This week Jor-El and Rachel are joined by Emily Merrell, the founder of Six Degrees Society.  Emily founded Six Degrees Society to create spaces for women entrepreneurs to establish contact with others and learn from one another. Emily left her job working in fashion to help create warm, accessible environments where people could connect and learn from one another with authenticity and ease. And thus, Six Degrees Society was born!Rachel and Jor-El talk with Emily about her journey into business, the challenges she faced and how she dealt with them, as well her exciting plans for 2020. Take a listen and don’t forget to send in your questions and feedback to us @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. And please leave a rating and review on iTunes so that we can grow out podcast even further. Thanks for listening! You can learn more about Emily and Six Degrees Society at the following link https://sixdegreessociety.com/.

Love it or hate it (we don’t judge!), the holiday season is here! This week, Rachel and Jor-El talk all about the holiday season, the pressures that come with this time of year and some helpful ways to manage your mental health throughout the season. In the episode, our hosts challenge the notion that there is only one right way to do the holidays. They also offer up some concrete tips on how to make it through the long days which you might be spending alone, with family, or friends.  Take a listen and feel free to share with us your favorite ways to survive the holidays! We also think you might enjoy these related blog posts!   How to Survive the Holidays As a Couple Making the Holidays Work For You   As always, don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Do you make it a point to have laughter be a part of your wellness routine?  Maybe you should!  Laughter and humor are things we often feel but don’t talk about and they can be incredibly important and vital to health and wellness. Listen to this week’s episode as Rachel and Jor-El weigh in on the health benefits of laughter and talk about how humor fits in their lives both in an outside of the therapy room. Enjoy! As always, don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Do you often struggle to face difficult conversations head on?  Listen in as Rachel and Jor-El delve into their thoughts on dealing with hard conversations and the best ways to move forward even if you're feeling uncomfortable. And why difficult conversations are needed to maintain healthy relationships altogether! And, as always, feel free to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

This week, Rachel and Jor-El sit down with writer and sex positivity advocate Zachary Zane. In this episode,  Zach shares about his personal experience acknowledging his own bisexuality, how he came to write about sexuality and relationships more broadly and the role of of sex positivity in his life. Zach also shares with us how important it is to have queer affirming services in healthcare through the We Need a Button campaign which aims to ensure that all LGBTQIA+ people can get access to affirming supportive services.     You can also learn more about, and keep with Zach on his Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zacharyzane_/.   You may also want to check out the following resources which Zach mentioned:Lighthouse www.lighthouse.lgbt (LGBTQIA+ affirming healthcare directory) Bisexual.org (Resouce site on bisexuality) Dating Positives (STI positive dating site) And don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Did you know that mental health stigma is highly associated with a lack of engagement in mental health services?  And with 1 in 5 adult Americans experiencing mental illness each year (and only 43% getting treatment), we need to stomp out stigma.   In our latest episode, hosts Rachel and Jor-El talk all about it. They each offer up some everyday examples of how we all may unintentionally contribute to mental health stigma. Our hosts also talk about the role of influencers and how they can be much more helpful in fighting stigma by documenting their stories rather than trying to educate the masses as faux experts.   Take a listen!   And don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

There’s so much pressure these days to live a life of balance. But, what does that really mean? AND IS IT EVEN ATTAINABLE?! Trying to keep all major areas of your life together can sometimes feel like you’re spinning plates, waiting for them all to crash. The pressure leaves many people feeling overwhelmed and very self-critical. In this episode, Jor-El and Rachel talk all things balance and even give you a little insight on how to finally get your piece of the pie (tune in to learn what that means)! Don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

In this latest episode Rachel and Jor-El talk with mental health advocate and runner Sasha Wolff. Sasha shares with us how she was inspired by her own hospitalization and mental health struggles to create an online community that’s now spreading out into real life.  “Still I Run” was inspired by the Maya Angelou poem Still I Rise, which has long been a beacon for those hoping to thrive despite difficult circumstances. This is exactly what Sasha hopes to create with her network. We talk with her about how telling her story helped her follow Brene Brown’s lead on reducing shame and embracing vulnerability. Tune in to hear about Sasha’s story of how she found more purpose as she became a voice for reducing mental health stigma. Learn more about Still I Run on their Facebook page. Related: Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability (TED Talk)

This week on the podcast Rachel and Jor-El talk with Henry Calantog, more commonly referred to as Mr. C, Rachel’s past martial arts teacher!  Mr. C talks with us about life as a first generation Filipino, his journey towards reluctant entrepreneurship and how creating your own path and listening to yourself can be powerful keys to success and life satisfaction. Mr. C was so gracious in sharing so much wisdom, and he even shared some great stories about young Rachel along the way. We hope that you enjoy! Don't forget to tweet or DM us your questions and feedback. You can reach us at @vivawellnessnyc, @rachelgersten and @jorelcaraballo on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Hosts Jor-El and Rachel chat with Ali Feller: runner, mother, writer and host of the Ali on the Run Show Podcast. In this episode we talk with Ali about her life, the challenges (and benefits) of vulnerability and her fierce advocacy for those living with Crohn's Disease. Ali shares with us the connection between stress and Crohn’s as well as the importance of embracing empathy and compassion in contemporary society and the realities of living with a chronic condition. Related: Ali on the Run blog Listen to the Ali on the Run Show What is Crohn’s Disease? By the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation A Day in the Life with Chronic Pain on the Viva Wellness blog