Traumatic Transformations with Gunjani Patel

In this episode Kristen and I discuss -  - Mental illness and stigma associated with, - How she recovered from her own Post Partum Depression and Grief & loss of her sister who died by suicide. - Tips and things that helped her recover from it.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Kristen at www.lightingtheshadows.org or find her on Facebook & IG @lighting.the.shadows. Kristen Laursen - Lighting The Shadows portrays what I am very passionate in my personal life: taking something originally dark and scary (a mental illness, an emotional challenge, feelings of shame/self hate, grief/loss, etc) and transforming it into something enlightening, empowering, and purposeful. I believe that God can take any challenge we face, any brokenness, and transform it into something even better than before the trauma. I know He has done this in my life. When I lost my sister to suicide, the grief was insanely painful. Afterwards, I battled several bouts of depression and anxiety that progressed while I was pregnant to suicidal ideation and psychosis, where I was so lost in the darkness that I lost sight of reality. Through medication, therapy, music, poetry, faith, EMDR, adequate sleep and exercise, and learning how to love myself and give myself compassion, my life completely transformed to being stuck in a big, dark pit of despair to feeling real gratitude and joy for life in all of my cherished roles as mom, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. Where I once had severe anxiety around public speaking, now I faced my fears and joined my local toastmasters club where I won first place in a second level speech competition just months after joining. I now have much more understanding and compassion towards those who have faced mental battles, my concept of God and Love have become more solidified, and I feel that my life, and each life, has so much purpose!

In this episode Jillian and I discuss -  - How unresolved can wreak havoc on your body due to activated stress response. - What is sound healing and how it can help  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Jillian at joypointclinic.com or find her on Facebook & IG @joypointclinic Jillian Rifkind is an acupuncturist and bodyworker who works with the organs and sound healing to help sensitive people overcome trauma using sound healing to cleanse the energy field and address unresolved emotions in the organ systems.

In this episode Win and I discuss -  - What Cerebral Palsy is, emotional abuse by family members and her recovery and healing journey.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Win Kelly Charles Podcast host of Ask Win, Win Kelly Charles, has Cerebral Palsy and her mission is to help others with physical and mental disabilities to find their voices through written or spoken word, using today's assistive technologies as needed.  

In this episode Jennifer and I discuss -  - Her car accident, living in constant chronic pain, divorce and how she recovered from it all  - Practical tips to overcome it and the stress cycles to living a balanced harmonious life - Breaking the patterns and cycles of the past Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Jennifer at www.drjennifershaw.com or find her on IG @naturalwellnesstips Dr. Jennifer Shaw has been in the health and wellness field for over 17 years. She is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a keynote speaker for a billion dollar international health and wellness company and a sought after yoga instructor with expertise in anatomy, alignment, and injury prevention. She helps her clients and customers break free of overwhelm through the creation of simple, sustainable healthy habits and essential oils. She is passionate about this subject because in 2009 she was struck by a car while riding her bike and lived through 8 months of pain pills, followed by years of chronic pain. She uses her journey back to thriving as the base of support for those she helps.

In this episode Nancy and I discuss -  - 10 resilience skills you can learn from someone who survived rape, cancer, and other life's challenges.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Nancy Lucas on IG @nancy__lucas Nancy Lucas evolved naturally into her Mindset | Business Developer posture during her 25+ years as a multi-faceted Entrepreneur, while paralleling as a professional equestrian. The ethics and tenacity it takes to be a national-level athlete, and years of coaching, mentoring, as well as public speaking, had created a set of skills that she has been able to exhibit in the Digital Space. Nancy specializes in helping women build a stronger Business, during difficult or adverse times; economic, personal, or otherwise. Success through mindset and business development based on years of experience and timeless proven principles.  

In this episode Dr. Krause and I discuss -  - How stress impacts your mind, body, and brain - Everyday simple strategies to manage stress in your life Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Dr. Krause at doctorjkrause.com or find her on social media @drjanninekrause Dr. Jannine Krause is an acupuncturist, naturopathic doctor and host of The Health Fix Podcast. Her mission is to help ladies sleuth out their health issues to make health, fitness & nutrition a breeze. She's been in practice for over 13 years and helped hundreds of ladies work through what's holding them back from getting the health they desire!

In this episode Pratibha and I discuss -  - Strategies she used to build resilience to overcome an abusive childhood - Breaking the patterns and cycles of the past Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Pratibha at www.pratibhadey.com  or find her on social media @pratibhadey. Pratibha Dey is a visionary, author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, teacher, and the founder of Chai Together LLC. Pratibha has overcome numerous adversities in the South Asian culture. Her academic background is in Interpersonal Communication and Education. She's an advocate for women, children, and the elderly on her show Chai Together where she advocates for mental health and physical well being. Her upcoming book is entitled, “Resiliency: A Woman's Journey From Scarcity to Success.”  

In this episode Jonathan and I discuss -  - Grieving the loss of his sister to a sudden accident and a daughter to cancer - Tools he used that helped him move forward Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Jonathan at https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.agin.9 or find him @jonathanagin Jonathan Eric Agin, JD, is the Executive Director/CEO of PREP4Gold Childhood Cancer Foundation. Jonathan became involved in the childhood cancer community following the diagnosis of his daughter Alexis at the age of two in 2008 with the fatal brain cancer known as DIPG. Alexis battled heroically for thirty-three months until January 14, 2011. Jonathan is a licensed attorney and a former civil defense trial lawyer from Washington, DC. He resides in Falls Church, Virginia, and has four children, Alexis (1-31-06 to 1-14-11), Gabriel age 11, Trevor age 7, and Kylie 5 years.

In this episode Yasna and I discuss -  - IVF & struggles families can go through IVF treatments  - Healing through IVF struggles (what modalities she used to heal) - How people can support and some resources Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Yasna @ivfgotyoubabe on IG & FB.  Yasna is a British born So-Cal girl that loves everything Indian and Hip-Hop. I married my best friend at 24 and quickly succumbed to the lifestyle of being married, working 40 plus hours a week, and fulfilling my daughter-in-law's duties. My husband, Ketan and I knew right away that we wanted to have children. Little did we know that God had other plans for us. Sometimes motherhood isn't always as easy as it seems. No one ever talks about the struggle of becoming a parent. Our vision of having a family of our own had been shattered with expensive fertility treatments, mental breakdowns, emotional stress, financial struggles, and many sacrifices. This whole journey has been an experience that we will never forget. We have endured a lot of heartache over the last ten years, but we have come out so much stronger.

In this episode Skip and I discuss -  - His passion as a physician and someone who suffered from depression to reduce stigma against it especially among men who do are less likely to seek help.  - Practical tips to overcome it - Breaking the patterns and cycles of the past Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling here is a free gift from me - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. I also invite you to join my private FB community - Traumatic Transformations: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Skip at https://wrestlingisnotforwimps.com/ or find him on Facebook & Twitter @SkipWNW Donald G. “Skip” Mondragon II, MD, has practiced Internal Medicine for over thirty years. He is a 26-year Army veteran, National Veterans Wrestling Champion, speaker, and self-proclaimed amateur wrestling aficionado. Skip and his wife, Sherry, have five adult children, four grandchildren, and reside in Midlothian, Texas. He is the author of Wrestling Depression Is Not For Wimps! Lessons Learned from an Amateur Wrestler's Fight to Triumph Over Depression.

Traumatic Transformation with Gunjani Patel Introduction Welcome to my podcast Traumatic Transformations where we help you find hope peace and purpose after a big life change or dramatic event. I'm your host Gunjani Patel and I'm a licensed mental health therapist trauma specialist neuroscience nerd. Join me as I dive deep into resiliency post-traumatic growth and normalize mental health to reduce the stigma associated with it. In each episode, I plan to deliver science-backed actionable tips and strategies so you can take back control over your life and be inspired to be the best version of yourself with each day forward. Tune in every Tuesday for a featured guest and every Thursday for a solo episode with me where we unpack mind-body brain and spirit connections related to each episode with the featured guest. Just a quick disclaimer before we begin today the purpose of this podcast is to inform you, educate you, and raise your awareness. It is not intended to replace any medical advice or professional help-seeking that you may need. Please use this information wisely and any opinion that I cast is not to replace any medical advice. Before we start today I just wanted to ask you a favor if you like what you hear today don't forget to subscribe so you never have to miss an episode thank you so much. And if you rate and review it would really help us with the algorithm and people can easily search the show if they would like to. I would really love to hear your feedback and what you have to say so I can bring you the content that's most fit for you thank you so much. In this episode, we have with us Ayelet Schwell, a doula, speaker, and educator for mothers and work professionals. I especially love that she's joining us because she's a true New Yorker at heart. She was born in Brooklyn, New York but is now residing in Israel with her family. I'm really excited to have you here. Over the 16 years of working in perinatal care, she has used her experience knowledge, and intuition to guide mothers as they create their own positive powerful burst stories. Thank you and welcome to the show Ayelet so happy to have you here. Speaker 1 (Gunjani Patel) - 3:24 mins I just want to talk about some of that rough and the suffering and that adversity part of your life and then what you learned from it and what made you who you are today? Speaker 2 (Ayelet Schwell ) - 4:07 mins I had my first son born in a hospital in New Jersey which made me realize that what I needed in order to just do my birth thing was to be left alone. In my second birth, my husband and I came to the realization that for us having our baby at home would be the best thing. It was amazing it was exactly what I wanted. It was the beautiful birth of my daughter. Then we picked up and moved halfway across the world to Israel. And I was pregnant with my third at the time and I did my doula training after that home birth when I realize like women need to know what's out there and I want to be able to support people in that process. We didn't find our place right away after we moved to Israel. I was 30 weeks pregnant when we arrived where we were when I had my baby. All I needed then was a midwife. I got some recommendations and I give this woman a call. We didn't hit it off per se but she sounded good. Throughout my prenatal care with her, I just kept having these weird red flags about our relationship. But I pushed into the side because I'm not going to give birth in the hospital. 7:48 mins: When I went into labor the first time, she drives out to me and the minute she walked in the door the contractions stopped. A few days later my contractions started again and she came out and my contractions stopped. I can tell you that I think that my brain was like no we're just gonna trust this person, and my body was like no I don't trust this person. It shows how much we care and how intelligent our bodies are. After a very long stop and start kind of laboring session she checked everything, and everything was fine, She said to me I think that the next time your contractions start up again you should just go to the hospital because all this start and stops labor isn't good for the baby. I asked her if the baby's okay? She said the baby's heartbeat is fine but it's really not safe and I think you should go have the baby in the hospital and then she left. My husband and I talked it out and I said I guess our only option is to go to the hospital. The next day we decided we would go and check out the hospital. And then my contractions started again. And my mom had arrived to be with me for the birth. She said I don't think you're making it to the hospital because we were a good 45 minutes from the hospital. So she called the midwife without really talking to me. I just wanted to stay home but nobody was there I didn't have a doula. I had my husband who doesn't know any better and my mother but she didn't know any better. So they call the ambulance and my son was born in the ambulance. I did give birth to him in the ambulance kneeling which is my preferred position for birthing and I did catch him myself, which could have been a very emotionally positive experience. But for me, it just felt like nobody was there for me and I had to do this myself. The midwife had ridden with us in the ambulance and she just sat on her hands the whole time and was like calling things out to me. Speaker 1 (15:11 mins): I think it's time to trust your intuition. All the red flags from the very beginning about any question all that is going to be involved in your birthing process. You said earlier that you had red flags going but you pushed them away. Your intuition or your higher power or your gut feeling whatever you call it Mamas or men who are there for their partners absolutely follow your intuition because it is telling you and warning you from heads up from the get-go do not ignore it. Speaker 2 (16:08 mins): So I was left with these feelings of I had been abandoned, unheard but more than it was how could I let that happen? It was only a lot of shame. I should have known better. When they gave me my son and he was fussy and he wasn't nursing and they were like do you want us to take him to the nurse here? I was like no I'm fine, he doesn't need anything. When we finally got a room to ourselves, he was totally fussy. It occurred to me that he also went through something and I don't know how I knew that at the moment it was a very strong mother intuition. I remember leaning back against the bed and I popped him up facing me on my knees and I just looked him in the eyes and we had a conversation. He was just speculating and talking. Speaker 1 (17:39 mins): I am very big on conscious parenting. I don't think denying anything heals anything. I think addressing, coming to terms with it, and communicating about it is a healthier way to go about then let's act as nothing happened. Speaker 2 (18:01 mins): One of the major aspects of what creates a trauma is not being able to talk about it, the isolation, and the shame of not being able to speak. So it was more visceral for him at that point I gave him an opportunity to talk it out and then he really calmed down we talked about it. Then he calmed down and I put him on the breast, he started nursing right away. And it was beautiful. But all in all, I felt really let down, unheard, powerless. It felt like that I had been put through something that I did not expect.  Speaker 1 (19:12 mins): It just sounds like you went through a traumatic birth and a lot of women go through that and do not even recognize that's even happening. Sometimes we don't know because we go through so many hormonal changes, all these changes going on in our bodies and our brains. I'm really big on how intelligent our body is and how it tends to hold on to some of the things that we intuitively know, ignore and then store in our bodies it has a way of keeping score. I really think our body knows certain things that we don't and we shouldn't not pay attention to the signals and those red flags are those things that they're trying to tell. I think it's good to be prepared so we're not caught and get blindsided by it but I don't think living in that stress and reliving it over and over helps either. Speaker 1 (20:14 mins): What did the healing part of your journey look like? And What would you tell my audience if they were to go through something? What would you recommend from your expertise? Speaker 2 (20:27 mins): I made a decision after he was born and I was not going to go back to birth work because clearly I'm not meant to be a doula. Then I found out that I was pregnant again it was this mad rush to clear those emotions before I came to this birth. I would say if you're listening to this and you recognize some of the feelings, not the same experience. My story is different than your story. For you, it might have been not being able to get the epidural when you expected to have one and it might be having an unexpected or emergency C. Section, it might have been forced into being into having an induction. It could be whatever it was for you but those feelings coming away from that feeling unheard, bullied, abandoned ashamed. Speaker 1 (21:26 mins): Thank You for saying that because we don't as a society acknowledge emotions, we think that's weak, we think it'll go away, let's think ourselves out of it and all these different things that we feel. We're meant to be strong, women are super moms get over it that's the language we tend to normally have and I think that's one of the biggest reasons why I am on this journey of this podcast is because I absolutely want to normalize when we talk about certain things we empower people going through it. If we as a society are emotionally intelligent we focus so much on intelligence intellect, I think it's just as important to acknowledge that emotions exist just because you're a man or just because you're a super mom doesn't mean that you don't feel. They're just our alert system of letting us know there is something wrong or right, acknowledge it, go through it, process it, and let go or otherwise we tend to store it and it causes all this havoc in our bodies brains minds spared everything. Speaker 2 (22:27 mins): We definitely hold on to it and it stays and it comes out when we don't want it to in the form of all kinds of things like triggers in flashbacks and bad dreams and decisions made from fears. If you hold on to those emotions, you hold on to that trauma, it will come out. Don't wait to make space for your healing, at some point I'd love to talk a little bit about the birthing our stories workshop which is my offerings but there are other modalities of birth trauma processing and just find the one that works that seems right to you and do it I'm speaking to the mothers and the fathers. The partners you are in a really unique situation as the partner during the birth experience. You're playing 3 roles: You're the partner of this woman who you love You are the father of this child being born You're an outside observer In these 3 roles, you are having this experience that is vastly different from the experience that the woman who's giving birth is having and that experience has its own validity and you also should make space to process it. But don't deny. They can bring you closer to your partner, they can bring you closer to your children, and really give you back that sense of power for yourself. The same things that a woman, a birth giver can gain from the healing of birth trauma, a partner can gain as well. Speaker 1 (25:38 mins): I think we had talked about that in our brief conversation that men are just as important and actually there is research that one in 10 men go through postpartum depression and we don't talk about them but it is a thing. Their depression comes out in different ways because just as it is an identity change for a woman, we become a woman to a mom that's a big change in itself. From one kid to the next time it's still a big change because now you're a mother of 2 and that in itself is up balancing and juggling 2 kids, 3 kids, 4 kids that's a big change. Just like that, it's a big change for the father too and I don't think that should be dismissed just because he's there it's not just he's a sperm donor. His emotions and his partnership in that experience are just as valid. Men feel emotions it's just that they don't express it as easily or they don't talk about it but there are all these things that they go through as well and it's important that there's a piece of awareness around it. Speaker 1 (26:55 mins): Tell me a little bit about the or workshop, The Birthing workshop you did mention. I want to talk about it because I know that you have so much to say about it so I want to give it some time. Speaker 2 (27:29 mins): I had this amazing healing experience and I felt so much better and I had to break it down and I started to be willing to tell people that I was a doula again people would immediately launch into their stories in the worst possible environments. On the playground, grocery store, walking down the street, in the weirdest most random places where people would tell me their story. It just felt like women heard that I'm somebody who will listen, who knows what birth looks like, and please listen to me because I have the story that nobody else will listen to. Speaker 1 (28:38 mins): That in itself is very healing, that's what happens in therapies. I think it's so important to have a good relationship with your doula just like you need a good relationship with your therapist. Even with your midwife or any professional that you find it's really important to have a good relationship with your professional that you decide to go with because if they're not the right fit they could really traumatize you and cause you more hurt and harm. Speaker 2 (29:31 mins): After this happened a whole bunch of times, I went home and my husband and I sat down and I said Yorum I have to talk about this because people need a place to tell their stories and I need a place where I can help them through their story. I really need to be able to sit with them and I said what how can I do this. So I talk some things out and came to this idea of this workshop and my fourth is 9 years old so almost 8 years ago when we had this conversation and I've been running these workshops ever since. It's the opportunity to tell your story without being said, to be heard by myself who's been there and knows birth inside and out in so many different variations to be heard by 3 other women who have gone through birth that they came also to process. Then to have the opportunity to walk back through that story and answer questions that you've been holding on to, find the moments of power in your story, validate the feelings that you have been feeling since it happened but everybody kind of told you don't worry at least you and your baby are alive and therefore you should just be grateful. I give you that space to feel those feelings and to know that they're real. And ultimately to release the trauma that you've been holding. The reason I call birthing our stories is it's the opportunity to give birth to the story. This is a part of your life story but when you're in this trauma feeling it's like that chapter is still open. If you're the hero of your story there's no closure. Speaker 1 (32:35 mins): If it still gets you emotionally charged when you are narrating the story it's still traumatic. You are really healed when you feel heard when you feel validated when you feel empowered when you feel strength, when you feel the power again after being through something so difficult that nobody else thought was difficult because trauma is neither the hope nor the beholder. This experience is entirely a very healing and soothing process that gets you to the other side. Speaker 1 (33:17 mins): Tell us a little bit about where people can find you and give me 3 advice that you would give to women or partners as a part of the birthing experience if they are expecting what it would be just from your experience.? Speaker 2 (33:44 mins): Number one is that the outcome and the experience are 2 different things. You can be grateful and joyful that you are alive that you and your baby are here to tell the tale, you can be joyful in every moment of your child's life and still feel grief about your birth experience. The second thing I would say is human beings are infinitely resilient. We have the ability to overcome anything and here's the best part babies are also human. They can overcome anything. Speaker 1 (36:12 mins): They overcome if we are conscious parents as a result of that. They go through their hardships too but a lot of times one of my big things in maternal parenting is that it's okay if your baby sees that you're rack. We role model so much of our behaviors babies learn not by what we say but by what we do and act. It's so important that if you have our big feelings and show them that it's okay to have big feelings but then talk about it and manage those big feelings and apologize and amend those feelings that make for a very healthy emotionally intelligent positive kid. We need to be able to discuss these things and emotionally adapt to those things and heal and it addresses it as opposed to just deny it and act like it didn't happen. The whole resiliency thing is so important. They do get over it but just being involved with them in this process is just as important. Speaker 2 (39:09 mins): My third is to do it for your children, process and heal and come to a positive understanding of giving birth for the sake of your children for the sake of your daughters. Making birth better is about women being heard, about the medical system, trusting women's intuition having an understanding of birth is a physiological process and not as pathology and healing from your birth experience, finding your power is what is going to change birth for all human beings. Speaker 1 (40:24 mins): I feel that we as a society could break the cycles that our parents didn't inadvertently know but do and we're going to do the same but if we are informed through it we can raise a community of people and we can leave a nation of people for our kids and their friends and their cousins and the nation that they are living and residing in to be much kinder healed and peaceful. In order to break those cycles so that, we pass on some of our dramas and depression. Whether we like it or not depression anxiety and PTSD is genetically predisposed to it from our parents. So if they weren't treated or even diagnosed for it we got it and then somehow some of the things in our lives that happened triggers it and then we live in it, we experience in it and if we don't heal from it we don't learn better-coping skills and adapting to it, we don't feel healed so ourselves and body still carry those messages and then we act out in ways that we wish we didn't. Whether it's anger or whether it's shaming others whether it's being judgmental or any kind of addiction or any other abandonment that we pass on to our future generation. It's really important that we work for our children to be better people. Speaker 1 (42:28 mins): Tell us a little bit about where can people find you? I'm going to have all that information in the show notes but just so I know. Speaker 2 (42:38 mins): There are 2 different free resources that I'd love to offer. One is if you're currently pregnant or thinking about trying to conceive and you're thinking about all this and saying what can I do to have a positive birth, I have an ebook of The 4 elements of a positive birth experience and powerful women guide to a positive birth and I'll give you the link to that and if you're somebody who wherever you are on this journey if you're feeling triggered by your birth experience I have a really cool trigger release formula that I will happily share so you can that. That one is at birthingourstore.com. You can search powerful woman's guide to a better birth you'll find the powerful women's guide. On Facebook you can find me at healing her, that's my page you can find me on Instagram at Ayelet Schwell. You can always email me. Ayelethealing.net or birthingourstore.com. I am always happy to hear from people and answer questions and help if I can. Conclusion Speaker 1 (44:24 mins): Thank you so much, I appreciate your wealth of knowledge and everything that you have offered to me and I am really truly so blessed to be connected to you through this experience. So thank you for being a part of this journey with me. If you like what you hear please don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode with us and please if you would be so kind to rate and review our show it really helps people finding us and the algorithms and Google and all that good stuff. So thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me and see you next time speak with you soon. Ayelet Schwell is a doula, speaker, and educator for mothers. She offers guidance for birth-givers and holds tremendous knowledge in the field of perinatal care allowing her to offer help to mothers who go through birth trauma and other birthing challenges. If you want to connect to her, you can find her @ayeletschwell on IG and @healingher on FB, or can simply visit her workshop at https://birthingourstories.com/ I am Gunjani Patel, a licensed mental health therapist, and trauma specialist. I can assist you in your journey to overcome any kind of life-changing trauma you are experiencing or have been through in the past. You can reach out to me on Instagram @gpatelcounseling or can join my private FB community – Traumatic Transformation: Emotional Intelligence & Conscious Living. Click here to receive my free guide to building your self-confidence and end self sabotage.

In this episode I: - How your gut and mental health are so interconnected? - What foods and lifestyle changes can you make to ensure optimal gut health. - What should you absolutely avoid and why.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling and here is a free gift for you- Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck. Join my private Facebook Community - Traumatic Transformations - Emotionally Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Other resources mentioned in this episode -  - I'm So effing Tired - Dr. Amy Shah - The Good Gut - Dr. Justin Sonnenburg

In this episode Stephanie and I discuss -  - What high functioning anxiety can look and feel like? - Having mental health issues can impact your health - Years of physical ailments and no answers after years of medical rules outs, and 20k in out-of-pocket debts.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling and if you already are, here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.   Find Stephanie Shaw at www.LeighAndOllie.com or find her on Facebook/ IG @LeighAndOllie or listen to her podcast "The Switch".  Stephanie Shaw is the founder of Leigh & Ollie. She took the strategies she implemented to recover from a two-year illness and turned it into a nutrition strategy and online education business where she teaches women how to manage their hormones, have more energy, and slow the aging process for success at home and at work. Stephanie holds two nutrition certifications and a Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication from Northeastern University. Prior to this role she was Executive Director at an education-based non-profit, she spent 14 years at EMBARQ (Sprint), where she worked as the Regional Public Affairs Manager for 26 Ohio markets and later as EMBARQ's Regional Business Development Manager for Ohio, Indiana, and Western Pennsylvania. Stephanie is affiliated with a host of civic and volunteer organizations.

In this episode I: - Mantras you can use to get through difficult/stressful times - Science behind short statements that can help you get rid of self-defeating beliefs & reprogram your subconscious mind.  Follow me on IG @gpatelcounseling, here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.  Join my private Facebook group called Traumatic Transformation - Emotionally Intelligent and Conscious Living.   

In this episode Lori and I discuss -  - Living life intentionally - Living spiritually, emotionally, healthily. and environmentally consciously,  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling and if you already are, here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.   Find Lori Reising at www.therawandwildhearts.com or find her on IG @therawandwildhearts or tune into her podcast The Raw and Wild Hearts Podcast. Lori Reising also offers a unique retreat opportunity in several locations per year. By combining a safe space to connect with others on a path of discovery where we peel back the strongholds of trauma held in the body, along with pelvic floor education, self-care techniques, dynamic flow exercise class and surfing lessons she has created an utterly transformative week that will take your life in directions you may not have ever thought possible! Through her podcast she provides an invitation to her Wild Heart Revolution, which is one of destroying this culture rooted in fear to uncover the unconditional love and divinity we are meant to thrive in. Her mission is to explore the vast expanse of humanity by embracing all that we are and all the ways we can live in our full and divine selves. She is currently working on her no holds barred book on childbirth to help return it to its true roots, which is the access point to gentler and healthier communities, as well as an exciting book that will dive into the possibilities of Rebirth and Reawakening in our lives.

In this episode Na'Kole and I discuss -  - Depression, Trauma, Mental Illness - Tips on what should you do, and what should you not do. - Resources she put together to help you help others, save lives, and prevent suicide.  Pardon my language stating "commit suicide" (which I was made aware of by a colleague post-publishing) instead of "Died by suicide". In my effort to destigmatize mental health issues it's important that I correct my shortcomings as I learn and grow through this public platform.  Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling and if you already are, here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.  Or join my Facebook community called Traumatic Transformations - Emotionally Intelligence & Conscious Living.  Find Na'kole Watson at http://NaKoleWatson.com or find her on Facebook/ IG @@NaKoleWatson or listen to her podcast @As Told by Kole. Na'Kole Watson, also known as The Life Snatcher, is a certified suicide prevention specialist and proud life survivor. She supplies prevention resources, tools and strategies to influencers, community allies and people wrestling with suicidal ideation. She has created a village that delivers the support and guidance that those who are suffering need to save themselves and live a life free of unresolved pain and hopelessness. Na'Kole has the following certifications: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), SafeTALK, More than Sad (facilitator certification), Mental Health First Aid for Adults, Mental Health First Aid for Youth. Na'Kole works hard to make a difference in the lives of all she meets. She is very active in several community organizations, and she desires to change the narrative as it relates to suicidal ideation so that people know that it's okay to not be okay, and that there is hope and help for any situation. To date, Na'Kole has talked hundreds of people out of suicide. Her life experience coupled with her unique gifting and purpose have allowed her to achieve this monumental success.

In this episode Ashley and I discuss -  - Grieving the sudden loss of her beloved father - Surviving the almost loss of her then-fiance to a rare cancer - Learn how to live life to the fullest and not feel stuck - Chasing her truth & her new purpose Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling and if you already are, here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.   Find Ashley Jackson-Thompson at www.timelessdreamevents.com Ashley Jackson-Thompson, In March 2017, my then fiancé, was diagnosed with a rare cancer in stage 4 that had a 35% survival rate. We spent three years battling his cancer through numerous chemotherapy and radiation treatments, plus two major surgeries that left him without one eye, part of his nose, skull, and brain missing. We were able to get married in August 2018, despite not knowing what our immediate future held! Finally in March 2020, he was pronounced cancer-free! That's when I knew I needed to figure out what Ashley wants to do with her life! I invested in a business coach and began digging into what my purpose and passions are and eventually figured out I could use my pain and trauma to birth a new business! Therefore, Timeless Dream Events was born and launched in July 2020! Timeless Dream Events provides event planning for the terminally ill and their loved ones! We cherish each moment in life and want to help others celebrate love and life!

In this episode I: - Discuss stages of grieving - How to get through the trauma of loss and things you can do to heal from those emotions.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or join my Traumatic Transformations: Trauma-Informed & Consciously Living community of people who are thriving and living intentionally Other resources mentioned in the episode : - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.    

In this episode Chiara and I discuss -  - Healing from Post Partum Depression/Anxiety, Birthing Trauma (unexpected C-section) - Tips to help you get through unexpected life events, - Breaking the patterns and cycles of the past, and learning emotional & spiritual intelligence - Breathwork & consciously living, healing & growing - Learn the 4 pillars of self-development from her. Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook or IG @gpatelcounseling and if you already are, here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.   Find Chiara B. Townley at https://www.chiarabtownley.com/ or find her on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/cbtwriting or IG @chiarabtownley or join her community on Facebook @https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualempowermentforprofessionalwomen  Chiara Townley, was born in Italy, lived in the UK, and Spain, and now she lives in Portland, Oregon. She is a published writer and contributed to several publications. In the year 2020, she transformed her personal challenges into a spiritual business. She uses writing and intuition to provide guidance.

In this episode I: - Demystify psychiatric medications and misinformation related to what it's supposed to be to reduce the stigma associated with it. - What people gather from Hollywood and TV vs. what reality looks like coming from someone who has been through it and has now been practicing it for 10+ years running her private practice.  - How you can advocate for your health and work on your self-limiting beliefs around psychiatric medications so you don't have to suffer if you decide not to. Debunking myths about psychiatric medications and why is it ok to take supplements for the rest of your life but not medications that your body and brain are not producing that's causing you distress? Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling and if you already are here is a free gift from me as my expression of my gratitude for your support - Free Self- Compassion Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.  

In this episode Liz and I discuss -  - Coping with losing a child in the second trimester. - Holistic healing strategies for your mind, body, soul, and brain, - Her struggles with faith and seeking help for her mental health. - Psychiatric medications and how they helped her be a better mother to her other children after the loss, - Air force officer, marathon runner, author, mother of 8 children, and an unapologetic Christian. - Have you joined my community yet? Follow me o Facebook & IG @gpatelcounseling and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and inspire others through their wisdom. Here is a Gift for you for all your support - Free Guide to Self Compassion - End Self Criticism & Build Self Confidence.  Find Elizabeth Meyers at or find her on Facebook or IG or @thelizmeyers or tune in to her podcast called Resilient Life Hacks or visit her: https://elizabethmeyers.me/ Elizabeth "Liz" Meyers is the author of UNDEFEATED: From Trial to Triumph, How to Stop Fighting the Wrong Battles and Start Living Victoriously. In addition to supporting her fighter-pilot husband and homeschooling the 6 of her 8 children who have not yet left the nest, she is also a blogger and motivational speaker dishing out "Resilient Life Hacks" for overcoming adversity and living with purpose. The depression and anxiety she experienced following the death of her son in his second trimester made her passionate about helping others support their mental health, fortify their faith, and live life abundantly.

In this episode I: - Discuss intergenerational trauma and its effects on our lives - What can you do to overcome it? - How Emotional Intelligence and Intentional Parenting can help you help your children if you haven't healed from your past traumas? Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or receive a Free Guide I have created to help you get unstuck.   Other resources mentioned in the episode : - https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051214p18.shtml - Bowers, M., Yehuda, R. Intergenerational Transmission of Stress in Humans. Neuropsychopharmacol 41, 232–244 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2015.247 - https://www.health.com/condition/ptsd/generational-trauma - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190326-what-is-epigenetics - Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza  

How to be more trauma-informed and emotionally intelligent and live life more consciously and intentionally especially if you are in the serving profession to avoid burnout. In this episode Dr. Khan and I discuss -  - Wellness plan & how to recognize and work through burnout,  - Symptoms to look for while experiencing burnout, - Living intentionally and consciously, - How to love what you do. Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook & IG @gpatelcounseling join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and inspire others through their wisdom.  Find The Female Doc at https://thefemaledoc.com/ or find her on Facebook or IG  or tune in to her podcast @thefemaledocshow.  Dr. Khan is a critical care medicine physician currently serving in COVID ICUs, and is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Western University, College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Khan completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California in 2004; completed her medical degree at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2008; completed an internal medicine residency at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in 2011; and then completed a critical care fellowship at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in 2013, eventually returning to California to join the faculty at USC in 2016, and then Western University in 2017. In addition to clinical interests in critical care ultrasound and neuro-critical care, Dr. Khan also has a special interest in helping students get into medical schools despite low scores. She offers an online course, called the Future Doctor Formula, where she provides students guidance into the medical school application process. Often referred to simply as “the Female Doc” (her social media handle on Instagram), Dr. Khan also broadcasts many medical educational video snippets encouraging students on their premed journey!

In this episode I: - Discuss Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and ways to 5 improve it - Difference between emotions and feelings - 5 Things Emotionally Intelligent People Don't Do Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or receive the FREE JOURNALING WORKSHEET HERE  Other resources mentioned in the episode : Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ Emotional Intelligence 2.0 - Practical Guide EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence  

How to live life consciously, using language, behaviors, and implementing small changes to live an emotionally healthy life.   In this episode Lois and I discuss -  - Living life unapologetically, - Shame/guilt ridding behaviors and language we can use - Ways to establish healthy boundaries to build healthy relationships. - How to manage uncomfortable emotions and consciously work through them, - Conscious parenting Have you joined my community yet? Follow me o Facebook & IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up here and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and inspire others through their wisdom.  Lois Hollis, RN, BSN. REV. shifts our opinion on one of the most forbidden subjects, shame and guilt. Her passion is to show the way to self-love by alleviating the suffering of shame guilt. Depression, anxiety, 30 years of migraine headaches, and pain were Lois' way of life until she learned about the dangers of shame and guilt. She realized that shame guilt was within everything she felt. The good news was that she could heal her anger, depression, migraines, guilt, rage, fears, pain from neck, head, rib traumas. The solution to her emotional and physical problems was in confronting shame. She shares her 15 years' experience as a Shame/Guilt Educator, Counselor, Filmmaker to give us an effective lasting way to health, wellness, and spiritual maturity. Lois comes to us with a life-long background in health. She began as a Nurse' Aide at 12 and continues today at 77. Lois experienced several spiritual encounters that began with a near-death in childhood from physical abuse. Lois is a trailblazer. She started by developing one of the first Kidney Hemodialysis centers in the United States. Today, Lois brings shame and guilt together as a new field to study. She is the author of three books and a video on Soulspeaks, an original process that brings peace to our inner personalities. Her newest book, “Now is The Time,” contains her Light Language readings that expand our spiritual development. Her new film “I'M Good” illustrates shameguilt trickery. Find Lois Hollis at  https://www.loishollis.com/  or find her on Facebook or IG  @lois3hollis

In this episode I: - Discuss trauma and healing - Difference between post-traumatic growth (PTG) and resilience - 5 Areas of growth people tend to experience as a result of experiencing PTG.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/selflimitingbeliefs and get this free worksheet to start working on yourself and stop feeling stuck.  Other resources mentioned in the episode : - https://ptgi.uncc.edu/what-is-ptg/ - The Posttraumatic Growth Workbook, Dr. Richard Tedeschi, Dr. Bret Moore

In this episode Lynn and I discuss -  - Her sexual abuse and how she leads others through rapid recovery from sexual assault and trauma. - Living intentionally, - Subconscious reprogramming, - Overcoming your self-destructive behaviors & Post Traumatic Growth, - Rewiring your subconscious self-limiting beliefs.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me on Facebook & IG @gpatelcounseling or receive your free worksheet on "Become the best version of yourself - How to rewire your self-limiting beliefs". https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/selflimitingbeliefs Find Lynn Louise Larson at https://www.thecosmicvalkyrie.com/ or find her on Facebook or IG: @lynnlouiselarson or tune in to her podcast called The Cosmis Valkyrie with Lynn Louise whenever you hear your podcasts.

