SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (PRWEB)
December 25, 2020

Join the Livestream Event at http://www.toastpacifica.com or at facebook.com/toastpacifica.

Follow Live updates at http://www.toastpacifica.com

Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA) is extremely excited to announce a new livestream event component of its annual global celebration, “A Toast Heard ‘Round the World” on New Year’s Eve.

On December 31st from 12-Noon to Midnight PGIAA and partners will livestream a variety of entertainment, including Live Music performances, Poetry Readings, Dream Tending, Meditations, and more.

Each year Director of Alumni Relations and event organizer Dianne Travis-Teague invites members of the school’s global community to welcome in the new year together. This year due to the pandemic and social distance regulations, people will be able to join the celebration from the comfort of their homes. Wherever in the world they are, PGIAA alumni and friends are encouraged to raise a glass and Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram their dreams for the coming year using the hashtag #ToastPacifica2021 from now until 12:00 Midnight on New Year’s Eve.

“We invite all Pacifica Alumni, friends, and likeminded others to join in celebrating the myriad ways that Pacificans around the world ‘tend the soul of the world,’” states Dianne Travis-Teague, touching on the association’s motto, “Through Soul Community Thrives” – Per Animam, Communitas Crescit.

“A TOAST HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD” entertainment begins at 12:00 p.m. with the traditional Welcome Ceremony followed by live music performances; poetry readings; dream tending; meditations; shamanic journeys; conversations (with Depth Psychology Alliance, OPUS, PGIAA Board, Regional Alumni Coordinators, and others); dance; a birthday/retirement celebration for Christine Downing; workshops; campus news updates; photography; mythic resources (Joseph Campbell Foundation, Myth Salons, Mythosophia.net, the Fates and Graces Mythologium); community service operations; In Memoriam for loved ones passed in 2020; the Per Animam Communitas Crescit Honoree Toasts; and a tribute to essential workers, first responders, teachers, and all hearts that stand strong to support others. Join the Livestream at http://www.toastpacifica.com or at facebook.com/toastpacifica.

Pacifica Graduate Institute & PGIAA are especially proud to honor the remarkable men and women (including essential workers, first responders, teachers, and leaders) who stand with courage and compassion to do the essential work on behalf of all. This event will turn the PGIAA hearts toward standing strong in community to support each other with love during loss and looking inward to find the resilience and hope that buoys us up and connects us together.

The Alumni Association seeks not only to provide alumni and the global community with opportunities for personal and professional growth, but also to serve as a path for making positive changes within society through service and education.

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About our “Toast Heard ‘Round the World” Partners -

Depth Psychology Alliance is a global online village for discussion and development of Depth Psychology ideas and perspectives, as well as a place to connect with like-minded colleagues, old and new. Find a vast library of videos, blogposts, and community forums, as well as occasional live community conversations about relevant topics using a depth psychological perspective. Director James Newell, Ph.D. offers regular and ongoing college-level courses on various topics such as mythology, fairytales, alchemy, and astrology that may count toward a certificate in Depth Psychology. Find us at http://www.DepthPsychologyAlliance.com

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Depth Insights is home to the archives of Depth Insights Journal, podcast interviews by Bonnie Bright, Ph.D., and the new (2020) Institute for Soul-Centered Psychology and Coaching. Our content, education, coaching, and coach training programs are grounded in soul-centered psychologies, including depth, Jungian, transpersonal, archetypal, and ecopsychologies. Just as the honeybee, with her multiple eyes and thousands of lenses, can see a spectrum of reality beyond what humans can conceive, we engage the powerful perspective of soul-centered psychologies to see beneath the surface of things and understand the archetypal patterns at work, opening us to transformation and joy. Learn more at http://www.DepthInsights.com

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Jung Platform At Jung Platform we are creating Jungian, depth psychological and spirituality related content by bringing together great teachers. We then develop programs which offer insights that are relevant for our world and which are accessible to a worldwide audience. We also provide temporary platforms of connection. These help participants and teachers to connect and engage, but also help course participants to connect with each other. Through our content and offerings, we aim to offer unique insights, support and practical guidance for the journey of life. Visit http://www.JungPlatform.com to learn more.

