No Need to Explain with the Mental Health Mamas

This week we continue with the theme around lack of control and caring for ourselves in the midst of challenging circumstances. We are joined by guest Lorri Britt who shares openly and vulnerably about having two of her children incarcerated in her book, My Heart Behind Bars. Tune in to hear Lorri talk about the judgment she faced, the pain of seeing her children in prison, the deep sense of isola...

As the parents of kids who struggle, the Mental Health Mamas know that we often don’t have any control over the choices our children make. This week we are joined by guest, Marsha Vanwynsberghe who believes that when you own your own choices, as a parent, that you own your life despite the choices of your children. Marsha chats with us about parenting through teen substance abuse, wanting to fix w...

This week we are joined by Lisa Candera, AKA The Autism Mom Coach. Lisa is a full-time single mother of a teenage boy with autism, a certified life coach, and a lawyer. Lisa teaches moms raising kids with Autism how to show up in their lives as the parent they want to be even when parenthood looks nothing like they imagined. We chat with Lisa about staying regulated when our kids are dysregulated,...

This week we are talking holistic healthcare rooted in community with guest Dr. Michelle Stephens. Michelle chats with us about her personal and professional inspirations to create a new approach to healthcare through her app, Oath Care. Tune in to hear Michelle talk about her journey to motherhood, a model where health happens in communities, how we can take better care of caregivers and so much...

When someone close to you loses a loved one it can be hard to know what to do or how to help. This week we are joined by guest Aly Bird who experienced the loss of her husband at the age of 30. Through this experience, Aly was driven to do something about the way we treat the bereaved. Aly joins us to share her experience and talk about her book, Grief Ally, which defines Grief Allyship and teache...

This week we are joined by Dr. Melissa Reilly, a Mom without a Mom, Coach and Clinical Psychologist. Tune in to hear Melissa share her own story about becoming a Mom without a Mom, what it can be like to face this journey (whether through loss, distance or estrangement), and the four types of people every mom should have as part of her community. Visit Melissa’s website: https://www.momswithoutamo...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Dr. Karin Jakubowski, an elementary school principal, founder of Educational Impact Academy and fellow podcaster. Karin talks about what it means to practice “connection before correction”, what to do when an unexpected behavior shows up and how we can all do a better job listening to our kids. Visit Karin’s website Check out Karin’s podcast, Momnifi...

Most of us know that children need play to grow and learn, but did you know that adults benefit from play as well? This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Kate Raynes-Goldie who is a multi-award winning play-based strategist. Tune in to hear Kate talk about the research behind play for adults, how it supports our mental health and how we can all incorporate more play into our lives. Visit...

Person-Directed Care is just one of the topics of conversation as we dig a little deeper into care for our families at any age, any stage.  Tune in to hear Kim Evanoski, licensed social worker and CEO of Care Manage for All, share her experience with care management and how choice, dignity, respect, self-determination and purposeful living are values that can be embraced by both the caregiver and...

Nearly half of adults in their 40’s and 50’s have parents 65 and older while also still raising children. This “Sandwich Generation” finds themselves divided between caring for both aging parents and children. This week, Janice Goldmintz, president of Talk About Aging, joins the Mental Health Mamas to discuss this important topic. Tune in to hear Janice talk about how we can avoid burnout and achi...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are talking about the concept of Psychological Safety and how it applies to sharing family voice. Tune in to hear Tina and Serena share some personal stories around school meetings, how school staff can create Psychological Safety for families and how you can share your voice even when not feeling safe. What is Psychological Safety at Work? 4 Tips for Thriving Wit...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Sahar Aker who found a way to choose beauty on a daily basis which helped her when she found herself in the depths of depression. #IChooseBeauty is a simple concept that requires just a moment out of your busy day to shift your mood because as Sahar says on her website, it’s not about changing what you see, it’s about changing how you see it. Visit S...

