Judging Meghan

This episode I’m joined by meditation and yoga teacher, activist, and author of ‘Sit with Me : A No BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation’ Oneika Mays for a powerful, unfiltered conversation about trauma, anger, justice, burnout, and what it really means to find peace in a world that often feels overwhelming and unjust. Together, we explore emotional exhaustion, resilience, mental health, and the toll of witnessing injustice in real time, while searching for ways to stay grounded, present, and human.

Onika shares her journey through sexual trauma, suicidal ideation, hospitalization, and the long road toward self-compassion and healing, as well as her work teaching mindfulness inside Rikers Island. We talk about incarceration, systemic harm, moral conflict, and why safety sometimes has to be built internally when external safety does not exist. We also challenge toxic positivity and the idea that healing should look the same for everyone, reminding ourselves that meditation is not about quieting the mind, but about making peace with the one we already have.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and remember that your feelings make sense. If you are exhausted, overwhelmed, grieving, angry, or struggling to hold onto hope, you are not alone. Healing does not require perfection or calm. You are allowed to be human, complicated, and still worthy of care, compassion, rest, and connection.

Found out more about Oneika and purchase her book on her website: https://www.oneikamays.com/

Follow Oneika here: https://www.instagram.com/oneikamays/?hl=en 

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #TraumaHealing #ComplexPTSD #MentalHealthMatters #HealingJourney #Mindfulness #Meditation #YogaLife #EmotionalHealing #SelfCompassion #InnerWork #TraumaRecovery #GriefAndHealing #AngerAndGrowth #FindingPeace #Resilience #EmotionalWellbeing #HealingTogether #YouAreNotAlone #SlowHealing #HumanFirst #GentleHealing #HealingInProgress #MentalHealthAwareness #OneikaMays 

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In this deeply important episode I am joined by two incredible women and dear friends, Tanya Monaghan and Luisa Cabrera Faist, for a powerful and honest conversation about community, courage, and using our voices. Together, we share how South Bay Takes a Stand began as a small idea and grew into a grassroots movement that brought thousands of people together through candlelight vigils and peaceful marches rooted in empathy and solidarity. Standing before a sea of faces became a moment none of us will ever forget, a reminder that even in dark times, collective courage can spark real change.

Luisa reflects on growing up as the daughter of an immigrant and how witnessing ICE activity in our own neighborhoods became a catalyst for action, while Tanya shares her experience as an immigrant from South Africa and how the current political and social climate echoes the early warning signs she witnessed during apartheid. We talk candidly about the heartbreak of watching families torn apart, children living in fear, and communities divided, and why this moment must transcend political parties and center on humanity, dignity, and justice.

This episode is about grief, trauma, activism, and healing, but at its core, it is about connection. It is an invitation to lean into empathy, use your voice, and choose courage over silence. Whether you are navigating loss, trauma, exhaustion, or a sense of helplessness in a heavy world, I hope this conversation reminds you that you are not alone, that your story matters, and that even in the darkest moments, there is still light to be found.

Follow Tanya here: https://www.instagram.com/tanya.monaghan/ 

Follow Luisa here: https://www.instagram.com/therevecollective/?hl=en

Want to learn more about South Bay’s efforts to support democracy follow here: https://www.instagram.com/southbaytakesastand/

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #ChoosingEmpathy #CommunityHealing #GriefAndHope #TraumaHealing #MentalHealthAwareness #CollectiveCare #WomenSupportingWomen #FindYourVoice #HealingJourney #Resilience #ChooseKindness #HumanConnection #HopeInHardTimes #EmpathyOverFear #CommunityPower #TraumaRecovery #SpeakUp #YouAreNotAlone 
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In this episode, I’m joined by Kate King, a licensed counselor, board certified art therapist, and author of Mend or Move On. Kate brings such a compassionate, steady presence as we talk about healing through creativity, grounding in nature, and the quiet ways we carry those we have lost. We reflect on how heavy the world feels right now, and why kindness and support matter more than ever.

Kate shares why she focuses on Internal Family Systems therapy, also known as parts work, and how healing doesn’t have to come from shame or the belief that something is wrong with you. We talk about the true Self, the protective and wounded parts we all carry, and how art therapy can help us gently understand what lives inside us. Kate also explains her work around boundaries, emotional safety, and what it means to give yourself permission to step back from relationships that harm you.

