TW/CW: abuse, addiction

The culture of the food and beverage industry has long been infamous for being an environment that perpetuates mental health struggles and substance use. But to Steve Palmer, this is also the same industry that saved him from his addictions.

Palmer is the founder of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, a hospitality and consulting company that owns and operates more than 20 restaurants and 4 hotels across the southeastern US. He is also the co-founder of Ben's friends, a national nonprofit that acts as a bridge to sobriety for those in the hospitality industry struggling with substance abuse and addiction. Steve's personal journey to sobriety is what makes his work so special as it is all personally stamped by his passion ("obsession with hospitality") and his purpose ("service to others.")

Tune in as we chat about:

• Steve's journey to sobriety from the dark depths of addiction, homelessness, and damaged relationships,
• Gratitude as an embodied feeling (his tears will move you all to understand this buzzword!),
• Imposter syndrome and why the hardest thing for an addict is when their dreams come true,
• Attachment styles as his past wounds play out in his marriage,
• The presence of emotions in his life and why he feels if he stops being anxious, he stops growing,
• The pivotal role therapy played in his recovery and why he still has "Therapy Mondays,"
• His thoughts on the sober curious movement

… and so much more! 

Connect with Steve Palmer:

Personal Website: www.aboutstevepalmer.com 

Company's Website:www.Indigoroad.com 

Steve's Book: Say Grace: How the Restaurant Business Saved My Life

Links

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

From a young age, Kenzie Harkey could pick up on the chaos that a dysfunctional space caused in her physical and mental state. Fast forward to 2017, after spending the previous decade in the health + wellness field, Kenzie knew she was ready for something different but with the same intention: to make a positive impact. And that's how Simply Dare was born!

Simply Dare is a home organization and relocation company that helps you create a simple + functional home so you can do more of what you love.  Kenzie and I talk about the psychology behind organization and  how our physical spaces can impact mood. She opens up about her journey with ADHD and in family therapy as we explore the both/and of having compassion and hurt from families of origin.

In this episode, Kenzie and I chat about:

• How she creates a safe environment for her clients.
• Some of the mental health challenges she has overcome.
• The beauty of solid, secure therapeutic relationships.
• Why therapists don't give advice or answers.
• A practical mindfulness skill you can use in your every day.

... and so much more!

Simply Dare Website
Simply Dare Instagram

Links:

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

CW/TW: child abuse, sexual abuse

In this episode, I speak to Sam Hart, chef and owner of Counter- as well as a new restaurant opening this Fall, called Biblio. Sam's culinary journey and innovative restaurant concepts are informed by his mental health journey and, while aligned with his principles, run things counter to what you might expect.

Counter- is a fine dining, story-driven, progressive tasting menu in West Charlotte, where on a seasonal basis, they change not only the food that's on the plates, but also the story that is the driving force behind it. And Biblio, opening up later this year, honors of all the winemakers, vineyards, and distributors that tell their stories through wine lists. 

In this rich episode, Sam and I chat about:

• Sam's mental health journey and trauma responses,
• Why telling stories through food is so important to him,
• What it was like to have a diagnosis and an understanding of the mental health issues he was going through,
• The stigma around sexuality,
• What it means to "succeed" with mental illness versus "struggling" with it,
• How Sam tends to and maintains his mental health as a form of self-care.

... and so much more!

Connect with Sam on Instagram: @chefloosely @counterclt

Check out Counter-: https://www.counterclt.com/

The Relatives
Time Out Youth

CW/TW: suicide, substance use

In today's episode, I speak to Chryssie Whitehead, an actress, singer, educator, passionate mentor, and dancer on Broadway, film, and television. Chryssie talks about her recent coming to terms with her diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder and the process of deciding to write a show about it! About her show,  In My Own Little Corner,  Chryssie says: "I wrote a show about my journey with bipolar disorder. I wrote a show about my mother's death & her journey with mental illness. I wrote a show about deep love, forgiveness, and letting go of shame."

 In this episode, Chryssie and I talk about:

• Chryssie's journey with her own mental health and what happened when finally given a diagnosis that made sense to her
• Her mom's mental health journey and the secrets kept
• How to learn to fight for a solution 
• Discussion around labels and diagnoses
• Tools for finding clarity in one's life with any mental illness 

… and so much more! 