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PGIAA incorporated on April 17, 2013 as a California 501(c) Nonprofit Corporation for the purpose of developing an operational and charitable membership association supporting both the alumni of Pacifica Graduate Institute and the wider community in pursuit of developing their intellectual, spiritual, altruistic, and professional capabilities.

Established in 1976 and treasuring over 4700 graduates, Pacifica Graduate Institute is an accredited graduate school offering master’s and doctoral degree programs framed in the traditions of depth psychology. http://www.pacifica.edu.

Further information is also available at the association’s website, http://www.pgiaa.org/

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB)
December 29, 2020

Global HR research consortium Best Practice Institute (BPI) released the initial findings of its workplace study that shows a significant discrepancy between the desires of CEOs and employees to return to the office in 2021. Over 83% of CEOs want employees back in the office in 2021, while only 10% of employees indicate they wish to be back in the office full time.

The discrepancy aligns with research performed by BPI’s CEO and Founder Louis Carter and published in his 2019 book with McGraw-Hill, In Great Company: How to Speak Peak Performance by Creating an Emotionally Connected Workplace, and the newly created Most Loved Workplaces list that focuses on building an organization centered around employee’s desire for respect and values as the best way to increase performance and productivity.

While only 10% of employees indicated their desire to return to the office full time in 2021, they did provide insights into what they are looking for upon return, all centered around trust and safety. Over 60% of employees responded they wouldn’t be comfortable returning without trusting the company’s confidence in communicating co-worker illness, clear instructions on health and safety policies, and the option to work from home.

The differences in employee and employer values will be highlighted on the new Most Loved Workplaces lists by including the 91% of American workers not employed by the largest companies. Since the 1990s we have had company lists that have predominantly focused on the old way of working with only the top 1% of employers. In 2021, we have Most Loved Workplaces to fill the void of company lists and criteria that are focused on the new way of working. These company lists typically require some type of large financial contribution to be considered in the top 10. Additionally, those placements will usually only go to firms spending $ millions on reputation management firms which skews the ability to verify transparent and actionable results.

The initial year of the study will culminate with the aggregated results being published in the December 2021 issue of Leader to Leader in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum.

“The study points toward the need to co-create a new working experience with employees in 2021, says Louis Carter, the study lead and CEO. “Although most CEOs want people to come back into the office, employees are very specific about what they expect. It is critical that leaders work with employees to create the best working environment not only feel comfortable about their health, but also feel respected for their choices.”

The study is intended to continue beyond 2021 to acquire the survey results of more than 10 million employee participants within 5 years. Organizations looking to participate in this year-long study can apply at https://mostlovedworkplace.com/.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Louis Carter, please contact Scott Baxt at 917-805-6413 or scottbaxt@bestpracticeinstitute.org.

Louis Carter’s Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership development center, think tank, solutions provider, peer network, research institute, and online learning portal with more than 10,000 corporate and individual learning members worldwide. Louis Carter is a best-selling author, executive coach, and strategic advisor to CEOs and SVPs. He is the author of more than 11 books on leadership and management including In Great Company. http://www.louiscarter.com

Company Name: Louis Carter’s Best Practice Institute

Contact Person: Scott Baxt

Email: scottbaxt@bestpracticeinstitute.org

Phone: 917-805-6413

Country: United States

Website: http://www.MostLovedWorkplace.com

http://www.louiscarter.com

http://www.bestpracticeinstitute.org

Louis Carter on LinkedIn:

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

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MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (PRWEB)
October 30, 2020

Aetna, a CVS Health company, and Inpathy are pleased to announce that their relationship has expanded to provide access to mental health care to additional Aetna members in Illinois, Texas and Florida. Aetna and Inpathy have collaborated since 2016. This expansion ensures that individuals have access to convenient online psychiatry and therapy services anytime, anywhere. As of September 1, 2020, Inpathy, a telehealth provider service can be used in-network with Aetna health insurance by residents of Illinois, Texas, Florida California, Colorado, Delaware, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Inpathy has been providing mental health care entirely virtually for the past seven years and is a covered benefit for more than 25 million individuals across the country. Not only has telebehavioral health services like Inpathy proven to be an effective form of delivering care, but now, due to COVID-19, it is the preferred form of care. According to the MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, in June 2020, 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use associated with COVID-19. The same report showed that the prevalence of anxiety disorder symptoms were up approximately three times than the same prevalence in 2019 while the prevalence of depressive disorder was approximately four times higher.

