Better late than never!  I am honored to be sharing Part 3 of Survivor Stories, a special segment of Solace and the City that is working to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault through partnering with the Exhale to Inhale community.  This week I virtually sat down with Maritza Puello, a wellbeing coach and certified yoga and meditation instructor.  We discuss what consent means in yoga (and general fitness) classes and how the COVID-19 pandemic has flipped the term "personal space" upside down. Martiza provides advice on how to slowly return to the "new normal" and explains why we shouldn't feel pressured to rush to make up for lost time.  Because, in her words, there is no such thing as lost time!  To learn more about Maritza, you can check out her coaching practice at @cocodark. If you or someone you love has experienced any sort of sexual violence, visit www.rainn.org for resources or call 1-800-656-4673 to talk to someone who can help.  And of course, please follow @exhale2inhale on Instagram and check out their website at https://www.exhaletoinhale.org/ to see all of the incredible work that they are doing! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

This week I had the honor to sit down and have a conversation with Julie Fernandez, a Movement & Trauma Recovery Specialist. Julie's practice centers on recognizing the strength within ourselves and shedding the judgements, guilt and shame that arise from unresolved traumas. Some of the conditions she works with include Complex, Developmental (Early Childhood) and Shock Traumas, Anxiety, Depression, Dissociative Disorders, as well as Eating Disorders. After experiencing the cycle of trauma, from early experiences of sexual abuse, to later unhealthy and abusive relationships, Julie decided that she had to do something to show other survivors that they were not alone in their pain.  In this episode, Julie and I talk about the sexual trauma in her past that led her to this work and how yoga helped her reconnect with her body and mind. To learn more about Julie and her practice, you can visit https://www.mettahealingarts.com/ or follow @jules_metta on Instagram! CW: In this episode, Julie and I discuss topics that can be sensitive and triggering for some, including sexual assault, eating disorders, and self-harm.  If you or someone you love has experienced any sort of sexual violence, visit www.rainn.org for resources or call 1-800-656-4673 to talk to someone who can help. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so for the next four Mondays I will be sharing stories with survivors of abuse.  This week, I had the incredible opportunity to record with Chelsea Quint, Trauma-Informed Business Coach and Co-Chair of Exhale to Inhale.  In our conversation, she walks me through her life which was littered with various forms of sexual assault and explains how she ultimately was able to begin crawling out of a dark place.  Because of the incredibly positive impact that yoga had on her life, Chelsea became a certified yoga instructor and now works closely with ETI to help others see the transformative power of yoga for the mind and body.  To learn more about Chelsea and her practice, you can visit http://chelseaquint.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @chelsea.quint. CW: In this episode, Chelsea and I discuss topics that can be sensitive and triggering for some, including sexual assault and suicide.  If you or someone you love has experienced any sort of sexual violence, visit www.rainn.org for resources or call 1-800-656-4673 to talk to someone who can help. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

The title says it all.  My conversation with Jarrett for this week's episode was absolutely incredible, and we touched on almost every topic imaginable in the worlds of sociology and mental health.  Jarrett is a PhD. Candidate at York University in Toronto studying sociology.  His research specifically focuses on the ways in which psychedelics can alleviate mental distress.  (Yes, we are having another episode about research on psilocybin mushrooms!)  However, before launching into this specific area of research, Jarrett focused more on the social determinants of health and wellness.  After graduating from his Master's Program in San Diego, he even spent time working in a Trauma Reduction ward at a Juvenile Detention facility.  I am so honored to have had the chance to speak with Jarrett about his incredible life, and I have no doubt that everyone who tunes in will feel 10x smarter after listening! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

I am SO excited to share my conversation with Zach Westerbeck, a professional mental health speaker, College Success Coach, and author of the book “You’re Not Alone”.  Much like myself, Zach has a mission to help educate college students and organizations around the world to understand the complexities of depression and anxiety in today’s modern society.  Through his personal experiences and extensive research, he is able to relate and clearly articulate why now more than ever it is critical to understand how to manage your mental health.  In this episode, Zach and I discuss how much the “early twenties” suck and our frustration with how the media falsely displays anxiety disorders. To learn more about Zach and his various ventures, visit https://zachwesterbeck.com/ and follow him on Instagram @zach_westerbeck! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

