I Am Speaking

Tatiana Rohner del Sordo Is Speaking

What does it take to effect change in our communities? It takes money, for sure. It takes resources, of course. And it takes people like Tatiana Rohner del Sordo. 

Tatiana is an immigrant from Colombia (she’s our third person of Colombian heritage on our podcast. We love Colombia!) When she moved to the US with her husband, her anxiety began to flare and she didn’t have her family and friends around to lean on, so she went to therapy. And then she realized how vital and how needed culture-affirming and trauma-informed therapy is. So, she became a therapist. 

From there, she realized the therapy scarcity and the systemic barriers to accessing mental health resources that exist for certain communities, and she became an advocate. 

As a bilingual therapist working in private practice and the nonprofit sector in Chicago, Tatiana has witnessed how wealth and privelage, or lack thereof, affect anxiety, depression, complex trauma and mental health challenges overall. As a passionate therapist and advocate for everyone needing mental healthcare, Tatiana speaks of the needs at a systemic level, the needs far beyond the hour on the couch. 

She is brilliant. She is charming. And her community is lucky to have her on their side. Our guess is you’ll be as smitten with her as we are. Plus, wait until her familect to find out why her husband calls her The Monkey (spoiler alert: language is amazing!) 

Kate Frese Phillips Is Speaking

To hear Kate Frese Phillips talk about her life, and everything she’s been through, you might understand if she has resentment or anger or distrust. But to actually listen to her, you realize that she’s actually filled with resilience and curiosity and strength. 

Kate was subject to religious indoctrination at a young age. She quietly suffered from anxiety and depression for years, only to be told to “just pray” if she spoke at all about her struggles, or hinted at questioning of faith. She tried everything (or damn near everything) to quiet the noise in her head, to rid herself of the shadow following her around, and there was a moment where she felt all was lost. 

But that is not the end of Kate’s story. As she allowed her brain to heal and reboot, she was able to heal and dismantle the “old software” that no longer made sense and no longer served her. When you hear her story, you’ll realize that for Kate, being lost was never going to be the end of her story. It gave her a place to start to find herself. You will not regret spending this time with Kate, Shailushi and Kosha. 

Possible Trigger Warning: religious indoctrination, suicidal ideation, self-harm, attempted suicide, domestic violence. 

DISCLAIMER: I Am Speaking is for information, education and entertainment purposes only. In no way is I Am Speaking intended to provide medical advice or substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself or others, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or call 911.

Sally Alter Is Speaking

What does it meant have Bipolar Disorder? Did you know there is more than one type? Did you know that you don't realize you are in a manic episode when you are in it? Did you know there was such a thing as "rapid cycling" when it comes to the manic or depressive episodes?

Sally Alter is here to answer some of these questions. Sally experienced her first manic episode at the age of 15, right when her mother passed away. Her actual diagnosis came ten years later at the age of 25. This incredible, powerful and resilient woman tells her story, and the icing on the cake? She has written books to help OTHER people so perhaps someone else doesn't have to struggle like she has. 

Her first book, How to Live with Bipolar, and her second book, Bipolar 1 Disorder Rescue Plan, can be found on Amazon, here is her author page:https://www.amazon.com/Sally-Alter/e/B0971TWK77/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1. 

DISCLAIMER: I Am Speaking is for information, education and entertainment purposes only. In no way is I Am Speaking intended to provide medical advice or substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself or concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or call 911.

Karen Rothstein Pineda Is Speaking (About Therapy)

She is back for Season 4! I Am Speaking's Resident Therapist, Karen Rothstein Pineda, is here to talk some Therapy Basics. We talk about therapist credentialing, some important questions to ask yourself and your therapist, what might be going through a therapist's mind during your first few sessions, and why your therapist might not acknowledge you if you see them at the grocery store. Also, we discuss what NOT to yell at Karen if you see her at the pool this summer. 

As always, she is filled with knowledge and illuminating insight. We love all our conversations with Karen, and she once again proves herself to be a vital member of the I Am Speaking team.

If you are looking for a therapist, a few places to start: Psychology Today, Therapy Den, Therapy for Black Girls, Latinx Therapy, Open Path or South Asian Therapists are all websites that have search tools for therapists. Also, you can ask your doctor for a recommendation.

DISCLAIMER: I Am Speaking is for information, education and entertainment purposes only. In no way is I Am Speaking intended to provide medical advice or substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself or concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or call 911.

We Are Speaking w/ Anu Chouhan

Representation matters. Just ask Kosha’s daughter, when she discovered that a talented artist has *her name*. 

Our guest today on I Am Speaking with Expert Voices is the amazing Anu Chouhan. She’s an animator, illustrator and soon-to-be published author. She also is passionate about showing strong brown girls with swords, as well as brown kids just having fun. 

Her story is filled with heart and preservance as she gained confidence (and Instagram followers). You’ll want to follow her too, after you hear this interview. She is a joy and we cannot wait to see what’s next for her career. Anu Chouhan is going places, and she’s drawing the world along the way. 

Shailushi and Kosha Start Speaking (about Season 4)

Season 4 is upon us. We cannot believe it. Everyone at I Am Speaking w/ Shailushi and Kosha (and I Am Speaking w/ Expert Voices) is thrilled to embark on our second year of this podcast. Mental Health & Neurodiversity. 

We cannot predict exactly what will ensue, but we know it’ll be a rich, nuanced and important set of conversations. 

We encourage our listeners to add comments to episodes or the podcast if the mood strikes you. Also, send us feedback and or guest inquiries via email (iamspeakingpodcast@gmail.com), DM via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or the guest intake form on our website (www.iamspeakingpod.com)

No matter how different we are, what reaches of the world we have traversed to or from, we can and should all try to understand one another. Thank you for coming on this journey with us, for trusting us with your stories and for sharing a bit of time listening to the antics of these two sisters. 

Onward. Forward. Season 4. 

Amina Ahmed -Series of Birthday Surprises

Kosha here:

Shailushi is my older sister and my best friend. She’s my mentor and my confidante. And a few years ago, we were told that she had cancer. And it was everywhere. And suddenly, my life imploded a little bit. Then a badass oncologist came on the scene. Dr Amina Ahmed was kind, she was smart, she was hopeful…and she saved my sister’s life. And in doing so, she kept my family whole. 

Today on the last of the birthday surprises, on Shailushi’s actual birthday, we talk to Dr Amina Ahmed. We discuss her journey from being told she couldn’t to showing the world that she can and will. This woman is incredible. But more than anything, she is kind, smart, and hopeful. 

Happy Birthday to my big sister. Listen for a little special message in the intro too. Shailushi is special to so many people. 

 

 

Series of Birthday Surprises - Dr. Smriti Mehta

Very few people actually have to pause for a moment to remember how many patents they have for their life’s work. Our guest today not only wasn’t sure (“five or six” was her answer) but also tried to downplay just what an accomplishment it is to have a patent to their name. 

Dr Smriti Mehta, Phd, Mom, Grandmother, Aunt, and Woman Extraordinaire, joins us in the Speaker’s Chair today. And she is so much more than any of those words can do her justice. Smriti, or Smriti Mami, as we call her, has been a huge influence on our lives, and we were raised with her daughters as sisters (you heard Dr Sheetal Kircher on our first Expert Voices episode!) 

Smriti is brilliant and kind, thoughtful and articulate. She shares her engagement story, the reason she struggled to get a job for a year even with her high pedigree education, and why she wrote emails a lot through her professional life. She’s insightful and lovely. 

Series of Birthday Surprises (#4) - Isha Ritchie

Kosha outdid herself for this birthday surprise. Conspiring with someone right under Shailushi’s nose to surprise her on the podcast…Shailushi’s own child!!

That’s right, Isha Ritchie joins us in the Speaker’s Chair today. They are hilarious, talented, and bright (Kosha hopes to be like them when she grows up!)

Our listeners have heard a lot about Isha over the last year. Now you get to hear straight from the source themselves. We discuss Isha’s coming out as non-binary, why they choose to attend a class they hate every week, and what it’s like having a Mom who is willing to talk about *anything*.

Overall, this episode is so very special to both of your hosts. Don’t miss any of it - and especially stay for their advice at the end.  We promise, it’s worth it. 

Series of Birthday Surprises (#3) - Mrs. Bunny Cave

Academic Bowl. Math Team. Paper punch art projects. Paper link competitions. Fish Fry. The memories and nostalgia go on and on. 

Mrs. Joanna Cave was a huge influence in Shailushi and Kosha’s lives (and those of the entire Baxi Family). Mrs Cave, who has gone by Bunny for her entire life because she was born on Easter, was the 8th grade teacher at St. Stephen’s School in Streator, IL. She only taught Shailushi in class, but the rest of the Baxi Family was lucky to know her and be embraced by the entire Cave family (including husband George, and sons Joe, Jorge (or Bee), and twins Denny and Danny).

This episode is filled to the brim with memories of the younger, perhaps more innocent, Kosha and Shailushi. But it was a joy to speak with Mrs. Cave as adults - to reminisce with her and to thank her for everything she has given to those two brown girls in the middle of a farm town in the middle of Illinois all those years ago.