Telebehavioral health allows payers to meet the growing mental health needs of their members who may be experiencing additional stress and anxiety caused by social isolation and the spread of COVID-19. Through Inpathy, Aetna members can fit sessions into busy days, cut out any travel time and expense, skip the waiting room, reduce expensive ED visits and hospitalizations, and connect to a large network of clinicians to receive the high-quality care they deserve. An Inpathy survey showed that 96% of their members prefer online to in-person care and 98% of members felt more engaged in their care.

“We are pleased to expand our long-time partnership with Inpathy to offer additional options to our members and increase access to mental well-being services in even more states,” explained Dr. Hyong Un, Chief Psychiatric and Innovation Officer at Aetna Behavioral Health. “More members will be able to access mental health televideo counseling services from the safety of their home. Having easy access to providers is extremely beneficial for improving mental and emotional health.”

“Aetna recognized the rising need for mental health services. We are proud to partner with them to bring these services to their members,” said Justine Mitchell, Vice President of Inpathy. “Our care navigation team will work with members to find the right behavioral health provider and support members pre and post appointments.”

About Inpathy

Inpathy is InSight + Regroup’s direct-to-consumer division and is designed to deliver psychiatric, behavioral and mental health care to individuals through secure, convenient, online video calls. Inpathy has a platform for delivering behavioral health services, an online marketplace for finding those services and a network of clinicians who operate under InSight + Regroup’s support and management to deliver high quality care. While InSight + Regroup’s other divisions bring psychiatrists and mental health clinicians to community-based facilities and organizations through telehealth, Inpathy uniquely brings life-changing behavioral health care directly into people’s homes or any private place that they choose to access it.

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AMHERST, Mass. (PRWEB)
October 23, 2020

A growing number of talented women are expanding our understanding of psychedelics in the world today. By presenting at psychedelic events, publishing articles, authoring books, leading scientific research, creating works of art, preserving and evolving precious spiritual traditions, these women are balancing and enriching the conversation.

Cosmic Sister, an environmental feminist collective that supports female thought leaders and emerging voices in the psychedelic field, is influencing the movement by raising the voices of talented women through high-profile presentation grants and awards that amplify their visibility.

“Women from all walks of life are tapping into this current of change and reaching out to us from around the world,” says Cosmic Sister founder Zoe Helene, who coined the term Psychedelic Feminism. “We’ve been pitching, placing, sponsoring, and promoting female speakers for just shy of six years because access and inclusion shape the trajectory of this global revolution. Leadership should reflect that exquisite diversity.”

Cosmic Sister offers an interconnected quartet of merit-based Psychedelic Feminism educational advocacy grants, including the Cosmic Sister Women of the Psychedelic Renaissance (CS WPR) grant for presentation and the Cosmic Sister Emerging Voices Award (CS EVA), which increases visibility for talented women in psychedelics and cannabis who work tirelessly in behind-the-scenes roles, as well as newcomers who bring unique voice and talent to the movement.

This year, in partnership with Spirit Plant Medicine Conference (SPMC) and Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Canada’s Examining the Psychedelic Renaissance, Cosmic Sister has awarded merit-based educational advocacy grants and awards to 30+ women who were born in and/or are based in and/or honor ancestry in a wide range of countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Nigeria, India, Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Mexico, France, and the United Kingdom and more, helping them reach a global virtual audience.

“These women share a passion for human and non-human rights and for environmental protection,” Helene says. “And they credit psychedelics for changing the course of their lives.”

Expert hashmaker, educator, and media personality The Dank Duchess received a Women of The Psychedelic Renaissance grant to speak on the main stage at SPMC last year and a second Women of The Psychedelic Renaissance to present at SPMC this year. “The grant that I received from Cosmic Sister provided the opportunity for me to step fully into the academic psychedelic realm and to offer the unique perspective of a Black woman working with sacred medicines,” Duchess says.

Integration coach Raven Marie will present for the first time. “I’m so profoundly grateful to be making my speaking debut honoring the sacred plant medicine Iboga—which is of my own ancestry—alongside such a dynamic, intelligent, and heart-based group of women who are consciously changing the narrative of the role we play in the world of sacred plant medicines,” Raven says.

