BeWELL

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Christie Messenger from KindBody to discuss fertility and family planning.

Dr. Christie Messenger received her undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Psychology from the University of Missouri – Columbia where she then continued on to pursue her medical degree. She completed her residency at Mt Sinai Hospital fulfilling a lifelong dream of living and working in Manhattan. Dr Messenger is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

At KindBody, they believe that everyone should have access to convenient, affordable fertility and family planning. This belief is what unites everyone at Kindbody. Their goal is to make the process of going to the doctor more intuitive and empowering. Their services range from fertility treatments, including IVF and egg freezing, to gynecology, wellness, and LGBTQ+ care. With convenient and welcoming clinics around the country they are dedicated to delivering compassionate care, putting patients and their loved ones first.

Dr. Christie begins the episode by giving a little backstory to KindBody. The two year old practice is a one stop shop for women where every need they might have can be fulfilled before, during, and after pregnancy. They have clinics across the US, and Diana discovered them by stumbling across their flagship location in NYC recently. 

Dr. Christie goes on to explain the culture of KindBody. Like their name suggests, they place an emphasis on kindness, and staff people who genuinely care about what their doing and the patients they care for. They seek to make patients comfortable with the fertility process and assure that all their questions get answered. Diana notes that she has had negative experiences with OBGYNs who make the office sterile and procedural instead of compassionate. Part of this work includes offering therapy services to some patients. 

After a quick break, your hosts return to talk about women taking charge of their future. KindBody looks to deepen the understanding women have of their bodies so they can take control of their reproductive life. This brings the women to a conversation about sex and fertility education in schools. Specifically, how fertility and family planning could be better addressed and tailored to women in middle and high school.

To end the episode, Dr. Christie tells her story of how she ended up at KindBody. She also includes what types of services are available for potential patients. A popular service of theirs is the Fertility 101 workshop. This workshop covers egg and embryo freezing to IVF and therapy information.

Thank you for joining us at BeREAL today. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode with Dr. Kim Andrews on holistic wellness.

For more information on Dr. Christie Messenger and KindBody, please visit the links below:

Website: https://www.kindbody.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindbody/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindbody/

For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in Manhattan) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Kim Andrews to discuss holistic wellness, spirituality within psychotherapy, and life coaching.

Dr. Kim Andrews has extensive experience in integrative and supportive therapeutic counseling with a strong background in psychosocial dynamics, cognitive behavioral therapy, and Buddhist Psychology. She has worked in a variety of settings as a therapist with adults and teens in both inpatient and outpatient facilities and programs, incarceration programs, and mandated treatment programs. Currently, she is working for herself in private practice.

 

Dr. Kim begins the episode by explaining how she met Diana and became a friend of the podcast. She then recounts her experience of getting into therapy practice. She says that her journey began when she was younger and struggled with anxiety and depression. Now, she imbues her past experiences and interest in spirituality into her holistic wellness practice. Ednesha chimes in to explain that often, therapists are told to separate spirituality within therapy, but how Dr. Kim’s mixing of the two could help many people who do come from spiritual backgrounds.

 

Next, Dr. Kim addresses the divide between life coaching and therapy. She summaries that life coaches are very forward thinking, with little focus on past issues that could be creating conflict in the present. Therapy, on the other hand, looks to the past to create healthy forward movement. So, she approaches coaching from a more therapeutic angle. She decided to become a coach because her masters is in rehabilitation counseling, which shares many of the holistic wellness ideas of coaching.

 

After a short break, Dr. Kim explains to listeners the programs she has available at the moment. Her 90-day program focuses on one to two changes that the patients want to implement in their life. The focus on a limited number of things better assures that the changes will stick forever. For clients who are not ready to commit to months on end of coaching, they can see her through individual session, but these often end up lasting as long as the month long programs.

 

Thank you for tuning into BeREAL this week! Be on the lookout for an all new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on how to choose a therapist.

 

For more information on Dr. Kim Andrews and her practice, visit the links below:

 

Website: www.drkimandrews.com

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.kimandrews/

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drkimandrews/

 

For more information on BeREAL (our therapy focused podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

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Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha are joined once again by BeWELL’s very own, Jess. The trio is here to discuss how to choose a therapist that fits your needs and schedule.

