Solace and the City

Solace and the City

By Zoe ScurletisSociety & CulturePersonal Journals
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Solace and the City episodes

  • EP64: ELIZABETH GUNNER - Help Me Help You
    This week I brought back on my incredible friend Liz Gunner to discuss how to approach conversations about depression, whether it be a conversation we are having with ourselves or a friend.  We first speak to our own experiences navigating mental health difficulties and, we share how and when we finally came to recognize the benefits that anti-anxiety medication had to offer.  After addressing and falsifying the stigmas surrounding psychiatric meds, we move into a discussion on how to support friends, family members, and loved ones who are struggling.  Having been on both sides, Liz and I share what has worked for us and what hasn't.  Stay tuned for the end because we have a special appearance from Enna Selmanovic!
    52 min
  • EP63: OLIVIA LUBARSKY - Mental Gymnastics
    This week I sat down with the absolutely INCREDIBLE Olivia Lubarsky, a former D1 gymnast at Towson University and mental health advocate!  During her four years at Towson University, Olivia did everything she could to bring awareness to the mental and emotional issues that face athletes.  As a gymnast, she was constantly striving to achieve a form of perfection that was impossible to obtain by the very nature of the sport.  After addressing her depression and performance anxiety, Olivia founded the “Own Your Roar” initiative, an awareness campaign that brings light to mental health issues that affect student-athletes.  I am so honored to be sharing the amazing conversation I had with Olivia, and cannot express how much admiration and appreciation I have for this girl.  She's an absolute rockstar who you should follow on Instagram at @olivialubarsky!
    1 hr 3 min
  • EP62: HARRISON FORMAN - Swiping Right and Voting Left
    Some of you may remember an episode from last February in which I recorded with Brandon Berman, one of the co-hosts of the popular live dating show UpDating.  Well if you liked that conversation you're in luck, because this week I was lucky enough to sit down with the other genius behind the New York phenomenon!  In this week's episode, Harrison and I talk about the relationship between mental health and dating, both pre- and post-pandemic.  I talk about my hatred for first dates and Harrison shares how working in the dating show still in many ways hasn't prepared him for doing so IRL.  To learn more about UpDating and the exciting things coming soon for the show, visit https://www.updatingshow.com/.  You can also slide into Harrison's DMs @htforman.
    1 hr 12 min
  • EP61: MIA DAVIS - Low Libidos and DAPs

    This week I brought on Mia Davis to talk about sex! Mia is the founder of Tabú Wellness, an expert-driven community for shame-free conversations about all things related to sex, relationships, and mental health.  In fact, research actually shows that the more open you are to talking about sex, the more sexually satisfied you will be!  Mia answers some of your questions from our Instagram polls to shed light on topics such as the ways depression, medication, and sexual trauma affect your libido.  To learn more about Mia and Tabú, visit talktabu.com and follow @talk.tabu on Instagram!

    1 hr
  • EP60: MATT PAVICH - Bipolar Disorder, Hospitalizations, and Taiwanese Superstardom
    This week I sit down with Matt Pavich, a comedian and low-key YouTube phenomenon, to talk about his experience with Bipolar Disorder.  Like Caroline who spoke on a previous episode, Matt was not fully diagnosed with anything until his late teens.  Since then, Matt has continued to ride the waves of mania and depression but has an incredible support system to help him manage both states.  I am so grateful for Matt's willingness to speak so openly on the podcast, and I have no doubt that you all will learn from our conversation!  If you want to check out Matt's world famous YouTube video, click here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JSDTucF_K4
    53 min
  • EP59: VICTORIA GARRICK - Invisible Injuries and Performance Anxiety

    This week I spoke with Victoria Garrick, who may just be one of the most iconic young mental health advocates in the country right now.  After giving a TED Talk on the prevalence of mental health issues in College Athletics, Victoria continued using her platform to be a voice for those who are struggling.  In this episode we talk about Victoria's own struggles with mental health which led her to speaking in front of thousands of people.  Victoria also shares her battle with Binge Eating Disorder and the shame that came with sharing this side of her life.  However, now Victoria relentlessly promotes intuitive eating and body positivity on all of her social media channels.  I feel SO humbled to have had the opportunity to speak with Victoria, and I can't wait for you all to listen!

