The Just A Mom Podcast

I was drawn to share Tamicka’s story after we met at the Mental Health KC Conference last spring. After studying computer engineering in college, Tamicka realized she wanted to work with families and individuals to heal, grow, and become the best version of themselves. Because of her own story and experiences, Tamicka wrote the book Where Daddy Lives  ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWPPQ3B9?ref_=cm...

Don’t miss this episode with Casie Fariello, a mom with three kids with different mental health issues—anxiety, substance abuse, depression, and self-harm. Her knowledge range is vast, including intensive outpatient treatment, partial hospitalization, wilderness therapy, and a therapeutic boarding school.  Casie knows all about managing the complexities of navigating the system as well as regulati...

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want or the way they should. Kristie Morton knows that personally. She lost her 14-year-old son, Hunter, to suicide on February 12, 2022. Kristie shares very candidly about her journey as a mother who has lost a child to suicide. Kristie emphasizes that parents who have lost children still want to talk about their child, and how important it is to check o...

Don’t miss this encouraging and inspiring episode featuring Jessica Patay, founder of We Are Brave Together. As the mother of a child with Prader-Willi disease (https://www.fpwr.org/), Jessica founded We Are Brave Together in 2017 to be a safe place for women with children with any issue or diagnosis. We Are Brave Together is a place for women to feel seen, heard, validated, and understood through...

This episode is a continuation of Sierra’s story. After the birth of her second child, Sierra was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Again, Sierra talks about the empathy she developed by being on the receiving end of mental health services. She also frankly shares how traumatizing the admission process into the psychiatric hospital was, how her faith was shaken, and how she didn’t even recognize...

Sierra works as the Community Prevention Manager for Johnson County Mental Health. But that’s not why she is on the podcast. Sierra shares an incredible story of her lived experience very candidly. Sierra struggled with postpartum depression, major insomnia, hallucinations, and psychosis after the birth of her first child. In this episode, Sierra shares how she felt so alone and afraid of being se...

This episode of The Just A Mom podcast features Tracey Yokas, author of the book Bloodlines: A Memoir of Harm and Healing ( https://www.amazon.com/Bloodlines-Memoir-Self-Harm-Healing-Generational-ebook/dp/B09CD4F614 ). In the book, Tracey explores her relationship with her own mother as well as the family dynamics of a child with mental illness.  Tracey’s daughter’s battle started with the death o...

Brandon Saho was a successful sportscaster in Cincinnati. He was living his professional dream, but away from his job there was an unseen story.  Brandon struggled with depression and suicidal ideation as well as alcoholism.  On this unique episode of The Just A Mom podcast, Brandon and his mom, Debbie, share about Brandon’s journey with mental illness, which included in-patient hospitalization. ...

This episode is a continuation of my conversation with Kristina Miller, mom of former Ohio State University football player Harry Miller. In this episode, Kristina recounts some of the fears and challenges of parenting an adult son with mental health issues.  Make sure to check out the Don’t Make It Weird Foundation (https://dmiw.org/ (https://dmiw.org/)), whose mission is to normalize the convers...

If you haven't heard my conversation with Kristina, you don't want to miss this re-air. In the first of two episodes, Kristina talks about the beginnings of Harry's mental illness at a young age and all the things she did to help him. We discuss the tremendous pressure on student-athletes, particularly high-profile ones. Kristina also shares about the day she received the call that Harry was conte...

*Trigger warning - this episode contains explicit talk about suicide and methodology  This episode is a continuation of my conversation with Coach Dowling. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, please go back and listen to it. Coach Dowling is honest, raw, and real about his brother's death by suicide and his own mental health struggles.

*Trigger warning- this episode contains explicit talk about suicide and methodology  This episode is the first in a two-part series that you don't want to miss if you didn't hear it the first time. Coach Dowling is very open and vulnerable about losing his brother to suicide as well as his own battle with depression and suicidal ideation. He shares candidly about his time in an in-patient psychiat...

I decided to re-air this incredibly powerful episode of The Just A Mom podcast because of the meteoric rise in fentanyl addiction and deaths related to fentanyl use. Ronda’s son survived a fentanyl addiction. My conversation with Ronda is a no-holds-barred one. Her son battled an eating disorder and undiagnosed depression in high school. He found a bottle of narcotics after a family member’s surge...

