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A podcast that explores what it means to work with purpose by interviewing people who are working for more than just a paycheck.
Are you in corporate America grinding away the weeks as you watch the years fly by? Do you have that voice in your head that’s asking for something more? But you shouldn’t complain, right? You’ve got a good job, good pay, good benefits. There’s people out there that would kill for a job like that. But that little voice just won’t go away.
I’m your host Gino. And as an ex 9-5er I know that feeling all too well. I worked in corporate for 6 years before I finally decided to walk away, choosing to live my life a little differently. And since then, I’ve met some pretty amazing people who do work that positively impacts the people around them, their communities, and the world. This podcast exists to share their stories, and to help inspire you to do the same. Leave that job that you hate and to start working towards your purpose.
Welcome to Working Towards Our Purpose, a podcast that
offers a different perspective on what a job can be. For everyone
out there that's heard that voice in the back of their head asking for something
more, it's time to listen to it. I'm your host, Gino,
and join me as I interview people who have decided to work in their own
purpose. Together, we will learn, become inspired,
and hopefully find our own path towards working in our purpose.
So joining me today is Alyssa Rae, who is a therapist, a
certified recovery coach, a clinical growth coach, an embodiment
consultant, and the co host of the wonderful podcast, The Moon and Your
Mind, which has a unique blend of therapy and astrology.
Alyssa, thank you for being with me here today. How are you? Thank
you for having me. I'm really excited. I'm doing good. It's a
Friday. So yeah. It is a Friday. Actually, I almost forgot it
was Friday. Yeah. Happy Friday. So,
why don't we start by having you just tell us a little bit about what
you do and, you know, your podcast and your kinda day to day?
Yeah. So my day to day is different every
week, and I'm super thankful for that because I think I have my hands in
a couple different projects. But I have a master's in marriage and
family therapy and a background in recovery coaching and being
a yoga teacher and a lot of work just in the mental health space. But
out of that, I've recently joined a company called Aspen
Growth Coaching where we provide remote clinical support to families
and individuals coming out of whether it's wilderness therapy, residential
treatment, stuff like that. So we're really creating a wraparound
service. I also cohost the podcast, The Moon in Your Mind, with one of my
really good friends Chelsea, who's an astrologer, where we just challenge
people to stay curious in their everyday lives. I have my own
budding business, which is Hey, Alyssa Ray, and it's kind of morphing
and evolving over time. But right now, I offer kind of
somatic support, somatic coaching, personalized meditations,
different work with that too. And I'm grateful because I get
to create my own schedule weekly, and so that is definitely a privilege and
a freedom that I worked really hard to get to. So every day, I try
to just tune into my own energy and create a schedule that works
best for me. So it honestly evolves with the season.
So right now during winter, I don't love working at
night. I can't really work late at night, so I'm trying to end all my
sessions and my workday by 5 so I can just really tune into myself
and into my own practices and my relationships and whatnot.
Did that answer the question? Yeah. No. That's that's awesome.
I was gonna say, how do you, like, balance everything? It seems like there's a
lot of different pieces moving around. And especially with, like, working for somebody,
do you have the
too? Yes. So I learned in the past year
when I was finishing well, 2 years when I was finishing up my, master's
program, I had quit my full time job that was
a very strict 9 to 5 Monday through Friday. And
it was unfortunately because I had to do 2
unpaid full time internships for grad school, which is a whole other thing in rabbit
hole that we can get down. But it ended up being a blessing because I
think I was very nervous about the financials behind it, but I
went and supported different therapists as a virtual
assistant. And so I started making my own hours then, and I think
it was kind of like a snip of freedom that I tasted, and I was
like, I can't ever go back to a 9 to 5 ever again.
