There's a particular kind of pain that can't be thought away — the kind that comes with a divorce, a diagnosis, a career ending, or a version of yourself you no longer recognize. This is identity loss. And it asks something different of us than solutions can offer. In this conversation, originally shared on the #sorelatable podcast with Susan Regan, MFT, I explore what healing actually requires: nervous system awareness, relational safety, and the courage to stop managing your pain long enough to let it move through you.

If you're considering psychedelic work, you may be wondering whether you actually need a therapist at all. For thoughtful, self-aware, high-functioning people, that's a fair question. San Francisco psychedelic therapist Jodie Stein explores why healing for self-reliant people often requires something beyond solo journeying — and what skilled relational presence in psychedelic work actually looks like.