The Healing Pod: Navigating Anxiety and Mental Health Together

Episode 27 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  And I’m sorry this is a week late! Jess was unable to join, then the computer tried to eat the recording (hence it’s a different format) and then a migraine hit) Given all of that, this is minimally edited today, so sorry for that! The rambles and talking over each other will remain, sorry not sorry! In this episode, Kasie had the wonderful idea of going ove...

Episode 26 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, we talk about our own Valentine’s Day experiences and how our hopes are for the holiday this season. We both tend to low key things, but in general the themes are the same: talk to your partner, express your needs, and do not compare to what you think everyone else is doing, especially when that does not match who you are.  There’s a few pit...

Episode 25 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, we explore the physical manifestations of anxiety. This includes what things you may notice when you’re anxious and how it may change your overall wellbeing. The more we are able to tap into this, the more we are able to counter it and open ourselves up to dealing with the causes behind our feelings. The more we can regulate and being things...

Episode 24 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, we explore why so many new years resolutions fail and how to set yourself up for a higher success rate whatever your goals are. We focus on what pitfalls we usually see (too big, not enough support, not something you actually want just something you think you should do) and how to address these when making SMART goals.  Goals need to be some...

Episode 23 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, Kc pinch hits for Jessica again (hi new Jess nephew!! Hope all is well still!!) and we talk about the difference between a Therapy Dog (Kirby’s job), Emotional Support Animal (housing rights for a pet that benefits your mental health treatment, requires a doctor’s note), and Service Dog (medical equipment taught to do a task to mitigate a di...

Episode 22 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, we talk about navigating the holidays when managing less than healthy personalities in our partners, including dropping the ever fun label of narcissistic personality disorder and the trap of trauma bonding (which is closer in movie lingo to Beauty and the Beast than it is Speed). Not everyone is a narcissist, but someone doesn’t have to be...

Episode 21 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, we talk about how Intergenerational trauma tends to rear it’s head when we get the generations gathered together for the holidays as well as tips for how to note what is happening and decide what you want to do about it.  Intergenerational trauma can refer to both the biologically inherited traits of older generations being seeped in cortiso...

Episode 20 Welcome to the Healing Pod!  In this episode, we talk about the other three horsemen of the Gottman relationship apocalypse: Criticism, Contempt, and Stonewalling.  This builds on our last discussion of defensiveness. These aspects of communication are based mainly in research of intimate partner relationships, but do show up in other areas of our life. Recognizing them and choosing oth...

Episode 19 Welcome to the Healing Pod! Jessica has returned to us! And is resiliently rebuilding her world. In this episode, we talk about defensiveness. Why we use it and how to recognize and side step it when in a relationship we want to maintain. Also the importance of taking responsibility for yourself and setting boundaries as needed. Do note, this episode was recorded the week before the US...

Episode 18 Welcome to the Healing Pod! Today I have my wife Kasie filling in for Jessica due to continued complications with hurricane Milton and life in general.  In this episode, we explore ketamine treatment for depression and anxiety from the perspective of the person taking the ketamine and the nerdy psych person who did the research and supported her in starting it.  All treatments need to b...

Episode 17 *** Hurricane Milton may delay our next podcast, info below *** There were definitely some issues with the mic pick up for this episode as well, sorry about the quality.  That said: Welcome to the Healing Pod! A lower energy level as Jessica faces a recent loss and I process the ceremony and family interactions around my own family losses. We explore our feelings, sense of trying to reg...

Episode 16 Content includes discussion of suicide. Make sure you are taking care of yourselves and reaching out for help as needed.  Welcome to The Healing Pod! In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Keith Christie, my intern partner and savior of sanity. Dr. Christie runs a private practice in Michigan with a focus on men’s mental health and needs in support of healthier humans and relationships a...

