Psychedelic Therapy, Microdosing, and the Many Paths to Healing with Morgan Weatherup

What if healing is less about fixing yourself and more about learning how to trust yourself again?

In this episode of The Favourite Self Podcast, Carly sits down with registered social worker, clinical therapist, and founder of Healing Recovery Centre, Morgan Weatherup, for a conversation about psychedelic-assisted therapy, microdosing, entrepreneurship, and the deeper work of coming home to yourself. 

Morgan shares how her path into this work began, how her understanding of healing has evolved, and why real transformation often happens when we stop rushing to the breakthrough and allow ourselves to move at the pace we are actually ready for.

Together, Carly and Morgan explore the many paths healing can take, from traditional therapy and nervous system work to holistic approaches, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and microdosing. Healing Recovery Centre’s psychedelic therapy program is rooted in safe, supportive, trauma-informed care, with an emphasis on preparation, the medicine experience, and integration as part of the process.

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing is not one-size-fits-all. Sometimes the deepest medicine is not about bypassing the pain or forcing the breakthrough, but learning how to listen to your body, trust your inner wisdom, and choose the path that feels aligned for you.

If this episode resonates, be sure to follow and subscribe to The Favourite Self Podcast, and share it with someone who needs this conversation too.

Key Takeaways:

• Healing is not always one big breakthrough. Often, it is the slower work of integration and self trust

• Psychedelic-assisted therapy is one pathway that can support deeper self-reflection, self-discovery, and transformation when held in a safe and supportive environment

• Microdosing and holistic healing can help people reconnect with their inner wisdom in a different way

• Preparation and integration are essential parts of the healing process, especially when working with deeper therapeutic modalities

• High achievers are often being called to deeper healing because they know there is something more available to them

• Entrepreneurship can be a powerful mirror for growth, visibility, and identity shifts

• You do not have to heal all at once. You can move as slowly as the slowest part of you is ready to go

Morgan’s Bio:

Morgan Weatherup is a Registered Social Worker, clinical therapist, and the founder of Healing Recovery Centre, a mental health and wellness clinic based in Newmarket, Ontario. Her work blends clinical therapy, holistic healing, and psychedelic assisted approaches to support deep, transformational change. Morgan specializes in trauma, eating disorders, and relational healing. 

Morgan’s Links:

Free Microdosing Video: https://youtu.be/9lccomPLEmw?si=SOrGvvWAIDbY8pfD
Website: www.healingrecoverycentre.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganweatherup/

Carly's Links
Website: carlyottaway.com / webofwords.ca
Instagram: @‌itscarlyottaway / @‌webofwords_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyottaway
Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@favouriteselfpodcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Be so delusional about your dreams and about the things that you want, things that you want for yourself and your family, because that is the beginning part of the roadmap.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome to the Favorite Self podcast. I like to think of it not as your future self or your best self, but your favorite self. My favorite self that just makes me feel the truest version of me. What lights your favorite self on fire? I'm Carly Ottaway, founder, author, storyteller, and a woman who learned that building a successful life means nothing if it doesn't feel like yours. This podcast is for women who are building businesses, raising families, leading movements, and asking themselves, is this it or is there more available to me? This is your invitation to come back to yourself. Let's dig in. Today's episode is such a special one. I am sitting down with someone who has not only been a huge part of my own healing journey, but also someone that I've had the privilege of growing alongside in business over the years and serving through our marketing agency as a client as well. Morgan Weatherup is a therapist and the founder of Healing Recovery Center, a beautiful holistic healing space that brings together clinical therapy, community, and alternative holistic modalities like breath work, cold exposure, and psychedelic assisted work. What I love most about Morgan is the way that she challenges the traditional idea of healing. She really creates these spaces where you don't have to rush to fix or bypass what you're feeling, but instead you can actually sit with it, move through it, and reconnect with your truest self, your favorite self. And in this conversation, we dive into Morgan's journey into this work, how her definition of healing has evolved, going from the hospital setting to the therapeutic setting and the powerful transformations that she has witnessed firsthand through both traditional and alternative healing approaches. We also talk about microdosing, what it actually is, who it's for, and why so many people are feeling called to explore these deeper, more embodied ways of healing right now. This is such an honest, expansive, and permission-giving conversation. And I can't wait for you to hear it. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Favorite Self podcast. I am so excited today to bring a good friend of mine, someone who I have been working alongside, using each other's services and growing alongside in the entrepreneurial journey for many years, like COVID times, which feels like, you know, at least 20 years ago. And I can't wait for you to hear from her. Welcome to the Favorite Self Podcast, Morgan.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Thank you, Carly. I'm so excited to be here.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

I can't wait to dive into your story. And I really wanted to start off with what first drew you into therapy and healing work.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

