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The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health
In this episode, host and producer of The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast, Dr. Nicholas Westers, shares his own thoughts about what we should consider when supporting friends, families, clients, and patients who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). This marks the first solo episode of the podcast, and Dr. Westers offers ways for listeners to have a bigger role on the podcast, including:Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it's a good fit.Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at thepsychologyofselfinjury@gmail.comWant to be involved in research? Send us a message at thepsychologyofselfinjury@gmail.com and we will see if we can match you to an active study.Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!Below are a couple papers related to this episode with Dr. Westers:Westers, N. J., Rehfuss, M., Olson, L., & Biron, D. (2012). The role of forgiveness in adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(6), 535-541.Westers, N. J., & Tinsley, B. (2023). Nonsuicidal self-injury risk assessment, intervention, and guidance for first responders and medical settings. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 873–893). Oxford University Press.Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal." Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: ExploringSelf-Harm & Mental Health podcast Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: ExploringSelf-Harm & Mental Health podcast
Judgment comes easily to most of us - at best, it can help us survive. At worst, it can leave us so triggered we can't function. Listen in to explore a real moment, and how to use Nonjudgmental Stance as a tool that can turn hard conversations into teachable moments. Post-Note: This episode uses the term "intersex", defined by isna.org as "a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types. Listen in to this episode to:
Vince Bustamante, M.Ed., is a Calgary-based instructional coach, curriculum content developer, and author. Formerly focused on school improvement, Vince now specializes in working with teachers, leadership teams, schools, and school districts in implementing high impact strategies and systems. Vince is currently pursuing his Ed. Doctorate with a focus on the sustainable implementation of professional learning across school districts. Vince has co-authored two bestselling books with Corwin Press: Great Teaching by Design and The Assessment Playbook for Distance and Blended Learning. His most current title: Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders is also available from Corwin Press. Tim Cusack Ed.D. has over 30 years' experience in K-12 education as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. He recently became Dean of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton, supporting teacher and school leader preparation programs. Tim has a doctorate from University of Portland with a focus on preparing aspiring school leaders. He also serves in the Royal Canadian Navy as a Naval Warfare Officer. Show Highlights "Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders." Challenge traditional leadership predictors to support younger educators and foster a culture of growth belonging. Be the “dive master” your team needs to take risks and discover their voice. "Hold the ladder steady” to help leverage the gifts of aspiring leaders. Strategies for results over building a resume for leadership success. How to create an environment for team members to flourish. 3 categories on how you run a school and navigate the policies, procedures, etcetera. Pathways for leadership development and impactful school culture. “What really impressed me the most was I was with a leader who made it abundantly clear that my voice mattered, that my opinions were important in that learning dynamic. He didn't assume I knew something or presumed that he knew better in any way, shape, or form. But by really being authentic and getting to know who the aspiring leaders are in front of you, I think you can really take them to deeper levels of engagement and understanding.” -Tim Cusack “Listening is really important. Nonjudgmental listening. So if you're in senior leadership and you have some sort of rising star or shooting star or someone who's doing remarkable things, give them a platform to share what they're doing and just honestly listen to how that came about. Something that a senior leader needs to recognize and say, what are you doing? And how can we help you continue to do that within our district? Because every district has someone that is doing remarkable things. Everyone, every district has some sort of Ruckus Maker that's doing something outside the box, whether it's in their classroom or in their school or in their role. Oftentimes the Ruckus Maker or the ruckus they are making is perceived as negative, when really it may just be a misunderstanding of what they're actually trying to do.I think honestly listening is really important.” -Vince Bustamante Get the episode transcript here! Episodes's Resources & Contact Info: Leader Ready Timothy Cusack: Home Linkedin.Tim-Cusack Linkedin.Vince Bustamante Vince Bustamante (Twitter/X) Tim Cusack Ed. D.
Socrates famously said, “The only thing I know, is that I know nothing.” Do you think you know the truth? Why do you accept some claims as true and reject others? What can we actually know? Danny and Randy discuss what it is possible for us to know. Subscribe to ESP's YouTube Channel! Thanks for listening! Do you have a question you want answered in a future episode? If so, send your question to: existentialstoic@protonmail.com Danny, Randy, and their good friend, Russell, created a new podcast, CodeNoobs, for anyone interested in tech and learning how to code. Listen to CodeNoobs now online, CodeNoobs-podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Mindfulness is a practice that brings clarity, calmness, and inner peace by intentionally paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It helps reduce stress levels, improves emotional regulation, and enhances focus and concentration. Mindfulness also promotes active listening, empathy, and compassionate communication, leading to more fulfilling relationships. In this podcast episode, Lisa discuss the various aspects of mindfulness and guide listeners through a brief breathing exercise to experience its ease and effectiveness. By being fully engaged with the breath and the present moment, individuals can cultivate relaxation, reduce stress, and develop mindfulness in daily life. ........................................................................ LINKS: Get new episode notifications: bit.ly/risingstrongupdates Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/risingstrongpodcast Facebook page - send your reviews and comments via the 'comment' button here: www.facebook.com/risingstrongpodcast Email your ideas for episodes: info@risingstrongpodcast.com TRANSCRIPT: Does the idea of mindfulness just sound. Too woo woo to you? Have you ever tried to be more mindful or more in the moment? In today's shorty episode, we are going to learn a bit more about mindfulness. And then I'm going to guide you.Through a short exercise that will prove to you just how easy this process can be. Now, take a big breath, sit back, relax, and let's get started. Mindfulness is a practice that involves bringing one's attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and nonjudgment. It's about intentionally paying attention to our thoughts, our emotions, our bodily sensations, our surrounding environment, without getting caught up in past regrets or future worries. All the thinking mindfulness encourages a state of awareness and acceptance of what is happening right now, and this fosters a sense of clarity, calmness, and inner peace. Mindfulness is helpful for mental well being. Because it helps reduce stress. A mindful practice has been shown to reduce stress levels by helping people cultivate a greater sense of calm and relaxation, as well as improving their ability to cope with stressors in life. It also helps us with emotional regulation by increasing the awareness of our emotions and developing the capacity to observe them without reacting. This leads to greater emotional resilience and stability. Mindfulness is also helpful because it helps improve our focus and concentration. Regular mindfulness practices strengthen the ability to sustain attention and focus on tasks, which of course, leads to improved concentration, productivity, and cognitive performance. So really, all that's saying is we can get more done. We can be more efficient at getting the things done so we can get them done quicker and have more time for ourselves. And lastly, I just wanted to mention that mindfulness is helpful because it helps us with our relationships. Practicing mindfulness can lead to more fulfilling relationships by promoting active listening, empathy, and compassionate communication. Mindfulness helps individuals become more attuned to the needs and experiences of others, fostering deeper connection and intimacy. There are a few different aspects of.Mindfulness that typically include focusing on theBreath, being aware of our surroundings, being.Aware of our sensations, observations that are.Nonjudgmental, and just a deepening sense of relaxation. Now that we've learned a little bit.About mindfulness, I want to lead you.On an easy breathing exercise. However, this exercise does ask you to close your eyes. So if you are driving, please do not close your eyes. Please keep your eyes open and focused on your task at hand. This exercise is truly meant for when you are not engaged in any kind of activity like that. If you are in a place where you are able to close your eyes, please find a comfortable seated position. Rest your hands on your lap or your knees, then close your eyes if it feels comfortable for you, or soften your gaze and focus on a spot in front of you. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, allowing yourself to release any tension or stress. With each exhale. Begin to shift your.Attention to the natural rhythm of your breath. Notice the sensation of the breath as it enters your nose and leaves your nose. Notice sensation of your chest as it rises and falls as it expands and contracts. Without trying to control your breath, simply observe it as it flows in and out, moment by moment. If your mind wanders or becomes distracted, gently guide it back. Go back to focusing on your breath with kindness and patience. Continue to breathe mindfully for a few moments, allowing yourself to relax more deeply with each. Inhale and exhale. Feel a sense of calm and presence wash over you as you remain fully engaged with the breath and the present moment. When you are ready, gently open your eyes and take a moment to notice how you feel. Carry this sense of mindfulness and relaxation with you as you continue with your day. This simple mindfulness breathing exercise can be practiced anytime, anywhere, providing that you are not operating machinery or driving, and serves as a powerful tool for promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and cultivating mindfulness in daily life. If you've enjoyed today's mindfulness exercise and would like more episodes like this, please review this episode on Apple or Spotify. It helps me create episodes that resonate with you most. Take care, my friends, stay well and be resilient and we'll catch you next time.
Gate 13 - The Compassionate Listener: Energetic Essence: Listening with empathy, forgiveness, being a keeper of secrets, decisiveness, courage, discernment, and compassion. Creating deep connections, unity, and healing. Discerning the voice of the heart before the mind for harmony. Shadow Aspect - Discord: Inner turmoil, disharmony, lack of listening, and understanding leading to conflicts. Repressive Nature/Introverted: Permissiveness, allowing others to walk all over, lack of backbone. Reactive Nature/Extroverted: Narrow-mindedness, disagreement with others, expressing anger. Transcending Shadows - Cultivating Empathy and Discernment: Cultivate empathy for self and others. Provide powerful listening support for healing and growth. Use discernment to set boundaries and avoid absorbing overwhelming negative energy. Gift - Discernment and Empathy: Remarkable gift of being an attentive and open listener. Nonjudgmental, compassionate, and open to others' stories. Holding secrets with care and respect, knowing when and how to share insights. Siddhi - Empathy: Transcending personal perspectives, deeply connecting with others' emotions and experiences. Use discernment to navigate overwhelming emotional stories, maintaining boundaries. Application in Business and Brand: Be an empathic listener in business, fostering compassion and understanding. Use the gate's qualities to alchemize lower energies and inspire positive change. Contemplative Questions: How can I deepen my ability to truly listen to others without judgment or preconceived notions? In what ways can I cultivate a genuine sense of empathy and understanding for others' experiences? How can I improve my discernment to recognize the underlying truth and essence of a conversation or situation? Tips for Embracing Shadows and Gifts: Cultivate active listening: Be fully present and avoid interrupting. Develop empathic understanding: Strive to understand others' perspectives. Practice discernment wisely: Use discernment with humility and integrity. Join the Conscious Code Collective Membership and gain a thorough breakdown of all 64 Human Design Gate Archetypes Register for the FREE Vibes By Design Mini-Course to learn how to read my Human Design Chart and how to use Human Design to Raise my Vibration Get my FREE Human Design Body Chart Book my Human Design Activation Reading Book my Soul Impact Report to get a thorough breakdown of my Soul-Aligned Brand according to my Birth Time and Location Connect With Me: Instagram TikTok YouTube Join the Human Design and Gene Keys for Conscious Women Facebook Group --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/iamconsciouslycrystal/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/iamconsciouslycrystal/support
“I think that's why there is so much discussion about this because it is not the numbers. It is the attitudes. It's the opinions. It's just trying to make sure that you have an aligned vision with your provider and with your hospital.” One of the most important things you can do during pregnancy is to find a provider who loves and believes in VBAC. Dr. Fox is back today giving more tips on how to know if an OB is VBAC-supportive and why there is so much variation out there in how practices feel about it.Dr. Fox answers questions like: Why do some providers refuse to induce VBACs? Why do some providers require it? Are routine cervical exams necessary for VBAC? Does a uterine window in my operative report mean my uterus will rupture during my VBAC?Additional LinksNeeded WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, guys. This is The VBAC Link. Welcome back or if you are new to the show, welcome. We are so happy that you are here. My name is Meagan and I am so excited to have a returning guest with us today.We have Dr. Nathan Fox who is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with a sub-specialty in maternal-fetal medicine. He is here answering your guys' questions. This community is amazing and every time we reach out and say, “Hey, what are your VBAC questions?” We do. We get a ton. I love bringing on guests, especially within the medical world, OBs and midwives talking about these things with you and what they are seeing and what the evidence says. It's always fun to get a different provider's perspective and get a better idea on what really the research is showing. Review of the WeekSo welcome back, Dr. Nathan Fox. But of course, we have a Review of the Week so I wanted to quickly get into that and then get into these amazing questions. By the way, they are questions about induction– when or is it really necessary? Can I be induced with a VBAC? We are going to talk a little bit more about uterine rupture and the risk which is, of course, a burning question that everyone always has. We are going to talk about maybe if a provider has told you that they have seen something like a uterine window, dehiscence, or even a niche. We are going to talk a little bit more about those so definitely stay with us because this is going to be a really great episode. This review is by Elizabeth Herrera. Hopefully, I did not botch that. She actually sent us an email. If you didn't know, we love getting reviews in emails as well. You can leave us a review on social media. On Instagram, you can message it on that. You can email us at info@thevbaclink.com or you can leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You can even Google “The VBAC Link” and leave us a review there. All of your reviews help Women of Strength just like you find us and find these incredible stories and these incredible episodes like today's episode with these providers to learn more about their options for birth after Cesarean. Elizabeth says, “Thank you so much for creating this whole community. After my emergency C-section in 2019, I looked up everything possible about being able to VBAC. This led me to your wonderful podcast and blog. I devoured everything. I owe my knowledge to you all and my doulas. I'm happy to say that I had my VBAC on March 31st and it was the most magical experience ever. Thank you so much for all of the materials that you have provided which all helped me succeed. I hope to one day share my story on your podcast. Many, many thanks.”That was in 2022 so a couple of years ago she left that review. So hopefully, Elizabeth, you are still with us and listening to all of these amazing stories. We would love to share your story which also leads me to remind you that we are always looking for submissions. You can submit your story on our website at thevbaclink.com/share.Dr. Nathan FoxMeagan: Okay, you guys. We have Dr. Fox back on the show today with us. How cool is that that he has come on now twice with us to talk about VBAC and answer your guys' questions? Dr. Fox, welcome to the show again, and thank you again for being here. Dr. Fox: Back on VBAC. Meagan: Back on VBAC. Back talking about VBAC. Tell me what you think about this VBAC topic and how VBAC looks for OBs. I think a lot of the time, OBs and midwives and providers in general can get some backlash honestly, even from us here at The VBAC Link where we are like, “Oh, that's not a good, supportive provider.” I think there is a lot from the community that we really don't take into account on where a provider is coming from maybe with what they've seen or what they've gone through. Maybe they want to support VBAC but their location doesn't support it. Can we talk about VBAC from an OB's standpoint? What does VBAC look like for an OB?Dr. Fox: Yeah, listen. It's a great question. Thanks for having me again. I'm always happy to come on. I really like this topic medically, but also, it's just very interesting because there is so much that comes up with VBAC in terms of the medicine surrounding it. It's also a really good paradigm for how people look at risk. By people, I mean doctors. I mean nurses. I mean hospitals. I mean women who are pregnant, thinking of being pregnant, their families, and their friends because there isn't a ton of disagreement about the numbers. What is the risk percentage-wise? We have that worked out pretty well. I mean, there are some things that are maybe a little bit more nebulous. There are those situations, but most people agree on what the actual numbers are. The issue is what do you do about that when someone has a small risk of a big problem? Right? Meagan: Right. Dr. Fox: What do you do? That personality comes into that. I think that's part of the reason that there is so much variation in VBAC practices, VBAC attitudes, and VBAC rules. It's risk. I talk to people about this all of the time in other contexts like with genetic screening. I tell people, “All your genetic tests are normal. All of the screening tests were normal that we did. Everything is fine which means that your risk of having a baby with a genetic condition now is 1%.” I'll tell them that. Some people hear that and say, “That's awesome,” and then they walk out. Other people go, “Oh my god. 1%. That's unbelievably horrible,” then they sign up and do a CVS and amnio. Neither of them are wrong. 1% is 1%. It's 1 in 100. People are going to look at that differently based on their understanding of math, based on their personal experiences, based on the stories they've heard, based on their own anxieties, based on who is in their family. All of these things contribute to someone's opinion about a risk that is low. Take VBAC for example. If everything is otherwise ideal– a healthy woman who had a prior C-section that was standard with nothing crazy about it. Pregnancy is going fine and she is deciding whether to attempt a VBAC or whether to do a repeat Cesarean, people are going to talk to her about the risk of uterine rupture. That risk is a ballpark of 1%. Whatever. It's about 1%. Okay. It's the same thing. How does everyone look at 1%? I could look at it and say, “Well, 1% is pretty low. It's only 1 in 100. I really want a vaginal birth because I want it or because it's going to give me an easier recovery potentially or because I'm afraid of a C-section” or whatever. Or they can look at it and say, “Holy crap. 1%. I don't want any part of that risk and I'm just going to do a repeat C-section.” I don't think any of those opinions are unreasonable. I think they are both reasonable based on how you look at it. So if you have a situation where everyone's aligned– the doctor thinks it is reasonable, the patient, the woman thinks it's reasonable, and the hospital thinks it's reasonable, then it's not a big discussion. Okay, we talk about it and the VBAC happens. Where I practice, that's the culture in my practice and in my hospital amongst my patient population. We talk about it. Many people want to do a VBAC. They want it. We are supportive. The hospital is supportive. The nurses are supportive. Great. Some patients don't want to have it. Fine. We're supportive of a C-section. The hospital is supportive. All is good. I think the issue comes up when there is a disconnect like the patient wants it. The doctor thinks it's too risky for the patient and the doctor thinks it's fine, but the hospital thinks it is too risky or whatever. There are all of these situations. Meagan: Yes. Dr. Fox: Since doctors are humans and patients are humans and even though the hospitals are buildings, they are run by humans, you are going to have a lot of humanity and humans and all of our fallabilities and flaws and quirks come into this. That's a very long-winded answer to your question, but I think that's why there is so much discussion about this because it is not the numbers. It is the attitudes. It's the opinions which is why so much about VBAC is not trying to figure out your number. It's just trying to make sure that you have an aligned vision with your provider and with your hospital. Meagan: Right. I love that you pointed that out. It's the perspective on this number. We know the number is say 1%, but to some people, that 1% may be 60% in their mind. It might as well be 60. Do you know what I mean? I love that you talked about being aligned. That is something that we talk about here a lot is really being aligned with your team. Find your team because your team is super important. The mom, the doctor, the hospital, the location, and the nurses, everything is aligned so that maybe we don't have to fight so hard. I feel like this community ends up feeling like they have to fight for their birthing right. Dr. Fox: Yeah. Meagan: Like the way they want to birth, they feel like they literally have to come in with punching gloves and punch their way through to get this vaginal birth. That's where it is just so hard. We are so vulnerable as pregnant women. Dr. Fox: Yep. That's an unfortunate reality. It's obviously a reality, but I would not counter it because I don't disagree with it. I would advise that instead of coming in with gloves up ready to fight, you need a different provider. I'm not saying this to disparage a provider who is less pro-VBAC. They are humans. Whatever it is. Maybe the doctor had a really bad outcome once with a VBAC and they are scarred from it. Meagan: Exactly. Exactly. Dr. Fox: Maybe where they were trained, the attitude is very anti-VBAC so they are just not used to it. Maybe they would be okay with it, but they practice in an environment where the hospital is not so happy with it or the nurses aren't. Whatever it might be, if your provider is telling you, “I am not a big fan of VBAC,” they are telling you this. Listen to them. Okay, that doesn't mean they are a bad person. It doesn't mean they are a bad doctor. It just means that's who they are. So if you have an opportunity, seek someone who is more aligned with you. And again, obviously, that is easier said than done. It requires some work. It requires some legwork. It requires asking around, going on message boards, and finding people. If you have a prior C-section and you're interested in a VBAC, if the doctor says that he or she is uncomfortable, I would first ask why. If they give you, “Listen, normally I am in favor of VBAC, but since you had a classical C-section, it's too dangerous.” All right, that's a very reasonable explanation that pretty much everyone is going to tell you, and switching around is probably not going to help you. But if they say, “I just don't do VBACs or my hospital just doesn't do them,” they are telling you that for a reason. Say, “Thank you. Have a good day,” then try to ask around and find someone or some hospital or someplace that is in favor of them as opposed to trying to convince someone to do something they are not comfortable with. Meagan: Absolutely. Dr. Fox: That ends up being a combative relationship and ends poorly for everyone. It would be great if all doctors were totally supportive. It would be great if all hospitals were totally supportive. There are sometimes logistical issues meaning since VBAC has the potential for an emergency, hospitals need to have 24/7 anesthesia. They need to have a blood bank. They need to have certain things in place in order to safely offer a VBAC. Some hospitals are just too small to do that. It's not an attitude. It's, “Logistically, we just can't do this.” Fine. Again, try to go to a major medical center that does a lot of VBACs. Most major medical centers are comfortable with VBAC. Most doctors who practice in those centers are comfortable with VBAC. So I think if you do the legwork, you can probably, not always, but probably find someone who is a better match for your VBAC as opposed to trying to convince someone to do something they are not comfortable doing. Meagan: Yes. I love that, so we don't have to try to convince. That's why listeners, when you are with your provider– OB, midwife, or whoever it may be– talk to them. Have that discussion. Ask that question. Don't be scared to ask them why. For me, with my second, I had this feeling that maybe he wasn't as on board for VBAC as I wanted him to be. I was scared to leave or scared to hurt his feelings. But I think that it probably would have been better for both of us in the end to have found a different provider that was more on board and comfortable versus me trying to go in and push and try and make him do something that again, he wasn't comfortable with. He wasn't comfortable with that and that's okay. For a long time, I had a lot of anger, and a lot of our community has harbored anger, but I'd like to drop a message to our community. Try not to harbor the anger. My provider is a great guy and a great doc and all of these things. He just wasn't the doc for me, so find the doc for you. Dr. Fox: Right. Listen, obviously, there are a lot of doctors in the world and I'm sure that there are bad doctors or mean doctors or people who aren't good people out there. I'm sure they exist. But I would say in my experience that most doctors are good people who are trying to do right by their patients. It's too much work to go into medicine and train to go into it to dislike patients. It just doesn't make any sense. My experience is that most people are trying to do right by their patients. But we are all human. We all look at risks differently. We all have different experiences. That happens. Humans are varied. It's part of the reason it's wonderful to be a human. We are all different. That's all great. But it's not complicated to get this answer from your doctor. I think it just requires some preparation meaning ask these questions very early either before you get pregnant or early in pregnancy. Again, they are not complicated questions. I would say the first question you should ask is something related to the numbers. Say, “What is my risk if I try a VBAC? Me, personally?” If they say, “Well, your risk of it is a uterine rupture,” say, “What is the number risk?” The risk is uterine rupture and if they say, “Well, it's probably about 1%,” okay. That is the number. If they say it is much higher than 1%, well why? Is it because I have had a classical C-section or I have had three prior C-sections, okay, but get the number. Then the second question is very open-ended. Nonjudgmental. Say, “What are your thoughts or opinions about VBAC?” That's it. Open-ended. They will tell you. Right? No one's going to hide it from you. They will tell you overtly and say, “I love it. It's awesome. I'm all over it. This is great. I hope you try it.” Or they'll say, “Not a big fan. I don't really like it. It's not my thing. We don't do it. I haven't done it in 20 years,” okay. Or potentially, they will be somewhere in the middle and say, “I kind of like it,” but you'll know. You'll know right away what their thoughts are. Then the second question is, assuming they are supportive, about the hospital where you deliver. What's the attitude there about VBAC? If they say, “You know, I am really in favor of it, but the hospital is awful. They torture me every time there is a VBAC. They make me be there the entire time. They always make me do C-sections. It's just a terrible environment–”Meagan: Maybe not right. Dr. Fox: Right. Either of those two reasons is probably a reason to look elsewhere but if they tell you, “I'm on board. The hospital is on board,” it doesn't mean you will have a VBAC, but you have a plan in place and you are ready to go. If they tell you, “I don't like that. I don't do that,” then turn around and say, “Okay, I really appreciate that. Thank you for your perspective. Thank you for your honesty. I am really interested in VBAC. I might be seeking a different doctor or a different hospital. Please don't take that personally.” They will probably say, “Thank you.” Meagan: Yeah, exactly. Dr. Fox: Doctors don't want a situation where they have a combative relationship. That is horrible. We hate that. It's awful. That is what keeps us up at night. Do it at the very beginning and no one is going to have hard feelings over that. I would say it's unusual that people are going to try to convince you to stay for the money. Doctors don't want that. They would rather have you go to someone else than go to them and want something that they don't want you to have. That's just how doctors are. Meagan: I love that you just made that point because it is hard to leave. You get worried about hurt feelings and all of that, so thank you so much for saying that. Dr. Fox: Yeah. InductionMeagan: Okay, so let's shift gears a little bit and talk about induction because this is a really hot topic when it comes to someone wanting to TOLAC or have a VBAC. I guess the question is when is it really necessary? What is the evidence on induction and VBAC? Because just like support, it varies all around where some people are absolutely no induction. You have to go into spontaneous labor. Some are like, “Yeah, cool. No problem. You can be induced.” Some are like, “You have to be induced.” Then when it comes to induction, that also ranges. Maybe we can't do a Foley or a Cook or we can't use Pit and we can only break your water and all of these things. Can we talk about the evidence specific to VBAC? Induction can be necessary. There are a ton of reasons for induction, but when is it really necessary? Dr. Fox: Right. Instead of talking about when it is really necessary, I think the question is why is it even a question? The reason is that the best evidence we have– it's not perfect evidence, but the best evidence we have is that for someone who is undergoing VBAC who has induced labor, her risk of uterine rupture is about 1.5 to 2x as high as if she went into labor on her own. For example, if your risk was about 1% for a uterine rupture and you get induced, your risk is now about 2%. 1.5-2%. If your risk was a little bit lower because maybe you have had a vaginally delivery before so if you have had a vaginal delivery before, your risk isn't 1%. It's closer to .5%, it will raise it to maybe 1%. Again, I say it's the best data available because the studies that were done, there is a little bit of a flaw in them because they are not randomized, but it seems to be correct that inducing increases your risk likely. The one exception is if you induce with misoprostol, the risk seems to be much higher so pretty much no one induced with misoprostol if there is a prior C-section. That's usually something that nobody does, but the other ways of inducing whether that's breaking the water, whether it's Pitocin, whether it's a Foley balloon, and all of these things seem to increase the risk slightly. Again, it's the same thing as before. If now I have a risk in someone whose risk isn't 1% but 2%, how do I view that? How does the hospital view it? How does the patient view it? Obviously, 1% and 2% are not hugely different from each other, but you could also look at it and say, “It's double.” You can think of it in two different ways. Based on that, there are definitely doctors or hospitals who would say, “I'm comfortable with VBAC, but I'm not comfortable with inducing labor in someone who is a VBAC.” In our practice, that is not our position. We will induce someone's labor. We tell them, “Your risk is a little bit higher. It's 2% versus 1%,” or something like that, but again, if there is a reason not to, we would induce someone's labor but different people look at it differently. So again, another question to ask to your doctor is, “Not only how are you with VBAC, but how are you with inductions and VBAC?”If they say, “Well, I'm okay with VBACs if you go into labor on your own, but I'm not okay with VBAC if you have to be induced,” does that mean you have to switch doctors? Well, it just means you have a potential limitation. Meagan: A potential roadblock in the end. Dr. Fox: Right, a potential one. Again, it depends on the circumstances. Obviously, each case might be unique. So that's number one. Number two, there is some data that when you induce labor in a VBAC, your success rate is lower. That data is weaker and it's a little bit complicated because the data in non-VBACs is that if you induce labor, the success rate is not lower meaning it does not increase your risk of C-section. Whether it's different for someone who had a VBAC has not been studied appropriately to know for sure. It either has no effect like in everyone else, or we can use the older data that is flawed and say it does increase the risk of needing a C-section, but that's really more related to the chance of success not so much related to the risk.Now, some people will use in order to make a decision about VBAC, they are weighing the risk versus the chance of success so it may impact the balance of the scales, but that's really the concern with induction. Now, the only reason