In this week's episode, Jenn and Audriannah interview Mindy Derseweh. Mindy is a holistic healer, meditation guide, and life coach working for Gather and Grow OC. In this interview, Audriannah and Jenn talk with Mindy about what holistic healing means, who might seek her out for coaching, and why someone would choose to access a multi-practitioner practice. At the end of the episode, Mindy leads listeners in a beautiful meditation focusing on cultivating self-love and kindne...

In the first episode of a Foundations of Coping series, Jenn and Audriannah do a deep dive into the "master skill" of mindfulness. In this time of disconnection and global trauma, tapping into the present moment can be challenging and uncomfortable, but necessary if we want to live our lives fully and with authenticity. Audriannah and Jenn discuss the origins of this skill and how it can promote honesty, intimacy, gentleness, and connection with ourselves and others. The la...

This week, Audriannah and Jenn discuss the concept of voting as an invitation to make your desires and needs known, akin to setting boundaries in a relationship. In a political climate where it is easy to feel out of control and helpless, this episode asks you to engage with your power of choice and step fully into difficult moments and difficult conversations. Jenn and Audriannah explore the idea of "the personal is political": how choosing to engage - or disengage - with politi...

After a brief hiatus, Audriannah and Jenn are back at it with an episode about the challenges of navigating life transitions. On a global scale, we find ourselves in both a pandemic and a highly volatile political climate, needing to constantly adjust our perspectives and settle into "a new normal"; individually, we experience changes on a smaller but equally important scale. Jenn and Audriannah share their recent personal experiences with transitions, as well ...

In her first solo episode, Jenn discusses an issue that is plaguing most folks right now: getting adequate, quality sleep. Topics include: the neurobiology of sleep; the symptomatic presentation of sleep as an embodiment of trauma, anxiety, or depression; the basics of sleep hygiene; rest as an act of rebellion against grind culture; and a layman's guide to dream interpretation. Rounding this episode out is a walk-through of how to do autogenic relaxation to help your mind, body, ...

In their first episode directly related to the "lived experience" of mental health, Jenn and Audriannah interview Robin Murray, a singer, actress, and improv comedian living in New York. Robin opens up about experiencing microaggressions and a lack of representation in her theatre education program, and how this impacted her mental health. Topics include the struggle of developing self-care practices and an authentic sense of self while navigating conflicting messages and an emoti...

As a follow-up to listener feedback from the previous episode "Answer Your Body's Call" (Episode 103), this is the second discussion of food and body as it relates to mental health. In this episode, Jenn and Audriannah discuss their personal experiences and global observations of what it is like to "be in our skin" during a public health crisis, as well as the resulting changes in our bodies, minds, and experience of food. The ladies offer a deep dive into the problems of di...

"Denial is a river in Egypt." This week, Audriannah and Jenn reflect on the strangeness of living in 2020, and the ways in which people may be defending themselves by denying, repressing, or otherwise avoiding harsh realities. The ladies discuss the Top 10 defense mechanisms as defined by psychodynamic theory, their evolutionary purpose, and how they can present individually, relationally, and globally. Jenn and Audriannah also present options for coping skills to help get "...

As podcasters in an ever-fluctuating world, Audriannah and Jenn chose to shift the order of episode releases in the wake of George Floyd's murder in order to address the more pressing issue of racial injustice. This episode - "Here's Your Permission Slip!" - was recorded immediately preceding Floyd's death, and is a deep dive into movement as an integral aspect of holistic health. Audriannah and Jenn sit down with yoga, dance, and movement practitioner Ashley Brown to discuss yoga...

Keeping in line with the podcast's goal of amplifying melanated voices, Jenn and Audriannah sat down (virtually) with Dr. Brigee Jackson to discuss the intersection of racial injustice and mental health. Dr. Jackson, a Black woman and an Oakland native, identifies herself a woman of faith and serves as the Clinical Counseling Coordinator for Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR). The ladies get vulnerable and "spicy" as they share personal experiences and professional viewpoints on ...