Ciis Public Programs & Performances

This is the CIIS Public Programs Podcast, featuring talks and conversations recorded live by California Institute of Integral Studies, a non-profit university located in San Francisco on unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Land. * Shaped by her own experience with the death of her father and her time co-founding The Dinner Party, a leading peer-support organization for people who’ve experienced a major loss, author facilitator Carla Fernandez’s work pushes back on the death-denying culture we live in. For too long, grief has been treated as something pitiable, simply sad, to be gotten over as soon as possible. But after 15 years of being in a community with fellow grievers, Carla has witnessed a different side of the story. * In this episode, Carla is joined by licensed marriage and family therapist and CIIS Associate Professor in Community Mental Health Gary Quan for a conversation viewing significant loss not as something to be swept under the rug, but an experience to be held with respect, a creative spirit, and wi

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * More than 10 million millennials are caring for aging parents before they've been able to fully launch their careers and consider starting their own families, and that's not including the incalculable numbers of people affected by long COVID. Writer and caregiver Jennifer N. Levin was 32 when her father was diagnosed with a rare degenerative illness. As she struggled with few resources and little support, she created Caregiver Collective, a national online support group for millennial caregivers. * In this episode, Jennifer is joined by CIIS Assistant Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology program Emily Marinelli in a conversation exploring our current culture of care and the impact it has on millennial caregivers. * Jennifer shares insights from her latest book Generation Care, which offers wisdom from her own experience and her support group, Caregiver Coll

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * A Black Feminist, activist, professor, and author, Loretta J. Ross has spent five remarkable decades in activism. She’s deprogrammed white supremacists and taught convicted rapists the principles of feminism and it’s worked because the power of her message comes from who she is and what she’s lived through. * In this episode, Loretta is joined by CIIS Women’s Spirituality professor Dr. Alka Arora for a powerful and inspiring conversation about her life’s work and her latest book Calling In, a memoir-manifesto-handbook about how to rein in the excesses of cancel culture so we can truly communicate and solve problems together. Loretta discusses how using conversation instead of conflict—by focusing on your shared values over a desire for punishment—is the more strategic choice if you want to make real change. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on April

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In challenging times, it can be important to access a multitude of healing pathways, and we can use astrology as a supportive tool to understand both the current moment and access our personal and collective agency. * In this episode, Humanistic Astrologer, psychic medium, and author Jessica Lanyadoo is joined in an illuminating conversation with CIIS Associate Professor Sonya Shah on the astrology of these challenging times. Jessica discusses what’s happening in the stars right now and how to navigate through them while supporting your spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being. * This episode was recorded during a live event in San Francisco on March 13th, 2025. CIIS Public Programs members can watch a video of this talk on their member portal. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website cii

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Lifelong activist and educator Dean Spade dares us to decide that our interpersonal actions are not separate from our politics of liberation and resistance. Many activist projects and resistance groups fall apart because people treat each other poorly, trying desperately to live out the cultural myths about dating and relationships that we are fed from an early age. How do we bring our best thinking about freedom and justice into step with our desires for healing and connection? * In this episode, Dean is joined by CIIS Anthropology and Social Change Associate Professor Targol Mesbah in a liberating conversation on how to combat cultural scripts and take our relationships into our own hands, better preparing us for the work of changing the world. * This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute of Integral Studies on Feb

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In her work, author, organizer, and designer Aida Mariam Davis explores the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, making explicit the ways that extraction, oppression, and enslavement serve the goals of empire—not least by severing ancestral connections and disrupting profound and ancient relationships to self, nature, and community. Her recent book, Kindred Creation, is a call and response to dream and design better worlds rooted in African lifeways: a path to Black freedom, a love letter to Black futures, and a blueprint to intergenerational Black joy and dignity—all (and always) on Black terms. * In this episode, Aida is joined by CIIS Director of the Center for Black & Indigenous Praxis Preston Vargas for a powerful conversation exploring African epistemologies and recalling the dignity and distinction of the African way of life. Aida shares her phil

