Mental Filter

Episode Notes Understanding Neurodivergence: Beyond the Buzzword Join us for a powerful conversation with Sierra Grandy—attorney, speaker, and advocate—as we dive deep into what neurodivergence really means beyond the popular buzzword. Sierra brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this essential discussion, sharing her journey from childhood mental health struggles through elec...

Episode Notes The Education Evolution: A Conversation with a Veteran Teacher In this episode of Mental Filter, we explore the dynamic world of education with Stacey Herring, a high school math teacher with over 26 years of experience. We discuss the evolution of education, changes in technology and state testing, and the introduction of vendor-based curriculums. Stacey shares her personal journey,...

What's your first thought when you hear about a house fire or mass casualty? It's likely to run out of the building or immediately get to safety. For our first responders, their instinct is to run into the burning building and towards the gunfire. This week's episode features Chaya Deitsch, of the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office department of Emergency Management, in which she shares the adrenalin...

At least once in our lives, we will experience loss, whether it be loss of a career, a family member, a sense of security, or a significant other. Today's podcast co-host, Capt. Kelsie Hancock, shares her story of love, loss, and resilience, when she lost her fiance, Capt. Nick "Sloppy" Losapio and the crew of Swift-11 in an MV-22B training exercise in Holtville, CA on June 8, 2022. Kelsie has a u...

If you've seen the news at any point since October 7, 2023, you are more than well aware of what's been happening in Israel. Both the events happening and the response to the events worldwide can be difficult to process, but what's even harder is being on the frontlines. This week we sat down with tour guide and army reservist, Arky Staiman, to hear about his experience working with the IDF. When...

Have you ever wondered what fuels the fire in the heart of individuals who run towards crisis and disaster, whether it be man-made crisis or natural disaster? Have you ever thought to yourself, "I'm going through the worst of it right now, how do people make it out of these things unscathed"? Have you ever wanted to know more about crisis response and how to mitigate the onset of long-lasting trau...

Food is one thing that is ever present in our lives. From birthday and holiday celebrations to meals with friends we haven't seen in years, food can bring us together and bring us joy. But what happens when we put too much thought into what goes into our bodies? For this episode, we were joined by Dr. Ilana Levin of Wildflower Therapy to have a candid conversation all about eating. To further conn...

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, you can't focus on the task at hand? Maybe it's the ten minute task of filing your taxes, but the latest TikTok trends have you scrolling your For You Page for hours. Or maybe it's that homework that you know will only take you a few moments to crank out and submit, but your brain is wandering to what you're going to wear to the Barbie movie this week...

Whether you come from a military family, are enlisted yourself, have a friend in the service, or simply support the troops, this episode is for you. We sat down with Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Michaela White, a Public Affairs Officer in the United States Navy to hear about her experience in the Navy and how her experience has come to intersect with her advocacy for mental health. Michaela also...

Loss in life is inevitable. Whether it be a monumental loss, such as the loss of a parent, or a smaller loss, like dropping the coffee you were really looking forward to - loss is part of the human condition. On this episode, we sat down with CBT Baltimore's psychologist, Dr. Josh Gonsher, to get his take on the various types of losses we experience throughout our lives, and just how to approach t...

When you chose to listen to this episode, chances are you are curious to know what I think we all want to know - is sleep really overrated? Do we actually need that golden 8 hours a night to get through the day? Or can you sustain getting less sleep by making up for it with your favorite coffee or energy drink? In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Jade Wu to hear all about the do's and don't's of...

A few episodes prior we discussed the journey to creating a family, along with the ups and downs that may come with it. But what happens once you become a parent? In a literal split second, your life completely changes and suddenly, you are now the caretaker of a new life. Today, we sat down with Eli Weinstein, LCSW, to discuss how parenting changes us, and who we become as a result of our new rol...

Moving, whether it is down the block, a few states away, or in our most recent guest's cases, to another country, can be quite the experience to say the least. Packing up years worth of memories to, in a sense, start over somewhere new can bring up both positive and negative emotions for those moving, and those with whom we have made connections with in the town or city we are moving away from. To...

