Safe Space with Shay's Podcast

This conversation with Licensed Professional Counselor, Dominique D. Walker was so refreshing, reinforcing and enlightening for those of us who are guiding and supporting our own Gen Z'ers! Being a young adult between the ages of 18-25 can be a bit overwhelming, confusing and uncertain! This is why this episode is so important in helping parents & guardians navigate this critical phase in their lives. Dominique provided some really sound and encouraging advice on parenting these young adults and their perspective to add food for thought. Some parents often feel when their young adult child turns 18 parenting is done or the young adult child doesn't require as much parenting or support as they did when they were younger than 18 years old but on the contrary, it requires even more, more patience, understanding, space and grace! I hope you find this episode helpful on your continuous parenting journey!

You can contact Dominique through her website here, Home | Healing Matters (myhealingmatters.com)

Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

This episode was by far one of my favorite episodes! My curiousity was fulfilled and I learned so much beyond the mental health diagnosis that are often on the forefront such as Anxiety and Depression. Dr. Olele, a Board-Certified Psychiatrist provides mental health services to his patients through Genesis Psychiatric Solutions, www.genesispsychiatricsolutions.com, his extensive academic medical accomplishments and experience has solidified him as subject matter expert in providing quality care to his patients and educating the community at large on mental health diagnosis, treatment and management. We discuss various mental health diagnoses from Bipolar, PTSD-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychosis, Schizophrenia and OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I hope you truly find this episode enlightening and insightful!
You can follow Dr. Olele on Instagram here, Ifeanyi Olele DO, MBA, MS (@doctorolele) | Instagram
Or Dr. Olele website Now Accepting Telemedicine Visits | Genesis Psychiatric Solutions: Psychiatrist: Fairfax, VA, Alexandria, VA, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, CA & Boca Raton, FL

If you are looking for a psychiatrist here's a link to a directory APA - Static Header & Footer (psychiatry.org)

If you are a loved one looking for resources to cope with a loved one mental illness here's a helpful link, Psychiatry.org - Helping a Loved One Cope with Mental Illness

If you are a State of Michigan resident who need support on getting you relative or loved one mental health treatment who maybe of harm to themselves or anyone else please check out Kevin's Law members-Kevin's-Law.pdf (dwihn.org)

Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

On this episode I was excited to learn more about the history of the African diet and understanding the connection on how food impact our mood. Ashley Carter, RD, LDN & Jasmine Westbrooks, M.S., RD, LDN, CDCES are knowledgeable registered Dietitian who added much value to this conversation! They are the founders of EatWell Exchange and their goal and accomplishments are educating communities of color on nutrition with a focus on culture.  With over 20k+ followers on Instagram their work is necessary and encouraging to the culture and the community of the African diaspora! Follow them on Instagram at Culture Focused Nutrition 🥥🥑🥙 (@eatwellexchange) • Instagram photos and videos or Facebook (1) EatWell Exchange Inc. | Facebook or visit their website at Nonprofit | Eat Well Exchange, Inc. | United States for more information, they also offer individual consultation for your nutritional personal needs.



Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

Entrepreneurs lead a life making "Boss Moves" moving boldly and fearlessly however seldom do Entrepreneurs have this same mindset when it comes to their Mental & Emotional Wellness. Tamika Reeves, LPC-S and Owner of Transition Family Services talked about what Entrepreneurs faced on a daily basis and how they can incorporate practical life changes and choices to achieve more of an intentional balanced life. To learn more about Tamika and her staff visit her website transition family services or follow her on Instagram at Tamika Reeves MA LPC-S (@tamika_thetherapist) • Instagram photos and videos or if you're looking for a therapist Tamika created her very own therapist's directory for People of Color that can be found here at this website Therapist Directory - Find Therapists - Locate Therapy 

Book mentioned by Tamika, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Business Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

Can be purchased on the link below,

https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

Get your notepad and pencil ready people because Tiffany is taking us to school! Tiffany is a Licensed Psychotherapist and CEO of Uprooting Me where she teaches courses centered around social emotional skills, EMDR-Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy and she also manage her clients through her private practice.  We often have the understanding when we are healing from trauma it's addressed from a mental and emotional aspect however during this conversation, we will also learn it should be addressed in a physical manner too. I loved learning how our body keeps score of the trauma we've experienced and how EMDR is a method that can be used to release that trauma from our bodies, this was fascinating to hear and learning the cultural history and ties to this modality makes it so much more enriching. After listening to this episode, I'm sure you'll leave with a renewed and open mind on how you approach your healing from your past or even present trauma, happy healing!

