Take What Serves. Leave the Rest.

Being human is quite the experience. And sometimes we need compassionate reminders along the way.  In this week's episode, we're exploring some of those.  Bryan is joined by Dr. Anastasia Ristau as they discuss the things they often remind themselves of, with the intention that they may be helpful for you, too.  Dr. Ristau is a Licensed Psychologist and the Director of Psychotherapeutics at Prairi...

Asking for help with your mental health can feel really hard. However, leaning into support is a powerful act of courage.  In this week's episode, Bryan and Dr. Anastasia Ristau talk about stepping into the space of vulnerability and surrendering into help.  Dr. Ristau is a licensed psychologist and Director of Psychotherapeutics at PrairieCare .  As always - take what serves you, and leave the re...

Lucy Grantz lived almost 30 years with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and didn't know it. She is now a therapist specializing in the treatment of it.  In this week's episode Bryan talks to Lucy about a number of things, including: Getting diagnosed with OCD in her 40's.  Interacting with mindfulness practices while living with OCD.  Focusing on living the "middle path".  Creating space for t...

Receiving a mental health diagnosis can activate a wide array of emotions.  In this episode, we're exploring how a diagnosis can be an empowering experience - even as you experience all the other emotions that might be coming along with it, too.  Bryan is joined, once again, by Dr. Anastasia Ristau . They discuss how a diagnosis can validate what you're experiencing - and give you a path forward t...

Here we are in the change of seasons. No doubt that this time of the year holds great beauty. It can also feel tender for some of us when it comes to our mental and emotional health.  In this week’s episode we’re talking about it. Bryan and Kelly Grosklags talk about meeting ourselves gently as we ride the many seasons of our life. They discuss why the season change can sometimes be difficult - an...

It's been about eight months since Bryan has been working as a mental health therapist. In this episode, he shares some of what he's learned along the way that may help you if you're in therapy - or interested in exploring the process.  Bryan is interviewed by Kelly Grosklags about what the past eight months have been like for him. They talk about finding a therapist that is a good fit, the safe s...

To be uncertain is to be human.  And yet, sitting in uncertainty can be a very uncomfortable experience.  In this week's episode, Bryan explores with Dr. Anastasia Ristau what it means to nurture our relationship with uncertainty - and how to start showing up for our life in the midst of the questions.  If uncertainty is feeling especially prominent in your life right now, this episode is meant to...

Rumination can feel all-consuming when we're in the depths of it. Churning over and over again in our mind - thinking we're solving our worries. In reality, rumination is often pulling us further and further away from what's most important to us.  In this episode, Bryan talks the process of noticing when we're ruminating - and reconnecting to what's most important to us in the present moment.  As...

Many are experiencing strong emotions about the upcoming Presidential election. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about. Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the process of taking care of yourself if things are feeling emotionally charged right now. Dr. Ristau is a licensed psychologist and Director of Psychotherapeutics at PrairieCare . As always - take what serves you, and leave the res...

We all experience thoughts that can feel distressing and sometimes pull us away from how we want to be living our life. For people living with OCD, this experience is amplified.  This week, Bryan talks to Dr. Marisa Mazza who is helping people living with OCD maneuver the noise of their mind and lean into what’s most important to them. She talks about disengaging from our thoughts, rooting into ou...

Summer is a time of the year that many look forward to. It can also bring with it some nuances that may play a role in our mental and emotional health. That's what we're exploring in this week's episode.  Bryan chats with Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the shifting in day-to-day routines that happens in the summer for some of us. They also explore the expectations that we may place on this time of the...

Each and every day we have different portals that arise along the path. Uncomfortable spaces that we step into - often with meaningful experiences on the other side.  Although the pull to avoid the portal is strong - Bryan explores, in this episode, the importance of having the courage to step in. He talks about how it often leads to living a life in alignment with what's most important to us.  Br...

