BeREAL : Recent Episodes
Diana, Ednesha and Divya
Podcast interviews with wellness advocates, panel discussions, honest conversation on all topics of wellness.
Welcome back to BeREAL! Diana and Ednesha are hopping on this week to talk a little bit about the importance of a break. In honor of this, BeREAL is also announcing a short hiatus until the end of March.
The duo talks about how they are needing to pivot yet again after two year in the pandemic. When fatigue begins to set in, it is important to slow yourself down before your body makes you slow down. In honor of this, and her 40th birthday approaching, Ednesha announces that she needs a little vacation soon. Diana and her brainstorm where she could go on her Eat, Pray, Love adventure. They discuss different beaches and mountains around the globe that could make amazing destination spots.
Diana talks about what she has learned about herself from traveling solo. She shares a story about her first trip by herself to Paris, and offers Ednesha many options of what to do on her solo trip.
Lastly, the women discuss the break they will be taking until the end of March. We wish all the listeners an amazing few months until then, and want to express our deepest gratitude for tuning in for these past two years.
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to the Indigo108 takeover for BeREAL. This week, Liz is joined by Shamina Rao to talk about the role of a full spectrum care throughout the journey of pregnancy and birth.
Shamina is a Full-Spectrum Doula, a Certified Lactation Counselor, & a very soon-to-be IBCLC (Board Certified Lactation Consultant), and a Prenatal Yoga teacher.
Shamina introduces herself as a full-spectrum doula, lactation consultant, and a prenatal yoga teacher. Full-spectrum work entails support through all parts of birthing and all forms of birthing. Full-spectrum doulas work with mothers by offering non-judgemental care in situations when the mother intends to keep the baby, and in situations when they don’t. Shamina looks to demedicalize parts of the birthing process, because overly medicalized births often overlook the mother’s needs. Demedicalizing birth also allows non-medical practices, like skin-to-skin, to have a space in the birthing room.
Shamina next explains the importance of full spectrum care as a doula. Every mother is different. They have different values, different medical history, different life stories and their birth process should be respective of this. Holistic doulas look to know and treat the whole person, instead of treating every mother the same. Shamina’s goal is to help mothers move with the world around them, much like Ayurveda strives to do.
Shamina also believes a part of being a holistic doula is helping those around the mother as well. This means helping partners, family, and friends through the pregnancy and birth which will in turn uplift the mother as well. Creating this strong support network for the mother is also important because things can change so quickly during birth. You can plan as much as possible for a birth and then everything changes at the last minute because the mother finds herself in a place she never expected while in labor. Doulas are there to acknowledge when changes occur during birth, because sometimes the mother cannot identify their own internal change in the moment.
To finish off the episode, Shamina discusses the importance of the healthcare providers you choose. Some providers do not work holistically and then the mother’s wishes are not heeded in the birthing process and they are left out of their own pregnancy. It is important to find a provider that shares similar values and will not overshadow your desires during birth. Lastly, Liz guides listeners through a practice she picked up from Shamina.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for more episodes in the new year. In the meantime, make sure to check out the previous episodes of the Indigo108 takeover.
For more information on Shamina and her practice, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.shaminarao.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaminarao/
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Liz is joined by registered nutritionist and women’s health expert, Emma Bardwell to talk about sleep and the Winter solstice.
Emma begins the episode by introducing herself and her spiritual signs. She is a Pisces. She then proceeds to tell listeners about how she got into her work as a nutritionist. When she began, she noticed that women’s health was severely under researched. Lot of women coming into her clinic were not adequately helped by their previous doctors. This made them resort to googling their conditions, which never ends well.
Her current program looks to make nutrition easy and accessible to all women. Her program lasts at least three months, so she can start to create lifestyle changes with her patients. She also posts a lot of information on social media, so women who can’t afford a three month program have access to help as well. She makes sure to give a variety of information to her many clients because she realizes all women are not the same. She wants her clients to have options so they don’t feel constrained.
Next, the women move onto talking about sleep and the Winter solstice. Emma highlights that there are no magic solutions to food and sleep. When crafting a healthy diet, make sure to consume an appropriate amount of aminoacyl tryptophanes. These are found in poultry, greek yogurt, etc. and are a precursor to melatonin. Meaning they will help foster a healthy sleep routine. Also, be sure to eat lots of B vitamins. If you are vegetarian, you can get them through supplements, however, Emma does not recommend supplements unless necessary. Lastly, magnesium aids with sleep as well.
Outside of diet, there are other ways to craft a proper sleep routine during this Winter solstice. Taking epsom salt baths is one option. Also, listening to your body’s circadian rhythm. Emma recommends exposing your eyes to lots of light in the morning, and little at night. This means limiting screen usage at night. Instead, Emma recommends listeners journal before bed. This way they can set wellness goals and write about what they’re grateful for all while following their circadian rhythm. Emma believes these small changes will make big differences in sleep quality and mood.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Make sure to check out an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Tonie Warner.
For more information on Emma or her work, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.emmabardwell.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma.bardwell/
Book: The Perimenopausal Solution
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to the Indigo108 takeover of BeREAL! This week, Liz talks to Tonie Warner, a Brooklyn-based yoga teacher, about wellness for Black women.
Tonie found empowerment and refuge in Yoga in over 15 years of practice and teaching. She believes that Yoga is a liberation practice, dependent on the liberation of BIPOC. She did not see this tenet being upheld in dominant studio culture, and with the desire to extend her practice in alignment with her beliefs, she founded Yuja Soul, a dedicated space offering Yoga for Black Women. Tonie also serves as one of the Practice Coalition’s Principals uplifting trauma-informed Yoga, and also devotes her offerings to The Connective, a cooperative, teacher-owned platform challenging the standards of the wellness industry.
Her classes are known for their physical rigor and open brave space for self-inquiry at the intersection of Yoga philosophy and social justice.
Tonie begins the episode by introducing her spiritual self. She is a Kapha/Pita dosha, as well as a libra sun. She is an immigrant from Dominica and works in Brooklyn as a career yoga teacher and career guide. Her goal is to offer people the bravery that she herself was never offered. She came to her work and her purpose while searching for mothering energy. She found a community through yoga, but also found that she was one of the only Black women in the wellness field.
Tonie talks about how she lets her work “unravel her.” When Liz asks her what conditions make unraveling yourself possible, Tonie says that showing up as her full self means having her blackness and womanhood seen. However, she also highlights the importance that she should not be expected to announce Black excellence and instead she should be able to just be. Her practice allows this by offering silence in the yoga space for all the Black women who attend. She wants women to make sure their labels are authentically theirs and not placed upon them by others.
Lastly, Tonie discusses a bit more about how her actual practice came to be. She traces her history back to working at a fitness clothing start-up that was not a great work environment. She found herself struggling and realized that if she was going to struggle she should at least do what she loves. So, she began teaching yoga. She wanted a space just to practice wellness for Black women and because there were none previously, she created it herself. To close off the episode, Liz leads listeners and Tonie through a meditation practice as always.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL. Be sure to check out a new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode with Diana.
Find out more about Tonie through the links below:
Website: yujayoga.com
Instagram: @yogitones
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Hello and welcome back to BeREAL! BeWELL’s Health and Wellness counselor, Liz Buehler Walker, will be taking over the podcast for the rest of 2021 to talk about the new wellness initiative Indigo108. For the first episode of the takeover, she will be interviewing BeWELL founder, and the usual host of BeREAL, Diana Gasperoni.
Liz begins the episode by asking Diana about her spiritual chart placements. Diana explains that she is a double Virgo as well as a Pitta dominant guided by Vata. As a fun fact, Diana throws out that every room in her apartment has hot pink incorporated into the decor somehow. Liz picks up that color is a way to express our spirituality and the hot pink appeals to Diana because of the fiery nature of Pitta.
Liz continues by asking Diana to talk about why the two of them founded Indigo108. Diana traces the practice all the way back to when she was a yoga teacher in college. She is a big believer of “the body keeps score” and has always encouraged numerous ways through work through trauma both physically and mentally. In therapy sessions, she would ask patients about their pain and what the pain would say were it able to speak. Many patients had a hard time talking about experiences in their bodies. However, it is important for Diana that her patients can find freedom in both body and mind to help them expand their emotions and move forward with life.
Next, the two get into a conversation about how therapists usually just connect with psychiatrists outside of the office. However, there are so many types of wellness practitioners, yet they never communicate together if they are seeing the same patient. It is important for both Diana and Liz that their patients have a treatment team supporting them. Having the Indigo108 within BeWELL allows patients to engage in multiple forms of wellness care and have their practitioners actually communicate and work together for the patient. When you have a team behind you, BeWELL believes that you will notice that you “do” life much more often, instead of letting life be done to you or over-focusing on planning.
To finish off the episode, Liz begins a new tradition: a portable practice. She leads listeners and Diana through an abridged version of what they can expect in Indigo108 sessions while on the journey to feel safe within themselves.
Thank you so much for tuning into the Indigo108 takeover this week. Be on the lookout for another episode next Tuesday!
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Diana and Ednesha come together for their final episode of the season to look back at all their favorite BeREAL 2021 Memories.
Diana starts off by telling her favorite episode, which is episode 59 with Vanessa Risetto. Diana really appreciated her views on diet culture and her holistic nutrition approach. Ednesha’s favorite was with Riana Milne. Riana spoke about love trauma. She outlined the top ten childhood traumas and spoke on addition and abuse within families. Don chimes in to tell Jess’ favorite episode which was with Dr. Carlton Green. She appreciated the way he bridged education, psychology, and religion. Diana adds on that she enjoyed how passionate and compassionate he was on the subject.
Diana’s next favorite episode was with Michael Lee Scott. Michael came to celebrate Pride Month and talk about the work he does with Broadway Cares and Broadway Bares. Jess also really loved this episode because of her connection to the theatre world through her dance past.
Another one of Diana’s favorites was with Michelle Kuei. Diana liked this episode because it highlighted how different she and Ednesha are. Ednesha was not there that day and Diana came completely unprepared. When Michelle began telling her amazing story, Diana was fascinated because she hadn’t done her research. Despite the lack of preparation, everything still turned out nicely. Another one of Ednesha’s favorites was with Melody Pourmoradi the founder of GiRLLiFE. Ednesha appreciated was Melody had to say about empowering woman, but also about empowering yourself. She resonated with Melody’s message to know what your services are worth.
Lastly, Jess’s third favorite episode was her own episode in the “My First Time” series. She enjoyed promoting therapy to everyone. Diana and Ednesha join in to talk about how much they enjoyed the series as a whole because they heard a variety of reasons why people come to therapy for the first time.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this year and we hope you have your own favorite 2021 memories with us! Be on the lookout for Liz Buehler Walker’s takeover for the rest of the year.
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha recap the mental health trends of the year and talk about the learned lessons from 2021.
The two begin by talking about what they’ve been up to recently as New York gets colder. Both have been back to Broadway and talk about what that experience was like. Ednesha also tells listeners about the workbook she is in the process of making.
When they begin to talk about lessons from 2021, the biggest topic is relationships. Over the pandemic people grew apart. As things slowly returned to normal many people still felt disconnected and began to question their friendships. It was hard making time to see others, especially if you were working from home and never got alone time. Ednesha acknowledges that keeping relationships felt like another burden on top of the already stressful year.
Working from home also posed issues to maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Without having a commute, there wasn’t time to shift mindsets from work to home and the two quickly became one. For some jobs, like therapists, it could also indefinitely remain a virtual service. Even though both Diana and Ednesha have returned to the office, they still see many of their clients online.
To remedy the work/life imbalance, people began picking up new wellness routines. Some people found new hobbies like baking or playing an instrument. Others, like Diana, began to meditate more and practice more yoga. Ednesha suggests a wellness app that hosts more trainers of color for those interested. Diana also talks about how influential her Peloton was to her mental health.
To close off the episode, the women talk about what still could improve. They focus specifically on the importance of a good sleep schedule. Many people still aren’t sleeping enough even while working at home. The duo suggests some ways to practice both a better night routine and a better morning routine to make the most out of every day.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. If you haven’t already, go check out last week's episode on the mental health impacts of caregiving.
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha pay tribute to a friend of the show, Rick. Rick sadly passed away this past week. Something very important to him was caring for his mother. So, Diana and Ednesha are here to talk about the mental health impacts of taking care of aging parents.
Ednesha begins the episode by talking about Black Woman Be Whole. The team is hosting their first in person event very soon. So, if you are interested in attending a Black Woman Be Whole brunch, visit the link here.
Diana’s weekly update revolves around the passing away of her friend Rick. She tells stories about him, and how the suddenness of his passing is affecting her. She talks about how important Rick’s mother was to him, and how he devoted much of his time to her. This leads the women into talking about taking care of aging parents in general. Ednesha shares some statistics about how many hours Americans spend caring for their parents and/or relatives. Most of these people are also working other jobs, because caring for family is not a paid position.
Diana shares her experience with caregiving in her family. Her parents are currently taking care of her uncle. She talks about how it has been difficult for her parents, because her uncle was a very social person and lately has been deprived of most social interaction. Ednesha joins in to talk about her experience caring for her father. She notes that needing assistance can lead many older people into states of depression. This places yet another burden on the caregiver, who is responsible for brightening their day regardless of their personal circumstances.
Next, Don joins the therapists to talk about the differences between raising a child and taking care of aging parents. Don points out that the elderly have already lived a life of freedom and therefore know what they are missing out on - children do not know this freedom yet. Diana adds on that the goal of raising a child is to prepare them for the world, while raising a parent is to give them a better life in the moment.
To finish off the episode, Diana and Ednesha reflect that society is not currently set up for aging. The professional caregiving systems often fail the elderly. However, despite all this our live expectancy is growing.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. If you haven’t already, go check out the previous episode with our dear friend Rick.
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL and another installment of our “My First Time” series. Today, Ednesha interviews both Diana and her friend Marvin about their first time in therapy.
Ednesha and Diana begin the episode by talking about the recent shift into Fall. They talk about how the cold weather has affected their daily routines (and their heating bills). Soon, Ednesha gets into asking Diana about what initially brought her into therapy. Diana says that her first time in therapy was because she was broken up. She found herself asking questions like “why would I let someone treat me that way?” So, at the suggestion of her roommate, she sought a therapist for clarity. She found therapists through the phone book, and met with a few until she found one that fit her style.
Once with her therapist, Diana did not hesitate to spill everything to her clinician - nothing was off the table. She soon realized she was in a pattern of quitting things and had a hard time accepting compliments. She was looking for a big change in behavior through therapy, but had to realize that it is hard to make big changes. She acknowledged that it is still sometimes hard to go to therapy weekly nowadays. However, she took her own advice of sticking it out and has found lots of personal insight in the therapy office since.
Next, Ednesha brings on her friend Marvin to talk about his first time in therapy. Marvin first went to therapy because he has always been interested in self improvement. In that period of his life he felt out of control and quick to anger and wanted to understand why. His first therapist was a white woman, and that relationship did not last long because he quickly realized she would “whitesplain” this to him. Now realizing that race and gender is important to him in a therapist, he is currently seeing a Black man therapist. He finds this relationship especially helpful because he can say what he wants without having to explain the meaning behind it that often. His therapist already understands.
Like Diana, nothing was off the table for Marvin. He also notes that a lot of therapy has been helping him realize an answer he already knew deep down. Ednesha asks him about the taboo in the Black community that seeking therapy means you’re crazy. Marvin says he used to feel that pressure on him, but upon seeing how beneficial therapy can be he doesn’t feel that anymore. Ednesha also asks if he sees therapy as a “want” or a “need.” Marvin says he sees it as a need because it is important to have a voice of reason in your life that isn’t a friend. Marvin concludes the episode by echoing Dianas advice, stick it out. Change won’t come with one session, it is a process that you should not be scared ro endure.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week's episode with Paige!
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Continuing the series from last week, Ednesha brings on another member of the BeREAL team, Paige, to talk about her first therapist
Ednesha begins the episode with Diana, who recently got back from a trip to Philadelphia. Diana talks about how the vacation was very much needed and about how she spent her time relaxing. The duo also talk about Ednesha’s objection to get a PhD at the moment, and her sparse habit of listening to the podcast after it is recorded. Don joins in to close out the intro to ask some Halloween themed questions.
Paige joins in and immediately gets into the story of her first time in therapy. She outlines how she was pushed into therapy by her family after the passing of her grandpa. She was 18 and felt shame seeing a clinician because to her that meant she was “imperfect.” However once the shame subsided, Paige, a self-proclaimed “motor mouth” found it easy to talk to her therapist. Some topics were off limits, such as her relationship, but she didn’t feel uncomfortable being the center of focus.
Paige compares her first therapist with the therapists she has seen since then. She explains that overtime she better understood what relationship she wanted with her clinician. She wanted to see her clinician almost as an “aunt figure” - one that is close to her but not overly involved in her life. She also notes that when she returned to therapy later in life, she was less motivated to do the work needed to succeed because she was in a bad place in life. However, once she put in the work her expectations of therapy were met.
To close off the episode, Paige gives some advice to listeners. She says that during the process of finding a therapist and seeking wellness support, be kind to yourself. Times like these can be riddled with negative opinions of oneself, so limit critiquing yourself.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode in this “The First Time” series next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s with Jessica!
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Ednesha is hosting without Diana. However, she is joined by BeREAL’s very own Jessica! Jessica is here to talk about her first time in therapy and all the emotions involved with the process.
Jessica begins by telling how she found her first therapist. She talks about the database she used (Zocdoc), and discusses the variety of databases there are and the benefits of each. Before she even met with a therapist she was nervous. The task seemed daunting and there were so many labels and credentials for the different clinicians. However, she was able to find one that she developed a good professional relationship with.
Jessica first went to therapy because she was recently engaged and the process was straining her relationship with her parents. Right from the start she had the mindset that she was going to get her money’s worth each session. So, she was very open with her therapist from the start. However, Ednesha adds that some people need to build trust with their therapist before they open up. She also notes that her first therapist specialized in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which is a short term form of therapy, so she didn’t veer off topic much during sessions.
After ten sessions with her first therapist, Jessica was told she was cured. Although she enjoyed the woman, Jessica felt that the relationship wasn’t very personal. Because her first experience didn’t meet her expectations, it took her a while to see another clinician. Yet, after starting work at BeWELL she began virtual therapy over the phone. She explains why she likes the dynamic of virtual therapy because she can take the calls whenever and feel more comfortable. The new therapist also has a different relationship with Jessica, as they aren’t working towards something specific and therefore there is less work outside of sessions.
To close out the episode, Jessica talks about how her first time in therapy has impacted life outside the counseling office. First, she likes that there is a designated space where she can be the priority. And second, she has come to realize most of her friends were in therapy but kept quiet about it.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for our next episode. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode about change!
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, in a more casual episode, Diana and Ednesha tell listeners about who they are outside of the BeREAL Podcast and also about upcoming change.
The conversation starts with the two discussing their favorite things about fall. For Ednesha it is apple picking and Halloween time. They talk about haunted houses and how Diana does not like scary things but Ednesha loves them. Then they move on to discuss the not so fun parts of Fall. The darker days sometimes weigh on Diana, and she doesn’t understand the reach of the pumpkin spice craze.
Next, the duo moves on to talk about what other initiatives they have going on outside of BeREAL. At Black Woman Be Whole, Ednesha has an upcoming brunch for either late Fall or early Winter. She also has a wilderness retreat planned for herself this coming weekend, where she hopes to learn how to survive in the wild. Over at BeWELL, Diana talks about the upcoming parenting workshop. This monthly wellness talk this month will be hosted by BeWELL’s very own Susan Miller.
After a short break, Diana and Ednesha return to discuss upcoming changes to the BeREAL podcast. After much deliberation, the team has decided to switch to a seasonal format. Each season will consist of 20 episodes and there will be two seasons in a year. This change comes as an effort to practice what they preach. Diana and Ednesha have noticed that the weekly format is too stressful on both of them. They talk about their fears surrounding this change, but also explain how relieved they felt when it was decided. Ednesha noticed that she has a hard time saying “no” to things, and that led her to pile too much on her plate. Having this change forced upon her actually came as a blessing.
To finish off the episode, the women talk about other ways change can be beneficial. They highlight scenarios in which you might want to change therapists or change directions in a relationship. They highlight that change keeps things exciting, even though it is often looked upon with dread.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Look for our upcoming episodes on the holiday season and personal experiences with therapy coming soon. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode on Seasonal Affective Disorder.
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Ednesha is back this week and is joining Diana to talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder. They discuss the definition, the symptoms, and treatment forms for the specific form of depression.
The duo begins the episode with a new segment. They don’t normally discuss what they have going on outside of the podcast, but now they’re ready to share! Ednesha talks about what is happening over at Black Woman Be Whole.
Next, the therapists move on to discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder. After defining what the disorder is, Ednesha begins to talk about what it is like to live with someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder. Ednesha notes that she used to think her partner was being rude to her when winter came along. However, she soon realized he was battling severe bouts of depression when it got cold and dark. Which leads the women to talk about whether it is the cold or the dark that brings on these depressive episodes. Figuring out what your specific trigger is is an important step of figuring out how to lessen the impact.
After a short break, Ednesha brings in her partner, Aldrin, to hear a first hand experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder. He talks about what he does to help ease the mental health impact of SAD. He likes to travel in the winter months, and when that is not available, he likes to look at pictures of sunnier places. He also discusses how COVID affected his mental health. He found it actually helped lessen the impact of his Seasonal Affective Disorder. However, it was still important that he was getting outside and he did that by taking their new dog on walks.
After Aldrin leaves, Diana and Ednesha are left to talk about possible treatment plans for Seasonal Affective Disorder. BeWELL’s newest wellness initiative, Indigo108, helps examine how people’s sleep and diet change throughout the seasons. This knowledge can help those suffering with SAD to see where they might need to reshape their routine. There are certain foods and meditative exercises that serve as mood booster and help combat depressive episodes.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode on Indigo108.
