Why Don't We Talk About This?

Send us Fan Mail Stephanie, a Nuyorican (a Puerto Rican located in New York City-in this case, The Bronx), trauma-born Capricorn, mother of three and first year MSW student/intern, discuss her journey from being a soldier in the U.S Army from deployment in Iraq and beyond to today. She highlights the pivotal role of therapy in her recovery and speaks of her struggles associated with self-sabotage....

Send us Fan Mail JR Perez discusses the challenges and benefits of working together with Paula in business. They highlight the learning curve of running Personalize Your Coaching and Personalize Your Therapy, which started in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Paula shares her struggles with imposter syndrome and the need for a CEO mindset. JR emphasizes the importance of clear communication, setting bo...

Send us Fan Mail Paula speaks about the concept of grace, exploring its importance beyond religious context and added use during the early days of the pandemic. She identifying ways that grace can be defined and practiced differently based on individual beliefs and values. Paula shares personal experience, including her own challenges and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and honoring perso...

Send us Fan Mail Carolyn explores the concept of scarcity mindset, particularly within immigrant communities. She and Paula share personal experiences associated with financial struggles and the cultural emphasis on resourcefulness over buying new items. Carolyn recounts her mother's journey from factory work to a stable career, highlighting the generational differences in work ethic and prof...

Send us Fan Mail On the final episode in the series about the seven types of rest, Paula discusses the intricacies of social rest. She emphasizes that social rest is often overlooked but crucial for mental and emotional well-being and highlights the need to be intentional about social connections, focusing on those who uplift and support us, and avoiding those who drain our energy. Paula stresses...

Send us Fan Mail In the next episode on the series exploring the different types of rest, Paula digs into the concept of spiritual rest. She reflects on her experience at Retreat, Remix, Revive highlighting the challenges of balancing roles as a facilitator and participant and the ways it connects to this form of rest. Paula explains that spiritual rest involves deep tranquility and connection to...

Send us Fan Mail Paula discusses the importance of emotional rest as the next part of the series on rest. She highlighting its role in maintaining overall well-being and mental health as well as explains what emotional rest actually involves. Paula emphasizes emotional rest and the ways complements other types of rest, such as physical and mental, and the ways that it is often overlooked. She prov...

Send us Fan Mail Paula examines the importance of creative rest, in the fourth of the rest series. She highlights the challenges of maintaining creativity in a fast-paced world, noting that many people struggle with finding joy and inspiration. Creative rest is crucial for avoiding burnout, enhancing problem-solving skills, and fostering flexible thinking. Paula emphasizes that creativity requires...

Send us Fan Mail Paula discusses the importance of sensory rest, in the third of seven essential types of rest that will be explored in this series. Emphasis is placed on disengaging from screens and devices to reduce constant stimulation. She highlights the challenges of maintaining sensory rest in a tech-dependent society, noting the impact on mental health and stress management. Practical tips...

Send us Fan Mail Paula explores the importance of mental rest, the second of seven essential types that will be explored in this series. She explains the ways mental rest involves a break from constant mental stimulation, which is crucial for brain function and overall well-being. Paula highlights the challenges of achieving mental rest in a digitally-driven, fast-paced society, noting that cultur...

Send us Fan Mail Paula discusses the importance of rest, emphasizing that it involves more than just sleep. She highlights seven types of rest that will be explored in this series, starting with physical rest, which includes sleep and gentle movement. She stresses the need for consistent rest to avoid burnout and improve overall health, including brain function and muscle recovery. She shares pers...

Send us Fan Mail Julie returns to share highlights her and her twin sister’s adoption search in her new book, “Twice the Family” which covers their upbringing in a large Irish Catholic family. She highlights the unique bond twins share, challenges associated with a disabled sibling and the impact of infertility on her family. Julie emphasizes the importance of writing for personal healing, their o...