The educational grants are funded through tax-deductible donations by way of Cosmic Sister’s fiscal sponsorship with MAPS. “With great appreciation and gratitude, we wish to thank and acknowledge MAPS for their fiscal sponsorship and every single individual and entity who donated and supported,” Helene says. “When you witness these women sharing their wisdom, please know that you helped make this happen.”

2020 COSMIC SISTER WOMEN OF THE PSYCHEDELIC RENAISSANCE GRANT RECIPIENTS

The following women (in alphabetical order) will speak at Spirit Plant Medicine Conference, where Zoe Helene will present “Psychedelic Feminism—Represent the Medicine.”

Ethnobotanist Rocio Alarcón, PhD (@iamoec), opening keynote, “La Limpia: Healing Power of the Americas to the World”

Indigenous storyteller Solana Booth (@advocate0sacred), “Remembering Mother’s Breath”

The Dank Duchess (@TheDankDuchess), “Homemade Hashish: A Guide to Personal Wellness through Cannabis Concentrates”

Cannabis yoga instructor Minelli Eustacio-Costa (@yogawithminelli), opening blessing, “Blessings from L.A and Guided Meditations”

Guatemalan ceremonial leader and naturopath Nan Shuni Giron (@shunigiron), “Returning to the Natural Order”

Trauma therapist and researcher Heather Hargraves (@minerva_twist), “Nurturing Awareness: Neurofeedback and Psychedelics”

Visionary artist Martina Hoffmann (@martina_hoffmann_art) and visionary artist Pascal Ferry (@pascal.ferryhf), “The Inner Journey and Transmutation Through Art”

Poet and ceremonialist Kohenet Rachel Kann (@msrachelkann), “Spirit-Infused Poetry”

Clinical instructor Pam Kryskow, MD, “The Science of Microdosing: Where We’ve Been and Where We Are Now”

Integration coach Raven Marie (@ravenmarie111), “The Great Remembrance: Unraveling the Internal Layers with Iboga”

Integrative psychotherapist and Kohenet Tiana Mirapae, “Psychedelics as a Doorway into Earth-Based Spirituality”

Ayurvedic doctor Dr. Sheetal Narsai, aka “Dr. Seeta” (@seetalove), “Breathing with Sacred Plants: An Ayurvedic Medicine Perspective”

Executive Director of San Francisco Psychedelic Society Danielle Negrin (@psychedelicsocietysf), “The Psychedelic Society Model: Power to the People”

Empowerment coach Chioma Nwosu (@chiomanwosu), “The Power of Affirmations Spoken in Igbo Dialect”

Performing artist Xhalida September (@anaknglupa), “Heart, Soul, and Humor: A Visit to Other Brain Regions”

2020 COSMIC SISTER EMERGING VOICES AWARD WINNERS

In partnership with Spirit Plant Medicine Conference and MAPS Canada, the following women received a CS EVA.

Indigenous ritualist Nepheriti Amen (@nephertitiamen)

Ecopreneur Lian Bruno (@puffherbalsmokes)

Digital nomad and founder of the Psychedelic Society of India Kamya Buch (@wanderingkamya)

Filmmaker Kumiko Hayashi (@kumiihayashi)

Author and journalist Michelle Janikian (@michelle.janikian)

Cannabis advocate Julia Jerome (@juliaexplores)

Artist and indigenous art educator Ana Jost (@shamanfashionista)

Registered nurse and co-founder of the Okanagan Psychedelic Society Melissa Mazereeuw (@mizmaz111)

Indigenous activist Ida Manuel (@ida.manuel)

Naturopathic Medicine student Courtney Middleton (@coco__middleton)

Visionary artist Mari Omori (@trilliumhealingpath)

Counseling and Mental Health Services student Lisa Marie Persaud (@lmariepersaud)

Psychedelic Club of Pittsburgh founder Katlyn Rose (@cha_michi)

Contemplative Psychology and Sacred Ecology student Laurel Silberman (@artemisia.luna)

Indigenous herbalist and educator Lori Snyder (@earthandcompany)

For full biographies and photos, please visit Psychedelic Feminism.