Connect with Chryssie:

Website: www.chryssiewhitehead.com 

Facebook: Chryssie Whitehead

Ellen Forney's Graphic novel: Marbles 

Links

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

In this episode, I speak to Tiffany Donovan Marino, the owner of Confetti Castle and the queen of many ideas. Her company, based in Charlotte, NC, specializes in creating fun and unique balloon designs for parties and events. Tiffany is a make-it-happen kind of person and opens up to us about having to be this way while growing up and learning she could only count on herself. Her emphasis on trusting oneself, not getting caught up in criticism, and having the courage & freedom to accept when you're struggling and ask for help are key takeaways.  

Tune in as we chat about:

• Tiffany's difficult relationship with her mother 
• How she protected herself while growing up in a chaotic family  environment
• How to acknowledge your struggles and boldly ask for help
• The impact of people not believing you're good enough on self-esteem
• Her understanding of therapy and the place it holds in her journey 

… and so much more! 

Connect with Tiffany:

Company's Website: www.theconfetticastle.com 

Instagram: @confetticastle

Personal Instagram account: @confetticastlequeen

Links

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

We don't talk enough about invisible illnesses and disabilities...those that you can't see simply by looking at a person. This is truly the point of my podcast -- to highlight people's stories and struggles rather than making judgments and assuming we know everything about someone. 

In this episode, I speak to my friend Brendan Sage, father of two, who opens up about his journey with epilepsy. Brendan, who's now seizure-free, shares a lot about his mental health during this years long experience. It will surely stir you  to embrace gratitude and find acceptance. 

Tune in as we chat about:

• Brendan's medical journey 
• How Brendan  was finally able to be seizure-free
• How seizures interfered with his cognition and how therapy came in handy 
• How Brendan continues to navigate life, and the mindset shift he embraced during his medical journey 
• Finding gratitude and acceptance while living with an invisible disability 

…and so much more!

Connect with Brendan:

LinkedIn: Brendan Sage

Links

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

Mary Beth Somich is a  licensed therapist in private practice. She owns a group practice in North Carolina called Your Journey Through, where she primarily works with teens and young adults around issues of family dynamics. Mary Beth also mentors other therapists looking to grow their mental health platforms on Instagram as a modern way to become more accessible and reach more people. She is also the co-host of the “My Therapist Thinks” podcast. 

Tune in as we chat about:

• How Mary Beth ended up in her profession as a therapist 
• How her position as an only child informs her understanding of family systems
• Her transition from being a ‘yes person’ and amidst enmeshment to setting boundaries 
• How the two of us, as enneagram 3s, deal with ego and rest 
• Mary Beth’s favorite therapy myth to bust

…and so much more! 

Connect with Mary Beth:

Website: http://yourjourneythrough.com   

Instagram: @yourjourneythrough

LinkedIn: Mary Beth Somich

Links

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

CW/TW: abuse, kidnapping, suicidal ideation, substance use, postpartum mood disorders

Good moms have bad days, too! These bad days can be exacerbated by childhood and adulthood traumas.

In this episode, I speak to Eren Simpson, friend of mine since 2nd grade (!), a freelance writer, author, grant writer, and artist/illustrator. Eren is a mom of two. Having fought through postpartum mood disorders and not finding the resources she wanted and needed, Eren is on a mission to raise awareness around postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis.

We dive deep into family of origin wounds!

Tune in as we chat about:
-Eren's fractured relationship with her parents from childhood and how it shook her sense of trust and safety
-Finding balance of compassion + anger + hurt, as an adult
-Manic depression brought on by postpartum hormones
-How her childhood experiences shaped her as a parent
-The role her therapist and psychiatrist play in her mental health journey (and when it's okay to break up with one and find a new one!)
... and so much more!

Connect with Eren:
Instagram: @goodmomshavebaddays
Website: https://www.goodmomshavebaddays.com/
Her  Book: Good moms Have Bad Days: Understanding Postpartum Mood Disorder

Links
Instagram: @yepigototherapy
Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

Our worth has nothing to do with our body weight, size, or shape. And yet, we humans are constantly renegotiating our relationships with food, exercise, and our bodies as many of us fall into the trap of shaming, blaming, or hating our bodies. This episode explores what we mean by our "relationship" with these things!

Ashley Moser joins me in this rich discussion. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a certified eating disorder specialist. She works with the Renfrew Center of Charlotte, an eating disorder treatment center - the sponsors of this episode!

