In this episode of Mental Health News Radio, I sit down with therapist and somatic practitioner Cody Gauthier to explore something we almost never talk about—the moment therapy starts to work.

What happens when a client begins to change, set boundaries, and show up differently in their life… and it feels uncomfortable, destabilizing, or even worse than before? We talk about the lived reality of growth from the therapist’s chair:

– why change often feels like something went wrong
– what happens when clients hit their goals and it’s time to let go
– the attachment that forms in therapy—and how to navigate ending well
– why understanding something cognitively is not the same as embodying it
– how trauma lives in the body, and what it takes to actually release it
– the evolving role of men in relationships, emotional expression, and therapy

This is a grounded, human conversation about healing that doesn’t skip the messy middle.

Connect with Cody Gauthier:
Website: Cody Gauthier Therapy (South Bay, CA)
TikTok: @codygauthier
Board Member: South Bay Eating Disorder Coalition

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

This is not a story about something that happened once. This is a story about what the body carries when the mind cannot. In this episode, Aspen Michael shares his lived experience of memory returning in midlife—after decades of success, stability, and a life that, by all appearances, was fully intact. At 52, everything changed. What had been held outside of awareness began to surface through the body, through collapse, through fragments that refused to stay buried. What follows is not a linear narrative, but a reconstruction of self. Aspen speaks to the reality of sexual abuse and institutional harm within the Catholic Church—not as theory, not as commentary, but as something he lived through, survived, and later pursued through legal channels. He describes what it means to have memory come back in pieces, to navigate dissociation, to lose the structure of a life that once made sense, and to rebuild without a clear map. This conversation does not rush to resolution. It moves through what it actually takes to face something the mind once protected you from—the disorientation, the physical toll, the unraveling of identity, and the long, deliberate process of putting yourself back together. There is no performance here. No clean arc. Only a man speaking from the place where healing becomes a daily decision. We talk about the nervous system, about fragmentation, about what it means to reclaim your body after it has held what you could not name. We talk about support, about the difference between surviving and actually healing, and about the quiet, often invisible work required to come back to yourself. And underneath all of it, there is something else: Not redemption. Not resolution. But a refusal to disappear.

Aspen Michael is a former Chief Technology Officer turned trauma survivor, advocate, speaker. and healer also focused on his own healing, memory recovery, and nervous system restoration. Today, Aspen shares his lived experience to help others understand complex trauma, dissociation, and the long path back to wholeness. His work centers on the power of daily healing practices, supportive community, and reclaiming personal agency. In addition to his advocacy, Aspen is also a jewelry designer and founder of energyoftribe.com, where he creates handcrafted pieces infused with intention, grounding energy, and symbolic meaning. His designs draw from natural stones, numerology, and personal resonance—offering wearable reminders of presence, strength, and self-connection. 

You can learn more about his work at:
energyoftribe.com
aspenmichael.com


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Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of how people think, reflect, and process their lives. But what role should it actually play in mental health?

In this episode, Kristin Sunanta sits down with therapist and technology expert Jeremy G. Schneider to explore the evolving relationship between AI and therapy. Jeremy is a licensed marriage and family therapist, trauma-informed mental health coach, and former chief technology officer who now works at the intersection of emotional wellness and human-centered technology. Together, they explore how tools like ChatGPT can function as a kind of “thinking mirror” — reflecting our thoughts back to us and helping us notice patterns in the way we process emotions, relationships, and decisions. Rather than replacing therapists, AI may become a powerful companion tool for reflection, journaling, and practicing psychological skills like self-awareness and boundaries. Kristin and Jeremy discuss the opportunities, the risks, and why learning to use AI with intention and agency may become an important part of mental health in the years ahead.

In this episode they explore:

• how AI can support emotional reflection and interactive journaling
• why some therapists are wary of AI — and why that may change
• the concept of AI as a “thinking mirror” for understanding our own minds
• how people can use AI safely while maintaining self-awareness and agency
• how emerging tools may reshape therapy and personal growth

Jeremy also hosts free educational classes on Meetup where he teaches people how to thoughtfully and safely use AI tools like ChatGPT for reflection, emotional insight, and personal growth. He also writes about artificial intelligence, therapy, and mental health for Psychology Today.

Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/buildonyourstrengths/events/313301636/

Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/jeremy-g-schneider-lmsw-mft

Learn more about Jeremy’s work, workshops, and writing:
https://buildonyourstrengths.com



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

What happens when a mother and daughter go no contact for four years — and actually find their way back? In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, I sit down with authors Leslie and Lindsey Glass, co-creators of The Mother-Daughter Relationship Makeover: 4 Steps to Bring Back the Love and its companion workbook for lasting change. Together, we dive deep into addiction, recovery, enmeshment, control, accountability, anger, forgiveness, and the cultural rise of estrangement between mothers and adult daughters. Lindsey shares how her journey through addiction recovery, therapy, EMDR, Al-Anon, and deep self-inquiry helped her understand her role in the breakdown of their relationship. Leslie speaks candidly about micromanagement, control masked as care, and the painful realization that “helping” can sometimes feel like domination. We explore:

• The epidemic of no contact in women 
• The difference between toxic danger and reactive pain
• Negotiated separation vs. total cutoff
• How addiction and family trauma distort memory and identity
• Why anger is often unprocessed hurt
• What real accountability looks like on both sides

This isn’t about blaming mothers or daughters. It’s about doing the work. You can learn more about Leslie and Lindsey Glass, their books, articles, and resources at reachoutrecovery.com — where they offer over 2,000 articles on addiction recovery, mental health, and family healing. This is a conversation about self-discovery, letting go, and what becomes possible when both people are willing to evolve.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

What if your life isn’t happening to you — but for you? In this New Year’s Eve conversation, Kristin sits down again with evolutionary astrologer Robin Jillian, revisiting a dialogue that first took place years ago during a shared Dark Night of the Soul. This time, the lens is wider, deeper, and more precise. Together, they explore evolutionary astrology as a map of the soul’s long arc — not predictive, not hierarchical, and not about “what’s coming next,” but about why your soul chose this life, these patterns, and these turning points. This conversation moves through Pluto as the great initiator, shame as a form of amnesia, surrender as courage (not collapse), and the profound difference between spiritual bypassing and true embodiment. They speak candidly about trauma, relationships as mirrors, soul contracts, neurodivergent sensitivity, and what happens when your inner scaffolding can no longer hold who you’re becoming. This episode is for anyone who has outgrown surface answers, quick fixes, and performance-based healing — and is ready to sit inside the deeper truth of transformation.

About Robin Jillian
Robin Jillian is an evolutionary astrologer, author, and guide whose work focuses on soul evolution, Pluto dynamics, and embodied transformation. Her memoir, Hugging Trees in the Dark: Finding Courage to Free the Heart, chronicles her own Dark Night of the Soul and the rebirth that followed. Website: www.robinjillian.com
(Book available via her website and Amazon. Sessions can be requested directly through her site.)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this episode of Mental Health News Radio, I sit down with Dr. Judith Orloff — psychiatrist, bestselling author, and lifelong advocate for empaths — to talk about her beautiful new children’s book, The Highly Sensitive Rabbit. This story is written for every child who has ever felt “too sensitive,” “too much,” or like they didn’t quite fit the mold.

Judith and I explore why sensitive kids struggle in today’s world, how parents can support them, and why empathic children are poised to become some of our most grounded future leaders. We talk boundaries, overstimulation, emotional safety, and the quiet magic of helping kids stay connected to their innate gifts without pathologizing who they are.

Learn more about Dr. Orloff’s work:
https://drjudithorloff.com

Get the book on Amazon:
The Highly Sensitive Rabbit — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683649536

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this unfiltered, soul-resonant episode of Mental Health News Radio, Kristin Sunanta Walker, sits down with her dear friend Chaya Mallavaram—artist, technologist, and founder of Spark Launch, the company behind the neurodivergent-centered platform Sparkade. What begins as a casual reconnection blooms into a radiant, multidimensional conversation about art, grief, ADHD, cultural legacy, and the spiritual technology of the body.

