In today’s episode of Psych Talk I speak with Eli Weinstein, LMSW (my first male guest!!) on men’s mental health. Eli has a special interest and expertise in men’s mental health and discusses why it is important to carve out a space specifically for men in the mental health realm. Eli speaks to the fact that men tend to not seek out therapy as frequently as women, as well as societal expectations of how men are taught to handle and express emotions, which led to a great conversation about stigma and societal influences surrounding mental health, particularly for men. Eli shares knowledge from both his personal and clinical experiences on why men’s mental health is important, the mental health concerns men face today, and provides insights on how men can take care of themselves and their mental health. Eli also provides some advice on how females can support the males in their life who may be struggling with mental health.

Connect with Eli:

Instagram: elivation_therapist
Podcast: The Dude Therapist
Website:  www.elivation.org

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
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Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
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In today's episode of Psych Talk I discuss different ways we reply to situations or comments, namely the differences between reacting, responding, and repressing. We all react, respond, or repress in different situations or contexts; however,  if we take time to acknowledge and evaluate how to reply to different situations we are better able to make changes, if we desire, to learn how to respond more frequently, rather than reacting or repressing. I discuss the differences between responding, reacting, and repressing; how cognitive dissonance can cause us to react; and steps we can take to start responding to difficult situations, rather than reacting or repressing. I hope you are able to take away some helpful and tangible tips from today's episode to aid in your self-growth journey.

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
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Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

In today's episode of Psych Talk I speak with Kate Mumey about normalizing mental health treatments beyond the traditional outpatient therapy. Kate shares her story with mental health struggles, specifically obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), including her time in intensive outpatient (IOP). Kate discusses misconceptions about IOP, what she wish she knew before entering, and what she learned. She provides advice on what to do if someone feels like they may need a higher level of care, as well as how she is using her experiences to advocate for and normalize more intensive mental health treatments. As an additional bonus, Kate also talks about normalizing mental health care within the church. Kate brings a unique perspective to this podcast as a patient of intensive mental health treatments, rather than a provider, normalizing mental health treatment as a pathway to increased functioning and happiness.

Connect with Kate:

IG: @gracefullyuncertain
IG: @katemumey
TikTok: @katemumey

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
Sign up for my Email List here.

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 money and mental health care, specifically therapy. Discussing money and therapy can be a controversial topic, but the reality is that therapy costs money and can be a barrier to accessing therapy, whether you have insurance or paying out of pocket. Our mental health care system is broken, I think we can all agree on that; however, my hope for this episode is to provide information in a non-biased format on the ins and outs of money and mental health care so that you, as either a consumer or a provider, can make the best decision for you. I discuss the pros and cons of using insurance, as well as self-pay, for both the consumer and provider, as well as discuss and explain the purpose of other additional fees such as no-show fees. Further, I discuss some common things I have heard when it comes to money and therapy in hopes to debunk myths or further explain for a better understanding. I encourage you to listen to this episode with an openness to learn and welcome feedback and a discussion if anyone has additional thoughts or insights. 

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
Sign up for my Email List here.

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

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today’s episode of Psych Talk I talked to Natalie Ribble, ACSM, CPT, EIM Level 2, a certified personal trainer, about the integration between mental and physical health. Natalie shares her story of getting into fitness, as well as her experiences with mental health, and how she has integrated the two in her personal training career instilling confidence in women through strength training. We discuss not only the benefits of fitness for mental health, but how fitness and exercise can be harmful for mental health, particularly when considering how society markets fitness and exercise. Lastly, we discussed what it means to be confident and how to increase self-confidence through the integration of physical and mental health.

Connect with Natalie:

IG: @natalieann_fit
Blog: https://natalieann.fit/

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
Sign up for my Email List here.

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

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

September means we are over 6 months into the pandemic. Although we have gained a little sense of normalcy back, there is still a lot of disruption in our daily lives. At the beginning, and throughout most of the pandemic, the news and talk was (and still is) focused on physical health - wash your hands, wear your mask, keep yourself healthy, protect those who are immunocompromised. But what about mental health? We know from past viral outbreaks that when people experience a disruption like COVID-19, mental health also suffers. Although on a personal level we all could probably talk about how COVID-19 has affected our mental health, we are now also finally seeing researched published on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. In this episode of Psych Talk, I discuss the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, the factors that contribute to the declining mental health in our country and around the world, the limits of mental health care during this time, and how to cope and better your own mental health. I also provide links to published articles about COVID-19 and mental health, as well as resources that may be of use to you if you are struggling with your mental health at this time.

