In this episode, Wendy is joined by Dr. Kira Mauseth, clinical psychologist, Teaching Professor at Seattle University, and founder of Astrum Health LLC, who has spent her career working with disaster survivors, refugees and first responders across the world. From the Lahaina wildfires to earthquake recovery in Haiti to refugee camps in Northern Jordan, she brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and extraordinary frontline experience to a conversation that is far more relevant to everyday life than the word "disaster" might suggest.

The episode opens with two concepts that reframe how we understand stress and crisis. The disaster cycle describes the ongoing loop of preparedness, response and recovery that individuals and communities move through after any significant event. A disaster cascade is what happens when a second or third crisis hits before the first one has been processed, and as Dr. Mauseth explains, the mental health consequences of that compound exposure are significant, measurable and deeply underestimated.

At the centre of the episode is a clear, practical explanation of what prolonged stress actually does to the brain and body, including the cognitive symptoms of brain fog, poor memory and difficulty concentrating that many people experienced during and after the pandemic, and wrongly attributed to something more serious. Dr. Mauseth explains the role of cortisol, why the present moment is the single most powerful place to bring the nervous system back to, and what practical techniques, from the engagement of awe to sensory grounding, and her favourite tool of all, a frozen orange, can reduce stress hormones quickly.

She also outlines the four ingredients of individual human resilience: connection, adaptability, hope and purpose, each mapped to a part of a tree in a framework that is easy to remember and genuinely useful for self-assessment. The distinction she draws between hope and optimism is one of the most clarifying things in this conversation. Optimism is everything will be fine. Hope is tougher and more honest than that. It is about finding the third door when the first two are closed.

The episode closes with the concept of purpose after crisis, illustrated by two stories from her disaster work, a grandfather in Haiti and a Syrian surgeon selling gum in a refugee camp, that are among the most quietly powerful things to have appeared on this podcast.

To find out more about Dr. Mauseth's work, visit:

👉 https://www.astrumhealthllc.org

For information on the Health Support Team disaster curriculum and community training:

👉 https://www.healthsupportteam.org

Connect with Dr. Mauseth on LinkedIn:

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kira-mauseth-ph-d/

To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:

👉 https://wendycastelino.com/

If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Dr. Andrea Vassilev, clinician, academic, award-winning advocate and author of Beyond the Bipolar Label, who has lived with bipolar disorder for nearly 30 years. What makes this conversation different is that Dr. Vassilev brings both clinical expertise and genuinely lived experience to the table, and she is refreshingly honest about both.

Bipolar is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed mental health conditions there is. It is frequently missed because people present with depression, not mania. It is cyclical, which means people can appear fine between episodes, and then be blindsided when the next one arrives. And it carries a level of social stigma that can quietly make the condition itself worse, because when the shame of having bipolar becomes layered on top of the condition, the research shows it leads to lower self-esteem, reduced likelihood of seeking help and, in bipolar specifically, increased thoughts of suicide and worse depressive outcomes.

That layering of shame is what Dr. Vassilev's book addresses directly. The conversation covers what self-stigma actually is, how it forms through internalising stereotypes and through globalising difficult experiences into fixed beliefs about who you are, and what it takes to start reframing the narrative. Dr. Vassilev also talks about identity, why a diagnosis can feel all-consuming, and why that is understandable but not the full picture of who someone is.

There is also an honest thread running through the whole episode about what living with bipolar actually looks like over a lifetime, including the 10 years Dr. Vassilev lost being seriously unwell, the ECT treatments, the careers that ended, and the milestones that were delayed. She is clear that she does not want her current success to inadvertently discourage anyone, and that honesty is one of the most valuable things in this conversation.

Practical ground covered includes who to tell about a diagnosis and how to think through that decision, how bipolar affects relationships and employment, the two biggest myths about the condition, and what Dr. Vassilev would say to someone who has just been diagnosed and is sitting in her virtual office for the first time.

Dr. Vassilev's book Beyond the Bipolar Label is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold:

👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beyond-Bipolar-Label-Self-Stigma-Authentically-ebook/dp/B0FLPVJHKW/

A free disclosure decision tool and additional resources are available via the publisher's website at:

👉 https://www.newharbinger.com

To find out more about Dr. Vassilev's work, visit:

👉 https://www.andreavassilev.com

Or follow her on Instagram: @best.life.bipolar

To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:

👉 https://wendycastelino.com/

If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Wendy is joined by Cathy Himlin, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional clinical counsellor, and author of The Rejected Parent: Rebuild Your Relationship with Your Child During and After a Divorce or Custody Dispute, who has spent 30 years working with children and families in high conflict family law cases.

If you are a parent who has lost contact with your child, or who feels that contact is slipping away, this episode speaks directly to that pain. Cathy describes the grief of having a living child who won't see you as one of the most complicated and underrecognised forms of loss there is, because unlike bereavement, there is no clear end, only the persistent question of how to get back to your child.

The conversation covers what parental alienation actually means and why it is far more nuanced than the term suggests, including the parents who contribute to it without ever intending to. Cathy explains why children take sides, how even very young children absorb the tension between parents in ways that cause real physiological stress, and why the instinct to push harder, explain more, or argue the facts with a child almost always makes things worse.

There is also a deeply practical thread throughout. Cathy shares what early warning signs to watch for before rejection becomes entrenched, how to use the EFFT model to validate a child's emotions and start repairing the attachment rupture, and what to do when the door is fully closed, including why keeping duplicates of every letter, card and gift you send could matter more than you think.

For parents who haven't seen their child in months or years, the episode also addresses what reconciliation can realistically look like, why the late teens and early twenties are often a turning point, and how to hold hope without losing yourself in the process.

Cathy's book The Rejected Parent is available here:

👉 https://www.amazon.com/Rejected-Parent-Rebuild-Relationship-Divorce/dp/164848719X/

To get in touch with Cathy, access her parenting support programmes or find out about her work with attorneys and therapists, visit:

👉 https://www.himlinconsulting.com/about

To learn more about Wendy's work, explore resources, or stay up to date with future episodes, visit:

👉 https://wendycastelino.com/

If you found this episode helpful, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.