Sex Birth Trauma with Kimberly Ann Johnson

In this episode, Kimberly speaks with Ian MacKenzie, filmmaker, writer, mythosomatic guide, and host of The Mythic Masculine, about what men's work looks like in 2026. A fellow Orphan Wisdom scholar, Ian traces the mythopoetic lineage back through Robert Bly's Iron John, Carl Jung, and Marie-Louise von Franz, and describes how discovering Bly's book in his late grandfather's study set him on this path alongside his film work on feminine archetypes (Amplify Her). They talk candidly about the cultural moment — the "Rape Academy," the Pelicot case, the question of where the men are, and why the issues that feel omnipresent in some circles remain invisible in others curated by algorithm. Ian unpacks the medicine of mythopoetic men's spaces: how men can "put down the masculine pole" when others hold the container, why porn functions as a "toxic mimic" of intimacy, and how the shadow we exile grows hostile and acts out. They explore the lover archetype and erotic rites of passage rooted in his time at the Tamera community in Portugal, the "road of ashes" and why real men's spaces are composed of "failed heroes," and how to tend rites of passage for our own children by building real relationships with other men long before adolescence. The conversation closes on accountability and repair in a "villageless" culture, erotic leadership, and the inaugural Cascadia Men's Conference. Bio Ian MacKenzie is a filmmaker, mythosomatic guide, and the founder of The Mythic Masculine - a platform devoted to stewarding the soul work of men. For two decades, Ian has tracked the emergence of imaginal culture - from the fires of Burning Man to the streets of Occupy Wall St - amplifying the voices of visionaries, artists, and wisdom keepers working toward a more regenerative world. A 15-year scholar of the Orphan Wisdom School, and a four-time pilgrim to the Tamera peace research community in Portugal, he has dedicated himself to expanding the terrain of what men's inner work can be: weaving ritual, ancestral story, and somatic reclamation into a living path toward sovereign purpose. He is the co-founder of The Deep Masculine Journey, a 12-week initiatory program for men, and the host of The Mythic Masculine podcast. His films include Sacred Economics, Occupy Love, Amplify Her, and The Village of Lovers. He lives on Vancouver Island with his partner and son. What He Shares The mythopoetic lineage of Bly's Iron John, Jung, von Franz and finding the book in his grandfather's study in his mid-30s How exploring feminine archetypes through Amplify Her opened the question of masculinity for him Why the "where are the men" moment is so confusing for men who want to speak but fear getting it wrong The "hungry ghost" pattern: what happens when men locate all their Eros and vitality in women Porn as a "toxic mimic" (Caroline Casey's phrase) of real intimacy and reciprocity "Putting down the masculine pole" how men can finally fall apart when others hold the container "Eating the shadow" creating space for men to reveal trespass and explore real repair Erotic rites of passage and the lover archetype, drawn from his time at Tamera The "road of ashes," failed heroes, and the difference between olders and elders Tending rites of passage for our kids and why a parent is "disqualified" from leading their own child's Accountability and repair in a villageless culture, and the vision behind the Cascadia Men's Conference What You'll Hear What "the mythic masculine" means and where the mythopoetic tradition comes from Whether the erotic is "feminine" anima, animus, and locating aliveness inside vs. outside How algorithmic bubbles make the same cultural crisis omnipresent for some and invisible for others The critique of men's work as apolitical self-improvement and the Mankind Project's stance Dyads, Forum, and psychodrama as practices for meeting the shadow The "dogs in the basement" story. Shadow, ancestors, and what we exile What an erotic rite of passage weekend actually looks like, and the core wound it surfaces A hard, honest exchange about campus assault and what real accountability could look like Erotic leadership, deep attunement, and meeting a partner stepping into her own fullness Details on the Cascadia Men's Conference "Courting the Divine Spark" Resources: Main Website: http://themythicmasculine.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianalexanderm/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ian.mackenz/

In this episode, Kimberly speaks with Alison Armstrong, author of The Queen's Code, about her complex work around understanding men and women. Alison has been studying the dynamics between men and women since 1991, when she discovered she was what's called a "frog farmer:"a woman who unknowingly turns princes into frogs through culturally inherited patterns of emasculation, criticism, and control. They explore how what was once a subterranean pattern of diminishing men has become amplified in our current moment, and why nobody is fundamentally broken. Alison explains how testosterone creates single focus, why men dodge ownership of anything that will be used against them, and why the words that most motivate men to act are the same words women most avoid using. They discuss the difference between being furious and being curious, why anger is "static on the radio" that prevents the song from being heard, and how to provide actionable information without condemnation, including in sexuality. The conversation moves into breadwinning (or