Hope Pieced Together: Recent Episodes
Mosaics of Mercy
Hope Pieced Together is a show that gets real about mental health struggles and how to overcome them. You will hear personal stories, practical tools, and professional insight for the journey toward mental well-being. Whether you listen for you, a loved one, or for how to help in your community, it will be evident that hope is definitely alive! Each month, the host, Sherry Burkhard, RN, includes parts of her own professional and personal story, as well as insight gained at the non-profit organization, Mosaics of Mercy.
In this episode of Hope Pieced Together, Jennifer Myers, Community Outreach Coordinator at Mosaic, sits down with Kimberly Rosinski, one of the founders of M-COPE (Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor). M-COPE is a vital program designed to equip communities with the tools and knowledge needed to prevent overdoses and respond when they occur. Kimberly shares her powerful journey of transforming the pain of losing a loved one to a drug overdose into a purposeful mission through the creation of M-COPE. Hear about the range of educational events M-COPE hosts, the resources it provides to families, and the meaningful ways it honors those lost to overdosing. Hear practical advice on detecting hidden drugs in the home, the importance of consistent communication with children, and the initial steps to take if there is a problem. Discover how you can get involved with M-COPE, from becoming a volunteer to participating in their upcoming annual awareness event. Tune in to find out how you can make a difference in the fight against drugs in your community with Kimberly Rosinski.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introduction to Kimberly Rosinski and background about M-COPE.
- What led to the creation of M-COPE and its overall mission.
- M-COPE’s values: prevention, education, remembrance, and awareness.
- The Texas Memorial Walkway and how it helps raise awareness.
- Kimberly explains the latest overdosing trends observed in her community.
- Overdosing prevention insights and how to help spread awareness.
- Why early education on drug dangers should begin at home.
- Learn about the signs that indicate your child might have a drug problem.
- M-COPE’s Overdose Awareness Day 2024 event and what to expect.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kimberly Rosinski on LinkedIn
Kimberly Rosinski on Facebook
Kimberly Rosinski Email
M-COPE
M-COPE on Facebook
The Texas Memorial Walkway
Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Mosaics
Jennifer Myers
Jennifer Myers on LinkedIn
Hope Pieced Together Podcast
Walk and Talk therapy is an incredible tool used by therapists to help clients process difficult emotions more calmly and clearly. Today on Hope Pieced Together, we are joined by psychotherapist, Allie Haydon to discuss all things Walk and Talk therapy. In this episode, you’ll hear all about what inspired Allie to start using Walk and Talk therapy, what it’s used to treat, why it’s so beneficial, the kind of client Allie believes it works best on, and more! Allie even tells us how she conducts her Walk and Talk therapy before sharing why she doesn’t believe that she’s not ‘the therapist for everybody’. We delve into the other services she offers, her new job and availability, and finally, Allie tells us about some of the common mental health issues she encounters in her clients. Thanks for tuning in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Welcoming Allie Haydon to the podcast.
- What her inspiration was for Walk and Talk therapy and why she loves it so much.
- What Walk and Talk therapy is used to treat and why it is so helpful.
- Allie tells us about an experience with a Walk and Talk client.
- Why she loves working with young clients in her Walk and Talk therapy.
- How she conducts Walk and Talk therapy and the process of getting started.
- Why Allie doesn’t see herself as ‘the therapist for everybody’.
- A breakdown of the other services Allie offers.
- Some of the common mental health issues Allie sees in her clients.
- What the future holds for Allie’s career and what her availability looks like.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Allie Haydon on LinkedIn
Flourish Mental Health
Dr. Francine Shapiro
Wellness and mental health education is as important as any other part of the school system as it teaches students how to prioritize their holistic wellbeing by becoming curious and compassionate about their emotions. Today on Hope Pieced Together, we are joined by the incredible Head of The John Cooper School, Dr. Stephen Popp, and the school’s Director of Wellness, Dr. Diego Estrada, to discuss their systemic and evidence-based approach to educating student populations on mental wellbeing. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about our guests’ backgrounds, what their school’s mission is, why mental health is part of your overall well-being, and a breakdown of their systemic approach to educating their community on wellness and wellbeing. We delve into how they started the mental wellbeing conversations with their staff and students before our guests discuss the importance of evidence-based education and how they navigate the complexities of society while trying to destigmatize mental health discussions. We even talk about the multitude of projects they offer and skills they are fostering in their students when it comes to this subject, how parents can support their children through anxiety in their academic environments, and why they want their students to become ‘emotional scientists’ not ‘emotional judges’. Finally, they remind us that their mental well-being mission is an ongoing process that needs constant evolution and work. You don’t want to miss this one, so be sure to listen now! Key Points From This Episode:
• Introducing today’s guests, Dr. Stephen Popp and Dr. Diego Estrada.
• Our guests tell us about their school's mission and how they carry it out.
• Their systemic approach to educating the community on wellness and well-being.
• Why mental health is part of your overall well-being and should be maintained consistently.
• How they transitioned from educating their facility and staff to the students in their school.
• The importance of evidence-based education when it comes to emotions.
• How they navigate the challenges and complexities of the world while educating students.
• Teaching students to be proactive and intellectually curious about their emotions.
• Why their staff do not act as counselors and how they handle mental health challenges.
• Their incredible collaborations and opportunities for their students on this topic.
• How they are teaching their students invaluable skills.
• What parents can do to help their children with academic anxiety.
• The importance of becoming an ‘emotional scientist’ instead of an ‘emotional judge’.
• Why their mission is an ongoing process.
• The best and worst advice ever, the legacy they want to create, and one law they’d create.
• Our guests share some inspirational stories of hope that have driven them in their lives.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dr. Stephen Popp on LinkedIn
Dr. Diego Estrada on LinkedIn
The John Cooper School
Dr. Paulraj Samuel on LinkedIn
Hope Pieced Together Podcast
Seeing your children suffer is one of the most painful experiences you can go through as a parent. And when you have a child who is battling substance abuse issues, knowing how to intervene can be a harrowing process fraught with shame, guilt, and isolation. Joining us today to generously share their experiences are the Moms With Hair On Fire (MWHOF), a group of moms supporting not only their children, who are going through addiction but also one another. We talk with them about their experience navigating this difficult process before reflecting on the profound role that finding community has played in their children’s recovery, as well as their own healing journeys. Our conversation also delves into the shame and stigma surrounding these issues, how silence and isolation hamper the recovery process, and why sharing these types of stories is the only way to address the prejudices surrounding addiction. To learn more about their journeys, along with resources and advice to parents who suspect their children may be struggling with substance abuse, tune in for this important conversation.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing the Moms With Hair On Fire (MWHOF).
- Their support for one another as moms whose children are going through addiction.
- What they recognize, in retrospect, as the first telltale signs of addiction.
- Finding evidence of substance abuse, and their experience trying to confront the problem.
- The rapid changes they saw in their children’s behavior.
- Unpacking the grieving process and realizing the extent of your child’s addiction problem.
- Bargaining with their kids to help them get the treatment they needed.
- Navigating relapses, treatment, runaways, and multiple stays at rehab.
- An overview of the Archway Academy, a sober high school in Houston, Texas.
- The pivotal role that the Archway Academy played in their children’s recovery journey.
- Becoming part of a community of parents and children who share their experiences.
- Reflections on why this has been so impactful.
- Why they put together the Navigating Recovery support group.
- Their advice to parents who suspect their child may be hiding substance abuse from them.
- Resource recommendations and advice to parents on who to reach out to if you have a child who is struggling with addiction.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Chris Crawford
LifeSpring Behavioral Health
Archway Academy
Moms With Hair On Fire (MWHOF) Emails Below:
the4weavers@mac.com
lvpratts@gmail.com
lhughes1121@yahoo.com
nobukotg@gmail.com
erintbaker@gmail.com
Today we are honored to be joined by Jeff 'Gunny' Shilanski, the founder of FOB Rasor, a veteran-led peer support group in Montgomery County. In addition to being a support group for veterans, it is also open to first responders; like 911 dispatchers, law enforcement members, firefighters, and those who work in the prison system. Jeff is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant and spent 21 years in the infantry. Like many others, he used alcohol to help him cope with the immense stresses of his job and overwhelming PTSD. In today’s conversation, Jeff shares his vulnerable account of reaching his breaking point and how his service dog, Cupholder, saved his life. He shares how rehab helped him recover from his experiences and how he founded FOB Rasor in honor of his best friend. Tuning in, you’ll learn about FOB Rasor’s mission, their peer support model, the contents of their meetings, and how they make sure that everyone’s experience is validated. Jeff also reflects on the nature of addiction and PTSD, why recovery is a lifelong process, and what has been the most rewarding part of his experience with FOB Rasor. We hope you’ll join us for this humbling and hope-filled conversation with Jeff ‘Gunny’ Shilanski. Please note that today’s episode contains mention of suicide. We ask you to please listen with care.
Key Points From This Episode:
- A warm welcome to today’s guest, Jeff 'Gunny' Shilanski.
- Insight into Jeff’s 20 years with the Marine Corps.
- His experience with PTSD and alcoholism.
- Trigger Warning: For listeners who wish to avoid Jeff’s account of his suicide attempt, please skip audio between [03:14] and [04:43].
- How Jeff found recovery and met Korean war veteran, Bobby.
- The life-changing impact Bobby had on him.
- Why he founded the non-profit organization, FOB Rasor.
- The story behind the name FOB Rasor.
- FOB Rasor’s mission to support veterans and first responders.
- Why they use the 12-step program as their model.
- How the COVID-19 pandemic influenced their virtual and in-person options.
- An overview of what happens in their meetings.
- General Hummer and the many ways he has supported FOB Rasor.
- The work that FOB Rasor does in the veterans’ portion of the local jail.
- Jeff’s definition of what it means to be a lifer for life.
- Two stories of hope from Jeff and the role that FOB Rasor played.
- Reflections on recovery and why it’s a lifelong process.
- The importance of their mandatory fun sessions at FOB Rasor.
- Find out how you can reach out to Jeff and FOB Rasor.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
FOB Rasor
Jeff's email
Hope Pieced Together
Mosaics of Mercy
Mosaics of Mercy | Resources
Jeff’s phone number: 281-573-7250
All of us have to deal with varying degrees of trauma from the day we are born but few are forced to sit with such unthinkable horrors as the women and men who are called to protect this country. Luckily, there is hope for veterans who are looking for ways to cope with their internal wounds and that hope is yoga. We are joined today by Yoga Alliance RYT-200 certified yoga teacher, Morgan Daugherty, who is here to spill the beans on the magic of using yoga to work through trauma. Morgan explains how she began working with veterans and why this work is so important to her before detailing the ins and outs of the Veterans Yoga Project. We learn about yoga being transformative, what Morgan teaches in her Mindful Resilience class, the impact and
reach of Warrior Church, and examples of when our guest has seen yoga do wonders for her veteran students. Please tune in as we discover how yoga gives us the capacity to endure the sufferings of life.
Key Points From This Episode:
• Welcoming Yoga Alliance RYT-200 certified yoga teacher, Morgan Daugherty.
• How Morgan began working with traumatized veterans.
• A detailed explanation of the Veterans Yoga Project.
• How yoga can be transformative.
• The ins and outs of Morgan’s Mindful Resilience class.
• Understanding Warrior Church and Morgan’s role in it.
• How she’s seen yoga impact veterans in the most profound and inspiring ways.
• Morgan’s parting words of hope.
Morgan Daugherty on LinkedIn
Morgan Daugherty Instagram
Morgan Daugherty on Yoga Alliance
Veterans Yoga Project
True Form Gym
The Woodlands Yoga Studio
Warrior Church
Stephanie Skipworth
Hope Pieced Together
Mosaics of Mercy
Mosaics of Mercy | Resources
Most of us have preconceived ideas of what addiction looks like. In reality, it is a nuanced and powerful disease. Not everyone has the same experience regarding addiction and the subsequent road to recovery. In today’s episode, CarrieRae Munson opens up about her own experiences with addiction and how she found the road to recovery. CarrieRae is the visionary behind Undersummers, a revolutionary women’s clothing brand. She is also the chairman of FOB Rasor, an organization providing support services to veterans suffering from PTSD, addiction, and mental health issues. Due to her own experiences, CarrieRae is a deeply passionate advocate for drug and alcohol recovery, dedicating her free time to this crucial cause. We discuss her rollercoaster relationship with alcohol, how prescribed medication sparked her initial addiction to pills, the moment she realized she had a problem with alcohol, and how she got onto the path of recovery. Hear how she was initially able to function and manage her addiction to alcohol and how it eventually came crashing down around her. Share shares her moment of clarity and how an unlikely person helped her accept her addiction. Gain valuable insights into the recovery process, common misconceptions about addiction, the role God plays in her recovery, and much more. We hope you join us for this inspirational conversation with CarrieRae Munson, tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Background about CarrieRae and her first experience with alcohol.
• Hear about her up-and-down relationship with drinking.
• How a medical diagnosis triggered her addiction later in life.
• Circumstances that escalated her substance abuse.
• Her long recovery journey from prescribed medication.
• Why she did not regard herself as an addict at the time.
• Discover how addiction manifests in high-functioning individuals.
• Examples of how her addiction to alcohol became unmanageable.
• She shares her story of how she found recovery.
• Moments of clarity and lessons from her recovery journey.
• Early sobriety and building new friendships.
• The role recovery plays in her marriage.
• Details about FOB Rasor and the incredible work she is doing.
• Words of advice for listeners struggling with addiction.
Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:
CarrieRae Munson on LinkedIn
CarrieRae Munson on X
Undersummers
FOB Rasor
Mosaics of Mercy
Mosaics of Mercy | Resources
We are all aware that life comes with its highs and lows, which can take a toll on our bodies. Substance abuse disorder can hinder us from fully realizing ourselves, potentially leading us away from our true selves and life's purpose. Joining us today is Dustin Weaver, the CEO of The 365 Concept and Co-owner of Restoration Recovery Group, here to share with us his story of recovery from substance abuse disorder and what his road to sobriety has looked like. He shares insights into The 365 Concept, what is daily program looks like, and more about The Texas 1000. To hear his story of resilience and hope, and much more, tune into this episode of Hope Pieced Together.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Dustin shares more about himself, giving us more details of his life path.
- He sheds light on circumstances in his life that encouraged him down the path of substance abuse.
- How he got to where he finds himself today: how the alcohol took his life from him.
- From the turning point to stepping onto the road of recovery: changing positions.
- Dustin talks about his love for fitness and how it cured his asthma.
- He tells listeners about running hisfirst mile.
- Insights into The 365 Concept: the story of resilience and hope at its finest.
- His sobriety date and his belief in one day at a time.
- What his program looks like on the daily and more about The Restoration Recovery Group.
- The evolution of his life following his choice to quit drinking.
- Dustin talks about The Texas 1000: providing motivation for people to move.
- His acronym: MMI and what it means to him.
- How you can get involved in the Texas 1000.
- He shares some of what he’s learned about himself, this side of addiction.
- Dustin leaves a heartfelt encouragement to listeners.
- How to support: The 365 Concept (and Texas 1000).
- Where to learn more about The Restoration Recovery Group.
- Mosaics of Mercy: Saturday, October 28th Family Run.
- Final thoughts from Dustin: be open.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dustin Weaver on LinkedIn
Dustin Weaver on Facebook
Dustin Weaver Email
The 365 Concept
The Restoration Recovery Group
The Texas 1000
Mosaics of Mercy Family Run
Mosaics of Mercy on Facebook
Today on Hope Pieced Together, we are joined by Jason Rocha, founder and CEO of The
Woodlands Pride to discuss his incredible organization, his journey as a gay man, struggles within the LGBTQ+ community and so much more! Tuning in, you’ll hear about Jason’s upbringing, his difficulties with coming out and opening himself up to love, and why he decided to create The Woodlands Pride. We delve into how each person’s coming out experience differs before discussing the importance of open allyship. Finally, Jason tells us about The Woodlands Pride, what it has achieved, and where he sees it going in the future. To hear all this and more, press play now!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing today’s guest, Jason Rocha.
- Jason tells us about his background, being part of the LGBTQ+ community, and his husband.
- What The Woodlands Pride is all about and why Jason decided to create it.
- Jason speaks about the different ways people ‘come out’ and why each experience differs.
- The importance of being an open ally and supporting members of the community (out or not).
- Jason tells us about where The Woodlands Pride is right now and where he sees it in future.
- The Woodlands Pride summit and festival.
“I want people to feel comfortable to not let go of their partner’s hand when they walk in public and if they can do that for just a few hours here, then great.” — Jason Rocha [0:10:04]
“[Coming out] is the biggest weight off the shoulders.” — Jason Rocha [0:17:52]
“If anybody ever has questions or doubts about their sexuality or gender identity, – I hope you know that I am a safe space to talk to about that.” — Jason Rocha [0:23:26]
“Small actions that allies can take really do contribute to people's ability to live in sort of a healthier way in this community.” — Jason Rocha [0:23:31]
“[The Woodlands Pride wants] to be an organization that highlights people who will help see others as people.” — Jason Rocha [0:32:50]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jason Rocha on LinkedIn
The Woodlands Pride
Nicole Suarez-Bronfman
Knowing how to show up for a loved one when they share their coming out journey with us can be challenging. Today’s guest is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in community mental health and offering mental health support to the LGBTQ+ community in the Woodlands. During this episode, she shares her expertise for those in the process of sharing their true identity with friends and family and their loved ones seeking to offer support. To kick off our conversation, Nicole distinguishes between clinical social work and psychotherapy and speaks to the social justice aspect of the former that made her fall in love with the field. She offers a window into her work, from how she has chosen to communicate her inclusive approach online and her work around shame, trauma, and depression to what it means to truly provide a safe space for those who need it most. Nicole explains why coming out is often something that a whole family will need to do and why that process is internal as well as forward-facing. Tune in today to hear all this and many more insights from today’s inspiring guest. Thanks for tuning in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Meet your host, coach, and counselor Carolyn Robistow.
- Introducing licensed clinical social worker Nicole Suarez-Bronfman and her work in community mental health.
- Differentiating between clinical social work and psychotherapy.
- Nicole’s work with marginalized communities that led her to specialize in treating LGBTQ+ patients.
- How she has chosen to communicate her inclusive approach online.
- Effects of the current political climate on mental health difficulties.
- Her work around shame, trauma, and depression.
- What it means to truly provide a safe space.
- Subtle and small ways that people experience rejection and abandonment.
- Why coming out often involves the whole family.
- The pivotal role of community and family in finding the necessary support.
- Advice for those seeking to support an LGBTQ+ family member who has recently come out.
- Why coming out is a process and not a once-off conversation.
- Communicating acceptance by honoring someone’s pronouns.
- Finding support as the person that is supporting a loved one.
- Using the opportunity to connect with one another and grow together.
- Advice for those who are thinking about coming out.
- Risks around shame and isolation for the LGBTQ+ community.
- Warning signs that indicate people need extra support.
- Challenging practitioners to emphasize their inclusivity in public spaces.
- Supportive groups in Texas to seek out.
- Nicole’s stories of hope: seeing people find connection in the midst of fear.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Nicole Suarez-Bronfman
Nicole Suarez-Bronfman Email
The Woodlands Pride
There’s Room At Our Table
The Trevor Project
Carolyn Robistow on LinkedIn
Carolyn Robistow
Mosaics of Mercy
Welcome to another episode of The Hope Pieced Together podcast, with today’s host, Stephanie Skipworth, the Operations Development Manager at Mosaics of Mercy. Today, Stephanie sits down with three of the Mosaics Summer Interns of 2023 as they wrap up their time at Mosaics. Tune in to hear about their experience over the summer as they share insider information about how they heard about Mosaics, where they’ve experienced the most growth, and their favorite moments or projects throughout the internship. They also talk about their future goals and dreams, give advice to other college students thinking about internships, and share some Hope with listeners! Join in to hear all about their summer internship at Mosaics of Mercy.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The interns share how each of them heard about Mosaics of Mercy.
- The parts of life where they feel they've experienced the most growth during their internship.
- They express their favorite moments or projects they had over the summer.
- The whole point of an internship: goals and dreams for the future!
- There is a space and place for everyone at a non-profit: a mosaic!
- The interns share advice with other college students.
- We each share our Hope with listeners!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Stephanie Skipworth on LinkedIn
The mind-body connection is becoming more widely understood and accepted in modern society and joining us today to discuss the importance of integrating mental and physical health is interventional cardiologist, Dr. Paulraj Samuel of Samuel Family Cardiology. Dr. Samuel reveals the importance of offering patients access to mental health support alongside medical treatment, emphasizing that addressing both aspects is vital for maximizing overall health and quality of life. In this episode, we find out how Dr. Samuel's collaboration with Mosaics of Mercy aims to break down healthcare barriers, empowering providers to discuss mental health openly and bridge the gap between physical and mental well-being. Tune in for valuable advice for both patients and healthcare providers on initiating conversations about mental health and what it means to truly “cherish your life”.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing interventional cardiologist, Dr. Paulraj Samuel.
- Dr. Samuel shares his background and insight into his expertise.
- How he feels additional training in mental health would have served him.
- What led him to connect with Mosaics of Mercy and how they work together.