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week we are rebroadcasting BeREAL’s second live show all about mental and emotional wellbeing. Diana and Ednesha were joined by wellness experts Liz Buehler Walker, Amina AlTai, Krishna Dholakia, and Jennifer Kurdyla to answer the question: What does it mean to be well?
After introductions, Ednesha jumps in to ask each of the women what it means to be well in regards to their specific disciplines. Diana says that wellbeing starts with putting thoughts and feelings into words so you can communicate your needs and wants. Amina defines wellbeing as a conduit to clarity. Jennifer adds on that the term “wellness” has been commercialized and prefers to use the term “holistic health.” She prefers this term also because it shows that wellbeing is so much more than the absence of illness.
Next, Ednesha asks about how their work supports the mental and emotional wellbeing of clients. Amina says that changing mindsets is a big part of connecting business and wellness into one practice, as often they are viewed as opposites. When asked about the mental and emotional wellbeing of clients specific during the pandemic, Amina talks about her “minimal viable wellness plan”. There are many activities that are unavailable to us at the moment due to the pandemic, so setting big expectations of wellness for ourselves can actually add more stress into our lives. That is why Amina is looking to simplify wellness so it is easy to integrate into a daily routine without feeling overwhelmed. Some of these plans she has said are as short as 90 seconds.
Diana continues the conversation about the pandemic by talking about returning to “normal life.” She has noticed that many people who lead big lives before the pandemic are hesitant to go back to that lifestyle now that restrictions are easing up. A lot of people found comfort with being at home, and that is a form of wellness they can bring into the future with them. It is important to be mindful that people have changed over this past year and should not be pressured to act or perform as they had prior to COVID.
To finish off the episode, Ednesha asks about how the women practice wellness in their own daily routine. The guests tell their stories with yoga, with outdoor walks, and with various forms of rest and relaxation. Lastly, they all share their upcoming initiatives.
Thank you for tuning in today! We are very happy to add Liz Buehler Walker to our team as the new director of Health and Wellness. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday.
For more information on our guests, please visit the links below:
Amina AlTai: www.aminaaltai.com
Jennifer Kurdyla: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferkurdyla/
Krishna Dholakia: https://omandspice.com
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Diana is hosting on her own again this week, but she is once again joined by a special guest. Michelle Kuei is here to talk about all things confidence coaching as well as to share her amazing story.
Michelle Kuei is a motivational speaker, author, and visibility coach who helps women coaches and entrepreneurs to courageously & confidently tell stories to get seen, heard, and hired. She is the Founder of Elevate Life Coaching and the author of the memoir “Perfectly Normal-an immigrant’s story of making it in America.” Michelle was born in Taiwan and grew up in New York, but today she lives in Los Angeles with her ginger short-hair tabby cat-Toby, who is working his way to take over the social media publicity.
Michelle begins the episode by getting right into her story. Before immigrating to the United States, Michelle lived in Taiwan, where one day she was crossing the street and got hit by a taxi. She can barely recall the event, but she has been told by witnesses what happened. After the accident, Michelle was seriously injured, she now needs to walk with crutches and alter her clothes.
Michelle struggled to remain confident when others would ask her “What’s wrong with you?” She began to take this in and believe that something truly was wrong with her. It wasn’t until she was fourty that she realized that she had enough of feeling uninspired and wishing that she wasn’t where she was in life. That is when she learned that asking for help was okay. So, she set goals for herself and asked for help to achieve them. One of those goals was to climb Machu Picchu.
Michelle then proceeds to tell the story of her going to Peru and climbing Machu Picchu. She recounts getting sick the night before the hike, the initial ascent, and when she was told to abandon her goal and go back down. The leader of the group she was in decided that the climb was too dangerous for Michelle and advised her to descend the slope before she had reached the top. However, Michelle made a hard personal decision. She decided she wanted to finish the climb or die climbing.
After a short break, Michelle returns to tell about reaching the top of the mountain. She describes the feeling of seeing the sign designating she had reached the peak. She tells about the many people who congratulated her at the top. However, the climb was not over, she still had to make it back down.
After finishing her story about Machu Picchu, Michelle tells listeners about the confidence coaching services she provides at Elevate Life Coaching. The mission of the program is to have people realize their confidence so they can tell their stories just as Michelle has learned to do.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, check out last week’s episode with LaTanya Tolan on how to Do Single Well.
For more information on Michelle or Elevate Life Coaching, check out the links below:
Website: http://elevatelifecoaching.org
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/elevatelifecoach
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/michelle-kuei
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lifecoachingbyelevate
Twitter: http://twitter.com/coachbyelevate
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! While Ednesha is not here this week, Diana is joined by returning guest LaTanya Tolan. LaTanya is here to discuss her new book “Doing Single Well: 31 Days to Transforming Your Thoughts About God’s Plan for Your Season in Singleness.”
LaTanya Tolan, LCSW, MA Ed. is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Life Coach and is the Founder and CEO of Soul Care for Black Clinicians. Since 2011, she has maintained a private mental health practice devoted to healing Black people. LaTanya has always been and will always be committed to inspiring and empowering Black people towards healing, growth, change and goal attainment, so they can ultimately reach their optimum potential.
Diana starts off the episode with BeREAL’s Jessica to discuss what everyone has been watching the past week. Jessica talks about binging reality TV as she waits for her husband to return from a trip. This is the perfect segway into this week’s guest, LaTanya Tolan. LaTanya is here because she wants to discuss how to “do single well” so that you can have a healthy, sustainable relationship in the future.
LaTanya begins by telling Diana how the book came to be. Not even Diana knew about the book before, because LaTanya said she wanted to keep the process between her and God. When the concept of the book first came up in 2018, LaTanya did not want anything to do with it. That is because she thought that “doing single well” would mean that she wouldn’t be single anymore, and instead be in a happy marriage. However, she soon discovered that “doing single well” meant using the time when you’re single to become your best self, which in turn will lead to healthier relationships in the future.
So how do you become your best self? LaTanya’s book includes a 31 day process, and each day consists of reflection questions and journaling spaces. She notes that the book is targeted towards Black women, however, there is information in it that can be used by everyone. The advice in it ranges from learning how to recognize challenges that keep arising and understanding why they keep coming back to how to manage mental health when you make big revelations.
Diana and LaTanya each share anecdotes about their past revelations they’ve had while single and how they changed their self view. One important mindset shift LaTanya talks about is learning to know that you are a catch; you are not a problem. Just because a relationship doesn’t work out does not mean there is something wrong with you. Also, it is one thing to say affirmations like that one, it is another to believe them. Diana finishes off the episode by emphasizing how you must believe you are deserving of a good relationship.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL! Make sure to check out last week’s episode about depression. Also, stay tuned for an all new episode next Tuesday.
For more information on LaTanya and her new book, visit the links below:
Website: www.soulcareforblackclinicians.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcareforblackclinicians/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Today, Diana and Ednesha are alone to tackle the very pressing issue of COVID depression and what the Delta variant means for the future of mental health.
The therapists begin the episode by discussing the mental health trends they’ve seen over the past year, but also over the past few months. They talk about why many people have fallen into a mental space where they would prefer to stay with their pain rather than push through it. This is because in times like these, it is hard to imagine what the freedom on the other side will look like. To many, the unknown is scarier than the pain they are currently facing.
Next, they discuss the importance of finding someone to talk to when you are experiencing COVID depression. If you don’t talk to others, you can become set in your emotions and become unwilling to change your perspective. Hearing another person’s viewpoint can shift your perspective while also not trying to ignore the past. Here, the two take a slight detour to talk about why moms get harsh treatment when they are discussed in therapy sessions. Moms are put on such a high pedestal in society that it is almost impossible for them to achieve all that is expected of them.
Getting back on track, Diana and Ednesha give stories about what they have said to patients in the past who had become too stuck in their perspectives. Many people would excuse their negativity by claiming that that is “just who they are.” However, Ednesha points out that you can always choose to be someone different, to act differently. Having this mindset will prevent you from growing from your experiences.
To finish off the episode, the duo tell listeners about where therapy comes into the picture in situations like these. It can be extremely difficult to actually hear someone when they are challenging your viewpoint. That is why it is important that there is a trust built between a therapist and a patient. This trust doesn’t come in one session, but through a long, sustained relationship. Only then will patients actually listen to their clinicians and together they can shift the patient’s perspectives. Therapists are also there to help quell your inner critic. Many people are harder on themselves than they are on others, and that is especially true for people who are experiencing COVID depression. Therapists help you be reasonable and forgiving of your own actions.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on podcast creation.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) or BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are at a loss about what to talk about, and so they talk about the podcast themselves and the emotions involved in podcast creation. The two answer questions from BeREAL’s very own producer, Don.
The two begin the episode by discussing how today’s show came to be. They retell how there wasn’t a planned topic, and when put to the task of thinking of one last minute, everyone drew a blank. The two women approached this unknown in very different manners. Ednesha tells about her routine of taking down notes and research before an episode and therefore being completely thrown off by the last-minute show. Diana on the other hand talks about winging the conversation each week and not being too anxious about today’s show.
This brings the two therapists to discuss their experiences with clinical exams. Ednesha spent days as well as the morning before studying for the exam. Diana didn’t study, and when she just barely passed she got a burst of motivation to study. Diana relates this back to the podcast because she never knows what the guest is going to say, and therefore can’t fully prepare for it. The same is true for therapy, as you never know what your patient might say, but you have to trust that you are a good therapist and will make it through. However, sometimes the two are still thrown off.
After a short break, the women return to discuss their journeys into mental health care. Diana tells about the anxiety she faced about not looking the part of the therapist. Ednesha echoes this idea, adding that as a Black woman she fears she has to come off as more professional to her white counterparts. When starting the podcast the same fear was present, except this time they were asking: “what does a therapist sound like?”
To finish off the episode, the two discuss their struggles with the podcast. They elaborate on why they are hesitant to share a lot about themselves in case patients are listening. They also cover the shift they noticed when they went from being active listeners in therapy sessions to being active speakers on the podcast. They conclude by talking about what they have learned through podcast creation.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Liz Buehler on Inidgo 108.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) or BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana is joined by Liz Buehler Walker to discuss BeWELL’s newest initiative, Indigo 108. This holistic Ayurvedic healing program is designed to finally answer the question: what does it mean to be well?
Liz Buehler Walker is a mom, yoga teacher (specializing in Pre- and Post-Natal) and most recently a labor organizer with Unionize Yoga. With 20 years of experience teaching yoga in NYC, Liz has been around the block more than a few times -- as a teacher in small community and corporate studios, co-founder and co-director of Yoga High with Mel Russo, teacher trainer, mentor, and one of the organizers of the first ever yoga union.
The duo begin the episode by discussing the benefits of the holistic healing approach. They view it as a way to positively release emotions. Diana recounts a story where, after a break up, she found herself seeking both therapy and yoga practices to heal. She found that the yoga studio was a place where she felt safe to express her heart break and the complex emotions surrounding it. Liz began yoga for entirely different reasons. She was a dancer and through that found her way into a yoga studio.
Next, Diana and Liz discuss what it was like to start working again and how Indigo 108 came to be. The two noticed that yoga students have been not showing up to the practices as their full selves in recent years. They note that it is hard for a yoga studio to be a transformational practice if people are not being open with themselves. Indigo 108 looks to make people feel comfortable in their own bodies, so that they can bring more of themselves to all their work.
After a short break, the two return to discuss how Indigo 108 will help answer the question: what does it mean to be well? They note that the answer is different for everybody and Indigo 108 reflects that. It is a one on one practice that compassionately looks at the obstacles in your life. The work will continue until it becomes intuitive in daily life, and is not meant to simply be a checklist to complete every day.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode about COVID and the Delta Variant.
Liz Buehler Walker can be found on:
Her website: www.brooklynyogalife.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizbyogalife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizbyogalife/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ), or any of these amazing clinicians visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Indigo 108 begins on Sep 21, 2021. Attending the first look live-webinar on August 17th.
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha talk about the reemergence of COVID, the Delta variant, and the anxiety faced by even vaccinated people.
Ednesha begins the episode by telling listeners about her experience of close friends and family contracting COVID even though they are vaccinated. Diana adds on her own personal experience of having COVID come into her household. The two therapists reflect on their previous decision to return to full time in-person therapy in September. Now, the two are giving pause to their previous plans. They are unsure if they are comfortable with the decision, and they are unsure if their patients are comfortable.
Next, the two talk about what it would mean to go back to in-person work. Not only would they be seeing multiple people face-to-face for the first time since March 2020, they would also be having to commute. Being on the New York Subway at the moment is scary. As the Delta variant becomes more widespread, the women want to limit their exposure to other people, and the Subway is packed with people. They also discuss that some of their new clients have never met with them in person. As Ednesha says, some patients find it weird that their therapists know so much about them even though they haven’t met face to face before. There would have to be yet another acclamation period for these patients. One benefit they mention, is that COVID has demonstrated to insurance companies that virtual therapy works and should be covered.
After a short break, the women return to talking about the logistics of taking time off of work. They discuss how American culture has cultivated shame and guilt around the idea of taking time off of work. Businesses push productivity and not mental health preservation. When returning to work, it is important to advocate to your employer your anxieties about in-person work. To close out the episode, the duo talk about respecting people's boundaries when returning to work. Ask peers before touching or hugging them, etc.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode about In Treatment on HBO.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ), or any of these amazing clinicians visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are finishing their conversation about In Treatment on HBO by discussing parent/teen/therapists relationships, therapy for therapists, and loneliness during quarantine.
The two begin the episode by outlining the remaining characters to be discussed. Laila is a high school student struggling with her sexuality. Rita is Brooke’s AA sponsor for her alcoholism. Adam is Brooke’s current partner.
When discussing Laila and her struggles as a teen in high school, Ednesha brings up the dynamic of teens in therapy and their parents. Unless the minor is in immediate danger, the patient can expect therapist confidentiality for what is said during their sessions. However, the therapists talk about the option teens have, which is letting their parent sit in on a session if the teen feels comfortable and wants to discuss a specific topic with a therapist present.
The conversation about Leila also leads to a discussion about how upbringing affects one's view of themself. Laila has been brought up being told she is “spoiled” and believing she has not been affected by the traumas that other Black Americans speak on due to her class status. However, Diana and Ednesha dig into the circumstances surrounding her family to find that racism has played a part in her upbringing regardless of what Laila believes.
After a short break, Diana and Ednesha return to discuss how the show portrays the life of Brooke outside of sessions. Ednesha says that one benefit of social media is that patients can look up their clinician and see that they are real people who exist outside of the office as well. This is especially beneficial during the pandemic because therapy/the relationship with a therapist may be the most constant and consistent thing in the patient's life due to the chaos of COVID.
Lastly, they tackle the conversation of Brooke’s alcoholism. Because she does not seek therapeutic help for her drinking problems, Brooke sometimes falls out of her role as a clinician and lashes out in sessions with her patients. This helps debunk the myth that therapists should be able to treat themselves, and that they have all their answers for their own problems, by showcasing the issues that arise when therapists are not in therapy themselves.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you catch last week’s episode on Minority Mental Health Month.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ), or any of these amazing clinicians visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Ednesha is continuing her conversation with the BeWELL team about Minority Mental Health Month. Joining her once again is Dr. Victoria Rodriguez, Suhailey Núñez, Divya Robin, Teanika Chamberlain, and Tamika Covington.
The conversation picks up where last week’s episode ended: about police involvement in mental health emergency calls. The women discuss how it feels to be BIPOC in a space that is not affirming of their identity. This does not mean that they want to be surrounded solely by those from a similar background. Instead, it means they feel comfortable in spaces where they do not have to explain culture, slang, etc. This comfort diminishes when police become involved. Ednesha retells times when she had to bar police from going into her office when she made mental health emergency calls about her patients. She would also escort them to the ambulance if need be, never leaving them alone in a space that was not culturally competent.
Divya changes the conversation by discussing how therapy should not be seen as a last resort. This originates from the ‘tough it out’ mindset that was discussed in last week’s episode. Tamika discusses how mental health challenges are inevitable in one’s life, so why not start therapy right now before they strike versus after. The women discuss how preventative care is emphasized in medical care, so it should be just as important in mental health care.
To close off the episode, the women begin discussing the finances involved in mental health treatment. Ednesha brings up how there should be financial incentives to enroll in social work school after the pandemic due to the influx of mental health issues. She brings up her own student debt and how it is hard to live off a therapist’s salary in a place as expensive as New York City. She also discusses the challenges that come with putting a price tag on your services. Many therapists question if their services are worth enough money, and if there are people who are actually willing to pay. Ednesha assures clinicians of color that there are patients who wants to see them, because their work is so important.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to tune into last week’s episode which included even more discussion of Minority Mental Health month.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ), or any of these amazing clinicians visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Ednesha is joined by some other members of the BeWELL team to discuss the importance of Minority Mental Health Month. Joining her is Dr. Victoria Rodriguez, Suhailey Núñez, Divya Robin, Teanika Chamberlain, and Tamika Covington.
Victoria starts off the episode by talking about why it is important to acknowledge Minority Mental Health Month. She says that there are many minority communities that don’t discuss mental health needs for a variety of reasons. Tamika adds that having a whole month to highlight minority mental health care is better than having a single day because it sustains focus on the topic and shows that this is not a trend by a long conversation that must be had. Divya chimes in to bring up the fact that there is a general Mental Health Month in May. However, during that month everything is talked about in blanket terms that don’t address the specific needs that minority communities face to gain access to mental health resources.
Teanika shifts the conversation to talk about women of color specifically. She notes that many people in her life associate a woman in therapy with craziness or illness. Ednesha adds on that when she talks to members of her community about her work, they are often surprised by what she does and that therapy is for everyone. This is also why she urges medical doctors to refer their patients to mental health treatment facilities when their physical illnesses could have underlying mental causes. She believes people are more likely to take up the referral if done by a doctor.
After a short break, the women return to discuss if mental health resources are harder to access for than the average person. Divya says that as a child of immigrants, there is a guilt that is brought into the therapy room when seeking mental health care. This is because the mental health resources were not available to their parents. The women also discuss the mindset many were raised with of “what happens in the family stays in the family.” They also address the idea that therapy is thought of as a treatment for white people, it is extremely costly, and state sanctioned mental health care can lead to more distress. For example, some mental health calls to authorities are answered by police officers, which causes more stress for patients of color.
Thank you for tuning into the first part of this conversation on Minority Mental Health Month. Be on the lookout for the second part dropping next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode about In Treatment on HBO.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), BeWELL (our psychotherapy office in New York City and Hoboken, NJ), or any of these amazing clinicians visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Transformational Coach Cathy Mckinnon. Cathy is here today to speak about Wellness Warrior Coaching.
Cathy begins the episode by telling her story. She experienced, what she calls, the trifecta: infertility, divorce, and cancer. All three of these events changed the way she wanted to live, and now she uses them as the building blocks in her business at Wellness Warrior Coaching. Her goal with her coaching is to help women step into their power. She does this with 90 day programs that are designed so the client can go off on their own and succeed.
Cathy continues by stressing how important it is for women to ask themselves what they want their life to look like and what message they want to leave behind. For Cathy, she wanted to be the best mom possible for her son (who she calls her miracle baby). Part of this journey requires an assessment of your current situation. Many women hold onto their old lifestyle (their 9-5 jobs, etc.) because there is comfort in the familiar. However, breaking the paradigm is what paves the way to a better life.
After a short break, the women return to discuss what a consultation with Cathy looks like. She runs Diana through a mock intake. She asks Diana about BeWELL and its many platforms, and Diana discusses how she is uncomfortable with success. Success can be scary because it also means things can then go wrong. Cathy introduces the idea that everything can go wrong at all times, what’s important is asking yourself, “what happens if this goes right?” She then goes on to explain the next step of the journey is drawing (literally or figuratively) how you want to present yourself in the future.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode on Money Emotions.
For more information on Cathy and Wellness Warrior Coaching, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.wellnesswarriorcoaching.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswarriorcoaching/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellnesswarriorcoaching/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week we just have the BeREAL team here, and Diana and Ednesha are discussing In Treatment on HBO.
The two begin the episode by explaining the premise of In Treatment on HBO. They talk about how it used to feature a white male clinician and now it features a black female clinician. They go over the cast and their characters and compare them to situations they encounter daily in real life. They also note that the show takes place during COVID times, and the clinician sees her clients in her home.
The first note they give the show is that it doesn’t depict a therapist who sets boundaries with her patients. They call her at unreasonable hours and she always responds to their beck and call. It also is set during COVID but hardly addresses the mask/vaccine question that many clinicians are asking themselves as they return to in person sessions. A good thing the show outlines, however, is a realistic depiction of the cost and payment methods of therapy. One patient struggles to afford her rates while another is seen pro bono due to legal reasons. Ednesha points out that this highlights an important quality therapists must have. They must be able to take money and believe that their work is worth the money they are given.
Diana also notes that the show speeds up treatment for a narrative purpose. The work that is accomplished in the show’s four weeks would take at least a year, if not more, in real time. One example of this is the character of Eladio is challenged to view himself beyond his bipolar disorder diagnosis. Having worked in a clinic, Ednesha is aware that clinicians are made to diagnose patients so that Medicaid can cover their session fees. However, she also notes that clients can then cling to those diagnoses when therapists care more about relationships than medical conditions.
Diana also notes that In Treatment on HBO is a great example of why therapists should be in therapy. The therapist depicted lets her past flood into her sessions with patients. It also changes the relationship the therapist has with her patient. Clinicians should have their own therapist so this doesn’t happen, and they can remain an unbiased third party in the patient’s life.
After a short break, they return to discuss another patient depicted in In Treatment on HBO. Colin is a white man who recently was released from prison for white collar crime. He comes into her home inebriated and angry. Ednesha says that that is the exact reason she would not hold sessions in her home. However, with COVID and Zoom, patients are slightly let into the lives of their therapists. They can see their living rooms or offices and hear background noise. Diana and Ednesha discuss how this has altered some relationships they have with clinicians. Lastly, they debunk the fantasy that you want your therapist to be your close friend. In reality, you want them to remain unbiased and outside your personal life so they can truly be told anything.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on Money Emotions.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Money Emotions Manager Vivi Schenk.
