Can fear and pleasure coexist? We often see these concepts as separate, and sometimes even oppositional. But is that accurate?
In this episode of The Mental Wellness Practice Podcast, Dr. Shainna explores the surprising psychology of recreational fear — the thrills we seek when we watch horror movies, ride roller coasters, drive fast, or even go bungee jumping.
Joined by Dr. Marc Andersen and Dr. Mathias Clasen from the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University, we’ll explore what happens when fear becomes fun — and how these playful experiences can actually improve emotional regulation, resilience, and mental wellness.
What recreational fear really is
Common misconceptions about fear and what it reveals about our brains
Who can benefit from engaging with fear in a safe, intentional way
Key findings from the Recreational Fear Lab and what they teach us about emotion regulation
Practical strategies to reframe fear as a tool for growth, confidence, and connection
Mathias Clasen, literature and media researcher, is an associate professor in the School of Communication and Culture, Department of English at Aarhus University.
Marc Andersen, cognitive scientist, is an associate professor in the School of Culture and Society, Department of Culture, Cognition and Computation at Aarhus University.
Dr. Shainna is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate dedicated to helping individuals cultivate lifelong mental wellness. She is the owner of The Mental Wellness Practice in Central Florida and the creator of the bestselling Self-Love Workbook series and Designing Healthy Boundaries. Her insights have been featured in VOGUE, ABC, CBS, NPR, The Washington Post, and Insider, and she has been recognized with honors including UCF’s Noble Knight Distinction and the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award for her efforts to promote emotional well-being. 🌐 Learn more at www.DrShainna.com or connect on Instagram @DrShainna.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Learn more about The Recreational Fear Lab and Mathias and Marc’s research
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional Mental Wellness Resources:
The Self-Love Workbook for Teens
In this episode, Dr. Shainna explores the complexities of friendships, discussing why they sometimes end and how to approach healing, whether through reconciliation or release. She emphasizes the importance of reflection, understanding personal roles in friendships, and the potential for growth through these relationships.
In this episode you will learn about:
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional 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
In this enlightening episode, we delve into the transformative world of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Discover how this innovative approach is reshaping mental health treatment, offering new hope for those battling depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Join us as we explore the science, stories, and potential of psychedelics in therapy, featuring insights from leading experts in the field.
Today, we have a very special guest: Amanda Gow, Co-founder of Bendable Therapy and a licensed Psilocybin-Assisted Therapist. Amanda is a trailblazer in the mental health space, bringing over a decade of executive leadership in youth and family services across Oregon. With a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health and deep roots in nonprofit work, she’s now helping shape the future of psychedelic-assisted therapy—making it accessible, ethical, and rooted in real, community-driven care.Welcome to a deep dive into the transformative world of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
In this episode, we explore:
How this innovative approach is reshaping mental health treatment.
New hope for those battling depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
The science, stories, and potential of psychedelics in therapy.
The profound impact these therapies are having on mental health and the future of healing.
Join us as we explore a world that's gaining attention fast, but is still full of questions, misconceptions, and mystery: psychedelic-assisted therapy.
About Amanda
Amanda Gow, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Bendable Therapy is a licensed psilocybin facilitator who brings compassion, expertise, and a deep understanding of the healing journey to every session. With a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health, Amanda’s approach is rooted in creating safe, supportive, and transformative spaces where clients feel empowered to explore their emotions, memories, and inner worlds. Her extensive background, including over a decade of leadership work with youth and families, shapes her trauma-informed practice and commitment to holistic care.
DONATE to support Bendable Programs
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 Vogue, 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.
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com 💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
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 educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional
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 learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In episode 47, Dr. Shainna is joined by Craig Smith, husband, father, therapist, podcaster, and creator of the FOCUS Journal. Together they examine the quote, “People-pleasing is self-abandonment dressed up as kindness” and offer practical, compassionate guidance to shift from people-pleasing towards kindness.
Here are some questions that are addressed in this episode:
What is kindness?
What is self-abandonment?
What is people-pleasing?
What is self-betrayal?
What is self-neglect?
Why do we people-please?
How do we know if we are people-pleasing?
How can we practice genuine kindness?
What is the connection between self-love and kindness?
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 Vogue, 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.
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
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 educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
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 learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In episode 46, Dr. Shainna helps us understand what reparenting is, why it matters, and how to begin the journey.
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com 💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional 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
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 learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies. In episode 45, Dr. Shainna encourages us on challenging common misconceptions about rest and challenges us to redefine rest in order to cultivate wellbeing.
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional 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
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 learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies.
In episode 44 , Dr. Shainna offers seven practical strategies to help you seek your center while dealing with difficult people. This episode isn’t about toxic people so much as it is about how you can be genuine to yourself when engaging with them.
Stay Connected:
Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional 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
In this episode, Dr. Shainna Ali, a mental health therapist, educator, and advocate dives into microcheating. What is it? Is it always a problem?
You'll hear:
Stay Connected: Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional 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
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 learn important information, delve into reflection prompts, and leave with practical strategies.
None of us get it right all the time, and that doesn’t make us toxic. If you’ve ever worried that you might be showing up in ways that hurt others, or yourself, this conversation is for you. In this episode, Dr. Shainna gently explores what it means to reflect on your behavior with honesty, curiosity, and care. You’ll learn how to recognize unhelpful patterns without judgment, unpack where they come from, and take empowered steps toward growth. Because being human means we’re always learning, and learning is healing.
In This Episode You’ll Hear About:
What it really means to be “toxic”
How to recognize toxic patterns in yourself without spiraling into shame
Reflection questions to promote personal accountability
Common roots of toxic traits (e.g., fear, trauma)
How to move from awareness to meaningful behavior change
The power of self-love, forgiveness, and boundaries in healing
Stay Connected:
Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
Additional 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 educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Do you think your anxiety is sabotaging you? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Shainna explores how reframing anxiety can shift how we manage stress, build self-awareness, and empower healing. If you or someone you love struggles with anxiety, chronic overwhelm, or burnout, this episode will introduce a compassionate new perspective.
Learn how anxiety functions in the body, why it might be misunderstood, and what it could mean to treat it more like a misunderstood protector than an inner critic.
Whether you’re just starting your mental wellness journey or you’ve been doing this work for years, this episode offers practical reflection tools you can begin using right away.
In This Episode You’ll Hear About:
The biological roots of anxiety as a survival response
How our nervous system interprets stress
Why anxiety is not your enemy
A mindset shift that can reduce overwhelm
Gentle affirmations to build trust with your body
Stay Connected:
Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram or Facebook → @drshainna Find more resources, workshops, and support → www.drshainna.com
💌 Love what you’re hearing? Share, follow, and leave a review, it helps others find this space too.
Special thanks to Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift Podcast for the intro and outro production.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
💤 TapeHer → The mouth tape that transformed Dr. Shainna’s sleep routine. Try it with code DRSHAINNA at www.tapeher.com
💍 Anxiring → Intentional jewelry designed to support self-regulation and calm. Get your discount with code DRSHAINNA at www.anxiring.com
To learn more, read Anxiety Isn't The Problem.
This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, please consult with a licensed professional.
Additional 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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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