The Check-In With Podcast

Self-worth, body image, eating disorders, and relationships with Cheryl Annmarie Page"Relationships are our biggest trigger for insecurities." - SAIn this episode, Sheryl Annmarie shares insights on self-worth, body image, eating disorders, and how relationships are influenced by our self-perception. Discover practical advice and mental models to foster self-acceptance and healthier connections, Drawing on more than nine years of CBT experience and her own recovery journey, Cheryl offers thoughtful perspectives on how people can understand their struggles and seek support. The conversation explores why self-worth can’t depend entirely on appearance, performance, or other people’s approval; how food and body-related behaviours can become ways to cope with difficult emotions; and how partners can offer support while maintaining healthy boundaries. key topicsSelf-worth and self-perceptionImpact of body image on emotional healthEating disorders as coping mechanismsRole of therapy in recoveryHealthy communication in relationships takeawaysSelf-worth is a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.Body image issues often stem from lost connection with the true self.Eating disorders can be a form of emotional control and coping.Open communication and boundaries are key in supporting loved ones. Self-acceptance includes embracing imperfections and bad days.

Farah Hassan on Mental Health, Stigma, and Therapy in Arab Communities"Mental health issues like anxiety are often seen as body pains" - FHHow do family, faith, and cultural expectations shape the way people experience mental health care? Host Calvin Anderson sits down with psychologist Farah Hassan to explore the realities of therapy in Arab communities and how culturally sensitive care can make a difference.Drawing on her clinical experience in the UAE and UK, Farah discusses persistent stigma around therapy, the influence of faith and family, and why Western therapy models may need to be adapted to fit a client’s cultural context. She also shares what she sees in clients navigating life between Eastern and Western cultures, and offers encouragement for anyone who is considering therapy but feels hesitant to begin.In this episodeWhy therapy may still be seen as a last resort and how that perception is changingHow family relationships, faith, and community expectations shape mental health careWhen spiritual explanations can complicate recognition of mental health needsThe pressure some women experience to meet family expectations while living a different private realityWhy culturally responsive therapy should support personal boundaries without asking people to abandon their families or cultureWhy “the Middle East” cannot be treated as one uniform cultureHow anxiety and emotional distress can show up physicallyThe identity questions that can arise when someone is raised between culturesWhy finding the right therapist may take more than one meetingWhat to expect from therapy—and why it usually isn’t a quick fix key topicsMental health perceptions in Arab societiesCultural influences on therapy acceptanceStigma and misconceptions about therapyThe impact of faith, family, and communityAdapting Western models for Arab clientsCultural diversity within the Middle EastCommon mental health struggles in Arab communitiesCross-cultural challenges for Arab individualsBuilding trust and understanding in therapyThe future of mental health in Arab societies

The Truth About Fitness, Trauma, and Breaking Generational Cycles.Calvin Anderson speaks with award-winning body transformation coach and keynote speaker Nazia Khatun, founder of Fitness Reborn UK. Nazia shares how her experiences with an eating disorder, depression, boxing, and cultural pressure shaped her approach to fitness, neuroscience, and healing.They discuss growing up British and South Asian, why mental health can be difficult to talk about in some communities, and how family patterns can shape confidence and self-worth across generations.In this episodeNavigating multiple identities as a British, Bangladeshi, Muslim womanFinding a stronger sense of self while questioning expectationsWhy mental health stigma can keep people from seeking supportHow childhood experiences and family dynamics can affect confidence and relationships with foodHealing through self-awareness, forgiveness, and understanding inherited patternsWhat it means to become a generational cycle breakerFitness as a tool for confidence, resilience, and wellbeing—not just appearanceThe effects of modern food habits and sedentary livingSocial media comparison, perfectionism, and the value of stepping away from the screenNazia’s encouragement for young British Asian listeners to prioritise self-love and challenge expectationsSelf-love is a practice, not just a slogan.Awareness can help people recognise and change inherited patterns.Healing yourself can influence the generations around you.Fitness can support wellbeing without defining your worth.Understanding someone’s emotional history can offer more insight than judging surface-level behavior.Notice which family beliefs still shape your choices.Make space to talk about emotions rather than suppressing them.Take intentional breaks from social media comparison.Choose movement that supports your wellbeing, not only appearance.Consider reaching out for support if you’re struggling with self-worth, emotional eating, or family pressure.