And fortunately and unfortunately, I did originally take a job after
I graduated last May that was a strict 9 to 5,
and it just did not vibe well with me at
all for a lot of different reasons. And so when I started with
Aspen Growth Coaching, I one of the first things that they had mentioned
was you are completely autonomous over your schedule. We do not hold
you to strict 40 hours a week. We have a certain caseload that you have
to manage, and we'll have you on, like, 1 or 2 other projects, but you
get to decide your hours. And I work with a lot of people who
are cross country. So we're dealing with different time zones too. So
there does have to be some flexibility in that. But being able
to create my own schedule has given me so much more freedom and empowerment,
and I've just been so much happier with it. So
it's nice to be able to cultivate that. It has been a challenge because I'm
a people pleaser, so boundaries have been tested majorly,
but I'm getting really good at that. And I think that's just helped in my
own personal growth too. So it's definitely something that I
don't think I could ever go back to working a 9 to 5 ever again.
Mhmm. Yeah. I I did wanna ask a little bit about that about, like, previous
jobs that you didn't like or, like, why you didn't like them or if you
didn't feel connected to them and and that sort of thing. Because now it seems
like you do enjoy your work and you are you know, you feel purposeful in
in that sort of thing. But did you have any, like, in the past that
you really didn't? And, like, what did that feel like? Yeah.
So it's actually night and day, the summer of 2022.
The job I had originally taken, which I won't name names. It is in the
state of Connecticut, but I don't I don't wanna bash anyone, or any
any corporation. But that company
was pretty standard mental health done.
Well, they were for profit mental health, but a lot of nonprofit mental health
agencies are similar where, you know, you
especially as a new therapist or a bachelor's level provider,
you are at the bottom of the totem pole. You are the one staying the
latest. You have the highest security of cases for whatever reason.
Have the higher caseloads and a lot of just random stuff is dumped on you.
And the job that I was in originally over the summer, we
actually and I laugh about it now, but then I was, like, very angry
and and very upset about it. But we had the clinical leadership
team sitting a sound week after week, not yelling.
They yelled at us once, but most of the time it was just like a
certain talking of everyone needs to stay till 5 o'clock.
I don't wanna see anyone leaving at 4:55. Like, you're all
contracted to stay till 5, but then they would turn around and
leave at 2:30 or leave at 3 and come around the
office and say goodbye to everyone. And it was just one of those things where
it's like you're getting paid the highest. You don't have a caseload or you have
a minimal caseload and you pick the cases that you want, But
we're getting down to the highest acuity, the most chronic passion,
like and so it was just very frustrating to me to watch that happen and
watch that unfold, especially after I had the
taste for about a year of working for myself and
creating my own schedule more or less. And so I think
that's exactly what I needed was that freedom and that flexibility. So joining
Aspen Growth Coaching has just been really good for my nervous
system too. And I think my confidence in setting those
boundaries because Alex, our founder, really wants it
to be our company. She started it, but she always likes to say, this
is ours. Whatever feedback you have, whatever you guys wanna do with it, this
everyone has a piece of the pie and everyone gets to decide where this goes
and how we wanna run with it. I get to choose the type of people
and individuals that I work best with. I get to choose the hours that I
work with. To a degree, I can choose the extent of cases
that I have. And so being able to have someone see me in that
way and support me and being autonomous and having some
sense of authority over my life. Granted, I can't just,
like, say, oh, I'm not gonna work today. Right? But that's not life. Yeah. I
think we all need to realize, like, we have to work. But when you're able
to do the things you're really passionate about on the
time that makes the most sense for you and your energy and and your
life, It just feels like it's not work at the end of the day. Like,
you're really living out your purpose and and serving communities
in the best way and in the best alignment. Yeah. That's awesome.
And that sounds like really great leadership, especially in
contrast to, like, what you had previously because I've I've certainly experienced
similar in the 9 to 5 corporate world of saying one thing and then
doing something else as an example. So, yeah, it's it's more about, like,
what you're doing, not what you're saying. But I did wanna ask you
about how you got started You said you were a virtual
assistant for therapists. How did you get started in that? And, like, did
you use those, like, sites online to get, like, freelancer and stuff like
that? Or how did that work? Yeah. So I when I started my
grad program, I knew that I was gonna have to quit my full time
job eventually. And I thought I actually transitioned
jobs just because when I started grad school in 2019, I
was doing in home mental health support for
families and individuals coming out of hospitals. And it was really intense and it
was long nights. And I just know I wasn't gonna be able to handle most
of it. So I transitioned to something else I thought would be able to work
with a full time internship too, but that turned out not the case. And I
could go on a spiel about higher ed and unpaid internships because I think
it's unethical and it should be illegal. Mhmm. But it was the
virtual assistants came out of this desperation to how am I
gonna make money and a livelihood while I finish out this grad program as I'm
taking on student loans too. So I didn't wanna take on more just to live.
