Long Distance Friends

32. SLAM (Sweat Like a Mother) Founder, Alexa Smith, and I discuss:

06:32 The Story of starting SLAM

16:27 Support Through Loss and Deployments

20:57 What Goes into Creating a Movement?

26:56 How Kids Benefit Seeing Moms Workout Together

31:43 How to Find or Create Community When You Feel Isolated

Alexa Smith is the founder and owner of a international fitness and community program called SLAM (Sweat Like A Mother) designed specifically for pregnant and postpartum women across all stages of motherhood. SLAM is more than a fitness group. SLAM is a community that strives to bring women together as moms and athletes. SLAM believe in showing our children that your body is the greatest instrument that you will ever own, and that through movement you can build strength. Classes combine fitness with camaraderie, and offer an opportunity for women to come together under a common goal of bettering themselves, challenging themselves, and becoming the best version of themselves that they can be.

You can reach out to Alexa at @the.original.slamsta or at [email protected].

31. I ask a licensed therapist specializing in perinatal health all of my questions about postpartum psychosis.

This episode is crafted with the minds and the hearts of those listening to be as non-fearmongering and nervous-system friendly as possible. Vic shared all of this information in a way that truly like a friend calming your fears. 

Time Stamps:

00:03 Disclaimer and Vision for the Episode

08:44 Defining Postpartum Psychosis and Symptoms

23:39 What happens when you start having symptoms 

39:59 Misdiagnosis and Difference in Medications, Treatment

52:20 Supporting Loved Ones in a Psychosis Emergency

Victoria Edgington, LMHC, PMH-C is a birth trauma therapist who specializes in anxiety therapy for moms with trauma she helps moms with coping skills and healing at the root. She has over 10 years of experience in trauma recovery. And Vic cares deeply about providing information and tools to mom in a non-fearmongering and nervous-system friendly way. 

Find Victoria at humansthathelp.com or @birthtraumatherapist. You can download her free coping skill The Container Exercise here.

Resources Mentioned:

• Postpartum Support International website and Hotline

In-Patient Mom and Baby Facilities Specializing in Psychiatric Care:

• Arkansas: Little Rock – The Women’s Inpatient Unit at the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI), known as the 5-North Unit
• California: Mountain View – El Camino Inpatient Psychiatric Care Women’s Specialty Unit
• Louisiana: Baton Rouge – The Perinatal Mental Health Unit (PMHU) at Woman’s Hospital
• New York: Glen Oaks – Northwell Health Perinatal Psychiatry Service
• North Carolina: Chapel Hill – UNC Perinatal Psych Inpatient Unit

30. The dreaded "Mom, I hate my body" conversation and more:

• 06:23 Modeling Positive Body Image for our Kids
• 10:06 Body Positivity vs. Body Neutrality
• 14:09 Mealtimes and Snacks with Kids
• 20:06 What to do with Halloween Candy 🎃
• 33:18 “Mom I’m Fat” - what to say and questions to ask.
• 45:43 Early Signs of Disordered Eating in Kids

Rachel is a Licensed Professional Counselor, teacher, and speaker who specializes in eating disorders, body image, and the relationship between trauma, mental health, and our bodies. With a background in elementary education and advanced training in somatic psychotherapy, Rachel is passionate about helping individuals and families build a more compassionate relationship with food and their bodies. She also supports parents in deepening connection with their children and breaking generational patterns. 

You can reach out to Rachel at her website or at @iamrachelsellers. View Rachel's writings on Substack Felt & Formed.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Relationship Between Trauma and Eating Disorders podcast

29. Getting pregnant at 19, exploring tarot cards, crystals, and finding God. Plus, encouragement for single moms and embracing support.

00:46 Meet Tina Sanders

05:49 Getting Pregnant at 19

14:15 Experimenting with Tarot Cards, Crystals, Religions

25:51 Meeting God in her Darkest Hour

34:02 Advice for Single Moms

You can reach Tina Sanders at [email protected]

28.Annie's story with postpartum anxiety will make you laugh, cry, and hold hope all at the same time. You will leave this episode knowing how to support the loved ones in your life suffering from postpartum anxiety. We discuss:

00:45 Introduction to Annie

08:21 Unexpected Difficulty Getting Pregnant Again

15:42 The Miscarriage that Changed Everything

25:21 All-consuming prenatal anxiety

30:32 Intense Postpartum Anxiety

40:08 Finding Support and Community

43:13 Hope that Postpartum Anxiety Doesn't Last Forever

Resources mentioned:

Annie's Ninja Creami Recipe

150g Greek Yogurt

200ml Almond Milk (Or Chocolate Fairlife Milk)

1 scoop protein powder

6-8g sugar free pudding mix

• freeze overnight
• set creami to "lite ice cream"
• do 1 spin
• remove + add splash of almond milk
• set creami to respin

27.How does foster care actually work? What is it like? In this episode, my friend Abbi Thomsen beautifully and graciously opens up about the process of fostering her sweet daughter, Elle.

You'll leave this conversation inspired, encouraged, and left with questions to grapple with.

00:52 Abbi's Fostering Story

15:34 What is Kinship Care?

