Join Let's Sit Crooked & Talk Straight as we travel back to Cherokee, Iowa for a special event held right before Mother's Day. We know women are the caregivers, role- models, and nurturers at home and even in the workplace. But how do we maintain the momentum to keep going when the pace of the world is fast and the norm is just to pour into others and not ourselves?

Listen to Kay, Megan, Jan, Collette, Lily and Jodi as they describe through various age spans what helps keep their mental health in prime shape.

Special thanks to Shayna Ege and the Cherokee Women in Business for hosting this evening & highlighting the importance of social events specific for women's overall health.

* To the listener: Although this audio was captured at the Cherokee Golf course, the quality is below par. Please enjoy in a quiet area so best catch all the worthy dialogue *

check out @lmd.sitcrookedtalkstraight for news on upcoming episodes & mental health resources!

When we adjust the words we use, we change the narrative and therefore alter the stigma in the favor of acceptance instead of shame. Our words and our creative outlet especially after grief matter! Learn more about the power of words in this episode of Let's Sit Crooked & Talk Straight. As an encourager for self care, Maggie opens up about how starting a personal google document opened up a sense of freedom from isolation and the pain from grief. After the blog was published and developed, she became a write for creative change. Maggie introduces us to the importance of learning to move the energy during immense hurt.

Maggie's writings can be found on her blog or on her Facebook group Smoothies & Chats

** May 6th : Cherokee Women in Business Spring Event **

Another research article with meta-analysis supporting the benefits of journaling on mental health and positive physical outcomes.

Some Sundays we drag ourselves to church, other Sundays we don't want to leave the service because it is just so powerful. Episode 17 invites you into a typical Sunday debrief, one not unlike the "after church moments" I had around the kitchen table at my Great Grandma Marie's with family, sugar cookies and coffee for the grown ups. Now I'm the grown up and I find so much strength in not only Sunday Sermons but in a nourished faith practice. Listen as I expand upon by thoughts of this transformative sermon by Brett Hicks and explain how spiritually aids in mental wellbeing.

One Hope Family, February 22nd can be found here on You Tube in the sermon series "The church Jesus built"

Let's Sit Crooked & Talk Straight welcomes you to watch the sermon in its entirety before listening to Episode 17.

Thank you One Hope Church for facilitating memorable sermons, prayer and worship music all in a safe place.

Please email me with any questions or comments regarding this episode at [email protected] or contact me via socials on instagram @lmd.sitcrookedtalkstraight

Vitamin D that is! 

It’s well known to combat seasonal affective disorder with Vitamin D supplementation, but in this episode we talk further about what else can be done for the winter blues. As the temperatures decrease, it is necessary to increase the awareness of our mental health. Affecting millions every year, seasonal depression has become a fact of winter, but it doesn’t have to be so debilitating. Episode 16 is meant to provide education on reasons for this drop in mood & provide simple interventions to not only get you through the darker days but leave you inspired to get out of the covers and embrace community!

Thanks to listeners Lora, Jena, Liz, Brittani, Lisa and Luci for sharing your experiences and suggestions. 

Much of the resources for this episode is from the website Psychology Today.

This content is not meant to replace personalized professional help. 

A discussion revolving around abusive marriages is certainly going to be uncomfortable. But although uncomfortable it needs to be uncovered so that true feelings are revealed and the sanctity of marriage is upheld. This confining dynamic of a marriage centered on covert abuse is what I hope to think uncommon. However, in this episode learn how Molly and I connected over similar backgrounds and after years of rebuilding were able to speak in regard to the painful obstacles we experienced.

Molly Glavnik is a nurse, mother of two and certainly a force when it comes to speaking up about complex relationships. Her redemption story is just starting as she begins to speak out about covert narcissism and untangle spiritual abuse.

Molly's ebook "10 Lies The Church Told Me About Marriage" along with a free quiz to uncover if marriage conflict is a rough patch or a red flag can be found on her Instagram profile @MollyGlavnik

Hope you enjoy Episode 15! This episode is not a substitute for relationship or mental health advice.

Listen to a truly unique episode as Let's Sit Crooked & Talk Straight is in Cherokee, Iowa with a chair and a microphone to capture the stories of loved ones lost. The grief fuels us to not only remember but to be an advocate for change in this confusing world.

A very special thanks to all the human beings that were vulnerable enough to share ( in order of audio ).

