Our Wellness Room

What if we’re not actually afraid of change, but afraid of what might happen afterward? Change is an inevitable part of life, yet even the possibility of something different can leave us feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or completely stuck. Why do we sometimes cling to what’s familiar, even when it no longer serves us? And why can the uncertainty of a new beginning feel more frightening than the disc...

October is here, and Our Wellness Room is getting a little spooky! 👻 But this week, we discovered that some of the things that scare us most have nothing to do with ghosts, haunted houses, or creepy dolls. Why do some people love being scared while others avoid scary things altogether? Why do painful experiences sometimes stick with us longer than positive ones? And why can it be so difficult to...

🎙️ Recovery Is Possible: Understanding Substance Use, Addiction & Hope September is National Recovery Month, and this week Our Wellness Room is opening the door to an honest, compassionate conversation about substance use disorder, addiction, and recovery. What’s the difference between substance use, misuse, dependence, and substance use disorder? When does substance use become a clinical conc...

Suicide Prevention & Awareness: Real People. Real Struggles. Real Hope. Suicide is one of the hardest conversations we can have—and perhaps one of the most important. In this episode of Our Wellness Room, Christa and Andrew open the door to an honest, compassionate conversation about suicide prevention and awareness. We talk about what suicidal thoughts can look like, why someone may appear “f...

🎙️ Back-to-School Series, Part 2: Helping Teens Navigate the Real World Being a teenager has never been simple—but today’s teens are navigating relationships, peer pressure, mental health challenges, substances and vaping, technology, and expectations that can sometimes feel overwhelming. In Part 2 of Our Wellness Room’s Back-to-School Series, Christa and Andrew continue the conversation about wha...

🎙️ Back-to-School Series, Part 1: Growing Up in a World That Never Logs Off Being a teenager has never been simple—but today’s teens are growing up in a world that follows them everywhere. In Part 1 of our Back-to-School Series, Christa and Andrew step inside the digital world of today’s adolescents to talk about social media, cyberbullying, cell phones, online safety, body image, and the complica...

Why Is It So Hard to Find My Life Partner? Finding meaningful romantic connection as an adult can feel harder than ever—especially when past relationships have left us questioning our boundaries, our choices, and even our ability to trust ourselves. In this episode of Our Wellness Room, Christa and Andrew explore the challenges adults face when seeking healthy romantic relationships, including pas...

🎙️ Grief Series — Episode 4 In our fourth and final episode, we’re talking about what it means to move forward without leaving love behind. Grief doesn’t simply disappear, and healing doesn’t mean forgetting. We explore continuing bonds, meaningful rituals, making room for joy without guilt, caring for ourselves and others, and finding hope and purpose while still honoring what we’ve lost.💜 Movin...

Grief can make us question ourselves. Why am I exhausted? Why can’t I concentrate? Why am I angry one minute and okay the next? Why does something so small suddenly bring me to tears? In Episode 3 of our Grief Series, we’re talking about what grief can actually feel like—emotionally, physically, and mentally—and why many of the experiences that frighten us can be very human responses to loss. 💜 T...

Grief has many faces, and no two journeys look exactly alike. In Episode 2 of our Grief Series, we explore the different ways grief can show up in our lives—from anticipatory grief and disenfranchised grief to secondary losses and the grief that often goes unseen. Together, we discuss why there is no “right” way to grieve and how understanding the many faces of grief can help us show ourselves and...

In this first of a four part series, Our Wellness Room is exploring what grief is and why many of us were not taught about it. Grief is one of life’s only guarantees, yet it’s something most of us are never taught how to understand. In the first episode of our four-part grief series, we explore what grief really is, why it extends far beyond the death of a loved one, and how loss can take many for...

Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult? If you’re craving deeper friendships or meaningful relationships, you’re not alone. Many people feel disconnected and unsure how to build real connection. In this episode, we explore why adult relationships can be challenging and simple ways to create more meaningful connections. 💙 You’re not alone in looking for your people.