***END***

ABOUT COSMIC SISTER

Cosmic Sister (@CosmicSister) is an environmental feminist collective that connects kindred-spirit trailblazing women who understand that true balance of power across the gender spectrum—globally—as the only way humans (and non-humans) will survive. Cosmic Sister’s psychedelic feminism educational advocacy initiatives promote safe, legal, intentional journeying with sacred plants and fungi as a way for women to explore the wilderness within, where they can discover fresh, liberating perspectives on core women’s rights issues. Contact: media@cosmicsister.com. Connect: @CosmicSister

Cosmic Sister’s immersive Plant Spirit Grant program is funded internally. Cosmic Sister’s Emerging Voices Educational Award program is funded in part by participating partners such as the Spirit Plant Medicine Conference and MAPS Canada.

Donations for Cosmic Sister’s educational advocacy initiatives are fully tax-deductible through Cosmic Sister’s fiscal sponsor, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). All donations go directly to educational advocacy. To donate, please visit Support Cosmic Sister.

ABOUT MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES

Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and MAPS Canada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. For more information, visit maps.org

ABOUT SPIRIT PLANT MEDICINE CONFERENCE

The intention of Spirit Plant Medicine Conference is to offer accurate, respectful, and most of all beneficial information and inspiration on the use of and larger context around sacred healing plants. Now in its 9th year, the mission of the SPMC is to help guide this work forward by bringing a world-class international group of leading visionary voices to Vancouver. SpiritPlantMedicine.com

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
October 21, 2020

Researchers at Mount Sinai have proposed a groundbreaking new way to study the interaction between complex biological systems in the body and the environment. Their theory suggests the existence of “biodynamic interfaces,” an intermediate entity between the two realms, as opposed to conventional approaches that analyze individual aspects of the interaction between the environment and humans in isolation, according to a paper published in BioEssays in October.

The environment impacts human health in profound ways, yet few theories define the form of the relationship between human physiology and the environment. The Mount Sinai scientists believe that such complex systems cannot interact directly, but rather that their interaction requires the formation of an intermediary “interface.” The scientists believe that this theory will lead to the establishment of a new field, “environmental biodynamics,” that will advance the way the environment and human health are studied.

The basis of their theory arose when they compared the time period when autistic children were exposed to toxins to how the children’s brains functioned afterward. At the same time, they found distinct patterns in the intake and metabolism of essential elements and toxins, which were dependent not only on the timing and magnitude of the environmental exposure but also on what was happening within the biological systems of the child’s body.

“These rhythms were driven by the properties of both the biological and environmental systems, but exhibited properties independent of either system,” said Manish Arora, PhD, the Edith J. Baerwald Professor and Vice Chair of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “They supported the existence of an interface mediating the interaction of biological and environmental systems. The interface itself, which applies constraints and passes information between interacting systems, must be the subject of inquiry because without refocusing the attention on biodynamic interfaces, how the environment impacts health cannot be discerned.”

The study of the interface will allow scientists to better understand how complex systems like the environment and human physiology affect each other. Current methods using plain analysis are incomplete, the scientists say.

“The standard course of inquiry measures some aspect of the environment like lead in the water, and we’d link this to some aspect in human development like IQ,” said Paul Curtin, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an author on the paper. “We’ve learned a lot from environmental health using this approach, but it has its limits.”

This interface also considers social, behavioral, and cultural dynamics to be a particularly fruitful avenue of research. This new theory would allow scientists to assess the interface between income and other processes, including health outcomes using dynamical systems methods. It would also define how human activities could negatively influence the environment and negatively influence their own health outcomes and further environmental impacts over time.

Dr. Arora’s work was funded by a prestigious Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental Health (RIVER) Award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, totaling $8 million over eight years to complete research on the biodynamic interface. Alessandro Giuliani, PhD, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Rome, has made a significant contribute to the development of the theory.

“Arora, Giuliani, and Curtin’s conjecture is potentially a major breakthrough, as knowing the factors that influence biological time may be the key to understanding why people age or mature at different rates, and how our early life experiences can influence our health as adults,” said Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH, Ethel H. Wise Professor and Chair of Environmental Medicine and Public Health and Director of the Institute for Exposomic Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City’s largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality care—from prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty and our physicians in the top 1% of all physicians nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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