On today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Christina Guarino, an Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey, about borderline personality disorder (BPD). Borderline personality disorder is one of the most stigmatized and misunderstood mental illnesses. Christina and I dive into what borderline personality disorder is, what are some common misconceptions, and the stigma surrounding the disorder. Christina presents information in a very digestible and humanizing manner, allowing the listener to understand the human side of borderline personality disorder, rather than just the diagnostic criteria. Christina talks about the connection between trauma and borderline personality disorder, as well as her experience working with clients who have BPD. We discuss helpful interventions for borderline personality disorder, as well as providing advice to anyone who thinks they have had the disorder or shows signs of the disorder.

Connect with Christina:
Instagram: @christina_lpc108
TikTok: @christina_lpc

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk I talk with Kaitlin Soule, LMFT all about perfectionism, uncertainty, and anxiety in motherhood.  Kaitlin is an anxiety expert, writer, and women's empowerment coach who has a passion working with moms on overcoming their anxiety. Kaitlin discusses how perfectionism, uncertainty, and anxiety are all interconnected and why these things are extremely prevalent in motherhood. Kaitlin discusses how uncertainty shows up in motherhood and ways it may impact moms, as well as tips on overcoming perfectionism in parenthood. Kaitlin provides listeners with tips on starting to work through their anxiety and provides any mothers listening with words of encouragement if they are struggling with perfectionism, uncertainty, or anxiety. Kaitlin's book, A Little Less of a Hot Mess: The Modern Mom's Guide to Growth & Evolution comes out in March 2022 where she dives further into the topics discussed in today's episode. 

Connect with Kaitlin:
Instagram: @kaitlin.soule
Website: wellnotesbykaitlin.com
Pre Order Kaitlin's book: A Little Less of a Hot Mess: The Modern Mom's Guide to Growth & Evolution

Additional Resources:
The Monkey Mind Workout for Perfectionism

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Welcome to Season 3 of Psych Talk! To kick off Season 3 I am going to be talking about social media and mental health and, more specifically, taking a social media break. Although we know that social relationships and connection are beneficial for our mental health and overall wellbeing, the reality is that research indicates that heavy social media use actually negatively impacts our mental health. Heavy social media use is associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness, among other things. In this episode, I discuss the positive and negative aspects of social media, the impact of social media on mental health, and challenge listeners to take inventory of how their social media use makes them feel and what motivates their social media use. I then discuss different types of social media breaks, or ways to lessen our time spent on social media, as well as the benefits of taking a social media break.

I am so excited to be back for Season 3 of Psych Talk and cannot thank you all enough for your continued support of this podcast. 

Mentioned in this episode:
The Bold Bodied Podcast - Episode 92 | Social Media Detox

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk, I talk all about burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Although we hear a lot about burnout in the workplace, burnout can happen in other areas of our lives as well. In this episode, I discuss the differences between stress and burnout, signs and symptoms of burnout, as well as causes and consequences of being burnt out. I also provide listeners with tips on how to prevent burnout and what to do if you have reached the point of burnout.

This is the last episode of Season 2 of Psych Talk. Season 3 will be out sometime in the fall. Thank you all for your continued support. This podcast wouldn't exist without you all. 

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk, I speak with Dr. Desta, who recently graduated with her PhD in Clinical Psychology and is currently on her postdoctoral fellowship. Dr. Desta and I have a very rich and much needed conversation about marginalized communities. Dr. Desta describes what it means to be part of a marginalized community and discusses some of her own experiences being part of certain marginalized groups. Dr. Desta discusses some of the unique challenges that marginalized individuals face, as well as discussing the intersection of being part of multiple marginalized communities. Dr. Desta and I discuss mental health in marginalized communities, including unique barriers to accessing quality mental health care. Additionally, we discuss how on an individual and societal level we can advocate for and make changes to the inequalities marginalized groups face. 