Diana starts off the episode by explaining how many people seek therapy beginning in January, because of new year’s resolutions. The three women then all share their first experiences with therapy, and how they found their first therapists. Diana found hers through a phone book. Jess found hers by researching different specialities. Ednesha found her first therapist during grad school and through campus resources, but later she found a therapist through her insurance provider.

 

But how do you find a therapist that is the perfect fit? 

 

Diana explains many basic factors that will affect how to choose a therapist. She describes a patient - therapist relationship like dating. You want to show your true self in the initial paperwork, so that you can get into the gist of the work sooner, and therefore know whether the given therapist relationship will work in the future. Ednesha brings up issues of how to know if you should ask for a second session. She debunks a myth that after an initial consultation, the patient has to choose whether or not to commit to months on end of treatment. In some offices this is true, but others (including BeWELL) allow you to go session by session. Ednesha advises that you commit one week at a time so that you can develop the relationship with the clinician, but also have an out if you realize the therapist is not the right fit. 

 

How often should you attend therapy?

 

There are many different schools of thought around the question of how often you should attend therapy. Ednesha brings up that she has heard of therapists that require patients to sign contracts committing to a schedule. However, the trio feel as though that can muddle the therapist - patient relationship because it can feel too structured and formal. Again, Ednesha suggests attending therapy frequently at the beginning, to develop the relationship quickly, but after the relationship is built you can assess the situation for yourself and change the schedule as you see fit (and you can change it again later).

 

After a break, the therapists come back to ask Jess about her experience with therapy. She goes over the strange experience she had with her previous therapist, who ended their sessions after deeming that Jess was “cured.” Jess, on the other hand, still felt as though she needed more counseling, and so she’s figuring out how to choose a therapist that is in the same school of thought as her when it comes to the idea of being “cured.” Diana and Ednesha both offer input on the idea of therapy being used to “cure” specific issues.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL in 2021! Be on the lookout for a new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s year on 2021 intentions.

 

For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in Midtown Manhattan) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

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Happy New Year! Welcome back to BeREAL’s first episode of 2021.To celebrate, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Kara Ladd and Alyssa Brieloff of Boundless Creatives to discuss spiritual consulting and 2021 intentions.

Kara Ladd is the CEO of conscious conglomerate, Boundless, that includes Boundless Creatives, her boutique purpose-driven consultancy and Boundless by Kara (@boundlessbykara), her mindful lifestyle personal brand. Ladd began her career working in the  fashion closets of Cosmopolitan but later pivoted back into editorial. On a personal note, Ladd is a one-in-a-million synovial sarcoma cancer survivor. Her traumatic, yet enlightening, health journey was the conscious conduit that built what Boundless is today.

 

Alyssa Brieloff is a leading social media consultant and mindful content curator with 6+ years of creative and strategic content experience working with a wealth of award-winning brands, from grassroots startups to Fortune 500 companies.Brieloff is an out-of-the-box creative and spiritual wellness enthusiast that brings a brand's voice and visual identity to life both on and offline. Her expertise is grounded in the mindful lifestyle space, but she is a multifaceted creative whose skillset transcends to any industry. 

 

The women begin by explaining how they met. They were both in the content creation field and through networking events met each other and from there, their work grew. They outline how they went from friends to business partners and the first course that they offered, which was rebound coaching. Their first course was a form of spiritual consulting that taught how to integrate self discovery tools into everyday life. 

 

Next, Diana ask the ladies to share their “ah-ha” moments, or when they realized spiritual consulting was their passion and they could do more with their lives then they currently were. Both tell of how they began to protect their energies at different stages of their lives. Alyssa had been protecting her energy since she was a child, but Alyssa came into the practice after she was diagnosed with cancer.

 

After a short break, the Boundless Creative execs come back to tell listeners about their offerings. They are currently offering a four week course and a monthly subscription. Both involve different techniques of spiritual consulting and self discovery. They also include what types of events they hope to offer in the future after the pandemic. Lastly, they talk about their big hit: the 2021 intentions journal. The journal is a way to bring your intentions into the physical and help you become the best version of yourself in the new year.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL to start off the new year! Be on the lookout for a new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s year in review of 2020.

