Podcasts about inclusive therapists

  Contributors are listed here: Danielle S. Castillejo (Rueb), Cyon Edgerton, Rachael Reese, Chasity Malatesta, Debby Haase, Kim Frasier, Briana Cardenas, Holly Christy, Clare Menard, Marjorie Long, Cristi McCorkle, Terri Schumaker, Diana Frazier, Eliza Cortes Bast, Tracy Johnson, Sarah Van Gelder, Marwan, and more Welcome to the Arise Podcast, conversations on faith, race, justice, gender, and spirituality. You'll notice there's going to be some updated changes and different voices on the podcast this season. It's season five. It's October 1st, 2024. I haven't recorded a podcast since June of 2023, and at that time, if you've been following along in my town in Kitsap County, we were working through what would prove to be an extensive and prove to be an extensive fight for justice in our school district. And at this time, we have made some very significant shifts. I want to get into this episode to kind of catch you up on where I'm at, where the podcast is at, and hopefully as you listen to myself and some different voices on these upcoming podcasts, you understand that we have this fundamental common theme amongst us, which is our humanity. And when we drop down into that humanity, because our work, our lives, our families, there's all these poles and all these different ways for us to separate ourselves from our humanness and be busy or accomplish this or accomplish that.(00:01:52):And I know because I'm in there too, we actually separate ourselves from our neighbor. And so I'm hoping as we engage tough topics of politics and we get into the sticky points of it, that there's a sense that, yeah, I don't agree with that person or I agree with that person, but there is a sense that there is shared humanity. And so as we talk about these different subjects, I wanted to emphasize that first, an article was released in the fall last year saying in September of 2023 saying that there was, the school district's investigation had concluded and they had deemed that there was no racism in the North Kitsap School district. As you can imagine, a report like that on the front page of the paper, after all we'd been through after sitting through numerous hours of meetings listening to families and their experiences was disheartening.(00:02:45):We came to find out that some of the families felt or experienced what they deemed to be threatening tones from the investigators or understood that they could possibly be under penalty of perjury depending on what they answered. And I'm not saying that this was always the case, but the threat was on the table. And when you're dealing with working with majority world peoples who are marginalized in the United States, that threat can be very real. And the impact of it is very great. So I began to understand that this investigation wasn't actually looking for the truth and how to solve the problem. It was actually looking for a way of complete and utter defense against what these families had reported their students had experienced. It's a very different thing. And I think there were rumors like were these families going to sue the district, bring a lawsuit to the district?(00:03:41):And we've seen in neighboring school districts, just in recent times, lawsuits have been filed for much less. I mean, we had 90 original complaints. We have more people that had come forward as time had moved on. And yet there was never a move to actually file a lawsuit. We didn't file a lawsuit. We continued to move forward with our lives and think about our students. I think at some point in last fall of 2023, there was just a sense of deep despair like we put in years of effort. And the result was this report that basically attempted to delegitimize all the stories of all these families. It was horrible and heartbreaking and followed the fall. And in the late winter there was going to be a vote for this school bond. And as the yes for the bond campaign rolled out, led by a committee of yes folks, which included some Paul's Bowl rotary members and then the superintendent, it became clear to different community members that there were a lot of questions still to be asked, a lot of information we wanted to have and a lot of things that just felt like they were missing.(00:04:57):I'm not saying they were all missing, but there were pieces and details that appeared to be missing. And when we asked the questions similar to what happened with the complaints, we didn't get answers. The answers were couched in long paragraphs or explanations, and the architects seemed like they didn't have access to the buildings. Again, we didn't know all the details of what happened. And this is just a general recap. You can look at the ensuing political drama online. If you Google superintendent signs and polls Bowl, Washington, P-O-U-L-S-B-O Washington, you will find articles on NBC to Fox News to video clips, all of the above. There were signs all over our county, as I'm sure in your different counties or if you live in Kitsap, you've seen them political signs, vote yes on the bond, vote no on the bond, et cetera. And it appeared that signs were going missing.(00:06:02):And in one case, the signs were going missing often in one particular location and a pair of folks who are not married who became allied because they were both against the bond and had been putting up no on bond signs, decided to put up a wildlife cam and we're able to capture a person destroying the signs on video. And again, Google sbo, Google signs, Google Superintendent look for February 20, 24 articles and you'll see the ensuing reports of what happened. This became a chance for us actually to revisit our story because there's a theme of dishonesty from the top leadership. There was a theme of hiding. There's a theme of not giving all the information a theme of there's any extent we can go to that bumps up against the law. By the way, I think it's against the law to destroy political signs. So there's just this theme that you could break the law and get away with it.(00:07:08):We've seen in the top politics of our country down to the low level politics of our country. And what was our community going to do with all of this? We rallied together. For the first time in many years, there were literally hundreds of people on a zoom call for a school board meeting. News agencies showed up again, and sadly, our district was in the news for something else negative related to the top leadership. And it was very sad. The process. The superintendent was put on leave and resigned in June, but stopped working essentially closely with the school board. I think it was in March or April of 2024. I just remember that when the harm stops, when someone harmful is told by law enforcement or the law or someone else in a higher power to stop harming it, it's a relief. But also that's the time when all of the residual trauma sets in the trauma that you've been going through to be in proximity to someone in leadership and you're literally powerless to address it.(00:08:19):And I guess I bring this up to say that as we think about politics nationally, locally, whether it's a school board member or a president, I remember feeling challenged When I live in a small town, paulville was a small town. It is not like Seattle size. It's like got rural folks. There's folks that commute into the city of Seattle. We're, we're a mix of all different kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds. Our school district is now 38% Spanish speaking this year. There is a genuine mix. So when you're out and about in this small container, Kitsap's also very small too. It's rural, it's small. We're kind of contained on our own peninsula. When you're in this environment, the chances that you're going to see someone that you're know are really high, it's not like if you hate someone about, you're not going to run into Donald Trump here.(00:09:11):You're not going to run in here, run into Kamala Harris here. It's not like you're running into those folks, but you might run into your representative. You might run into the school board member from this district or another district. And how are you going to see that person that actually you not only disagree with, but you felt has been unjust to you? Costs a lot. I mean, money's one thing, but time, effort, family, reputation, allies, there is so much time involved and the way forward. You think it's clear when you're fighting on behalf of kids, you're advocating on behalf of kids. That feels really good. But the process to work through that advocacy often doesn't feel that great. You have to become allies with people you don't agree with. And so I think that just brings me back to where do we find our common humanity?(00:10:06):Where do we find space to occupy a same piece of land or a same meeting or a similar, we have similar causes, but maybe there's deep hurt between us and maybe that hurt is to the point where we're not going to ever talk to that person again, and how do we still see them as human? How do we still see them as valuable in this world? How do we still gain compassion? Those are things I ask myself and I don't have the answers. So I've included a number of folks asking a similar questions about humanness, about politics, about where they locate themselves in their various positions, their race, ethnicity, et cetera, and how do they come at this? And I hope you enjoy the following conversations because I conversations or talks from these people, commentary from these people as we hear all different perspectives. Now you may hear someone and be like, I can get down with that. I agree with that. And then there's another person you might be like, no way, no effing way. And so I encourage you to listen, stay curious with yourself and have talks with your family about how you're going to engage this political season.Speaker 2 (00:11:26):Danielle asked me how I see being human in the age of politics, and I'm struggling answering this because A, I am not a politician or have really any experience as a politician. I have experience as a community based organizer. So I am speaking on this on the outside of things. And then also I'm a white woman able bo, heterosexual woman. And the politics and the systems of power were built for me as a white person to thrive. And so I just want to locate myself in that because my view is of a privileged view. White folks can step in and out of politics without it really harming us. And that's a problem, obviously, and it distorts our view of politics.(00:12:55):But with this question, I have become more and more angry and upset with politics, policies, systems of power, the more that I unlearn and learn about my internal white supremacy culture and ways of being. And as the genocide in Palestine and other countries continue, I don't think the political structures are here for us. They're not people centered, they're not community centered. I think all politics are really about power. And so as an outsider, as not a politician and as a white woman, so those are flawed views. I'm coming from a flawed view. I see how politics change people or they make bad people even worse. I know local white folks that are in it for power and just continue on searching for more and more power. And I've witnessed community organizers join politics to really try to change the systems. But I don't think politics or the system was made to help humans. I don't think the system is for humans. And it hurts people, it divides people. I don't really know how to answer this question because I don't think politics and humanists can actually go together, not the way that they're set up now.Speaker 3 (00:15:09):These questions are so beautiful and just so right on time for this time, we're in right before an election where there's so much stress. My name is Sara Van Gelder and I am a friend of Danielle's and a resident of Kitsap County for many years have I was one of the founders of YES magazine. I also founded a group called People's Hub, which teaches community folks how to do local organizing, actually peer to peer teaching. I didn't do the teaching, but connected people together to teach each other and been associated as a ally of the Suquamish tribe at various times in my life, but I did not ever speak for them.(00:15:54):So my own humanity in the context of this political moment, I like to stay in a place of fierce love and do when I can. I can't say I'm always there. I'm often triggered. I often go into a place of feeling really fearful and anxious about what's going on in the world and more particularly the polarization and the rise of which what I don't like to call, but I think is actually a form of fascism. And when I talk about fierce, it means being willing to say the truth as I see it, but also love, which is that that is the motivator. I don't like seeing people get hurt and I'm willing to stand up and be one of the people to say what I see, but not in a way that is intended to degrade anybody. I am a mother, I'm a grandmother, I'm a daughter, I'm a sister. And being connected to people through love and that sense of willingness to protect one another, that's at the core. So even if I disagree with you, I'm not going to wish you harm.Speaker 1 (00:17:12):Wow. Wow. Even if I disagree with you, I'm not going to wish you harm. And I think what I've heard just particularly lately around the talk of immigration, let's say for an example, is the talk about immigration in the context of a particular city. For instance, they've used Springfield, Ohio over and over. It's come up many times and the demonization, the dehumanization of those immigrants, the miscategorizing of their status, it seems like some of this can get point hyper-focused on one particular example to make a political point or to drive fear home across different context, different communities. So when you think about that, do you wish those people harm that are making those accusations? How do you engage a tough subject like that?Speaker 3 (00:18:15):Yeah, it's a really hard one, and I could tell you what I aspire to do and what I actually do a lot of times is avoid people who have that level of disagreement with, because I'm not sure I have enough in common to even have a good conversation. So I don't feel like I'm as good at this as I'd like to be. But what I try to do is to first off, to recognize that when we're in the fight or flight sort of reptilian brain, when we're super triggered, we have the least capacity to do good work of any kind. So I try to get out of that mindset, and in part I do that by trying to listen, by trying to be an active listener and try to listen not just for the positions. The positions are ones that will likely trigger me, but to listen for what's beneath the positions, what is somebody yearning for?(00:19:10):What is it that they're really longing for beneath those positions that I find so harmful and so triggering. So in many cases, I think what people are looking for in this immigration debate is a sense of belonging. They want to believe that their community is a place where they belong and somehow believe that having other people who are from different cultures move in reduces the chances that they'll be able to belong. So what would it mean if they could feel like they belonged along with the Haitians in their community that it didn't have to be an either or is there a way to have that kind of conversation that what if we all belong(00:19:54):In that respect? The thing that I am sometimes most tempted to do, which is to cancel someone, if you will, that actually feeds into that dynamic of not belonging because I'm telling that person also, you don't belong in my life. You don't belong in my community. So it's not easy to do, but I do feel like we have a better chance of doing that locally than we have doing it nationally because locally we do have so many things we have in common. We all want to drink clean water, we want clean air. We want places our kids can go to school where they will belong and they will feel good. So if we can switch the conversation over to those deeper questions, and I think one thing I've learned from hanging out with indigenous folks is the way in which they think about the seven generations and how much more expansive of you that can give to you when you think that way.(00:20:54):Because instead of thinking about again, that immediate threat, that immediate personal sense of anxiety, you start thinking, well, what's going to work for my kids and my grandkids? I don't want them to be experiencing this. Well, that means something about having to learn how to get along with other people, and we want our kids to get along with each other. We want them to have friends and family, and when they marry into a different culture, we want to feel good about our in-laws. I mean, we want our neighborhood to be a place where our kids can run around and play outside. I mean, there's so many things that once you start expanding the scope to other generations, it makes it so clear that we don't want that kind of society that's full of hate and anxiety.Speaker 1 (00:21:44):Wow, seven generations. It is true. I do a lot of reading and I think about res, are you familiar with Resa and my grandmother's hands? And he talks about that the shifts we want to make in society, the shifts towards being more in our actual physical bodies and present with one another and the reps that it takes, the way we're disrupting it now to make a dent in the 400 plus year history of slavery and the act of embodying ourselves from the harm that has been done is going to take five to seven generations. It's not that he's not for change now. He absolutely is. And just having that long term, almost like marathon view perspective on what change has either for ourselves that can give ourselves grace and that we can also give others in our proximity grace, while also not engaging in active harm. I think there's an important part there. Does that make sense?Speaker 3 (00:22:51):Oh, it makes so much sense. And it's like that long-term view doesn't suggest we can put off working. It only even happens in the long term if we start today, we take the first steps today. So yes, absolutely makes sense. I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait for all those generations, but I want to be keeping them in my mind and heart when I act. How is this going to contribute to their possibilities? So part of that is by thinking about these questions of belonging, but it's also questions of exclusion more structurally. I think the fact that our society has such deep exclusion economically of so many people, there's so many people across the board who feel so precarious in their lives. I think that sets us up for that kind of scapegoating because ideally what we'd be saying is, if you can't afford to go to college, if you can't afford a medical bill, if you can't afford a place to rent, there's a problem with our economy.(00:23:56):Let's look at that problem with our economy and do something about it. And I believe people have gotten so disempowered. So feeling that that's beyond them to do that. Then the next thing that the demagogues will do is say, well, let's look for a scapegoat then. Let's look for a scapegoat of somebody who's less powerful than you and let's blame them because that'll give you a temporary sense of having power. And that's how, I mean it's not unique to our situation. It's how fascism so often unfolds and how historically groups have been scapegoated. And I think we need to turn our attention back to what is the real cause of our anxiety. And I think the real cause of our anxiety is economic and political disfranchisement. Once we can actually tackle those topics, we can see how much more we can do when we work together across all isms and make things happen for a world in which everyone has a place.Speaker 1 (00:24:55):So then if you know people in your sphere, let's say, and don't name them here, that border on the narrative that says, if you disenfranchise someone less powerful than you, that will bring you some relief. If you have people like that in your life, Sarah, how do you approach them? How do you engage with them if you're willing to share any personal experience?Speaker 3 (00:25:28):Yeah, so my biggest personal experience with that was working as an activist alongside the Suquamish tribe when a lot of their immediate neighbors were trying to keep them from building housing, keep them from building relationships with other governments and actually took them to court trying to actually end their sovereign right to be a tribe. So that was my most direct involvement and that was 20 years ago. So it seems like ancient history, but I learned a lot from that, including from working with tribal elders who provided a lot of leadership for us and how we should work. And one of the things that I've learned from that and also from being a Quaker, is that the notion of how you talk to people in a nonviolent way, and a lot of that starts with using I statements. So when people in my neighborhood would say really disparaging things about the tribe, I would respond with, I feel this. I believe the tribe has sovereign rights. I believe they have always been here and have the right to govern themselves and build homes for their members. And it's harder, it's not as triggering when somebody says, I instead of starts with a word(00:26:58):When somebody says, you immediately have this responsive defensiveness because it's unclear what's going to come next and whether you're going to have to defend yourself when you say I, you're standing in your own power and your own belief system and you're offering that to someone else with the hope that they might empathize and perhaps even perhaps be convinced by part of what you have to say. But in the meantime, you haven't triggered a worsening of relationships. And one of the things I really didn't want to do was create anything that would further the violence, verbal most cases, violence against the tribe, sort of getting people even further triggered. So it was just really important to always be looking for ways to be very clear and uncompromising on really important values, but be willing to compromise on ones that were not important. So for example, when we were working on getting the land return to the tribe that had been a state park, we asked people what's important to you about how this park functions in the future? Because the tribe can take that into account they, but the idea that it is their land, the home of chief Seattles, that was not something we could compromise on.Speaker 1 (00:28:17):I love that using I statements intentionally checking in with yourself so you're not engaging in behaviors that trigger another person further into more defensive mode. Sarah, what are some resources or recommendations you could leave with me or us? When you think about engaging people and staying very present, it's a very human stance to say, I think I believe this versus an accusatory tone like you are this, you are that.Speaker 3 (00:28:50):I think the nonviolent communication that Marshall Rosenberg developed is very powerful. He has a very specific technique for having those kinds of conversations that are very focused on that notion about the I statement and also reflecting back what you hear from other people, but then being willing to use statements about what I need because saying that puts me in a position of being vulnerable, right? Saying I actually need something from you. You obviously have the choice of whether you're going to give it to me or not, but I need to be in a place where I can feel safe when we have these conversations. I need to feel like I live in a community where people are so then the other person has that choice, but you're letting them know and you're again standing in your own power as somebody who's self-aware enough, it also invites them to be self-aware of what they need.Speaker 1 (00:29:46):I love that. Yeah, keep going.Speaker 3 (00:29:50):I think there are other resources out there. I'm just not calling 'em to mind right now, but I think nonviolent communications is a really good one.Speaker 1 (00:29:58):And locally, since you talked locally, what are maybe one or two things locally that you regularly engage in to kind of keep up your awareness to keep yourself in a compassionate mode? How do you do that for youSpeaker 3 (00:30:16):Being out in nature? Okay,Speaker 1 (00:30:19):Tell me about that.Speaker 3 (00:30:22):Oh, in Japan, they call it forest bathing, but it's just a fancy term for being in some places it's really natural. There's beautiful walks. We're very fortunate here in the northwest that there are so many beautiful places we can walk. And when you're surrounded by preferably really intact ecosystems where you can feel the interactions going on among the critters and the plants and just let that wash over you because part of that as well, it kind of helps take some of the pressure off. It sort of releases some of us being kind of entangled in our own ego and lets us just have greater awareness that we're actually entangled in this much larger universe. It's much, much older and we'll go on way after we're gone and extends to so many different ways of being from a bird to a tree, to a plate of grass, and we're all related.Speaker 4 (00:31:33):Hey, this is Kim. So just a brief background. I am a 41-year-old biracial woman. I am a mom, a nurse, a child of an immigrant, and I identify as a Christian American. Thanks Danielle for asking me to chime in. I just wanted to touch base on this current political climate. I would say as a liberal woman, I really enjoy diversity and hearing and seeing different perspectives and engaging in meaningful conversation. Unfortunately, I feel like right now we are so polarized as a country and it's not like the air quote, good old days where you could vote for a politician that you felt like really represented your ideals and kind of financially what you value, policies, et cetera. Now I feel like it has become really a competition and an election of human rights, and I think for me, that's kind of where I draw my own personal boundary.(00:32:40):I think it's important to share different perspectives, and I think I do have a unique perspective and I enjoy hearing others' perspectives as well, but for me, I do draw the line at human rights. So I have learned over the years to just not engage when it comes to issues of individuals being able to choose what to do with their body, women in particular, it's terrifying to me as a nurse and a woman and a mother of a daughter who could potentially be in a situation at some point and not be allowed to make choices about her own body with a doctor. Also as the child of an immigrant, I was raised by a white mother, Irish German Catholic, and my father is an immigrant that has been here since 19 76, 77. He is from Trinidad and Tobago. He's actually served in the military and I have a hard time with vilifying people of color trying to come to this country and make a better life for themselves and for their future and their future generations, which is exactly what my dad was doing. So to me, it's a no-brainer, right? Not to tell anybody what to do or how to vote, but I think that it's really hard right now to hold space for individuals who may be attacking my rights as a woman, my ability as a nurse to be able to care for patients and really what this country was supposedly built on, which is being a melting pot and allowing any and everyone here to be able to pursue the American dream and make a life for themselves and their loved ones.Speaker 5 (00:34:34):As soon as the topic turns to politics, I feel myself cringe, and then I want to internally retreat a bit. Looking back over the past eight plus years, I realize I have been feeling like this for a long time. My body holds memories of heated, uncomfortable confrontive distancing and sometimes horrifying conversations with friends and at times, even with family, I'm tired as most people tired from the collective traumas. We have all lived through political, racial, and pandemic related. Eight years ago, I think I worked to try and remain objective. I told myself that my job was just to hear the other person with curiosity, but doing that was not enough to help me stay well in the midst of what I truly could not then and cannot still control. I've come to realize that I have to stay connected to my own feelings, to my own limitations.(00:35:37):I have to make space to feel my disappointment, my disgust, my fear, my sadness, my powerlessness, my ache, even my longing still when it comes to the realm of politics, I have to make room for my own humanity and then I have to be willing to share that, not simply be a listening ear for others. What's been most difficult for me as politics has driven division and disconnection is the loss of healthy dialogue and conversation. It feels to me like relational loss is there where it doesn't seem like it always has to be. I am passionate about the table, about creating and cultivating space at a table for all the voices and for all of the stories to belong. I still believe in this, and when I'm connected to my own humanity, it makes me far more open to the humanity of another, knowing my own stories that are being stirred up and activated by injustice, by what I perceive to be irresponsible politicians and policies that don't make sense to me and at times scare me when I'm in the presence of those who hold very different political views from me.(00:37:02):I have to actively choose to not just tolerate listening to them, but instead to try and listen for something more. I try to listen for the fear that often fuels their positions. The fear is always storied and the stories offer taste of their humanity and oftentimes their experience of suffering, which always offers the opportunity for empathy. I can't do it all the time. Some situations don't afford the time for curiosity and sharing. When that happens, I need space afterwards, space to release what I don't need or want to hold that I heard space to feel my own humanity again, and then space to choose to remember the humanity of the other person, and that is all an active practice. I think that othering people into political camps and categories is easily available and every time it happens, we lose more and more of our collective humanity and we feed the machine of hate that profits from our conversational and emotional laziness.Speaker 6 (00:38:11):I can't say it's always easy, that's for sure. What I try to do is see another person, whether it's around the political views or other things that I may not agree with somebody about or I might even actually see them as a quote enemy, is for one thing, I drop into my heart and get out of my head about ideas, views, and just try to be present in my heart as much as possible with as little judgment as possible and recognize the essence of the other person, the essence that's inside all the beliefs and the views, and recognizing also that we all have some sort of wounding from our lives, maybe our lineages, our generations, maybe even past lives and or trauma, and that that can obscure the essence of who we are, and I try to really remember that essence in another person.(00:39:34):And in relation, how do you see your own humanity? The other question you ask, how do you see your own humanity in the context of political dialogue? I have to say that's not really a question I thought about. I thought about how to see the humanity in others, so I really appreciate this question. I think if I start othering the other, if I get into too much judgment, I feel like I lose my own sense of humanity or at least the type of human I hope and wish to be. What helps me to I guess, discern when I'm in my own humanity, when I'm in the best of places, I guess I don't know how else to word that is I tune into my values. What do I value most and am I living by those values in the way that I want to be human In this world, for example, for me, integrity is super important as well as respect and compassion.