Solace and the City

For the second week of Mental Health Awareness Month, I am SO excited to be sharing an incredibly memorable and personal conversation with Dr. Roy Richard Grinker.  Dr. Grinker is an American author and Professor of Anthropology, International Affairs, and Human Sciences at the George Washington University. His first book on autism, Unstrange Minds, was in part an "attempt to make sense of an inte...

For the first episode of Mental Health Awareness Month, I've decided to share an episode that is not only SO interesting but also sheds lights on a little known fact about myself -- I was once recruited into the NXIVM sex cult. For those who don't know, NXIVM was an American cult that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering while claiming to be a "Self-Help Group." This week, I...

For the final episode of April’s series, I am honored to be sharing my conversation with Alison Fields. Alison is an activist, writer, crisis counselor, and content creator. In our conversation, she explains how being a survivor of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence launched her into a life of advocacy. In March of 2020, Alison was also one of the first people in New York City to report a...

Better late than never!  I am honored to be sharing Part 3 of Survivor Stories, a special segment of Solace and the City that is working to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault through partnering with the Exhale to Inhale community.  This week I virtually sat down with Maritza Puello, a wellbeing coach and certified yoga and meditation instructor.  We discuss what consent mea...

This week I had the honor to sit down and have a conversation with Julie Fernandez, a Movement & Trauma Recovery Specialist. Julie's practice centers on recognizing the strength within ourselves and shedding the judgements, guilt and shame that arise from unresolved traumas. Some of the conditions she works with include Complex, Developmental (Early Childhood) and Shock Traumas, Anxiety, Depressio...

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so for the next four Mondays I will be sharing stories with survivors of abuse.  This week, I had the incredible opportunity to record with Chelsea Quint, Trauma-Informed Business Coach and Co-Chair of Exhale to Inhale.  In our conversation, she walks me through her life which was littered with various forms of sexual assault and explains how she u...

The title says it all.  My conversation with Jarrett for this week's episode was absolutely incredible, and we touched on almost every topic imaginable in the worlds of sociology and mental health.  Jarrett is a PhD. Candidate at York University in Toronto studying sociology.  His research specifically focuses on the ways in which psychedelics can alleviate mental distress.  (Yes, we are having an...

I am SO excited to share my conversation with Zach Westerbeck, a professional mental health speaker, College Success Coach, and author of the book “You’re Not Alone”.  Much like myself, Zach has a mission to help educate college students and organizations around the world to understand the complexities of depression and anxiety in today’s modern society.  Through his personal experiences and exten...

This week I am incredibly honored to share my conversation with Joann Irizarry, co-founder of @asafeplaceinsideyourhead. A Safe Place Inside Your Head was founded by Joann and her son Tannerin 2018, who wanted to share messages with others who struggle with mental health issues on a daily basis. This idea was started in remembrance of a family member who's life was lost by suicide during a time wh...

I have SUCH a fun episode for you guys today!  I virtually sat down with Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Founders of The Therapy Group, and Co-Hosts of the amazing podcast Shrink Chicks!  Emmalee and Jen are on a mission to make therapy and therapeutic topics more relatable which they do both in their practice and through their podcast!  In this episod...

If you liked The Social Dilemma on Netflix then you are going to LOVE this episode with Temo, a Psychologist and Post-Academic Psychoanalytic Candidate focused on Psychological Anthropology. Our conversation revolves around the modern state of culture using technology and the malignant effect of social media on our mental health. Despite his clientele varying in age, Temo found that so many of the...

This week I sat down with Dr. Paul Seli to discuss the potential for psychedelics to help treat mental health problems, a really popular research topic at major universities. Paul is a professor of a cognitive psychology professor at Duke University and is on on The Board of Directors for Psychedelic Studies at the University of Toronto. Paul discusses his own experiences with psychedelics, specif...

This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Nancy Ruth Dean!  Nancy has been in the relationship industry for 6 years, and got her start working as a professional matchmaker. It was there that she learned the personal stories of people trying to find love. What she learned was that most of the people she met hadn’t fully gotten over their ex.  Meanwhile, she was going through her own b...

