The Mental Wellness Practice

Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. In The Mental Wellness Practice, you can learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In episode 47, Dr. Shainna is joined by Craig Smith, husband, father, therapist, podcaster, and creator of the FOCUS Journal. Together they examine the quote, “People-pleasing is self-abandonment dressed up as kindness” and offer practical, compassionate guidance to shift from people-pleasing towards kindness.

Here are some questions that are addressed in this episode:

• What is kindness?

• What is self-abandonment?

• What is people-pleasing?

• What is self-betrayal?

• What is self-neglect?

• Why do we people-please?

• How do we know if we are people-pleasing?

• How can we practice genuine kindness?

• What is the connection between self-love and kindness?

About Craig:

Craig Smith is a powerful man of God, a patient, present, loving father and husband, a FAITH spreader, a LOVE giver, and a HOPE dealer. He strives to live every day attracting love, success, and abundance into his life and inspire as many people as he can to do the same.

For over a decade, Craig has helped individuals change their mindset and create the desired change in their lives. Craig strives to live and promote the Greatest Day Mindset, which is a lifestyle, a way of living every day with a positive attitude. It is choosing to be happy and live your life with energy, no matter your circumstances. Craig believes that while today may not be your last day on earth, it is the only day so why not choose to make today the Greatest Day of your life.

Follow Craig on IG

Join the Inner Greatness Community

Checkout the free Focus on Gratitude Community

Checkout the FOCUS journal

About Dr. Shainna:

Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as Vogue, ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. 

Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook →⁠ @drshainna⁠ Find more resources, workshops, and support →⁠ ⁠⁠www.drshainna.com⁠

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at⁠ www.tapeher.com⁠

💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at⁠ www.anxiring.com⁠

Mental Wellness Resources:

Designing Healthy Boundaries

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. In The Mental Wellness Practice, you can learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In episode 46, Dr. Shainna helps us understand what reparenting is, why it matters, and how to begin the journey.

Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

 Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com 💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Additional Mental Wellness Resources:

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. In The Mental Wellness Practice, you can learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In episode 45, Dr. Shainna encourages us on challenging common misconceptions about rest and challenges us to redefine rest in order to cultivate wellbeing.

Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook →⁠ @drshainna⁠ Find more resources, workshops, and support →⁠ ⁠⁠www.drshainna.com⁠

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

 Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of ⁠The Life Shift Podcast⁠ for the intro and outro production.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at⁠ www.tapeher.com⁠

💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at⁠ www.anxiring.com⁠

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Additional Mental Wellness Resources:

⁠The Self-Love Workbook⁠

⁠The Self-Love Workbook for Teens⁠

⁠The Self-Love Planner⁠

⁠Luna Finds Love Everywhere⁠

Find a Mental Health Provider:

⁠National Alliance on Mental Illness⁠

⁠National Mental Health Lifeline⁠

⁠Open Path⁠

⁠Therify⁠

⁠Melanin & Mental Health⁠

⁠Inclusive Therapists⁠

⁠Therapy for Black Girls⁠

⁠Asian Mental Health Collective⁠

Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. In The Mental Wellness Practice, you can learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies.

In episode 44 , Dr. Shainna offers seven practical strategies to help you seek your center while dealing with difficult people. This episode isn’t about toxic people so much as it is about how you can be genuine to yourself when engaging with them.

Stay Connected:

Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

 Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com

💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Additional Mental Wellness Resources:

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

In this episode, Dr. Shainna Ali, a mental health therapist, educator, and advocate dives into microcheating. What is it? Is it always a problem?

You'll hear:

• What microcheating is
• Why perspective matters
• Examples of microcheating
• Tips to rebuild after microcheating

Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

 Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com

💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Additional Mental Wellness Resources:

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. In The Mental Wellness Practice, you can learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies.

None of us get it right all the time, and that doesn’t make us toxic. If you’ve ever worried that you might be showing up in ways that hurt others, or yourself, this conversation is for you. In this episode, Dr. Shainna gently explores what it means to reflect on your behavior with honesty, curiosity, and care. You’ll learn how to recognize unhelpful patterns without judgment, unpack where they come from, and take empowered steps toward growth. Because being human means we’re always learning, and learning is healing.

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:

• What it really means to be “toxic”

• How to recognize toxic patterns in yourself without spiraling into shame

• Reflection questions to promote personal accountability

• Common roots of toxic traits (e.g., fear, trauma)

• How to move from awareness to meaningful behavior change

• The power of self-love, forgiveness, and boundaries in healing
  

Stay Connected:

Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

 Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at⁠ www.anxiring.com⁠

💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com

Additional Mental Wellness Resources:

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Do you think your anxiety is sabotaging you? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Shainna explores how reframing anxiety can shift how we manage stress, build self-awareness, and empower healing. If you or someone you love struggles with anxiety, chronic overwhelm, or burnout, this episode will introduce a compassionate new perspective.

