Maggie McKay (Host): When you're going through recovery or even thinking about treatment, it's easier to do it with support and tools to manage your condition. Today, we'll talk with Jasmin from Sierra Tucson Alumni Relations about her experience and how she found support. Welcome to My Miracle Radio, a podcast from Sierra Tucson Alumni Relations. I'm Maggie McKay. Thank you so much for making the time to be here, Jasmin. Nice to meet you.

Jasmin: Nice to meet you as well, Maggie. Very grateful to be here, and I am a very happy and grateful Sierra Tucson alumni.

Host: Thank you. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Jasmin: Sure. I am an integrative grief guide, so I support people in healing and integrating with their grief. And I am the founder of Fall Up, which is a healing space that supports people in growing through grief, awakening to their gifts, and answering their callings.

Host: So, what led to you going to Sierra Tucson when you were 25 years old?

Jasmin: The catalyst was the loss of my brother, who died by suicide, and that was very sudden and traumatic, unfortunately, as suicide often is. And I have a really wonderful dad who saw that I was experiencing not just grief, but PTSD, as a result of that loss. And he pointed me in the direction of Sierra Tucson, and he opened that door for me. So, I'm very grateful for him and having had the foresight to understand that it would be a really integral part of my healing journey.

Host: Wow. That's a good dad. That's rough. I'm so sorry for your loss. That is really hard. How do you feel like your time and what you learned there supported you in coming to a place of supporting others in their own healing journeys because you went there and then you became a counselor, which I think is so cool.

Jasmin: Yeah. It's a full circle, for sure. And I think Sierra Tucson really gave me the space to be a human and to really acknowledge and be present with the reality that a big part of being a human is having lots of feelings and then understanding what is underneath the feelings. So, I would say that prior to having attended Sierra Tucson, I didn't really have the space that I had there during my time there to really go within and get really present with myself and what I needed to do in order to heal from my grief and loss. So, I learned a lot there, and I'm incredibly grateful to all of the therapists and facilitators that work so hard to support people who are going through their dark nights of the soul to find the light again.

Host: I bet it was so fulfilling for them to see you then go on to become a counselor.

Jasmin: I believe it has been. I've had the privilege of going back. I went back several years ago to share on site with some of the current patients and share a bit of my experience, strength and hope, to use recovery terms. And yeah, it was very, very special. And I think that everyone's path is different out of Sierra Tucson, and mine was an immediate, in terms of like having a calling to support other people in their healing through their grief and loss. But Sierra Tucson was a really big part of it. And I learned a lot there that I was able to bring into my field and eventually into my supportive work as well. So, I'm very grateful. It's definitely a theme here already in our early conversation.

Host: Jasmin, what modalities of healing were most beneficial for you in your grief healing journey?

Jasmin: Without a doubt, EMDR, which I first encountered at Sierra Tucson. And I think it is a modality that, you know, when I was there and I was 25, I think it was much less known than it is today. So, that I would say was a primary. And, funnily enough, yoga, I had never really done yoga. I had a mom who did yoga when I was growing up, but it really helped me get present in my body and grounded, which those are two really important things for individuals who are navigating PTSD. So, those are my immediate answers, reflections.

Host: What was the first one you mentioned? Because I don't know what that is.

Jasmin: EMDR. It's eye movement desensitization and reprogramming. It's very helpful with veterans who have particular scenarios that continue to play out in their mind. So, you replay the traumatic moment, and often you'll have some sort of kinesthetic support in your hands. And really, what it does is it helps to desensitize you so that that moment or event no longer has power over your brain. So, your brain is no longer hijacked by that particular memory or experience.

Host: Oh, that's so interesting. Can you share about the work that you do, the framework that supports your clients and what inspires you and your work?

Jasmin: The framework that I use to support my clients is the Fall Up method. And really what it is, it's four invitations that support my clients in staying grounded in the midst of wherever they are on their Fall Up journey, whether they're in a place of grief, whether they're in a place of awakening or they're in a more intentional and perhaps inspired place of answering a calling. So, the invitation to pause, to breathe, to feel, and to heal. And those are the invitations that support my clients in resourcing themselves in staying present and connected versus in the past or in the future.

Host: And what inspires you?

Jasmin: What inspires me is legacy virtues. There's a really famous article that David Brooks wrote in the New York Times about Eulogy Virtues Versus résumé Virtues. And I think keeping in the forefront of my consciousness how I want to be remembered, versus thinking about what's the next best thing for the résumé. Of course, both are important. But what really inspires me is the fact that this is an impermanent existence and the more alive that we can be to our hearts, and the more present we can be with where we're being called to be of service is, I think, where the real delight in life lies. So, that's where I endeavor to be every day.

Host: That's a great perspective. I understand you have a podcast focused on healing conversations with your dad, also a Sierra Tucson alum. What's your vision and mission for your podcast?

Jasmin: Yeah. Thanks. Healing is all in the family. So, my dad and I recently launched this podcast. He was very reluctant to join me. But fortunately, he finally did end up saying yes. And the podcast is called Heart Gardening. The intention is to share about the healing journey that my dad and I have been on after 15 years of being estranged. And also weaving into that, my dad's unique life wisdom from having been a hedge fund manager and then now, being at a place in his life where he's really focused on supporting others in their healing journeys

Host: Jasmin, what would you say to somebody who's thinking of getting treatment, but maybe they're hesitant because they don't know what to expect or they're scared or, you know, there are many reasons, I'm sure?

Jasmin: Well, firstly, I'd want to normalize those realities because, especially if it's the first time for somebody to go into treatment, whether treatment for PTSD and, grief, which are reasons why I went to Sierra Tucson, or if it's for a more directed path around healing and addiction. It's very normal to have apprehension and anxiety about a new frontier for yourself. So, normalize it. And I would also say understand that the courage is going to lead you to a better horizon. So, as we all know, insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting a different result, and we usually need to shift and ask for help in order to grow.

Host: Jasmin, generally, how long is a person's stay?

Jasmin: From what I understand and what I experienced in my time there, it's usually around a month, but it can be a little more or a little less depending on a person's intentions for being in treatment and exploring the path of recovery. Intentions are ultimately what drive our lives, whether or not we're awake to them. And your counselor, your team of support will help you decide and determine the appropriate length of stay for you based upon what you are going to Sierra Tucson for.

Host: Jasmin, what about just, let's say, parents who want to help their children and they want to admit them, but the child doesn't want to go. Do people there have to come willingly, voluntarily?

Jasmin: Well, it's certainly ideal if they do, but there can be support for parents whose children are not willing. And this is something that I witnessed with my own brother and his recovery journey. But, ultimately, your child is only going to get as much out of it as they're willing to get out of it. And if they come kicking and screaming, it might not be the right time for them.

Host: Is there anything else in closing that you'd like to add that we didn't talk about that you think people considering treatment might like to know?

Jasmin: Well, I think in some way we all need treatment for something. And I think that the thing that feels most important to offer is that we need to release any stigma that we have around people going to treatment or going to rehab or getting help, because it's actually a really courageous thing. And when we choose to do that for ourselves, or in my case, I was gifted the experience, we're creating a ripple effect for our families of origin, for our colleagues, for our children, for our communities. So, it may feel selfish, but it's actually a really empowering thing to do for yourself, yes, and for all the people that you are connected to.

Host: Well, thank you so much for sharing your experience on this emotional topic. I mean, I'm sure it's going to help a lot of people and, like you said, take the stigma out of it.

Jasmin: I certainly hope so. There's no need to have a stigma, especially in a culture that prioritizes self-love so much. Like why can't we think about going to treatment as an act of self-love?

Host: Definitely. it should be encouraging to somebody who's struggling, I would think. So again, that's Jasmin. Thank you so much for being here today.

Jasmin: Thank you, Maggie, for having me.

Host: Absolutely. To find out more, you can go to sierratucson.com. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks for listening to My Miracle Radio, a podcast from Sierra Tucson Alumni Relations.