15. Your Excuse is the Solution

Why looking at our 'excuses' can help be the key to finding solutions and moving us forward in life.

Today’s podcast episode will discuss anxiety and panic attacks- what they are and strategies to feel better and overcome it. This will be helpful if you experience anxiety or panic, or want to be supportive to someone who struggles in these ways.Bio:Dr. Elizabeth McMahon, PhD has specialized in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (also known as CBT) for panic & other anxiety disorders for over 35 years.Her publications include the client workbook, "Overcoming Anxiety and Panic interactive guide" (Hands-on-Guide, 2019) and the therapist manual, "Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety: A Guide for Therapists" (Routledge, 2022).Dr. Elizabeth has given numerous Continuing Education presentations on integrative CBT for panic and anxiety, treating phobias, using virtual reality (VR) in therapy, and other topics. She has taught Continuing Education workshops at national conferences, including for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), the American Psychological Association (APA), and for PESI.Her webinar on treating needle phobia using VR for exposure and video of a simulated VR exposure therapy session are available free to therapists on the Society for Virtual Reality Therapy website: www.SVRT.org. Books: 1) Overcoming Anxiety and Panic interactive guide (Overcoming Guide) by Elizabeth McMahon, PhD2) Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety by Elizabeth McMahon and Debra BoeltWhere to Find Dr. Elizabeth:Website: www.elizabeth-mcmahon.comTwitter: @DrElizMcMahonAnxiety App: MindCo ReliefFollow Relationship University:Instagram: @relationshippodcast

Today we're going to talk about the basics of egg freezing! I’m bringing on an amazing expert in the field who will answer some common questions about the process and science of freezing your eggs and hopefully it’s going to be helpful and interesting to you!Our guest is Dr. Monica Pasternak, a physician and Medical Director at Spring Fertility San Francisco. Dr. Pasternak attended Columbia University where she majored in Middle East and South Asian studies with a minor in Biology. She completed medical school at the University of Miami, where she also received her MBA, before going to complete her Obstetrics & Gynocology Residency at Yale. She then completed her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Cornell. She’s an incredibly knowledgeable doctor and leader in the field of fertility and I’m so thrilled to bring her knowledge to you. And I hope you enjoy the show! 

In today’s episode, we’ll dive into the charged topic of race in 2022, why it effects each of our lives, and how we can all help sensitive conversations become productive and empowering. We'll use evidence-based research and examples, all of which are referenced in the show-notes.New research is clearly showing that people of color experience strikingly different outcomes in healthcare facilities, and that systemic inequity and interpersonal bias pose significant, even life-threatening safety risks to our fellow Americans. By personally and bravely reconciling the moral distress of racial inequality, we can take a significant first step toward aligning our actions with our values and contributing to the freedom, wealth, health and happiness of all who call this land home.Our guest today is the closest person I've personally worked with to a modern-day Mother Teresa, but she says you don't have to spend your whole life in service to others to spark positive change and see your own life transform. Tess Marstaller is a bedside nurse turned hospital risk manager who has been studying, volunteering and advocating in the non-profit and public health space for over 15 years. Tess is an example of backing beliefs up with actions, yet the more she learns the more self-growth she's inspired to pursue. Tess received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in non-profit management before pursuing nursing school, where her guiding interest became maternal health inequities. Tess also volunteered as a community health educator in Cameroon, Africa for two years with the Peace Corps, where she came to understand just how much health is the key to life, and a key many never hold. In San Francisco Tess has found meaning connecting with the homeless and underserved community as a nurse. In her current role investigating events where harm could have or did occur, she brings an equity lens to the case review process, her goal being that any patient can expect a high quality outcome when they arrive sick or injured. If you’d like to connect with Tess, you can reach her via email at [email protected] Notes/resources used for and referenced in this podcast:Facing Race | Episode 11: Discussing race over the holidayshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xTqSbqGXXA&t=109s White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsackhttps://nationalseedproject.org/Key-SEED-Texts/white-privilege-unpacking-the-invisible-knapsackWhite privilege doesn’t mean your life has been easy, it means that race hasn’t been one of the things making it harder. Explained | Racial Wealth Gap | FULL EPISODE | Netflixhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqrhn8khGLMDante King - Speaker and anti-racism teacher mentioned in podcast: https://www.danteking.com/resources  1619 Podcast about how American slavery connects to life todayhttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.html 13th (Netflix) - Documentary about the legacy of the 13th Amendment “Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay's examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country's history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8 Implicit Bias Module Series: KIRWAN INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF RACE AND ETHNICITYhttps://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/implicit-bias-training - IRacial History of American Swimming Poolshttps://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90213675 - How the GI Bill's Promise Was Denied to a Million Black WWII Veteranshttps://www.history.com/news/gi-bill-black-wwii-veterans-benefitsRACE IN AMERICA ‘It was a modern-day lynching’: Violent deaths reflect a brutal Americanhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/history-of-lynching-violent-deaths-reflect-brutal-american-legacy legacyTop 10 Patient Safety Concerns in Hospitals 2021https://www.ecri.org/top-10-patient-safety-concerns-2021 - Racism as Public Health Crisis: USA: https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/racism-disparities/index.htmlSan Francisco: https://www.sfdph.org/dph/hc/HCAgen/HCAgen2020/July%2021/20_10%20Anti_Black_Racism_Is_Public_Health_Crisis.pdfMaternal HealthVital Signs: Pregnancy-Related Deaths, United States https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6818e1.htmRacial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths — United Stateshttps://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6835a3.htmNothing Protects Black Women From Dying in Pregnancy and Childbirthhttps://www.propublica.org/article/nothing-protects-black-women-from-dying-in-pregnancy-and-childbirth?utm_source=Arent+Fox+List&utm_campaign=70d815f56e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_01_20_08_35_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a013c8d3d-70d815f56e-424471426&mc_cid=70d815f56e&mc_eid=de44b7284a“For most people of color, racism isn't an occasional problem but a subtle, everyday stressor that is added onto all the other stressors in a person's life.” – Dr Camara Jones, CDCUNNATURAL CAUSES - acclaimed PBS documentary series looking at the root causes of our alarming socio-economic and racial inequities in health.https://unnaturalcauses.org/episode_descriptions.php?page=2Experiments/studies noted in podcast:Implicit Bias in Preschool: A Research Study Briefhttps://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/zigler/publications/briefs/https://news.yale.edu/2016/09/27/implicit-bias-may-explain-high-preschool-expulsion-rates-black-childrenPartners in study gave legal memo a lower rating when told author wasn't white https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/hypothetical_legal_memo_demonstrates_unconscious_biasesDoll Study: White and black children biased toward lighter skinhttp://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/13/doll.study/index.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZryE2bqwdk Clark Doll experimentsImplicit bias https://www.simplypsychology.org/implicit-bias.html“The attitudes and stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. - that unconscious part is key, these aren’t views people know they have but don’t share publicly, these are true blind spots until we use a mirror to find them or they are pointed out by others.”Redlining: 1932-1968 - Learn more and explore your areahttps://ncrc.org/holc/https://www.urbandisplacement.org/redlining