Tune in to hear us chat about:

• How Ashley and I ended up working with clinical eating disorders
• What it means to re-evaluate your relationship with food, body, and exercise
• Hyper-awareness around all the commentary about food and bodies
• The pressure we face as mothers in the clinical eating disorder field
• Predispositions and the genetic component of eating disorders
• How different individuals define eating disorder recovery (and is recovery possible!)
• The value of therapeutic relationships in recovery from an  eating disorder 
• Body positivity, acceptance, and compassion
• Making choices that are more nurturing to ourselves

…and so much more!

Links

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

To learn more about the Renfrew center for eating disorders or to schedule an assessment visit: https://renfrewcenter.com/ or call 1- 800 RENFREW.

It happens in a lot of therapy sessions: You're talking about your thoughts and feelings while the therapist listening to you scribbles down their own, private notes that you're not invited to see. Do you ever wonder what it is we're writing down?!

In this episode, I answer questions you all have submitted, including what we're writing, how we remember details about all of our client's stories, & what we do between sessions.  I also talk a bit about what it means for us to conceptualize a client's case and what stages of change are. I hope this makes the process a little less mysterious and more approachable! 

Keep the questions coming!

Links:

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

CW: suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse 

Jenna Banks is an author, an entrepreneur,  a speaker, a podcaster, and a self-love advocate. She is on a mission to help women embrace loving themselves more to find real happiness and attain their fullest potential without giving away their power  

In a nutshell, we chat about:

• Jenna's history of abuse 
• What self-love means 
• What makes it hard for people to love themselves
• How to start on the path of self-love after many attachment wounds
• How Jenna’s faith journey turned out and the role of forgiveness in her story
• How to get to the place you can feel that's it is safe to embrace your true feelings
• Jenna's community, being her self-support system during those dark times, and how her relationships are currently going
• Stepping into your power

      And so much more…!

Jenna’s Book: I Love Me More: How to Find Happiness and Success through Self-Love

Connect with Juliet:

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

In today's episode, I talk with Colleen Odegaard for a follow-up episode.  Colleen was on TV for years and is currently a life coach and the host of the Wake Up To Your Life podcast. As you know from our first conversation, Colleen is very open about anxiety, Tourettes syndrome, and body image concerns. Colleen approaches our conversation in this follow-up episode in a very vulnerable and honest way to discuss her divorce from her husband  of 21 years and giving insight around her mental health during this journey.

We talk about the non-linear healing that is happening, distress tolerance skills, and the thing that brings Colleen the most shame. In this, we explore how to reframe this shame and shed that which doesn't belong to us.  We hope you leave with helpful ideas about the difference between guilt and shame, new coping strategies,  and the role others can play in our healing.

Links

Check out Colleen's podcast: Wake Up To Your Life

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness 

CW/TW: mass shooting

In this episode, I talk to Sam Abbott, a registered dietitian who specializes in working with clients who struggle with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Sam is passionate about helping individuals take a non-diet approach to nutrition and improving their symptoms without hating their bodies. 

Sam shares about her own mental health journey and traumas she has endured, including losing her father at a young age, divorce, and witnessing the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.

In a nutshell, we chat about...

• Sam’s clinical and personal perspective of PCOS.
• The body image struggles that even eating disorder professionals can  go through.
• Taking a weight-inclusive approach to nutrition and health.
• How Sam addressed the trauma she has suffered.
• When to know that it's time to check back in with someone -- therapy as an adult.
• Her take on ‘What I Eat in a Day' posts on Instagram 
• What encourages Sam to do what she is doing for her clients

and so much more…!

Links

Find Sam Abbott on Instagram, PCOS.Nutritionist 

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

In this episode, I speak to Chayil Johnson, a Chef de Cuisine and an educator at Community Matters Cafe in uptown Charlotte, NC.  Born and raised in New Orleans, Chayil, one of 6 siblings, was great at baseball and music. But, as an over-thinker and perfectionist, he frequently suffered from anxiety.  He began cooking at age 12, thanks to a program by Emeril Lagasse, and finally found solace.

In a nutshell, we chat about…

• The biggest cultural difference between New Orleans and Charlotte and how the food culture inspired Chayil’s passion for cooking.
• How Chayil was his own harshest critic.
• The structure of discipline that Chayil practices and the impact of perfectionism/rigidity.
• Chayil's relationship with his body.
• What the Community Matters Cafe is, the services they offer, and what the cafe means to him.

