A Quest for Well-Being

— "Mom, Thank you for simply trying. For always admitting that you didn't know it all, but you learned from one child to the next. Thank you for being all examples of both what to do and not do. You gave me permission to become the best parts of me. You encouraged me to stand firm on the foundation of God...believing that if I followed him, he would keep me. He has. I have watched you grow and evolve my entire life. This allowed me to know that change is continual and ever possible. You made me a woman that is resilient and wise. The journey through childhood was not simple, but I thank you for being the right mom for the trip. You are my mother, peace, prayer warrior, and messy friend when I need a laugh. I am the result of the greatest prayer you have ever prayed...thank you!" — Trachelle

Valeria interviews Trachelle Thomas, M.Ed., LPC — She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Educator, Advocate, Change Agent, Speaker, and Owner of Progressing on Purpose Counseling.

She is a Houstonian that has always had a heart for helping, healing, and teaching. She is a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, friend, and more. Her private practice birthed out of her desire to help the community as well as herself. She believes in the power of healing and being truthful with oneself to do the work. She stands by the fact that Mental Health awareness and practice is an artform that governs every aspect of our lives. She campaigns for accountability, growth, discipline, and reflectiveness. She stands by the belief that leading a life with a servant heart will bring about change that will ring through generations to come. This soon to be author has a mission and vision of being purposeful and intentional.

To learn more about Trachelle Thomas and her work, please visit: popcounseling.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— When you're doing your best, ticking the boxes but you're not truly happy it is time to access your own Self-Help Support Squad, workshops, trainings and dedicated message support. It's not your fault that you don't have the internal toolkit to get through life well on your own. You will have it now!

Valeria interviews Rochelle Knowles — She is a business owner and certified Health & Life Coach, EFT Practitioner and mindfulness expert helping success driven men and women whom are stressed, stuck in a rut, no longer enjoying their job, continually repeating bad habits to reconnect to their purpose power, discover their inner peace and calm and create the life they dream about.

Rochelle graduated from University with a BA Hons & MSc in Business and Property Finance. She spent her twenties working her way up the career ladder in the corporate and commercial real estate industry. She moved from Paris, New York, and London chasing her next success goal.

When the global pandemic struck she saw an opportunity to take a leap of faith. Rochelle invested in her well-being and healed her past anxieties. Her journey of doing the inner work began - healing, breaking bad habits, and becoming a happier and healthier person.

It was Rochelle's successful experience with her life coach that encouraged her to follow her

passion of helping others heal their inner child, rediscover their purpose, find peace in who they are, realize their potential, and achieve their life desires.

The mission behind her business is to provide people with the life tools to decrease their stress, undo their conditioning and increase their fulfillment.

To learn more about Rochelle Knowles and her work, please visit: mindful-eyes.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— "There is always a journey each of us needs to take. I am grateful for my journey. It was healing and spiritual. When a tough journey enters our life, it is for a reason and instead of fighting it, embrace it. Though not easy at first, doors close and open for a reason. We learn, become stronger, brace a higher power and the most important is never, ever, give up on yourself!" — Mary

Valeria interviews Mary K Savarese — the author of "The Girl in the Toile Wallpaper and Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume (who knew!)"

Mary K. Savarese is an award winning, amazon bestselling, traditionally published fiction author and speaker. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she earned a degree in accounting from City University and worked within the insurance and financing world.

Known for her quirky titles, Mary's debut novel has received five stars and 8 awards. Tigers Love Bubble Baths & Obsession Perfume(who knew!) is a mystery romance intertwined with the Supernatural.

Her recently published novel, The Girl In The Toile Wallpaper, is a fantasy adventure trilogy and the first of the StarWriters trilogy incorporating Time Travel and romance. Fantasy fans of high school age and older who look for a blend of mystery, history, romance and spell-binding intrigue will relish the journey and discoveries which defy time, space, and death.

The Girl In The Toile Wallpaper was just awarded the NYC Big Book Award for Fantasy and was an International CIBA finalist for 1st and Grand Prize.

US Review of Books has compared The Girl in the Toile Wallpaper to Doctor Who and A Wrinkle in Time.

Mary appears on iHeartRadio, podcasts, Mindalia TV, Cable, YouTube, local publications and UK Radio.

After living in Massachusetts, Mary raised her family in Connecticut. She presently resides in Florida where she spends her time writing entertaining and unusual stories that peak her readers interests.