(00:40:44):I'm not saying I'm always in this place, but these values that I aspire to live by help bring me into my own humanity and almost like check, checking in, tuning in checkpoints in a way, when I speak about compassion, sometimes people, all of what I'm saying, I want to, even though I'm maybe trying to see the essence of someone, I do try to discern that if there's being harm done, I'm not okaying any harm at all. And when I try to live by compassion, I feel like that's when I can really see the humanity in others and compassion for myself. I view compassion as a very active verb, a little bit different than empathy. Just that compassion is seeing the suffering, but wanting to do something about it and doing something for me. Compassion includes action, and sometimes that action is helping to disrupt or interrupt harm that's happening, and that's how I can show up in my humanity for others is the best I can do is acting as well as being that balance both, andSpeaker 7 (00:42:23):I'm Diana, she her and I didn't use to see myself in politics the way that I do now. It took decades for me to really start to get a grasp about who I actually am and how the ways I view politics, the ways I vote, who I support, how it actually affects me, and I spent a lot of years voting for things that hurt me without even realizing I was doing that because I was following the messaging and believing it. Ultimately that being a good fill in the blanks meant voting for fill in the blanks or being a good fill in the blanks meant donating to or supporting or whatever, fill in the blanks. And I hurt myself by doing that because I wasn't listening to my own knowing or my own intuition or looking in the mirror at who am I? What kind of world do I want to live in? I didn't ask myself those questions. I did what I thought I was supposed to do to fall in line, and there were people in my life during that who spoke truth, and it was true because it was individual to them. It was, here's what I know about me and here's what this policy means for me. And I didn't get it. I certainly didn't get it.(00:44:09):I judged it inside my own head, and yet those people who spoke their own individual truth are the people who were able to shed light through the cracks in my facade. And years later, I remember some of the things that people said or that they posted or whatever because those were the light that I saw through the cracks and it was so memorable, even though at the time I might have been irritated by it, it was memorable because I loved and respected these people and so their words didn't matter to me, even though at the time I very much disagreed and I hope that I will be allowed to be the light in some people's cracks because I know for a fact there's so many people like me who haven't actually looked at who they are, what they want, what kind of world do they want to live in if they separate themselves from the ideology of where they work or where they go to church or their family of origin or what their spouse is telling them, no honey, who are you? What do you want? And when people can be brave enough to do that, its everything up.Speaker 8 (00:45:46):My name is Marwan Cameron, and I was asked to answer a couple questions here, and the first question was, how do you see your own humanity in the context of political dialogue? And I had to think about this question. Our humanity is front and center when we talk about politics primarily because the issues that affect us, meaning the black community are often sidelined or ignored. I'll share some examples of that. Democrats and Republicans both speak about healthcare, the economy crime, but when they have centered those conversations around the realities they face, when do you actually see that take reparations. For example, we hear a lot about tax cuts or healthcare reform, but nothing about reparations for chattel slavery, for foundational black Americans which are owed to black people for centuries of exploitation. You can even look at our prison system where men are going to prison without HIV and very low percentages and then coming out several times higher when they are released from jail and prison, and I'll get into some of those stats. Also.(00:47:15):When we look at black men that are falsely accused of sexual assault, unfortunately we go back to Emmett Till and we never really talk about the contemporary men. I have a list of a hundred black men that have been falsely accused in the last five years alone. Albert Owens 2023, Christian Cooper, 2020, Joshua Wood, Maurice Hastings, Jonathan Irons, 2000, Anthony Broadwater, 2021, Mark Allen, 2022, Franklin, west 2020, Michael Robertson, Shaw, Taylor, Dion, Pearson 2021, Stanley Race 2019 Rashan Weaver 2020. Henry Lee McCollum, 2020. David Johnson, Jamel Jackson, Charles Franklin, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Corey Wise, you, Celine, Aron McCray, Brian Banks, which is a pretty famous name, Wilbert Jones. That's just 20 names in the last five years of a list of a hundred that I have that have been falsely accused of sexual assault, these aren't things that we talk about. Question two, how do you make space for folks in your proximity who did not share your political views as a heterosexual black male in this country, you really have no choice but to make space for others' Political views as in question number one, we are really only allowed to speak about injustices or political needs in the framework of the black community as a whole.(00:49:25):Matter what side you find yourself on, whether you're a Republican, we're oftentimes they straight up say, we're not acknowledging what your needs are. We're not going to do anything about your needs. You can come over here and vote with us if you want. As Trump said, what have you got to lose? What have Democrats done for you? Or you can look at the democratic side where in the last three elections, it's been existential against Donald Trump. And when Donald Trump won and then lost and is running again, we still haven't seen things like the repeal of qualified immunity, things like atoning for the most heinous crimes that the United States has committed in chattel slavery against black men. I've made space. We have made space as black men in regards to those who do not share our political views. Black men have fought in every war for the United States of America. We have stood up, stood behind, been sacrificed for the good of almost every cause, and we're told not yet. It's not the right time. We too need, have needs, and it becomes a zero sum game.Speaker 9 (00:51:19):Growing up, we had Sunday dinners at my grandparents. Conversation was always lively with my family, talking loudly, fast, and often right over each other. We talked about everything, what was happening around us, our community, what was in the paper and on the news that evening. We didn't always agree. In fact, I think my grandparents debated opposite sides. Just for fun, I fondly remember my grandmother saying, your grandpa and I are canceling each other's votes at the polls. They would both smile and sometimes laugh. Considering my upbringing, I was surprised to hear my instructor at cosmetology school lay down the law. Politics and religion were never to be discussed, not in school, and certainly not if we wanted to be successful professionally. I learned to smile and nod. I strive to find common ground with the opinion of guests. I was raised not to look for any offense with ideas that contrasted my own.(00:52:16):It takes both a left and a right wing to make the eagle fly and what a boring world this would be in if we all agreed. But then Trump happened up until he achieved power. Generally speaking, whether the law or policy was written by conservatives, liberals, moderates, there was a basis of bettering the American way of life. To be clear, this wasn't always the advancement of protection we agreed with, but we could see the logic of it. For the most part, Trump's leadership consists of a hatred for people who are not like him. Early on in his campaign, he told Americans to police their neighbors if they were of a specific religion he has built upon dehumanization and vilification every day sense. My mother lived in Germany for a few years and a town not far from Dau. It was the early 1960s and not yet recovered from World War ii.(00:53:21):This quaint little town overlooks the Bavarian Alps with architects right out of a storybook and a stunning view of Munich. It was evidence that the residents of this charming quiet village were aware that 800,000 people came in and no one left. History books paint the picture that everyone was scared of speaking up for fear they would be next. But with critical thinking, we know many of those approved. They've been listening to the nonsense of their leaders, their beliefs that Jews, the disabled homosexuals, immigrants were a burden on the healthcare system, education system, taking their German jobs, businesses, and homes. They were demonized so strongly, so powerfully. They were no longer human, no longer their neighbors, doctors, teachers, bakers seamstresses their talents, their skills and their very humanity no longer existed. We know this to be true, but what we don't talk about is the slope that good people slid down that enabled this to take place in the coffee shops, birthday parties, sitting with friends, playing cards, Sunday family dinners, these words came up.(00:54:43):Hitler's rhetoric spread and thoughtful kind people did not correct their friends, family, guests and clients. There were Nazis and sympathizers, but there were good people that saw through Hitler's dumpster fire of lies. These are the people I wonder if they ever slept well again. Could they ever look at themselves with honor and integrity? Trump proudly uses this method. He has people willing to do his bidding. He has sympathizers, but what he doesn't have is my silence, my obedience. My voice is the born power. I have to stand strong and correct the lies he tells and the people in my circle repeat. I will lose clients and friends taking this action, and that's a price I'm willing to pay, but I'm not willing to live out the rest of my days knowing that I didn't do everything in my power to stop in.Speaker 10 (00:55:49):How do you make space for folks in your proximity who don't share your political views? I am lucky that I live next to my parents and that my mother-in-law lives in a small home on our property. For years, there was a constant strife between my parents, myself, husband, and my mother-in-law due to political and religious beliefs, uncomfortable dinners, having to watch what you say, an aura of judgment that would seem to permeate family gatherings. They were quite the norm. And each time that they would leave, I would feel a sense of relief. Sometimes someone would decide not to come or just tell us that they needed a break. This would create less tension, but I worry that someone would feel left out or that they would feel judged if they weren't present. And actually that would happen more often or not, especially in my time of anger before and during Covid.(00:56:40):As mentioned before, when I decided that I needed to focus on my own sense of happiness and live up to my values and beliefs, I decided that my home would become a politics, religion free zone. I wanted my home to be a safe for everyone. And this was a tough transition. And what was most difficult was creating boundaries for our parents, having the hard conversations about why we're asking people to withhold their opinions on politics and religion and to focus on grandkids sports and family celebrations, et cetera. For the first few months, I was constantly reminding everyone of the rule, but eventually we all seemed to settle in and even catch ourselves when we deviated from how sex expectations, dinners and events became more pleasant. And when our guests would leave, I didn't have to decompress or worry about how to fix an issue or soothe someone's feelings.(00:57:27):This one simple step has been a game changer, and it's not always perfect, and sometimes people will slip up, but instead of taking on the issue, we will move the conversation to another topic. Some would say that we need to talk about the issues and debate their merits so that we can grow and come together. But no, after finding my purpose, I don't believe that being right is more important than someone else's feelings. I want everyone who sits at my table and breaks spread with me to feel loved and valued. It's not perfect because we're human, but we're trying one dinner at a timeSpeaker 11 (00:58:03):To how do I hold my own humanity? In the context of political dialogue, one of the first things that comes to mind for me is, at least in political conversations, what defines my humanity? When I think about politics, much of our politics is really about power and privilege, of which I happen to have both. And so when I'm thinking about politics, I'm thinking about my social location as a able-bodied, middle class, heterosexual Christian White woman, I carry privilege in almost every aspect of that identity, at least here in the United States. And so when I'm thinking about humanity and political dialogue, our political system has historically always been and continues to be set up to serve people with my type of humanity very well. The thing that I'm constantly trying to keep in my mind is what about the humanity of my brothers and sisters experiencing oppression, marginalization when it comes to my voice and my vote in political situations, I have over the years had to learn to think less about how can I use my vote and my voice to engage in politics in a way that benefits me because I'm already benefiting from our system.(00:59:42):Our system is set up to benefit people like me who carry great levels of social privilege. What I really want to know as I'm trying to use my voice and my vote wisely now, is how do I leverage both of those things, my voice, my vote, as well as my power and privilege to engage in political dialogue in ways that fix broken systems. So I am oftentimes not actually voting or advocating for the things that would benefit me the most or necessarily align perfectly with my theological or political ideals. I'm looking at where are the most broken places in our system? Where is our government currently oppressing individuals the most? And how can my vote and my voice be used to leverage our politics in such a way that those broken systems begin to get fixed and healed over time so that those whose humanity looks different than mine are receiving the same amount of privilege of assistance of power that they should be.(01:00:57):And when it comes to dealing with those that I'm in proximity with who have very different political ideologies than myself, of which I will say in my current context, there are quite a few. I am constantly having to remind myself to focus on core values, values over stances that our conversations and our engagement with one another centers not so much around opinions about specific political stances or issues as much as the core values that we share. If my core value is for equality and equity, if my core value is that we're caring for the poor and the marginalized, then regardless of what stances I might have on certain issues, my voice and my vote represents those core values. And I've found that even when certain stances might be different, when we dig into the core values that are at the root of our decision-making, there's oftentimes a lot more common ground than I ever expect there to be.Speaker 12 (01:02:06):This recording is for the fabulous Danielle Castillo. I think what I am seeing right now as I think about how to welcome people's humanity and politics are a few key things that are both shocking and I would say disappointing in a day and age where we seem to want to tolerate people not being locked into binary spaces, we have relegated differences and opinion and viewpoints into a bipartisan politic. And what that does is that means that there are people who are in and who are out. And we've had to embrace things that we both love and hate if we ascribe to any one of those bipartisan objectives. And so we've had to in some ways, in our own humanity, violate pieces of ourselves to say, well, I align this part one way, but even though I categorically reject their views on this another way. And then regardless of whatever spectrum you're on inside of that political continuum, and it's hard because at that point, if we say in a lot of other spaces that there's space for nuance and there's space for gray, then why here do we land in those spaces?