That's such a good question. Um so when I think about when I first realized I wanted to become a therapist, um, I was had the first thought when I was in elementary school, and then the thought kind of exploded a bit more when I was in high school and I was um good friends with someone who was really struggling, and I could just see all of the ways that she wasn't being helped or supported and just all of the different system failures. And I was also the friend that everybody was like telling their problems to all the time. And I really enjoyed being that friend. So naturally, going into therapy felt like a good fit for me. Um, and then it took a really sharp turn once I went through all my schooling and did my undergrad and my master's, and then started practicing in the real world, and I started to see things even differently. And then going through my own struggles as a professional and as an adult, um, and then seeing some of the gaps even more really slung shot me into this, you know, world that I live in now of therapy and holistic practices and all of the different ways that people can access healing.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Yeah, so good. And I love that it was those personal conversations, and you can remember that from being that friend. And I I relate to that because I actually, fun fact, almost went to school for psychology at Western and ended up going into journalism. I was like between both worlds. So now I do like my brand therapy, you know, and the identity work and stuff. But I have just I admire you and the work you do so much. And I have seen the transformations firsthand and especially how much you've stayed ahead of the curve and been so innovative in the space. And I would love to just hear a little bit too about how the definition of healing has evolved since you first started this work.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I like it's still evolving. I'm gonna say this today, and then who knows when this podcast airs if that definition is the same. Um, but my my definition of healing, when I really think about it, it's being able to have community, being able to make meaning of the things that are happening to you in your life or have happened to you in a way that is supportive of who you want to be and how you want to live. Um and also, this might be an unpopular opinion, having a relationship or a space where you can actually sit in the the shit of life and like the hard feelings and the difficult moments and not be rushed to change or to see the bright side, like to actually be able to feel it all the way, to go through all the darkness, all the yuckiness, and not jump to the shiny silver lining. That for me is the kind of like the hero's journey of healing, being able to go all the way into the darkness, all the way into the fields, and not just be fixated on the other side of the mountain, but seeing the beauty and the lessons and the growth in all of those stages without rushing. That for me is healing.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Oh, I love that so much. And what would you say is the most common misunderstanding around therapy and healing that you see?

SPEAKER_00 6:22

So the most common um would be that you have to do it alone. And so a lot of people are like, you know, often we're in therapy because we're in conflict with ourselves or with the people around us that we love and care about. And so people think I need to come to therapy and do it on my own. But really, the way that I practice, the way that we practice at my clinic is bringing in as many loved others into the space. And so, yes, you and your therapist are gonna have this relationship, but I also want to talk to your mom or to your dad or to your spouse or to your best friend. How can we bring those people in? Maybe they're not in every therapy session, but how can we include them? Because these are the people who are your lifeline day after day. And those are the relationships that are gonna be the most healing. So I would say that's a big misconception that it's like just you and that and the therapist. Um, and the other piece would be that there's this big aha moment that changes everything. I think people think I'm gonna go into therapy or I'm gonna do this retreat or I'm gonna do this workshop, and I'm gonna have this big moment, it's gonna click and everything's gonna change. Well, those things can happen. We can have the aha, the actual work is integrating and making the change. And so what people are doing in therapy often is maybe they've already had the aha or it's right there. And the work we're actually doing is integrating. How do we make this change in our life? How do we grieve the fact that maybe we can't make this change or integrate this insight all the way in the current context of your life or the current context of the world? So those are the things I would say are huge. And also your therapist loves you and is happy to be there with you. So, you know, we're not just like sitting there working with you, um, listening to your problems. We are actually invested in your story.

SPEAKER_01 8:06

Yeah. And one thing that I love so much about your unique differentiator and just approach and process too is how you have so many different modalities that you offer and how there's more than one way to heal. And so you have the clinical therapy services, but then you also have the holistic and alternative methods to healing. And I really want to dive in today to talk about microdosing because I had my first microdosing experience with you, along with breath work and cold plunging, and it was such a magical experience. And I at such a transformational time in my life. And I love sharing it with other people. And I think there's a lot of stigma still, of course, because it's still, you know, rather novel, even though we're hearing about it a lot more. So I would just love for you to walk us through really, first of all, just kind of in more layman's terms, what microdosing actually is and who this work is for.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

Yeah. So microdosing is essentially microdosing a small amount of a psychedelic. And so that could be psilocybin, which is magic mushrooms, or it could be LSD, or it could be um a variety of other classic psychedelics that people sometimes have access to. The most typical microdose that people talk about are with psilocybin and LSD. Um with most people probably doing psilocybin, magic mushrooms as their microdose. And it's anything under 0.3 milligrams. So everyone is like, oh, my microdose is 0.8 or like one gram. And I'm like, oh, that's that's that's not a microdose. Um, and that really what you're supposed to feel when you're taking a microdose is a slight elevation or a slight change in perception that the trees might look a little bit more beautiful, you might feel a bit more dialed in, there might be an easier flow of creativity in your thoughts, but you shouldn't actually be having a full journey. The way that I describe it to people is if it should feel like an Advil almost. Like you take an Advil, you notice that it feels that your back feels better, that you don't have that headache anymore, but you can still function throughout your day and be on task. That's what a microdose should feel like in some ways. Um yeah, I don't know what what else you asked me about that.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