For anyone who appreciates the benefits of meditation but perhaps struggles to find the time or focus to meditate, this episode is for you! This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Jake Eagle, co-author of The Power of Awe: Overcome Burnout and Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity and Purpose - In Less Than One Minute a Day . Tune in to hear all about the A.W.E. method and what it can d...

The Mental Health Mamas are celebrating their 100th episode by sharing 100 Ways to Care for Your Mental Health. Tune in to hear Tina and Serena share about 100 tools in their mental health toolboxes and how you can easily add these tools to your toolbox as well. Sign up for our mailing list to receive the printable version of 100 Ways to Care for Your Mental Health . Visit our website for more con...

How does a person get to the point of planning a school shooting? And what might prevent them from actually following through with that plan? This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Aaron Stark who shares very openly about how he was almost a school shooter. You will not want to miss this conversation and learn about what stopped him from becoming another statistic. Visit our website for m...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are honored to be joined by Scarlett Lewis founder of the non-profit Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. Scarlett’s son, Jesse, was murdered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in December of 2012. Shortly after his death, Scarlett decided to be part of the solution to the issues that we're seeing in our society and turned it into an opportunity to...

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly half of people with a mental illness do not receive treatment. In this episode, Tina and Serena delve into some of the signs of mental health struggle and share their own experiences of realizing and knowing when more support is needed.   Warning Signs of Mental Illness from American Psychiatric Association Youth Mental Health Res...

This week the Mental Health Mamas delve deeper into the LGBTQIA+ topic with the help of Dr. Jessica Conner, a Licensed Psychologist with a clinical interest in transgender and gender diverse youth. Jessica comes to us with a breadth of personal and professional knowledge regarding gender diversity in youth. Tune in to hear us chat about the differences between gender identity and gender expression...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by fellow mom and podcaster, Heather Hester. Heather is the host of Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen and a Coming Out Coach for parents, a process she believes to be equal parts beautiful and messy. Tune in to hear Heather chat with Tina and Serena about her family’s story, ways in which we can support our kids while also supporting ourselves. Vi...

In this week’s episode, the Mental Health Mamas follow up on their recent travel episode to share about their personal experiences while traveling over the break. Tune in to hear Tina and Serena chat about expectations vs reality and share the good, the bad, and the smelly of The Vacation That Wasn’t . The Expectations vs Reality Trap from verywellmind.com Visit our website for more content: https...

To ring in the new year, the Mental Health Mamas are talking about all things good. Tune in to hear some of the feel-good stories from the past year and come away with some positivity no matter when you listen. Visit our website for more content: https://mentalhealthmamas.com/ Leave us a voice message: 607-288-3382 Claim your FREE Self-Care Workbook by joining our mailing list: https://mentalhealt...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Mollie Reinhart, founder of Befriend. Befriend connects people to meet one another, forge new relationships, and unite through compassion. Their goal is to create friendships so that every person can embrace empathy, foster understanding, and bring our world closer together. Listen in as Mollie shares about the organic beginnings of Befriend and how...

In this week’s episode the Mental Health Mamas are reliving some of their travels from the past and all the challenges that come with traveling with kids who struggle with their emotional health. Join us as we share some of our travel stories, tips to make travel a bit smoother and most importantly of all, finding the humor in all of it. Child Mind Institute, Tips for Traveling with Challenging Ch...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are joined by Dr. Shari Allen, an associate professor of pharmacy practice as well as a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist. We chat with Shari about our previous episode on kids and medication, why medication isn’t always the answer and when you should consult the pharmacist. You won’t want to miss this informative and important conversation. Follow Dr. Shari...

This week the Mental Health Mamas are chatting about Wraparound Care and why it’s like a big hug. Tina and Serena share details of the Wraparound model, why it’s important and how these concepts can be applied across systems with or without a formal plan.  National Wraparound Initiative The Wraparound Process User’s Guide: A Handbook for Families Visit our website for more content: https://mentalh...