As a Money Emotions Manager and Money Coach, Vivi Schenk helps millennials get unstuck with money, teaches them how to have a healthy relationship with it and equips them with financial knowledge so they can build lasting wealth.
Vivi begins the episode by explaining the financial mistakes she made when she was young. She states her goal is to help millennials to avoid making the same mistakes she did. One reason why money is such a hard concept to grasp when young is because it is often viewed as taboo. Because it was so hard to learn about, money began to affect Vivi’s lifestyle and even her relationships. She claims she only knew how to spend, and not how to save.
Vivi then discusses how mindsets about money exist on a spectrum. On one end, money can make people very anxious, and on the other end it can be too heavily relied upon to make people feel better. This spectrum lends itself to a cycle. People will spend money, feel guilty, spend more money to feel better, and then the cycle repeats. Vivi highlights that it is important to set goals for yourself. She emphasizes that you need short term goals as well as long term. Without short term goals, you will not enjoy life and want to give up on the long term goals.
The most important thing young people must learn is how to make financial sacrifices. You must make sure you do not trade what you want most (a long term goal) for instant gratification. Ednesha brings up the point that people in their twenties don’t want to make sacrifices, they want to take the world by storm. Vivi points out that this is the best time for people to evolve their financial understanding.
To finish off the episode, Vivi talks about her work. She tells listeners how they can work with her, and what they can expect from a consultation. The process usually takes about three months and during that time Vivi works with her clients on both emotional and strategic relationships with money. Vivi also has free finance tools available on her website for everyone!
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with the women of Root and Nourish.
For more information on Vivi and her work, visit the links below:
Website: http://www.vivischenk.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivischenk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vivischenk1/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/vivischenk
Linkedin: Vivi Schenk
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Diana and Ednesha are joined by Ayurvedic cooking specialists Jennifer Kurdyla and Abbey Rodriguez, the co-authors of Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women’s Wellness.
Jennifer Kurdyla is an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, yoga teacher, and writer. Plant-based since 2008, she learned to love food by experimenting with vegan and Ayurvedic cooking in her tiny New York kitchens. She is the co-author of Root & Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women's Wellness (Tiller Press, 4/6/2021), and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Abbey Rodriguez is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, herbalist, and food content creator. Over the last five years, she has been developing recipes for women and young families on her food and wellness blog, The Butter Half. She is deeply passionate about the power of plants and nutrition, and teaching others about holistic wellness. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three children.
To begin the episode, Jennifer talks about how she came to love Ayurvedic cooking. Her journey started with her love of the environment, and she started a vegetarian diet to combat the environmental harm done by the meat industry. Abbey came into Ayurvedic cooking because she has celiac disease and came to holistic eating through gluten free foods. Their philosophy is that plant based foods taste good on their own, and they highlight that vegans/vegetarians should not fall into a diet of solely carbs or vegetables. Instead, they seek to create well balanced meals for all diets.
Next, the women discuss their journey together. Jennifer was working in publishing and Abbey was a blogger. Initially, Jennifer wanted Abbey to create a cookbook for her publishing house. However, now the two women are both bloggers and they collaborated on their first cookbook. They discuss how their book subtly weaves in Ayurvedic herbalism to make it easily accessible to many people. They also discuss the book’s focus on digestion. Digestion is often overlooked in nutrition discussions, however, digestion is a key process to how nutrients are used in the body.
Outside of the book, the women are also planning a four week herbal mastermind course. The course will have similar teachings to the book. Both will capture the importance of the divine feminine, seasonal eating, and digestion in Ayurvedic cooking.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday, and don’t forget to check out last week’s episode with LaTanya Toland of Soul Care for Black Clinicians.
For more information on Jennifer, Abbey, and their work, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.Benourished.me
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferkurdyla/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebutterhalf_/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootandnourishbook/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! We're back with another minisode, where Diana and Ednesha are joined by BeWELL’s very own, Suhailey Núñez. Suhailey is here to talk about experiencing impostor syndrome.
Suhailey begins the episode by talking about where she feels impostor syndrome the most, in academia. She discusses how she got into academia, and how throughout the whole process, she didn’t think she was as fit for the job as those around her. She sees this reflected in her patients, as she notes most people she sees experience impostor syndrome in educational or workplace settings. She also notes that many believe impostor syndrome is most common in women, but the reality is most everyone experiences it in some form or another.
Next, Suhailey moves on to discuss comparison. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” she warns. The truth about comparison is that you never compare yourself in a fair way to those around you. Suhailey highlights that most people compare their deepest, darkest parts of themselves to only what others portray on the surface. This makes it hard for people to accept that they have accomplished a lot, because accomplishments are not easily internalized. It is especially hard to internalize achievements that do not fit the established narrative. Suhailey talks about her experience in academia, and how she only had one Latina professor. This might be why she experiences impostor syndrome so prominently in academic settings.
Diana and Ednesha chime in to discuss how therapy fits into the picture Suhailey has painted. Therapy is a great resource for those experiencing impostor syndrome, because there is a fear people will discover your “secrets.” Therapy provides you with a space to talk through your secrets and let them still remain anonymous. Suhailey points out that talking out your feelings of impostor syndrome will also help you realize that it is a very common experience for many.
Lastly, the therapists discuss how impostor syndrome shows up in romantic relationships. They analyze the idea that many people often feel their partner won’t accept the “real them.” To close off the episode, Suhailey gives her three tips to nurturing feelings of impostor syndrome:
Talk about your feelings with those around you (will help you realize you are not alone) Write down the positive experiences you have in a journal Find something in your work that you are especially good at
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. Make sure you check out Monday’s episode on ______.
Also, don’t forget to attend Suhailey’s Live Wellness Webinar about the Impostor Phenomenon on June 22nd!
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ), and Suhailey Núñez visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by LaTanya Tolan to discuss Soul Care for Black Clinicians.
LaTanya Tolan, LCSW, MA Ed. is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Life Coach and is the Founder and CEO of Soul Care for Black Clinicians. Since 2011, she has maintained a private mental health practice devoted to healing Black people. LaTanya has always been and will always be committed to inspiring and empowering Black people towards healing, growth, change and goal attainment, so they can ultimately reach their optimum potential.
LaTanya begins the episode by discussing her calling. She outlines her work at Soul Care for Black Clinicians and emphasizes that “clinicians” does not just mean therapists. She also cares for the wellness of Black massage therapists, coaches, and all types of healers. She traces her work back to being a social worker in the second largest school district in the country. Seeing that there are a minority of Black clinicians in the social work field, she formed a small coalition with the other Black social workers in the district.
Ednesha jumps in to talk more about Black clinicians in education settings. She talks about how social work school does not meet the needs of Black clinicians or Black patients. LaTanya discusses how Black clinicians need to prove themselves outside of their credentials to non-Black patients, but with Black patients their connection is what is most important. However, she also stresses that patients should not worry about their clinicians wellbeing. Even though life happens for therapists as well, many have their own therapists and that allows them to show up to their consultations and focus solely on the patient.
Lastly, LaTanya talks about her work at Soul Care for Black Clinicians and as a professor. She talks about the issues she works on with her clinician clients, specifically self-esteem and anxiety issues. She also emphasizes the importance to lead by example in both fields of her work. She finishes off the episode by telling about how she modeled self care as a professor to her students.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL! Make sure to check out last week’s episode about Pride Month 2021. Also, stay tuned for an all new minisode this Thursday.
For more information on LaTanya or Soul Care for Black Clinicians, visit the links below:
Website: www.soulcareforblackclinicians.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcareforblackclinicians/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy office in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Diana’s good friend, Michael Lee Scott. Michael is here today to discuss Pride month 2021 and Broadway Cares: Equity Fights AIDS.
Michael starts off the episode by telling the story of how he and Diana met. He then tells of many experiences the two have shared together throughout the years, until he changes to conversation to talk about how he got into the arts. He traces back his creativity to his parents, and tells of how they encouraged his artistic endeavors. These kept with him throughout his career when he ventured into musical theatre.
Next, he talks about his career in recent years and his interpretation of the creative process. He highlights why it is important for artists to carry through with their work. He explains that even though in the middle of a project, you might think it looks terrible, it will come together in the end. Before the break, Michael tells one more of his favorite stories as Diana can’t emphasize enough how good of a storyteller he is.
After the break, the trio return to discuss Pride Month 2021. Diana and Michael tell the story of them attending the first pride parade in NYC together. Michael then delves into Broadway Cares: Equity Fights AIDS. He retells how the organization came to be. The Broadway Bares event started as a biannual go-go dance night. These nights used to bring in around $8,000 a night. Since then, the organization has grown, and last year the event brought in over $2 million in one night.
Lastly, Michael talks about his work with Broadway Cares: Equity Fights AIDS now. He has since retired from being a performer and now works as a choreographer. BeREAL’s very own Jessica chimes in to talk about her experience with the show, since she joined as a performer in 2014. To close out the episode, Michael shouts out the personal work Broadway Cares does as well as an organization that branched off called Broadway Inspirational Voices.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on brand building.
Also, make sure to check out BeREAL’s new merch!
For more information on Michael Lee Scott, visit the links below:
Website:
Instagram:
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Ednesha is back this week, and she joins Diana in welcoming Lynn Hazan to the show today. Lynn joins today to discuss social media and building an authentic brand.
Lynn Hazan is the founder of LynnHazan.com (formerly known as ChicpeaJC). She is a mom, business owner, and lover of life and her community. She started ChicpeaJC.com in 2014 as a hobby and creative outlet, and the rest is history. She prides herself on being an open book and an inspiring person in the community and to her daughter. Lynn is also the founder of AIM Media, a full-service social media and content management company to help small businesses promote themselves to the community.
Diana and Ednesha start the episode by talking about the summer. They discuss returning to in-person therapy sessions along with the rest of the world reopening. They talk about the new BeWELL Psychotherapy Hoboken office, and the grand opening that happened over the weekend.
Lynn joins the call and starts talking about her life as an Instagram blogger. Diana praises her for her rawness and realness that she shows on her account, and Lynn adds on about her journey to where she is today. She started her career in a corporate job in Manhattan. However, she found that she was ot connecting with people the way she would like to. She started on Instagram more as a hobby, but she quickly grew.
Of course, social media comes with some pitfalls. Lynn discusses the hate she receives and more importantly what she does with it. She says that she uses hate to propel her forward. However, sometimes it gets to be too much. She tells about times where people have reached out to her to address local politics in Jersey City. She finds that occasionally her following will hold her to a higher standard then they will their own mayor, and that is because she is simply more easily accessible.
After a short break, Lynn returns to discuss being a mom and an entrepreneur. She talks about how her work allows her to see her children more often then she would have had she stayed in finance. She does reflect on the hardships of being a single mother, but she also shares about the amazing partner she has now. Sticking to her goal of building an authentic brand, Lynn talks about vulnerability and social media. She explains what parts of herself are hard to share, and the lengths she must go when people attack her identity.
To close out the episode, Lynn talks about how mental health is part of building an authentic brand. She uses mental and physical wellness to keep moving forward even when hate stands in the way. Lastly, she talks about how she doesn’t have much planned for the summer as she wants to spend the time enjoying life.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with the BeWELL team about Mental Health Awareness Month.
For more information on Lynn Hazan, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.Lynnhazan.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnhazan_/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! While Ednesha is on a vacation, Diana brings in some friends on the BeWELL team. Suhailey Nunez, Victoria Rodriguez, Tamika Covington, Arianna Eisenberg, and Susan Miller all call in today to talk about Mental Health Awareness Month.
The therapists begin the episode by talking about what mental health means to them. Tamika talks about the importance of maintaining both your mental and physical health and how both are equally important. They then talk about the first time they thought about mental health. Through this conversation, the women begin to discuss the generational differences between views on mental health. They realize that mental health came to prevalence at different points in each of their lives greatly because of generational differences.
After a short break, the clinicians all return to discuss how the pandemic has changed people’s view of mental health. They discuss the extreme increase in anxiety experienced by people during the pandemic. Tamika brings up the idea that many people have reached out to therapists during the pandemic because they were experiencing crisis. However, she wants listeners to know that therapy doesn’t always have to be an end result; it can be important to talk to a clinician during periods of good mental health as well.
Lastly, the clinicians address the weening out of COVID restrictions. Although you may want to rush out and do it all ASAP. The BeWELL team stresses that you go at your own pace. It will be important that you discuss new boundaries with those around you. More importantly, you must be honest about your boundaries with yourself. To finish off the episode, the team tells what they will miss about work from home and what they’re excited for about going back to in person life.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL for Mental Health Awareness Month. Make sure to be on the lookout for a brand new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Monica Reinagel about childhood trauma.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by nutritionist Monica Reinagel to discuss all things about dietary nutrition.
Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS is a board-certified, licensed nutritionist and a professionally trained chef. Widely regarded as one of the most authoritative voices in nutrition, Monica’s expert advice is regularly featured on television, radio, on the web, and in the nation’s leading newspapers and magazines. She's the creator of the Nutrition Diva podcast, which has been in the Top 10 of health and nutrition podcasts since its debut in 2008. She is also co-host of the Change Academy podcast, which focuses on the art and science of behavior change.
Monica begins the episode by discussing how she got into the field of dietary nutrition. She initially was training to be an opera singer, but after discovering a love for nutritional science, she changed her career path. She talks about her podcast (The Nutrition Diva Podcast) and how it is her primary platform to spread information on dietary nutrition. She also touches on the fact that there are loads of bad information out there about nutrition and dieting and how she hopes to debunk a lot of false beliefs people have about food and health.
Monica continues by explaining her work. She says that her work doesn’t revolve around telling people what foods are good for them, that information is already well known and easily googled. Instead, she focuses on turning that knowledge about nutrition into action. She recognizes that trying something new introduces the possibility of failure. She looks to minimize the fear of failing that holds many people back from changing their diet. Instead, she tries to show that even though new diets might not always work out, you can always start again. Ednesha hops in to talk about her experience with a nutritionist and how through that journey the way she viewed food and dieting changed drastically.
After a short break, the women return to discuss Monica’s work as a chef. Although she did attend culinary school, she hasn’t worked in a restaurant as a chef. Instead, she works with restaurants to make their menus more nutritional.
Monica finished off the episode by talking a bit more about her two podcasts (The Nutrition Diva and The Change Academy). She tells listeners where they can find her and how they can start on their journey of changing their maladaptive eating habits.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode about love trauma and childhood trauma.
For more information on Monica and her work, visit the links below:
Change Academy Podcast: https://changeacademypodcast.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nutritiondiva
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/nutritiondiva
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenutritiondiva
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by relationship coach Riana Milne to discuss childhood and love trauma.
Riana Milne is a Global Cert. Life, Dating & Relationship Coach, CCTP, LMHC, LCADC, CAP, SAC, Certified Mindfulness Coach, Educational Speaker, and #1 Bestselling Author. She has completed over 20 years of research at the core of the Dating to Mating System for Singles and the Relationship Rescue Coaching program for Couples. With the “Mindset for Success,” you will gain the necessary confidence and essential skills to attract and keep an emotionally healthy, evolved and conscious partner. She uses a holistic, individualized coaching approach designed to help every woman, man and couple better understand themselves both emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
Riana begins the episode by giving listeners insight into her backstory and accomplishments. She explains always wanting to go to counseling as a teenager, but not being allowed to. She gives details on her own experience with love trauma, and shares how that helped shape her career later on in life. She talks about studies that have been done around childhood trauma and how she realized certain groups were excluded. She wasn’t seeing studies done around foster children, LGBTQ+ children, and other marginalized groups of children that she was seeing in her practice.
Seeing this, Riana expanded on these studies with her own work and developed her list of top 10 childhood traumas:
Addiction Among Caretakers or Parents Verbal Issues Emotional Abuse or Neglect Physical Abuse Abandonment (“fault” and “no fault” abandonment) Displacement from Family Home Personal Trauma Sibling Trauma Community Trauma/Family Trauma Mental Health Issues in Parents
After a short break, Riana returns to discuss her work with couples’ love trauma. She walks listeners through scenarios in which a couple would need to claim responsibility for their own feelings. She makes sure couples address issues at an appropriate time, but nothing goes unspoken about for long periods of time. She even throws in some examples of public figures who have faced the issues discussed in this episode today.
Lastly, Riana tells listeners about her coaching practice. She explains how coaching is a bit different than regular therapy and what circumstances it would be best fit for. She says that clients can expect to be with her for about six months, and that she does not do individual sessions.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you caught last week’s episode with the team at More Joy Parenting.
For more information on Riana Milne and her work, visit the links below:
https://RianaMilne.com
https://flow.page/rianamilne/
For more information on BeREAL (our wellbeing podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in Midtown Manhattan and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to the BeREAL Podcast! Continuing on from last week, Diana and Ednesha are once again joined by the team at More Joy Parenting. Dr. Marcella Runell Hall, Nicki Henry, Annaliese Kittrell, Michelle Van-Ess Grant, Dr. Keisha L. Green, and Eden Jeffries call in to discuss the More Joy Parenting Workshops and Coaching Sessions.
More Joy Parenting is a collective of like-minded parents and caregivers interested in creating space to share resources, ideas and support. The passion for centering marginalized, and in particular youth experiences, stems from the lived experiences of all the More Joy Parenting (MJP) team members. The intellectual and creative work to formally create MJP began in early 2019 with a seed of an idea, and the website launched on December 1, 2020. But in many ways, MJP is a culmination of personal and professional work that has been lifelong for most of us. There is a synchronicity of minds, professional experience and shared narrative that creates the heartbeat for this work.
Marcella starts off the episode by outlining all of More Joy Parenting’s offerings. She goes over the free resources available on their website, the coaching sessions they offer that focus on support and accountability, and the parenting workshops which fall into three categories. The categories are life changes (trauma, etc.), race and intersectionality, and classes on how to find your parenting voice. The team also highlights the reading material that is available on the More Joy Parenting website through Dreamland with Aaliyah.
To finish the episode, the team explains the ways in which they make their workshops accessible to people of all backgrounds. And after, they close out the episode with one big last hoorah all about reality TV.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode which is the first part of our conversation with More Joy Parenting.
For more information on More Joy Parenting and their team, visit the links below:
Website: www.morejoyparenting.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morejoyparenting/
Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/morejoyparenting/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! In the first episode of this two part special, Diana and Ednesha are joined by the whole team at More Joy Parenting. It’s founder, Dr. Marcella Runell Hall calls in along with Nicki Henry, Annaliese Kittrell, Michelle Van-Ess Grant, Dr. Keisha L. Green, and Eden Jeffries.
More Joy Parenting is a collective of like-minded parents and caregivers interested in creating space to share resources, ideas and support. The passion for centering marginalized, and in particular youth experiences, stems from the lived experiences of all the More Joy Parenting (MJP) team members. The intellectual and creative work to formally create MJP began in early 2019 with a seed of an idea, and the website launched on December 1, 2020. But in many ways, MJP is a culmination of personal and professional work that has been lifelong for most of us. There is a synchronicity of minds, professional experience and shared narrative that creates the heartbeat for this work.
Dr. Hall begins the episode by highlighting the dynamic of the More Joy Parenting team. She points out that they have all been students, mentors, and caretakers of one another in some way and through their history deep bonds have grown. This was integral in the founding of the practice, because much of the work depends on being vulnerable and trusting. The practice was founded during the pandemic last December, and Marcella discusses how being at home with children inspired the women to take action. They had noticed that a lot of discussion about being a parent during the pandemic was around the things parents lost (alone time, private workspace, etc.). However, More Joy Parenting wants to shift the conversation to be about what you gain from spending much of the day with your kids.
The women all open up about how the joy of parenting was taken away from them when they were stressed about their kids invading Zoom calls or their workspaces. However, they realized that by hiding their kids away from their life at home on Zoom, they were denying that part of themselves. The women want to encourage other parents to own that being a parent is part of your identity, and if a kid interrupts work from home, that is not something that should be criticized or punished.
Eden hops into the conversation to discuss her role as a caretaker to her father. She talks about More Joy Parenting’s scope that goes beyond just mothering. The team realizes that it is not always biological parents who raise children. Sometimes it is a biological family, but other times your caretakers could be your chosen family or professionals. These roles must also be uplifted and celebrated so that they can instill joy among all.
After a short break, the women come back to discuss the fears of being a parent. Some of the fears parents are facing around COVID are the debates around whether they should send their child back to in-person learning. A few of the women give anecdotes about their children voicing fears related to going back to school. There is a fear in change and also a fear about one’s safety. Another fear that is brought up that is separate of COVID is the fear of raising POC children during the epidemic of police brutality. Michelle talks about finding her parenting voice in moments like these to be there for her son so he can continue to find joy by her side.
To finish off the episode, Eden discusses what you can learn from the people you care for. Diana adds on the idea that children don’t hold back their opinions so listening to them could shed light on how you function as a caregiver and as an individual. Thus, showing that More Joy Parenting teaches life curriculum and not solely parenting practices.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for the second part of this discussion with More Joy Parenting next Tuesday! In the meantime make sure to check out last week’s episode with Dr.
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Carlton Green to discuss diversity training, racial trauma and mental health.
For more than 25 years, Dr. Carlton Green (he/him) has held various roles in higher education settings. More specifically, he has worked in student activities, multicultural services, residence life, academic affairs, athletics, and counseling services in both public and private institutions. Dr. Green’s dedication to diversity and inclusion facilitated his appointment as the Multicultural Post-doctoral Fellow in Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Houston.
Currently, Dr. Green is the Director of Diversity Training & Education in the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). Prior to taking on this role, he served as a Staff Psychologist at the University of Maryland (UMD) Counseling Center.
Dr. Green begins the episode by explaining how he got into his work around racial trauma and mental health. He originally wanted to be a lawyer, but through his university studies he realized that diversity training was a field that interested him more. As a proud Christian he blends his psychology training into the religious space. He has hosted pastoral counseling sessions in the past and other mental health services available to the church goers.