(01:03:16):And so that would be the first that it is an either or, and we seem to be comfortable, most comfortable that way. And then to demonize and villainize somebody who's in the either or space, instead of allowing for the gray, you're either all for me or all against me, and you can't live somewhere in the middle. The second thing that would be shocking and disappointing for me is the way that we've been able to start arranging the things that we can tolerate. And so I can say, well, I love this candidate because I love these three things and I agree with them and I hate these four things, but they're not that bad. And you love this candidate, you love the other candidate for these three things, but you hate them for those four things. And the fact that you don't hate 'em enough over those four things means that you're a terrible person.(01:04:02):And I find that just so interesting and so sad that we've been able to say, well, the four things I can stomach that I don't like are somehow more or less worse than the four things you feel like you could tolerate or not tolerate. And so my list of sins or offenses that are easily navigable, somehow I get to become the moral compass over what should be enough or not enough to disqualify somebody for public service. I think at the end of the day, what makes us hard is that we see people in the middle as somehow exhibiting some sort of cowardice. And I think we're pushing people to violate their own humanity and say, as my experience changes and as the neighborhood changes and the people around me change, and my own philosophy changes that I can't stand in a faithful middle and say, well, I agree with some of this, but I don't agree with some of that.(01:04:54):And we've called those people cowards instead of principled moderates, and we've shamed them into saying, well, you have to choose something. And I think that is so unkind. And I think really at the end of the day, we are asking people to violate their own humanity and their own understanding of who they are and their own sense of who they are as a person by saying that they have to agree one way if they want to be a human or be a woman or be a person of color or be a person of faith. And I think it's both sides. I think every side is complicit. At the end of the day, what is really hard is that I think most people want to vote for the person that is going to lead well, and they want that person to be a good person. They want them to be an upright person.(01:05:37):They want them to be an authentic person, the same person behind closed doors as they are in the public face. And I would say, I don't think that's most people who choose politicking as a vocation, I believe that so much of their job is diplomacy and having to be a lot of faces in a lot of places. And so asking for that kind of authenticity and consistency in a social media world is almost asking the impossible. I don't think it totally is impossible, but I think it's exceptionally hard. Many of the things that we want to ascribe to one individual and how they uphold or represent their own party are carefully crafted narratives by a team of people who are professional politicians and marketers, and to ask them to give you an authentic person, their job is to not give you an authentic person. Their job is to give you an avatar that you feel you can most connect with so you can make the decision they want you to make.(01:06:33):And that is really for me, the reality of what we're up against right now is that we want to say we're voting for ideologies, and in reality we're voting for a carefully crafted narrative that is crafted by people who want you to believe a particular way. And I know that feels kind of negative, and that makes me so sad to even voice that out loud and to vocalize that out loud. But I would say that I hope in some way that we experience real freedom and real understanding of what it means to be a global citizen and to be a citizen of this country, is that we understand that. And the complexity of who I am as a person and how I interact with other people and how they understand their own complexity and their own humanity means that I can believe a lot of things that belong in a lot of different camps.(01:07:19):And that's okay. That's what honestly, being intrinsically American means, but also just to understand our own humanity in the global context is there are things that I will feel one way about and they squarely belong in one camp, but there are other things I believe that belong in another camp. And both of those things can be true for me without somebody demanding that I carry some sort of alliance or allegiance to one person. I think that's so gross and so foul at the end of the day. I think what makes America so interesting and so fascinating, but I also think so beautiful and so compelling and so desiring for people who are coming into our borders, is that there is this understanding that I can stand squarely as an individual person and be able to express myself as who I am as an individual and also belong to a collective that makes space for that.(01:08:14):And that is intrinsically what it means to be America. I'm free to be us, but I'm also free to be me. And so I think politics pushes us into a narrative that is against intrinsically who we say we are, and that really is the basis of freedom. And so that's what I would feel about that. Now, this is an added bonus, and I know you didn't ask for this, Danielle, but I'm going to give it to you anyways because I firmly believe this. I think it is more dehumanizing, and I think it is so incredibly sad that we don't allow for people to be principled moderates. That we are sanctifying the ability to castrate people's ability to be able to stand in the middle. And we vilify them as being weak or vilify them as being cowards because their understanding of what is actually evil is.(01:09:09):It's a broad spectrum. And to say that there is good everywhere, it is true to say there is evil everywhere is true. And how people interface with both of those things is true. And so I hate that we have become okay at using our theology and using our social media platforms and using our politicking as throwing stones for people who say, I want to hold a faithful middle. And that faithful middle means that I can believe a multitude of things and that I stand in the own gray and the nuance of who I am and how I understand my neighbors and what that looks like. And we know that some of those people are standing with compassion and with courage. And to call those people cowards, I think is the most ignorant, I'm trying to find the kindest way to say this, right? So I think it is just absolutely ignorant.(01:10:00):And then we've used quotes out of context and scriptures out of context to tell those people that somehow they're bad and evil people. And it's just not true that they're honestly sometimes the bridge builders and the unifier in places where they are trying to be peacemakers and they're trying to be people of peace. They're trying to be people of belonging and welcome. And so they're holding a faithful middle to say, my heart is going to take enough of a beating where people may misunderstand me, but I'm going to make it big enough and available enough where everybody can come sit under my tent. And I think that's brave work. I think that is courageous work, and I think that is humbling work that we could learn more from instead of castigating really more than anything else. So those are my 2 cents, honestly, more than anything else.(01:10:51):The last 2 cents I could probably give you that I think is so shameful is I am tired of any political party that tells me that they are doing more for working class Americans or doing more for poor people, and yet they're spending 2 billion to fly somebody around and send me junk mail to my home. I would much rather you stop buying ad space and then you actually go and serve the poor and somebody takes a picture of you doing that on accident. And I actually get to see that and go, oh my gosh, they're actually serving the poor. Do not tell me you're serving the poor or serving working class Americans and you haven't talked to one or seen one in a very long time. And my God, you have not lived in our shoes. You have not lived on our pay scales. You have not come in and volunteered regularly, and you only show up when there's a camera crew doing that.(01:11:34):That is so gross to me, and I hate that you send me mail about it and spend 2 billion fundraising for things like that. And yet that money could go to the poor and that money could go to programs. If there's one thing that makes me want to soapbox so bad, it is that more than anything else, I don't want to hear what your fundraising dollars have done to actually help your campaign. And that thing becomes a total waste when you lose. And that money doesn't go into the pockets of people. That money goes into the pockets of advertisers and radio stations and TV stations and social media influencers and all sorts of nonsense and actually doesn't go into the pockets and the hands of people who are feeding the poor that is garbage. So I feel very strongly about that, but I dunno if this is what you need, but that's how I make space. I make space for people who live at Principled Middle because I think blessed are the peacemakers and I want them to feel safe with me.Speaker 13 (01:12:26):Good morning. My name is Luis Cast. How do I see my own humanity in this political context? Well, it's simple as that. I'm a human being. I'm not a pawn or a little peace on a game. I'm a human being born and raised in Mexico, but I live here in the United States over half of my life now, and I'm a human being. And no matter what the promises they give me or what they're going to do in government, I'm still just a human being that wants the best for me and my family. And that's what they need to address the human being in us regarding not regarding color or race or where they come from. Treat us a as human beings. And the other question, how do I make space for folks who do not share my political view?(01:13:46):Well, again, it's just simple. I was taught that love whoever disagree with you or even your enemy. But to be honest, that's the hardest thing to do. People that don't agree with you or you don't agree with them, and sometimes they even hurt you. But I try to do my best, honestly, just to listen and sometimes put myself in their shoes because everybody has been brought up differently in families, cultures, regions of the country from the south, from New England, they call in the west in California. So we all have different views. So I just don't have an ear and sometimes an opinion, but mostly an ear so they can really listen to what they, I believe, where they come from, where they come from. So that is what I try to do. No, perfect, but that's what I try to do.Speaker 14 (01:14:59):Hi, my name is Claire. I am a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman. I live in Paulsboro, Washington. So the first question is how do I see my humanity in the context of this current political moment? And I'd start off by saying I come from a pretty privileged place, like my own personal humanity isn't very threatened just because I'm white, I'm straight, and yeah, my own family background. I have a lot of support and I'm not ever threatened with becoming homeless or something if I can't pay my bills. But still things are really scary for so many people right now. So I definitely feel that all the time. And I would say that it's just a really disheartening time. A lot of the, I mean, pretty much all politicians, I'd say are very untrustworthy at a local and national level. And I think we're all seeing that, especially in the context of what's happening in Gaza.(01:16:26):For the last over a year now, all these politicians that felt like they were progressive and would speak out when heinous things happened, most of them have gone silent or completely denied what's happening in Gaza, or just said really brief empty words, always proceeded by talking about Israeli hostages. So yeah, it's been terrifying because we realize the extent of politicians care for the general public and for the global wellbeing of humanity. And it only stretches so far because first and foremost, they're concerned about their own and standing in the political world because we've seen a lot of people lose their reelections for standing up for Palestinians.(01:17:38):And I think what's really disheartening is seeing it at a local level. In some ways, we expect national politicians to be pretty sleazy and skirt around really big, terrible, important issues. But seeing it at a local level has been really terrifying because I mean, they said it was then a couple decades ago, like 30, 40 years ago, there's more crises going on. And that really, for me, I've always thought, well, this is how it's always been. There's just the media reports on more stuff. We have social media, we can't hide a lot of things. So I don't know if that's true or not, but I mean, it probably is. We're in a time of climate crisis too, so it makes sense that things are just, they're not slowing down.(01:18:49):I don't know where I was going with that, but yeah, I guess I would just say humanity. It feels threatened on so many levels for my queer friends, for my friends of color, for any women or female identifying people just on so many levels, it just feels like our rights are being threatened and everything feels tenuous. If Trump wins, what the hell is going to happen to this country? And if Kamala wins, what the hell is going to change? I don't believe in politicians. They're not going to save us. That's how it feels. We have to save each other that are diehard Trumpers or something. I'd say all those people are my relatives that live in Wisconsin or a couple of coworkers, and we don't talk about politics, but on a deeper level, I try to remember that it's hard, right? Because hard, it's hard not to hate people for what they believe. I guess that's a horrible thing to say, isn't it? But I see the consequences of people who vote for Trump and put him in office the first time, their direct consequences because they voted for Trump and because of their beliefs and because of what they repost online. That just has bred so much hatred, and it's led to people being terrified for their lives and people losing their lives. There's so much propaganda being shoved down people's throats, the people that have Fox News plane 24 7.(01:21:06):I don't know the last time I watched Fox News, but I've overheard it. That stuff is crazy. They're being fed lie after lie after lie. So yeah, it's like people are also a product of their culture and it's hard to fight against your culture. So I try to give people some grace with that, but I also don't know how they can't see their own beliefs as harmful and full of hatred. I really don't understand. So yeah, it's hard. It's hard to remember people's humanity, but I have obviously my own blind spots and my own ways that I'm super ignorant and willfully ignorant in the things I look away from and the things like I'm resistant to learning because it's inconvenient or uncomfortable for me. So I try to hold that space for people too, because we're all learning. Yeah, it's a process of trying to remember people's humanity. And I think, yeah, but it just feels like when people support someone that spews so much hatred, it's really hard not to pin that blame on them as well, because they're also at fault for putting people like that in power. So I don't know. Yeah, it's a tough one.Speaker 15 (01:22:55):I feel like as somebody with various subordinated identities, whether that's being queer, being Latina, having a disability, being a woman, all of those things are increasingly politicized. And so for me, I find that political discourse specifically is often really dehumanizing and even performative on the other end of the spectrum. So our two major parties, Republican and Democrat with Republican, it's we well known that those political parties as they exist currently are working to strip away rights from people in all of those identity and affinity groups. While the Democrats, which I won't even say left, because current Democrats are right of center, when you look at a global pe