Early in the episode, Chaya shares that her late mother’s name was Sunanda—a revelation that strikes Kristin deeply, as her own Thai name is Sunanta. This name resonance becomes a symbolic thread, weaving their shared lineage, creativity, and healing paths together across continents and generations. 

These are two neurodivergent women who both run their own companies and genuinely dig each other's company.

This episode is a reminder of how people like us actually speak—luminous, layered, nonlinear, and fully alive.

Chaya Mallavaram is a technologist, professional artist, and advocate who brings her own life experience to the heart of neurodivergent empowerment. For more than two decades, Chaya thrived in the software world — not despite her ADHD, but because of it. Her creative problem-solving, pattern recognition, hyperfocus, and nonlinear thinking weren’t obstacles. They were assets.​Everything shifted in 2020, when her son was diagnosed with ADHD. That moment brought not only clarity, but a calling: to build the kind of support system she wished she and her son had growing up. Today, Chaya leads Spark Launch with a rare blend of technical expertise, artistic vision, and deep personal insight. Whether she’s developing tools, leading strategy, or co-hosting the Spark Launch podcast, she’s creating spaces where neurodivergent minds are seen, heard, and celebrated. Her work is rooted in one belief: When we stop trying to fix neurodivergent people — and start designing systems that work for them — everyone benefits.

www.sparklaunch.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this powerful episode of Mental Health News Radio, host Kristin Walker reconnects with José Rosario — founder of The Phoenix Empowered — for a deeply human conversation on healing, identity, and the evolving language of mental health. They unpack what it really means to be minoritized instead of marginalized, explore the trauma of criminalizing homelessness, and discuss how neurodivergence sharpens empathy and awareness in a world still learning to see clearly.

José opens up about his own lived experience as a queer, disabled person of color, and how it shapes his work creating inclusive spaces for authentic dialogue, joy, and liberation. Together, they reflect on burnout, the myth of “normal,” and the quiet revolution happening inside the mental health field — one grounded in rest, radical healing, and shared humanity. 

Learn more about José’s work and upcoming podcast The Phoenix Unbound at thephoenixempowered.org.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this special episode of Mental Health News Radio, host Kristin speaks with author and advocate Jonathan Kemp about his powerful new memoir and his upcoming seven-month Mental Health Walk across the UK and Ireland. Jonathan shares how five decades of lived experience with depression, bipolar disorder, addiction recovery, and dyslexia shaped his story — and why he redefined “wealth” as knowledge and connection. His new book, releasing October 10, 2025, offers both his personal journey and practical wisdom for anyone navigating mental health and neurodiversity. We also explore his bold plan to walk from the Shetland Islands down through Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland, retracing his great-grandmother’s suffragist march of 1913. With all proceeds going to mental health charities, Jonathan’s mission is simple yet profound: to spark honest conversations and remind us that hope and help are always possible.

Learn more at www.jonathankemp.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.

In this powerful episode of Mental Health News Radio, host Kristin Sunanta Walker sits down with Dr. Stephanie Holmes—counselor, author, and advocate—for an intimate look at the overlooked experiences of women on the autism spectrum. Stephanie shares her family’s multi-layered journey with neurodivergence, from her daughter’s diagnosis more than 20 years ago to her husband’s and her own later discoveries. She and Kristin dive into:

• Why so many women go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for decades.
• The unique pressures of masking, fawning, and being “too much” in a world that wasn’t built for autistic women.
• How late diagnosis transforms identity, relationships, and self-acceptance.
• Stephanie’s books, including Embracing the Autism Spectrum: Finding Hope and Joy Navigating the Neurodiverse Family Journey and Uniquely Us: Navigating the Maze of Neurodiverse Marriage.
• Her current work amplifying autistic voices in education and research.

Connect with Dr. Stephanie Holmes:

• Website: https://www.holmesasr.com
• Neurodiverse Christian Marriage: https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.