Our Turn to Talk w/Anastasia Vlasova

19-year-old Joe Perry from Gahanna, Ohio tells us what it was like to have school authorities turn against him after he came forward about his mental health challenges. We explore the impact of this stigma, and Joe takes us through his journey with depression, anxiety and self-harm. Joe introduces us to his greatest coping mechanism - writing poetry - and we hear from Tasha Golden on the impact of poetry and creative writing as healing arts. Joe shared his story through poetry with This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) at their 2021 National Teen Show. You can watch it here.Click here to collect your ZChat token for Dear My Mental Illness (Joe's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcastss1e10If you’re struggling or considering suicide, you can now call the national suicide and crisis hotline: 9-8-8. You can also still contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line.

A dirt bike accident changed MaDarrius Burgo’s life forever, but it didn’t diminish his spirit. Hear this 20-year-old’s story of coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), living life in a wheelchair and how music and poetry restored his faith in life when he felt like he lost everything. A member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, MaDarrius takes us along to one of the tribe’s traditional “healing fires.” This ritual reveals the tribal elders’ perspectives and insights from about the importance of nurturing the spirit as a means to maintain mental health.MaDarrius first shared his story through poetry and music with This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) at their 2021 National Teen Show. You can watch it here {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewi6KKQoWrI&t=773s}Click here to collect your ZChat token for Finding Healing in Traditions (MaDarrius' Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e9If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line {www.crisistextline.org/}. 

Faith and spirituality are sources of comfort at times of loss. But what happens when that faith is shaken? 20-year-old Aliyah Green from Downingtown, Pennsylvania shares her story through grief after her younger brother died suddenly. She tells us how she struggled to understand the meaning of such a loss, and how it impacted her relationship with God. We hear from grief expert Dr. Heidi Horsely on the trauma of losing a family member, and how to best seek support. Aliyah shares her healing process and how she’s begun to restore her faith through writing, poetry and public speaking. Aliyah first shared her story through music with This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) at their 2021 National Teen Show. You can watch it here.Click here to collect your ZChat token for Healing Through Song (Aliyah's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e8If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line.

Jada Bromberg, an 18-year-old musician from Fairfax, Virginia, wrote a very special song about what she imagines the last moments were like with her biological mother. It’s a time she doesn’t remember in her home country, China. She tells us her adoption story, shares her diagnosis of clinical depression and explains how she struggles with her cultural identity. We explore the role music plays in her mental well-being and hear from expert Joanne Loewy on the powerful impact that playing music has on mental health. Jada first shared her story through music with This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) at their 2021 National Teen Show. You can watch it here.Click here to collect your ZChat token for Healing Through Song (Jada's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e7If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line.

19-year-old Delaney Reilly from Windemere, Florida shares how an obsession with being thin became a diagnosis of anorexia, but it was never about food or weight. She tells us how she developed an eating disorder after suffering from anxiety nearly her whole life. We hear from Laurelee Roark, director of the eating disorder non-profit, Beyond Hunger, on ways we can prevent eating disorders before they begin through proper education on body image and intuitive eating. Delaney also shares her story of recovery, from attending an intensive outpatient treatment program to coping with difficult emotions through playing the violin.Click here to collect your ZChat token for A Diet Gone Wrong (Delaney's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e6If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available through the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line.

16-year-old hockey star Morgan Urso has a message for young athletes: Talking about mental health doesn’t make you less tough, it just makes you human. Hear Morgan’s story of being ostracized from her hockey team when she opened up about her mental health struggles to her coach, an experience that turned her into an activist for mental health awareness in the world of competitive sports. Click here to collect your ZChat token for Mental Health Makes You Human (Morgan's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e5If you’re struggling or considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line. 

Ryver Evans, a 16-year-old transgender teen from Nashville, North Carolina, tells us her story of coming out to her parents and peers in a small, conservative, southern town. Her father, Anthony Evans, shares his experience with his daughter’s transition. We also explore gender dysphoria with Rae Sweet, Education Coordinator with the nonprofit, It Gets Better Project which helps empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. Ryver is a talented musician and songwriter and also shared her story in the This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) 2021 National Teen Show through an original song. You can watch it here.Click here to collect your ZChat token for Becoming Herself (Ryver's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e4If you or someone you know in the LGBTQ+ community is looking for support, check out Trans Lifeline and The Trevor Project. If you’re struggling or considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Text Line by texting STORY to 741741.

16-year-old Abigayle Scully, a dancer and cheerleader from Slidell, Louisiana, always felt safe at school until the day she was sexually assaulted - at school, during school hours. Hear how this painful event triggered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and an eating disorder. We explore the ways Abi has found healing through her close-knit dance community and professional help, including EMDR, a specialized form of trauma therapy and hear from Dr. Uri Bergmann, former president of the EMDR International Association. Abi originally shared her story through dance with This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) at their 2021 National Teen Show. You can watch it here.Click here to collect your ZChat token for Breaking The Silence (Abi's Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeing.https://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e3If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available through the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/. If you are in a crisis situation, please text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line.

Young Elder, a 19-year-old musician and activist from Baltimore, Maryland, is working to heal her city from community trauma. She has seen first-hand how violence and racism have impacted both individuals and her entire community. . These events can cause a collective scar and have long-standing negative consequences on physical, mental, and emotional health. As the youngest member of Baltimore’s Trauma-Informed Care Task Force, Young Elder is part of a novel movement in the United States to heal trauma. She first shared her story in the This Is My Brave, Inc. (TIMB) 2021 National Teen Show. Watch her rap performance here. Click here to collect your ZChat token for Healing Community Trauma (Young Elder’s Brave) to earn rewards and join the community of young people who are about mental and emotional wellbeinghttps://www.ourturntotalk.com/zchat-podcasts1e2If you or someone you love is struggling with their mental health because of trauma and / or violence, help is available. Text STORY to 741741 to be connected with a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).