Katonah Study Group for Integrative Medicine

The Gut-Brain Connection – What You Need to Know, with Leo Galland, M.D.
2025-01-15 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | ZOOM – You will be provided details upon registration
Physicians are expanding their understanding of the gut-brain connection — a bi-directional relationship between the intestinal microbiome and the brain that can influence memory, mood, and cognition.
This dynamic relationship may be clinically relevant to a range of disorders, including alcoholism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and restless legs syndrome. In addition, the role of the gut microbiome is being studied as an implication in multiple sclerosis and the neurologic manifestations of celiac disease.
In his internal medicine practice, Dr. Leo Galland has identified five mechanisms whereby the gut impacts the brain. It is through these varied mechanisms, gut microbes shape the architecture of sleep and stress reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
In addition to describing these five mechanisms, Dr. Galland will share microbiome treatments that can make a real difference, including changes in diet, probiotics, and prebiotics.
This session is not to be missed. We hope you join us for an illuminating presentation by a pioneer in his field.
Read Dr. Galland’s article that appeared in Journal of Medicinal Food, The Gut Microbiome and the Brain.

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About Leo Galland, M.D.
Leo Galland, M.D. is a New York-based internist and author who specializes in undiagnosed or difficult-to-treat illnesses. He received his education and medical training at Harvard and NYU. Regularly chosen by New York magazine as one of the best doctors in New York, as well as listed in America’s Top Doctors, he has appeared on Good Morning America and on CNN, Fox News, and PBS. Galland was awarded the Linus Pauling Award by the Institute for Functional Medicine in 2000. His research includes nutrition, chronic allergies, leaky-gut syndrome, and Lyme disease. He is the author of several medical books including Superimmunity for Kids (1989), Power Healing (1998), The Fat Resistance Diet (2006) and The Allergy Solution.
In March, 2024, the Katonah Study group was honored to have Dr. Galland join us for A Conversation about Life, Death and Heaven, (related to his book Already Here – A Doctor Discovers the Truth about Heaven)
We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Galland return to share his wisdom with us once again.

An Archetypal Perspective on the Aging Process with Jungian Analyst, Michael Conforti, PhD
2025-02-26 18:30 - 20:00
Intimations in the Night: An Archetypal Perspective on Psyche and Spirit in the Aging Process with Michael Conforti, Jungian Analyst
In our later years, many of us experience a profound lack of orientation. Perhaps our most meaningful early accomplishments begin to lose their luster, and those aspirations and dreams that once set our hearts on fire, are now eclipsed by new and strange emotions… unfulfilled desires suddenly emerging from the shadows.
The fires and passions of youth and the middle years are now reduced to smoldering embers… no longer warming our heart and soul.
The hunger for so much of what we wanted in life quickly fades into the domain of memory. Only the truly authentic intimations of this life begin calling us in our dreams, frustrations, symptoms, and cravings for what Rabbi Heschel calls the “ineffable.”
In the midst of a dark, wintry February, we welcome back the founder of the Assisi Institute, an internationally known Jungian scholar, Michael Conforti PhD.
Dr. Conforti will warm and enlighten us with teachings about archetypes, dreams, and literature – and the rich journey into our later years.
Bring your dreams.

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Michael Conforti, PhD, is a Jungian analyst and the Founder and Director of the Assisi Institute. He is a faculty member at the C.G. Jung Institute – Boston and the C.G Jung Foundation of New York. A pioneer in the field of matter-psyche studies, Dr. Conforti is actively investigating the workings of archetypal fields and the relationship between Jungian psychology and the New Sciences. He has presented his work at The C.G. Jung Institute – Zurich and Jungian organizations in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, and Venezuela. He is the author of Threshold Experiences: The Archetype of Beginnings and Field, Form and Fate: Patterns in Mind, Nature & Psyche, which have been translated into Italian, Russian and Spanish.
Contact information:
Phone: (860) 949-0545
Email: mconforti@together.net
assisiinstitute.com

A special invitation to two conferences offered by the Assisi Institute
“The Voice of Psyche in Clinical Practice” from June 2-6, 2025 in Giglio, Italy
Held on the picturesque island of Giglio in the Tuscan Archipelago, Dr Conforti speaks on the manifestation of Psyche and Archetypes within the therapeutic relationship, a domain within which wonder meets clinical wisdom. Together, with participants from around the world, we will delve into the beauty, suffering, and transformative potential of working with Psyche, while enhancing our understanding of archetypal dynamics.
“You Alone Are Real to Me, A Passion for Soul” from June 7-14, 2025 in Assisi, Italy
With presentations by our internationally recognized faculty including; Dr James Hollis, Dr. Conforti, Dr Richard Tarnas and Swiss Jungian Analysts, Dr Hansueli Etter and J. Duermuller, we will come to an even richer understanding of the need to bring Soul and passion back into our life. Here we will look at how Soul has called to us since the beginning of time, through archetypal images and emotions and why humanity has unknowingly turned from her gaze. Ultimately while the search for one’s Soul is a solitary journey, to do this with reflection from someone who cares so deeply about us is more than sublime.
The Katonah Study Group community will be elligible to receive a $200 discount.
Please use the offer code: INT
For more info and the registration forms, go to: https://www.assisiinstitute.com/Katonah_Italy_2025.html

