American Documentary

Overview

Integrate.Me tells the story of how, after living with severe PTSD symptoms for more than 15 years, I transformed life and relationships through entheogenic therapy. My purpose in creating the film is to bring the audience into conversation with the idea that we are the source of our healing and entheogenic therapy can activate the healer within.

I had to face, accept, and process a lot of pain during the making of Integrate.Me. Without self-compassion, I wouldn’t have been able to get past my pain and invite others into healing with me. While the director’s cut of the film includes brief shots of my bare chest, the version of the film airing on PBS has been edited to obscure part of my chest due to misogynist and transphobic regulations concerning what constitutes indecency on broadcast television. This chilling of speech further underscores the importance of one of the film’s primary messages: the human form is an expression of love. In a world in which governing institutions extort the covering and shaming of femme and trans bodies, each of our bodies becomes the sacred earth in which the truth of our infinite and inherent worth must spring forth. Integrate.Me is an invitation, especially to people from the queer and trans communities, to consider this work seriously for themselves and in community with their loved ones.

As a queer and trans survivor of childhood trauma, my experience of lack of inclusion in entheogenic healing circles made me realize the best way I could advocate for LGBTQ++ inclusion and visibility would be to share my story. I hope viewers will connect with my healing journey as I witness and celebrate the aspects of my queer and trans experience I once found so difficult to embrace and share.