18:47 The Hardest Part and the Best Part of the Fostering Journey

25:22 What does Relinquishing Rights mean?

26:28 Visitation with Bio Parents

29:55 The Role of Caseworkers in Foster Care

39:08 What is Most Misunderstood about the Fostering Process?

43:51 The Importance of Gracious Communication

45:58 What is Actually Helpful from your Community?

52:59 Abbi's Hope for the Church and the Foster Care System

01:01:50 Advice for Looking into Foster Parenting

You can reach Abbi with any questions or encouragement on instagram @abbigail_thomsen

26.Resilience may look different than you think. And what fuels resilience? We discuss it all in today's episode with doctorate-level performance psychology professional Michelle Kirk.

00:00 - Introduction and guest background
01:00 - Resilience, recovery, and team sport of military life
02:20 - Understanding resentment and unmet expectations
03:00 - Michelle’s journey into performance and resilience psychology
04:00 - Motivation rooted in athletic experience and studying behavior
05:30 - How resilience differs across domains and the importance of rest
06:50 - Resilience versus grit: definitions and misconceptions
08:36 - Parallels between sports and military family resilience
10:00 - Rest, recovery, burnout, and capacity for resilience
12:12 - Building resilience to handle stress, adversity, and pressure
13:45 - Domains of resilience and areas for self-awareness
15:39 - Unique challenges of military spouse resilience and recovery strategies
17:30 - The importance of community and shared language
18:57 - Recognizing energy depletion and capacity limits
20:12 - Domains of well-being and intentional self-care
22:36 - Practicing intuitive and effective self-care
24:44 - Reframing sacrifice and cultivating gratitude
32:27 - Personal experiences with resentment in military life
33:53 - Expectations, unmet needs, and communication
34:36 - Reflection, self-awareness, and responsibility in resilience
37:03 - Supporting children through deployments and challenges
55:00 - Building community and leveraging local resources
66:50 - Connecting with Michelle for support and follow-up

• Michelle Kirk - LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected] (or via direct message on Facebook)

Michelle Kirk is a doctorate-level performance psychology professional who has spent more than a decade helping military leaders, soldiers, and families build resilience and perform under pressure. 

She’s worked with the U.S. Army in roles ranging from leadership coaching and resilience training to developing suicide prevention and deployment support programs. 

In addition to her experience working with military populations, she’s coached sports from youth to the college level, worked at several universities across the country teaching sport psychology, principles of behavior change, and coaching courses. 

She continues to coach athletes and consult with parents and coaches to help enhance resilience and performance in sport and life. Michelle has earned a Ph.D. in Performance Psychology, a Master's degree in exercise science and is a certified master resilience trainer and mindfulness sport performance enhancement instructor. 

Michelle is a military spouse of 10+ years. In those 10 years, Michelle and her husband have logged six cross country moves along with having and raising four children. Through this lived experience, Michelle has developed a passion for supporting military spouses as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of military life to include deployment (and heavy TDY) seasons, relocation, finding community and maintaining connections, and meeting one's own needs (self-care) while always in the service of others.

25. From handling doctor visits and tough conversations to creating routines that help kids feel safe and secure, this episode is full of practical encouragement for parents in every stage. If you’ve ever wondered how to help your kids cope with change, uncertainty, or big emotions, this conversation with child life specialist Mary Frances will leave you feeling supported and empowered.

You'll Learn:

• How Medical Play Helps Kids Cope with Fear & Stress
• Preparing Kids for Doctor Visits Without Trauma
• Practical Ways to Use Medical Play at Home
• Advocating for Your Child in Healthcare Settings
• Handling the Unpredictability of Military Schedules
• How to Talk to Kids About Deployments & Hard Seasons
• Raising Resilient Kids Through Truth, Trust & Connection
  
  

Resources Mentioned:

"Curious George Goes to the Dentist" video and book

Ms Rachel Visits the Doctor for a Checkup youtube video

24. I'm in the guest seat today! We reflect on:

• An Iceland trip that was the catalyst for Nate joining the military
• Behind the scenes of our dating and early marriage days
• Fun and meaningful ways to build community through constant change (and building a life that holds people)
• A trip down memory lane remembering the good and the bad of the army bases we've lived at 
• The shift from one to two kids—logistics, overwhelm, emotional regulation

"Build a life that holds people. And choose people that hold you"

23. Board Certified Executive Coach and Head of School (Functional CEO) of 25 years, Doreen C. Kelly, shares several leadership lessons including:

• Common Issues Executives Face Today (and How It's Parallel to What We Face as Parents)
• Solving Problems vs. Managing Tension
• Handling Your Anger and Disappointment With Your Team
• How to Frame Courageous Conversations + Constructive Criticism (The SBI framework)
• The Importance of Supportive and Honest Friendships That Will Act as a Mirror for You
• A Wholistic Approach to Self-Care & Showing Up As Your Best Self
• Reflections of a Working Mom

This episode is faith-filled, encouraging, warm, and inspiring. 

You can reach out to Doreen C. Kelly on Linkedin or at The Creds Group.