Connect with Desta:
Instagram: @my_destanation
TikTok: @my_destanation
Website: My Destanation

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Maddie Spear, LCSW-A, a trauma therapist. Maddie discusses what trauma is and how she got to working with this population. She shares misconceptions about trauma, as well as clears up those misconceptions. Maddie discusses common trauma responses that individuals may experience and discusses the differences and similarities between trauma responses in children and adults. Maddie discusses steps to take for individuals to start working through their trauma, specific trauma interventions used in therapy, as well as how people can support their loved ones who have experienced trauma. This is a great episode full of a lot of great information on trauma.

Content warning: As this episode discusses trauma, please be mindful of how you are feeling when listening. If at any point you need to stop and take a break or skip over this episode completely, please do so to take care of yourself.

Connect with Maddie:
Instagram: @loveyourlittlevictories
TikTok: @therapy_thoughts
Website: Flourish Wellness, PLLC (flourishwellnesspllc.com)

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

One of my most frequently asked questions on social media from adolescents is "How can I ask my parent for therapy?" In this episode of Psych Talk, I talk all about mental health conversations between children and guardians.  I discuss how parents and guardians can support their kids' mental health by cultivating an environment that will make their child feel comfortable to reach out for support if they need it through normalizing conversations about mental health. I provide different tips on how guardians can integrate mental health conversations in their every day life and model identifying and labeling emotions for children. I also discuss ways children and teens can reach out to their guardians and ask for help, specifically surrounding going to therapy, and provide different scenarios regarding their guardian's responses and how to respond. Finally, I discuss how guardians can be supportive and validating in their responses if their child does come to them about their mental health or wanting to seek therapy. My hope for this episode is that it lays some groundwork for anyone who interacts with children and adolescents on how to normalize conversations around mental health. 

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss redefining failure.  Failure can mean a lot of things - a lack of success, not meeting a desired outcome, or the inability to perform a certain function. What someone deems a failure depends on the context, as well as the person's perception. In most contexts, however, something is a failure because we label it as such, not because it is innately a failure. In this episode I discuss why we fear failure, how our perceived failures do not define us as a person, and how failure is not always bad. Additionally, I discuss how we can redefine failure by changing out language around perceived failures, taking responsibility for what happened without attaching it to our worth, identifying the successes within the failure, and focusing on what you learned from the experience. 

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk I had the privilege of speaking with Jax Anderson, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who works with tweens and teens, as well as their parents, helping parents better understand their tween or teen. Jax discusses the brain development of tweens and teens and how understanding such helps both parents and adolescents normalize and validate tweens' and teens' experience. We discuss the important of understanding and encouraging emotional intelligence and how doing so can promote intellect, as well as a positive relationship between parent and child. Jax discusses how she teaches her parents to treat their child like an "adult in training" and provides listeners with tangible skills and tips on what they can do to best support and understand the tweens and teens in their lives. Even if you are not a parent of a tween or teen, Jax provides knowledge and insights that can apply to anyone who parents, works with, or knows an adolescent.

Connect with Jax:
TikTok: psyko_therapy
Instagram: thepsykotherapist
Website: The Psyko Therapist - Home
Facebook: Moms Raising Tweens & Teens | Facebook

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode of Psych Talk I chat with Kristen Gingrich, LCSW, CADC about mental health influencers. Kristen has created a large social media following on TikTok and Instagram as a licensed therapist and we discuss the impact of non-credentialed social media influencers creating mental health content and giving advice on their platforms. Unlike other episodes where I interview my guests, Kristen and I just sat down and chatted about different topics related to mental health influencers. We discuss the benefits and risks of unlicensed mental health influencers providing mental health content online, the lack of consequences for influencers versus licensed professionals who have a social media presence, and how to tell is someone online is a professional or an influencer. Additionally, we discuss some common topics of misinformation we see from influencers frequently on different social media platforms. 

Connect with Kristen:
TikTok: notyouraveragethrpst
IG: notyouraveragethrpst

Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Be a guest on my podcast

Resources:
Value Aligned 2021 Journal
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through

Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
DiveThru Website
DiveThru App

Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify