Good Medicine News: October ‘24

Monthly Newsletter featuring upcoming events at GMC, creative reflections and critical commentary from our Collective members on the front lines of healing and consciousness change work.

Oct 05, 2024

Popeye’s Icehouse 1975-2008, corner of Brackett & York, Portland ME

We are excited to launch Good Medicine’s new website that better reflects what we are up to these days. Someone recently shared with me that she saw Good Medicine as a quirky Collective in a quirky city. I laughed, loving her perspective. We’ve been revamping our language, trying to pinpoint exactly what we are and I notice that I usually gravitate towards aspirational poetics… a cross-pollinating hub of cutting edge health practitioners, a bridge of connection for the vast mycelial web of consciousness change work happening in Maine.

And I suppose, my favorite in the end, is the most simple. We are a curious and quirky collective of healing providers in a quirky building in a quirky city. The building has had a previous life as a beloved neighborhood dive bar with an airplane crashing into its roof (Popeye’s Icehouse). It’s been a swanky cosmopolitan restaurant (Outliers). And now it’s us. A building full of paradox and history. First beer, then champagne and now psychedelics. We are located at the intersection between land and sea, at the foot of the “million dollar bridge,” in an upscale neighborhood next to a park that has been home to multiple folks experiencing homelessness. We are doctors and therapists, acupuncturists and energy healers, shamans and nutritionists, psychedelic therapists and bodyworkers. We are an unlikely motley crew convening in this unlikely building at the edge of the ocean alive with container ships and oil tankers, cars rushing over the bridge, airplanes on final descent.

One of my teachers, Franciscan monk Richard Rohr, says “change happens at the edges.” I think that’s true. I see Good Medicine as a place at the edge. Wondrous, experimental and ever-transforming. I like Popeye’s tagline: “Where the bridge ends, good times begin.” Seems fitting through the ages.

Thanks for reading and hopefully we’ll see you at an upcoming event.
~Liz Strawbridge (GMC co-founder)

Psychedelic Studio

Upcoming Psychedelic Studio: Wednesday, October 9th 6-8pm.

These are monthly gatherings for intellectual exchange, learning and discourse around consciousness change and culture. This month will feature Therese Jornlin in an exploration of self-care and guardianship in mind-expanding spaces. We suggest priming yourself for the conversation by listening to this Emerald podcast: Guardians & Protectors. All are welcome to join.

Each month we feature a different topic around expanded states of consciousness. We would love to hear from you- what themes or topics interest you? Do you have suggestions for local speakers? And/or are you interested in being part of a panel discussion on a particular topic? Send us your ideas by leaving your suggestions in the comment section below.

Other Upcoming Events

Alchemical Alignment Training An advanced somatic training for sensitive
and intuitive healing practitioners. Thur-Sun October 10th-13th

Biodanza Maine: An Exploration of expression through movement, music and connection with facilitators Gabriel Baldwin and Hannah Morris on Thursdays, Oct 10th & Nov 6th @ 7pm (email biodanzamaine@gmail.com for more info).

Lila Yoga: Practice with Genell Huston Fridays October 11th & 18th @ noon

Self-Led Sexuality Day-long workshop with Patricia Rich and Sarah Siegel utilizing an IFS-based integrative model for healing, pleasure and empowerment. Thur, Oct 17th 9-4:30pm

Spiraldance Breathwork Circle with Tania Zuckerman Tue, Oct 15th 5:30-7:30pm

Healing for Healers Riverbird’s 2-day ketamine assisted therapy group for health providers. Fri-Sat Oct 24/25

Women’s New Moon Movement & Sauna Circle with Lara Turnure & Genell Huston, Fri, Nov 1 6-9pm.

GMC Events

Notes from the Field

Creative reflections or op-ed pieces from members of the Collective about what’s unfolding in the micro and macro landscapes of consciousness change, psychedelics and mental health. This month features a reflection piece by Community Partner, artist and organizer, Desi Lester; a welcome to Shauna Sedler, new Core Provider & Riverbird therapist; and an invitation to Community Partner Cinnamon Brulée’s featured artist weekend in Brunswick.

What is Good Medicine? by Desi Lester

With election season in full force, it feels vital now more than ever to find spaces where we can pause, connect and integrate all that has been and everything waiting in the cue. Since 2018 Good Medicine Collective has been that space for me. Recently, it was a visit to the Collective's Heart Circle that helped me reconnect not only with myself but also with other practitioners on a healing journey. I feel that the building is a living entity with magic to offer anyone that enters the space. Recently, sharing fresh juice, sweating during a boxing workout, and exploring flower essences with other practitioners reminded me of the power of collective care and healing. Even as the season shifts, the work of tending the fire continues.

One of the most pressing challenges in these times is the need to slow down. The world around us pushes for constant action, for success at all costs, but healing requires something different-patience, presence and a willingness to sit with discomfort. Good Medicine has taught me that powering through isn’t an option. The culture at Good Medicine reminds me that true healing comes from slowing down, from tending to our needs and the needs of the community without rushing toward the finish line. Healing is a life-long journey. We may never be “healed” but we can linger in the beauty of being on the journey together with other human beings.

My work at Good Medicine remains unwritten, emergent, and vital. This space continues to give me room to explore, create, and dream which is unlike any other place I know. As a Community Partner, I've had the honor of helping grow the Collective by investing in new relationships and initiatives. One such project is More Women Surf, a community effort that provides free surf lessons to BIPOC women, promoting water safety and other outdoor therapeutic recreation with board sports. Being part of this has shown me how the Collective's influences extend beyond its walls and into the mycelial network of folks who seek healing connections in unexpected and unique ways.

Meet Shauna

Shauna Sedler, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), recently joined the Riverbird team. Shauna brings not only skill, but radiance and spark to the space. Prior to joining Riverbird, she’d successfully founded and run her own ketamine clinic called Bird’s Eye Wellness.

In her work style, Shauna holds a non-pathologizing view of mental illness, instead creating trusting, non-judgmental and collaborative space for her clients. Through trauma-informed approaches, her style of therapy includes a blend of insight-oriented, mindfulness, transpersonal, humanistic and Internal family systems modalities.

Her own psychedelic experiences have offered profound personal growth and healing, which have inspired her to create safe access for others. We’re so glad to welcome Shauna to the Riverbird and Good Medicine communities.

Cinnamon Brulee: A transformative experience at the Lemont Block Collective

Cinnamon Brûlée, renowned for her evocative Fire Art and transformative Mindset Coaching, is set to be the featured artist at Brunswick’s Lemont Block Collective's much anticipated weekend spotlight. The event spans three spellbinding days from Friday, October 11th, to Sunday, October 13th; meet the artist, Mx. Brûlée, each day from 1:30 pm until close.

“Yakisugi art is nuanced,” says Mx. Brûlée, reflecting on her upcoming exhibit. It's about our attempt at protecting our inner core, past regrets, our fears, defensive boundaries, and traumas. My work invites participants into this transformative medium, allowing them to confront, release, and ultimately heal.