Chubby Therapy Podcast

So, it's been a while my friends! We're joined today by Dr. Viviana Coles of the Texas Sex Therapy Institute and Texas Relationship Therapy. We discuss what becoming a Certified Sex Therapist means and how it can assist in both individual and couples therapy. Plus, you get a sneak preview of Dr. Cole's book. We're officially on Stitcher and iTunes so now downloading and subscribing is easier than ever! Share with your friends and remember to feed your mental health!

I want you to think of the first word that comes to mind when you hear “addiction.” What was it? Junkie. Drunk. Bum. Waste. Pain. Unless you have some personal history or an awareness of the community, usually the word “addiction” is followed by something negative. But, for some reason, we don’t have the same sentiments when it comes to other chronic diseases such as diabetes or cancer. This episode is an introduction into the world of addiction and how it is perceived by society. Please know that we could spend multiple episodes on this topic alone so we this will definitely be something we come back to. In the meantime, please send me any questions you have in regards to addiction at ChubbyTherapyPod@gmail.com. Also, this episode introduces my new segment called Analyze My Meme! Below is the first one: I found this on social media and am asking you a huge favor to help me gather more pictures, memes, inspirational posts that you want me to therapeutically analyze. Email them to me with the subject line #AMM

Wow, it’s been almost two months since I did an episode. Many apologies. This was the one thing people told me NOT to do; always be consistent. And….I FAILED! Well, on this episode you get a little insight into what I’ve been going through in my life and why I’ve been away. Just like life for everyone, my journey comes with ups and downs. I recently found out I was diagnosed with gout and have had a really tough time getting to the “acceptance” phase of the disease. I know I’m being melodramatic about the whole thing but it definitely impacted me. Dare I say…depressed me. But, I’m doing something about it. That something is getting a show favorite, Rachael McBride, involved. You remember her right? If not, check out my interview with her. She’s got me drowning in water and vegetables, but it’s to save my life so it’s cool. I’m also updating my format. I realized the long interviews were not doing my message justice, especially once a month. SO…with a renewal in my dedication, I am now committing to releasing

As a therapist, one of the things they tell us to avoid is using clichés. I believe the same is true for writers. They tend to lose their meaning and a lot of the time are blocking the person from truly feeling their experience. For instance, making “lemonade out of lemons.” Living in the US, you hear this phrase quite often but I feel it loses its meaning when used so redundantly. Except when it comes to Kathy O’Keefe. I had heard about her prior to meeting her. The chemical dependency field in North Texas tends to be pretty close and supportive of each other. So, when you here about a mom who lost their son to an overdose who created an organization dedicated to bringing awareness to addiction, you pay attention. Then, you meet her and she ABSOLUTELY delivers! *insert glass of lemonade* Far from shy of giving her opinions, Kathy is a Chicago transplant living in Texas via California. She founded and is Executive Director of WTF – Winning The Fight. Her organization is well known in the North Texas area

Being a parent has been an enlightening experience for me. I do this thing where I like to observe being around other parents, and taking notice of how they are with their kids. Some I envy, and some I do not. But, one thing that is bound to happen, is a parent speaks to the child as if they are able to comprehend exactly what they did was wrong and how it offended the parent. I think as a parent, I am completely guilty for expecting my daughter to know how to express herself, even at the age where she can read full books. Play Therapy is not about giving the child a voice, but more so giving their voice an arena and a microphone. Episode 5 focuses on Play Therapy and how we use it to address issues with children. I lucked out that I got a “2 for 1” deal at Guiding Compass Counseling in Flower Mound, TX. Dr. Julie Ballinger & Dr. David Huffman share not only this office, but their passion for using Play Therapy in their practice. Check out their play room:   If you have any questions, please contact them

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , or PTSD as it’s more commonly known, has become a household term. You’ve probably heard about it or even know someone who has experienced it, but few of us really know the impact it has on the human body or psyche. I have a strong opinion about the need for psychological health services, and for military personnel I feel it is vital. Very few of us know the extent at which these men and women go through during their service and more importantly the lives to which they return. I want to be clear, as it is in the episode, this is not a political issue. The care of one human over another is absurd. This is as a specific population, as any other, who needs specialized care. Dr. Ross Stewart, founder of the Brain and Body Wellness Center, brings over 40 years of experience in various fields regarding mental and physical health. Below are ways to get in touch with him: Dr. Stewart’s Facebook Dr. Stewart’s Twitter Dr. Stewart’s LinkedIn Here are some resources if you know of any serv

As 2015 begins, we all make that ridiculous list of promises: save more money, make better choices in relationships, and of course….GET HEALTHY! So what do we do? We go out, buy new shoes, new work out gear, a new water bottle, and sign up for your gym membership. So why do we do this? What is the purpose? Is healthy living solely for the physique? How does it affect our mental health? Eating Disorders are extremely common and can be a hard to understand. A lot of the times when we think about being “addicted to food,” it’s often said in jest and not taken too seriously. Well, that’s why I brought in my first guest to Chubby Therapy Podcast, Rachael McBride. Listen to how she discusses everything from thigh gaps, food as comfort, and learning to trust our bodies. Below are ways to get in touch with her: Rachael McBride website Racheal’s Twitter Rachael’s Facebook Rachael’s e-mail Please share this with a friend who you feel might benefit from the conversation and please send me an e-mail if you have a

This is a very common question I get, even when I have been working with someone for a long period of time. And in all honesty, it is one of the hardest questions to answer. I’d love to say that you really don’t need a reason to go to therapy, but that’s not the case. I think at times problems are transformed into greater issues, which results in us feeling inadequate or unable to handle what was once something pretty manageable. Does this episode answer the question when to get help? Well, it does and doesn’t. One thing I want you to get out of this episode is that it isn’t about finding the right help, but more so finding the appropriate help. Here are some great resources for answering this question as well: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/whentoaskforhelp.asp http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=3040 Thanks for checking out my podcast. Give Episode 1 a sample so you can get to know me more. I’m still working on the recording and editing side of this so an

Wow everyone, this is it! Welcome to the Chubby Therapy Podcast. I am your host Rene Garcia, and I must say that I am very pumped about this whole world I’m entering into. The idea of starting a podcast has been on my mind for a very long time, therefore I am trying my best to not just abandon it there in obscurity as I do with my other half finished projects. I want this podcast to be a guide to a toned down, simplistic view of psychology, therapy, and counseling. I also want to hear from you, the listeners on how the show can be helpful for you. I have a number of colleagues that have expressed a desire to sit in for interviews so hopefully we’ll get to answer some questions you already have.   Please share this site with friends and anyone else you feel may benefit. I’ll be adding and editing media the next few weeks so go easy on the looks of things but please enjoy this first show! I appreciate any and all feedback. You can reach me at ChubbyTherapyPod@gmail.com. RG