Erin's coach challenged her to read her own words to herself when struggling with body issues. Let us know what conditions you place on your worthiness and how you have acted to break this cycle. Email [email protected]

Buy Erin's book at https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Could-See-Motherhood/dp/1628654341/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=if+you+could+see+me+erin+mahone&qid=1605209783&sr=8-1

Join the conversation and share your story at www.ifyoucouldseeme.com

We are proud members of the Mental Health News Radio Network!

This week Erin welcomed Kim Flournoy DiJoseph to the show! This powerful conversation was hopefully just the beginning of many more!

Kim Flournoy DiJoseph of the shadow work integration practice, @hotmesswork, has been called a “punk rock, modern-day Chinese medicine woman” who “sees the clearest in the dark,” and described by clients as having a “unique blend of intuitive healer and coach” and “someone who does her own work, so she can prepare and guide us in ours.”


With 25+ years of combined, professional practice as a psychodynamic-bent, trauma-informed therapist way before the term was a thing, a social justice and anti-violence advocate building empathy and bridges across the victim/perpetrator dichotomy, and an associate professor in teaching with emphasis in vicarious trauma and holistic wellness of social work students and practitioners, Kim is firmly grounded in a continuum of theoretical and systematically-legitimized approaches to teaching and supporting folx through crisis, grief, trauma, and change. In part catalyzed by a transformative and karmic-jolting awakening following the murder of her mother in 2012, Kim’s personal, healing journey and practice evolved into a calling to serve and offer a new-to-her way to approach supporting folx: @hotmesswork


Hot Mess Work as an approach is a fluid, yet integrated merging of innate abilities, Jungian shadow work, eastern religion and Chinese shamanism, evolutionary astrology, mindfulness practice, the iChing, and whatever else just feels true and right. Regardless of the influence, the work is intuitively guided by messages and confirmations that come through psychically from Kim’s own and/or clients’ ancestors.The major emphasis of this work is accurately identifying the root of client’s stuckness and the subsequent integration of all of their parts, shadow and light -- ultimately, for folks to work on their own sh*t as a means to working on our much-needed universal collective shift.


Kim is a cisgender, non-black POC mother, healer, writer, teacher, partner, consultant, and innerwork activist living and loving in Richmond, Virginia with a native Carolina blue heart. She is especially grateful for time in the kitchen and the ocean.

Support our show by supporting our affiliates!

Get the irel8 app and support The If You Could See Me Project at the same time!
https://irel8.org/ifyoucouldseeme/

iRel8 is a global, anonymous peer empowerment platform focused on mental wellness. Our platform brings people together in a safe community with others who have “been there, done that”, with the goal of helping and healing each other. iRel8 believes people have an innate need to connect to one another and uses Microsoft technology to Stop the Stigma while making a positive impact on mental wellness.

iRel8 provides access 24/7/365 in a confidential and safe mobile app, and brings communities of people together to help and heal each other.

M. Melissa Earley, RN, BSN, QMHP-C, NHDP-BC, is a survivor of domestic minor sex trafficking who has dedicated her life to working in healthcare. She earned her National Registry Certification as a Paramedic at The Medical College of Virginia in 1988 and has maintained her Paramedic Certification ever since. Throughout her EMS career she has held many leadership positions, including an appointment to the inaugural State Childhood Injury Prevention Committee. Ms. Earley later earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University. Choosing to devote much of her career to child and adolescent behavioral health afforded her the opportunity to register with the Board of Counseling as a Qualified Mental Health Professional- Child. Ms. Earley is also a National Healthcare Disaster Professional – Board Certified by the ANCC and is a member of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Disaster Behavioral Health Team and actively volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps. Ms. Earley has been involved in advocacy at the level of the state legislature for decades. To date she considers her greatest achievement as an advocate to be notifying her main perpetrator’s wife after learning that her perpetrator had three young children, all girls, about his history. His wife confirmed the information and was able to safely leave the marriage and prevent further contact with the children. Ms. Earley has used her past experience to educate and train various organizations and groups in order to raise awareness of human trafficking and to give the unique perspective of a survivor through the lens of a healthcare provider.

On September 3rd a group of amazing storytellers, lightworkers, artists, and mental health professionals came together from across the U.S., to share an evening of Seeking and Solidarity via zoom.

Hosted by Erin Mahone

Featuring Stories from:
Amber Maiden
Sean Wellington (https://speakersean.com/)
Tamara Cervenka
Khadijah Tishan (https://khadijahtishan.com/)
Bob Dancer

Episode Sponsor:
Get the app and support The If You Could See Me Project at the same time!
https://irel8.org/ifyoucouldseeme/

iRel8 is a global, anonymous peer empowerment platform focused on mental wellness. Our platform brings people together in a safe community with others who have “been there, done that”, with the goal of helping and healing each other. iRel8 believes people have an innate need to connect to one another and uses Microsoft technology to Stop the Stigma while making a positive impact on mental wellness.

iRel8 provides access 24/7/365 in a confidential and safe mobile app, and brings communities of people together to help and heal each other.

