If you’ve ever caught yourself feeling tense after scrolling or overwhelmed by endless notifications, you’re not alone. In this episode, we unpack how technology can both connect and stress us out — from information overload and social comparison to blurred work-life boundaries. We’ll explore why our brains get hooked on digital stimulation, how this affects our emotional and physical well-being, and what realistic steps can help us find more balance. Tune in for mindful strategies, small experiments, and gentle reminders that progress matters more than perfection.
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Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
Conflict isn’t the problem—how we handle it is. In this episode, we unpack what conflict really is, and why it’s not inherently bad. You’ll learn about five common conflict styles—winning, yielding, resolving, avoiding, and compromising—and how each can be both healthy or unhealthy depending on the situation. We’ll explore how your upbringing, trauma history, and emotional safety shape the way you approach conflict, and what that means for your mental health. Whether you tend to shut down, blow up, or over-accommodate, this episode offers practical tools to help you navigate conflict with honesty, empathy, and courage—without losing yourself or the relationship in the process.
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Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
We launch our Season 3 Series, Behind the Label, starting out with a deep dive into anxiety. Anxiety is a universal human emotion—but for millions of people, it’s also a diagnosable disorder that shapes daily life in powerful ways. In this episode of Embrace Mental Health, we unpack what anxiety really is: from its neurological roots and physical symptoms to what differentiates everyday anxiety from an anxiety disorder. We also talk about panic attacks, treatment options, and how loved ones can offer real support instead of unhelpful clichés. Whether you’ve experienced anxiety yourself or you want to better understand someone who does, this episode is a deep dive into one of the most common—and misunderstood—mental health challenges.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere — even in mental health. From chatbots that offer 24/7 “support,” to therapy apps that track our moods, AI promises accessibility, affordability, and personalized care. But can a machine truly understand us? In this episode, Kelsey and Autumn explore the growing role of AI in mental health — what it gets right, what it misses, and what it means for the future of care.
Together, they unpack the nuances: the difference between information and connection, the importance of empathy, and the irreplaceable value of the therapeutic relationship. AI may make care more available, but healing still happens in the presence of another human being. This conversation invites curiosity over fear — and a reminder to keep our tech tools human-guided and heart-centered.
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Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
Welcome back for Season 3 of the Embrace Mental Health Podcast! We are ready for another season of great topics and deep discussions surrounding all things mental health. You'll hear the same familiar voices, but some different names for the those who the voices come from.
In this episode, our cohost Wesley shares something deeply personal: he's changing his first name to Rowan. Join us as he explores the concepts of identity, authenticity, and how they tie into mental health. We talk about what names represent — how they shape our sense of self, belonging, and emotional well-being — and what it means to choose a name that truly reflects who we are. Rowan unpacks the fear, grief, and vulnerability that can come with change, as well as the self-compassion and resilience that make healing possible.
Even if you’ve never thought about changing your name, you’ve probably faced moments when staying true to yourself felt uncomfortable or risky. This episode invites reflection on authenticity, resilience, and the courage it takes to live in alignment with your inner self — one intentional choice at a time.
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Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
A couple brief announcements and a big celebration of all that we did in Season 2! Thank you so much to our listeners! We look forward to seeing you again in the Fall for Season 3. Tell your friends :)
As we discovered from last year's episode about spirituality and mental health (S1E23), it's a subject that has a lot to unpack. So much to unpack, in fact, that we decided to do another episode this season. In this episode, Wesley and guest Jon Shinabarger discuss the topic of spirituality and religion, and some of the positive and negative ways they can impact our mental health.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
In this episode, we dive into the powerful intersection of mental health and rejection—how being turned down, left out, or criticized can deeply affect our emotional well-being. We explore reasons why rejection hurts so much, and also how to build resilience in the face of it. We break down how to use the 5 steps of dealing with feelings in order to navigate rejection in a healthy way and turn it into a tool for growth and self-discovery.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
Most people expect to pay a lot of attention to a woman's physical health while she's pregnant and after giving birth, but how about her mental health? Postpartum depression and anxiety are very common experiences, but not as commonly talked about or prepared for, and as a result, many women not only suffer, but suffer alone. In honor Mother's Day and Maternal Mental Health Month, we invited special guest Olivia to join us on the podcast to tell us about her story and experience going through PPA, and also some tips and insights for women who are pregnant, women who are struggling, as well as for the loved ones around new moms to help support the strongest women in our lives: our mothers.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
In this powerful episode, Kelsey and Autumn explore the concept of hope as resistance—how choosing to believe in something better becomes a radical act in the face of darkness, oppression, and pain. This episode isn’t about naïve optimism—it’s about the fierce, grounded hope that gives people the strength to keep fighting even when the world feels heavy. It's the hope of spring in the harshest winter, the hope of the sunrise in the darkest night. It's about an authentic hope that holds the hard in one hand, and holds just as tightly to the belief in light in the other.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
Disappointment can be one of those complex emotions that can stick with you or even haunt you for a long time. In this month's edition of the emotions series, Wes and Kels look deeper into disappointment, including the role that expectations can play, the different areas in our lives that can bring disappointment, and some of the ways to deal with it in a way that doesn't leave you with ghosts. Life can be full of disappointment, but having some tools ready to use when those days come can help you overcome it and not carry it with you longer than you need to.