breadlosing) dynamics, the concept of 8,000 days, planning for finitude, and the regret of missing what matters most in the sprint of a mission-driven life. Bio Alison Armstrong is the author of The Queen's Code and the creator of widely acclaimed transformational online programs, including LUX: Liberation. Understanding. Xtraordinary Relationships, and Understanding Men, Understanding Women, Understanding Sex & Intimacy, Understanding Love & Commitment, plus Being Extraordinary as a Man/Woman. Alison asks the question: "What if no one is misbehaving—including you?" She explores the good reasons behind the behavior of men and women, such as fundamental differences in the ways we think, act, and communicate. She offers simple, partnership-based solutions to improve communication and intimacy by honoring ourselves then others. Alison is known for her insight, sense of humor, and ability to articulate the human experience and predicament of gender. She seeks practical, energy- and emotion-efficient approaches to conflict, healing, and building skills and capacities applicable to human interactions in all contexts. One of Alison's great pleasures is supporting the men and women who choose to be her students. She spends up to 30 hours per month clarifying and helping others to implement her teachings. What She Shares: – How she discovered she was a frog farmer in 1991 and what that set in motion – The shift from subterranean emasculation to loud, amplified pain on both sides – Why men dodge ownership of anything that could be used against them – The words that most motivate men are the words women most avoid using – Furious or curious: why anger is static that prevents the song from being heard – Her husband's death, grieving without notice, and the concept of 8,000 days – Her recent hysterectomy and the mystery of women's bodies to men and to ourselves – The regret of missing her children's lives in the sprint of her mission What You'll Hear: – Kimberly's personal history with Alison's work across generations – Frog farmers versus prince farmers: how women unknowingly turn princes into frogs – What Alison learned watching her mother's three and a half husbands – The 1970s addition: get a husband, keep a husband, but never need one – How testosterone creates single focus and why interrupting men derails depth – Men's instinct to provide and why they plan decades into the future without telling their partners – Why men and women both decide what the other needs without asking—and then resent not being appreciated – The word "help" as an action command and why women avoid it – How to ask without interrogating: own your desire and wait for it – Giving men three chances without shaming—and the difference between asking and condemning – Actionable information in sexuality: show me, not shame me – An hour of oral sex: what a panel of men actually said about "too long" – Honor as doing the right thing no matter how you feel—and why love can't override it – Why men leave: "It's dishonorable for me to stay when I can't make her happy" – The incel generation: Kimberly's daughter on how all the boys are influenced – Kimberly on learning to be around men after years of only working with women – Emotional labor, the victim stance, and why "I shouldn't have to" keeps us stuck – Predator, prey, herd, and pack: the animal instincts beneath human relating – Status, quantity versus quality, and why two-income zero-parenting families form – Die with Zero and 8,000 days: choosing what to spend a finite life on – Resting as a valid activity: without rest, nothing else works – Breadwinning and bread losing: honoring the provider regardless of who earns – The regret of watching home videos of moments she missed—and her children's astonishing forgiveness – Kimberly's reflection: mothering our children is also mothering the world Resources Website: allisonarmstrong.com IG: @thealisonarmstrong Celebrating Partnership https://www.alisonarmstrong.com/products/celebratingpartnership.html

In this episode, Kimberly speaks with Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez, an artist, educator, and depth psychologist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the designer of the cover of Kimberly's upcoming book Erotic Seasons. Part of Kimberly's Santa Fe trilogy, this conversation explores what it means to teach and live emergently: responding to what's present rather than what's planned. Chanti shares her doctoral work on the wound of homelandlessness as a Cuban American, and how she developed a practice of creating and living with the image of one's wound as a daily, evolving relationship rather than something to fix or overcome. They discuss the difference between revisiting and rumination, the ancient link between art and therapy, and why images hold meaning differently than words; allowing wounds to keep shifting rather than becoming rigid stories. The conversation also touches on the Cuban concept of resolver, what it takes to be a student of one's own creative impulse, and how imperfection and planned spontaneity become doorways to aliveness. Bio Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez is a Cuban-American artist-author, ritualist, and non-clinical depth psychologist. She believes that images speak a profound language; her life's work is a translator of the unseen and an advocate for the imaginal. She holds two master's degrees in Engaged Humanities and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. In 2023 she completed her doctoral dissertation Navegando Liminal: Rituals to Translate the Image of the Wound. Her work and teaching follows and welcomes, imagination, creativity, dreaming, and deep rest. She teaches workshops, and collaborative training focused on creativity, yantra painting, dreaming, intuitive movement, myth, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra. Her passion and aim are to inspire all to rediscover their creative self by weaving the blessings with the wounds while honoring the land and ancestors. Dr. Chanti also works individually with clients using a transdisciplinary approach through creative therapeutics. Learn more. What She Shares: – Chanti's doctoral work on the wound of homelandlessness – The practice of creating and living with the image of one's wound – How emergence is like an emergency—the urgency of being present – The toolbox of an emergent teacher: listening, trust, and tolerance for tension – Why images hold meaning differently than words – The Cuban concept of resolver—figuring things out with what you have – How she navigated a PhD program as an image-based thinker – The link between art and therapy as the oldest form of alchemy What You'll Hear: – What emergent teaching actually requires: listening, trust, and a good ear for the pulse of the space – The tension of being the leader who says "I don't know" – Chanti's wound of homelandlessness: ni de aquí, ni de allá – Growing up being told "you belong over there"—and arriving in Cuba as a foreigner – Creating the image of the wound and living with it as an altar – The word estúpida on the image—and reclaiming what was once shame – Pursuing a PhD in Jungian Archetypal Studies as an image-based thinker – The project-based dissertation: two books, one of words and one of images – Wound and blessing: the etymology of bless as bleed in French and Old English – The difference between revisiting a wound and ruminating on it – How fixed meaning stops a wound from continuing to grow and change – Choiceless choice: when creative impulses announce themselves – The incubation period—how long to sit with a bubbling before it overflows – Art as something that overflows from you and becomes something else – Kimberly's experience writing her book with a co-editor through word games and play – Exhaustion, rest culture, and the shadow side of Yin – Creativity as living in the third space between social and sympathetic nervous systems – Working with dreams through images and movement – Mutual seed planting: how flamenco and imagery crossed between them – Imperfection as doorway: planned spontaneity, blindfolds, dice, and letting things fall – The layers between words and images, cultures, and belonging Resources Website: https://www.yantrawisdom.com/ Kimberly's Next Course: https://kimberlyannjohnson.com/STANDUP/

In this episode, Kimberly speaks with Jane Hardwicke Collings, a post-menopausal grandmother, former midwife, and founder of the School of Shamanic Womancraft. They explore how the lessons learned from the natural childbirth movement must now be applied to menopause, discussing what Jane calls "sage-escence," the becoming of the wise woman. Jane shares her journey from hospital nurse to home birth midwife, how her midwifery awakened her to the patriarchy's medicalization of women's bodies, and why she sees a natural menopause movement emerging. They dive deep into the connections between all rites of passage, from menstruation to birth to menopause, and examine how unresolved trauma surfaces during these transitions. The conversation also explores sexuality and the erotic through life's seasons, the impact of childhood trauma on menopausal symptoms, body shame, aging, and the cultural pressure toward hormone therapy versus embracing natural processes. Bio Jane Hardwicke Collings is a post-menopausal grandmother, mother of a blended family with four adult children and four grandchildren. A former Registered Nurse who worked in Paediatric Intensive Care Units and Women's Operating Theatres, she became a midwife at 26 and left the hospital system so as not to be complicit with institutionalized acts of abuse and violence on women and babies masquerading as safety. She was a homebirth midwife for 30 years in city and rural areas of Australia. Jane carries the lineage of Shamanic Midwifery from her teacher Jeannine Parvati Baker and created the School of Shamanic Womancraft in 2009, an international Women's Mystery School. She travels internationally giving workshops on the wisdom of cycles, the spiritual practice of menstruation, sacred dimensions of pregnancy, birth, and menopause, and reclaiming women's rites of passage. She also offers teacher training, books, and e-courses. Jane is a co-creator of Hygieia Health, a not-for-profit with a mission to create freestanding birth centers and fund homebirth. She lives in the bush on the edge of a forest in New South Wales, Australia, committed to walking her talk and treading lightly on the earth. She sees herself as an Agent of the Goddess, a Priestess at the altars of transformation. What She Shares: –Journey from hospital nurse to home birth midwife –Applying lessons from natural childbirth to menopause –Sage-escence: the becoming of the wise woman –How childhood trauma affects menopausal symptoms –Salutogenic vs pathogenic perspectives on women's health –Personal healing journey around sexuality at menopause –Crowning the Crones ceremony –Preparing for the transition to elderhood at 70 What You'll Hear: –Jane's awakening to the patriarchy through midwifery training –Why she left hospital to become