that I can think of that someone would insist that someone who is having a VBAC be induced always is only because they are concerned about them laboring at home and they want to have their entire labor watched in a hospital. That's not the strategy we use, but again, it depends geographically on how far people live from the hospital. Meagan: We talked about that on our last episode. Dr. Fox: Yeah, do they typically wait forever to come to the hospital? Again, is it worth a slight increase in risk of 1% to induce as opposed to having them go into labor and wait four hours before they get to the hospital? That's a strategic decision that is going to be very individualized obviously, but that would be as far as I can think of off of the top of my head the only reason one would say, “You need to be induced because it's a VBAC specifically.” There are reasons to be induced all over the place obviously obstetrically, but as someone we are talking about here, if someone needs to be induced then they need to be induced and there is a decision about that. When I counsel people about VBAC, essentially they fall into three groups. Again, assuming it's a safe option for them. Option one is, “I want a VBAC.” Option two is, “I don't want a VBAC. I want a C-section,” and option three is, “I want a VBAC, but only if I go into labor on my own. I don't want to be induced.” That's based on again, the risk, the chance of success, the experience, all of those things, and those are sort of the three places that people land. That's fine and obviously, you can switch from one group to another over the course of pregnancy based on how things are evolving, but that's really the decision that someone is going to make. “I'm trying for a VBAC.” “I want nothing to do with VBAC,” or “I'm into it, but only if I go into labor on my own.” That's something you want to make sure to see what your doctor thinks about that as well. Meagan: Yeah, okay. I love that so much because yeah. Like we said, there are so many reasons why like preeclampsia and all of these things, but yeah. Just wondering why you would have to be induced in order to VBAC. Cervical ExamsOkay, so let's talk about cervical exams. This is also a hot topic in our community about routine cervical exams or having a cervical exam prior to even labor beginning to determine the likelihood or the success of a VBAC. Can we talk about the evidence of cervical exams during labor in general, right? In physiological birth, everyone is like, “We just don't want to be touched. We just want birth to happen,” but when we come to hospitals, sometimes it's a little bit more routine where they want to know the data of what's happening with the cervix and everything like that. What is the evidence on actually determining someone's success rate before labor even begins based off of where they are dilated? Dr. Fox: Those are two totally separate reasons why we would check the cervix. In terms of someone in labor, there is a tremendous amount of variation in the frequency of cervical exams in labor based on the provider, based on the culture, based on the patient, and so there isn't one way to do it, but the reason one would have their cervix checked in labor is just to assess how the labor is progressing. Everybody does it. Doctors do it. Midwives do it. Home birth attendants do it. The question is not do you check the cervix? It's how frequently do I check the cervix and what do I do about it? That's going to vary greatly across everything. The evidence is actually that it's not harmful. Again, I'm not saying it's not painful or annoying or uncomfortable certainly if you don't have an epidural. I'm not talking about that. I'm just talking about the risk involved. There are people who say that more cervical exams increase the risk of an infection. The data on that is actually pretty weak amazingly. When we do the exams, we wear gloves. These are sterile conditions, number one. Number two, some of the data that indicates more cervical exams are associated with more infection is really just that more cervical exams are a marker for a longer labor. The longer you are in labor, the more cervical exams you are going to have and a longer labor is definitely a risk factor for infection. So it's not exactly clear in that sense and also, if anything, if it's ever going to be a risk, it's only once your waters are already broken. If your waters are not broken, there is no reason to think that it should increase your risk of an infection or there is at least no good data to support that. I would say in labor, there is a lot of variation in that. Again, it's hard to say. There isn't one way of doing it, but the reason to do it is just to assess how labor is progressing to make decisions like do I need to get Pitocin or not? Do I need to do a C-section or not? Is this someone who I want to break their water or not? Is this someone who we can tell, ‘You know what? Just rest and I'm going to go home and come back in the morning' or not? All of those things, when is she going to deliver? Fine. Before labor, examining someone's cervix in the office or before we do anything in labor, the data on that is originally meant to give a prediction of when someone's going to go into labor on their own meaning if you examine someone, the term we use which is kind of crude is “ripe”. If the cervix is ripe versus unripe– for some reason, doctors love to compare things to foods, specifically fruits. I don't know, whatever. Maybe we grew up in a tree-based society. I'm not sure, but whatever. It's crude, but that's the term that is out there. The thought is if the cervix is ripe and the components of that are a little bit open, it's short, it's soft, it's what we call anterior meaning in front of the head versus all the way behind the head and the head is low, the likelihood that person is going to go into labor on her own in the next week or so is higher than if her cervix is unripe. That's why it was invented. I personally have found that to be mostly useless because okay. If someone's chance is, let's say 40% versus 20%, what does that mean? Nothing. You can have a very unripe cervix and go into labor that night and you could be 3 centimeters dilated and not go into labor for 2 weeks. What's the difference if your chance is 40 versus 20%? What are you going to do about that? Nothing. In our office, in our practice, we don't routinely check the cervix before 38 weeks and then after 38 weeks, we offer it as an option. A lot of people want to know what's going on with their cervix. There is a lot of curiosity out there. If someone doesn't want to know, that's fine. We're not going to do it. But one of the reasons it might be helpful practically might– I'm not saying definitely– let's say someone called me at night. It's 3:00 in the morning and they are like, “I'm having some cramping. I'm having some contractions. They're not so bad. They're this. They're that. I live 2 hours away,” and I saw her that day in the office and her cervix was long and closed, I may feel differently than if I saw her and her cervix was already 4 centimeters dilated. So, okay. There is some practical information that is to be gleaned, but it's not always that useful. When you're inducing someone's labor, it does give you a sense of the likelihood of success and what agent you're going to use or not use, so that's the reason you'll do it either on admission to labor and delivery for induction or maybe in the office just before to sort of plan the induction because what we do is based on the cervix. For VBAC specifically, it's not like it needs to be done, but obviously, my thoughts about someone who is trying to VBAC are going to be different if, at 38 weeks, she's 3 centimeters dilated, the cervix is soft, and her head is low versus her cervix is long and closed and firm and the head is way up near her nose. I'm just going to think about it a little differently and then I' going to counsel her a little bit differently and then it may be practical. It may, but it's not usually tremendously helpful clinically is what I would say. Meagan: Okay. So for our listeners, kind of what you were saying is that you can get the information, but it doesn't mean that you're not going to be able to have a VBAC or you're no longer a good candidate if at 38, we'll say 38 weeks, you have a long, hard, posterior cervix. It doesn't mean– you might just have different counsel or have a different discussion. Dr. Fox: Right. Yeah. Again, it might be that. It might slightly change your odds one way or another, but it's not usually something that we use as a decision-making tool about whether you should or shouldn't VBAC. Again, let's say– I'll give you an example where it might be useful. Let's say we have a situation where someone has a prior C-section. They're thinking about VBAC or they're interested in it, but they have some concerns, right? Like most people, they're interested but they have some concerns. They're 38 weeks and let's say the baby is measuring a little bit small and her blood pressure is a little bit high. I say, “We need to deliver you. We need to induce. We need to deliver you.” At that point, there isn't an option of being in spontaneous labor. It's either I induce her and if I don't induce her, we have to do a C-section. Those are the two options on the table because waiting is not a safe option anymore. Fine. It's possible that my counseling will be different if when I do her cervical exam, it's long and firm and the head is high versus the head is low and the cervix is dilated and soft because I'll tell her, “Listen, inducing your labor in one situation is likely going to take a long time. Your success rate is a little bit lower” versus “It's going to be a shorter time, again, likely not definitively and your success rate is going to be higher.” It's possible that she might say, “All right. I don't want an induction if my cervix looks like this” or “I do want an induction if my cervix looks like this.” It's part of decision-making potentially, but that's usually if I'm about to induce her labor versus do a C-section. If she's going home either way, if it's just the Tuesday and it's 38 weeks and there's nothing wrong and I'm just sending her home and she will either come back in labor or come back in a week, then it's not going to matter much if her cervix is open or closed on that day. It's really if I have to make a decision about delivery that I'll be more practical. Meagan: That's something that I love about you is just that–Dr. Fox: Oh, all right. Meagan: I do. It's like, “Let's talk about this.” You offer counsel. I don't know. You just offer more. It's not just like, “You have.” It's the way you talk anyway. I mean, I've never been a patient in your clinic so I'm talking very broadly of what I feel like I love about you, but it doesn't seem like you're black or white. It's, “Hey, this is what we have. This is what we're showing. This is where baby is or where you are and it's no longer safe to be pregnant for you or for baby. Here are the options and based on that person as an individual, it might be different versus the lady that you had four or five years ago is now the standard for every person that walks into your clinic. Dr. Fox: Right. Right. I mean, listen. Medicine– there's a lot of balance here. On the one hand, there is this push to be very standardized and that everybody should be the same. There are advantages to standardization. Less mistakes, it's more clear, everybody has rules versus individualization which has its advantages as well because you can personalize medicine. You can tailor things to the individual. They are not a conflict, but there are two sides to the coin. On the one hand, you want things to be standardized and on the other hand, you want things to be individualized. One of the arts of medicine is knowing which way to lean and that's where people differ. Experience gets involved. There is also, I would say, this idea in medicine where there are certain times where the doctor is supposed to say to the patient, “This is what you should do,” to be very directive, right? There are other times where the doctor is supposed to say, “Here is option A. Here is option B. Here is option C. Here are the pros and cons of all of