- The benefits of offering patients access to mental health help.
- How partnering with Mosaics of Mercy aids Dr. Samuel’s mission to break down healthcare barriers.
- The barriers healthcare providers face when confronted with mental health issues.
- How mental health and physical health overlap.
- Dr. Samuel explains how the healthcare system typically operates in silos.
- Appreciation for the administrative population and the role they can play in bridging the gaps.
- Advice for those nervous about bringing up mental health with their physician.
- What physicians can do when confronted with patients’ mental health needs, and the benefits of checking in.
- Dr. Samuel shares the mantra that serves as his source of hope: Cherish your life.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dr. Paulraj Samuel
Samuel Family Cardiology
Carolyn Robistow
Mosaics of Mercy
In this day and age, it’s almost impossible to keep our children away from the online world. But what we can do is help them navigate it and put measures in place to protect them from its darker side. Today’s guest, Titania Jordan, is the Chief Parenting Officer at Bark Technologies, a company that uses AI to analyze children’s activity online and alert parents or caregivers of any red flags (e.g. a predator sending them inappropriate messages). In this episode, Titania highlights the potential dangers of online spaces and explains the importance of having honest conversations about them with your children from a young age as well as modeling appropriate social media use. Children are exposed to a lot more today than we were during our childhood and this conversation will help you feel better equipped to deal with the challenges of parenting in a tech-centered world!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Titania explains the mission of Bark Technologies.
- Why parenting today is so different from parenting in the past.
- Insight into the dangers of social media.
- The second leading cause of death of children in the United States.
- How parents can help their children to navigate the online world.
- A valuable resource that will help you have discussions with your children about pornography.
- Advice for talking to your children about mental health issues.
- Red flags to make your children aware of in the online world.
- A parenting mistake Titania made and how she corrected it.
- The importance of giving yourself grace as a parent and finding a community to lean on.
- Examples of how to model appropriate online behavior for your children.
- Tools you can use to protect your children from the darker sides of technology.
- A summary of the key elements that will set your children up for success in the online world.
- Why “delay is the way.”
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Titania Jordan
Titania Jordan on LinkedIn
Titania Jordan on Instagram
Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr.
Parenting in a Tech World
Bark Technologies
Marisa Hughes
Today’s story of hope encourages us to be content and faithful as we wait on God because his timing is perfect! In this episode, we welcome to the Hope Pieced Together podcast, Brooke Martin. She is a wife of 35 years and mother to five Snowflake babies and shares with us her truly amazing story of hope. Brook talks about her journey with infertility and IVF and what it was like navigating through several adjacent processes including what to do with leftover embryos and what happens to those embryos if they are donated. Her story brings about many beautiful moments and feelings of hope. Brooke feels that by leaving the door ajar to whoever is listening, she may find her way to more of her donated and adopted embryos. To hear more about this inspiring story of hope, tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Brooke shares about her infertility and IVF journey.
- A message to those facing infertility.
- She shares what it was like having twins after 13 years of marriage.
- Brooke talks about what it was like navigating through the process of what to do with their leftover embryos.
- Her thoughts behind the decision they came to about their embryos.
- What happens to embryos that are donated and how her belief system plays a role.
- How her cousin’s family tree and ancestry hobbies lead to discovering what [exactly] happened to her frozen embryos.
- She shares what she thought and felt when she found out about the triplets.
- Brooke talks about navigating the correspondence with the parents of the frozen embryos.
- The relationships that have flourished since meeting the triplets.
- What Brooke wants listeners to know about the hope in her story.
- What it was like to have media coverage about their story.
- Why you should wait on God and his timing because it is perfect!
- How sharing her story is often therapeutic to her.
- Brooke shares some educational aspects of IVF and Snowflake embryo adoption.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Brooke Martin on Facebook
Brooke Martin on Instagram
Marisa Hughes
The information given at 12-step meetings may vary from person to person, but you can almost always count on them mentioning the date that they decided to embark on their journey to sobriety. This “clean date” is an important marker of recovery, and in today’s episode of Hope Pieced Together, Beau shares his with us and speaks candidly about how he overcame addiction to find hope. We discuss the importance of finding your anchor, the strength and humility it takes to reach out for help, and the value of surrounding yourself with people who love you and support you in your recovery. This episode serves as a compelling reminder that behind every story of substance abuse is a person with real stories of struggle and triumph. We’re so grateful that Beau shared his story with us today, and we hope you'll join us to learn more about the seasons of change that can lead you to a brighter tomorrow, the power of trauma-informed recovery, and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A little about Beau and when he started a life of recovery.
- The story behind the “hurt” that inspired him to make a change in his life.
- How unresolved trauma led Beau to self-medicate from an early age.
- What he has learned about addiction on his journey to recovery.
- The strength it takes to reach out for help (and the relief that follows).
- Ways that Beau has benefitted from a trauma-informed recovery program.
- Words of encouragement for those in the grips of addiction: recovery is possible!
- How Beau’s kids keep him anchored; even on the most difficult days.
- Why it’s crucial to surround yourself with people who support you in your recovery.
- A reminder that addiction is a side-effect of something deeper.
- How therapy can help addicts and their loved ones navigate change.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The Last Resort Recovery Center
The Last Resort Recovery on Instagram
Mosaics of Mercy
Marisa Hughes
Today we sit down with marriage and family therapist and Assistant Director of Connections Child and Family Center, Shannan Blum, to talk about some of the powerful benefits of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Shannan takes us through some of the basics of what she does and what is offered at the center before unpacking how DBT fits into this. She explains the unique starting points for DBT, the central idea of the dialectic approach, as well as a bit of history about its founder, Marsha Linehan. We also get to explore the softening of resistance to change through validation, the combination of acceptance and encouragement, and routes back to the moment. Our guest also lays out some of the differences between comprehensive DBT and DBT-informed therapy, explaining who can most benefit from these practices. So if you would like to learn about this useful modality and get a taste for its efficacy, make sure to join us!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Shannan talks about her four children and a fun fact about their births!
- A little about Connections Child and Family Center and the layered support they offer.
- Introducing DBT and the role it plays within the framework of the center.
- Marsha Linehan, the concept of dialectics, and working with resistance to change.
- Taking DBT beyond therapy and into the realm of a life skill.
- Comparing comprehensive DBT and DBT-informed therapy.
- DBT's original focus on severe depression and chronically suicidal clients.
- The most efficient use of DBT and the necessary time commitments.
- Shannan shares a popular DBT skill and how it helps to down-regulate the body and mind.
- Final thoughts from Shannan about who might most benefit from a DBT program.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Shannan Blum
Connections Child and Family Center
DBT Adolescent Program at Connection Child and Family Center
Marsha Linehan
Merrissa Hughes
Guest host Bridget Caletka LPC welcomes Dr. Noor Ferrell as the first psychiatrist on our show! After graduating from Emory University and completing her medical training at the Ohio University of Osteopathic Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Ferrell opened her own practice where she sees a broad range of clients including those who are experiencing reproductive issues. After defining what a psychiatrist is and explaining why she chose the profession, Dr. Ferrell breaks down the differences between psychology and psychiatry as we debunk some major myths about the latter. We learn that therapy and medicine work well together when done properly, what medicines Dr. Ferrell commonly prescribes and how she goes about it, and why she’s always careful when prescribing meds because of possible side effects and dependency. Then, we turn our attention to the psychiatric evaluation process, the role that genetics play in psych assessments, the things that make it difficult to get an accurate diagnosis, and what our guest loves most about her job. For another inspirational conversation filled with hope, tune in now!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A warm welcome to today’s guest, Psychiatrist Dr. Noor Ferrell.
- Dr. Ferrell defines what a psychiatrist is.
- Why she chose psychiatry as a profession.
- The distinction between psychology and psychiatry.
- Debunking some myths about psychiatry.
- Why most of us need therapy.
- How medicine and therapy go hand-in-hand.
- The type of medicine Dr. Ferrell commonly prescribes and how she goes about it.
- Breaking down the problems of prescription – including concerns about dependency.
- How she handles and discusses medicine side effects with patients.
- The numbing effect: it depends on the patient.
- Dr. Ferrell’s thoughts on psych evaluations, and her personal evaluation process.
- The role that genetics play in considerations of the psyche.
- Things that complicate how she diagnoses a patient, including drugs and alcohol.
- Dr. Ferrell’s favorite part about being a psychiatrist.
- How our guest stays motivated through her patient’s stories of hope.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dr. Noor J. Ferrell
Dr. Noor J. Ferrell on Twitter
Dr. Noor J. Ferrell on LinkedIn
Dr. Noor J. Ferrell on Facebook
Emory University
Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
GoodRx
Mosaics of Mercy
Nobody plans to become an anorexic or an alcoholic but as Jennifer Bruse knows, just one fad diet or one drink too many can lead to a quick downhill spiral. She also knows that getting out of that spiral is possible, one day at a time! During this episode, Jennifer shares how God and the people in her life have supported her unconditionally and given her strength through her darkest hours, allowing her to find the light. Today, Jennifer is the President and CEO of Hello Woodlands, 6 years sober, and in recovery for anorexia. She believes there is immense power in speaking openly about our deepest struggles, and she is an incredible source of hope for anyone who has had mental health struggles of their own. This conversation is a reminder that you are not alone!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An overview of Jennifer’s background and the path that led her to found Hello Woodlands.
- Jennifer’s battle with anorexia, and the people who have supported her through it.
- The different stages of Jennifer’s recovery journey.
- Where Jennifer’s struggle with alcohol began.
- The night that Jennifer became sober.
- Why her relationship with God has been such a fundamental part of Jennifer’s recovery.
- How Hello Woodlands motivated Jennifer to change her life.
- The importance of addressing the roots of your struggles.
- There is no shame in asking for help.
- Value that lies in being open and honest about our deepest struggles.
- How Jennifer has formed a healthier relationship with herself over the years.
- Why community is such a vital part of a person’s life.
- Don’t underestimate the importance of rest.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Hello Woodlands
Jennifer Bruse on LinkedIn
Jennifer Bruse on Instagram
Jennifer Bruse on Facebook
Life Without Ed
Rock Bottom Hope
Mosaics of Mercy
Defining who we are versus how our family, friends, and others define us is a common experience; and striking a balance between the two is an especially prevalent struggle for adolescents and young adults. Identity development is the process of aligning how we feel inside with what we project to the outside world and, when there are internal and external influences that interfere with that process, many might find that their mental health is impacted. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Sherry’s 18-year-old daughter, Ali Burkhard, as she shares her own journey of claiming her identity and how the process has impacted her mental health. We also touch on why counseling has been such a valuable resource for Ali, the importance of setting boundaries in parent-child relationships, and how Ali’s faith has influenced her journey and helped her find hope, plus so much more! Make sure to stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear Ali’s song, ‘Embraced’, which she wrote about her journey of embracing her identity. We hope you’ll join us!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Insight into Ali’s personality as an introvert, an internal processor, and a deep thinker.
- The social stigma and expectations that can accompany certain stereotypes.
- Influencing factors that made the process of identity development difficult for Ali.
- Why we shouldn’t make assumptions if we want to build valuable relationships with people.
- Ali reflects on the internal conflict that can come with trying to live up to others’ expectations.
- Understanding perfectionism as a coping mechanism.
- How counseling has been a valuable resource for Ali.
- A look at the importance of finding the right counselor for you.
- The problem with comparison when it comes to mental health issues.
- How Ali learned to voice her feelings and become more connected with her emotions.
- Dispelling the stigma that is associated with seeking support for your mental health.
- The importance of establishing respectful boundaries in parent-child relationships.
- Recognizing that you can’t change other people; you can only work on yourself.
- While it’s easy to feel like the victim in certain situations, Ali highlights the fact that it only leaves you feeling disempowered.
- Advice for parents: you can’t fix what your child is going through, but you can support them.
- A reminder that there is always room to work on yourself.
- Ali shares some insight into the song she wrote about her journey of embracing her identity.
- Understanding that you’re not broken if you’re struggling and God doesn’t look on you with shame if you’re depressed.
- Closing with Ali's story of hope: seeing the response that others have had to her song.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
‘Embraced’ by Ali Grace on Apple Music
Mosaics of Mercy
Today, we are joined by a new, valuable member of our community. Danny Looney is celebrating 14 years of sobriety and is here today to redefine rock bottom and fill us in on his own non-profit, Rock Bottom Hope. Danny shares his story with us, and we find out what led him to fall into substance abuse at such a young age, what rock bottom looked like for him, and what gave him hope at his lowest point. Danny advocates for assisting addicts in reaching their rock bottom, rather than continuously providing them with a soft place to land, and opens up about how jail time got him closer to his turning point. Tune in for Danny’s encouragement that rock bottom is the greatest opportunity to find hope, and to find out more about the great work he’s doing for others at Rock Bottom Hope.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Danny Looney shares his story of recovery, and how he’s using it to give others hope.
- The life-changing work Danny’s non-profit, Rock Bottom Hope, is doing for addicts and their families.
- How easily accessible drugs and alcohol are to kids.
- The various factors that led Danny to substance abuse.
- How falling short of expectations feeds into the shame cycle, resulting in addiction.
- Danny opens up about his mental health battles and his suicidal attempts as a teenager.
- He shares his definition of rock bottom, what it looked like for him, and the different types of rock bottom we face in life.
- Why it’s not helpful to create a soft place to land.
- Why Danny advocates for the value of jail time in his recovery journey.
- Why it’s important to assist addicts in reaching rock bottom.
- Danny’s moment of hope when he reached rock bottom.
- What his 14 years of sobriety have held for him.
- What led him to start Rock Bottom Hope and how it grew during the pandemic.
- Danny’s final words of encouragement.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Danny Looney
Rock Bottom Hope
Text or Call Rock Bottom Hope: 877-423-HOPE
Mosaics of Mercy
Tri County Behavioral Health Care is the government mental health authority for Montgomery, Liberty, and Walker Counties, offering a wide range of services for both children and adults. Joining us in conversation today is Evan Roberson, who directs the program. Join us to hear how Tri County works to serve those from all sorts of backgrounds, how they are equipped to support the most complex children and adults, and what their treatment looks like. Evan talks about mental health management beyond treatment, and you’ll learn why the implications of long term drug use are often confused for a diagnosis of schizophrenia. We also discuss why folks with medical insurance choose Tri County over private care, and what to expect from non-crisis and crisis care. Evan leaves us with a message of hope around the growing awareness around the need for mental health care for all. Join us to hear all this and more today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Welcome to today’s guest, Evan Roberson, director of Tri County Behavioral Health Care.
- The role of Tri County Health Care, as a local mental health authority, and a local intellectual disability authority.
- Their work as a provider as well as state coordination and policy development.
- Evan’s evolving roles in different community centers from crisis staff to IT, and director.
- Their rate structure to serve those with financial difficulties.
- The big three adult mental illnesses: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe forms of depression, and schizoaffective disorder.
- The state’s ANSA assessment to determine eligibility: Adult Needs Strength Assessment.
- Which kids they serve: those with serious emotional disturbances from four years old.
- Comorbidities in kids including trauma, autism, and ADHD symptoms.
- Which patients are best suited to their care.
- What schizophrenic patients experience: voices, paranoia, sensory delusions and cognitive difficulties.
- The pivotal role of maintaining your mental health in order to function with the rest of society.
- Conflating the effects of long term drug use with the condition of schizophrenia.
- Why people with health insurance seek out their services: they are the fastest!
- The process of coming in starting with a financial assessment followed by triage and a same-day intake visit.
- Wait time for an adult psychiatrist visit: three to ten days.
- Wait time for a child psychiatrist visit: three weeks.
- Why the majority of adults are on medication but only a small percentage of the kids are.
- The targeted case management and skills training that each patient receives.
- Other therapies that are funded separately to the federal funded services.
- What the crisis treatment process looks like from arrival to creation of a clinical plan.
- What motivates many Tri County employees to work there.
- How the pandemic has made us all more comfortable talking about mental health, making treatment so much more accessible.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Tri County Behavioral Healthcare
Evan Roberson on LinkedIn
Evan Roberson on Twitter
Between the extremes of Clinical Substance Abuse and Teetotaler is the much larger category of Gray Area Drinking. Here today to discuss the topic is therapist, gray area drinking coach, and board member at Mosaics of Mercy, Carolyn Robistow. Join us today to hear Carolyn’s hard-earned perspective on what she calls ‘Groundhog Day Drinking’ and what to do about it. You’ll hear what Carolyn does when she realizes that someone needs support for Clinical Substance Abuse, and why she believes that people’s response to your changed relationship with drinking says absolutely nothing about you. We talk about resolving points of disconnection within your value structure, and she shares what she thinks of as the trifecta of change: making fully informed decisions, finding daily support, and being a subcortical change maker. We touch on Brainspotting, the influence of the pandemic, and Carolyn shares an inspiring story of hope from her own life. Thanks for joining us!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Defining Clinical Substance Abuse, Gray Area Drinking, and Teetotaller.
- How many people are dealing in this area: approximately 30% of people.
- An introduction to therapist and gray area drinking coach, Carolyn Robistow.
- Why she refers to ‘Gray Drinking’ as Groundhog Day Drinking.
- Three subdivisions of category: White Knuckling Avoiders, Rule Creating Moderators, and Special Occasion Slippers.
- What she calls the Groundhog Day Drinker’s Circle of Shame.
- The telltale sign of Groundhog Day Drinking: the mental energy dedicated to alcohol.
- How Carolyn identifies, based on the initial consultation if someone needs more support.
- Common things people say if they are in the Groundhog Day Drinking culture.
- Why people’s response to you no longer drinking says nothing about you.
- Assessing your value structure and where the points of disconnection are.
- The trifecta of change: the fully informed decision-maker, daily support, and the subcortical change maker.
- Why Brainspotting is one of her preferred methods.
- The importance of researching groups to make sure they are having the conversations you want to be part of.
- How the pandemic has impacted Gray Area Drinking.
- Navigating social situations where we would usually be drinking: confidence!
- Realizing that you are not on people’s radar the way that you might think.
- Carolyn’s story of hope: the feeling of hopefulness, freedom, and happiness she feels on the other side.
- Sherry’s joy at having a front-row seat to people’s healing and happiness.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Carolyn Robistow
Carolyn Robistow on Instagram
Hope Pieced Together
Mosaics of Mercy
Sherry Burkhard on LinkedIn
Your job as a parent is to advocate for your child, particularly when there is a mental health concern because we want our children to know that, if they’re going through something emotionally, it impacts the whole family. Therapy or treatment is not ‘fix my kid’, it’s ‘help my family’. Once a child realizes this, they’ll find it easier to see their value in the family and that is immensely helpful! Joining us in conversation today is Denise Cipolla, Administrative Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling for Conroe ISD. She shares with us why mental health is such a focus for Conroe ISD and how mental health support is also a support mechanism for learning. Today, you’ll hear about the social-emotional learning playbook created by teachers, administrators, and counselors, and learn what trauma-informed teaching and care looks like. Denise reveals what she has witnessed happening when mental health is left unattended to, explores why some parents are emotional hostages of their children, and explains why stress and anxiety is the highest presenting problem in students of all ages, as well as where that stems from. Join us today to learn from Denise’s wealth of wisdom for parents looking to guide their children through managing their mental health. Thanks for tuning in!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A parent’s role to advocate for their child, especially if there is a mental health concern.
- Three places people go when they are concerned about their child’s mental health: the church, the school, and the family physician.
- Today’s guest, Administrative Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling, Denise Cipolla.
- An introduction to Denise and her family, travels, and career leading up to this role.
- Why mental health is a focus for Conroe ISD as a support mechanism for learning.
- The social emotional learning playbook created by teachers, administrators, and counselors.
- Trauma informed teaching and trauma informed care.
- Trends in mental health, and how problems are pushing down younger and younger.
- Stress and anxiety, the highest presenting problem in students of all ages.
- How people tend to be more kind face-to-face than via social media.
- Where stress and anxiety stems from: pressure to be the very best and never to fail.
- The lasting impact of mental health issues that are left unattended to.
- How some parents are emotional hostages of their children.
- The message you send your children when you do everything for them.
- What Conroe ISD does to share resources within the county, including working with Mosaics.
- The ideal point of contact at the school if you are concerned about your child: the school counselor or a teacher if you are not yet comfortable with the counselor.
- How to navigate children leaving for mental health appointments.
- TChat, the telemental health that is delivered through Baylor School of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.
- Choosing to withdraw a child to allow them to focus on their mental health.
- Why it is helpful for a child to know that seeking help is not ‘fix my kid’ but ‘help my family’.
- Unique circumstances under which accommodations can be made related to mental health.
- The power of a growth mindset rather than a fixed one.
- Why it is so important to ‘listen to hear’ rather than ‘listen to respond’.
- Denise’s story of hope: allow people to help you, because in doing so you are helping them.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mosaics of Mercy
Denise Cipolla on LinkedIn
Conroe ISD
There are many options for adults to address mental health issues, but what about children? Children also suffer from mental health issues but unlike adults, they do not have the cognitive and mental capacity to use the same techniques as adults. Therefore, a different approach is needed to address the mental health concerns of children. This is where child therapy can be immensely beneficial. In these sessions, the type of play and toys the children choose to play which gives the therapist a better understanding of underlying issues and emotional trauma. To tell us more about child therapy and the benefits is certified child play therapist Amy Drury. In today’s episode we find out what play therapy is and how it can be beneficial for kids, the different kinds of play therapy, the steps involved, what conversations to have with your kids about play therapy, and much more! Tune in to hear how your child can benefit from play therapy as well as important resources for parents with today’s inspirational guest!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Brief rundown into Amy’s professional background.
