ALCHEMIZING DEPRESSION

TRANSFORM YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR DEPRESSION

What if you could view your depression as health?

What if—instead of seeing your emotional discomfort as evidence of disease—you could view it as information that your body is trying to share with you?

What if your pain held spiritual meaning?

We are steeped in a culture that has taught us that our feelings and emotions are pathological and evidence of disease. We have been taught to distrust and fear of our very bodies.

As a clinical social worker for 20 years, and psychotherapist for 17 years, I noticed that folks who struggle with depression are often the ones who have had the most exposure to clinical mental health care.

I noticed that their depression wasn’t the issue, but their internalization of the heaviness of this program that was causing unhappiness.

Through my own years-long journey with depression, I became even more intrigued and in deeper reverence to it’s potential for healing alchemy.

When we heal the mindset that sees depression as a pathology devoid of meaning or soul, our depression begins to shift.

When we become curious about what our body is sharing with us and imagine that our body is trying to help us, we become open to receiving radically different information.

In this course, we will dive into the mindset and psycho-spiritual work to heal our approach to depression. We’ll also cover the practical tools that will support us in going towards our depression, so that we may transmute it.

As we journey together, you, too, will come to discover that your depression is not a curse, but an incredible and medicinal gift that will change your life for the better.

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF…

  • You've experienced depression, either chronically or more recently in your life

  • You struggle with a harsh critical inner voice

  • You feel stuck and resigned about being depressed

  • You have been labeled “the depressed one” in your family and by clinical providers, but deep down you wonder if you need to play this role lifelong

  • You have had exposure with the clinical model of mental health (through diagnosed or medicated) and feel confined or limited by it

  • You are a clinician, therapist or mental health counselor who is curious to deepen their understanding of depression to work more holistically & spiritually with clients

  • You feel sufficiently grounded & supported to explore & work with your depression in new ways, including feeling resourced to explore the subject of suicidality.  

  • You want to be reoriented around your depression and learn new tools to deepen your healing

  • You have been "doing the work" but still struggle with depression

  • You want to open to your largeness and learn to anchor into your depth

  • You want to cultivate self-compassion

  • You anticipate needing a high level of individual support in working through this material

  • You do not have an outside therapist, guide, or support group who will be able to help you work through any activated parts that arise

  • You aren’t feeling curious, teachable or yearning to grow

  • You are in an acute crisis with your mental health  

THIS COURSE IS NOT FOR YOU IF…

When not judged, depression is a stage called 'awakening.'

—Matt Kahn

THROUGH RECORDED VIDEO TEACHINGS, HANDOUTS with Journal prompts, & guided meditations, we’ll cover…

  • Organic Depression vs. Clinical Culture

  • Initiation & Personal Power

  • Suicide & Other Symbols

  • Pain as Medicine

  • Building Capacity

What’s INCLUDED

ACCESS TO LIBRARY OF 7 potent video teachings COVERING THE ABOVE THEMES

7 accompanying COURSE PDFs with orienting material & journal prompts

3 guided & downloadable audio meditations

Access to all course Materials for 6 months

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OF a new comprehensive SPIRAL MAPPING™ for depression journal (32 pages)

  • "The course material was awesome, the reframing on depression and reclaiming the script of pathology was truly amazing. It brought so much light and hope and space to such a dark, constricted, 'doomed' framework."

    Alchemizing Depression Live Participant, Spring 2023

  • "Thank you so much for such a powerful learning experience. I feel like I wasn't only learning about depression in a new lens, (which was incredibly impactful), I was also given a course in being a deeply authentic, spiritually-led therapist. There seems to be a lot of vapid representations of "healing/healers" these days and you and your work have so much depth, integrity, and authenticity. I loved learning from you."

    Alchemizing Depression Live Participant, Spring 2023

  • "I was beyond grateful that you took us through conversations that, when navigating in the allopathic model, we are either not allowed to have, or when we did have them, were made to feel like we were sick."

    Alchemizing Depression Live Participant, Spring 2023

  • "This course offers a framework that just seems completely missing around depression."

    Alchemizing Depression Live Participant, Spring 2023

  • "The invitation to trust the body inherently and trust that anything that is happening is an attempt to help you, was really important for me."

    Alchemizing Depression Live Participant, Spring 2023

  • "I can remember the largeness, the otherworldly nature of depression, when I come to meet hearts like yours."

    Alchemizing Depression Live Participant, Spring 2023

FAQs

  • This is a pre-recorded course, that is designed for you to move through at your own pace.

    In each module, there is a teaching video recording by Astrid and a PDF with educational materials and journal prompts. There are downloadable audio guided meditations by Astrid

    There is no one-on-one time with Astrid included in this course, but you may reach out to astrid@astridschmidt.com if you need further support.

  • Yes, this course is designed to stretch your imagination and teach you new ways to work with your depression. Always work with your medical provider about medication. This course is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice.

  • Depression is part of the human experience. This course is for you if you want to deprogramming and reorient your approach to depression and explore tools to help support yourself when depressed.

  • Working with a holistic therapist or clinician while navigating this course is highly recommended. If you feel grounded, resourced and curious to explore depression, you can explore this material on your own. If you are unsure if this is a good fit for you at this time, please reach out to at astrid@astridschmidt.com

  • Our culture’s approach to depression is to make it go away. That is not the intention of this course.

    This course is intended to empower you create a container to invite your depression in, have a different conversation with it, and to move towards cultivating the depth of your capacity to be with it. As well as repairing trust with the body. And of course, un-learning the clinical program of pain-as-pathology. This is huge and exciting work!

    That said, there are no guarantees of “results” and we highly recommend working with a holistic therapist or appropriate guide to help integrate the work in this course material.

  • Absolutely! When I held this as a live course there were several psychotherapists who enrolled for training as they were frustrated with the medical model in their mentai health clinics. This course will help enrich your understanding of your clients who struggle with depression and give you fresh insights to inspire your work.

  • During the check-out purchase, you will be prompted to make an account on astridschmidt.com. Please remember the email and password you use to purchase the course/create your account.

    After purchase, you will see a LOGIN button at the top right corner of astridschmidt.com. Enter your email and password here to access your MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT.

    Here, you’ll find all the course materials for you to watch, download and revisit at your own pace.

  • You will have access to the course materials for 6 months from your date of purchase.

  • For any additional questions, please email astrid@astridschmidt.com.

PURCHASE THE COURSE

Alchemizing Depression
$777.00
One time
$175.00
For 5 months

All sales are final and non-refundable. Before proceeding to checkout, please read through the Membership & Cancellation Policy, Privacy Policy and Liability Policy by clicking the hyperlinks.

This course does not constitute group or individual therapy sessions, but rather educational transmissions.