I love that. And just to share, this actually just clicked for me right now because I'm thinking about my own experience and like, yeah, kind of what I thought going into it. And I remembered, you know, we had, I think it was like a four-hour session that we were doing just with all the different, like it was so ceremonial and and there was a lot of community connection. It was so beautiful. But I remember thinking, like, am I gonna be able to drive home after this? Like when or I had taken the dose and you're like, yep, it'll be no problem. And you can stay here in this safe space if you, you know, until you're ready to drive home if you feel unsure. And for me, I feel like that experience actually was what really made me connect with my favorite self. Oh, I love that. Cause I'm like, I remember feeling I was in the thick of, you know, early postpartum. We were rebuilding our house. I was, it was like coming out of COVID, and I still just felt like I had no village, and I just felt very alone in my journey and not supported. And then I could come into the space where I felt instantly welcomed and belonging, even though I, you know, I there were some familiar faces, but a lot of people that I was meeting for the first time and were being very vulnerable and opening up about what's going on and sharing around the circle, and you're always a safe space for me. So I instantly feel that with you. But I remember after we did, so we, you know, had the microdose and the cacao, and then we did breath work and cold plunge, and actually, maybe it was even before the cold plunge, and I remember getting changed. And I'm like in the bathroom and I can hear the music, and I'm just like having a moment where I felt like I was back in high school, but like in a really good way. Where I just felt like so free and so myself, and just like, uh, like truly just who I am. I felt in full control. I just felt like it just opened my eyes, exactly like you said, but yeah, the trees were brighter, but I was inside. But like just light felt brighter and and so yeah, that just clicked for me now. So I had to share that.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Yeah, it's you know, psychedelics for me, um psychedelics for me came into my life at a time like where I was falling apart, something needed to change, I was in a quite a dark place. And my old pattern and still comes up every once in a while, is jumping into the deep end. Like, I'm not just gonna do a microdose, I'm gonna go all the way and do ayahuasca and I'm gonna go into the jungle and and do all the things. Um, but I can remember feeling like the layer shedding off and almost being able to. I always say like it's it's like being in reality, having one foot in reality and one foot in this alternative universe. And when you were saying that this is when I I could feel my favorite self, it clicked for me too to say that the alternative universe is like perhaps the universe we actually want to be in. You know, perhaps what it's like to live without all the walls, without all the social conditioning that we get to peek into what life could be like or what we could feel like without all of the armor. So that was definitely my experience with psychedelics and my experience anytime I do any kind of microdose or um yeah, any kind of mushroom journey for sure. So cool to that.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

And can you share, you know, of course, protecting patients, but just maybe anecdotally a little bit, some of the transformations that you have witnessed through microdosing that maybe traditional approaches couldn't quite unlock in the same way.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Yeah. Um, so in in the therapy setting, we use psychedelics um in two different ways. So we use it for well, three different real ways really. We use it for full-blown journeys in um these psychedelic assisted therapy sessions. So they would be um journeys where you're doing either psilocybind or MDMA, and we're doing like two grams or three grams or a little bit more of a psychedelic. The other way that we work with psychedelics is through psychoanalytic dosing. And so that would be something just a little bit higher than a microdose. And you would come into your regular therapy session and you have therapy slightly altered. This is can be really helpful for people when maybe there's a lot of um fear or a lot of like we call it dissociation and blocks or interrupters that come up when you're trying to do therapy. Um, we often see this is when people are like telling the therapist what they think they're supposed to say or what they're think they're supposed to feel. And so we can use psychoanalytic dosing to just drop in a little bit more for people who are struggling with that connection and then using it um with through microdosing. So helping people have a practice with psychedelics outside of the therapy session to really help with that integration. And what I've seen is like so many different changes and so many different benefits with the caveat of it's not for everybody. And so there are gonna be people who are gonna benefit a lot from it, and there are gonna be people who maybe um don't. But some of the things that I've seen is um, even up to very recently, I had a session with someone and um it was them experiencing their own inner wisdom, their own inner voice for the very first time. Um, there had been a lot of trauma and a lot of people talking, like telling them what they need to do, telling them what they need to feel and believe. And for the first time, they were able to actually like say, I feel this every time I have an opinion or every time I I you ask me a question, it's like I feel this thing right here in my solar plexus. And then all of a sudden I have this voice or this thought. And so just being able to connect back to their own inner wisdom and like the true self inside. The other things that I've noticed, I work a lot with people with eating disorders and and complex trauma. And so being able to actually have flexibility in their brain, have flexibility in their life where it's not so rigid all the time, or um, everything feels like it's life or death, or black and white, and it has to be this way that getting to see people really be able to explore life in color is the best way I can describe it. And you can see it in their faces. Like it's it's just so rewarding. Um, and again, it's not always right away. Sometimes the effects of the psychedelic or the big transformation is happening in the months after the dose. But for so many people, I've watched them achieve things that they never thought they could achieve. I've watched people, you know, who are going to choose maid, which is medical assistance and dying, choose life after years and years and years of trauma and choose recovery. So I've I've literally watched it save people's lives, bring people back to life in terms of their personality, their quality of life, and bring them from rigidity to these curious, colorful people. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 17:23

Wow, so incredible. And so a lot of the women listening to this podcast identify as high achievers, whether they're, you know, building businesses or climbing a corporate ladder, maybe thinking about building a business, you know, they're juggling motherhood often too, or just so many other, they're holding a lot. And the world can feel heavy. And I'm just curious from your perspective, specifically for this audience as well. Like, why do you think so many people are being called to these kinds of experiences right now, more and more?