Learn how anxiety functions in the body, why it might be misunderstood, and what it could mean to treat it more like a misunderstood protector than an inner critic.

Whether you’re just starting your mental wellness journey or you’ve been doing this work for years, this episode offers practical reflection tools you can begin using right away.

In This Episode You’ll Hear About:
The biological roots of anxiety as a survival response

 How our nervous system interprets stress

 Why anxiety is not your enemy

A mindset shift that can reduce overwhelm

Gentle affirmations to build trust with your body

Stay Connected:

Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com

💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.

 Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com

💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com

To learn more, read Anxiety Isn't The Problem.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.

Additional Mental Wellness Resources:

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

The Mental Wellness Practice Podcast is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your wellbeing. In season 4, we are looking at different types of coping skills that you may want to add to your self-care practice. In this episode, we are joined by Krizia Capeles Evans the creator of “Use Your Light” an initiative to inspire others to learn more about issues affecting our world today, and to help readers learn about ways to shine their light on causes that they care about. Tune in to learn about how service can affect your mental well-being.

This episode covers:

• What service is

• Krizia’s experiences with service

• How service affects our wellness

• How to explore service as a self-care skill

• Finding your passion for service

• Ideas to delve into service

About Krizia:

Krizia has been serving in the Central Florida community for over 10 years through volunteer groups, AmeriCorps programs, and through her professional roles as a Justice Director for a large congregation, and the Executive Director for the nonprofit she founded, From Outside In.

Today, Krizia aims to inspire individuals, and families, to shine their light on social issues in order to create a better community and world. She created the “Use Your Light” website to inspire others to learn more about issues affecting our world today, and to help readers learn about ways to shine their light on causes that they care about.

Follow Krizia on Instagram

Checkout the Use Your Light mission

About Dr. Shainna:

Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of The Mental Wellness Practice, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

We all have mental health, and this is the place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. Season four is dedicated to helping you explore a variety of strategies to help you enhance your self-care practice. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Aric Prather a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and author of "The Sleep Prescription: 7 days to unlocking your best rest," who helps us learn all about sleep hygiene and mental wellness.

Tune in to explore:

• What sleep hygiene is

• How the lack of sleep affects our wellness

• Tips to improve sleep hygiene

About Dr. Prather

Dr. Aric A. Prather is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. His research program focuses on how poor sleep can impact mental and physical health. Dr. Prather is also a licensed clinical psychologist who treats insomnia patients using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. He is also the author of "The Sleep Prescription: 7 days to unlocking your best rest.".

To learn more

Connect on Twitter

Checkout Dr. Prather’s website

About Dr. Shainna:

Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.

Mental Wellness Resources:

Designing Healthy Boundaries

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective

We all have mental health, and this is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your wellbeing. In season 4, we are looking at different types of coping skills that you may want to add to your self-care practice. In this episode, we are joined by Craig Smith, a therapist and creator of the FOCUS Journal who is going to help us explore gratitude as a mental wellness skill.

Tune in to explore:

• What gratitude is

• The benefits of gratitude

• What is the difference between toxic positivity and gratitude practice

• How to manage negativity

• How curiosity helps to foster gratitude

• The key word to use to shift into gratitude

• What a gratitude practice looks like

• Strategies to improve gratitude

• How to “borrow” gratitude 

• Practicing grace with gratitude

About Craig:

Craig Smith is a powerful man of God, a patient, present, loving father and husband, a FAITH spreader, a LOVE giver, and a HOPE dealer. He strives to live every day attracting love, success, and abundance into his life and inspire as many people as he can to do the same.

For over a decade, Craig has helped individuals change their mindset and create the desired change in their lives. Craig strives to live and promote the Greatest Day Mindset, which is a lifestyle, a way of living every day with a positive attitude. It is choosing to be happy and live your life with energy, no matter your circumstances. Craig believes that while today may not be your last day on earth, it is the only day so why not choose to make today the Greatest Day of your life.

Follow Craig on IG

Join the Inner Greatness Community

Checkout the free Focus on Gratitude Community

Checkout the FOCUS journal

About Dr. Shainna:

Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.

Mental Wellness Resources:

Designing Healthy Boundaries

The Self-Love Workbook

The Self-Love Workbook for Teens

The Self-Love Planner

Luna Finds Love Everywhere

Find a Mental Health Provider:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Mental Health Lifeline

Open Path

Therify

Melanin & Mental Health

Inclusive Therapists

Therapy for Black Girls

Asian Mental Health Collective