Humans Are Dope | Mental Health, Trauma Healing & Personal Growth

Have you ever wondered how much your own emotions impact your parenting? 

In this episode, I sit down with Chelsea Clifton, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in helping parents understand and manage their own emotional responses to create a healthy environment for their kids. We discuss the importance of inner child work, breaking generational cycles, and finding balance in parenting while maintaining personal boundaries.

Chelsea shares advice on regulating your emotions, allowing children to have big feelings, and modeling healthy boundaries. From stories of her own experiences as a parent to insights from her work with clients, this episode is full of tips to bring more empathy, patience, and awareness to family dynamics.

Topics We Cover in This Episode:

• Why it’s okay (and necessary) to let children experience big emotions
• The importance of modeling boundaries for your kids
• Tips for managing feelings of guilt and pressure as a parent

All show notes are available at www.deanapanza.com!

Resources Mentioned:

Join my Free Training on Nov. 17th. 3 Secrets to Reconnecting with Yourself After Trauma: https://www.deanapanza.com/webinar

Connect with Chelsea on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mindandhearttherapist/ 

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

Have you ever stopped to question where your judgments truly come from? 

In this episode, I dive deep into the world of personal judgment, exploring how our primal survival instincts have transformed into modern-day mental patterns that often disconnect us from our authentic selves. 

I'll challenge you to examine those persistent "shoulds" and "supposed tos" that secretly dictate your life, revealing how these ingrained judgments—inherited from family, society, and personal expectations—can limit our ability to connect with our true desires and show compassion to ourselves and others.

Get ready to start a transformative journey of self-discovery and learn how to break free from the invisible constraints of societal and personal judgment.

Topics We Cover in This Episode: 

• How "shoulds" and "supposed tos" secretly sabotage your authentic life experience
• Why your harshest judgments often originate from external sources, not your true self
• A gentle approach to challenging your ingrained judgment patterns without harsh self-criticism

All show notes are available at www.deanapanza.com!

Resources Mentioned:

Free Webinar! The 3 Secrets to Reconnecting with Yourself After Trauma: www.deanapanza.com/webinar 

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

How do we balance growth and self-acceptance while navigating anxiety, depression, and the constant pressure to have it all figured out? 

In this episode, I sit down with Gianna LaLota, LMHC a New York-based therapist and speaker, who shares her deeply personal journey through anxiety and depression during her teenage years. Despite having what looked like a "perfect life" on paper, Gianna opens up about her struggle to find ground and the transformative power of therapy, yoga, and internal family systems work that helped her discover a new relationship with herself.

We explore the misconception that healing has a final destination and instead discuss how growth can be a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Gianna shares practical mindfulness techniques, including her favorite grounding exercises, and explains how developing self-trust became the biggest agent of change in her life.

Gianna and I dive deep into the difference between controlling behavior born from anxiety versus genuine agency, and how slowing down in our fast-paced world can be an act of rebellion that leads to a richer, more connected life.

Topics We Cover in This Episode: 

• A powerful reframe that can change your entire healing journey
• The missing ingredient in mindfulness that most people overlook
• The hidden language your nervous system is speaking to you

All show notes are available at www.deanapanza.com!

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Gianna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfultherapynyc

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

In this conversation, I explore the complexities of people pleasing, highlighting its roots as a defense mechanism that often stems from early relational experiences. I discuss how people pleasing can inhibit connections and lead to emotional detachment in our most important relationships. The conversation emphasizes the importance of self-connection and open communication in repairing relationships and addressing emotional needs.

I discuss:

• Where people pleasing comes from
• What we loose out on from people pleasing
• How people pleasers show up differently in low stakes and high stakes relationships
• Repairing relationships takes time and requires self-awareness.
• Our relationships suffer when needs are not expressed.
• Emotional needs do not disappear; they resurface in different ways.
• Understanding oneself is the first step to addressing people pleasing.

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Website: ⁠deanapanza.com

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

Vinny Welsby (they/them) is a fat activist and diversity, equity and inclusion leader. They are a world-leading expert on dismantling anti-fat bias and diet culture, a TEDx speaker, podcast host and best-selling author. Vinny is trans-non-binary and is dedicated to shifting how society views fat and queer bodies through education and compassion.

In this conversation, I sit down with Vinnie Welsby to chat about unlearning anti-fat bias. Vinnie shares their personal journey of discovering body positivity and challenging societal beauty standards. They discuss the impact of white supremacy and diet culture on body image and self-worth. Vinnie also addresses the challenges of advocating for oneself in healthcare settings and the importance of community and connection in promoting holistic well-being. The conversation emphasizes the need to redefine health and prioritize self-acceptance and presence over external validation.

We discuss:

• Unlearning anti-fat bias 
• The impact of society and diet culture on body image and self-worth
• The challenges of advocating for oneself in healthcare settings for more inclusive and evidence-based care
• Setting boundaries and communicating needs
• Redefining health to prioritize holistic well-being, community, and self-acceptance 
• Surrounding oneself with diverse body types and challenging societal norms can help shift perspectives and promote body positivity.