- Reason for Amy seeking out her current role.
- General overview of what play therapy is.
- An outline of the steps involved with play therapy.
- Questions that the therapists asks kids to determine underlining issues.
- The different types of play therapies are explained: directive and non-directive.
- How does play therapy works for older children and if it is applicable.
- The role of the parents during play therapy sessions.
- Circumstances when parents would join therapy sessions.
- Recommended conversations that parents should have regarding play therapy.
- Tips for how parents can assess whether their child is a candidate for therapy.
- Some context for telling the difference between health and unhealthy play.
- Benefits of Incorporation of EMDR therapy with play therapy for kids.
- Definition of what ‘sand tray’ therapy and what it can help with.
- Resources for parents to find play therapists.
- Takeaway story of hope for listeners.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Association for Play Therapy
Mosaics of Mercy
Amy Drury on LinkedIn
If you have ever spent time around children, you’ll know that they have a tendency to get cranky, test boundaries, and act uncooperatively. Today, we’re going to talk about when these behaviors should warrant a diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Regardless of whether or not your child has this issue, today’s conversation contains a wealth of wisdom that is relevant to everyone who lives or works with children. Sharing this knowledge with us today is Kellie Cole, with Compassion Child and Family Counseling. Tune in to hear about what ODD is, how Kellie goes about observing a child’s behavior to determine whether they have ODD, and why it is so important to conduct a full evaluation before making a diagnosis. Kellie focuses largely on building the relationship between the parent and the child and empowering parents to grow out of shame and into the new ideas that she introduces them to. We discuss why consistency is so important, the value of teaching accountability, and how to learn to raise the child that you have instead of comparing them to others. Join us today to hear how Kellie uses her own stories to inspire others to build strong connections with their children and support them as they grow.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to today’s guest, Kellie Cole, with Compassion Child and Family Counseling.
- What Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is.
- Why it is so important to observe potential ODD symptoms for more than six months.
- Kellie’s observation that ODD is not often a stand-alone diagnosis, but rather it is a ‘dangler’.
- DMDD: Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder.
- Multiple diagnoses that are common in children.
- Why it is so important to have a full evaluation to guide intervention.
- Why Kelly sees a child at least three times to confirm her observations.
- Children’s self-reporting abilities and the tools Kellie uses to interpret how they see their world.
- Why Kellie focuses on the relationship between parent and child.
- The power of choosing to learn to raise the child you have.
- The genetic propensity to ODD and other disorders.
- Kellie’s approach to treating ODD and why this focuses largely on the parents’ strategy.
- Why consistency is the golden nugget of parenting.
- Why follow-through is so important.
- ACT: Acknowledge feelings, Communicate limits, Target alternatives.
- The power of giving a child choices to teach accountability.
- Why it's okay that your children aren't always going to like you very much.
- Rebuilding self-esteem by acknowledging positive behavior.
- The deterioration that can happen around 11 or 12.
- Why it is so important for kids to understand consequences before junior high school.
- Being fully committed to the process as a parent.
- A reminder that there is no quick fix, and that the focus is on creating consistent limits and boundaries.
- Why you need to remember that you are the consumer when seeking treatment and therapy.
- Why parents are so pivotal for change and have to be a part of the process.
- The importance of checking in on the therapeutic process to see if it is working for the client.
- A story of hope from her practice: Kellie's own child with ODD, ADHD, and anxiety.
- How, when you feel more connected to your child, they accept your corrections more easily.
- Kellie’s hope that other families will learn from her story.
- Loving your kids through hard times.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Compassion Child and Family Counseling
Kellie Cole on LinkedIn
Kellie Cole on Email
Today’s conversation is all about navigating autism and mental health, and joining me to share her knowledge on the topic is Jennifer Morgan; Licensed Professional Counselor, Animal Assisted Counselor, Advanced Certified Autism Specialist, and owner of Morgan’s Helping Hands LLC. Jennifer is post-modern trained, and her approach is one that combines narrative, collaborative, and cognitive-behavioral forms of therapy. In this episode, we discuss examples of what her therapy sessions can look like, some of the key indicators of ASD, how ASD generally presents itself differently in men and women, and the ways in which sensory processing difficulties can play out as mental health disorders. Jennifer and her animal sidekick, Jettabug, work with their client's strengths in order to empower them and assist them in finding solutions to the challenges that they are facing. Whether you are on the spectrum or not, we hope this episode makes you feel empowered too!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to Jennifer and Jettabug, the animal assistant that works alongside her.
- Jennifer shares some of the key signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- Why Jennifer is opposed to categorizing people with ASD as ‘high functioning’ or ‘low functioning.’
- The experience which sparked Jennifer’s interest in sensory processing.
- Examples of how ASD looks different in women and in men.
- Pathways that can and cannot be used to get an ASD diagnosis.
- Relief that many people feel when they are diagnosed with ASD later in life.
- Valuable advice to parents of children with ASD who appear to be acting defiantly.
- Approaches to dealing with a child with ASD who is having a meltdown.
- The major difference between ASD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD).
- How sensory processing issues are linked to some of the other mental health disorders that often accompany ASD.
- Why Jennifer combines narrative, collaborative and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approaches in her social skills sessions with children with ASD.
- Examples of themes that Jennifer creates for her sessions, and the value of these.
- Jennifer’s main goal as a therapist for children with ASD.
- How Jennifer works with her patients’ strengths.
- Recommendations for assisting people with ASD who are wanting to hurt themselves.
- An overview of Jennifer’s new GROWTH Program.
- Jennifer’s message of hope.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Morgan’s Helping Hands
Morgan’s Helping Hands LLC on Facebook
Jettabug Therapy on Instagram
Sharpen Recovery
Sharpen Recovery on Facebook
Sharpen Recovery on Instagram
Mosaics of Mercy
According to a NAMI 2020 study, 73% of students reported to have had a mental health crisis while at college. Today, we are joined by the Executive Director of Integrated Enrollment Services at the University of Houston, to discuss the pressing topic of mental health on college campuses. Dr. Patrick Lukingbeal fills us in on the positive generational changes he’s observed, with the normalization of mental health conversations among young people. The stigma around mental health issues is steadily disintegrating and more and more people are able to recognize and seek support for their struggles. We discuss the ways in which the pandemic has affected the prevalence of mental health issues among college students, and the astounding support systems in place in higher education facilities. As parents, it can be challenging sending your child off to college, especially if they have a history of mental health issues, and in this episode, we cover the ways in which you can continue to support your child on their journey! More than that, we delve into the importance of normalizing the need for students to take a break and how to help them reintegrate into their learning environment while they’re in recovery. Furthermore, you’re bound to hear some profound insights into Patrick’s Ph.D. topic: diversity and mental health! For all of this and so much more, tune in with us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Patrick Lukingbeal’s professional background and why he’s so passionate about educating others about mental health.
- The mental health concerns and support efforts on college campuses pre- and post-Covid.
- What college campuses are doing to address the prevalence of suicide.
- The positive and negative effects of parents legally not having access to students’ records.
- How to navigate parents’ lack of access and come to an agreement ahead of time.
- What’s contributing to the increase of involvement in mental health programs on campuses.
- How social media is creating awareness and normalizing mental health conversations.
- The benefits of the prevalence of resources available to young adults about mental health.
- Patrick’s findings when doing his Ph.D. on diversity and mental health correlations.
- The risk factors that might prevent someone from seeking help.
- What higher education facilities are doing right in terms of inclusivity.
- Why the need for students to take time off for their mental health should be normalized.
- The importance of providing students with a roadmap back into their course.
- The most common reason people don’t seek help.
- The positive effects of seeking support and treatment.
- The support systems available on campuses for students in recovery.
- What parents can do to support their child in college regarding mental health.
- The true role of college counseling centers: brief intervention.
- What gives Patrick hope about the new generation, in terms of resilience and normalizing mental health conversations.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dr. Patrick Lukingbeal on LinkedIn
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
UH Wellness
Cougars in Recovery
John Shiflet on LinkedIn
Mosaics of Mercy
In the State of Texas, there is still no licensure for sober living homes and, as a result, there are no set guidelines for how they should be run. This makes it extra important, when choosing a sober living home, to do the relevant research to ensure that it’s the right program for you. Joining us today to talk about all things sober living, are two inspiring individuals who have not only come through their own personal recovery journeys, but have dedicated their lives to helping others do the same. Kim Livesay, LCDC is a program counselor and Business Development Specialist at La Hacienda, and the owner of the women’s sober living home, Legacy House. Nick Long, similarly, is the founder and Executive Director of Sharpen Recovery, a Christ-centered non-profit providing sober living housing for men and women in need of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction in Houston. In this episode, we find out what questions to ask when considering a sober living home, in terms of program and staff structures, costs, approaches to and treatment of relapse, and so much more! When it comes to the question of the length of stay in their respective sober living homes, Nick explains how demographics affect the length of stay and Kim fills us in on what she finds to be the most effective. We find out how Sharpen Recovery navigates the fine balance of respecting the beliefs of individuals with the Christ-centered culture of the organization, and why Legacy House chooses to keep MAT medication off the premises. To close, our guests share some great insights into the challenges families of recovery face, and how families can best support their loved one through their recovery journey. Tune in for this insightful discussion on the wonderful resources available and remember, as long as there’s breath, there’s hope!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Kim Livesay’s personal recovery journey and professional background.
- The uncanny similarities between Nick Long and Kim Livesay’s recovery and career journeys.
- What led Nick to choose recovery.
- Nick walks us through the Sharpen Recovery sober living home structure and progress.
- What sober living is, the purpose it serves, and the support it provides.
- The efficacy of sober living housing in preventing relapse after treatment.
- Factors affecting the length of stay in sober living homes and what length is most effective.
- Kim’s sober living, Legacy House’s approach to treatment programming.
- Details about Sharpen Recovery’s treatment program.
- How Sharpen Recovery gently invites individuals to consider Christ, without expectations.
- The respective staff structures at Legacy House and Sharpen Recovery.
- The difference between Sober Living and Oxford Houses.
- What to take into account when considering the cost of sober living.
- The challenge for families in recovery and the role of family in the sober living journey.
- What people should look for when choosing a sober living home.
- Kim and Nick each share their remarkable stories of hope!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kim Livesay, LCDC on LinkedIn
La Hacienda Treatment Center
Legacy House
Kim Livesay Phone Number — 9139635210
Kim Livesay Email
Nick Long on LinkedIn
Sharpen Recovery
Sharpen Recovery on Facebook
Sharpen Recovery on Instagram
Mosaics of Mercy
When you are fostering, and perhaps even adopting a child, it’s important to be aware of how previous life experiences and trauma could shape their behavior and interactions. Today on the show we’re delighted to welcome Tara Hutton, host of the Mama’s Well podcast, and dear friend of the show. Tara describes her family as consisting of two rounds of parenting, the first being her three boys, who are currently in their late teens and early twenties, and the second being her two young adopted girls. In my conversation with Tara, we discuss her journey with mental health and how being a first-time parent prompted her initial experiences with therapy when she was feeling chronically overwhelmed. Tara shares how she felt called to foster after a family trip to Haiti and explains how she came to adopt her two daughters. She describes the initial fear she felt as a foster and adoptive parent, that she wouldn’t love someone else’s kids as much as she did her own, and how that turned out to not be true at all. We also discuss how Tara’s children have helped her gain awareness of her own traumas and learn how to reparent herself, along with the tremendously positive impact that has had on her relationship with her daughters. We end off today’s show with Tara’s advice for parents taking in a child with trauma, along with her unique story of hope. We hope you’ll join us for this special conversation on reparenting, trauma, adopting, and more.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to today’s guest Tara Hutton, host of the podcast Mama’s Well.
- Learn about Tara’s family: her husband Kyle, and her five children.
- Tara shares what prompted the start of her mental health journey.
- How Tara found herself chronically overwhelmed as a first-time parent.
- Tara’s decision to pay for therapy a year in advance to hold herself accountable and commit to the process.
- How Tara came to foster and then adopt her two daughters.
- What Tara learned from the adoption process and having children who had significant trauma in her care.
- Some of the trauma training that Tara went through as a parent who was adopting.
- How small traumas can have a substantial cumulative impact on someone.
- The way that trauma is present in the body and some of the tools that have helped Tara address that.
- How Tara recognized her inability to regulate her emotions thanks to her daughters.
- What Tara learned about herself from her reaction to certain types of behavior in her children.
- How compassion for herself as a child has helped Tara be more compassionate with her daughters.
- The important distinction between controlling and influencing your child’s behavior.
- The troubling lack of resources available to the most vulnerable children in America.
- How Tara’s children have helped her recognize the gaps in her life and reparent herself.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mama’s Well
Mama’s Well Podcast
Mama’s Well on Instagram
Mama’s Well on Facebook
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
The Highly Sensitive Child: Helping Our Children Thrive When The World Overwhelms Them
Yoga With Adriene
Mosaics of Mercy
Today on the show we speak to Constable Philip Cash about how the Montgomery County mental health constables are serving their community through a dedicated program designed to get mental health consumers the help they need. We hear about Constable Cash’s journey in law enforcement and what led to his passion for creating a program to address mental health in our community. Constable Cash speaks about the typical process the mental health constables follow to assist mental health consumers in moments of crisis. We also address how Montgomery County is tackling the drug crisis, the need for more mental health infrastructure in Texas, and the fundamental role of faith and family in assisting in the recovery of loved ones with mental illnesses.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Constable Cash’s career in law enforcement and how he got involved in mental health.
- The role of the Montgomery County mental health constables and how they are helping those in crisis.
- The effects of COVID on the mental health of Americans.
- How the crisis intervention team has downgraded police uniforms to be less intimidating.
- The best time to call a mental health constable if a loved one is struggling.
- How the mental health constables are trained to handle a range of situations.
- When a person should call 911 versus the crisis intervention team.
- The standard operating procedure around juvenile struggles and how the constables help.
- Similarities in the behavior between mental health consumers and drug users.
- The effects of dementia on older folks and whether the constables can provide assistance.
- How the constables deal with cases: the process of evaluation and transportation to a facility.
- The appreciation and feedback the constables get from the patients and community.
- Effects of natural disasters on mental health consumers and the influx of calls the constables get.
- The lack of funding for mental health infrastructure even though progress is being made.
- Issuing mental health warrants and what this side of the process looks like.
- The rise of drug use and measures being taken in Montgomery County to deal with this.
- Details in the drug crisis: counterfeit pills and opioid use leading to street drug use.
- A message of hope from Constable Cash about the role of faith and family.
- How to get hold of the Montgomery County mental health constables.
Tweetables:
“Our primary mission is to help those in crisis.” — Constable Philip Cash [0:03:54]
“That’s an issue we have had in the past where a person is disobeying a police officer and they end up in jail where it could have been something handled a little different where they ended up in a mental health facility.” — Constable Philip Cash [0:17:36]
“Two or three times since I have been constable, these people have come to and hugged the officers and thanked them for saving their lives.” — Constable Philip Cash [0:24:32]
“There’s a lot of very professional people in our community that care about the mental health of our citizens and I am proud to be a part of that.” — Constable Philip Cash [0:30:05]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Constable Philip Cash on LinkedIn
Tri-County Behavioral Healthcare
American Rescue Plan
HIDTA
Today’s conversation centers around a personal story about a big life event that requires you to navigate a host of emotions within every member of the family. That life event is adoption, and our hope is that as Kristen Minor shares her story, you will find comfort and wisdom for your own journey. You’ll hear how she and her husband, Matt, came to the decision to adopt through prayer on a trip to Costa Rica, what fears they experienced along the way, and how they found a sense of peace through the realization that God is in control. Kristen tells the story of how they came to meet their child, Gipsy, through donating the proceeds from their worship band’s music to a children’s home in Costa Rica. She gets candid about meeting Gipsy, feeling overwhelmed with fear, and the two signs she saw on the road that confirmed her decision. We touch on the value of community, and Kristen shares what it was like as a mom to witness her child’s grief and heartbreak and the open doors of communication between her and Gipsy, as well as how Kristen’s own experience grieving her brother helped her to walk alongside her daughter. You’ll hear how travel has bonded Kristen, Matt, and Gipsy, and how metalsmithing has become a great mental health space for Kristen. Next, Kristen shares how she was able to still find hope in her brother’s death, the message of hope she wants to give listeners, and how this can only be found in God. We hope you join us to hear Kristen’s story of hope today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to Kristen Minor, photographer, metalsmith, wife, and mom in San Antonio.
- How she and her husband chose adoption through prayer on a trip to Costa Rica.
- The fear they experienced going into adopting an older child with a complicated past.
- How the realization that God was in control helped them to overcome fear and say yes.
- The story of how Kristen and Matt met their child, Gipsy, through donating the proceeds from their worship band’s music to a children’s home in Costa Rica.
- A trip to the beach with Gipsy in Costa Rica where Kristen felt kindred with her.
- How Kristen told the story of meeting Gipsy to Matt and how he met her for the first time.
- The process of being approved as eligible parents, and seeing Gipsy’s file.
- The two signs that she saw on the road to San Antonio that confirmed her decision.
- How valuable it is to find people who have been in your shoes.
- What it was like as a mom to witness her child’s grief and heartbreak.
- The open doors of communication, reminding Gipsy that it’s not her fault without villainizing her parents.
- How Kristen’s own experience grieving her brother helped her walk through Gipsy’s grief.
- How Matt and Kristen’s father built an overland vehicle that the family has traveled with.
- How travel has bonded the family and created lasting lifelong memories.
- How Kristen got into metalsmithing and how it became a great mental health tool.
- How Kristen was able to still find hope in her brother’s death and the message of hope she wants to give listeners, that can only be found in God.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Whale Ok
Whale Ok on Instagram
Bugs on my Face
Mosaics of Mercy
There is often so much shame around substance abuse relapse. We have framed it as a failure, but what if we looked at it as an experience that those who have slipped back into addiction can use when beginning their journey of sobriety again? This is just one of the valuable lessons that today’s guest, Robert Hilliker, LCSW-S, LCDC, shares with us. Robert has 17 years of experience in the field of addiction and mental health. His work spans private practice, clinical supervision, and the creation and management of clinical programming. Additionally, he also co-founded The Lovett Center in 2014 and Ethos Wellness in 2018. In this episode, Robert shares how his personal and familial struggles with addiction led him to this line of work. We talk about why it is important to think about addiction through a disease model lens rather than villainizing it. So often, people think about addiction as bad behavior but as something that requires treatment. We also touch on the need to reframe addiction and why it is necessary to remove the shame around it. Our conversation also delves into how the pandemic has impacted people with substance abuse problems, how families and friends of those who have relapsed can deal with it, and we end with a story of hope from Robert.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get to know Robert and how he came to work in substance abuse.
- What Ethos Wellness Center and Prairie Recovery Center offer and how they differ from similar centers.
- Moving past the pejorative understandings of relapse.
- Insights into the disease model behind substance abuse and addiction.
- Five key areas of brain activity that are influenced by addiction.
- One of the biggest challenges when it comes to treating addiction.
- Rethinking addiction as an attachment disorder; what we can learn from this.
- It really is very difficult to stay sober if you started using substances early in life.
- When people look at addiction from the outside, they want to make it seem logical, but it’s very much an emotional issue.
- We cannot criminalize people who struggle with addiction; it’s a disease.
- What Robert has seen about reframing relapse as recurrence.
- Talking about recurrence openly removed the stigma around it.
- Yellow flags that are common when it comes to recurrence.
- It is important for practice and treatment theories to evolve and be exciting.
- How the pandemic has affected people’s relapsing or others turning to substance abuse.
- Why hopelessness is what is most worrying to Robert.
- The pandemic has taken away those in recovery’s role models.
- There are so many new scenarios that are happening in the pandemic.
- It is so important for families to be vulnerable and feel the fear, not only the anger.
- A story of hope from Robert to end the show.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Robert Hilliker
Robert Hilliker on LinkedIn
Robert Hilliker Email — rhilliker@ethosvhg.com
Ethos Wellness
The Lovett Center
Children are much more adaptable than is often expected of them, but they are also aware of much more than their parents may think. Jessica Leger, clinical social worker, play therapist, and our guest on today’s show, describes children as having the capacity to be “emotional sponges.” This means that it is vital that parents, whether they are getting divorced or going through a tough time in their marriage, ensure that their children are protected from the brunt of the adult issues being experienced. As a divorced parent herself, and through her work with many children of divorced parents, Jessica has valuable advice for how parents can soften the blow of separation for their children. That being said, there are many circumstances where children will need additional support, and Jessica shares the types of behaviors which signal that a child is not coping well with the changes, and the kind of help they may require.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The number of children on Jessica’s caseload who are impacted by divorce.
- How Jessica’s children handled her divorce.
- Children are aware of more than parents may think.
- Jessica explains the importance of being careful of the non-verbal cues parents use in relation to their child’s other parent.