those. What do you want to do?” Right? The problem is you don't want a doctor who is always telling you what to do because that's authoritative and it's very–Meagan: It doesn't feel good. Dr. Fox: Right and it's also usually not appropriate, but you also don't want a doctor who can't make up his or her goddamn mind. You see the problems. When we're training young doctors, we always talk about patient autonomy, patient autonomy, which is correct. Patients should have autonomy to make decisions for themselves, but you also have a duty as a doctor and as a professional that if you believe one option is better than the other, tell them and tell them why. If my plumber said to me, “Well, I could use the copper pipe or I could use the steel pipe. Which one do you want?” I'd be like, “I don't know which one I want. Which one is better?” Meagan: Which one is best? Dr. Fox: Right. If he said to me, “Listen, you should absolutely have the copper pipe because they are better,” I would say, “Fine, do that.” But if he said to me, “Well, there are pluses and minuses. The copper is a little bit better but costs a lot more,” then I have to make a decision and that's appropriate. The same is true in medicine. If I have a patient with pneumonia and I said to her, “Well, you could have antibiotics. You could not have antibiotics,” then I'm an idiot. I should be saying to her, “You have pneumonia. You need antibiotics,” because this is why I trained, why I went to medical school, to tell you, “You need antibiotics. This is the one you should have.” Fine. That's appropriate. But in a VBAC, I don't think it's necessarily appropriate to say that. I say, “Okay. You have a 1% risk of uterine rupture. On the one hand, you could try a VBAC. Here are the advantages. Here are the disadvantages. Here are the risks. On the other hand, you could have a C-section. Here are the advantages. Here are the disadvantages. Here are the risks. I think they are both reasonable. Do you have a preference and which risk scares you more?” That is appropriate. I would say for people who are trying out figure out, do you have a good doctor? Do you have a good midwife? It's not just, “Are they kind?” You want them to be kind. It's not just, “Are they smart?” You want them to be smart. It's not just, “Does their office run on time?” You want their office to run on time. It's also, do you get a sense that they have a good balance between when it's appropriate to tell you what they think is correct and when they give you options and have you participate in your healthcare decision-making? If they are always telling you what to do, it's probably too much on one end. If they never tell you what to do, it's probably too much on the other end. You need to strike a good balance. Getting back to what you said about the reason you love me, I definitely have situations where I tell people, “VBAC is not a good option for you. You shouldn't do it. It's a bad idea. I'm telling you it's a bad idea.” Again, we're not the police. I can't force someone to do something. I'm not going to tie someone down and do a C-section, but I will tell them, “This is a bad idea.” I would say that's the exception. Most of the time, it's, “All right. Here are the options. Here's what we are doing.” It's not that we always tell people, “Here are your options,” and it's sort of touchy-feely, we do that when it's appropriate. It's frequently appropriate, but sometimes, we have to tell people, “It's a bad idea. This is why it's a bad idea. You should not choose this option because of A, B, and C.” I'm very comfortable telling someone that, but I usually just don't have to. Uterine Window, Dehiscence, and NicheMeagan: Yeah. I love that. Awesome. Well, we're going to go into the very last topic. I know we are kind of running out of time, but this is one where we're going to get stuff like that or we're going to be like, “You shouldn't do this” or the other opposite where it's like, “We could do this. We could see how this goes.” It's uterine rupture. We talked about uterine rupture, but more specifically to uterine window, lots of people are “diagnosed” or told that they had a uterine window maybe in their first Cesarean or multiple Cesareans later and that they shouldn't VBAC or that they can't VBAC or my specific provider told me that I would for sure rupture. He said those words– for sure, guaranteed.Then we have dehiscence which is chalked up into a full uterine rupture, but we know it's not. Anyway, there is some stickiness in there. So can we talk about that? If someone was told or if it was put in an op report that they had a uterine window or a slight dehiscence, as an OB in your practice, what would you suggest or how would you counsel moving forward? Dr. Fox: Right. Right. I will give you the short answer and the long answer. The short answer is if I have someone who I think has a uterine window, I would tell them not to VBAC because I think the risk of rupture is too high. I would never tell someone, “You are for sure going to rupture,” because that is not true with anybody. Meagan: You can't predict that. Dr. Fox: Even in the worst-case scenario. Someone who has had a prior classical C-section, they have a 10% risk for rupture. Someone who has a prior uterine rupture is not even 100%. I don't think it's 100%, but it's usually too high for comfort. The problem is not so much me making the recommendation, “Don't VBAC if you have a uterine window,” it's how do you make that diagnosis? I think that's part of the trickiness. Some of the confusion is that there is different terminology and some of the reason is we don't have definitive definitions. So for example, uterine rupture is very clear. That's when you are in labor and the entire uterus opens up internally and the baby and the placenta come out. It's exactly what you would think a rupture is. That is pretty clear. The terms dehiscence and window are used interchangeably and what they basically mean is the muscle of the uterus is separated, but the very thinnest outside layer of the uterus, what we call the serosa, which is like a saran-wrap layer on top of the uterus did not open, so the baby did not protrude through this defect in the uterus. Meagan: It didn't go through all of the layers. Dr. Fox: But it basically went through all of the muscular layers which is basically like one step short of a rupture. Now, we don't know how many of those people would go on to rupture if you continued laboring then in that labor or in the next pregnancy. No one knows because no one's really tried it. No one has really pushed that envelope because they are too afraid to. It's hard. It's very unusual to be diagnosed with a window on your first C-section because usually, it's not going to happen unless you've already had an incision in a C-section. Usually, it's someone who has had a C-section, then on their second C-section, when someone goes in to make the incision whether they tried to VBAC or didn't try to VBAC, they see this and then they are talking about the next pregnancy. Most people are not going to recommend VBAC because the risk of rupture is too high in that circumstance. I fall into that camp as well. I am humble enough to say it doesn't mean someone will rupture, but I think that risk is too high and I'm not really willing to test it out on someone because I think it's probably not safe. Now, sometimes, someone may have been told they had a window and they really don't. It's hard to know. There's another situation that is different which is when someone is not pregnant and they have an ultrasound of their uterus and they see some form of a defect in their prior C-section. So someone had one C-section, had the baby, they're not pregnant. They come to my office and they do an ultrasound. I looked at the area of the scar and it looked like it wasn't healed perfectly, so instead– Meagan: Properly.Dr. Fox: Well, it's not proper or improper, it just frequently doesn't heal to full thickness. Let's say the uterus is a centimeter thick and I see that only half of the centimeter is closed and the other half of the centimeter is open, right? We call that sometimes a uterine niche. We sometimes call that a uterine defect. Some people call that a window, though it's not technically a window. The question is A) What does that mean? and B) What do you do about it? The answer is nobody knows. That's the problem. Meagan: Yeah. That's the hard thing. Dr. Fox: Nobody knows exactly what you would do to allow VBAC, not allow VBAC, this or that, generally, what a lot of people will do is if they have only had one C-section, they'll usually let them VBAC, but there is some data that if it's less than 3 millimeters remaining of closed, the risk of rupture is somewhat higher. Again, that data itself is pretty weak. No one knows for sure. Should you use that? Should you not use that criteria? It's very, very difficult and you're going to see a lot of variation out there. In our practice, we don't use that test so much to decide whether someone should VBAC or not after their first C-section because the data doesn't support that. What we use it for is someone who has had multiple C-sections and they are already not planning to VBAC, but we are trying to figure out if is it safe to get pregnant at all. Do we need to fix this during pregnancy or if they get pregnant, do we need to deliver them at a different time? That's a much more complicated discussion, but that's how we use it practically. If someone has had one C-section, I don't generally recommend doing that test to check the thickness and then making decisions based on that because it's not clear that your decision-making is going to be any better with that information than without that information. So I don't use it personally, but definitely, people will find it out there. They measure the thickness and they say it's too thin. That data is all over the place, unfortunately. Maybe one day, we will work it out, but it hasn't been worked out yet. Meagan: Yeah. So you can technically fix a niche? Dr. Fox: You can technically fix it, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are safe to deliver vaginally the next time. Meagan: Because that's a uterine procedure. Dr. Fox: Yeah. These are all new questions that are being sorted out. It may take a very long time to sort it out, but I would say for the more typical person who has had one C-section that was basically fine, it went well, and she is trying to decide to VBAC or not, the current data does not support measuring the thickness of the scar routinely either prior to pregnancy or in pregnancy and then making decisions about VBAC or not. There are people who do it and I'm not saying it's wrong, but the data to support that is pretty weak so it's not something that is universally recommended to do. It's a different situation if someone had a C-section and then someone saw with their own eyes there is something wrong with this uterus or if someone has had multiple C-sections and then they see it, those are different clinical situations where it might come in handy. Meagan: Okay. Great answers. Awesome. Thank you seriously so much. It's just such a pleasure to have you. I do. I just enjoy talking with you. I think it's awesome and I think this community is just going to keep loving these episodes. Dr. Fox: It's my pleasure. It's your wonderful Salt Lake City disposition. Meagan: Yes. Next time you are in Salt Lake, come say hi. Dr. Fox: Love it. We'll do it. I love Salt Lake City. Good stuff. Meagan: Yes. I love it here except for the cold. Dr. Fox: Except for the cold. I hear ya. I grew up in Chicago which is where my pleasant disposition comes from, but yes. It's also cold in the winter. Meagan: That's a whole different cold. Dr. Fox: We don't get the skiing. We get the cold, but not the skiing so at least you get the mountains so you did it right. Meagan: Yes, we did. Awesome. Well, thank you so, so much. Dr. Fox: My pleasure. Thanks for having me. Always a pleasure. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Join the crew this week as we discuss Sacrifice, Respect, Honor, Nonjudgmental, Giving Away and Walk the Talk
Christina Madison, PharmD, FCCP, AAHIVP, sat down with Amy Marie Merrell, to discuss current issues within sexual health.