This week I am incredibly honored to share my conversation with Joann Irizarry, co-founder of @asafeplaceinsideyourhead. A Safe Place Inside Your Head was founded by Joann and her son Tannerin 2018, who wanted to share messages with others who struggle with mental health issues on a daily basis. This idea was started in remembrance of a family member who's life was lost by suicide during a time where mental health was often misunderstood. Their mission is to help, grow and inspire others that it's OK to not be OK and by sharing an inside community of like minded people who want to be the best versions of themselves. The organization rises by lifting others up by sharing small content curators work and resources to help others. In this episode, Joann shares the story behind her non-profit and gives advice on how to help friends, family members, and loved ones who are struggling. It was an honor and a privilege to speak with Joann, and I encourage everyone to take a moment and donate to her incredible organization. CW: In this episode, we talk a lot about suicide.  If you are going through a crisis and need to talk to someone, please call 1-800-273-8255 or text “HOME” to 741741 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

I have SUCH a fun episode for you guys today!  I virtually sat down with Emmalee Bierly and Jennifer Chaiken, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Founders of The Therapy Group, and Co-Hosts of the amazing podcast Shrink Chicks!  Emmalee and Jen are on a mission to make therapy and therapeutic topics more relatable which they do both in their practice and through their podcast!  In this episode, we talk about how and why they decided to start their practice, the evolution of modern psychotherapy, and much more!  In the second half of the episode, Emmalee and Jen answer YOUR questions!  These include: How can I tell if therapy is working? How do you decide what type of therapy is best for you? What are some effective tools for moving on without closure? and How can I ask my partner to be kinkier in bed?  Stay tuned for the end to get the punchline of the title's joke and follow @shrinkchicks on Instagram! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

If you liked The Social Dilemma on Netflix then you are going to LOVE this episode with Temo, a Psychologist and Post-Academic Psychoanalytic Candidate focused on Psychological Anthropology. Our conversation revolves around the modern state of culture using technology and the malignant effect of social media on our mental health. Despite his clientele varying in age, Temo found that so many of them showed signs of addiction to their devices. This prompted his interest in the concept of a Technocracy — when the technology is the central tool for of the government and society. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

This week I sat down with Dr. Paul Seli to discuss the potential for psychedelics to help treat mental health problems, a really popular research topic at major universities. Paul is a professor of a cognitive psychology professor at Duke University and is on on The Board of Directors for Psychedelic Studies at the University of Toronto. Paul discusses his own experiences with psychedelics, specifically psilocybin mushrooms, and breaks down what the research says about their potential for mental health treatment, as well as implications for creativity and humility.  Finally, Paul teaches me how to induce a lucid dream and explains how some of the most famous inventions in history were created through REM sleep!  To be clear, while Solace and the City is extremely about this research, we believe psychedelics are best used in a treatment setting and should be approached with extreme caution.  Solace and the City does not advocate recreational use of psilocybin mushrooms or any other hallucinogenic substances. To learn more about Paul (and to see his incredible artwork!) check out paul.seli.art on Instagram! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support

This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Nancy Ruth Dean!  Nancy has been in the relationship industry for 6 years, and got her start working as a professional matchmaker. It was there that she learned the personal stories of people trying to find love. What she learned was that most of the people she met hadn’t fully gotten over their ex.  Meanwhile, she was going through her own breakup and trying to figure out what the secret sauce was to getting over it. Through the same guidance she gives her clients today, she ended up meeting her fiancé in that process and was called to start a coaching practice that would help her clients fully embrace this new chapter and embrace the opportunity of a lifetime to get to know themselves in the deepest way possible.   In this episode, Nancy and I discuss the ups and downs of navigating a breakup, specifically in the midst of a global pandemic that has caused so many to fear being alone.  We flip the narrative and walk through all of the many reasons why this is the perfect time to work on your relationship with yourself!  To learn more about Nancy, you can go to hellobreakup.com!   --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/zoescurletis/support