SPEAKER_00 17:58

I think it's the same reason I was called to it. You know, like I identify as the high achiever. I was a workaholic and still in recovery from that. And um I I think people are called to it because there's this knowing that there's something more. And I think that women, especially, especially high achieving women are being called to it because when you have a dream or you have something you want to put into this world, there's usually also a story of I'm maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe it's maybe I shouldn't do this, maybe someone else is already doing it. And there's all of these ways that we keep ourselves small, and all of these ways that we've already convinced ourselves that it doesn't matter, it's not important or it's not the right time. Even in traditional therapy, it can be hard to penetrate those things or make change to those things. And so I think a lot of people are being called to psychedelics or breath work or holistic practices in general that are more embodied is because there's this knowing that there's something more, but there's no roadmap to get there. Like I know this, I can feel it, but I I actually have no understanding of where it is, how to access it, or how to bring it to life. And there's just so much fear that gets in the way where psychedelics, depending on the psychedelic that you do and the way that you experience it, can hold your hand and show you, maybe not always gently, but can definitely show you the thing that you know is missing, the thing that you know is inside that you just can't seem to build the map for yet. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

And I'm curious, you know, you've been in entrepreneurship for how many years now? Since you know, started six years. This sixth year. So much growth and evolution in that time. We're gonna get into that too. But I'm curious how this work has or just these own heal, like healing modalities for yourself has have supported you through the entrepreneurial journey. Can you share a little bit about that? I've heard some cool stories just around especially when you're kind of in the up level and like how dysregulated that can feel every time at different episod or at different levels. Um, and I've heard lots of different stories of people having these physical reactions. I shared the hives that I had in my book journey, but I've heard too of like um legs going numb and having kind of these feelings. And I'm just so curious, yeah, how this work can support in that nervous system regulation as well, if it does apply and how you've felt that in your own journey.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

Yeah. I have so many thoughts as you're saying this. I'm like, okay, there's a spectrum. Because if you're the if you're like have hives and you're breaking out in, you know, different pain and your your stress is manifesting in your body to go and jump in to do a full dose, that journey is probably not the move. Um, because your nervous system doesn't have capacity for that, right? Every time we go into psychedelics, it's expansion and more and more and more expansion with some contraction that happens and like some death or you know, closing of stories or journeys or whatever. But when we think about psychedelics, we have to think about like, does my nervous system have the capacity for what I'm about to do? And so that's where I really love and have found it even for myself really helpful to do these like psychoanalytic doses where it's slightly higher than a micro dose, or to do microdosing in really supportive settings, like you know, the things that you you've talked about that you've done with me with breath work and cacao and cold plunging. Um, because it allows you to have a nervous system that's helped. So if you're like really dysregulated or there's so much going on, and I can relate to that even now, like as my business is growing, there's 500 tabs in my mind open, and all of them have sub tabs. And so they I can do, you know, all of the things to help me, but I also have to be really um mindful of what my nervous system can handle and what intervention, psychedelic or not, I'm pairing with the capacity of my nervous system. And so microdosing can be great to just. have a moment of focus or to bring out a little bit of fun and lightness. Like, you know, if I'm having a hard day, I'm gonna take a microdose and I'm gonna go walk my dogs in the forest because it reminds me just how lucky we are to be alive. Like I can look at the trees and the forest and feel the wind on my face and hear hear the birds chirp and just be reminded like this is what it's all about that I get to do this. You know, nothing else matters in this moment but this. And sometimes that's regulating enough. It doesn't need to be all these you know big insights and mindset shift mindset shifts. It could just be like how can I take a full breath right now?

SPEAKER_01 22:38

Yeah. And really bringing you back to presence. Yeah you know yeah I love that. This is probably a big question, but how has this work changed you?