We close with one of the hardest truths: sometimes closure isn’t possible, and safety has to come first. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, listen to your body, and remember that healing is not a performance, it is a process. Whether you are grieving, carrying trauma, trying to mend, or learning how to move on, I hope this episode reminds you that support exists, there is still light ahead, and you deserve to feel safe, seen, and held as you keep going.

You can purchase Kate's books on Amazon or at your local bookstore!

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #KateKing #MendOrMoveOn #TraumaHealing #ComplexPTSD #HealingJourney #InternalFamilySystems #PartsWork #IFStherapy #ArtTherapy #NervousSystemHealing #EmotionalSafety #ToxicRelationships #FamilyEstrangement #SettingBoundaries #SelfTrust #GriefHealing #TraumaRecovery #HealingIsAProcess #ComingBackToYourself #MentalHealthPodcast #TherapyTalk #SelfWorth #ChoosePeace #YouAreNotAlone #GroundingPractices #HealingThroughCreativity #ProtectYourPeace #LettingGo #HopeAndHealing
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In this episode, I’m joined again by Dr. Alexandra Sowa for an honest, and grounded conversation about weight, health, and the quiet mental noise so many women live with every day. We talk openly about GLP 1 medications and the complicated emotions tied to our bodies, food, and self worth. I share my own experience starting and stopping medication, the fear that creeps in late at night, the shame and stigma, and what surprised me most when the mental noise returned.

We break down the science in a way that actually makes sense, from hormones and metabolism to why weight gain in midlife is so often blamed on willpower when it’s really about biology. We talk about side effects, safety, and the emotional weight women carry when they feel pressured to pretend it’s all just diet and exercise. Most importantly, we talk about how these medications don’t just change appetite. For many people, they quiet the constant negative self talk that has been running in the background for years.

This episode is not about shortcuts or quick fixes. It’s about removing shame, understanding your body, and learning that needing support is not a failure. It’s about choosing compassion over punishment and trusting yourself again. You are not broken. You are not failing. And you are not alone.

You can find out more here: https://alexandrasowamd.com/ 

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #WeightWithoutShame #TraumaInformedCare #MentalHealthPodcast #ComplexPTSD #BodyTrust #GLP1 #HormonesAndHealth #MidlifeHealth #FoodNoise #HealingJourney #WomenSupportingWomen #CompassionOverShame #MentalHealthAwareness #GriefAndHealing #YouAreNotBroken
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In this episode, I sit down again with clinical psychologist Dr. Noelle Santorelli for a conversation that feels especially important. We talk about adult bullying, relational aggression, and the deep grief that can come from losing friendships and a sense of belonging, particularly within mom groups and close communities. This episode is rooted in mental health and grief, because these losses change how safe the world feels and how we see ourselves.

I share openly about why I started this podcast. A devastating friend breakup in 2020 collided with unresolved childhood trauma and brought me to one of the lowest points of my life. What began as subtle exclusion slowly became isolation and public humiliation, leaving me without a community I believed was safe. The shame, loneliness, and grief that followed were overwhelming, especially during COVID, and that loss carried a weight I did not expect.

Dr. Santorelli explains why these group dynamics are so harmful and why it is never as simple as just leaving. When kids are involved, fear, guilt, and judgment keep women stuck far longer than they should be. We talk about betrayal trauma, victim blaming, and the cycle many toxic groups follow, and why reacting after months of pressure does not make someone the problem. It makes them human.

This episode is about trusting your experience, listening to your body, and choosing self preservation over fixing the narrative. Sometimes healing looks like quiet distance and protecting your energy. If you have ever felt pushed out, shamed, or silenced by people you hoped would support you, this conversation is for you.

You can follow Dr. Noelle Santorelli here: https://www.instagram.com/drnoellesantorelli/ 

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #grief #mentalhealth #friendshiploss #adultbullying #relationaltrauma #betrayaltrauma #toxicfriendships #toxicmomgroups #womensmentalhealth #emotionalabuse #socialexclusion #shameandhealing #traumarecovery #boundaries #selfpreservation #healingafterloss #belonging #identityandloss #nervoussystem #emotionalsafety #friendbreakups #communitytrauma #motherhoodandmentalhealth #choosingyourself #psychologicalsafety

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