Adriana L. Medrano, PhD utilizes Liberation and Mujerista Psychology frameworks to support a holistic healing approach for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) clients seeking anti-oppressive psychological services. BIPOC clients have been historically underserved in the mental health field due to stigma and lack of access caused by systemic oppression.
The Continuing Education Program will equip you with the knowledge and tools to provide your clients with a therapeutic experience that is rooted in liberation and spiritual practices. Continuing Education workshops aim to support the emerging need to provide treatment not only at the individual, but also at the collective level.
Please note: workshops will center the voices and narratives of Black, Indigenous and other Womxn, Femmes, Queer and Non-Binary Folx of Color.
Upcoming Workshops
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Past Workshops
Art by: Esmeralda Villarreal (@esmeralda_villarreal_art)
La Bruja & La Llorona; A Mujerista Psychology Approach to Reclaiming Cultural Archetypes As Medicine
Saturday, October 21st, 2023
10a-1:15p PST*
(*15 minute non-CE break)
3 CE’s; Virtual Workshop
- CA Licensed Providers: $75
- Students/Unlicensed/Non-CA Providers: $45
“What if La Llorona and La Bruja are mujeres who carry stories and narratives beyond those that colonization sold us? What if La Llorona and La Bruja hold secrets, gifts and medicine that can help us not only understand the intergenerational traumas we carry, but tap into the intergenerational wisdom we are being called to reclaim? Imagine a generation of liberated mujeres; no wonder La Llorona and La Bruja are feared.”
-Adriana L. Medrano, PhD
La Bruja and La Llorona have long been stereotyped as mujeres to be apprehensive of in many Latinx communities. This narrative is rooted in colonization, religious oppression and white supremacy that has served to primarily control and oppress BIWOC (Black, Indigenous and Womxn of Color). In this course, mental health providers will learn more about the history of these archetypes and how to transform the old narratives surrounding suffering and fear towards a narrative of compassion, wisdom and power to further support our BIWOC clients in their healing.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to define and identify the meaning of Cultural Archetypes form a Mujerista Psychology Perspective.
- Participants will be able to identify and understand La Llorona and La Bruja Archetypes and how the characteristic of each can be utilized to support client’s spiritual healing/emotional well-being.
- Participants will be able to apply at least one approach from a Mujerista Psychology/Psychospiritual perspective utilizing La Llorona and La Bruja Archetypes in addressing intergenerational trauma.
Target audience
- Psychologists, MSW, MFT, PCC and other mental health professionals/students.
- Post-Licensure Instructional Level: Intermediate
Refund and Grievance Policy
Refunds must be received 1 day prior to workshop to be eligible for a refund and do not include Eventbrite’s processing fees.
CE Information and Requirements
3 CE (Continuing Education) credits available for CA Licensed Mental Health Providers
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Those who attend this workshop in full and complete the appropriate evaluation forms at the beginning and at the end of the workshop will receive CE credits. Please note that credit will only be granted to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving more than 15 minutes after the start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit
Adriana L. Medrano, PhD is approved by the California Psychological Association (CPA) to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) recognizes CPA continuing education credit for use by their licensees.
Madre Luna & Her Medicine; Reclaiming the Healing Power of Moon Cycles
September 23rd, 2023
10a-1:15p* (PST)
*15 minute non-CE break
3 CE’s; Virtual Workshop
“So grandmother moon said that she represented the feminine power and would send the waters of grandmother ocean into the (wombyn) so her power would reach them. Once every moon cycle, grandmother ocean shall come into the (wombyn) and purify them. And she did just that. Every month, there is thus a time when the (wombyn) embody the power of grandmother moon and are cleansed by the waters of grandmother ocean.”
Source: Unknown
The womb and Madre Luna have always had a sacred and powerful relationship. Unfortunately, because of colonization and patriarchal oppression, mujeres and non-binary persons who bleed, have been forced to forget or suppress the medicine that comes from this relationship. In this course, mental health providers will be able to learn how to better support their clients in understanding how their menstrual cycle can help inform their emotional well-being as well as reclaim their sacred spiritual powers.
In addition, participants will be provided knowledge and tools to support their clients who may be suffering from PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) from a holistic, non-pathologic approach.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to identify indigenous and traditional teachings surrounding the relationship between the moon and menstrual cycles.
- Participants will be able to identify how menstrual cycle hormones affect mental health & wellness.
- Participants will be able to identify the archetypes for each stage and how they affect mood, energy and even spiritual capacities.
- Participants will be able to apply at least one approach from a Mujerista and Psychospiritual perspective to support clients navigate their cycle from a non-pathological/decolonized lens.
Target audience
- Psychologists, MSW, MFT, PCC and other mental health professionals/students.
