In this episode of The Healership Academy, host Auroara Leigh addresses a significant paradigm shift within global mental health. On August 26, 2026, the UK’s Royal College of Psychiatrists issued a historic position statement apologizing for the "avoidable harm" adult survivors of non-recent child sexual abuse have experienced within the psychiatric system, including misdiagnosis, medical gaslighting, and re-traumatization.

Auroara explores how Cartesian mind-body separation and pathologizing care models fail individuals who are expressing normal human responses to abnormal trauma. Grounded in cross-cultural research and her book, You're Not Crazy, You're Responding, this conversation bridges lived experience, systems-level accountability, and actionable steps toward building a trauma-informed, compassionate society.

Resources & Links:

• Book: You're Not Crazy, You're Responding: Reclaiming Wholeness in a Pathologized World
• Companion Workbook: You're Not Crazy, You're Responding: Companion Workbook: Leigh, Auroara: 9781778108242: Books - Amazon.ca
• Read the Official Statement: Royal College of Psychiatrists Position Statement on the Impact of Non-Recent Child Sexual Abuse (Published August 26, 2026)

Connect with Auroara Leigh:

Website: https://simplysacred.ca
Skool: https://www.skool.com/simply-sacred-wauroara-leigh-2570/about?ref=fc371759fa1a43a88dcf8b2e7a7b6166
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroaraleigh/

Email us at info@simplysacred.ca or simplysacred.coordinator@gmail.com

Content & Safety Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This podcast episode addresses complex topics surrounding mental health, medical trauma, pathologization, and non-recent child sexual abuse. Discussing these topics can bring up sensory or emotional activation in the nervous system. Please listen in a safe place and feel free to pause, revisit, or seek support as needed.

This podcast is intended for educational, informational, and self-advocacy purposes and does not constitute formal medical or psychiatric advice.

If you found this conversation validating or insightful, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment below letting us know what topics or questions you would like Auroara to explore in upcoming episodes!

Why is telling someone to "just get over it" not only ineffective, but harmful to workplace health? In this episode of The Healership Academy Podcast, Auroara Leigh explores why trauma responses (like freeze, fawn, or compliance) are autonomic nervous system reactions rather than choices or performance issues.

We dive deep into:

• The difference between heavy, authoritative management and trauma-informed leadership
• How human dignity and inherent worth impact psychological safety at work
• Why masking leads to chronic burnout and mental health fatigue
• Practical ways managers can soften their approach and create spaces where people thrive
• The power of the nervous system in shaping leadership and team dynamics

📖 Get the Book: Pick up your copy of Sacred Witness on Amazon for practical guidance on trauma-informed care and building safe spaces: Sacred Witness: Trauma-Informed Care for Holistic Healers, Coaches, and Facilitators

✨ Join the Community: Take the free Leadership & Nervous System State Quiz inside The Healership Academy community!

👩🏻‍💻 Check out upcoming workshops here: https://collections.humanitix.com/professional-development-workshops (Secure your tickets for the upcoming September 12 & 13 workshops!)

Connect with Auroara Leigh:
Website: Auroara Leigh | Healing, Culture & A Well Society
Podcast: The Healership Academy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroaraleigh/

If this episode resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

#TraumaInformed #WorkplaceWellness #PsychologicalSafety #LeadershipDevelopment #NervousSystemRegulation #HealershipAcademy #HumanDignity #BurnoutPrevention #HeartCenteredLeadership #SacredWitness

In this episode, Auroara Leigh sits down with Len Pierre for a deeply reflective conversation about healing, decolonizing mental health, self-validation, trauma, and wellness outside of institutional definitions.

Together, they explore what shifts when we move away from asking, “What is wrong with me?” and instead ask what has happened to us, what is true for us, and what wellness looks like on our own terms.

Auroara shares insights from her book, You’re Not Crazy, You’re Responding: Reclaiming Wholeness in a Pathologized World, discussing social conditioning, colonial violence, and how individuals become pathologized for natural responses to harmful environments. The dialogue moves through grief, anger, trauma, ceremony, relationships, nature, community, and the importance of reclaiming autonomy in our healing journeys. Len adds key perspectives on coming to terms with trauma, culturally grounded wellness, reconciliation, decolonization, and the long-term work of systemic change.

At its heart, this episode is about restoring self-trust, reclaiming wholeness, and reimagining what our communities and institutions must become for true collective well-being.

About the Guest: Len Pierre Len Pierre, M.Ed., is a Coast Salish educator, consultant, professor, TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and traditional knowledge sharer from Katzie First Nation. As Owner and CEO of Len Pierre Consulting, he supports organizations in advancing Indigenous cultural safety, reconciliation, decolonization, anti-racism, and systemic transformation. Len holds a Master of Education from Simon Fraser University focusing on Indigenous curriculum design, blending Indigenous knowledge systems with leadership and organizational change to guide institutions beyond awareness toward meaningful policy and cultural shifts.

