Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk talks to Dr. Rosita Cortizo about her approach to helping women and moms heal internally through simple and subtle ways. For Dr. Rosita, a mother must know how to take care of herself. And that covers all aspects of well-being. But how can one mom start when there's just so much asked for from mothers? Dr. Rosita shares how volunteer work opened her to her current field of specialty, how trauma affects motherhood and womanhood, and why it's all-important for everyone to learn about how they got into this world.

Mothers – what place do you have in this world?

Even with the current generation's awakening to more open discussions on mental health, it's surprising to see how most people are still very unfamiliar with anything that has to do with therapy. No matter how necessary, some say, therapy is still very inaccessible for some. And mothers are not alien to the issue. For Dr. Rosita, economic concerns are one of the leading factors; a mother's responsibilities are number two.

In her experience, Dr. Rosita cites a straight entry point that can change how moms look at therapy as a whole: it's through education. Moms need to understand that it's essential to feel good about themselves. How a mother feels will impact how others feel in her care. Dr. Rosita teaches moms that they are the 'queens' of their bodies and children. If a mother doesn't feel good about herself, she cannot teach her children how they can feel good about themselves—let alone self-care and self-love.

About Dr. Rosita Cortizo:

Rosita Cortizo, originally from Panama City, Panama, in South America, currently works as a high-risk, multicultural, bilingual prenatal and perinatal clinical psychologist for women's health services working with female adults and children. 

Dr. Cortizo has worked in Public Health in Southern California with pregnant women at high risk with multiple diagnoses, traumatic stress, dissociative processes, and relational crisis for more than 30 years. 

She holds licenses as both clinical psychologist (2001) and marriage family therapist (1998); and earned a Master of Arts in Psychology with a specialty in Chemical Dependency (1993) in San Diego, California. She is EMDRIA Certified, an Approved EMDR Consultant, and the 2021 ISSTD President.

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:58] What volunteer work opened Dr. Rosita Cortizo to

●     [05:33] I wanted to see how far my volunteer work would go

●     [10:10]Treating trauma in public health was nothing like in the textbooks

●     [15:00] Birth is a painful conversation!

●     [20:29] In what avenue does Dr. Rosita Cortizo begin to work on a mother's interpersonal healing

●     [25:56] Moms need to learn self-soothing so their children can learn it too

●     [31:02] Why it definitely helps to get to know your patients more personally

●     [35:30] Compare then despair

●     [44:03] It's who, not how!

●     [50:35] Dr. Rosita Cortizo – I want to be a hand for all moms!

Website:  http://www.rositacortizo.com/

More Resources:  https://howwecanheal.com/prioritizing-trauma-healing-for-pregnant-women-with-doctor-rosita-cortizo/

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk talks to Dr. Heather Hall about the different staggering studies that show the factors that affect trauma and dissociation and how some psychiatric practices disserve the treatment of trauma. Should trauma treatment be treated like checking boxes off a list? Dr. Heather helps us understand the ethnic density effect, how neighborhood environments affect dark-skinned immigrants in London, and how support systems can never be overlooked in treating trauma patients.

How Attachment Works

By definition, Dr. Heather Hall describes attachment as 'the process by which trauma transcends' from one generation to another. For example, on parenting. If one is raised in an abusive and neglective environment, it'd be almost natural for that person to not have any substantial model of how a parent should adequately be to a child. In this type of situation, a disorganized attachment can develop.

If a person experiences this kind of attachment, insecurities can and may most definitely affect their approach to raising children. From being raised in trauma, this person will then be exposed to another phase of trauma wherein they will not be able to function ideally in the face of a child they can't connect with. In effect, the person with this kind of attachment will also expose the child to the same disorganized attachment.

About Dr. Heather Hall: 

Dr. Hall is a board-certified adult psychiatrist. She has over thirty years of experience. She combines expertise in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy to develop treatment plans tailored to each patient. Before establishing her private practice, Dr. Hall was an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at UCSF and UC Davis. 

She is currently on the board of directors of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and specializes in treating complex trauma. In addition, she is the co-chair of the ISSTD's Public Health Committee and chair of the Annual Conference Committee. Dr. Hall is a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, MA. 

She completed her medical training at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, and her psychiatric training at The Institute of Pennsylvania hospital.

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:28] What drew Dr. Heather to becoming an MD Psychiatrist?

●     [07:14] Some psychiatrists ignore a patient's trauma history

●     [12:31]It's hard to be in a system that's not trauma-informed

●     [18:02] A good portion of the homeless are trauma survivors 

●     [24:03] Voter turnout affects psychoses for darker-skinned immigrants in areas in London

●     [31:46] With no trauma history, assessing symptoms may turn out like checking boxes off the list

●     [37:09] The different factors that can affect a patient-psychiatrist connection and vice versa

●     [43:07] From 'what's wrong with you?' to 'what happened to you?'

●     [50:53] The importance of close contacts that are educated on how trauma history affects people

●     [56:31] Dr. Heather Hall – on checking your patient's coping mechanisms

Website: https://www.heatherhallmd.org/

For Publications by Dr. Heather Hall: https://howwecanheal.com/dissociation-schizophrenia-and-systemic-racism-with-dr-heather-hall/

Tricia Huffman is a podcast host, speaker, Manager of Integrity to Grammy Award-winning artists, and founder of Your Joyologist. While living out her first dream as a touring sound engineer, she saw that everyone, including the people we think “have it all,” often doesn’t feel fulfilled and fights doubts, worries, and compares themselves to others daily. With her unique background and knowledge in self-care and wellness, she first created her Joyology to keep artists healthy, grounded, and inspired in body and mind while on tour. She now spreads her mission to claim joy daily via her empowering social media posts, real talk podcast, coaching work, product line, and Own Your Awesome daily inspiration app, and everything that she does.

She is based in Los Angeles, where she is raising her strong-willed, independent, creative daughters and F-ing the shoulds while claiming joy daily.

You can learn more about Tricia and her work at triciahuffman.com, @_triciahuffman, yourjoyologist.com, and @yourjoyologist, and subscribe to her Claim It! Podcast.

Full Transcript Available Here

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk welcomes Kira Willey as she discusses how she incorporates music, yoga, and mindfulness for very young children. Kira has had over a decade plus years of experience in music, mindfulness, and teaching kids. Today, Kira shares her story behind how she started on this path, how she perceives energy, and what for her mindfulness is and what mindfulness is not.

Music – it's where I need to be

While working in a previous parent and child program, Kira spotted this ad about children's yoga training for teachers in the workplace. Admittedly, Kira wasn't 100% into it at that time. Nevertheless, by looking at the ad, Kira knew that it was something she would do. The training also didn't come cheap. Yet, Kira had a go with it anyway. Mentally, Kira already had some part of the thing planned out in her head. Once she gets the certificate, she was certain she'd incorporate music into her teaching. 

Kira's love for music can be understood very easily in this interview. Bringing her guitar everywhere was not an issue for Kira. To her, 'it was like a crutch.' So she's very comfortable handling it. What she's not comfortable with, however, is being in a room with 25 six-year-olds. For Kira, music is so easy to love. It makes brains light up, and it influences everyone's energy. And even though there's science behind that, Kira believes you don't need Science to experience it.

About Kira Willey:

Kira Willey is the author of six children's mindfulness books: Peaceful Like a Panda, the Mindfulness Moments for Kids board book series, and the bestselling Breathe Like a Bear. Her books have been translated into 18 languages and sold more than 260,000 copies around the world.

As a kids' yoga and mindfulness expert with nearly two decades of teaching experience, Kira has spoken on the TEDx stage, trained thousands of kids' yoga teachers, and is the creator of Rockin' Yoga training and school programs, as well as her Rockin' Yoga membership, a thriving community of educators bringing mindful practices to children.

As a children's music artist, Kira has released six albums of yoga & mindfulness songs for kids, which have won Parents' Choice Gold and numerous other industry awards. Her songs have been streamed more than 35 million times, and her hits include "Colors," which was featured in a worldwide Dell ad campaign.

Kira is also the creator and host of two kids' TV programs, "Breathe With Me" and "Fireflies Yoga," which air on PBS affiliates nationwide. 

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:34] From sports to yoga

●     [06:24] Kira Willey – on working in music, earning less, and still loving it

●     [11:30]There's nothing better than creating with others

●     [15:13] How did music, yoga, and teaching kids come about for Kira? 

