There are many barriers to receiving mental healthcare- and if I had a nickel every time a friend or family member asked me to help them or someone they know find a therapist…let’s just say I’d be living off the coast of Italy in a castle. Therapy can be an incredibly useful preventative tool to help build resilience skills, decrease burnout, and increase well being and quality of life.Finding a therapist can have a lot of challenges and from my experience - many people feel overwhelmed at the idea even before starting the search. I hope this episode helps support you or someone you may know who may have difficulties finding a therapist. Head on over to the Managing with Dr. Meli website to find useful links to help you- there are several resources that will complement this episode and help you or someone you know find a therapist.In today’s episode I am flying solo and sharing information on a really important topic—-finding a therapist. This episode will be the last of Season 2 as I head out on maternity leave and put a pause on Managing With Dr. Meli. Episodes will return in early 2024 and I can’t wait to be reunited with you all following parental leave. Thanks to all of you who have been such loyal and wonderful listeners. I appreciate you more than you know.  Join the movement. @managingpodcast | www.managingpodcast.com 

Being a first-generation American-born human can come with some challenges. One might feel like they are stuck or pulled both to honor the culture that their parents were raised in and make space for the possibly vastly different culture in which they currently reside.What are some of the challenges, quirks, or resiliencies inherent in being a first-generation American? How do we unpack our parent’s cultural expectations amidst acculturation and consolidate them with our own?  How do we identify what we want to hold on to and release as part of generational cycles? And how do we create our own narrative amidst it all?This week, I’m chatting with Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, Carla Avalos. Carla was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a daughter of a Salvadoran immigrant mother. She works full-time as a Clinical Supervisor for L.A. County Dept. Of Mental Health and also has a part-time private practice. Ms. Avalos is passionate about providing education and resources to the BIPOC and Latinx communities regarding various mental health topics such as perinatal mental health awareness, relationships, self-care, boundaries, and challenges of being a first gen.Learn more about Carla on Instagram @NuevosCaminosTherapy or on her website https://www.nuevoscaminostherapyla.com/Join the movement. @managingpodcast | www.managingpodcast.com 

We are inundated by our environment about what it means to have a healthy relationship with food. There are so many shoulds and should nots being thrown out there that sometimes it can be overwhelming. So what does it look like to manage a healthy relationship with food?This week I’m chatting with registered dietitian Delilah Bisase. In this episode we chat about how to cultivate a healthy and grounded relationship with food, what can get in the way of that, and the impact that food can have on our body, mind, and spirit. Delilah Bisase is a registered dietitian who specializes in vegan and vegetarian nutrition for pregnancy and postpartum. She is also a certified Reiki energy healer and incorporates a holistic approach to her work with nutrition. After rigorous clinical training, she pivoted to the holistic side of nutrition after realizing the conventional Western approach to nutrition and health only focuses on weight, and does not get to the root cause of health issues. Delilah is a non-diet, intuitive eating dietitian who helps her clients develop a healthy relationship with food so that they’re not simply learning what to eat, but also how to eat in a way that supports their mental and emotional health, and respects their body. Learn more about Delilah at remedybydelilah.com/ or connect with her on Instagram @remedybydelilahJoin the movement. @managingpodcast www.managingpodcast.com 

We hear a lot of things about chronic health conditions, and in this day and age, it seems like the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory diseases and syndromes is more common than ever. Research shows that the prevalence of diseases associated with chronic inflammation has been anticipated to increase persistently for the next 30 years in the United States. So, what do we do to help manage these conditions from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective?This week I’m chatting with licensed acupuncturist Lee Lewis. In this episode, we chat about the implications of a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease, the impact that stress has on these conditions, and what we can do to manage the impact of inflammation on our body, mind, and spirit. Lee Lewis grew up in Los Angeles, CA in the 90s and early 2000s. At 18 she went to UC Santa Cruz to study community studies, focusing on social movement history and ecopsychology, which eventually led her to a career in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She obtained her Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University and has been a practicing TCM clinician since 2017. She specializes in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions, particularly of the skin, gut, and women’s reproductive systems. When she’s not working she’s often found in nature walking with her two dogs, surfing, camping, and going to see live music. Her superpower is setting boundaries. She can be found on Instagram @leelewis.lac or on her website at www.jadepathstudio.com.Join the movement. @managingpodcast www.managingpodcast.com 

We hear a lot about self-love and the benefits of loving yourself but what in the heck does that actually look like?This week, I’m chatting with self-love guru and associate marriage and family therapist, Jordan Leverette. In this episode, we chat about all things self-love. Why is self-love important? What is the relationship between self-love and setting boundaries? What are the implications or risk factors for not loving ourselves? And how can we take steps toward truly loving ourselves?Jordan is a multicultural Black-identified Orange County Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and Cal State Fullerton Adjunct Professor whose work is grounded in anti-racist, queer-affirming, culturally aware, and trauma-informed care. Her clinical specialties include supporting victims and survivors of domestic violence by separating from codependency and moving towards individualization and reclaiming their sense of self. Jordan seeks to help clients make radical self-love and compassion a little less radical.Learn more about Jordan on IG @selfloversintherapy or on her website https://jordanleverette.com/ Join the movement. @managingpodcast www.managingpodcast.com 

We hear at lot of things about the transition to parenthood (there are so many cooks in the kitchen) but when we think about managing parenthood as a trauma survivor or even beginning to plan the journey to becoming a parent, a lot can come up.This week, I’m chatting with Renee Eddy, Licensed Professional Counselor, Reiki Master, and EMDR consultant based in Norwich, Connecticut. In this episode we chat about managing parenthood as a trauma survivor. How does becoming a parent trigger unhealed (or even healed) wounds from our own childhood? What impact does trauma have on our role as a parent? And, how do we mitigate the impact of trauma within our role as a parent or break intergenerational cycles?Throughout her career Renee has worked in an array of roles such as community case management, outpatient therapy, partial-hospitalization, mobile crisis, pediatric therapy, program coordination, clinical supervision, and as a college professor, to name a few. Renee currently serves as a Faculty member for The Center, helping to train other clinicians in EMDR therapy. In addition, she provides individual therapy and Reiki sessions through Eddy Wellness, a multi-service holistic group practice that she founded. Her passions include watching her children be silly and slay in their karate classes, playing with her puppy, teaching and mentoring other therapists, and helping mom's find their way to whole-self wellness. Learn more about Renee on instagram/Facebook @eddywellness or on her website eddywellness.comJoin the movement. @managingpodcast www.managingpodcast.com