Who We Are Inside

Monica Ruiz, Executive Director of Casa San Jose in Pittsburgh, shares her journey from a case manager to an advocate for minority communities. She discusses challenges faced by Latino newcomers in the city and stresses the importance of embracing immigrants for future growth.

Show notes

Join Susan in conversation with Jule Arney in the second half of their conversation about their journey beyond acceptance to radical self love.

They discuss struggles with conforming to societal expectations, coming out to their parents, and finding acceptance within their black and LGBTQ+ communities. Influenced by their experiences navigating sexuality and gender identity, Jule shares poignant insights on the struggles of conforming to societal expectations while staying true to one’s authentic self.

Show notes

Join us for this two-part conversation with Jule Arney about their journey beyond acceptance to radical self love. They discuss struggles with conforming to societal expectations, coming out to their parents, and finding acceptance within their black and LGBTQ+ communities. Influenced by their experiences navigating sexuality and gender identity, Jule shares poignant insights on the struggles of conforming to societal expectations while staying true to one’s authentic self.

Show notes

Dr. Elizabeth Miller is a pediatrician and public health researcher who’s spent her career listening deeply — to young people, survivors, and the communities she works with. In this episode, she talks about what it takes to build real trust, how vicarious resilience can be just as powerful as vicarious trauma, and why joy and accountability can go hand in hand. It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation about showing up, staying present, and learning from the people around us.

Show notes

Imagine being a student who cannot go home during breaks because she will not be safe – who must focus on her doctoral work while carrying the fear of not knowing if her family will be okay tomorrow. This episode digs into these realities that many international students face and how one student finds joy in celebrating her culture and staying true to herself.

Show notes

Join us for a powerful conversation with Dr. Sidharth Kannan as he candidly shares his experiences with “ragging” in India, addiction, and the power of surrender to enable us to live with grace. If you or someone you know is or has ever struggled with addiction, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Show notes

Todd Whysong is co-founder, with his wife Alisa, of the Positive Painting Project, in honor of their daughter Katie who they lost to depression in March of 2021. Join us for a beautiful conversation about what it means to survive losing a child to depression and how Katie’s legacy heals others through art and community service.

This week's episode is the second part of a conversation that I had with Todd Wysong, who is a co-founder of the Positive Painting Project, and before I get into who Todd is and what the Positive Painting Project is, I wanted to offer a trigger warning. For those for whom listening to a conversation about major depressive disorder and suicide does not serve you, please skip over these next two episodes. Please be kind to yourself. Do what you feel you need to do, and not what you feel you should do.

-Susan

Show notes

Positive Painting Project

Todd Whysong is co-founder, with his wife Alisa, of the Positive Painting Project, in honor of their daughter Katie who they lost to depression in March of 2021. Join us for a beautiful conversation about what it means to survive losing a child to depression and how Katie’s legacy heals others through art and community service.

This week and next week's episodes are two parts of a conversation that I had with Todd Wysong, who is a co-founder of the Positive Painting Project, and before I get into who Todd is and what the Positive Painting Project is, I wanted to offer a trigger warning. For those for whom listening to a conversation about major depressive disorder and suicide does not serve you, please skip over these next two episodes. Please be kind to yourself. Do what you feel you need to do, and not what you feel you should do.

-Susan

Show notes

Positive Painting Project

Dr. Sean Simon shares his experiences navigating this world as a dentist and a person with a disability. Join us as we talk about the frustrations and joys of having a disability and the power of having one person believe in you.

Show notes

This week we are joined by Courtney Lucas, a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and so much more. Courtney and the panel discuss navigating academia and life in general as an introvert. What people expect you to say when they ask how you are; the unexpected consequences of taking the time to think and process before responding; the dance between code switching and being true to yourself. Feel free to relax and put your resting blank face on for this one!

Show notes here.