SPEAKER_00 22:50

This work has actually saved my life which I know that sounds dramatic, but when I think about when I started this path of exploring psychedelics and exploring holistic healing, I was in such a dark place that I I really don't know that I would be here today without without psychedelics. I really don't know that that would be the case and not just here as an entrepreneur like here in this world. And so for me it's it's changed my perspective on what's important. It's changed my perspective on the way that I live and really being able to see the impact and the cost of what it was the way that I was living. I was working in hospitals and um you know was the overachiever. I was addicted to being the one who was like I got this I can do this or like the the external validation I like couldn't get enough of it. And so I would do anything I could to be that person. And when you live that way for so long there's that saying of you don't know how bad you feel until you feel good. And that was my reality. I people would say like oh you're agitated or you're angry like I was in full blown PTSD for sure. And I had I was like oh people just don't understand what it's like to work in the hospital. People just don't understand what it's like to work in this kind of environment. And then when I did psychedelics for the first time I could see just how agitated and angry I was just how much darkness I was holding inside of me and had the, you know, the cost of carrying all these things and never letting anything go, making it all part of my identity. And so that was a big lesson that really broke me in lots of different ways. And then as I continued to do psychedelics um and continue to do some of this work, it really showed me how to be confident in myself. It showed me how to trust myself and to trust something bigger than me and and really know that that's possible and it's not just the woo we that this is you know part of the reality that we can't always explain. And also to have really good discernment on what is for me and what's not that what is the shiny thing that like everyone's doing this or everyone's talking about this and I should know this or I should want to do this. And to just stay in my own lane. And it's hard still sometimes but what I love about my relationship with psychedelics and my own healing work is that that voice of what's for me, what makes me feel good, what is my true alignment at this time is so clear. And when I veer off that path I can tell is it because I'm slipping more into ego or is it because my um idea of alignment or what's calling to me is starting to shift and change. And it's just made it so much easier as a woman, as a friend, but also as a business owner to navigate just how hard it is to do this.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Oh so powerful. Thank you so much for sharing that. And truly that's the power of sharing your story and how many people can see themselves in that experience and you know the fact that it did truly save your life like it it's not an exaggeration and it doesn't sound dramatic. And I have had the pleasure of having what I feel like is a front row seat to your evolution so much in entrepreneurship because when we first started working together, you were still working at the hospital, you were doing this on the side you you came to us to help with building the brand and the website and we've reflected on this before especially because I know you're going through another evolution right now and you know you just opened this beautiful space in Newmarket in September that you spent poured into renovations and it's absolutely stunning and just like so cozy. Like I love watching people walk in the door and immediately exhale. Yeah. And the power of that but I remember you calling that in when we first started working together and wanting to have this space and you know so that I got to watch you step into that and it and to me that's like what this is all about and just having those relationships and connections and and yeah we've loved just being able to watch your brand growth that way. And so I'm so curious if you could when you look back now what feels different about who you were then when you were just starting out versus who you are now?

SPEAKER_00 27:13

The question should be what feels the same because you're not there's like everything feels different. I cringe even every time we talk about this, I'm like oh my gosh, those early calls you know those with me I was so dysregulated and like just so all over the place with too many things going on and just I had no skills at that at that time to be truly grounded. I was just like in the thick of my own stuff and just starting this deeper process. And so what I look at then because that would have been about five years ago now to now I can't even believe how much has changed. I remember having this very clear vision from the day that I decided I'm gonna start this business. This is what I want to do. At first it was like I'll just do this for one person. And then it shifted into okay this is naturally growing what could this be like and this idea of having this space where we could do all these different things and that it just felt like home for people. So to be like recording this podcast from that space right now five years later it's wild.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

What a beautiful example of the power of following following your calling and your purpose without knowing where it's going to lead to without having the answers and feeling like you are even the one to bring it to life at that time but just knowing that there's something pulling you. And then also just the beauty of when you're when your work is the medicine, right? Like I say this often and with you it feels like it has a whole other meaning because we're talking about literal healing like but you're often the work that we do when we are building businesses is what we most need. Yeah. And so you are you know just such an incredible example of the power of your own work.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

Thank you. And you know that's what this space is like I then I think about we're redoing the website now with you guys and we're redoing some of the copy and I am looking back at you know my own story on the website and how like really this is what the reason we have holistic practices and breath work and Reiki and psychedelics and even the type of therapy that we do, the reason we have that is because they were all pieces of my journey that helped and supported me. And I had said early on into my psychedelics like I want to create a place for all the things I wish I had because there was you know lots of trauma and trial and tribulations going through my own healing journey. Psychedelics can be like the Wild West. And so every time I experience something new, we always think about okay, how can we integrate this into the business in a way that really fits not that we have to do everything and be everything, but how can I stay to that you know commitment of building a place that I wish I had for myself to be able to gift that as medicine to other people that's exactly what we're doing and the medicine that's been for me you know to be able to like have such integrity with the way that we run this business and the way that we offer services also gives me permission to have that strong integrity for me when I'm doing my own healing or my own work that it, you know, what is actually gonna work what are the things I need to say no and yes to what are the things I feel good and don't feel good. So it's mind blowing really yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

