Behavioral Health Today

Unwinding Darkness Therapy & the Essence of Enlightenment with Scott Berman – Episode 250

What if there's an opportunity for you to touch within yourself with what truly matters? A way to experience an authentic awakening through self-inquiry to move beyond all cultural and spiritual overlays and simply rest into what remains to be freed from all distractions. What if this opportunity gave you the experience of bringing you back to love through the simplicity of just being? In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Scott Berman, owner of Sky Cave Retreats, the first darkness retreat in the United States. Scott is a Darkness Therapy Pioneer and, for almost a decade, Scott retreated in complete solitude into the remote wilderness in Mount Shasta, California and Southern Baja, Mexico. From Scott’s experience, a deep desire was born to create a sanctuary for other sincere, self-initiated practioners. Scott completed his first darkness retreat in 2012 and has spent over 70 days in multiple darkness retreats. Over the last few years, he has supported hundreds of people in their dark retreats and has been pioneering the darkness therapy movement at his center in Ashland, Oregon. We’re excited to have Scott with us today to talk about the power of darkness retreats and the darkness experience. The soul grows, not by addition, but by subtraction. And here we are with a practice where it's not about doing, creating, or manifesting. But about taking it all away. So, if we remove everything, all that remains is the heart of what matters.

 

For more information about Sky Cave Retreats, please visit: https://www.skycaveretreats.com
To watch testimonials, please visit Sky Cave Retreats on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLPXxOvnN3OmWWv3CRt5L2Q
Connect on Instagram at skycaveretreats, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/skycaveretreats/

Getting To My Enough: Post-Traumatic Growth with Dr. Marie Brown Mercadel – Episode 249

It's okay to not be okay, and you can allow yourself time to wallow in whatever has happened to you, but to move forward, you must seek the help you need. Healing is a sign of strength. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dr. Marie Brown Mercadel. Dr. Mercadel is a coach, motivational speaker, CEO, and author of the memoir Getting To My Enough, A Story of Faith, Resilience, and Survival. Dr. Mercadel completed her undergraduate studies at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, and her Master of Arts and Doctorate of Management at the University of Phoenix. In addition, Dr. Mercadel is a Gallup certified strengths-based leadership coach who has provided training to hundreds of employees. Dr. Mercadel is also a motivational speaker who offers strategies for overcoming personal trauma and provides mentoring and leadership development coaching for women seeking career advancement opportunities. Your post-traumatic growth may look different from someone else’s, but you don't have to be ashamed. You don't have to hide. You can heal out loud.

 

For more information about Dr. Marie Brown Mercadel, please visit: https://mercadelconsultingsolutions.net
For more information about Getting To My Enough, A Story of Faith, Resilience, and Survival by Dr. Marie Brown Mercadel, please visit: https://mercadelconsultingsolutions.net/product/book/
For more information about Dr. Marie Speaks Sip & Heal, please visit: https://mercadelconsultingsolutions.net/sip
Follow Dr. Marie Brown Mercadel on Instagram at dr._marie_speaks, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/dr._marie_speaks/
Watch Dr. Marie Speaks: Sip & Heal discussions, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtW3-GGr4E5sujHnwNmV3SQ

Changing the Paradigm & Advancing Population Health with Dr. Arthur Evans – Episode 248

If we are willing to change the paradigm, shifting our focus from treating illness at the individual level to focusing on improving the psychological health of all people in our neighborhoods and communities, we can create a system of interventions across the continuum of the population that is all aimed at everyone’s health no matter where they’re at. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dr. Arthur Evans. Arthur is a clinical and community psychologist, healthcare innovator, policymaker, and the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. Before joining APA in March 2017, Arthur spent 12 years as commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services transforming that agency’s approach to serving a wide range of individuals with complex needs. Arthur has received national and international recognition for his work, including being recognized as an “Advocate for Action” by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, receiving the American Medical Association’s top government service award in healthcare, receiving the National Council of Behavioral Health’s Visionary Leadership Award, and more. Together Graham and Arthur discuss fostering equitable health, challenges of our current system of treatment, and strategies to addressing population health. We can look at the world differently. If we can see the value we bring as mental health professionals, and we’re partnering with people to really address the broader mental needs of the community, we can get out of the current system and bring our expertise in fulfilling ways.