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Generational silence is a term applied to families who have experienced suppressed thoughts or repressed emotions for at least two generations. Generational silence addresses both the cycle and impact of issues like substance abuse, religion, racism, education inequality, and parenting. In her latest book, Breaking Generational Silence, mental health expert Nicole Russell-Wharton speaks from her Black experience about how slavery left an intergenerational impact on her family and how understanding and healing the root of silence can finally break the cycle for generations to come. * In this episode, Nicole is joined by Assistant Professor at California Institute of Integral Studies in the Somatic Psychology Department Deanna Jimenez for a transformative conversation exploring generational silence and healing from inherited trauma. * This episode was recorded during an i

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * This special episode features CIIS Professor Emeritus and cultural historian Richard Tarnas sharing illuminating insights into the nature of human consciousness and the cosmos. In this talk, Richard explores one of C. G. Jung’s most crucial contributions to psychology–the recognition that the unfolding of a human life is at a deep level a spiritual journey. He also explores the powerful archetypal principles and forces that deeply influence human experience and behavior. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 6th, 2025. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. * We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * The Ten Oxherding Pictures is an image series that visualizes the Buddhist training path to enlightenment. The Ten Oxherding Pictures have served as a spiritual teaching tool for centuries, guiding seekers through the steps of awakening. But how are these images relevant today? * In this episode, CIIS professors Dr. Debashish Banerji and Dr. Sara Granovetter have a conversation about posthumanism, the Oxherding series, the Jungian individuation process, and the disowned wild self. Together, they explore how the ox may represent a part of the psyche that is habitually pushed to the margins of consciousness. They also help us discover what the Oxherding Pictures teach us about relating to the wild other within ourselves and the work of befriending it for spiritual awakening. * This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at California Institute

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In this episode, 86th generation Zen master and Indigenous Hawaiian leader Rōshi Norma Wong is joined by CIIS Associate Professor Sonya Shah for an illuminating conversation exploring spiritual activism and how to envision co-creating new worlds from one in crisis. * They discuss Norma’s latest book, When No Thing Works, in which she inquiries into the ways we can live well and maintain our wholeness in an era of collective acceleration and explores ways we can step out of urgency to tend to our crises with wisdom, intention, and care. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 22nd, 2025. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. * We hope

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * As we approach the first season change of the year, we are finding ourselves inclined to revisit this conversation centered on time and ritual featuring author Sasha Sagan and CIIS Interdisciplinary Arts professor Carolyn Cooke. * Sasha Sagan was raised by secular parents, the astronomer Carl Sagan and the writer and producer Ann Druyan. They taught her that the natural world and vast cosmos are full of profound beauty, that science reveals truths more wondrous than any myth or fable. * When Sasha herself became a mother, she began her own hunt for the natural phenomena behind our most treasured occasions—from births to deaths, holidays to weddings, anniversaries, and more—growing these roots into a new set of rituals for her young daughter that honor the joy and significance of each experience without relying on religious frameworks. * Sasha’s first book, For Small Cre

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Michelle Tea is best known for her book, Modern Tarot, which is now a cult classic. Her latest book, Modern Magic, explores her magical roots. Sharing how she crafted her own magical practice, Michelle offers a framework to tap into the distinctive magic that lies within each of us, a framework that incorporates queer, feminist, anti-racist, and intersectional values. * In this episode, self-described DIY witch, professional tarot reader, author, and feminist icon Michelle Tea is joined by arts-based, psychedelic-assisted ancestral psychotherapist Camara Meri Rajaberi for an illuminating conversation that explores modern magic. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on November 6th, 2024. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this o

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * For over 40 years somatic sex educator Dr. Betty Martin has explored the nuances of consent. In her framework and book, The Wheel of Consent, Dr. Martin traces the fundamental roots of consent back to our childhood conditioning. As children, many are taught that to be “good” we must ignore our body’s discomfort and be compliant. As adults, this conditioning remains with us until we unlearn it. The implications of this approach to consent education extends beyond touch and intimate relationships. When we forget how to notice what we really want, we lose our inner compass. When we continue to go along with things we don’t feel are right, we lose our ability to speak up against injustice. * In this episode, Dr. Martin is joined by Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigiqueer soma-cultural sex therapist, sexuality educator, writer, activist, and musician Dr. Roger Kuhn for an empowe

