In the Open

This is the last episode of “In The Open” and Theresa and America cover healing. They share their perspectives in just the four years they’ve been doing the podcast and the amount of growth they’ve both experienced. They reminisce on the process of opening up and how it became extensive therapy over the years, how they’ve become better equipped to set and handle boundaries and a genuine thank you...

America and Theresa have found ways to stop themselves from being negative and they share some techniques they use when those bad feelings hit. On a scale of 1-10 they rank how positive or negative they are and where it fluctuates on that scale. They talk about accepting help, practicing awareness and stepping into the wise mind and stepping out of the irrational mind. To take a mental health scre...

Theresa and America can do hard things. There is a discussion about the difficulties of putting the hard things into action; for Theresa it’s forgiveness and for America it’s letting go of control. They talk about avoiding avoidance, practicing self-kindness and starting with thankfulness. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit  mhascreening.org T...

Theresa and America talk about the process of setting boundaries and making sure people are respecting those boundaries. They both explain how boundaries can change over time and some examples of their firm and soft boundaries. They talk about prepping before setting boundaries, taking actions when boundaries are crossed and understanding where and why these boundaries exist for you and others. To...

Theresa and America feel nervous taking on this topic of forgiveness. Theresa explains why forgiveness is complex and why it’s intertwined with expectations while America battles with getting past being a grudge-holder to forgive others. They talk about how you must forgive yourself before you can forgive others, trying not to put your expectations on other people and why forgiveness doesn’t have...

America and Theresa start a brand-new series which is now focused on “I Can.” Letting things go takes vulnerability and they get to the bottom of why you might be holding onto things. They talk about capacity and ability to unpack trauma, making the effort to heal and how letting go also requires celebrating success. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resource...

Theresa and America explore what causes their stress dreams and the effects they feel from them. They both have been going through recent stress dreams and they explain what the dreams were about and the recurring dreams they have when they’re stressed. They talk about rituals before going to bed, the benefits of sleep for your brain and journaling about your dreams.  To take a mental health scree...

Theresa and America continue their “I can’t…” series and this episode is focused on wanting control. America gives examples of things in her life she tries to control to make her life easier and help ease her routine. They talk about the good/bad of trying to have a contingency plan, grieving the loss of expectations and trying to accept not everything will always go your way. To take a mental hea...

America and Theresa talk about always having to be right no matter the circumstances. America struggles with this while Theresa does not; they dig in on both of their perspectives. There is a conversation about getting to the bottom of the fear of being wrong, feelings of being misrepresented and the goal of finding a place of common understanding. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental...

Theresa and America have a candid conversation about the times they’ve shut people out of their lives. They talk about the difficulties of creating boundaries and the continual effort in relationships. They share about the complicated process of letting people in, accepting and giving love and the process of committing to and depending on others. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental h...

America and Theresa discuss the times they can’t express themselves appropriately. There is a conversation about the importance of environment and letting go of shame to show up as your true self. They talk about the complexities of figuring out who you are, getting to the root of “why” and how it can be helpful to create rules and structure for yourself. To take a mental health screen, or to find...

The “I can’t stop…” series rolls on with the issue of judging yourself and others. Theresa shares the struggles with judging herself too often but why those feelings also come as strength for having empathy for others. They talk about stepping back and separating where the judgement and criticism comes from, evaluating someone’s intentions before reacting and unpacking why you’re judging yourself...

Theresa and America have a conversation about doing the things that hurt ourselves – physically and emotionally. Theresa shares how anxiety and depression exaggerates bad situations and the overwhelming physical effects she feels in those situations. They talk about the pros and cons of being solution focused, feelings of myopia and how there’s no timeline on your road to recovery. To take a menta...

Theresa and America continue their “I can’t stop…” series and this episode is on something they both struggle with – they can’t stop saying things that get them in trouble. While they both say things they regret at times, America and Theresa each follow different paths to get there. They talk about the practice of trying to catch yourself before you say something you don’t mean, making an effort t...

America is back! Theresa and America link back up to start the new “I can’t stop…” series. This is one is about how you can't stop getting in your own way. America shares how she doesn’t always apply the positive changes to get better and Theresa struggles with not being petty during an argument. They talk about letting external factors get in the way and taking those timeouts before you fall into...

Theresa has a conversation with Dr. Tonya Battle (Battle Clinical Services) about the effects of cyberbullying on the youth. Dr. Battle explains the expanded access to the internet and social media and how that can morph into cyberbullying. They talk about having a conversation early with your children about personal responsibility and digital safety, appropriate ages for introducing phone usage a...

Keegan Lee returns to speak with Theresa about how social media can be depressing. Keegan shares her feelings on why social media triggered her sadness because of the fear of missing out and comparisons to others online. They talk about the digital divide, social media creating dopamine hits and figuring out an appropriate age for when kids should get a phone and join social media. “60 Days of Dis...

Theresa brought on Keegan Lee to talk about her addiction to social media. Keegan shares how social media, at one time, contributed to a decline in her mental health but how she now has balance and uses social media in moderation. They talked about healthy ways of taking breaks from social media, setting limits when you identify you might have a problem and social media’s effect on emotional intel...

Theresa speaks with Lanee Higgins about their kids and the internet. They both have concerns about their kid’s internet usage and how they manage overstimulation and their dependency on tech. Lanee shares her experiences as a teacher and her student’s relationships with their devices, they talk about solutions for screen time for kids as well as avoiding setting hard rules with your kids. To take...

Khendra Lucas is back with Theresa to share what it is like to discover they have ADHD later in life. Khendra shares when she got diagnosed with ADHD and some of the misdiagnoses that occurred along the way. They talk about the rush Khendra gets from getting stressed out, how for some boredom is painful and getting testing and resources for those who believe they might have ADHD. To take a mental...

Theresa has a conversation with Kristen Abell about her journey discovering how she found out she has autism. Kristen shares when she first realized she might be autistic and how the label helped with validation. They talk about what it’s like being autistic in social situations, learning how to mimic other people and finding resources. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health info...

Theresa brought on Suzi Craig so she can share her personal experience with menopause and mental health. Suzi explains how menopause symptoms can be confusing for women and how she handled them. They compare the difference and similarities to puberty and menopause, exploring hormone replacement therapy and starting the menopause conversation early so you can have the tools for when it comes. To ta...

Allissa Torres is back to talk with Kojo Sarfo about how BIPOC folks can find community online. They discuss Kojo’s platform and his goal of bringing people together and promoting mental health awareness.  They discuss the importance of finding community for BIPOC folks, being a champion for equity and ways of finding groups of people with shared interests and experiences online. To take a mental...

Theresa is joined by Khendra Lucas to discuss how to create safety in your community. Khendra has experience helping create safe spaces in her community in Memphis, Tennessee and the focus of reframing the “dangerous” label Memphis has been given. They talk about helping others in your community with resources, making connections online with people in your area and defining what safety means to yo...

Allissa Torres opens up a conversation with Megan Bryant about reconnecting with your culture. They each share ways they connect with their culture and feel a sense of community with the people around them. They talk about how culture impacts mental health, how going to community events is an easy way to connect with your culture, next steps on how to navigate the mental health system and how prov...