And I'd come across a girl on Instagram actually that was a virtual
assistant for therapist, and she was starting a community
for other graduate students to kind of support in that
process too, where a lot of therapists and private practice needed
that backhand support of whether it's social media management, podcast support,
basic admin stuff is and not a lot of therapists wanna do that
stuff, which is great because then that created a job for all of us. Right?
So we connected, and I actually joined that community. And from
there, it was just its own little network. So I got connected to more and
more people. And over, I think it was, like, 6 months, I was
able to match what I was making at my full time job.
So I was able to leave in that way, finish out my graduate
program, kind of transition from there. And to be honest, it not only
opened doors for me of just realizing
how much healthier I was when I was kind of working for myself and being
able to escape that 9 to 5, but also
just in networking and realizing what was out there and also
realizing what I was capable of. Because even though I was in
grad school for therapy and working for therapists, a lot of the work I was
doing was creative, and I never thought I was a creative person. But it
was so fun to kinda tap into that skill set. And I still use it
today and kinda promoting my own business, starting my podcast, and even
supporting my boss and and stuff that she's doing too. Mhmm.
Yeah. That's really awesome and a and a good point as far as, like, being
able to see what else is out there because I think a lot of times,
especially if you go, like, the college route and you get your degree, it's it's
very, like, straightforward path. Like, this is the job you're supposed to get or
it will be this sort of thing. And even just you talking about, like, your
current job, about how flexible it is and how the owner wants you to be
a part of the company, that's like a very different way, I think,
that people don't normally see. So that's great that they kinda gave you
the opportunity to see other things that are out there. So that's really
cool. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. So I know a big
theme of your podcast is staying curious. I was wondering if you can go
into that a little bit and tell me why you think that's important and how
you stay curious yourself. Yeah. So I think, you know,
Chelsea and I started that, and it was really easy to come up with that
being our foundation because her and I, we've been friends since
college, but we geek out on everything serology and self help
and and whatnot. And so a lot of the podcasts that we listen to, we
would send back and forth. But something that we noticed often
was sometimes the host would just get on there and kinda lecture
people and want to be that guru and want to be, like, the all knowing
being. And the ones that we really loved the most were people being
curious. And I think in our own lives, I'm more curious
we've been about our life, whether it's psychology
and astrology or the businesses we're a part of, the jobs we're
taking, our day to day life, the more expansive we were able
to feel and autonomous too. So I
think being able to be curious every day
helps me not feel so in my
head and so stuck and so just on the same path.
I deal with a lot of anxiety I have since I was younger,
and I've had episodes of depression as well. And so
I think that can really spiral into just being
stuck with those emotions. But when I'm curious about it and curious about my experiences,
then I'm able to kind of step outside of that and step outside of
the status quo and the day to day. And I think the more people we
bring on the podcast and the more people we talk about it with, it just
helps us create a sense of, like, lightness in our life and not take life
so seriously, but just be, I don't know, more like
philosophers in a way. Just think about, like, better things
and other perspectives. So I don't know if that answered the question.
Yeah. Yeah. I I think that it's a really good
thing to, like, be aware of for sure. But I guess, like, so what
what specifically does that look like? If somebody was stuck in
their head or they're, like, you know, feeling depressed, like, what is
something that they could do to, like, shift their mindset to then kinda be
curious? Because to me, it almost sounds like gratefulness. Like like,
I you know, you know the idea of, like, oh, when you're feeling bad, if
you are grateful for the things that you have, then it could
help pull you out of that. But sometimes it's like, well, yeah, but I I
don't know how to get there, like, when I'm in that mood. Mhmm. Yeah.
And I think that's where another foundation of my work comes into play,
and that's somatic. So being able to be curious
just about how your mindset and your thoughts and your
experiences are showing up in your physical body. Because so
often, especially as modern humans, we get stuck in our head. And I
think as a trained talk therapist, there's only so much that you can
talk through and think through. So being able to
put down your phone, put down the gratitude journal, put
down the book, whatever it is, and just sit with yourself and be curious
about how is my mental and external experience showing up
in my body right now and being curious about that because
our body has so much. It's trying to communicate with
us and we're not listening at all. And I think
in my own experience with healing, you know, my
yoga teacher training was what really started that for me and opened that up
for me of realizing that's the first step.
And not to say that works for everyone, but we are
all physical beings. Right? Like, we're in in my opinion,
we're all spiritual beings having physical experience, but at the end of the day, we
all have a physical body. And I think if they say it's, like,
80 or 90 percent of our nervous system communication is
body to brain, not brain to body, but we're not listening. So when
we're able to be curious about that, I think it helps us to get out
of our head and into our bodies so then we can start to transition our
patterns a bit more and take action in a different way rather than
just trying to think our way out of depression or think our way out of
anxiety. Because, again, as a talk therapist, it doesn't work.
We need to kind of have a balance of both. Mhmm. Absolutely.
And can you talk more about, like, the somatic practices? Do you do that
for for clients as well? Yes. So I'm currently starting a somatic
attachment therapy training program. So in a couple
months, I'll I'll know a lot lot more, but I like to incorporate a lot
of what I've learned in the past from all my yoga trainings and
and that work that I've done into the work I do with my clients
as well. But it really just begins with
being comfortable in your own body and being comfortable in sitting with your body
and learning kind of what sensations you're feeling. So a
lot of what I do with my clients initially is to just build up
that that communication barrier. So that can look like
practicing body scans. That can look like even me just asking you, you know,
when you were anxious the other day, where did you feel that in your body?
Notice how how much pressure is in your chest or how
your shoulders are all the way up to your ears. Right? What happens if you
release that away from your ears? How does that feel different? Right?
And so, again, it's less about thinking and talking. It's more about just
being able to be comfortable with feeling. And from there, we start to
incorporate different
it's one of the only things we can control in life is our breath, but
we don't control it. Right? Like I when I first started doing breath work,
I realized how shallow my breath is, and
I'm not breathing deeply. And so the more I practice breath work, the more
relaxed I am because I'm actually taking a breath and allowing
my nervous system to heal in that way. So a lot of it's
education first and then kind of building up that resourcing and being
able to be comfortable being in your body and not just in your mind.
Mhmm. Yeah. That's that's really insightful because
even, like, I'm in therapy myself and sometimes, like, when I first started, my
therapist would be like, well, where do you feel? And I would be like, what
do you mean? Like, I don't understand what that means. And then she would give
me examples of, like, the shoulders, and I'm like, oh, I'm like way, you know,
touching my ears with my shoulders almost. So it's funny,
like, it is a practice, obviously, to to notice those things, but
once you're like aware of it, you can then kind of start noticing it more
and more. So it's it's kind of kind of interesting. I
did want to ask you, going back to your podcast, about the
relationship that you have with your co hosts because I think it's a,
you may have even mentioned it one time on your podcast, but, like, the idea
of the both of you doing something together and then getting it done versus, like,
if one of you tried it, you know, you would've never got it finished. But
because they're both you working together, like, that idea of I
think sometimes people, like, think they could do everything on their own. Me,
myself included, have have a bad habit of doing that. So how do you,
like, I don't know. Even just, like, trust somebody enough to,
like, do something together? Mhmm. Yeah. It's
you know, and it that a lot of that has come out of a lot
of that realization has come out of the podcast itself.
But Chelsea and I are polar opposites when
it comes to our astrology signs where I'm almost all
earth in my chart, and Chelsea has, like, a lot of fire and air.