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Talking about death is often deemed morbid or taboo, but to fully embrace life, scientists, psychologists, and spiritual leaders all agree—contemplating death is the key to living a life with meaning. In this episode, Joanna Ebenstein, author and founder of Morbid Anatomy—an organization exploring the spaces between art and medicine, death and culture—is joined in conversation with CIIS faculty and Chicane philosopher Saraliza Anzaldúa exploring how to befriend death. * Sharing insights from her latest book, Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life, Joanna discusses what it means to be mortal and shares how to both come to terms with what death means and live alongside it without fear. In doing so, you can see your own life in a new light and discover what makes life worth living. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on October

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Emerging research in psychological and philosophical circles is showing us that there is more to the good life than past or current conversations suggest. Psychological richness is the missing piece to the good life, and, Lorraine Besser, a founding investigator in these studies, shows how we can add it to our lives by making them full of what she calls the Interesting—experiences that captivate and engage our minds, stimulate new thoughts and emotions, and impact our perspectives. * In this episode, author and professor of philosophy Lorraine Besser is joined by CIIS Expressive Arts Therapy professor Shoshanna Simons for an inspiring conversation exploring how we can make our lives more interesting without having to make dramatic changes. Lorraine shares ideas from her research and latest book, The Art of the Interesting. They discuss how everyone can obtain and strengt

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Each person has a unique, ever-changing relationship to hope. Hope alone can be transformational—but in moments of despair, or when you’re up against profound injustice—it isn’t enough on its own. As we enter a new year full of complicated hopeful feelings, we are finding this episode from our archives to be timely. * In this episode, CIIS Chief Diversity Officer Rachel Bryant has a conversation with transformative learning and social justice educator Kari Grain introducing Dr. Grain’s concept of critical hope. This is hope in action: a vibrant, engaged practice and a commitment to honoring transformative potential across a vast spectrum of experience. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 5th, 2022. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * When a film touches us, makes us laugh, and has that feel-good spirit, we want more of it. We want a sequel! In this episode, psychotherapist and CIIS Assistant Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology program Emily Marinelli is joined by therapist and activist DDS Dobson-Smith for a conversation exploring the psychology of movie sequels from the 1980s and 1990s. * Sharing personal stories and insights from their latest book Comfort Sequels, Emily dives deep into the psychology behind what makes certain movie sequels memorable, safe, predictable, and comforting. These sequels are more of the universe we love—exploring something new while maintaining something familiar. Emily interprets characters, story arcs, and major themes while sharing fun and random behind-the-scenes facts about sequels including Grease 2, Gremlins 2, My Girl 2, Ghostbusters II, Batman Return

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In the context of non-monogamy, compersion or the emotion of positive empathy is understood as sharing our partner’s joy regarding their other intimate relationship or relationships. Drawing upon her seminal research with consensually non-monogamous individuals, author and mindful dating and relationship coach, Dr. Marie (two-un) Thouin, unravels the complexity of compersion in her recent book, What is Compersion?, the first ever book to offer a comprehensive model of compersion and a practical roadmap to cultivating it. * In this episode, Dr. (two-un) Thouin is joined by Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigequeer activist, artist, sex therapist, and somacultural theorist Dr. Roger Kuhn in a conversation exploring compersion as a roadmap for radical love in monogamous and non-monogamous consensual relationships. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on August 8t

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * Majority cultural norms in the United States suppress our ability to truly feel our grief and each person’s experience with grief is as unique as the grief itself. Writer, somatic practitioner, and artist Camille Sapara Barton’s take on grief speaks directly to the ways that BIPOC and queer communities and individuals disproportionately experience unique constellations of loss. In their work, Camille honors every experience: The loss of displacement from homelands, severed lineages and ancestral ways of knowing. The grief of colonization and theft. The deep heaviness that burrows into our bodies when society tells us our bodies are wrong. * In this conversation with author, educator, activist, and intuitive healer Michelle Cassandra Johnson, Camille shares ways we can tend to our grief both alone and in community, drawing upon their new book Tending Grief, written specifi

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description. * In anticipation of our upcoming workshop exploring shamanic tools for liberating our true longing with author and shamanic healer Langston Kahn, we are revisiting his conversation with energy worker and spiritual practitioner Maryam Hasnaa. In this deep conversation, Langston and Maryam discussed ways we can address the root of past trauma and heartbreak to reclaim our personal and collective power. * This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 26th, 2021. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms, where you can also find information and register to attend Langston’s workshop taking place live online January 25th and 26th, in 2025. * We hope that