         … and so much more…!

Links

Check out Chef Chayil on Instagram

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness
Community Matters Cafe

Embodied writing seeks to reveal raw and tender connections from the most powerful places where writing comes from. It is a form of beautiful, heartfelt, and open-ended writing.

In this episode, I speak to Shana Hartman, an embodied writing coach and former English professor.  She enjoys spotting unique messages shared by business owners and leaders and helping them express themselves through words. Shana is glad to have found writing as a place to express - and space to process - the things she could not say out loud.

In a nutshell, we speak about…

• How Shana found an escape in embodied writing during her own mental health journey.
• How journaling and embodied writing supports mental wellness: breathing in to breathe out later.
• Specific writers/ books that have resonated with Shana at different points of her  journey. 
• Why it is hard to find permission to release our experiences.
• Books as escapism from a mental health perspective.
• Recurring limiting beliefs from authors she has worked with.
• How to find the permission to stop reading a book if it isn't working for you.

         ...and so much more!

Instagram:  @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

CW: domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse,  emotional abuse, spiritual abuse, suicidality, postpartum depression

Mariah Oller is a Cell Biologist turned Oracle that commonly answers questions regarding people’s life, love, and business ventures. She is the founder of Harvest and Moon and recently published her first Tarot Deck, The Tarot of Life. 

Mariah joins me in deep vulnerability by soulfully sharing her story. We dive into her history of trauma and attachment wounds and there is so much to be learned about anger & forgiveness, birth order and parentification, religious deconstruction, perfectionism, avoidance, resiliency, and healing in this episode.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What Tarot reading is (spicy psychology?!) 
• How Mariah got into Tarot reading.
• Mariah’s trauma & crippling anxiety and how she dealt with it.
• How Mariah parents her girls very intentionally based on how she was (not) parented.
• How Mariah found safety and continues to give herself permission to rest for the first time in her life. 
• Some deep, deep truths and tenderness about motherhood. 

… and so much more!

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.SAFE (7233)

“Dating yourself” is an act of self-love and it’s beyond self-care. It's getting reacquainted with yourself in order to deeply connect not just with yourself, but also to be able to forge connections with others. 

In this episode, I speak to Aliya Saulson, a therapist at Southeast Psych. 

Aliya shares her raw and tender story of heartbreak, her role in the relationship, what avoidance teaches us, and how she showed up for herself through the healing process. She even shares with us one of her private journal entries! Tune in for tips on how you can date yourself this week and beyond  

In a nutshell, we speak about:

• How to identify ghosting & gaslighting behavior.
• Why Aliya still stayed in a relationship that didn’t meet her needs.
• What Aliya learned about herself through her heartbreak.
• Why you don’t have to endure a heartbreak to learn the self-love message
• How Aliya’s self-compassion helped with some of the shame and embarrassment she had to deal with.

… and so much more!

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

Shame, regret, pressure, breakTHROUGHS, forgiveness, rising. This episode is such a good one!!! I speak to Nesha Pai of Charlotte, NC. Sitting in front of a male boss who refused to give her a raise because she had a gap in her resume from being a stay-at-home mom for six years, she decided to take a leap of faith (and her largest client) and strike out on her own.

She started Pai CPA, an accounting firm serving small and medium-sized businesses, in 2011. And she promised herself to hire and mentor stay-at-home moms and other women trying to re-enter the business world. Her book, “Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles,” details her journey of overcoming racism, sexism, and other trials and tribulations as a first-generation Indian American business owner.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The confusion around identity that Pai went through during her adolescence.
• How the anger she carried throughout her life manifested in her day to day.
• The turning point at which Pai found the permission to heal.
• The essence of Pai's message to the world.
• What self-care means to Pai, and how she makes that happen.
• How to know it's time to go to therapy.

... and so much more!

Instagram: @yepigototherapy

Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness

Finding our inner truths and letting go of other people's expectations is really hard to do. TV host, Mia Atkins, joins us again on the show and shares about major changes that have happened in her life since our first conversation several months ago.

Having struggled with pretty severe anxiety and depression, Mia says it took her a while to truly pinpoint why.  Now that she’s gone through such a massive change in who she is, how she identifies, and how she’s living her life, she feels the most at peace she ever has. Tune in to learn from Mia's experience in ending her engagement to a man and coming out as lesbian. There's something in it for all of us around finding permission to show up as our true selves.