The Truth About Healing When Your Culture Feels Heavy"Recreate what culture means to you." - FHFahima Ali discusses her powerful book Navigating Life as a Brown Girl, her personal journey, and insights into mental health within brown communities. She shares her experiences with trauma, therapy, and cultural challenges, offering valuable tools for self-reflection and growth. Key TopicsFahima Ali's personal journey and her motivation for writing the bookThe significance of vulnerability and authenticity in therapy and lifeCommon emotional struggles among brown women, including guilt and self-sacrificeThe impact of cultural expectations on mental health and self-worthTools for self-reflection and personal growth, including comparison exercisesThe importance of community and safe spaces for questioning and healingFahima Ali's insights on autonomy and redefining cultural identityHer experience with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and healing processThe legacy Fahima Ali hopes to leave for future generations of women takeawaysIt's okay to feel guilt but not let it control your decisions.Recreating your cultural narrative is a form of empowerment.Self-awareness and honesty are crucial first steps in healing.Community support and safe spaces are vital for questioning norms.Healing is a non-linear process that requires patience and self-compassion.To contact Fahima please use the following :[email protected]

Why Your Body Holds Trauma Long After Your Mind Moves On Mendy Klein on Somatic Healing, Breath work, and Grounding Calvin Anderson sits down with Mendy Klein, a life coach, somatic practitioner, breath work facilitator, and founder of Clients Coaching, for a conversation about how body awareness, presence, and spiritual practice can help people move through stress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm. They focus on why so many people feel disconnected, how the body stores experience, and practical ways to begin reconnecting with yourself.In this episode, Mendy explains how mind, body, and soul work together, why grounding and meditation are different, and how inner child patterns show up in adult relationships and daily life. Calvin guides the discussion with questions about healing, misconceptions, and first steps for anyone who feels stuck.Key TopicsMendy Klein’s background and workWhy presence mattersMind, body, and soul as one systemHow trauma shows up in the bodyTransforming touch and co-regulationGrounding as a daily practiceMeditation vs. groundingInner child work and triggersHealing without judgmentFirst step for someone who feels overwhelmed

The Mindset Shift That Helped Faye Harris Heal What Felt Like PsychosisFaye Harris on Healing, Deliverance, and the Power Within Calvin Anderson sits down with Faye Harris, a healer, deliverance practitioner, trauma informed coach, and founder of the Spiritual School and the F A-C-O-N method. The conversation focuses on what genuine freedom looks like, how spiritual and emotional healing intersect, and why transformation often begins with renewing the mind.Faye shares her own path through childhood pain, mental health crisis, spiritual discernment, and grief, explaining how those experiences shaped the work she now does with clients. The episode is especially useful for listeners interested in faith based healing, trauma recovery, and the idea that lasting change has to come from within.Key topicsFaye explains how childhood pain, trauma, and a later mental health crisis became the turning point that pushed her toward healing work.She describes her recovery as a journey of renewing the mind, not just managing symptoms, and says she and her business partner Carla healed together over time.In this episode: genuine freedom is framed as inner peace, mental clarity, and no longer living as a victim of circumstances.Faye breaks down why old patterns can return in the mind even after someone feels healed, and argues that knowledge, discernment, and spiritual authority are key to staying free.We discuss her view that deliverance is broader than many people assume, including distinctions between spiritual attachments, demonic possession, trauma based openings, and the role of unhealed wounds.She says conventional therapy can help, but lasting transformation also requires addressing the spiritual side so the “house” is no longer empty.Faye explains why she founded the Spiritual School and built the F A-C-O-N method, including her approach of pairing two people together so they can heal and support one another over weeks and months.She shares that the goal is to help people connect with the Holy Spirit, develop discernment, and recover their God given ability to heal.Faye talks about why she believes prayer should be relational rather than begging based, and why asking God what a lesson means is more effective than simply asking to be rescued.She reflects on grief after losing her mother, saying the trauma around the loss is something she continues to carry, but that God’s strengthKey takeawaysHealing is a journey, not a one-time event.Accessing the Holy Spirit can lead to profound transformation.Understanding spiritual attacks helps in overcoming recurring wounds.Building a relationship with God is essential for true freedom.Knowledge of spiritual laws empowers personal growth.To get in contact with Faye:www.thespiritualschool.co.uk www.thefalconmethod.org

