The Mental Wellness Practice
By Dr. Shainna: mental health counselor, educator, & advocate
The Mental Wellness PracticeMar 06, 2024
[40] How Service Affects Your Mental Wellness
The Mental Wellness Practice Podcast is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your wellbeing. In season 4, we are looking at different types of coping skills that you may want to add to your self-care practice. In this episode, we are joined by Krizia Capeles Evans the creator of “Use Your Light” an initiative to inspire others to learn more about issues affecting our world today, and to help readers learn about ways to shine their light on causes that they care about. Tune in to learn about how service can affect your mental well-being.
This episode covers:
What service is
Krizia’s experiences with service
How service affects our wellness
How to explore service as a self-care skill
Finding your passion for service
Ideas to delve into service
About Krizia:
Krizia has been serving in the Central Florida community for over 10 years through volunteer groups, AmeriCorps programs, and through her professional roles as a Justice Director for a large congregation, and the Executive Director for the nonprofit she founded, From Outside In.
Today, Krizia aims to inspire individuals, and families, to shine their light on social issues in order to create a better community and world. She created the “Use Your Light” website to inspire others to learn more about issues affecting our world today, and to help readers learn about ways to shine their light on causes that they care about.
Checkout the Use Your Light mission
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of The Mental Wellness Practice, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[036] How Sleep Affects Your Mental Wellness with Dr. Aric Prather
We all have mental health, and this is the place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. Season four is dedicated to helping you explore a variety of strategies to help you enhance your self-care practice. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Aric Prather a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and author of "The Sleep Prescription: 7 days to unlocking your best rest," who helps us learn all about sleep hygiene and mental wellness.
Tune in to explore:
What sleep hygiene is
How the lack of sleep affects our wellness
Tips to improve sleep hygiene
About Dr. Prather
Dr. Aric A. Prather is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. His research program focuses on how poor sleep can impact mental and physical health. Dr. Prather is also a licensed clinical psychologist who treats insomnia patients using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. He is also the author of "The Sleep Prescription: 7 days to unlocking your best rest.".
To learn more
Checkout Dr. Prather’s website
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[39] How Gratitude Affects Your Mental Wellness with Craig Smith
We all have mental health, and this is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your wellbeing. In season 4, we are looking at different types of coping skills that you may want to add to your self-care practice. In this episode, we are joined by Craig Smith, a therapist and creator of the FOCUS Journal who is going to help us explore gratitude as a mental wellness skill.
Tune in to explore:
What gratitude is
The benefits of gratitude
What is the difference between toxic positivity and gratitude practice
How to manage negativity
How curiosity helps to foster gratitude
The key word to use to shift into gratitude
What a gratitude practice looks like
Strategies to improve gratitude
How to “borrow” gratitude
Practicing grace with gratitude
About Craig:
Craig Smith is a powerful man of God, a patient, present, loving father and husband, a FAITH spreader, a LOVE giver, and a HOPE dealer. He strives to live every day attracting love, success, and abundance into his life and inspire as many people as he can to do the same.
For over a decade, Craig has helped individuals change their mindset and create the desired change in their lives. Craig strives to live and promote the Greatest Day Mindset, which is a lifestyle, a way of living every day with a positive attitude. It is choosing to be happy and live your life with energy, no matter your circumstances. Craig believes that while today may not be your last day on earth, it is the only day so why not choose to make today the Greatest Day of your life.
Join the Inner Greatness Community
Checkout the free Focus on Gratitude Community
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[38] How Aromatherapy Affects Your Mental Wellness with Denise Sherman
We all have mental health, and this is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your wellbeing. In season 4, we are looking at different types of coping skills that you may want to add to your self-care practice.
In this episode, we are joined by Denise Sherman, a Registered Aromatherapist with over twenty years of experience of educating others the power of essential oils and she is going to help us explore what aromatherapy is and how to integrate essential oils into your mental wellness practice.
Tune in to explore:
How to look for a quality essential oil
Benefits of essential oils
Methods to incorporate essential oils
Specific uses of peppermint, citrus, frankincense, chamomile, rosemary, bergamot, sandalwood, eucalyptus, red mandarin, ylang ylang, and rose.