This week I am SO excited to be sharing such an uplifting conversation with Angela Amezcua.  You may know Angela from ABC’s The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise, but she is a model and YouTuber as well!  During this episode we discuss ways to advocate for female empowerment, keep a positive mindset, and maintain self confidence! Angela also shares the ways in which she has been able to give back...

This week I am so excited to share my conversation with matchmaker, dating coach, and founder of We Met Through Thalia, Thalia Ouimet!  Thalia  is the founder of We Met Through Thalia, a matchmaking agency based out of New York City. With nearly 10 years of experience as a matchmaker and dating coach she has helped individuals recover from heartbreak, become an effective dater, find love, and navi...

This week I virtually sat down with DJ, Fashion Industry Insider, and Founder of the clothing brand @ilikeyou, Isaac Hindin-Miller!  I now am so excited to be sharing this incredible conversation, blessed not only with a New Zealand accent but also with vulnerability, authenticity and wisdom.  Isaac moved to the United States in 2011 and quickly became involved in the New York City party scene.  A...

I am SO excited to be sharing this episode with Bachelor Legend and Podcast Extraordinaire, Olivia Caridi!  Olivia first came into the public eye when she was a contestant on Season 20 of The Bachelor, during which she immediately caught the eye of Ben Higgins.  However, her connection with Ben fizzled out when the producers saw her confidence as a trait that could be molded into a character flaw....

Happy New Year!  I couldn't think of a better guest to begin 2021 with than Ibrahim Sharkas, graduate student in the realms of positive psychology.  In this episode, Ibrahim shares his knowledge on the connection between philosophy, religion, and psychology and how we can use all three to become the best versions of ourselves.  He is truly a beam of light, and I have no doubt that everyone who lis...

This week I have a very special episode featuring the one and only Carol Rosen, also known as my Grandma!  Last Christmas I sat her down to learn about the stigmas around mental health back when she was growing up that vastly affected the ways in which her generation assessed and treated psychological disorders.  This year, I wanted to learn more about my Grandma's personal story.  Although we cou...

This week I had an absolutely incredible conversation with Jacqueline Trumbull, and former contestant on The Bachelor!  Jacqueline is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology at Duke University and was able to share her insight into some very important mental health topics.  Because her research focuses on Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Jacqueline is abl...

This week I'm sharing my virtual conversation with Krystal Thompson, Los Angeles-based Human Design Reader and Board-Certified Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner.  Her readings and services are a unique blend of conscious mindset work, subconscious reprogramming, energy healing, and inspired action coaching. By uncovering what’s kept them stuck and creating new neural networks for change, Krystal...

The title says it all -- this week I'm sharing my conversation with Danny Padilla from The Bachelor Presents Listen To Your Heart!  A native of Los Angeles, Danny gained internet fame thanks to original songs and musical impersonations and then as on the Bachelor's new spinoff series this past year.  In this episode we talk about Danny's journey to becoming a YouTube celebrity as well as...

This week I have a pretty unconventional episode for you all.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I first wanted to talk about a few of the things that I am so grateful for, specifically the amazing friendships I have that keep my spirits bright.  I then move into sharing a story that has been my lyrical bible for the past five years.  Brian Finkelstein (@bsfinkestein) is a writer who h...

This week I brought back on my incredible friend Liz Gunner to discuss how to approach conversations about depression, whether it be a conversation we are having with ourselves or a friend.  We first speak to our own experiences navigating mental health difficulties and, we share how and when we finally came to recognize the benefits that anti-anxiety medication had to offer.  After addressing and...

This week I sat down with the absolutely INCREDIBLE Olivia Lubarsky, a former D1 gymnast at Towson University and mental health advocate!  During her four years at Towson University, Olivia did everything she could to bring awareness to the mental and emotional issues that face athletes.  As a gymnast, she was constantly striving to achieve a form of perfection that was impossible to obtain by the...