    50 min
  • EP58: HOT GIRLS HOT TAKES - Why Do Guys Date Crazy Women?
    Welcome to the new spinoff series from Solace and the City and The Real Dietitians of New York City called Hot Girls Hot Takes!  Each week, Liz Gunner and I will focus on a topic related to mental health and/or body image.  After sharing our own thoughts on the episode theme, we will then call in some male experts (a.k.a. our guy friends and Hinge matches) to get an opinion from the opposite sex.  During this week's episode, Liz and I explore the male tendencies to gravitate towards toxic relationships in which their female partner is possessive or controlling.  You will hear thoughts from our friends (and Hinge matches) as well as some lightly-heated debates.  In addition to talking about the psychology behind these types of relationships, Liz and I also discuss the importance of confidence and self-love, both of which are qualities that our male guests find to be extremely sexy!
    **PSA: I recognize that the implications of these questions can come off as heteronormative of imply that men’s preferences in a woman are “black & white."  I also realize that cis-men are not the ones who are in need of any additional platforms to express their opinions. Going forward, I plan on getting the opinions of those who are gender non-binary as well as friends who have a sexual orientations that differ from my own.  Unfortunately, as a cis-woman, the only Hinge matches who i can call on-demand are heterosexual cis-men!!!
    55 min
  • EP57: VANESSA GRIMALDI - Man-ifestation and Bachelor Nation
    I recorded this episode with Vanessa Grimaldi -- a.k.a the WINNER of Season 16 of The Bachelor, a.k.a the most beautiful person to ever walk up the steps of the Bachelor mansion, a.k.a. my girl crush -- and I couldn't be MORE excited to share our conversation with you all!  Vanessa explains how she got onto the Bachelor to begin with, despite having never owned a television set and not seeing a single episode prior to her own reality TV show experience.  We then talk about her experience on the show, during which she stole the heart of Nick Viall and ultimately got the big proposal at the end!  Despite her relationship not working out, Vanessa explains how grateful she is for the franchise, because it opened her eyes to, what else, but THERAPY and ultimately led her to some amazing friendships as well!  Vanessa is just as beautiful inside as she is for the common eye, and she recently left her job to pursue her dream of starting non-profit for children with disabilities called No Better You. You can follow Vanessa on Instagram @vanessagrimaldi30 and donate to her NGO @nobetteryou!
    52 min
  • EP56: MEGAN SINISCALCHI - Love Should Never Hurt

    For those who aren't aware, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  I thus thought that for the first episode of October, it was appropriate to share my conversation with the amazing, beautiful, and courageous Megan Siniscalchi.  Megan is the Chair of the Young Professional Board of Exhale to Inhale, a nonprofit that empowers survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault through trauma informed yoga.  In this episode, she courageously shares her personal experience with domestic violence and shares ways to support survivors.  Visit www.exhaletoinhale.org and @exhale2inhale on Instagram to get details on ETI’s upcoming virtual Gala, A Celebration of Courage, on October 20th and the Week of Courage (10/15-10/19) with many free events for the community in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  You can also reach out personally to Megan via her Instagram account @megsiniscalchi.  

    1 hr 7 min
  • EP55: GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY - The Garden State of Mind
    On this week's BONUS episode, I sat down with Governor Phil Murphy to discuss how he sees the government's responsibility to address the mental health challenges that face both my home state of New Jersey and the country as a whole.  Governor Murphy touches on why he decided to sign a budget earlier this week that would restore a New Jersey school mental health program, and towards the end of the episode, he touches on how the pandemic has affected him both as a prominent political leader and as a person. 
    I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to speak with Governor Murphy and share our conversation with you all.  His leadership during these unprecedented times has made me proud to be from New Jersey, and his willingness to allocate 15 minutes for my podcast speaks volumes about how much he cares about mental health.
    17 min

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