The Big Silence

Latest Episodes:

54. From Burnout to Balance: Navigating High-Functioning Codependency with Terri Cole Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

Terri Cole is back for her third appearance on the podcast. Terri is a licensed psychotherapist, global empowerment and relationship expert with a gift for making complex psychological concepts accessible and actionable. In this episode, we explore the toxic patterns and cycles women experience that keep us stressed and burned out. Whether it’s in relation to our career, external relationships or the relationship with ourselves, Terri gives us some helpful questions to ask ourselves to identify where we need to make a change.

Terri shares her definition of high functioning codependency and how it can show up in our lives, how to set healthy boundaries by learning to give up our need for control, how to support others without taking on the burden of their problems. She gives her therapeutic insight on the most productive thing you can ask yourself if you’re going through divorce, and why people cheat on their partners. We also explore the concept of false vs true self, how to connect with your inner child and heal wounds from childhood that could impact us later in life. Plus, Terri Cole has a free gift for listeners of The Big Silence podcast. Access the codependency & boundaries lesson and prompts here: boundaryboss.me/bigsilence.

Resources:

Website: terricole.com
Instagram: @terricole
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Free gift from Terri Cole - Codependency & boundaries lesson and prompts: boundaryboss.me/bigsilence
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need
YouTube: The Big Silence

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

53. Mind Over Matter: How to Build Mental Resilience through Fitness (Live at Kollective) Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode is a panel discussion from a fitness event in Austin at the Kollective social performance club featuring three inspirational trainers; Melissa Alcantara, aka Fit Gurl Mel, Jeremy Hills, founder of Kollective, and my personal trainer, Sandy Brockman.

We talk about having a goal with your fitness regardless of your age to keep you accountable and engaged, advice for people new to fitness, how your mindset in the gym translates into your mindset in life, chasing the “hard” to be the best version of ourselves, what we’re manifesting, and so much more.

One thing we all have in common is that we love fitness because of the mental health benefits of exercise and how it makes us feel. I’m excited for you to hear each of these fitness professionals talk about their relationship to exercise and how it impacts the ripple effects it has on their lives and mental health.

Resources:

Website: thekollective.com
Instagram: @kollective.inc
Facebook: facebook.com/thekollectiveinc
YouTube: The Kollective
Mel’s Instagram: @fitgurlmel
Sandy’s Instagram: @sandybrockmanfitness
Jeremy’s Instagram: @jhills5
Tone It Up: my.toneitup.com
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need
Slate Theory Winery: slatetheory.com
Gym Weed: gymweed.com
APL: athleticpropulsionlabs.com

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

52. Magic Mike: Spreading Smiles & A Magical Mental Health Message Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

Michael Webb is unlike any magician you’ve seen in person or virtually on zoom. As a full-time magician with 15 years experience, Sydney magician Magic Mike is a fun, easy going and approachable magician who caught my attention after I watched his inspirational mental health message on Australia’s Got Talent in 2022 that brought me to tears.

I loved talking to Mike about his mental health journey; from feeling alone in his struggle with depression to a coworker signing him up to see a doctor to spreading his message of hope and healing to audiences around the world. He shares how he got into magic and got his first job, what Mike loves about the personalized aspect of doing magic, and how his ability to make people smile and laugh helps him heal as well.

I ask him if anyone can do magic, and get Mike’s advice for anyone struggling with their mental health. Plus, Mike showcases his skills with me virtually over the screen in this interview, and it’s pretty amazing, so if you can, make sure to watch this one on YouTube!

Resources:

• Website: michaelwebbmagic.com.au

• Instagram: @magicmike_notastripper

• YouTube: Magic Mike on Australia’s Got Talent

• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing

• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn

• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence

• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

• Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

51. How to Start Prioritizing Your Mental Health with Kati Morton, LMFT Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Today's guest on The Big Silence is Kati Morton. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, as well as a successful author and speaker known for humanizing mental health through her super popular YouTube channel.

We cover big and little T traumas, the traits of a good and bad therapist, the cost of therapy, what high functioning depression is, how to overcome the nerves around upcoming therapy sessions, how to help a loved one who may be struggling with depression, attachment styles, and a whole bunch of fun girl talk.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, make sure you share it with someone you love who might benefit from it. You can also leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and help us spread the word and break the stigma around mental health.

