This week I feel incredibly privileged to share my conversation with bestselling author and financial editor of NBC's Today Show, Jon Birger! Anyone who knows me personally can tell you that I am an avid listener of dating podcasts such as We Met At Acme. However, I have always found the guidance to "ignore the guy in order to get the guy" to be quite perplexing and, from my own experience, fruitless. So when I heard about Jon's recent book Make Your Move, I was so excited to hear a new perspect...
Nov 08, 2021•55 min•Season 3Ep. 6
This week I had the privilege of speaking to Sarah Edmondson, defector of the NXIVM cult and author of "Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped the Cult that Bound My Life." In 2005, when NXIVM, a personal and professional development company, promised to provide the tools and insight Sarah needed to reach her potential, she was intrigued. Over her twelve-year tenure, she went from student to coach and eventually operated her own NXIVM center in Vancouver. Questions kept coming up about the org...
Nov 01, 2021•49 min•Season 3Ep. 5
I have TikTok royalty on this week's episode! This week I got to sit down with the one and only @hellotefi, a hilarious, kind, and down-to-early comedian. Her knowledge and honest take on advice and pop culture has gained her well-deserved recognition on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Tefi had to overcome a number of mental health struggles before launching her career at In Style Magazine and creating viral videos about pop culture. In this episode, we talk about her battle with an eating disor...
Oct 25, 2021•57 min•Season 3Ep. 4
This week I had the incredible privilege to speak with best-selling author and a speaker on survival, loss, and recovery, Matthew Bocchi. After his father died on 9/11 in the World Trade Center, Matt began an obsessive quest to find out exactly how he died. In the first memoir told by a child of 9/11, Matt intimately delves into the psychological and emotional torment that ensued after his father’s death. With heartbreaking vulnerability, he details how his incessant quest resulted in a devastat...
Oct 18, 2021•56 min•Season 3Ep. 3
This week I virtually sat down with sustainability content creator and long-time friend, Delilah Harvey! Delilah's passion for sustainable living goes back to our shared high school days, and she recently has become popular on TikTok for her videos highlighting alternatives to fast-fashion. In this episode, Delilah provides tips and tricks to living a more eco-friendly life. She also talks about the incredible summer she had, including a TikTok video she posted that quite literally broke the int...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 2
Happy Monday everyone, and welcome to Season Three of Solace and the City!!! I am so honored to kick off this new season with two legendary guests, the creators of the iconic Instagram account and media brand Friday Beers! In this episode, Max and Jack Barrett walk be through the journey behind Friday Beers, the experience of going viral, and the rewarding opportunities that have come from creating a community of likeminded millennials. Max and Jack are both therapy advocates, so they explain th...
Oct 04, 2021•44 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Hi everyone! I decided to post a solo episode this week and, to be honest, I'm a little nervous about it going live. With a family trip to Greece on the horizon, I’ve had a lot on my mind and been quite nervous about returning to a place with so many memories. To some of you this may seem strange, and I recognize the privilege in having anxiety about traveling to one of the most beautiful countries on this planet. However, as I've touched on in a few of my previous episodes, my most recent trip ...
Jul 12, 2021•32 min•Season 2Ep. 41
This week I am so excited to share an incredibly powerful conversation with one of my first friends in Austin, Siobhan Lidon! One of the major reasons I wanted to record an episode with Siobhan was to learn about how she was able to build up such an incredible air of confidence that makes her one of the most fun and authentic people to be around. Throughout our conversation, Siobhan explains how she was able to fall in love with herself after battling a mental health crisis and a breakup with a ...
Jul 05, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 40
This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Madison Eshelman, an amazing friend and founder of Grief and Groundwork! Grief and Groundwork is a grief, depression, and anxiety coaching and support program. Madison supports individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, and grief to achieve self-understanding, empowerment, and healing using what she calls Intuitive Feeling Practice. Madison coaches from the belief that under depression and anxiety is our unprocessed grief. Her coaching p...
Jun 28, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 39
This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Grant Mosher -- fellow Austin transplant and mental health advocate! In April of 2019, Grant founded Guy Talk: a Nationwide Men's Community bringing guys together to Do Cool Stuff and Have Meaningful Conversations. In this episode of Solace and the City, Grant and I discuss the mental health journey that led him to creating a community of men who speak open and honestly about their feelings. We also discuss the ways in which we can support ...
