Grow Your Path to Wellness

Today we were joined by Emotional Health & Innovation Consultant and CEO of Uchi, LLC, Kevin Strauss. We have an in-depth conversation covering the differences between emotional health and mental health and what is really driving human behavior. Kevin also emphasizes love, connection, and belonging as basic human needs and how we can go about addressing the needs. Lastly, Kevin shares about how the free social app Uchi can improve connection and behaviors for people of diverse experiences.

Learn more about Kevin and the Uchi app via the following links:

*TW- grief*

When her mother passed away as a result of her 6 year fight against lung-cancer, Carolina Martin turned her grief into passion and found her life's work. Carrying positive characteristics from her two artist parents, Carolina vowed to use her blessings for the betterment of our larger communities through her traveling hands-on art education business. We discuss how creative expression relates to social wellness, and options for engaging in this creative expression and community building on a budget. Carolina is also a large advocate for bringing intersectionality into her work for everyone's benefit.

Today we had the pleasure of welcoming Lori Saitz in a really passionate exploration of meditation and how it supports our overall goals in life. We de-bunk myths about meditation ("I should be doing this", "I'm not good at it", "I don't have time", and more. Lori shares how meditation can help re-wire your brain, giving opportunity to tune into your own awareness and to find your own inner voice, rather than what others say you should be doing.

We also touch on when affirmations are helpful, or when they are teetering on toxic positivity or unhelpful in some other way. We wrap up by emphasizing that, despite the message in society, hard work is not the only factor in reaching success.

Today we welcomed Annie King, a fellow therapist and colleague of Kelsi's in Chillicothe, OH to share her personal journey deconstructing faith. She discusses the waves of emotions and transitions felt throughout this process, as well as the importance of remaining open. Annie provides tangible recommendations for anyone also in a deconstructing process, as well as some book recommendations.  

One of our regular guests returns to share more expertise in mind-body healing, specifically through the use of Embodied Therapy. Lisa Schaefer, a clinical social worker, registered yoga teacher and reiki master joins Kelsi and Amanda to reveal the benefits of an embodied approach to life and healing. Learn why it's necessary to become grounded to live your fullest life, especially when living among unrealistic expectations and significant stress.

Dr. Sousan Abadian joins Amanda today to explore how trauma is weaved in our habits, families, culture and more. They discuss intergenerational trauma and directing attention toward healing and empowerment, rather than victim mindset.   

Dr. Sousan's bio: Dr. Sousan Abadian is currently a Fulbright Scholar and has been invited to go to Canada to help create curriculum on “indigenous ways of knowing” for the International Baccalaureate Program. She earned a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University, an M.P.A. in International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School, and an M.A. in the Anthropology of Social Change and Development, also from Harvard University. Her earlier research on healing the effects of long-standing collective trauma and cultural damage, a key contributing factor in violence and impoverishment, was described by Nobel laureate in economics Amartya Sen as “pioneering” and “highly original.” She now teaches, speaks, and consults internationally on leadership, managing change processes, and her ARIA principles of creating new realities. She builds on her earlier work at Cambridge Leadership Associates facilitating workshops and speaking on Adaptive Leadership. Between June 2017 to June 2019, Dr. Abadian served as a Franklin Fellow at the U.S. State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Her portfolio included preventing violent extremism, gender-based violence, rights of religious minorities in the Middle East and South Asia, and restoration of people and cultures following atrocities. She has also served as a Fellow at M.I.T.’s Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values as well as at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership.