Element Q Podcast: Empowering LGBTQ+ Voices, One Story at a Time

Element Q Podcast: Empowering LGBTQ+ Voices, One Story at a Time

by TJ Woodward
Self-ImprovementMental Health
Season 2

The Body Remembers How Trauma, Shame, and Sexual Behavior Are Connected With Terry Gatewood

In Season 2, Episode 19 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward sits down with Terry Gatewood, LCSW, CSAT, founder and clinical director of Ridgeback Recovery, to explore the often-misunderstood intersection of shame, trauma, sexuality, and healing. Drawing from nearly two decades of lived recovery and clinical experience working with sex addicts and individuals labeled as sex offenders, Terry and TJ challenge punishment-based approaches to behavior change. Together, they ask a bold but essential question: What becomes possible when we stop treating behavior alone and begin addressing shame at its root? The conversation examines how societal and internalized shame—particularly within the LGBTQ+ community—shapes core beliefs through early trauma, secrecy, and hypersexualization. Terry explains why many so-called “deviant” behaviors are trauma responses stored in the body rather than moral failures of the mind, highlighting the role of Somatic Experiencing in real healing. With nuance and accountability, the episode dismantles one-size-fits-all narratives around sexual offending, affirms the importance of community safety, and expands the conversation to include the often-ignored trauma of families and first responders. This episode is a call to move from fear to informed compassion, and from stigma to genuine, lasting healing. 👉 Like and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com Terry Gatewood: https://www.ridgebackrecovery.com/ TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com
S2 · E19
Feb 3, 2026
39:17

Creating Safety, Rebuilding Trust And Healing Within Chosen Family With Dr. Olivia Ratcliff-Totty

In Season 2, Episode 18 of the Element Q Podcast, Host TJ Woodward welcomes Dr. Olivia Ratcliff-Totty —Postdoctoral Psychological Associate, adjunct professor, and primary therapist at Element Q Healing Center—to explore what it truly means to create safety, rebuild trust, and foster healing within the LGBTQ+ community. Drawing on her extensive clinical background in community mental health, crisis care, and carceral systems, Dr. Totty shares how trauma-informed care, rooted in warmth, authenticity, and humor, can open pathways to self-acceptance and transformation. Together, TJ and Dr. Totty unpack the complex layers of identity and intersectionality, including race, sexuality, professional roles, and evolving self-understanding. Dr. Totty reflects on her own journey of identity exploration, becoming a clinician, and stepping into the title of “doctor,” while emphasizing the responsibility—and privilege—of using education and visibility to serve underserved and marginalized communities. The conversation also addresses the importance of chosen family, especially when biological family acceptance is unavailable, and how external safety can support internal healing. The episode concludes with a profound discussion on collaborative, holistic, and spiritually informed care, underscoring why healing must encompass the whole person—mind, body, spirit, and lived experience. From challenging unconscious bias and assumptions of “readiness” to embracing somatic and ancestral healing practices, Dr. Totty offers grounded wisdom for clinicians, healers, and community members alike. This episode is a compassionate reminder that healing is relational, identity is fluid, and every person holds an innate capacity for growth and wholeness. 👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com
S2 · E18
Jan 27, 2026
35:18

From Trauma to Wholeness Inner Child Work and LGBTQ Healing With Rev Carlton Teabout

In Season 2, Episode 17 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward welcomes Reverend Carlton Teabout, Agape minister and spiritual teacher, for a deeply moving conversation on healing shame, aging, body image, and inner child wounds within the LGBTQ+ community. Together, they explore what it truly means to mature as gay men, challenge cultural narratives around aging, and reclaim wholeness beyond appearance, productivity, or societal expectations. Drawing from New Thought teachings, spiritual psychology, conscious recovery, trauma-informed care, and lived experience, TJ and Carlton unpack how early experiences of not being seen shape identity, addiction, shame, and self-worth. They discuss the powerful role of inner child work and re-parenting in healing at the root, why true transformation is an inside job rooted in consciousness, and how science is increasingly validating the spiritual truth that our self-perception directly impacts our emotional health, relationships, and sense of purpose. This conversation invites listeners to remember the light within, integrate both their shadow and their strength, and live from wholeness rather than a state of deficit. Reverend Carlton Teabout is both a devoted teacher and a perpetual student, continually learning from the wisdom of Nature, Love, Beauty, and Joy. His path has been shaped by the gentle whispers of the Universe and the profound teachings of institutions such as Agape University and The Michael B. Beckwith School of Ministry, each contributing to the depth and mastery of his understanding. As Carlton shares, “I am so happy you are here, where love and light intertwine to guide us on a journey of self-discovery and expansion. If you’re here, it’s because you’re drawn to understanding the depths of your being, and I’m honored to accompany you on this profound exploration.” 👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com Rev. Carlton Teabout: https://revcarlton.com/
S2 · E17
Jan 20, 2026
32:14

The Power Of Attunement What Is It And How Is It Misunderstood With Melissa Stevenson

Season 2, Episode 16 of the Element Q Podcast features a powerful return conversation with therapist Melissa Stevenson, as host TJ Woodward explores the transformative power of attunement—and how it differs from validation, reassurance, or the impulse to “fix” someone’s feelings. Together, they unpack why emotions aren’t dangerous, how true presence heals more deeply than words, and why so many of us rush to comfort others as a way of soothing our own discomfort. Drawing from somatic therapy, couples work, grief, and real-life clinical experiences, this episode offers profound insights for therapists, coaches, helpers, and anyone seeking deeper, more authentic relationships. The conversation examines why platitudes often shut down emotional truth, the essential role of silence, energy, and nervous system regulation, and how attunement shows up differently in friendships, romantic partnerships, and group settings. They also explore the limitations of social media and AI when it comes to genuine healing, emphasizing that real connection requires a regulated human nervous system. With over 18 years of experience, Melissa Stevenson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist known for her deeply integrative approach that honors the connection between mind, body, and spirit. She owns a group private practice serving adult individuals, couples, and families, and has held multiple leadership roles, including Executive Director of BrightQuest San Diego and Director positions at Foundations San Francisco and San Diego. A dedicated clinical supervisor and member of the Mental Health Advisory Council for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Melissa is currently in the process of becoming a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, guiding clients toward lasting change by focusing not just on why we suffer, but on how healing unfolds in the body and nervous system. 👉 Like and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com Melissa Stevenson: https://msfamilytherapy.com/
S2 · E16
Jan 13, 2026
38:37

How To Heal Deep Shame And Guilt Revealed With Devin Scott

In Season 2, Episode 15 of the Element Q Podcast, host TJ Woodward is joined by Devin Scott, a holistic and somatic practitioner, for a deeply honest conversation exploring the intersection of shame, secrecy, trauma, and body wisdom. Drawing from Devin’s lived experience of heartbreak and healing, this episode examines how shame thrives in darkness, how generational trauma is carried in the body, and why true transformation often occurs when we listen beyond the intellect. Together, TJ and Devin invite listeners into a compassionate, non-linear understanding of healing—one rooted in presence, integrity, and embodied awareness. Devin works with individuals who have reached a familiar crossroads: they’ve talked it through, analyzed their thoughts, and understand where their pain began—yet something still won’t shift. Rather than focusing solely on the mind, Devin supports clients in working with the mind-body as one living system, viewing the brain as an organ rather than the center of identity. Although licensed in psychotherapy, Devin intentionally steps beyond pathology-based models, believing that the body is not broken or irrational, but rather communicates through biological adaptations shaped by lived experience. Beneath those adaptations lies an innate push toward greater meaning and evolution. Through Body Wisdom Coaching and Psychological Bodywork, Devin weaves somatic practices—such as movement, touch, breath, sound, and sensation tracking—with cognitive tools including mindfulness, visualization, dialogue, and behavioral awareness. In this episode, those modalities come to life as TJ and Devin explore why shame is not the enemy, how somatic awareness reveals truth when logic fails, and how inherited trauma cycles can be broken through safety and presence. This conversation is especially meaningful for members of the LGBTQ+ community, trauma survivors, healers, therapists, and anyone learning to trust their inner knowing while creating space for authentic transformation. 👉 Subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com Devin Scott: https://findyourmeaning.coach/
S2 · E15
Jan 6, 2026
34:34

Trauma-Informed vs. Trauma-Focused: Why the Difference Actually Matters With Kat Grassetti

Season 2, Episode 14 of the Element Q Podcast features host TJ Woodward in a conversation with Kat Grissetti, LCSW—Chief Clinical Officer for Monima Behavioral Health, Monima Wellness Center, and Element Q Healing Center. Kat brings her background in university counseling, intensive outpatient programming, restorative justice facilitation, and interdisciplinary leadership into a powerful conversation about trauma care and LGBTQ+ mental health. She shares why trauma-focused treatment must go deeper than training, techniques, or EMDR acronyms—and instead look at the realities of story-holding, team culture, and human connection within care environments. Together, Kat and TJ explore the difference between trauma-informed vs. trauma-focused treatment, emphasizing how real healing requires attunement, sacred space, relational presence, and somatic awareness. Kat explains why trauma lives not only in memory, but in the body’s nervous system—shaping vigilance, emotional response, physical sensations, and identity experience. She breaks down why cognitive tools alone aren’t enough, and how somatic grounding, body awareness, and vagal regulation open the door to deeper emotional access and transformation. The conversation also highlights the emotional labor and vicarious trauma facing treatment teams, particularly in LGBTQ+ clinical spaces. Kat discusses restorative leadership, staff wellness, community building, and why developing a healthy treatment culture is a clinical necessity—not a luxury. This intimate and inspiring dialogue offers valuable insight for clinicians, mental health students, trauma survivors, and anyone wanting a deeper understanding of how trauma healing actually works from the inside out. 👉 Like and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com Monima Wellness Center https://www.monimawellness.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com
S2 · E14
Dec 30, 2025
34:12

Why LGBTQ+ Communities Face Unique Mental Health Challenges With Nicole Simpson

Season 2, Episode 13 of the Element Q Podcast features host TJ Woodward in a powerful and heartfelt conversation with Nicole Simpson. With more than a decade of leadership in the mental health field, Nicole has devoted her career to advancing women’s mental health, trauma recovery, relational violence support, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Her dedication to building inclusive spaces and empowering marginalized communities has shaped innovative programs that continue to transform lives. With a BA in Psychology from Capella University and certification in alcohol and drug counseling from UC San Diego, Nicole brings both academic insight and lived experience to her mission of creating lasting, equitable change within the mental health landscape. In this episode, TJ and Nicole dive into the unique mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals today—from discrimination and stigma to the deep impacts of minority stress and limited access to affirming care. Together, they explore research-supported realities, share actionable strategies for support, and highlight the vital role of community, compassion, and safe spaces. Viewers will gain insight into how anxiety, depression, and suicide risk show up within LGBTQ+ communities, why inclusive care matters, and what we can all do to help create environments where every person feels seen, valued, and supported. Tune in for education, empathy, and an inspiring call to meaningful allyship. 👉 Like and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com
S2 · E13
Dec 23, 2025
31:14

Moving Beyond The Fight: A Deeper Healing In The LGBTQ Community

Season 2, Episode 12 of the Element Q Podcast features host TJ Woodward in a powerful and heartfelt conversation with Rory Slikker about what it truly means to move beyond the fight and step into deeper healing within the LGBTQ+ community. Together, they explore how early trauma, internalized shame, and societal pressures shape identity—and how authentic connection, self-acceptance, and community support can open the door to profound transformation and belonging. Rory Slikker is the co-founder of the LGBTQ+ Association for Addiction and Mental Health Professionals, a Clinical Outreach Specialist for Rainbow Hill Recovery, and an LGBTQ Sensitivity Training Consultant. With lived experience and years of professional expertise, Rory offers grounded insight into the emotional and relational wounds often carried from childhood, and shares compassionate, accessible tools for healing through authenticity, somatic awareness, and community care. Rainbow Hill offers a safe and welcoming community where you matter—and where healing is possible. 👉 Like and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing, authentic living, and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com Rainbow Hill Recovery: https://rainbowhillrecovery.com/
S2 · E12
Dec 16, 2025
39:38

How Can We Increase The Visibility Of The LGBTQ Community

Season 2, Episode 11 of the Element Q Podcast features host TJ Woodward in a meaningful conversation with Dr. Jamie Remmers about the power of visibility within the LGBTQ+ community. They explore how visibility is more than awareness—it’s the act of living openly, creating space for others to embrace their identities, and reminding people that they are supported and not alone. Dr. Jamie Remmers (she/they) is a higher education leader with 13 years of experience and currently serves as a Director at USC’s Rossier School of Education, overseeing advising for several master’s programs with a focus on holistic student success. A first-generation student and queer scholar-practitioner, Jamie previously held roles at New York University supporting international student engagement and academic advising, and their NYU doctoral research highlighted the importance of inclusive LGBTQ+ student data collection. Outside of their professional work, Jamie teaches on identity and equity, enjoys LA’s outdoor lifestyle, cheers on ACFC, and adores their cat, Josette. They’re also available to connect on LinkedIn, where their dissertation are accessible. 👉 Like, and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com Dr. Jamie Remmers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-remmers/
S2 · E11
Dec 9, 2025
31:21

Trauma Focused Informed Healing In The LGBTQ Community with Dr. Max Doshay

Season 2, Episode 10 of the Element Q Podcast features host TJ Woodward in a powerful conversation with Dr. Max Doshay, Co-Founder and CEO of Monima Behavioral Health. Together, they explore the transformative work of the Monima Wellness Center for Women and the Element Q Healing Center, highlighting trauma-focused mental health care, inclusive treatment models, neuropsychological assessment, and holistic healing for women, LGBTQ+, and nonbinary individuals. Dr. Doshay—an experienced psychologist and behavioral health leader—shares insights from his work across inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient programs, and the California state prison system, where he helped develop a chronic pain management manual adopted statewide. With advanced training from CSPP and a commitment to affirming, evidence-based care, he emphasizes the importance of accessible, trauma-informed, and inclusive healthcare for all. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in trauma recovery, LGBTQ+-affirming support, and innovative mental health leadership. 👉 Like, and subscribe to support conversations on conscious healing and personal transformation. 🔗 Learn more: Element Q Healing: elementqhealingcenter.com TJ Woodward: https://www.tjwoodward.com
S2 · E10
Dec 2, 2025
36:26
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