Animism is a belief system grounded in the knowledge that we are in relationship with other-than-human beings–whether plants, substances, behaviors, land, ancestors, or spirits.
This perspective invites a shift in how we understand addiction: not as a personal failing, but as a relational dynamic that exists on a spectrum of impact and consequence. Rather than isolating addiction within individuals, this view emphasizes the broader web of relationships that contribute to both suffering and healing.
We will examine how dominant socio political narratives–rooted in individualism, capitalism, and supremacy–have framed addiction as a character flaw, moral failing, or individual brain disease. In contrast, earth-honoring and interrelational traditions offer alternative understandings that can be deeply supportive for those in recovery, especially for people of the global majority.
Grounded in a harm reduction philosophy, this workshop recognizes the limitations of siloing behaviors and substances in addiction recovery and treatment. Instead, we explore integration, context, and wholeness.
We will address how the criminalization of drug use and the underdiagnosis of mental health issues within these communities have contributed to cycles of self-medication, dependency, and systemic marginalization with limited access to care and resources for recovery and healing.
Ultimately, this workshop is an invitation to broaden our perspectives and honor the relational, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of healing from addiction.
Participants in this workshop will learn and grow their understanding of:
- Normative models of addiction, their underlying assumptions, and how they perpetuate oppression and marginalization of BIPOC communities.
- Beliefs, values, norms, and expectations that impact treatment delivery and effectiveness.
- Practical approaches and applications to bring animist, earth-honoring, and relational perspectives into their work with clients.
- Addiction recovery through the lens of anismistic, relational, and multicultural perspectives.
- How psychedelic medicines have been used to treat addiction from a western clinical perspective and from decolonial and indigenous ceremony and ritual.
- The historical context and ongoing impact of the ‘War on Drugs’ on addiction treatment
Elizabeth Hoke, LMFT is the Clinical Director of Liberation Institute in Portland where she supervises and provides psychoeducational trainings and workshops. Elizabeth offers psychotherapy and community support at PNW-ADHD Clinic. She co-facilitates ketamine assisted psychotherapy sessions at Rainfall Medicine. She also co-facilitates psychedelic integration recovery focused support groups at Portland Psychedelic Society and The Rhizome. She co-created the Entheogen Assisted Psychotherapy and Integration Training Series for licensed professionals at Lewis & Clark college in the fall of 2021. Elizabeth is a member of Weaving Bridges Natural Fellowship and helped create the psilocybin facilitator training program which educates individuals interested in becoming psilocybin assisted facilitators licensed by the state of Oregon.
Julio Iniguez, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist in New Jersey and Oregon. He completed a Master’s degree in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy from Lewis & Clark College in 2014 and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine in Cognitive Psychology in 2004. Julio has experience with direct service counseling in agencies, program development and management, as well as clinical supervision of direct counseling staff. He brings a systemic, culturally-informed, and trauma-informed perspective to the services he provides as a therapist, clinical supervisor, program administrator and educator. Julio is adjunct faculty at Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling where he teaches about Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. He currently practices in Bloomfield, New Jersey where he works with individuals and couples providing somatic experiential therapy and ketamine assisted therapy.