she persisted | mental health, self-care, psychology, gen z, dbt, depression, anxiety, healing

Today's guest is Dr. Margaret Rutherford —a psychologist, author, podcast host, and writer! We discuss Dr. Margaret's background in the mental health field, how she identified and coined the term "perfectly hidden depression," what perfectly hidden depression is, how perfectionism can cover up emotional pain, the implications of not expressing emotions, high-functioning vs. perfectly hidden depres...

Today's guest is Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins —a Netflix star, producer, content creator, proud Howard University graduate, and the host of Trials To Triumphs  on the OWN Network ! In this episode, we discuss Ashley's background in the entertainment industry, her experience starting therapy, why it's important to redefine therapy so it meets your needs, why preventative mental health care is s...

In today's ask me anything/Q+A/advice episode, I am answering your questions about advocating to your parents, knowing what type of therapy is right for you, hitting rock bottom, dealing with judgment, addressing the teen mental health crisis, supporting men struggling with their mental health, talking about mental health on social media, skills coaching, diary cards, troubled teen industry storie...

Today we are going "into the classroom" with my Abnormal Psychology professor, Ayelet Ruscio! Dr. Ruscio's research a the University of Pennsylvania specializes in anxiety and mood disorders–their nature, classification, and comorbidity. (via psychology.sas.upenn.edu ) We discuss why adolescence is such a crucial period for depression (and the role stress plays in this), the gender differences tha...

Today's guest is Michael Slepian —the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia University, a recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, the leading expert on the psychology of secrets, and the author of The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are . We discuss...

TW for suicidal thoughts ~42 minutes into this episode Today's guests are Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, the co-authors of the WSJ bestseller  No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotion at Work and Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay. We discuss why the 7 "big feelings" (burnout, perfectionism, comparison, uncertainty, anger, regret, + despair) are so difficult...

This week's guest is Dr. Judy Ho—a licensed and triple board-certified Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, television and podcast host, and published author. (bio via drjudyho.com) We discuss why she started specializing in self-sabotage, what exactly self-sabotage is and why we do it, the 4 factors that predispose people to self-sabotag...

In today's solo episode I am giving you my tips on how to maintain your mental health as a college student! After wrapping up my freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, I've put together this comprehensive episode to help you feel prepared to navigate college life! I've broken it down into 5 categories: routine, relationships, rest, recreation, and resources! I tell you everything I wish...

Today's guests are Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright—the psychotherapists, sleep experts, and the authors of The Happy Sleeper and Generation Sleepless. In this episode, we discuss why teenagers are experiencing more sleep deprivation than any other demographic, the "perfect storm" leading teens to lose sleep, what exactly happens when you sleep + why it's so important that you get enough rest, at-...

Today's guests are ShrinkChicks co-hosts and Therapy Group founders Emmalee Bierly, LMFT, and Jennifer Chaiken, LMFT! We dive into how negative therapy experiences led Emalee + Jennifer to become therapists, the reasons college is one of the most challenging seasons for mental health, why you should be therapist-shopping, the biggest determinant of success in therapy, how to optimize your sessions...

Today's guest is Carmen Applegate—the host of The Girly Girl Podcast! In this episode, we answer all your questions about high school, content creation, podcast growth, Pinterest marketing, dating, boys, flirting, and so much more! Carmen's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-girly-girl-podcast/id1527929846?uo=4 Carmen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlygirlpodcast/ This...

Today's guest is Dr. Edith Eger—a psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, dancer, and holocaust survivor. At 16 years old, Edith and her family were sent to Auschwitz where her parents were sent to the gas chambers. However, Edith’s bravery kept her and her sister alive. During her time in the concentration camps, Edith and her sister were subjected to torture, abuse, and Edith came face...

Episode 100—can you believe it?!? I asked you guys on Instagram what you wanted to hear to celebrate and the majority said a solo episode. So, here we are—an episode jam-packed with my top 10 insights/takeaways/tips from the last 5 years (severely struggling with depression and anxiety from 13-16, navigating intensive treatment as a teen, recovering, and recording 100+ podcast episodes about menta...