What an incredible conversation this week with Michelle Mercurio about grief, storytelling, love, growth, and letting go of what is in order to be able to accept what can be.

Michelle Mercurio is...

Writer. Firebrand. Catalyst. Authenticist. Boxer.

My mission in life is to help people not miss their lives.

Is it possible to let go of what is holding you back, align to your purpose and create your legacy? I think so. Whether I’m working with transformational entrepreneurs to write their brand’s story (and helping them create profitable businesses they love), or I’m having a porch picnic with my family and friends, I believe we could all be a little more ourselves, and a little less of who the world “expects” us to be. We are the answer we seek. Let’s make some magic in this world. Find me at michellemercurio.com or socially on IG and LinkedIn where I regularly drop truth bombs.

Michelle's Resources:

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

MISS Foundation for those who have lost a child - both national and local chapters.

Locally in Richmond, VA:

Full Circle Grief Center is an amazing organization that creatively supports children and adults through their grief process: http://www.fullcirclegc.org/

Karla Helbert does some pretty incredible workshops and has a private practice specializing in grief counseling: http://www.karlahelbert.com/

The If You Could See Me Project is changing lives by helping people change their stories! Please support our work by making a monthly pledge through our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/ifyoucouldseeme or by subscribing, liking and reviewing in apple podcasts, and by sharing with your friends!

This week Erin talks to CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Amy Newmark. They address the role of the iconic institution in the ever changing world of media, working to create an inclusive space, and more!

Amy Newmark is the bestselling author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Since 2008, she has published more than 170 new books, most of them national bestsellers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul titles in print today. She is also the author of Simply Happy, a crash course in Chicken Soup for the Soul advice and wisdom that is filled with easy-to-implement, practical tips for enjoying a better life.
Amy is credited with revitalizing the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, which has been a publishing industry phenomenon since the first book came out in 1993. By compiling inspirational and aspirational true stories curated from ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences, Amy has kept the twenty-seven-year-old Chicken Soup for the Soul brand fresh and relevant.
Amy graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University where she majored in Portuguese and minored in French. She then embarked on a three-decade career as a Wall Street analyst, a hedge fund manager, and a corporate executive in the technology field. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Her return to literary pursuits was inevitable, as her honors thesis in college involved traveling throughout Brazil’s impoverished northeast region, collecting stories from regular people. She is delighted to have come full circle in her writing career—from collecting stories “from the people” in Brazil as a twenty-year-old to, three decades later, collecting stories “from the people” for Chicken Soup for the Soul.
When Amy and her husband Bill, the CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul, are not working, they are visiting their four grown children and their grandchildren.
Follow Amy on Twitter @amynewmark. Listen to her free podcast, The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, the Podcasts app on iPhone, or by using your favorite podcast app on other devices.

The If You Could See Me Project is changing lives by helping people change their stories! Please support our work by making a monthly pledge through our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/ifyoucouldseeme or by subscribing, liking and reviewing in apple podcasts, and by sharing with your friends!

This week's episode is SO AWESOME!! Erin talks with therapist and author Kadijah Tishan. They talk about Kadijah's book, motherhood, Black Lives Matter, womanhood, being "crazy" and owning every bit of it!

Khadijah Tishan is a Licensed Therapist, REAL Life Strategist and Published Author.

REAL; How to Live and Serve Abundantly
a memoir of generational trauma, mental health and work it takes create sustainable self care as a wounded healer.
Radical Empathy and healing is so crucial for our work and I am working to change the narrative of generational trauma and burnout.

Khadijah created a space for generational trauma breakers that offers tools strategy and support.
REAL is available now on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Empathic-Acceptance-Life-Abundantly/dp/1734357401


https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Empathic-Acceptance-Life-Abundantly/dp/1734357401/ref=sr_1_2?crid=WBCQ3HJQA981&dchild=1&keywords=radical+empathic+acceptance+of+life&qid=1593397985&sprefix=radical+empathic+%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-2

https://www.instagram.com/khadijahtishan/

https://www.facebook.com/khadijahtishan/notifications/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/khadijah-tishan-a13787106/

https://twitter.com/KhadijahTishan

https://khadijahtishan.com/

Sarah McFarland is the Founder of The Learning and Integrating New Knowledge and Skills Center, Inc. (The LINKS Center, Inc.). a nonprofit organization that provides support services to families caring for children diagnosed with mental illness. Sarah uses her lived experience to encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to move from hopelessness to wholeness. Her work includes, Certified Parent Support Provider, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, Youth Counselor, CASA Guardian Ad Liten volunteer, Advocate for Sexual Trauma Services and Domestic Violence Prevention and Mental Illness. Sarah is a Board member, advocate and facilitator for NAMI, The National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Overcoming Adversity and living with Resilience

Whether we like it or not adversity is part of life. Overcoming adversity is one of the big challenges we have in life. Sarah has overcome and defy the odds, succeed in the face of adversity, survive tragedy and display strength and resilience when challenged. She will inspire you through her story of success and achievement following tragedy, injury, hardship and abandonment. Sarah's story below will inspire and show you exactly what can be achieved when faced with adversity. Sarah is dedicated to her work and has utilised every opportunity to further her involvement in the community. Sarah wishes to inspire others to accept the differences in our multicultural society and with that make a difference in our society. Sarah utilizes her powerful and inspired voice to advocate equality and acceptance within her community. She has become an optimistic and passionate representative of both Faith and Rural communities.