Therapists, coaches, and wellness professionals are people, too. Behind every session is a trained professional who also experiences life's challenges, joys, and growth. Join Andrew and me as we discuss what clients can realistically expect from therapy and coaching, why consistency matters, how the therapeutic relationship supports healing, and what it means to partner together in the wellness jo...

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to heal after a difficult therapeutic or wellness experience? In this week’s episode of Our Wellness Room, we explore the lived experiences of individuals who have felt unheard, misunderstood, or emotionally unsafe in a wellness space. We discuss why not every wellness professional is the right fit for every concern, the importance of specialized training an...

In this episode of Our Wellness Room, we explore a question many people quietly ask themselves: “Why does it seem like everyone else has life figured out except me?” We discuss the impact of comparison, the emotional and practical barriers that can make change feel overwhelming, and why our journeys rarely unfold on the same timeline. Together, we explore the value of self-compassion, stepping out...

In today's episode, we are looking at sexual wellness and intimacy from the perspective of working with couples, the LGBTQ+ community, and trauma perspectives. We are taking into account the perspectives of the therapist.

I n this week's episode, we continue our discussion on the self of the wellness professional by exploring the concepts of transference and countertransference within the wellness relationship. We discuss how clients may unconsciously relate to professionals though the lens of their own personal experiences and how wellness professionals may also find themselves emotionally impacted when a client's...

Today is about discussing the mother child relationship. Not all families present with warm, fuzzy feelings. And not all issues revolve around how children feel about their mothers. We explore how mothers might feel during grief or complicated relationships with children. We talk about how children experience issues with their mothers. This topic can be heartwarming for some, very complicated for...

In today's episode we will turn the focus inward - exploring the well-being of the wellness professional. Caring for others requires intention, awareness, and a commitment to caring for ourselves, too. We dive into the importance of self-care, the tools professionals use to maintain their own mental and emotional health. We have honest conversation about recognizing when a client's needs extend be...

In this episode of Our Wellness Room, we take a deep and honest look at caregiver burnout - the emotional, physical, and mental toll of caring for others. Whether you are supporting a child, aging parent, partner, or loved one, stepping into the caregiver roll can be both meaningful and overwhelming. We explore what caregiver burnout looks like: the quiet loss of joy, emotional depletion, increase...

In this episode, Our Wellness Room kicks off a powerful new series on burnout - what it is, how it shows up, and how it impacts every corner of our lives. From laborers and IT professionals to healthcare providers, parents and beyond, burnout does not discriminate. We explore the real life signs and symptoms of burnout, from physical exhaustion and brain fog to emotional overwhelm and loss of moti...

Today we continue our conversation about grief. In this next episode, we focus our attention on grief as it relates to identity which may include a change or loss in career, a child leaving the family home for their career or college, loss of identity following divorce or separation, lack of acceptance acceptance because of current perceived/assigned/expected identity, grief over loss of being a s...

Listen in as we begin our series on grief. Our first conversation focuses on collective grief. We describe collective grief, what defines collective grief which may include a pandemic, mass violence, cultural identity loss, natural disasters, loss of a public figure, war or terrorism. We discuss how collective grief shows up, how people may experience and deal with collective grief, the roles of t...

In today's podcast we continue our current event series. Today we focus on Current Event Stress: Family of Origin. In this episode, we explore how family of origin dynamics shape the way we experience today’s world. We discuss setting boundaries with loved ones; we examine how race, culture, and religion influence our perspectives on current event stressors; we talk about the emotional weight pare...

The world feels heavy right now...and you are not imagining it. In today's episode, we talk about how current events-from politics to global crises to survivor experiences-are impacting our mental health, our relationships, and even those of us holding space for others. We explore why you feel overwhelmed, how it shows up in relationships, and ways to ground yourself when everything feels out of c...