A Fully Verified Past Life Regression with Saundra C. Blum, Past Life Regression Therapist
2025-03-05 18:30 - 2025-03-20 20:15
A Fully Verified Past Life Regression with Saundra C. Blum, Past Life Regression Therapist and author of the upcoming book, Unveiling The Gift: Synchronicities Through Divine Intervention
Please join us for a unique and compelling presentation that explores how our past lives impact the present.
Saundra and her client Yvonne will share a past life starting in the 1920s — and the subsequent journey that uncovered startling truths, healed wounds, and validated experiences beyond imagination.
In this riveting account, a client’s regression revealed:

A life in the 1920’s Virginia filled with extraordinary challenges: a mother’s electric shock treatments, a father’s betrayal, a devastating accident, and even a murder.
The shocking connections between her past life and the people in her present.
How unraveling these synchronicities profoundly healed her abusive childhood and changed both our lives forever.

After the year of healing, Yvonne and Saundra traveled to Virginia to see if they could find any clues to Yvonne’s past life. That journey that changed both lives forever when they found proof of everything and more. For Yvonne, the trip would validate her healing, and for Saundra, it would validate the Past Life Work to which she has been devoted all her life. (Note: neither Saundra nor Yvonne had ever been to Virginia.)
Attendees will hear the true story from Saundra and her client Yvonne. Everything that was uncovered in her regression was validated, and the journey to Virginia brought to light even more than anyone could have imagined. Yvonne’s psychodrama — once hidden out of fear of how others might react, — will be brought to light, and we will gain a deeper understanding of the profound power of past life exploration.
We hope you’ll join us for this Katonah Study Group presentation as Saundra and Yvonne reveal this incredible, transformative story and the truths that await in The Gift.
This event is free, but registration is required to receive the invite link. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore a journey that’s as healing as it is unforgettable. A caution for the highly sensitive: There will be some disturbing aspects of Yvonne’s story that may make you uncomfortable.

About Saundra C. Blum
In private practice since 1989, Saundra C. Blum is a certified Ericksonian Hypnotherapist and Past Life Regression Therapist. Her formal education consists of a Masters of Science degree in Special Education and Counseling and a Bachelors of Science degree in English and Education. Saundra C. Blum was on the Advisory Board for Western Connecticut State University’s Institute for Holistic Health. She taught a certification course in the fall of 2014 for Past Life Regression Therapy at the University.
In 1998 she co-founded the Katonah Study Group for Integrative Medicine with well-known psychiatrist and author Dr. Mark Banschick. From 2007-2009, Blum was on the Board of Directors of the International Association for Research and Regression Therapy (“IARRT”), which was her Past Life professional organization and helped put together many conferences in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia. She was also a group leader for IARRT holding monthly experiential workshops and trainings in addition to managing her private practice that was in Somers, NY. at the time. Between her workshops and private practice, Ms. Blum has seen more than 8,000 clients over the past 38 years.
Due to her international reputation, Ms. Blum has been sought out to help organize and coordinate a number of conferences and workshops including two New York IARRT conferences, a conference workshop for the Edgar Casey Institute in Virginia Beach and Sturbridge, Massachusetts. She has created, organized and presented a new International Integrative Medicine Model for practitioners in Tuscany, Italy (2010).
Ms. Blum now lives in Moorpark, California with her husband, Michael. They have two grown children, Jordan and Briana, and two grandchildren, Sawyer and Hudson.
Ms. Blum ‘s first book, Footsteps through the Sands of Time – Past Life Dramas, Present Life Lessons (available on Amazon), was published in November, 2013. It is a compilation of her clients stories, their lessons, and their healing using this deep and sacred work.
Ms. Blum’s second book, The Gift – Synchronicity Through Divine Intervention, is scheduled to be released in the near future. The book shares a life-changing journey that she and a client took to factually validate the client’s past life experiences from the 1920’s.
Contact Information
Saundra C. Blum
Text or Call: (914) 420-9349
Website: saundracindyblum.com

From Trauma to Transformation with LuAnn Conforti-Brown, PhD, Certified Archetypal Pattern Analyst
2025-05-07 18:30 - 20:00
New Research that Helps Us Heal
Many experience trauma. It may be a small moment or an entire lifetime. Political. Personal. Sometimes it’s in our upbringing, other times it’s a terrible moment.
The soul naturally avoids this pain often to our detriment. We retreat and limit our exposure to the world. The trauma wins again. But what if we can use the pain for our benefit?
Dr. Conforti-Brown offers a psychologically intelligent alternative. Towards a higher self that abides within. She brings us practical methods for holding our experience and utilizing it for the good. It’s worth a good listen.
Carl Jung once wrote, “It is in those times when we are hard pressed, perhaps even at the point of death, when we surrender the ego…(that the) Psyche can come to our aid producing a miracle” (1960).
And miracles are what we need.
In this presentation Dr. Conforti-Brown will explore dark night experiences (trauma) through the lens of cultural myth, spiritual traditions, and narratives curated from her work and research on how trauma can lead to transformation.
This presentation will educate and help guide us to healing. Darkness is in our politics and our personal lives. It’s in random illness. It’s in families. We all wish to break free. Dr. Conforti-Brown brings decades of experience and quality research to this task. Spring provides an opening. Come join us with your questions and a new kind of hope.
View Dr. Conforti-Brown’s Reference List