About Denise:
Denise Sherman is a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, who left a nursing career behind in 1998 to pursue studies in the holistic health and wellness industry and never looked back. She became a Registered Aromatherapist in 2002 and designed and taught training programs to prospective aromatherapy consultants for a large essential oils/supplement company. From there, she became a Registered Yoga teacher and ran her own studio for over 5 years. Since graduating from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in January of 2018, she has coached dozens of women to overcome the often alarming and sometimes debilitating symptoms related to leaky gut and autoimmune conditions, something from which she has suffered as well.
After the devastating loss of her husband of 40 years, Denise set out on a mission to help women in similar circumstances whose own health often suffers through the caregiving of a loved-one who is ill AND from the weight of the grief of their passing. She is currently working on her forthcoming book, “Harnessing Your Second Wind” A 9 Step FLOAT PLAN For Reclaiming Your Health, Vibrance and Joy After Loss”, which is due out April 2024.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[37] How Creative Writing Affects Your Mental Wellness with Dr. Zach Bloom
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Dr. Zach Bloom, a counselor educator, therapist, and author who helps us explore the value of creative writing as a self-care strategy.
Tune in to explore:
How to tap into creative writing beyond journaling
How creative writing helps us improve our mental health
Obstacles that get in the way of creative writing
Types of creative writing to try
Things to consider when delving into creative writing
Creating an environment conducive to creativity
Dr. Bloom’s experiences with creative writing as a mental wellness resource
Prompts for creative writing
About Dr. Bloom
Zachary D. Bloom, PhD, is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist in Illinois where he works with clients from trauma-informed, holistic, and wellness-based lens. As an associate professor, he teaches master's level courses in individual, couple, and family counseling. Outside of his clinical work, he writes horror and poetry by candlelight.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
[35] How Cold Exposure Affects Your Mental Wellness with Matt Soule
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Matt Soule, speaker, level 3 Wim Hof Trainer, and author of The Stress Paradox who helps us unpack what cold therapy is, how it works, and how you can incorporate it into your self care practice.
Tune in to explore:
What is cold therapy is
The variety of forms of cold therapy
Misconceptions around cold therapy
What makes cold exposure helpful for mental wellness
The connection between cold therapy and stress management.
The link between cold exposure and mindset
How cold therapy may differ from what pops up in your social feeds and ads
How to know if cold therapy is right for you
How to get started with cold therapy
How to expand your journey with adventure therapy.
About Matt Soule
Matt is an author, speaker, and professional instructor focusing on a counterintuitive approach to stress management aimed at leveraging the key pathways of stress to live our best lives. Exposure in childhood to domestic violence was the initial spark which motivated Matt to seek methods to combat stress eventually culminating in becoming a martial arts school owner and a Wim Hof Method Level 3 trainer. Over the last 15 years, he has taught more than 10,000 members of the public, as well as trained over 500 instructors from 40 different countries, ways to leverage stress for peak potential.
To learn more
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[034] How Dance Affects Your Mental Wellness with Omika Jikaria
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Omika Jikaria a dancer, yoga and meditation teacher, and reiki energy healing practitioner who helps us explore the connection between dance and mental health.
