Precarious

In this episode of Precarious, Leah shares her experiences of being a mental health therapist during the pandemic: the most collective Precarious chapter in our recent history. The level of stress we are experiencing is unprecedented. It has some of us feeling like we are "Going Crazy". She offers wisdom and support around how to manage the threat the pandemic presents to our mental and physical well-being.

Elana Miller always knew she wanted to be a doctor. In 2013, the finish line was in sight. She couldn't wait to start this new chapter of her life practicing Integrative Psychiatry. Elana's life took a detour when in December of 2013, she went to the ER because she was having trouble breathing. The chest x-ray revealed a huge mass in her chest. She was diagnosed with Stage IV Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a rare and deadly type of cancer. She was 31 years old. She survived and rebuilt her life when in the fall of 2019, she relapsed. Listen to her inspiring story of courage and resilience. "I have reasons to live!"

In this episode, Leah shares the beautiful and heart-breaking story of her friendship with Tamara and how their lives intersected at the most pivotal moments in their decisions around treatment for ovarian cancer. While Tamara chose to end treatment and Leah chose to continue treatment, they found ways to support and love each other along the way.

In this episode, Leah explores the concept of Resilience. Are we born resilient or can we learn to be resilient? Why do some people seem to bounce back from adversity more than others? She shares her personal experiences with cancer and what this challenge has taught her about becoming resilient. She offers that living through the coronavirus/pandemic is the perfect practice field to grow more resilient.

If you asked her, Tracy Maxwell, a 4-time cancer survivor, would tell you that cancer is the best thing that ever happened to her. In this episode, Tracy talks about how a crisis like cancer or the coronavirus presents us with transformative opportunities. After she was first diagnosed in 2006, she recognized the unique challenges of facing treatment and so many huge life decisions as a single person. So, she wrote a book, "Being Single, with Cancer: A Solo Survivor’s Guide to Life, Love, Health & Happiness". Tracy’s cancer story has also been profiled in Cure, Singularity, A Woman’s Health, Prevention and Denver Woman magazines among others. She is a professional speaker represented by CAMPUSPEAK on the topics of hazing and leadership, and has appeared as a hazing expert in a variety of media outlets from ESPN and CBS This Morning to the Katie Couric Show. Tracy is also healing coach and survivorship guide and connects clients with their vision and value to experience physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wholeness. You can find out more about her and contact her through her website: www.IAMTracyMaxwell.com

In this episode, Leah talks about how experiences with cancer parallel the experiences of living in a time of a world-wide pandemic, a.k.a COVID-19. She poses the question, "How afraid should I be?". She examines our need to feel in control in order to feel safe in uncertain times. She challenges us to sit with the fear. She offers guidance, support and wisdom to help us through this precarious chapter in history.

Eryn Del Monte's life changed in an instant. A "typical" Wednesday marked the day she became a 29-year old widow. And, while her heart was broken, she learned that Love is Elastic. We never forget the ones we love and can learn to love again. Here's a link to a the video Eryn referenced in her story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs5rK4jPHUw&sns=fb&fbclid=IwAR2Tk8Mk1nMNzn1F6JCO6JWxXJF_LBMeotN5h-rFEg_hf9dl2zFq8BYwRqo&app=desktop

When Michelle Faris woke up on the morning of June 2nd to go for a bike ride with her friends, she had no idea that her life would be forever changed that day. Listen to her story of how her precarious moment turned into her path of recovery from a severe, long-standing eating disorder.

Michelle received both her Bachelors and Doctorate degrees from the Physical Therapy program at Ithaca College in upstate New York from 2006 – 2012. She specializes in Pelvic Floor Therapy, Lymphedema, and Oncology Rehabilitation. She is a STAR (survivorship training and rehab) certified clinician that works within a multidisciplinary team at the UCHealth Cancer Center. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, biking, doing yoga, cooking and traveling. If you would like to contact Michelle, you can reach her at [email protected]

Welcome Leah Barrett interviewed by the founder of Mental Health News Radio Network, Kristin Walker. They talk about her show and why the name of it is Precarious.

A bit about your host: Leah Barrett

I'd like to help. I'm a trained psychotherapist: a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I've worked for over 15 years helping people struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, life transition and eating disorders. I'm a Master's Level Nutritionist. With over 20 years of experience in the field, I help people adopt healthy eating patterns for a lifetime, not a quick fix. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I create exercise/fitness plans for individuals and work one-on-one in a personal training setting.

I am a Master Nutritionist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Personal Trainer. I've combined these three disciplines in order to best help individuals, groups and organizations better implement lifestyle changes by examining barriers to making change with a special emphasis on motivational interviewing. I hold certifications with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, YogaFit, Spinning and CrossFit in addition to CPR/First Aid and AED.

www.leahbarrett.com
www.mhnrnetwork.com