- Post-Licensure Instructional Level: Intermediate
Uninitiated Womxn; A Mujerista Psychology Approach to Healing the Mother Wound
Saturday, August 20th, 2022
10am to 1:15pm* (PST)
*15 minute non-CE break
3 CE’s; Virtual Workshop
Please note: this workshop will center the voices and narratives of Black, Indigenous and other Womxn, Femmes, Queer and Non-Binary Folx of Color.
Description
“As women we call upon our intuition and instincts in order to sniff things out. We use all our senses to wring the truth from things, to extract nourishment from our own ideas, to see what there is to see, to know what there is to know, to be keepers of our own creative fires, and to have intimate knowing about the Life/Death/Life cycles of all nature- this is an initiated woman.” -Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD (Women Who Run With the Wolves)
From a very young age, mujeres (womxn) are conditioned and socialized to benefit a patriarchal and colonized ideology. “Be nice”, virginity, submissiveness and self-sacrifice are just a few womxn-gender specific characteristics that are valued in western society. This causes a mujer to abandon herself and her needs as a means of survival. In mothering, this translates to parenting and caregiving from an unconscious state (an emotionally, spiritually and/or physically unavailable mother) resulting in what is called the “Mother Wound” and can create a vicious cycle for many womxn and caregivers.
The Mother Wound therefore can also be conceptualized as a form of intergenerational trauma. Before colonization, womxn engaged in traditional rituals and ceremonies that served as initiations to honor transitions between stages of life. Although many mujeres are beginning to reclaim these rites of passage, many still lack this connection and/or access to traditional ceremony. Finally, the Collective Mother Wound is rooted in the ongoing colonization (ie. capitalism) and the harm it is causing our Great Mother Tonantzin (Pachamama, Gaia, Mother Earth).
Mujerista Psychology is the Latinx/Indigenous Feminist approach to mental health that incorporates traditional and spiritual healing practices. It facilitates womxn in reclaiming their sacred feminine energy, reparent their inner-child and engage in initiation practices to help alchemize the grief, anger, betrayal, and fear associated with the Mother Wound. As decolonized mental health providers, we are in a unique position to support our clients in “recovering their ancestral memory and critically understand their oppressive circumstances” (Dr. Comas-Días). In this workshop, you will be provided an overview of the Mother Wound and the Mujerista Psychology approaches that can help facilitate emotional and spiritual healing. Finally, we will engage in an exercise from a psycho-spiritual perspective to support mujeres in their healing and reclaiming their intuition as medicine.
Learning Objectives
1) Participants will be able to identify characteristics of the Mother Wound & how it shows up in a therapeutic relationship.
2) Participants will be able to identify the tenants of Mujerista Psychology and how it relates to healing the Mother Wound.
3) Participants will be able to apply at least one approach to healing the Mother Wound from a decolonized and spiritual psychology perspective.
Target audience
Psychologists, MSW, MFT, PCC and other mental health professionals/students.
Post-Licensure Instructional Level: Intermediate
Refund and Grievance Policy
Refunds must be received 1 day prior to workshop to be eligible for a refund and do not include Eventbrite’s processing fees.
CE Information and Requirements
3 CE (Continuing Education) credits available for CA Licensed Mental Health Providers
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Those who attend this workshop in full and complete the appropriate evaluation forms at the beginning and at the end of the workshop will receive CE credits. Please note that credit will only be granted to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving more than 15 minutes after the start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit
Adriana L. Medrano, PhD is approved by the California Psychological Association (CPA) to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) recognizes CPA continuing education credit for use by their licensees. Adriana L. Medrano, PhD maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Decolonizing Supervision; A Liberation Psychology Approach to Training & Mentorship
Saturday, June 11th, 2022
10am to 1:15pm* (PST)
*(15 minute non-CE break)
3 CE’s; Virtual Workshop
- CA Licensed Providers- $75
- Students/Unlicensed Providers- $45
- (Registration ends on Friday, June 10th at 6p PST)
Description
The collective trauma our communities of color continue to experience is demanding a reevaluation of how our mental health systems are addressing these causes of harm. As mental health professionals, we must be aware of the harm colonization and modern systems of oppression continue to have on the communities we serve.
In order to do so, we must also be aware how our workplace environments mirror and even reinforce these systems of oppression. In particular, the supervisor/supervisee relationship can unintentionally (and sometimes intentionally)utilize approaches that center whiteness and reinforce oppressive dynamics.
As supervisors, when was the last time you asked yourself “Am I supporting and mentoring my supervisees or just replicating power dynamics rooted in white supremacy?” As a supervisee, do you feel supported or at times minimized and even unsafe in your supervision sessions?