If you want to learn more about Tiffany work, you can follow her on Instagram Tiffany | Licensed Psychotherapist | Ed-Tech Founder | (@tiff_tastic1) • Instagram photos and videos or on her website   Homepage | Uprooting Me


Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

Generation Baby boomers, you matter, how can we show up for you, mentally and emotionally? Baby boomers are the emerging elders in our society born from 1946 to 1964 and they were subject to racial divide, socio economic impacts that resulted from that divide, disenfranchisement and even their own personal traumas with no space to acknowledge their own emotional needs or mental wellness. We often see a tough, dismissive or self-sacrificing exterior from our elders because they didn't have the space to honor themselves. This episode was delightful and refreshing to hear Dr. Nicole Cammack, PhD, CEO & President of Black Mental Wellness (Health | United States | Black Mental Wellness) who support this particular demographic in her practice provide a real transparent look on what she hears and sees from her clients. Gaining a greater perspective as well as practical approaches to support our Baby boomers can benefit us all! If you're looking for additional resources for the Baby boomers who are near and dear to your heart, here are a few,
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry - Improving Care in Aging Adults (aagponline.org)
GoGoGrandparent | On-Demand Uber & Lyft Rides for Seniors
Think You Are Too Old for Mental Health Therapy? (aarp.org)
Black Mental Wellness, Corp (@blackmentalwellness) • Instagram photos and videos

Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

Death & Loss are an inevitable part of life and with that comes grief that many don't understand let alone know of healthy coping skills to help them navigate through the grieving process. In the black community we pride ourselves on being strong and having grit based on our keen survival skills however we often forget how essential vulnerability is and necessary during the grieving process.  Dr. Mekel professional expertise and personal experience with grief gives light and understanding. Dr. Mekel explains what helpful and unhelpful grieving approaches look like (Mindful Grieving and Mindless Activities) when facing grief. I believe it so important to extend yourself self-compassion and honor whatever feelings come up for you when you are grieving this can be the most powerful yet comforting thing many can do to process grief in a healthy manner and as Dr. Mekel stated having a good supportive circle can be beneficial too! What stuck with me from this conversation was, awareness is the first step however intentionality & action lend itself to transformation! Dr. Mekel great words of insight! For resources check out Dr. Mekel website Dr. Mekel Harris | Memphis Based Psychologist (mekelharrisphd.com) and her Instagram Page Dr. Mekel Harris | Licensed Psychologist, NCSP, PMH-C, CAGCS (@drmekel) • Instagram photos and videos and Dr. Mekel book, Relaxing Into the Pain: Harris Ph.D., Mekel S. (amazon.com)



Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

I couldn't wait to discuss Love & Marriage with Dr. Ally! In the black community there's a high regard and emphasis on marriage however understanding the history of marriage in black community will give you more context and a better understanding of what to consider before marriage and having a realistic perspective on what's to come and how to navigate through the inevitable changes and pitfalls that come with marriage.  Dr. Ally personable persona, knowledge and expertise as a Relationship Expert & Life Coach will give you a fresh perspective and better understanding on how you look at yourself, your marriage or ignite a new approach on handling better communication with your spouse.  To find out more about Dr. Ally check out her website and socials here Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks | Twitter, Instagram, YouTube | Linktree and to learn more about John Gottman, Psychologist & Relationship Researcher that Dr. Ally mentioned check out The Gottman Institute website here The Gottman Institute | A research-based approach to relationships Are you curious about your attachment style? Take the quiz here The Attachment Project: Learn Attachment Theory from Experts


Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

This episode was soooo enlightening! Charlett Hodge, LPC-Licensed Professional Counselor & NCC-National Certified Counselor was knowledgeable, experienced and passionate on the topic and the importance of the adolescent phase our children experience. This is a challenging phase for children and the parents however navigating through this stage can be less volatile if we have the resources and apply the knowledge to help us (parents) and the child(ren) navigate in a beneficial way.  Charlett shared thorough information that I can honestly appreciate and practical approaches and strategies when tackling this critical stage in our child(ren) lives.  I'm so appreciative of her time and dedication to our community at large, to learn more about Charlett and her work, here's her website Children and Teen Therapy | Tyrone, GA | OpenDialoguecc.com and the link she mentioned of the African American library where they have more than just books on parenting Books to ease the lives of African Americans | AfricanAmericanTherapists.com and a direct link through Amazon for journals for black women Amazon.com : therapy journal for black women (and black men too) Amazon.com : therapy journal for black men I hope you are enlighten as I was and able to implement some of the approaches Charlett shared.


Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider.

Dia Hicks, Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Professional Life Coach & Speaker did not disappoint on this episode as we talked about trauma, what trauma is, the causes and how it shows up in our bodies physically. This conversation was insightful and engaging, I hope this conversation resonates with you or someone you know that you can share this episode with, as I'm committed to sharing knowledge to our community to find courage, heal and sustain and maintain mentally and emotionally healthier version of ourselves! 

To learn more about Dia Hicks and her practice here's her webiste, About | Healing Chair Therapy, LLC (healingchairtherapy.com) and you can always reference my website to find my social media pages and resources Safe Space With Shay


Disclaimer: Safe Space with Shay is not intended to be a therapy replacement or substitute, if you are experiencing a mental health crisis please reach out to your physician or your mental health provider. (Please pardon the background noise during the recording of this episode)