This is part two of a two-part series with the founder of Inclusive Therapists, Melody and TU Co-host, Sue Marriott. This episode features challenging yet important conversations on active anti-racist practices, exploration of oppression, and dismantling whiteness in mental health structures. Melody emphasizes the need for white clinicians to examine their own complicity in upholding oppressive systems and to listen to and center the experiences of marginalized communities. They also highlight the interconnectedness of healing and the power of collective liberation through rehumanizing.

series with the founder of Inclusive Therapists, Melody and TU Co-host, Sue Marriott. We are pushing for more inclusive, anti-racist, and decolonialized practices.The conversation is  challenging but important as we explore liberation psychology that helps us recognize and unlearn patterns of thinking that are rooted in colonization and European Western education. You may not agree with everything this guest says but you will learn something and likely feel quite a lot. Discomfort is a necessary part of liberating ourselves from engrained traditional patriarchal and white supremist thinking that continues to harm so many. Don't forget to help us reach our goal - if you appreciate TU, then please pre-order your copy of Secure Relating today & help raise the bar of secure relating in the world. www.SecureRelatingBook.com

series with the founder of Inclusive Therapists, Melody and TU Co-host, Sue Marriott. We are pushing for more inclusive, anti-racist, and decolonialized practices.The conversation is  challenging but important as we explore liberation psychology that helps us recognize and unlearn patterns of thinking that are rooted in colonization and European Western education. You may not agree with everything this guest says but you will learn something and likely feel quite a lot. Discomfort is a necessary part of liberating ourselves from engrained traditional patriarchal and white supremist thinking that continues to harm so many. Don't forget to help us reach our goal - if you appreciate TU, then please pre-order your copy of Secure Relating today & help raise the bar of secure relating in the world. www.SecureRelatingBook.com

Lindsey returns from a wild Pride week and Benny makes their debut as the show's new co-host. Hear about the parade, the charities, Starbucks Workers United, and even more about dogs. Plus, with the latest major Supreme Court decisions, the duo is angry and broke. Lindsey interviews counselor and author Kate Mageau on her book and domestic violence in the Queer community. Website: https://www.katemageau.com/ National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/ Inclusive Therapists: https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/ RADIO SGN INFO Merch: www.redbubble.com/people/SeattleGayNews/shop Instagram: @radio.sgn Twitter: @radiosgn Music Intro: Meatball by Jesse Spillane Transitions: Night Sun by TRG Banks --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/seattle-gay-news/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/seattle-gay-news/support

Discover the unique challenges LGBT couples face in family planning in our enlightening conversation with Laurel Roberts-Meese, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  As we celebrate Pride Month, Laurel shares valuable insights on the importance of language and acronyms used in the LGBT community and emphasizes the importance of allies being supportive without overstepping their boundaries.Together, we delve into the world of LGBT relationships, discussing the liberating aspect of self-designing roles within a partnership and the research showing that children of same-sex couples tend to have similar or better developmental and social outcomes. Navigating the school system and potential discrimination are also touched upon, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the unique hurdles and joys faced by LGBT couples.If you're an LGBT couple seeking therapy or support, don't miss Laurel's recommendations for finding an inclusive therapist through directories like Therapyden and Inclusive Therapists. We also discuss the similarities between LGBT couples therapy and traditional couples therapy and how to determine if it's the right fit for you. Join us in this empowering episode as we celebrate the progress and resilience of the LGBT+ community.Learn more about Laurel on her website: laureltherapy.net(415) 504-2895Keep up with Laurel Therapy Collective on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and read our latest mental health advice on our blog. This podcast is meant to be a resource for the general public, as well as fellow therapists/psychologists. It is NOT meant to replace the meaningful work of individual or family therapy. Please seek professional help in your area if you are struggling. #breakthestigma #makewordsmatter #thingsyoulearnintherapy #thingsyoulearnintherapypodcastFeel free to share your thoughts at www.makewordsmatterforgood.com or email me at Beth@makewordsmatterforgood.comIf you are a therapist or psychologist and want to be a guest on the show, please complete this form to apply: https://forms.gle/ooy8QirpgL2JSLhP6 Support the showwww.bethtrammell.com

Season 3 is a wrap - time for a hiatus replay! Season 2 will be on tap, and with so many great conversations, how could I pass up putting them out there again?Have a safe, enjoyable spring and summer. Season 4 rolls out on September 12, 2023.******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.Support the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

 My guest, Don McCasland, LCSW-CCTP, owner and therapist of Warrior Elder Counseling, is back to discuss processing trauma. We also discuss many things about humans and trauma, how it affects some persons, how other folx manage to tackle their symptoms, and how others continue in their struggle.PLEASE NOTE: We do discuss many trauma related issues and topics, including war trauma as well as the Club Q shooting that happened in Colorado Springs, CO in November 2022.To find Don:Website - https://www.warrioreldercounseling.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Close Encounters In Warhttps://closeencountersinwar.org*****Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.Support the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

My guest, Kristie Fuller, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. I found her account on Instagram, and it was sweary love at first read of her material she was posting. Kristie is putting herself out there to be her authentic self as a therapist. This means going against what most of us were taught in grad school of doing it old school with suit and tie.Kristie and I discuss our experiences in bringing authenticity to our careers and our clients. And let the F-bombs fly!********Kristie Fuller is a practicing LMHC via telehealth for clients in Florida, by being her sweary genuine self: " I help people who are intimidated by stuffy, bored, tired, and traditional style therapy. It's just fuckin' therapy, right? Why can't it be more direct, more brash, real, down to earth, and genuine without all the bullshit?I specialize in working with adults who are ready to deepen their awareness of their internal landscape, so that they can understand who they are, what they are thinking and feeling, and how those interact to create behaviors.My practice is welcoming to everyone looking for someone who is dedicated to creating an enviroment that is inclusive, diverse, LGBT friendly, sex-positive and neurodivergent-affirming.  My clients enjoy working with me because I create a safe space for them to be truly their authentic self. "You can find Kristie here:Website  https://www.swearytherapy.com/ Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/swearytherapy/Podcast - "If The Couch Could Speak" https://www.swearytherapy.com/podcast.html******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch TSupport the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

Music.For most persons it is all through their lives, celebrations, losses, just living. It reminds us of events, places, people, history, and who we are as individuals.I was lucky to grab my friend, Derek Fortin, former lead singer for The Dawn (among his other participation in several bands), to discuss how he sees music in his life while also being an RN and now a director in the medical world. And we also get into how music moves other humans, how it can express things we think, feel or live but we're unable to put it into what we feel are the right words.One of my favorite lyrics is from one of the songs by Paul Simon: My life's so common it disappearsAnd sometimes even musicCannot substitute for tears- Cool, Cool River, album: The Rhythm of the Saints - released 1990Music is a powerful medium to evoke serious emotions of joy, resignation, anger, love and/or sadness. And understanding what another human is living, connecting us to one another.******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.Support the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

My guest, and friend, Crystal Bessler and I hit the ground running in this episode. We cover inherited expectations from multiple sources, what obligations creates for some persons, what does it mean to take personal responsibility and owning our own shit, and what it does when you have the support of others while kicking your life into gear.*PLEASE NOTE: there is brief discussion of sexual assault in this episode.* * * *Crystal Besseler, BSN R N, works in Behavioral Health with children through geriatric populations, as well as having experience with Crisis/Emergency Behavioral Health, Drug and Alcohol Detox/Addiction Recovery, and Corrections populations. Crystal is also a qualified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. She's currently working in the ever expanding field of medical health technology as a digital health nurse, taking care of hospital patients in their own homes.******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.Support the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

Subscriber-only episodeMy guest, Steven Kmiec, PhD, is back for part two of the discussion regarding science behind glass and honey. So much of what we discuss comes from passion to know more about how things work, what happens if we try to change it, and what do we learn when it doesn't work out. Much like how we as humans move through our lives, society, cultures, and how we negotiate our way in and out of relationships. Which path do we take? How passionate are we about what we want? Will it work out?******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.https://www.nerpsc.com/aboutWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