Dr. Green continues by comparing what he has observed about mental health in colleges versus churches. He notes that while they are both institutions that would like to believe they are not places where harm occurs, both places can deal a great bit of mental health harm, especially for people of color. He uses this idea to discuss how he organizes his racial trauma and mental health workshops. He begins by discussing how racism plays out in the outside world, and then brings the conversation into the space where the audience exists.
After a short break, the three therapists return to talk about the therapist-client relationship. The idea that the therapist is always the expert in the room inhibits the therapist’s ability to learn and grow from their client’s experiences. Other dynamics of the mental health field also create standards that are not optimal for minority clients. For example, the idea that the therapist should be a blank slate is not wanted by a lot of Black clients that Ednesha has seen. Ednesha continues by explaining that sometimes when she breaks the norm (made by white people) to accommodate her minority clients she feels guilty. However, Ednesha points out that it is important for minority therapists to affirm to themselves that they are good clinicians even when they break the traditional rules.
Lastly, Diana talks about what she learned from supervising Ednesha for so long. One thing she touches on is that the social work school institution needs to change to accommodate different traditions and cultural differences. The three therapists brainstorm some ideas of what a change in social work school would look like.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Vanessa Rissetto about holistic nutrition coaching.
For more information on Dr. Green and his work, visit the links below:
Website: www.carltonegreen.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcegreen/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/drcegreen/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Vanessa Rissetto, a dietitian here to discuss holistic nutrition coaching and diet culture.
Vanessa received her MS in Marketing at NYU and completed her Dietetic Internship at Mount Sinai Hospital where she worked as a Senior Dietitian for five years. She is certified in Adult Weight Management (Levels I & II) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Her work in private practice also includes treatment of GI disorders, bariatric surgery, weight management, PCOS, and family nutrition. She is mostly interested in helping clients to take an active role in their health journey, any of her clients can tell you she motivates and ensures that they always achieve success. Vanessa was named by Essence magazine as one of the top 5 black nutritionists that will change the way you think about food and currently serves as the Dietetic Internship Director at New York University.
Vanessa begins the episode by explaining what a dietitian does and how one becomes a dietitian. She stresses how different the job is from a nutritionist. She has gone to through copious amounts of schooling and and training and is hold a degree instead of a certificate (like nutritionists do). Ednesha adds to the conversation by discussing her own experience with a nutritionist (again, not the same as a dietitian). Ednesha describes herself as a fad dieter, and in her work with a dietitian, she was asked to grade her diet each week. Vanessa disagrees with practices like this because it makes people feel guilty for going out and having a good time with friends. And, she adds, it's a practice made by thin white women to dictate how everyone else eats.
Vanessa continues by emphasizing how she doesn’t want her clients to be extremely hung up on what they’re eating that it takes away from their social lives. More importantly, being an obsessive dieter can make you a burden to those around you. Vanessa is especially concerned about how guilt will manifest after COVID and people start going out to eat more. A sudden change in eating habits can create guilt and unhealthy habits, especially in a social setting.
Vanessa finishes off the episode by outlining what a consultation with a dietitian looks like. She goes over the initial session, what homework clients can expect, and how clients can expect their relationship with food and their dietitian to change over time. Lastly, she addresses the importance of making healthy eating available to all socioeconomic classes. Right now, the dietitian field is very elitist and promotes food lifestyles that not everyone can afford. Through her work she looks to make holistic nutrition coaching available to all people.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Kasey Compton about entrepreneurial confidence.
For more information on Vanessa or Culina Health, visit the links below:
Website: www.culinahealth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culinahealth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessarissettord/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are back for another minisode with BeWELL’s very own, Susan Miller. Susan is here to discuss graduating from college in a pandemic. The episode explores the scenario from both the graduate and the parent’s perspective.
Susan has extensive experience working with individuals, couples, and families who may struggle with anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief & loss, and their relationships. She believes that therapy is a collaborative process and works together with her clients to strengthen their ability to reflect upon and cope more effectively with their current concerns, conflicts, and pain. Her long held view that each person has the ability to change until they take their last breath supports her fluid approach to therapy. She is committed to building a meaningful therapeutic relationship, one that facilitates emotional and behavioral growth for her patients.
Susan starts off the episode by explaining her background in the mental health field. She has worked with both parents and children for a while, and today is here to discuss the phenomenon that is graduating in a pandemic. Susan explains how emerging adults can be rational, but are often hyper rational. That means that they look at narrow facts without paying attention to the larger context. This can lead to partaking in dangerous activities or acting against their parent’s will. Both these scenarios can create conflict when a graduate's life is intertwined with their parents after graduation.
Susan continues by addressing the shame that many graduates may be feeling at the moment. They may have had a job and an apartment lined up for the coming summer, but due to COVID, they find themselves back in their parent’s house. There is a balance that must be found if this is the case. Graduates must ask themselves how they would like to be parented, while also acknowledging that in their parent’s home there are certain rules they must follow out of respect.
After a break, the women return to discuss the rift that can occur when emerging adults move in with their parents. Parents may be stuck seeing their children as teenagers and hold them to similar standards as they did in high school. However, their children are young adults now this means that major conversations must be had. Some of these conversations are about finances. If the graduate had an apartment ready for the summer after graduation, they are most likely financially capable to help around the house. If not, what are other ways they can contribute to life at home during the pandemic. These are all important questions parents must consider when their child is graduating from college in a pandemic.
Thank you for tuning into this week’s episode of BeREAL! Be sure to check out the previous episode with Kasey Compton about entrepreneurial confidence, and stay tuned for a new episode next Tuesday!
For more information on Susan, her upcoming talk, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
Susan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanbewell/
Susan’s upcoming talk: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/your-kid-is-graduating
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Kasey Compton to discuss entrepreneurial confidence in business and therapy practices.
Kasey Compton is on a mission to help business owners find entrepreneurial confidence. She went from bankrupt to Boss Babe when she took her first company from zero to three million in less than three years without ditching her life to do it. She owns three other businesses that have accumulated assets of over three million and growing by the day.
Ednesha begins the episode by telling Diana all about her survivalist camping weekend that is coming up. Diana is shocked to hear all about Ednesha’s new “Naked and Afraid” style era, and also fearful of Ednesha’s desire to be “comfortable” while learning to survive the elements.
Then, Kasey comes in to begin talking about entrepreneurial confidence. She retells the story of how she got into business from the therapy field. As a therapist, she specialized in anxiety and panic disorders and her knowledge of fear plays heavily into her work as a business consultant. She has noticed that people have two ultimate fears: failure and being alone. Both of these fears play heavy into people’s views of themselves as employees and as entrepreneurs.
Next, Kasey walks Diana and Ednesha through a typical day in her life. She explains how she incorporates her business teachings into her own day-to-day. She emphasizes the importance of taking time for yourself after work and on the weekends. People tend to feel obligated to bring work home with them, but creating a healthy work/home balance is crucial to maintaining wellness within the workplace.
After a short break, the women return to discuss Black Woman Be Whole. Kasey uses Ednesha’s business as a case study on what to do as a business owner as your business grows. Kasey asks if Ednesha wants the future of Black Woman Be Whole to be independent of her identity or not. Ednesha says she does, and Kasey advises she distances herself from some of the programming from the beginning of the business. She also explains to Ednesha the concept of currency correlation, and the seesaw of time and money balance. Lastly, Kasey tells listeners about the programs she is currently running that they can be partake in.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode with Jolene Blackbourn on mental health in the legal field.
For more information on Kasey or her practice, visit the links below:
Website: www.kaseycompton.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hikaseycompton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hikaseycompton
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KaseyCompton
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Jolene Blackbourn to discuss mental health in the legal field.
Jolene Blackbourn is a California attorney who left her senior level position at a Fortune 100 company to help students graduate from college and law school in less time, with less debt and with less stress so they can live the life they always dreamed. She has been advising law students since she was one herself and has been giving speeches at universities for 20 years.
Jolene starts off the episode by explaining her stance on law school and the entire legal journey. She looks to promote safety in the application process and financial process. By safety this is both physical safety (student debt can lead to big issues in life) but also mental safety (both applications and finances are stress inducing). Ednesha uses this to jump into a conversation about the cost of law school. Specifically how the high cost of tuition leads to high average student debt which can create a feeling within law students that they must work long unhealthy hours to outrun their debt.
Following this, Jolene gets into talking about how to avoid law school debt. A big myth that she wants to bust is that you need to go to a top ranked law school. This mindset is what gets so many people into debt and it’s entirely untrue. In many circumstances actually, depending on what field of law you want to work in, it can be better to have a lower ranked school on your resume. And, on top of that, you’ll be leaving your law school years with less debt. Many top ranked law schools don’t even serve as gateways to a good paying legal job. Even big law has hidden costs that are often overlooked because of the big salary.
After a short break, the women return to talk about gender in the legal field. Jolene discusses the rise she sees in the number of women attending law school, and how this impacts the field. However, she also points out that many firms are still not family friendly. She offers her own experience as an example that in big law, after she had her first child, she was still expected to work long hours and neglect her role as a mother. Luckily, there are still some firms that are very hospitable to working mothers and some that were even completely remote before COVID.
Lastly, Jolene talks explicitly about mental health in the legal field. She gives examples of many stress inducing practices within law firms and how many lawyers are expected to meet unrealistic goals. To reduce stress, Jolene recommends looking for a practice that accommodates your lifestyle, and looking at ways to reduce your debt. Some suggestions she makes are taking a gap year or taking a lighter course load in law school.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode with Bridget Shannon and Dana Barron about diet culture.
For more information on Jolene or Legal Learning Center, visit the links below:
Website: www.legallearningcenter.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@legallearningcenter?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolene-blackbourn-esq/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legallearningcenter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Legal-Learning-Center-107193834095918/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPv_-9VJZ1sJ9hTk-VrJ-Jw/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-legal-learning-podcast/id1540380466
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dana Barron and Bridget Shannon of Wellness Lately to discuss diet culture and its impacts on mental health.
Bridget Shannon and Dana Barron are the Founders of Wellness Lately. They help women stop binge eating and obsessing about food every day. Their mission is to reclaim wellness from diet culture. And their work is rooted in body liberation and food freedom, helping women all over the world escape the painful diet-binge cycle and embrace true well-being. Through their coaching programs, events and community they teach the principles of Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size, Body Neutrality and Holistic Wellness.
Ednesha begins the episode by sharing a little history on her experience with dieting. She is what you may call a “chronic dieter” and has tried quite a few diet variations. Diana shares about her partner’s new intermittent fasting diet and how it has affected her life as someone who does not diet. Bridget and Dana jump in to discuss how they realized that in their past jobs within the wellness field, they were promoting the concept of an “ideal body.” Now, however, with their work at Wellness Lately, the women look to heal people’s relationship with eating and body image.
Dana and Bridget continue by defining the beliefs of their practice. They discuss intuitive eating and what it means to eat in response to your body and not your brain. They also define Intuitive eating (capital “I”) as the framework used to train women to connect with their bodies. These two concepts are utilized to teach how one can eat and still enjoy life without fear of weight gain. They go on to explain where the fear of weight gain originates in society. There are overarching messages instilled in business and advertising that weight loss is a good thing, but many people also have personal experiences that may have amplified a fear of weight gain. Ednesha ties the conversation back to her experiences as a Black woman. Beauty standards in America are all Euro-centric and along with thinness they also promote whiteness.
After a short break, the women return to discuss eating disorders. Diet culture has only worsened eating disorders and it can have numerous other negative effects on mental health. Part of this trend originates from orthorexia. Orthorexia is an obsession with healthy eating and such an obsession is not healthy within itself.
To finish off the episode, the women discuss why it is so hard to separate weight and health in American society. They talk about how consumer culture has shaped these two into one and some ways to untether them in your mind. Dana and Bridget also emphasize how the coronavirus pandemic has amplified diet culture. Fears of food scarcity and constant self-viewing on Zoom have altered eating habits and body image.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, check out last week’s episode with Melanie from GiRLiFE on empowering women to empower girls.
For more information on Dana, Bridget, and Wellness Lately, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.wellnesslately.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellness_lately/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wellnesslately
Podcast: https://www.wellnesslately.com/podcast/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! Diana is back in the studio with Ednesha! Joining the two today is Melody Pourmoradi the founder of GiRLLiFE. She joins the team today to discuss profitable girl empowerment.
Melody Pourmoradi is an empowerment coach, author, twin girl mom and the creator of the GiRLiFE Certification Program: A platform that trains women to create profitable girls empowerment businesses. Her greatest goal is for every young girl and woman to find her own voice and live a life that lights her up from the inside-out.
Melody begins the episode by explaining the goals of GiRLiFE. She defines the program as one that empowers women to empower girls. Oftentimes women are compared to each other and it creates tension and competitiveness. Melody wants to put this narrative to rest and instead promote camaraderie amongst women and teach them how to support each other. She traces one reason she got into this work to the observation that men often have lots of confidence. She believes this is because men are taught to take risks, while women are taught to over prepare for everything.
Melody continues on by walking Diana and Ednesha through the journey GiRLiFE students take. The program begins with girls as young as five years old, because Melody wants to catch them before they reach peak self confidence at age nine. These young girls have full lives ahead of them, and their confidence should not diminish as they age in the way it currently does in the world. She also points out that as the GiRLiFE girls age, they become less vocal in workshops. This is because teenagers begin focusing their attention on what they think others are thinking of them, and therefore coax themselves into silence.
After a short break, Melody returns to discuss some messages promoted in the GiRLiFE workshop about the power of one’s words. This workshop teaches that we don’t always say what we mean, and sometimes what we say can have dire consequences. The workshop also promotes nutrition, with a juice party finishing off each session.
Lastly, the women all discuss the ideas of profitability and passion. Often people are told that their passions should be hobbies. This is especially resonant in the social work field because service work is often expected to be free. However, due to the nature of the world, people cannot devote all their time to an activity that does not sustain their living. That is why GiRLiFE teaches that you should not be ashamed of doing good while also making money and supporting yourself.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode with the Black Woman Be Whole team and Alex Elle about self care for Black women.
For more information on Melody or GiRLiFE, visit the links below:
Website: Www.getgirlpower.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlifeempowerment/
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/girlsempowermentbiz/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empowering-her-with-melody-pourmoradi/id1525658264
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in Midtown Manhattan and Hoboken, New Jersey) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week marks the final episode of the Black Woman Be Whole takeover. Ednesha, Kim, and Marquia are joined this week by Alex Elle. Alex was on BeREAL last year, but she is back again to talk more about self care for black women.
Alexandra Elle is an author & wellness consultant living in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and children. Writing came into her life by way of therapy and the exploration of healing through journaling. Quarterly, Alex teaches workshops and retreats centered around assisting others in finding their voices through storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing rooted in truth without shame. Her mission is to build community & self-care practices through literature & language. Alex is the author of multiple books and journals, most recently After the Rain, Neon Soul, and Today I Affirm: A Journal That Nurtures Self-Care.
Alex begins the episode by talking about what has changed since she was last on the show. Her career has taken off, and her book that was published in October, After the Rain, is already in its sixth printing. She discusses how the pandemic has drawn people to her messages of self care, and how her book withstands the changing mental health landscape during coronavirus. She talks about her experience on Good Morning America, and how she doesn’t like being termed an “influencer” because she wants people to listen to her because of her message, not because of her follower account.
Marquia asks Alex for some advice on tackling old wounds that resurface. Alex stresses the importance of knowing what you need out of yourself and what you need out of your community and vocalizing both of those ideas. Alex brings up the conversation point that many black women nowadays find themselves as the sole healing matriarch in their family. The quartet discuss the stigma that black women need to be tough and how that impacts their daughters and mothers.
The conversation shifts so Alex can discuss her relationship with her mother and how it is addressed in her book. Alex explains how the book is written to show black women that they are not alone and other women are experiencing similar struggles in life. Marquia backs up this explanation by joking that she felt called out by some of Alex’s passages.
To close off the episode, Alex recounts a recent experience she had with a white reader. Alex was told to not strictly identify as a black author because it makes her works less universal. Alex goes on to explain how this made her realize that she must hone in on her identity as a black author because self care for black women needs more representation.
Thank you for tuning into the final Black Woman Be Whole takeover at BeREAL! Tune in next Tuesday for an episode back with the usual BeREAL team. In the meantime, make sure you go check out Black Woman Be Whole and their upcoming podcast.
For more information on Alex Elle and all her work, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.alexelle.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_elle/
For more information on Black Woman Be Whole, check out the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwomanbewhole/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanbewhole/
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy office in Midtown Manhattan NYC) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to the Black Woman Be Whole takeover on BeREAL! On the penultimate episode of this takeover, Ednesha, Kim, and Marquia are joined by Marla Renee Stewart to discuss sexuality, kink, and sexual confidence in Black women. Good thing Diana isn’t here this week (there’s a lot of “applesauce” talk)!
Marla Renee Stewart, MA is a sexologist, coach, and author who runs her own sexuality education company, Velvet Lips, and is also a Co-Founder of the Sex Down South Conference. She has studied human sexuality for more than 20 years and has given over 500 workshops all over the world. She also has been featured on a variety of media outlets, including Netflix’s Trigger Warning with Killer Mike and Love & HipHop Atlanta. She co-wrote her first book, The Ultimate Guide to Seduction & Foreplay with Dr. Jessica O’Reilly, which debuted in April 2020.
Marla begins the episode by talking about her background and how she got into the sexology field. She recounts her coming out when she was 16 and how she would talk to her female friends and learned that they were not having orgasms. Ednesha relates this to the fact that a lot of sex dialogue around women is about pregnancy and STD prevention, and rarely about pleasure and sexuality.
The women move into the topic of sexual communication. Marla addresses when it is beneficial to be direct versus sensitive when talking to your partner about your sexual needs and concerns. They touch on the idea that often women will say something and others will take the statement to be something they must analyze for underlying context. It can create strain on a relationship when someone expects their partner to know things they won’t vocalize. Because of this, a simple change in communication can create a big change in a relationship. To make this change, it is important to learn if your partner is a visual, auditory, or tactile communicator.
After a short break, the women return to discuss Marla’s Sex Down South Conference. Marla outlines the goals of the conference, and how the coordinators works to uplift black, queer, disabled, and sex worker voices. Kim chimes in to tell about her experience at the conference two years in a row (pre-COVID of course). She tells that past the titillating fun of the sex dungeon and kink demonstrations, Kim sat in on some very informative panels about consent, sexual trauma, and sexual shame.
Lastly, the women talk about how to prioritize joy as a woman of color. Often, sexuality and kink for women of color are overlooked or stigmatized. However, that is what Marla is seeking to change through her workshops and conferences to inspire sexual confidence in black women.
Thank you for tuning into the Black Woman Be Whole takeover of the BeREAL Podcast this week! Be sure to catch the final takeover next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you checked out last week’s takeover with Anzala Alozie about domestic violence against women of color.
For more information on Marla or Velvet Lips Sex Ed, check out the links below:
Website: https://www.velvetlipssexed.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1marlastewart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VelvetLipsSxEd/
For more information on BeREAL (our therapy podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy office in NYC and Hoboken) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL this week… well kind of. The team at Black Woman Be Whole are back for another takeover this month. Kimberly, Marquia, and Ednesha are joined by Anzala Alozie to discuss domestic violence against women of color.
Anzala B. Alozie is a social impact strategist, change maker and executive. Anzala is a recognized leader on women and girls’ empowerment, leadership development and diversity, equity and inclusion. Anzala’s expertise includes organizational development and management, strategic planning, global policy, DEI culture & systemic change, strategic partnerships, program development and transformational leadership & social change. She is a national speaker and trainer.
Anzala begins the episode by giving listeners a little backstory on her. She’s a lawyer that specializes in immigration law. Specifically, she would work cases revolving around the sexual assault of immigrants. She touches on the theme of history, which you already know is big at Black Woman Be Whole. She grew up with only brothers, so she talks about the sisterhood she has formed with her girlfriends, such as Marquia.
Next, Anzala discusses households where domestic violence against women of color occurs. Anzala shares her experience of being in this situation, and Kimberly shares a similar story that happened to a friend of hers. Kimberly brings up the trauma that is imbued within events of this sort, and Ednesha adds that trauma in the Black community is not spoken about often. People believe that trauma is a result of very specific events in one life, but the truth is trauma can emerge from any event, especially ones horrific as intimate partner violence. Adding to this, Ednesha brings up the statistics that 40% of Black women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and that domestic violence against women of color is the number one health issues affecting Black women.
After a short break, the women return to discuss how domestic violence against women of color has seen an uptick due to the coronavirus pandemic. Not only are couples stuck together for longer periods of time now, but many outlets of support have been closed off. Examples of these outlets are staying at a friends house, or going to a women’s shelter. Marquia shares a story of a friend of hers who was socially isolated with her violent intimate partner during the pandemic.
To finish of the episode, the women speak about how to support a friend who opens up about their experience with intimate partner violence. Anzala brings up why phrases such as “why don’t you just leave?” are not helpful, because often attempts to flee domestic violence significantly increase the rate of fatality. They also discuss why many Black women may not want to report their partners to the authorities. Black women have to juggle both racial and sex based issues, and they often choose to put race based isses first. This means they would not want to report a Black man to the authorities, because there is an increased likelihood they will die in the hands of authorities.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for another Black Woman Be Whole take over next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s rebroadcasting of our live 50th episode on cultural competence in therapy practices.
If your seeking out resources for victim of domestic violence, for you or a loved one, visit the links below:
National Domestic Violence
https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/local-resources/
800-799-SAFE
National Coalition against Domestic Violence
https://ncadv.org/
National Dating Abuse Helpline
1-866-331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
1-800-537-2238
www.nrcdv.org and www.vawnet.org
For more information on Black Woman Be Whole, check out the links below:
Welcome to BeREAL’s very first live episode! To celebrate our 50th episode, Diana and Ednesha went live a few weeks ago with guests Dr. Nathalie Edmund, Veronica Vaiti, Lyrica Fils-Aime, and Kerrie Mohr. The roundtable is here to discuss anti-racism in therapy practices.
