In this episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts interviews Jon Emery, creator of Life’s Check Mark podcast. Jon shares his story of overcoming job loss and divorce, and how these challenges led him to deeper self-discovery and a passion for helping others. The conversation explores the power of community, the importance of mental health—especially for men—and how podcasting can be a tool for healing and connection. Jon also discusses building the Podcasters Hub and his upcoming anthology book, encouraging listeners to pursue their dreams and never quit.

Jon's Bio and Contact Information

Jon Emery’s journey is a testament to resilience and self-discovery. After losing a 20-year job and navigating a divorce, he embarked on a transformative path. This journey led him to authenticity and a deep desire to connect with others, creating his podcast, “Life’s Checkmark”

which is in the top 10%. Through this platform, Jon offers comfort and understanding to those feeling alone on their journeys. This has expanded to speaking and being an author in several books.

This quest for authenticity extended to his role as a father, allowing Jon to forge deeper connections with his children. Alongside family, he enjoys the companionship of an amazing dog and finding peace in nature through hikes and outdoor adventures. Beyond personal pursuits, Jon's passion lies in aiding others, particularly in helping them find their voice through

podcasting, fostering empathy and connection among individuals.

In essence, Jon Emery's life narrative embodies resilience, empathy, and the power of forging genuine connections. His journey from adversity to self-discovery reflects the beauty of understanding and empathizing with others, both in personal relationships and within the wider human experience.

🔗 Connect with Jon Emery:

Website: lifescheckmark.com Find the Podcasters Hub, live event info, and one-on-one coaching

Interested in the anthology book? Reach out to Jon directly!

🎧 Listen to Life’s Check Mark Podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.

To find out more about Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com and his author page psychologyprofessorandminster.com

This episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, hosted by Dave Roberts, features clinical psychologist Michelle Sherman and her mother, mental health advocate DeAnne Sherman. The conversation centers on their book, "I'm Not Alone: A Teen's Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has a Mental Illness or History of Trauma." The guests discuss their personal and professional journeys into mental health advocacy, the lack of resources for children of parents with mental illness, and the importance of early intervention and community support. They highlight the need for resilience, accurate information, and supportive adults outside the family. The episode also explores the challenges of updating mental health resources for a new generation, the impact of technology and misinformation, and the importance of kindness, awareness, and open discussion to break the stigma around mental illness in families.

Michelle’s Bio

Michelle (she/her) is a clinical psychologist who has dedicated her 30+ year career to supporting families dealing with a mental illness or history of trauma. She was named the American Psychological Association’s Family Psychologist of the Year in 2022.

Michelle has served as a therapist for over 30 years, providing individual and couples psychotherapy to adults in a VA medical center, urban primary care clinic, community clinic, inpatient psychiatric unit, and private practice. As an educator, she served as a Full Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the University of Minnesota Medical School, teaching and supervising trainees from numerous disciplines. She enjoys public speaking, having given over 250 workshops nationally and internationally. She conducts research and serves as the Editor in Chief of the journal, Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. She has published over 75 articles in peer-reviewed journals, over 80 book chapters and articles in other sources, and four books for the lay public.

She also enjoys volunteering, having served on the board of the Oklahoma National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for 14 years and currently volunteering with the Minnesota NAMI affiliate.

Grounded in the research she conducted while at the University of Minnesota, she also volunteers as a Behavioral Health Consultant with professional and community theater companies as they produce musicals with psychological themes, thereby merging her love of psychology and theater.

Deanne's Bio

DeAnne (she/her), Michelle’s mother, is a mental health advocate and educator. She graduated from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with degrees in French, education, and speech and theater. She volunteers with NAMI-Minnesota, gives workshops with her daughter about mental illness in the family, and mentors people of all ages in the performing arts as a choreographer. DeAnne's mission is to affirm, educate, and empower others. She has strong passions for combating stigma, offering hope to people who are hurting, celebrating diversity, and promoting open discussion about mental health.

Learn more and find resources: Seeds of Hope Books

To find out more about Dave go to davidrpbertsmsw.com and his author page psychologyprofessorandminister.com

Host Dave Roberts welcomes Elaine Lindsay, the “Dark Pollyanna,” to share her extraordinary journey of surviving trauma, loss, and medical adversity. Through candid conversation, Elaine discusses how humor, hope, and resilience have helped her navigate life’s darkest moments. The episode explores the importance of passing wisdom between generations, staying engaged at any age, and finding meaning and growth through adversity.

Elaine’s Bio and Contact Information

She walks the fault lines with ink-stained hands, sketching hope where the sky cracked.

Elaine Lindsay, Hope Cartographer & Shadow Alchemist known as TheDarkPollyanna, navigates the fault lines between despair and resilience, distilling truth from trauma and weaving raw emotional landscapes into language. She maps the brutal beauty of survival, offering others a compass made of candor, contradiction, and sparks that refuse to die. Not here to fix, here to witness, reflect, and remind you that staying is its own kind of sacred work.

Connect with Elaine Lindsay (The Dark Pollyanna) and learn more about Baton of Hope Canada for suicide prevention and life preservation.

Websites

https://thedarkpollyanna.com/

https://suicide-zen-forgiveness.captivate.fm/

https://elainelindsay.com/

https://batonofhope.ca (coming December 2025)

Podcast: https://www.szf42.com/

Socials

LinkedIn ca.linkedin.com/in/elainelindsay/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/suicide-zen-forgiveness/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheElaineLindsay

https://www.facebook.com/SZF42/

Insta

https://www.instagram.com/thedarkpollyanna/

https://www.instagram.com/suicidezenforgiveness/

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@TheDarkPollyanna

https://www.youtube.com/@ElaineLindsay

www.youtube.com/@suicidezenforgiveness

To find out more about dave go to davidrobersmsw.com and his author page psychologyprofessorandminister.com