●     [21:03] Songs for channeling scattered energy

●     [26:09] Mindfulness doesn't have to be sitting on a cushion with a candlelit

●     [31:40] Do you have time for mindfulness? You should!

●     [35:52] Kira Willey – on working with parents

●     [46:26] You can do almost anything that you're already doing—mindfully

●     [48:47] What gives Kira Willey hope?

Resources:

Website:          https://kirawilley.com/home

Kira is offering How We Can Heal listeners free children's mindfulness and music resources! Head here to grab all the goods:

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk talks with Guy Macpherson about his most golden takeaways after talking with 600 trauma therapists. "Being with someone in their healing is healing in and of itself." In Guy's experience, that's something he has proven to be totally true. Here, Guy shares what made him go back to studying in his mid-30s, why vulnerability in therapy must come first from the therapist, and what Guy loves about being a therapist in podcasting.

 Don't Hide Behind the Assessment
Reading psychoses is a normal thing to do in Guy's field of work. In this episode, Guy cites one instance where he handled a little kid with a 40-page psychosis and severe symptoms. Because communicating results is one part of working with clients, especially clients with guardians and parents, like little kids, as a therapist, Guy ensures that he does so without having to be robotic when simplifying readings with anyone that is of concern. 

 During therapy with this kid, Guy experienced a challenge—the talk wasn't going anywhere. With explaining an assessment to anyone outside the field being a challenge itself already, Guy faced a stiffer challenge when trying to tackle trauma with a child. That was until he decided to put down the assessment. When Guy resorted to just talking to the child, he observed a major shift. Not hiding behind the assessment helped the child see that he was just talking with another person. After that experience, Guy realized that he only needed to be there as a person first.

 About Guy Macpherson:
Guy Macpherson, Ph.D., is a husband, a father of two, and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology. He has spent the last several years studying the impact and treatment of trauma and early psychosis.

 In 2014, while working at a clinic in Northern California, assessing and treating young individuals with early psychosis, Guy founded The Trauma Therapist Project with the goals of raising the awareness of trauma and creating an educational and supportive community for new trauma therapists.

 The Trauma Therapist Project has now grown to include The Trauma Therapist | Podcast, now being listened to in more than 160 countries around the world, Trauma Therapist | 2.0, an online membership community specifically dedicated to educating and inspiring new trauma therapists, and The Trauma Therapist Newsletter, a monthly subscription resource filled with information and inspiration for trauma therapists everywhere.

 Guy's focus is on honoring and cultivating the authenticity, vulnerability, and courage of trauma therapists. 

 Outline of the episode:

 ●     [01:54] What drew Guy into trauma therapy?

●     [05:00] Guy Macpherson – on starting 'The Trauma Therapist Podcast'

●     [10:26]Anything can be traumatizing for someone

●     [15:27] A therapist's vulnerability is critical to setting a tone of safety

●     [20:08] The quality of interpersonal relationships that you have is important

●     [25:36] Your healing is your journey

●     [31:51] The client's assessment is not as critical as connecting with them on a human level

●     [39:00] I like how I can share how I screwed it up

●     [46:26] It's not about if you're going to get triggered as a therapist; it's when you're going to get triggered

●     [50:03] Human Being vs. Human Doing

Resources:

 Website:   https://www.thetraumatherapistproject.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/guymacphersonphd<

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk talks with Suzanne O'Brien about the part in life that we all shouldn't rush nor fear. In this episode, if there's one ultimate takeaway from Suzanne, it'd be that 'love goes hand in hand with grief.' As a "Worldwide Leader in Healthcare," Suzanne shares how she trains people to care for departing loved ones from start to finish and the type of approach that proves how it's possible to face death with grace.   

Doulas in the Pandemic

Physical contact has become standard in the type of work that doulas do. As guides and support, doulas spend time with the clients they work with to provide assistance and care in many different ways. So when the pandemic hit, it was very easy to worry about how a doula could fulfill her role effectively. But, with End of Life, the halt of physical contact was not the end of it all.

Because telemedicine was proven effective at the many fronts of healthcare, End of Life came up with teledoula to address the demand for their services in a 'no-physical-contact' world. To supply the demand, online memorials were held for home wakes. When everyone's emotions heightened, this side of teledoula-ing proved to be an extraordinary way of harnessing the beauty and absurdity of using technology to connect.
 