Online dating can get really exhausting, real fast. We'll discuss illuminating perspectives to help you stay cool, calm and collected as you navigate the sea of swiping through dating profiles.

How do we encourage inner growth and development? What is our “shadow side” and how do we work with it? Also, what are some tools for overcoming addiction and how do we learn to make better life choices? In today’s episode I’ll be talking to my friend and colleague Benjamin Russack. He will discuss his experience as a once self-identified social outcast struggling with depression turned marriage and family therapist and Brazilian Jujitsu black belt. We’ll hear the story of how he outgrew his social inhibitions, lost 100 pounds and ultimately reclaimed his life.   Make sure to check out Ben's podcast: Look, Just Tell Me What to Do… it’s based in mental health and talks all about addiction, relationships, dating. If you’re on the market for a great therapist, you can give Ben a call on his therapy business line: 415-497-1908. Ben's website: https://benjaminrussack.com/ And thanks so much for listening! This has been so awesome and feel free to follow me on Instagram @relationshippodcast.This is Natalie Bloom, excited to continue the conversation with you! If you have any questions, comments or feedback, feel free to email me at: [email protected].

In this episode you'll gain tools and insights into how you can show up for people in your life who are struggling with anxiety and depression. It will expose common experiences of people who struggle with mental health, show you how to tap into your inner-empathy and reveal how your own past experiences can make you a great candidate for having a positive impact on others.

Vulnerability is the secret sauce for connecting deeply with others. It has so benefits and can really change the way we have relationships, often times for the better. This episode will expose why vulnerability is a great practice for living a more fulfilling social life.

Getting a little burnt out on online dating? Wondering why it's so hard to get into a great relationship? Wanting to up your dating skills? In this episode, we'll get intimate, real-life dating stories and suggestions for how to overcome obstacles so you can have a better chance of getting on more dates with good people. We'll investigate common road blocks and realities of what it's like to be single and dating, as well as ideas for creating a fulfilling dating life. This episode is entertaining and educational, and I think you'll really enjoy it!Our guest is Maya Fan, who is Family Nurse Practitioner who recently graduated from UCSF and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of Maya’s specialties is sexual health and being able to talk to people about their most private, intimate medical concerns.Thanks so much for listening to Relationship University and being a part of this conversation! Feel free to follow us on Instagram @relationshippodcast for more inspiration and content!

Introverts are often the hidden leaders of our society- but they don't always realize it. In this episode I will explore why introverts have a lot to feel good about and how they can use who they are naturally to make an impact on the world.Thanks so much for listening to Relationship University and being a part of this conversation! Feel free to follow us on Instagram @relationshippodcast for more inspiration and content!