Stress Therapy

• Stop Ghosting Yourself!

  📝 Episode Summary: In this heartfelt episode, Cheri unpacks the sneaky habit of putting everyone else first—even strangers—and what it really means when we constantly flake on ourselves. She calls it Southern Hospitality Syndrome: a charming but toxic blend of kindness and chronic self-abandonment. With her signature warmth and wit, Cheri shares personal stories, including a hilarious tale of 20 years of polite miscommunication, and offers real-world tips on how to finally treat yourself like someone you actually care about. Stick around for a guided chakra meditation focused on the heart, throat, and third eye to help you align with self-love and truth. 🔑 Three Key Learning Points:Self-Abandonment Looks Polite: Being ultra-kind to others while bailing on your own needs is still abandonment—just with a smile.Calendar It Like You Mean It: Treat personal commitments like appointments with someone important (spoiler: that’s you).Confidence = Equality: True confidence isn’t about being better—it's knowing you're just as valuable as anyone else at the table.📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs:🎵 “Bless Your Heart” by Megan Moroney – for a little Southern passive-aggression education🏃‍♀️ Peachtree Road Race – Cheri’s one and only running moment (cheers included)🧘‍♀️ Vista Yoga in Atlanta – Cheri teaches there on Thursday nights🌐 Website: ilovetherapy.com – retreats, classes & all the good stuff📧 Join the email list for stress-free updates & surprises🙌 Producer Credit: Big thanks to Owen Flake, the silent hero behind the scenes!

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• What Do You Want (Your Desires Aren't Going Anywhere)

  ✨ Episode Summary: In this soulful and spirited episode, Cheri explores the powerful pull of desire—how our deepest wants keep whispering to us, no matter how long we've ignored them. Through candid storytelling, humor, and a heartfelt guided meditation, she helps you reconnect with your inner truth and reminds you that joy is a spiritual directive. Whether it’s a creative spark, a childhood dream, or a mysterious calling, your desires aren’t random—they’re sacred. Plus, there’s a writing prompt to help you get clear and real about what you truly want. 📌 Three Key Learning Points:Desires Don’t Expire: Longings that come from your heart will keep nudging you until you pay attention—and that’s a good thing.Flip the Script with “Not This”: Clarity often starts with defining what you don’t want. Let that contrast guide you to truth.Ditch the “How” Trap: You don’t need to figure out the logistics—your job is to dream clearly. Let the universe handle the delivery.💫 Mentions & Shout-Outs:🧘‍♀️ Meditation by Davidji – Guided heart-centered journey into your desires.🐴 Equine Therapy Story – A powerful reminder that “I don’t know how” is not a reason to quit.✍️ Writing Prompt – “What do I truly desire?” (Don’t overthink—just write.)🌄 Retreats in Georgia – Meditation + yoga in dreamy mountain settings: Retreat Info💌 Join Cheri’s Mailing List – Sign up here so you never miss a retreat, episode, or soulful tip.📲 Follow Cheri Online – @thestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter🌟 Rate & Review the Show – It helps so much. Thank you for spreading the calm!🎛️ Episode Production: Produced and edited by Owen—a creative force behind the scenes, helping shape the energy and sound of each episode with care and clarity. 🎧✨

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• Classic Replay! Meditation- -Where to Start

  🪷 Episode Summary: In this classic replay, Cheri Flake brings us back to basics with heartfelt humor and soulful honesty. Through personal stories, down-to-earth wisdom, and a warm shout-out to Louise Hay and Davidji, Cheri shares how to truly begin a daily meditation practice—without overcomplicating it. Whether you're a binge meditator, a meditation dropout, or totally new to the cushion, this episode is your permission slip to just start—three minutes at a time. Bonus: includes a calming breathwork-based meditation to kickstart your practice with presence and grace. ✨ Three Key Learning Points:Three Minutes > Zero Minutes: Starting small, even just three minutes a day, beats lofty goals you never stick to. Build the habit, not the hype.RPM = Rise, Pee, Meditate: This simple formula helps anchor your practice before the world (or your phone) steals your focus. Mornings work best—even for night owls.Feel Good to Change: You can't shame yourself into transformation. Real change starts with compassion and showing up, not should-ing yourself into guilt.💌 Mentions & Shout-Outs:📖 Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki – Back-to-basics spiritual inspiration.🎉 You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay – The queen of affirmations and thought power.🌬️ 16 Seconds to Bliss by Davidji – Breath practice featured in the episode.🎙️ The Skeptic Metaphysicians – Podcast Cheri recently guested on. Woo meets wonder.🧠 Quote Drop: “Your personal reality creates your personality” — Joe Dispenza.🎯 Accountability Tip: Text a friend “RPM” every morning to build the habit together!💻 Cheri’s site: ilovetherapy.com – For retreats, consults, and sweet stress therapy mailers.Produced and edited by Owen Flake | Audio production, editing, and creative direction 🎛️🎚️🎧