a home birth midwife –Bringing midwife eyes and heart to all rites of passage –The state of birth in Australia and globally –Free birth, doulas, and current threats to birth workers –How home birth advocates are embracing medicalized menopause –HRT keeping women in a static hormonal state –The natural menopause movement emerging –Anti-aging culture and the privilege of aging –Body shame rooted in menstrual shame –Kimberly's reflections on cosmetic procedures and nervous system impact –How orgasm and sexuality change across a woman's lifetime –Healing sexual inheritance from mothers and grandmothers –Unresolved trauma surfacing at menopause as healing opportunity –First sexual experience as imprint that unfolds through life –Libido changes through life stages –Finding new reasons for sexuality post-reproduction –The spiral of life: what unfolds at each new season –Honoring crones and receiving their wisdom Resources Website: https://janehardwickecollings.com/ IG: @janehardwickecollings Kimberly's Mobilize Freeze Course: https://kimberlyannjohnson.com/freeze/

In this episode, Kimberly and Elena discuss and reflect on their life experiences through nearly two decades of knowing one another. They discuss radical forgiveness for our families of origin, the importance of stillness and meditation, children leaving the home, and menopause. They also discuss what led Elena to write her upcoming book "Hold Nothing," which offers stories and prompts as an artful contemplative guide towards personal, daily practice for self-discovery and self-wisdom. Kimberly reads powerful excerpts aloud, and you can preorder the book in the link below. Bio Elena Brower is a mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author, and podcast host. She is a celebrated international yoga and meditation teacher on Glo, guiding transformative practices since 1999. Her books include the "Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation," bestselling journal "Practice You and Being You" her collection of poetry entitled "Softening Time," along with her courses, classes, and talks, explore stages of studentship, practice, life, and listening. Her latest book "Hold Nothing" investigates what it means to let go of narratives and return to the spacious emptiness within. She also has a column on Substack and podcast Practice You. She offers weekly classes and is a candidate in Upaya's Chaplaincy Training. She volunteers in hospice and penitentiary settings, bringing yoga, meditation, and compassionate presence to her local and broader communities. What She Shares: –Forgiveness, repair and acceptance –Practice of daily stillness and stability –Powerful excerpts from new book –Excerpts read from new book "Hold Nothing" What You'll Hear: –What sticks with Kimberly from Elena's teachings –Elena forgiving mother –Mercy and forgiveness for family of origen –Holding onto grudges instead of real repair –Impacting our actual spheres –Incentivizing holding grudges long-term in culture –Having direct contact with the present –In contact with body as medicine –Everyone doing their best at all times –Making our consciousness transparent to ourselves –Why Elena wanted to write a new book –Meditations and personal writings –Universal permission slip to be tender with ourselves –How stories, prompts, and artwork came about –Impact of writing in present tense –Getting reader in scene that unfolds as if happening presently –Reading excerpt from book on uncertainty –Daily sitting in stillness to allow thoughts to emerge –Importance of humility in work –Addressing accusations, controversies, and publicness –Importance of relationships, close inner-circle, close proximity –Bringing down women taking initiatives to serve –Evolving definition of family –Staying present and listening during hard conversations –Children leaving home for college –Mothering young adults –Conflicting emotions with children leaving home –Advice for mothers in new paradigm shifts –Kimberly's fresh experience taking Cece to college –Opening to stability –Stabilizing principle at center of every circumstance –Turning chaos to stability –Working in a vacuum to focus on own work –Addressing issues of AI as writers and teachers –Focus, devotion, returning to what matters –Menopausal transitions with weights, HRT, supplements, sleep, friends –Regulating nervous system through menopause –Elena's Matter of Menopause podcast for menopause education –Kimberly's underworld experience of menopause –Hormones are gods –Preorder upcoming book "Hold Nothing" Resources Website: https://elenabrower.com/ and https://elenabrower.com/menopause/ IG: @elenabrower Jaguar Sex Edition Sign Up Here

In this episode, Kimberly and Sarah Wildeman dive into the importance of community and relational support and the experiences that led each of them to prioritize community building so centrally in each of their lives. Sarah shares her journey from a communal Christian upbringing to building her own "space of welcome" as an adult. Both Kimberly and Sarah emphasize the need for practical community-building practices, balancing personal needs with community support, and the challenges of maintaining a village in today's world. Sarah's "Our Common Life" program offers a four-month course to help individuals build meaningful community experiences, addressing topics like belonging, conflict resolution, and relational practices as mothers. About Sarah My 'work' in the world is to be a guide and companion, a seer and seeker of beauty, a soul reviver, activator, and community