In this workshop, you will be provided an overview on how eurocentric standards of workplace dynamics have caused harm and violence not only to the communities we serve, but to each of us as professionals navigating these systems. In particular, we will explore how the role of “Supervisor” is rooted in oppressive power dynamics and how those dynamics may inform our ways of training, learning and ultimately the care we provide to our clients. Finally, tools will be provided to support a decolonized approach to supervision, where collaboration & mentorship are the focus. This workshops is open to both supervisors and supervisees.
Learning Objectives
1) Participants will be able to identify the covert (and overt) ways in which the supervision relationships utilizes eurocentric and oppressive approaches to training.
2) Participants will be able to define and identify at least one main tenet of Liberation Psychology and how it pertains to the supervision relationship.
3) Participants will be able to apply at least one approach to the supervision relationship from a decolonized perspective.
Target audience
Psychologists, MSW, MFT, PCC and other mental health professionals/students.
Post-Licensure Instructional Level
Intermediate
Refund and Grievance Policy
Refunds must be received 1 day prior to workshop to be eligible for a refund and do not include Eventbrite’s processing fees.
CE Information and Requirements
3 CE (Continuing Education) credits available for CA Licensed Mental Health Providers
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Those who attend this workshop in full and complete the appropriate evaluation forms at the beginning and at the end of the workshop will receive CE credits. Please note that credit will only be granted to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving more than 15 minutes after the start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit
Adriana L. Medrano, PhD is approved by the California Psychological Association (CPA) to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) recognizes CPA continuing education credit for use by their licensees. Adriana L. Medrano, PhD maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Mujerista Psychology; Reclaiming Ancestral Spirituality as Healing
Saturday, December 11th, 2021
10am to 12:15pm* PST
*(15 minute non-CE break)
2 CE’s; Virtual Workshop
- Licensed Providers- $50
- Students/Unlicensed Providers- $25
- (Registration ends on Friday, December 10th at 6p)
DESCRIPTION
“Every December 12th in Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe is celebrated, a festivity that dates back to, December 9th, 1531 when Juan Diego brought proof of her holy image on the hill of Tepeyac located north of Mexico City.
According to both oral tradition and official versions, Our Lady of Guadalupe is really Coatlaxopeuh, another name for Earth Mother Tonantzin Tlalli Coatlicue, to whom offerings were made on that same hill of Tepeyac hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spaniards. They will tell you that Tonantzin/Coatlaxopeuh appeared to Cuauhtlatoatzi (Juan Diego) to inspire hope in a people who were being oppressed by the Spanish and to allow the people to continue to honor her in safety.”
Source: https://gracesesma.wordpress.com/a-short-history-of-tonantzin-our-lady-of-guadalupe-a-bridge-of-light-between-cultures/
The effects of colonization and historical trauma has caused a forced disconnect for Black, Indigenous and People of Color from ancestral spirituality and healing. For generations, BIPOC communities have been stigmatized and persecuted for engaging in traditional spiritual practices.
As Westerned-trained therapist, we also have been indoctrinated to believe that certain cultural spiritual practices are harmful at worst and minimized at least, as an approach to mental health healing and wellness.
In this workshop, you will be introduced to the concept of Mujerista Psychology and how Spirituality plays an important role in healing for Black, Indigenous and Womxn of Color. Particularly, we will explore the healing medicine of our Great Mother Tonantzin and how her current incarnation as La Virgencita de Guadalupe came to be.
We will engage in a spiritual practice to access intuition and begin using it as a tool in our healing work as therapists, mental health professionals and in our own spiritual journeys. In addition, this practice will assist in reconnecting with Our Great Mother and the 4 elements as medicine keepers and spritual guides.
Learning Objectives
1) Participants will be able to define and identify at least one main tenet of Mujerista Psychology.
2) Participants will be able to identify at least one spiritual component of Mujerista Psychology.
3) Participants will be able to apply at least one spiritual approach from a Mujerista Psychology perspective.
Target audience
Psychologists, MSW, MFT, PCC and other mental health professionals/Students
Post-Licensure Instructional Level
Intermediate
Refund and Grievance Policy
Refunds must be received 3 days prior to the workshop to be eligible for a refund and do not include Eventbrite’s processing fees.
CE Information and Requirements
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Those who attend this workshop in full and complete the appropriate evaluation forms at the begining and at the end of the workshop will receive CE credits. Please note that credit will only be granted to those who attend the entire workshop. Those arriving more than 15 minutes after the start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit
Adriana L. Medrano, PhD is approved by the California Psychological Association (CPA) to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) recognizes CPA continuing education credit for use by their licensees. Adriana L. Medrano, PhD maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Adriana L. Medrano, PhD 