Show Notes:
Welsey's Video on Regrets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_CzyRHgmFg&t=1s
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
We all know that, at it's best, social media is a bit of a mixed bag. There can be some truly beautiful and meaningful ways to engage with it, but it can also be really easy to get sucked into doom scrolling, tangling with keyboard warriors, and other things that may not bring much benefit to our lives. In this episode, Kelsey and Autumn take a deep look into some of the specific ways social media can be challenging for our mental health, how to stay informed without sacrificing our sanity, and recognizing some of the ways social media can be used in intentional ways to bring about some good.
Connect with us:Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.orgInstagram - @embrace.mental.healthFacebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
In this week's episode, Kelsey will guide you through a Wellness Check In exercise, during which you can assess and take inventory of your physical, mental, and relational health and wellbeing. This exercise is designed to help you consider your values, your needs, and your goals for your physical, mental, and relational health in order to help you increase your awareness, live life with more intentionality, and become solution-focused instead of problem focused. We all know that at Embrace Mental Health, we love a practical, hands-on tool, and a great reflection question! Give this exercise a try and see how it can help you improve your health across all categories of your life.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.healthFacebook -
www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
The unpredictability of life can often trigger anxiety, stress, and feelings of helplessness. Sometimes Google just can't answer all of our questions and we find ourselves grasping for control in uncontrollable situations. So how do we cope with the stress that not knowing what the future may hold often brings? Join Wesley and Kelsey for the March installment of the emotions series as they discuss strategies and practical tools for embracing uncertainty, building resilience, and finding peace in the midst of the unknown.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.healthFacebook -
www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
On this week's episode, Autumn and special guest Alyssa talk about disordered eating and its intersections with mental health. From culture to social media, and diet fads to AI, we are all surrounded by voices telling us what and how to think about our bodies, about food, about fitness, and our sense of self and worth. While both Autumn and Alyssa had different journeys and experiences, there are still evident parallels between their stories. Alyssa shares how her faith helped her find freedom, and Autumn shares about the power of therapy. Both share what they would say to their younger selves now, and how important it is to talk about these sorts of topics out loud and often.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.healthFacebook -
www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
Join Mark Harris as he shares with Wesley about his journey through caregiving for his wife, his grief from her passing, his healing over time, and the lessons he's learned about mental health along the way. Mark offers firsthand wisdom to anyone going through a difficult change or a loss.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
We've all been there - wanting to maximize the output of the work we put in, or at least the work we want to put in. But productivity is often something that eludes us, whether we lack focus, follow through, motivation, or stamina, the pursuit of productive can be frustrating. This episode is filled to the brim with ideas on how to understand our own needs and desires for productivity, and also ways to crack the code of your own brain to help it to accomplish all you want to accomplish.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
In the February installment of our emotions series, Autumn and Kelsey dive into the topic of loneliness. Loneliness is not an emotion many people like to admit they are experiencing, but if you are experiencing loneliness, you are not alone. Autumn and Kelsey talk about some of the common causes of loneliness, some of the misconceptions, how alone time is actually underrated, and some of the things you can do if you find yourself in a loneliness rut. Most of all, we discuss how human connection and safe spaces for vulnerability are some of the most precious and important things you can carve out in your life.
Connect with us!
Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org
Instagram - @embrace.mental.health
Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/
Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
One of the bigger buzzwords around pop psychology today is boundaries. But what do healthy boundaries mean and look like, and what do they have to do with mental health? Kels and Wes dive deep into this topic to understand the importance and purpose of boundaries, the relationship between boundaries and needs, and how it all can affect our health within all our different contexts and pieces of ourselves. We also talk about setting boundaries with ourselves, setting boundaries with others, and how both stem from an understanding of your worth and your value and significantly shape the kind of life you live. Connect with us!Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.orgInstagram - @embrace.mental.healthFacebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com
We had so much to say about rest, we had to split it into two episodes! So join us for some "bonus" content, (ironically during our rest week) where we continue our conversation on the importance of rest. In part 2, we discuss some of the common misunderstandings about resting and some of the perspective shifts that can help overcome them, and also practical ways you can implement rest in your life, even in the midst of a culture that values busyness and grind.
Connect with us! Website - www.embracementalhealthnsc.org Instagram - @embrace.mental.health Facebook - www.facebook.com/emh.nsc/ Email - embracementalhealthnsc@gmail.com