builder. At my core I am driven by deep and meaningful relationships and find my greatest joy in building intentional relational containers to facilitate learning and growth. I am known for my ability to get beyond what presents on the surface to the underlying beliefs or patterns that keep you stuck. I speak honestly and directly with gentleness and clarity. Whether in a group, or one-on-one, my ability to truly see people allows me to call them to their highest potential.My experience working and coaching in complex organizational dynamics has equipped me to work with people to navigate nuanced relationships with authenticity and courage, empowering individuals and teams to get creative and create lasting change. I have a unique inclination to both emotional intuition and strategic thinking, which allows me to create spaciousness while still helping you to 'get stuff done'. With nearly a decade's worth of intentional community living, I am particularly drawn to building rich gathering spaces. I have been a long-time space holder for leaders and community builders as they carry the responsibility of serving others. I have not pursued a status-quo approach to life, and feel uniquely suited to support visionaries in living into their callings.I am also 'Mom' to two strong, beautiful, passionate, creative daughters. Mothering them has been the greatest course there ever was in leadership and personal growth. Family is one of the ways I deeply experience and tend community in my life. My business operates out of Coldstream, BC, which we humbly acknowledge is in the unceded territory of the Syilx tmix , Secwepemcúl'ecw, and Okanagan First Nations. What they discuss: Sarah's upbringing and relationship to ceremony/rites of passage as a child in a non-demonitional Christian church What's an open door policy for a family home? How to find community if it's not through a formal religion? How to find a space of belonging that aligns with us as as adults How do we navigate the loss of community and loss of village? Living in an intentional community Christian community with a focus on environmental stewardship What role do faith and community play in our sense of belonging? How to navigate differences with a spouse in what you are seeking when it comes to communal living? How do you balance family and communal needs? The power of a web of support for families? How communities are insurance policies for care and support. How mothering and child care bring community practices to the fore. Challenges of building community, including the exhaustion and overwhelm that can come from new practices and habits. The importance of compassion and self-awareness in the process of building community, recognizing that it may start small and gradually grow. Strategies for building community, such as starting with small, manageable actions and gradually expanding to larger projects. Introduces her re-villaging program, "Our Common Life" a four-month journey that provides resources and support for building community. Resources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/our__common/ and @sarahwildeman Website: https://www.our-common.com/ Program: https://www.our-common.com/our-common-life

In this episode, Kimberly and Bethany discuss their reflections and experiences of attachment and mothering their adult children. Bethany describes changes in how she viewed herself and parenting while her daughter became an adult herself while Kimberly shares her experiences mothering her daughter who is about to move out of their home for the first time. They share challenges, frustrations, and confusing moments around their attachment and parenting, particularly as they age themselves. As most parenting content focuses on the early years, this conversation reveals the nuances of what attachment parenting actually is and how they are navigating its challenges while parenting their grown daughters. Bio Bethany Saltman is a literary agent, mother, wife, zen practitioner, and author of "Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey Into the Science of Attachment." She has an extensive background in writing, teaching, publishing, and devotes her time as a literary agent helping people put their stories into the world. She is a long-time friend of Kimberly's and a repeat podcast guest. What She Shares: –Different kinds of attachment and the adult attachment test –Mothering through seasons –Generational differences of parenting –Navigating challenges of mothering adult children What You'll Hear: –Different types of attachment –Securely attached is independent –Develop through creativity and exploration with secure base –Flexibility and response with parenting –Behavior versus attachment –Parameters for boundaries when discussing children publicly –Posting children on social media –Attachment research with adults –Generational leaps around attachment and development –Mothering through perimenopause –Hormonal changes through mothering and phases –Similarities between toddler and teenage years –Experiencing the second half of life while mothering –Values shifting through mothering phases –Cultural differences around parenting young adults –Leaving versus staying the nest –Generational differences of survival wiring –Frustrations of parenting adults –Self-actualization leaving parents' house –Adult attachment interview protocol –Mixed feelings shows secure attachment in adulthood –Importance of rupture and repair instead of only positive –Spirituality, religion, and parenting Resources Website: https://www.bethanysaltman.com/ IG: @bethany_saltman Class Sign up for Jagamama Summer School here: https://kimberlyannjohnson.com/jagamama/

