Be Better

We define self-care with information from the National Institute of Mental Health and gain further insight with Deja Middlebrook from Walking Through Solutions. Steve, Deja, and I offer examples of our own self-care habits in the hopes of inspiring your personal brainstorming and individual creativity. You are worth being a priority every single day!

With additional insight from the Mayo Clinic & the World Health Organization, Carolyn Kirkwood of Kirkwood Therapy and Wayne Brown of Willow Grove Counseling offer a variety of ways to recognize anxiety symptoms. We break down the difference between anxiety attacks & panic attacks, and I suggest a new way of talking to yourself and your anxiety with love and grace.

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders, and it affects a large percentage of the population. Carolyn Kirkwood of Kirkwood Therapy and Wayne Brown of Willow Grove Counseling help us understand how it shows up in our lives. If you or someone you know struggles with depression, Richard Tippett of Sanctuary Counseling wants you to know that you are just as stunning as a piece of art, no matter what it is you’re working through. Our mental health battles do not make us broken and can’t touch our value.

In this show, we interview professionals with various titles such as Therapists and Counselors. If you’re wondering what the difference is, Carolyn Kirkwood from Kirkwood Therapy defines them for us. We aim to educate you and, hopefully, help you feel comfortable knowing who to talk to. Therapy can be less intimidating if you take the time to learn more about it.

Shame is one of those feelings that live within us from a very early age, and it can come from various sources. Wayne Brown from Willow Grove Counseling provides some insight into its origins and helps examine it in a different way. While Richard Tippett of Sanctuary Counseling explains how shame can be healed and better managed.

In order to accept who we are, we start by being fully present within ourselves and honestly aware of our feelings and emotions. Richard Tippett of Sanctuary Counseling offers inspirational quotes he uses with his clients and tells us that we don’t have to be perfect to be accepted. Additionally, the book “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem” by Nathaniel Branden is provided as a resource for learning how to believe in yourself from a healthy internal source.

Finding the best therapist for you might take a little time, so don’t get discouraged if the first person you talk to doesn’t feel like a perfect match. Richard Tippett of Sanctuary Counseling supports this idea and wants you to know that you are in control of your therapy journey. Expect ups and downs and give yourself grace through it all.

The idea of therapy in our society today has a variety of connotations around it; some positive and some unfortunately judgmental. Richard Tippett of Sanctuary Counseling offers the perspective that it is acceptable to ask for help with anything you may be struggling with. This episode also shares the Psychology Today website as a resource for finding a therapist and the book “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz to help you find joy again.

June is a great time for celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and showing off your pride! But what if you’re not ready to express yourself outwardly quite yet? Krysta Mannion from Marriage & Family Therapy of Western New York provides some advice around accepting each and every part of who you are. Championing you to celebrate wherever you may be in your self-acceptance journey and being prideful in a variety of ways!