In this episode I discuss:  - 5 things mentally strong people do - How to create an intentional life and live consciously - How to live a life without regrets? We all have a choice, the choices you make every day determines your destiny.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be hopeful, inspired, peaceful, and are thriving to live their best potential.  Other resources mentioned in the episode : - https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/

2020 was by far one of the worse year in most people's books. If you survived it, pat yourself in the back. But since our adversities don't just leave us with the flip of a date, let's work on living this year intentionally and with a shift in mindset.  In this episode Paul and I discuss -  - His Celebral Palsy diagnosis as a child, bullying in school, and other life adversities that didn't limit him from becoming the best version of himself, - Living intentionally, - Implementing daily disciplines and taking actions, - Becoming more Emotionally Intelligent, - Mindset shift to thrive through 2021.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me o Facebook & IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and inspire others through their wisdom.  Find Paul Forchione at Https://acalltoaction.coach or find him on Facebook or IG  or tune in to his podcast called Actions & Limits whenever you hear your podcasts or on youtube. Their message is: if you believe you can achieve. https://youtu.be/HhzEB9e4veM.

In this episode I discuss -  - The power of gratitude - Actionable steps you can take to implement this technique in your life - Scientific evidence proving the efficacy of how gratitude makes you healthier, happier, mentally stronger Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and empower others who are in the process.  Other resources discussed in the episode - Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier - Harvard Health Publishing 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude - Amy Morin How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain (Mind & Body)

How chronic illness led her to develop a tool that helps people self-heal by implementing it into their daily lives.  In episode #15 we discuss -  - Leaving her corporate career to now being a Gratitude Coach and a Podcast Host of Upwards Trajectory.  - How the practice of gratitude can be life-transforming? - What do studies say about it? - How can you practice it? What Jennifer learned through her chronic illnesses and insomnia to now living a blissful, harmonius life? - What do you have to be thankful for in the year 2020? How can you step into 2021, and thrive?  Be inspired by her story! Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and inspire others through their wisdom.  Find Jennifer Garman at https://gratitudemission.org/ or find him on Facebook @jennifergarman, and listen to her podcast called Upward Trajectory. Buy her Gratitude tree on her website. 

Spoiler Alert: Your brain and body can't tell the difference between reality and imagery.  In this episode I discuss -  - The power of creative visualization - Actionable steps you can take to create the life of your dreams - Scientific evidence proving the efficacy of how mental imagery can change your beliefs, stress levels, performance, mindset, and health and foster healing.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and empower others who are in the process.  Other resources discussed in the episode - https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/selflimitingbeliefs https://drdavidhamilton.com/does-your-brain-distinguish-real-from-imaginary/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181210144943.htm https://drdavidhamilton.com/6-ways-your-brain-cant-distinguish-real-from-imaginary/  

Crossing over to the other side due to stage 4 cancer wasn't an option just yet! In episode #13 we discuss -  - Life lessons he learned as a result of his stage 4 cancer diagnosis, -Being a successful entrepreneur to getting a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, - His tenacity to heal himself and the lessons he learned along the way, - Find out more about his mindset and healing strategies, his "why" for living, and how he continues to help others facing hardships in life.  YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS HIS STORY! Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and inspire others through their wisdom.  Find Nelson Beltijar at http://thepositivedrip.com/ or find him on Facebook The Positive Drip.

In this episode I: - Demystify therapy and misinformation related to what it's supposed to be to reduce the stigma associated with it. - What people gather from Hollywood and TV vs. what reality looks like coming from someone who has been through it and has now been practicing it for 10+ years running her private practice.  - What is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) Therapy like? - Neuroscience behind EMDR and why it is one of the most empirically validated treatments used to treat PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Phobias, and the like.  Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and empower others who are in the process.  Other resources mentioned in the episode : - Psychology Today, EMDRIA.ORG. 

Suicide survivors face grief, challenges, shame, and stigma.  Losing a loved one is never easy, whether it comes as a aftermath of a long-term suffering from illness or if it is sudden.  In this episode, Ms. Anhang speaks about her experience of - - Grieving and what the different stages of grieving look like? - Surviving her husband's death by suicide.  - The shame, stigma, and fear, and other challenges she faced while raising her children as a single parent.  - How healing from these traumatic events has led to who she is now and the message she wants to share with the survivors of loved ones who have died by suicide.   Have you joined my community yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and join my community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful, and are looking to heal and empower others who are in the process.  Find Michelle Anhang at https://www.michelleanhang.com/ or find her on Facebook or IG @michelleanhangcoaching.

"Empathy fuels connection, whereas sympathy drives disconnection", “Rarely can a response make something better. What makes something better is connection.” – Dr. Brené Brown How can you make deeper connections with people and help them vs. be someone who people can only superficially connect with?  In this episode I explore -  - What empathy means vs. what sympathy does? - What can you say to people struggling through tough times, what will make people flock towards you vs. things you unintentionally say that drive them farther from you. - What are boundaries and why they are absolutely necessary and examples of what you can say? Boundaries a very important lesson that we don't get taught in school but an absolutely essential life skill that we all should learn to be compassionate and loving towards ourselves and others. They are essential life skills required to have healthy relationships with others and a healthy life. When we pour from an empty bucket we are often left feeling drained, overwhelmed, and resentful. They are not easy to set, they are very uncomfortable to communicate because we don't want people to not like us, we don't want to disappoint or hurt people.  “Boundaries are frickin' important. They're not fake walls, they're not separation, boundaries are not division, they are respect. They are here's what's ok for me and here's what's not.” ~ Dr. Brené Brown Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and become a part of a like-minded community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful thought leaders, looking to empower others.