In this episode, Kimberly switches roles to be in the interviewee seat herself while Elisa asks and reflects about Kimberly's Mothering the Bones retreats. They just finished one retreat in Wales and reflect on how moving and transformative it was for the gathering to be holding one another. They also discuss the origins of Mothering the Bones–how Kimberly came to this work and why she feels it is the apex of all of her expertise, knowledge, and purpose. Bio Elisa Mary Haggarty is an Executive and Conscious Leadership Coach, host of The Soul Podcast, and fellow jaguar. She coaches leaders to become more aware of how they are operating and the impact of how they relate to those around them through Conscious Leadership. She also has a diverse background in somatics and holistics and nutritional wellness. She is based in NYC but serves globally. What She Shares: –Mothering the Bones origins –Nuances of session work in community –Non-traditional approaches to gathering –Making space for spontaneous emergence What You'll Hear: –One week out from Mothering the Bones retreat –Level of intimacy and vulnerability in Kimberly's work –Why Kimberly does Mothering the Bones –Kimberly's background in body work and nervous systems –Session work in group –Elise's experience at Ghost Ranch –Lay practitioner defined –Taking care of people, people of place, and the land –Range of grief and joy –Meta-level analysis not needed when sessions occur –Tactile practice has emerged –Next step beyond ROLFing and body-work –Holding the pelvis and witnessing –Decentralizing role of practitioner –Importance of witness space as recipient –Conscientiousness about care and support –Not all trauma work is intense –Allow the body to be in blue –Distributing weight of session with multiple people –Pairing experts with novices –Witnessing a freeze –Repairing with other women's presence –Resourced to receive, give, and listen –Burnout and unsustainability in community work –Impossibility of birth work and community care in these times –Value of midwives and second-generation births –Upcoming book for Mothering the Bones work –Touch, touching the pelvis non-sexually, sitting, consent –Bringing whole self to bodywork –Radical touch –Listening, presence, story –Value of artistry in trauma-work –Non-traditional ways of learning –Giving space for emerging creativity to come out –Sexuality and birth require emergence and spontaneity –Being responsive to group's needs –Loosening control in community gatherings –Art of embodiment –Opportunities to be spontaneous and surprised –Tending to place and land of retreats –Depth and saturation of place –Different approaches to in-person versus online –Bodies that need held the most –Bone holding practice for presence and healing Resources Website: https://www.elisamaryhaggarty.com/ IG: @elisamaryhaggarty

In this episode, Kimberly and Kathryn discuss Kathryn's work in Jungian psychology, psychotherapy, embodiment, and body image. Kathryn walks us through her workbook which is designed to help women understand how much body image issues are distractions from feelings of anxiety and ambivalence about their lives. Instead, she describes how to create the capacity to unearth more deeply rooted thoughts, feelings, and sensations in our psyches and our bodies. Bio Kathryn Holt, PhD, LCSW, is a depth psychologist and writer. She completed her PhD in Jungian/Archetypal Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute and has an extensive background in long-term psychotherapy, feminist psychoanalytic group therapy, community ritual, dance and movement practices, intentional psychedelic work, and more. Her latest workbook "Overcoming Body Hatred: A Woman's Guide to Healing Negative Body Image & Nurturing Self-Worth Using CBT & Depth Psychology" helps women identify their purpose, manage stress, change cultural messaging, and cultivate embodied presence. What She Shares: –Body preoccupation as a defense –Cultural obsession with young and beauty –Building capacity for ambivalence –Fostering emotional intelligence for ourselves and others –Approaches to our childrens' body image issues What You'll Hear: –Writing dissertation a baby during pandemic –Publishing workbook from dissertation –Why Kimberly avoided body image discussions –Body preoccupation functioning as a defense –Issue of projection onto women's bodies and suffering –Locating conditioning as inherited –Self-sensing our own bodies –Self-objectification and projection –What is under the fantasy of our ideal body image? –Body image work puts us into reality –Culture's obsession with youth –Preparing for bodies changing and age –Fantasy that bodies are fixed means problems are fixed –Living with body dissatisfaction and preoccupation –Parenting girls and young women around body image –Listening, inhabiting, and growing with body changes –Defensiveness of body image decreasing intimacy with self –Distinguishing between thought versus physical sensation –Foundational psychological work with body image –Dialectical behavioral therapy and psycho-spiritual therapy –Jungian and spiritual psychology –Internal versus cultural –Ending our delusions to be our full selves –Increasing tolerance for anxiety to get underneath it –Body ambivalence as inevitable –Accepting ambivalence in all areas of life –Inundated with images –Defenses keep us from the solutions –Fostering emotional intelligence for us and our children Resources Website: https://www.kathryncholt.com/ IG: @dr.kathryncholt