Have you ever felt like the constant need to "heal" and "grow" sometimes pulls you away from living life in the present moment?  We're exploring this in today's episode.  In this conversation with Dr. Anastasia Ristau, Bryan talks about finding that balance of doing the "deep work", and also noticing when we might be slipping into the mentality that we constantly need to be "fixed". Dr. Anastasia...

This episode is intended to help anyone experiencing the impact of infertility feel less alone. In this week's episode, we're hearing the story of Beth Anderson. Beth opens up about her experience with infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, which has included seven miscarriages over the past four years - and also the birth of her beautiful baby boy. Beth shares what the journey ha...

Expressing his mental and emotional experience through drawing has been a healing outlet for Justin Jordan-Lake. He's now sharing his art through "The OCD Blog" , providing light for others living with obsessive-compulsive disorder.  In this week's episode, Bryan talks to Justin about his OCD journey, his approach to recovery, the intention behind "The OCD Blog", and much more. You can follow "The...

What does it mean to be gentle with yourself?  In the fast-paced world we find ourselves in, it can sometimes be hard to cultivate a sense of gentleness towards ourselves. Bryan explores this more deeply with Dr. Anastasia Ristau in this week's episode.  They discuss how "being gentle" may look different for everyone, how a gentle action towards ourself may vary depending on what we're experiencin...

Many people with OCD experience obsessions related to God, spirituality, and their faith. Reverend Katie O'Dunn is helping bridge the gap between spiritual traditions and effective treatment for OCD.  In this episode, Bryan talks to Katie about religious and moral scrupulosity and how it can manifest for some people living with OCD. She also talks about how she is reframing effective OCD treatment...

Learning to truly lean in, feel, and express what is arising in our body is some of the most nuanced and deep work we can step into as a human being. Especially living in a world that is often telling us to keep our emotions hidden.  In this episode, Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the process of honoring our own emotional landscape. As mentioned in the episode, this conversation was ins...

Lauren Rosen started experiencing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when she was seven years old, and wouldn't be properly diagnosed for 17 years. She's now transformed her own journey into a career as a mental health therapist supporting people living with OCD. In this episode, Bryan talks to Lauren about her mental health story, the manifestation of OCD often referred to as "Pure O...

In a world that is constantly telling us we need to be perfect, Colleen Lindstrom is on a mission to help us all celebrate the beauty in the average of life.  In this episode, Colleen joins Bryan and Kelly Grosklags of the "See My Grief" podcast. Colleen is a former radio host in the Twin Cities, creator of The Bronze Medal Life and host of The Bronze Medal Life podcast .  Colleen shares more abou...

There is deep messaging in our world that happiness is somewhere off in the future. "I'll be happy when...". While setting goals and working towards things we want to create can be deeply powerful, the journey that we take to get there can often get lost in the mix.  In this episode, Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the idea that life is a journey that we are all on, not a destination tha...

The holidays are a beautiful time of the year, and can also be very tender for some of us.  In this week's episode, Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about creating space for what arises this holiday season when it comes to our mental and emotional health.  They discuss the shifting of routines that often happens, listening to signals from our bodies that we need some self care, creating new tra...

Getting on an airplane activates anxiety for many people.  In this week's episode, Bryan talks to Jenny Matthews about maneuvering flying anxiety.  Jenny is a licensed mental health therapist, and founder of State of Mind Therapy .  Jenny talks about her personal experience with flying anxiety, different core fears that people often have when getting on an airplane, and ways to maneuvering the anx...

You can often find Jared Fessler up close and personal at concerts in the Twin Cities, photographing artists from Taylor Swift to Queen. All experiences that would have been extremely difficult for him several years ago he was struggling with intense anxiety.  In this episode, Bryan talks to Jared about how anxiety forced him to start avoiding places like large crowds and driving in the car. He al...

We've all done it. Assuming that we know exactly what another person is thinking, feeling, or experiencing in a given moment.  This week on the podcast, Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about how those assumptions we make may be impacting us more than we realize.  Dr. Ristau talks about the act of pausing when we notice we're making an assumption, opening up to the possibility of alternate expl...