THIS IS A BY CONTRIBUTION EVENT
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Dr. Conforti-Brown is a Certified Archetypal Pattern Analyst. She is a Board member for the Assisi Foundation of the Assisi Institute: The International Center for the Study of Archetypal Patterns. She holds a Masters degree in Clinical Social Work from New York University and a PhD in Existential-Humanistic Psychology from Saybrook University. She is currently in private practice in the Tampa area of Florida. For 17 years Dr. Conforti-Brown was an Assistant Professor of Clinical Instruction at the University of South Florida, School of Social Work. During her tenure with the university, Dr. Conforti-Brown received the Social Work Educator of the Year award from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) for outstanding teaching and mentorship. She is an expert in traumatology, and has published journal articles and book chapters on the importance of integrating spirituality into trauma treatment for military and Veteran populations.
Learn more at walkalongtampa.com

The Vitalist Sleep Method: Heal Insomnia Naturally with Dr. Carina Lopez & Sakis Stamou
2025-06-18 18:30 - 20:00
Insomnia isn’t just a sleep problem—it’s a signal.
The Vitalist Sleep Method helps you decode that signal and heal insomnia from the inside out.
In this 90-minute immersive workshop, Naturopath Dr. Carina Lopez and Healing Foods Educator, Wild Herbal Medicine Expert Sakis Stamou will guide attendees through a 3-part holistic approach towards restoring sleep rooted in homeopathy, elemental diagnostics, natural therapeutics, and sacred sleep rituals.
Dr. Lopez will discuss

homeopathy and the repertory.
how to use the Chinese Organ Clock as a diagnostic tool.
how specific times of night (e.g., waking at 2 AM) correspond to organ systems, emotional states, and unique homeopathic remedies.
how to track and interpret dreams as therapeutic insight using repertory rubrics—offering remedies for hormonal transitions, trauma, anxiety, and more.

Sakis Stamou will offer

a dynamic synthesis of ancient alchemy and modern science, revealing sleep as a nightly transformation process.
an introduction to the four elemental sleep types (Fire, Water, Air, Earth), matching herbal remedies, foods, and nervous-system rituals to support each.
a guided, sacred “descent ritual” for entering sleep as a state of conscious renewal.

Participants will leave with:

a personalized sleep diagnostic framework.
targeted remedies and food protocols.
rituals to enhance dreamwork and sleep quality.
a new relationship to insomnia—not as a flaw, but as a portal to deep healing.

THIS EVENT WAS WONDERFUL!
REQUEST THE SLIDES FROM THE PRESENTER

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About The Presenters, Dr. Carina Lopez & Sakis Stamou
Dr. Carina Lopez is a licensed naturopathic doctor, licensed acupuncturist, homeopath, master herbalist, iridologist, and sclerologist trained under Leonard Mehlmauer. She brings over a decade of experience in integrative, traditional, and consciousness-based healing systems. Bilingual in Spanish and English, and currently studying Greek, she offers a cross-cultural, globally informed approach to patient care.
She earned her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and Master’s in Acupuncture from the University of Bridgeport, and is a graduate of the School of Natural Healing and the School of Integrated Iridology. She holds advanced credentials from the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy, where she studied under George Vithoulkas, recipient of the Right Livelihood Award. She is also trained in Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT) by Dolores Cannon.
Her clinical insight is shaped by immersive experiences with indigenous healers in Belize and a homeopathic internship in India. These experiences ground her Vitalist Healing Method—a model that honors classical diagnostics, natural therapeutics, dreamwork, and soul-level healing. She currently maintains a hybrid practice between New York City and Pelion, Greece.

Sakis Stamou is a Healing Foods Educator, Wild Herbal Medicine Expert, and practicing alchemist dedicated to transforming human life—materially and spiritually—through sacred nourishment and ancient wisdom. His work integrates culinary alchemy, elemental healing, traditional Greek medicine, Ayurveda, and modern herbal science.
Originally trained in civil engineering, Sakis shifted paths to follow his deeper calling in healing through food and plant medicine. He has studied Eastern dietetics, Traditional Chinese Medicine, classical herbalism, and Western vitalist traditions, merging these into a holistic system of embodied wellness.
A devoted student of alchemical spagyria, Sakis trained under Brother Phoenix Aurelius and Robert Bartlett and is a member of The Inner Garden, a European guild preserving traditional alchemy. He continues to expand his expertise through ongoing studies in evolutionary herbalism, botanical medicine, and traditional astrology.
Now based in Pelion, Greece, Sakis co-leads Vitalist Healing Traditions with his wife, Dr. Carina Lopez. Together, they teach immersive workshops and global programs that bridge ancient practices with modern science—helping others reclaim sleep, vitality, and inner harmony through food, herbs, ritual, and alchemical principles.

For more information, contact…
Website: vitalisthealingtraditions.com
Email: vitalisthealingtraditions@gmail.com
Social Media: linktr.ee/vitalisthealingtraditions

Healing From Moral Injury with Larry Winters, USMC, LMHC
2025-09-17 18:30 - 20:00
A Vietnam Vet Helps Us Understand Ourselves
Larry Winters went to Vietnam at the age of eighteen, and like many, was injured for life. What Larry saw, and what he was told to do, was just too much. His book, The Making and Unmaking of a Marine is an important work documenting what went wrong for so many – and the path toward healing and forgiveness..
Larry will be talking to our us about Moral Injury, the crushing psychological and spiritual anguish we experience when an authority or a trusted person violates our core morality.
This deep wounding challenges one’s sense of self and one’s trust in humanity. And the wound can deepen even further when there is no responsible party for resolution or reparation.
Through sharing, storytelling, and science, Larry will help us understand that moral injury is not confined to the battlefield, but deep injury can emerge in narcissistic relationships, nasty divorces, religious betrayals, and in the governing of communities.
These ethical fractures contribute to the disillusionment and despair many feel in the moment. But perhaps understanding that we all share the effects of such trauma can help to ease our pain and division.
We welcome Larry Winters, an honored war veteran – and now a psychotherapist – to understand moral injury in modern life – and discover the road to healing.
We’re pleased to announce an additional contributor for the evening: Menachem Hojda, LCSW
Menachem is the grandson of four Holocaust survivors who taught him the importance of hope. He founded his practice, Belong PC, to foster healing through connection, providing clinical therapy and supervision. Menachem teaches at Touro University and consults and trains on building cultures of belonging. He is also a Program Analyst for Oakland Community Health Network and serves on the Board of Nefesh International, and is licensed in MI, and FL. His contact information is Menachem Hojda LCSW (248) 259-6524.

WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US!
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Note: A recording will be available after the event, but you must register to receive the link.
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THIS IS A BY CONTRIBUTION EVENT
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About Larry Winters
Lawrence (Larry) Winters, USMC, LMHC, is a Vietnam combat veteran, poet, playwright, psychotherapist, and nationally recognized voice on moral injury.
For over twenty-five years, he worked as a group therapist at Four Winds Hospital, specializing in trauma recovery for veterans and civilians alike. His practice centered not only on psychological healing but on the deeper, often silenced moral wounds that many returning service members carry — what scholar Jonathan Shay calls moral injury.
Larry has written extensively on the subject, drawing from personal experience and clinical insight to explore the soul’s reckoning after war. His book, The Making and Unmaking of a Marine (which can be purchased on Amazon). His essays and poems examine the rupture that occurs when duty conflicts with conscience, and how healing begins not through diagnosis, but through witness, storytelling, and truth-telling. His memoir, The Tug of War (soon to be published) and many of his essays confront this exact threshold — where grief, responsibility, and spiritual reckoning collide.
Larry was also a key contributor to Veteran-Civilian Dialogues at Intersections International in New York City, where he facilitated conversations that bridged the silence between those who have gone to war and those who have not. These dialogues broke new ground in creating public spaces for moral healing, deep listening, and communal accountability.
A passionate advocate for re-humanizing the narrative of the veteran, Larry has used poetry, visual storytelling, and public speaking to expand the national conversation on war’s moral cost. He continues to write and present on how the invisible wounds of war — what he has called “Shadow Hearts” — live in the body, the family, and the nation’s conscience long after combat ends.
Contact Information
Lawrence (or Larry) Winters
winters.lawrence@gmail.com
914-489-7881

In preparation for this event, Larry wrote:
Your Heaven is Just a Game
For eighteen years, I knelt by my bed, said my pledge, followed the golden rule.
Then came boot camp.
I learned to kill without shame.
And I kept praying.
But I never heard your voice.
I came home with silence louder than God.
And now I believe — your heaven was just a game.
That poem was not therapy.
It was confession.
It was my soul tapping the wall, saying I’m still here.
When I began writing The Tug of War, I thought I was writing about Vietnam. But the jungle was only the setting. The true terrain was internal—grief, guilt, and the moral unraveling that comes when your compass spins in your hand.
Shay spoke of Achilles not as myth, but as mirror. A warrior betrayed. A man whose honor was broken by the very structure that demanded his loyalty. And in that break, he lost his humanity.
I know that fracture. I’ve worn it like an invisible wound beneath my skin. Not PTSD. That’s the government’s name for what can be medicated.
This is different.
Moral injury is the pain of violating your own sacred code.
Of watching yourself become a stranger
in the name of duty.
And the wound doesn’t heal through time.
It heals through witness.
Through naming.
Through the slow turning of the soul toward forgiveness—not just of others,
but of oneself.
I’m not here to perform. I’m here to reveal.
To speak not as a professional, or a theorist,
but as a man who has walked this long road and still—some days—doesn’t know if he’s made it home.
And I say this now, not just for myself,
but for the others still carrying silence like a second skin.
We were trained to fight.
We were not prepared for what it meant to come back.
We need spaces—not of correction, but of connection.
We need stories.
We need ritual.
We need to sit in the company of those who won’t look away.
“A wound that goes unacknowledged becomes a doorway for despair.” — Unknown
But a wound that is honored,
witnessed,
and given voice—
can become
a doorway home.
This is what I hope to bring to the presentation I’ll be giving. Not solutions. But resonance.
Not neat answers. But a circle of acknowledgment.
And the courage to ask—not just what happened—but what was broken inside of us when it did?
This is what The Tug of War carries.
This is what moral injury demands we speak aloud.
Not for justice.
But for the soul.
Because that’s where recovery lives.
Where forgiveness waits.
And where, perhaps,
We begin again.