 

For more information on Kara, Alyssa, or Boundless Creatives, visit the links below:

 

Website: https://www.boundlesscreatives.com/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boundlesscreatives/

 

Boundless by Kara: https://www.instagram.com/boundlessbykara/

 

Alyssa’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssabrieloff/

 

For more information on BeREAL (our

Welcome back to BeREAL! To close off 2020, Diana and Ednesha are interviewed by BeREAL producer Don to discuss the year in review. 

To begin the year in review, Don takes Diana and Ednesha back to the creation of BeREAL. Ednesha goes over her initial feelings towards the podcast back in March and how she believed she would only be a part-time host. Now, a year later, she is the full time co-host alongside Diana. Diana talks about her initial vision of the podcast: that it would be a podcast with honest conversations about mental health in order to break stigmas. Both hosts believe they have accomplished this goal and look forward to furthering this work in 2021. 

 

Next, Don asks Ednesha about her relationship with Diana and how it has grown over the year. Ednesha explains how Diana is her supervisor as a therapist, but that does not mean they are not equals. Ednesha talks about how it took some time for her to realize that, and at the start of the podcast she kept looking to Diana for validation. However, now she understands that they are on the same level and BeREAL is as much Diana’s podcast as it is her own. 

 

Finally, Don asks the hosts about their favorite episodes from this year. Diana says that her favorites are when Alex Elle came to discuss self care and Sean Grover came to discuss online therapy. Ednesha says that her favorite has been Andrea Dresser’s episode on sex therapy. Don finished out the episode by giving his personal favorite episode which was with Josh Palau and Darren W. Carter on fatherhood.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL’s year in review! Be on the lookout for new episodes in the New Year. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s mental health recap of 2020.

 

For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health therapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/

 

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by BeREAL’s Jess Seavor. The team is here this week to do a mental health recap of 2020 and give advice on how to find success in 2021.

The women begin by retelling what they remember from the onset of the pandemic in March. Ednesha tells about the last patient she saw and how she had in her head that they would see eachother again in person within a few weeks. It is now nine months since then and they have not yet had an in person session again. Ednesha also shares what it was like to miss out of big planned events, like her birthday vacation she was going to go on in March. Diana shares about hiring Jess right at that time, and how Jess has done all her work away from the physical BeWELL office since then. 

 

Next, your hosts share a bit about some misconceptions people have about life at home during the pandemic. They discuss the idea that people have this idea that they have “more time” now and therefore should be doing exponentially more work or activities. The world is changing but time still moves at the same pace, so people should not be down on themselves if they can’t turn out more work than they could before. Also, it is important to hold onto some routine from before the pandemic so you can still live life within at least some sense of normalcy.

 

Moving on, Diana brings up the struggle of staying at home. They touch on some of the benefits, such as not needing to commute to work and therefore always being on time. However, they also talk about the feeling of being stuck while watching huge events play out in the news across the country. Some of these events are the pandemic itself, the 2020 US Election, the Black Lives Matter Movement, etc. 

 

Closing on the mental health recap of 2020, Diana highlights that one benefit of the year was that it raised awareness for the need of mental health treatment. It helped breakdown a lot of stigmas surrounding the field as more and more people from different backgrounds found that they needed help. Going forward, Ednesha suggests that everyone chooses one goal for 2021. She wants it to be something accomplishable and that people should not expect more from themselves than physical/mentally possible. 

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL’s mental health recap of 2020! Be on the lookout for new episodes in the New Year. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode on yoga and body positivity with Paris Alexandra.

 

For more information on BeREAL (our mental health podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health therapy practice in New York City) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/

 

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Paris Alexandra to discuss diversity within the yoga community and body positivity.

Paris Alexandra is an Artist and Creative Wellness Practitioner (IIN). As a 200 hour Registered Yoga teacher (RTY) & Healing Arts facilitator, Paris utilizes song, poetry, and movement to inspire self love and transform narratives in beauty, health, & the arts. As a wellness practitioner she supports curvy athletes and creatives in growing lifestyle habits that honor the body, increase vitality, and ignite their creative lives. 