To learn more about Mary K Savarese and her work, please visit: maryksavarese.com and starwriterstrilogy.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— Have you thought about meeting your therapist outdoors and walk together while the therapeutic processes unfold?

If not, it's time for an added natural healing component! Nature! This is not a new practice method. In fact, it is a very ancient concept. Aristotle and Socrates famously walked during lectures. Sigmund Freud often walked with patients during the analysis process. Although it is unknown why this form of teaching and therapy fell out of fashion, it is finally seeing a resurgence in popularity and utility. Not only do we have increasing evidence of the effectiveness of walking with your therapist, there are many practical reasons that this form of therapy may be right for you. Exercising, especially walking, provides well-established cardiovascular benefits and the incorporation of movement with the therapeutic conversation increases the integrative capacity of each therapy session. In other words, moving while talking makes short work of problem solving, gaining insight, and making positive changes in your life!

Valeria interviews Layla Niemann — She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with Waypoint Wellness Center located in Huntsville, Alabama.

She earned her MSW at Alabama A & M University. Since starting out in the Social Services field in 2001, she has worked in the areas of Child Welfare, Child Forensic Interviewing, Hospice, Bereavement, Adoptions, and Geriatrics. Ms. Niemann enjoys weaving her myriad experiences into her clinical practice serving adults and children with special interest in PTSD, OCD, ADHD, Autism, and Sleep Disorders. Her approach is rooted in the belief that positive therapeutic relationships have the power to change individuals and the world around them. Ms. Niemann works diligently for racial and gender equality in her professional and personal life. She is a strong ally for LGBTQ+ individuals. She provides an affirmative approach and utilizes empowerment strategies throughout treatment. She is also a neurodiversity-affirmative therapist. Ms. Niemann is nationally certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is trained in multiple therapy modalities including CBT, mindfulness, and Cognitive Processing Therapy, among others.

Ms. Niemann believes the power of movement and the outdoors to be profoundly healing. The bilateral movement of walking is particularly useful combined with therapeutic conversation. This approach is a wonderful way to fastrack problem-solving, getting unstuck, or working through a complex personal problem. She began to notice the benefit of walking with her clients when working in assisted living facilities and skilled nursing homes. She has now expanded this practice to walking with clients in her private practice.

Ms. Niemann enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her family, fostering with Huntsville Animal Services, playing music, backpacking, and running.

To learn more about Layla Niemann and her work, please visit: waypointwellness.net

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— "Stories are how we as people communicate. They are instrumental for how we relate to members of family, community, or strangers who we find deep compassion for."

Valeria interviews Douglas Weissman — the author of "Life Between Seconds."

Douglas Weissman is a Los Angeles native who has lived in Florence, Rome, Sydney, and San Francisco. He can always be swayed by a good cookie or bad ice cream because even bad ice cream is pretty good.

He writes stories of friendship, of finding beauty in the grotesque, of finding magic in the mundane; stories about building bridges, about burning bridges, about growing trees, about turning trees into bridges, and the ways strangers find common ground.

His Young Adult series and New Adult novel were released by Epic Press in Fall 2016. His new novel, Life Between Seconds is out Nov. 15 by Histria Press.

He is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco and currently lives in Los Angeles with his gorgeous wife, fun-loving daughter, anxious dog, and indifferent cat. By the time you read this, he will probably have another cat.

To learn more about Douglas Weissman and his work, please visit: douglasweissman.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— "I am here, fully experiencing my body ... yessss," she read, "I am taking responsibility for my life ... yessss."

Valeria interviews Stephanie Hrehirchuk — she is the author of over 20 books, including the multi-award-winning memoir, An Accidental Awakening: It's not about yoga; It's about family.

She's written about everything from the chakras and Ayurveda to motherhood and dream yoga. Stephanie coaches heart-centered clients through writing and publishing their books, getting their message into the world.

To learn more about Stephanie Hrehirchuk and her work, please visit: stephaniehrehirchuk.com and stephaniehrehirchuk.ca

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— Dance is one way of taking initiative to exform when the tears won't come, or when they won't stop. When we have something that needs shaking loose or sweating out in high kicks, the wild mosh, the crowd surf. And dancing together is even better than dancing alone. One Oxford study of pain revealed that dancing in sync with a group made dancers able to bear more pain. (Of course, they didn't control for people who find any kind of dancing in public painful.) Dance is the body's jazz hands for the soul. Dance is God on the move. Dance is what we do when we have too many feelings and not enough words. Dance don't cost a thing, and it belongs to everybody. To dance is to let God move through us, reanimate us no matter what death-dealers are after us, the perichoresis that began before everything, the music of the spheres that will play on long after we are gone. Dance is every one of you, rising from your own ashes. Every day, someone, somewhere, faces the powers of death. But then they make one little move. They put down the bottle. They call the therapist, the DV hotline, the immigration lawyer. They write their name on the application. If they are lying down, they get up. They join the dance. To dance is to laugh in the face of death and all its minions. As long as we can dance, they have not won. Whoever "they" are.

Valeria interviews Molly Baskette — the author of "How to Begin When Your World Is Ending: A Spiritual Field Guide to Joy Despite Everything."

Molly Baskette is an author, progressive Christian pastor, mama, cancer survivor and doomsday Pollyanna (who thinks we may yet avoid the total collapse of human civilization). A Boston native, she now lives in the Bay Area where she hikes in the hills or marches in the streets, depending on the day. Her new book, How to Begin When Your World is Ending is a treasury of post-traumatic resilience and joy.

To learn more about Molly Baskette and her work, please visit: mollybaskette.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— When we resolve the illusion that we are separate from Source, the illusion of the physical world will resolve itself. 'Live long and prosper.' - Mr. Spock said — You are life everlasting and power far beyond your limiting beliefs. Know who you are as an aspect of Source and the creator of your reality. The end of duality is yours through understanding, intention, and practice. Be bound for Ascension. Do not let anyone or anything block you from knowing the eternal bliss of Oneness and all that you are." - Marsha

Valeria interviews Marsha Hankins — the author of "Awaken to Ascension: Mastering Oneness and Knowing Yourself as Source."

Marsha Hankins has been a spiritual teacher and facilitator for more than 25 years. Her passion for teaching is evident as she shares her experiences of spiritual evolution with others. Marsha believes the goal of life is raising our frequency to remember the pure light of who we all are. She shares her knowledge and awareness of the ascension process with understanding and compassion for our spiritual growth, and she hopes her insights and techniques will help others find spiritual mastery.

Marsha teaches and writes what she knows based on her personal experiences of healing and expansion and those of her students and clients. She believes we all need teachers, but the final steps are up to us. Her desire is to help others cross the 4th-dimensional bridge of awareness into full 5th-dimensional consciousness.

To learn more about Marsha Hankins and her work, please visit: marshahankins.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— As a health-focused chef, Ellen lives by the well-known motto: "Let food be thy medicine." It is obvious that eating more fruits and vegetables is in your best interest, but simply knowing that is not enough. By embracing the connection between self-care, better choices, enhanced gut health, cognitive functions, and hormonal balance, we begin to heal. Plus, food inspires! It gives us the opportunity to create and gather in community to enjoy the flavors each season brings.

Valeria interviews Ellen Postolowski — the author of "Gut Driven: Jump-Start Digestive Health to Nourish Body, Mind, and Spirit."

Integrative health coach and nutritional food chef Ellen Postolowski embraces optimal whole-body well-being by emphasizing the essentials of robust gut health with balance, awareness, and education on and off the plate. Ellen resides in Allendale, NJ, with her husband, Lou, and dog, Dug. She strives to create a ripple effect highlighting the benefits of self-care for all clients with Gut Driven.

To learn more about and her work, please visit: chefellen.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.

— Love is the Universal Goal. Because love is what we are, it is what we have always looked for. We have discovered that we don't always understand what love is. And if one doesn't understand what it is then how can one achieve it?

Valeria interviews Collin Hansen — Core is Collin's passion. You might wonder what that means. To him, it is happiness, fulfillment, joy, connection, kindness, confidence, peace.

This is who he believes we truly are at our core. We are simply learning to uncover it. Achieving Core has been Collin's life's goal, not only for him, but now, for his clients too. He has been helping others find Core since 2017 as a licensed mental health counselor. He mostly work with men struggling with sex addiction and their partners who face severe trauma as a result. The process of healing from such circumstances is grueling. But it is possible with lots of consistent effort and the right guidance. Collin is certified as a Sexual Recovery Therapist and a Partner Betrayal Trauma Therapist through the American Association of Sexual Addiction Therapy. His greatest hope is for your healing.

To learn more about Collin Hansen and his work, please visit: kirutz.com and collinahansen.com

— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.