We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alix Kirshner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alix , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose amidst the trials and tribulations that have punctured my life’s journey. It all started on December 30th, 2011, when my whole world was irrevocably altered. I woke up to learn that my 17-year-old sister had died in a tragic car accident. I was 19-years-old and my perception about life and the universe shattered into a billion pieces. I remember feeling everything, but nothing at all; like the world was moving around me, but nothing made sense to me anymore. It was a time of profound disorientation and a realization that I would have to find a way to make sense of the world again.
That day marked the genesis of my journey to find my purpose, but like any other journey, mine was not linear. It was filled with more pain, suffering, and so many more challenges. I remember after my sister died, I thought, ‘Well this has gotta be it. This is the hardest thing I’ll have to go through in my young life”, but boy was I wrong.
In the aftermath of my sister’s passing, I spent four tumultuous years in the grip of opiate addiction, seeking solace in a substance that, in the end, only exacerbated my suffering. My body became so physically dependent on this drug that I could not function without it. I was alone in this suffering, because I kept my addiction a secret for a very long time. My brain was so impacted from the drug use that my mental strength was minimal, but on June 17, 2015, I drove myself to a suboxone clinic and I finally got help.
Emerging from the depths of addiction, I confronted a body ravaged by grief and substance abuse, a testament to the toll exacted by years of turmoil. I was skinny, constipated, lacking nutrition and any type of exercise, but I was lucky to be alive. I spent the next 4 years trying to reclaim my life and my health. I moved to Boston, started dating, pursued a degree in Social Psychology, but my health kept deteriorating. Every doctor I saw dismissed me until this unexpected gift came in the form of a swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck.
This lymph node led me to my next crucible: cancer. Cancer came to me at 26-years-old and was the final challenge in the quest to find my purpose. Enduring six grueling months of chemotherapy, I sought solace in psychedelics, initially as a recreational diversion, but ultimately it became a channel for profound healing. During my psychedelic experience I saw and felt everything that ever happened to me – I felt the pain of losing my sister, the shame of my addiction, the fear of death from cancer, and the fear of life from everything I had been through. Through this experience I met myself with an unprecedented depth of compassion and self-love. That is when I began to build this incredible relationship that I have with myself. I could now see all the adversities I experienced as my biggest teachers and my greatest gifts.
That experience led me to where I am now, a Psychedelic Guide, guiding people through their own psychedelic journeys to help heal and free themselves from the confines of their own minds.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a Certified Psychedelic Guide, I specialize in facilitating transformative experiences with psychedelics in a safe and supportive setting. I’m passionate about helping individuals navigate their inner landscapes, fostering healing, self-discovery, and personal growth. I work with a couple of different plant medicines with my main focus on cannabis as the psychedelic plant medicine. These sessions can be both in-person or remote (over zoom).
Cannabis-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy, involves integrating cannabis into therapeutic sessions to augment introspection, relaxation, and emotional exploration. It typically employs controlled doses of cannabis, distinct from recreational usage, with the intention of complementing the therapeutic journey rather than inducing a state of intoxication. This method is aimed at enabling individuals to delve deeper into their inner experiences, connect with emotions, and gain insights, all within a therapeutic framework aimed at facilitating healing and personal development.
What excites me most is witnessing the profound shifts and breakthroughs that my clients experience and contributing to the emerging field of psychedelic therapy. I’m committed to creating a nurturing environment where individuals can explore their consciousness and tap into the healing potential of these powerful substances.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Reflecting on my journey as a Certified Psychedelic Guide, three qualities have been particularly impactful: resilience in navigating moments of doubt, the importance of leaning on community for support, and the value of documenting meaningful moments in a journal.
My advice for those early in their journey is to utilize these supportive tools. Firstly, embrace doubt as a natural part of growth and use it as an opportunity to deepen your understanding and refine your skills. Secondly, cultivate a supportive community of peers and mentors who can offer guidance and encouragement during challenging times. Lastly, commit to regular journaling to capture insights and experiences that reinforce your purpose and passion.
Remember, progress comes through practice, so don’t shy away from making mistakes or being a beginner—every expert was once a novice. Keep learning, keep practicing, and trust the process!
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When feeling overwhelmed, I employ a series of strategies to regain balance. Firstly, I pause and conduct a body scan to identify where the anxiety is manifesting physically. Placing a hand on that area, I offer it compassion and love, engaging in self-soothing practices. I then explore the root cause of the overwhelm through either verbal reflection or journaling, seeking to understand if it stems from present circumstances, past experiences, or childhood wounds. By offering love and understanding to the source of anxiety, compassion begins to emerge, gradually alleviating the overwhelm. This process fosters a sense of calm and allows me to navigate the situation with greater clarity and resilience.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alix-kirshner-167a7b73/
- Other: Email: [email protected]