- Ways to tell if a child is struggling with their parents’ divorce, and where to get additional support for them.
- Something that Jessica recommends parents going through a divorce say to their children.
- Why Jessica encourages parents not to share with their children the reason that they are getting divorced.
- Examples of how parents can model emotion regulation skills for their children.
- Games which help children learn how to regulate their emotions.
- Jessica explains how parents can prepare their children for what they can expect from the divorce.
- How to navigate children’s hopes of their parents getting back together.
- When divorced parents should introduce their children to their new significant other.
- The value of toys as a therapeutic tool for children.
- Resources that Jessica recommends for families going through a divorce, including the New Beginnings Program that she runs.
- Jessica’s message of hope regarding children of divorced parents.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Leger Counseling
Jessica Leger on LinkedIn
Dinosaurs Divorce
New Beginnings Program
Mosaics of Mercy
Going into 2020, one in seven adults in the United States experienced a substance use disorder. As of June 2020, the CDC said that 13 percent of adults reported an increase in their use of substances to cope with the stress of the pandemic, with this statistic accompanied by a tremendous increase in overdose deaths. As a result, we feel it is important to dive into the difficult topic of substance use disorders and their impact, not only on the individual but also on the family system, and examine what the recovery process looks like from both perspectives as well. To help us do this is local counsellor, Christopher Crawford, who has over 20 years’ therapeutic experience working with adolescents, young adults, and adults with mental health and substance abuse issues. In this episode, Chris addresses the shame and blame cycle that families experience and how to navigate through it, some of the tools he uses to help families and individuals impacted by addiction, and the importance of setting boundaries and constant communication. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for recovery, which is why this is an important conversation for both families and individuals struggling with addiction. Tune in today to learn more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to Chris and his experience as a licensed chemical dependency counsellor.
- What Chris wants individuals suffering from substance use disorders to understand.
- The shame and denial that individuals struggling with addiction often feel.
- Why it can be so difficult to navigate out of a ‘shame and blame’ cycle.
- The relationship between dysfunction and disorder and the internal conflict it creates.
- Why change can feel threatening and how Chris aids families through those changes.
- Some of the tools Chris uses to help families and individuals impacted by addiction.
- Understanding that the substance is just a symptom of a much larger issue.
- Chris shares some example to illustrate the importance of setting boundaries.
- When it might be necessary for your counsellor to set boundaries for you.
- Find out why Chris makes it clear to his clients that he can’t treat them while they are under the influence of substances.
- What he looks for in a treatment center: accountability, structure, and collaboration.
- Chris explains the process of entering treatment at an in-patient facility and emphasizes the importance of continuity of care.
- Some of the options available to you when it comes to insurance cover.
- Common emotions that family members experience while an addict is in treatment.
- What recovery looks like after leaving a treatment facility, from support meetings to professional mental health guidance.
- The value of replacing unhealthy habits with healthy ones, like exercise.
- How families can participate in the journey of recovery, including family support meetings.
- Why Chris advocates for keeping the family together in the recovery journey.
- Chris shares a story of hope about two of his clients, Justin and Zach.
- A final reminder from Chris that there is a solution, there is hope, and you are not alone.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Christopher Crawford on Psychology Today
Life Spring Behavioral Health
Alcoholics Anonymous
Mosaics of Mercy Resources
When we experience issues that impact our physical health, that can also provoke certain feelings that impact our mental health too. In today's episode of Hope Pieced Together, we speak with mother and daughter, Kate Turner and Jess Sohns, about the emotional journey of dealing with those repercussions, as well as how to parent through them. When Jess was born with what Kate calls “specific needs,” it turned Kate’s expectations of what her parenting journey was going to look like on its head. Tune in as Kate and Jess share some of the physical and emotional challenges they encountered as Jess grew up and how they learned to overcome them. Both women also share some poignant advice about the importance of allowing your children to make mistakes and allowing yourself to feel your feelings in order to heal, and you’ll discover some helpful resources and powerful tools for raising self-confident, motivated children who are ready for the real world. Make sure not to miss this candid discussion!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to today’s guests, mother, Kate Turner, and daughter, Jess Sohns.
- Hear about the unexpected turn in Kate’s parenting journey when she gave birth to Jess.
- When Jess first realized that she was different from her peers.
- Some of the challenges Kate encountered in parenting a child with "specific needs,” including navigating comparative milestones.
- Jess shares some of the challenges she experienced growing up, including feeling isolated.
- The insight Kate gained with hindsight into her unhealthy methods of coping with shame.
- Self-pity versus self-compassion and how Jess learned to cope with negative emotions.
- The parenting decisions that felt more difficult for Kate and her experience of what she calls learned helplessness.
- How the Love and Logic program helped Kate allow her kids to be independent thinkers.
- Find out why Jess believes that certain struggles help young children build independence.
- The importance of allowing your children “the gift of little mistakes,” as Kate says.
- How Kate’s pride prevented her from feeling her feelings and how she overcame that.
- Jess emphasizes the value of allowing yourself to grieve and feel pain in order to heal.
- How Kate and Jess’s mother-daughter relationship was impacted by their struggles.
- The benefits of allowing your children to exercise control over choice where they can.
- Some of the healthy coping mechanisms that Kate learned through Love and Logic, the 12-step group, and her faith.
- What has been helpful for Jess on her journey, including a story in John Chapter 9.
- Ending on a story of hope: Kate uses the analogy of an oyster, a grain of sand, and a pearl.
- Learn more about the Love and Logic program from Kate.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kate Turner
Kate Turner on LinkedIn
Kate Turner on Mosaics of Mercy
Jess Sohns on Instagram
Love and Logic
Skye McClain always thought she was just a highly strung person, never considering that she might be suffering from anxiety. Having her son seven years ago revealed her underlying anxiety which often presented itself in bouts of anger, but it wasn’t until the pandemic last year that Skye’s anxiety reached breaking point and she found herself in a state where she was barely able to function. While we have talked about anxiety from a child and teen perspective in the past, today, Skye McClain, Blogger, Instagrammer, pastor’s wife, and mom, joins us to share her personal story of her journey with anxiety from an adult perspective. She explains how her husband helped her see that she needed help and the importance of being willing to hear and trust the people who love you most. Tuning in today, you’ll find out what barriers Skye needed to overcome in order to get help, what false beliefs she had surrounding anxiety and treatment, and what unhealthy things she did to try to manage it. Hear about her experience with medication over the past eight months, what she is doing to progress after getting help, how her anxiety levels and relationships have improved throughout this process, and how her journey has affected her relationship with her son. For some hope-filled encouragement, tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to today’s guest Skye McClain.
- Skye gives some background into being ‘highly strung' and her struggles with anxiety.
- How having a child really exposed her underlying anxiety issues.
- How her anxiety revealed itself as anger and the effect this had on her son.
- The effect of her anger on her relationships and how this motivated her to address it.
- The role her husband played in helping her see that she needed help.
- The importance of being willing to hear and trust the people who love you.
- The types of unhealthy things she tried to do to manage her anxiety.
- What fears, false beliefs, and stories she told herself about getting help.
- The barriers she overcame in order to get the help she needed: The lack of education and her own misperceptions.
- Thoughts on the difficulty of just taking that first step.
- How she followed her progress after getting help: documenting her journey in a journal.
- The importance of being able to observe your responses to things without judging yourself.
- The differences she’s noticed in her anxiety levels and relationships throughout this process.
- How her child has responded to his mother’s success on her journey thus far.
- Why Skye feels it’s important that her son sees that she is imperfect and is no longer afraid to apologize to him.
- The feedback she has received from sharing her journey on social media.
- Skye’s final words of encouragement to listeners.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Skye McClain
Skye McClain on Instagram
Skye McClain on Twitter
Mosaics of Mercy
The grief process can vary with each individual, but sometimes it can be helpful to find commonalities in a journey similar to yours. In today’s episode, we talk about the loss of a spouse with Maureen McClelland, LPC, RN, BSN. Learning about different types of losses can help us better support someone in the midst of this experience, and Maureen draws on not only on her professional experience but also her life experience as a young widow, only parent to her now-grown daughter, as well as a breast cancer survivor in order to help her clients strive to reach their full potential. Tuning in today, you’ll learn about the similarities between PTSD and grief, the differences between alone time and isolating yourself, and some of the resources Maureen found helpful during her personal journey with grief, as well as so much more! Make sure not to miss today’s profound and insightful conversation with Maureen McClelland.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to today’s guest, Maureen McClelland, her background, and her practice.
- Hear more about Maureen’s personal experience with grief, which she shares candidly.
- Learn about different types of grief and loss, both sudden and expected.
- Maureen reflects on some of the similarities between PTSD and grief.
- How she was affected by the loss of dreams and milestones when her spouse passed away.
- Why it is advised that you don’t make major decisions after going through a major loss.
- Hear how Maureen adjusted to becoming an only parent to her daughter.
- How she learned to care for herself by finding a support group.
- The ways that COVID-19 has compounded the loneliness that often accompanies grief.
- Everyone grieves differently; how the process of grieving might vary from person to person.
- Learn about the differences between being alone versus isolating yourself and the important role that routine can play.
- Preparing yourself for triggering milestones like birthdays and anniversaries.
- Finding happiness and purpose after grief, purpose being the sixth phase of grief.
- Resources Maureen found helpful during her grief journey, like keeping a gratitude journal.
- The small joys she looked for on a daily basis that gave her hope going forward.
- Ending on a story of hope: remembering that these moments of sadness will not last.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Maureen McClelland on LinkedIn
Maureen McClelland on Facebook
McClelland Counseling
Modern Widows Club
Kain Ramsay
The Promise of a New Day
Today’s episode covers something that pretty much everyone will go through at one time or another in their lives; conflict in relationships. It is often joked about that opposites attract and a common difference that creates that opposition is contrasting approaches to life. One partner may look at things from a fact-based viewpoint while another may come from a more emotional perspective. Really, there is no right and wrong, but these differing positions can certainly create conflict! When that happens, what do you do? Local counselor, Mary Lambrecht, hopes to answer that question in today’s discussion. Mary is a Texas and Wisconsin State-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who is passionate about helping couples learn healthy habits and patterns in communication and conflict resolution. With Mary, partners and families learn how core differences, family-of-origin patterns, and emotional wiring affect their respect and understanding of the other and, in this episode, you’ll hear about some of the helpful (and healthy) tools she teaches for communicating, understanding, and addressing conflict better. Tune in today to find out more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to Mary Lambrecht and her practice as a marriage and family therapist.
- Hear about the differences between facts and feelings, logic and emotions.
- Why you might be more fact or feeling-oriented, from genetics to environmental factors.
- What would be helpful for a fact-oriented person to know in order to better understand and connect with their feeling-oriented partner.
- Understanding that efforts go a long way when we are hardwired differently.
- You don’t have to fully understand your partner’s viewpoint in order to step into their shoes.
- How trauma can compound conflict and cause heightened anxiety for feeling-oriented people.
- Find out how it plays out if this anxiety goes unrecognized; a common response is to step back or withdraw completely.
- How fact-oriented people can use cues to convey their feelings, dreams, and priorities.
- Tips for navigating these differences when they arise: extending the hand of grace.
- Remember that being fact-oriented or feeling-oriented isn’t wrong or right, just different!
- If you detect confusion in your partner, it’s up to you to clarify what you’re thinking or feeling.
- How to know if you need couple’s counseling: if you keep getting stuck in the same conflict.
- Ending on a story of hope: how two partners respected and made room for each other’s fact or feeling orientation, perspectives, and needs.
- Why there is no task or interaction too small to be significant regarding honor and respect.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mary Lambrecht, LMFT on LinkedIn
Family Help Counseling & Seminars
Dr. Brent Atkinson
The Couples Clinic
Dr. Susan Johnson
The Gottman Method
The Gottman Institute
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
LoveNudge App
Emotional Intelligence in Couples Therapy
The Body Keeps the Score
While we may be aware that obsessive-compulsive disorder can have debilitating consequences for the adults who suffer from it, OCD in children and teens presents a unique set of challenges. Today’s guest is Joy Ryan, Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist who specializes in Pediatric OCD. She often treats children and teens who suffer from OCD at her practice Connect Psychology Services. In this episode, she sheds light on exactly what OCD is, how to differentiate it from anxiety, and what the obsessions and compulsions are that define it. She also goes through the five most common forms of OCD and provides tips on how to identify it, particularly in children, as well as the steps that she takes to help a child learn to cope with OCD, from measuring it on the Yale-Brown OCD scale to compiling a fear hierarchy and creating exposures. She emphasizes the importance of involving parents in the process and provides some helpful resources for anyone wanting to find out more information. As always, the episode ends with a story of hope, as Joy shares her experience with one family who would not have survived the pandemic without her help, so make sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- An introduction to today’s guest, Joy Ryan.
- Joy’s background in psychological services and her own practice.
- How she identified a need and went on to specialize in Pediatric OCD.
- What the true diagnosable OCD is and how to define obsessions and compulsions.
- Sherry shares her own experience with OCD.
- Using the word “obsessed” in the wrong contexts and how that can diminish what those with OCD experience.
- Common types of OCD: Contamination OCD, Harm OCD, Just Right OCD, OCD related to sex, and Scrupulosity OCD.
- How to identify OCD in children.
- How a child with OCD might have rituals that are unintentionally reinforced by their family.
- The different approaches to diagnosing OCD and differentiating it from anxiety, including the Yale-Brown OCD scale.
- Some common questions Joy gets from parents of children with OCD.
- Questions around whether or not kids are afraid of giving up their rituals like adults often are.
- What parents tell the kids about why they’re seeing a counselor and the importance of involving the whole family.
- How Joy goes about treating a child with OCD, including involving the parents throughout.
- How treating a child with anxiety is different from treating a child with OCD.
- What drew Joy to work with children and adults who are facing OCD.
- Helpful resources for anyone wanting to pursue help or find out more information.
- A story of hope about a family who would not have survived the pandemic without Joy’s help.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Joy Ryan on LinkedIn
Connect Psychology Services
Dr. Aureen Pinto Wagner on LinkedIn
The International OCD Foundation
The Peace of Mind Foundation
Mosaics of Mercy
Although setting boundaries can be very difficult, it is an essential self-care practice and one which will lead to improvements in your relationships. If you are fearful of setting boundaries because you are worried about the possible negative effects, keep in mind that the better we understand and care for ourselves, the better we will be able to care for others. Even Jesus set boundaries! We are joined on the show today by Dr. Monica Polonyi, who has extensive experience as a counselor working in numerous different settings. She explains the types of boundaries that spouses can put in place in their marriages, red flags to look out for which signal that there is an issue that needs to be addressed in a relationship, and how to approach the topic of boundaries with your partner so as to make the discussion as comfortable as possible (but also remember that discomfort is okay!). There is no how-to manual for learning how to set boundaries but this conversation with Monica will inspire you to get started.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Monica gives a brief rundown of her career as a counselor.
- A definition of what boundaries are, as they are commonly misunderstood.
- Setting boundaries is a form of self-care, and this will help you to care for others better.
- Examples of emotional and physical boundaries in marriage.
- Red-flags that are important to be aware of and to be able to address within a marriage.
- The correlation between substance abuse issues and the disregarding of boundaries.
- Behavioral patterns that people bring into marriages from their personal lives and how this impacts their current relationship.
- The use of control as an unhealthy coping mechanism.
- Fears that Monica commonly sees people struggle with when it comes to setting boundaries in a marriage.
- Advice for how to approach the setting of boundaries in a marriage, using a garden as an analogy.
- Self-awareness needs to lead to behavioral change in order to have a meaningful impact.
- Discomfort is okay, don’t run away from it.
- The importance of validation when engaging in a discussion around boundaries with your partner.
- Why Monica often looks to the Scripture of Galatians 5:22:23.
- Reading recommendations from Monica, and final words of encouragement and hope around setting boundaries.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dr. Monica Polonyi Website
Dr. Monica Polonyi Contact Number - 8329980028
Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner
Cloud-Townsend Resources
Keep Your Love On! by Danny Silk
The High Conflict Couple by Alan E. Fruzzetti
Safe People by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud
Mosaics of Mercy
The primary mental health issue that many counselors have seen increase during COVID has been anxiety, which was already the number one mental health issue in the US. Today’s guest is Shannan Blum, Clinical Director at The Woodlands Recovery and Wellness, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional for Children and Adolescents. She specializes in treating individuals and families suffering from depression, anxiety, and relationship or family conflict, as well as substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and difficulties adjusting to life transitions among others. In this episode, she shares her expertise and practical advice for those experiencing depression and anxiety and for parents who might be unknowingly exacerbating the anxiety of their children. Tuning in, you’ll hear from Shannan as she emphasizes flexibility over rigid routines and skill-building over comfort and certainty, explains how she sees our outcome-based culture contributing to the anxiety that children and teens are experiencing, and shares her externalization approach to treating anxiety, which is in opposition with the traditional approach that says we should eradicate it. You’ll also learn about the invaluable skills that Shannan teaches, including mindfulness and self-soothing techniques, and the top four skills she believes children and teens need to know to tackle anxiety and depression head-on. Tune in today to find out more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Learn more about Shannan and her personal history with family trauma and anxiety.
- The certifications and experiences that have allowed her to approach anxiety and depression from a unique perspective.
- Hear Shannan make the distinction between stress, worry, and anxiety.
- How parents are unwittingly contributing to their children’s anxiety; how to help them manage uncertainty and discomfort instead.
- Not the introvert’s dream: why the pandemic has been tough for kids suffering from anxiety.
- The importance of helping your children build skills to help them segue back into school.
- How Shannan sees an achievement focused, outcome-based culture contributing to anxiety.
- While systemic changes could be made, parents have to decide to make individual changes.
- When to seek a higher level of care, starting with a free professional assessment.
- The value of keeping a log to track sleep, appetite, or medication during treatment.
- Learn more about the traditional approach to anxiety, which deals with eliminating it.
- Why Shannan tells her patients to thank their brains for trying to protect them and then move into the realm of positive creativity.
- Find out how your depression and anxiety hijack your values; you are not your anxiety!
- Shannan shares her approach, which centers around externalizing not eliminating anxiety.
- The mindfulness, self-soothing, challenging cognitive distortion, and reaching out for support skills that Shannan teaches.
- How to rally and use the energy of your anxiety as a resource; go on the offense!
- Shannan explains why parents are not assisting their kids by removing obstacles for them.
- Four top skills: dialectical versus dichotomous thinking, identify and challenge distortions, self-analysis, and mindfulness.
- Why Shannan tells patients to exhale first; the tendency to hold your breath with anxious.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Shannan Blum on LinkedIn
Shannan Blum on Instagram
Shannan Blum on Facebook
The Woodlands Recovery and Wellness
It’s common for people to feel intimidated when hearing the term ‘psychological testing’. Having a more concrete measure of your psychological wellbeing can sometimes bring the same anxiety as medical testing, the concern that you might find out that something is wrong. Today’s guest, Lauren Pasqua, hopes to alleviate the stress around the process by providing some context about the benefits of psychological testing and when it might be the right fit for you. Lauren is a psychologist and the Founder and Executive Director of the Connections Child & Family Center in The Woodlands, Texas. In this episode, you will learn about the categories of testing that Lauren and her team do and she outlines the process, from intake and evaluation to the types of referrals, recommendations, and resources that she provides. She also shares some of the benefits of early intervention, even offering her perspective on the cost-benefit analysis of testing. As always, the episode ends with a story of hope, and you’ll find out more about the incredible research that Lauren is doing on autism in girls, so make sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Find out a bit about Lauren and her psychology practice.
- Lauren explains what it means to be a psychologist and the focus of her studies.
- The categories of testing at the Connections Child & Family Center, starting with educational.
- From testing to diagnostics: how Lauren determines what the right course of treatment is.
- Some issues or symptoms that might lead someone to consider having their child tested.
- Lauren’s view on the timing of testing; how early intervention can prevent long-term problems.
- The benefits of testing, from guiding treatment to education planning and simple relief.
- Hear about some of the fears that people have that prevent them from pursuing testing.
- Advice for parents who want to have the conversation about getting their child tested.
- Lauren outlines the process for testing, from intake to evaluation and recommendations.
- Learn a bit more about the types of referrals, recommendations, and resources that Lauren provides to her clients.
- The difference between testing via the school district versus private evaluations.
- How testing can help you save both money and time in the long run.
- Lauren shares her story of hope; the positive outcomes of her research on autism in girls.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lauren Pasqua, Psy.D. on LinkedIn
Connections Child & Family Center
The Power of Different
Postpartum depression and anxiety are increasingly common, yet there is still so much shame and stigma around them. Today's guest, Lorissa Eichenberger, is the Co-Associate Director of The Center for Postpartum Family Health, where she works with the motherhood population to create nurturing and safe places for clients to feel heard, validated, and empowered. As a mom herself, and someone who struggled with postpartum mental health, Lorissa is well-positioned to help clients work through their perinatal and postpartum depression and anxiety. In this episode, Lorissa unpacks what postpartum depression is and shares how the definition has expanded. We hear about some of the signs to look out for and the role that partners or family members can play in encouraging moms to get help. Many moms who struggle with perinatal and postpartum depression and anxiety falsely believe they are bad mothers for feeling this way. Lorissa demystifies this myth, along with the other common ones she encounters in her practice. Our conversation also touches on partner postnatal depression, how the pandemic is affecting and potentially exacerbating postpartum depression, and the importance of giving moms permission to feel what they are feeling. Finally, Lorissa shares her own story of hope and how she worked through her postpartum mental health challenges and birth trauma.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get to know Lorissa and the work she does at The Center for Postpartum Family Health.