From this conversation you’ll learn about:
Therapeutic qualities of dance
Omika and Dr. Shainna’s personal reflections about dance from
How dance can help your mental well-being
Where to begin with integrating dance into your self-care practice
About Omika Jikaria:
Omika Jikaria is a dancer, yoga and meditation teacher, reiki energy healing practitioner, and management consultant based in New York City. She is passionate about enabling people to cultivate clarity, insight, and peace, in a world filled with distraction and excess stimulation. As a Native New Yorker, Omika finds joy and meaning in working with busy professionals to incorporate conscious movement, mindful stillness, and well-being into daily life.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
Diversity and Dance: Exploring the Therapeutic Implications of World Dance
Using Dance to Cultivate Self-Love
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[33] How Friendships Affect Our Mental Wellness with Hope Kelaher
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Hope Kelaher, therapist and author of Here to Make Friends. From this conversation you’ll learn about:
The different types of friendships
How friendships can support your wellness
How friendships can hinder your well-being
Strategies to support healthy connections
About Hope
Hope Kelaher is a therapist based in New York City and author of Here to Make Friends and The Resilience Workbook for Women. She has extensive training in relational and systemic therapy and received post-graduate training from The Ackerman Institute for the Family. Hope has a degree in public health from The Johns Hopkins University and a clinical social work degree from Columbia University. Her passion is to help those struggling with anxiety and depression find healing connections among family and friends. Hope currently lives in Manhattan, where she is always working to make new friendships and strengthen her existing ones. In her spare time, Hope enjoys long walks with her dog, Luna, training for half-marathons, fishing, rowing, and cooking.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[32] How Lifestyle Medicine Supports Mental Wellness with Dr Yami
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Dr. Yami, a board-certified pediatrician and certified lifestyle medicine physician, who helps us explore what lifestyle medicine and how it can be used to support mental well-being.
This episode covers:
What lifestyle medicine is
What intuitive eating is
How lifestyle medicine differs from other common methods
Strategies to practice lifestyle medicine and support mental health
About Dr. Yami
Dr. Yami is a board-certified pediatrician, certified lifestyle medicine physician, national board-certified health and wellness coach, author, podcast host and professional speaker. Apassionate promoter of healthy lifestyles, especially the power of plant-based diets for theprevention of chronic disease, she founded VeggieFitKids.com where she provides informationon plant-baseddiets for children. She also hosts the podcastVeggie Doctor Radio. She obtained a certificate in plant-based nutrition, is a certified Food for Life Instructor, and a Jack Canfield Success PrinciplesCertified Trainer.She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Yami ownsNourish Wellness, a pediatric practice in Yakima, WA where she lives with her husband and two active sons.Her book is entitled “A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating: How to Raise Kids Who Love to EatHealthy”.Learn more atDoctorYami.com
WEBSITE https://doctoryami.com/
INSTAGRAM https://instagram.com/thedoctoryami/
YOUTUBE https://youtube.com/@thedoctoryami
PODCAST Veggie Doctor Radio hosted by Dr. Yami https://apple.co/3BfOkmf
BOOK A Parent's Guide to Intuitive Eating: How to Raise Kids Who Love to Eat Healthy https://amazon.com/Parents-Guide-Intuitive-Eating-Healthy/dp/1612439330/
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[31] Activating Your Vagus Nerve to Support Your Mental Wellness with Dr. Navaz Habib
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats Dr. Navaz Habib, the author of ‘Activate Your Vagus Nerve’ and host of ‘The Health Upgrade Podcast’ to help you explore the connection between your nervous system and mental well-being.
This episode covers:
What the vagus nerve is
How the vagus nerve functions
What makes the vagus nerve unique
Dr. Habib’s personal journey with nervous system regulation
Shifting from surviving to thriving
How tapping into the vagus nerve can support mental wellness
Strategies you can use to activate your vagus nerve
About Dr. Navaz Habib
Dr. Navaz Habib, is the author of ‘Activate Your Vagus Nerve’ and host of ‘The Health Upgrade Podcast’. Dr. Habib graduated as class valedictorian from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2010 and went on to practice traditional chiropractic for years, until he utilized the power of functional medicine to transform his own health. He is the founder of ‘Health Upgraded’ an online functional health consulting clinic, supporting optimal health by elevating the awareness and function of the Vagus nerve.