Let dive into a conversation with Kawan Glover about his adversities to now being a self-published author of the book "Favor", and a Victory coach, inspiring and making an impact on others. In this episode we explore:  - Being athletic, having a stroke, 3 brain surgeries, and now on his second book. - How he worked through his opioid addiction, depression, and suicidal ideations. - How can you conquer life & career challenges? Exploring the mindset he now has developed as a result of these trials and adversities.  Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog and become a part of a like-minded community of people looking to be inspired, hopeful thought leaders, who are looking to empower others. Find Kawan Glower at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kawanaglover/ or find him on Facebook or IG @kawanglover or buy his book Favor on amazon.

In this episode I explore :  - Sexual Trauma a big heavy touchy subject that we don't discuss enough - let's talk about it so we can empower people who have been through it.  - Every 73 seconds an American is sexually assaulted and every 9 minute it happens to be a child. - What does the healing process look like for the person and families involved.  - The do's and don'ts of how to respond. - PTSD and the healing journey for the person who has been through it.  Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog Find John-Micheal Lander at https://anathletessilence.com/ or buy his books Surface Tension & Cracked Surface.    

In this episode we explore :  - Sexual Trauma and his diving competition life that leads him to now being a successful actor, author, TedEx speaker, and his new purpose. - Men/Boys go through it too. - What healing journey can look like? - What to do and how to support your loved one through it? - What does therapy look like? Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up on my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog Find John-Micheal Lander at https://anathletessilence.com/ or find him on IG @johnmichaellander or buy his books Surface Tension & Cracked Surface

In this episode I explore the :  - Neuroscience of stress and unresolved trauma on your body. - What cortisol does to your immune system? - How you can't "think" your way out of trauma and what are some of the things you can do to absolve yourself of that stress. - What happens to the people who suffer from PTSD over time and how their brain is affected?  - What you can do to balance the stress response with relaxation strategies. - How to live a more blissful life by changing your mindset and perspective.  Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up for my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog Find Edie DeVilbiss at https://www.shapegoodhabits.com or email her at: edie@shapegoodhabits.com        

Stress and burnout can have detrimental effects on your body. How unresolved trauma can affect your body and subconscious mind, and listen to this episode to make changes you have been meaning to make but didn't know how.  In this episode Edie DeVilbiss discusses:  - From being a 9-1-1 dispatcher for 14 years to being cranky, fat, and cynical to finally seeking help and now living her best and blissful life coaching people on how to "shape good habits". - Her experience of being in therapy and what it taught her. - What forgiveness means to her now. - How meditation changed her life and what meditation can do to your brain, mind, body, and spirit (it doesn't have to be a monk-like experience, but a visualization of simply letting go of your daily stressors). - How to shape good habits - 4 strategies to set new habits in place and how good habits can improve your well-being.  If you want to go places you have never been to before, you have to do things you haven't done before.  Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or sign up for my blog: https://www.gpatelcounseling.com/blog Find Edie DeVilbiss at https://www.shapegoodhabits.com or email her at: edie@shapegoodhabits.com  

Today on the show we are featuring Amanda Anderson from Sketched and Sealed for Part 2 of 2 episodes involving important postpartum depression (PPD) discussions. Inside the mind of a woman who once suffered from PPD, and almost didn't make it.  In today's episode, Amanda is going to share about her PPD journey: What therapy & medications did for her? How she found her purpose & passion at a Psych ward? How she pays it forward by being a survival guide for others going through it. This could happen to anyone of us!! Any woman can go through this, don't wait to listen until it is you. Prevention is better than reaction, so be educated, learn how you can play a big part in saving someone's life.  Suicide accounts for 20% of maternal deaths and is the 2nd most common cause of maternal postpartum deaths. Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or Join my Facebook support group "Pregnant & New Moms Mental Wellness Support Group" or find us on IG @pregnant_newmoms_tribe where we put the focus back on pregnant and new mom's Mental Wellness where we believe that "Self-Care isn't Selfish" Find Amanda Anderson at: https://www.sketchedandsealed.com/ IG: @sketchedandsealed. Join her and her community of moms by joining her art membership on her website.   

Today on the show we are featuring Amanda Anderson from Sketched and Sealed for Part 1 of 2 episodes involving important postpartum depression (PPD) discussions. Inside the mind of a woman who once suffered from PPD. In today's episode, Amanda is going to share about her PPD journey, what her partner did, and what yours can do? What we as a society could learn from her, and do to support other women going through this new motherhood journey? How we can break the cycles of intergenerational trauma and be more educated to reduce the stigma associated with this topic, and help women going through this very sensitive phase of their lives.  Any woman can go through this, don't wait to listen until it is you. Prevention is better than reaction, so be educated, learn how you can play a big part in saving someone's life.  Suicide accounts for 20% of maternal deaths and is the 2nd most common cause of maternal postpartum deaths. Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me IG @gpatelcounseling or Join my Facebook support group "Pregnant & New Moms Mental Wellness Support Group" or find us on IG @pregnant_newmoms_tribe where we put the focus back on pregnant and new mom's Mental Wellness where we believe that "Self-Care isn't Selfish" Find Amanda Anderson at: https://www.sketchedandsealed.com/ IG: @sketchedandsealed. Join her and her community of moms by joining her art membership on her website.       

Education and awareness about Postpartum depression & other perinatal mood disorders. What it is and how we as a society should not shy away and exacerbate the issues that women go through during and after birth. What can you do to help, and what we as a society normally do due to being misinformed. Suicide accounts for 20% of maternal deaths and is the 2nd most common cause of maternal postpartum deaths. Are we friends on Instagram yet? Follow me @gpatelcounseling or Join my Facebook support group "Pregnant & New Moms Mental Wellness Support Group".

In this episode, I discuss the traumatic parts of my story that has shaped me into who I am today and my vision for this podcast. I discuss how 2020 has been such a tumultuous year for many of us and how we can get through the rest of the year by changing our mindset. Breaking the cycles of intergenerational trauma and being preventative and not reactive. Are we friends on Instagram? Connect with me for more trauma and Mental Wellness education/tips at https://www.instagram.com/gpatelcounseling/