And I think the other piece of it is how you know the way that you work and your team works and because you have all these different modalities, you're really able to meet the individual where they're at, whether that's literally like picking them up the floor or helping them expand into this next level of growth in their work and their business and their life. One piece I'd love to kind of pivot into is you know in entrepreneurship, showing up online, putting yourself out there, the visibility piece and the vulnerability that comes with that and how you you have navigated that in your own like personal growth too and and can you kind of reflect on where you were at you know even when we first started working we we also worked together on social media um at least a few years ago and and now like I love watching your reels and just like the way that you show up as your full self and you know especially in a space where I think a a block for a lot of people is like I have to look professional and polished and like especially in a place in a you know your industry I feel like that's what is holding a lot of people back when really it's so important in these kinds of for service providers all around, but especially in wellness health and wellness and and the therapeutic industries to like take yourself off the pedestal for your clients, you know, and and meet them at their level and and still build that trust and authority but really help them see themselves through you and and so they trust you and that they're not coming I was I was reflecting on the cool to connect event that we went to and how Dana made the comment the host about how she she finally got to the point where she could stop lying to her therapist. So yeah, I feel like I went on a little bit of a tangent there, but just if you could kind of share your own growth journey in in showing up and putting yourself out there that way.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Yeah. So I was not a fan of social media at all and like the same as everybody else. I don't want to be on there I don't know what to say. And I can remember having conversations with you in early days you were like you really should go on a podcast or you need to get on a podcast. And all I could think was like I'm not ready for the backlash of if I don't say the right thing or you know someone's gonna not agree and just all of the worries and like you know stress of that all um to then I was leaving to go to Costa Rica to do some healing work for a little over a month and I didn't want to just kind of drop the social media and that's when we had brought you guys on to do the full, you know, take over our social media essentially, which was so helpful because it also taught me how to do it. I don't think I realized like there, oh, there's a method to this and you don't just post random things. So that was the first part of the evolution to realize okay I can think about this. I have to be intentional about it. And it's not just something I'm showing up on as a check mark but it's it's a community I can build and that the web of words and the work that I did with you really helped me um understand that in a different way. And then I really think it was going through this process of building the clinic um and like it was my it's my ultimate delusional experience in life this building this clinic you know I at every single point everybody has been like are you sure this is a little bit wild and crazy you know and no playing small with this clinic. No there was no playing small I remember going into the bank and being like we need a loan this is how much and the woman like laughed at us and then we ended up getting approved obviously and we're here we are and I called the bank I was so upset and I called the bank and I was like I just want you to know I got approved and she didn't believe in me because of the way that I looked and my age and whatever. So I think it was those experiences of having so many people not see the vision and not jump on the delusional train with me and also not have good critical feedback but just like the hesitation of are you sure are you sure you're playing too big. And that mirrored so much of what I experienced as a kid. And there was this moment through the renovations where I was like I can either fall into the same patterns and be the girl who knows the answer in class but whispers it under my breath instead of raising my hand because I'm too scared that I could be wrong. Or I could be the person that's just gonna do it and just gonna prove to people like I actually don't need you to believe in me. I believe in myself I am so good to be on this delusional train on my own. And thankfully my husband is on it with me 99% of the time. But it was through that like we were doing this huge thing I wanted to take people along I wanted to show people they could be proud even when they were you know didn't know all the answers. I still don't know how it's all going to turn out like we're learning something new every day. But going through that process and being able to just be me and show people the silly side like I don't know how many dancing reels we did but I I love to dance. That is my favorite self you better move it's my favorite self, you know, when we talk about that it's like if I can put on a song and shake my butt there's you know that's the best version of me that's coming out. Oh you need to teach me your ways I think that's you know just being able to decide how I wanted to show up in a very similar pattern to what I experienced as a kid and deciding that I was going to be the person that was gonna show up differently for me, my nowtime self, but also for my younger self was enough to say like I'm gonna do this and people are not going to like it and that's okay. Because that's what stopped me as a kid.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Yeah. Oh my gosh, this is so cool because I feel like you're reflecting back to me what I mentioned about how I almost went to school and took a different path. But I am feeling the importance of like the community piece and how important it is to surround yourself with believers. Right. And like shout out to the supportive partners who are the first believers. Yeah. We both had the benefit of experiencing that and that is so huge. But also those believers can be anywhere and you can find them and that's such a meaningful part of the work that we do on the branding and marketing side for our clients is especially being able to work with businesses like yours that are in those early stages but you have this big vision and you know we get to dive deep into your story and really get to know you and see how incredible you are and the gifts that you have and and truly reflect that belief back to you because we feel it like I feel like a channel like that with our clients when we work with them and I'm like oh my God I see this for you. I see it happening I like get to be that mirror for you. And then I'm like I'm feeling that with you right now like how you are mirroring that back to me and like how in therapy that's such a huge part of it as well. Right. And like again building your support team of believers who A just like believe you and your truth and you feel safe to share it in this space, but believe in what you're capable of and going from rock bottom to scaling the mountain, you know, and just the power of that on both sides.

SPEAKER_00 37:39

Yeah it's it's wild you know everything in entrepreneurship and we hear this all the time like it's the thing that'll you know grow you the most like if you want to change, you know, become an entrepreneur. And it it really is for me has been so true and I'm in the thick of it right now with this kind of stepping into the CEO role, which feels uncomfortable in all of the ways. But it's for me it's always like this is my therapy hat of like okay what are the patterns that this is mirroring? When are there times in my life that I felt like this before and what would I have wished someone would have done for me. You know, when I was a girl who was you know too scared or you know felt like I was I wasn't smart enough. Um what would I have wanted the adults around me to do at that time and how do I get to be that person now? And it's hard and you know it comes back to nervous system and your capacity to all the things but if I think about what it is for to be an entrepreneur for me, it's who is the adult that I want to I wish that my younger self had and who is the adult and the you know caregiver in some ways that I want my team to have an experience like what is the sisterhood I want to bring into this world? What is what are the friendships and the quality of friendships do I want to have and how can I be that as a leader, as a business owner, as a friend. So it's been a really helpful way for me to think about like really who am I showing up for in the moments where it's really hard and how do I want to show up.

