Holistic Healers Morgan Rutkowski

Our healthcare system is littered with systemic issues that are often (intentionally) not talked about. So, let's start a conversation about it! Today, I have Abby Brockman on the podcast who is a Jewish board-certified clinical trauma chaplain. She received her Masters of Divinity from Boston University's School of Theology, completed her clinical residency at the Seattle VA hospital, and worked as a staff chaplain for many years at Seattle Children's Hospital in their Cancer Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and In-patient Psychiatric Unit. She specializes in trauma, grief and loss, and end-of-life work and recently started her own private practice to provide spiritual care. Her work is deeply informed by an anti-oppression ethic and advocates for a systemic lens/ power analysis in all of her conversations about mental health and wellness. And, she believes there are gateways to holiness everywhere!

For More Information about Abby Brockman:
Instagram: @abby.brockman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-brockman?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app


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Just like all interventions we can use to better our health, we all have our preferences. Some we like and some we don't and that is different for everyone. For me and my clients, tarot can be another great avenue to uncover stuckness and get guidance. Today, I go over the basics of tarot readings, cards, and what you need to know to get started! And, at the end, I pull a message for you! Did you connect with it? Let's get into it!

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As we all know, holistics emphasizes understanding people in their entirety. It is about prioritizing someone's background, culture, mental health, physical health, and so on equally with unconditional positive regard. However, holistics needs to be expanded further- specifically to past or current offenders apart of the criminal justice system who are often written off as bad people who could never change. Forensic psychology is one of the most popular specialties within psychology today. We see countless true crime documentaries, cold case files, serial killer documentaries, and even podcasts about it. As someone who is earning my doctorate in clinical psychology, my end goal is to become a forensic psychologist, whether that be conducting forensic assessments as an evaluator for court or as a treatment provider. Either way, holistics needs to be incorporated so that we do our diligence in assessing and treating someone appropriately. And, as a result, we uphold their constitutional right to a fair trial.
For this special episode, I thought I would bring on one of the most established forensic psychologists in the field. Dr. Lina Haji is a licensed clinical psychologist and licensed mental health counselor specializing in psychodiagnostic assessment, forensic assessment, dual diagnosis, serious and persistent mental illness, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and substance abuse treatment in Miami, Florida. Dr. Haji completed a master’s degree in forensic psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Albizu University, and a doctorate in clinical psychology with a forensic emphasis from Albizu University. Her training includes inpatient and outpatient settings, private forensic practice, and an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship. She was trained at the master’s and doctoral levels in assessing and treating individuals ranging from mild psychiatric symptoms to those with serious and persistent mental illness, dually diagnosed patients, personality disorder patients, and psychopathy. Her clinical experience over the last 20 years includes working with mentally ill and dually diagnosed adults in inpatient and outpatient settings including correctional facilities, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice in four states, NY, NJ, CA, and FL. In addition, she has supervised master’s level clinicians, and post-doctoral residents, and served as clinical director for a 500-patient maximum-security correctional facility. Her ultimate goal as a psychologist, regardless of population, is to accurately diagnose and identify patient strengths and areas for growth in order to individualize treatment needs and goals better.
Our conversation is rich and like no other. We talk about state vs privatized prisons, the issues and implications of misdiagnoses in the criminal justice system, debunk myths and perceptions about inmates, problems with social media, forensic assessment, perpetuation of violence, getting stuck in the correctional system, self-accountability, the realities of forensic work, and the importance of social justice, policy, and advocacy work.
For More Information About Dr. Lina Haji:
Website: www.rise.psychological.com
Instagram: rise_psychological_services
YouTube: Rise Psychological Services
Other Helpful Forensic Resources:
APA Forensic Psychology Speciality: https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/forensic
The Forensic Psychologist Podcast with Drs Nicole M. Vienna and Lina Haji: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Hvsq410lZtjilboDAmqLf?si=286dbbfee9c34e1a
The Innocence Project: https://innocenceproject.org/the-issues/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpompBhDZARIsAFD_Fp_1n1QILcMTVNz7CLkRGBdU0k0xkJjF0MU9sTs9PDlEGninh4Ri0W8aAt_UEALw_wcB

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All the time we hear the phrase "the authentic self". It's a great buzzword, but what does it actually mean? Many of us use it to describe becoming the "best version" of ourselves or reaching our "full potential". However, what does that actually look like? Today, I discuss my own interpretation of it and how you can tangibly get there. In essence, it's about congruency. It's about identifying our values, goals, and interests and aligning those with our current behaviors. But, without a doubt, it'll lead us to grief. Let's get into it!


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For this month’s episode, I wanted to talk about burnout. Maybe it is because I am at the end of my first year in grad school and have been feeling a little worn out. But, I also think this feeling is all too common for a lot of us. We work really hard, push our limits for too long, do not properly give ourselves a break, and then feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. It's like a marathon. We want to win and beat our competitors. But if we give too much energy at the start, we won't have enough energy at the end. And sometimes we do notice burnout creeping up on us but other times we don't. For many of us, including myself, burnout has more than just an impact on our mental health. It is a whole bundle of complications possibly on our physical, relational, emotional, and even spiritual health that can sometimes go unnoticed until our bodies finally force us to take a break.



As someone who knows this all too well, Jordan Smith wanted to speak about her experiences with burnout. She is a Colorado realtor in Durango as well as a full-time country club manager and aspiring content creator. She highlights how she has transformed from a "guilt-ridden workaholic" to an advocate for self-care and work-life balance. She too was and still is someone working to find that balance between being unnecessarily productive and actually being effective. She strives every day to create a culture of well-being in both her personal and professional spheres and has come to understand that true success isn't just about accomplishments; it's about leading a fulfilling life that encompasses all aspects of well-rounded living.



For More Information About Jordan Smith:

Instagrams: @jordan__corealtor or jordanandreas_


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Welcome back to another monthly Holistic Tips episode! This month we are discussing grief. Back in September of last year, I posted an episode also about grief called “The Grief Workshop”. If you like this episode, go check that one out as well! The guest had a wonderful story, and I learned so much from her. This episode explains how grief is more than death- how we usually think about grief. In reality, grief is more common than we think. It's about any unexpected change we experience and learning how to adapt to a new reality. It can be the breakup we went through and the memories, expectations, and future plans we had with that person that are now lost. It can be graduating from school and also having to say goodbye to friends and family. It’s healing from trauma and also letting go of the past version of yourself that no longer serves you. For the offenders I used to work with, it's about letting go of that hurt and anger they've experienced in the past and also transitioning out of prison culture and into a new society that can feel very rejecting. Grief is so much more normal than we think, and even the happiest of times can still manifest feelings of grief. I’m passionate about helping clients heal from grief because it is always so overlooked and yet a root cause of so many underlying complications. Let’s get into it!


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