Open Door Conversations

Welcome back to Episode 14 of Open Door Conversations. Today's topic is titled “I Ain't Angry Because I Express Myself: I Am Not My Emotions.”  In today's episode we cover emotions, particularly the topic of how black women or other women of color are viewed in a negative light whenever there is an emotional expression to unpleasant experiences.  Have you ever felt the weight of fighting against others' perception of you when you have shared how you felt about their behavior, the negative situation, or your unpleasant experience?  What happens when you disagree with or simply have a difference of opinion?  When you express normal discomfort or a healthy sense of disagreement are you often viewed as the “angry black woman?” Well in today's episode we converse about some of our own experiences and hopefully provide validation of these experiences and make note that it is healthy to share your feelings and emotions.  That this is not a sign that ‘you are the problem' simply because you are not always “agreeable.” We talk about the challenge this biased view from others can have on your mental and emotional health and some healthy considerations in navigating these experiences in the workplace and in relationships.  Thanks for listening, reach out with questions or comments.  We hope this episode serves you well!       Highlights from the episode    How does this bias impact one's mental and emotional health? What are some healthy considerations for you to make? Why is it important for you to consider your health and well-being?  Ways you can care for yourself? For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media     *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource only.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, LCSW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

Welcome back to Episode 13 of Open Door Conversations. Today's topic is titled “Mama's Boy: How Have You Shaped Him?”  In today's episode we are covering a conversation on the emotional relationship between a mother and her son and how her parenting style and attachment style impact his emotional health and possibly future relationships.  This is an eye-opening episode, certainly cause for some self-reflection but the door to this conversation is all about love and helping our community heal and lean into more helpful, hopeful, and loving relationships with our children so they have healthy relationships in their future.  We  hope that it is rather informative for you.   Listen in and of course hit us up with your questions or comments.  Thanks for listening!  Highlights from the episode   Relationship between mother and son Do parenting styles create attachment bonds or wounds? Things mom's do that can be unhealthy for his future relationships Can his upbringing stifle his emotional growth How to heal or support   For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media     *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource only.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, LCSW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

Welcome back to Episode 12 of Open Door Conversations. Today's topic is titled “Men Need Love To & It Is Your Biz Sis.”  Today we decided to do a pop up topic based on an IG reel.  Although this was a Podcast clip from another content creator we decided to address the emotional challenges to connection and intimacy in the marital relationship when intimacy is challenged.  Of course we are not condoning unhealthy behavior or habits and yet we are discussing, what are some issues, concerns, or challenges and behaviors that impede intimacy in the context of marriage.  Listen in and of course hit us up with your questions or comments.  Thanks for listening!  Highlights from the episode   What we have learned and why we struggle How important is it to feel emotionally safe  What is needed for emotional connection and what gets in the way causing disconnection How does emotional connection tie into identity The power of touch    For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media   Resources: Books:  “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman “Created For Connection: The “Hold Me Tight” Guide for Christian Couples” by Sue Johnson and Kenny Sanderfer “7 Principles for Making Marriage Work” by John M. Gottman, Ph.D. and Nan Silver   Workshops:  Contact us for information on couples workshop series   *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource only.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, LCSW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

In Episode 11 of Open Door Conversations. titled “Self-Care: Fill Your Cup” We are talking about self-care.  We often hear about the need to engage in self-care and yet so many of us continue to place everything and everyone else above taking care of ourselves.  We're told we are selfish if we take time nurturing our own cup.  In today's episode we open the door on this conversation of self-care and why it is so important for you to take time for yourself.  Listen in, get some ideas and hopefully walk away knowing and trusting that there is nothing selfish about taking care of your own cup.  Hope this conversation blesses you in some way.  Thanks for listening!   Highlights from the episode   What is self-care and why is it important? Examples of self-care  Being unapologetic about caring for yourself  For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media   Resources: ‘Find a Therapist' Websites: Psychology Today, Therapist.com, Goodtherapy.org Social Media: Ask for therapist referrals from groups or your friend list/followers  Google Search: Therapists in my area (by zip code), counseling agencies in my area Local: Contact Catholic/Jewish Charities, Church-based counseling centers     *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource only.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, LCSW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo  

Welcome back to Episode 10 of Open Door Conversations. Today's topic is titled “Deal With Yo Stuff, What Are You Needing to Heal From?” It's not easy to consider how we may be contributing to the challenges in our life and relationships. For some, passing the buck or blaming others may seem easier and yet one of the most rewarding experiences for your life and relationships is ‘dealing with your own issues.'  In this episode we opened the door to discuss just how powerful and courageous you are when you decide to address the behaviors that may be negatively impacting your  life and relationships.   Hope this conversation blesses you in some way.  Thanks for listening!   Highlights from the episode   Learning to recognize your own toxic traits, look in the mirror Healing from your past, addressing maladaptive or toxic behaviors How your community can help hold you accountable  The power, influence, and impact you have when you address your own issues   For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media   Resources: Websites: Psychology Today, Therapist.com, Goodtherapy.org Social Media: Ask for therapist referrals from groups or your friend list/followers  Google Search: Therapists in my area (by zip code), counseling agencies in my area Local: Contact Catholic/Jewish Charities, Church-based counseling centers     *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource only.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, LCSW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo  

Episode 9:  The Therapy Experience   Welcome back to Episode 9 of Open Door Conversations. Today's topic is titled “The Therapy Experience.”  What is therapy like, what should I expect and how in the world do I find a therapist that seems to get me?  These are just a few questions that we sometimes get or hear regarding the therapy experience and so we wanted to offer some tips.  Take a listen to today's episode to hopefully gain some insight into how to find the right therapist for you, questions that may be helpful and options for affordable treatment.  Thanks for listening!   Highlights from the episode   What to expect, what is this experience supposed to be like Planning for the consultation and initial session What are sessions like? How to find the right therapist (right fit, affordability)   For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media   Resources: Websites: Psychology Today, Therapist.com, Goodtherapy.org Social Media: Ask for referrals from groups or your friend list/followers  Google Search: Therapists in my area (by zip code), counseling agencies in my area Local: Contact Catholic/Jewish Charities, Church-based counseling centers,  Questions to Ask Regarding Payment: Do you offer reduced rates?  Do you offer a sliding scale? Do you take my insurance?  Can you provide a super bill (a document that allows for insurance reimbursement)? Do you take FSA/HSA?     *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

Welcome back to Episode 8 of Open Door Conversations. Today's topic is titled “The Way We Parent: Parenting Is More Than Discipline.”  This can sometimes be a controversial topic and yet it is one that shapes the very fabric of our community.  How we parent does have an impact on who our children become, how they see themselves, and how they engage in the world and in relationships.  There are some mental health and relational challenges that can stem from how you were parented and we hope that this discussion and some of the suggestions and or resources shared can be of benefit in helping our community open the door and converse about parenting, maybe even consider working to shift their own style toward a more “loving” one.  Highlights from the episode   Did you adopt your parenting style from your upbringing?  If not, did you change it and why? What are some of the things that impacted you due to how you were parented? What are some of the beliefs in our community around parenting? (Ex: Do you believe that a child speaking up is the same as “talking back” or “freedom of expression?”) Love and logic, parenting is more than discipline and correction   For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media   Resources: Books: Parenting With Love & Logic by Dr. Foster Cline & Jim Fay Positive Discipline for Today's Busy & Overwhelmed Parent by Jane Nelsen, Kristina Bill               & Joy Marchese   Direct Service: Visit you county's website for additional parenting resources Google Search: Search for counseling agencies in your area that provide parenting      seminars/classes     *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.  Now here's a word that is literally present at every turn when you speak about relationships these days.  We wanted to open the door to this conversation on boundaries.  It's probably one of our favorite topics in relation to people being and feeling mentally healthy and it is an absolute NEED for healthy relationships.  So what are boundaries, why are they crucial for you to feel healthy and for you to experience healthy, thriving, supportive, relationships?  Well, welcome to Open Door Conversations, let's talk about it.    Highlights from the episode   Defining boundaries What are various types of boundaries How do you know when you need them How do you implement boundaries, trust us, there are several ways   For more on this topic, hit us on email or follow up on social media Resources: Books: Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend Codependent No More by Melody Beattie Set Boundaries Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource.     Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

Welcome back to Open Door Conversations!  In episode 6, I've been triggered, we are talking about how past experiences create thoughts and behaviors in our personal and relational lives.  Episode 6: I've Been Triggered -What are triggers? - A stimulus such as a person, place, situation, or thing that contributes to an unwanted emotional or behavioral response.  -How our past experiences create triggers -What are learned maladaptive behavior and defense mechanisms to triggers -Identifying your triggers (tree exercise)