About Suzanne O'Brien:

Suzanne B. O'Brien RN is a former Hospice and Oncology Nurse, International Speaker, and bestselling author. She is the Founder and Creator of The International Doulagivers Institute and the award-winning Doulagivers End of Life Doula Trainings. In 2015, Suzanne was Awarded "Worldwide Leader in Healthcare" by the International Nurses Association and named Oprah Magazine Humanitarian Brand Ambassador in 2019.

Suzanne B. O'Brien RN, the creator of Doulagivers, has been at the forefront of the End-of-Life Doula Movement in the United States since it began building momentum nearly a decade ago. She has developed free training designed for everyone based on her years of experience working with over one thousand end-of-life patients as a hospice nurse and palliative care professional to help make the end of life a more positive experience for us all. 

The Level 1 End of Life Doula and Family Caregiver Training is a free course designed so that anyone and everyone can understand the basic end-of-life processes and how to suggest and offer comfort to families and patients throughout these processes. 

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:55] Your calling won't always make sense

●     [06:03] When everyone thinks they're right—there's chaos

●     [11:49] The Perfect Storm

●     [18:12] Suzanne O'Brien – on the three-day home wake

●     [24:30] The three (3) phases of caring for a loved one who is at the end of their life

●     [29:40] Your body knows what to do

●     [36:05] How to support people who can't be there for a departing loved one

●     [42:03] Three (3) reasons why people hang on during their last moments

●     [48:55] The Deathbed Test

●     [54:30] You don't have to fear nor rush death

Resources:

Website:          www.doulagivers.com

Creating Positive Passings: End of Life Doula, Level 1, Caregiver Training:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Positive-Passings-Caregiver-Training-ebook/dp/B00YWTUSUM
 
DOULAGIVERS® LIFE CLASS:

www.doulagivers.com

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk sits down with Kris Carr to talk about one memorable valentines day that changed her life forever. Nineteen years ago, Kris found out she has a rare and incurable type of cancer. From a point in her life where she knew close to nothing about wellness and her body, now, Kris shares how cancer led her to a richer life, her practice of grounding, and her views on what healing is and what healing is not.

Your Golden Years are Now

Not everyone can take life-changing events lightly. It's not the typical response, and it's hard. That becomes more true if we're talking about life-threatening diseases. But Kris is an exemption to that. With a disease that has been with her for 19 years now, Kris learned how to make use of her unique situation. When talking about how to stay present at the moment, Kris described how, if anything, 'her disease has become a mindset growth above everything else.'

Of course, getting to that point of thinking is no slice of cake. It takes so much practice. If there's anything that helped Kris become the thriver that she is today, it would have to be her late father's influence on her. From her dad, Kris learned that one's golden years don't have to be at a later point in their life. Your years can be golden now. And for that to happen, Kris had to put in the work to not get too far ahead of herself and be grounded. Despite being ill, Kris is always mindful about not catastrophizing things.

About Kris Carr:

Kris Carr is a multiple New York Times best-selling author, wellness activist, and cancer thriver. She's been called a "force of nature" by O Magazine and was named a "new role model" by The New York Times. Kris is a member of Oprah's SuperSoul 100, recognizing the most influential thought-leaders today, and was named a "new role model" by The New York Times.

Kris lectures at hospitals, conferences, and corporations. Media appearances include Glamour, Prevention, Scientific American, Good Morning America, Today Show, CBS Evening News, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Success, Super Soul Sunday, OWN, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

She is the subject and director of the documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and aired on TLC and The Oprah Winfrey Network.

As an irreverent foot soldier in the fight against disease, Kris teaches people how to take back their health and their power. Her work will change the way you live, love, and eat! Find her at Kriscarr.com, where she publishes an award-winning blog focusing on holistic wellness. 

Outline of the episode:

●     [02:06] A life-changing valentine's day

●     [05:02] What the challenge gave Kris in terms of how she lives life

●     [09:55] Kris Carr – on staying present and keeping grounded

●     [15:18] The five (5) pillars of wellness

●     [20:05] You have to make your golden years now

●     [24:47] Kris Carr – on not judging herself and others

●     [31:39] Give yourself permission to go through the process of grief

●     [35:04] A story of how three roses made Kris choose to feel love

●     [40:22] How is Kris' upcoming book different from her previous ones?

