How can music be beneficial in managing mental health conditions? In this week's episode, Sarah is joined by special guest, Brittney Smith.

Brittney Smith is the owner and principal music teacher at One in a Melody, a boutique music studio in Georgetown, TX. She teaches private piano, guitar, and ukulele lessons to kids ages 4-18 years old. When she’s not working, Brittney is engaging with her community through volunteer and networking events in the Austin area. Brittney is also a committed advocate for mental health and uses her bipolar diagnosis to share hope and light to world through her social media accounts.

Join these ladies as they discuss Brittney's journey in managing bipolar disorder, how music can help to create discipline and grounding for mental health management, Brittney's experiences as a music teacher, and lessons that she's learned in becoming a mental health advocate.

If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Brittney’s Contacts:

Website: https://oneinamelody.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittneybenavidezsmith/

Today commemorates 3 years since Rough Edges was created and it feels so surreal!

In honor of the podcast's third anniversary, Sarah conducted a live recording to celebrate this milestone. Join Sarah as she discusses her motivation for podcasting, lessons that she's learned after 3 years of podcasting, and what's next for Rough Edges in the near future.

If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day!

How can we learn more about autism spectrum disorder in order to dismantle the stigma surrounding it?

In this week's episode, Sarah is joined by special guest, Sonia Chand.

Sonia Chand is a person on the autism spectrum. She is the host of a podcast called On the Spectrum with Sonia. On that podcast, she discusses mental health related topics, autism spectrum disorder, and inspirational stories. The purpose of the podcast is to leave the audience feeling inspired and connected. Sonia also has a memoir coming out in early 2025 called Dropped in the Maze. The memoir is about being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 20.

Apart from being a podcast host and author, Sonia is an avid runner and featured on NBC. She also works as a psychotherapist by profession.

Join these ladies as they discuss Sonia's experiences with managing autism spectrum disorder, how we can learn to de-stigmatize autism through empathy and understanding, and helpful tips for managing autism spectrum disorder. Sonia also shares some takeaways from her upcoming memoir!

If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day!

Sonia's contacts:

Website: https://soniakrishnachand.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chand_sonia/?hl=en

On the Spectrum Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mDTKqqgaswALC31UEruaY

Can faith & mental health work together to improve mental wellness?

In this week's episode, Sarah hears from her listeners and shares their thoughts about whether faith can be incorporated into mental health practices to improve a person's mental health journey.

If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day!

How does speaking kind declarations to ourselves help us manage mental health challenges?

In this week's episode, Sarah is joined by special guest, Vasavi Kumar.

Vasavi Kumar is a first-generation Indian immigrant raised on Long Island, NY. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 19, she made it her mission to understand her mind, starting by making room to hear herself think.

Through her *Say It Out Loud* podcast, keynote talks, and group programs, Vasavi has taught thousands of entrepreneurs, creatives, and artists how to work through any situation—by saying it out loud. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Special Education from Hofstra University and Social Work from Columbia University. Her book, Say It Out Loud is published by New World Library.

Join these ladies as they discuss the creation of Vasavi's book, her journey with managing bipolar disorder, how her culture shaped her view of mental health and practical tips on how to speak more kindly to ourselves during mental health challenges.

If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day!

Vasavi's contacts:

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Say-Out-Loud-Thoughts-Courageously/dp/1608688267

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mynameisvasavi/

Website: https://vasavikumar.com/

New month, new episode! In this week's episode, Sarah is joined by special guest, Suse Silva.

Suse Silva offers Mental Health Support with a somatic approach that focuses on healing at the Soul-level. She uses the healing arts of somatic movement, trauma-informed yoga, Qigong, meditation, breathwork, art making, forest bathing, sound therapy, energy healing, and more, to support her clients in clearing trauma from the body, regulating the nervous system, and developing a new narrative with holistic perspectives and habits to support their dreams, ambitions and soul’s calling. She has dedicated over a decade to this work and she continues to educate, support, and hold nurturing spaces that inspire people to be themselves, heal, explore, grow and have fun!

Join these ladies as they discuss the importance of taking care of your mind, soul, and body, how somatic practices can help to connect the body and spirit, and why physical meditations can help with mental wellness.

If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day!

Suse's contacts:

Website: https://www.susesilva.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susecsilva/

To anyone who has ever felt like giving up, this poem is for you. If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day!

In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, Sarah is joined by esteemed returning guest, Ally Loyns. Ally is a Canadian poet, musician, and BPD (borderline personality disorder) advocate who has called Winnipeg, Manitoba home since birth. Through raw and real poetic storytelling, she has a vision to embolden the healing journeys of people with Borderline everywhere by sharing her lived experience.

In addition to her debut poetry collection A Generation Of Sunflowers and second book Bloom, Ally has been published in Dipity Literary Magazine's first edition (Human Typewriters from Around The World). She has sold copies of her work internationally and can be found in local bookstores in Winnipeg. When Ally isn't writing you can find her building Lego, spending time with her cat or avidly researching various topics. She intends to break stigma surrounding Borderline Personality Disorder one copy of A Generation Of Sunflowers and Bloom at a time. Join these ladies as they discuss Ally's all new poems "24 Reasons to Stay," and "Prayer," and why its important to find your reasons to stay in the midst of dealing with suicidal ideation. If you want more updates on this podcast, please follow @rough.edges.podcast on Instagram or visit the podcast website at www.roughedgespodcast.com. If you have any questions or further suggestions for how this podcast can grow, please email at rough.edges.podcast@gmail.com or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Thanks so much for listening and have a wonderful day! Ally's contacts: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ally_author/ Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/genOFsunflowers

Vote for Ally at the Indie Verse Awards: https://www.indieverseawards.com/2024nominees