Return guest Ash Robinson dives deep with Kimberly Ann Johnson into the challenges and opportunities for women in business amidst the current economic and technological climate. They discuss the role of AI on personal and professional life, the importance of financial stability, and the need for a clear vision and strategy, particularly for women. Ash emphasizes the significance of taking stock of one's current situation, identifying needs, and focusing on sustainable growth. They also touch on the role of professional resourcing, the balance between enduring and sacrificing, and the importance of community and support in achieving long-term goals. This Fall, they will be offering round 2 of the Mastermind for Women Entrepreneur, so look out for a sign-up announcement coming this August! Bio Ash Robinsoon is the strategist standing behind many leaders who are doing their big work. From Ash: "I'm a wife, mother of three, and deeply value my family life. As a CEO for most of my career, I spent most of my time creating and building, not consulting. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and have personally worked in both product and service businesses across many industries, including early education, fitness, consumer products, online education, brick and mortar, franchise systems, and technology (software). My experience is a unique blend of professional management and entrepreneurship in both private and public companies. In 2014, I co-founded bon-fire for business, an experiential education and consulting firm that leverages strategic planning and human design to bridge the gap between untapped potential and business performance. bon-fire is built on the idea that human beings are driven to create value, and that creating a path for harnessing talent and creating sustainable, thriving culture is the surest way to win in our networked age. For the last 15 years, I have been a student of people and the teams and organizations they work on-- from my work in early education leading a team of hundreds to my own pursuit of optimal health and making a real difference in my work. My passion and research in neuroscience, cognition, behavior change, and culture inform both the tools and approach we use in bon·fire. I believe that your organization is actually a living system- highly adaptable, renewable, and self-organizing- which creates the possibility for a new level of both value creation and engagement with your vision and effective progress toward it. Business can be a bridge— igniting the spark of the human spirit and providing the structure in which a committed group of people make a positive impact. My passion is for bringing people around the bon·fire to achieve extraordinary personal and business performance. I believe we have to build the world we want to belong to." What You'll Hear After seeing so many women's businesses thrive from their masterminding course they wanted to craft another offering. Our finances are a huge part of our eros and how we express ourselves in the world What role does AI play in online and coaching businesses? To build the world we want to belong to that's our work to do What does AI use tell us about our nervous systems Do one thing well Uncertainty creates instability When we are clear we can take more embodied action to what we are after. Existential dilemmas live in the parasympathetic nervous system Action comes from a healthy sympathetic drive How do you young people deal with a helpless parasympathetic response to the world? Mistaking business/system problems for personal problems The how do wee accomplish the vision can be messy Finding clarity not all about a perfect strategy it's also about being resourced and nourished Trying to take stock of the "As Is View" What do I need to get where I want to go? Reaching financial goals always has a weigh Links Website: https://bon-fire.co/ IG: @ashrobinsoncalhoun

In this episode, Kimberly Ann Johnson is joined by journalist, and fellow Jaguar, Kristin Butler to discuss the case of Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman: a celebrity couple who are currently both facing charges around Gaiman's ongoing sexual misconduct. Kimberly and Kristin share their own personal reactions to the case, as well as the way the reporting on the story reveals common challenges for women dealing with fallout from sexual boundary rupture, particularly fawning. They explore the complexities of boundary violations, the impact of the #BelieveSurvivors movement on men, and the psychological responses for women searching for agency and empowerment post boundary rupture. The conversation touches on the broader implications of sexual abuse, the role of social media, and the importance of Activate Your Inner Jaguar work in empowering individuals to recognize and assert their boundaries. They discuss the power of embodied consent and the challenges of navigating gray areas in sexual interactions, as well as circumstances where structural power and interpersonal power fluctuate in relationships between men and women. What They Discuss? Trigger warnings and disclaimers in journalism Fawning between young women and older men who abuse their power What is the journalistic responsibilities of storytelling and reporting around sexual boundaries An in depth consideration of Tortoise Media's podcast series Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman Fawning when the threat is not front of you What happens when your flight response doesn't activate? How does our nervous system respond to a boundary rupture? Tendencies to blame oneself after a sexual boundary rupture Self-Gaslighting What's a trauma loop? What is compelling me to enter certain sexual situations? How does activate your inner jaguar empower women? What is the responsibility women have to their own nervous systems and for their behavior? The complexity of #BelieveSurvivors What is too overprotective for a parent? Is it safe to be a sex positive parent? How do highly publicized extremes impact sexual norms? How does virtual socialization impact our in person interactions? How does emotional support from AI impact our relationships It's become normalized to for men and women to degrade/insult men The quieter forms of anti-male bias How does structural power and relative power play out between men and women? How does power play out in everyday relationships? The power of embodied boundaries Links Sign up for Activate Your Inner Jaguar: Movement, Meditation, and The Female Nervous System here - Early Bird price ends May 2nd

In this episode, Kimberly and return guest Sophie Strand celebrate publishing week for Sophie's extraordinary new book The Body is a Doorway: A Memoir: A Journey Beyond Healing, Hope, and the Human. They discuss where Sophie currently finds herself in a post-diagnosis reality and what writing the book taught her about the mysteries of illness. She emphasizes the complex power of doctor relationships and medical information on the body through the nocebo effect. Kimberly and Sophie talk through what it looks like to support someone dealing with illness day to day. Sophie shares her personal and social experiences with chronic illness, as well as the contemporary cultural pressures to intertwine identity with labels. She also highlights the role of community, creativity and bad story on diagnoses and treatments. This open-hearted conversation touches on the broader implications of health, identity, and the need for a more open and relational approach to care and self-understanding. Bio Sophie Strand is a poet and writer with a focus on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous projects and publications, including Spirituality & Health, Atmos, Braided Way, and Art PAPERS. She is the author of The Flowering Wand and The Madonna Secret, and the creator of the popular Substack "Make Me Good Soil." She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York. What They Share The impact of a long-awaited diagnosis The No-Cebo Effect What we pay attention to we pray towards The Mystery of Illness Bad Story in Myth and Psychotherapeutic fields Self-Diagnosis How to tell a different stories about chronic illness Performing Sickness to have invisible illness be more visible How to check in with friends having a hard time/facing health challenges End of the addiction line Chronic Sickness as it relates to sobriety Eco-cidal culture wants to turn everything into product Somatic Protest Body can't work The miracle of GoFund Me alongside an unaffordable health care system History of oral culture Orality and Literature by anthropologist Walter Ong What is an individual? Monotheism of Psychology The impulse to classify is about control and fear Prayer is another energy that might have a better idea of what I need Vending Machine Prayer Finding book endings that aren't fantasies How to separate negative from worse How to operate with one spoon Links IG @cosmogyny Substack https://sophiestrand.substack.com/ Sophie's New Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sophie-strand/the-body-is-a-doorway-a-memoir/9780762487417/?lens=running-press The Body is A Doorway Amazon Review page: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&channel=glance-detail&asin=0762487410 Money and The Nervous System Sign-Up: https://kimberlyannjohnson.com/money-the-nervous-system/

In this episode, return guest Joelle Hann and Kimberly discuss the complexities of publishing, including traditional, self, and hybrid publishing. Joelle walks us through the importance of a book proposal, which serves as a roadmap for authors and a calling card for agents and publishers. Kimberly weighs in on her own experience in navigating the book publishing world and the incredible value she has found in working with Joelle. Joelle highlights the need for authors to understand their audience and market, and the potential pitfalls of self-publishing without an existing audience. Joelle's Book Proposal Academy is enrolling now and starts March 14th. This is the only cohort for 2025. Apply now! To be eligible to save up to $500 and get other early-bird bonuses, mention Sex, Birth, Trauma podcast in your application. Bio Joelle Hann is an award-winning writer with a history of developing high-level book projects for major American publishers. Subject areas have included wellness and transformation, women's health, leadership and spirituality, as well as conscious business, personal finance and memoir. She has worked with top CEOs and humanitarian activists,visionary coaches and thought-leaders, spiritual teachers, scholars, moms, midwives, entrepreneurs, and many others. She founded Brooklyn Book Doctor to help people write transformational books to help change the world. Links IG @brooklynbookdoctor Learn More & Apply to Book Proposal Academy 2025: https://brooklynbookdoctor.com/bpa Learn More about Sanity & Soul: Die Wise Ten Years On with Stephen Jenkinson here: https://orphanwisdom.com/event/die-wise-sanity-and-soul-ten-years-on/