Mel talks with Casey (@caseythereader) about her experience living with anxiety and depression. They discuss Casey's coping skills and living with a partner who is a therapist, and the progress she's made over time.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app ..read more

Mel talks with Mix (@enbycalledmix) about being a therapist who is specializing in queer issues, specifically working with trans and non-binary individuals. They chat about some common themes that come up in therapy, finding a therapist you trust, and lots of other good stuff!  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app ..read more

Mel talks with Mags (@books_and_mags) about burn out, how to manage that, etc. Co-produced by @loslibrary. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app ..read more

*Content warning for this episode on discussion of suicidal ideation and self harm. Mel talks with Quinn (@theromanticace) about their experience with mental illness (depression and generalized anxiety disorder) and how stigma has affected them throughout their life. Quinn talks about their experience with taking medication, and symptoms they've experienced over time. They discuss how difficult and frustrating it can be at times to find the right medication combination and the right provider to help try different things before finding the right fit. Episode co-produced by @loslibrary ..read more

Mental Health with the BIPOC community with Laura!! "Struggle is a part of life, but it shouldn't have to be" Mel talks with Laura (@overbookedlife) about mental health stigma and accessibility in the BIPOC community. They talk about Laura's personal experiences with being taught to deal with things on your own rather than share how you're feeling, the issues with accessibility and costs of mental health care, especially for people of color, and the lack of representation in providers. Mel shares some research on how therapy and mental healthcare is less accessible, and they discuss how more n ..read more

Mel talks with Phoebe about the mental health impacts of unexpected life changes. "I'm no longer afraid to say, 'I'm not okay.'" They discuss Phoebe's experience as an actor during COVID and needing to make major career shifts without having planned to, along with Phoebe's experiences with anxiety.  Phoebe shares about her first time in therapy, some books that made her feel seen in her healing journey, and ways she's coped and things she's learned from this experience. You can find Phoebe on instagram and tik tok @readandwright or at her website readandwright.com. Phoebe has her own podc ..read more

Social Media boundaries and mental health with Autumn!!  "I don't need random strangers messaging me" Mel talks with Autumn (@theliteraryheroine) about the importance of setting boundaries on social media both for yourself and for others. Co-produced by @loslibrary --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app ..read more

Mel talks with Caro, (@sanjariti on bookstagram) to discuss Caro's experience with depression and suicidal ideations. Content warnings include: suicdality and depression, mental health stigma, domestic violence, including emotional and financial abuse, self harm, and fatphobia.  Caro talks about her experiences as a teenager, and how that influenced her depression, growth in terms of being able to get through things and recognize progress, and her experiences with therapy. Caro recommends the book, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, as a book that she felt had good representation of ..read more

Mel talks with Steven Salvatore, author of Can't Take That Away!  "You shouldn't have to explain yourself everyday." They discuss mental health/therapy rep in the book, Steven's experiences that inspired Carey and their journey, and how important it is for people, especially young people, to be able to see themselves in literature.  Steven mentions some other queer books they have loved including, Reverie and Bedazzled by Ryan LaSala and Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.  Steven has their next book, And They Lived, coming out in March of 2022, and Can't Take That ..read more

Mel chats with Alex (@thebookadvocate) about different places they've both worked, and different types of facilities that you may find a social worker. While a social worker is not the only option to receive mental health services from, Mel and Alex are both social workers and discussed their own experiences in this episode. (This episode was co-produced by @loslibrary) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app ..read more