SPEAKER_01 39:05

Yeah, such a good perspective and you kind of hinted at this and I I'd love to go there with you around just what is this next growth edge that you're experiencing. And you mentioned the CEO side of things and stepping into this next level of leadership, which I we've we've chatted about in book club, you know, I can relate to that too and I think there's an element of this where like you follow this passion that led you to the therapy world but it wasn't necessarily you know build your own business and like wear that hat and and lead a team and have a physical clinic and you know all the pieces that come with that. So can you share a little bit there in terms of just kind of yeah what you're navigating right now in this next shift and what's coming up for you.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

I would love to hear I think I can answer too it's so funny because my husband and I were having this exact conversation last night on our our walk about you know I was saying just how hearted I want to be a therapist and I want to stay in all the things. And I also want to support my team and grow this business and just the push and pull of that and I have a therapist on my team who we were we had a supervision meeting last night and I've been working with her for a long time and had mentored her and she just knocked it out of the park yesterday. And I had this moment of like oh my God she's a better therapist than me. You know like I'm and then and I there was this like worry of oh my am I losing my touch my husband quickly swooped in and was like that is who you want to be like you your role in this season of your life in this season of the business is to be the coach who produces really good players. And that's like what I feel like this growth in business ownership is right now that obviously I still want to be a very good therapist and will always be the best therapist I can be. But I'm shifting into this role of okay, I have this space, I have this business and what I really want is to help as many people as I can and have this high quality of care. And so I have to shift into the coach role and that means doing the unsexy things about like how do we run the business and how do we you know bring in the right people, how do we communicate clearly what we do and what we don't do. And how can I make sure that the team is regulated, supported and feels safe to learn and to grow and to want to be better with all the things that are changing in the mental health field and all of the different research that's coming out. So that's for me, that's the edge. We're stepping more into psychedelics, especially with some of the changes that are happening in Canada. There's some big changes happening in Canada outside of what's happened recently in the US and so just kind of stepping into that in a bigger way and getting really clear about what we want that to look like as a team. So it's been challenging in every single way, if I can be honest and lots of different identity shifts for me. It's also so exciting to have those moments where you're like wow these people that I mentored and trained and supported for all of these years are rock stars. And like how lucky is this community and how lucky are we to be able to be around you know such brilliant human beings doing such amazing work. So that's that's the big shift is from the player to the coach.

SPEAKER_01 42:20

Oh such a good analogy and I'm so glad you named that because I I can absolutely relate I think that's one of the most uncomfortable shifts is going from the doing to the leading and and I I can relate because exactly I I built my business as the social media manager and the copywriter. I was the one doing all the work and you know it took I feel like it I reflect back and I'm like it took me so long to like really step out of that like I just gradually stepped out and my team probably had so much patience within that but the reality is I I feel like I stepped into another big ship this year in my role and see as CEO and we've talked about this again and you know I I couldn't be doing what I'm doing now if I was still doing what I was doing six months ago. And by that I mean like launching this podcast, right? Having these conversations, you know, being ahead of the curve and and really being the visionary because I just didn't have the capacity to do that when I was still as even though like I didn't feel like I was in the weeds of the day to day I was still too involved yeah in the business. So I think that's such a powerful shift and exactly the same like knowing that in order to expand our impact and help more people and I literally write about a similar story in my book where a team member um wrote copy for a website. I'm reviewing it changing absolutely nothing and have that moment of like oh no like if I haven't changed anything then what have I actually contributed to this? Right. Right and capturing myself and being like no like this is the whole point. Like this is what we've been working towards and you know it's it's that identity piece of like my identity my worth my value is not wrapped up in having to touch these projects and it's it's bigger than that yeah it's it's so it's that's where yoga comes in for me right of like I want to be the best and I want the external validation and like you know and what value do I have if I'm not the best in the room and so it's it's still uncomfortable in my system and also if I you know want to really build out this dream and also if I want to have the life that I want to have like I would love to be a mom and you know I'm I'm like you know on that journey of hoping for that to happen.

SPEAKER_00 44:43

And um I can't be a full-time therapist, be a business owner, do social media, do community engagement, support my team and be a mom. Like you know there's the the days of me working like 16, 17 hour days is, you know, like that's coming to an end. And not good and healthy for anybody for any extended period of time. And so being able to really decide like where is my energy and my skills and my knowledge most needed has been a very humbling and also very important conversation to have with myself, my husband but also I have these conversations really transparently with my team to take them along the ride.

SPEAKER_01 45:28

Yeah so good. Okay I have to ask this question. You maybe knew that this one was coming but you kind of hinted at a little bit but what does your favorite self look like or feel like right now in this season?