Escaping the Prison You Didn’t Know You Were In with Jeffrey B. Rubin, PhD, Psychoanalyst
2025-10-08 18:30 - 20:00
Please join us for an exploration of ways we are imprisoned by our attempts to heal, and how Meditative Psychoanalysis may hold the keys to our escape.
In this presentation we’ll explore four themes:
Theme 1: Challenges of childhood, emotional self-splinting and “curing the patient of their practice of self-cure.”
Theme 2: Two human super-powers: we all communicate more than we know about where we are imprisoned and how we might be freed, AND we can train and drastically deepen our capacity to hear more than we ever expected.
Theme 3: Searching for the Wisdom Beneath the Apparent Madness – there is an emotional logic underlying even human behavior that seems crazy or self-destructive – delusions, for example, are revelatory not delusive
Theme 4: Meditative Psychoanalysis and the Psychoanalyst as Jazz Improviser – the union of presence, meaning, and liberated intimacy

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THIS IS A BY CONTRIBUTION EVENT
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About Jeffrey B. Rubin, PhD, Psychoanalyst, Writer, and Teacher
Jeffrey B. Rubin Ph.D practices psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy and teaches meditation in New York City and North Salem, New York. He is considered one of the leading integrators of the Western psychotherapeutic and eastern meditative traditions. A Sensei in the Nyogen Senzaki and Soen Nakagawa Rinzai Zen lineage and the creator of meditative psychotherapy, a practice that he developed through insights gained from decades of study, teaching and trying to helping people flourish.
Dr. Jeffrey Rubin has taught at various universities, psychoanalytic institutes and Buddhist and yoga centers. He lectures around the country and has given workshops at the United Nations, Esalen Institute, The Open Center, and The 92nd Street Y. His pioneering approach to psychotherapy and Buddhism has been featured in The New York Times Magazine.
Dr. Rubin is the author of these critically acclaimed books:

The Art of Flourishing: A Guide to Mindfulness, Self-Care, and Love in a Chaotic World
Psychotherapy and Buddhism
The Good Life: Psychoanalytic Reflections on Love, Ethics, Creativity, and Spirituality
A Psychoanalysis for Our Time: Exploring the Blindness of the Seeing I
Psychotherapy Case Studies: Escaping the Prison You Didn’t Know You Were In .
[Or download the ebook on Amazon]
Meditative Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis: Pathways to Healing and Transformation.
[Or download the ebook from Amazon]
The Art of Flourishing: A New East-West Approach to Staying Sane and Finding Love in an Insane World

Contact info
Jeffrey B, Rubin
(914) 953-1123
www.drjeffreyrubin.com

Striking a Spiritual Balance between Self and Other with Yiscah Smith, Thought Leader, Spiritual Activist & Educator
2025-11-05 18:30 - 20:30
Many people perceive a strong individual as self-absorbed, and not spiritual, cut off from the practice of cultivating human connection.
This dichotomy echoes the contradiction in the Genesis Creation story. On one hand we read in Genesis 1:27, “And God created humankind in the Divine image, creating it in the image of God—creating male and female,” pointing to the individuality; the human being having been created in the singular. Yet, as was written in Genesis 2:18, we read, “It is not good for the human to be alone.”
We all share this duality — this struggle for balance — regardless of background:

cultivating a spiritual sense of one’s own unique self, while…
connecting an authentic, individuated self with other humans — and by extension, other, nonhuman forms of life in the Creator’s world.

In this presentation, Yiscah will invite us to appreciate that cultivating connection with others is essential to our integral health — mind, body, heart, and soul. She will share practical ways to experience spirit within our selves and with others, and how striking a balance between self and other provides a path to a life of greater harmony and well-being.
Please join us. Bring your questions, and dreams.
This presentation covers the first portion in Yiscah’s recent book, Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice, available on Amazon.com

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About the presenter…
Yiscah Smith is a thought leader, spiritual activist and agent of change who addresses the spiritual practice of encountering the Divine spark within and beyond. She relies on Jewish spiritual teachings and contemplative practices to inspire her students, acting as a compass, gently guiding them to their unique inner selves—their souls.
As a spiritual trailblazer, and spiritual mentor Yiscah exemplifies what it means to carve one’s own path, as she has grappled with the entanglements at the intersection of her spirituality, Jewish tradition and passionate desire to live a life of integrity. She encourages, empowers and ennobles others to remain faithful to their individual and unique spiritual paths, working with groups and individuals.
Yiscah teaches at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Applied Jewish Spirituality (AJS) and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS). She founded Conscious Community Nachlaot, an alternative prayer space in Jerusalem that hosts Shabbat spiritual gatherings.
Her newest book, Planting Seeds of the Divine: Torah Commentaries to Cultivate Your Spiritual Practice, was recently co-published by the University of Nebraska Press (UNP) and the Jewish Publication Society (JPS).

