MY APPROACH
As mortals, we’re all going to die. I believe that embracing this fact, rather than avoiding it, can help us live more meaningful lives.
A growing number of researchers and healthcare professionals agree: the body, mind, and spirit are not separate, but rather parts of an interconnected whole.
While I’ve been a licensed clinical social worker since 2005, I’ve come to see that traditional talk therapy can only get a person so far. Likewise, while I respect the DSM, I believe that diagnoses can be somewhat limiting for those looking to do deep, spiritual inner work and explore the big existential questions of their lives.
Your pain makes sense. Rather than label you with a diagnosis, my goal is to help you understand how your past may have contributed to your current suffering and give you the space to heal from your pain and move forward.
As a lifelong learner, I’ve spent the last two decades exploring the intersection of psychology, yoga, sound healing, death studies, and psychedelic integration. My sessions with clients typically include a few, if not all of these modalities.
Choose Your Own Healing Adventure
In supporting you during a challenging time in your life journey, I draw on my clinical training experience in Western psychology, my extensive knowledge of yoga, and my reverence for the wisdom of our ancestors.
Learn more about my therapeutic modalities below.
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Sound Healing
Sound healing is more than a soothing experience—it's a research-supported modality that offers measurable benefits for the mind and body.
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Yoga Therapy
Yoga therapy is a holistic, body-centered approach that weaves together breath, movement, mindfulness, and emotional awareness.
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Psychedelic Integration Therapy
Psychedelic integration therapy is not about the substance—it’s about the story that unfolds after.
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Thanatology
Rooted in the study of death, dying, and bereavement, thanatology invites us to reflect on our mortality not as a morbid exercise, but as a powerful motivator for conscious living.
Through yoga, psychedelic integration, and grief work, Ken Breniman helps others navigate life’s transitions with deep presence and ancestral wisdom. Grounded in science, ritual, and the cycles of nature, his approach honors the full spectrum of human experience. This is a journey of remembrance, healing, and awakening to the sacred in every moment.
Welcome to Mindfully Mortal
SOUND HEALING
Sound healing is more than a soothing experience—it's a research-supported modality that offers measurable benefits for the mind and body. Studies have shown that sound baths can significantly reduce stress, improve sleep quality, decrease pain perception, and even lower blood pressure and heart rate variability—key indicators of nervous system regulation (Goldsby et al., 2017).
Using instruments such as metal and crystal singing bowls, gongs, chimes, and tuning forks, sound baths create layered frequencies that gently shift the brain into meditative states like theta and alpha waves. These non-ordinary states of consciousness can open pathways to insight, emotional release, and spiritual reconnection.
Whether integrated into a larger therapeutic process or experienced as a standalone practice, sound healing invites you to pause, listen deeply, and attune to your body’s wisdom. It can serve as a gentle entry point for trauma-sensitive healing, grief work, or psychedelic integration—supporting the nervous system while expanding self-awareness.
I am trained in both evidence-based and soul-centered practices and my sound healing offerings are grounded, intentional, and welcoming. You don’t need to “do” anything—just arrive, lie back, and let the vibrations meet you where you are.
For a deeper understanding of how sound can support your healing journey, explore my educational YouTube video.
YOGA THERAPY
Simply put: yoga + therapy = balance. Yoga therapy is a holistic, body-centered approach that weaves together breath, movement, mindfulness, and emotional awareness. Long before the term “somatic psychology” existed, yoga was already helping people heal—physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Today, a growing body of research confirms what ancient practitioners knew: yoga therapy can reduce anxiety and depression, improve nervous system regulation, decrease chronic pain, support trauma recovery, and enhance overall quality of life (van der Kolk, 2014; Streeter et al., 2012). But beyond the science, yoga therapy reconnects you with your own inner wisdom—the part of you that remembers how to breathe, feel, and heal.
In my work, I combine yoga, clinical insight, and deep listening to create personalized sessions that meet you where you are—whether you’re seeking emotional balance, physical relief, or spiritual reconnection. Our one-on-one work is not about perfect poses—it’s about attuning to your body’s language and learning how to listen with kindness.
In addition to private sessions, I offer two ongoing Zoom classes designed to help you feel more grounded, more embodied, and more like you. These classes are accessible, trauma-informed, and infused with a blend of compassion and intentionality.
Yoga therapy is not about fixing you. It’s about remembering you’re already whole—and supporting you in returning to that truth, one breath at a time.
PSYCHEDELIC INTEGRATION
In June 2019, Oakland became one of the first U.S. cities to decriminalize entheogenic plant medicines—marking a cultural shift toward reimagining our relationship with altered states. As a therapist, thanatologist, and longtime advocate for cognitive liberty, I am honored to be part of a growing movement offering safe, ethical, and non-judgmental support for those exploring psychedelic healing.
Psychedelic integration therapy is not about the substance—it’s about the story that unfolds after. Research consistently shows that preparation and aftercare are crucial for meaningful, long-term benefits from psychedelic experiences (Gorman et al., 2021). Integration involves processing insights, grounding emotions, navigating grief or trauma that may surface, and weaving new awareness into daily life.
Drawing from my background in yoga therapy, grief work, and ancestral wisdom traditions, I offer a holistic and trauma-informed approach that honors each person's pace and path. Whether you're seeking clarity after a profound journey or preparing with intention, integration can support psychological resilience, spiritual connection, and emotional healing.
Psychedelic work isn't always easy—but it can be deeply transformative with the right support. To better understand what integration looks like and how it might serve your healing, I invite you to watch this brief YouTube video that introduces my approach and what to expect.
THANATOLOGY
Thanatological work isn’t only for those at the end of life—it’s for anyone longing to live with more authenticity, clarity, and courage. Rooted in the study of death, dying, and bereavement, thanatology invites us to reflect on our mortality not as a morbid exercise, but as a powerful motivator for conscious living.
Research shows that engaging with death awareness can improve psychological well-being, increase life satisfaction, and foster pro-social behaviors such as compassion and gratitude (Yalom, 2008; Koole & Van den Berg, 2005). By facing death, we often discover what truly matters most in life.
As a thanadoula, I walk alongside individuals and families through this sacred terrain—facilitating honest conversations, honoring grief as a teacher, co-creating meaningful rituals, and empowering informed choices about end-of-life care. Whether you're navigating anticipatory grief, exploring spiritual questions, or simply yearning for a more values-aligned life, this work is an invitation to be more fully human.
Thanatological support is about more than dying well—it’s about living well, with intention, empathy, and grace. My goal is to nurture a death-positive culture, where we meet the end not with fear, but with dignity, presence, and even wonder.