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• Think Like the You You’re Becoming

  In this heartfelt episode, Cheri Flake dives into one of the most transformative (and tricky!) mindset shifts of all: thinking like the version of you that you want to become. With wit, warmth, and wisdom from decades of therapy work, she unpacks why we’re not our thoughts—and how to separate from them using meditation, mindfulness, and sneaky brain hacks. This episode includes a powerful guided mantra meditation using Ham Sa (“I am That”), and even features an original song, “Joy,” by her band 13 Stories, written 18 years ago with this very message in mind. ✨ 🌟 Key Learning Points:You are not your thoughts—you're the one noticing them. Meditation helps you see that thoughts are just options, not truths.Convince your toddler brain by using affirmations with emotion and storytelling to make your beliefs feel real and sticky.Flip the 'what ifs' to serve you. Instead of catastrophizing, play out best-case scenarios with emotional clarity.📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs:💻 Byron Katie’s “The Work” — Mind-shifting reframing tools.📖 Bhagavad Gita translated by Stephen Mitchell — A poetic and soulful sacred text.🎶 “Joy” by 13 Stories — Sheri’s song featured by Wayne Dyer on Hay House Radio.🎤 Wayne Dyer’s Inspiration Show on Hay House — For the spiritual spark plug vibe.🧠 Tip: Label your thoughts (“future,” “worry,” “planning”) to make them easier to release.🦋 Butterfly "what-ifs" — A sweet metaphor for gently redirecting anxious or repetitive thoughts.📧 Sheri wants to hear from you! Email her how you're taking control of your thoughts.🎧 Guided Meditation Included:Yes! A beautiful mantra-based meditation using Ham Sa (“I am That”) to help you gently return to center and reclaim your narrative. 💫 Final Thought:You’re allowed to change your thoughts. And when you do, your whole life shifts with them.Produced and edited by Owen Flake | Audio production, editing, and creative direction 🎛️🎚️🎧

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• From Pain to Peace: Meditation During Cancer

  📝 Episode Summary:In this powerful and intimate episode, the Stress Therapist, Cheri Flake, shares the deeply personal story of her husband's journey through a life-threatening cancer diagnosis and how his established meditation practice became a cornerstone of his remarkable healing. Blending humor, raw honesty, and guided insight, Cheri urges listeners to adopt a consistent meditation practice before crisis hits. This episode underscores the vital role of stillness, the importance of preparation, and the transformative power of simply showing up—before life forces you to.🧠 Three Learning Points:Meditation as Preventative Medicine:Regular meditation practice builds resilience and emotional strength, preparing you for life’s inevitable crises before they arrive.The Ego’s Resistance to Stillness:The internal voice (ego) often resists meditation, but that resistance can be overcome with small, consistent steps.Healing Amplified by Stillness:A personal story about the host’s husband’s battle with cancer highlights how a strong meditation practice contributed to extraordinary healing.🌀 MENTIONS & SHOUT-OUTS:🎸 Sonic Yogi – Provides the dreamy soundscape for the closing meditation. Check him out on Spotify!This episode is lovingly dedicated to Andrew, whose strength, stillness, and healing journey continue to inspire. Your courage reminds us why we start the practice before we need it. Thank you for allowing us to share your powerful story. 💛And to all the listeners who show up, sit down, and breathe—you’re doing the work. Keep going. We see you.🎧 Includes a Guided Meditation!A breath-based meditation led by Cheri with music from Sonic Yogi. Perfect for beginners (and anyone who can breathe).The Host for this podcast:Cheri Augustine Flake, LCSWThe Stress Therapist and Author💕 Love the show?Please rate and review us!💸 Send some love bucks:Paypal: [email protected]: @cheri-flakeThank you!🌊 Stay in Touch with Cheri & the Stress Therapy Community!Twitter: @stresstherapyInstagram: @thestresstherapistFacebookLinkedInWebsiteYouTube🌿 Join Cheri Flake on her next retreat!Register for a meditation and yoga retreat in the gorgeous Georgia Mountains or by the peaceful seaside on Jekyll Island. Walk away with a solid, joyful daily meditation practice and some serious inner calm.📚 Want Cheri to be your therapist?If you live in Georgia, go here to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.📖 Buy Cheri’s book:Honey Do To Honey DONE!A Simple System For A Productive And Happy Household With Absolutely No More Nagging!A word from your host, Cheri Flake, LCSW:Feeling good after our Stress Therapy session? Awesome. Check out the show notes to connect with me, The Stress Therapist, on social media or visit www.iLoveTherapy.com to learn more about meditation classes & retreats.Produced and edited by Owen Flake | Audio production, editing, and creative direction

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