When We Speak is a podcast where we have inspirational, candid, and empowering conversations. It’s a place where we share insight into how we cope, heal, and find meaning in a wide range of experiences. Hosted by mental health therapist, speaker, and author of “What Children Remember”, Tasha Hunter, MSW, LCSW.
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43. Kim Paulus, LMFT
Today I am speaking with my friend and Internal Family Systems peer Kim Paulus, LMFT. Kim and I discuss the intersection of queerness and BIPOC, being a first generation immigrant and biracial. We discuss legacy burdens and ancestral healing among BIPOC queers. We also discuss what it means to speak your truth, how to meet others in the LGBTQ+ community, what it means to live authentically, and how to navigate relationships with those who disapprove of the gay community.
Kim Paulus describes herself as a fat, biracial, queer psychotherapist and IFS clinical consultant in private practice in Oakland, California. With a background in social justice activism, she serves primarily the LGBTQIIA+ and BIPOC communities, including multiracial people and adult children of immigrant parents. She first began using IFS in 2004, and was recently invited to join the IFS training staff as an Assistant Trainer. She is passionate about bringing the beautiful healing and empowerment that IFS offers to more and more of her people.
42. Alishia McCullough,LCMHCA
"Love is the ritual, compassionate attuning is the medicine." -Alishia McCullough, LCMHCA
Today I am speaking with Alisha McCullough, LCMHCA about disordered eating in the Black community. Alishia educates listeners on the many categories of disordered eating, how white supremacy shows up in discussions about food, the difference between decolonization and anti-colonization, how to have conversations about disordered eating, and how find safe spaces and seek support.
41: Melissa Guttman
Today's guest is Melissa Guttman. We met via Instagram and bonded over Internal Family System (IFS). We discuss how she found her voice and helps others to do the same, her work with creatives, performers, and singers, how we validate our own voice, and how music evokes memory.
Melissa Guttman is a music therapist and IFS trained psychotherapist, with degrees from Berklee College of Music and New York University. Her purpose is helping creatives with perfectionism and performance anxiety to find their voice. She sees clients based in NYC. Her favorite past times are singing, swimming, dancing, and nature hikes.
40: Aundi Kolber
In today's interview I speak with Aundi Kolber about her books Try Softer and newly released, The Try Softer Guided Journey. Aundi and I discuss some of the most painful seasons of her life, the healing journey, what it means to be an authentic therapist, how we show empathy and compassion in our work, honoring your pain, and building a relationship with your younger self.
39. Joquina Reed
In today's episode and am speaking with my one of the funniest, and most intelligent Black women in my community, Joquina Reed. We discuss:
—Institutional racism
—Joquina's superpower and kryptonite
—The Triad (white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism)
—How whiteness and white supremacy harms
—Race being a social construct
—The importance of intellectual humility
—Divesting from Whiteness
38: Amber Webb Sims
In today's episode I am speaking with my guest, Amber Webb Sims. This is one of the most powerful episodes I've recorded.
Amber and I discuss her career as an attorney and how she uses her voice to demystify information. Amber shares what it means to divest from white supremacy, how racial capitalism affects Black people, Black pain being profitable, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) being trendy. Amber also shares:
—why we must speak about pay inequity in the workplace
—why labor is not aspirational
—silence being a tool for white supremacy.
37: What Oprah Taught Us
Today's episode is all about honoring Oprah Winfrey. I am joined by my friends Andrea Kingsley-Miller, Cha Sears-Barefield, Marcie Alvis-Walker, and Monica DiCristina.
I wanted a fun episode with some of my closest sisters and what better way to spend time with them than on a podcast talking about someone we all admire and have looked up to since childhood. We each share our earliest memories, what we've learned from Oprah, our own AHA moments, and what we would say to Oprah if ever given the chance. We love you Oprah and hope you know what a profound impact you've had on us and millions all over the world.
36. Black Women Woes Part II
Today's episode was inspired by Black Women Woes Part I but with a new group of beautiful, inspiring, powerful, and passionate women: Amber Webb Sims, Courtney Napier, Faitth Brooks and Sharifa.
This discussion felt like love, family, strength personified, and spiritual. We laughed, held space for each other, snapped fingers, and said amen more than once. Having these heart talks are why my podcast exist In today's discussion we talk about faith, boundaries, self-care, relationships, white supremacy, and more. This is an epic collaboration!
35. Bonus Episode: Suicide and How to Save a Life
Today's bonus episode is in honor of Suicide Awareness Month and the one person every eleven minutes who decides to end their life. I start this episode by sharing my own story of being a Black woman who struggled with suicidal thoughts since the age of ten years old. I also discuss some of the thoughts and experiences that led to my attempt to end my life. I believe that we heal when we tell our story. We heal when we're honest about our experiences, about our pain, and about our trauma. I also discuss the following:
—the importance of confronting fear, discomfort, and uncertainty
—how to have hard, uncomfortable conversations
—how to care for yourself
—the importance of community care
—how we save a life
—showing intentional love
—radical love/radical self-care
It's my hope that after listening to this episode you're able to have hard conversations with you loved ones and hopefully practice loving the people in your life and decreasing suicide rates.
33. Sonja Price-Herbert
Today I am speaking to Sonja Price-Herbert about racism in the fitness industry. Sonja shares what ignited her to specialize in anti-racism in fitness industry and how racism has personally impacted her. Sonja discusses the importance of having diverse voices from the Black community to speak on this topic and the need to create safety for Black people in fitness/wellness spaces. Sonja also delves into what we mean when we say " Black people are not a monolith", and her thoughts on blending fitness and mental healthcare for her clients in the future.
32: Ashley Easter
In today's episode I am speaking with Ashley Easter and we discuss what it was like for her growing up in a cult, experiencing various types of abuse, and how her intuition played a major part in her own awakening and courage to leave the only faith and family that she knew. Ashley explores how her family reacted to her change, how she grew into her full self, and how she found support from others like Rachel Held Evans and Sarah Bessey. Ashley also discussed her organization Courage 365 and the Courage 365 conference.