Kerrie Mohr has focused her career on seeking out solutions to individual, family, and community problems through clinical work, policy reform, organizing, managing teams, and building nonprofit social service programs.In addition to her 1:1 clinical work with psychotherapy clients, she supervises and coaches clinical social workers; facilitates professional development and training groups, and oversees all aspects of care, training, and fidelity to A Good Place Therapy’s various models of service delivery. She also volunteers for Sidewalk Talk, A Community Listening Project, as the NYC chapter leader.
Nathalie Edmond, PsyD, RYT-500 is a licensed clinical psychologist and experienced yoga teacher who takes an integrative perspective to her consultations and trainings. She believes that transformation happens when we integrate mind-body-spirit and have an embodied dialogue. She is trained in multiculturalism and intersectional feminism and takes a trauma informed approach to her work. She believes that anti-racism work includes addressing all marginalized groups and identities and working towards liberation of all beings. She regularly leads anti-racism and diversity trainings for clinical practices, libraries, school districts, corporations, nonprofits, activism groups and yoga communities.
Veronica Vaiti, LCSW-R, CCATP is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bhava Therapy Group, a group private psychotherapy practice with offices in Midtown Manhattan and Riverdale, NY and now also providing Teletherapy. Veronica deeply values and respects the unique life journey each and every person she encounters is on. Whether working with a couple, an individual or a team of professionals at an organization, Veronica provides a safe and open space in which her clients can explore their truths, gain clarity around core issues and discover new, healthier ways of relating to themselves and the others in their lives.
After the group introduction, these amazing women get right into the discussion of anti-racism in the workplace. As social workers, these women organize trainings for predominantly white businesses on how to make the workplace more accessible and mental health positive for BIPOC co-workers.
This conversation sparks a realization in some of the practice owners, and the conversation shifts to focus on anti-racism in therapy practices. Veronica discusses her experience hiring therapists for her practice and how she has and has not incorporated anti-racism practices in these interviews. One thing the women touch on is what an all white practice truly reflects. It may reflect you as a leader, but more importantly it reflects the mental health field as a whole. The barriers to entry to the mental health field are very high and costly, something that many BIPOC cannot afford due to institutional racism.
Focusing in more on the importance of cultural competence in the mental health field, the women begin discussing education. Teaching anti-racism in therapy settings means teaching the curriculum to address many different dynamics; there could be a BIPOC clinician with an ignorant patient, a white clinician with a BIPOC patient, or a BIPOC patient with a BIPOC clinician. Although this may seem like a lot to learn, it is crucial to move the mental health field in a positive direction. The ladies give excellent examples of what can happen when people invest themselves in the curriculum as well as the downfalls that could occur if people choose to ignore the curriculum.
To finish off the discussion, the women discuss the current state of the mental health field.
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week we mix things up a little and Ednesha is coming to you without Diana. Ednesha is joined by the amazing Kimberly Moore and Marquia Farmer to announce their brand new podcast Black Woman Be Whole! To celebrate the new podcast and Black History Month, the women at Black Woman Be Whole will be taking over the BeREAL podcast for the entire month of February.
Ednesha begins the episode by explaining how Black Woman Be Whole will be different than BeREAL. She highlights that she will not be coming to the new podcast as a therapist, instead she will simply come as herself. Along with Kim and Marquia, the group is looking to showcase different versions of what it means to be black.
Marquia continues on by telling listeners about how the three women met. Ednesha and Kim knew each other from high school, but Marquia didn’t meet them until much later. Marquia heard Ednesha talk at a conference and reached out in hopes that Ednesha would be her therapist. However, due to financial reasons that did not work out. Ednesha and Kim later asked Marquia to test a group they were forming. From there, Black Woman Be Whole was formed and Marquia joined the team. Now that team is excited to create their next project, the Black Woman Be Whole podcast.
After a short break, Marquia explains how she got into this work. She had found herself in a job position that was not fully utilizing her degree, and she was developing mental health issues. Marquia’s story about a specific breakdown she remembers having sparks a conversation around black women and mental health. People often discount the experiences had by black women and that leads to a stigma that they don't face mental health problems. Black Woman Be Whole is looking to break down these stigmas and expose the truth of what it means to be a black woman.
The team wraps up with a discussion of sisterhood during the pandemic and also offers commentary on the presidential inauguration. More specifically, they debate whether or not JLO should be considered an icon.
Thank you for tuning into the Black Woman Be Whole takeover on BeREAL! Be on the lookout for more Black Women Be Whole content next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out the latest BeREAL episode with Kimberly Daniels on adoption and mental health.
For more information on Black Woman Be Whole, check out the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwomanbewhole/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanbewhole/
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy office in Midtown Manhattan) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Kimberly Daniels to discuss adoption and motherhood.
Kimberly is a Brooklyn based Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor with a Master’s degree in Psychology and over 10 years of professional experience. She is the founder of Wellness by Kimberly, a Holistic Wellness and Mindset Coaching practice that transforms the lives of women through a combination of energy and mindfulness work, practical psychology, and nutritional counseling.
Kimberly begins the episode by giving a little backstory on herself and her partner. Her partner was adopted, and so they planned to have one adopted and one biological child. Kimberly explains how easy it is to get caught up in expectations of family and begin to plan around these ideas. So, when she found out that she wouldn’t be able to have biological children, there was a great shock to their plans. From here, she realized how important it was to focus on having children, instead of birthing them.
Kimberly continues by diving into how surprised she was by the adoption process. She found herself having to answer questions she was unsure of how to answer. For example, should she choose an adoption agency or adoption attorney. She also explained the difficulties of creating a profile, especially as a non-married, interracial couple. Her partner and her had to scan every photo to make sure there was no suggestive materials in the background (wine glasses, etc.), that they looked happy, and that it was clear they loved children. While it was all stressful, she also points out how it helped to further bond her and her partner. Through building a book that included letters about each other, plans for their future child, and their views on parenting, the couple learned more about each other.
Kimberly finishes by explaining a bit about her relationship with her son’s birth parents. She touches on the differences between her relationship with the birth mother versus the birth father. Lastly, She retells their journey of going down to Florida during the pandemic to experience the birth of their son, including their first moments together.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week to hear about adoption and motherhood. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on fertility and family planning.
For more information on Kimberly Daniels or her work, visit the links below:
Website: http://www.wellnessbykimberly.com/about-me
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovekimberlydaniels/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.m.daniels/
For more information on BeREAL (our therapist podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy office in NYC) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! In this minisode, Diana and Ednesha are joined by BeWELL’s very own, Dr. Victoria Rodriguez, to discuss mental health in the workplace and in positions of leadership.
As a psychotherapist, Dr. Rodriguez has experience working with clients facing depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief and loss, and major life transitions. In addition to working in private practice, she has also completed her Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, is a certified running coach, has worked as an imagine consultant, and is active on the mental health team at her church. Her experiences in these areas allow her to uniquely blend psychotherapy with leadership coaching to assist her clients in achieving their career goals and overcome obstacles in the workplace.
Dr. Rodriguez begins the episode by giving a bit of background on her professional and personal life. She focuses on her recently completed doctorate in Strategic Leadership. She explains how she marries her doctorate with her background in psychotherapy to better understand social work in terms of business. One issue she touches on is that many people feel as though they present themselves differently at work and at home. This division can cause anxiety in people’s lives, as they might feel as though it is difficult to show up completely to both social settings.
The conversation shifts to a more business focused issue; what separates a manager and a leader? Dr. Rodriguez explains the importance that a boss leaders their employees in the workplace. They lead through example. They should serve as role models for what they want the whole company to look like, and their employees will look up to that and learn. Being a leader also means building trust within a workplace. With trust, a business can produce better, more desired outcomes.
Lastly, your hosts touch on how leaders can improve mental health in the workplace. It is important that leaders acknowledge obstacles to good mental health, and offer solutions so their followers can better their mental health.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for our first ever Live Show next week. In the meantime, be sure to check out Tuesday’s episode on fertility and family planning.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast), BeWELL (our therapy practice in Manhattan), or Dr. Rodriguez visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Christie Messenger from KindBody to discuss fertility and family planning.
Dr. Christie Messenger received her undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Psychology from the University of Missouri – Columbia where she then continued on to pursue her medical degree. She completed her residency at Mt Sinai Hospital fulfilling a lifelong dream of living and working in Manhattan. Dr Messenger is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
At KindBody, they believe that everyone should have access to convenient, affordable fertility and family planning. This belief is what unites everyone at Kindbody. Their goal is to make the process of going to the doctor more intuitive and empowering. Their services range from fertility treatments, including IVF and egg freezing, to gynecology, wellness, and LGBTQ+ care. With convenient and welcoming clinics around the country they are dedicated to delivering compassionate care, putting patients and their loved ones first.
Dr. Christie begins the episode by giving a little backstory to KindBody. The two year old practice is a one stop shop for women where every need they might have can be fulfilled before, during, and after pregnancy. They have clinics across the US, and Diana discovered them by stumbling across their flagship location in NYC recently.
Dr. Christie goes on to explain the culture of KindBody. Like their name suggests, they place an emphasis on kindness, and staff people who genuinely care about what their doing and the patients they care for. They seek to make patients comfortable with the fertility process and assure that all their questions get answered. Diana notes that she has had negative experiences with OBGYNs who make the office sterile and procedural instead of compassionate. Part of this work includes offering therapy services to some patients.
After a quick break, your hosts return to talk about women taking charge of their future. KindBody looks to deepen the understanding women have of their bodies so they can take control of their reproductive life. This brings the women to a conversation about sex and fertility education in schools. Specifically, how fertility and family planning could be better addressed and tailored to women in middle and high school.
To end the episode, Dr. Christie tells her story of how she ended up at KindBody. She also includes what types of services are available for potential patients. A popular service of theirs is the Fertility 101 workshop. This workshop covers egg and embryo freezing to IVF and therapy information.
Thank you for joining us at BeREAL today. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode with Dr. Kim Andrews on holistic wellness.
For more information on Dr. Christie Messenger and KindBody, please visit the links below:
Website: https://www.kindbody.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindbody/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindbody/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in Manhattan) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Kim Andrews to discuss holistic wellness, spirituality within psychotherapy, and life coaching.
Dr. Kim Andrews has extensive experience in integrative and supportive therapeutic counseling with a strong background in psychosocial dynamics, cognitive behavioral therapy, and Buddhist Psychology. She has worked in a variety of settings as a therapist with adults and teens in both inpatient and outpatient facilities and programs, incarceration programs, and mandated treatment programs. Currently, she is working for herself in private practice.
Dr. Kim begins the episode by explaining how she met Diana and became a friend of the podcast. She then recounts her experience of getting into therapy practice. She says that her journey began when she was younger and struggled with anxiety and depression. Now, she imbues her past experiences and interest in spirituality into her holistic wellness practice. Ednesha chimes in to explain that often, therapists are told to separate spirituality within therapy, but how Dr. Kim’s mixing of the two could help many people who do come from spiritual backgrounds.
Next, Dr. Kim addresses the divide between life coaching and therapy. She summaries that life coaches are very forward thinking, with little focus on past issues that could be creating conflict in the present. Therapy, on the other hand, looks to the past to create healthy forward movement. So, she approaches coaching from a more therapeutic angle. She decided to become a coach because her masters is in rehabilitation counseling, which shares many of the holistic wellness ideas of coaching.
After a short break, Dr. Kim explains to listeners the programs she has available at the moment. Her 90-day program focuses on one to two changes that the patients want to implement in their life. The focus on a limited number of things better assures that the changes will stick forever. For clients who are not ready to commit to months on end of coaching, they can see her through individual session, but these often end up lasting as long as the month long programs.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on how to choose a therapist.
For more information on Dr. Kim Andrews and her practice, visit the links below:
Website: www.drkimandrews.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.kimandrews/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drkimandrews/
For more information on BeREAL (our therapy focused podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha are joined once again by BeWELL’s very own, Jess. The trio is here to discuss how to choose a therapist that fits your needs and schedule.
Diana starts off the episode by explaining how many people seek therapy beginning in January, because of new year’s resolutions. The three women then all share their first experiences with therapy, and how they found their first therapists. Diana found hers through a phone book. Jess found hers by researching different specialities. Ednesha found her first therapist during grad school and through campus resources, but later she found a therapist through her insurance provider.
But how do you find a therapist that is the perfect fit?
Diana explains many basic factors that will affect how to choose a therapist. She describes a patient - therapist relationship like dating. You want to show your true self in the initial paperwork, so that you can get into the gist of the work sooner, and therefore know whether the given therapist relationship will work in the future. Ednesha brings up issues of how to know if you should ask for a second session. She debunks a myth that after an initial consultation, the patient has to choose whether or not to commit to months on end of treatment. In some offices this is true, but others (including BeWELL) allow you to go session by session. Ednesha advises that you commit one week at a time so that you can develop the relationship with the clinician, but also have an out if you realize the therapist is not the right fit.
How often should you attend therapy?
There are many different schools of thought around the question of how often you should attend therapy. Ednesha brings up that she has heard of therapists that require patients to sign contracts committing to a schedule. However, the trio feel as though that can muddle the therapist - patient relationship because it can feel too structured and formal. Again, Ednesha suggests attending therapy frequently at the beginning, to develop the relationship quickly, but after the relationship is built you can assess the situation for yourself and change the schedule as you see fit (and you can change it again later).
After a break, the therapists come back to ask Jess about her experience with therapy. She goes over the strange experience she had with her previous therapist, who ended their sessions after deeming that Jess was “cured.” Jess, on the other hand, still felt as though she needed more counseling, and so she’s figuring out how to choose a therapist that is in the same school of thought as her when it comes to the idea of being “cured.” Diana and Ednesha both offer input on the idea of therapy being used to “cure” specific issues.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL in 2021! Be on the lookout for a new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s year on 2021 intentions.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in Midtown Manhattan) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Happy New Year! Welcome back to BeREAL’s first episode of 2021.To celebrate, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Kara Ladd and Alyssa Brieloff of Boundless Creatives to discuss spiritual consulting and 2021 intentions.
Kara Ladd is the CEO of conscious conglomerate, Boundless, that includes Boundless Creatives, her boutique purpose-driven consultancy and Boundless by Kara (@boundlessbykara), her mindful lifestyle personal brand. Ladd began her career working in the fashion closets of Cosmopolitan but later pivoted back into editorial. On a personal note, Ladd is a one-in-a-million synovial sarcoma cancer survivor. Her traumatic, yet enlightening, health journey was the conscious conduit that built what Boundless is today.
Alyssa Brieloff is a leading social media consultant and mindful content curator with 6+ years of creative and strategic content experience working with a wealth of award-winning brands, from grassroots startups to Fortune 500 companies.Brieloff is an out-of-the-box creative and spiritual wellness enthusiast that brings a brand's voice and visual identity to life both on and offline. Her expertise is grounded in the mindful lifestyle space, but she is a multifaceted creative whose skillset transcends to any industry.
The women begin by explaining how they met. They were both in the content creation field and through networking events met each other and from there, their work grew. They outline how they went from friends to business partners and the first course that they offered, which was rebound coaching. Their first course was a form of spiritual consulting that taught how to integrate self discovery tools into everyday life.
Next, Diana ask the ladies to share their “ah-ha” moments, or when they realized spiritual consulting was their passion and they could do more with their lives then they currently were. Both tell of how they began to protect their energies at different stages of their lives. Alyssa had been protecting her energy since she was a child, but Alyssa came into the practice after she was diagnosed with cancer.
After a short break, the Boundless Creative execs come back to tell listeners about their offerings. They are currently offering a four week course and a monthly subscription. Both involve different techniques of spiritual consulting and self discovery. They also include what types of events they hope to offer in the future after the pandemic. Lastly, they talk about their big hit: the 2021 intentions journal. The journal is a way to bring your intentions into the physical and help you become the best version of yourself in the new year.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL to start off the new year! Be on the lookout for a new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s year in review of 2020.
For more information on Kara, Alyssa, or Boundless Creatives, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.boundlesscreatives.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boundlesscreatives/
Boundless by Kara: https://www.instagram.com/boundlessbykara/
Alyssa’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssabrieloff/
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health therapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! To close off 2020, Diana and Ednesha are interviewed by BeREAL producer Don to discuss the year in review.
To begin the year in review, Don takes Diana and Ednesha back to the creation of BeREAL. Ednesha goes over her initial feelings towards the podcast back in March and how she believed she would only be a part-time host. Now, a year later, she is the full time co-host alongside Diana. Diana talks about her initial vision of the podcast: that it would be a podcast with honest conversations about mental health in order to break stigmas. Both hosts believe they have accomplished this goal and look forward to furthering this work in 2021.
Next, Don asks Ednesha about her relationship with Diana and how it has grown over the year. Ednesha explains how Diana is her supervisor as a therapist, but that does not mean they are not equals. Ednesha talks about how it took some time for her to realize that, and at the start of the podcast she kept looking to Diana for validation. However, now she understands that they are on the same level and BeREAL is as much Diana’s podcast as it is her own.
Finally, Don asks the hosts about their favorite episodes from this year. Diana says that her favorites are when Alex Elle came to discuss self care and Sean Grover came to discuss online therapy. Ednesha says that her favorite has been Andrea Dresser’s episode on sex therapy. Don finished out the episode by giving his personal favorite episode which was with Josh Palau and Darren W. Carter on fatherhood.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL’s year in review! Be on the lookout for new episodes in the New Year. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s mental health recap of 2020.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health therapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by BeREAL’s Jess Seavor. The team is here this week to do a mental health recap of 2020 and give advice on how to find success in 2021.
The women begin by retelling what they remember from the onset of the pandemic in March. Ednesha tells about the last patient she saw and how she had in her head that they would see eachother again in person within a few weeks. It is now nine months since then and they have not yet had an in person session again. Ednesha also shares what it was like to miss out of big planned events, like her birthday vacation she was going to go on in March. Diana shares about hiring Jess right at that time, and how Jess has done all her work away from the physical BeWELL office since then.
Next, your hosts share a bit about some misconceptions people have about life at home during the pandemic. They discuss the idea that people have this idea that they have “more time” now and therefore should be doing exponentially more work or activities. The world is changing but time still moves at the same pace, so people should not be down on themselves if they can’t turn out more work than they could before. Also, it is important to hold onto some routine from before the pandemic so you can still live life within at least some sense of normalcy.
Moving on, Diana brings up the struggle of staying at home. They touch on some of the benefits, such as not needing to commute to work and therefore always being on time. However, they also talk about the feeling of being stuck while watching huge events play out in the news across the country. Some of these events are the pandemic itself, the 2020 US Election, the Black Lives Matter Movement, etc.
Closing on the mental health recap of 2020, Diana highlights that one benefit of the year was that it raised awareness for the need of mental health treatment. It helped breakdown a lot of stigmas surrounding the field as more and more people from different backgrounds found that they needed help. Going forward, Ednesha suggests that everyone chooses one goal for 2021. She wants it to be something accomplishable and that people should not expect more from themselves than physical/mentally possible.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL’s mental health recap of 2020! Be on the lookout for new episodes in the New Year. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on yoga and body positivity with Paris Alexandra.
For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health therapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Paris Alexandra to discuss diversity within the yoga community and body positivity.
Paris Alexandra is an Artist and Creative Wellness Practitioner (IIN). As a 200 hour Registered Yoga teacher (RTY) & Healing Arts facilitator, Paris utilizes song, poetry, and movement to inspire self love and transform narratives in beauty, health, & the arts. As a wellness practitioner she supports curvy athletes and creatives in growing lifestyle habits that honor the body, increase vitality, and ignite their creative lives.
Paris begins the episode by introducing herself and her yoga practice, BK Yoga Club. She explains that BK Yoga Club is a black owned practice whose goals are to promote body positivity and welcome new people to yoga, who maybe thought it was not for them based on how they looked. Paris then tells the backstory of how it came to fruition by the hands of Paris and her co-founder, Alicia Ferguson. Next, she gives an overview of what BK Yoga Club looks like today (two years in) and announces that they are opening their first storefront in Bedstuy in January.
Next, Paris tells listeners about how she got into yoga herself. She explains that she was the only black and plus size woman in her yoga classes, and that inspired her to make the yoga community open to a more diverse group of people. On top of that, she would like to redefine what healthy looks like. She hopes other people can learn the lessons she learned through yoga: self acceptance and body positivity. Ednesha also brings up that yoga is not something new to black women, but many people choose to overlook that many historical black women practiced yoga.
After a break, Paris explains what the desired BK yogi looks like. The desired yogi is anyone! BK Yoga Club is a place for people of all races, sizes, and backgrounds. These yogis can take BK Yoga Club classes during the pandemic through the new BK Yoga Club app that will be releasing soon. They are also offering classes with therapists during the pandemic, to help maintain both positive mental and physical health.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode about mental health and fitness.
For more info on Paris Alexandra or BK Yoga Club, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.bkyogaclub.com/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkyogaclub/
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in NYC) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dani DeAngelo and Jacey Lambros to discuss mental health and fitness, as well as physical health and confidence. Dani and Jacey are the founders of the Tri-state Area fitness company, Jane DO.
Jane DO is a fitness brand crafted by former Radio City Rockettes Jacey Lambros and Danielle DeAngelo. Knowing firsthand that it takes a comprehensive cross training regime to be the most powerful version of yourself, they developed a workout that offers variety and caters to every woman. Jane DO has women reaching new levels of strength and confidence in the studio so they can take it outside the studio and DO incredible things.
Dani and Jacey begin the episode by sharing the backstory of how they met. They became friends when they were both part of the Radio City Rockettes, and from there their friendship grew into a partnership. They give Diana and Ednesha the details on the struggles they faced when sculpting their brand image, and how it grew over time. They touch on the importance of balance when it comes to relationships that are both personal as well as professional.
Next, the women give an overview of what patrons can expect when they join Jane DO. Jane DO delivers musically charged, energy driven, cross training workouts designed for women by women. Five unique classes fuse aerobics, strength training, and flexibility to provide the variety women need to DO it all. They add that these classes, although tailored for women, will give an excellent work out to anyone who enrolls, regardless of gender.