When Therapy, Creativity, and Culture Collide“Are you being received? Is there somebody to receive you as a person?” - Nishani J“There is no limited space at the top. We all can get there.” - Gi GiJoining us for a special cross-continental check-in are Nishani Jayawardena and Himgauri “Gigi” Alve, co-hosts of If I’m Being Honest.Nishani is a Licensed Professional Counsellor (LPC), strategic business coach, and the founder of Attunigrate, a clinical practice and holistic wellness brand based in Detroit, Michigan.Originally from Sri Lanka, Nishani’s personal and professional journey has been deeply shaped by her South Asian roots. Her experiences give her a firsthand understanding of the ways mental health can be viewed, stigmatised, and navigated within Asian cultures, as well as the impact this can have across generations.Through her therapeutic and coaching work, Nishani supports high-achievers, founders, and leaders in moving beyond hyper-vigilance, challenging the “mask of competency,” and creating space where their emotional wellbeing and professional lives can coexist more authentically.Joining her is Himgauri Alve, also known as Gigi, a graphic designer, creative founder, and the founder of Tessellations.Before moving to the United States, Gigi spent 13 years in the United Arab Emirates, working as a graphic designer with global and governmental brands and developing extensive experience in branding, visual communication, and design strategy. Her entrepreneurial journey began through her first branding project with Nishani for Attunigrate. What started as a creative collaboration eventually became the foundation for Tessellations, Gigi’s design studio dedicated to helping small businesses develop thoughtful brand identities, websites, and visual systems that feel intentional, clear, and authentic. Together, Nishani and Gigi co-host If I’m Being Honest, where they create space for open conversations around mental health, therapy, culture, identity, relationships, entrepreneurship, and the experiences that shape how we show up in the world.In this episode of The Check-In With Podcast, we explore culture and mental health, breaking generational patterns, the pressures of appearing capable, entrepreneurship, identity, creativity, and what it really means to integrate the different parts of ourselves. A thoughtful conversation about healing, culture, business, creativity, and the courage to show up more honestly.How therapy helped Gigi become more self-aware and confident creativelyNishani’s experience with mental-health stigma in South Asian and immigrant communitiesHow their friendship grew into a creative partnership and podcastWhy therapy should not be viewed only as a solution for crisisThe risks of relying on unqualified mental-health advice on social mediaWhy AI and online content cannot replace a licensed therapist or human connectionThe relationship between personal identity and brandingHow to hold space for others without making decisions for themTheir advice for people who are hesitant to begin therapyTheir vision for expanding conversations around holistic wellnessTo get in touch please use the following:https://www.attunigrate.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-i-am-being-honest/id1843172918

The Hidden Cost of Becoming a Therapist in Private Practice"Being a therapist is part of who you are, but it does not have to define your entire identity". - OACalvin Anderson welcomes back therapist Olumide AJulo for part two of a conversation about the realities of training, the cost of burnout, and what ethical, human-centered therapy should look like. They also dig into a bigger concern in the field today: how mental health can become overly commodified, performative, and celebrity-driven.Olumide shares personal turning points from his own path, including moments of doubt, the importance of support , and the lessons he learned about pacing, supervision, and staying grounded as a person outside the therapist role.Key topicsIn this episode, Olumide reflects on a period during his training when he genuinely questioned whether he had made the right career decision.He explains how deciding to pursue therapy was an intentional choice made with his wife, and how that shared decision became an anchor during difficult seasons.He shares how COVID delayed his placement hours and graduation, leaving him feeling behind while others seemed to move ahead faster.A job loss caused by a cyber attack on an employer’s application system turned into an unexpected lesson about patience and not comparing his pace to others.He talks candidly about the danger of overloading yourself during training and how tiredness affected the quality of his work as a therapist.Olumide stresses that effective therapy requires balance, rest, supervision, peer support, and awareness of changing personal limits.He explains what clients have taught him about being human: that shame can soften in a confidential, non-judgmental space and that people need room to fully explore their experiences.He shares why he sometimes gently pauses clients who try to rush past something vulnerable, and why the question of “who is this for” matters in session work.He discusses the importance of keeping therapist identity separate from personal identity so that the role does not consume the whole person.He voices concern about the industrialisation of mental health, warning that therapy can become more about money, personality, and celebrity than service and care.He emphasises that healing is not a straight line, that therapy is not right for everyone, and that the client decides when the work is done.He closes by saying he wants people to feel heard, understood, and gently challenged, and he encourages listeners to reflect on what mental health content they consume and why.“Being human is complicated.”“No one benefits from me burning out.”“Mental health looks different for everyone and that’s okay.”

Deepening Therapy Skills: Insights from Olumide Ajulo"Trust your gut and take your time" - OA SummaryIn this in-depth interview, Olumide Ajulo shares his journey through the mental health field, his evolving passions, and insights on practicing authentically and deeply. Discover how his experiences, research, and personal growth shape his approach to therapy and professional development. Key topicsOlumide Ajulo's professional journey and growthThe importance of research and continuous learning in therapyBalancing different roles: therapist, supervisor, researcherThe significance of slowing down and internal reflection in practiceTo contact Olumide please use the following:https://www.linkedin.com/in/olumide-ajulo-msc-mbacp-snr-accred-msfdbt-61a40895/

Supporting Families Through Child Bereavement: Insights from Crystal Luk-Worrall"Trust in my team keeps me safe." - CLW SummaryIn this episode, Crystal Luk-Worrall shares her insights on supporting families through child bereavement, the expansion of hospice services, and the role of creative modalities like EMDR and music therapy in healing. Key topicsChild bereavement support and servicesExpansion of hospice services to support sudden deathThe use of EMDR and music therapy in trauma healingChallenges faced by families after sudden child lossThe importance of community and team support in bereavementDifferences between grief and trauma and their managementThe legacy of children and hope after lossThe impact of cultural backgrounds on bereavement supportTo get in contact with the Crystal please use the following:https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-luk/https://clapandtoot.com/