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A new year, new you. For the start of 2024, many people want to leave behind unwanted parts of ourselves. Some beliefs can haunt us and hold us back, like "I'm not good enough", "I don't deserve love," or "there is no way I can quit eating these chocolates" (or so we've heard). However, anyone who's tried to just let go of negative beliefs always find that they come back to bite us. In this episode, we discuss evidence-based methods of not letting these beliefs hold you back. We also discuss an innovative new intervention in the form of a reality TV show that probably will make people worse but definitely would be entertaining!

Resources:

• Embracing Your Demons: an Overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy​
• Geraerts, E., & McNally, R. J. (2008). Forgetting unwanted memories: Directed forgetting and thought suppression methods. Acta psychologica, 127(3), 614-622.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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Famously considered "man's best friend," our pets can be one of our most important sources of emotional support and companionship. From cats and dogs to hamsters and goldfish, pets become part of our family and losing them can come with a deep grieving process that isn't well acknowledged in our society. In this episode, we discuss the mental health implications of having a pet as well as losing one. 

Resources:

• Park, R. M., Royal, K. D., & Gruen, M. E. (2023). A literature review: Pet bereavement and coping mechanisms. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 26(3), 285-299.
• Brooks, H. L., Rushton, K., Lovell, K., Bee, P., Walker, L., Grant, L., & Rogers, A. (2018). The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 1-12.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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One of the biggest puzzles is why some people carry so much anger, pain, depression, or anxiety even though they haven't experienced a "real trauma." This might be a sign of chronic invalidation, when someone received consistent messages that their emotions aren't valid when they're growing up. Chronic invalidation can infect early caregiving environments and can have devastating impacts on mental health in adulthood. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, associate professor of Pitzer College, Director of the Global Mental Health Lab and founder of the Youth and Family Institute (not to mention, our "lab brother" from Duke). Dr. Rodriguez describes what chronic invalidation looks like and how it can be treated with evidence-based therapies. 

• To learn more about Dr. Rodriguez's clinical services for family and adolescents, check out his Youth & Family Institute
• To learn more about clinical trainings with Dr. Rodriguez, check out his training services

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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It's an exciting time when entrepreneurs find the perfect business partner to co-found a new company. However, many don't realize that a staggering 65% of startups fail because of cofounder conflicts. Entrepreneurs who overlook the importance of their business partner relationships are at high risk of misunderstandings, strategy disagreements, or role confusion that can tear a venture apart. In this episode, Kibby talks about how her company Seon Health aims to address this crucial dynamic with evidence-based couples therapy and interpersonal  interventions.

Special Offer:

• For entrepreneurs who need help with their toxic relationship with co-founders or business partners, apply for Co-Leader Coaching with Kibby. 
• Anyone else interested in relationship coaching with Kibby, email her directly at [email protected].

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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This is our 100th episode of "A Little Help For Our Friends"! Of course, we celebrate this exciting milestone by reflecting on our successful failures. In this era, people are too afraid to put themselves out there and risk failure. However, we have always encouraged taking risks, trying new skills, saying "yes" to challenges that are scary but meaningful. In this episode, we recount some of our biggest "whoopsies" that ended up being important learning experiences or valuable opportunities. We also share personal tips for how to fail successfully.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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We wrap up season 3 reflecting on this doozy of a year. Around a year ago, Jacqueline and Kibby were coming back from Portugal where Jacqueline was breaking off an engagement and Kibby was gestating a huge baby. We talk about the lessons learned during these major life changes, which inspired our episodes on healing from difficult relationships, postpartum depression, and men.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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In our last episode, we talked about how men are struggling these days with shifting gender roles, identity, and mental health. Now what? How can we help these men and, of course, the women who love them? Jared Glenn is our first returning guest to our podcast and has some answers. In this episode, Jared (writer, historian, father, and advocate), shares some tips for how young men can build their identity and agency as men without the toxicity. 

• Check out The All Stars Project, that supports underserved youth and families. 
• Find Jared Glenn on Instagram

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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"Men are trash." "Why are all men such babies." "Ken in the new Barbie movie is insufferable...but also lowkey the best part of the movie." If you've said one one of the former statements, there's a reason for that. Men of this generation are experiencing a crisis of identity, purpose and mental health. In this episode, we discuss why men are legitimately having a hard time and how it impacts their loved ones. We base our discussion on the book "Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It" by Richard Reeves. 

• Reeves, R. (2022). Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, why it Matters, and what to Do about it. Brookings Institution Press.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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Careers in STEM fields are notoriously challenging for women. Female engineers and scientists often struggle with imposter syndrome, self-doubt and burnout as a result of trying to make it in these male-dominated fields. Emily Calandrelli shatters this glass ceiling as a former MIT engineer, science communicator, and host/producer of popular shows "Xploration Outer Space" and "Emily's Wonder Lab." In this episode, we talk to Emily about her personal journey and how she encourages women in STEM. 

• Follow Emily on her Instagram @thespacegal
• Emily's Wonder Lab on Netflix
• Emily's "Ada Lace" book series

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com

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Whether it's an occasional Netflix binge or one of the Seven Deadly Sins, laziness is often a poorly regarded quality. But what is it, anyway? In this episode, we search for a definition of laziness and explanations for why someone would be considered lazy. Based on the research on motivation in the workplace, we offer some evidence-based tips for beating laziness.

Support the show

• If you're navigating someone's mental health or emotional issues, join KulaMind, our community and support platform. In KulaMind, we'll help you set healthy boundaries, advocate for yourself, and support your loved one.

• Follow @kulamind on Instagram for podcast updates and science-backed insights on staying sane while loving someone emotionally explosive.

• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com