- Defining postpartum depression and how it differs from the baby blues.
- When left untreated, postpartum depression can manifest anytime within three years of birth.
- Indications that moms might need to see someone about depression.
- Hear about some of the interventions Lorissa uses to treat postpartum depression.
- The effects of maternal shame and how it is exacerbated by social media.
- Insights family members or the mom’s support system can give around postpartum issues.
- Debunking some of the most common myths around postpartum depression.
- There is nothing wrong with changing clinicians if you feel you are not being heard.
- The relationship between mental health issues before pregnancy and postpartum depression.
- When Lorissa would recommend a woman see a mental health professional prenatally.
- Postnatal depression in partners and how it differs from the mom’s postpartum depression.
- How the pandemic is exacerbating the challenges of new motherhood.
- Some of the ways to support moms and dads both prenatally and postpartum.
- What toxic positivity is and how we can avoid it when moms voice how they feel.
- Hear about what Lorissa’s postpartum care plan for her clients looks like.
- Support groups in the Houston area and other available resources.
- Lorissa’s story of hope, overcoming her postpartum mental health struggles.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lorissa Eichenberger
Lorissa Eichenberger on Instagram
The Center for Postpartum Family Health
The Center for Postpartum Family Health Contact Number — 713-561-3884
The Center for Postpartum Family Health Email — info@cpfh.org
Sherry Duson
Postpartum Support International
Hope Pieced Together Episode 36: Men's Mental Health with Kyle Sommers
And Baby Makes Three
Today we sit with survivor and thriver Gabbi Sorensen to talk about her triumphs over both an eating disorder and her turbulent relationship with social media. Gabbi currently uses the lessons from her past to help other women who are experiencing similar, if not the same, problems. We open the show by hearing about Gabbi’s early life as a ballet dancer and how ballet became a way of life for her. Yet, she grew far taller than her peers, and the space that once made her feel safe now left her stranded and insecure. As our conversation continues, Gabbi tells us about how her mental health began to deteriorate faster than she could realize. So she pursued a career in modeling, only to have the rug pulled from under her feet as she witnessed the unhealthy realities of the industry. Gabbi then talks about the effects that social media had on her life as she began to see that she was becoming part of the problem for herself and other girls. With the gift of hindsight, Gabbi explains how she got her world spinning on its axis again. She emphasizes how seeking the correct help was vital, as well as changing her social media habits so her feed would only give her positive content. She goes on to tell us about her endeavors with an online holistic health school, and why it has been pivotal in helping her turn the corner. To hear more about her candid and inspiring story, do join us today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing today’s guest, Gabbi Sorensen.
- Gabbi gives us a background on her experiences.
- Some of the triggers that contributed to Gabbi’s eating disorder.
- Hear about the combination of factors that led to Gabbi’s troubles.
- The role that ballet has played in Gabbi's past.
- Gabbi tells us how she thought modeling would be an answer to her insecurities.
- Why Gabbi’s trip to Asia was a turning point for her as a model.
- Find out about Gabbi’s evolved relationship with social media.
- Steps that helped kick-start Gabbi’s healing process.
- How Gabbi would change her past if she could.
- Ways Gabbi has found support for herself.
- Gabbi tells us about how she is helping others.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Gabbi Sorensen
Gabbi Sorensen on Instagram
University of Oklahoma
Good mental health is crucial. We all need it to survive, but there are a number of reasons why men are less likely to speak up about mental health issues like depression. For many men, struggling with their mental health means suffering in silence. Stigmas around acknowledging mental health struggles and old-fashioned ideas of masculinity often play heavily into men’s reluctance to seek help. Today, we hear from The Bro Therapist, Kyle Sommers, about his experiences of working with men and some of the red flags, coping methods, and responses he has seen in his clients. Find out how exercise is sometimes used to escape painful feelings, why sport is often so important to young men, and how anger can mask depression, and hear Kyle’s advice for helping men buy into the idea of therapy. He also has some suggestions for starting conversations about mental health, helping men better understand themselves, and fostering emotional awareness in their sons, as well as breaking the dangerous stigma that exists around masculinity and mental health. Tune in today to hear Kyle’s advice, success stories, and a whole lot more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Sherry shares some statistics about men’s mental health issues in the US.
- Kyle – also known as The Bro Therapist – talks about burnout and his private practice.
- How Kyle dealt with his emotions growing up and some of the coping methods that men use.
- Physical and mental health are both important, but exercise can also be used as an escape!
- Seeking worth or fulfillment in achievement and how Kyle sees it in the men he works with.
- Find out why sport can become such a big part of a young man’s identity.
- Learn about some of the early warning signs that a man is struggling with their mental health.
- Depression and anger: Kyle shares how men oftentimes act out when depressed.
- Persistent physical ailments are also a common symptom of mental health struggles for men.
- Help men buy into the idea of therapy by highlighting how it can positively affect their children.
- Hear Kyle’s advice for starting a conversation about mental health with a man in your life.
- The different methodologies that Kyle uses with men in his practice, like cognitive behavioral therapy and brainspotting.
- Why identifying your values is key to better understanding yourself.
- What are the benefits of counseling? Kyle says the biggest one is being honest with yourself.
- The importance of slowing down and being mindful, according to Kyle.
- For counselors that want to work with men, Kyle suggests having a straightforward approach.
- How men can foster emotional awareness in their sons, starting with modeling it for them.
- Creating a sense of safety around difficult conversations can create openness – try talking with your children on a car ride.
- Breaking down the stigma around mental health by starting at home with your family.
- Do away with toxic masculinity! Men can be “in control” while still being vulnerable.
- Ending the show with some stories of success: With even the most stoic alpha males, Kyle has seen positive growth and vulnerability.
- Kyle's last tip for men struggling with depression is to get their testosterone checked.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kyle Sommers on LinkedIn
Kyle Sommers on Instagram
Kyle Sommers on Facebook
Sommers Counseling
Although the holidays are a beautiful time, they can also be difficult for many reasons. Whether it’s unmet expectations, not having the picture-perfect Christmas, or dealing with tricky family dynamics, this period can cause struggle, stress, and shame. Joining us today to talk about how to navigate the holidays is Licensed Professional Counselor, Kate Turner who has recently closed her private practice and will be joining us at Mosaics of Mercy in 2021! In this episode, we talk about reframing expectations and getting to the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, gifts and cookies are great, but if they are causing so much stress and taking you away from your family, is all this trouble really worth it? Kate talks about communicating expectations with your family and how this will likely lighten your load. Another stressful part of the holidays is scheduling, which is why it is so important to set boundaries early on. We hear about how to gently yet firmly communicate our non-negotiables, and why we need to fill our cup before we make any commitments. Our conversation also touches on managing our expectations of others and remembering to laugh during this time. Stay tuned until the end for a special song to ring in the festive season!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Some exciting news: Kate is joining Mosaics of Mercy as a family navigator and school liaison!
- How our mindset about what Christmas means to us impacts our perception of this time.
- Why we should not compare our celebrations to others’.
- Katie’s advice on how we can reframe our expectations, particularly during this difficult year.
- Ask yourself how you want to feel at the end of the festive season and work back from there.
- How family dynamics can affect this period and the importance of setting clear boundaries.
- We have more time to make decisions than we think we do.
- What those of us who have children or loved ones in treatment can do this festive season.
- Focus on what you have instead of what you don’t!
- How we can reflect and work on our expectations of others during the holidays.
- Tips on how we can be gentle but firm in communicating our boundaries.
- Remember to find things to laugh at during this time; it brings us closer together.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kate Turner on LinkedIn
Kate Turner Counseling
Kate Turner on Twitter
Sam Allberry
Yellowstone
Loving My Actual Christmas
The Best Yes
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Elf
Song For My Children
Mosaics of Mercy
Many people living with mental illnesses often use medication to help manage their symptoms and, while it certainly helps many address the issue, it can also cause side effects and mask the root cause. Today’s guest is Bibi Ladipo-Ajayi, a medical writer and pharmacist turned counselor that operates at the intersection of counseling and medication therapy for mental health challenges. Bibi helps people realize that medication doesn’t heal them, it just masks their symptoms, and she uses a wide range of methods to help her clients reduce their dependence on pharmaceutical medications and transition to a functional wellness lifestyle.. Find out how Bibi makes use of pharmacogenetic and nutrigenomic testing and hear how she suggests we become our own best advocates. She asserts the importance of listening to our bodies, having a team approach to our health, and recording our own medical history, as well as doing research, advocating for ourselves, and having the courage to step out of our comfort zones. Make sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Bibi introduces herself and shares what she does as a medical writer.
- How a program at The King’s University launched Bibi into the counseling world.
- The intersection of counseling and medication therapy for mental health challenges.
- How Bibi helps people realize that medication doesn’t heal them, it just masks symptoms.
- Using pharmacogenetic and nutrigenomic testing to treat medication dependency and individualize diet and exercise recommendations.
- The importance of listening to our bodies and communicating with our doctors.
- How to best advocate for ourselves – get a second opinion, ask questions, do research.
- Having a team approach to your health by finding functional medicine practitioners.
- The benefits of recording your own history with medication – what works and what doesn’t.
- Bibi’s advice for asking your doctor the right questions about prescribed medication.
- Why you should never just stop taking medication with just your own opinion – do your research, talk to your doctor!
- Everything we do is important and makes up a part of who we are and how we function.
- By advocating for ourselves, we advocate for others – being empowered to take charge of our health helps us shine a light for others.
- A story of hope to close: how Bibi got out of her comfort zone and found her passion.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Bibi Lapido-Ajayi on LinkedIn
MyNOW Wellness
MyNOW Wellness on Instagram
MyNOW Wellness on Facebook
True North Counseling
Grief is a natural response to loss. It might be the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, or a way of life, like many of us are experiencing during COVID. Today's special guest is Bridget Caletka, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York. Bridget has ten years of direct counseling experience within academics, agency, and outpatient mental health settings, and a particular focus of her practice is working with grieving clients. She helps clients with end of life issues, those coping with serious or chronic illnesses, and provides crisis intervention for individuals and organizations in the aftermath of tragedies, such as the sudden death of a loved one. In this episode, we talk about grief – the five stages of the process, some misconceptions about it, and understanding when to get professional help. Bridget shares some words of advice for those in bereavement, including turning towards feelings of grief rather than suppressing them and, while grief never fully goes away, hope and transformation are possible. Listeners hear about the power of fully inhabiting our grief, creating micro-rituals, and Bridget shares some of her favorite resources, as well as what to do to help a bereaved loved one. Learn more about grief and grieving in today’s episode of Hope Pieced Together.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Bridget introduces herself, her practice, and shares a bit about her background.
- Living in a grief-avoidant culture, and how that makes grief more difficult.
- Why Joanne Cacciatore says the world is not a safe place for grievers.
- How the five stages of grief inform us about the grief process – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
- Sometimes, individual family members can experience different stages or forms of grief.
- Grief often coincides with trauma, and trauma can be the result of big or small losses.
- Death, loss, and grief are universal, but some people may feel it more deeply than others.
- The importance of turning towards difficult feelings rather than resisting or suppressing them.
- Understanding that grief never fully goes away but rather transforms over time.
- When to seek professional help – grief becomes problematic when it is not attended to.
- Bridget talks about the intensity and duration of what she calls “normal” grief.
- What to look for in a counselor to help you navigate the grief process.
- Bridget explains why it’s important to tell your counselor when they mess up.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Bridget Caletka on LinkedIn
Bridget Caletka on Facebook
Forge My Path
On Death and Dying
On Grief and Grieving
Center for Loss & Life Transition
Bearing the Unbearable
All Our Losses, All Our Griefs
Anyone who has lost a loved one as a result of substance abuse knows that society treats this loss differently than a death from any other cause. Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP) was created to offer understanding, compassion, and support for those who have lost someone they love through addiction and overdose. Too many times, they suffer not only the death of the person they love but also become isolated in their grief. Today’s guest is Kathy Posey, who lost her own son, Josh, to substance addiction at the tender age of 23. In this episode, Kathy speaks candidly about her experience, her son’s struggle with addiction, and his untimely passing. She shares what she wishes she knew at the time, how she managed to take care of herself – both before and after Josh’s death – and the importance of realizing that there is no shame in addiction or overdose-related death. Kathy also explains that every person grieves differently and how starting a GRASP group helped her with her own grief process, and she shares some words of hope and advice for those dealing with grief or those who wish to support them. Tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Kathy shares a bit about her family, herself, and her background.
- Talking about Kathy’s son, Josh – she describes his path and his personality.
- The signs Kathy and her family noticed in Josh and when they first sought treatment for him.
- What stands out to Kathy from her journey and what she wished she knew at the time.
- Kathy explains that addiction is a disease that brings a lot of shame and anxiety for parents.
- What Kathy found was that talking about it and educating herself helped her take care of herself.
- The importance of realizing that there is no shame in having a child with addiction – it has nothing to do with parenting.
- Kathy talks candidly about Josh’s passing and the few months prior to his death.
- Starting the journey of walking through grief – Kathy shares some of her key takeaways.
- Everyone grieves differently, and each approach is valid and understandable.
- Starting a GRASP group for families and how it has helped Kathy with her own grief process.
- It’s human nature that sharing our experience helps us feel less alone.
- Realizing the reality of having a child with addiction is different from the dreams of their future.
- Being ready for a group, finding a local group that works for the individual, and how GRASP has been affected by COVID.
- Advice for friends and family who want to come alongside those grieving: be there.
- Kathy’s story of hope: even though loss is incredibly painful, you will recover and laugh again.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
GRASP (Grief Recovery After Substance Passing)
GRASP Facebook Group
Mosaics of Mercy Support Group Resources
Memorial Hermann Prevention and Recovery Center (PaRC)
Being a parent to a teen can feel almost as tumultuous as being in adolescence itself. This crucial developmental stage where children are supposed to experiment and explore can be conflict-ridden when parents respond in a critical, controlling way. According to today’s guest, Adam Bertoch, parents have to move past the idea of ‘stop behaviors’ and instead look at what ‘start behaviors’ they can encourage in their teenage children. This is just one of the incredible insights this Woodlands, Texas-based Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) shares with us. In this episode, we talk about the trauma that comes from unmet expectations and disappointment, which is something every human being will face. Rather than trying to shield our teenagers from this inevitability, Adam believes that parents have to be reflective guides, being transparent and vulnerable, and modeling healthy coping mechanisms. Adam stresses the importance of honesty over perfection, something a lot of parents struggle with. We also discuss being curious about emotions rather than judging ourselves for feeling whatever we may be going through. As the gateway into adulthood, the adolescent years are filled with inner conflicts, so we unpack how parents and teenagers can establish expectations of the relationships to meet their respective needs. The conversation also touches on self-esteem struggles and establishing value, dealing with addiction or mental health challenges as a family, and why anyone can overcome any trauma they have faced. Be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get to know Adam and what his Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor qualification entails.
- Why unmet expectations are considered traumatic and how they influence mental health.
- The purpose of adolescence and why experimentation and exploration are crucial to this developmental stage.
- How parents can understand the turbulent teen years and find a connection with their children.
- Adam’s five guidelines for parents of teens to consider.
- How parents and teens can get on the same page about their expectations of one another.
- Why a curious rather than a critical approach helps parents respond to difficult emotions.
- Questions to ask to cultivate a sense of curiosity about what you are feeling.
- The benefits of being honest as a parent rather than trying to be perfect.
- Avoid rhetorical questions; they usually evoke defensive or self-deprecating responses.
- How the levels of dependency between parent and child evolve over time.
- Trying to control emotions is harmful, so teach your children how to cope with their feelings.
- Navigating self-esteem issues as a parent while guiding your children through theirs.
- Tips on establishing value and building up your own worth.
- What the zone of proximal development can teach us about our capabilities.
- Why Adam believes that human beings can overcome any trauma.
- How parents of teens struggling with addiction or mental health problems should approach parenting.
- Acknowledging your limitations as a parent and sharing them with your children.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
On The Mend Counseling
Adam Bertoch on LinkedIn
Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development
True and the Rainbow Kingdom
Brené Brown
Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding
One of the miracles of recovery is the opportunity to serve as a tangible example of hope. Today, we’re speaking with Sarah Bolton, an advocate for mental health and addiction recovery services, to hear her story of recovery, and how she found beauty in the brokenness in her life. As the founder of Sarah Lenee Creative & Consulting, Sarah supports providers with Business Development, Public Relations, and Event Planning Services, and she is also training with Mosaics of Mercy to become a facilitator for our Beauty in Brokenness Workshops. In this episode, Sarah shares her experience of finding God in recovery, going into ministry, and realizing the joy that creating art brings her, as well as the spirituality and healing she has witnessed in facilitating Mosaics of Mercy workshops, finding sober fun, community in sobriety, and the gifts in her life that are a direct result of her recovery. Tune in today to find out more about the miracle of sobriety, and the endless and fulfilling sober fun to be found in recovery.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Sarah shares a bit about herself, her background, and her connection with Mosaics of Mercy.
- Sarah’s experience of Beauty in Brokenness and how she took into treatment centers.
- Sarah shares a bit about her journey of recovery from alcohol abuse and addiction.
- Hearing the loving voice of God helped Sarah to stop drinking and attend AA meetings.
- Coming into recovery, Sarah found Christianity and being guided by a higher power.
- Sarah believes that God is infinitely creative and is there for us in our brokenness.
- Since COVID, Sarah is going into ministry and has sent her son to a military boarding school.
- After getting sober, Sarah realized the joy that creating art brought her and the people who received her works of art.
- There is a spiritual aspect to creating, as Sarah has discovered through facilitating classes.
- Sarah explains the anger and loneliness she felt when she stopped drinking and how she found sober fun in a party she organized.
- Sarah is now able to connect with people more authentically now that she is sober.
- Finding community in sobriety in the rooms of AA, the church, and with artists and organizers.
- How to handle being around alcohol – you have to be honest with yourself and allow your higher power to guide you.
- Sarah describes some of the beautiful gifts in her life that are a direct result of her recovery.
- Sarah’s story of hope, volunteering at her church, meeting the judge from her custody trial.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Sarah Bolton on LinkedIn
Sarah Bolton on Instagram
Sarah Bolton Art on Instagram
Sarah Bolton on Facebook
Sarah Bolton
Crown and Ash Event Design
Refuge Recovery
Smart Recovery
We know that the number of teen suicides is rapidly increasing and that children present with symptoms of depression and other mental health issues from a younger age than ever before, creating a growing need for mental health support in the emergency rooms of psychiatric hospitals. Today we have a conversation with Jeremy Sprott who is one of our board members and the owner of a company called Mental Health Solutions where he and his team offer these much-needed mental health services by responding to and assisting patients who have attempted suicide or self-harm. Whether the patient has cut themselves, overdosed, or threatened to commit suicide, these situations are extremely hard for parents who often feel guilty for not noticing the warning signs. In this episode, Jeremy talks to listeners about the trends in child and adolescent mental health, advising families on when someone needs to be brought in, what they can expect from the ER procedure, who decides on the facility, and what they have to keep in mind about the reviews that many of these places have. But, as with all other things, prevention is better than cure, and in this light, Jeremy talks to parents about spending quality time with their kids and creating a space in which they can safely share what they are going through without feeling like they are a burden on their parents. Joining in, listeners will also hear about the tricky balance between having resilience and keeping quiet about struggles, the value of preventative therapy, what kids need most from their parents, and why we need something more than anti-bully campaigns.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Jeremy talks about his background in Christian youth ministry and counseling.
- What it is like to be part of a team that responds to crisis calls in psych hospitals.
- Starting his company after recognizing a need in the emergency rooms in the Houston area.
- The observable trends in the kids and adolescents coming in for psychiatric services.
- When families need to call 911 or consider bringing someone in for a mental health need.
- Jeremy walks us through the procedure once a patient arrives at the emergency room.
- Hear what goes on behind the scenes while families are waiting for feedback in the ER lobby.
- The role-players who participate in the conversation about which facility a patient will go to.
- Why reviews about psych facilities are not always reliable sources of information.
- Common circumstances that result in adolescents needing mental health support.
- Encouragement to parents who blame themselves for not having seen the red flags.
- The importance of spending quality time with your kids and why they often avoid sharing.
- Understanding that, while resilience is important, it is okay to admit when you are struggling.
- Viewing therapy as a means of preparing kids and teens for whatever life brings.
- Jeremy talks about the misconception that a person of faith should not need counseling.
- What kids need most from their parents when they are going through a difficult time.
- Why you should be real in the process instead of pretending that things aren’t messy.