Connect with Len Pierre:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenpierreco...
• Website: https://www.lenpierreconsulting.com/

About the Host: Auroara Leigh Auroara Leigh is a wellness anthropologist, educator, author, and founder of Simply Sacred Solutions and HEAL IT International. Her work bridges research, lived experience, somatic practice, and systems thinking to explore how trauma, culture, identity, and colonial systems shape human wellness. She is the author of You’re Not Crazy, You’re Responding and Sacred Witness, a trauma-informed guide for building safer, relational, and culturally responsive environments. Through facilitation, consulting, and healing-centered leadership development, Auroara supports individuals and organizations in reducing harm, building relational safety, and creating healthier ways of living and leading.

Connect with Auroara Leigh:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroaraleigh/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/auroara/
• Website: https://simplysacred.ca

Get the Books:

• You're Not Crazy, You're Responding: Reclaiming Wholeness in a Pathologized World: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778108228
• Companion Workbook: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778108242

How do we step into true, heart-centered power as women leaders? We go through the shadow. In this channel and podcast, wellness anthropologist and author Auroara Leigh guides high-impact women through the Three Gateways into the Feminine Leadership Shadow: Competition, Scarcity, and Victim Blaming.

🔑 In this show, we explore:

• Gateway 1 (Competition): Unpacking the cost of "not enoughness" and reclaiming innate worth.
• Gateway 2 (Scarcity): Healing blood memory, ancestral stories, and money/love anxiety in business.
• Gateway 3 (Victim Blaming): Moving past internalized patriarchy into radical empathy and self-validation.
• Somatic Regeneration: Guided body-based practices to find neutrality, regulate your nervous system, and lead with heart.

📚 Resources & Next Steps:

• Visit the website: Simply Sacred
• Join The Healership Academy community on Skool (it's FREE!)
• Find trauma-informed guides and books by Auroara Leigh on Amazon
  • Sacred Witness: Trauma-Informed Care for Holistic Healers, Coaches, and Facilitators
  • You're Not Crazy, You're Responding: Reclaiming Wholeness in a Pathologized World

Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment below with which gateway resonated most with your leadership journey!

Can a high-impact female entrepreneur find space for love without compromising her mission or settling for breadcrumbs?

In this episode of The Healership Academy, host Auroara Leigh opens up about her personal life and the realities of dating as a neuro-spicy, multi-passionate leader. Auroara unpacks what she calls "loaf energy"; the total presence, emotional availability, and core integrity needed to walk alongside an intense, purpose-driven partner.

Whether you're an entrepreneur balancing 600 projects, a high-value woman tired of validation seeking, or a partner wanting to support a powerhouse leader, this episode offers a high-dose, heart-centered masterclass on relational safety, emotional maturity, and deep connection.

Topics covered: Navigating fast-paced routines, 30-minute soul-gazing, healing energy leaks, and why the ultimate foundation for love starts with being whole within yourself.

🌿 Join The Healership Community on Skool: Connect with like-minded changemakers, leaders, and seekers who are actively building a new shared narrative. 👉 Join Us Here: The Healership Academy | Skool Community

Connect with Auroara Leigh:
Website: Auroara Leigh | Healing, Culture & A Well Society
Podcast: The Healership Academy

#WomenInBusiness #FeminineLeadership #LoafEnergy #DatingAnEntrepreneur #RelationalSafety #TraumaInformed #HealershipAcademy #SimplySacred

We don't need more research to tell us what is broken. We already know the problems, and we already know the solutions, so why are we still spending all our energy putting out smoke instead of treating the fire?

In this episode of The Healership Academy, I am diving deep into why our modern systems, mental health approaches, and social narratives keep us trapped in cycles of burnout and compassion fatigue. From the meatloaf paradox of outdated post-WWII traditions to the baseline power of reciprocity, we are looking at what it truly takes to shift from symptom mitigation to root-cause transformation.

What you will discover in this episode:

• Treating the Fire vs. Mitigating the Smoke: Why band-aid solutions are failing frontline workers and communities.
• The Meatloaf Tradition: How blind adherence to outdated narratives is holding us back, and how to pick a new pan.
• Reciprocity as Baseline: Moving away from extractive systems toward genuine restoration for ourselves, our soil, and our communities.
• Your Microcosm of Impact: How small, aligned groups create massive upstream change.

