Conscious Mental Health

Send us Fan Mail Join Juniper and Laurel in a conversation with fertility coach Shelby VanCleve on the Conscious Mental Health Podcast. We explore the delicate intersection of reproductive health, fertility struggles, and mental well-being.  With her experience as an acupuncturist, Shelby shares insights on holistic approaches to fertility that honor both Western medical interventions and alternat...

Send us Fan Mail Who’s really behind Therapy First and Gender Exploratory Therapy? In this episode, licensed clinicians Juniper & Laurel discuss the key figures leading the charge against gender-affirming care , diving deep into their backgrounds, affiliations, and influence on trans healthcare policy. From Stella O’Malley to Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marciano, and the Killarney Group , we investigate...

Send us Fan Mail In the second installment of our deep dive into Therapy First and Gender Exploratory Therapy , hosts Juniper and Laurel , both licensed clinicians, expose the growing network of anti-trans organizations operating under the guise of “evidence-based” care. We break down the interconnected web of groups like GenSpec, the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM), and Our Duty...

Send us Fan Mail Join hosts Laurel and Juniper as they share candid and semi-unhinged predictions about the mental health landscape (and beyond) in 2025.  From rejecting toxic wellness and healing narratives to embracing intersectional feminist rage, dIY Zine culture and public grieving, we share our what we say goodbye to our outs and welcome our ins.  Plus, we even get into some tips for reclaim...

Send us Fan Mail Send us a text Hey friends! In this quick update episode, Laurel drops in to share where she and Juniper are in the process of producing the gender exploratory therapy series (spoiler alert…it’s a lot more of an in-depth and lengthy process than we anticipated!), and lets everyone know about CMH’s winter break. Don’t forget that our fundraiser for Advocates for Trans Equality is o...

Send us Fan Mail ‼️Content warning for sensitive discussions regarding the LGBTQ community. ⚠️ What is Gender Exploratory Therapy, and why is it raising concern amongst therapists and LGBTQ+ advocates? In part 1 of our series, Juniper and Laurel, delve into Therapy First, the organization behind this controversial model. We examine its claims about "exploratory care", and gender-critical...

Send us Fan Mail Gratitude is great—until it isn’t. 🦃 In this episode, we explore our complicated relationship with gratitude. From the pressure to “stay positive” during the holidays to the rise of forced gratitude culture, we unpack why it’s okay to feel everything all at once. Random topics explored:  Blamesgiving National Day of Mourning  Critique of manufactured and forced gratitude Gratitud...

Send us Fan Mail From ‘dopamine fasting’ to ‘serotonin diets,’ the internet is full of neurotransmitter misinformation. Is the gut really your "second brain"? Can getting 5 minutes of sunlight "boost" your mood? Biohacking promises a shortcut to wellness, but what’s the real deal? We bust common myths about neurotransmitters and brain health, shedding light on the science behin...

Send us Fan Mail Hey everyone! It’s Juniper and Laurel bringing you another episode of After Billable Hours . In this episode, we dive into our memes of the week, share stories from our high school extracurriculars, and play a super fun (and delightfully nerdy) game of assigning famous psychology legends their perfect dishes for the ultimate ‘psychology family dinner.’ Get ready for unserious fun...

Send us Fan Mail Ever read a therapist’s bio and thought, “What does ‘psychodynamic’ even mean?” Welcome to our first CMH Short, where we (allegedly) try to keep things brief.  Juniper and Laurel, your friendly mental health educators, are here to give you the lowdown on therapy lingo. We tackle everything from ‘CBT’ to ‘parts work,’ and even the mysteriously vague ‘somatic’ approaches. We break d...

Send us Fan Mail What do horror films and mental health have in common? In this Halloween episode of After Billable Hours , Juniper and Laurel dive into how the spooky tropes we love (or hate) actually mirror the mental health struggles we face in real life. From intense grief ( The Babadook ) to that creeping sense of burnout ( Scream ), they talk about how watching scary movies can sometimes hel...

Send us Fan Mail Politics and therapy: two things that seem separate but really aren’t. In this episode, we talk about why therapy is never neutral, how therapists’ political views affect their work, and why advocating for change is just part of the gig. Therapy isn’t a bubble, and politics can’t be left outside the door. Join us as we unpack the role of politics in mental health work, the ethics...

