Unfortunately, the field of mental health is susceptible to gimmicks, just like any other industry. Today we focus on the basic, time-tested pillars of mental health versus the quick fixes that get you nowhere. Mental health is not a birthright. It's not inherited. It's not easy. Like physical health, mental health takes work and commitment. Frankly, it's hard work. It's much easier to make excuses for ourselves than it is to confront ourselves and truly grow, just like it's a lot easier to sit on the couch and not work our bodies. But mental health is accessible to all who are willing to put in the time, patience, and commitment to living a mentally healthy lifestyle.

For information on NP groups: https://www.vanessalondino.com/contact

Happy New Year to all! This week, we take a thorough look at what we're carrying with us into 2024 and what we need to let go of. Carrying extra weight will slow us down, causing us to lose focus on our dreams and goals. We talk about what "baggage" means and how to live light and free. So many of us carry the burden of others' choices as well as the untenable weight of the past. Today we talk about how to let it all go.

To learn more about the Naturopathic Psychotherapy group, starting this year: https://www.vanessalondino.com/contact

The study I referenced: https://annals-general-psychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12991-022-00406-1

This week we have a special guest: Dr. David Thornton. David is a licensed clinical pastoral therapist and an expert in spiritual abuse. At a time of year when so many are observing religious traditions and searching for God, it's also a time of year when many get in touch with their own emptiness and longing for something beyond us. This week, we take a deep look at what it means to be safe on a spiritual level. This interview will have you laughing, crying, and searching your own soul. It's an episode that can't be missed! Please share it with anyone who needs a reason to hope.

David's website: https://davidthorntontherapy.com/

Contact me for information on the group starting in February: https://www.vanessalondino.com/contact

If you'd like to request a podcast on a particular topic: [email protected]

Chances are, we're going to be spending some time around family this time of year. Some of those old triggers come back, and before we know it, we're acting like we did before we ever stepped foot in therapy. Don't despair! The chains of family dysfunction are thick and strong, but you can break them. This week we take a look at how they develop and how to break free.

The article I referenced: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-parents-rsquo-trauma-leaves-biological-traces-in-children/

Purchase the Toolbox: https://www.amazon.com/Toolbox-Tools-Build-Relationships-Repair/dp/1736381318/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CKW24Y6T3ZDY&keywords=vanessa+londino&qid=1701657648&sprefix=vanessa+londino%2Caps%2C408&sr=8-1

Get info about Naturopathic Psychotherapy groups: https://www.vanessalondino.com/contact

The nature of human beings is: we internalize the voices we surround ourselves with. As we start winding down this year and enter into the holiday season, it's a good time to consider: whose voices are allowed in your life? Whose messages have you internalized to be your own? This has a remarkable impact on our mental health.

To order the Toolbox: https://www.amazon.com/Toolbox-Tools-Build-Relationships-Repair/dp/1736381318/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KQW80JOB4TXC&keywords=vanessa+londino&qid=1700455403&sprefix=vanessa+londino%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1

To learn more about the online group starting in 2024: https://www.vanessalondino.com/contact