Resources

Get Help Now

  • If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, text or call 988.
  • If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, text HOME to 741-741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7. 
  • If there is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Explain that you need support for a mental health crisis. 


Organizations

National Alliance on Mental Illness

NAMI.org

National Institute for Mental Health

Nimh.nih.gov

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAMHSA.gov


Communities for Recovery 
Communitiesforrecovery.org


Books

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Kay Redfield Jamison

Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament
Kay Redfield Jamison

Wishful Drinking
Carrie Fisher

A Life on the Edge: Carrie Fisher
Sheila Weller

MDR: The Breakthrough Therapy for Overcoming Anxiety, Stress, and Trauma
Francine Shapiro and Margo Silk Forrest

The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
Andrew Solomon

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind,
  and Body in  Healing of Trauma

Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

Our Guests

Episode 4: Relationships Part Two: The Therapeutic Relationship - Valerie's Journey
Dr. Bernard "Trey" Aoueille, III, M.D., Psychiatrist

Episode 7: Lived Experience with Self Injury
Shayna Barksdale, LCSW

Episode 8: The Hell of Suicidal Thinking and Escaping It
Jenny Whitten, LCSW

Episode 10: Understanding and Overcoming Eating Disorders: Personal and Therapeutic Perspectives
Neathery Falchuk, LCSW

Episode 11: The Intersection of Mental Health and Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention 
Senior Patrol Officer Jaimie von Seltmann, Austin Police Department

Episode 14: PTSD and Recovery: I Thought I Was Going Crazy!
Sangye O'Mara, LCSW

Episode 15: PTSD and Recovery: I Can't Believe I Beat It!
Sangye O'Mara, LCSW

Episode 16: Genetics and Mental health: Is It in My Genes?
Illene Gray, Mental Health Advocate

Episode 17: The Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health in America
Part One: How is it Affecting our Youth?
Dr. Melissa Eshelman, M.D., Dell Medical School
Police Chief Wayne Sneed, Austin Independent School District

Episode 21: Aging and Mental Health, Part Two: An Expert Speaks
Dr. Cherie Simpson, Clinical Nurse Specialist

Episode 22: Sobriety, Mental Health, and Creativity: A Conversation with Anders Osborn and Ben Anderson
Anders Osborne, Singer/Songwriter
Ben Anderson, Founder, Park City Song Summit

Episode 24: Bipolar Disorder: The Highs, The Lows, and the In-Between
Dr. Stephen Strakowski, M.D. Dell Medical School

Episode 26: Hospitalization: Conversations About the Psychiatric Hospitalization Experience
Ilene Gray, Mental Health Advocate
Richard Allen, Mental Health Advocate

Episode 29: A Conversation with Karen Casey, A World Leader in Recovery
Karen Casey, Author, Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women

Mindfulness Scripts

Mindfulness has been proven to be an essential skill for mental health. The mindfulness exercises that Valerie leads at the end of every episode are a popular element of the podcast. A selection of the exercises is below.

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Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is not intended to be a substitute for or to be relied upon as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This website is for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any health-related questions you may have.