Resources:

• Kati’s Website & Workshops: katimorton.com

• Podcast: Ask Kati Anything

• Read: Traumatized by Kati Morton, LMFT

• Read: Are You Okay? By Kati Morton, LMFT

• Instagram: @katimorton

• YouTube: Kati Morton

• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing

• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn

• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence

• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

• Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

• Get a ticket to the SXSW Live event on March 16th: Workout, Social Hour, & Live Podcast With Your Trainers with Jeremy Hills @jhills5 and Melissa @fitgurlmel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

50. What’s Not To Love? Saying It Out Loud with Vasavi Kumar Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

A first-generation immigrant raised on Long Island, NY, Vasavi Kumar is famous for “Saying It Out Loud.” She’s a former TV host, licensed therapist, and the creator of the Say It Out Loud Safe Haven, an online support community. She holds dual Masters degrees in Special Education from Hofstra University and Social Work from Columbia University.

Vasavi is an open book in this one, getting raw and honest about her lived experience in a way that allows others to take solace, and build hope, with regard to their own challenges. We talk about finding radical self-love, honoring your soul’s truth, and not letting things (money, achievements) define your worth as a person.

Her mission, and tagline, are very much aligned with our mental health awareness efforts here at The Big Silence Foundation – a path she found herself on after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19. Her upcoming book, Say It Out Loud will be published in May (Mental Health Awareness Month) of this year, but can be pre-ordered online, today: sayitoutloudbook.com.

The more voices we can add to the conversation, the better. So please feel free to share this episode with friends, family, even colleagues that you think might be interested in exploring new ways of thinking.

Resources:

Pre-Order: vasavikumar.com/orderthebook
Website: vasavikumar.com
ATX Woman: Vasavi Kumar: Who Am I?
International Bipolar Foundation: ibpf.org
Podcast: Say It Out Loud with Vasavi Kumar
Instagram: @mynameisvasavi
Linkedin: Vasavi Kumar
YouTube: Vasavi Kumar
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

49. AMA: Learning to Celebrate Your Season with Karena Dawn Mar 02, 2023

Show notes

Today, we have a special mixed-AMA episode with a dear, dear friend of mine, Miya. Miya and I met at the gym and have been close friends for over twenty years – witnessing and supporting one another through the many seasons of our lives – the good, the painful, and everything in between.

We begin the episode with Miya’s learned experience with love and parenting, how she’s grown to place the utmost importance on her own personal self-worth before seeking it from anyone else. We then dig into a few listener-submitted questions from my Instagram:

What is your quick fix when your day is off?
Is lifting the quickest way to build muscle?
What skincare products do you use?
What’s your favorite thing about working out with a trainer?
How did you become a meditation teacher?

I hope you enjoy this conversation between long friends, as we delve into some serious girl talk, get honest about gaining (and losing) weight, and unpack the complexities of dating and divorce.

Resources:

Karena Dawn for Tone It Up: Guided meditations
Matthew McConaughey for Calm: Guided meditations
NuFace: mynuface.com
Skin Medica: skinmedica.com
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

48. Taking Responsibility For Our Healing – Not Our Traumas with Debbie Whitehead Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

Today on The Big Silence, we’re joined by Debbie Whitehead, a licensed therapist with thirty years of experience in mental health and family and marriage counseling. She shares her deep trauma experience as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse which led to her becoming a thriver and sharing her story with the world.

[Content Warning: This episode deals with overcoming difficult traumas, including child sexual abuse and incest. Please listen with care and compassion.]

Practicing out of Plano, Texas, Debbie has a holistic approach when it comes to mental health and counseling, leveraging her training in cognitive-behavioral therapy, family dynamics, and marriage and family therapy, as well as her knowledge as a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach to help people find balance throughout their lived experiences.

She details the breathwork session that changed her life, empowering her to raise voice enough to share her traumas, taking us back to one painful memory and releasing a tsunami of emotions that she had repressed since childhood.

We also dig deep on how to stop the cycle of generational trauma, highlight the power of forgiveness as a release of self-hatred, navigate our way through grief, and take responsibility for our own healing – not the traumas which preceded it.

Debbie teaches us that repression is our brain’s way of protecting us, explaining the critical differences between repression and suppression. Her openness and willingness to learn from the past, no matter how visceral, is living proof that we can work through anything to live our most beautiful life.

