You Need a Counselor Podcast

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Liessa Callagnhan, a psychodynamic counsellor in the UK. Liessa works with a wide range of people from many backgrounds, with different presenting problems. What she loves about the work is seeing the positive changes in people: improved self esteem and resilience, and an understanding that they have more inner strength than they realised.  Connect with L...

Trigger Warning: discussion of SH and SI  This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Gunner Vargas, a former Heart and Solutions BHIS counselor. In this episode we hear from Gunner about his personal mental health experiences and how a phone call to say goodbye to a friend saved his life. To start behavioral or mental health services in Iowa call Heart and Solutions at (800) 531-4236.  Connect wit...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Samantha Bickham (she/her), a licensed trauma therapist, certified EMDR provider, and founder of Calming Tides Counseling. With over a decade of experience supporting individuals navigating complex trauma, eating disorders, and maternal mental health, Samantha blends somatic approaches, EMDR, and parts work to help clients reconnect with themselves and he...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Margo Priestly, medical researcher and founder of Hush Hormones, a hormone-supportive wellness brand born from personal experience and professional frustration. After years of being misdiagnosed, her symptoms constantly dismissed as stress or trauma, Margo set out to change the way women are heard, treated, and supported. She’s also a mum of six, includin...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Heart and Solutions BHIS Supervisor Mia Barajas. During the episode Mia shares her experience obtaining both her bachelors and masters at an accelerated pace, along with her experience growing up in a home with a sibling facing mental health struggles.  To start behavioral or mental health services in Iowa call Heart and Solutions at (800) 531-4236.  Conn...

Trigger Warning due to discussions of suicide. This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined return guest Christopher Birstler, Christopher has survived multiple suicide attempts while having to navigate through systems filled with abelism and stigma to seek the care and support he needs. He coined the hashtag #SuperAdvocate to describe how advocacy is at the core of his heart. As a survivor of trauma a...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by two return guests, Geleen Antonio and Teresa Carnegie!  Geleen empowers women to transform their lives through solo travel.  A former neuroscience and healthcare professional, she left the corporate world to explore the globe.  Her decade of experience as a digital nomad led to self-discovery, connection, and a deep love for travel. Teresa is a writer and...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Jessica Tepas, a successful speaker, writer, entrepreneur, director, executive, and investor. An expert at being a beginner, Jessica is passionate about inspiring and empowering others to move forward into their bright future, even if it's only an inch at a time. Holding a Master's in Biological Sciences, Bachelor's in Marketing, and Minor in British Lite...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by return guest Mariah Hudler, owner of Koru Financial Therapy. In this episode we discuss sudden wealth syndrome and take a critical look at the TV show Schitt’s Creek to discuss the money beliefs seen in the show.  Listen to Mariah’s previous episodes here:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6juskSG4Ti7Qxm3gS9f3eu?si=TpU5cBo9S8yv_RrKR0zI-A https://open.spot...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Ashley Casey, a drug and alcohol counselor and Heart and Solutions board member. Ashley is a 38-year-old mother of 4, Licensed alcohol and drug counselor and a current Graduate student in mental health at Texas A & M. Little of Ashely’s life has been ordinary, from losing her mom to a drunk driver when she was 2 years old to walking through life with...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by return guest Lisa Boehm, a speaker, podcaster and author. Lisa was a content mother, wife, and healthcare professional when the unthinkable happened and her 17 year old daughter died in a car accident. Her life quickly became divided into 2 distinct timelines: before and after. Focusing on holding her little family together seemed like the right thing to...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by return guest Alyssa Decker, a coach for women in high conflict relationships, to talk about boundaries. Pulling on her own experience of being in and then leaving an abusive marriage, Alyssa spends her days helping other women succeed. To start behavioral or mental health services in Iowa call Heart and Solutions at (800) 531-4236.  Connect with Alyssa on...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Dr. Catherine Darley, the leader in natural sleep medicine. She combines her knowledge of sleep and circadian disorders with her training as a naturopathic physician to bridge these two fields. She’s treated patients for over 20 years, along with training healthcare providers in sleep medicine. Dr. Darley now focuses on teaching people the sleep skills th...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Alexis Moore, a BHIS Provider at Heart and Solutions. Alexis has worked with a wide range of ages, from taking care of kids in a daycare, to taking care of old folks nursing homes, to working with youth and teens at a youth shelter! She is currently a BHIS provider through Heart and Solutions, and in the future plans to go back to school to pursue a maste...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by guest Elizabeth Aguilera. After 30 years in corporate IT, Elizabeth’s job was offshored to India while she was sitting on a beach on vacation. She lost everything that she was desperately holding onto and THAT singular event was the gift that liberated her to find her true calling.  After 6 years helping seniors and overwhelmed Moms in a very hands-on way...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by return guest and co-host, Caurel Richards. Caurel is a wild-hearted explorer of life and a relentless seeker of truth. She doesn’t just walk through life, she dances, leaps, and sometimes bulldozes her way through it, rewriting the rules with every step. Freedom defines her. Impact drives her. She was born to break molds and ignite change. This insatiable...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by return guest Jayden Aubryn. Jayden is a Black, queer, nonbinary psychotherapist, personal trainer, and consultant. They specialize in holistically healing trauma by integrating mental, physical, sexual and spiritual health. They are passionate about increasing accessibility and decolonizing therapy by promoting healing via food, music, movement, and art....

