Episodes
Setbacks on the Road to Recovery
Setbacks are commonplace in most lives, but for individuals with mental health issues, they can be devastating or even lethal. Helen and Valerie are well-versed in setbacks throughout their long journeys to their lives in recovery today. This episode’s remarkable guest, Phoenix Wang, speaks with gre...
When a Loved One Won't Seek Mental Health Treatment
Throughout a decade of making presentations, Helen and Valerie are often asked, “What can I do when my family member with mental health issues refuses treatment?” A tough situation and difficult to answer until they discovered “When a Family Member Refuses Mental Health Treatment.” They explore this...
The Family Dynamics of a Psychiatric Crisis -- Part Five: The Professional Perspective
The significance and complexities of the family’s role during a loved one’s psychiatric crisis led Valerie and Helen to devote a five-episode series to the topic. This fifth and final episode of the series is filled with invaluable professional advice with guest Lisa Powell-Watts, a seasoned psychot...
The Family Dynamics of a Psychiatric Crisis -- Part Four: The Peer Perspective
Family members’ responses to and support of their loved one who lives with a mental health condition often includes a steep learning curve, uncertainty, misunderstanding, and yes, much love. Each family also has its own journey. In this episode, we hear from Rebecca as she shares her story of how he...
The Family Dynamics of a Psychiatric Crisis Part 3: The Parents' Speak
In Part 3 of their in-depth series on the impact of a psychiatric crisis on the family, the topic is the parents’ perspectives and stories of the intricate roles of a parent when dealing with a child with mental health issues. Two guest parents speak with unflinching candor and deep personal knowled...
2024 Mindfulness Favorites
With the holidays all around, this episode is an annual tradition for Helen and Valerie. For some of us, this time of year is emotionally charged due to the pressures and expectations of the holidays. Individuals can become stressed out, depressed, anxious, exhausted. For others, the joys of the sea...
The Family Dynamics of Psychiatric Crisis—Part Two: Caregivers Talk Turkey to Caregivers
In Part Two of the series Family Dynamics in a Psychiatric Crisis, Valerie and Helen have a frank, candid conversation with Valerie’s sister and husband, who were the principal caregivers during her severe mental illnesses and behaviors. The result is Caregivers Talk Turkey to Caregivers, where they...
The Family Dynamics of a Psychiatric Crisis--Part One: Personal Perspectives from a Sibling and a Spouse
When a family member faces a mental health challenge, family relationships can become formidable and problematic, while being loving and supportive, as well. The complicated nature of these relationships has launched Helen and Valerie on a five-episode series – The Family Dynamics of a Psychiatric C...
OCD: The Reality, the Research, the Recovery—Part Two
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is so vast and perplexing, Valerie and Helen devoted two episodes to OCD. They discovered a complex and harrowing mental illness often trivialized and misunderstood by those who don’t have it. To legitimize the severity of the disorder, they turned to the experts. In Pa...
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