Like most conditions, anxiety can manifest itself in a multitude of ways, one of which is called high-functioning anxiety. It can be challenging for the person experiencing it—as well as those around them—to spot, but understanding the signs and symptoms of high-functioning anxiety is an important first step in treating it. Here's how I manage on a daily basis. Become A Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thevibewithky Buy Official Neurospicy Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/kys-merch-vibes/ Other Links My Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevibewithky My TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@thevibewithky My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevibewithky/ My Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevibewithky My Website: https://thevibewithky.com/ **Disclaimer: All videos and content on this channel is intended to be entertainment and educational only. YouTube is not therapy and I cannot and do not provide specific advice or clinical services to anyone on this platform. Your confidentiality cannot be guaranteed on YouTube so please be mindful of this when sharing in the comments!** Finding a Therapist & Suicide Prevention Services National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24/7/365 crisis and prevention services. 1-800-273-8255 / https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ Psychology Today Therapist Finder: Search engine that helps find therapists in your area. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/th... Therapy Den: Therapist Search Engine to find Inclusive Therapists in your area. https://www.therapyden.com/ Inclusive Therapists: Therapist search engine with a focus on inclusivity & safety for folks with marginalized identities. https://www.inclusivetherapists.com Glimmer: A digital wellness platform for LGBTQIA+ folks. https://weglimmer.com/#/ NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Provides education, tools, resources, and a help line for people with mental illness. 1-800-950-6264 or text NAMI to 741741 https://nami.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thevibewithky/support

Why is therapy so expensive? Today we explore the reasons why you're paying more, therapists role in the payments, greedy insurance companies, and how we can potentially fix these issues. Become A Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thevibewithky Buy Official Neurospicy Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/kys-merch-vibes/ Other Links My Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevibewithky My TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@thevibewithky My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevibewithky/ My Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevibewithky My Website: https://thevibewithky.com/ **Disclaimer: All videos and content on this channel is intended to be entertainment and educational only. YouTube is not therapy and I cannot and do not provide specific advice or clinical services to anyone on this platform. Your confidentiality cannot be guaranteed on YouTube so please be mindful of this when sharing in the comments!** Finding a Therapist & Suicide Prevention Services National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24/7/365 crisis and prevention services. 1-800-273-8255 / https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ Psychology Today Therapist Finder: Search engine that helps find therapists in your area. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/th... Therapy Den: Therapist Search Engine to find Inclusive Therapists in your area. https://www.therapyden.com/ Inclusive Therapists: Therapist search engine with a focus on inclusivity & safety for folks with marginalized identities. https://www.inclusivetherapists.com Glimmer: A digital wellness platform for LGBTQIA+ folks. https://weglimmer.com/#/ NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Provides education, tools, resources, and a help line for people with mental illness. 1-800-950-6264 or text NAMI to 741741 https://nami.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thevibewithky/support

Subscriber-only episodeThe pandemic kicked off all sorts of society changes. One of the many shifts was about people examining what the fuck were they doing with their time, their efforts, their energy. Then came along what media called The Great Resignation - and it was not all that great. What it did show was that many persons attempted to find their passion and make it work for them in their lives in various forms.This episode, one of my favorite people returns, Steven Kmiec, PhD. He speaks to finding his passion for how the world works through science and through that science, finding his passion for art in glass blowing.******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.Want more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

Anitwork, wtf is that? Well, it means multiple things to various persons and groups. I've got someone working in that area, Meg Kelly, to discuss her work there. And, yeah THAT awesome Meg from previous episodes and her own podcast Mental Status.We discuss what that term means, how it is applied to various populations, but what it means especially with mental health professionals.****Megan Kelly, MA LMHCIs a polyamory therapist, counseling for burnout in therapists, and EMDR therapy in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Bloomington, and virtually across the state of Florida. She's  working to deconstruct what it means to be a therapist in today's world. You can find more about Megan and that work over here:https://www.instagram.com/antiworktherapist******Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa.In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.Support the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

Subscriber-only episodeThere seems to be little discussion about living internationally, adjusting to life there whether for a month or for years, what does that do for your mental health, and what the fuck happens when it's about adjusting to living back in your home country.Caroline Anderson, my guest and also my cousin, talks with me about living and working in Japan, I share my experiences after only a month away in Germany, and our experiences adjusting back to life in the US.*Trigger Warning: discussion includes anxiety, depression, and panic symptoms.***Caroline, in her words, "I'm a married cat lady, who had a crazy idea to live in Japan for almost a decade. I went from midwestern suburbs to a tiny apartment in a city before Google translate. Yet somehow I made it work."****Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional. *****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC.https://www.nerpsc.com/about/Want more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

My friend and guest, Gary Hogener joins me in this episode to discuss all his experiences he's had to date: veteran, law enforcement officer, educator, security consultant, security guard. I'm grateful for Gary agreeing to join me.*Trigger Warning: discussion includes combat experiences, suicide, and PTSD symptoms.Resources for support:ResponderStronghttps://responderstrong.org/All Clear Foundationhttps://allclearfoundation.org/CopLinehttps://www.copline.org/NVFChttps://www.nvfc.org/Peer Support through IRel8www.irel8.org/Veteran Crisis Linehttps://www.veteranscrisisline.net/Sebastian Younger documentary:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrepo_(film)*****Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional. *****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, F*ck The Rules, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is busy assisting First Responders, Law Enforcement Officers, and hospital ER/ICU staff as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their mental health wellness journey.Susan is a NationSupport the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

Here we go! No. 1 Child, Seneca Bulington and I kick off the season about how do you find a therapist? What obstacles get in the way of going into therapy, even if you've got insurance?We discuss what it looks like in finding connection with a therapist, and that it's not always the first one you meet that is a good fit.We also chat about what everyone seems to have been talking about in the past few months, Jonah Hill's "Stutz." If you haven't seen it, this is your SPOILER ALERT for that documentary as Seneca and I discuss what it meant to both of us, the ethics of filming your therapist or participating in your client's documentary project. What we thought about the information presented by Phil Stutz and Jonah Hill. And what was it like to hear Jonah and Phil express their love for one another in that documentary. It was a good discussion, and one that sent me back to review the documentary again as well as chat about it with some friends and colleagues including my OG CSU crew member, Dan Scritchfield.It also led Seneca and I to briefly discuss family of origin and those issues that come from being raised by flawed humans.*****Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent.* * * * *F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional. Support the showWant more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month to listen to Q&A sessions as well as extra episodes only available to subscribers! Click the "Subscribe" button or "Support The Show" link and find out more info.F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC. You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.*****Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

We're off to a bit of a rough start, but Season 3 is underway starting next week, January 10th!So much to look forward to with some returning guests, new guests and topics which always connects to mental health...of course, including how they said fuck the rules to do what they do.*****Please note the views and opinions expressed in this program are those of myself and my guests, and do not necessarily reflect on the views or positions of any entities they may or may not represent. * * * * * F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Let's wrap up this year with *the* most downloaded episode, my colleague and friend, John Wiesch.Originally broadcast on 05/22/2022:Please join me with my friend, and guest, Rev. John Wiesch. Yes, it's true, that's not a typo. He's an ordained minister. But hooboy, hold on to your hats. He brings the hardcore swearing with him in this episode...this is *not* for the faint of heart. It's a wild ride for the season finale!*NOTE: possible triggers warning with discussion of trauma*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 05/17/2022:Uber fabulous Amy Gimmy, my guest for Episode 16, brings info about her career as a licensed massage therapist, the challenges and the benefits of being her own boss, and owning her own practice.*Notice: possible trigger warning due to sexual harassment discussion*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 05/09/2022:It's that time of year. Graduation ceremonies for many persons. But what is the meaning of education now? What does it bring to graduates? What other options should be considered?Join me and my guest, Steven Kmiec, as we tease it apart and chat about it.*To clarify: in most states a person is not required to be licensed or certified to present themselves as a life coach, or need either one to receive a business license as a life coach. However, plenty of persons have put themselves through training/certification to be ethical life coaches.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 05/03/2022:Guest Brandon Kutmas, MS, LCPC, LMHC, and Chief Executive Officer of Quad City Behavioral Health Associates talks with me about saying fvck the bullshit of agency being the only available source of experience/hours for licensing, how civilians can be great therapists for vets and First Responders, and how antiwork is a viable business model.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Holiday Hiatus Episode 3 "How To Create A Publishing Company The F*cking Punk Way OR Boundaries: Pretty Good For A Happy Life"I had the great good fortune to have a long conversation with the founder and CEO (as well as being an author) of Microcosm Publishing, Joe Biel.Joe generously gifted me time from a busy schedule, running a successful independent publishing company to talk about coming to publishing, discussing the journey to where the company is now, and how mental health has been presented in books in previous years and what the books that are being written look like in more recent years. Full disclosure, I'm a fan of Microcosm Publishing being a consumer of many of their books.This final new episode of 2022 is hella good fun, interesting and I enjoyed my too short time chatting with Joe. You can find more information on Microcosm Publishing, including the books they publish, here:https://microcosmpublishing.com/You can find more about Joe, here:https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/joe-bielDr. Faith Harper's books discussed in this episode as well as her other works can be found on the MP site:https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/artist/dr_faith_g_harperThe book on suicidal ideation:How Not to Kill Yourself: A Survival Guide for Imaginative Pessimistsby Set Sytes AUTHOR with Dr. Faith G. Harperhttps://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/7099*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 04/26/2022:Guest Kayla Chorley, Canadian Certified Counselor and Counseling Therapist, and owner of Pineapple Therapy, joins me as we make our plans for world domination through therapy and being badass!*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Whenever I hear the word "narcissistic," I always call to mind Eddie Izzard's "Deathstar Canteen" sketch especially this segment:"Do you know who I am?""Do you know who *I* am?""This is not a game of Who The F*ck Are You..."The term narcissistic gets used incorrectly all over the place, but Narcissistic Personality Disorder causes some serious damage in many relationships.CEO and creator of The M.A.D. Beyond, Alexandra Skinner Walsh, joins me to discuss one area she has been working with clients for many years. It's been an area of such passion for Alex that she's gone and created an online ecourse about the personality disorder and how it affects persons in families and other relationships.You can find more info on the ecourse on Alex's site here:https://www.themadbeyond.com/courses*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 04/12/2022:Episode 11 has guest, Meg Kelly chatting about her journey of saying "fuck the rules!"  She's CEO of her own private telehealth therapy practice, host of her podcast Mental Status, and the support site Antiwork Therapist Collective. Whew! This woman is rocking it.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Interrupting the F*ck The Rules Podcast Hiatus, because I can, for Holiday Episode 1 with my guest, Det. Erik Lavigne.Erik hosts a podcast "Two Cops One Donut" and took time out of a busy schedule to discuss his podcast, his wide variety of guests he's hosted, how he got his start in being an officer, and what he's trying to do with the outreach he's providing in his podcast. You can find Erik here:Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4BGmIY1h8wY80Q58L1S5Wo?si=EI0jQDoEQkymXSAXiZ9nJQ&utm_source=copy-linkYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@TwoCopsOneDonut*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 04/05/2022:This week's guest is my friend and colleague, Grayson Reed. He created a nonprofit Public Safety Preservation, trying to keep First Responders alive. Please join us to hear about our experiences working to reach folx who are under immense pressures and stress, and offering them support and hope.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 03/21/2022:This week my guest is Jon, Seneca's (my daughter, her episode title "F*ck, please...") partner/boyfriend  about his history of rock/cliff/mountain climbing and how that embraces his version of "f*ck the rules!", rock hounding finds, his fishes' personalities, and consciousness/vegetarianism/meat consumption. It's a lot to pack into less than 30 mins!The book mentioned in this episode is THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS:A SURPRISING EXPLORATION INTO THE WONDER OF CONSCIOUSNESS, by author, Sy Montgomery. Something not mentioned in this episode, my fault for not bringing it into conversation, was the documentary/film: "My Octopus Teacher,"  a 2020 Netflix Original documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed. It  documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest. *****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 03/15/2022:I got to hang out with one of my favorite smarty people, Dr. Cramer this episode. She discusses how her career, her life, and her health benefited by saying "F*ck the rules!" to Evil Bastards, Inc. (EBI, trademark pending!) And providing quality eye care in the 21st century.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 03/07/2022:My guest this episode is the founder and Executive Director of Clock, Inc., Chase Norris. He let's us know about his journey from community mental health to opening up a non-profit providing meeting space, education, and community in the Quad Cities for the LGBTQ+ population.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcasst on 02/28/2022:This week my guest is my other daughter, Jenn Piatak!We chat about knitting and the apocalypse, not out running zombie hordes, talking openly about her Mental Health Wellness journey, and the joy in creating the family we have.*please note: there is general discussion of assault and sexual assault at minute 11:56 to 14:19******F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 02/21/2022:This week I speak with author, and my friend, Leslie Langtry!Leslie has written many great books, book series, and novellas where she said, "f*ck that" to many rules in the writing world.Go ahead, Google the woman, she's f*cking cool.*The book mentioned, Bloodshed In The Bayou, is not currently available. Damn it.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 02/14/2022:I chat with my colleague, Alex, who is also the founder and owner (as well as therapist) of The M.A.D. Therapy. What got her started on the path of being CEO of her own business, and what rules did she have to kick to the fucking curb to get where she is now?Also mentioned are my office mates:Kelly McReynolds of Free Your Mind Therapy ServicesNikki Hayes of Be Well Therapy & ConsultationErika Hansen of Hobein Counseling.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