To learn more
Checkout the Health Upgrade Podcast
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[030] Expanding your wellness to support mental health
Throughout season 3 of the podcast we have learned from a variety of wellness experts. As we navigated different dimensions of well-being, we were able to see how those areas affect mental health and how cultivating mental wellness can also support those areas too. In this final episode of the season we are putting it all together MWP style with practical strategies to apply what you have learned and use an integrated model of wellness.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[029] How Your Physical Health Affects Your Mental Wellness with Rebecca Kennedy
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Rebecca Kennedy, a body positive personal trainer who loves to teach others how to empower themselves through fitness and finding confidence. They delve into:
What body positive health looks like
The connection between mind and body
How physical health affects mental wellness
How to listen to your body
Strategies for body positive self-care
Learn more about Rebecca:
- Instagram: @redemptiverebecca
- In-person training
- Virtual training
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[028] How Your Spiritual Well-being Affects Your Mental Wellness with Dr. John Harrichand
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with Dr. John Harrichand, an Assistant Professor of counseling at the University of Texas San Antonio and a longstanding board member of Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) who helps us explore the link between spiritual wellness and mental health.
What spirituality is
The difference between spirituality and religion
What spiritual wellness looks like
How spirituality affects mental wellness
How spirituality can be influenced by culture
The individual practice of spiritual health
How to practice spiritual self-care
About Dr. John Harrichand
Dr. John J. S. Harrichand, LPC-S, LMHC, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, CCTP is a Canadian of Chinese and East Indian ancestry, who was born and raised in Guyana, South America. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Harrichand is actively involved in several professional counseling organizations including ACA and its divisions, NBCC, CACREP, and Chi Sigma Iota. He is completing his 3rd and final year as a Board Member of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC), and also serves as Co-Chair of the Ethical Values Committee. Dr. Harrichand’s scholarship centers on counselor education leadership, development, and burnout; cross-cultural counseling and minority populations (i.e., LGBTQ+, immigrants, refugees, international students, sex-trafficked survivors); clinical supervision and gatekeeping; and ethical, professional, and social justice advocacy using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. His clinical experience as a mental health counselor and supervisor involves working with community and college student populations.
Learn more about Dr. John Harrichand
Twitter: @JohnJonathan
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PFtK7lMAAAAJ
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Harrichand
orciD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3336-2062
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/john-j-s-harrichand
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[027] How Your Creativity Affects Your Mental Health with Dr. LA Stretch
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with the President of the Association for Creativity in Counseling, Dr. LA Stretch,a bout the link between creativity and mental wellness. You’ll get to explore:
What creative wellness is
The difference between being artistic and being creative
How to tap into your creativity
What creativity looks like in counseling
How to practice creative self-care
About Dr. LoriAnn "L.A." Stretch
Dr. LoriAnn "L.A." Stretch is an LCMHC-S (NC), LPC (VA), NCC, ACS, and BC-TMH in the United States. She is the . Dr. Stretch is the President and conference co-chair for the Association for Creativity in Counseling, the co-chair of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Teaching committee, and a member of the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development’s International Concerns Group. She is a team lead for the Council for the Accreditation of Counselor Education and Related Programs. Dr. Stretch recently co-edited the National Counselor Exam (NCE) and Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) Review with Springer. She specializes in experiential therapies, global counseling, trauma recovery and stabilization, sexually and relationally marginalized populations, telehealth, and supervision. Much of her counseling work utilizes experiential therapies, such as play therapy, sand play therapy, mindfulness, and hands-on activities.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[026] How Your Career Wellness Affects Your Mental Health
In this episode, Dr. Shainna chats with career counselor Lashay Vazquez about the link between career and mental wellness. You’ll get to explore:
What career wellness is
How our work affects our mental wellness
What burnout looks like
How we can cultivate career wellness
How to find the right career for you
Key considerations when switching careers &
Practical self-care to career and mental wellness
About Lashay Vazquez:
Lashay Vazquez is a Faculty Coordinator at the University of Central Florida with 6 years of experience guiding individuals on their career development journey. Specializing in career counseling, Lashay uses this experience to alleviate the anxiety around career decisions. Lashay holds her master's degree in Counselor Education-Clinical Mental Health Counseling as well as a graduate certificate in Career Counseling, both from the University of Central Florida.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[025] How your environmental wellness affects your mental wellness
The Mental Wellness Practice is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. In this season of the podcast, Dr. Shainna a mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and author of the best-selling Self-Love Workbook will help us take a step back to expand our view of health. In each episode, Dr. Shainna is joined by a wellness expert and together they discuss a new area of wellness, explore how that area influences mental health, and highlight a variety of self-care skills you can integrate into your life. In this episode we are joined by Christine Samwaroo a Writer, Educator, and Climate Activist who helps us take a look at the link between environmental and mental wellness. We discuss:
What environmental wellness is
How the environment affects our mental wellness
How we can contribute to environmental wellness
Practical self-care to support environmental and mental wellness
About Christine Samwaroo:
Christine Samwaroo is an Intersectional Feminist, Writer, Educator and Climate Advocate . She was born and raised in Guyana. She studied at Iona College and The New School. Christine focused her studies on climate justice and sustainability in Guyana and the Caribbean. She has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management. Christine is the Founder and Managing Director of The Breadfruit Collective. Christine is part of the coordinating team for the Caribbean Women for Climate Justice (CW4CJ) annual conference. Christine describes the work behind TBC as work that is related to her history, passion, and a way to honor her late grandmother and women in her family who experience various forms of gender-based violence.
Learn about the Breadfruit Collective
https://www.instagram.com/thebreadfruitcollective/
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[024] How Your Finances Affect Mental Wellness with Lindsay Bryan-Podvin
The Mental Wellness Practice is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. In this season of the podcast, Dr. Shainna a mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and author of the best-selling Self-Love Workbook will help us take a step back to expand our view of health. In each episode, Dr. Shainna is joined by a wellness expert and together they discuss a new area of wellness, explore how that area influences mental health, and highlight a variety of self-care skills you can integrate into your life. In this episode we are joined by Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, biracial financial therapist and wellness expert, speaker, and author of the book "The Financial Anxiety Solution” who is going to help us explore the connection between financial wellness and mental health.
About Lindsay Bryan-Podvin:
Lindsay Bryan-Podvin (she/her) is a biracial financial therapist and wellness expert, speaker, and author of the book "The Financial Anxiety Solution." A practicing LMSW since 2012, she uses a shame-free approach to help people get their minds and money in balance by focusing on the intersection of money and mental health. While financial literacy is important, she champions the belief that money is rooted in emotions and impacted by the systems around us. She has a degree in sociology and a Master’s in Social Work with certificates in Financial Social Work and Financial Therapy. She lives with her partner and their dog on the occupied land of the Anishinaabe, also known as Michigan.
Checkout the Mind Money Balance YouTube Channel
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[023] How Your Relationships Affect Your Mental Wellness with Genesis Games
The Mental Wellness Practice is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. In this season of the podcast, Dr. Shainna a mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and author of the best-selling Self-Love Workbook will help us take a step back to expand our view of health. In each episode, Dr. Shainna is joined by a wellness expert and together they discuss a new area of wellness, explore how that area influences mental health, and highlight a variety of self-care skills you can integrate into your life. In this episode, we are joined by Genesis Games, a Miami-based psychotherapist who is passionate about helping individuals and couples foster connection and she is going to help us explore the connection between interpersonal wellness and mental health.
About Genesis Games:
Genesis Games a bilingual (English & Spanish) psychotherapist in Miami helping clients in all of Florida. She helps college students and young adults adjust to life transitions, navigate the dating world, manage relationship issues, set boundaries with family, and develop adult friendships. Genesis is passionate about working with individuals enduring heartbreak, heal by attaining closure and making meaning of their loss. As a Gottman Trained Couples Therapist, she helps couples throughout all stages of their relationship. She is also trained in Judy Weiser's PhotoTherapy techniques and provide PhotoTherapy to clients interested in using a creative medium to develop emotional awareness, improve communication, and heal relationships.
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[022] How Your Sexual Health Affects Your Mental Wellness
The Mental Wellness Practice is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. In this season of the podcast, Dr. Shainna a mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and author of the best-selling Self-Love Workbook will help us take a step back to expand our view of health. In each episode, Dr. Shainna is joined by a wellness expert and together they discuss a new area of wellness, explore how that area influences mental health, and highlight a variety of self-care skills you can integrate into your life. In today’s episode we are joined by Gina Marie, a certified Sex & Relationship Coach specializing in embodied intimacy through a somatic and Tantric lens who helps us explore the connection between sexual wellness and mental health.
