Say It Brave On Campus, Episode 3

What if eating disorders aren't simply individual illnesses, but rational responses to disordered systems? In the third and final episode of our college-focused miniseries, Shannon Kopp speaks with Sophie Szew - mental health justice advocate, master's student at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, and Forbes' 30 under 30 honoree - about how her lived experience opens up a broader conversation concerning schools, healthcare, and the societal forces that shape student mental health.

Sophie reveals her early experiences with learning differences and disordered eating, and how attempts to "fix" these issues hurled her into educational and medical systems that often stratify and harm young people. She masterfully flips the script by reframing eating disorders as responses to disordered societies rather than individual pathologies — challenging us to tap into our own creativity and imagine what it means to build systems that allow all of us to live more vibrant lives.

Links:

• Sophie Szew: amstudies.stanford.edu/people/sophie-szew
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_szew/?hl=en
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

Say It Brave On Campus, Episode 2

In part two of our mini-series, Shannon Kopp sits down with neuroscientist and data analyst, Sam Funderburk, to talk about high-functioning depression, male mental health stigma, and the quiet pressure to keep pushing toward the next milestone.

Sam shares his experience with anxiety, depression, and suicidality during college and graduate school — including how gender norms and emotional aloofness made it easier to hide his struggles in plain sight. Together, they explore the difference between crisis care and prevention, the impact of stepping away from academic pressure to seek treatment, and why prioritizing mental health didn't derail Sam's future — it made it possible.

Links:

• Sam Funderburk: eatingrecoverycenter.com/profile/sam-funderburk
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

Say It Brave On Campus, Episode 1

We chose to honor this year's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week by trying something new - our first ever mini-series. The topic? Real stories from the intersection of college life, mental health, and eating disorders. So, for the next few days you'll see three back-to-back episodes appear in your feeds, each taking a different angle on these pivotal years. You'll also have the chance to meet a new guest host, Shannon Kopp, who has spent years cultivating recovery-focused relationships on campuses around the country.

For the first episode, Shannon talks with UC Davis graduate, Eli Teel, about navigating a mental and physical metamorphosis during college. He shares how academic pressure, gender dysphoria, and the shift to college contributed to the development of an eating disorder — and why coming out about it felt harder than coming out as trans.

Shannon and Eli's conversation brings a personal perspective to the intersections of LGBTQ+ mental health and eating disorders, the role of different treatment levels - residential, IOP and PHP - and why multiple rounds of treatment can feel like failure, but is actually meaningful progress.

Links:

• Eli Teel: eatingrecoverycenter.com/profile/eli-teel
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

If you've ever stared at a simple task and felt an unexplainable, heavy resistance… you are definitely not alone - and you are not broken!

With the help of psychologist and clinical director Leslee Marcom, we'll unpack the topic of executive functioning and why struggles with organization, time management, procrastination, and task initiation are not signs of laziness or lack of motivation. Our conversation explores what executive functioning is, how it affects daily life, and why challenges are common not only in ADHD but also in anxiety, depression, learning differences, chronic stress, and burnout. Dr. Marcom shares practical, evidence-based strategies to improve focus and follow-through.

This episode is especially helpful for adults with executive functioning challenges, parents and educators supporting kids with ADHD, and anyone looking for realistic tools and compassionate insight into how the brain works.

Links

• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Dr. Dan Siegel's Upstairs/Downstairs Brain - A simple video overview
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups or www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

For most of her life, science teacher and meteorologist Crystal Weidman was labeled a "picky eater." While friends and family fixated on her unique food rules, they completely missed the clues that something more serious was to blame.

In this episode Crystal shares her story of navigating ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) along with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). This conversation sheds light on what ARFID really is (and isn't), why recovery is rarely linear, and how community and self-compassion can transform a life.

Whether you're familiar with ARFID or hearing about it for the first time, Crystal's story offers connection, clarity, and hope.