Show-notes Episode 46In this episode of our podcast "Parenting Teens Through the Hard," we are talking about the importance of understanding the changing dynamics of communication with our teens and how crucial it is for us to adapt. We all know that our teens are heavily influenced by their peers, technology, and social media. However, it's essential for us to remember that our voices still hold immense value in their lives. We need to find ways to connect and communicate effectively with them.A key aspect we focus on is modeling healthy communication and empathy. Empathy acts as the anchor line that connects us in our communication with our teens. By understanding their perspective and showing empathy, we can build a stronger bond with them.Today's teens face numerous challenges and pressures, and it's our responsibility as parents to provide understanding and empathy. We need to create an environment where they feel safe to open up and share their thoughts and feelings.Building trust and open communication is vital. So, let's embark on this journey together, exploring the world of communication with our teens. By adapting to the changing dynamics, understanding the generation gap, and practicing empathy, we can strengthen our relationships and guide our teens through the hard times.Register for the 4 Principles for Fighting Fear workshop HEREAdditional Resources:Pathways website: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/ (Subscribe for weekly encouragement) Local and national resources: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/resources/ Blog: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/blog-2/ FAQ: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/f-a-q/ ___________________________________________________________________________Parenting Teens Through The Hard from Unyielding is brought to you by Pathways to Hope Network. A non-profit organization that provides cost-free support and community to parents with youth facing criminal allegations. Learn more about Pathways on our website: https://pathwaystohopenetwork.org/ Discover the community and connect by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathwaystohopenetwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathways_to_hope_network/For support, email: afrey.pathways@gmail.com
"Many of us feel aimless and unable to direct our lives effectively. But fear not, iCARE will guide you to a calm and grounded state of being." - Michael John CusickIn today's episode, we delve into the concept of "iCARE," focusing on what lies within us, including our body, mind, and emotions. Michael John Cusick explores the practice of becoming aware of our inner experiences and sensations through a body scan, allowing us to observe and notice without judgment. Drawing on scripture passages, he highlights the importance of self-compassion, kindness, humility, and gentleness as the foundation for loving others. He also challenges the misconception that we are fundamentally flawed or unlovable, rooted in a deeper understanding of sin and our relationship with God. We also delve into practical exercises such as figure eights, tapping, and breathing techniques to regulate emotions and cultivate a deeper connection with God. So, join us as we journey inward, exploring the treasures within our souls and learning to live in alignment with God's love.CONTACT RESTORING THE SOUL:- Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!
Nonjudgmental Mindfulness Judging others through our thoughts, social media, and even their face creates a vicious loop that leads us away from happiness. Understanding and kindness towards others creates a more softness towards our foibles and offenses. New Happiness Podcast episode with Dr. Robert Puff, Newport Beach Psychologist
0:00 Intro0:40 Nonjudgmental16:30 Memes of Production29:30 Hobberdy Dick32:00 Militia Templi36:00 Purgatorial Society42:00 G.K. Chesterton53:30 Thomists & Scotists1:01:00 History of U.S. Senate1:08:00 Charles News1:10:00 5 Most Catholic Countries1:15:00 Impacting Young PeopleSupport the show
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Many people don't associate the word “Love” when they met a Christian, Pastor Byron explains more on this.
Noticing without judgment is about expanding your awareness of your own actions and feelings. It allows us to liberate ourselves from thinking too much or too little. In today's podcast, we'll rest ourselves from the control of things that aren't serving us.
Annie Joy shares her experiences growing up in the LDS church and what that taught her about judgement, grace and making room for everyone at The Table. She learned to be aware of judgmental thoughts, give grace to others and invite people to consider different perspectives and experiences in discussions among members of the LDS faith or any faith community. In the home, she suggests parents examine their own reactions to their children's questions and doubts without making it about themselves. Agency is honored when kids are given space and autonomy in their exploration to find answers. This is an essential part of creating a safe environment for them to explore their faith journey without judgment as well as to approach uncertainty rather than avoid or run from it. Annie's motto is to treat all with love and kindness. Experiences in her younger years have inspired her present day vision "To Build a Kinder World, One Heart at a Time." Read more about Annie and her mission here: https://anniejoy.com/. Annie is a single mama of two, host of Not Your Mamas Relief Society podcast, Kindness Camp Director, our OG hype girl and MC. Don't miss her as she MC's for Corinne Crabtree's Get it Done Bootcamp event in Nashville June 2023! Connect with Annie here https://anniejoy.com/ and on Instagram @notyourmamas.rs. _______________________________ The The Beyond the Shadow of Doubt™ podcast is a proud member of the Dialogue Podcast Network found at DialogueJournal.com/podcastnetwork. Part of the Dialogue Journal, the Dialogue Podcast Network was founded by Eugene England, a Mormon writer, teacher and scholar. “My faith encourages my curiosity and awe,” Gene wrote in the very first issue of the journal. “It thrusts me out into relationship with all creation” and “encourages me to enter into dialogue.” My hope is that this podcast is an extension of his vision. Hopeful Spaces is a Dallas Hope Charities component of Hopeful Discussions, which is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA. Hopeful Spaces is a monthly parent support group facilitated by Meagan Skidmore Coaching. To join and participate in Hopeful Spaces is free; send an email to chc@dallashopecharities.org. If you are ready to get the care and attention you deserve through 1:1 coaching I invite you to reach out; send an email to hello@meaganskidmorecoaching.com. Connect with me at meaganskidmorecoaching.com where you can subscribe to get my free Pronouns 101 guide and download my free 20+ page LGBTQ+ Resource Guide for families. Please help the podcast grow by following, leaving a 5 star review on Apple podcasts and sharing with friends.