NEXT STEPS & RESOURCES

✨ Discover Your Leadership Style: Where are you currently operating from, and how can you lead with deeper impact? 👉 Take the Leadership Quiz: The Journey: A-Lion-Ment Path for Self-Actualization | The Healership Academy

🌿 Join The Healership Community on Skool: Connect with like-minded changemakers, leaders, and seekers who are actively building a new shared narrative. 👉 Join Us Here: The Healership Academy | Skool Community

Connect with Auroara Leigh:
Website: Auroara Leigh | Healing, Culture & A Well Society
Podcast: The Healership Academy

#SomaticLeadership #TraumaInformed #HealershipAcademy #Reciprocity #SystemicChange #AuroaraLeigh

Dr. Kevin Preston discusses the concept of a 'well society' and the New Human event, emphasizing the importance of unity, connection, and authenticity in wellness and personal growth. He shares insights from his practice of Chinese medicine and the impact of the New Human event on individuals and communities. The conversation explores the power of intention, connection, and belonging in healing and transformation. Kevin shares his personal journey and the impact of loneliness, the importance of breath and nature, and the need for raw vulnerability and grace in human connection.

Takeaways

• Unity and connection are essential for wellness and personal growth.
• The New Human event fosters deep transformation, authentic connection, and community building. Intentional connection and belonging are powerful antidotes for mental afflictions.
• Nature and breathwork play a significant role in healing and grounding.
• Raw vulnerability and grace are essential in human connection and healing.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Wellness and Growth Mindset
• 06:01 Creating Resilience and Holding Space
• 11:54 The Shift Towards Authentic Connection
• 18:21 Reunion: The Theme of Unity and Connection
• 24:46 Welcoming All to the New Human Event
• 44:47 A Message for Future Generations

Conversations with Psychiatrist, Dr. Andrew “ Drew” MacLean Pagon MD PhD with his incredible insights from his expertise in entheogenic aka psychedelic psychotherapy Holistic, transpersonal, transcultural and entheogenic aka psychedelic medicine, psychology and psychiatry. In this transformative episode, hosts Auroara Leigh and Kaja Gjesdal, along with guest Dr. Drew, for an enlightening exploration on wellness in modern society, highlighting topics such as the use of entheogens and psychedelics in holistic healing, and personal growth. Additionally, the conversation pivots to tackle the trauma suffered by Earth's descendants and the urgent need for educational programs to facilitate healing. The speakers share personal experiences and narratives, demonstrating the power of individual impact and their fight against the status quo in the bid to reshape discussions around trauma, mental health, and effective healing practices. Ultimately, the video promotes solidarity, understanding, and compassion to create a supportive and harmonious world. 00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgement of Indigenous Lands 00:48 Understanding the Indigenous People of Peru 02:16 Podcast Principles and Goals 03:06 Personal Stories and Connections 05:45 Dr. Drew's Background and Approach to Medicine 07:03 The Importance of Integrating Medicine, Psychology, and Psychiatry 11:09 Challenges in the Current Medical System 14:16 Decolonizing Mental Health 20:52 The Role of Psychedelics in Mental Health 25:30 The Dangers of Misusing Psychedelics 28:37 The Need for Personal and Professional Standards in Psychedelic Therapy 30:15 The Impact of Trauma and the Importance of Addressing It 31:40 The Role of Antidepressants in Treating Mental Health Issues 44:24 Personal Experience with Ayahuasca 50:59 The Struggles of Personal Transformation 51:33 The Importance of Support Systems in Healing 52:28 The Need for Skills in Navigating Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness 54:16 The Role of Physical Fitness in Healing 55:18 The Importance of Integrating Indigenous Understanding with Western Approach 56:38 The Need for Training in Traditional Medical Systems 57:29 The Power of Indigenous Medicinal Practices 58:54 The Limitations of Western Medicine 59:42 The Spirit of the Plant in Indigenous World View 01:00:36 The Impact of Trauma on Mental Health 01:02:18 The Need for a Holistic Approach to Healing 01:03:27 The Power of Integrated, Holistic Approach in Cancer Treatment 01:04:42 The Importance of Recognizing and Addressing Trauma 01:05:10 The Need for Integrative Health Centers 01:06:32 The Power of Indigenous Healing Practices 01:14:57 The Impact of Epigenetic Trauma 01:18:48 The Need for Respect and Understanding in Healing Practices 01:21:35 The Importance of Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Healing 01:29:56 The Power of Coming Together for Healing #PsychedelicTherapy #HolisticHealing #TransculturalMedicine #EntheogenicMedicine #WellnessPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaHealing #IndigenousWisdom #PsychedelicResearch #HolisticApproach #CulturalRecognition #EducationalPrograms #PersonalGrowth #SolidarityInHealing #ConsciousnessExploration #PodcastInsights #IndigenousLandAcknowledgement #PsychedelicMedicine #WellnessJourney #IndigenousHealingPractices #IntegratedHealth #TransformativePodcast #PersonalTransformation #SpiritualWellness #CancerTreatment #EpigeneticTrauma #HealingCommunity #IndigenousWorldview #HolisticPsychiatry #MindBodySpirit #HealingTogether #drgabormate #drdrew #peru #ayahuasca