Originally broadcast on 02/07/2022:My inaugural guest this week is my daughter, Seneca Bulington.I was pleased she agreed to talk to me about growing up a millennial in the Midwest, what being bisexual means to her, what criteria do we feel need to be met to include ourselves in a community, childhood stories where she clearly embodied the motto, "f*ck the rules." It was a pleasure to spend time with her, as always!*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

In this Season 2 final episode, one of my favorite people, Veronica Green, chats with me. As with most of the people that I know, and definitely among my friends group, she is incredibly passionate about service to/for/with others. And this means for her, using her voice to advocate for those who are unable to speak up and advocate for themselves - her students.We cover everything from how we first met, to Veronica's adventures in teaching, people trying to find the meaning of their human existence, to her new podcast. We get sweary, we laugh a lot, and at the end of the episode, curse motorcycles interrupting our discussions.Veronica Green is a Midwest Mama with a K-12 license in ESL (English as a Second Language) in the state of Minnesota. Bilingual in Spanish and a language nerd at heart, she holds a Master's in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and a Master's in Conflict Resolution. She has a background in case management, business, music, and has homemade soup and baked goods game.Veronica is the host and producer of her brand new podcast focusing on student and teacher advocacy called “Use Your Teacher Voice.” She lives in St. Paul with her partner, two daughters, old puppy, young kitty, trees and garden.Website: https://useyourteachervoice.godaddysites.com/ Instagram: use.your.teacher.voiceLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/use-your-teacher-voice-podcast/ Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019995/share *****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

No. 1 Child and unofficial cohost, Seneca Bulington is back with me! This time we're chatting about the bullshit involved with dating, how therapy is a game changer for those dating and/or settling into relationships, and the rotten child roasts me at least once during this episode.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

For this episode, I asked someone that I admire and respect to be my guest:  Janna Gottwald-Stridbeck, Ph.D. Dipl.-Psych, who is also a Psychotherapist in training. We found one another on Instagram, and the information she puts out regarding trauma has led me to looking up other therapists and information about the info they share on their accounts.Dr. Gottwald-Stridbeck is also passionate about language, we nerd out together about it, and I cheer her on about writing a modern translation of Freud's work.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

This episode, I have the pleasure of hosting one of my favorite professionals, friend and mentor, Dr. Christina Keszler. She is the Owner, and Chiropractic physician of Synergy Wellness Centers, LLC.We have a great time sharing laughs, but also discussing serious subjects as trying to be a professional who is female in male dominated fields, how to be the best in your profession for best client/patient care, and being badass means just being your genuine self.*****F*ck The Rules Podcast is available on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iheart radio, Listen Notes, Pandora, Stitcher, Spotify and TuneIn/Alexa - and many more!***Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, Inclusive Therapists, TherapyDen, Included Health or Monarch Therapy Directory for the nearest health professional.

I asked on social media for your questions on mental health, witchcraft, and paganism. In this episode, I answer those questions and give my perspective. This episode got a little heavy for me at certain points, so it may be heavy for you sometimes, too. However, mental health is such an important topic and I really wanted to tackle this head-on. If you'd prefer a transcript, you can find this and past transcripts here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ATnoPoTD51xY6A46ay0F5moVxki-1X28?usp=sharing ☎️ Resources for those struggling! ☎️ Checkpoint.org Global Resource List: https://checkpointorg.com/global/ International Hotlines: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm United for Global Mental Health: https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support 7 of Cups - Free Anonymous Emotional Support: https://www.7cups.com/ IMAlive - Text-based Suicide Prevention: https://www.imalive.org/ Inclusive Therapists: https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/wiccan-paganism

"Tough it out," "mind over matter," and "get over it" are common phrases most of us heard while growing up. However, what impact does that have on an individual? Join your host Katie Whipple and India Cuttino, a mental healthcare advocate and founder of the "Mind is Matter" app, as they discuss India's mental health journey and how she is changing the narrative for mental health for children in underrepresented communities. For mental health resources, please look no further than the list below: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org/Home NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text "TALK" to 741741 to text with a trained counselor for free The Trevor Project: thetrevorproject.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN): hotline.rainn.org via chat or 1-800-656-4673 To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA): twloha.com/find-help National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): myneda.org Inclusive Therapists: inclusivetherapists.com Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists (A page that can be used to find a therapist) If you want to learn more about the Mind is Matter app, please check out its Instagram in the following link: https://www.instagram.com/mindismatter.app --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cupofcommongrounds/message

Melody Li, founder of Inclusive Therapists and Mental Health Liberation, speaks on how service users in traditional mental health care systems are excluded and barriers to access are unaccounted for in traditional models. Melody shares how practicing from a decolonial, liberation-oriented, and anti-oppressive model can inform on accessibility, inclusive practices for service users, and mental health professionals. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2021 theme for World Mental Health Day is “Mental Health in an Unequal World.” This theme highlights the fact that between 75% to 95% of people with mental health issues in low and middle-income countries are unable to access the care that they need. In the US, it's not much better for people of color given that only 14% to 15% of U.S. psychologists are non-white. The good news: there is a movement to decolonize, disrupt, and dismantle oppressive mental health practices. That movement is being led by our Coach Chat guest, Melody Li. Melody is a queer therapist of color and founder of Inclusive Therapists, a platform that offers a safer, simpler way for people of all identities and abilities in all bodies to find a culturally responsive, social justice-oriented therapist. Melody is a mental health liberation activist whose goal is to decolonize mental health and healing, especially for those who live at the BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ intersection. Melody talks in this episode with Coach Colette about what it means to decolonize mental health and how colonizing practices impact those with marginalized identities. Melody shares their own decolonizing journey to healing from internalized shame, oppression, and white supremacy. They also talk about the power and necessity of telling your story and the importance of finding safe, healing, liberation-oriented communities — communities that take your mental health seriously and provide space for that storytelling. You don't want to miss this one— it's a conversation rich with meaning and reflection on how we can tend to ourselves and others. To see Coach Colette's offerings, view her profile on Inclusive Therapists here. If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it with your friends on social media! Follow @coach_colette on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Clubhouse. Get healing and self-care tools from Coach Colette on Gumroad. Want to ask a question or make a topic suggestion? Send us a message here. While you're at it, we'd appreciate a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Thanks for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coach-colette/message

"Mental health is health" as a movement has been gaining traction over the past couple of years. However, what does that movement look like in reality in the Mexican American community? Join your host Katie Whipple and Lizbeth Rios, Miss Mexicana Universal Aurora, a counselor for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, as they discuss mental health in the Mexican American community and Lizbeth's own journey with mental health. For mental health resources, please look no further than the list below: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://www.nami.org/Home NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text "TALK" to 741741 to text with a trained counselor for free The Trevor Project: thetrevorproject.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN): hotline.rainn.org via chat or 1-800-656-4673 To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA): twloha.com/find-help National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): myneda.org Inclusive Therapists: inclusivetherapists.com Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists (A page that can be used to find a therapist) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cupofcommongrounds/message

Melody Li has built a practice around getting smashy--and I am here for it! This Hong Kong-born, diasporic settler is a queer therapist of Color, mental health liberation activist, and all around badass. Their work focuses on liberating communities long neglected or, worse, harmed outright by whiteness in therapeutic spaces. What I find so magical about Melody is that they knew what they wanted but couldn't find it in the current therapeutic structure so they created it themself. For the community, by the community. Boom. Melody, lays the groundwork for our exploration of decolonization, internalized biases, and land-back movements. If you're new to any of these topics (even if you're not), Melody's personal and professional insights will guide your continued un-doctrination. This conversation is wall-to-wall mic drop moments, y'all, as well as an unveiling of Melody's latest initiative. If you're anything like me (which, duh, you're listening so of course we're like-minds), you'll walk away from this convo inspired af, wondering why we're still applying words like “history” across all narratives, and ready to get smashy within your own limiting environments. GUEST CONTACT INFO & BIO Melody Li is a colony-born migrant and diasporic settler on Turtle Island. They are a queer therapist of Color, mental health liberation activist and keynote speaker. They founded Inclusive Therapists: a mental health directory and community that celebrates and centers people with marginalized identities (especially QTBIPOC). Melody offers collective care and education focusing on decolonizing mental health and healing racialized trauma. For full show notes, resources, and links to connect with our guest, visit: http://www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast HEY THERAPISTS... You're invited to Head/Heart Conversations, our webinar series designed for psychotherapists who want to invite their inner healer to the forefront of both work life and personal life. In this four-part series, we will invite participants to learn about themselves as well as enhance their clinical skills. Details & Registration: http://tinyurl.com/hhconvos Promo Code for $20 off: podcast Friday, September 17, 2021 - Body Language by Joanna Taubeneck, LCPC, R-DMT, GL-CMA, E-RYT Friday, November 19, 2021 - Queering our Conversations by Benji Marton, LCSW *** Conversations with a Wounded Healer is a proud member of @mhnrnetwork. Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places... Website: www.headhearttherapy.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoundedHealr/ https://www.facebook.com/HeadHeartTherapy/ Instagram: @headhearttherapy Twitter: @WoundedHealr @HeadHeart_Chi