●     [47:02] Be gentle to yourself and be where you are

Resources:

Website:          https://kriscarr.com/

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

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

If you want support creating healthy habits

Today on How We Can Heal Podcast, Lisa Danylchuk is joined by Gabby Bernstein to discuss her healing recipes in the new book, Happy Days: The Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Freedom and Inner Peace. Everything in the book is like a recipe for Gabby. And just like any recipe, you can either follow it or tweak it here and there in any way. In this episode, Gabby explains how she channels meditation with journaling plus bilateral music, the experience of losing a child and allowing dissociation to take over, and the primary goal she aims to achieve in the book Happy Days.

The Author's First Page

"I write my books for myself first," says Gabby when asked about her newly released Happy Days. Like the book's reviews from readers, some of who are figures in the industry themselves, Gabby poured nothing but honesty and openness in this recent episode of the podcast. These characteristics of Gabby help readers mirror the different phases she learned in her journey to sitting down and shaking hands with trauma.

But now that the book is out is it all 'done and over with' for Gabby? The answer—no. 'Going through the depths and having to retrieve the inner child' does not mean recess for the work Gabby puts in. Gabby still goes to therapy every week, and she continues to practice what she preaches in her books. With that, we learn that healing is never a destination. Like learning how to heal, the healing process itself is a continuous daily thing. That, Gabby knows all too well.

About Gabby Bernstein:
For more than 16 years, Gabby Bernstein has been transforming lives—including her own. The #1 New York Times bestselling author has penned nine books, including The Universe Has Your Back, Super Attractor and Happy Days. Gabby was featured on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday as a "next-generation thought leader." The New York Times identified Gabby as "a new role model." In her weekly podcast, Dear Gabby, she offers up real-time coaching, straight talk, and conversations about personal growth and spirituality. From her start hosting intimate conversations with 20 people in her New York City apartment, Gabby has grown to speak to tens of thousands in sold-out venues throughout the world. 

The Oprah Winfrey Network chose Gabby to be part of the Super Soul 100, a dynamic group of trailblazers whose vision and life's work are bringing a higher level of consciousness to the world. She co-hosted the Guinness World Records' largest guided meditation with Deepak Chopra and appears regularly as an expert on Today, Good Morning America, and other programs and publications. She connects with her community through her books, her Miracle Membership, and her podcast, Dear Gabby. To learn more about Gabby, visit gabbybernstein.com. 

Outline of the episode:

●     [01:58] Overcoming addiction and picking up new ones

●     [03:53] This is what I've been running from…

●     [08:47] What are protector parts?

●     [11:31] Gabby's recipes for healing

●     [15:05] Rage on the Page

●     [21:01] We still use so many deficit languages around mental health

●     [23:44] The goal of the book is to normalize trauma

●     [28:23] Gabby Bernstein – the book is decades of practice

●     [32:02] How Gabby's meditation changed throughout her healing

●     [45:22] Are we attracting our circumstances?

Resources:
Website:          https://gabbybernstein.com/
Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/gabbybernstein/

 Happy Days:&

A podcast to share deep conversations about How We Can Heal from life’s toughest circumstances. Each week, host and Licensed Psychotherapist Lisa Danylchuk interviews specialists in healing, wellness, trauma recovery beyond. Guests like Gabby Bernstein, Kris Carr, Suzanne O'Brien, and Guy MacPherson share their personal histories and what helped them through the biggest challenges they've faced in their own lives, as well as how they support other people going through hard times. 

A lot of people have been dealing with trauma and grief at a new level in recent years – this is something Lisa has been through herself and she's helped a lot of other people work through her role as a psychotherapist. While she has degrees from both UCLA and Harvard, she knows that knowledge alone is not enough. We need to feel connected in our healing. She truly hopes this show helps listeners move through whatever difficulties life is throwing their way right now,

This podcast isn't offering prescriptions. It’s not advice or any kind of diagnosis. This is meant to be an opportunity for listeners to learn from other human beings, to connect with their hearts and hear what has helped them move through some of their own experiences, and continue on to thrive. We encourage you to consult with relevant healthcare professionals who can support you through your healing journey. 

Let’s get talking about How We Can Heal.