The term "family" takes many on forms, but the most common we hear about comes when two individuals decide they want to have children. For some, it comes quite easy. But others hit many roadblocks, wrong turns, and detours along the way. For our guest on this episode, she and her husband began the journey to starting a family, only to find out it wasn't going to be as easy as she once thought. We...

No matter what denomination you associate with, we all know that those in clergy positions have tremendous responsibility to serve their communities. This week, we sat down with Rabbi Yisrael Motzen of Ner Tamid Congregation. Since joining his synagogue in 2012, Rabbi Motzen has introduced many Torah classes, youth programs, special events, and holiday programs. You can connect with Rabbi Motzen v...

Whether it's a memory from middle school that you would most certainly like to forget, or the result of the seemingly endless pandemic world we are currently living in, it's safe to say we can all relate to the feelings of loneliness when the topic of friends are involved. After a TikTok by a stranger went viral, Marissa created the ultimate project - No More Lonely Friends. No More Lonely Friends...

We have all seen the glitz and glam of Hollywood when celebrities walk the red carpet. For some, the red carpet fulfills their lifelong dream of being a Hollywood star, while others struggle with the expectations that come along with this role. For this episode, we sat down with Chris Trondsen, a news host, therapist, and advocate for mental health. Chris shared pieces of his journey struggling wi...

This week we were joined by Bob Tewksbury, retired major league baseball pitcher and mental skills coach. Bob's baseball journey was one for the books, but the end of his baseball career was the beginning of new career in sports psychology. As he describes in his book, 90% Mental, sports are not just about hitting a home run or scoring the winning goal; there are layers to great players, and menta...

From the newspaper headlines, to interruptions in your regularly scheduled programming on television, we are all familiar with the "doom and gloom" that this world has to offer. Sometimes, it seems like it can be easier to get caught up in that doom and gloom, and forget about the sunshine that can (and does!) peacefully exist. Dude. Be Nice. has one mission: treat yourself and others be...

Throughout life, we meet individuals at our favorite coffee shop, or in a class we’ve taken, or even mailing a card at your local post office. What do all of these things have in common? Well, each of those people have things that make them unique, that make them stand out from those around them. This week, we sat down with Ed Latimore, a former professional heavyweight boxer whose life started in...

Each and every one of us has experienced challenges that are unfair, and seemingly insurmountable, sometimes leaving us to question the purpose that this pain is playing in our lives. We may ask, "why me?", feeling defeated by our tribulations, looking for a way out of the darkness. The children of Kids Kicking Cancer have a bit of a different idea. We sat down with Rabbi Elimelech Goldb...

Work Happy?! If that sounds like an oxymoron to you then this episode is what you're looking for! Not only is possible to be happy while at work, but it is also invaluable. Invaluable for the worker and the boss. This may seem like an out-of-reach goal but it does not have to be. Joined by the affable, congenial Greg Kettner , we dive into the intersection where humor and our 'day jobs' meet. It i...

Throwback Thursday! Way back when (before the existence of Mental Filter) I met Stuart Ralph at the annual International OCD Foundation Conference. Stuart is not only the nicest and most genuine guy one can be, but he is also the host of a podcast called The OCD Stories . The podcast has been extremely influential in advocating, educating, and connecting within the OCD community. It is also super...

The brain is fascinating, to say the least! It's so unique and individual for each of us. It holds our pattern of thinking. It is the nerve center for everything that we do. It influences our emotions and personalities. It is both powerful and sensitive. Also, as much as we have advanced in our knowledge of it, we still haven’t scratched the surface. So what happens if it becomes compromised? Even...

Did you say you wanted more?! Well, you're in luck because we didn't stop talking just yet. Part II of the topic below..... The world of performing arts is as vast as it is deep. There are so many highs and along with it a fair amount of lows. Hopefully, this will be just the first of many episodes that explores the experience of performing arts, on professional and personal levels, through the le...