- Bully-proofing our children instead of trying to get rid of all the bullies we encounter in life.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jeremy Sprott on LinkedIn
Jeremy Sprott on Twitter
Mental Health Solutions
Mosaics of Mercy
Sherry Burkhard
In life, we often have moments that we say define us. Moments that stick out, clear as day — moments that shift the trajectory of our lives. We often refer to those as our turning points. That time in our lives where a shift happened as our life takes on the newly established trajectory. In this episode, we are so fortunate to hear a real-life story of what the journey through recovery looks like from two different perspectives. Today we are excited to host two international guests joining us on our podcast. We welcome Naetha and Calliese, who are currently in the UK and joining us via the world wide web. Together we talk about the journeys both Naetha and Calliese have been on — one part of this story is being the person amid a personal battle and the other part of the story is being a mom witnessing the struggle. Naetha and Calliese share their own unique experiences as they traveled through their recovery journeys, they share resources they used during the process, hurdles, treatments, and powerful moments they recall from this time. Stay tuned as we dive into this inspiring turning point story of a mother and daughter as they share about their experience.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Naetha and Calliese tell us about their backgrounds.
- Calliese shares about her personal battle with substance abuse, mental health, toxic relationships, and more.
- Naetha shares with us the struggle of watching and witnessing this journey as the mother.
- Calliese talks about the event that set her recovery path in motion: The Turning Point.
- How Naetha and her husband made critical decisions to try and restore their family.
- How a mother watched her daughter make decisions that could lead to her death.
- Naetha and Calliese share the key resources they used during this journey.
- The importance of timing and the role it plays in the process — Who to call and when.
- The hurdles Calliese went through: Tacos and treatment.
- The transition period Calliese experienced during her treatment: “I don’t have a problem.”
- The powerful message of how God orchestrated the recovery plan behind the scenes.
- They share powerful moments they recall that stand out in their journey.
- Calliese shares where she finds herself now — at this point in her recovery journey.
- Naetha also talks about how things are different today versus a year ago.
- How you cannot put a time stamp on recovery because it is always on-going.
- Calliese and Naetha share takeaways they want the listeners to walk away with: Hope and connection.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Al-Anon
Mosaics of Mercy
Sherry Burkhard
While individual therapy can be immensely helpful, family therapy takes into consideration the important role our family plays in who we are and even the struggles we have. Our guest today, Christie Farris, is a dual-licensed LPC (licensed professional counselor) and LMFT (licensed marriage and family therapist) who advocates for a systems approach to individual and family problems. Our parents and family are meant to function as our secure base from which we get our primary source of support, so when these relationships are strained, people can suffer trauma and experience a range of attachment and trust issues. Therefore, working with the family as a whole can shed valuable light on the patterns and coping mechanisms that perpetuate dysfunctional dynamics and prevent members from enjoying healthy relationships. In this episode, Christie shares when (and when not) family counseling is likely to be beneficial, what a typical session looks like, how to deal with a family member’s refusal to participate, and why parents should never feel as though therapy means that they have somehow failed. In fact, most families can probably benefit from therapy, so tune in for this episode to learn more about it!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Christie’s background as a high school teacher and discovering her passion for counseling.
- Going back to grad school for her Master’s and getting licensed as an LPC and an LMFT.
- The value of working in a variety of settings and the areas that she specializes in.
- The differences and similarities between the work of an LPC and an LMFT.
- Hear how the mental health struggles of one family member can impact the whole.
- Why our parents and family play such an important role in how we view all our relationships.
- When family counseling is beneficial versus when other processes need to happen first.
- The cost of failing to get help and how therapy is becoming more accessible.
- Learn what a family counseling session looks like and why everyone has to feel supported.
- The importance of stating that there is no such thing as finding the ‘bad guy’ in therapy.
- The tendency for patterns and coping mechanisms to develop in families.
- Striking the balance between focusing on the family versus individuals within the family.
- The false belief that if we, as parents, check certain boxes that our children will turn out ‘good’.
- Encouragement to parents who fear that therapy means they’ve done something wrong.
- Dealing with scenarios where someone in the family refuses to go to therapy.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Christie Farris
The Dance of Anger
The Essentials of Family Therapy
Sherry Burkhard
Mosaics of Mercy
We are thrilled to have Dena and Tom Yohe, the authors of Hope for Hurting Parents, join us today. The book comprises a curriculum for support groups and is a resource that we, at Mosaics of Mercy, have used, and today we talk to them about their background and how they came to write this book. But before the book, Dena and Tom started a support group for parents whose children suffer from addiction and mental health issues and recognized a need for a group that is faith-oriented. While they benefited greatly from joining an Al-Anon support group, they realized that they wanted to create a space for specifically Christian parents to find encouragement and where the focus is on them and not their troubled kids. In this episode, the pair talks about their goal with the Hope for Hurting Parents community and groups, how the sessions are structured, and whether non-Christian parents will benefit from attending. We talk about the importance of mothers and fathers staying on the same page, coming to sessions together, overcoming the fears around vulnerability and sharing, and the numerous benefits to joining a support group. Dena and Tom also share the many other resources they have and some encouraging stories of restoring hope to parents.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Our guests talk about their background in pastoral ministry and their involvement in Cru.
- Hear about Dena’s and Tom’s children and the journey of starting Hope for Hurting Parents.
- Their goal of helping parents to not only survive but thrive amid challenging circumstances.
- Who the Hope for Hurting Parents groups are for and why they choose to be specific about it.
- Find out how the groups are structured and how they facilitate engagement and feedback.
- Two aspects they stress in the groups: confidentiality and not offering unsolicited advice.
- Some insights on whether the group is suitable for someone who is not a Christian.
- Fears people might have about coming to the group and how they approach reluctant fathers.
- Overcoming the obstacle of men who are uncomfortable with vulnerability and sharing emotions.
- Becoming aware that working your own program is the best thing you can do as a parent.
- The benefits of being part of these groups, including feeling understood and finding hope.
- Learn about the many other resources Dena and Tom have to support hurting parents.
- Stories about parents who are transformed even when there is no improvement on the part of their children.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dena Yohe on Twitter
Tom Yohe on Twitter
Hope for Hurting Parents
You Are Not Alone
Hope for Hurting Parents (Organization)
Hope for Hurting Parents on Facebook
Dena Yohe YouTube Channel
Cru
Al-Anon
The Other Side of Sadness
Sherry Burkhard
Mosaics of Mercy
When personal struggles are overcome and leveraged for the benefit of others, it is a true victory and blessing. Joining us on the show today is Olympic gymnast Maria Ines Flores who trained at the well-known Bela Karolyi Gym alongside the likes of Mary Lou Retton back when she was a young girl at the peak of her athletic career. The conversation starts with Maria telling listeners about her life as a gymnast, highlighting her natural aptitude for sports and how her family and loved ones supported her and compromised a great deal for the sake of her promising athletic career. She talks about the strenuous training that, in retrospect, might have hampered her performance at the Olympics and when she finally decided to hang up her leotard for good. But that was the beginning of a difficult time for Maria who then struggled to fill the void that giving up gymnastics left, and how she battled to find her way forward without the passion that consumed more than six hours each day. But, years later, when her gymnast daughter also decided to quit the sport, it was as if she relived the same trauma and knew that she needed to get help to recover from the deep sense of loss that had laid dormant for a long time. After getting help from a neuro-linguistic therapist, she was finally free and able to say goodbye to gymnastics for good. Today, she helps other athletes overcome the same challenges she had, sharing her wisdom around competition, sacrifice, nutrition, balance, and more with people of all ages.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Get some background information about our guest and how she got started in gymnastics.
- Hear about Maria’s sport-intensive schooldays and moving around to get the best coaching.
- The incredible support Maria was getting from her parents, grandparents, coaches, and more.
- Maria talks about the other sporty members of her family and her competitive children.
- The importance of enjoying the sport and maintaining a healthy perspective on competition.
- How training too hard for the Olympics jeopardized Maria’s performance as an athlete.
- Maria reflects on the sacrifices her family had to make for the sake of her athletic aspirations.
- Why it is so important for athletes to find another hobby or interest other than their sport.
- The difficult transition from intensive training to quitting and not knowing how to fill the void.
- Maria shares how neuro-linguistic therapy helped her to grieve and let go of gymnastics.
- How her body and relationship with food changed from her training days to after she quit.
- Striking the balance between being over-restrictive and in control and completely letting go.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Maria Ines Flores on LinkedIn
Let’s Be Fit Today on Facebook
Let’s Be Fit Today on Instagram
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Mary Lou Retton
Simone Biles on Twitter
Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Christy Henrich Story
Sherry Burkhard
Mosaics of Mercy
Today we are fortunate to have one of the co-founders of Mosaics of Mercy, Paige Butler, join us.While she holds the official title of Director of Operations, she, like many of us, wears many hats in the organization. In this episode, we talk about her title at home and how she has tied it into one of our programs. She is raising her four-year-old grandson who has been in their home since birth, and while she is delighted to be fulfilling the role of parent, it comes with its own challenges. There are so many reasons why grandparents step in to take care of grandkids, whether it is because their children are in jail or battling with substance abuse, or because the parents are unable to take care of them or have passed away. Some grandparents help out temporarily, some are in it for the long haul, and others even formally foster or adopt their grandchildren. Either way, this is a journey that requires a ton of support. Tune in for this episode to learn what you can expect from a support group and how you can get started with such a community!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Paige’s story and how it has helped her to create a much-needed support group.
- Get a sense of the kind of situations the members of the group find themselves in.
- The importance of understanding the many reasons why grandparents end up in this role.
- Find out what the structure of the Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren support group is like.
- Hear about the unique experiences that the group focuses on and provides support for.
- Paige’s lunch and learn events that cover the legal aspects of raising a grandchild.
- Hear about their library of resources for grandparents and their program for children.
- Paige explains why family tree exercises can be a traumatic school experience.
- Overcoming the obstacles involved in grandparents having other grandkids to pay attention to.
- The importance of taking care of yourself first before trying to take care of your grandchild.
- The role that being part of a supportive community has played in Paige’s journey.
- Advice for starting a group and finding hope and joy in the challenging circumstances.
Tweetables:
“With some grandparents, it has been a mutual decision with their children and that was in our case as well. Some grandparents, and that is true in my group, have children in jail, so they are not sure if it is a short-term or a long-term commitment. Some know it is long-term. Some have come to this due to mental health issues with their children; some due to substance abuse, and I will say that is the most common scenario.” — Paige Butler [0:02:53]
“We are not just a group that talks about sad things, we are a group that celebrates victories in our grandchildren and our children and we laugh and smile a lot.” — Paige Butler [0:05:57]
“If any teachers or principals or administrators are listening to me, the family tree exercise causes trauma for our kids. We often have to seek therapy for our kids because of a simple exercise in the classroom that is supposed to be joyful and fun.” — Paige Butler [0:14:45]
“When we are grandparents raising grandchildren, we are parents. We are not getting to spoil; you don’t get dessert before dinner at our house – we are more the traditional parent.” — Paige Butler [0:18:16]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Paige Butler
The Grandfamily Guidebook
Mosaics of Mercy
Being bullied can be a traumatic event and may potentially lead to mental health struggles. Joining us today is to talk about this issue is Merrissa Hughes, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed School Counselor, and a former teacher. Combining her classroom experience with her counseling training, Rissa has a deep understanding of the impacts of bullying. This in this episode, we define bullying and explore the different forms it can take. Rather than being a once-off occurrence, bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior with a real or perceived power imbalance. We also hear about some of the effects that being bullied can have. From depression to anxiety to withdrawal, Rissa alerts us to signs to look out for if we suspect a child is being bullied. As parents or teachers, it’s natural to want to intervene in these situations, but in most instances, this is not recommended. A child or teenager who is being bullied has been disempowered, so they must be re-empowered, once again, through gaining their own coping mechanisms. Rather than being told how to deal with the bully, Rissa suggests that parents and counselors help children find ways that resonate with them. Along with this, we also cover other ways parents can be there for their bullied children, the importance of stepping back at the right time, and Rissa’s own story of hope. Be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Hear more about Rissa’s background and her journey to becoming an LPC.
- The incredible story of how Rissa met Brené Brown at a nail salon.
- Differentiating between meanness, rudeness, and bullying.
- Types of bullying including verbal, social, and physical and their characteristic features.
- Common mental health effects Rissa sees in children who have been bullied.
- The importance of being proactive with children’s mental health rather than dismissing it.
- How EMDR can be used to work through the trauma of being bullied.
- If you suspect a child is being bullied, connect with them, and let them know you are there.
- Rissa’s approach to reframing the cognitive distortions that occur as a result of bullying.
- How Rissa empowers her clients to find coping mechanisms that resonate with them.
- Even though it’s difficult, parents must give their children room to figure things out.
- Signs parents should look out for to know when to bring in professional help
- When parents or counselors should intervene and contact the school.
- The role parents play in their children's healing journey.
- Rissa’s tips for when a parent is the one instigating the bullying.
- How to deal with bullying in a church setting, which is supposed to be a safe space.
- More tips from Rissa on how parents can be there for their children who are being bullied.
- A final story of hope from where Rissa shares her own story of being bullied.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Merrissa Hughes
Brené Brown
Dare to Lead
Texas A&M University
The Call to Courage
Is It Rude, Is It Mean, Or Is It Bullying?
EMDR Institute
The Gottman Method
Mosaics of Mercy
Today on the podcast we continue with our theme for May, hope to cope, and it coincides perfectly with mental health awareness month. People have shared their stories about hope and how they take care of their mental health on our social media and the podcast, and today Sherry’s son Clay joins the conversation. As a teenage boy, Clay experienced paralyzing depression and anxiety after he had to give up swimming following an injury. Not relating much to his peers at school, his sense of isolation escalated and soon turned into negative self-talk, which made him increasingly depressed. But he didn’t initially think he needed help as he believed that his mental and emotional state was just part of who he was, keeping him quiet about the turmoil inside. Eventually, he reached out for help and started on the journey to healing, which included choosing carefully who he shared with, spending less time on social media, and exploring the activities he loved doing like reading, writing, and playing music. Clay talks about how his experiences have allowed him to help others who are facing similar challenges, how therapy did and did not help him, why you shouldn’t accept depression and anxiety, and more.
Key Points From This Episode:
• Hear about the article Clay wrote for The Mighty and his experiences leading up to it.
• The discomfort he used to feel in social situations and being labeled as “shy”.
• How perfectionism and being too hard on himself was one of the main stressors.
• The incident that gave way to his isolation, negative self-talk, and eventually self-hatred.
• Why he didn’t initially share what he was going through and when he realized he needed help.
• The importance of being careful to find the right people to share your story with.
• The fear of therapy and hearing someone else confirm that you’re not okay.
• Find out what Clay’s process of surrender was like and when he became receptive to help.
• Understanding that people relate differently to different approaches to therapy.
• Maintaining a healthy relationship with social media and knowing when to quit.
• Exploring the things you enjoy doing and overcoming the fear of not being good at them.
• How Clay’s experiences give him a unique opportunity to help others with similar struggles.
Tweetables:
“I think the biggest stressor for me personally—and it’s been this way for a long time—is that I’m extremely hard on myself; an extreme perfectionist. But then I can also check out from being a perfectionist but I don’t necessarily stop beating up myself so I do things poorly but I just get even angrier at myself for doing things poorly.” — Clay Burkhard [0:06:07]
“My biggest concern was just being afraid of realizing that I was not okay because I knew that but to have other people tell me that is a whole other thing.” — Clay Burkhard [0:16:50]
“I’m very happy with where I am now and the experiences I had because I feel like they give me a unique opportunity to relate to other people and see the world in a different light that I probably wouldn’t have seen before.”— Clay Burkhard [0:28:53]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The Mighty
“When Depression Looks Like Shyness”
Mosaics of Mercy
Sherry Burkhard on LinkedIn
Sometimes you heal from it, and sometimes you heal through it. It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and our theme this month is Hope to Cope. We know that it can be difficult at times – when we’re going through different struggles – to find hope, to know exactly how to walk in the midst of that, and how to cope. This month, we’re bringing in guests to share their personal stories of hope with you, because often we share knowledge through something that we’ve walked through ourselves, rather than from a professional place. Today’s guest is Emily Mowry, a PTSD survivor, science teacher, and Interact, sponsor. She shares with us her background and how she got into teaching, as well as some personal stories about the trauma that she has experienced and how she learned to cope with it. Emily wants us to know that diagnosis isn’t a linear process and that, sometimes, privilege can mask certain symptoms of mental illness. We also discuss healthy coping mechanisms and finding safe spaces to share when experiencing trauma, as well as the importance of scheduling joyful activities. Finally, Emily shares a source of hope that helps her to keep fighting in her journey towards healing. Tune in to find out more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Emily tells listeners about herself and her background.
- The difficulty of diagnosing mental illness and defining trauma.
- Experiencing trauma versus having PTSD.
- Emily relates her personal experiences with depression and anxiety.
- Diagnosis isn’t a linear process.
- Privilege allows someone to mask symptoms of mental illness.
- Shame and how it can prevent someone from reaching out for help.
- Healthy coping mechanisms and finding safe spaces to share when experiencing trauma.
- Fear, sadness, and anger should be felt, named, and expressed.
- The importance of scheduling joyful activities.
- Shifting the narrative from victim to survivor.
- A source of hope from Emily.
Tweetables:
“The experience of trauma is a part of the human condition” — Emily Mowry [0:11:48]
“In going on this journey with being diagnosed with a mental illness, you have to take things with a grain of salt, and learn to be a little creative in your own thinking” — Emily Mowry [0:20:54]
“Find your safe spot to be vulnerable… find a community to walk and grow with you… find a way to learn how to feel again” — Emily Mowry [0:39:26]
“My source of hope is: you can keep fighting because you already are a fighter” — Emily Mowry [0:56:09]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
What Color is Your Parachute?
The Price of Privilege
Safe People
iGrok App
Mosaics of Mercy Resources
Today listeners can look forward to an insightful interview with Lona Snell who is a Christian counselor in the community. Lona has her own practice where she and other counselors work with first responders and their families, focusing on the interaction between their work and home lives. In the past few months since the outbreak of COVID-19, first responders have been in the crossfire, risking their own safety and lives to help others. Dealing with life and death situations daily, these people experience perpetual trauma, which inevitably affects their wellbeing in the long run and frequently results in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If the trauma remains unresolved, these people may battle with anger, addiction, substance abuse, and a host of other issues, therefore behaving very differently in public than at home — the worst of which affects spouses and children. In this episode, Lana advises on how each of us can become better at supporting first responders, being sensitive listeners and equipping spouses and children to correctly interpret the sometimes unpredictable behavior. She also discusses the importance of self-care, effective communication within families, counterbalancing trauma, and the role that others can play in a person’s journey to healing.
Key Points From This Episode:
- An overview of Lona’s interests and focus areas in her counseling practice.
- Those who are considered first responders: firefighters, dispatchers, funeral directors, etc.
- Find out what all Lona’s credentials mean, from CART to CCTP and EMDR.
- The main issues that the first responder population tends to face and how they self-medicate.
- The disconnect between the public and private life of the first responder.
- How these workers often accumulate “compound” trauma and the symptoms of PTSD.
- Hear what happens when trauma remains unresolved or is constantly suppressed.
- The importance of knowing how to respond appropriately when someone opens up to you.
- Understanding that vulnerability is strength and the place where powerful change happens.
- Children’s inaccurate interpretation of disengaged first responder parents.
- The many faces of compassion fatigue: insomnia, depression, excessive sarcasm.
- Teaching kids how they can respond to and support their parents at home.
- Advice about the appropriate amount of sharing with kids and how to model self-care.
- Counterbalancing work-related trauma by surrounding yourself with uplifting things.
- Approaching faith in counseling and the role people play in demonstrating the love of God.
- An encouraging story about a first responder giving back after finding healing for himself.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Lona Snell
Lona Snell on LinkedIn
HIPAA
Brené Brown
Mosaics of Mercy
Sherry Burkhard on LinkedIn
Anxiety is something that most of us can relate to at the moment. The uncertainties surrounding the global pandemic are affecting all of us in some way, and worries about health, safety, livelihoods, and finances are intensified by the constant influx of news and shifting circumstances. Joining us today is a local counselor, Carolyn Robistow, to share with us about navigating anxiety and tapping into our resilience as human beings. While we may be confronted with a new level of uncertainty, it is helpful to remember that all of us have successfully overcome significant challenges, including being uncertain at times. In this episode, Carolyn gives listeners a few exercises for grounding themselves so that they are better equipped to cope with the situation, and while these activities do not exempt us from the discomfort, that can help to get us from worrying about the future to being focused on the present. Tuning in, listeners will also learn more about the different ways that anxiety can manifest, noticing your emotions, creating space for both positive and negative feelings, and extending grace to the people around you.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The two main areas that Carolyn’s clientele are currently anxious about: health and finances.
- Carolyn’s unique perspective working with over-functioning, high-achieving professionals.
- The role of our amygdala in keeping us in a state of regulation and how it gets triggered.
- The different ways that anxiety manifests in people who are not normally anxious.
- Being aware of how you feel in your body and when you react in a dysregulated manner.
- Allowing yourself to feel the waves of emotion from a grounded and resourced place.
- Techniques for pulling yourself out of future worry and grounding yourself in the present.
- How to hack the vagus nerve to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.
- Keeping in mind that grounding exercises do not remove but simply alleviate anxiety.