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Becky Ackerman, a Fertility Mindset Coach. As a “fertility survivor” herself, she helps women who are struggling to get pregnant feel calm, confident, and in control as they navigate their journeys. Connect with Becky Online: Web: https://www.instagram.com/lilyandbeefertility Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilyandbeefertility To start behavioral or...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Heart and Solutions therapists Em Harsch and Maggie Alton.  Em (she/they) is a Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW) providing telehealth services across the state of Iowa. Em has an MSW from the University of Denver with a concentration in mental health. Em previously worked for several years in LGBTQ+ student services, has experience counseling adolescents...

This week Julie, and Chrissa are joined by Susan Day, an art therapist practitioner and author. Susan facilitates creative art sessions in groups and online and has authored several books about mindful art therapy. Susan is enthralled with the power of art and the written word to change people’s lives. When she’s not supporting clients or creating, she is walking her Border collie or vacuuming up...

This week Julie, Chrissa and Caurel are joined by Robyn Smith,  an award-winning speaker, a leading trauma and relationship coach for women and founder of the Rock Your Relationship movement. Inspired by her own thriving 22-year relationship with her husband, she is helping thousands of women transform from frustrated to fulfilled by creating deeper, loving and conscious connections for greater li...

This week Julie and Chrissa are joined by Tatiana Szulc, a First Generation Latina, trauma and somatic therapist and holistic coach. Tatiana specializes in a healing modality called Somatic Experiencing where you don't need to talk about or even remember your trauma to heal from it. As a complex trauma survivor who is on the other side of healing, Tatiana is on a mission to heal as many nervous sy...

This week Julie and Chrissa are joined by Heart and Solutions BHIS counselors Abraham Valencia and Jonathan Lara. Both Jonathan and Abraham grew up in spanish speaking homes and provide services for spanish speaking families in Iowa. Abraham is a current BHIS provider for Heart and Solutions out of the Waterloo area. Abraham has been a mental health/behavioral health service provider to the commun...

This week Julie and Chrissa are joined again by Maggie Alton, and guest cohost Tenesha Gatson. Maggie obtained her Master’s in Social Work through the University of Iowa to complement her experience working in the mental health field. She also has obtained certification in Aging and Longevity Studies through the University of Iowa. Previously, Maggie has worked with clients dealing with anxiety, d...

This week Julie and Chrissa are joined by Cheyenne Heflin, an above-knee amputee, disability and chronic illness advocate, and current mental health counseling student. She uses her experiences to bring awareness to her conditions, and advocate for increased mental health care for children with chronic illnesses and disabilities.  To start behavioral or mental health services in Iowa call Heart an...