And so she is in the clouds a lot, and she's
so creative and has all these great ideas. And I'm able to
kind of rail her back down and be like, okay. This is a to do
list to get there, and this is the structure to get there and the systems
we need. Right? And so we had met. We were actually
both in a sorority and college together, worst
experience of our life, but we say we're so happy that we joined it because
we met each other and became really good friends. But, yeah, I think
we had both said that we wanted to start a podcast individually,
and we're just talking about it. And being able to do it together and really
any project that you do with another person, it can
be almost more rewarding than it would be
alone. Because, again, like you had said, we try so hard to be
independent. We try so hard to accomplish things on our own, and it's
almost for me, at least, I've realized that was such, like, coming
from an ego state of, like, I have to do it and I have to
do it this way, and I'm gonna get it done, and I'm gonna get all,
like, the glory for it and whatever. But being able to do it with someone
else is such a cool experience, and I don't know.
I I feel like our friendship has deepened in a different way, and I just
understand her on a deeper level now. And it's a school because
we've gone to places that I didn't even think was possible
because of that and because we're combining 2 of our brains into our passions
into 1. And I've been able to grow in different ways and so has
she. And again, I think we are such social
creatures as humans. But as modern humans, we're, like,
separating ourselves so much, and we're stuck
just in the world of technology, which is a blessing and a curse.
But we really need to start coming together in community more often and
really support one another in that sense. And it it doesn't have to look like
a podcast. Right? It can look like really anything. Doesn't have to be a business,
but just do something creative with someone. You know? It
can really just open a lot of doors and a lot of different passions and
curiosities and yeah. It's been a lot of fun for sure.
Well, that that's great. I'm glad you guys, you know, had started that podcast together.
But to to go off of what you're saying, I think sometimes even you can
be, like, more inspired to do something because somebody else can, like, reflect
your ideas back to you even. And then you can be like, oh, that is
a good idea. I'm not just gonna, like, talk myself out of it and then,
you know, go down a spiral of, you know, something negative.
But Mhmm. So to talk more about,
like, your healing journey and stuff like that, I know that
there's, like, a lot of alternative forms of healing that you guys talk about in
your podcast. Do you wanna go into any of them, astrology or
maybe microdosing or spirituality? Like, let's let's go somewhere in
there. Yeah. I think, honestly, they're all so
important and all have a place. And this will be my
disclaimer because I I think the curiosity foundation
has really helped me understand that it's not one size fits all. Right? Like, there
isn't one cure to healing and one cure to,
you know, uncovering your true self and your true passion. Try it all out
and see what fits. And I think for me, you know, I dabbled in
astrology and actually pulled Chelsea into it, and it
didn't necessarily stick for me. But Chelsea has a beautiful business and a
beautiful career out of it now. Right? And I think both of us at the
same time got interested in microdosing too just based on
some of the conversations that we were having in that space, and we
were introduced to some people to help guide us on that path. And,
you know, I had done recreationally
some psychedelics in college once or twice. And once it was a
profound experience and it, you know, it was beautiful and
I think definitely helped speed track a lot in my life for
me, but another one was really bad and really dangerous. And,
you know, I was in a position that I hope I never have to be
in again. But being able to learn what microdosing
even is and how to do it intentionally and how to do it
with integrity and ethically has really
shifted in a big way. And I think there is a community
called Axis Mundi who I definitely recommend to everyone and anyone
because they're they're just gems of human beings. But
they really focus on intentional microdosing and how
it's not just you take the capsule in the morning and go about your day.
Right? You need to sit with it and decide what is my intention for taking
this plan at this moment in this time and being curious. Right?
Like, that's where curiosity comes into play again too because
you're not just gonna take it and all of your problems are gonna go away.
Right? You're gonna take it and you're almost gonna be able to separate that those
parts of yourself and separate from the junk internally to really view
the challenges in the day to day life and and your path
just in a different perspective than I think you typically would have. And I'm
not currently on my protocol right now, but I'm looking forward
to kind of going back on and exploring that again. But we
are definitely going through a psychedelic renaissance, which I'm very, very excited
about. There's a lot of great documentaries on Netflix and other platforms
that I highly recommend. But one of my biggest spiritual teachers
has been Ram Dass. And for those that don't know, he
was a Harvard professor that what was it? Like,
the fifties, the sixties? Him and Timothy O'Leary were
testing acid at Harvard to see, like, what I had to do
on the mind and the human spirit, and they got kicked out because, you
know, politics and all of that fun stuff. But
he then went on to study with Buddhists in India and,
kind of walked down a spiritual path, but that had always been a
part of his journey too. And I think there's a
reason that these medicines come to exist and
these protocols are coming to exist in in a greater space. But, again, it
goes back to that set and setting and the intentionality behind
it and really being respectful. Right? Like, I think that
is part of it too. We're not just taking
it to get fucked up. Can I swear on here? Is that okay? That's
okay. I'd be, like, holding back a little bit, and I was like, I can't
passion this moment, so I'm just gonna say it. But, yeah. Because I
think, you know, especially my younger self, I was in college, and I was just
like, yeah. Let's take acid. Like, yeah. Let's go on a trip. Whatever.
But fun fact that I learned the other day, Albert Hoffman, who discovered
acid, was looking for a medicine
for women after they had birth for postpartum,
and he found acid. And I don't think that's a coincidence.
You know what I'm saying? Like, I think they're and I'm, like, shaking right now
because it's just so powerful. But there's a reason that there is that
connection there. Right? Like, we are so part of this earth, and I think
we've moved so far away from that. And that's why we see such big
climate struggles and such big mental health struggles. And
in the therapeutic space, you know, there are a lot more training programs coming
out, and I think that's in my near future as a therapist too of
supporting the psychedelics assisted therapy space. But, of course, obviously,
politics and government and all that fun stuff needs to get out of the way
first. But I think there's a reason that it's helpful when
you intentionally take it when you're in the right set and setting.
And again, I think just in my own healing journey, I've realized
to not just be in my mind all the time, not just be in my
body all the time, not just be in a spiritual energetic space
all the time, but how do I find a balance of all of it? Right?
And that has really just been key for me. Mhmm.
Yeah. That's that's awesome. Have you seen the Ram Dass
documentary on Netflix? It's like a it's small, sorta like I think it's only
like 30 minutes or something, but it was very interesting. Yes. Yeah.
I've I think I've watched it, like, 5 times. My fiance is like, no more.
It's like, we need to stop. I was like, but it's around us. But, passion
his book, Becoming Ram Dass is really good. It's a white
cover with rainbow writing, but that's the best way
to kind of dive into his work in my opinion. But he's yeah.
Is that a newer book? Because I know I've had a copy of Be Here
Now, which is kinda little bit difficult to follow because there's, like, writing upside
down and, like, pictures and stuff like that. Yes. Yeah. That
I recommend to some people that I've worked with to journal on it.
Like, just open it up to a page and just take it in visually and
journal on it because I agree, like, trying to actually read through that can be
kind of overwhelming sometimes. Mhmm. But, yeah, his his newer book,
I think it's Becoming Ram Dass. It came out, I
think, right after before he passed away. I think that was in
2020 or 2019. But he had
someone writing it for him, so I think they had finished it out based on
his life. But he had verbally spoken out, and they had, like, kind of
co written it together, Yeah. As he kind of knew that hit
the end of his life was coming near. So highly, highly recommend.
And another one who kinda, like, got me interested
and went down a huge rabbit hole of psychedelics was Michael Pollan.
I've read his book. I've heard of him, but I
don't I don't know about tell me more about him because I don't know too
much about him. Yeah. So he's basically, like, a writer, and he was
into, like, plants and gardening and that sort of thing, and he, like,
wrote articles about all kinds of plants. And then he got up I think he
was, like, around in his fifties or sixties when he first became interested in
psychedelics. So he came into it from, like, a very fresh perspective, just
kinda like, you know, out of curiosity, you know, funny enough,
just to see, like, well, what are these how do these plants affect you? And
he basically took, like, all the psychedelics out there and then wrote
a book on, like, how they affected him and that sort of thing. So it
got, like, a lot of traction because he was already a well respected
writer. And then now, kind of coming into psychedelics, people kind of already
knew who he was. So he also has a documentary on
Netflix too, which is the same name of the book I'm trying to come up
with. I don't know why I'm missing it. But Is it How to Change Your
Mind? Yes. Yeah. How to Change Your Mind. Okay. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yeah. So so, yeah, he's a really great resource, and he's been on a lot
a lot of podcasts and stuff like that too and just a very well spoken
articulate person. That's amazing. So did he kind of influence
your journey in the psychedelic space too? Yeah.
Absolutely. Him and then also my therapist because she was also
very cool with it too. Oh my gosh. Wait. I wanna hear more. How
did she? So I kinda, like, brought it up to her once and, like,
I was clearly, like, hesitant and, like, I don't know. Like, I'm not
a, you know, quote unquote drug person and that sort of thing. And then she
was just like, why? What's stopping you? And I was like
Oh my gosh. Oh, alright. I was expecting you to be like, yeah. Drug's bad.
No. Yeah. But, yeah, she was basically coming at it
from, like, a curiosity standpoint and just asking me a bunch of questions. And then
I started asking myself the questions, and I was like, Oh, wait. Why am
I, like, afraid of this? Or like, why shouldn't I be interested
or wanna do this? And then that, in conjunction with learning about it from
Michael Pollan and learning, like, you know, how awful the drug war was
and, all the damage that it did and what they were trying to do with
it even back then until the studying got shut down until
fairly recent. And now, you know, it's it's in, like, Urban Outfitters. There's
mushrooms everywhere, and it's, like, kinda crazy and wild to think about. But
Yeah. That's awesome. Oh, and I'm so happy that your therapist recommended it too and
kind of guided you in that way because, yeah, I I
think I've seen different things from different therapists.
So it's always nice when people are encouraging of it. That's awesome.
Yeah. It's it's definitely, like, not by the books, but
but, hey, I mean, it's it's helpful. And I think in one of the
documentaries, it might have been the Michael Pollan one, that he was saying, like, he's
talked to so many different people in the mental health space, and they can identify
all these problems, but they don't really have good solutions for the problems. And
not that this is the, you know, magic pill, but, like, it is a
solution to some people. And, you know, if that's the case, then why wouldn't
we explore it? So Right. Yeah. I
so I I love that because I think, especially coming from a
therapeutic, like, lens, we get stuck in the same type of therapy
all the time thinking it's just gonna fix anyone. Right? Like, a lot of recovery
programs focus on DBT. A lot of therapists for
anxiety and depression focus on CBT, and it's like, it's not a one size
fits all. Like, we have to have all these different outlets and, again, incorporate
mind, body, and spirit. And I think psychedelics absolutely does that.
And, yeah, it's profound. So in your experience, I wanna know more
about what it's been like for you. Yeah.
So it was I don't know. It was interesting. I remember, like, the first time
I took a microdose. I don't know if this is a coincidence. It's hard to
tell, like, what is actual what was the medicine and what
wasn't, but I remember, like, the first time like, 1st day, I, like,
walked out of my apartment and just, like, ran into my neighbor. And, normally, it's
just like a, oh, hey. How are you doing? And we leave. But we actually
had, like, a conversation for, like, 10 minutes. And I was like Wow. That's
interesting. I didn't really think about that because I I'm, you know, a person that
has social anxiety and anxiety and that sort of thing. So
normally, I just, like, try to cut it to a minimum and, like, leave. But,
like, I actually had a conversation with him, and then as I was walking away,
I was like, I wonder if that had anything to do with it.
That's awesome. And I I guess it really doesn't matter if
it's the medicine or if it's psychological or whatever it is because if
it's working, then, I mean, that's kinda what you're going for. Right?