Episode 15 Welcome to The Healing Pod! In this episode, we talk about equine assisted and animal assisted therapy, both what drew us to this modality and how we use it.  It is always amazing to me how the animals respond to what we bring them, and how connecting into that helps us deepen our own awareness and ability to sit with ourselves.  Come join us and learn a little more about how and why we...

Episode 14 Welcome to The Healing Pod! In this episode, we talk about social media and mental health! While using social media to talk about mental health. It is a ubiquitous thing that as a tool, has both positive uses (the more you know, shooting star) and problems and consequences (fomo, arguments, lost time scrolling) if we are not paying attention.  Balance is needed to remember when to walk...

Episode 13 Welcome to The Healing Pod! In this episode, we talk with Jessica’s Bonus Daughter, Kaley, who is a patient advocate and admissions coordinator for teenage males at a facility in Florida.  We explored diagnoses we love to hate when people give them (not the clients that have them, but the irresponsible lack of information that lead to the label being placed at times), frustrations with...

Episode 12 Welcome to The Healing Pod! In this episode, we experimented with being live on Jessica’s TikTok while we streamed which….made things interesting. Sorry for the poor audio and jumpiness at times in editing, we did what we could and it was fun and good learning while doing so.  Here we discuss trying to catch burnout before it fully hits and address the problem rather than facing the con...

Episode 11 Welcome to the healing pod! In this episode, we explore some random anxiety and self care hacks. Things like regulating your breath, making connections with yourself and others,  changing routines, getting away to nature, meditation, exercise, unplugging from electronics, and creativity. Things you all already know how and have heard before, but come explore them with us and why we like...

Episode 10 We started this episode live on facebook before finishing it off just to ourselves. In this episode we respond to a question from a listener about giving criticism and critique rather than receiving it. Jessica and Megan go through their anxiety and discomfort of placing themselves in positions of authority or leadership, the need to do so, and trying to build up both the knowledge and...

Episode 9 Winging it tonight in this episode because it's one of those days and our mental health needs the lack of demands sometimes. We check in on Jess' Ketamine Assisted Therapy including what the benefits of our neuroplasticity are, things we avoid (paperwork) and things we are trying to lean into (Jess' daughter's awesome coming adventures), and just how we are taking care of...

Episode 8 Very late in posting because I had a migraine for two and a half days and then had to play catchup on everything. My bad! We will make it up to you with some clips soon, but probably only behind a paywall for the "oops should I be saying this online, what's our rating again?" ones. We have discovered starting boozy drinks before recording distracts us from recording! Come j...

Episode 7 We read an email from Allie about her postpartum anxiety experiences and fears of there being no right move to make to promise her baby she won't be traumatized by life (thanks Disney...). Sometimes we cannot promise things that will keep others from every feeling pain, because we do not control that. but we can be realistic about our expectations for ourselves and offer our loved on...

Episode 6 In this episode, we explore how we have used often dark humor to our benefit (tension relief, self regulation, healthy temporary avoidance) and the constant struggle and practice needed not to use it in a way to separate us from others or to avoid what it is that we need to deal with. There are a couple of curse words in there. If those offend you, there are many other lovely podcasts to...

Episode 5 In this episode, Jessica and I explore our need for and use of boundaries, and what we have had to navigate when we have not used them properly and why it is so much harder to set boundaries with the people we are closest with. Hope you enjoy! There are a couple of unbeeped curse words in there. Sorry folks, the filters may actually be starting to be lowered. Music as always by the wonde...

We continue to explore communication as it applies to apologies and navigating talking across generations. Jessica is a parent of both teens and very young kids, and Megan often works with kids and teens in therapy. Join us as we explore recognizing and being purposeful about what we are adding to a situation. Thank you as always to Miki Anderson for our background music and to everyone who is enc...

Welcome to our first episode! Here we introduce ourselves and some of the aspects of anxiety we are used to facing, including alarm bells over seemingly safe things, masking in order to meet what we assume are other's expectations, and navigating the space between encouraging others to be fully themselves while knowing that this struggle is a journey we are also on. Thanks to Miki Anderson for...