Mental Note

GLP-1 weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have exploded in popularity due to their weight-loss potential. But what do they actually do? How do they function? And why are they the subject of so much controversy?

With insight from Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, Regional Medical Director for the Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center, this episode will empower you to make an educated decision when it comes to ...

Growing up, Vik Chopra was not the kid most people assumed would end up serving a sentence in Federal prison. A student leader with straight A’s and numerous volunteer hours, Vik secretly hid pain and shame beneath a shiny outward persona - with disastrous consequences. 

Now a filmmaker, actor, and writer who has embraced his queer and South Asian identities, Vik takes us on a transformational journey through addiction, incarcerati...

Welcome to part two of our Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Discussion with Leah Young where we focus on the proactive steps you can take to find recovery from a SUD.

Today’s episode is all about what to do once you realize you have a problem with substances or addictive behaviors. We’ll discuss topics like:

• Different strategies for ending destructive behaviors spanning from abstinence to harm reduction
• How to develop boundaries t...

In our next two episodes, we will explore a disorder affecting nearly one in five Americans - Substance Use Disorder (SUD). From knowing when your patterns are problematic, to building new neural pathways, to measuring success - we want to dig deep. And we’ve got the incredible expertise of Leah Young to show us why there’s so much reason for hope when dealing with addictive behaviors and substances.

You can think of today’s podcas...

Close relationships set the tone for how we experience love and security. Yet, keeping those relationships healthy is rarely easy. Fortunately, Attachment Theory researchers have spent decades scrutinizing why we connect the way we do and what actions help make friendships, partnerships, and family bonds flourish.

For therapist, mama, and author Eli Harwood - aka Attachment Nerd - her journey into understanding attachment patterns ...

Today, we investigate Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) - a diagnosis that can be as confusing as its name suggests…

But fear not! We are lucky to have Dr. Michelle Jones as our guide. As a clinical psychologist who studied ARFID since it first became a diagnosis, she's uniquely qualified to distill years of research into succinct explanations. Together, we unpack all the fascinating ways ARFID affects our relations...

One chilly Maine morning, enveloped in a snowed-in cabin, musician DW sat at a piano recording a melody that had just popped into his brain. As he played, the phrase “I deserve to be well” tumbled out of his mouth in song. 

He immediately broke down in tears asking, “Wow, do I really believe this?”

That question, and the ensuing album he created with his band The Collection, fueled an artistic journey to make sense of depression, t...

The end of the calendar year packs a lot into a short amount of time and it can be easy to deprioritize your mental health in all that noise. One of the best ways to refocus on your values is to remember the ways you’ve grown this past year. 

So to honor the journey of 2023, we created an audio mural using six short stories from listeners and past guests. Storyt...

Today’s episode is all about giving you an incredibly practical tool for navigating emotion-focused conversations anywhere and with anyone. To do that, we’ve invited Dr. Allison Chase to walk us through Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT for short).

Mostly, we will focus on Emotion Coaching - a skill that creates shortcuts between two very different parts of the brain. The results are powerful and can help you and your loved one...

Have you ever been told that you’re too emotional? Or felt the need to hide your heart in order to be accepted and productive? Community builder and writer Nōn Wels can relate.

As a sensitive kid growing up in an environment that didn’t always feel safe, Nōn learned to guard his heart so that nobody could find their way in. This led to a lot of pain and struggle: substance abuse, an eating disorder, self-harm, suicidal ideation, an...

Have you ever wondered why our culture treats fat and fat bodies with such vehement scorn? What about the experiences of people who are fat? What does it mean to exist in a thin-obsessed society? 

With humor, personal stories, and research Aubrey Gordon & Kara Richardson Whitely - two fat authors and storytellers - explain how the world works differently for people depending on their size. Along the way, we talk about the unintende...

Have you ever noticed that you simply notice more? Therapist, author, consultant, and Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) April Snow wants you to know that you are not alone.

In fact, the genetic trait responsible for Sensory Processing Sensitivity - aka what makes HSPs more attuned to the world around them - is present in 20% of individuals, regardless of gender. It can be both a superpower and an Achilles heel. And that’s why we are so...

Have you ever felt like the real you - the one that exists deep, deep down - is not aligned with how you live your life? What would it be like to let the true you break free?

That’s why we created today’s podcast. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Moe Ari Brown has spent his career helping others live their most authentic lives. He is one of the leading mental health experts in the realm of Transge...

Mario Gonzalez moved to the United States when he was only three years old as the son of undocumented immigrants who followed seasonal harvests up and down the West Coast. As a result, his childhood was filled with constant change, insecurity, & financial stress. 

Determined to build a life of greater stability, Mario chose to focus on school and finding a lega...

Dave Vrablik’s lifelong habit of emotional eating never felt like a serious problem. That is, until one heartbreaking phone call five years ago…

Upon receiving news about the death of his beloved older brother, Dave’s occasional compulsive eating quickly morphed into uncontrolled binging. All of a sudden he was enveloped by Binge Eating Disorder.

Dave’s discovery and treatment of the eating disorder sent him on a five-year journey ...

For more than 10 years Kaylee Kron has walked alongside the bereaved, companioning them and honoring the memory of their lost loved ones. In a culture that treats death and grief like they are contagious, she is a wise guide prompting us to reevaluate that fear.  

This compassion and insight did not come easy. It grew out of personal tragedy - the unexpected death of a partner and a tumultuous path back ...

Right as therapist KC Davis gave birth to her second baby, Covid-19 began shutting down normal life. Not only that, but KC had just moved to a new city, her husband began a demanding new job, and pandemic restrictions caused their carefully planned support system to crumble.  All of a sudden it was just her - and her two babies - home alone. Everyday. 

In the chaos that ensued, KC began an unexpected new journey. From grappling wit...

American culture praises weight loss. A quick scroll of social media, magazine racks, or even the news will yield numerous “transformation” stories documenting how a fat person turned their life around by shedding pounds. 

But at what cost?

Today, we’re exploring an eating disorde...

Beyond the rush and noise of the Holiday Season, hides an amazing treasure - the passing of stories and wisdom from our elders. And we're not just talking about tales of the good ol' days from grandparents! Because an elder is simply someone who’s gone before you, no matter their age.

So, to celebrate this special time of year, we are featuring short stories from some of you - the elders in our community who have already walked the...