 

For more information about the American Psychological Association, please visit: https://www.apa.org
For more information about population health please read the article Psychology’s Role in Advancing Population Health: https://www.apa.org/about/policy/population-health-statement.pdf
To contact Dr. Arthur Evans, please email: aevans@apa.org

 

The Kevin Love Foundation: Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health with Sara Hahn & Ellie Foster – Episode 247

When you give students these tools for managing their emotions and building positive relationships, it will spill over into their school and have a big positive impact in their lives. In this episode, Dr. Erin Elmore speaks with Sara Hahn and Ellie Foster, both Directors of Education at the Kevin Love Fund, a fund established by NBA player Kevin Love to break the stigma around mental health and to inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing tools for both mental and physical health. Sara Hahn holds a master’s degree in human development studies from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in education from Pepperdine University.  Using her experience as a teacher in both public and private schools, Sara co-founded the non-profit “Determined to Succeed” to support students academically, emotionally and financially through middle school, high school and college. Ellie Foster holds a master’s degree in educational psychology from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in literacy education from University of Colorado at Boulder. Ellie is an advocate for centering creativity, social justice, and emotional expression in the way schools’ approach social-emotional learning and trauma-sensitive practices. She has worked as a high school English teacher, literacy researcher, K-12 teacher educator, and activist for youth experiencing homelessness. Together Erin, Sara and Ellie discuss their involvement with the Kevin Love Fund and the work the foundation is doing developing children’s mental wellness.

 

For more information about the Kevin Love Fund, please visit: https://kevinlovefund.org
If you are a school or teacher, sign up to learn more about free SEL curriculum here: https://kevinlovefund.org/learn-more/
Connect with the Kevin Love Fund on Instagram at kevinlovefund, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/kevinlovefund/

Part Two: Developing Strong Girls & Growth Mindset with Katie Parker, Becky Fife & Allie Callister – Episode 246

In our show, we will resume our conversation with our host Dr. Erin Elmore and her guests Katie Parker, Becky Fife & Allie Callister around the topic of developing strong girls and their online program I Believe in Me! In our last episode we discussed the challenges facing young girls right now in a post-covid society and the need for support. I Believe in Me is teaching girls self-awareness and giving them strategies and tools to ultimately control their own happiness. We discussed the I Believe in Me program experience, how girls have access to educational videos, projects to inspire activity, motivational mantras, and providing a healthy online community for girls to connect and share with others. We’ll resume our talk today by discussing the impact of how raising strong women with good character can do for our communities and culture at large.

 

For more information about I Believe in Me!, please visit: https://www.bloomfully.com/ibelieveinme
For more information about Bloomfully, a place where girls grow, please visit: https://www.bloomfully.com
Connect with I Believe In Me! on Instagram at ibelieveinmegirls, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/ibelieveinmegirls/
Connect with Bloomfully on Linkedin, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/87237439/admin/

Part One: Developing Strong Girls & Growth Mindset with Katie Parker, Becky Fife & Allie Callister – Episode 245

