...But, Have You Considered Therapy?

Trigger Warning: This episode contains a detailed description of a sexual assault in the military, as well as the aftermath, and continued harassment of the survivor. This may be difficult for some folks to listen to, so we wanted to give you a warning. We believe this is a powerful and important story, and invite those who can tolerate it to listen. Friend of the pod, Fergie, sits down with Mel to discuss her time in the United States Navy and the incident that would change the course of her life for years after. Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.minorityvets.org/ https://studentveterans.org/

Our producer, Sam, sits down with Mel to discuss the animosity and anxiety around Election Day and what you can do for yourself to prepare.

Friend of the pod, Joel, talks with Mel about his experience with "Sexual Orientation Reparative Therapy" or conversion therapy as you might know it. Joel walks us through what it was like to experience and recover from this traumatic experience. Resources Mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Torn-Rescuing-Gospel-Gays-vs-Christians-Debate-ebook/dp/B0076DFG5S https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1413067/ https://www.waterloocounseling.org/ https://www.sagestudioatx.com/

In this episode, Mel chats with DeLinda Spain, LCSW, about the ways in which our current brand of mental health essentially pathologizes the behavior of trauma survivors. They also discuss the way that this intersects with the current Civil Rights movement, and the way that diagnosis can be helpful, or harmful, depending on how and why it is applied.

Mel sits down with Bri Jenkins, host of The Tea with Bri. Briona discusses quarantine, mental health, and the current civil rights movements, Black Lives Matter. She shares her current experience of what it's like to live through this current time being a queer black woman in Austin. Links Mentioned in this Episode: https://www.theteawithbripodcast.com/episodes https://www.brionajenkins.com/ https://www.measureaustin.org/ https://austinjustice.org/ http://grassrootsleadership.org/ https://allgo.org/ https://thelovelandfoundation.org/ https://btac.blacktrans.org/ https://www.rachelcargle.com/

In this episode, Mel speaks with Lauren Bleu LPC. Lauren shares her experiences from a diverse background working with victims of crime, active duty army, veterans and the Peace Corps. for victim advocacy.

Kayla White, LPC, CCTP joins us again to discuss her new training as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Mel and Kayla discuss the misconceptions and definitions around trauma/Trauma and how it lives in the body. Resources: https://www.pesi.com/ https://www.kaylawhitelpc.com/

Mel and Sam are practicing social distancing for a casual remote discussion on the worldwide trauma that's affecting us all. We discuss our current mental state, best tips for self-care and keeping a health relationship during this chaotic time.

This week Mel calls in with Tracie Pinnock, LMFT. She discusses her practice focused on healing from breakups as well as her own journey and the grieving process. If you've ever gone through a breakup or want to support a friend, listen to this episode for some guided resources in how to handle the grief and healing.

This week, Mel talks with her long-time friend Katie on her experience in therapy after a car accident that left her with PTSD and the experience that paved the way for her to talk about postpartum depression. This is a follow-up to last week's episode looking at the patient side of postpartum depression.

This week, Mel speaks with Ilyse Kennedy about her own therapy experience, and her work with mothers in the peri and post natal spaces. Ilyse discusses postpartum depression, and also the lesser known postpartum anxiety that many mothers experience, and how important it is for a new mother to have a support system in place.

Just in time for that New Years Resolution body messages to die down, Mel talks with Breanne Hull, an Intuitive Eating coach. Breanne talks about her own lightbulb moment, experience with therapy, and how she crafted her Devour Life Academy. Her services are all online - check her out! https://www.breannehull.com/

This week, Mel sits down with Tyler who came to our live show at The Riveter. Tyler discusses what it's like to move to a new city, deal with anxiety, and seek help on his own as a 21-year-old. This episode will instill your faith back in our youth! Links mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-New-Mood-Therapy/dp/0380810336 https://www.centralathlete.com/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

This week, Mel sits down with Vanna Winters. Vanna is a contributor for The Mighty, NAMI, Thought Catalog, Project Heal, and Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness. She chats with Mel about her personal mental health journey and new discovery of Ketamine Infusion Therapy. Social Media Link: www.instagram.com/vanna_writes Non-Profit Link: https://www.findedhelp.com

Neasel Conner, LPC discusses the intersection of mental health, systemic racism, and faith as a person of color. She also discusses the origin story of her practice and her first brush with a panic attack. This is a must-listen for mental health professionals as Neasel gives some sage advice for working with POC clients in the healthiest path forward. Links Mentioned: https://beyondthehappy.com/ https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/

Welcome back listeners! Mel is starting off the year speaking to Jake Wiskerchen who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, National Certified Counselor. Jake hosts his own podcast Noggin Notes and is the founder of Zephyr Wellness in Nevada. He is also apart of Walk the Talk America that bridges the gap between gun safety and the mental health community. https://walkthetalkamerica.org/ https://www.zephyrwellness.org/ https://nogginnotespod.podbean.com/

This week, Mel talks with Jodi Peterson, executive director of the Interfaith Sanctuary homeless shelter in Boise, Idaho. They discuss the unique needs of this population, and the innovative ways in which Jodi and her partners are serving this community.

