Conversations to Connect

Episode 17 - Body Image & Self Talk

"There is nothing wrong with your body, but there is a lot wrong with the messages which try to convince you otherwise." ~ Rae Smith

Accept your body the way it is.  You're unique and beautiful.  You don't need to be a certain way.  Be yourself.  

In this episode we welcome our guest, Allison Long, to the podcast.  Allison is a pilates instructor, dancer, and dance teacher living and working in the Pittsburgh area.  We all struggle with body image and it benefits us to talk about the ways that we struggle, what helps us to be more accepting of ourselves, and working to realize that there is nothing wrong with our bodies and the way that we look.

We hope that you enjoy!

Gretchen & Kristy

Episode 16 - Relationship with Yourself Part 2

"Loving yourself starts with liking yourself, which starts with respecting yourself, which starts with thinking of yourself in positive ways."

In this episode we continue our journey into the relationships that we have with ourselves by exploring the expectations we have for ourselves, the comparisons we make with others, and where those come from. We also look at the ideas of self acceptance and self worth, which are an important part to developing a better relationship with yourself.

Enjoy!

Gretchen & Kristy

Episode 15 - Your relationship with yourself

"When you accept yourself, you are freed of the burden of needing others to accept you.  Don't allow anyone or anything to control, limit, repress, or discourage you from being your true self."

In this episode of our podcast we dive into the relationship that we have with ourself, our bodies, and how much we get into our own heads when it comes to how we view ourselves.  Join us on a journey in finding out who we are now, who we strive to be, where we came from, and what obstacles we have overcome from our past.

We hope you enjoy!  Please reach out with any comments or feedback!

Gretchen and Kristy

Episode 14 - Grief and Loss: Miscarriage

"The loss of our child washes over us, ebbs and then returns much like the waves on the shore.  Each wave a remembrance.  A sorrow.  A pain.  Reminding us that unlike the waves, they can't return."

In this episode we will be concluding our series on grief and loss by addressing the impact that miscarriage has on women, their partners, and their families.  We were lucky to have Desireé join us to share her experience with miscarriage, the struggles she had with the medical community during this process, and how her Mexican culture has helped her to cope.

We hope you enjoy!

Gretchen & Kristy

Episode 13 - Grief and Loss: Child/sibling

"Nobody hides pain better than a mother who's trying to remain strong for her kids."

This week we were joined by Karen and Sara who talked about their loss and the impact that it has had on them and their family.  Karen's son and Sara's brother, Ronnie, passed when he was 15 years old.  They discussed changes that they have experienced both as individuals and as a family including redefining themselves after a death of someone at such a young age as well as the impact it continues to have 17 years later.

We hope you enjoy.

Gretchen & Kristy

Episode 12 - Grief and Loss: Birth trauma

"Every single birth and birth plan is different and no one should feel ashamed for their feelings if they didn't have the birth they wanted"

 

Join us for episode 12 where we are continuing our series on grief and loss.  In this podcast we address traumatic birth experiences and welcome Heather who shares with us her birth experience.  This is a topic that isn't openly addressed with new parents and the effects (if not processed) can be devastating. If you've experienced any type of trauma and would like a safe space to process your experience you can search www.psychologytoday.com or contact us for referrals.

We hope you enjoy.

Gretchen & Kristy

Episode 11 - Grief & Loss: Infertility

"Struggling with infertility is like dealing with the five stages of grief every single month.  You deny, bargain, get angry, cry, and accept.  Then you pick yourself back up and do it all over again."

Our third installment on grief and loss focuses on infertility and the struggles that come along with this type of loss.  This week we were lucky to have Sarah come share her story of infertility and how she has learned to deal with this loss. 

We hope you are able to connect and enjoy!

Gretchen and Kristy

Episode 10 - Grief and Loss: Suicide

"When we share our stories, what it does is it opens up our hearts for other people to share their stories.  And it gives us the sense that we are not alone on this journey."~Janine Shepherd

Continuing our series on grief and loss around the holiday's we are joined by Abby and Marcia Ritter to discuss the effects that suicide has had on their family.  They share how their lives and holiday traditions were altered forever following the loss of their father/husband and offer their stories a source of connection to the conversation about suicide.  

All of our best to everyone this holiday season, 

Kristy and Gretchen

Episode 9 - Grief and Loss: Divorce

"But grief is a walk alone.  Others can be there, and listen, but you will walk alone down your own path, at your own pace, with your own sheared off pain, your raw wounds, your denial, anger, and bitter loss.  You'll come to your own peace, hopefully, but it will be on your own, in your own time." ~ Kathy Lamb

Join us for our first in a series on grief and loss where we explore the complexities of grief as well as a selection of the different types of losses that we experience.  

The first in the series focuses on the process of divorce and effects of depression.

Gretchen & Kristy

Episode 8 - Handling the Holidays

"Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and trust yourself to handle the stress that follows" ~ Kelly McGonigal

The holidays are a time of year that bring about stress for everyone for lots of different reasons.  Whether you are excited, annoyed, grieving, or overwhelmed...all of these things lead to stress and anxiety.  

Join us in a conversation about the holiday season and the stress that comes along with it!  We hope you enjoy!

Gretchen & Kristy