Are there any scientists in the listening audience?  When we thought about the amazing process of photosynthesis and how plants and trees convert light energy for use as fuel, we thought about this process's impact on the roots of those living organisms.  So what is fueling your roots?  In this episode we discuss what it means to be rooted and how our roots can possibly impact or have bearing on our current functioning and state of being.  What has fed your roots or what is feeding your roots?  Are they healthy?  If not, how do you work on healing the roots of your life so that the fruit of your life produces healthier outcomes?   Highlights from the episode   What are roots? Unlearning lessons taught by wounded others What does it mean to replant yourself?   *Disclaimer: While we may be recognized as mental health professionals, our topics are in no way a substitute for any listener obtaining the professional support of a mental health clinician in your local area.  Please use this podcast and its content as a resource.   Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, ASW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

In this episode we discuss the impact of our family systems and how dysfunctional patterns can carry into our adult lives and relationships.  How has what you learned from your family system or upbringing helped or challenged aspects of your adult life and/or relationships?    Let's talk about the behaviors, thinking patterns, core beliefs, and how or what you developed from your family or upbringing.      Highlights from the episode   Let's talk about maladaptive or unhealthy behaviors Thinking patterns or beliefs that contribute to our behaviors and outcomes How have you developed as a result of your family system or upbringing   Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo, ASW Email: OpenDoorConvo@gmail.com Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: Open Door Convo

In Part 2 of Daddy Did You Know? A Journal to Fathers; Pastor Martin offers some words of wisdom to both daughters and fathers as well as the father's support network.  He shares his thoughts as well as one of his most famous loving nuggets of wisdom “sometimes you have to love people even when it is difficult.”  He covers some practical advice and considerations for fathers and their support network.  Sit back and get ready to laugh, cry, be encouraged and challenged if you allow; to grow beyond your current place of understanding in this episode of Open Door Conversations.       Highlights from the episode:   A father's support network Hope for future relationships How a father's love shapes their daughters future   A message to all fathers on the need and desire of a fathers presence    Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: OpenDoorConvo

For this episode we were honored to interview Pastor Jasper Martin.  You will want to save, rewind, and refer back to this episode for years to come.  This is a power packed episode, one that will have you thinking and hopefully desiring the journey of change he speaks about.  There's no shame in recognizing where you are versus where you want to be.  This is an episode dedicated to Fathers and the impact they have on their daughters. Though this episode speaks primarily about the father daughter relationship, it also encompasses how the family and community can unite together to support the father daughter relationship.  Sit back and get ready to laugh, maybe cry and certainly be motivated to go on your individual “deliverance” journey in this episode of Open Door Conversations. Highlights from the episode: What does it mean to be a father   What circumstances or challenges impact the father daughter relationship The process of becoming an influential father Steps toward influential fatherhood Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: OpenDoorConvo

Being in an intimate relationship or relationship of any kind can be rewarding and fulfilling.  There are some relationships however where people find themselves questioning their worth, sanity, or compromising their values and when we pull back the curtain, we find that there are negative or challenging influences.  How do you know when those outside influences are the sore spot of your relationship.  How do you know when it really isn't “their stuff” but it is actually your own history, past trauma, or emotional development that is contributing to relational outcomes?  Well we tackle all of that and more in this episode of Open Door Conversations.      Not all things you experience are because of you or something you've done but there are times when we have to accept our part and take responsibility for where things are, even if we have allowed for some behaviors.  There's hope though, we can heal forward.   Highlights from the episode:   The power of self awareness   Implementing boundaries What to do when you realize you are not the cause of others behavior Contact Info: Connect with Fatima Williams and Renata Akinkuowo Instagram: @opendoorconvo Facebook: OpenDoorConvo

Welcome to the first season of Open Door Conversations! This first episode will be an introduction to who we are as your hosts, our vision and mission for this podcast and what to expect from our open door conversations.   My name is Renata and my co host Fatima will open us up with our vision. Vision: To Educate Our Community:  Open Door Conversations provides a pathway to therapeutic resources and interventions for those in our community that may not be able to afford therapy, may be new to therapy, or interested in supplemental mental health support. Mission: Open Door Conversations seeks to educate the black community on navigating mental health issues and its effect on self and our relationships. There will be opportunities for us to respond to questions at the end of each episode.  So email questions or suggested topics to opendoorconvo@gmail.com.