Find out more about The Links Center: www.thelinkscenterinc.org

Craig Lewis joins Erin for the second time in as many months. This time he shares aspects of his medical journey, the discovery of medicinal cannabis as a treatment for his mental health symptoms that brought him relief for the first time in his life. In this powerful episode, Erin sits with Craig as he describes the pain, shame, abandonment, anger, and desperation he has felt on his long journey to healing. Craig is raw and open about his life, his experiences, his mistakes, and the liberation of shifting his perspective. Listeners can find numerous ways to connect with Craig through the various links below, to purchase his books, art, and to invite him to train or speak for your organization.

Visit our blog to read excerpts from Craig’s new book! https://www.ifyoucouldseeme.com/blog

Craig Lewis chooses to be happy. During the past five years, Craig has been healing from a traumatic brain injury, he was disowned by his family for speaking about childhood abuse, he was disinherited by his working community in the United States after he reported sexual and ethical violations in the workplace, he spent 15 months homeless mostly in Europe and while there he gave more than 50 professional mental health trainings and community empowerment events and now he has just celebrated his one year anniversary of living in Mexico, where he arrived with nothing but a backpack and the clothes on his body, and without speaking the language. Craig has published two books (one of which is currently available in 10 languages) and in the next few months he will be publishing three new books including a coping skills workbook based on what he has learned during the past 5 years, titled, “The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible”. Craig lives his life with Viktor Frankl and other brilliant spirits whispering in his ear, and this has resulted in his happiness.

Punk Rock Mental Health and Recovery Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/898953743881374/

Email and Paypal: [email protected]

WhatsApp: 527771885400

Sanity is a Full time Job: Marginalized Folks Supporting Marginalized Folks; an Etsy shop with art made by people in Recovery. This shop supports people who are trying to make a living through their art while focusing on their recovery and working to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health and related issues.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SanityIsAFullTimeJob?fbclid=IwAR1mAmkKnnDmE2-Po6urCocDekveGdmDiY0q5bUiOvDIQXL6PgJmmkMC8UY

Richmond Virginia native, Douglas Powell/Roscoe Burnems is a poet, published author, spoken-word artist, comedian, educator, father, and husband who has dedicated his craft to entertaining and educating.

Performance poetry has afforded him the opportunity to enlighten and entertain crowds across the country; he's been seen everywhere from coffee shops and schools, to universities, theaters, and arenas. In 2019 he added a TEDx Talk to his list of accomplishments, speaking at a TEDxYouth event in November of 2019. He is no stranger to community and youth engagement. He has been a staple in the Arts Education scene for years and highlights arts integration as a host for PBS/VPM's The Art Scene.

As a “slam poet” he has been a two-time regional finalist (2009, 2014), National Poetry Slam Champion (2014), NPS Group Piece Finalist (2018), and NUPIC/Underground Slam Champion (2019). He is the founder and member of The Writer's Den Poetry Slam team and collective. With Roscoe as a coach The Writer's Den has been consistently ranked top 10 in the country. As a poetry slam coach he also took the VCU poetry slam team to be ranked 3rd in the world (2018). In addition to the putting on poetry-based events and poetry slams, the collective -consisting of mostly poets, but also songwriters, bloggers, and visual artists- conducts writing and performance workshops for youth and adults.

Douglas hasn't limited his passion to competitions. He is the author of three published works: Fighting Demons, Chrysalis Under Fire, and God, Love, Death and Other Synonyms. He has also been published in over a dozen literary magazines and journals, including: Freeze Ray Magazine, Flypaper Magazine, Scene & Heard, Into Quarterly, Beltway Quarterly, Drunk in a Midnight Choir, and Rise Up Review.

Roscoe recently tapped into stand-up comedy with his groundbreaking special Traumedy, combining funny stories, jokes, wit, and sarcasm intertwined into prolific spoken word poems. The special has been featured in several magazines in Richmond, VA and is currently streaming. Comedy has been a quiet first love for him and he is now using it as another medium to shedding light on taboo topics.

Douglas Powell/ Roscoe Burnems has become a layered performer using his many talents to discuss trauma, resilience, and the human experience.

TEDx https://youtu.be/vqHvEFKXUCA
Traumedy Special: https://www.amazon.com/Traumedy-Poetry-Special-Douglas-Powell/dp/B0876CDXQ3
Website https://roscoeb.webs.com/
@RoscoeBurnems on all social media
$RoscoeB cashapp
@Roscoe-Burnems venmo
Roscoebpoetry PayPal
Watch Traumedy, and get his books – Chrysalis Under Fire, and God, Love, Death, and Other Synonyms, on Amazon