Season 1
The first season of The Couch Next Door brings relatable mental health stories to your listening ears. You’ll get to know guests that will pop up in following seasons and feel validated in your own story.
The Episodes
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1
The Do’s & Don’ts of Friendship and Mental Health
(Laura Hatfield)
We discuss the compromise between sitting in your feelings and also taking care of your day to day responsibilities to help us feel less overwhelmed when we are going through difficult times. This girl is one of the best friends anyone could have so lean in and listen so you can really show up well for your friends!
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2
Loving a Family Member with Mental Health Struggle
(Vanessa Queen)
Vanessa has a family member that lives with mental health struggles. Vanessa has worked hard on finding ways to navigate this relationship in a way that works well for her and I believe her experience will be an encouragement for those also walking through loving someone with mental health struggles.
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3
(Erin Higginbotham Elrakabawy)
Erin graciously volunteered to share her trauma story related to the birth of her first child. Erin talks through her experience with childbirth and the aftermath of caring for a newborn after the trauma. I mention in the episode that women often feel shameful talking negatively about birth and motherhood, but so much of the healing process comes when we are able to talk openly and honestly about all aspects of our experiences. For those of you that have been through a traumatic birth, please take extra care of yourself if you listen to this episode.
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4
Mental Health in Elementary Schools
(Leilani Anderson)
Leilani is a first grade teacher and she has a variety of perspectives to share as a mother of 4 and a full time teacher. You’re not going to want to miss what Leilani says helps her to stay in the profession and I believe it will be an encouragement for parents and teachers to hear what she has to say on the subject. Leilani and I briefly discuss school shootings so if this is a difficult topic for you to sit with, please take extra care of yourself if you listen to this episode.
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5
(Brittany Holmstrom)
This episode is all about the self discovery journey with my friend Brittany Holmstrom. Whether you have barriers to attending therapy or just want to get to know yourself a little better, my friend Brittany walks us through what she has discovered about herself and how she has used this information to grow and improve herself in her world.
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6
Taking Control of Your Thoughts
(Grace Bissell)
How often do intrusive or negative thoughts take charge of your feelings, your perspective, and your life? My friend Grace joined me on this episode and we’re talking all about how to fight against those pesky intrusive thoughts.
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7
Toxic Masculinity in the Military
Steve Johnson
This episode with my friend Steve Johnson focuses on toxic masculinity in the military. For clarification, Steve isn’t speaking on behalf of the US military or as a representative of the Texas Military Department, he is only sharing his experience and observations to help others feel encouraged and less alone when it comes to the negative effects of toxic masculinity.
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8
(Amy Saenz)
Practicing self compassion takes work. Acknowledging our feelings first, helps us then to know how we can extend compassion to ourselves. Amy has so many encouraging things to share with us about what she learned to do for herself and also what she wants others to be able to do for themselves.
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9
(co-host Sheila Schwab)
This episode is a Q&A show covering topics like play therapy, insurance, and therapists’ POV of clients. We cover a lot of ground here. My Mom is here to co-host with me as I answer questions I received from Instagram.
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10
(Jess Kearns)
Grieving a loss is a journey. My new friend, Jess Kearns walks us through her journey of grieving the loss of her Dad. She gives gives helpful advice to the person that is loving someone walking through a loss.
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11
(Jason Fraser)
We’re wrapping up Season 1 with my husband, Jason! He recaps every episode of season 1 and talks about his takeaways. He also shares a little bit about his own mental health journey with us.