This week, Mel chats with Intuitive Eating Coach Linda Tucker about Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size, and the differences between life coaching and therapy.

Mel chats with Whitney Goodman LMFT who runs a private practice and co-working space in Miami, Florida. Whitney discusses chronic illness, medical trauma, and how she started a social media following for treatment content. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.thecollaborativecounselingcenter.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit/ https://www.amazon.com/How-Sick-Buddhist-Inspired-Chronically-Caregivers/dp/0861716264 https://thedysautonomiaproject.org/

This week, Mel sites down with friend of the pod, Matt. Matt discusses the intersection of sports and their communities with mental health. You can read more about his journey on the Wahoo Fitness blog: https://blog.wahoofitness.com/ebb-flow-mental-illness-sport/

BHYCT Live Panel Recording: Our show was lucky enough to host a panel at The Riveter's first annual Wellness Summit in Austin, TX. We gathered a panel of past guests including Dr. Han Ren, Lorena Watson, LPC-Intern, and Jennifer Covington, LSSP to discuss diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility in the mental health field. https://theriveter.co/

This week, Mel speaks with Gabi Garcia, a school counselor turned children’s book author who Specializes in books about social-emotional learning in both English and Spanish. https://www.gabigarciabooks.com/

This week, Mel chats with Donna about her diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and what she has learned while coping with it.

This week, Mel sits down with Sascha Biesi, co-owner and executive chef at the vegan bakery Skull and Cakebones. Sascha opens up about her struggle with bipolar disorder and her experience with Electroconvulsive Therapy (formerly known as electroshock).

This week Mel chats with Adam Maurer, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Austin. They discuss Adam’s work around sexual identity, gender identity, and the kink and fetish community as well.

For our one year anniversary, we turned the tables with Mel as the guest. She is interviewed by Sydney, a peer and friend of the pod who appeared in our first two episodes.

On this week's episode, Mel sits down with Katie Winer, LPC to discuss the philosophies of Health At Every Size, and Intuitive Eating. Katie discusses the importance of these philosophies to her own personal journey and talks about how she provides a safe space free from diet culture in her office to promote healing.

On the podcast this week, Mel chats with Taylor about her specialized work with adolescents, and how she incorporates her identity as a Christian into her therapeutic framework. Links Mentioned: www.cctx.org/ www.fostervillageaustin.org/

On this week's episode, Mel sits down with Austin counselor Alex Barnette to talk about people-pleasing: how Alex treats it, and her own personal experience with it. https://www.alexbarnettecounseling.com/

On the podcast this week, Mel talks with author Bethanne Patrick about her experience being diagnosed with "Double Depression", a diagnosis that is not widely discussed. Bethanne explains how receiving the diagnosis was life changing, and how she has gained insight into herself and her diagnosis through therapy.

On this week's episode, Mel chats with Dr. Han Ren about her work with the Asian-American community, and the importance of including people of color in the conversations happening within the mental health community in Austin, and in the broader community as well. Links Mentioned in this Episode: https://www.drhanren.com/ https://www.crisistextline.org/ https://fakequity.com/ https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/ https://nowhitesaviors.org/ https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/viewFile/249/116 (Essay)

On this week’s episode, we’re chatting with Coach JJ from the organization “Depression 2 Extinction” whose mission is to get people, particularly kids and teens, more in touch with their emotions, and to work to destigmatize mental health and end depression. https://www.depression2extinction.org/

On the podcast this week, Mel speaks with K-Lee, an Austin therapist with an impressive resume. K-Lee works with folks battle substance abuse and eating disorders using traditional psychotherapy, yoga, acupuncture, and motivational interviewing. K-Lee participates in multiple forms of therapy herself and discusses the various benefits of those different environments.

On this week's episode, Brandon Jones, founder of Good Society, talks about the integral role that therapy has played in his success. Brandon has done a lot of inner child work that has allowed him to integrate his inner child into his adult identity, which has allowed for a great amount of healing. https://www.goodsociety.com/

On the podcast this week, Mel chats with LCSW Adam MacDonald about his work with attachment and childhood trauma, and clients with Complex PTSD. Adam also discusses Motivation Interviewing, which is an evidence based technique used to help clients find the motivation within themselves to change their behavior.

In this week's episode, Mel speaks with CEO Kaci Kai about the importance and impact of being seen and understood by her therapist and how that helped her to be healthy and successful in her life and relationships. Links: https://www.kravmagaatx.com/ https://www.safeaustin.org/

On this week's episode, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Kristal DeSantis shares her model for strong relationships, and we discuss all the elements necessary for a relationship to be healthy and interdependent. https://www.austinstrongrbc.com/

On the podcast this week, Mel talks with Alicia, a counseling grad student who works in a domestic violence shelter, and who was inspired to become a counselor by her experience with childhood trauma and narcissistic parenting. https://www.safeaustin.org/

On the podcast this week, Mel talks with Albert Bellard, who has been a therapist for 30 years. Albert discusses his many years working with both adolescent and adult sex offenders and the importance of compassion and maintaining humanity in the therapy practice.

On this week's episode, Mel speaks with Phyllis about her illustrious and lengthy career as a therapist. Phyllis has been practicing for 40 years, and has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience that she shares with us in this episode.

On the podcast this week, Mel chats with Tess about her experience using remote/online therapy and the way that it fit into her life. Tess also shares with us some strategies that she has compiled regarding how to begin the search for a therapist. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.talkspace.com/

On this week's episode, Mel speaks with Rowan Hartin, a mental health professional who specializes in career counseling and working with folks who have no idea what they want to do with their lives. Rowan is also educating herself on psychedelic therapy, which is the use of psychadelic substances to enhance therapy in a way that helps people move through trauma. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.rowanhartin.com/ https://amzn.to/2squzUE

On this week's episode, Mel chats with Val, who runs an organization called "Depressed Cake Shop". She is a mental health advocate who combines destigmatization of mental health services and baked goods. Find out more about Depressed Cake Shop and Val: http://depressedcakeshop.com/ https://nami.org/ https://youtu.be/DjYHdDHZw2 https://youtu.be/QifJaZPmWQw http://www.twohundredwomen.com/valerievangalder https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/lifestyle/how-to-fight-depression-with-cupcakes-117804373686.html https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.today.com/today/amp/tdna39736 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/depressed-cake-shop-hits-la-612933

On the podcast this week, Mel talks with Lorena Watson, a mental health professional who shares her history of trauma and abuse, and how that has informed the counselor that she is today. Lorena also discussed the intersection of race, socioeconomic status, and community with mental health, and talks about how and when she brings her Christian faith into the room. TRIGGER NOTE: There is a brief reference to childhood sexual trauma mentioned in this episode. Links mentioned in this episode: https://amzn.to/2LIf2vp https://promisehouse.org/ https://www.instagram.com/whenweheal/ info@lorenawatson.com

On this week's episode, Mel chats with Katie, who recently had a breakthrough with her therapist where she realized that she struggles with alcoholism. Katie discusses how she came to that realization, and how it felt to experience that in therapy. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/

On the podcast this week, Mel speaks with Tricia Blewitt, a sex therapist and PHD candidate in Sexology. Tricia explores the world of sex therapy, debunks some myths, and also talks about her work as a sex positive therapist, and a therapist who works with the LGBTQ community. Links mentioned in this episode: http://www.triciablewittcounseling-sextherapy.com/ https://www.outyouth.org/ https://www.5lovelanguages.com/

On this week's episode, Mel talks with Jess Sprengle, a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in severe eating disorders and her work using intuitive eating principles and DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) Links mentioned in this episode: https://amzn.to/2ZB25Xk https://amzn.to/2f2TFAW https://bit.ly/2GBpYGF https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/ https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thecrankytherapist/

On the podcast this week, Mel chats with a guest who received a diagnosis of herpes, the way that therapy has helped her cope with that reality, and even the ways that she feels grateful for the diagnosis. Link mentioned in this episode: https://www.plannedparenthood.org

On this week's episode, Mel speaks with John about his experience in therapy before and after his separation and divorce. John tells us about new, healthy patterns and behaviors in his relationship that therapy helped him to achieve. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.kravmagaatx.com/

On the podcast this week, Mel talks with Sarah about their experience with a life coach and some of the differences and similarities between therapy and life coaching.

On the podcast this week, Mel chats with Shalyah Evans about her experience with a Panic Disorder and why she believes mental health awareness and advocacy is so important. Plus, a special announcement about the podcast concludes this episode. Links mentioned in this episode: https://www.instagram.com/tmi_totally_mental/ https://www.instagram.com/i_weigh/