Jun 21, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 37
The episode is finally here! This week I sat down with my incredible friend and AMAZING singer, Sarah Magloff! We discussed both of our bouts with depression that trickled in while living in New York City, which ultimately led us to the wonderful place that is Austin, Texas. Now in a new city, Sarah talks the journey to being proud of being neurodivergent. You can follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahmagloff and check out her UNREAL vocal talents on her TikTok @sarahtoninnnnnz!!
Jun 15, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 37
Happy Memorial Day Everyone! Today I am so excited to be sharing my conversation with Schuyler DeBree, professional soccer player and co-host of The Mental Matchup podcast! Schuyler is from the town right next to mine, Fair Haven, NJ, and was a star athlete from the earliest age. She played on the Women's Soccer Team at Duke University and graduated as ACC Defensive Player of the Year, an All-American and an Academic All-American. She was drafted 11th overall to the Washington Spirit, and spent ...
May 31, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 35
This week I have the pleasure or sharing my conversation with Kat Zempolich, co-founder of Morgan's Message, a non-profit organization striving to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. Much like Solace and the City , Morgan's Message aims to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alon...
May 24, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 34
For the second week of Mental Health Awareness Month, I am SO excited to be sharing an incredibly memorable and personal conversation with Dr. Roy Richard Grinker. Dr. Grinker is an American author and Professor of Anthropology, International Affairs, and Human Sciences at the George Washington University. His first book on autism, Unstrange Minds, was in part an "attempt to make sense of an intensely personal issue: his own daughter's autism. Although we discuss so much in the 45 minutes of thi...
May 10, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 33
For the first episode of Mental Health Awareness Month, I've decided to share an episode that is not only SO interesting but also sheds lights on a little known fact about myself -- I was once recruited into the NXIVM sex cult. For those who don't know, NXIVM was an American cult that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering while claiming to be a "Self-Help Group." This week, I sat down with Ifellow podcast host, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and cult specialist, Rac...
May 03, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 32
For the final episode of April’s series, I am honored to be sharing my conversation with Alison Fields. Alison is an activist, writer, crisis counselor, and content creator. In our conversation, she explains how being a survivor of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence launched her into a life of advocacy. In March of 2020, Alison was also one of the first people in New York City to report a hate crime against the AAPI community. We discuss the prejudice Alison experienced growing up due t...
Apr 28, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Better late than never! I am honored to be sharing Part 3 of Survivor Stories, a special segment of Solace and the City that is working to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault through partnering with the Exhale to Inhale community. This week I virtually sat down with Maritza Puello, a wellbeing coach and certified yoga and meditation instructor. We discuss what consent means in yoga (and general fitness) classes and how the COVID-19 pandemic has flipped the term "personal s...
Apr 19, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 30
This week I had the honor to sit down and have a conversation with Julie Fernandez, a Movement & Trauma Recovery Specialist. Julie's practice centers on recognizing the strength within ourselves and shedding the judgements, guilt and shame that arise from unresolved traumas. Some of the conditions she works with include Complex, Developmental (Early Childhood) and Shock Traumas, Anxiety, Depression, Dissociative Disorders, as well as Eating Disorders. After experiencing the cycle of trauma, ...
Apr 12, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 29
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so for the next four Mondays I will be sharing stories with survivors of abuse. This week, I had the incredible opportunity to record with Chelsea Quint, Trauma-Informed Business Coach and Co-Chair of Exhale to Inhale. In our conversation, she walks me through her life which was littered with various forms of sexual assault and explains how she ultimately was able to begin crawling out of a dark place. Because of the incredibly positive impact th...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 28
The title says it all. My conversation with Jarrett for this week's episode was absolutely incredible, and we touched on almost every topic imaginable in the worlds of sociology and mental health. Jarrett is a PhD. Candidate at York University in Toronto studying sociology. His research specifically focuses on the ways in which psychedelics can alleviate mental distress. (Yes, we are having another episode about research on psilocybin mushrooms!) However, before launching into this specific area...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 27
I am SO excited to share my conversation with Zach Westerbeck, a professional mental health speaker, College Success Coach, and author of the book “You’re Not Alone”. Much like myself, Zach has a mission to help educate college students and organizations around the world to understand the complexities of depression and anxiety in today’s modern society. Through his personal experiences and extensive research, he is able to relate and clearly articulate why now more than ever it is critical to un...
Mar 22, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 26
This week I am incredibly honored to share my conversation with Joann Irizarry, co-founder of @asafeplaceinsideyourhead. A Safe Place Inside Your Head was founded by Joann and her son Tannerin 2018, who wanted to share messages with others who struggle with mental health issues on a daily basis. This idea was started in remembrance of a family member who's life was lost by suicide during a time where mental health was often misunderstood. Their mission is to help, grow and inspire others that it...
Mar 15, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 25
I have SUCH a fun episode for you guys today! I virtually sat down with Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Founders of The Therapy Group, and Co-Hosts of the amazing podcast Shrink Chicks! Emmalee and Jen are on a mission to make therapy and therapeutic topics more relatable which they do both in their practice and through their podcast! In this episode, we talk about how and why they decided to start their practice, the evolution of modern psychotherap...
Mar 08, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 27
If you liked The Social Dilemma on Netflix then you are going to LOVE this episode with Temo, a Psychologist and Post-Academic Psychoanalytic Candidate focused on Psychological Anthropology. Our conversation revolves around the modern state of culture using technology and the malignant effect of social media on our mental health. Despite his clientele varying in age, Temo found that so many of them showed signs of addiction to their devices. This prompted his interest in the concept of a Technoc...
Mar 01, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 23
This week I sat down with Dr. Paul Seli to discuss the potential for psychedelics to help treat mental health problems, a really popular research topic at major universities. Paul is a professor of a cognitive psychology professor at Duke University and is on on The Board of Directors for Psychedelic Studies at the University of Toronto. Paul discusses his own experiences with psychedelics, specifically psilocybin mushrooms, and breaks down what the research says about their potential for mental...
Feb 22, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Nancy Ruth Dean! Nancy has been in the relationship industry for 6 years, and got her start working as a professional matchmaker. It was there that she learned the personal stories of people trying to find love. What she learned was that most of the people she met hadn’t fully gotten over their ex. Meanwhile, she was going through her own breakup and trying to figure out what the secret sauce was to getting over it. Through the same guidanc...
Feb 15, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 21
This week I am SO excited to be sharing such an uplifting conversation with Angela Amezcua. You may know Angela from ABC’s The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise, but she is a model and YouTuber as well! During this episode we discuss ways to advocate for female empowerment, keep a positive mindset, and maintain self confidence! Angela also shares the ways in which she has been able to give back to others during the pandemic, despite the chaos going on around us. Angela is such a beam of light, a...
Feb 01, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 20
This week I am so excited to share my conversation with matchmaker, dating coach, and founder of We Met Through Thalia, Thalia Ouimet! Thalia is the founder of We Met Through Thalia, a matchmaking agency based out of New York City. With nearly 10 years of experience as a matchmaker and dating coach she has helped individuals recover from heartbreak, become an effective dater, find love, and navigate the inevitable challenges that come with relationships. Thalia broke into the industry by working...
Jan 25, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 19
This week I virtually sat down with DJ, Fashion Industry Insider, and Founder of the clothing brand @ilikeyou, Isaac Hindin-Miller! I now am so excited to be sharing this incredible conversation, blessed not only with a New Zealand accent but also with vulnerability, authenticity and wisdom. Isaac moved to the United States in 2011 and quickly became involved in the New York City party scene. After a few years of what may have seemed like the coolest life from an outside perspective, Isaac came ...
Jan 18, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 18
I am SO excited to be sharing this episode with Bachelor Legend and Podcast Extraordinaire, Olivia Caridi! Olivia first came into the public eye when she was a contestant on Season 20 of The Bachelor, during which she immediately caught the eye of Ben Higgins. However, her connection with Ben fizzled out when the producers saw her confidence as a trait that could be molded into a character flaw. After being portrayed as the season's villain, Olivia's mental health plummeted and she suffered with...
Jan 11, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 17