Mental Health Resources:
Healthline
Psychology Today
Open Path Collective

References:

• Suicide and the Great Recession of 2007-2009: The role of economic factors in the 50 U.S. States
• Factors associated with mental health outcomes among healthcare workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019
• Public response to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Japan: Mental health consequences and target populations
• The emotional impact of Coronavirus 2019-nCoV (new Coronavirus disease)
• Mental health strategies to combat the psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) beyond paranoia and panic
• The outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on global mental health

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today’s episode of Psych Talk, I talk with Stephanie Straub, a licensed clinical social worker in the state of New York who specializes in treating mental and emotional issues surrounding childbearing. Stephanie shares her insights and knowledge about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADS), which goes beyond just post-partum depression that we typically hear about. Stephanie goes into detail about signs and symptoms of PMADS and what to do if you feel that you are experiencing a PMADS. Additionally, she discusses typical mood changes in the postpartum period and recommendations to manage those typical mood changes, including self-care tips for new moms. Stephanie also shares with us some myths about motherhood and normalizes experiences that many moms face but do not tend to talk about. As a mom-to-be, I learned so many things from Stephanie’s clinical expertise and knowledge. Whether you are a new parent, parent to be, or desire to become a parent one day, you will gain a lot of insights from this episode.

Resources:
www.postpartumstress.com
www.postpartum.net
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Klieman
The Post Partum Eco Map
The Post Partum Pact

Connect with Stephanie:
www.CNYTherapySolutions.com
Facebook: CNY Therapy Solutions
Instagram: @cnytherapysolutions
TikTok: @mamatherapy

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
Sign up for my Email List here.

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

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

September is National Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month. The goal of NSPM is to promote awareness, start a dialogue about suicide, and initiate change, with World Suicide Prevention Day falling on September 10th. In this episode, I go back to suicide basics. I discuss language, warning signs, risk factors, and protective factors for suicide. I also discuss how to assess for suicide, resources for you, as well as those who may be in need of help, and how to get involved in National Suicide Prevention Month. 

I packed a lot of information in this episode, but this only scratches the surface of suicide intervention and prevention. Suicide prevention is everyone's responsibility & together we can make the change.

If you or anyone you know is suicidal call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

Resources:
http://www.sprc.org/
https://www.afsp.org/
http://www.suicide.org/
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
http://www.afsp.org/
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
https://www.save.org/
http://www.nami.org/
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources

Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
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Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Laura Copley, a certified trauma therapist, about post traumatic growth and creating pathways to happiness. Post traumatic growth is the positive psychological change that some individuals experience after a traumatic event. Dr. Copley discusses how people can transcend from a place of deep wounds and trauma to a freeing state of self-evolvement. Dr. Copley integrates positive psychology, focusing on the positive aspects of human life that make life worth living, in her practice of trauma work to help her clients create pathways to happiness through a process she calls “pathways mindset”. We discuss how individuals can engage in processes or behaviors that will help them engage in post-traumatic growth, as well as insights on how people can create pathways to enhance their everyday happiness, with or without the experience of trauma. Dr. Copley also gives insights into what trauma is and how it affects not only our mental health, but our physical body, and how to learn to separate ourselves from our trauma. Further, she discusses the benefits of both post-traumatic growth and enhancing happiness in your daily life.

Connect with Dr. Copley:
Instagram: @doccopley
Website: https://lauracopley.com/
Email: [email protected]

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
Sign up for my Email List here.

Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources

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

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Diet culture convinces people that their bodies need to be smaller and equates thinness and food to morality and health. In today's episode of Psych Talk I discussed the psychology of diet culture. Specifically, how diet culture convinces us to believing that thinness and certain foods hold moral value, how diet culture disguises itself as health through the use of language, and where you can find diet culture (spoiler alert: it is everywhere). Additionally, I discuss how diet culture impacts our mental health and steps we can take to disrupt diet culture.

Diet Culture in Health Care Article

Ways to Work With Me:
1:1 Coaching
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass

Resources:
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Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd.
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Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify