Today, Melissa McCormick will teach women how to have conversations that are both relational and also purposeful! She is our first guest for this season, and what a great one! 

About Melissa
Melissa spent over thirty years navigating corporate America from entry-level to executive. She learned how to communicate and negotiate up and around the organization. Through her leadership experience she helps women crash through the glass ceiling to reach their professional goals faster.  Her leadership philosophy includes five pillars: Courage, Communication, Connections, Community, and Care (self) and is based on building relationships built on trust, integrity, and ethics. She is the founder and CEO of the Grace & Salt Leadership Academy which is based on her leadership book, Grace & Salt: A Journey of Self-Discovery. To learn more and schedule a FREE discovery call, go to www.graceandsaltleadership.com and to learn more about her book, Grace & Salt go to www.graceandsaltbook.com.

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/lead-like-a-woman-grace-and-salt.

Episode 123 Lead Like a Woman: Conversations with Grace & Salt with Melissa McCormick

Have you ever considered trying something new and you were so excited until... your inner voice screamed you weren't good enough? Today you'll learn how that voice temporarily serves you, and why and how to address it in the future! 

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/feeling-inadequate

Episode 124 How Feeling Inadequate Serves You (at least for a minute)

I've said it a million times: It's time for a mental health revolution! And I mean that for the church too. Today, my dear friends Michelle Kixmiller (my former co-host) and Gracey Lichtenstein discuss some issues around the mental health conversation in the church today.  Part 2 airs next week!

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/mentalhealthandthechurch

Episode 125 Mental Health & the Church Part 1

Saturday, July 1st, 2022 I began a journey with a group of friends that has been so powerful that I wanted to share a bit of it with you. A 12-lesson bible study wound up taking about 8 months, and I'm happy it did because we learned so much from it! The Elijah Project by Andrea Polnaszek, was the basis of the study, but it went so much deeper. Please watch/listen and be inspired to go on a journey of your own! 

Link to the book is in the show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/see-yourself-as-others-see-you.

Episode 127 Seeing Yourself as Others See You

On Monday, March 27th, three children & three adults were shot and killed at the Covenant School here in Nashville, TN. How do you talk about a tragedy like this with a child? How do you support and reassure them? And how do you care for yourself during this difficult time?

Today, Michelle Kixmiller and I want to take a few minutes to process this with you and equip you to provide support for the young people in your world while caring for yourself too. 

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/when-tragedy-happens

Episode 128 When Tragedy Happens: Talking to your children

I made an executive decision: This will be the last CYH episode until the end of May. My world is full recently, and I want to devote plenty of time to my new co-hosts before we jump in with our first episode. We will spend April and part of May recording and then jump back in the end of May. I'm very excited about the future, and thank you for being on the journey with me! 

Now, onward...

On Monday, March 27th, three children & three adults were shot and killed at the Covenant School here in Nashville.  Last week, Michelle Kixmiller and I did an episode on talking to your children after tragedy. 

Since then, the shooting has been on my mind often, and of course our local news has covered it extensively. I keep asking myself if there's anything I (we!) can do to be a part of prevention.

I believe there is, so please join me today as we have a chat about this difficult topic.

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/prevent-school-shootings

Episode 129 Can We Do Anything to Prevent Mass Shootings?

A mental health diagnosis of any kind can leave us feeling alone, afraid, and lost. 
In today’s show we talk about coming together for one another and realizing we are never alone in our struggles. 

Mental Health Statistics per Mental Health America
50 million Americans live with mental illness in the US
21 million adults live with Major Depressive Disorder in the US
3.3 million adults live with Bipolar Disorder
19 million Americans live with a substance use disorder
42.5 million Americans live with an anxiety disorder
12 million adults live with PTSD
1.5 million Americans live with Schizophrenia
This isn’t even including diagnosis such as eating disorders, OCD and ADHD.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR STRUGGLE 

A diagnosis is a starting point, a pathway to understanding a struggle better. It does not define you. Listen as we share more!

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/living-with-a-diagnosis.

Episode 130 Living with a Diagnosis

Today we're discussing the "If you are ok, I’m Ok" narrative and the impact on mental health. A couple of teasers: 
-Codependency definition: Being the caretaker of other’s emotion. This often occurs for your own sense of peace just as much as theirs. “If you are ok then I am ok”
-Many of us were born as caretakers but boundaries are essential in maintaining our own mental health while caring for others. 

Join us for a great conversation! Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/codependency.

Episode 131 Codependency: If You Are OK, I Am OK... Or Am I?

Adverse Childhood Experiences can impact both physical and mental health throughout the entirety of life without intervention. 

Join us today as Tami, Gracey and Michelle take an inventory of the ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) in their own lives and the lives of their parents to investigate how those things may be affecting them today. 

We will then talk about the path to healing and the ways in which we as a community of women can support one another. 

Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/healingandaces

Episode 132 Healing and the ACE's Survey

So how did this episode come about? In August, I did a week long professional development for teachers out in Houston about mental health. When one of the teachers left, she said, “Hey, do you have any podcast episodes about the effects of our mental health as parents on our children?” I said no and then thought, Oh, that would be great. I asked my counselor. I said, “Hey, I think I'm going to do a podcast episode where I asked my kids how my mental health affected them growing up, what do you think?” And she said, “No!” What she meant was I was basically saying, “Hey, tell me what a terrible parent I was when you were growing up?” Then she had a couple of suggestions, which were really good. It was Jamie, who actually said, “Why don't we just talk about what it's like to be part of a family where we have all struggles?” So that’s what we did. 

My hope and prayer on this World Mental Health Day is that this will inspire you. We all have a past. We all have struggles. I hope that you will seek help when you need it, forgive when you can, and be a part of creating a world in which mental health is no longer stigmatized. 

Thank you for joining my family chat! 
Show notes at https://www.tamiwest.com/post/familymentalhealthchallenges

Special Episode: Family Mental Health Challenges: A conversation with my children

Welcome back! Today Michelle and I dive deep into compassion fatigue, exploring how it impacts our mental health and well-being. We discuss symptoms, risk factors, and practical strategies we’ve found helpful in preventing or managing emotional exhaustion. We also introduce an alternative perspective on compassion fatigue and highlight the importance of self-care.

🛑 Key Topics:

What is Compassion Fatigue? 💙
The emotional toll of constant caregiving 🩺
Symptoms and warning signs 🚨
Is it really compassion fatigue or empathy fatigue? 🤔
The impact of unprocessed emotional exhaustion 😞
How we can recover and build resilience 💪
Insights from the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology 🌿

💡 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Understanding Compassion Fatigue

It stems from prolonged exposure to others' suffering 💔
It leads to emotional exhaustion, numbness, and detachment 😓
It’s common among caregivers, healthcare workers, and those in helping roles 🤝

Read more in show notes at

Thanks for joining!
**Not intended to be therapy or replace therapy - If you need further help, please reach out to one of the resources:
General Resources 
National Alliance of Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org 
Mental Health America: https://mhanational.org 
Mental Health First Aid Resources: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/ 
Celebrate Recovery: https://www.celebraterecovery.com/ 
About AA: https://www.aa.org/ 

Tami West, PhD Stress and Mental Health Expert 
Dr. Tami West uses her entertaining and compelling style to shine a new light on how to transform your life and discover solutions to life’s challenges. 

Connect with me:
https://www.tamiwest.com/ 
facebook.com/tamiwestseminars   
tamiwest@tamiwest.com

Hug 198 Understanding & Overcoming Compassion Fatigue 💙

Thanks for visiting with us at for Consider Yourself Hugged: Mental & emotional well-being.” Do you find yourself thinking, "Life can be so overwhelming! I feel so frustrated all the time! I worry about everything! I wish I could speak up more and not be a doormat!" If you're looking for improved mental and emotional well-being, please join me every Wednesday as we talk about how to make positive choices in your life.

*Disclaimer:
The information in this show is not intended to be therapy or to address your individual situation. It is information based on my experiences, opinions, and research. If you need further help, please reach out to one of the resources mentioned in the show notes.

About me:
Tami West, PhD 
Stress and Mental Health Expert Dr. Tami West uses her entertaining and 
compelling style to shine a new light on how to transform your life and discover solutions to life’s challenges. Her passion stems from a lifelong battle with an anxiety disorder which has uniquely equipped her to teach, encourage, and motivate others. 

Tami has worked in a variety of industries including healthcare, school nutrition, corporate sales, and 10 years as a public-school teacher. In 2013 she received her PhD in Human Development, studying the connections among stress, emotions, and identity. 

Dr. West has spoken in 48 states across the US, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Dr. West is the author of several successful publications including two books: The Stress Club, Life Without the Monsters and Thrive. She is a mother of eight in a blended family and enjoys reading historical fiction, traveling with her husband Tim and family, and watching The Big Bang Theory.

Hug 198 Understanding & Overcoming Compassion Fatigue 💙

Consider Yourself Hugged

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