Yiscah Smith
+972-(0)55-882-9096
Learn more about Yiscah’s work at YiscahSmith.com

Revisiting Our Most Difficult Relationships with Lisa Twerski, LCSW
2025-12-10 18:30 - 20:00
What do we do about close relationships that cause drama, distress, and self-doubt?
Can we heal from a relationship that has been deeply unsettling – even damaging?
If we must extricate from a relationship, how do we navigate the complexities — especially with family or friends?
If we must stay in the relationship, how do we protect ourselves?

In the midst of the holiday season, our most difficult relationships can become even more troublesome. How do we manage? These relationships are important, but do they serve us? And how do we decide when duty ends and self-care begins?
These are challenging yet essential questions, and so we are excited to have Lisa Twerski, LCSW, return to lead us in a discussion. Using case scenarios and group interaction, we’ll explore these common yet often complex struggles and consider our options.

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THIS IS A BY CONTRIBUTION EVENT
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Lisa Twerski, LCSW, received her Masters in Social Work from New York University’s School of Social Work in 1990, and has advanced certification in pre-marital counseling and education. She has been working with victims of trauma including rape, incest and domestic violence for over thirty years and has held numerous positions in and out of the Jewish community. Mrs. Twerski is on the Board of Directors of Nefesh, The International Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals, maintains a private practice in Brooklyn working with individuals and couples and lectures locally and nationally on many subjects including domestic abuse, marriage, and dating.
She is the author of a book for victims of domestic violence in the Orthodox Jewish community entitled, I’m So Confused, Am I Being Abused? Guidance for the Orthodox Jewish Spouse and Those Who Are Trying to Help. She has recently published an interactive marriage education workbook for couples in the Orthodox Jewish Community entitled, Me & You – What I Wish I Knew. Her latest project is a website, thebinyanproject.com, dedicated to providing quality education on mental health subjects to the lay audience.
You can order her books on Amazon:

Me & You – What I Wish I Knew: A Marriage Manual for the Frum Community, by Lisa Twerski LCSW
I’m so Confused, Am I Being Abused? Guidance for the Orthodox Jewish Spouse and Those Who Want to Help, by Lisa G Twerski LCSW, with a foreword by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski MD

Helping Oppositional Children & Teens with Kenneth Barish, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Psychology, Weill Cornell Medicine
2026-01-14 18:30 - 20:00
Even in less stressful and uncertain times, a child or teen’s oppositional behavior can be challenging. Many families become stuck in escalating, vicious cycles of negative interactions: criticism and punishment leading to anger and defiance (or secretiveness and withdrawal) then more criticism, and more defiance.
These cycles erode the warm and supportive interactions that are essential to children’s emotional vitality. Parents and caregivers feel they’ve “tried everything” and just don’t know what to do.
In this webinar, award-winning author Ken Barish, Ph.D. will make some unique recommendations. While most programs for parenting oppositional behavior focus on consequences for a child’s behavior — e.g., rewarding positive behaviors and punishing defiant behaviors — he feels they often miss the big picture. Thus, Ken will discuss a different way of thinking about children’s behavior problems. Drawing from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, and neuroscience, he will describe a proactive plan that repairs family relationships, replacing argument and defiance with understanding, appreciation, and problem-solving.
His four general principles, and “21 Rules” promote good behavior, while protecting a child’s emotional health. Ken’s teachings lead to better conversations, more empathy towards others, and can restore feelings of joyfulness and pride in the family.
Whether you’re a parent, a grandparent, a caregiver, or a therapist, this webinar is a must.

WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US!
Please this registration button to reserve your seat on Zoom.
Note: A recording will be available after the event, but you must register to receive the link.
Register for this Event

THIS IS A BY CONTRIBUTION EVENT
Click on the contribution button and pay what you are able.
The suggested amount is $10 (US), but if you are not able to contribute at this time, please simply register.

Please Make a Contribution to Help Us Cover Expenses — Thank You!

About our presenter
Ken Barish, Ph.D. (photo copyright Michael B. Friedman)
Kenneth Barish, Ph.D. is Clinical Professor of Psychology at Weill – Cornell Medicine and Visiting Professor at Tongji Medical College in Wuhan, China. He is on the faculty of the Westchester Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy and the William Alanson White Institute Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training Program. Ken is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and Associate Editor of the Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy.
Ken is the author of several books, including How To Be A Better Child Therapist: An Integrative Model for Therapeutic Change (W. W. Norton, 2018) and a book for parents, Pride and Joy: A Guide to Understanding Your Child’s Emotions and Solving Family Problems (Oxford University Press, 2012).
Most recently, Ken wrote a book on political dialogue, Bridging Our Political Divide: How Liberals and Conservatives Can Understand Each Other and Find Common Ground (Routledge, 2024). ‘Bridging Our Political Divide’ is winner of the 2025 International Book Award for Current Events.
In addition to his teaching, writing, and clinical practice, Ken plays jazz trumpet.