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“It's our resistance to life in its fullest expression in each and every moment that stops us from experiencing divinity in each and every moment.” – Rhiannon Heins *********************************************** SUPPORT DR. AMY ROBBINS: If you're enjoying the podcast and finding value in guest interviews, ghost stories, and the content I share, please consider supporting the show by becoming a Patreon member for as little as $5 a month at Patreon.com/DrAmyRobbins As a member you'll get more say in the content we cover and exclusive access to behind-the-scenes goodness! Stay Connected with Dr. Amy Robbins: Instagram YouTube Website Facebook *********************************************** EPISODE SUMMARY: Have you heard of light codes before? Do they sound a bit too “woo” for you? What if I told you they're something that can easily become part of your everyday life? Today we talk with Rhiannon Heins, an Australian healer, intuitive, and energy worker, founder of the Intuitive Rebirth Energy-Work Method, and #1 bestselling author. Her new book “The Keepers of the Light Codes” is a channeled text meant to initiate light workers out of a never-ending spiritual search and into their highest expressions of self. Her life's work is centered around helping to initiate heart-centered healers and leaders. Listen in to learn more about the divine energies that are all around us and how to integrate them into your daily life. Topics We Discuss: [3:12] How Rhiannon started channeling in her early 20's. Lost, disconnected, and unfulfilled she began doing yoga and connecting with herself. She took a leap of faith and moved into her fear. She kept asking for help internally and her life changed almost overnight. [7:18] Her intuitive connection opened through tangible, real-life experiences and grew almost instantaneously. She finally saw how magical and miraculous life was and anchored herself in that energy. Her gifts exploded rapidly. [9:16] Rhiannon's understanding of who she is channeling has changed over time. She didn't know who was coming through at first. Over time, she realized the beings she channeled matched her own energy. [11:30] Rhiannon began connecting with Ascended Masters like Mother Mary and Quan Yin. She received transmissions of energies through images. We can call on specific energies to channel. Don't limit yourself to one vibrational frequency. [16:16] We all have an army of resonant light beings and souls around us. These are souls we've met across lifetimes, galactic beings we resonate with, holy masters, and angels we've connected with. We just have to create mental space so that we can feel into them. Presence brings space for intuitive insight. You don't always need meditation to tap into higher consciousness. [22:13] We are all channels. We all channel wisdom and creative insight. Actors are great examples of people tuning into and embodying a specific frequency. [22:57] Light codes are wisdom embedded in higher energies that we can embody and bring down to earth. Wisdom is layered. [24:00] Rhiannon's book is split into two sections. Lessons, which are simple teachings about our true nature, and initiations. Initiations are energy work embedded in text that work on our layers of resistance to higher consciousness. Some may not affect us because we've already worked through them. [27:16] We are all here to be keepers of light codes. We must awaken and shake off societal constraints and the illusions of unworthiness and doubt. [28:30] As her awareness has changed, the way Rhiannon experiences day-to-day life has also changed. It's all divine. Nonjudgmental awareness of all aspects of self allows for divine experience. The divine is always there. [31:24] Integrating higher energies into daily life is hard for most. It's why a lot of people suffer. Many spiritualists escape into these higher energies. This world is hard, but it's also full of so much magic. You just have to look around. [33:45] Galactic Federation or “Army” of Light. Many light beings are incarnated here right now. There are light beings all throughout space and time. When you weave them all together, they are a wise collective consciousness. FOLLOW RHIANNON HEINS: Find Rhiannon and more information about her certifications and retreats she offers on her website or on Instagram. Rhiannon's book, “The Keepers of the Light Codes: A Channeled Guide to Ending Your Spiritual Quest and Initiating Your Mastery” is available on Amazon. Life, Death and the Space Between is brought to you by: Dr. Amy Robbins | Host, Executive Producer PJ Duke | Executive Producer 2 Market Media | Audio & Video Editing Mara Stallins | Outreach & Social Media Strategy Claire | Clairperk.com | Podcast Cover Design
Why do people think they're not judging when they make ... Judgements? As it turns out, when you misjudge the perfect standard of God, you're not just judging, you're judging unrighteously. And that's worst than judging! Therefore, not judging evil can turn a person into an evil judge. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/trunews365/message
How can we as parents-founders help better our own Teenagers' mental health? From psychologist to entrepreneur Just a few years ago, Alex was all in as a clinical psychologist, having two clinics, teaching about psychology - when by accident, he found himself diving into the Tech world. It was something he didn't know had existed before, and he felt like ‘Alice in wonderland' as he discovered the full power and potential that lies within that world. He decided to found his first company, and poured his energy into it. When I asked Alex about this big switch, he shared that from his perspective - it wasn't a big shift, because companies are all about people. As a psychologist, his activity has changed but the essence is still about people. He uses his empathy and wisdom as a psychologist to connect and understand his usersand their needs. When it came to Kai, it started when the time was right. Alex and Netanel reached out to Ziv, who built an earlier version of Kai. They weren't sure about it in the beginning - they didn't think people would cooperate and use AI, but after weeks of convincing, he decided to go for it - not because he was sure about the idea, but because he was ready to build a company with amazing co-founders to explore with. He said yes to this unique combination between psychological background and technological expertise. The alarming data 1 out of 3 teenagers will experience severe sadness, the percentage is even higher for teenage girls. Suicide rate grew by 40%, and Covid only accelerated it. Why is that? Well, the last two years were very hectic - teenagers stayed an enormous amount of time at home without having any certainty about the next day, they were more exposed to the stress in their home life and had nowhere to escape to. Add the absence of time outside in the sunlight and in nature, and the twisted mirror of social media, which filled all their time with watching the illusion of the perfect lives of others - it's a ticking time bomb. Although it's scary and hard to admit as parents - we don't necessarily always know what happens to our children, and what's going on inside their heads. And when we do know eventually, it's often too late. How can we as parents be there for our kids? - Spending quality time with them - there's no way around it - Creating space where parents bring more vulnerability - Normalize sharing about emotions through asking how they're feeling, letting them know that it's super normal to feel pain and difficult feelings - everyone goes through them in their lifetime - Address their questions, even and especially when they're difficult or uncomfortable to talk about - Nonjudgmental attitude - Modeling - we often don't teach our kids tools to handle their emotions, and then they find unhelpful and even harmful ways of coping. It's our responsibility to teach them about the most powerful and basic part of being human - expressing our emotions. - Talk with other parents to know you are not alone dealing with those things, and also learn from others about the tools they give to their kids. Reacting to Kai Alex found that the different age groups react differently to Kai. Adults tend to use technology in different ways and for different reasons than teenagers, and had a resistance to Kai - they expected it could replace a human, and tried to find the holes that will trick the platform. They were very skeptical. The younger Kaiers on the other hand, didn't expect it to be like a human at all. They trusted the tech more, and it allowed them to share without feeling shame, and have a safe space. We might have a hard time understanding this, but teenagers have new ways of interacting - they're used to interacting through apps like Discord - a platform for managing conversations. It started for connecting while playing online games and expanded to servers that are building huge communities for a lot of interests like anima and music - they use more group chats, messaging and sending voice messages, they're use to interacting through gaming with avatars that are not even humans, and have the shield of anonymity. Teenagers don't use one app anymore for interaction, but are constantly on a different conversation experience - that's where the future is heading . Tech as the problem and the cure Technology is a big part of the problem and the solution together. It's the channel we can harness to reach out to teens. Just like Duolingo is making learning languages accessible, the goal is that Kai will make emotional tools accessible for everyone. I asked Alex to demonstrate Kai's work, and we chose the example of a girl named Amanda who's struggling with body image. The first and surprising thing that Alex mentioned, is that many times, she won't know she's struggling, anxious or depressed. They found that the first thing that helps a teen like Amanda is to ask her - how happy are you right now from 1-10? - This question is a very important trigger for them to gain awareness about themselves. From there, the way Kai works is simple - daily short interactions where Kai allows them to pause, recognise what's good in their life through questions and be proactive about it, and describe their feelings. As a user of Kai for almost 2 years now, as well as a coach to many founders, I know that for most of us, even stopping for a moment and verbally saying what we want in a coherent way and speaking our emotions is a very hard task, but so incredibly crucial. Alex adds that paying attention to the good things is even harder from a neuroscience perspective, because of our brain's negativity bias. We are all programmed to pay attention to the negative things, and don't notice the good things naturally. This muscle of noticing the good things and feeling gratitude needs to be practiced every day to rewire our brain for happiness and joy in life. Alex sees a future where everyone has an AI companion and the more they engage with it, it will get to know them and help them more. A big uniqueness of Kai is that their team is a combination between therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists that come from both research and clinical work, and create the best toolkit. They focus a lot on tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: - Learning to control our breath - Learning the ability of observing our thoughts and emotions and create healthy distance from them - ACT - acceptance and Commitment Therapy - teaches not to fix challenging emotions, but allowing them to be - Learning the skill of psychological flexibility - Learning the skill of positive psychotherapy And the amazing thing is that Kai also learns and improves itself through its users. A therapist will see 1K of patients on average through their entire career, but Kai will see more than 15k users every single day. Machines on their own have many limitations, and humans on their own have many limitations - but the combination of humans with the machine is stronger than any human or machine on its own
Have you ever been judged because of where you come from? Do you know of someone who is biracial and often gets treated unfairly or judged? Join me and my guest Miss Dogwood 2022 Ebony Mitchell as we talk about the internal conflict that comes with being judged and how this lack of sensitivity affects mental health. Support Ebony Mitchell here! http://www.missarkansas.org/peopleschoice2022.htm?fbclid=IwAR1p3GoCM9iuyPav6481mvGB3Mo8iP32B55W5C7gisPtHv4Vw6_D85KV4gI
*Today's Shiur is Sponsored by* Anonymous For a Refuah Shleima for Ze'eva Yosefa bas Malka Riva *Sponsor a Morning Shiur* In honor or memory of anything. Torah learning is the best way to celebrate a birthday, yertzeit or momentous occasion. $36 - Class $360 - Full Series Click on any of the links below: https://cash.app/$livingchassidus http://Paypal.me/livingchassidus https://livingchassidus.org/donate/
This month on TITW, we're practicing self-compassion. Liza and Molly have been studying the work of Dr. Kristin Neff, a psychologist and researcher who breaks down the practice of self-compassion into concrete steps. We've noticed a lot of overlap between Dr. Neff's work and DBT skills, and we discuss the similarities in this episode. We start by defining self-compassion and how it's all about being a friend to yourself. We then get into the barriers of practicing self-compassion (i.e. the erroneous belief that beating ourselves up is the only path toward self-improvement), and point out how taking a more dialectical approach while being kind to ourselves actually leads to more effective problem-solving and learning from mistakes. Molly and Liza each share personal examples of times they have both practiced self-compassion, and, more often, times they have beat themselves up to the point of blocking effective action. We discuss the benefits of practicing self-compassion, and provide a step-by-step approach to the practice, using DBT skills including Mindfulness of Current Emotion, Radical Acceptance, Nonjudgmental and Dialectical Thinking, and good old Opposite Action. We hope you enjoy! If you'd like to support TITW, we would be very grateful for donations of any amount you feel comfortable via Venmo @MollyStDenis. If a donation is not possible at this time, you can still support our work by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you! *Check out our website at therapistsinthewild.com. And follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TherapistsInTheWild, and Twitter @TherapistsWild.