About Gina Marie:
Gina Marie is 3x certified in the VITA Coaching method with specialties in Female Sexuality & Conscious Dating. Her professional career also includes 12 years as a mental health clinician with experience in trauma and psychotherapy. She holds a Bachelors of Science, Double Major in Kinesiology and Psychology from York University and a Masters of Science from the University of Toronto. Her mental health studies have included training in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and integration. Also a certified Meditation Teacher, Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor, Breathwork Facilitator and Sound Healer, Gina curates experiences that bring individuals and groups towards deep healing and expansion. Her passion is to co-create a transformative healing journey that connects you to your body’s wisdom, opens your heart and guides you back home to yourself.
Her work is inspired by her own healing journey of overcoming sexual and relational trauma. She is passionate about bringing holistic and somatic tools for healing one's relationship to self and their sexuality. She does this by creating devotional coaching containers that are trauma-sensitive and honours each person's unique journey with self-love, sexuality and intimacy.
Follow Gina Marie on Instagram
Checkout Gina Marie’s Upcoming Events
Masturbation (referenced in our interview)
About Dr. Shainna:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[021] How Your Nutrition Affects Your Mental Wellness with Megan Poczekaj
The Mental Wellness Practice is a place for you to learn practical tips to support your well-being. In this season of the podcast, Dr. Shainna a mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and author of the best-selling Self-Love Workbook will help us take a step back to expand our view of health. In each episode, Dr. Shainna is joined by a wellness expert and together they discuss a new area of wellness, explore how that area influences mental health, and highlight a variety of self-care skills you can integrate into your life.
In today’s episode we are joined by Megan Poczekaj, a registered dietitian at Nutrition Awareness in Orlando, FL. Megan teaches entrepreneurs and high level achievers how to optimize their productivity and performance with nutrition and wrote the book The Optimized Life. Megan is a co-host of the Nutrition Awareness podcast and work with clients one-on-one both in person and virtually all over the world.
Learn More about Megan Poczekaj
Listen to the Nutrition Awareness Podcast
The Optimized Life: A Nutrition Guide for Entrepreneurs
About the host:
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[020] How to make the most out of your therapy session
Access to quality, affordable mental health care continues to be a global problem, but there’s another problem that often goes overlooked–not maximizing on your appointment. You took the time, you made the effort, now it’s time to maximize your investment. In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries share ten tips to help you make the most out of your therapy session.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[019] Using Intersectionality to Cultivate Mental Wellness
No one is one dimensional. We all have multiple pieces that make up who we are. Understanding those pieces and how they exist in the world can be a powerful practice of self-exploration. When we dive into learning about who we are, we better understand how we think, feel, and exist in the world. In this episode we are going to take a closer look at what intersectionality is and how you can use it to cultivate mental wellness for yourself and others.
In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries helps us apply an intersectional approach to our mental well-being. The method is broken down into 3 simple phases: (1) identification (2) exploration and (3) interaction. At the end, practical activity is shared to help you integrate intersectionality into your mental wellness.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Sources:
Intersectionality in Counseling
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[018] How to make a mental health playlist
Music has a powerful impact on our well-being. It can improve our emotional expression and regulation, self-esteem and control, concentration and memory, as well as our overall satisfaction with life. Music has the ability to decrease mental fatigue, neurodegeneration, anxiety, and depression. We can better access mental wellness through the power of music.
In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, and advocate outlines simple steps to curate your own mental health playlist. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect @drshainna. Mental Wellness Resources: The Self-Love Workbook The Self-Love Workbook for Teens The Self-Love Planner Designing Healthy Boundaries Luna Finds Love Everywhere Find a Mental Health Provider: National Alliance on Mental Illness National Mental Health Lifeline Open Path Therify Melanin & Mental Health Inclusive Therapists Therapy for Black Girls Asian Mental Health Collective Sources https://www.statista.com/topics/6408/music-streaming/#:~:text=Over%20the%20past%20few%20years,ones%20via%20online%20streaming%20platforms. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/202112/take-deeper-dive-your-spotify-wrapped https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-mentality/202012/5-steps-help-you-make-mental-health-playlist https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10751407_Exposure_to_violent_media_The_effects_of_songs_with_violent_lyrics_on_aggressive_thoughts_and_feelings
[017] Ten Things To Do After You Are Diagnosed with a Mental Health Illness
Finding out you have a mental health diagnosis can be overwhelming. Most people aren’t sure what to do next. In this episode of the Mental Wellness Practice, Dr. Shainna, mental health counselor, educator, and advocate sheds light on ten key areas to explore when you or someone you care for is diagnosed with a mental health illness.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[016] Tips to Support Teen Mental Health
About half of mental health problems develop before the individual becomes a teen. Recent studies have shown that many teens are struggling with their mental health at alarmingly high rates, and many in silence. As a global community, we need to help teens support their mental health. This episode is curated for family members, coaches, teachers, community leaders and professionals who want to help support teen mental health. In this episode, mental health counselor, educator, and advocate Dr. Shainna guides us as we explore key phases of teenage development and dive into how they influence mental health, highlight tips to support mental health in adolescence, and offer a quick mental health activity that you can try to support mental wellness.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Sources:
How common are mental illnesses?
The National Institute of Mental Heath
National Institute on Mental Health
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[015] Healing through Generational Trauma
Generational patterns have been receiving a lot of attention in the mental health field. We are learning that influences on mental health can arise far before we are born.In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, and advocate highlights the opportunity to improve mental wellness by understanding generational patterns, recognizing generational trauma, and choosing generational healing . Key insights, activities, and resources are shared to help you cultivate mental wellness for yourself, and for your lineage.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Mental Wellness Practice Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
General Resources:
The National Institute of Mental Heath
National Institute on Mental Health
Episode Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160623120307.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267349
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130214075539.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140413135953.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190109110046.ht
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220111112012.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180409161302.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100908102058.htm
[014] 10 things you need to know about anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most prevalent concerns in the world. It is estimated that one in three people will experience an anxiety disorder at one point in their lives. Most of us become familiar with this through personal experience, whether our own or someone near to us. In order to access mental wellness we need to be informed about what anxiety is and how it can be managed & in this episode we do exactly that.
The Mental Wellness Practice is where you can learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries highlights 10 key things that everyone needs to know about anxiety.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Episode Sources:
⅓ of people will have it one time in their lives
How common are mental illnesses?
Additional Support:
The National Institute of Mental Heath
National Institute on Mental Health
Mental Wellness Practice Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[013] 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Boundaries
Well-designed boundaries are an essential component of living a happy, healthy, and balanced life. Most of us won't argue with that. Yet while we know how important they are, the process can be confusing and intimidating. In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries highlights 5 common mistakes to avoid when setting boundaries.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find Mental Health Support:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[012] 8 Ways to Improve Maternal Mental Wellness
Matrescence, the transition of becoming a mother, is a vulnerable time for mental health. This episode empowers new mothers, as well as those in their support systems, to better understand and encourage maternal mental wellness. Key aspects, risk factors, coping skills, and methods to take a proactive approach are shared.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Episode Sources:
Screening for Perinatal Depression
Perinatal DepressionPost partum depression
Women who experience 'postpartum' depression before giving birth may face greater risk
Listening to Mothers: Take Two
Women who experience 'postpartum' depression before giving birth may face greater riskRisk, treatment duration, and recurrence risk of postpartum affective disorder in women with no prior psychiatric history: A population-based cohort study
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
General Mental Health Resources:
The National Institute of Mental Heath
National Institute on Mental Health
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[011] 5 Ways to Be a Mental Health Advocate
One in five people live with a mental health problem, and it is estimated that about half of us will experience a mental health concern at some point in our lives. Even if you’re the lucky one who beats those slim odds, that still means that likely lots of individuals in your life will not. You can make a difference, and this episode will help you unlock the key to doing just that–becoming a mental health advocate.
