Episode 140: Addiction to Certainty

Psychologists Dr. Mayra Gomez Padua and Dr. Mia Sarno on Burner life and mental health

Arash sits with psychologists Dr. Mayra Gomez Padua and Dr. Mia Sarno to explore a Burner community perspective on personal mental health.

The discussion taps into just some of the challenges and obstacles folks often face when attempting to access therapy and considers both the providers’ and recipients’ perspectives. Dispelling common misconceptions about what therapy and working with a therapist entails, the trio share some practical ideas with a common theme emerging on the importance of daily proactive individual mental health practices.

In the second half of this episode, listeners are treated to an uplifting melodic House set by Umee Dee, a Berkley-based psychiatrist who integrates music into her metal health profesison. As part of her unique approach, Umee plays solo DJ sets for her ketamine therapy patients, further highlighting the powerful connection between music and mental wellness.

This episode serves as a part of Burner Podcast’s mission to normalize mental health.

Mia’s website houses a very impressive directory of mental health resources including a robust list of Mental Health Crisis & Phone Support numbers, Psychedelic Information & Education links as well as various Therapist Directories to help on your search for a provider with whom you may feel a more personal connection. You’ll easily spend a couple of hours poking through https://www.drmimipsyd.com/resources.

Mia highly recommends The Loveland Therapy Fund provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy nationally and hosts an excellent directory of resources. Please also consider donating if you so happen to be in the financial position to do so. Learn more at thelovelandfoundation.org/therapy-fund.

Mayra (as well as multiple listeners of Burner Podcast who messaged us privately) recommend taking a look at Open Path Collective, a nationwide network of mental health professionals who offer in-person and online therapy at reduced rates. They have a directory of therapists in California who provide services on a sliding scale basis. openpathcollective.org

Here are some more resources Dr. Gomez Padua recommends…

Many universities with psychology or counseling programs have training clinics where graduate students provide therapy under the supervision of licensed professionals. These clinics often offer affordable services on a sliding scale. Some examples include: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Psychology Clinic San Francisco State University Psychology Clinic California State University, Long Beach Psychology Clinic

Additionally, California has various community mental health centers that provide low-cost or free mental health services to individuals in need. Some centers offer sliding scale fees based on income. You can search for community mental health centers in your specific area for more information. One example is the San Francisco Mental Health Association and County Mental Health Departments which may provide services on a sliding scale. See if your local county has a mental health department as a possible avenue.

Some nonprofit organizations in California offer mental health services at reduced rates or on a sliding scale. Examples include: The Women's Therapy Center in Berkeley and The LGBT National Help Center in San Francisco.

talkspace.com is another online therapy platform that offers affordable counseling services. They have licensed therapists who provide therapy via text, audio, and video.

The DJ set featured in this podcast can be found at https://soundcloud.com/umeedee/declare-your-freedom-melodic-house-dj-mix-with-positive-affirmations-4mood.

Follow Ümee Dee instagram.com/umeedeemusic and her blog at umeedeemusic.com.

And if you’re curious about Arash’s “dopamine reset thingy” check out this interview over at NPR: npr.org/transcripts/1090009509.

Hosted by (mr)Arash, the original Burner Podcast is the longest running traditional audio podcast in the extended international community of Burning Man. Independently produced and focused on Burner consciousness and topics of intracultural interest, explore 139 previous episodes at burnerpodcast.com/previous-episodes.

Burner Podcast host Arash Afshar is an Iranian-American SoCal-based professional photographer and founder of Justified Hype creative collective. Receive monthly very personally written email blasts from him or reach out directly at mrarash.com/hello.

Burner Podcast is produced by Arash and a rotating team of burners including instagram.com/darthjfizz, instagram.com/muloka, instagram.com/lolmonday and instagram.com/leehemingway among many others.

Follow instagram.com/BurnerPodcast and facebook.com/burnerpodcast for wildly irregular updates.