This week it is our great pleasure to welcome a guest who is a true mental health warrior. Katie is a licensed mental health counselor as well as a certified clinical anxiety treatment professional. Currently Katie is the Clinic Director of Ellie Mental Health in Latham. She has offered her services in and around New York's Capital Region since 2002.

We always wish we had more time with our guests because of the depth of their knowledge and expertise - and Katie is no exception! Katie's experience working specifically with younger clients speaks volumes about the urgent need for more mental health professionals with the training and support to meet the needs of clients of all ages. Through this interview, Katie provides clear insight into what it takes to foster the mental wellness of a whole new generation of young people coming up in an almost entirely digital world. Whether you're a parent or working on your own inner child's unmet needs, you will find this conversation immensely informative and useful. Katie shares lots of strategies that can be applied to responding to the stressors of day to day life with a focus on openness, vulnerability, and authenticity. Enjoy!

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at neverunderestimatetpp@gmail.com.

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

This week on Pieces to Wellness we discuss the art of suffering. Suffering is defined differently by each individual who experiences it. Like stress, suffering to some extent is a natural part of life. There is a Buddhist saying, "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." Through this week's conversation, we've concluded that the acceptance of pain and suffering, and the meaning we assign to these experiences become the lynch pin that turns suffering into a teachable, meaningful experience.

What causes suffering? Many things. Unrealistic expectations, physical/emotional pain, loss or defeat, material fixations, financial hardships, and death/thoughts of death to name a few. At times, life can be cruel and unfulfilling. One of the ways many of us attempt to combat life's cruelty is to fill our time with sensory pleasures or superficial artifacts to occupy the space and time in our homes and lives. This provides immediate gratification. This short lived satisfaction subsides only to compel us to repeat the process again. Like an addict looking for a fix, we chase pleasure in order to avoid pain. What if the way out was through? Not around, or over/under, or avoiding, but facing the pain, the suffering with vulnerability.

The acceptance of hard times gives us the opportunity to become well-acquainted with pain, but not necessarily in an adversarial way. We have the opportunity to create a compassionate dynamic with our hardships, our suffering. Think of it this way: Running from suffering strengthens the thing you're running away from. Confronting suffering gives YOU the strength to overcome. There's an art to suffering with grace, and no one gets it right the first time. What matters most is turning hard moments into an opportunity to extract the value, the lesson, even the beauty that may be present.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at neverunderestimatetpp@gmail.com.

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

We're back in the garage with another tune up episode. Every month, these shorter tune up episodes offer a brief overview of some of the practical tools in our toolboxes that we use to keep ourselves on the wellness side of the mental health spectrum.

This week we're talking about the all important and often difficult subject of creating meaningful connections. Nothing happens in isolation - connections are vital to our sustained wellness. Meaningful connections can start with a simple hello, an email, or even a text to a new friend or old acquaintance. Each of these may open the door to building a strong bond. Tim shares a list of events or activities that may help us connect with like-minded people. These activities include things like going to a yoga class, a church, a gym, a disc golf league, or even on a hike. Each of these activities provides an opportunity to introduce yourself to someone you may meet there. Choosing the activities and connections that are right for you as an individual is an essential first step. Like anything in life, getting out there and especially trying something new requires effort and care. Most of us have remained in a friendship that wasn't beneficial to our wellbeing or have attempted to force a connection with the wrong person. It comes down to honesty and vulnerability, and for many of us, those things don't come easy. Karen says, "to really voice what you want can be uncomfortable," and goes on to say, "keep trying."

When it comes to building connections, persistence pays off, and bravery helps push you to take chances. Because being you is the bravest thing you can be. And it is only by being yourself that you will find the connections that support your wellbeing.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at neverunderestimatetpp@gmail.com.

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91