Contact info
Kenneth Barish, Ph.D.
280 North Central Ave., Hartsdale, NY
kennethbarish.com

The Power of Platonic Intimacy, presented by a panel of Certified Cuddle Therapists
2026-02-11 18:30 - 20:00
We live in a world that is suffering from skin hunger and discomfort with platonic affection. Many people associate intimacy with sexual touch, and most unconsciously respond to the needs of others rather than learning to identify their own needs, ask for what they want, and then be able to receive.
In this panel discussion on cuddle therapy, we’ll explore:

what cuddle therapy is (and what it is not!);
the many reasons why people seek platonic touch work;
the role of consent and boundaries;
talking with a therapist about cuddle therapy (and how the triadic model works);
some of the myriad benefits of this therapeutic modality— from hormonal release as a bridge between the biological (i.e. oxytocin) and physiological, to impact on mental wellness, the art of receiving, and more;
how to find a practitioner who is a good fit.

We will also briefly cover the Cuddlist® code of ethics and Cuddlist® training. All questions are welcome.
This event will be recorded. All registrants will receive a link to the recording within a week of the live presentation.
About the Panel

Kelly Campbell, Trauma-Informed Coach, Cuddlist® and Somatic Intimacy Practitioner
Jackie (Jax) Wren, Consent and Intimacy Educator, Coach and Companion
John Ellsworth, Cuddlist® Practitioner and Sacred Intimate

Kelly Campbell (they/them): A certified Cuddlist®, certified trauma-informed coach, and facilitator of healing retreats, Kelly is the author of Heal to Lead: Revolutionizing Leadership through Trauma Healing (Wiley, 2024). They are currently training to become a sacred intimate for women, SA survivors, and queer, trans, and nonbinary bodies. Most recently, Kelly became a volunteer Gender Advocate with TACT. They live in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York. Learn more about Kelly’s cuddle therapy practice at klcampbell.com/cuddle-therapy-ny-nj/

Jax Wren (she/her): Jax is a CuddleSage™ and Cuddlist® trained practitioner, Authentic Consent™ Trainer and Wheel of Consent® Facilitator-in-Training. In all of her work, Jax centers and uplifts Black, POC, Queer, and gender-expansive individuals, couples, and communities through the transformative possibilities of pleasure through embodied choice. Learn more about Jax’ practice at touchedbyjax.com

John Ellsworth (they/he/she): A seasoned bodyworker for over 20 years, John works completely by referral. They are not only a certified cuddle professional but also serve on the leadership team of Cuddlist® as co-owner and advisory board chair. They love helping people in the process of transforming pain and limitations into ease, expanse, and even pleasure. And they live in the New York Hudson Valley. Learn more about John’s work at cuddlist.com/john

The Art of Energy Healing: Balancing Mind, Body, and Spirit with Michael Andron, PhD, D.Ac
2026-03-11 18:30 - 20:00
One of the great problems in health care today is that we equate ‘health’ with non-disease; that is, not having any symptoms. And even when we speak of ‘prevention’, we mean early detection, before a small symptom — or no symptom — becomes a more serious problem.
There is another lens through which we can consider our health and healing. Instead of the absence or change of ‘symptoms,’ perhaps a high level of personal wellness — high energy, strong immunity, and mental clarity — is the real indicator of health.
In this webinar, Michael Andron, PhD will suggest a different approach for restoring and maintaining health and vitality — one that incorporates breathwork, energy balancing, and relaxation skills.
As a Grand Master of Tai Chi, and weaving his knowledge of yoga, Chinese medicine, hypnotherapy, acupressure, and Qi Gong, Dr. Andron will explain how he developed the EnerGenesis Protocol, and share how it can change the way you feel, enhance your body’s self-healing immune system, increase your energy levels, and enhance mental clarity.
In EnerGenesis, ‘energy’ is not a metaphor… it’s real. Andron believes that understanding the energy paradigm is the missing link in wellness education.

Thank you for joining us!
Here are some extra gifts from Michael Andron, PhD, D.Ac

Breath Play – cleansing breathwork exercises (a PDF download)
Get Grounded – tap into earth energy (a PDF download)
“THE EVOLUTION OF FEAR – Why your nervous system can’t tell a predator from a push notification” — an article by Eric Edmeades
“The Power of Group Meditation” – by Dr Joe Dispenza from 16 January 2026

Click on the contribution button and pay what you are able.

Please Make a Contribution to Help Us Cover Expenses — Thank You!

“The EnerGenesis Protocol was developed by Michael Andron, PhD, an educator, to simplify some of the most powerful of these tools and to make them easily accessible to anyone. I have recommended hundreds of health professionals and lay healers (of all disciplines) to Dr. Andron and his energy-healing program. It is unique in its simplicity and effectiveness. The sum of my own research into EnerGenesis convinces me that its results are consistent, reproducible, and supported by principles of bio-physics. Most important, thanks to Dr. Andron’s unique training approach, The EnerGenesis Protocol is TEACHABLE.”
– Andrija Puharich (1919-1995) a world-renowned researcher of healers and healing systems