After a short break, Dani and Jacey return to discuss what their business looks like at the moment due to COVID-19. Lucky for them, they were in the works to launch a fitness app at the onset of the pandemic, so they already had an outlet to adjust their teachings. Now, through the app and their live streams they continue to connect women from across the country. They acknowledge that Zoom helps break down barriers between their students. This allows them to have deep conversation and connect mental health and fitness to strengthen confidence in their “janes.”
Lastly, to close off the episode, Dani Jacey talk about their new book club. They tell listeners what is on their “to read” list and how to join. They also include many other ways that listeners can join the Jane DO movement.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode about mental health and the holiday season in 2020.
For more information on Dani, Jacey, or Jane Do, visit the links below:
Website: www.janedo.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janedo/
For more information on BeREAL (our therapy podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in NYC) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha speak with each other (no special guest today) about the mental health effects of the holiday season. They discuss how to set appropriate boundaries and how to craft traditions that suit your own needs.
Ednesha begins the episode by telling Diana about her Thanksgiving holiday. She discusses how she went to Florida with her family in an attempt to save some traditions this year, as many have been cancelled due to COVID. She highlights the importance of taking all necessary precautions when traveling and visiting family during this time, and how you should handle family members who are less willing to take COVID tests. Diana joins in on the conversation, and the two talk about the food they cooked and the foods they avoided during their Thanksgiving feasts.
Diana and Ednesha then tackle the discussion of how to set boundaries during the COVID holiday season. These boundaries have to be set between both friends and family. Ednesha discusses how hard it can be to set non-negotiable boundaries with loved ones, such as making it necessary that all guests take COVID tests. Many people might fear saying “no” to family who want to visit, but also fear saying “yes” that people can come without taking the necessary precautions. Ednesha highlights that this only worsens when people think of the worst possible outcomes of each option, which many people tend to do. This leads the hosts to shift the conversation only a little to a discussion of when it is right for people to say “no” and when it is right for them to say “yes”. Saying “no” can be good for your mental health at times. However, saying it too much can lead to people missing out on needed social interaction which can have grave impacts on mental health. Because of this, saying “yes” can take just as much courage as saying “no” at times.
Diana brings the discussion to anxiety and other mental health effects of the holiday season. Ednesha brings up the idea that it can make people anxious when they are unsure if someone will say something triggering to them during big gatherings. Ednesha suggests people to reach out to family before thesengatherings to make it clear what is and what isn’t appropriate to talk about. This way, people can enjoy their holiday festivities without being on edge that someone could say something harmful at any moment.
Diana and Ednesha finish off the episode by giving the listeners some last advice to take with them into the 2020 holiday season. Diana challenges people who say “no” often to try saying yes. Vice versa, she advises the people who say “yes” a lot to try saying “no”. Ednesha tells listeners to take advantage of the strange circumstances this year to craft holiday traditions that are best suited for their own mental health needs.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Darren Carter and John Palau on fatherhood and mental health.
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health care in Manhattan) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha are joined by two dads, Darren Carter and John Palau, to discuss all things fatherhood. We’ve had many moms on the show before but now it's time to talk about the paternal side of parenting. The two fathers are here to discuss their journey to fatherhood and what it’s like being a dad during a pandemic.
Darren Carter describes himself as an imperfect man who is here to share his insights as a husband, father (foster and adoptive) follower of Christ, and an adult with ADHD. He currently has three kids living at his home, but he is only legally the father to two.
Josh Palau has worked in digital media for over 20 years. He currently lives in New Hope with his wife Laurie and their two daughters, Zoe and Logan.
Josh begins the episode by retelling his journey into fatherhood. He explains that he had always wanted kids, but the timing of when that would happen was more dictated by his wife. He did add, however, that he knew he wanted two kids and no more. Darren then shares his journey. He came to be a father later in his life when he married his wife who already had a daughter of her own. While they struggled to have biological children they became foster parents and eventually ended up adopting one of the foster children. Darren opens up a bit more about his struggle with not being able to have biological children, but states that love is what is most important. His love for all his children is genuine and that means far more to him than blood ever could.
Josh tells about how his daughters have differing interests, and one of their interests closer aligns with his own. He explains the importance of taking what your children enjoy and learning to enjoy it with them, so you can constantly be a part of their life and grow with them. Darren explains the modern worldview of fathers. Many people will come up to him when he is alone with his children and as if he is a babysitter or merely doing a favor for his wife. He and Josh are looking to push against these stereotypes that fathers can’t do their daughters’ hair or change a diaper and can be just as important in raising a child as a woman.
Next, Darren goes into detail about what makes a good foster parent. He says that much of what makes people good foster parents is also why many people choose not to be them. A foster child is plucked from an environment and then moved around a lot, so it is crucial that foster parents see a child as their own as soon as they arrive. This will make parting from them all the more difficult, but it is the best environment for growth.
Lastly, Darren and Josh talk about what it is like to be home with their children during the pandemic. They talk about academic and social struggles and the need for a break every once in a while. To conclude the episode, each dad offers one piece of advice to men considering fatherhood in the future. They come to the consensus that you must grow with your child and their interests.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Diana Limongi on politics and parenting.
For more information on Darren, visit the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenwcarter
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/darrenwcarter
Website: https://www.cartersbbqonline.com
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in Manhattan) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Diana Limongi to discuss post election fatigue, pandemic exhaustion, and parenting during COVID.
Diana Limongi is a bilingual nonprofit professional, blogger, activist, podcaster and Latina mom. On her blog she writes about motherhood, life in NYC and raising bilingual and multicultural kids. Her podcast, Parenting and Politics, seeks to inform, inspire and empower parents to take action and make a difference. As a nonprofit professional and activist, Diana has experience in digital content creation and organizing, working with organizations that help mothers, children and families. She has worked with the Aspen Institute, ZERO TO THREE, ParentsTogether, Global Kids, MomsRising/MamasConPoder and was a UN Shot@Life Champion.
Diana (from BeWELL) and Ednesha begin the episode by discussing the recent fatigue they have been feeling. This is a culmination of post election fatigue as well as exhaustion due to the long lasting COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how seasonal affective disorder will only build on this as we enter the winter months. They also discuss how normally they don’t disclose much about their current mood or mental health situation to patients, but during these times they find themselves being more candid than before.
Diana Limongi joins in the episode and begins by telling the hosts about how her life is going during quarantine. She quickly moves into talking about the 2020 election. She talks about the work that she did through donations and social media campaigns to spread knowledge about the different choices on the ballots. She advises parents how to manage their time if they would like to contribute to a political campaign, but might see it as too big of a commitment with their kids doing school from home. Diana (the host) brings up how voting is hard and the election fatigue she faced since she realized she was voting in New Jersey for the first time. Diana Limongi agrees that voting is complex, and shares some resources for people to get more informed about their local politics.
As the episode winds down, Limongi brings the focus of the conversation to the Department of Education. She outlines the issues she is seeing in regards to the DOE’s reaction to COVID and how many of it’s last minute decisions are inducing anxiety within parents. While voicing favorable solutions to the situations she is facing, Diana also offers some advice to parents of how to practice self care during these times.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Randi Zinn about the Going Beyond Movement.
For more information on Diana Limongi, the Parenting and Politics Podcast, or any of her other work, check out the links below:
Podcast: www.parentingandpoliticspodcast.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ladydeelg
Podcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/parentingandpolitics
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dianalimongi
Podcast Twitter: www.twitter.com/parentingandpol
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week we have something special: it’s our first minisode! In these minisodes, our therapists will have a roundtable discussion about a certain topic of the week. This week, join Diana, Ednesha, and Gillian Lichter (BeWELL Psychotherapy’s very own) to discuss the idea of identity crisis. They will cover how identity changes as one’s life changes and how identity changes due to factors outside one’s control, such as a pandemic.
Gillian begins the episode by giving a little background on her work as a psychotherapist. She explains how she initially worked with a LGBTQIA+ focused non-profit therapy center in NYC, but now she works at BeWELL (which she joined right at the onset of the pandemic). Gillian is here this week to talk about the topic of identity crisis. She defines identity as the recognition of our own selves at each stage of our lives. Of course with time, identity changes and Diana calls these changes cracks in identity. These identity cracks are not a negative thing, they do not mean that someone is broken or lost, rather they have to learn to recognize these identity changes and understand how and why they occurred.
The conversation shifts to focus on identity changes during the pandemic. As careers and social lives change drastically, it is inevitable that identity will change as well. Ednesha focuses on the American concept of identity that is so closely tied to the workplace. Many people will judge their self worth on a job title, or if they hold a job at the given moment (which is much less likely during a pandemic). Ednehsa pushes forward an idea to discover identity outside of the workplace. This closely ties to her understanding that women of color have been taught that they must remain strong at all times. Strength is hard to muster as the pandemic drags on, but Ednesha and Gillian want people to know that not being strong all the time, should not mean that one values themself as lesser. Instead, Gillian suggests that there is a strength in taking care of your physical and mental health when necessary.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week. Make sure to be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode with Randi Zinn on the Going Beyond Movement.
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in New York) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Randi Zinn to discuss female empowerment and “going beyond.”
Randi Zinn is an author, mindfulness and wellness expert, podcast host and founder of the Going Beyond Movement and Beyond Mom. The Going Beyond movement grants women permission to step in, step up, and enter a curious dialogue with their life. Her platform offers: The Going Beyond Podcast, LIVE podcast events, community building events, dynamic social media storytelling, and retreats for women. She is a regularly featured expert interviewed by the media, and has been featured in Women@Forbes, HuffPost, The New York Times, Well+Good, MindBodyGreen, Elephant Journal, Cheddar, FOX5 NY, Great Day Washington, The Honest Company Blog and many more. She is a certified yoga instructor through Laughing Lotus NY and has taught since 2008. Randi’s book Going Beyond Mom- How to Activate Your Mind, Body & Business After Baby was published in September 2017.
Randi begins the episode by giving a little backstory to the Going Beyond Movement. She explains how it began as a movement for mothers, founded around the time that she herself was a new mom. From here it expanded and evolved into an empowerment movement for all women. She explains how this is inclusive of women of all backgrounds and how she herself is still learning how to make the space the most comfortable for women of color. She summarizes the philosophy of the project to be, “Your life is the movement the world needs of you.”
Ednesha offers a personal account of the ways that she tries “going beyond” daily. She tells the women how she would like to go beyond the black pain that is deeply ingrained with the black experience. In order to do this, she pledges to herself that she will have joy in her life. Randi uses Ednesha’s story as a way to highlight the mission of her movement. She hopes that followers will has experiences similar to her own, that they will have a head to head journey with their pain. The discomfort that this will inevitably create opens the door to the next, better place of one’s life.
Randi finished the episode by detailing the logistics of the movement. She elaborates on the events that she would host, retreats and live podcast recordings, pre-COVID. She also delves into her work as a wellness mentor and who her ideal client is, as well as what they can expect to get out of sessions with her. Lastly, she ties the conversation back to therapy with a quick discussion on how therapy helps to push her “beyond.”
Thank you so much for tuning into the BeREAL Podcast this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode with Sydney Silver on mental health coaching.
For more information on Randi Zinn and the Going Beyond Movement, visit the links below:
Website: www.goingbeyondmovement.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randizinn/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoingbeyondpodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/going.beyond.movement/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randi.zinn/
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in NYC) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha are joined by Sydney Silver to discuss soul coaching, business coaching, and the differences between coaching and therapy. As a coach, Sydney is driven to help people realize their fullest potential. She integrates her spiritual and recovery-based life-skill strategies in service of helping clients balance the everyday demands of career, relationships, and personal goals.
At the start of the episode, Sydney explains her role as a soul coach and how she got into the practice. She tells how her journey into coaching began when she was diagnosed with cancer in her early thirties. This created a drive for her to create her own business. She began her practice as a business coach, helping people meet their external goals in life that revolved around money and success. However, she had a history of substance use and so substance recovery has always been a big part of her life. This lead her practice to branch out into spiritual, mental health, and addiction coaching.
Next, the therapists and Sydney analyze how therapy differs from coaching. Sydney goes over how, depending on the client, her methods can be a little more rough than you would expect from a therapist. She explains how occasionally she just has to say “girl, wake up!” if her clients need to have a realization. This leads into a conversation about Sydney's ideal client.
After a short break, Ednesha asks Sydney about how her past with substance abuse ties into her work today. Sydney explains how she views addiction. She states her beliefs that all people are addicted to something. However, when your addiction isn’t to drugs or alcohol you lack the resources and programs needed for recovery. Sydney weaves this belief together with her past addiction to coach people who are facing addiction both with drugs and alcohol, but also with less publicized addictions.
The episode concludes with Sydney reviewing the structure of her soul coaching practice. She outlines how long meeting a goal usually takes, how often her clients see her, and what work they are expected to do in between sessions.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, check out last week’s episode with Becky Kavoussi on substance use and recovery.
For more information on Sydney and her soul coaching practice, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.sydneyleesilver.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneyleesilver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydney.silver.1000
For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in NYC) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Shownotes Extras:
A grocery store divider is simply called a “check out divider.” However, in Dutch there is an official term for it, the “beurtbalkje.” Diana’s business coach, Connie Vanderzanden, can be found at profitwithconnie.com.
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by BeWELL Psychotherapy’s very own Becky Kavoussi. She joins the hosts today to discuss substance abuse, recovery, and her own journey with alcohol addiction.
Becky has a diverse background working with clients of all walks of life. In addition to working in private practice where she treats individuals, couples, and families; she also provides psychotherapy to individuals as an alternative to incarceration. She has also worked with former street homeless adults with severe and persistent mental health issues. Rebecca specializes in treating substance abuse issues, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and personality disorders.
Ednesha begins this episode by giving a little backstory as to how the three women all know each other. Ednesha recounts stories from when Becky and Ednesha were training under Diana many years ago. Becky then switches the conversation to tell how her bout with substance use began. She outlines her family history with alcohol, and how her environment helped fuel her drinking habits.
Moving onto her college years, Becky tells about the complex “look” of her alcohol addiction. She explains how she functioned fine on paper, but in real life she was drinking daily and running into legal and relationship issues. When she began to develop suicidal ideations and the onset of depression, she reached out to a psychiatrist for medication, which proved to not be useful due to her drinking habits.
Next, Becky covers her experience interning at a substance abuse clinic while pursuing her social work degree. She explains how she would see people facing similar struggles as her own and worked with them one-on-one. Ednesha then asks Becky to retell the story of when recovery began. Becky explains that recovery is not as glamorous as some might think. To her, recovery began in college when she started to cut back on drinking. She still had substance use habits, but she was meeting little goals as the years went on. She also noted how when she began to really minimize her drinking habits, she turned to binge eating.
Lastly, Becky tells of what it is like to see patients that struggle with substance use. She goes into detail about how she chooses when to share her own experience with alcoholism with her patients and when she refrains. She explains that she only shares her story when it could be beneficial for her patient, but she prefers to keep the session about the patient and not about her.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Farris Fakhoury on physical therapy.
For more information on Becky, BeREAL ( our psychotherapy podcast), and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in Midtown Manhattan) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to The BeREAL Podcast! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by physical therapist Farris Fakhoury to discuss physical therapy, his new book, and his practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farris is a physical therapist in a neurological rehab setting. He is also the author of “The Happiness Perspective” being published in December 2020. The premise of his book is happiness and the common threads his patients exhibit to help them unlock their happiness in recovery.
Farris begins the episode with a little backstory into how he got into physical therapy. He explains that it began back when he was a kid playing sports, and he had to seek injury recovery through physical therapy. From here, he developed a passion for the practice and pursued a psychology degree in college. Now he works with patients who have suffered neural damage through strokes and spinal cord injuries, but he primarily works with amputee patients.
Farris discusses the topic of happiness a lot throughout the episode. He explains how he sees happiness as a muscle that needs to be worked and can grow and shrink. He doesn’t view happiness as a final destination, but rather a journey. Diana chimes in with her view of happiness and how she doesn’t see it as a constant state either. Instead, they both acknowledge how happiness ebbs and flows. From here, Farris discusses the mental health of his patients. He gives an overview of how he witnesses mental health change as his patients progress through recovery and gain more confidence.
Lastly, Farris discusses how his life has been since the COVID-19 pandemic has hit. He goes over how it has given him the time to collect his journal entries from over the years and adapt them into a book that is to be published in December 2020. He also explains how his practice has changed. He definitely ran into some roadblocks doing physical therapy virtually, but he has been adjusting his techniques to give the best experience possible to his patients. His in person visits have also been different, as patients cannot bring support with them. He discusses how this is difficult both mentally and physically on the patients.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout next Tuesday for a brand new episode. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Christian Ziraldo on therapy matchmaking.
For more information on Farris, his physical therapy practice, and his book, visit the links below:
Website: Www.thehappinessperspective.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Farris2986
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Farris2986
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarrisFakhoury
LinkedIn: Farris Fakhoury
For more information on BeREAL, our psychotherapy podcast, and BeWELL, our psychotherapy practice in Manhattan, visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Christian Ziraldo to discuss the role of therapist matchmaking, and many of the nuances that come with selecting the perfect therapist for yourself.
Christian Ziraldo is the founder of Yellow Vibrations, a mental health advocate, and a former school counselor. After earning her Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling and School Counseling, she got married, moved from Detroit, MI to Oakland, CA, and tried to find a therapist to help her manage the changes that were taking place in her life. Navigating the insurance company and finding a therapist that fit her schedule, budget, and communication style took three months. After helping friends, family, and students navigate this process with similar barriers. She knew something had to change. Christian started Yellow Vibrations because she believes that finding a therapist shouldn’t be what stops anyone from healing.
The episode begins with all three women retelling how they found each other. Christian goes over her work of matching people around the country to clinicians in their area, and how that led her to discover Ednesha on the BeWELL website. Christian outlines the reasoning behind her work. She gives examples of how many people can experience anxiety when they are searching for a therapist because the whole process can be overwhelming. She also offers reasons as to why her work is so important, especially to people of color. Ednesha explains how people of color may be anxious to have their first session with a therapist because they may not have a space where they can talk solely about themselves elsewhere. Christian’s work of properly vetting the therapists for the patient can help alleviate some nervousness.
After a short break, the therapists return to discuss why the process of finding a clinician can be so difficult. Ednesha points out that only 5% of clinicians are black, and therefore it is much harder for patients to find the perfect match, because there are so few. This is another instance where therapist matchmaking is important, because upon consultation, Christian finds out whether the client would like their therapist to be a person of color, a member of the LGBTQIA community, and specialized in a specific field of therapy. Her work can also assure that the client is walking into a session with a culturally competent therapist, who will not be offensive or make microaggressions towards their patient. This is one of the many ways Christian outlines of how she protects her people.
Christian ends the episode by telling the hosts her plans for the future. Beyond therapist matchmaking, she hopes to make mental health as commonplace as physical health. This means making it a less taboo subject and making its resources more accessible.
Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode to listen to the BeREAL family get uncomfortable.
For more information on Christian and Yellow Vibrations, visit the links below:
Website: www.yellowvibrations.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christian.ziraldo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrissyziraldo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yellowvibrations
For more information on BeREAL, our psychotherapy podcast, and BeWELL, our psychotherapy practice in New York City, visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha are joined by the rest of the BeREAL team, Jessica Seavor and Don Jackson, to discuss the anxieties that the team has faced throughout the creation of this podcast.
Acting as moderator, Don asks Jessica about her fears of coming onto the show for the first time after working behind the scenes in the past. Jessica talks about the nerves she had regarding her fears that she would sound stupid when put up against Diana and Ednesha. Diana shares similar anxieties when they have someone on the show who she deems more accomplished or educated. Don points out Diana’s habit to laugh as a meaning to cope with nerves that build up while the hosts are recording. Next, Don discusses how he attempts to quell the hosts’ anxieties before recording, by allowing them to chat for minutes on end without interruption. This allows them to not only get comfortable with the setting, but comfortable and closer with each other.
Moving to Ednesha, Don asks how she feels about being a black woman on this podcast. Ednesha shares how she is nervous about the way she is perceived. At times she feels overwhelmed that others may see her as a representative for all black women and that puts pressure on her to say everything correctly. She also speaks on how her relationship with Diana has grown overtime. She has apprehension at first that she would not sound as eloquent as Diana as Diana is her mentor but as time goes on they have become much closer and now recognizes them as equals in this endeavor.
After a short break, Don returns to ask Diana about her views on the podcast. He focuses on her role as both a host and as a business owner. At times, Diana fears that it will all come crashing down, especially given the state of the world, however, overall she is very proud and excited about what she has accomplished. Diana expresses the optimism she feels for the future and the idea that she gets to continue growing along with everyone that has become a part of this journey.
Thank you for tuning into the BeREAL Podcast. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode with Lorraine C. Ladish on being your best self at any age.
For more information on BeREAL, our psychotherapy podcast, and BeWELL, our psychotherapy practice in New York City, visit the links below:
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Lorraine C. Ladish to discuss her history with an eating disorder, being your best self at fifty, and overcoming adversity.
Lorraine is a 21st Century Communicator, helping empower women and others to achieve their goals. She is the founder and CEO of Viva Fifty! a bilingual community that celebrates being 50+. She has worked as an editor and social media coordinator for a number of online publications. She’s a content creator and regular contributor to NBCNews, Huffpost, AARP, Babycenter and Mom.me. She has contributed to People en Español, La Palma of The Palm Beach Post, Purple Clover, Latina magazine and Redbook . My latest book on embracing age was published by HarperCollins in 2017. Most of all she is a woman, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a writer, an entrepreneur, and a yogini.
Lorraine begins the episode by giving a summary of her life. She covers a wide range of events that happened throughout her 57 years beginning in childhood. Throughout all these stories, she ties back to themes of survival and perseverance. She delves into details about her struggles with an eating disorder, and how it affected her life and those around her. Lorraine also touches on the publication of her book that centered around her eating disorder. She believed it would not find success in Spain (where it was first marketed) because of it was not something that was discussed culturally. However, it was a hit.