Resources:

Website: debbiewhitehead.com
Instagram: @debbiekwhitehead
RAINN: National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE)Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

47. The Science of Wellness: Discovering the Minimum Method with Joey Thurman Feb 15, 2023

Show notes

Diagnosed with depression at the young age of thirteen, Joey Thurman’s journey as a young person was more challenging than he made it appear to the outside world as a multi-sport athlete. At home though, his truth was laid bare as he threatened to commit suicide on many occasions.

We talk about his journey into the professional fitness space, a success story that sounds similar, and happened around the same time, as the launch of Tone It Up. Joey touches on lessons his childhood has presented for his own son’s life, and what signs other parents might look for in their children to know that they’re struggling.

Of course, we also go deep on Joey’s new book, Minimum Method, and the custom-built heath modalities that serve as the outline for it. Commenting on cardio, weightlifting, macronutrients vs. micronutrients, sleep, and so much more – if you’ve been waiting for a fitness-focused pod to land in this feed, today is your lucky day.

Joey reminds us that, by accepting our feelings as they come in, we make sure to take a moment and appreciate what is, be thankful for what was, and put a positive lens on our outlook for the future.

Resources:

Website: JoeyThurman.com
Website: Open Fit
@JoeyThurmanFit on Instagram
Watch: Joey Thurman on YouTube
Read: The Minimum Method by Joey Thurman
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

46. Animal Power: Tapping Into Our Most Primal Positive Energies with Alyson Charles Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

Alyson Charles, rock-star Shaman and author of Power Animals, started running as a toddler, with her dad as her coach. Making the decision at a young age to suppress her true soul's purpose and calling to maintain a relationship with her dad, she went on to become a national champion athlete and D1 college coach.

But as she describes it – she was winning, but lost.

Realizing that she had been allowing her physical vessel to be dishonored for almost two decades, her spiritual awakening began with leaving a toxic long term relationship, one wrought with sex addiction, and processing the grief that followed.

She surrendered to a higher power and was shown the way.

We talk about creating a sacred altar space, listening to the whispers of your heart, and how Alyson’s path of healing brought her to her husband, Luke, and helped her find unity and trust where she thought she might never find them again.

We then dive into the whole-soul experience that is her breathtaking book, Animal Power, and the deep natural and ancestral energetics behind it. An initiatory labor of love that took many years to write, the book’s dynamic illustration work was done by an artist from Brazil, William Santiago, who tragically passed away soon after completing the book.

We close with two pulls from the Animal Power Deck, visits from the Clam and the Kangaroo, as Alyson explains deeper meanings behind each being – their significance in this moment and the many to come.

Even if you’re just listening to the podcast today, Alyson’s presence can be felt in such a powerful and mystic way. We’re so glad she shared her frequency of evolution and perseverance with us. And if you’re watching on YouTube, you get a double dose of Animal Power – with special guest appearances by Tiki the Pomeranian.

Resources:

Instagram: @iamalysoncharles
Website: alysoncharles.com
Read: Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul
Podcast: Ceremony Circle
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

45. Alessandra Torresani on Living (and Thriving) With Bipolar 1 Disorder Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

You may know today’s guest from iconic shows like Malcolm In The Middle, The Big Bang Theory, and Arrested Development. I know her as my new BFF. Alessandra Torresani is a beaming light of positive energy and healthy outlook; she joins the show to talk about being diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder and thriving as an on-screen sensation and mental health advocate.

Moving to Hollywood at eleven, her story of child stardom touches on early symptoms that confused her family and doctors. She’d bang her head on the wall. She’d refuse to cross thresholds and enter doorways. As a teen, antidepressants made her highs, higher, and her lows, lower – leading to suicidal thoughts and rage.

It wasn’t until she was twenty one that she received a Bipolar 1 diagnosis, a shift that changed her life for the better, forever. We unpack what that realization meant for her career, her dating life, and later on – her pregnancy and journey as a new mom.

We talk about breaking the stigma, the courage it takes to tell your story for the benefit of others, and how a healthy combination of meditation, medication, movement, nature, and emotional support has allowed her to live her best life.

Don’t forget, Alessandra and I did a podcast swap – so you can catch my conversation with her, on her show’s feed, Emotional Support.