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Episode 43 – Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L shares "Improving Self-Compassion with a Nonjudgmental Attitude" on 10/08/21. Emmy describes how your sense of self-compassion and a non-judging attitude can impact your mental and physical health and wellness. When you are judging yourself, consciously or unconsciously, you then in turn can judge others. This influences the quality of love and your satisfaction in relationships. She shares methods to increase your self-compassion, acceptance, and love for yourself for more positive emotions, a higher vibration, and a greater connection to intuition. Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapist, Intuitive Healer, Integrative Health Practitioner, Health Coach, teacher, consultant, and writer. On her Healing Connections Podcast she shares information and interviews thought leaders and health care practitioners about integrative health, wellness, prevention, spirituality, intuition, and consciousness. Emmy is the author of "Intuitive Development: How to Trust Your Inner Knowing for Guidance with Relationships, Health, and Spirituality." You can purchase her book directly from her or through Amazon or IngramSpark. https://emmyvadnais.com/book Visit https://holisticot.org/ and https://emmyvadnais.com/
Justine Guzman is a therapist out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area who shares her story of discovering non-monogamy and how it has affected her various relationships. We talk about her progress in being publicly open about her polyamory, even loud about it sometimes, and why living openly authentic is important to her. Justine shares the many roles that her intersecting identities play in her personal growth, and we commiserate on how our friends, family, and parents have reacted to our polyamorous identities. In her practice, Justine adamantly embraces and encourages a non-judgmental approach to our emotions. She gives us tips on how we can examine our feelings objectively, like scientists, and how to move past intense emotions and separate ourselves from the situation long enough to get our emotions under control. Definitely a lot of great nuggets and conversation in this episode! Learn more about Justine at www.stereo.com/gumdropjones and follow on IG: @beautifulstackofpancakes ! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/practicingpolya/support
Bread of Life Presents: PERSPECTIVE” PT 2 on Challenged To Change with PaulPastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;Spiritual Nuggets of Truth" will air 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 8 pm. Minister Karmen A. Booker,
Bread of Life Presents: PERSPECTIVE” PT 2 on Challenged To Change with Paul Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;Spiritual Nuggets of Truth" will air 2nd & 4th Mondays @ 8 pm. Minister Karmen A. Booker,
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Don't make your clients feel wrong; give them other options. Matthew Sullivan's guest in this episode is Bob Wheeler, the founder of The Money Nerve. Matthew shares with Bob his experiences in dealing with clients over the years. Some clients will never want to listen, while others are eager to know what solutions you can offer. It's a matter of finding the right client and building a long-term relationship with them. Never transact for the sake of making a quick buck off of someone. Keep it relational, and you will find fulfillment. Tune in!
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Robert Strock discusses the third level of awareness. This level of awareness requires that we become aware of and identify our most challenging feelings. To address these feelings, we must reach the first level of awareness, which is to be humble enough to be aware that in many areas we are unaware. The second level is to recognize the ways in which we see ourselves in brief flashes because it's too hard to tolerate challenging feelings or profound insights that would cause disruption in our lives if we integrated them. We reach the third level when we can ask ourselves—how can I focus on caring for myself with this challenging emotion without criticism and withdrawal? Strock uses deeply personal examples to show how you can become aware of your reactions and continue on the road toward self-compassion. The third level of awareness is another step toward seeing yourself and your feelings from a non-judgemental place. It requires deep introspection to investigate the ingrained patterns of behavior learned in your early life. The danger in the third level is that our heart isn't stimulated to help us even though we think it is, revealing the need for the fourth level of awareness that includes our intention to heal. As you move toward greater awareness, you also begin to progress on the path of self-compassion and minimize rejection, abandonment, and blame. Listen to the episode and find out more at Awareness That Heals
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and - Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.com WEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499# MONTHLY BROADCASTS: "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm; ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Pastor Paul Morgan, founder of Chosen Generation Ministries in Richmond, VA, where church is not as usual. Pastor Paul guides and encourages the congregation to participate in a 2-way open dialogue; allowing openness and transparency about their Christian walk. He fosters a safe and Nonjudgmental atmosphere of mutual ministry and exhortation. He also has an independent counseling ministry with over 16 years of experience in individual, marital and -Phone: 866 333.9505 Email: ministermorgan77@gmail.com Website: www.chosenrva.comWEEKLY BROADCASTS: “His Abounding Grace” Tuesdays @ 7 pm; ”Challenged To Change” Wednesdays @ 7 pm; "Declaring The Finished Work" Thursdays @ 12 Noon; "Friday Night Joy" Fridays @ 7 pm; WEEKLY PRAYER: “Mid-Day Glory Prayer” (Wednesdays @ 1:00pm) Dial-in#:(712) 770-5505 Access Code:732-499#MONTHLY BROADCASTS: "Bread of Life” 1st & 3rd Sundays @ 7 pm; “LifeLine" 1st Mondays @ 7 pm; “Adoration” 3rd Mondays @ 7 pm; “Matters Of The Heart” 3rd Fridays @ 7pm; “Bold And Beautiful” 2nd Saturdays @ 10:00 am; “R3: "Real Life, Real Men, Real Talk” 2nd Sundays @ 7:00pm; “Marriage Takeover” 4th Sundays @ 7:00 pm;ALL TIMES EASTERN STANDARD
Many of us have heard people say things like, “try not to judge yourself so much” or “let go of your judgments." While we may intellectually recognize that judgments may not be all that helpful, we do not always feel well-grounded in why letting go of judgments is so important, or clear about what to do instead of judging. In this episode we talk about: 1) what makes a judgment a judgment and how judgmental statements differ from nonjudgmental ones, 2) the ways in which judgments can both help and harm us, 3) research supporting the importance of working toward more of a nonjudgmental stance, 4) specific, concrete strategies for responding to judgments effectively and shifting our relationship to judging. We end with a brief mindful practice that walks us through key steps involved in working toward a nonjudgmental stance in a specific area of our lives in which we are noticing judgment. To connect more with Dr. Foynes: Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program Follow @drfoynes on Instagram. Additional resources Shallcross, A. J., Troy, A. S., Boland, M., & Mauss, I. B. (2010). Let it be: Accepting negative emotional experiences predicts decreased negative affect and depressive symptoms. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(9), 921-929. Geurtzen, N., Scholte, R. H., Engels, R. C., Tak, Y. R., & van Zundert, R. M. (2015). Association between mindful parenting and adolescents' internalizing problems: non-judgmental acceptance of parenting as core element. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(4), 1117-1128. Pepping, C. A., O'Donovan, A., & Davis, P. J. (2013). The positive effects of mindfulness on self-esteem. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5), 376-386. Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Let go of the what ifs and let yourself sit with what is. This guided meditation opens you up to the space that's available when you sit with your thoughts and observe them without judgment. Show notes: Meditation by Mark Bertin. Mark Bertin, MD, is a pediatrician, author, professor, and mindfulness teacher specializing in neurodevelopmental behavioral pediatrics.
Let go of the what ifs and let yourself sit with what is. This guided meditation opens you up to the space that's available when you sit with your thoughts and observe them without judgment. Show notes: Meditation by Mark Bertin. Mark Bertin, MD, is a pediatrician, author, professor, and mindfulness teacher specializing in neurodevelopmental behavioral pediatrics.