My incredibly brave and strong friend Suzanne talks about losing her son, Nic, to suicide in 2017.  She started noticing signs of anxiety and depression before people were really talking openly about mental health. Suzanne shares deeply intimate details about losing her son her grieving process, and how losing a child to suicide can happen to anyone.  Suzanne shared with me (and I’m sharing this w...

When I first started The Just A Mom podcast, I was only focused on interviewing parents of children who have struggled with mental health issues.  That changed when I met with Trevor, and he shared the story of the last few years with me. Trevor is an adult who suffers from depression and suicidal ideation.  Trevor was a middle school teacher and coach for my two oldest kids and went on to be a mi...

Kari was the first person (outside of my family) that I interviewed for The Just A Mom podcast.  I’ve known Kari for many years. She is the wife of my oldest son’s high school football coach. My son was very close to him, and his tragic and early death in 2017 rocked our community.  Kari is one of the many parents who have called me over the past few years because her daughter was suicidal. was al...

This week we are re-airing the episode featuring Kristen. Kristen’s story is one of fear, patience, endurance, love, and hope.  It’s also another example of how the mental health battle is a journey—more of a marathon than a sprint.  Kristen and her husband have gone to great lengths to help their son with his mental illness.  While Kristen’s son’s battle started when he was still in high school,...

The Just A Mom podcast will be re-airing some of the earliest episodes of the podcast the next few weeks.  The first re-air is the very first episode of The Just A Mom podcast with my son, Will.  This show is the whole reason I became a mental health advocate and, ultimately, started the Just A Mom Podcast.  Will is my youngest son, and he struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation....

The final episode of Season 5 is the conclusion of Susie’s conversation with Kyle. Kyle shares candidly the many challenges he faced as the parent of a child struggling with depression and suicide attempts. Don’t miss this story of hope and perseverance that will undoubtedly encourage all.

In this episode of the Just A Mom podcast, Susie converses with Kyle about his journey as a parent raising a child grappling with mental health issues. Kyle delves into the hurdles he encountered in identifying early indicators and the opportunities for intervention. He sheds light on the struggles of securing suitable treatment and the toll it took on his family. The dialogue underscores the pres...

This is the second in a two part series with Ryan LeFevbre, Kansas City Royals Announcer. Ryan continues his story by sharing more about his mental health journey and his road to healing. We discuss Ryan’s book, The Shame of Me: One Man’s Journey to Depression and Back ( https://www.amazon.com/Shame-Mans-Journey-Depression-Back/dp/0984113029 ). Don’t miss the conclusion of this honest and vulnerab...

Podcast Episode Show Notes: "Ryan Lefebvre" In this episode of the Just A Mom podcast, Susie engages in a conversation with Ryan Lefebvre, the baseball announcer for the Kansas City Royals. Together, they delve into Ryan's profound journey through depression and his subsequent recovery. Ryan candidly shares his upbringing in a fractured family, shedding light on its impact on his self-worth and se...

Podcast Episode Show Notes: "Carron Montgomery, Licenced Professional Counselor and Award-Winning Author Part 2" Introduction: Welcome back to the Just a Mom podcast! In this highly anticipated episode, Susie is joined once again by Carron Montgomery. Carron brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, delving into topics ranging from neuroplasticity to the therapeutic benefits of natu...

Podcast Episode Show Notes: "Carron Montgomery, Licenced Professional Counselor and Award-Winning Author" Introduction : In this episode of the Just a Mom podcast, Susie introduces Carron Montgomery, a licensed professional counselor, registered play therapist, level two trained EMDR, and trauma specialist. Carron shares her wealth of knowledge and expertise, offering valuable insights into neurop...

On the latest episode of the Just a Mom Podcast, Susie brings in Pat Aussem, Vice President for Consumer Clinical Content Development at the Partnership to End Addiction. They delve into a conversation exploring the Partnership's goals and services, the intricate link between mental health and substance abuse, and the consequences of marijuana legalization on substance use. The discussion extends...