Episode 27: Mariya Punay - Board of Behavioral Sciences Licensure | Bridging Associative Marriage and Family Therapy and Transpersonal Psychology | Sofia University

In this episode, I talk with Mariya Punay.

Mariya is working towards becoming a licensed psychotherapist in California. In our conversation, Mariya speaks to the meticulous process of working on becoming licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) and the many challenges she's faced throughout the process.

She also speaks to the essential need for BIPOC representation in mainstream therapy and mental health treatment to create more accessible treatments for everyone.

Mariya shares how psychedelics found her and guided her to do therapeutic work. We talk about what transpersonal psychology is, how she landed at Sofia University studying for her PhD and how she brings together the mind, body, and spirit in her practice of Associative Marriage and Family Therapy (AMFT).

Finally, Mariya reflects on what her future of practicing Transpersonal therapy looks while serving her community and provides some much-needed advice on loving ourselves and others and reconnecting with nature.

Time Stamps:

(05:31) Valuable organizations to Mariya’s experience - Process Therapy Institute, her company One Brilliance

(07:44) An overview of becoming licensed through the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to practice psychotherapy legally in California 

(25:10) The essential need for BIPOC representation in the therapy community and how her identity coming from a military family and animistic cultural background influences her therapeutic practices

(46:58) How psychedelics found Mariya and guided her from studying geography to psychotherapy and pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology (concentration in AMFT) and then a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University

(1:07:08) What is Transpersonal Psychology and how Mariya sees it coming together with counseling and therapy

(1:24:57) Mariya’s future in psychedelic therapy - serving her God children and her community

(1:31:43) Mariya’s final advice - “you have to keep it going, keep it flowing”

Links:

Crown and Chakra Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/613FdzlTX7ytd8Rl4M2mSO?si=3f8f8b2bee674ed0

Sofia University PhD Transpersonal Psychology: https://www.sofia.edu/courses/phd-in-transpersonal-psychology/

Website and Socials: https://linktr.ee/themariyakatrinabeing

Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/mariyakatrina

Email: MariyaKatrinaPunay@gmail.com

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