Instagram: @yepigototherapy
Website: Sun Counseling and Wellness
PFLAG

Welcome to season 2 of the show! We're excited to be back! This season will consist of one-off therapist banter episodes + continued conversations with people you (want to) know.

How do you feel and what do you think when other people cry? What about with your own tears? In this episode, I help us explore what we've learned about tears and what the "point" of crying even is.

I also discuss reasons a therapist might cry in session with a client and how that might feel for the client (weird?! relatable?!). What does it mean for a therapist to have countertransference or transference in session and how do we therapists show up as humans with healthy boundaries? Therapy is an art. Listen to learn more! 

Links:

@yepigototherapy

CW: eating disorders 

Dr. Jillian Lampert is a Registered Dietitian, a Professor, and the Chief Strategy Officer at The Emily Program, a treatment program for those struggling with eating disorders. Dr. Lampert is also the Co-founder and President of the Residential Eating Disorders Consortium and the Treasurer of the Eating Disorders Coalition. She is the author of numerous book chapters and articles addressing nutritional treatment of body image, eating disorders, sports participation, adolescent health, and disordered eating and she regularly speaks regionally and nationally on numerous eating disorder-related topics.

Jillian shares about her own journey with an eating disorder and her passion for educating others about eating disorders. s

Tune in to learn more about:

• How increased anxiety and isolation contribute to eating disorders.
• How and why Jillian got interested in her field.
• How to create a healthy relationship with food.
• The swing on social media to the body positivity movement. 
• Myths about eating disorders.

… and so much more!

Links:
yepigototherapy
https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/

I am joined by Elle Walsh, a chalk artist and long-time creative. Elle is on a mission to inspire and educate through what she creates as she scours nature, the news, and history for inspiration for her art. 

We talk about how COVID affected Elle and her family specific to symptoms, why she’s a self-diagnosed long hauler, and how it all impacts her mental health.

We highlight the need to practice acceptance and self-care and the importance of setting boundaries and seeing losses of relationships during this pandemic through the lens of grief.

Links:
IG: @yepigototherapy and @cltchalkart

Vernisha Crawford is an entrepreneur who has overcome many obstacles. She has turned every challenge into an opportunity. Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology,  a Master’s Degree in Leadership, and currently pursuing her PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vernisha has found passion in helping others navigate life. Through her organization, Bringing You Excellence (BYE), Vernisha specializes in educating the community on systems change, trauma, mental health, resilience, and entrepreneurship.

In this episode, Vernisha and I talk about:

The mindset shift that happens when one is trauma-informed.

The fundamentals of trauma.

How Vernisha uses different identities to determine how she is going to help people.

Why setting boundaries is important.

Adapting to changes without sabotaging other parts of yourself. 

Vernisha’s huge turning point.

The best part of self-care and how to incorporate it into your day-to-day.

The power of affirmations on someone that has experienced trauma. 

… and so much more!

Therapy highlight: What are affirmations and do they really work?

Links:

Check out BYE: https://www.byellc.org/

Instagram: yepigototherapy and vernishaceo

Abbigail Glen’s plan was to start saving to open her own bookstore once she got out of debt. She resigned from her job as an HR professional to do just that, though it looked different than she imagined! We talk about how her pop-up bookstore came to be and what it has been like to be flexible in entrepreneurship. Abbi shares with us how her business fits in the context of her mental health journey.  

We explore how reading and writing can be mental escapes and contribute to one's emotional wellness. Not only is the bookstore on a quest to provide its supporters with great books; but also create amazing lifestyle products made exclusively with readers, writers, and dreamers in mind. These are all great for coping with anxiety and depression!

Therapy highlight: What does happiness really mean? How do we find fulfillment in emotional wellness, psychological flexibility, and social and emotional skills?

Links:

https://shelvesbookstore.com
https://suncounselingandwellness.com
Instagram: yepigototherapy and shelvesbookstore

TW: sexual assault/rape 

Today’s episode is a special one. First, because there is no guest and second, because it’s unscripted! Tune in to listen to my own story of trauma, the story behind my new tattoo, and about my personal relationship with Maya Angelou. 

I hope this episode inspires you and reminds you that there is no shame in seeking help or going to therapy. I hope that you will reach out for support in regards to your big T and your little t traumas and everything in between...because you're not alone.

Links:

https://suncounselingandwellness.com

Instagram: yepigototherapy