Right. Right. But, yeah, I definitely noticed it as far as, like,
getting unstuck with things and being
able to do things that I previously thought I
couldn't or I shouldn't be able to do. So
yeah. I don't know. I mean, I I guess this podcast is a perfect example
of it. Right? Like, I've been working in podcasting for 5 years now
and never once thought like, oh, maybe I I could do
that. Like Yeah. But but yeah. And now you're you're doing
it, and you're you're the perfect person to do it. I mean, you know so
much about it, you know, and I think, yeah, you have your own story to
tell too, and I think that's awesome. And you should be proud of yourself
for exploring that journey and being able to allow it to get you
here today. That's so cool. Thank you. Yeah. I
appreciate it. Just a couple more questions before we, run out of our time
here. What is it that excites you
today? Yeah. I the psychedelic is the therapy
for sure. I've been, like, diving down so many rabbit holes of when I can
do the training, where I can do the training, what it includes. And I think,
again, I've just been in the mental health fields for almost
a decade, and I think it just feels so
stagnant in so many spaces. And that just feels so inspiring
and so new and kind of, like, its own renaissance in a way
and its own revolution. I'm really excited to see where that takes
me professionally, but also the communities that I'm able to serve.
I think too just traveling, I absolutely love traveling, and
that's how I actually fell in love with my fiancee as we've gone on a
lot of really cool trips. And we're getting married this year, and we were
just planning our honeymoon. And I don't know. I sat him down, and I was
like, do you think we could move out of the country one day or at
least out of the state that we both grew up in? And it's just
cool to think about, I think, creating a life
that's not stagnant and that's not rigid and that's not just your
typical and and what's expected of you and
going against the status quo. And that's always motivated me,
especially as a middle child. If anyone knows about family systems, I'm
a middle child, and I feel like I really highlight that fact
sometimes for better and worse. But, yeah, I think just
living life to the fullest because I lost my grandma
recently. And it was very thank
you. It was very tragic and very sudden and just it's
it's been a hard grief process. And so
being able to stay connected with her in different ways definitely motivates me.
But I think seeing the end of her life and and
being so close with her during that time, just knowing
that life is short and life is precious and, you know, it could end
tomorrow. So how do we really just live it up and and follow our
dreams and follow our hearts? And if that means getting out of your 9 to
5, it means getting out of your 9 to 5. If that means traveling the
world, that means traveling the world. Right? But really making sure you're
following your happiness. Mhmm. Yeah. I love that so much. I think,
like, I I couldn't, like, articulate that so well when I was stuck in a
position of a 9 to 5, and I was just, like, so frustrated and didn't
understand why. And I was like, but I'm getting paid well, and I got a
job and the career I was supposed to be in and all that. But, like,
yeah, I love the way that you articulated that. It's it was beautiful for
sure. Thank you. Yeah. And then
just one last question I have for you is what's next for you and how
can people support you? And, I'll put a link, obviously, for your podcast in the
show notes so they can follow that and go listen to that. Yeah. What's what's
what's next for you? Yeah. So we're Chelsea and I are really
excited because we are just starting to kinda soft launch our
cosmic consulting program. And so that is gonna
incorporate right now astrology and somatic coaching.
So we're kind of merging the 2, and you'll get a needle chart reading with
Chelsea. You'll get some consultation work with both of us, and you'll get some somatic
coaching from me. So that's a big project that is gonna
kinda evolve over time. So it's starting with that, but there's gonna be some
cool other things coming up with it, in the near future.
I am available on hey_alissa rai
on Instagram, and there's gonna be a a lot of more stuff
coming out there. But I offer personalized meditation, somatic coaching sessions,
and really kind of any way that you need support. I'm kind of
here for people. And what's next for me? I don't know.
That's like a really good question because it's it's funny. I always had a
plan, and I know that I'm gonna get trained in psychedelic assisted therapy,
in the near future, but I feel like getting
married, there's gonna be, like, a transition in my life of sorts,
but not in the typical way of, like, settling down and having a family. And
I'm really excited about that. Mhmm. And I'm really excited to just see kind
of where this path takes me. Because, again,
once I quit that, like, 9 to 5 stereotypical corporate company
career, it's just been so much more open
and peaceful and exploratory that you never
know it's gonna come out tomorrow. You know? So I'm excited for all of
it. Mhmm. Yeah. I love that. I'm I'm excited to see what you and
both you and Chelsea are gonna do together with your business. And, thank you so
much for being on the podcast, And, I hope you have a
wonderful rest of your week. Thank you, Gina. You're the best. It's been a
pleasure. Appreciate it. Thanks for
tuning in and listening to Working Towards Our Purpose. If you like
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