 

Paris begins the episode by introducing herself and her yoga practice, BK Yoga Club. She explains that BK Yoga Club is a black owned practice whose goals are to promote body positivity and welcome new people to yoga, who maybe thought it was not for them based on how they looked. Paris then tells the backstory of how it came to fruition by the hands of Paris and her co-founder, Alicia Ferguson. Next, she gives an overview of what BK Yoga Club looks like today (two years in) and announces that they are opening their first storefront in Bedstuy in January. 

 

Next, Paris tells listeners about how she got into yoga herself. She explains that she was the only black and plus size woman in her yoga classes, and that inspired her to make the yoga community open to a more diverse group of people. On top of that, she would like to redefine what healthy looks like. She hopes other people can learn the lessons she learned through yoga: self acceptance and body positivity. Ednesha also brings up that yoga is not something new to black women, but many people choose to overlook that many historical black women practiced yoga. 

 

After a break, Paris explains what the desired BK yogi looks like. The desired yogi is anyone! BK Yoga Club is a place for people of all races, sizes, and backgrounds. These yogis can take BK Yoga Club classes during the pandemic through the new BK Yoga Club app that will be releasing soon. They are also offering classes with therapists during the pandemic, to help maintain both positive mental and physical health.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode about mental health and fitness.

 

For more info on Paris Alexandra or BK Yoga Club, visit the links below:

 

Website: https://www.bkyogaclub.com/home

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bkyogaclub/

 

For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our psychotherapy practice in NYC) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/

 

Instagram:

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dani DeAngelo and Jacey Lambros to discuss mental health and fitness, as well as physical health and confidence. Dani and Jacey are the founders of the Tri-state Area fitness company, Jane DO.

Jane DO is a fitness brand crafted by former Radio City Rockettes Jacey Lambros and Danielle DeAngelo. Knowing firsthand that it takes a comprehensive cross training regime to be the most powerful version of yourself, they developed a workout that offers variety and caters to every woman. Jane DO has women reaching new levels of strength and confidence in the studio so they can take it outside the studio and DO incredible things. 

 

Dani and Jacey begin the episode by sharing the backstory of how they met. They became friends when they were both part of the Radio City Rockettes, and from there their friendship grew into a partnership. They give Diana and Ednesha the details on the struggles they faced when sculpting their brand image, and how it grew over time. They touch on the importance of balance when it comes to relationships that are both personal as well as professional. 

 

Next, the women give an overview of what patrons can expect when they join Jane DO. Jane DO delivers musically charged, energy driven, cross training workouts designed for women by women. Five unique classes fuse aerobics, strength training, and flexibility to provide the variety women need to DO it all. They add that these classes, although tailored for women, will give an excellent work out to anyone who enrolls, regardless of gender.

 

After a short break, Dani and Jacey return to discuss what their business looks like at the moment due to COVID-19. Lucky for them, they were in the works to launch a fitness app at the onset of the pandemic, so they already had an outlet to adjust their teachings. Now, through the app and their live streams they continue to connect women from across the country. They acknowledge that Zoom helps break down barriers between their students. This allows them to have deep conversation and connect mental health and fitness to strengthen confidence in their “janes.”

 

Lastly, to close off the episode, Dani Jacey talk about their new book club. They tell listeners what is on their “to read” list and how to join. They also include many other ways that listeners can join the Jane DO movement.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next Tuesday. In the meantime, make sure to listen to last week’s episode about mental health and the holiday season in 2020.

 

For more information on Dani, Jacey, or Jane Do, visit the links below:

 

Website: www.janedo.com

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janedo/

 

For more information on BeREAL (our therapy podcast) and BeWELL (our therapy practice in NYC) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

 

Facebook:

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week, Diana and Ednesha speak with each other (no special guest today) about the mental health effects of the holiday season. They discuss how to set appropriate boundaries and how to craft traditions that suit your own needs.

Ednesha begins the episode by telling Diana about her Thanksgiving holiday. She discusses how she went to Florida with her family in an attempt to save some traditions this year, as many have been cancelled due to COVID. She highlights the importance of taking all necessary precautions when traveling and visiting family during this time, and how you should handle family members who are less willing to take COVID tests. Diana joins in on the conversation, and the two talk about the food they cooked and the foods they avoided during their Thanksgiving feasts.

 

Diana and Ednesha then tackle the discussion of how to set boundaries during the COVID holiday season. These boundaries have to be set between both friends and family. Ednesha discusses how hard it can be to set non-negotiable boundaries with loved ones, such as making it necessary that all guests take COVID tests. Many people might fear saying “no” to family who want to visit, but also fear saying “yes” that people can come without taking the necessary precautions. Ednesha highlights that this only worsens when people think of the worst possible outcomes of each option, which many people tend to do. This leads the hosts to shift the conversation only a little to a discussion of when it is right for people to say “no” and when it is right for them to say “yes”. Saying “no” can be good for your mental health at times. However, saying it too much can lead to people missing out on needed social interaction which can have grave impacts on mental health. Because of this, saying “yes” can take just as much courage as saying “no” at times. 

 

Diana brings the discussion to anxiety and other mental health effects of the holiday season. Ednesha brings up the idea that it can make people anxious when they are unsure if someone will say something triggering to them during big gatherings. Ednesha suggests people to reach out to family before thesengatherings to make it clear what is and what isn’t appropriate to talk about. This way, people can enjoy their holiday festivities without being on edge that someone could say something harmful at any moment. 

 

Diana and Ednesha finish off the episode by giving the listeners some last advice to take with them into the 2020 holiday season. Diana challenges people who say “no” often to try saying yes. Vice versa, she advises the people who say “yes” a lot to try saying “no”. Ednesha tells listeners to take advantage of the strange circumstances this year to craft holiday traditions that are best suited for their own mental health needs.

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Darren Carter and John Palau on fatherhood and mental health.

 

For more information on BeREAL (our psychotherapy podcast) and BeWELL (our mental health care in Manhattan) visit the links below:

 

To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today 

 

www.beher-now.com 

Welcome back to BeREAL! This week Diana and Ednesha are joined by two dads, Darren Carter and John Palau, to discuss all things fatherhood. We’ve had many moms on the show before but now it's time to talk about the paternal side of parenting. The two fathers are here to discuss their journey to fatherhood and what it’s like being a dad during a pandemic. 

 

Darren Carter describes himself as an imperfect man who is here to share his insights as a husband, father (foster and adoptive) follower of Christ, and an adult with ADHD. He currently has three kids living at his home, but he is only legally the father to two. 

 

Josh Palau has worked in digital media for over 20 years. He currently lives in New Hope with his wife Laurie and their two daughters, Zoe and Logan.

 

Josh begins the episode by retelling his journey into fatherhood. He explains that he had always wanted kids, but the timing of when that would happen was more dictated by his wife. He did add, however, that he knew he wanted two kids and no more. Darren then shares his journey. He came to be a father later in his life when he married his wife who already had a daughter of her own. While they struggled to have biological children they became foster parents and eventually ended up adopting one of the foster children. Darren opens up a bit more about his struggle with not being able to have biological children, but states that love is what is most important. His love for all his children is genuine and that means far more to him than blood ever could. 

 

Josh tells about how his daughters have differing interests, and one of their interests closer aligns with his own. He explains the importance of taking what your children enjoy and learning to enjoy it with them, so you can constantly be a part of their life and grow with them. Darren explains the modern worldview of fathers. Many people will come up to him when he is alone with his children and as if he is a babysitter or merely doing a favor for his wife. He and Josh are looking to push against these stereotypes that fathers can’t do their daughters’ hair or change a diaper and can be just as important in raising a child as a woman. 

 

Next, Darren goes into detail about what makes a good foster parent. He says that much of what makes people good foster parents is also why many people choose not to be them. A foster child is plucked from an environment and then moved around a lot, so it is crucial that foster parents see a child as their own as soon as they arrive. This will make parting from them all the more difficult, but it is the best environment for growth. 

 

Lastly, Darren and Josh talk about what it is like to be home with their children during the pandemic. They talk about academic and social struggles and the need for a break every once in a while. To conclude the episode, each dad offers one piece of advice to men considering fatherhood in the future. They come to the consensus that you must grow with your child and their interests. 

 

Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for an all new episode next week. In the meantime, make sure to check out last week’s episode with Diana Limongi on politics and parenting. 

 

For more information on Darren, visit the links below:

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenwcarter

 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/darrenwcarter