SPEAKER_00 45:44

Oh my favorite self I feel like I can close my eyes and see her. My favorite self is um in the sun, in the garden. You know, I'm super into plants and gardening and all the things especially these last couple years um with the most ratchet music on like the most ratchet music and and like nothing no none of the new stuff like you know all of the stuff from the 2000s um and just like literally singing and dancing as if no one's watching my neighbors laugh at me on a regular basis. I will pull into the driveway with the windows down and I will stay in the driveway singing and dancing to a song and they just like I can see them look at me and they're and they laugh and it's this like little joke now that we have. But that's my favorite self being so unapologetically me, being able to like reframe my weirdness and my silliness and my like you know extreme dance ratchet moves into like that just gave someone else like permission to be themselves or to like be silly and like they watch me watch them see me and I didn't stop. And so that's my favorite self is just like really living out what it is to be unapologetically me, to be goofy and silly and yeah to just be human. Like I, you know you alluded or you talked about earlier that you have to be professional or everyone thinks that you have to be professional in this area and especially when you're on social media. And what I enjoy the most is when I can throw on my phone. I very rarely have makeup on my hair is usually greasy and I'm like hey guys this is what's going on you know so that's that those are those moments are my favorite self. Um and that's when I make the the best connections with people too like I yeah and I love the connection and the fun and the silliness it brings into the the community that I'm in.

SPEAKER_01 47:42

So that's it. I can just totally picture you first of all but also I love the juxtaposition of that of like being in the garden and then yeah having casting the early 2000s like a playlist oh my God we're having a nice party with McCarthy Yeah it's nothing whimsical it's like you know it's Daddy Yankee while I'm planting my tomatoes you know like and it's a it's probably a dirty t-shirt with no bra and like you know pajama shorts as I'm dancing and then doing all the things in my subdivision backyard.

SPEAKER_00 48:17

The best I love that for you and for your neighbors.

SPEAKER_01 48:19

I have some rapid fire but one thing I wanted to kind of end on and if there's anything else you wanted to share but just if someone right now listening is feeling that pull but maybe they're still feeling that resistance towards exploring more in-depth their healing journey and their their favorite self ultimately what would you want them to know?

SPEAKER_00 48:40

I would want them to know they can go as fast as the slowest part of them is ready to go and that that's perfect. I would want them to know that there's no blueprint for how to do this. Like you know there's there's advice and there's how other people did it, but there's no blueprint for how you're going to do it. And that's part of the fun if we can let it be fun. And to allow yourself to be like grounded delusion is my favorite thing, you know, like have 10 toes on the ground, you know, even if they're just kind of hovering or like slightly on the ground. But be so delusional about your dreams and about the things that you want and the things that you want for yourself and your family because that is the beginning part of the roadmap. That's all that you need is like delusional dreams with some grounding and knowing that it doesn't have to be fast and it doesn't have to be all at once you know there's things that I'm doing now that I wish I had done or maybe should have done five years ago, but I wasn't ready. I went as fast as the slowest part of me was ready to go. And that for me is being a regulated entrepreneur is being a regulated human being and not being caught up in like the hustle culture of like change and mindset and whatever like no it's okay you you can do this at your own pace and you're not going to miss anything.

SPEAKER_01 49:57

It's so permission giving and I feel like that sums up your personal brand grounded delusion. Yeah I love that for you okay let's do a little bit of rapid fire. Okay so to start breath work or cold plunging breath work morning what's a morning ritual you can't skip cuddles with my dogs what's a belief that you had to unlearn on your healing journey that more was better what's one word your clients use to describe your work love and loving what is your current favorite nervous system reset dancing yes and what's something that you used to resist that you are now fully embracing that I'm fully embracing or maybe stepping into fully embracing I'm stepping into fully embracing the coach the player to the from the player to the coach. So good thank you so much Morgan I've this is I know going to resonate with so many people and I hope that it just yeah gives them another perspective and encourages them to explore more options in their healing journey. Tell us how people can find you what's the best way to connect with you.

SPEAKER_00 51:32

So you're welcome to follow me on Instagram either through the Healing Recovery Center page or through my own personal page at Morgan WeatherApp and um I'll send that info so we can put that in the show notes and you can jump in my DMs anytime. I am a three to four business day response time kind of person, but I will get back to you. And that's how you can find me you can check out our website or come by the clinic we do lots of different events for free and you know community events. So just come pop by, see what it's all about. We would love to connect in real life.

SPEAKER_01 52:04

Yeah yeah definitely check out the upcoming events I'm excited for us to be collaborating on an event very soon by the time this episode goes out it might be behind us but I'm sure there will be more to come so stay tuned for sure. Thank you so much Morgan. Thank you everyone thank you for listening to the Favorite self podcast. If this episode stirred something in you there's a reason for it. You could take a moment to share with a friend someone who's also building something brave that would mean so much to me. Better yet, leave a review. It helps this message reach even more women who are ready to lead differently and before you go remember this your favorite self is already within you waiting to be heard. See you next time