Portland Psychedelic Society

This Womxn’s Circle is a safe space to discuss psychedelic experiences and curiosities for anyone who identifies as a woman. The format is open discussion on whatever topic comes up as pertinent to the attendees on the Zoom.

We are a non-dogmatic listening circle centered around the mystical/religious aspects of people’s psychedelic experiences. Our intention is to provide a group process for witnessing anyone who wishes to share an experience for which they’d like support, recognition, understanding, and/or empathy.

We welcome people of all faith traditions, and those with none at all, who are looking to make meaning out of their psychedelic experiences. Given the strife and discord in our world, we believe building community across difference is a path to peace. Our practice is to create safe space to tap into the spiritual wisdom and resources that each person already contains.

The core values of this Circle include:

• Trust and learning from silence
• Sacred hospitality: we practice deep listening with openness to the presence of the Mystery within ourselves and each other
• Respect: we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people including differing faiths, ages, genders, cultures, races, and sexual orientations
• No proselytizing
• No fixing, correcting or advising
• Confidentiality and trust-building since sensitive issues might be explored

About the Hosts:

Anthony Pleetanino is an Interfaith-Quaker chaplain and clinical supervisor at Fireside Project; the nation's first free psychedelic support hotline. His vocational work centers around the use of deep listening, narrative therapy, and creative ritual in order to help individuals and communities make meaning in the midst of life's transitions. He received his Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry, holds a certificate in spiritual direction from the Interfaith Chaplaincy Institute, as well as a certificate in psychedelic therapy and research from the California Institute for Integral Studies. He has served as a night attendant for a phase-3 MDMA trial conducted by MAPS, trained in the clinical facilitation of ketamine, and has written about the application of spiritual care assessment models within the context of psilocybin therapy.

Contact Anthony: apleetanino@gmail.com
Website: www.anthonypleetanino.com

Wendy Cliff is an Interfaith Chaplain who’s served in hospitals, retirement communities, a state prison, hospice, and trained & supported mentors in the foster care system. She’s a graduate of Seminary of the Wild where she immersed herself in environmentally based spirituality and practices, and she holds a Certificate in Trauma and Spiritual Care that guides her work serving people who live with the impacts of various personal, collective, and environmental traumas. Her Master of Divinity and identity as an Episcopal priest are related to her love of how story, ritual, and tangible things can bring us closer to mystery and meaning. Serving on the board of an interfaith council in the Bay Area was one of the favorite roles she’s ever had. A graduate of U. C. Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics facilitator training program, she’s currently doing group and individual spiritual direction sessions with people wanting to incorporate practices with the natural world in their spiritual journey.

Contact Wendy: wendydcliff@gmail.com

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Portland Psychedelic Society (PPS) is an all volunteer run 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donation-based organization.

Portland Psychedelic Society is proud to present the poignant film, Linda's Last Trip, followed by a panel discussion of three persons with deep professional experience helping individuals navigate end of life.

Attention: The very last Empowering Voices will take place May 18th!
Thank you for 5 years of strength, vulnerability, and connection. Beautiful work has been done in this space and Mandi and Jessie could not be prouder of you all. Please take care of yourselves out there, and we look forward to crossing psychedelic paths again!

Welcome to Empowering Voices (EV)! This is a psychedelic integration & support group for women who experienced sexual assault, domestic violence/abuse, or intimate partner violence. Empowering Voices creates a safe and sacred container to share your story, an important step for many in the healing process, and to embrace women alike who are ready to shed the years of silence, shame, guilt, or fear that are all too often held onto.

Abuse may have been, or may currently be, a part of your life experience - but your strength, power, and resilience can never be taken away. These experiences can often leave a survivor feeling as if they have lost complete power and control of their own life, for a time; losing their sense of self, and their voice. This support circle aims to elevate and empower all women, leveraging strength as a community of survivors who have found the road of healing, recovery, and transformation through the power of entheogenic medicine and holistic integration tools such as meditation, breathwork, journaling, art, and bodywork.

Along with building a narrative of power through sharing your story and rediscovering your voice, we discuss a variety of topics and tools. Some of those include setting boundaries, identifying triggers, healthy coping skills, disrupting unhealthy patterns, and the importance of community.

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About the Hosts:

Mandi Friedlander
Mandi is the former Secretary for the Portland Psychedelic Society Events Committee, a Plant Medicine & Integration Coach, a practitioner of Reiki and NLP, and a Women's Integration Circle facilitator for Psychedelic Societies on both the East and West Coast. She is also a Mom, a community builder, an advocate, an educator, and a lifelong learner.

Mandi has found deep healing, from complex trauma in early childhood and adulthood, through community and with the support of various 'alternative' healing modalities and medicines. Mandi is passionate about cultivating containers where women can come together to learn, heal, thrive, and create--safe spaces where women support, empower, and uplift one another on their individual healing journeys.

Jessie Russell
I know psychedelic medicines to be unrivaled for healing and neuro-habituation change. I've been working in human behavior fields since 2003 and have been fortunate to serve at myriad conferences and special interest groups across the US, teaching everyone from primary teachers to military personnel. I have my own counseling practice, I am a certified crisis advocate, a psychedelics facilitator, a non-denominational ordained minister, certified in multiple coaching modalities, and am a DEI trainer. My own background and professional specializations are in neurodiversity, Trauma, non-nuclear family structures (i.e. ENM, child-free, non-cohabitation), human sexuality (i.e. queer matters, non-monogamy, kink, & libido changes), disability, and class awareness. I am also trained and experienced as a Green Dot Ranger, Zendo support volunteer, and DM.

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Portland Psychedelic Society (PPS) is an all-volunteer run 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donation-based organization.