Vinny’s resource links:

Website: www.fiercefatty.com

Instagram: @fierce.fatty https://www.instagram.com/fierce.fatty/

TikTok: @fiercefatty

https://www.tiktok.com/@fiercefatty

Facebook: @fiercefatty

https://www.facebook.com/fiercefatty/

Twitter: @fiercefatty_

https://twitter.com/fiercefatty_

Pinterest: @fiercefatty_

https://www.pinterest.ca/fiercefatty_/

YouTube: @fiercefatty

https://www.youtube.com/fiercefatty

LinkedIn: @vinnywelsby

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinnywelsby/

Email: [email protected]

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Website: ⁠deanapanza.com

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

In this conversation, I emphasize the importance of taking pauses in our daily lives and during significant life transitions. I discuss how modern society's urgency can lead to a lack of presence and connection with ourselves. By incorporating small pauses, we can enhance our emotional well-being and celebrate our achievements, allowing for a more grounded and fulfilling experience in life.

I discuss:

• A simple way to improve quality of life.
• Urgency and survival mode.
• The importance of consistently and often checking in with ourselves.
• Pausing allows us to reconnect with our needs.
• Mindfulness and questions we should be asking ourselves more.
• How destructive urgency is.
• Shifting the way we move through life.

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Website: ⁠deanapanza.com

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

In this episode, we discuss the power of somatic work in finding and maintaining healthy partnerships. Lauren shares her personal journey of discovering somatic experiencing and how it transformed her relationships and overall well-being. We discuss the importance of understanding the language of the nervous system and how it can help individuals break free from patterns and create lasting change. 

We discuss:

• Lauren’s personal journey with somatically healing and breaking her patterns.
• Somatic work’s role as a powerful tool in finding and maintaining healthy partnerships.
• Understanding the language of the nervous system and prioritizing the body's signals for lasting change.
• Slowing down, embodying safety, and renegotiating survival responses as key aspects of the healing process.
• Recognizing the need for community and finding safe relationships as an important part of the healing journey.

Lauren’s resource links:

https://laurenzoeller.com

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Website: ⁠deanapanza.com

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

In this episode, I discuss the impact of chronic stress on the body, particularly its effects on the nervous system.

I emphasize the importance of balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and introduces a practical tool to help transition from a state of stress to relaxation.

I explain how modern life often keeps us in a state of stress without allowing our bodies to process the tension and energy, leading to chronic stress and unbalanced nervous systems.

I discuss:

• The impact of chronic stress on the nervous system.
• The importance of completing our daily stress cycles.
• The body needs to oscillate between sympathetic and parasympathetic states.
• Modern life’s role in keeping our bodies in a constant state of stress.
• A tool for sending signals of safety to the body for deeper rest at the end of the day.
• And more.

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Website: ⁠deanapanza.com

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

Lauren Auer is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and the owner of Steadfast Counseling, specializing in comprehensive trauma care. With extensive training in EMDR and certification in Brainspotting, she offers a holistic approach to healing, addressing the body, mind, and nervous system.

In this conversation, Lauren shares about her work and specialization in trauma therapy, including religious trauma. She shares her journey of how she got started in trauma therapy.

We discuss the complexity of trauma and the importance of recognizing the impact on the entire system, including families and communities.

We also explore the challenges of religious trauma and the confusion and conflicting feelings that can arise when questioning one's beliefs and experiences within a religious context.

Lauren shares her personal journey of navigating religious trauma and finding her own path.

She discusses the challenges of breaking away from a community that didn't align with her beliefs and the grief that came with leaving relationships behind. Lauren emphasizes the importance of staying curious and questioning one's beliefs and experiences.

She also highlights the value of accepting the complexity and nuance of life and finding a sense of belonging in communities that embrace diversity of thought.

We discuss:

• The impact of religious trauma.
• Our natural sense for belonging and connection even.
• The importance of staying curious and questioning your own beliefs and experiences.
• The challenges that come with evolving beliefs and value systems.
• Lauren also shares her own personal journey in navigating her relationship with religion.

Lauren’s resource links:

Your Therapist | Substack

Lauren Auer | Trauma Therapist (@yourtraumatherapist_) • Instagram photos and videos 

TikTok

Steadfast Counseling

Let's connect:

Follow along on ⁠Instagram⁠ + ⁠TikTok⁠

Email: [email protected]

Website: ⁠deanapanza.com

Reminder: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy or individualized mental health or medical care.

This episode is must listen if you or someone you know is on a healing journey or has experienced any type of trauma.

In this conversation I explore the importance of reclaiming your power of choice in your healing journey after you experience trauma.

I discuss:

• Key factors that make something traumatic.

• How trauma often strips away our ability to choose.

• Society’s role in keeping us disconnected from ourselves in our healing.

• The role of experimentation and exploration in figuring out what feels aligned and connected for us.

• The importance of listening to what is right and authentic for ourselves in how we heal.

• The power of choosing in the healing process.

• And more.