- Recognizing your own resilience and that uncertainty is something we have all dealt with.
- Realizing that positivity and gratitude do not exempt people from suffering.
- The benefits of finding things to be grateful for and sharing them with someone else.
Tweetables:
“The whole purpose that our brain has is to help us exist in a state of regulation and homeostasis. So, it wants us to be safe and protected and comfortable and happy.” — Carolyn Robistow [0:04:06]
“Feelings do come in waves, they don’t come and stay. They may be more intense than we want so we work to bring them into smaller, more tolerable waves but overall, they tend to be waves and are temporary.” — Carolyn Robistow [0:09:56]
“Anxiety is like getting lost in future worry. Grounding is meant to bring us into the here and now.” — Carolyn Robistow [0:13:34]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Carolyn Robistow
The Joy Effect
Mosaics of Mercy
Sherry Burkhard on LinkedIn
Suicide carries such a stigma around it that people, including mental health professionals, feel afraid to bring it up, even when someone around them may be struggling with the issue in some way. As the number of suicides and suicide attempts continues to rise every year, it is increasingly important to break down these barriers and to engage in open conversations around the topic. Today’s guest, Whitcomb Terpening, a licensed social clinical worker, and suicide specialist, runs the only dedicated suicide practice in the US. In this episode, Whitcomb shares more about her journey and how it intersected with a professional passion for treating suicide. We talk about why it was important for her to establish a practice that was an alternative to in-patient hospitalization. Suicide is a spectrum and as such, there needs to be a variety of treatment options available. We also discuss how to spot suicidal thoughts in people, particularly amid this coronavirus crisis. Many of the usual signs are more difficult to notice, so it's necessary to be alert to certain behavior. Along with this, Whitcomb also illustrates the importance of just asking someone if they’re struggling with suicidal thoughts. People often believe that by mentioning it, they will put an idea in someone’s head, but this could not be further from the truth. Giving someone a safe place to talk is an incredibly comforting experience. We also talk about how the community at large can play its part in preventing suicide, the importance of reaching out, and some training resources that non-professionals can undergo to deal with the issue. Be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Learn more about Whitcomb’s background, The Semicolon Group, and the practice.
• Find out about the personal experience that led Whitcomb to work in suicide.
• Some of the statistics around suicide in the US that Whitcomb has written about.
• Coronavirus crisis specific suicidal related signs to look out for and ways to reach out.
• How to approach someone you feel may be suicidal and what to do next.
• When the right time would be to call for additional professional help.
• How to help people dealing with suicide-related grief during this time and resources to use.
• Training people can do to equip themselves with skills around dealing with suicide issues.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode
Whitcomb Terpening on LinkedIn
The Semicolon Group
We tell suicidal people to go to therapy. So why are therapists rarely trained in suicide?
How to find a therapist if you’re suicidal
Our Silence is Killing Us
QPR Institute
Texas Suicide Prevention
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Crisis Text Line
Joining us today is Kristin and Paul Abrahams to talk to listeners about marriage in stressful times. Right now, around the world, people are dealing with unprecedented stress, circumstances that take their toll on our mental health. With COVID-19 having many countries in lockdown, couples are facing a new repertoire of challenges. Kristin and Paul share some helpful resources to support marriages through this crisis, including books and devotional apps that help the whole family to reconnect with God, communicate better, and stay entertained. In addition to Kristin’s leading role in marriage ministries at Faith Bible Church, the couple also facilitates the re⎮engage marriage counseling program and talk to listeners about what it entails, the benefits of group counseling, and how they can get involved even if they are not a member of their church. In light of the global pandemic, they discuss the conflict that arises from suddenly being together 24/7, the shifting roles around the home, new work-related responsibilities, and dealing with the increasing anxieties surrounding the crisis. Getting on the same page as your spouse is hard enough as it is, but it is complicated even more when partners have different coping mechanisms. In this episode, we equip you with the information, tools, and communication strategies needed to keep your marriage strong during tough times and also encourage listeners with the hope that we always have in Christ.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Kristin’s involvement with marriage counseling at Faith Bible Church.
- Why Kristin and Paul are “qualified” to help other people overcome challenges in marriage.
- Hear about the re⎮engage ministry, our guests’ involvement, and the structure of the course.
- The benefits of accountability and vulnerability that emerge in the context of a group.
- How group counseling offers the opportunity to learn from other couples’ experiences.
- Examples of the issues that brought couples to the program before versus after the outbreak.
- The stress of new and shifting roles that being restricted to the home has brought about.
- Navigating changing workloads, new responsibilities, and job insecurity.
- The difficulty of getting on the same page when people have conflicting coping mechanisms.
- A list of helpful tools for couples to employ during this trying period.
- Why it is important to implement some form of structure and consistency in the home.
Tweetables:
“One of the things that are really cool about re⎮engage too is that it is a discipleship program in that, yes, we are talking about our marriages every single week, and yet the real focus is on our intimacy with Jesus and how he transforms us.” — Paul Abrahams [0:04:44]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kristin Abrahams
Faith Bible Church
Watermark Community Church
re⎮engage
Brené Brown
Jesus Calling
How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong
Join The Journey
Brian Regan
Whataburger
Love Nudge
Zoom
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, we are all constantly faced with the reactions of those around us. Lauren Hollis joins us today to talk about helpful ways of coping with external responses, as well as those within ourselves and our families. Lauren is a counselor in the Woodlands area and an LPC-certified child life specialist. As such she is very well positioned to give an informed perspective on what we are currently facing with the global pandemic. It is so important to understand our own responses and then to apply understanding to these and the ones we encounter. There are loads of great information and ideas in today's episode as we explore the implications of being housebound, homeschooling and other people's trigger points. Lauren argues that it is a great time to consciously allow ourselves and others more grace, even when it is tough! We talk about the array of reactions that we might witness in light of the coronavirus and how these can be tough to agree with.
The connection between motherhood and ADHD is often made through cases where children are diagnosed with the condition. But what about situations where a mother is struggling with some level of ADHD? Our guest today, Patricia Sung, has her own podcast that deals with that exact question! Motherhood in ADHD is her exploration of her journey, grappling with the difficulties of her ADHD and the beauty and glory of raising children. Patricia shares her story of a late diagnosis going into her college years and how difficult it was to manage initially.
Almost twenty years later she has a much larger set of tools and strategies for managing but she tells us how becoming a mother threw another spanner in the works and posed a whole new set of challenges for her. She talks about how it is possible to flourish with ADHD and how your tools and planning can become your lighthouse in a stormy sea. We discuss the difficulty of separating ADHD from personality traits and how perfectionism is strongly linked to her awareness of her condition. Patricia wants to help mothers be the best they can be, even with the issues that stem from ADHD. For her it is all about reassurance and removing self-doubt, creating a sense of community and solace. The conversation also covers the shame spiral that can occur and ways that she has found to exit the cycle. For a beautiful, hopeful and honest discussion on something not often spoken about enough, tune in with us today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Some background on Patricia and her podcast about mothers with ADHD.
- Patricia's later diagnosed with ADHD and what happened when she arrived at college.
- Common reactions to ADHD diagnoses and the spectrum of feelings that arise.
- Challenges to mothers with ADHD; Patricia's experiences since having kids
- The importance of planning and what happens when something unforeseen arises.
- Connections between perfectionism and ADHD and the development of over-carefulness.
- The differences between each person's kind of ADHD; no one size fits all system for coping.
- Getting help and the role of a counselor in managing the challenges of ADHD.
- Patricia's experience of 'brain-spotting' and accessing uncomfortable feelings.
- Feelings of guilt and shame around motherhood and hopelessness in the face of struggle.
- Including your children in your life; keeping boundaries but showing up authentically.
- The recipe for great teams, culture, and communication; less judgment for voicing issues.
- Patricia's message of hope, community and letting the light shine in safely.
Tweetables:
“When you have the right support with ADHD, you can flourish.” — Patricia Sung
[0:09:11]
“Everyone's ADHD is different.” — Patricia Sung [0:21:25]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mosaics of Mercy
Patricia Sung
Motherhood in ADHD
Brené Brown
Harry Potter
Burnout
C.S. Lewis
The Power of Habit
Smarter, Faster, Better
Charles Duhigg
On today’s show, we have Carolyn Robistow, a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas. Carolyn specializes specifically in helping those who struggle with stress and anxiety, perfection, infertility, ADHD and focus. Inside this episode, we talk about the importance of prioritization in our lives, Carlyon expands on a new brain-based therapy called Brain Spotting, as well as a play therapy method called Sandtray Therapy. We also talk about the importance that self-compassion plays within our lives and establishing our worthiness. Carolyn shares with us her approach to therapy sessions, where she foresees her practice heading with the implementation of video sessions, and her passion for mentoring interns not only through the therapy aspect of private practice but also how to run a business. We end the episode today with a heartfelt, personal story of hope from Carolyn. So stay tuned to hear it all on Hope Pieced Together.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Carolyn shares on “The Should’s,” how we prioritize things matters.
- The importance of sorting through your top tire values.
- Brain Spotting: What this is and the benefits of its implementation.
- Carolyn talks about the training required behind Brain Spotting.
- Carolyn shares more about Sandtray Therapy and how it works.
- We hear about Athleta — Self-compassion, and yoga mixed workshops
- We talk about worthiness and the importance of reminding ourselves that we are worthy.
- Carolyn shares about her passion and wheelhouse and how she approaches therapy.
- Private practice — Not only therapy but it’s also running a business.
- Carolyn talks about her video sessions.
- Carolyn shares her story of hope: Infertility and the ebb and flow.
Tweetables:
“You need to make sure that you know where you are putting your priorities, your time and your energy, because you shouldn’t be doing everything. You’re not going to do everything well. You need to pick what’s in your best interest, what’s in your value set and what’s going to feed your spirit, or fill your cup, versus what the world seems to be telling you, you should be doing.” — Carolyn Robistow [0:03:25]
“We don’t have to do everything 100% to be valuable and worthy human beings.” — Carolyn Robistow [0:05:10]
“I love the concept of being with ourselves, even when things are not going well. Self-compassion is something that perfectionists need a bit more of in their lives.” — Carolyn Robistow [0:22:45]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Carolyn Robistow
Carolyn Robistow on LinkedIn
Carolyn Robistow on Facebook
Joy Effect Counseling
Athleta
Mosaics of Mercy
Sex and pornography addiction are coming more to the fore in the modern world as we see the effects of readily available explicit material on the internet. Today we discuss these issues with LeighAnn and Mike Schweser, a couple who have dealt with these problems in a very personal way. After 18 years of a supposedly happy marriage, Mike's use of pornography started to become apparent to LeighAnn and even though there were denial and attempts at new habits, the problems remained for years, leading up to an affair and the near-end of their marriage. We hear from our guests about the extreme challenges that they faced, the important moments and how an undying commitment to each other and God helped them come through the struggle together.
It is a conversation about a lot of difficulty and shame but also one with a huge message of hope for all listeners! The resounding theme is the compassion and understanding that Mike and LeighAnn fostered for each other in the darkest of times and this idea is great for any couples that might be struggling, no matter the issue. We hear about how this addiction is not actually about sex but more about shame and emotions, the process of learning more deeply about each other, the importance of faith in this process of healing and more. Make sure not to miss this amazing story of love, hope, and redemption!
Key Points From This Episode:
- How LeighAnn and Mike met, their young marriage after school and their shared values.
- The events that shook LeighAnn and Mike's marriage after 18 years.
- Feelings that came up for Mike when LeighAnn confronted him about his issues.
- Moving to Houston, travels to Africa and the secret lives that developed for the couple.
- The letter that Mike wrote and how LeighAnn discovered the affair he was having.
- How LeighAnn learned about addiction and took the guilt off of herself.
- The realizations that Mike had, attending counseling and confession and breaking the denial structures.
- LeighAnn's thoughts on forgiveness and the grace that God gave her.
- Support systems and the hope that our guests found in Pure Desire.
- The pervasiveness of struggles with pornography with today's ease of access.
- Why masturbation is still sex outside of marriage and is dangerous for later life practices.
- Creating a safe space to understand each other and addiction better.
- Mature and patient decisions about recovery and maintaining compassion for each other.
- The amazing moments of understanding and learning through couples work together.
- Mike's hope in spite of denial and not knowing how he would heal.
- Giving the seemingly impossible a chance and not giving up on a partner.
- A final message of hope from Mike and LeighAnn!
Tweetables:
“Denial is not just a long river in Africa.” — Mike Schweser [0:08:00]
“I made mistakes in our marriage too. I could have handled things better when we started to disintegrate.” — LeighAnn Schweser [0:23:48]
“Forgiveness is such a tricky thing and so many people have so many different opinions about it.” — LeighAnn Schweser [0:33:09]
“The goal is to develop, emotionally mature and start healing those strongholds.” — Mike Schweser [0:43:25]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mosaics of Mercy
Patrick Doyle Podcast
Pure Desire
Treating sex addiction or other sexual issues can be very difficult. Not only are these issues often shrouded in shame but it is extremely hard for patients to open up to their therapist about them. As a therapist who formerly specialized in treating eating disorders, Kim Saltzman, our guest today, has applied her skill set to a new specialty: sex addiction. She is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, dealing with a spectrum of sexual issues. In this episode, Kim sheds light on what it’s like being in this unique specialty. She talks about the types of issues that she commonly sees.
Her passion is not confined to her practice alone. Kim hopes to become more involved in child and teen sex education by working with the church and parents. She believes that in providing parents with tools to answer questions about sex, it will normalize children’s natural curiosity on the topic. By doing it through the church, she hopes to illustrate that sexuality itself is not bad because it is God’s creation. Kim’s approach to sex addiction and sex education is open and refreshing. Don't miss out on today’s show!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Kim’s background and the motivation for choosing her specialty.
- The links between eating disorders and sex addiction and how Kim became involved in it.
- Learn about what APSATS is.
- How a patient would know to go a CSAT over an LPC.
- Sexual anorexia: A look into an often-neglected aspect of disordered sexuality.
- More on the work Kim hopes to do in the church and community around child sex education.
- Curiosity is normal and questions around sex should be normalized.
- Without context, learning about sexuality from the internet can lead to skewed conclusions.
- Our culture is accepting of men with sexual struggles while women feel more shame.
- How parents know if their teenager needs counseling for sexual struggles.
- It is usually incredibly difficult to get sex addicts to talk about their struggles.
- Some of the tools Kim uses to help patients put a plan in place.
- An overview of the inner, middle, and outer circle tool.
- There is extra shame for Christians who have sexual struggles and how Kim deals with it.
- Kim’s message of hope for anyone struggling with issues around sex.
Tweetables:
“We have to develop some sort of functional relationship with food. We can’t just eliminate was seems to be causing the problem.” — Kim Saltzman [0:03:47]
“There’s no shame in a woman having sexual struggles.” — Kim Saltzman [0:29:24]
“It’s very difficult to work through a shame issue if I can’t even talk about it with anybody.” — Kim Saltzman [0:53:10]
“I want to affirm that God created sexuality. He is the creator of this and he sees it as good.” — Kim Saltzman [0:54:50]
“The goal of our sexuality is to bring two people close together in an intimate way that they don’t share with anybody else.” — Kim Saltzman [0:56:24]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kim Saltzman
APSATS
Brené Brown
Sex Addicts Anonymous
Our guest on the show for today is Deena Watson and she joins us to share her experiences with psychiatric facilities as the mother of a child who struggles with chronic mental health issues. When Deena’s son Brian was in between his seventh and eighth school year he experienced his first manic incident. In our conversation, Deena recounts the story to listeners, telling us about how Brain’s behavior was assessed by a series of medical professionals before he was finally admitted to a psychiatric facility. Deena shares her own experiences through the whole process too, which went from an initial feeling of fear and powerlessness to a subsequent period of learning.
The facilities and people that Deena interacted with along this journey with her son’s condition gave her experiences and taught her lessons that shifted her entire perspective on what a normal life should look like. Today we hear about the place of hope that Deena finds herself in several years down the road, and the story she tells shines a new light on the positive perspectives and gratitude that people who endure such extreme trials are blessed to experience.
Key Points From This Episode:
- How Deena entered the mental health world by discovering her son Brian’s illness.
- What happened when Brian had his first episode and set up several shrines in the house.
- Brian’s diagnosis that suggested his issues were not physical but psychological.
- Limiting factors to whether a patient will get care in a psychiatric ward: space availability.
- Intake procedures at psychiatric hospitals: advanced security, precautions, and screening.
- What happened on the day Brian was admitted: interviews and a video conference diagnosis.
- Deena’s emotions after leaving the hospital: guilt, fear, and powerlessness.
- Brain’s behavior, experiences, and journey back to reality in his first week in the ward.
- Feelings of reassurance Deena felt after visiting Brian and seeing he was peaceful.
- Benchmarks for patient release: can patients self-administer medication?
- Critiques of the outpatient program: it didn’t show Brian how to handle his chronic illness.
- Support Deena found at her therapy group after realizing many peers had mental issues.
- Challenges faced around returning to school: peer, teacher, and staff responses.
- How the family prepared Brian to be at school again by teaching him safe words, etc.
Tweetables:
“We visited with the family therapist. I don’t even know if it was for 15 or 20 minutes, and he took us outside and he said, ‘I need you to go immediately to a psychiatric hospital. Your son needs to be hospitalized today.” — Deena Watson [0:04:03]
“I walked out of the facility and fell to the ground and just sobbed.” — Deena Watson [0:13:40]
“I’m not scared to admit him to a hospital anymore. I think its the right thing to do when I see those signs going up that he is entering a manic episode.” — Deena Watson [0:39:09]
“I don’t wish this on anybody, but in the middle of it, roses are beautiful but they have thorns. We still like roses. That’s the attitude that we have chosen to adopt.” — Deena Watson [0:45:46]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mosaics of Mercy — https://mosaicsofmercy.com/
Hope Pieced Together — https://mosaicsofmercy.com/hope-pieced-together/
Sherry Burkhard — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-burkhard-9a128b16a/
Some things are so painful that they get locked up in the heart forever. People can spend their entire lives carrying these scars around, sometimes without even knowing they do. In an effort to buffer away from this hurt, individuals turn to all manner of destructive habits. Today’s guest is Kate Turner, and she is a practicing counselor who specializes in trauma recovery therapy and parenting. Kate joins us on the show today to speak about the roots and manifestations of trauma, healing methods she uses in her practice, and actionable skills parents can use to heal from their own pain thus inflicting less of it on their kids.
Kate breaks down her HeartSync philosophy which sees the heart as a three-part being that both stores and guards itself against trauma, locking it in as a protective mechanism that ends up causing further damage. Kate takes her patients through faith-based visualization processes to help them unblock these stoppages and release old pain, to the effect of healing both emotional and physical ailments. She also shares more about her Love and Logic workshops which help children and parents learn more peaceful ways of communicating, having the effect of families ultimately leading more fulfilling and whole lives.
Key Points From This Episode:
- What HeartSync is all about: a faith-based way of healing from trauma.
- The three parts of the heart: the emotional part, the logical part, and the ‘guardian.’
- Wounds that we suffer from as babies or children while we are over-egocentric.
- Using the heart model to understand how trauma gets buffered by distractions/addictions.
- How the guardian stops emotional trauma spilling into the logical part of the heart.
- Vices caused by the guardian keeping emotions in: drugs, food, sex, technology, etc.
- Somatic/physical manifestations of trauma that subside after therapy.
- The Christian elements of HeartSync that use Jesus as part of the healing process.
- Applications of HeartSync to people who have been wounded due to their faith.
- Dangers of giving kids free reign on the internet in their rooms: they encounter wrongdoing.
Tweetables:
“It’s not about fixing my kids, it’s about taking a look at myself.” — Kate Turner [0:24:17]
“I have seen people healed not only emotionally but also physically in the most, you could say, miraculous of ways.”— Kate Turner [0:47:11]
“It does take courage to pick up the phone and yet there can be so much hope and help on the other side of the line.”— Kate Turner [0:48:31]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kate Turner — http://katedturner.com/
Kate Turner on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateturnercounseling/
Kate Turner Counseling on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/kate_turner_counseling/
Father Andrew Miller — http://www.heartsyncministries.org/about/
Joey Gentempo — https://hisfathersheart.org/author/joeygentempo/
Internal Family Systems — https://ifs-institute.com/
Richard C. Schwartz — https://ifs-institute.com/about-us/richard-c-schwartz-phd
The Tech-Wise Family — https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Wise-Family-Everyday-Putting-Technology/dp/0801018668
The road to recovery is never an easy one, no matter what the issue is. Our guest today is Kate Funk and she talks about her own recovery and her work helping others with theirs. Kate developed a serious eating disorder at a very young age and it took many years for her to properly address and overcome the harmful effects of the roots of the problem. She now works at Monte Nido and Affiliates, helping teens on their path to a healthier self as well as in her own private practice of rehab. Kate opens up about what her disorder looked like and how it changed and evaded her grasp. We hear about chasing a never-achievable body weight, the influence of her mother's own eating issues on her as a young girl, important steps in the process and even some of the positive things that have come with having these problems in her life. Kate shares the important role her friends played in the journey and how tiny moments and messages can make all the difference in hanging on. We also discuss her treatment and how she came around to it after a typical aversion. For a wonderfully honest and inspiring conversation with someone fully committed to helping people through what she has experienced herself, be sure to join us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- More about Monte Nido, who it serves and its aims.