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Michael Andron, Ph.D., is the founder and director of KODESH: A Fellowship for Seekers of Wholeness, a nonprofit organization devoted to personal growth, mind-body effectiveness training, and inner awareness. For more than five decades, he has lectured and taught extensively around the world and has been featured in the media.
He is the author of The Essential Guide to Energy Healing, co-written with his son Benjamin, an award-winning creative director of motion picture advertising. The book is now available as an e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other platforms.
An experienced theatre director, Dr. Andron developed and taught courses in Martial Arts and Yoga for the Performing Artist as a psychophysical training tool in the theatre departments at New York University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and the New World School of the Arts in Miami.
Michael and his wife Lillian are based in Los Angeles, where Michael continues to teach the EnerGenesis Protocol and train practitioners.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Michael Andron, PhD, D.Ac
305-798-5088
kodesh.org

The Golden Shadow Method with Melanie Ryan, LCSW Psychotherapist, Tibetan Buddhist Teacher, and Metaphysician
2026-04-22 18:30 - 20:15
Discover the Golden Shadow, the storehouse part of the unconscious that holds the bright and positive qualities that have been suppressed.
The Golden Shadow Method shares ancient teachings of mystics, philosophers, Buddhists, and shamans that give us clarity on who we truly are. In this online workshop we will be using Jungian techniques, Tibetan Buddhist meditation, and indigenous wisdom to illuminate the golden shadow. We will traverse the inner terrain of the psyche to remember our forgotten gifts and reclaim our powers of light.
In this workshop you will:

Learn that we are all golden Buddhas, born fully enlightened with wisdom and gifts to share with others.
Learn how everyone had a dark and golden shadow.
Discover your Golden Shadow Archetype and a hidden power within you.
Learn about Shadow projection and the natural healing mechanisms of dark and golden Shadow triggers.
Practice a Medicine Buddha meditation to cleanse and purify the mind of negative habitual thoughts that create unconscious self-sabotaging karmic patterns.

WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US!
Please this registration button to reserve your seat on Zoom.
Note: A recording will be available after the event, but you must register to receive the link.
Register for this Event

THIS IS A BY CONTRIBUTION EVENT
Click on the contribution button and pay what you are able.
The suggested amount is $10 (US), but if you are not able to contribute at this time, please simply register.

Please Make a Contribution to Help Us Cover Expenses — Thank You!

About the Presenter
Melanie Ryan is a psychotherapist, Tibetan Buddhist teacher, metaphysician, and expert in holistic health. She is author and founder of The Golden Shadow Method, a path of awakening one’s full human potential. Inspired by ancient wisdom and holistic medicine, the method integrates depth psychology, Tibetan Buddhism, metaphysics, indigenous teachings, and natural healing.
For over three decades, Melanie has studied with indigenous elders and spiritual masters throughout North America, South America, Central America, Europe, and the Far East. Her training includes vinyasa yoga, reiki, past-life regression therapy, naturopathic and Tibetan medicine, Jungian psychology, shamanic healing, vision questing, and Asklepian dream healing.
Melanie is an authorized Buddhist teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and continues to deepen her studies in the Bön and Vajrayana traditions, including Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine).
She began her professional career after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Hartford (1992) and a dual master’s degree in clinical social work and clinical research from Fordham University (1995). Over the past thirty years, she has worked in psychiatric hospitals, drug rehabilitation centers, residential treatment programs, schools, and community health centers.
Disillusioned by the limitations of the modern U.S. healthcare system, Melanie founded The Center for Health and Healing, an award-winning holistic health center that served the Hudson Valley region of New York for nearly a decade. In 2020 she devoted herself to writing and teaching online. Melanie continues to develop advanced spiritual courses called The Secrets of the Golden Shadow, with the first volume — focused on trigger work — scheduled for publication in 2026. Melanie teaches online courses, leads domestic and international retreats, and serves on faculty at the world-renowned Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.
Contact Information
Melanie Ryan
GoldenShadowMethod.com
AncientWisdomToday.com
Follow Melanie Ryan on Facebook and Instagram, under The Golden Shadow Method
You can purchase her books on Amazon or directly from Melanie.

The Wounded Healer, with James Hollis, PhD, Jungian Analyst
2026-06-10 18:30 - 20:00
As Jung noted, only the wounded healer can heal. Only the person who has suffered, come to an enlarged consciousness through that suffering, and then relates to others with a more assimilated woundedness can have a healing effect upon others.
The highest percentage of persons in the care-giving professions come from troubled backgrounds and seek their own healing through their choice of profession.
This program will especially identify the hidden pathology, the hidden costs to such persons, as well as explore the archetype of the wounded healer in all of us.

Thank you for joining us and for making this event a huge success. Here’s a link to Dr. Hollis’ diagrams and notes.
Dr. Hollis’ diagrams & notes

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION
Click on the contribution button and pay what you are able.
The suggested amount is $10 (US), but if you are not able to contribute at this time, please simply register.

Please Make a Contribution to Help Us Cover Expenses — Thank You!

About the Presenter
James Hollis, Ph. D. is a Zurich-trained Jungian analyst in practice in Washington, D. C. He served as Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas for many years and as an Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington for five years. Dr. Hollis was first Director of Training of the Philadelphia Jung Institute, and is Vice-President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation. Additionally, he is a Professor of Jungian Studies for Saybrook University.
He has written a total of twenty books and over fifty articles. His books have been translated into eighteen languages. He lives with his wife Jill, an artist and retired therapist, in Washington, DC. Together they have three children and eight grandchildren.
