Open Mind Night

Original Air Date: November 21st, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Tracey Yokas. Tracey Yokas creates stuff. When she isn’t writing about mental health and wellness, she can be found playing with paint, glitter, and glue. Art fuels her passion for connection in the community.

A former entertainment industry professional, Tracey has an affinity for color-coded art supplies. She is the author of the book, Bloodlines: A Memoir of Self-harm and Healing Generational Trauma, coming 2024.

Tracey shares about her family’s journey with mental illness so others will know they are not alone and that hope is real. Tracey earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from California Lutheran University and lives in Newbury Park, Ca. with her family, cats, and fish. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Couples Therapy, from the perspective of parents in treatment for a child's mental health diagnosis
• Learning how to take care of myself and my own mental health
• Healing trauma

Tracey's Instagram: @traceyyokas

Tracey's Website: https://traceyyokascreates.com/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

To find out more about the host, Robyn Tamanaha, go here: https://www.robyntamanahatherapy.com/

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: November 14th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Allison Ly. She is a LCSW based in Los Angeles, CA. She does video therapy for California residents. She is a first generation Asian American born and raised in Los Angeles, California and identifies as Chinese and Vietnamese culturally. She speaks Vietnamese conversationally.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Forming friendships as a young adult
• Respecting your family without losing yourself
• Sacrificing self with family, boundaries, putting your needs those first
• Comparing yourself to others and imposter syndrome
• Experiencing comparison with family, absorbing that, and then comparing self to others which may lead to imposter syndrome

Allison's Website: https://www.allisonlytherapy.com/

Allison's Instagram: @allisonlytherapy

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

To find out more about the host, Robyn Tamanaha, go here: https://www.robyntamanahatherapy.com/

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: November 12th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Nick Bognar. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Pasadena, California. Although Nick's clinical focuses are men's issues and codependency, his mission is to help people become who they wish they could be- both in self-acceptance and in leading a more exemplary life. Nick also offers Action Practice Building to clinicians who want to take matters into their own hands and fill their caseloads. Nick is looking forward to meeting you, and is pretty sure that he already likes you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What keeps men out of therapy
• What men tend to get in therapy
• What the interval and timeline looks like for men
• What gets men into therapy
• Codependency and setting boundaries

Nick's Instagram: @nickbognarmft and @actionpracticebuilding

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

To findout more about the host, Robyn Tamanaha, go here: https://www.robyntamanahatherapy.com/

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: November 8th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Dr. Jason von Stietz. He is a clinical and sport psychologist in group practice at CBT Center of Southern California. He specializes in OCD, insomnia, and sport psychology. He has provided team building and mental skills training for collegiate athletes, elite ballerinas, and the US National Sumo Wrestling team. He is a member of the International OCD Foundation's Anxiety in Athletes Task Force and the co-chair of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association's Sport Psychology Special Interest Group. 

In this episode we discuss:

• What is sport psychology
• Mental health and sport psychology issues demonstrated in pop culture
• Mental health and performance issues in collegiate athletes

Dr. Jason con Stietz Instagram: @cbtsportpsych

CBT SoCal Website: https://cbtsocal.com/

CBT SoCal Instagram: @cbtsocal

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

To findout more about the host, Robyn Tamanaha, go here: https://www.robyntamanahatherapy.com/

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: October 12th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Dr. Neeru Bakshi. She is a board-certified psychiatrist with passion for mental health equity. She has worked in a variety of care settings and has served in leadership positions. Being a South Asian woman, Dr. Bakshi has worked tirelessly to champion culturally informed treatment for South Asians. Note: in our interview she does mention a social media handle, so I’d like to make the correction that the social media influencer she refers to is actually @browngirltrauma not @brownmamatrauma. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Mental Health in South Asians and South Asian Americans
• Views and beliefs about mental healthcare
• Intergenerational factors
• Inclusion of Women of Color in Health Leadership

Dr. Neeru Bakshi's Instagram: @neerubakshimd https://www.instagram.com/neerubakshimd/

Dr. Neeru Bakshi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neeru-bakshi-md-fapa-ceds-41179810b/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

To findout more about the host, Robyn Tamanaha, go here: https://www.robyntamanahatherapy.com/

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: October 4th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Courtney Shen DeShetler. She is a Couples Therapist and Licensed Psychologist based in Orange County, California. She received her Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University and her Doctor of Psychology degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. She is the owner of SoCal Couples Therapy, an online private practice that specializes in working with diverse couples on the brink of divorce, seeking affair recovery, and in the pre-marital/pre-commitment phase of their relationship. Courtney is also a wife, mom of two boys, and a child of a blended family representing diverse backgrounds and worldviews.