- Kate's private practice working with eating disorders, addiction, and trauma.
- Our guest's personal reasons for getting into counseling and working with eating disorders.
- Chasing a bodyweight and the unquenchable desire to go lower.
- The recovery journey; scales, reaching out and journalling.
- The gifts that have come along with an eating disorder and how Kate appreciates her journey.
- Kate's friends and the part they played in her recovery through steadfastness.
- The small messages that can make such a difference to someone who is struggling.
- How Kate was forced into treatment initially and how it took hold from there.
- The different stages of recovery; making it through the levels over time.
- Finding ways to be more kind to oneself and taking your own emotional temperature.
- The other areas that Kate's low sense of self-worth made itself apparent.
- Challenges of working with people with similar issues and problems.
- Kate's experiences coaching at Girls on the Run!
- Some thoughts from our guest to anyone out there struggling.
- A favorite story from Kate's journey around a big mirror and her fingerprint.
Tweetables:
“I developed an eating disorder at a really young age, I would say I was probably 7 or 8 years old.” — Kate Funk [0:04:30]
“I am a very sensitive person, so if I'm holding something back that is a red flag that there is something going on.” — Kate Funk [0:10:45]
“I probably am a little bit more tough love than a therapist that hasn't been there.” — Kate Funk [0:32:15]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mosaics of Mercy
Kate Funk
Monte Nido and Affiliates
Girls on the Run
For some people, poor body image is a sign of a serious problem: an eating disorder. Eating disorders are not just always about food. They are often a way to cope with difficult problems, a form of trauma or a way to regain some form of control. We need to be able to understand all the different topics around eating disorders so we can be informed. Joining us on the show today we have Dr. Deborah Michel, regional managing director at the Eating Recovery Center (ERC) in The Woodlands, Texas. Dr. Michel is also co-author of the book When Dieting Becomes Dangerous: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Anorexia and Bulimia. During this conversation, Dr. Michel discusses eating disorders and signs and symptoms to look out for, how challenging eating disorders treatment and recovery can be, the changes in the eating disorder field over the years, and ways in which social media has changed the world of eating disorders. Be sure to keep listening to this very interesting conversation with Dr. Deborah Michel!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Dr. Michel tells us how she got involved in treating eating disorders.
- Changes that have occurred in the eating disorder field over the years.
- How ERC is steeped in a values-based approach.
- Family as a big asset in recovery.
- Change starting from the outside and moving inward.
- Correcting symptoms lead to changes occurring cognitively and emotionally.
- The significant focus on nutritional rehabilitation.
- Dr. Michel’s belief that it takes a village in the recovery of those with eating disorders.
- Why we live in a hostile recovery environment.
- Social media and how it’s changed the world of eating disorders.
- The trauma we know is a risk factor for any type of psychological difficulty.
- Trauma and complex relational trauma and the effect it has on your life.
- Navigating trauma to help prevent eating disorders.
- Power of validation and its significance for individuals.
- Benefits of eating together and having family meals.
- Importance of regulating your emotions.
- Addressing the anxiety that goes hand-in-hand with eating disorders.
- Recovery and full recovery is absolutely possible.
- The journey of treatment for an eating disorder.
- Advice for concerned family members and how to seek help for someone else.
- The invisibility of eating disorders and signs and symptoms that go unseen.
- Stories of hope for the individual and hope for the family.
Tweetables:
“When someone’s brain is malnourished it’s not going to be able to utilize all of that information in the way that someone's brain, who is healed and optimal, will.” — Dr. Deborah Michel [0:05:39]
“Families can be our very greatest asset in recovery.” — Dr. Deborah Michel [0:06:34]
“I always have believed that it takes a village in the recovery of those with eating disorders.” — Dr. Deborah Michel [0:11:19]
“Avoidance is anxiety’s best friend.” — Dr. Deborah Michel [0:33:24]
“Recovery and full recovery is absolutely possible.” — Dr. Deborah Michel [0:40:18]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Eating Recovery Center
When Dieting Becomes Dangerous
Craig Johnson on LinkedIn
Recovery Record
Are you or someone you know dealing with an eating disorder? Do you often not know where to even begin helping yourself or someone else? Joining us today on the show we have Dr. Anna Brown, Clinical Director at Eating Recovery Center. Eating Recovery Center (ERC) is an integrated, health care system dedicated to the treatment of serious eating and related disorders at any stage of the illness. With eating disorders being so prevalent in our daily lives and being so common in America with over 30 million people struggling with it, we must educate ourselves on the topic. Dr. Anna is here to help us understand eating disorders and the psychology behind them. We discuss “invisible” eating disorders, how to identify eating disorders, recovery from eating disorders, and how ERC can help. For all this and more, keep listening!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Dr. Anna shares her background and how she started working with eating disorders.
- What ERC has to offer and different in-patient and out-patient programs available.
- Identifying eating disorders in others.
- The link between eating disorders and athletics and training.
- Recovery from eating disorders and how ERC is there to provide a source of hope.
- Letting go of the familiar and go into the unknown.
- Finding the right counselor to help deal with an eating disorder.
- Perceptions about eating disorders.
- What a day at ERC looks like for Dr. Anna.
- Virtual ways to seek help through ERC.
- The benefits of mindfulness in the recovery of eating disorders.
- Involving families in the recovery process and having them eat meals together.
- Exposure therapy incorporated into care at ERC to help people deal with life after recovery.
- Shifts that have taken place in eating disorders over time.
- Misconceptions surrounding eating disorders and why there is no one specific cause.
- Different types of eating disorders.
- Social media awareness groups to help teach people how to handle social media and the effect it has on their lives.
- Dr. Anna shares the story of Shannon Kopp and her road to recovery.
Tweetables:
“Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes, all different kinds of presentations.” — Dr. Anna Brown [0:07:53]
“We really take a stance of, families are not to blame.” — Dr. Anna Brown [0:39:24]
“There is no one specific cause for an eating disorder.” — Dr. Anna Brown [0:40:08]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Eating Recovery Center
Shannon Kopp
Pound for Pound
Say it Brave
Today’s episode is one of hope and healing. We are joined by Lisa Squier, who shares details about her daughter’s suicide attempt two years ago. Being a single mom, Lisa has always been very close to her daughters, yet the suicide attempt by Emily, her youngest daughter, caught her completely off-guard. Lisa had not known that Emily was struggling with her mental health at all until she uncharacteristically woke up in the middle of the night and found her daughter unconscious. She also talks about what the journey since the incident has been like. She and Emily have had to establish a completely different relationship, where full honesty was the central tenet. This meant that Lisa had to get comfortable with asking the tough questions in order to understand how Emily was truly feeling. The incident took an emotional and mental toll on Lisa who found that she had PTSD afterward. She shares the ways that she has found support since and how although she cannot erase what happened, she has tools that allow her to cope with it being a part of her reality. Lisa and Emily have chosen to be open with their story in the hopes that sharing it will have positive effects, no matter how big or small. They have already seen evidence of it, and hope to continue with their cause. Tune in for all this and much more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Despite being very close to her daughter, Lisa saw no signs of Emily struggling mentally.
- How Lisa found Emily after her suicide attempt when she was 18.
- What happened when Lisa went to the emergency room with her daughter.
- Some of the incredible work that first responders do.
- Even a few days after the incident, Lisa struggled to piece together what had happened.
- After Emily was released from the hospital, she went to a psychiatric hospital.
- Lisa did some ‘investigative’ work of her own to put the story together.
- The clues that Emily left for Lisa in the event that she succeeded with her plan.
- For Lisa, it was hard when Emily was in the psychiatric hospital because she was in the dark.
- Why it was like bringing a newborn home when Emily was discharged from the psychiatric facility.
- Permission for full disclosure: why being 100% honest was the only way to move forward.
- Mental health is a backward journey – you start with medication and diagnose from there.
- Finding the balance between allowing independence versus helping was difficult for Lisa.
- Lisa realized that she had PTSD after Emily’s incident and how she dealt with it.
- The ability to always be present helped Lisa cope with the incident greatly.
- In a sensitive situation, people do want to help, but often do not know how to.
- A surprising outcome: many people approached Lisa saying that they had similar situations.
- A powerful moment that showed Lisa why advocating for mental wellness was the right path.
- Some of the other blessings that have come from Lisa and Emily’s situation.
Tweetables:
“I didn’t care who knew at that point. I wanted everybody to know because I need as much help as humanly possible.” — Lisa Squier [0:09:21]
“The fact that it did not work is proof to me that it was not supposed to.” — Lisa Squier [0:10:47]
“Trust is a huge, huge, huge thing in our family. If you don’t have that, you don’t have anything.” — Lisa Squier [0:17:08]
“Anger means action.” — Lisa Squier [0:29:58]
“Just ask the hard questions.” — Lisa Squier [0:41:34]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Kevin Hines
Kevin Hines on Twitter
Living Out Loud
On the show today we welcome therapist Tessa Stuckey who shares some of her insight into and experience with adolescents who are suffering from suicidal ideation. Teen suicide must be a parent’s worst nightmare, and Tessa talks to us about her support group for girls, the importance of talking about struggles, getting much-needed support from peers, and some of the rules and practices she has implemented in this setting. What Tessa learned in counseling these youths is that they often don’t display the typical signs of people who are thinking about suicide. Wanting to understand what is causing the rapid increase in depression and anxiety in young people, Tessa began looking into the cultural factors that could be contributing to the large-scale problem. In her upcoming book, she details six major societal culprits, also touching briefly on each in our discussion today. Listeners will also be advised on adopting a healthy perspective on life and pain, having realistic expectations on teenagers, the mindsets to avoid as a parent, and teaching kids how to practice self-care. Tessa also talks briefly about the work she does outside of counseling teens, including helping couples, individuals, and parents.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Why Tessa started her Team Girl support group and how it’s different from others.
- The powerful effect of getting support from peers who have experienced similar things.
- The importance of maintaining absolute confidentiality in such a setting.
- How Tessa’s journey with the group inspired her to write a book.
- Learning that most group members did not display the typical signs of suicidal ideation.
- Studying what about our society causes teen suicides to have skyrocketed in the last decade.
- A personal story about dealing with a friend’s suicidal tendencies in high school.
- The need for parents to pay more attention to their children’s mental wellbeing.
- How emotional turmoil can be like a hurricane and the importance of being prepared.
- Keeping in mind that life is not easy and fair and that it’s hard for everybody.
- The problem of parents expecting teenagers to think and act like adults.
- How the media sometimes romanticizes suicide and portrays it as something heroic.
- Suicide as an attention-seeking strategy and our inherent desire to be important and valued.
- The lack of personal connections and the growing social anxiety among teens.
- The biggest cultural problem – immediate gratification.
- Cyberbullying, comparing, and other dangers of social media.
- How the pressure for perfection and performance impact adolescents’ mental health.
- Growing up with two parents who are both therapists and how she ended up in the same role.
- Not parenting out of fear and other great advice from her years of counseling experience.
- Teaching kids to self-care and how to make themselves feel better.
- How her teenage clients help her to become more aware and self-aware.
- Her work with couples, premarital counseling, and adult male individuals.
Tweetables:
“I believe that if we put those ‘coping skills’ or self-care options into play more routinely, then when things get tough, it’s easier to handle and to cope with emotionally.” — @TessaStuckey [0:18:17]
“People have this idea that life is supposed to be easy or fair and it’s not. Life is hard.” — @TessaStuckey [0:19:16]
“We live in a very victimized culture right now.” — @TessaStuckey [0:27:30]
“Hurt people hurt people, a
Today Judge Mack joins us on the show to give us his perspectives on the topic of behavioral health and suicide in the communities he engages in. Throughout his childhood, his previous career as a police officer, and his current position as Montgomery County judge, Mack has witnessed the mental health and suicide crisis being faced not just in his district but across the nation. This public epidemic is exacerbated by many issues such as taboo, family unpreparedness, shortages of counselors, the price of therapy, misinformation, and what he sees as general unreadiness in the community. These challenges have resulted in a situation where people who are in need of help are taking recourse by simply suffering their way through their sickness in silence. Judge Mack has been working tirelessly to combat this issue by creating what he calls a community ‘task force’. Mack’s task force is working hard to create a culture of care, and to bring the topic of mental health into the public eye while also bringing his community together. This reminds us that amongst the suffering, there are stories of hope and healing and that people like Judge Mack are taking a stand to make the world a better place.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Understanding the public epidemic of behavioral health and suicide across America.
- The stigma around mental health issues stops people from seeking help.
- There is a lack of resources for people who are struggling with mental health to access.
- Mack’s court and inquest duties led him to discover this lack of resources.
- Schools and families aren’t teaching kids how to practice mental health.
- One of four people deal with a mental illness but only one of five sufferers seek help.
- People are blocked by work or waiting lists from seeking mental health.
- Physical health is prioritized over mental health.
- Misinformation is also rife in preventing people from getting the correct help.
- The expense of mental health resources blocks people from accessing them.
- Communities of faith need to recognize this in their own circles.
- Mack’s advocation for his community’s response to mental health to be named a ‘task force’.
- Time and distance from a traumatic event can stop somebody committing suicide.
- It’s not a person, but a part of their story, that wants to die.
- The task force brings people from all faith groups together.
- Recognizing that mental health issues across lines of race, faith, and class.
- People can’t love others if they don’t love themselves.
- Social media might be the cause of mental health issues happening to teens.
- Boundaries are important for the mental health of kids.
- Unregulated communication through smartphones could negatively affect mental health.
- Why Mack’s job and task force give him a lot of hope for fighting segregation and mental health.
- Recognizing that Montgomery county has a good sense of community which gives Mack hope.
Tweetables:
“There are people who need to know where to go for help and we need to foster that in a community. We have got to have a culture of it being okay to say, ‘I’m not okay’” —@JudgeWayneMack [0:04:00]
“We are not teaching our kids coping skills, how to fail forward.” — @JudgeWayneMack [0:06:02]
“So what do you do? Pay your light bill or go see a psychiatrist?” — @JudgeWayneMack [0:09:43]
“If there is someone out there that is hurting, that doesn’t know what to do or where to go, just know that this community is here.” — @JudgeWayneMack [0:09:43]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Today's episode features a wonderful story of hope and connection! Janelle and her daughter, Regan, are on the show to talk about their experiences of Regan's struggles with drug use and her time in rehab. We hear from both our guests around the process, program, feelings before and after pivotal events and where they are at as a family now. Regan opens up about her story, how she started using drugs and progressed to dangerous levels of abuse quickly, leading to her mother sending her to live with her dad. Regan tells us about how, after ending up in a rehab center soon thereafter, she managed to find a sense of belonging that had been lacking in her life and both her and her mother emphasize the power of the support network around the rehabilitative treatment she went through. We discuss the difficult period of transition and the horror of a short relapse that occurred after returning home and the ultimate salvation that Regan has achieved, finding gratefulness and acceptance along the way. The conversation really underscores the need we all have for love and happiness and how their absence can lead to disastrous situations. Regan is now six months sober, having completed high school and enrolled at college, a truly remarkable story of overcoming hurdles! Be sure to join us for all of that and more!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A little bit about Regan's story and where is she is at with her treatment.
- Janelle's experiences leading up Regan going to rehab in Arizona.
- Finding the right treatment center and the positive experience at Pathway.
- The period around the transition from hopelessness during rehab.
- What it was like for Janelle during her daughter's time in treatment.
- Difficulty around the periods of change; new normals and new patterns.
- Regan's first job out of rehab, attending meetings and finding her way back to her life.
- Relapsing for a short while and then returning, reuniting and leaving home again.
- How Regan got fully clean and acknowledged her powerlessness.
- The support group that Janelle has started at Life-Giving Life!
- Networks and peers; the indispensability of the groups that help each other.
- Healing and gratefulness for the whole experience and the gifts it has presented.
Tweetables:
“It was great, it was very intense. It was absolutely wonderful and I am incredibly grateful that that was where she ended up.” — Janelle [0:11:11]
“Honestly, I didn't want to go to rehab because I wanted to continue using. But I was relieved.” — Regan [0:13:45]
“I didn't have any goals for myself, I didn't see myself getting anywhere at that point. I didn't see happiness for myself.” — Regan [0:14:57]
“The main thing that I felt I was lacking was love from other people, people that genuinely cared about me. I thought nobody did. I quickly learned that everybody really loves you.” — Regan [0:17:34]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Sherry Burkhard
Mosaics of Mercy
Community Impact Paper
Pathway Healthcare
Life Giving Life
Parents of Addicted Loved Ones
Today on the Hope Pieced Together Podcast we are joined by two wonderful guests, Alison Broussard and Tanya Cook, to talk about the important topic of intervention. Commonly known but not always understood, an intervention can play a big and reformative role in the health of an individual and their family. We hear from Tanya and Alison about their personal connection to struggles around abuse and addiction and how this led to their work in the realm now. They do a great job of sharing their understanding of the intervention, which can lead to its necessity and different approaches and results. We discuss family patterns, group dynamics, breaking habits and the impact of outside help. The conversation also covers the limitations of intervention and what might happen if the individual in question is not willing to include themselves in the process. Although a very difficult topic in some ways, there is so much hope and reward in this area and, indeed, this conversation, make sure not to miss this great episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A brief introduction to our guests and their backgrounds.
- The simplicity of intervention; helping an individual or group find a direction.
- The spectrum of conditions that can lead to the need for an intervention.
- Family patterns and why outside help can make all the difference.
- Some of the approaches to intervention and the ARISE methods our guests use.
- Resources, recommendations, and reassurance for family members.
- People outside of the immediate family that are included in the network to intervene.
- The massive power of the younger members of the family network.
- Common goals of intervention and the accumulation of steps towards progress.
- Tanya and Alison's central role as connectors and managers in the process.
- The importance of action and follow-through; how check-ins help in this regard.
- Laughter, hope and the lasting connection with families.
- Special stories from each of our guests; the overflow of generational support.
Tweetables:
“My passion for intervention really comes from living in the situation. Substance use disorder came into my whole like wrecking ball.” — Tanya Cook [0:00:54]
“A lot of people don't realize that one in four clinicians will become chemically dependent at some point in their career.” — Tanya Cook [0:02:01]
“The earlier the better. But that's hard for families.” — Alison Broussard [0:07:44]
“Tanya and I are the secret sauce for families because we are not in the family.” — Alison Broussard [0:11:58]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Sherry Burkhard — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-burkhard-9a128b16a
Mosaics of Mercy — https://mosaicsofmercy.com/
Beauty in Brokenness — https://mosaicsofmercy.com/events/beauty-in-brokeness-2019-10-03/
Alison Broussard — https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-broussard-a5bab4a0
Tanya Cook — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-cook-president-ceo-interventionist-b41a901
ARISE — https://www.arise-network.com/arise-intervention/
Intervention — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450920/
Ann Voskamp — https://annvoskamp.com/
Boundaries —
Welcome to the first episode of the Hope Pieced Together Podcast! This is the show that gets real about mental health struggles and how to overcome them. The episodes will typically feature personal stories, practical tools and professional insight that can aid you in your journey with mental wellbeing. Today's show serves as an introduction and we kick things off by getting to know Sherry, the non-profit organization Mosaics of Mercy and what they do. Sherry gives some background to her own story, struggles and the journey she has been on. She discusses insecurities, anorexia, alcoholism and more. This podcast is all about authenticity and openness and by being completely upfront about her own struggles, Sherry hopes she can better serve the needs of the audience. Please join us for this first episode and don't forget to subscribe and come back for the next one!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A quick glimpse into the life of the voice behind the podcast, Sherry Burkhard.
- Some of Sherry's personal story, interior world, and struggles with insecurity.
- Sherry's attraction to lists and unrealistic goals to battle depression.
- Praying and counseling; the little effect this had in helping Sherry.
- Meeting a shining light and agreeing to be admitted to the hospital.
- The decision to surrender, acknowledge the disease and give up drinking.
- The environment at the psychiatric hospital and overcoming fear and regret.
- Sherry's ongoing journey after her time in the hospital.
- Nursing school, psychiatric studies and the goal of giving back the gift.
- Sharing the story with a large number of people and passing on hope.
- Where Sherry finds herself now and the evolving struggles of life.
- Authenticity and hope; the foundations for this podcast series.
- Mosaics of Mercy and the services that the non-profit provides.
- Vulnerable stories and the vision for how these might help listeners.
Tweetables:
“During this podcast, you are free to laugh, free to cry or you are free to turn me off if it hits too close to home.” — Sherry Burkhard [0:01:51]
“I am a registered nurse and I have primarily focused my career on psychiatric nursing.” — Sherry Burkhard [0:02:29]
“When I look back on my life, I always struggled with insecurity.” — Sherry Burkhard [0:04:27]
“By age 15 I was heading downhill fast.” — Sherry Burkhard [0:07:50]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Sherry Burkhard — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-burkhard-9a128b16a
Mosaics of Mercy — https://mosaicsofmercy.com/
TCU — https://www.tcu.edu/
Beauty in Brokenness — https://mosaicsofmercy.com/events/beauty-in-brokeness-2019-10-03/