Next, Lorraine tells the story of how her life turned around suddenly before she was eventually able to find success. At 45, Lorraine suddenly found herself in the United States, unemployed, divorced, and with two children to take care of. Through various writing jobs, Lorraine was able to revolutionize her life once again, taking her from food stamps to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Lorraine concludes the episode by discussion where she is today. She talks about how much joy she has being in her fifties, and how she doesn’t believe she has even reached her peak yet. She discusses body positivity, both her struggles with it and how she promotes it to other women through Viva Fifty! She reflects on her role as a mother, and how she teaches her daughters about self care and self love.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, check out last week’s episode on self care with author Alex Elle.
For more information on Lorraine C Ladish and her work, visit the links below:
Viva Fifty Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivafifty
Lorraine’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorrainecladish
Yoga Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflawedyogini
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL, our psychotherapy practice in Midtown Manhattan, visit the links below:
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to the BeREAL podcast! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Alex Elle to discuss all things self care and how to get in touch with your own needs.
Alex Elle is an author & wellness consultant living in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and children. Writing came into her life by way of therapy and the exploration of healing through journaling. Quarterly, Alex teaches workshops and retreats centered around assisting others in finding their voices through storytelling, poetry, and narrative writing rooted in truth without shame. Her mission is to build community & self-care practices through literature & language. She is currently an author at Chronicle Books. Alex is the author of multiple books and journals, most recently After the Rain, Neon Soul, and Today I Affirm: A Journal That Nurtures Self-Care. She also hosts the hey, girl. Podcast.
Alex begins the episode by telling how she began her self care movement. She traces the journey all the way back to high school, when she saw her first therapist, and how she picked up the habit of journaling (her “emotional toolbox”) from there. She then shares her relationship with self care today. She speaks about how she wants the world to move away for the commercialized idea of self care. She debunks the idea of “retail therapy” and shares alternate ways to better your mental health. Many of her suggestions revolve around the idea of living in the moment even in mundane situations.
Next, Alex tells listeners about what she has been up to recently. She tells about her podcast, “hey, girl.” and her upcoming book After the Rain. While telling about these projects, she touches on her relationship with her mother and how it has intertwined with much of her work. She shares what it is like to be so vulnerable to the public when putting out these projects, and how her life has been changed because of it.
Lastly, Alex shares about her self care workshops. She goes over her motivations to make these courses affordable, and therefore accessible to a wide range of people, as well as what listeners could expect if they choose to enroll.
Thank you so much for joining us this week at BeREAL. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime make sure to check out last week’s episode with Christine Guiterrez to hear her speak on soul healing.
For more information on Alex Elle or her many projects, visit the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_elle/
Website: http://www.alexelle.com/
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Christine Gutierrez to discuss soul work and soul healing.
Christine Gutierrez, MA, LMHC is a Latina licensed psychotherapist, life coach and expert in love addiction, trauma, abuse, and self- esteem. Gutierrez, is also the author of the #1 best selling book I Am Diosa: A Journey to Healing Deep, Loving Yourself, and Coming Back Home to Soul. Christine is also the co-founder of The Soul Book Masterclass where she helps people find their soul's voice and turn it into a book. Through her work, Christine offers private coaching, group coaching, and transformational retreats such as her annual Diosa Retreat in Puerto Rico, as well as the Diosa Tribe, a global community where like- hearted women come to heal, rise, and lead. She has been featured in Time Out NY, Latina Magazine, Yahoo Health, Ebony, Cosmo for Latinas, Huffington Post, and others. Christine currently resides in Puerto Rico with her husband, Fernando Samalot, and their pup, Bodhi.
Christine begins the episode by telling her experience of getting into soul work. Even as a child, she had a passion for healing, and carried that passion into college, where she became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She also explains to Diana and Ednesha her struggles with love addiction, how it was hard to realize her addiction, and how she found help through her issues.
Christine continues on by telling the listeners about her book, I Am Diosa: A Journey to Healing Deep, Loving Yourself, and Coming Back Home to Soul. She recalls how she went about getting a book deal, and what it meant to her that such a big publishing group believed in her work and message. However, her writing journey was not an easy one. She details the pain she was experiencing as she crafted her book, and how she needed to stop production at a point due to the passing of her mentor.
As the episode concludes, Christine tells the history of her group, The Diosa Tribe. The group was forged from Christine’s recognition that the mental health field lacked diversity. She clung to any women of color she could find in her work, and from there the tribe was formed. Now the tribe serves to help women from all walks of life acknowledge and heal their soul wounds. An important message Christine wants her tribe to remember is to find someone matches your greatness.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday, but in the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Jori O’Neal.
For more information on Christine or the Diosa Tribe, visit the links below:
Book: www.christineg.tv/iamdiosabook
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmicchristine/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinegtv
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CosmicChristine
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Jori O’Neale to discuss comedy and how laughter is beneficial to mental health.
Jori O'Neale, is an accomplished comedian with experience at some of the best comedy clubs in New York City. She has performed at comedy clubs such as Comix, the famed Caroline's Comedy Club and garnished weekly laughs at "Hot Pudge Sunday's" comedy special at Laugh Lounge. Jori is a rising star among local comedians. She attended Comix Comedy School before performing at multiple comedy circuits in New York City and here on Long island. She is a fantastic performer, but more than that, she understands how to keep a crowd engaged and has over 12 years experience consulting and training.
Jori begins the episode by recalling how she got into comedy. Sarcasm and humor were a big part of her upbringing, and having many siblings definitely helped craft her comic skills. Jori describes what her comedy was like pre-COVID, and then goes into how her shows have changed during the pandemic. Now with everything going virtual, Jori and her husband have formed a production company that produces a comedy show out of their basement.
Jori’s reason for founding a new show at this time was that she couldn’t find any clean comedy shows that were available to view during quarantine. Jori explains the thought process behind many of her business endeavours by saying that if she can’t find something, then she must create it. She explains how she used comedy as a mental health aide when she was younger, and how she is now becoming that aide for others.
Lastly, Jori elaborates on her plans for the future. She has started transitioning back to in-person shows (that heed COVID regulations of course), and would like to grow those shows as well.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday, but in the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Allie Beach of Broadway Dance Center.
For more information on Jori and her comedy shows, visit the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jori.oneale/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Iyhinnertainme
YouTube: IYH Network
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Allie Beach to discuss the arts, virtual learning, and being a parent during a pandemic.
ALLIE BEACH is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and has been a proud part of the Broadway Dance Center family for over 15 years as the Director of Youth Programming. She was a competitive dancer since the age of 6 and still enjoys taking classes regularly. Allie received her Bachelor's degree in Communication from Marymount Manhattan College and her Master's degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University.
Allie begins the episode by walking Diana and Ednesha through the process Broadway Dance Center has undergone to transfer to virtual learning. She then lays out their plan to return to hybrid classes in the Fall. Diana and Ednesha explain how safe social interactions will be very beneficial for kids in the coming months, and Allie shares how she plans to socialize her two kids outside of dance classes. The three women all offer advice on how to keep kids engaged in their learning and lives while still living life virtually away from their friends and classmates.
Next, Allie explains her decision to continue virtual learning for her kids, when there is an option for hybrid classes in the city currently. She explains the importance of paying attention to the needs of those around you. She realizes that she is in a lucky position to be able to work from home, but other parents don’t have that option. Since some families are forced to send their kids back to school, it is important to make the school environment as safe for those students as possible.
Lastly, Diana and Ednesha explain the benefits the arts can have on children’s mental health and social lives. Allie expresses her concern over the fact that the arts are widely underfunded in the US, and the two therapists offer reasons why that could be harmful to growing kids.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, remember to check out last week’s episode on couple’s therapy with Veronica Vaiti.
For more information on Allie Beach and Broadway Dance Center, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.broadwaydancecenter.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bdcnyc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allie_beach1
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Veronica Vaiti to discuss all things couples counseling, both in and out of a pandemic.
Veronica Vaiti, LCSW-R, CCATP is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bhava Therapy Group, a group private psychotherapy practice with offices in Midtown Manhattan and Riverdale, NY and now also providing Teletherapy. Veronica deeply values and respects the unique life journey each and every person she encounters is on. Whether working with a couple, an individual or a team of professionals at an organization, Veronica provides a safe and open space in which her clients can explore their truths, gain clarity around core issues and discover new, healthier ways of relating to themselves and the others in their lives. Forever curious, grounded and accepting, Veronica brings a sense of attuned empathy and playful yet practical approaches to her work as she strives to inspire and challenge her clients to be their best selves.
Veronica begins the episode by telling the hosts how she got into couples counseling. She traces it back to her own parents relationship, and how everything grew from there. Remembering the past is a common theme throughout the episode. Veronica explains how couples have to focus not just on the present relationship, but the past relationship too. How did the relationship come to be like this? What brought these two people together originally? Veronica suggests that looking to the past can help couples look at their relationship in a more positive light.
Next up, Veronica talks about how behaviour in couples has changed during the pandemic. She explains the roadblocks to conducting couples counseling sessions virtually. This is especially present in couples who have kids in the house. Despite the difficulties, Veronica shares how she remedied these issues to make couples counseling just as effective out of office. She also points out some ways that the pandemic has helped couples. Mainly, she highlights how a couple’s sex life could be more lively now that most people are working from home.
Lastly, Diana and Veronica discuss the importance of body language during a couples counseling session. It is important for therapists and couples to pay attention to the body language of each person in the room. This is important in understanding the meaning of each thing said during the session. Veronica calls this the “landing and launching” of a statement. Body language can be very hard to interpret through a screen during virtual counseling sessions, but Veronica also explains the ways that she has worked around that roadblock.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Andrea Dresser on Sex Therapy.
For more information on Veronica Vaiti and her practice, visit her website here.
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast or BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Welcome back to BeREAL. This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Andrea Dresser to discuss sex therapy, both what you can expect as a therapist and as a patient.
Andrea Dresser has spent over twenty years involved in community health as a Health Educator, Consultant and Mental Health Advocate. Since graduating with a Masters Degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy in 2009, she worked in various agency settings and started a private practice in 2011. She continued her education to become a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT (American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists). Married, Andrea has two grown sons, and is a grandmother to two little girls.
The episode begins with Andrea giving the listeners a little backstory as to how she got into sex therapy. She recalls the ill structured classwork and her beginnings as a marriage counselor. Ednesha tells Diana and Andrea how she would love to be a licensed sex therapist, but how, for the time being, she incorporates sex discussion into her individual or couples’ psychotherapy sessions. Ednesha then asks Andrea what can be expected from courses on sex therapy, and how they differ from the classes she rpeviously took on psychotherapy.
Andrea then goes into some details of her work. She gives examples of ways to treat common sex issues, and the many physical and emotional conflicts that can lead to roadblocks in one’s sex life. She goes over the different ways men and women view sex, and how these viewpoints often come to be. She then explains the importance of religion in sex therapy sessions, as she has many clients who became sexually confused due to their upbringing.
Andea finishes the episode by discussing what her work looks like today. She explains how COVID-19 has made some bonding activities and sex therapy practices a bit difficult when done virtually. She also talks about the issues that are brought up when she is seeing transgender patients.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week’s episode on communication during quarantine if you haven’t already.
For more information on Andrea or sex therapy, visit the links below:
Website: www.counselinglascruces.com
AASECT: https://www.aasect.org/
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by a third member of BeWELL Psychotherapy, Arianna Eisenberg. Ariana is here this week to discuss communication during COVID-19. She focuses mainly on communication between significant others, but also offers tips on how to better communicate with your friends and family. Arianna is a Psychotherapist and Clinical supervisor in New York City- at BeWell- working to help people find their best selves in therapy so they can further their lives outside of therapy.
Arianna begins by explaining some common roadblocks to communication that people are likely to experience anytime, not just during a pandemic. She elaborates on how important it is to acknowledge that we all process conversations differently, whether it be because of the words or tone used. She then describes some situations where these roadblocks would lead to conflict during quarantine.
Ednesha furthers this idea by reminding listeners of some basics of communications. Techniques such as “I” statements may seem obviously, but they are easy to forget the longer an argument persists. This is especially important today, because Arianna tells the listeners about some changes she has seen in couples during the past few months, and one of those changes is that agitation seems to last much longer than usual.
Towards the end of the episode, all three therapists offer solutions to remedy some of the struggles couples may be facing right now. Ariana suggests way to create space between your significant other and yourself while staying in the same home 24/7. Diana goes over the opportunities that are provided to better a relationship now that couples have so much time on their hands together. Lastly, Ednesha gives the listeners some alternate methods of communication that could be beneficial to repairing relationships during the pandemic.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday, but in the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode on the Latinx community and mental health if you haven’t already.
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast, BeWELL Psychotherapy, and Arianna Eisenberg visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Jessica Perez to continue the discussion on Minority Mental Health Month. Jessica is here to discuss the mental health counseling experience of the Latinx community.
Jessica B Perez, Latina from North Philadelphia. Jessica received her MSW in NYC where she started her career in Social work working with families from Lower East side Manhattan and Bedsty Brooklyn. Jessica moved back to Philadelphia,PA to continue her work in the predominantly Latinx/Hispanic community by managing an at-risk youth program funded by the city of Philadelphia providing supportive and therapy services. In addition, she continued to provide individual and family therapy through mobile services. Currently, she is a Licensed School Social Worker in Camden Nj working with Latinx/Hispanic and Black children in the Charter School system. Jessica is committed to the practice as a school social worker and works with children and families as a certified trauma clinician. She is passionate about her K-8th grade students and contributing to designing and implementing systems within the school system and community to promote mental health and link resources to overcome barriers which limit the success of disadvantaged families.
Jessica begins the episode by answering a few questions from Ednesha. Ednesha is interested in knowing what it is like to work in a therapy practice in Camden, NJ, which was once deemed the most dangerous city in the state. Jessica explains how many social work initiatives by the local government have helped re-envision Camden in a new, prosperous light. She tells of her own experience as a school counselor in the area, and the change she witnessed in her students/patients.
The conversation then shifts to focus on the Latinx community and mental health. Jessica elaborates on the different barriers that deter Latinx people from seeking therapy. One issue she highlights is the fear of deportation. The fear that federal institutions, such as ICE, have instilled in Jessica’s community has created a mentality that they must solve all their issues on their own, because seeking help may lead to catastrophic consequences.
Jessica then offers advice for non-Latinx therapists on how to create a safe space for Latinx clients. An overarching theme in her advice is diversification. The mental health field needs to diversify in multiple ways; more practices must hire Latinx clinicians, more therapists must speak a Latinx language, and more therapists must have knowledges of the great diversity within the term “Latinx.” The label “Latinx” does not refer to one culture or people, but numerous different communities that have their own beliefs, values, and customs.
Your hosts finish off the episode by examining the possible mental health implications of online learning in Fall 2020, due to COVID-19. They offer advice on what parents and teachers should look out for, and ways to make online learning exist within an environment that promotes positive mental health.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! We look forward to having you with us next week, but in the meantime, remember to catch last week’s episode on Black men and mental health if you haven’t already.
To find out more information on Jessica visit the link below:
Instagram: @Ms.perez_socialworklove
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Zakia Williams to discuss her practice, Black Men Heal, and how it furthers a conversation about Black men and mental health.
Zakia Williams began her career in the mental health field over 17 years ago after completing an undergraduate degree at Temple University. In 2001, she successfully earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business. She is currently in the second year of her master’s program in counseling. Zakia Williams is the President and CEO of Interface Psych Services. Her mission is to educate and remove the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community. She is dedicated and works non stop helping people find their path to healing with Black Men Heal where she is the Co-founder and Client Liaison.
Zakia begins the episode by discussion how Black Men Heal came to be. She points out the ways in which she saw Black men react to the idea of vulnerability. They often shut down and this would negatively impact their close relationships. Black Men Heal creates a space where patients can defy these stigmas and open up to other men about their emotions. Zakia then explains how the program is structured and the transition to seeing a licensed clinical social worker after the cohorts are finished.
Zakia then discusses the ways in which they target intersectional demographics, most recently with their first LGBTQ+ cohort, as a means to create strong allies for a number of different minority communities. She then ties to conversation back to earlier, back to the idea that a lack of vulnerability creates rifts in relationships. She acknowledges that Black Men Heal does not solely address Black men and mental health, it heals the people close to the patients as well.
Lastly, Zakia recounts how Black Men Heal grew from a small organization to one with over 200 people on its waiting list. With such a large clientele, and a mission to make therapy available to Black men at no cost to the patient, Zakia gives information on how listeners can donate to the organization. If you would like to donate please see the links below!
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week! We look forward to having you with us next week, but in the meantime, remember to catch last week’s episode on Black women mental health if you haven’t already.
Here are the links to find out more about Black Men Heal and to donate if you are able:
Website: www.blackmenheal.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmenheal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackmenheal/
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Kimberly Moore to discuss Black women wellness and self-care.
Along with Ednesha, Kim is the Co- Creator of Black Woman Be Whole a service that focuses on mental health and self care advocacy for Black Women. BWBW provides services for Black Women to gather and explore their healing, joy, connection and sisterhood in judgement free spaces. She has produced a documentary short film about mental health in the Black community, and her show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Convos with Kim, interviews women of color who are doing their part to make the world a better place.
Kim and Ednesha begin the episode by explaining how they met. Despite attending the same high school, they didn’t become close friends, and realize their passions intertwined until college. From there they explain how Black Woman Be Whole came to be, and what they saw in the people around that made them realize change was needed. They discuss the common problem of black female voices being drowned out by white voices and male voices alike. BWBW was founded to raise up black female voices and build strong friendships within the community.
Kim and Ednesha then walk Diana through the process they utilize at Black Woman Be Whole. Through workshops and retreats, the two hope to erase the stigmas that infringe upon Black women wellness practices.
At the end of the episode, Kim talks about how she personally cares for herself. She explains how music helps her center herself and develop good self-care habits.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Next Tuesday, get ready for a brand new episode! In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode if you haven’t already!
For more information on Kim or Black Woman Be Whole, visit the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwomanbewhole/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomanbewhole/
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednehsa are joined by Carrie Zhang. This episode is continuing on the theme of Minority Mental Health Month from last week, and Carrie is here to discuss Pan-Asian mental health.
Carrie Zhang is the founder of the Asian Mental Health Project, an initiative that aims to educate and empower Pan-Asian communities in making mental healthcare more accessible. Founded in 2019, the project currently uses social media, multimedia content creation and community events to de-stigmatize topics of mental health, critical social issues and provide tangible resources. Carrie is a graduate from the University of Southern California, with a B.A. in Public Relations and a minor in Music Industry.
Carrie begins the episode by discussing her past and how it led her to seek mental health treatment. She discusses the many stigmas that are present in the Pan-Asian community that made her hesitant to seek treatment at first. She points to the lack of discussion around therapy in the Pan-Asian community, and how there is a prevalent idea that you must push through issues on your own. She also points out other characteristics of therapy that make it even harder for the Pan-Asian community to overcome the highlighted stigmas, such as cost.
Carrie offers a few tips for non-Asian therapists to be more culturally competent when treating the Pan-Asian community. The most important idea she put forward is to strike down the idea of the model minority. The idea of the model minority stereotypes non-white commuities in a way that may not be deemed harmful at first glance, but in reality harms the community in a variety of ways. One of those ways is that often mental health practitioners will assume they know the root of an issue before discussing it with the patient, which could direct attention away from the real issue at hand.
Finally, Carrie discusses the project she has recently started up to build a more culturally competent field of mental health clinicians and therapists, and what she hopes to see from it in the future.
Thank you so much for joining us this week on BeREAL! Stay tuned for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, if you missed last week’s episode be sure to give it a listen!
For more information on Carrie and her project, visit the links below:
Asian Mental Health Project: https://asianmentalhealthproject.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianmentalhealthproject/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsianMentalHealthProject
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Brittany Byrd to celebrate Minority Mental Health Month and highlight Black mental health. Brittany Byrd is a #blackmentalhealthadvocate who encourages everyone to take the time to focus on their mental health and wellness while navigating their own personal journey.
The first half of the episode covers Brittany’s prior experience with the mental health profession. She recalls her first experiences with therapy from when she was nine to when she was in college. Brittany addresses many of the thoughts she had, and that many other Black people have as well, that deterred her from seeking therapy. She explains how these stigmas affected her life, as she believed she had to just “push through” her struggles.
The second half of the episode is spent discussing Black mental health practices in the present day. Brittany elaborates on her role as a Black mental health advocate and her experiences with virtual therapy due to the pandemic. Ednesha adds to the discussion by pointing out some of the differences she has noticed between in-person therapy and virtual sessions that were not as noticeable immediately after the pandemic hit. The episode concludes with a discussion of what self care looks like, and how it is not always a negative thing to spend time and energy on yourself.
Thank you for joining us this week on BeREAL. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode if you haven’t already.
For more information on Brittany Byrd look at the links below:
Instagram: @britt.monet
Twitter: @brittany_monet
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Our Guest: This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Michael Lindsey. The episode focuses on how to uplift student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Michael Lindsey is the Executive Director at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research in the NYU Silver School of Social Work. Dr. Lindsey has multiple lines of research at the moment, but his work focuses on how to improve mental health experiences for the youth, especially in schools. He also works with moms who have PTSD and require mental health interventions through the program Save Mothers, Save Children.
This Week on BeREAL: The episode begins as Dr. Lindsey explains the importance of improving student mental health. He views this effort as a way to break the cycle of generational poverty, and build a better future for people from all backgrounds. He ties this mission into the current day, and goes over the threats COVID-19 poses on student socialization. Schools play an important role in maintaining a healthy mental wellbeing for children. This comes from school sanctioned social workers, but also from everyday social interactions with classmates. How will this affect the students who currently have to do all their schoolwork online? Will mental health services dwindle because of online education, and are schools now just an educational institute? That is what Dr. Lindsey is here to discuss, how we can use virtual learning to be a tool of improving mental health instead of hindering it.
The conversation concludes as your hosts discuss the best way to administer adolescent therapy during these times. Due to stay at home orders, children are struggling to hold online therapy sessions in a place that is completely private. Dr. Lindsey is advocating for a collaboration of therapists, teachers, and parents to create the best environment for positive mental health stimulation at this time.