In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries shares 5 core tips to help you support mental wellness in your community as well as practical activities to cultivate mental well-being.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Sources:
How common are mental illnesses?
The National Institute of Mental Heath
National Institute on Mental Health
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Asian Mental Health Collective
[010] Tech Hacks to Boost Your Mental Wellness
When it comes to technology, we’ve come quite a long way in a short span of time. We have access to world news, millions of people, and opportunities to escape all at our fingertips. The drawbacks of this progress (i.e., reduced focus, sleep, wellness) are hard to ignore, but many of us are not open to surrendering our devices–and even if we want to, it may not seem realistic. So what can we do? In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries helps us to hack our technology use to boost our mental well-being.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Find a Mental Health Provider:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[009] How to Find A Good Therapist
Finding the right therapist for you can be trickier than it seems. Where should you look? What should you look for?
In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries helps us to explore those questions with over 10 things to look for and a variety of suggestions of where you can find a counselor, including a few often overlooked resources.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Directories:
Black Virtual Wellness Directory
[008] Harnessing Your Triggers
Knowing our triggers helps us to unlock a key aspect of our mental wellness. When we understand what triggers are and familiarize ourselves with how they show up in our lives and in others we are able to shift to healthier thoughts, regulate our emotions, and live an engaged life. This important self-knowledge can also aid us in veering from danger, communicating our needs, and fostering healthier relationships. In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries helps us to understand key influences on our behavior, how triggers form, and explore practical activities to cultivate mental well-being. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[007] 3 Steps To Create a Healthier Mindset
Our thoughts take up a big portion of our mental health. We have thousands of thoughts per day, which means we have hundreds of opportunities to create a healthier mindset. In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries, shares 3 steps to move towards a healthier mindset. Unhealthy thinking patterns and biases are highlighted to help you improve your mental well-being.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[006] How To Boost Your Emotional Intelligence
In this episode, Dr. Shainna, licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate and author of the newly released book Designing Healthy Boundaries, introduces us to the first point of the Mental Wellness Triangle: Emotions. You’ll explore the importance of emotions, as well as practical tips to boost your emotional intelligence. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
National Alliance on Mental Illness
[005] Cultivating Self-Love
In this episode you'll consider what self-love is, what it isn't, and why it is important for mental well-being. A practical model of self-love is offered to help you cultivate your self-love. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids
[004] Ten Strategies to Strengthen Your Self-Care
In this episode we explore the meaning of self-care, dozens of suggestions for self-care skills, ten tips to strengthen your self-care, and a practical self-care activity. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
[003] Strategies to Manage Stress
In this episode you'll learn what stress is, how it affects our well-being, and what you can do to better manage it. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
The impact of stress on Body Function
[002] Lies You've Been Told About Therapy
In this episode we explore 5 common misconceptions about mental health and therapy that get in the way of cultivating mental wellness. The episode begins with thought-provoking prompts, offers important information, and ends with strategies for you to practice mental wellness. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna or @thementalwellnesspractice .
Resources:
[001] Mental Wellness
Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. In The Mental Wellness Practice you can expect to learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In this episode, licensed mental health counselor, educator, and advocate, Dr. Shainna helps us to reflect on the concepts of health, illness, and wellness, widen our perspective of health, delve into our personal perspectives of wellness.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for mental health counseling. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please seek professional help.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or connect on instagram and facebook @drshainna.
Resources:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Mental Health Lifeline
Welcome to The Mental Wellness Practice
Hi, I'm Dr. Shainna (Shay-na) & I'd like to warmly welcome you to The Mental Wellness Practice.
Mental health is essential for each and every one of us, yet most of us don't get to learn the key components that can help us cultivate mental wellness. As a licensed mental health counselor, educator, and advocate and I'm deeply passionate about helping others improve their mental health awareness, knowledge, and well-being, and I hope this podcast can help you do just that. With each episode you can expect to learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. New episodes will be released weekly, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out.
To learn more visit www.DrShainna.com or follow me on insta @drshainna.