In this episode we discuss:

• What to expect in couples therapy
• Challenges that arise or impede progress in couples therapy
• Dispelling myths about couples therapy
• The various approaches of couples therapy

Dr. DeShetler's website: https://socalcouplestherapy.com/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

To findout more about the host, Robyn Tamanaha, go here: https://www.robyntamanahatherapy.com/

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: September 28th, 2022

In this episode we discuss the topic of suicide which may be triggering to some listeners. If you notice that you experience distress while listening to this episode, please pause the episode and draw upon your resources (i.e. coping skills, friends, loved ones). If you need immediate attention, call 911 or go to your local emergency department.

Joining me on this episode is my guest Shanni Liang. She is a licensed clinical social worker in New York City. She is a proud Asian American trauma therapist that specializes in EMDR and psychoanalysis which helps adolescents and young women with life transitions and overcoming anxiety, depression and attachment issues that hold them back in life. As a therapist who works with young Asian American women, she has noticed a pattern of perfectionism, pressure to perform and people pleasing until burnout and exhaustion. She teaches women to stop feeling small and start taking up space.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Suicide awareness
• Stigma and suicide
• Shanni's experience working at a suicide hotline
• Depression
• Asian Americans and suicide

Resources mentioned:

Safety Plan: https://988lifeline.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Brown_StanleySafetyPlanTemplate1.pdf

NYC Well: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/

NYC Respite Center: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/crisis-services/crisis-respite/

Get in touch with Shanni:

Shanni Liang's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapy.shanni/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is not psychotherapy or counseling. If you need to speak with a professional, you should find one local to you and contact them directly. IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER OR GO TO YOUR NEAREST EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Original Air Date: September 20th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Annie Alpers. Annie is a psychologist in San Francisco specializing in OCD and anxiety. She not only treats obsessive-compulsive disorders, including OCD, body dysmorphic disorder, and body-focused repetitive behaviors, but has them herself. Similarly, she both has and treats misophonia, which is a common additional diagnosis for people with OCD. She is passionate about disseminating accurate information about these conditions and about neurodiversity in general to fellow professionals, people who have these conditions, their family and friends, and interested members of the general public. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• What neurodiversity means
• Who is included in the category of "neurodiverse"
• Moving from stigma to nonjudgmental awareness and high-quality treatment for any symptoms people may find difficult
• How to be supportive as a friend or family member

Annie Alpers website: https://www.alperspsychotherapy.com/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Original Air Date: September 13th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Leslie Lew. She is the Founder of Reclaiming Your Courage, Keynote Speaker and Trauma-informed Self-Defense Coach. She became the “Self-Defense Mama” when she made the decision to become the mother she always needed by breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma. Leslie is a second generation Korean and Chinese American, mother of two and wife. She is a San Francisco native and has been a martial artist for 20 years with a black belt in Tae Kwan Do Hap Kido and Kenpo Karate. Today she is passionate about Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu. Her mission is to save the lives of AAPI womxn and allies to the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent, and Differently Abled communities. She does this by teaching her clients how to become stronger self-advocates through mind, voice and body. She empowers womxn to stand in their power by rewriting their instincts and rooting themselves in LOVE and COURAGE.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Leslie's personal journey
• How she creates a holding space for someone for people who have been through traumatic experiences
• How someone would know if they would benefit from self-defense
• The self-defense mindset and how that connects to mental health
• Self-advocacy as self-defense

Leslie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reclaimingyourcourage/

Want to know your self-defense readiness score? Take the quiz here: https://www.reclaimingyourcourage.com/take-the-quiz

Reclaiming Your Courage Website: https://www.reclaimingyourcourage.com/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

Original Air Date: September 6th, 2022

Joining me on this episode is my guest Audrey Schoen. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Northern California with an exclusively online practice working with adults and couples seeking to create a more connected and congruent life. As a police wife herself, she especially enjoys supporting partners and spouses of law enforcement and first responders. She brings a real-life, even-keeled approach to counseling, coming alongside her clients as they shine light into the dark and challenging places in life.

Audrey also provides business coaching support to therapists in private practice seeking to find balance and fight burnout by designing a private practice that supports the life they and their families deserve.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Motherhood grief: what you had before motherhood, what you thought it would be like and expected it to be like
• Postpartum rage: how it happens, what leads to it, and what helps

Audrey's private practice website: https://www.audreylmft.com/

Audrey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreylmft/

Audrey's tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@audrey_out_loud

Audrey's business coaching for therapists: https://www.balancedprivatepractice.com/

Open Mind Night website: https://openmindnight.captivate.fm

Support The Podcast: Like what you hear? Help us to keep this going by giving us a tip on Ko-Fi! https://ko-fi.com/openmindnightpodcast

Stay up to date: If you would like to stay up-to-date, please subscribe to this podcast and follow the podcast Instagram: @openmindnightpod

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com