We had the good fortune of connecting with Katrina dela Cruz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katrina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Fire Moon Medicines because I wanted to integrate my training in Western psychology and mental health with traditional, ancestral, and energetic healing practices. I spent over a decade as a hospital social worker, honing my clinical skills within a framework where treating physiology was paramount. I wanted my own practice to reflect reverence for the connectivity between the physical body AND the mental, emotional, and spiritual body.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and counselor. I have taught yoga, applied reiki, and guided still and moving meditations. I have been honored to support many through some of the most significant transitions in their lives. I am especially drawn to the beginning and end of life, and the incredible privilege it is to be welcomed to hold space during these times. My offerings through Fire Moon Medicines are the culmination of many years and many lifetimes immersed in the healing arts. Healing does not occur only in the material realm, but in the abstract, on a spiritual level. Contrarily, modern medicine is often practiced in a way that has neglected the essence of our tangible selves- the soul, or Spirit. The basis of my practice is to emphasize the entirety of the human experience. Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic health are all necessary for true wellness. The healing path is best served by many modalities, and it is my mission to be a competent and compassionate vehicle for these services along the journey. I offer 1:1 integrative therapy sessions, including psychotherapy, energy/sound/shamanic healings, herbalism and plant medicine consultations and ceremonies. I also hold group ceremonial, ritual, and healing circles, which I typically offer around the New or Full Moons, and which have also been offered and cultivated for private and corporate events.

My offerings through Fire Moon Medicines are the culmination of many years and many lifetimes immersed in the healing arts. Healing does not occur only in the material realm, but in the abstract, on a spiritual level. Contrarily, modern medicine is often practiced in a way that has neglected the essence of our tangible selves- the soul, or Spirit. The basis of my practice is to emphasize the entirety of the human experience. Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic health are all necessary for true wellness. The healing path is best served by many modalities, and it is my mission to be a competent and compassionate vehicle for these services on your journey.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If someone wanted to visit Topanga Canyon for a week, I would take the opportunity to take them to all of the best nature spots in the area, from Red Rock to Eagle Rock! People don’t realize all of the little gems out here- the Will Geer Theatre, Inn of the Seventh Ray, Corazon, and the best-kept “secrets” of all, the circles and gatherings that take place in people’s homes! On any given weekend you can book yourself up with a number of avant garde offerings, such as plant medicine ceremonies, mushroom foraging trips, and meditation groups!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have had more support and guidance in this lifetime than I have words for, but there are a few human guides who I would like to thank here:

Judy Nelson, an incredible Intuitive (www.judyenelson.com, IG: @judy.nelson.948), taught me how to safely explore and navigate many unearthly realms.

My Kumu Hula, Anna Liza Abuan-McKeon (Kumu Kalauokekupkupu, www.ancienthulaschool.com, IG: @kumuperpetuatehula) reminds me of the spiritual fortitude of the body temple.

My partner, Brando Farr, a private chef, nature guide, forager, and amateur mycologist (IG: @farr_and_wild), helps me remember that working the inner frontier yields the most bountiful fruit.

Website: www.firemoonmedicines.com

Instagram: @firemoonmedicines

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