Thank you so much for tuning in this week to BeREAL. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next week, but in the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode if you haven’ already.
As mentioned in the episode, if you would like to talk to a professional to get feedback on what is currently happening in your life, and if it warrants the involvement of a mental health professional please don’t hesitate to call +1(888)-NYC-WELL.
Our Practice: For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Divya is back this week on BeREAL! She joins Diana and Ednesha in talking about Minority Mental Health Month. The episode covers a wide range of issues pertaining to minorities seeking therapy treatment, from wealth to cultural stigmas and all things in between.
The episode begins with the ladies discussing their quarantine situations, and what they plan on doing once restrictions are loosened. After the introductions, the clinicians get into the topic of how to train culturally competent therapists. Ednesha brings up the fact that therapy is not “one size fits all,” yet most treatment models are centered around white patients. She explains the implications of the lack of attention given to minorities in therapy research, and how it deters some people who could really benefit from engaging with a therapy practice.
Divya brings up the topic of how therapy is set in a white western industrialized environment and doesn’t pay attention to nuances of different cultures. These differences can be as small as showing respect by responding to personal questions from a client to as drastic as not accounting for the different lived experiences across different cultures.
Diana believes it is important during Minority Mental Health Month to acknowledge the various reasons why minorities may be hesitant to seek therapy. There are cultural barriers that may need to be overcome, but there are also many issues with the medical field itself that discourage possible patients. Some of these are wealth and the lack of diversity across therapy practices.
The episode concludes with your hosts answering some light-hearted questions from the BeREAL producer, Don. They take a dive into their pasts as they divulge some of their worst fashion trends and their childhood celebrity crushes.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Remember to come back new week for a brand new episode. In the meantime, if you missed last week’s episode, give it a listen!
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Anu Gupta to discuss racial bias in society and the workplace.
Anu Gupta is a lawyer, scientist, and the Founder & CEO of Be More. Be More is building a movement of wise and compassionate people who are driving equity and belonging by addressing the root causes of racial and gender bias. Anu is a sought-after expert in breaking bias, adult learning, and psychosocial well-being. He has logged over 10,000 hours of meditation and developed Be More’s novel data-driven methodology after conducting decade-long research on the causes of and solutions to racial and gender bias.
Anu begins the episode by discussing his program Train the Trainer. Anu explains the current issues with many companies' racial bias training programs. They often are only hours or days long and that is nowhere near enough time to debunk an issue so deeply ingrained in society. He offers solutions on how to optimize racial bias training to create a more equal workplace for people from all backgrounds.
The conversation then turns to the topic of generational trauma. Ednesha discusses how she encourages her patients to lean into the emotions that accompany that trauma, and explains the results she sees. Your hosts also describe other forms of trauma associated with racial injustice, such as the trauma resulting from seeing black and brown bodies being brutalized on the news and on social media. Anu concludes the episode by defining racial bias as a mental health issue. Diana and Ednesha evaluate the issue as therapists and suggest the ways that people could change their thinking to look inward on themselves and their biases.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Remember to come back new week for a brand new episode. In the meantime, if you missed last week’s episode, give it a listen!
For more information on Anu and his business, see the links below:
Be More Webpage: www.bemoreamerica.org
Instagram: @bemorewithanu
Twitter: @bemorewithanu
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Laurie Palau from the podcast This ORGANIZED Life to discuss emotional clutter and the importance of being organized.
Laurie Palau is the author of the book HOT MESS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GETTING ORGANIZED, host of the popular weekly podcast, This ORGANIZED Life, and founder of Simply B Organized-a lifestyle company helping people live simply and work smarter. Her advice has been featured in national publications including Real Simple & The New York Times. Laurie speaks on the topics of clutter, parenting, and entrepreneurship. Her CLUTTER CLINIC™ is a nationwide workshop providing strategies to help your team, group, or organization reduce clutter at home or in the workplace.
The episode begins with Laurie explaining the multiple forms of clutter that create stress in our lives. She goes into detail about physical clutter, emotional clutter, and calendar clutter. Palau explains how all three can contribute to a feel of unfulfillment and make life seem static. She then explains her five clutter pitfalls: procrastination, indecision, guilt, overwhelm, and time. All five pose a risk to an organized life, and she goes over how to combat each potential obstacle.
After a quick break, the episode resumes with Ednesha asking Laurie about the “Pintrest Syndrome.” Laurie discusses how, sure, Pintrest photos look nice and are good sources of inspiration for room design, but they often aren’t practical or easy to maintain. Laurie highlights how aesthetic is important in organization, but also, preservation is key. Don’t strive for a design that will just add more stress into your life because of its need for constant maintenance.
The episode concludes with Ednesha taking a few tips from Laurie and brainstorming how she will use them to design the backyard of her new place for the summer!
Thank you so much for your continued support for The BeREAL Podcast. We look forward to each new week, and we hope you do as well. Keep a look out for a new episode next Tuesday! In the meantime, if you missed last week's episode, go give it a listen!
For more information on Laurie and her business visit the links below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplyborganized/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplyBorganized
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simplyborganized/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smplyBorganized
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/smplyborganized/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-organized-life/id1193014252
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Heather Box to discuss the importance of owning your personal story.
Heather Box is the co-founder of the Million Person Project. Since 2011, the Million Person Project has helped over 3000 change makers from 70 countries tell their stories. She have prepared Ugandan farmers to speak at the United Nations, coached social entrepreneurs for their first TED talks, and helped first‐time writers craft powerful magazine and newspaper articles. In 2019, Heather published a book, How Your Story Sets You Free with her partner and co-founder of the Million Person Project, Julian Mocine-McQueen. Heather and Julian live in San Francisco with their son, Roman, who is one years old.
Similar to Heather’s work, this week’s episode explores ideas of how to tell your personal story, and the importance of doing so. Heather strives to showcase the power of using personal stories to create deep and meaningful connections with others.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great opportunity for people to come together over a shared experience. However, it is important to acknowledge that just because we are living through common experience, does not mean that we all have the same story to tell about these times.
Heather walks Diana and Ednesha through the steps to create a personal life map. She explains how this can be used to track your values and beliefs through your lifetime, and learn more about yourself and your growth.
As the episode concludes, Heather discusses her book, “How Your Story Sets You Free,” and how it teaches readers how to evaluate your life story and make it matter to you and those around you. She highlights that every story is important to, and no matter your background, your story can be influential to others, and therefore never discredit your life experiences.
Thank you so much for joining us this week on BeREAL. We cherish your continued love and support and remember to catch us next Tuesday for a brand new episode. In the meantime, make sure you check out last week's episode if you didn't get the chance!
For more information on Heather Box, her book, or her Million Person Project visit the links below.
Website: www.millionpersonproject.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millionpersonproject/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/millionpersonproject/
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
To schedule an appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
On this week’s episode of BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Liz Buehler Walker, Diana’s longtime friend.
Liz Buehler Walker is a mom, yoga teacher (specializing in Pre- and Post-Natal) and most recently a labor organizer with Unionize Yoga. With 20 years of experience teaching yoga in NYC, Liz has been around the block more than a few times -- as a teacher in small community and corporate studios, co-founder and co-director of Yoga High with Mel Russo, teacher trainer, mentor, and one of the organizers of the first ever yoga union.
Liz begins by explaining how her practice has changed over the past month. She goes over the struggles associated with not being able to physically assist her students, and how hosting a class for students across many different environments can distract from the shared experience that is common in yoga studios. Liz also touches on the benefits of teaching virtual yoga, such as how the new situation has stripped down the “luxurious” image that many people associate with yoga. She stresses how the practice should not focus on the expensive mats or the fancy clothes, and instead focus on the body.
Next, Liz dives into more information about prenatal yoga. Liz has worked with pregnant people for many years, and has had a child herself. However, she acknowledges that her experience and the experience of her students is very different from what other people experience. Ednesha provides anecdotes and current news stories that showcase how pregnancy is a very different experience in communities of color than in white communities.
Lastly, Liz and Ednesha discuss the importance of diversifying the field of doulas and other job fields that assist pregnant people. They also highlight how the current services offered do not cater to communities of color and the implications this has on safety and mental health.
Thank you so much for joining us this week on the BeREAL Podcast. Remember to come back next Tuesday for an all new episode!
Below are some doula services that cater to communities of color:
Latham Thomas: https://mamaglow.com/
Ancient Song Doula Services: https://www.ancientsongdoulaservices.com/
Liz Buehler Walker can be found on:
Her website: www.brooklynyogalife.com
Instagram: @lizbyogalife
Facebook: @lizbyogalife
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
On this week’s episode of BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Ednesha’s friend, Brian Sales, to discuss the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on black and brown communities. Brian Sales is a scholar of black culture living near the D.C. area in Virginia. He has worked in higher education, human services, and youth mentorship.
This episode covers many issues that currently do not have an adequate amount of dialogue around them. Your hosts discuss the use of the term “essential worker,” and how it puts a positive spin on a darker reality. Minority workers in urban areas fill a large percentage of the essential jobs that are not given enough appreciation for the duties they are fulfilling as retail workers, public transit workers, and maintenance workers. The episode also addresses how social distancing in urban and suburban areas are two drastically different experiences.
The conversation shifts to a more general discussion of race and mental health. Your hosts address how different stigmas of therapy can deter minority patients from seeking help. They discuss the stereotypes affixed to black women that propagate the belief that they should not need to get mental health counseling. They give examples of how these stereotypes are reflected in advertising and marketing campaigns, and the detrimental effects this can have on many people’s mental health. Brian speaks on the issue further when he explains how gender can influence one’s choice to seek out counseling.
The episode concludes with your hosts and guest examining how the mental health profession has diversified over time, the benefits of that diversification, and how it can be further changed for the better in the future.
As always, thank you so much for joining us this week on BeREAL, stay tuned for the next episode launching next week!
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Amina AlTai to discuss doing business during the pandemic, and how to continue to thrive professionally.
Amina AlTai is a holistic business and mindset coach. She is the first social entrepreneur to successfully create a methodology that supports the health of a business and its people at the same time. After spending a decade grappling with a fast-paced career in marketing and two autoimmune diseases, Amina hit burnout. In hopes of healing her own life, she sought training in nutrition, fitness and mindfulness and her goal became to teach others how to balance a thriving career, body and mind. She takes a mind, body and business approach to coaching—examining any blocks in the mindset, in our bodies and our work—to help us thrive.
The trio discuss how business has changed so far during the pandemic, as well as the possible effects it could have on business in the post-pandemic world. They examine the changes in consumer behavior and see what that might mean for business production. They talk about the way businesses are handling the current situation and provide examples of good business practices and other practices that are harmful for the wellbeing of their employees. Amina sheds light on the importance of businesses meeting their employees where they are at the given moment; not asking too much for them, while also not leaving them behind.
Amina is launching a series of online courses that offer many different insights into business and the coronavirus. The first of which is titled “Thriving in a Global Pandemic.” This course offers ways to deal with a lost job, a lost project, and other effects of COVID-19. The course covers topics such as grief and fear, turning genius into a way to support yourself during these times, and designing projects that align with your values. BeREAL listeners can receive 15% of this course if they use the promo code “BEREAL,” and on top of that Amina will be donating an additional 15% to No Kid Hungry.
Thank you so much for your continued support, if you missed last week's episode, make sure to catch up before an all new episode next Tuesday. For more information on Amina’s work and course see the links below:
“Thriving in a Global Pandemic” course: https://amina-altai.teachable.com/p/thriving-in-a-global-crisis
Website: www.aminaaltai.com
Instagram: @aminaaltai
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
In this episode of The BeREAL Podcast, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dawn Tardif to discuss Ayurveda Medicine.
Dawn Tardif, Founder and President of BodiScience Wellness Center & Spa in Beverley, MA, has more than 29 years in the health, wellness and spa industry. Ms. Tardif earned her degree in Ayurvedic Medicine from the International Ayurvedic Institute in 1999. She studied with top Ayurvedic leaders, in her pursuit to become a master in the field of wellness. Ms. Tardif also holds certifications in Allopathic Medicine from the Boston University Mini-Medical School as well as Anti-aging Nutrition and Clinical Aromatherapy.
Dawn brings her expertise to discuss how to properly monitor one’s body. She explains the many parts of the Ayurvedic practice, such as dosha, and what each individual dosha represents. She then walks Ednesha through a consultation to determine her dosha, biorhythm, and other aspects of the body energy that are important to maintain a healthy self.
The trio discuss how important touch is to Ayurvedic medicine, and Dawn elaborates on the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on her practice. She also notes how important it is for people to pay attention to their bodies during this time where they may not be maintaining a regular sleep routine or healthy diet. Dawn suggests simple meditations practices that can help maintain peace of mind during these times, and the episode concludes with Dawn walking the listeners through a guided meditation.
Thank you to all the listeners who have been keeping up with The BeREAL Podcast, your support means so much to us.
You can find information about Dawn and her practice here:
BodiScience: www.BodiScience.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bodiscience/
twitter: @BodiScience
instagram: @BodiScience_Wellness
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
In this episode of the BeREAL Podcast, Diana and Ednesha answer questions about grief, guided by the BeREAL producer, Don.
The duo discuss the many different forms of grief that many people are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. They address grief due to the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of feeling safe, and the loss of routine. They highlight that it is important during this time to find ways to talk through grief, because many people cannot grieve together, and instead must experience the stages whilst in self-isolation. They go over different responses to grief such as attempting to return to normalcy, distracting oneself with work, and by letting oneself be angry.
The conversation shifts and your hosts talk about the future and life after the pandemic. They bring up the ways that the conversation of grief may shift in a post-coronavirus world, and advocate a slow return to the old routine. The pair also cover the topic of self-compassion and explain the importance of not being hard on oneself while in self-isolation, and instead shed light on the importance of putting mental health at the forefront of your to-do list. The episode concludes with your hosts telling the listeners how they have been spending their time during the stay-at-home order.
The team at BeREAL would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been listening to our episodes, your support means so much to us! Be on the lookout for a new episode coming next week!
For more information on The BeREAL Podcast and BeWELL Psychotherapy visit the links below.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
On this episode of the BeREAL Podcast, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Sean Grover, LCSW to discuss group therapy both in person and online.
Sean Grover is a psychotherapist and author with 25 years experience leading therapy groups and working with parents. Sean’s parenting book, WHEN KIDS CALL THE SHOTS: How to Seize Control from Your Darling Bully--and Enjoy Parenting Again was named Best New Nonfiction from Publishers Weekly and has also been published in Chinese, Korean, and Russian. Sean’s Psychology Today parenting blog has gathered three and a half million reads and he has been a featured guest on The Today Show.
Sean is brought in to discuss the benefits of group therapy, and how it differs from individual counseling. He goes into the details of how to find a group that is the right fit for you, and he explains how he creates group dynamics. He offers anecdotes of how having the wrong people in one group can cause discomfort, but also recounts stories of how putting the right people together can bring joy and ease to all members attending the sessions. Some characteristics he touches on that can truly make a group great are maturity, diversity, and personality. Some of Sean’s groups have been around since the 90’s and he gives great examples of how group therapy can become a second family over time and truly help human growth.
The episode concludes with the trio discussing how group therapy has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sean explains the technical and personal issues that arose due to this transition and talks on how he overcame those hurdles to restore his groups’ dynamics remotely.
As always, thank you for your continued support of the BeREAL Podcast. Until next week, more information on Sean and BeWELL Psychotherapy can be found below:
Sean Grover:
www.SeanGrover.com
BeWELL Psychotherapy:
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Hello Herd:
https://www.helloherd.com/
On this week’s episode of the BeREAL Podcast, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Melanie Stitt to further discuss social isolation and what dating is like during a pandemic. Melanie is a licensed social worker with the BeWELL Psychotherapy team in Manhattan, and she runs a private practice in Philadelphia as well.
The team of therapists dive into the topic of social isolation and examine it from all angles. They discuss the trials some people might be facing if they live alone as well as the issues that can arise from sharing space with others during this time. The trio give their own personal accounts of how they are handling social isolation and explain how important it is to acknowledge that everyone will be dealing with the COVID-19 lockdowns differently. They brainstorm appropriate ways to reach out if you know someone who might not want to talk about their mental health at this time, but may be struggling due to the virus.
Other occurrences that can have harsh effects on mental health at this time are milestone moments. More specifically, the cancellation of milestone moments. Along with Melanie, your hosts offer solutions to help remedy the hurt many people might be feeling due to missing senior prom, graduation, weddings, birthdays, vacations, or other events that they were looking forward to.
The conversation shifts and the team addresses how the dating landscape has changed during this time. They give examples of creative ways people are still putting themselves out there and meeting new people through dating apps, all while adhering to the social distancing guidelines. They also look at the way couples’ dynamics are changing, now that they either can't see each other at all (if they’re isolating separately), or they see their partner every hour of every day (if they’re isolating together).
We want to give a big thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast so far. We hope you are all safe and healthy during this time and are finding ways to maintain good mental health. We look forward to you joining us next week for an all new episode of the BeREAL Podcast. Until then, more information about the podcast and the BeWELL Psychotherapy practice can be found below:
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Episode 5 of The BeREAL Podcast is all about the new normal! Diana and Ednesha are joined by Jamie Lieberman from the FearLess Business Podcast. Jamie is an attorney and mother of two, and with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, both of her roles have gone digital.
Jamie shares her tips for working from home while managing your kids newly-online learning. The trio discuss how to overcome the hurdles imposed by the coronavirus, such as the lack of you-time, limited face-to-face socialization, and heightened anxiety. For the second half of the episode, Diana and Ednesha are interviewed by the BeREAL producer, Don. They retell their experiences of practicing “physical distancing.”
Without kids, the biggest change to their routines has been working from home, and more specifically, working in the same home as their partners. Your hosts give advice on how to maintain a positive relationship dynamic with your significant other, while living and working under the same roof. They suggest ways to use the extra at-home time to learn more about your partner, and ways to find your own private space if needed to promote good mental health.
Following the advice of last week, the most important thing to do right now is to establish your personal routine within the new normal. Thank you for all the love you’ve shown our last few episodes, we appreciate it so much, and can’t wait for you to join us next week.
Join the BeReal Facebook group to offer input on the BeReal closing tagline.
Jamie can be found at:
https://www.hashtag-legal.com/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hashtag_legal/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hashtaglegallc/
FearLess Business Podcast: https://fearlessbusinesspodcast.com/
Find more information about BeREAL and BeWell Psychotherapy here:
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
Disclaimer: This episode was recorded a couple of weeks ago, before New York City issued a shelter in place order as a means to combat the COVID-19 virus. The team here at BeWell does not advise traveling at this time or visiting places where many people will gather. The hosts and the guest for this episode have changed their ideas of how to maintain a healthy mind during this pandemic. We will continue to tell listeners to go outside as it complies with what each state or county has ordered, but people must practice physical distancing and avoid places with even small crowds. This is a way to promote mental wellbeing during this time, however, we would also like to stress how crucial physical wellbeing is one’s health. Stay safe and for more information on how to protect yourself you can visit the CDC website.
The BeREAL team continues to cover how to establish a new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Diana and Ednesha are joined with Diana’s friend Rick to discuss what it is like to travel at this time (please see disclaimer above). Rick is brought on to discuss his recent trip to New York City that was initially to attend an event, until that event got cancelled due to the virus.
The trio discuss ways to cope with the banning of large events and the possible emotional implications of these cancellations. They delve into the anxiety that is caused by not being able to anticipate what is coming next during these constantly changing times, and advocate for ways that people can use this time to look further into the future, and plan for life after the pandemic. Another hot topic that they take on is how to deal with the contradicting information coming from various prominent figures in politics, and how to ward off fears caused by the news that could be mentally overwhelming. Finally, the team concludes by offering suggestions for how to continue to practice good human values during this time and uplift those around you. Even though we may be physically separated during this time, it is important to remember that everyone around us is experiencing something similar at this time and might be facing similar mental health obstacles.
Thank you to everyone who tuned in to BeREAL this week and in the past. See you all next week!
Join the BeReal Facebook group to offer input on the BeReal closing tagline.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
In episode three of The BeREAL Podcast, Diana and Ednesha cover the inception of the podcast and relate it to a discussion about the ways to maintain good mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Routine becomes a big issue that is covered in this episode, because maintaining as normal of a routine as possible during this time is critical for a healthy mind. Your hosts examine the possible mental health implications posed by the coronavirus, and highlight the ways that this extra free time can be used to be productive and experiment with new mindfulness activities. The conversation turns back to the BeWELL Psychotherapy practice as the pair elaborate on the ways that therapists are handling the pandemic. The two explain the ways that they are attempting to cater to their patients’ needs during this time while also keeping track of their own mental health.
This pandemic is constantly changing and each day brings new triumphs and challenges, but it is important for us all to learn how to “pivot” our daily routine and come out on the other side both mentally and physically healthy. The team here at BeREAL and BeWELL is wishing you all the best during this uncertain time, and we welcome you to visit us at www.bewellpsychotherapy.com. Thank you for all the support so far on The BeREAL Podcast, until next week.
Join the BeReal Facebook group to offer input on the BeReal closing tagline.
www.bewellpsychotherapy.com
www.beher-now.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
I’m Diana Gasperoni, and I’m the host of BeREAL. I’m super excited for our second episode today. Today I have the BeREAL team in the house, which is super exciting. I have Ednesha Saulsbury. She’s a psychotherapist. She works with us at Be Well Psychotherapy. She also has a program that she’s going to talk about… which supports black women.
Welcome to the BeReal podcast. I am your host, Diana Gasperoni. I am a visionary psychotherapist, CEO and Founder of BeWell Psychotherapy and BeHer programs. Along with my amazing co-hosts Ednesha Saulsbury and Divya Robbin, each week, we will talk about the journey of mental health wellness.
Hi, I’m Diana Gasperoni. I am the host of BeReal. I am super excited to be here. I am a psychotherapist in New York City and the CEO and Founder of the BeWell Psychotherapy Group. We are all about just being. This podcast is about just being human and what that means. Therapy is really important to me. It’s been a part of my life for a very long time.