- Samantha

- Kyle

- Alissa

- Cody

- Neal

- Brittani

- Ashley

- Mike

- Marilyn

- Shayna

- Liz

- Steph

- Cory

An astounding $23,500 was raised this year at the Suicide Awareness Golf Tournament to continue to spread the awareness and education surrounding mental health. This year's funds will go directly to the Cherokee County community in the form of school speakers.

"I think if they knew how much everybody cared about them, that they would be here also" - Shayna Ege

Find the book referenced in this episode at the link here: Amazon.com: Understanding Your Suicide Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart (Understanding Your Grief): 9781879651586: Wolfelt, Alan: Books*This podcast is not a replacement for seeking medical advice or treatment*

In this episode we discuss the big, beautiful beast of Anxiety that can cause a wide range of physical symptoms and if left unmanaged can derail our goals. This episode is filled with testimonials from women that reflect on how anxiety looks in their life and what coping skills they have learned to be effective. Details on PTSD, OCD and panic disorder along with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation are also mentioned. Episode 13 is here to make you feel less alone and empower you to help those around you that are struggling with anxious emotions.

Thank you to Rachel, Sarah, Kelli, Skye and Shayna for being the voices that compile this episode. The ability to share your vulnerability is wonderful and helping many listeners.

The 4th Annual Suicide Awareness Golf Tournament is happening on Saturday, August 23rd in Cherokee, Iowa. Shayna has a personal connection to suicide grief and has turned her pain into passion by creating a space for participants to be together in remembrance of their loved ones and raise money for a mental health speakers in area school systems.

Let's Sit Crooked & Talk Straight will be one location at the tournament with space dedicated to share your story and remember a loved one. Please visit the tournament site on Facebook. for more details on that special day.

*New Merch* available through Happy Day Collective and all "Be Kind To Your Mind" shirts will have matching donations through Union Pacific.

Information from this episode has been gathered from Mayo Clinic and Psychology Today.

Major shout out to my editor Tim for piecing all these clips together.

*This podcast is not a replacement for seeking medical advice or treatment*

In this episode Reese and Lauren share their experiences with religion and how their spiritual practices ground them. Listen as Reese shares a piece of her history that has developed into a grounded practice of Judaism, she not only powerfully embraces but shares in detail with the audience. Reese and Lauren share questions and explore ways in which spiritually connects them to others and also benefits their mental health.

Credits for this episode go to Reese for being a surplus of knowledge on a topic less talked about and to Tim for his editing expertise.

Warning: this episode contains sensitive content regarding suicide.

Electroconvulsive therapy is something that has been used since 1938 to treat depression yet much of the general population is still confused by it or frankly nervous to hear more about it. But this treatment modality to help mental health conditions is being used more and more. Much of the information collected for this episode was from The Mayo Clinic and specifically a research article from PubMed entitled "Efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy as a potential first-choice treatment in treatment-resistant depression".

 In the next few months the hope for upcoming episodes is to educate you the listener on different treatment modalities and coping methods that can be used for various mental health conditions. Don't let all the data *shock* you during this one and feel free to comment your thoughts or questions on Spotify or Apple podcasts. Otherwise you can always message me on Instagram  @lmd.sitcrookedtalkstraight. Thanks to Chassa for the intriguing listener questions and to Tim for editing this episode.

Special thanks to my mom for recording and sharing her testimony on ECT as she was a guiding light through my own treatment. 

Let’s start 2025 off with the hard and sometimes taboo topics. January’s episode focuses on all aspects of Toxic Relationships. Many of the lessons attained during my marriage and divorce would be in vain if I did not share them with you the listener. This episode is for those that have experienced any aspect of emotional abuse or stressful relationships that impact daily lives. Not only does this episode feature mental dimensions of toxic relationships but also the toll our bodies take physically. Listen along as I discuss the criticism, manipulation, embarrassment and friction that can often times be included in toxic relationships.

This episode features research found in a 2024 article from Psychology Today entitled “The Difference between Toxic and Abusive Relationships” by Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS

Features organization : The Women’s Center for Advancement // wcaomaha.org

The information in this episode is not to replace professional medical help and these are my own lived experiences.

Lastly, coparenting after a divorce can be challenging but also beautiful. I welcome all questions regarding coparenting and navigating that area after a toxic relationship.

Special thanks to Tim for editing Let’s Sit Crooked & Talk Straight.