CW: SuicideThis episode is very close to my heart. It's about a heavy topic, and I encourage you to take your time listening to it, or step away from it if it's too much.In this episode, I talk to four people, all of whom have a relationship to suicide. I speak with Monica (they/them), a freelance musician whose flexible jobs allows them to maintain their mental health; Henry Ling (he/him), who found support for mental health and suicidal ideation on YouTube; Avanti (they/she), who is training to be a therapist but wants to disrupt what therapy can look like in favor of abolition and community care; and Melody Li (佢/any) a therapist who embodies a decolonized perspective.We talk about the lack of financial and culturally-specific access to mental health care, how suicide is criminalized, and how we can try to look at suicide prevention from a space of care, sharing stories, and slowing down.Links:Melody Li's mental health directory and community Inclusive Therapists: www.inclusivetherapists.comNisha's interview with Dr. Jennifer Mullan from Decolonizing Therapy: https://www.thehealinghype.com/p/a-conversation-with-decolonizingSupport the show (http://www.patreon.com/migrasians)

We are back for a new season! For the month of May, we will have the honor of hearing from Gabes Torres. Gabes is a Filipino/a/x psychotherapist, organizer, and member of the Speaking of Racism community + Advisory Board. Melody Li joined Gabes for this episode to discuss de-centering whiteness in Therapy. Melody Is a colony-born migrant & settler, therapist of Color, and mental health justice activist. They created Inclusive Therapists (www.inclusivetherapists.com): a social justice-oriented mental health directory and community that celebrates the strengths & centers the needs of marginalized communities. They also lead a mental health justice movement to decolonize, disrupt and dismantle oppressive mental health practices. In community, they restore, reimagine & reclaim our healing. Melody believes that all people with all identities & abilities in all bodies deserve equal access to quality mental health care.

MUSIC:Past Sadness by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5024-past-sadnessLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Mental Health Resources:Crisis Text Line - Text "home" or "start" to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselorNational Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255, (For Spanish call 1-888-628-9454)National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for resources and a mental health hotline https://www.nami.org/HomeOpenPath Collective - find a therapist near you! All therapists offer sessions from $30-$60 for individuals. This is a good option if you don't have insurance or your copay is high. Many insurance companies are currently covering telehealth services in light of Covid-19!Organizations providing therapy for BIPOC or organizations you can support financially - The Loveland Foundation, The Boris L. Henson Foundation, Inclusive Therapists, Latinx Therapy, and Black Mental Health Alliance.BetterHelp - Private Online CounselingMHMR Tarrant County - 817-569-4451ULifeline: Mental health resources for college studentsCheck with the Boys and Girls Club in your area for resources for children and teens. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County has a FREE counseling program.Texas Wesleyan University is offering free counseling to ALL students, faculty, and staff. They offer it to the community on a sliding-based scale starting at $10. You can email them at TWCC@txwes.edu. 

Kimberly Riley, returns to the Arise Podcast with her friend and colleague Desiree Cadengo. Both are Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and they join Danielle to talk about how to get kids, parents and families through distance learning this coming Fall.  "We need to be adjusting for the long haul" of distance learning. At the end of the last school year it was very much a hunker down and get through this, but as we look at the longevity and severity of COVID-19 we need to rethink how we're going to do this upcoming school year. Both Kimberly and Desiree emphasize the importance of having structure and a schedule at home. How can we expect kids to manage themselves when we as adults are having a hard time managing life under COVID? Parents must lead by example, as well as with our words and expectations. Everyone is adjusting. It's not just kids, adults are working from home. We're all having to reimagine what normal looks like. Kids are asking, "Is anything the same?" Kids are better at adjusting than adults because they are constantly learning and adjusting as they grow.How to form cohesiveness in our families in communities--start with networking. Ask around, who's home? Neighbors? Extended family? Who is working? Who's not? We need to be reaching out to others so we remember we're not alone in this. We can work together on a smaller scale if we let people know we need help and can help. Social isolation has been a big issue for children.  There is something we can do: Zoom calls, phones calls, social distancing outside. Kids need interaction with other kids, however that may look in this next season. Danielle says it's important to put some of these practices in place before the weather turns and social distancing outside will be less possible. Kids are having a dramatic increase in screen time. There needs to be balance, parents still need to monitor the screen time. Screens can be helpful and educational... But there still needs to be limits and parents need to know what the kids are watching. What they are watching is affecting them. Scary and inappropriate images, cyber bullying are causing some kids to have nightmares. Parents are coming aware, they can no longer be detached because they are actually home with their kids. Parents need to regulate their children's screen time. Basic parenting practices are being illuminated during COVID. Kids need screen regulation as well as adults! We can be asking ourselves, "When am I going to put my phone down and be present?" Be honest with your kids when they ask you (as the parent) what you're doing on the screens; are you working? are you just zoning out? are you looking for something funny to cope with this challenging season? are you socializing?Lead by example -- it's healthy for adults to have a time limit on screens as well. We all need balance!We can also use screen to engage with each other. For instance doing art with a  "Step by step painting" video: Do it with your kids. Get your Bob Ross on. Coping skills and finding other ways to connect through exploration.Kimberly's family decided to try learning how to skateboard--they ordered a skateboard, the wheels and all the tools they need to put it together. She said there's probably stuff around your house that can be put together with the kids. What do you already have? There are things in your house that can entertain you. Trying taking things apart and putting them back together. Try to be spontaneous and get creative. Desiree had her kids make slime and then had them put it inside balloons to make stress balls. Take flashlights to your LEGO. Build a fort. Make play dough. Google some ideas! It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Bake or cook or new recipe. Sleep in the tent out in the backyard. Your kids just want to be with you. Let them know you enjoy being with them. What do you have in your house and what can you give out of what you have to others that are in greater need? Who's my neighbor, who's in my community and how can I come alongside them in this season?There are people out there who have difficulty asking for help. We need to be reaching out to those around us. People are feeling alone because of social distancing; there are people struggling in their homes. People are experiencing high levels of stress and we can do even something small to try to connect. Simply asking "how are you handling things right now?" Reach out, do what you can as a community. Kimberly talks about how some ethnic culture identities say: Community. People of Color especially are familiar with the idea of connecting within a community. Look at your black and brown neighbors to see how they are doing community in this season. What can you do to show love and connect?Connect with Kimberly:kimberlyriley@youarebeautifulpllc.com360-440-4021www.youarebeautifulpllc.comKimberly is reading facebook feeds to stay connected socially. Kimberly is listening to 90s RnB and Hip HopKimberly is inspired by communities of color and how they are connectionDesiree is reading about Kids and Screen TimeDesiree is inspired by the families she is working with, they don't give up!Bios:Dr. Kimberly Riley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a certified child mental health specialist in the state of Washington. She has experience working with children and is passionate about their behavioral health needs, although she currently works mostly with couples and families in the private practice setting. She loves being a wife and mom to her 3 teenage daughters. She also enjoys traveling to and exploring new places with her family.Desiree Cadengo [Bio] licensed is also a LMFT and works as a Child and Family TherapistChemical Dependency Certificate, Olympic College Mar 2016MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, Brandman University 2015BS in Criminal Justice, American Intercontinental University 2005About 10 years of experience working with children, youth and families through different non- profit organizations and church, also completed my master's degree program internship as a school counselor at Pinecrest Elementary School. I provide mental health counseling to individuals (young children, adolescents, & adults) and families to help facilitate change that they agree is going to be most useful. I integrate a number of different therapeutic styles and modalities, depending on what fits the best with the client and situation. Treatment modalities include Play Therapy, Trauma- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Parent Child Interaction Therapy, Solution-Focused therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Motivational Enhancement Threapy, as well as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy techniques.

Mental Health Resources: Crisis Text Line - Text "home" or "start" to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselorNational Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255, (For Spanish call 1-888-628-9454)National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for resources and a mental health hotline https://www.nami.org/HomeOpenPath Collective - find a therapist near you! All therapists offer sessions from $30-$60 for individuals. This is a good option if you don't have insurance or your copay is high. Many insurance companies are currently covering telehealth services in light of Covid-19!Organizations providing therapy for BIPOC or organizations you can support financially - The Loveland Foundation, The Boris L. Henson Foundation, Inclusive Therapists, Latinx Therapy, and Black Mental Health Alliance.BetterHelp - Private Online CounselingMHMR Tarrant County - 817-569-4451ULifeline: Mental health resources for college studentsCheck with the Boys and Girls Club in your area for resources for children and teens. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County has a FREE counseling program. Texas Wesleyan University is offering free counseling to ALL students, faculty, and staff. They offer it to the community on a sliding-based scale starting at $10. You can email them at TWCC@txwes.edu.Katy's Instagramwww.katyoliphintcounseling.comMusic: "Concentration" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

69% of Americans have felt like life is getting harder since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and report higher than normal levels of sadness, anger, fear and depression. Today we talk to two NYC doctors, and married couple — Dr. Briana Mathews and Dr. Steve Mathews — about the looming Mental Health crisis ahead of us, a broken system that needs to be fixed + steps YOU can take, and the resiliency that got these frontline workers through the dark days of COVID in NYC. Bri and Steve also tell us about two amazing causes helping those in need — Inclusive Therapists and Americares.

A Facebook debate made us question if parents are shielding their kids from an important topic that should be discussed in schools. Sex education should be taught at a proper age/grade, because it is just as essential as any other subject. This is more than just unplanned pregnancies and contraceptives. This is about celebrating healthy conversations! SUPPORT THE RESOURCES BELOW:1-877-565-8660 (The Trans Lifeline)1-888-843-4564 (The LGBT National Hotline)@therapyforblkmen (Therapy for Black Men)@inclusivetherapists (Inclusive Therapists)@therapyforblackgirls (Therapy for Black Girls)https://blacklivesmatter.comhttps://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home https://www.joincampaignzero.orghttps://unicornriot.ninja/donate/https://gf.me/u/x3kmyt

FOLLOW/SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE BELOW!!!WHERE TO DONATE:https://blacklivesmatter.comhttps://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home https://www.joincampaignzero.orghttps://unicornriot.ninja/donate/BLACK EXCELLENCE:@markus.effin.prime (Comic Illustrator)@porshaolayiwola (Writer/Poet)@sarahnsays (Motivational Speaker/Coach)@radiancereigncosmetics (Cosmetics Brand)@itchyeyephotos (Photographer)@angysgotit (Community Organizer)@theeislandboi (Makeup Artist)MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:1-877-565-8660 (The Trans Lifeline)1-888-843-4564 (The LGBT National Hotline)@therapyforblkmen (Therapy for Black Men)@inclusivetherapists (Inclusive Therapists)@therapyforblackgirls (Therapy for Black Girls)