Now than ever before society is more aware of mental health.  This increased awareness of mental health comes with an overload of information for individuals to comb through and apply to their own lives.  Mental health resources are coming from self help, religious/spiritual leaders,  life coaches , mental health advocates and mental health professionals.  It is important to navigate the world of information carefully to avoid problems such as self diagnosing,  learning false information and health anxiety. This episode presents tips to be aware of as individuals explore the plethora of information widely accessible now.

Bringing change to our lives can be difficult. One area we have found to be helpful for growth is recognizing the difference between ownership vs responsibility. Sometimes we need to take ownership for our behaviors, thoughts and emotions in order to bring about change. There are times, however, when there's no ownership to take. These are times when the root cause of a problem may not be us. In these times, its important that individuals recognize there's a responsibility to identify how our behaviors, thoughts, and emotions could be contributing to a problem in order to live the healthier life. In this episode, we highlight the difference between ownership and responsibility , discuss why its important and provide examples of the two.  This episode may be what you need to hear to get you closer to your goals!

No matter someone's race, gender,  popularity, fame, or  social economic status, most everyone is seeking happiness. Happiness is a universal language sought after continuously.  In this episode Drs. Tiffany and Mariza raise the question "Is Happiness a Myth?"  They discuss what happiness really is and is it something truly obtainable?  Is happiness something we should all be striving for? And is seeking happiness in fact causing us to be unhappy?   

With the ending of each year, it's typical to reflect back on the last 12 months to evaluate what the year brought.  As 2020 ends, we suspect the same will happen as we all review this year.  The ups, downs, twists, turns, met and unmet goals, unexpected blessings, wins, losses, and everything in-between.  In this episode Dr. Tiffany and Dr. Mariza review 2020, discuss New Year Resolutions versus goals, how they are different, why so many are not met, and provide tips on how to set goals in a way they can actually be achieved in the new year. If you are ready to accomplish something different in the new year, this episode is for you. 

Between this year’s presidential election and the Black Lives Matter movement, 2020 showed us that we, "the people", are powerful  when it comes to addressing issues of public concern and creating change.  We used civic engagement to bring unprecedented voting and attention to our concerns like never before. This episode focuses on what is social policy, how this aspect of politics can impact our mental health and teaches us how we can bring change to policies. Our guest Ngozi O. Lawal, a project director for the Center for the Study of Social Policy's (CSSP) and longtime social policy analyst, joined us to discuss these issues. If you have had concerns about mental health resources, treatment and support, this episode is for you! Ngozi O. Lawal can be reached at 1575 Eye Street N.W. Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 or [email protected].

Being in and maintaining healthy relationships is hard. Navigating a healthy, relationship with law enforcement/first responders can be especially difficult due to chronic stress brought by the demands of their profession. In this episode Dr. Tiffany and Dr. Mariza speak with Cyndi Doyle, LPCS, NCC, CDWF, CCISM, a psychotherapist who provides couples therapy for law enforcement and first responders.  Cyndi is a law enforcement wife and the founder of Code4Couples, a resource for successful law enforcement/first responder relationships.  You can find out more about Cyndi and her work at code4couple.com

Are you a woman who suffers with “Superwoman Syndrome”? You know, the woman who has to be all things to everyone and everything and be the best at it while doing it?  The woman who is always busy, but whose work is never done?  In this episode we speak with Crystal Carroll, a self-proclaimed “Superwoman”, who takes us on her journey from being a stay at home supermom, to a full-time professional, and now an entrepreneur in her new endeavor Crystals Ladybug Creations.  For all the “Superwomen” out there, we believe her story is one you will certainly be able to relate to.  Find out more about Crystal on social media @crystalsladybugcreations and on crystalsladybugcreations.com.

The months of November and December bring about the holiday season, which is thought to be a "wonderful time of the year", a time to enjoy a season of thanks and joy. This episode questions - is it truly the most wonderful time of the year? During the holidays many people are looking forward to festivities, while others  experience it as a time of stress, anxiety and depression. A recent survey of the National Alliance of Mental Illness  showed around 24% of people with a mental health problems find that the holidays make their condition “a lot” worse and 40% “somewhat” worse. This sentiment is also shared by people without diagnoses who experience loneliness, financial burden and other difficulties during the holidays. In 2020, this has been especially true. Join us as we bring awareness to the realities of this time of the year.

One of the things the COVID-19 pandemic has made so many of us painfully aware of is the detrimental effects of loneliness.  The pandemic has caused many of us to revaluate our friendships and the importance of having them.  In this episode we brought in four of Dr. Mariza's best girlfriends: Kimberly, Gina, Christina, and Keila to discuss their unique sisterhood bond, what it means to them, how they have maintained their friendships for over 30 years, and what the pandemic has taught them about their friendships.  This was a great conversation on the importance of girlfriends.    

In therapy we see a myriad of issues related to relationships and marriages.  One topic in particular that shows up often is the husband/spouse feeling neglected due to the needs and concerns of the children taking precedence over them.  Research suggests that parents who love and show love for each other yields happier children, as this teaches them how to love and care for others.  While this may be the true, it is arguable that some parents believe  you should put your children ahead of your husband/spouse because they need more attention and nurturing.  Tune in to hear our thoughts about this topic.  You might be surprised to hear our take on this.