Links

• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Other episodes about ARFID:
  • What is ARFID Anyway? Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder with Dr. Michelle Jones - Click here for episode.
  • Is It Picky Eating or Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)? - Click here for episode.
• Overview of ARFID (Overview, Resources, Quiz, FAQ, and more): www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/arfid
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

In this episode of the Mental Note Podcast, psychiatrist Dr. Alyssa Lucker unpacks the complicated relationship between social media and mental health - especially for teens and young adults.

We explore the challenges of researching social media effects, how it influences the developing brain, and where responsibility lies between parents and platforms. Dr. Lucker also highlights potential benefits — like connection, creativity, and self-expression — alongside the risks of sleep disruption, mood changes, and addictive patterns. With practical advice on digital literacy, family communication, and self-reflection, this conversation asks the bigger question: is social media a healthy part of modern life, or just a poor substitute for real-world connection?

Links

• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Child and Adolescent Mental Heal Treatment - Child + Adolescent Mental Health Treatment
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: Click Here!
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

Content Breakdown:

Why is Dr. Lucker passionate about social media hygiene 02:19

What does research say about social media's affect on teen mental health? 03:19

Difference between screen time and social media screen time 06:56

Benefits of social media 10:00

What's is the best approach for social media in our life? 12:50

Questions to ask yourself if you're concerned 14:30

Similarities / Differences with adult mental health 16:20

What is digital literacy and how do we cultivate it? Effects of AI? 17:36

Signs that professional support is needed 22:05

Dr. Lucker's top take away for listeners 26:50

Depression doesn't always look like staying in bed or losing motivation. For high-achieving people, it often hides behind packed schedules, perfectionism, and quiet exhaustion. In this episode, therapist Jenny Jacobsen unpacks how depression shows up differently in top performers, the overlap between burnout, boredom, anxiety, and depression, and the early warning signs you need to know.

She also shares practical strategies—from microdosing self-care to building foundational habits and practicing self-compassion—that can help you reconnect, heal, and move forward one step at a time.

Links:

• Jenny's Website: www.jennyjacobsencounseling.com
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

Should I Say This in Therapy?

Have you ever wondered what your therapist can and can't share outside the therapy room? Or when therapy confidentiality laws require them to break that trust?

In this collaborative episode, Ellie Pike joins clinicians Maria Ortiz and Dr. Zoe Ross-Nash from the 'On the Mic with ED' podcast to unpack the often-misunderstood boundaries of confidentiality in therapy.

Topics Covered:

• What informed consent really means
• When therapists are legally required to break confidentiality (and when they're not) due to mandatory reporting
• How clients can navigate trust, shame, and uncertainty in the therapy room

Whether you're in therapy for an eating disorder, addiction, trauma, or personal growth, this conversation will help you understand your rights in therapy and navigate those hard conversations with confidence.

Links:

• On the Mic with ED Podcast Website - www.theweightofitall.com
• Apple Podcasts - Open Podcast App
• Spotify - Open Spotify
• Instagram - @onthemicwithed
• Mental Note Podcast - www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Eating Recovery Center - www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center - www.pathlightbh.com
• Free Group Support - www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist - (877) 850-7199

Intermittent fasting is everywhere—from influencer feeds to doctor's offices—but is this trending approach to eating really the wellness cure-all it claims to be? In this episode of Mental Note, registered dietitian Jennifer Vittitow joins host Ellie Pike to explore the hidden downsides of intermittent fasting, including its impact on mental health, disordered eating behaviors, and social connection. Together, they unpack the science, debunk the diet culture spin, and offer a more compassionate path forward—one rooted in balance, flexibility, and trust in your body.

Links:

• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199

A dangerous secret lurked behind author Lara Jacobs' ambition: she relied on anorexia to focus her writing, blurring the line between artistic drive and self-destruction.

In this episode, Lara shares how years of chasing a story across continents ultimately led her to eating disorder treatment and to rediscovering herself—both as a writer and as a person in recovery. With honesty and hope, she reflects on the pivotal moments that helped her heal, the community that supported her, and how reclaiming her narrative became the most powerful form of self-expression. Now, she teaches others to do the same.

Links:

• Lara's Website: larajacobswriter.com
• Lara's Instagram: @donotoverink
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199