Send us Fan Mail Vanessa and Paula who are long time friends and former colleagues discuss their evolving friendship as well as the complexities of adult relationships. Vanessa highlights shared experiences, importance of honestly and the challenges associated with maintaining connections as we grow older. Emphasis is placed on the value of genuine, supportive friendships and the benefits of prior...

Send us Fan Mail Marci returns to speak with Paula about her new app, "Let's Talk About Money," designed to help take the guess work out and facilitate financial conversations. The app, available on Android, includes over 100 conversation starters to help users discuss various financial topics, such as debt and medical expenses. Marci emphasizes the importance of communication in fi...

Send us Fan Mail Debbie discusses the challenges of working with children in school settings, emphasizing the need for adults to develop their emotional intelligence. She highlights the impact of unresolved adult trauma on children and the importance of understanding the context behind children's behaviors. Gonzalez critiques the common practice of punishing children for misbehavior, such as...

Send us Fan Mail During this fun-size episode to get the ball rolling on our New Year, Paula discusses the cultural and personal pressures associated with resolutions and resistance towards them. She highlights the societal expectation to be productive, the intrinsic need to rest, explores the concept of resistance in therapy as well as the importance of understanding one's motivations. In th...

Send us Fan Mail In our highly anticipated Year-End "Ask Paula Anything - Vol.3" Episode, Paula dives into an array of questions submitted by our vibrant and supportive community of listeners. She shares her unique perspectives and offers a wealth of personalized feedback covering a variety of topics that resonate with many. Paula provides insightful suggestions and diverse strategies, s...

Send us Fan Mail Cristino, a first-generation Salvadorian social worker, discusses his diverse roles, including forensic social worker and PhD student among others he currently holds. He emphasizes the evolving use of social media as a tool for connection and information dissemination. In addition, he critiques the social work licensing exams, arguing they perpetuate inequality and hinder entry in...

Send us Fan Mail Erica discusses the importance of mentorship in her career and the upcoming third volume of "Latinx in Social Work," which focuses on mentorship. She highlights her journey, including support from mentors referred to as Madrinas and the challenges she faced, including toxic work environments and betrayal. Erica emphasizes the role of community and collective action in ov...

Send us Fan Mail It's been 100 episodes and what better day to share how thankful we are for the show than Thanksgiving. (United States Version) Paula and everyone at Fonzie-Try Media appreciate everyone who been a guest, listened, followed, and shared. Enjoy and thanks for listening to our show! Follow us on Instagram ! Got a topic you want explored on a future episode? Please email us at wh...

Send us Fan Mail Joe shares his transformative journey from gun violence and incarceration to becoming a social worker. He highlights his motivations, including the birth of his daughter and the desire to break the cycle of crime as his “Why?” while uplifting the importance of lived experience in therapy, advocating for more clinicians with similar backgrounds and his work with the alternative-to-...

Send us Fan Mail Gabi and Paula converse about her career trajectory, starting out as a foster care social worker, transitioning to Founding Social Worker & Director of Social Services at Mott Haven Academy Charter School and involvement with launching a program at NYU Silver School of Social Work designed specifically to train school social workers. She highlights need for specialized trainin...

Send us Fan Mail Jaran shines a light on his experiences as a Functional Family Therapist and discusses some of the challenges he has observed in his work with youth and families, particularly during the early days of the pandemic, highlighting rising truancy and violence among youth. He reflects on the impact of societal and personal expectations as well as the value of self-compassion and creati...

Send us Fan Mail Paula is joined by an awesome panel of dedicated social workers Ancy, Cindy, and Emily who discuss the origins and impact of their annual retreat for school social workers and youth mental health providers. The retreat, which began in March 2024, aims to address burnout, provide continuing education units, and foster community among professionals. Despite personal challenges, such...

Send us Fan Mail Motivated by recent conversations with parents and students, Paula explores the critical importance of sleep for adolescents and other age groups, shares information on the impact of insufficient sleep on our mental and physical development/health, and suggestions to develop a sleep schedule. Follow us on Instagram ! Got a topic you want explored on a future episode? Please email...