Chai Break

by Shwetha Ravishankar

Entrepreneurship Society & Culture

Season 3

Holistic Mental Health with Ektha Aggarwal, Founder of Jiva Mental Health

We're in #chaiversation with Ektha Aggarwal, a licensed clinical health worker, Ektha is a distinguished mental health leader, pioneering holistic therapies at Shakti Therapy and Healing Services, and addressing the unique needs of the South Asian community as the Founder of Jiva Mental Health. She combines ancient Eastern practices with modern science to deeply heal and transform lives, focusing on sustainable mental wellness rather than temporary solutions. We talk to her about her "holistic mental health" approach and what it constitutes "Love" as an emotion Misconceptions about "holistic mental health" A fun rapid fire round you don't want to miss! To discover more about Ektha's transformative approach or to schedule a consultation, visit www.shaktitherapyhealing.com or email info@shaktitherapyhealing.com. Join a community where healing is integrated, respected, and celebrated. chaiversations.org

Peri-Menopause & Mental Health

4 women, 4 unique experiences - this episode is unlike anything we've done in the past. To begin, Shwetha hadn't even heard of peri-menopause until Rema, who's actively in the throws of it, mentioned it to her. It was then that it occurred to us that this is yet another swept-under-the-rug, rarely talked-about phenomenon and that we need to hear from more women. In this episode, we feature: The lovely founders of the very popular NRI Woman Podcast, Bettina Tauro & Ninorah Fernandes Brookshire, volunteered to join our #chaiversation and share their raw, real experiences. Arti Dussane Rao, a finance professional who's on a much-needed career break They, each share their unique journeys with peri-menopause and its effects on their mental health. Our hope with this episode is for you to experience the warmth of sisterhood, unwavering support, and a space where judgment is left at the door. You can join the #chaiversation on Instagram or email us at chaibreakpodcast@gmail.com

A Chaiversation with Seema, Founder of The Mindful Parent-Child Journal

We're in #chaiversation with Seema of the Mindful Parent and Child Journals. Seema shares with us why she started this venture, her self-publishing journey, and how the journal can benefit you, your child, and the overall harmony of your home and family dynamics. You can find The Mindful Parent and Child On Instagram On Etsy Chaiversations.org

A Chaiversation with Mrinal Gokhale, Author of "Taboo" & "Saaya Unveiled"

Meet, Mrinal Gokhale, an Indian-American writer who began her career as a freelance journalist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the most segregated city in the United States. She reported on Mental Health Awareness Month events for Hispanic and African-American publications as part of her work. She realized that these conversations were lacking in Asian and South Asian representation. To increase education and acceptance of mental health among South Asian generations, while also showing non-South Asians how intersectionality looks in the diaspora, she went on to author 2 books, both anthologies, the first one in 2021, called “Saaya Unveiled” and “Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories” published in 2023. Chaiversations.org You can purchase her books on Amazon

A Chaiversation with Shruti Bharath, Founder of Beyond the Bump

So far in this season, we have been talking about normalizing conversations around mental health and we’ve also talked about the fact that seeking professional help isn’t always tied to big life events. In this episode, we talk to Shruthi Bharath about one of the biggest life-changing times in a woman’s life - motherhood. We delve into those vulnerable, often loney moments of early motherhood and the challenges it presents. Here are some of the topics we discuss Early motherhood challenges and how it impacts mental health and well-being We’re 3 women on this episode, all of us mothers, each of whom have had their unique, yet common struggles being new mothers - we discuss identity crisis, feeling lonely in those early months of motherhood and so much more As a platform, what are the various elements of early motherhood that you envision on the platform, and where does maternal mental health fit in? Chaiversations.org

A Chaiversation with Dr. Monica Shah, Psychologist & Performing Artist

Dr. Monica Shah is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist based in Manhattan. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT).

Signs You Have "Good Girl Syndrome" & How to Overcome it?

Chapter 1: What is Good Girl Syndrome? How the phrase "good girl" is ingrained in the vocabulary of our Indian culture and where it stems from? Shwetha & Rema share anecdotes from their personal experiences. Chapter 2: The personality and mental health implications of "good girl syndrome" Chapter 3: Shwetha & Rema answer a series of questions to find out if they have Good Girl Syndrome and you can play along too. chaiversations.org

A Chaiversation with Kareena Mehta, Founder of Kare Counselling

Our guest today is Kareena Mehta, a mental health professional with a B.A. in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College and further education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she earned an Ed.M. in Mental Health Counseling and an M.A. in Psychological Counseling. Kareena brings with her a plethora of cross-cultural experiences, both from her own personal life growing up in Belgium, moving to India and then the USA; as well as professionally, wherein her clients are spread throughout the globe from Africa to India, USA, Cannada and beyond. We talk to her about: Her forray into the mental health space The basic differences between a psychologist, psychotherapist and psychiatrist The differences she experiences being a mental health professional in India vs here in the USA The most common mental health challenges in India and the USA The gaps in the mental health space 5 things everyone can do to work on their mental well-being on a daily basis Check out the full episode and Subscribe to our monthly Substack newsletter at chaiversations.org

Normalizing Therapy(Part 2): SA Statistics, Barriers to Access, Books to Read & More

We discuss the barriers we faced whilst trying to access mental health services in the US, and South Asian organizations that are doing the groundwork in creating databases of a network of therapists and services, Plus, Rema shares a few ground-breaking mental health books that were a huge part of her journey. We hope you enjoy this episode! You can check out our website chaiversations.org and Subscribe to our monthly Substack Newsletter chaibreakpodcast.substack.com

Normalizing Therapy(Part 1): Shwetha & Rema Share Their Personal Journey

We, Shwetha & Rema, address the elephant in the room - mental health and well-being by sharing our own personal journey of how/why/what got us to seek professional help. It's raw, it's real and it's just the beginning of a power-packed season of personal stories, chaiversations with expert guests, and continuing the chaiversation online via Instagram and the launch of our Substack Newsletter.Sign up for our newsletter via our website chaiversations.org or at chaibreakpodcast.substack.com for your monthly fix of exclusive behind-the-scenes of the world of podcasting, exclusive guest interviews, the latest episode drops and so much more.

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