Every girl is needed in this world, our differences are what make us so beautiful, and we must highlight, strengthen, and grow those things. Together we are more beautiful than apart. And our differences are what we need to offer this world and grow and find confidence in that. In this episode, Dr. Erin Elmore speaks with Katie Parker, Becky Fife, and Allie Callister, the owners, creators and leadership of Bloomfully and I Believe in Me!, which offer innovative products and resources dedicated to providing real tools and habits that strengthen confidence in girls and women of all ages. Katie (CEO), Becky, and Allie are three moms who intimately understand the challenges of raising a family as they collectively manage 17 children. Leveraging their expertise in business, health, and wellness, these remarkable women united under the banner of "I Believe in Me" to establish an online mentoring program specifically designed for tween girls. With a combined experience of over 30 years, they have dedicated themselves to empowering girls, boosting their confidence, and nurturing their potential through community engagement, online outreach, and special events. In an era plagued by the negative impacts of social media and alarming statistics on youth well-being, Katie, Becky, and Allie are more resolute than ever in their mission to guide parents and girls through the modern challenges they face. Through the promotion of self-motivation, resilience, and the cultivation of daily habits for personal growth, they endeavor to fortify the hearts and minds of young girls everywhere. Drawing on their unique backgrounds and passions, these three extraordinary women serve as mentors, advocates, and beacons of hope for the women of the next generation. Together Erin and our panelist discuss developing strong girls and their online program I Believe in Me!

 

For more information about I Believe in Me!, please visit: https://www.bloomfully.com/ibelieveinme
For more information about Bloomfully, a place where girls grow, please visit: https://www.bloomfully.com
Connect with I Believe In Me! on Instagram at ibelieveinmegirls, or visit: https://www.instagram.com/ibelieveinmegirls/
Connect with Bloomfully on Linkedin, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/87237439/admin/

Happy Money: The Art of Making Peace with Your Money with Ken Honda – Episode 244

When you appreciate money coming in and going out, you start this cycle of appreciation energy, and this energy really boosts your life. Ken is a money and happiness expert and is Japan’s best-selling zen millionaire. Ken studied law at Waseda University in Tokyo and entered the Japanese workforce as a business consultant and investor. Ken was 29 when he first “retired” to welcome his newborn daughter in the world. At the time, he thought he was “done” with work, owning a successful consulting and accounting business. Ken’s second career helping millions heal their relationship with money was about to begin. Ken is the author of the book “Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money.” While his financial expertise comes from owning and managing several businesses, Ken’s writing bridges the topics of finance and self-help, focusing on creating and generating personal wealth and happiness through deeper self-honesty. Ken provides ongoing support through mentoring programs, business seminars, therapeutic workshops, and correspondence courses. He is fluent in both English and Japanese and resides in Tokyo, Japan.

 

For more information about Ken Honda, please visit: https://kenhonda.com
For more information about Happy Monday: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money by Ken Honda, please visit: https://kenhonda.com/book/
For more information about transformative courses with Ken Honda, please visit:https://kenhonda.com/courses/

Metaphysics & the Spiritual Arts with Dimitri Moraitis – Episode 243

We're not human beings having a spiritual experience, we're spiritual beings having a human experience.In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dimitri Moraitis, co-founder and co-spiritual director of the Spiritual Arts Institute.  Originally trained in motion pictures and television, Dimitri was pursuing a promising career in directing and producing until he experienced a profound spiritual awakening that changed his life at the age of 25. After this spiritual awakening, Dmitri began pursuing the path of metaphysics. Dmitri is the co-author of the international bestseller and Nautilus Book Award winner Change Your Aura, Change Your Life, Communing with the Divine, Karma, and Reincarnation, The Healing Power of Your Aura and the book Heaven and Your Spiritual Evolution. Dmitri is a teacher, contributing his spiritual wisdom in books, workshops, and course materials. Together Graham and Dimitri discuss spiritual healing, soul growth, and his work with the Spiritual Arts Institute. It's not what's happening in your life, that's the measure of your spiritual maturity, it's how you're handling what's happening in your life.

 

For more information about Spiritual Arts Institute, please visit: https://spiritualarts.org
For more information about upcoming events, please visit: https://spiritualarts.org/events/
For more information about The Seven Spiritual Arts Program, please visit: https://spiritualarts.org/programs/seven-spiritual-arts-training-program/

Toniebox: A Tool for Childhood Development & Creativity with Drew Vernon– Episode 242

If you give children stories with heroes, they learn how to become the heroes of their own story. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Drew Vernon. Drew is the Marketing Director at Tonies, a screen-free audio system recently named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Education Companies.  Drew leads Tonies Education, promoting screen-free learning with schools, libraries, and other early education organizations. Previously, Drew was the Brand Manager for The LEGO Group where he created Prescription for Play, building a network of 2,000 pediatricians to connect half a million children with their first LEGO play experience.  Drew also founded the first state-licensed, pay-by-the-hour childcare center in Connecticut.  Drew has an MBA in Brand and Product Management from the University of Wisconsin, where he was recognized as one of “8 to Watch under 40”. Together Graham and Drew discuss cultivating children’s creative responsibility and how the Toniebox can be a tool for parents and kids to come together as well.

 

For more information about Tonies and the Toniebox, please visit: https://us.tonies.com
Connect with Tonies on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/tonies.us/
Connect with Tonies on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/tonies.us
To learn more about Drew Vernon, connect on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewvernon

Clinicians Series: Pathways of Transcendent States of Consciousness with Shai Tubali, PhD – Episode 241

To escape life is a disservice. It robs somebody of an opportunity to really lean into things in a much more meaningful way. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Shai Tubali, PhD. Shai is an academic philosopher, speaker, and leading authority in the field of self-development and self-empowerment. Shai is also a best-selling author of numerous books inspiring many thousands on their inner journeys of mental, emotional, and spiritual transformation. Shai’s active vision is a spirituality that does not lead away from the world, but rather straight into the heart of life. Strongly believing that to be a realized human means to stand exactly in the middle between humanity and spirit, it’s his deep passion to bring about a much-needed shift in contemporary spirituality: an inner transformation that leads to embracing all of our earthly and spiritual aspects, with the heart at its center. Together Graham and Shai discuss the expansive model of meditation and the process of helping people move through places of ambiguity and complex experiences into a more integrated, holistic and kind of clarified self-transformation.

 

For more information about Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation by Shai Tubali, please visit: https://store.shaitubali.com/product/llewellyns-complete-meditation/
For more information about Shai Tubali, his work, and his meditation courses, please visit: https://shaitubali.com
For more information about upcoming events, please visit: https://shaitubali.com/event-directory/
For guided meditation videos please visit Shai’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwf6sSC-F2sH4uDOmJkKsw

CBHA: Whole Person Advocacy with Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey – Episode 240

It's nice to be able to give voice for those that can't for themselves, until they can. CBHA is the voice of their agencies at the state Capitol, and with state agencies, and the federal government. Our purpose is to ensure that federal, state, and county programs can support integrated healthcare services for people of all ages. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey. Dr. Le Ondra Clark Harvey is a psychologist, the Chief Executive Officer of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies and the Executive Director of the California Access Coalition. Le Ondra has maintained an impressive record of leadership including serving on national and local boards including the American Psychological Association (APA), National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Cal NonProfits Board and more.  In addition, Le Ondra has received numerous awards in recognition of her work and was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to his Master Plan on Aging Advisory Committee, by Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis to the CA Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Advisory Committee for Women’s Services. Together Graham and Le Ondra discuss the goals and various programs of CBHA, and the work they’re doing to promote whole person wellness.

 

For more information about the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, please visit:

https://www.cccbha.org

 

For more information about National Council, please visit:

https://www.thenationalcouncil.org

 

For more information about 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, please visit:

https://988lifeline.org

 

Expressing Mental Wellness Through Theater with Fadi Skeiker – Episode 239

There is a cathartic moment in every story. That cathartic moment would be the point of connection where it would help people to deal with what they are going through. In this episode, Dr. Erin Elmore speaks with Fadi Skeiker. Fadi is a theater educator of Syrian origin, an author and a scholar who has directed, devised and led applied theater work all over the world. Fadi holds a BA from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in Damascus, an MA from Emerson College in Boston and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. Fadi has published articles in multiple journals and co-wrote a published training manual on the use of applied theater as a tool to address human rights and women’s equality issues in Jordan in addition to a book on his work on applied theatre and refugees. In addition to being a theatre scholar, Fadi is also an accomplished Theatre director whose work has been featured in university setting and most recently at the Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia. Together Fadi and Erin discuss healing through creative expression and his work with Syrian refugees in drama workshops. Through his work he provides an outlet for refugee storytelling and a safe environment for perspective building.

 

For more information about Fadi Skeiker, please visit: https://www.uarts.edu/staff-directory/fskeiker
For more information about the University of the Arts, please visit: https://www.uarts.edu
For more information about Four Immigrants, Four Stories, One Museum, the project with the Philadelphia Art Museum, you can watch a video with Tara Falk: https://blog.philamuseum.org/4-by-4-by-1-four-immigrants-four-stories-one-museum/
Connect with Fadi on social media:
On twitter: https://twitter.com/fadiskeiker
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fadiskeiker
On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fadiskeiker

Rise of New Technologies in Behavioral Health with John Cray – Episode 238

The key to new technologies in behavioral health is early measurement, early identification of issues, and then making that identification actionable. Mental Health Technologies (MHT) has made that initial, and ongoing measurement, a seamless, easy opportunity for practitioners and patients to be involved in. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with John Cray. John is the Chief Technology Officer of Mental Health Technologies, Inc., a platform for testing and screening patients for behavioral health disorders. John knows first-hand how much of a difference early mental health and substance use issues detection by primary care can make, in addition to an ongoing objective measurement of affecting conditions. John is a speaker on the challenges of mental health care and how technological innovation is disrupting the space. With authority and knowledge, he wants to help medical directors, CEOs, COOs, presidents, and founders in the industry learn about the importance of addressing mental health issues early.

 

For more information about Mental Health Technologies, please visit: https://www.mhtech.com
Connect with Mental Health Technologies on Linkedin, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/42318573

NACBHDD: Power in Advocacy & Policy Work with Jonah Cunningham, CEO – Episode 237

Do what you can, how you can, where you can. In this episode, Dr. Graham Taylor speaks with Jonah Cunningham. Jonah currently serves as President and CEO of the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD). In this role, he proactively advocates for national policies that recognize and support the critical role counties play in caring for people affected by mental illness, addiction, and developmental disabilities. Previously, Jonah worked at Trust for America’s Health, a public health think tank, where he focused extensively on ways to reduce mortality from substance misuse and suicide. Jonah has received numerous awards and recognition for his commitment to the field of behavioral health and those served by the nation’s behavioral health system. He has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Utah and a Master of Public Policy from The George Washington University. Together Graham and Jonah discuss the trends in mental health policy work that are engaging law makers and mobilizing communities. We have the attention. We have the energy. It's just channeling that in the ways that we can.

 

For more information about the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD), please visit: https://www.nacbhdd.org
To contact the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD), please email: info@nacbhd.org

Part 2: The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) with Sarah Marikos, MPH – Episode 236

In our show, we will resume our conversation with our host Dr. Graham Taylor and his guest Sarah Marikos around the topic of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). In our last episode, we discussed how identifying ACEs shifts the conversation around behavior and decision making to something deeper, that there is meaning behind the things we do, the thoughts we have, the decisions we make. That adverse childhood experiences are common, research showing that two out of three US adults have experiences at least one adverse childhood experience. We named the various adversities that contribute to adverse effects and how traumas, like emotional neglect, can be subtle and still cause very real challenges in our lives. We’ll resume our talk today by discussing the different health conditions caused by ACEs and toxic stress, and how our emotional experiences affect our physical immune system.

 

For more information about NumberStory.org and exploring your ACEs number, please visit: https://numberstory.org
For more information about healing and prevention, please visit: https://numberstory.org/take-action/
For more information about the ACE Resource Network, please visit: https://aceresourcenetwork.com
Finally, connect with NumberStory on social media;
On facebook, at mynumberstory or visit: https://www.facebook.com/mynumberstory
On Instagra, @mynumberstory or visit: https://www.instagram.com/mynumberstory/
On Twitter, @mynumberstory or visit:
https://twitter.com/mynumberstory