PTSD and Beyond

“I have a voice and it’s ok to use it,” Afrah Hameed

Breaking societal limitations and society’s expectations is powerhouse podcaster and mental health advocate, Afrah Hameed. Host of Screw the Stigma Podcast, Afrah talks about topics that are uncomfortable to break stigmas and to change perspectives about mental health, racism, sexism, body image, as well as social expectations. Give a listen to Afrah’s story and be truly inspired!

To learn more about Afrah, connect:

Podcast: Screw the Stigma

“This is the moment that changes everything,” Harry Potvin

Fellow podcaster, former athlete, and rugby fan, Harry Potvin, is no stranger to sharing stories. His mission is to share his story as the catalyst to help men’s mental health. Harry was told many times too often to “man up” and put a mask on. These words led to lashing out. “Guys don’t talk about mental health or forgiveness and forgiving.” Listen to Harry as he shares his story of being bullied to his awareness of “that stupid voice was so wrong,” to opening up and advocating for men’s mental health.

To learn more about Harry, contact:

Podcast: The Mental Corner Podcast

“You’re lovable just because you’re lovable,” Kevin Clark

Substance Abuse Counselor, author, and over 13 years of personal experience in recovery, Kevin Clark shares his story of healing and the awareness that we all have inner resources to become able to tap into to facilitate powerful healing. “Even underneath it, I always knew who I was…there was a spiritual awakening and I wanted to be loved…you’re lovable just because you’re lovable.” A beginning point of hope and healing is with Kevin’s book, The New Profit, which highlights his own healing journey where he started feeling seen and finding himself. Give a listen to Kevin and his dedication to finding safe people and safe spaces!

To learn more about Kevin, contact:

Web: ExcelsiorAddictionServices.com

Twitter: @ClarkMacnevin

Instagram: @Kevinmacnevinclark

“Keep showing up, get good support, there is a ‘beyond,’ and there is hope,” says Elizabeth Sullivan, Founder and CEO of the non-profit Empower Survivors supporting childhood sexual abuse survivors. Elizabeth shares her healing journey moving from an angry person to one of gaining a better understanding of herself through empathy and love. Listen to her story, growth, and legacy!

To learn more about Elizabeth, connect:

Web: EmpowerSurvivors.net

Twitter: @EmpowerSurvivor

Facebook: Empower Survivors

Leaders talk about being mindful, authentic, and leading from the heart but is this what we see in today's leaders in the world?

Today's PTSD and Beyond Podcast Episode 30 Stories in 30 Days features one of our leaders and Board Members at PTSD and Beyond, Mark Gruesbeck, M.A.

Equipped with a graduate degree in Mindful Leadership, over 25 years in various leadership roles within Major League Baseball for the Giants and Tigers, Mark Gruesbeck knows what it means to embody mindful, authentic, and heart-based leadership. Being part of 3 World Series, Mark's leadership on the medical side as a trainer and mentor cultivated long-lasting relationships with some of the most vulnerable people in situations most only witnessed on television. He shares his own story of mental health challenges from some of those experiences as well as how he embraced mindfulness as a way to reflect, be present, grow, and continue growing while being a wounded-healer helping others on their healing journey.

To connect with Mark, find him on Twitter @GatcMark and LinkedIn

Who else knows the phrase, "no pain, no gain? Dr. Paul Wong, registered psychologist  adds to that phrase with "no suffering, no healing." The Founding President of the International Network on Personal Meaning (INPM), Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association, and author of more than 120 scholarly journal articles, 60 invited chapters, and 7 books, Dr. Wong continues his quest for contemplation, connection, and shared humanity and community.

In a world untouched by suffering, Dr. Wong joins the PTSD and Beyond podcast to talk about the importance of embracing our shadow self as well as the pain, suffering, and grieving of life. "Have you ever talked to your 'evil twin?' Your 'evil twin' gives you the guts to be rejected," states Dr. Wong. Through the delicate balance of the soul and the shadow, that balance and harmony leads to wisdom and freedom. Deep wisdom and freedom lies on the the other side of darkness. 

"It takes courage, determination, promise, and consistency to see the light through the lens of darkness," Dr. Paul Wong.

To learn more about Dr. Wong or to attend the 11th Biennial International Meaning Conference, connect at:

Web: DrPaulWong.com

Web: Meaning.ca

Twitter: @PaulTPWong

Instagram: @INPMeaning

“Remember the smaller things you’ve done,” Laki Nua

Fellow podcaster and PTSD advocate, Laki Nua, joins PTSD and Beyond to share their stories of childhood, anxiety, depression, and how he overcame panic attacks. Laki’s mission is to help others feel connected, find ways to get help, and to remember that there’s a superpower in overcoming the odds! Give a listen to Laki’s lived-experience and stories.

For more information about Laki, connect:

Instagram: @MentalHealthCasual

Podcast: Mental Health Casual

YouTube: Mental Health Casual

“Compassion made me more empathetic,” says author and lived-experience PTSD survivor, Dr. Phyllis Kahaney, MSW

Big crowds still make Dr. Kahaney nervous. After experiencing bombing while in Israel and developing PTSD, she found that mental imagery helped overcome challenges and ways to make things ok. Dr. Kahaney appeared on a previous PTSD and Beyond Podcast episode and in this episode, she shares with us her strength, growth, and how seeing a problem can be a good thing.

For more information about Dr. Kahaney, connect:

Web: ReversingTheWarOnTruama.com

Book: Reversing the War on Trauma

“I’ve learned to listen to myself,” says Elena Breese. To many in the United States, April 15th is known as “Tax Day.” However, on April 15, 2013 that day will be forever known as the terrorist bombing of the Boston Marathon. Meet Elena Breese, Boston Marathon Terror Attack survivor. Elena was at the finish line waiting for her husband when both bombs exploded. Elena shares her story of life with PTSD, how that moment changed her life as a person, wife, and mother forever, and how she became the CEO of her own healing.  Listen to her and learn to listen to yourself!

To learn more about Elena, connect:

Web: StillBloomingMe.com

Twitter: @StillBloomingMe 

Instagram: @StillBloomingMe

“Once medical science says, ‘no,’ you start relying on other sources,”                Girish Dutt Shukla

Girish Dutt Shukla is a computer engineer by education, freelance digital marketer by profession, and author by lived-experience. Girish joins the PTSD and Beyond Podcast from Delhi, India and shares his story of medical trauma; one of his as a liver transplant patient and another of his sister (may her memory be eternal). His book, Maroon in a Sky of Blue, has readers opening up to the possibility that reality is an illusion and the illusion is real. Come walk with Girish as he brings light to his creative side that “needed to come out,” his wisdom that miracles are all around, and through moments of despair we learn to find opportunities that love will always be there.

To learn more about Girish, connect:

Web: Girishduttshulka.com

Twitter: @Girishdttshulka

Instagram: @GirishDuttShukla

Book: Maroon in a Sky of Blue