Ken Breniman
I was born in rural Pennsylvania and spent 7 years living in Japan where he was a social justice advocate for the LGBTQ+ community Currently, I am an Oakland, CA-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Yoga Therapist with a passion for nudging the Western mental health paradigm in regards to safe, legal and ethical integration of sacred plant medicines or psychedelics. With a thanatological (study of mortality) approach to holding space for others, I hold deep reverence for Spirit while acknowledging each of us must find our own way of making sense of the experience of being human. Combining the essence of Kierkegaard's "Live life forward, understand it backwards" with Ram Dass' "We are all walking each other home" provides a hint at how I am attempting to understand my own being human. I strive to continually hone my skills as a culturally responsive space holder and continue to engage in ongoing learning opportunities around issues of culture, race, equality, equity, and social justice. In working relationally with my clients, I hope to be transparent and authentic in how I show up in my work and wish to keep the channels of communication open as to how social and cultural identities impact the healing process. As part of my evolution in the world of Thanatology, I will be teaching the first course on "Thanatology and Psychedelics" at Marian University beginning in the summer of 2023. I am dedicated to supporting clients during very challenging life situations. By incorporating the ancient healing practices of yoga, and the supportive counseling tools of Western psychology, clients heal, grow and are better able to cope with many of the stressors life can bring. I truly believe we all have innate healing powers and I am here to help others uncover their own amazing potential. The world is more interconnected than ever before, allowing important cultural and scientific dialogues to take place. There are many wonderful opportunities for those of us in the West to experience the life-transforming power of ancient wisdom traditions from around the world, including the practices of yoga and meditation, which are now broadly respected by the scientific and academic communities.
Articles:
Embracing Grief When a Pet Dies
Embracing Grief When a Pet Dies In the midst of grieving, have you ever been surprised by a sign that you are on the right path or at the right […]
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Finding Hope While Grieving the Planet
The Weight of Planetary Grief In an era shadowed by the threat of environmental crises and a profound sense of planetary grief, finding reasons for hope can be a daunting […]
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Reconnecting with Mom Through Plant Medicine
Losing Mom as a Teen I was only 18 when my mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer. However, in the following two decades, I persistently avoided the profound pain of being […]
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