology and many find this work to be a great addition to traditional talk therapy, psychology and psychiatry.

My book, workbook and guided audio series Allies & Demons: Working With Spirit For Power And Healing is available on Amazon and Audible. Allies and Demons guides you through the 15 basic inner journeys of Spiritual Psi-Kology. This powerful book is filled with inspiring client stories, soul level wisdom, and my personal journey of healing and empowerment.

I know the extremes of success and failure. From bankruptcy to grad school, from divorce and homelessness to motherhood and art teacher, from addict and alcoholic to lead of Women's March 2017, I bring the wisdom gained from my many life experiences to my students and clients world-wide.

My passion is to bring this work that has healed and transformed my life to all who need it. My free content includes a weekly podcast, healing workshops on Insight Timer and content on Youtube. My year-long Mentorship Program trains therapists, counselors and healers in the grounded and practical tools of Spiritual Psi-Kology. I also offer Healthy Healer Workshops offering tools for healthy boundaries, energy medicine and spiritual connection for other practitioners.

Check out my artwork here.

Special Guest: Renee LaVallee McKenna, MA.

Support The Permission Slip

]]>