My friend and fellow LCSW Katie, came on to Souly Human! We went through our graduate program together in 2020 and continue to grow as social workers and as humans. Katie talks about her experience as a medical social worker (specifically in transplant social work) and touches on her own experience with burn out. "Burn out" sneaks up on you! Doesn't quite hit like a brick out of nowhere but when it hits, it hits HARD. It can be hard to honor a client's self determination... if we care less than usual, are we bad social workers? Or did we grow healthy boundaries?

One of my closest friends Angelica Mendoza, comes on to Souly Human and talks with me about how God shows up, and her own journey. We talk on being in different seasons including being in the unknown and doing our best to ride the waves as they come. Some days are exciting and full of hope and other days are confusing and frustrating. However, sometimes the parts we didn't plan for allow for moments that we don't often have so easily accessible to us; more time to connect with those we love for example. We also talk about the different seasons we experience within our relationship with God. There is bravery in trusting the process especially when we find ourselves in spaces that challenge us.

My best friend came back on to Souly Human! Yaya and I talk about our shared experiences on anxiety and what it can look like both mentally and physically. Yaya shares on her experiences with navigating the healthcare system and how she moved through the anxiety that came with managing her physical health including meditations before sleeping and connecting with those important to her. Releasing the desire for control over things that we simply can't control is hard to do but there is freedom and peace in surrendering. The inner dialogue that we all experience daily IS within our control. How do you speak to yourself?

I spoke with a friend and mentor Angela Clark, a former supervisor with Child Protective Services for Riverside County about her experience in social services for 20+ years. We spoke on the function that CPS holds in a child's life, the role of the Child and Family Team Meeting, and what preventing burn out can look like. If a child is removed from their home, it is because there is a significant safety risk to their life. There's a lot of stigma surrounding CPS and understandably so at times, but the function when followed through on, is truly to keep a child safe. It is a traumatic and life changing experience. I see the result of this process when working with my foster youth in the group home. There is also a large assumption that the field of Social Work is specific to CPS. Not true! Social Work is a HUGE field focused on supporting humans in their social, mental, emotional well being.

My cousin came onto Souly Human! Bell is a Registered Dietitian with a background in Mental Health. Bell speaks on how her own life experiences have helped her connect with her patients both when working in the field of mental health, and now with nutrition. She explains where she is able to make connections between her patient's medical diagnosis and their own mental health journey. Also, turns out the imposter syndrome is a pretty common human experience... What does being healthy look like when it comes to our relationship with food?

Dany and I went through both our undergraduate and graduate social work program together. We both started working as mental health clinicians shortly after graduating and are currently still growing as therapists. Dany and I talk about things that we recommend as therapists, but don't always do... Your therapist is also a human and also experiencing different life seasons. Even WE sometimes get pushed to our limit or have clients that truly require all of our energy and it can get exhausting. We have different ways of getting through the seasons where life is throwing things at us while still doing our best to hold space for our clients. One of these ways, is tapping into our inner child. Another way, is taking breaks. As we grow as therapists we do our best to continue learning with an open mind. We both remember bring taught (at some point) to become an expert at not being an expert, or, to keep from calling ourselves experts because this would mean the learning stops. As humans we are always learning, and as therapists we are always learning.

There are so many different ways to understand our physical and metaphysical selves. I never get tired about learning how we are connected within ourselves and to the Universe around us. Ashley speaks on moon cycles and hormonal cycles, the medical model, and how a women’s body moves through different phases. We talk together on the impact that our life experiences have on our physical being and what this can look like if we don't allow our body to experience and heal through its experiences. Ashley also taught me what the degrees of a zodiac sign represent and spoke with me on the Ego. Thanks for listening/watching friends, it truly means a lot! Talking with such amazing people each week has been so dope. As you go into your day, don't forget to practice empathy with yourself! Sources listed below. Episodes release weekly on Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Like and subscribe!

Truman, K. K. (2009). Feelings Buried Alive Never Die.

Williams , R. J. (1984). Biochemical Individuality, The key to understanding what shapes your health.

Hawkins, D. R. (2014). Power vs. force: The hidden determinants of human behavior. Hay House, Inc.

Van Der Kolk, B. (2015). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Books.

Clapp M, Aurora N, Herrera L, Bhatia M, Wilen E, Wakefield S. Gut microbiota's effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clin Pract. 2017 Sep 15;7(4):987. doi: 10.4081/cp.2017.987. PMID: 29071061; PMCID: PMC5641835.

What does vulnerability look like in this season? As a fighter Michelle talks about perceptions of vulnerability in the fight world, what vulnerability can unlock as a fighter, and how outside of the gym vulnerability shows up for her. Together we talk on how vulnerability shows up in our relationships and with our self. My favorite part of this episode is when Michelle gives her definition of "self". How do you define "self" and what fuels YOUR Soul?

Es and I touched on a lot around relationships; how we grow out of them, and into ourselves. We both come from immigrant parent/Christian households. Both of these influenced how we experienced (and still do) life. How we form attachments and how we perceive the things around us has a lot to do with our relationships with caregivers growing up; shout out to my anxious attachment styles! Letting go is not a weakness, sometimes it is the purest form of self love and the first step to healing. “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time” -Maya Angelou. Like and Subscribe! Episodes release weekly on Friday mornings.