Today's guests are CLEARSTEM Skincare founders Danielle Gronich (owner of the acclaimed San Diego Acne Clinic and known as The Acne Guru™) and Kayleigh Christina (Holistic Nutritionist)! CLEARSTEM Skincare is a revolutionary skincare brand that is both Anti-Aging and Anti-Acne with zero hormone disruptors or toxins. In this episode, we discuss Danielle and Kayleigh's personal struggles with cystic...

Whitney Goodman , LMFT is the radically honest psychotherapist behind the hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit , the author of Toxic Positivity , and the owner of The Collaborative Counseling Center, a private therapy practice in Miami, FL. She helps people who want to improve their relationships and emotional awareness. (bio via sitwithwhit.com ) We discuss Whitney's clinical experience,...

Truth Initiative is America's largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to a future where tobacco and nicotine addiction are things of the past. In this roundtable with Truth Initiative, we discuss the prevalence of teen nicotine use, what happens when adolescents use nicotine (biologically, mentally, socially, etc), smoking cigarettes vs. vaping, the average age of onset, the mental...

Eileen Kelly is the host of Going Mental and the founder of KILLER AND A SWEET THANG (KAAST)—an online comprehensive resource for young people to discover, learn about and connect with their sexual health, pleasure, and identity. We sit down to compare our times at McLean Hospital (voluntarily going to treatment, advocating for yourself, being an adult vs. getting sent to treatment, DBT, day-to-da...

Today's solo episode is all about the emotion regulation module of DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy). I dive into everything you need to know to decrease your emotional vulnerability, effectively cope with emotions that arise and improve regulation long-term. Skills/topics mentioned include building your life worth living, understanding your priorities/values so you can live in line with them,...

Today's guests are Jill and Dave Henry —high school coaches and the authors of The Greatest College Health Guide ! We sit down to discuss everything you need to know to have a successful college experience. Topics covered include what makes transitioning to college difficult, why you can expect an increase in stress, things to do before college to set yourself up for success, the identity crisis m...

Today's guest is Efia Sulter —a mindset and manifestation coach and the host of The Manifest Edit ! Efia's passion is helping ambitious women create the life they truly desire – not just the life they’ve settled for. In this episode, we dive deep into Efia's journey of overcoming the childhood trauma of being orphaned, the value of the coach-client relationship, what exactly manifesting is, the im...

Today's guest is Michele Rosenthal —a Certified Professional Coach, Board Certified Trauma and PTSD Hypnotist, Licensed Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming AND a trauma and PTSD survivor herself. She is also an award-winning trauma/PTSD blogger, award-nominated author, and keynote speaker as well as a Trauma Recovery Specialist and Mental Health Advocate. In this episode, we discus...

Today's guest is Tara Bixby —a therapist, anxiety coach, and host of the Courageously.u Podcast. In this episode, we dive deep into anxiety. Tara and I talk about causes, triggers, advice for parents vs. teens, somatic experiences, societal misconceptions surrounding anxiety, and more! If you've ever struggled with anxiety or want to support a loved one struggling this episode is for YOU—it is fil...

Today's solo episode is all about crisis survival! In this episode we dive deep into how to survive a crisis—whether that's extreme anxiety, anger, depression, urges, or something else! I cover what qualifies something as a crisis, SUDs scores, creating a safety plan, DBT survival skills (STOP, asking for help, ride the wave, TIPP, ACCEPTS + IMPROVE, and more), coping with general distress vs. spe...

Today's guest is Bailey Stanworth —founder of PLAY digital, co-host of What Day is It?, and a self-proclaimed accidental influencer! In this episode, we take a deep dive into Bailey's mental health and body image journey, how society influences self-esteem, setting boundaries as you consume content, mood-boosting follow recommendations, being vulnerable online vs. in-person, advice for SMMs/creato...

Today's guest is Madeline Bailey —she holds an M.S in Neuroscience from Tulane University and has a B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests are in neurobiological and molecular, specifically epigenetic changes, caused by stress and trauma, and how these later affect the development of mental health conditions. Madeline and I met through the A...