Send us Fan Mail Let’s be real. Politics and elections are exhausting, and the stats back it up: In the US, 65% of people feel drained, and 55% are downright angry. In this episode, we discuss why everyone feels so burned out and what you can do about it. We’re talking about everything from social media outrage to election day stress and offering real strategies to keep your mental health intact....

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s After Billable Hours, Juniper and Laurel share their memes of the week, highlighting the art of being disagreeable. Then, they tackle the recent Chappell Roan controversy, including the weight of parasocial relationships and the mental health effects of this ongoing social media experiment we’re all living in. This episode highlights the complexities of fame, the nu...

Send us Fan Mail In this “After Billable Hours” episode, Juniper and Laurel banter about anxiety, guilt, and productivity, exploring how societal expectations (a.k.a. the Protestant work ethic and more) can turn even the smallest bit of relaxation or pleasure into a source of stress. Juniper shares a story about their most recent spirals, while Laurel drinks Grandma Chai tea and discovers her pers...

Send us Fan Mail CW: a few f-bombs, discussion of trauma, mentions of SA and other abusive tactics What happens when two neurodivergent therapists get deep into a conversation about therapy vs coaching? It all started with a tweet, and suddenly, Laurel and Juniper found themselves down a rabbit hole, asking: Is there really a rift between therapists and coaches? If so, why? In this first deep dive...

Send us Fan Mail In this very first episode of After Billable Hours , Juniper and Laurel dive into a whole new format (because we like to keep things fresh, right?). Brace yourself for some laughs, cringey childhood memories, and more ADHD talk than you can spin a fidget at. “Quote-unquote” alert : Juniper says it… a lot. Like, more than 5 times (they counted), while Laurel manages to keep it at a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Laurel sits down with Cory Lockhart, a teacher, artist, writer, public speaker, and Nonviolent Communication facilitator. Cory shares about her experiences learning and living out the principles of Nonviolent Communication, the ways in which her intuitive, heart-led practices have shaped her own work and life, and the ways in which these practices can intersect in...

Send us Fan Mail Laurel drops in to give an update on CMH’s summer break, and all of the awesome Academy of Integrative Mental Health resources you can check out until we’re back in the fall with Season 3! Make sure to give us a like, subscribe, and review while you’re here, so we can keep bringing you awesome, topical, and compassionate resources all year round. Check out the Academy: https://aca...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Common Client Conundrum series on The Conscious Mental Health Podcast, host Juniper, the director of the Academy of Integrative Mental Health, delves into the complex world of ambivalence. Key topics include: Neurobiology of Mixed Emotions : Understanding what happens in the brain and body when experiencing fluctuating emotions. Nature of Ambivalence : Explo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Laurel chats with Gabriel Villarreal, a licensed professional counselor, the owner of LostBoys Strength and Conditioning and ADHD Counseling, and one of our Academy collective members! This is a part 1 of a two-episode series with Gabriel, and in this first part they tackling the topic of ADHD - what’s helpful, what’s not, what’s current in the research, how socia...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Laurel talks with Molly Fitzgerald King, a licensed art therapist and licensed professional counselor. They talk not only about Molly’s clinical work, but about the advocacy work she is doing on many different levels, about our understanding of advocacy as professionals, and even our understanding of the narratives that play out for us as professionals in our own...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to "Common Client Conundrums," a segment where we delve into the everyday issues that are discussed in therapy and share insights and evidence-based interventions. In this episode, host Juniper Owens, LCSW and Director of the Academy of Integrative Mental Health explores the intricate dynamics of shame in part two of our guilt and shame series. From its cultural...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Laurel Sims-Stewart, Lead Content Developer at The Academy of Integrative Mental Health,  speaks with Laura Hensley, a licensed professional clinical counselor and expert in treating non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). She and Laurel discuss 🎙️ 🗣️ The importance of understanding the nuances in treating NSSI and addressing our own fear as clinicians in doing this work...

Send us Fan Mail Join Juniper Owens, LCSW, director of the Academy of Integrative Mental Health, as they delve into the latest trends and topics in mental health on the Conscious Mental Health Podcast. From discussing the viral Elmo Tweet and the concept of trauma dumping to exploring the pervasive issue of loneliness, each episode offers insightful discussions and expert insights into the complex...