Bring On The Mess! TM

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Beth Anne Dorman and Leesa Lee of For All Seasons, Inc. discuss the vulnerability of victims of sexual assault, the stigma, and how we can support them.

Join hosts Beth Ann Dorman, CEO at For All Seasons, and Lesa Lee, Chief Clinical Officer, as they welcome Dr. Jeff Thompson, a retired NYPD detective and mental health and wellness expert. Together, they dig into the challenges faced by first responders, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging life's mess while finding positive coping mechanisms. Dr. Thompson shares his extensive experience and advocates for realistic hope, gratitude, and social connectedness as crucial elements for building resilience. The hosts reflect on their recent training sessions and highlight the significance of reaching out for help within the first responder community. Dorman, Lee, and Johnson inspire listeners to navigate life's complexities with courage and authenticity.

Join hosts Beth Ann Dorman, CEO at For All Seasons, and Lesa Lee, Chief Clinical Officer, as they discuss how important it is to be kind and attentive in conversations with those who may have differing opinions from yours. They discuss how to actively listen to others rather than be not in the moment because of your own thoughts and opinions. Each of them relay personal experiences of conversations that illustrate how we can be so attached to our own opinions that we totally miss the point of the other persons intent.

In the episode of Bring on the Mess! TM, Beth Anne Dorman and Leesa Lee discuss how important it is to help our children learn to navigate relationships inside and outside of their home and family. They discuss guiding them through forming and nurturing those relationships wether it be at school, or in other outside activities and how important it is to set good examples for their children in our own relationships.

In the “Moving Through Times of Loss and Sadness Together” podcast, Dorman and Lee share how the holidays can be a sad time for many people. Suicide is a reality that is happening across the country and has happened in our own community this past month. Depression, anxiety, grief, stress, and feeling alone, sad, lost . . . we all have experienced these things. Mental health touches every single one of us. Taking time to be present with one another and support each other is so important – to come together in love and care – and let each other know that we are not alone. We can reach out to people in different ways – social media, phone calls, emails, or a written note – to check in on each other. We all experience mental health symptoms. We can identify with each other because we have at one time or another, shared the same feelings as others. Sitting in these emotions is important to do with one another even when we don’t have the answers. Self-care is crucial to working through these hard times. Listen to our latest podcast on moving through loss and sadness here.

In this episode of "Bring on the Mess," hosts Beth Ann Dorman and Lisa Lee, CEO and Chief Clinical Officer at For All Seasons, engage in a candid conversation about self-harm. Acknowledging the sensitivity of the topic, they emphasize the importance of real conversations and share strategies for understanding and addressing self-harm. Lisa, a licensed social worker with over 26 years of experience, provides valuable insights into the complexities of self-harm, dispelling myths and shedding light on the underlying reasons. They explore the emotional aspects, discuss the need for alternative coping mechanisms, and introduce the "CARESS" method as a helpful tool for individuals struggling with self-harm tendencies or intense emotions.

In preparing for the holidays, Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Lee, and For All Seasons CEO Beth Ann Dorman want to share a special Bring on the Mess!™ podcast to help listeners understand and foster connection in their lives. Lee and Dorman discuss how we can connect during the holiday season - touching on both the warmth of festive interactions and the challenges faced by those for whom the holidays aren't joyful. Drawing insights from Brené Brown's "Atlas of the Heart," Lee and Dorman emphasize the power of vulnerability in establishing meaningful connections and the importance of being seen, heard, and valued without judgment. They explore the role of trust and the significance of circling back to repair relationships. Throughout, they encourage us to embrace the unique gifts we each bring to connection and provide reflections on understanding and navigating emotions.

In this episode of Bring on the Mess, hosts Beth Ann Dorman and Lesa Lee discuss various aspects of the holiday season, including the importance of adjusting expectations, flexibility, and communication when it comes to family gatherings. They also encourage listeners to reflect on what brings them joy during the holidays and how they can create meaningful traditions and connections with loved ones.

In this episode of "Bring on the Mess," hosts Beth Ann Dorman and Lisa Lee delve into a critical topic – the mental health of senior citizens – with guest, Childlene Brooks, the manager of the Tolbert County Senior Center. Aging can bring challenges like the loss of independence, diminished physical ability, and social isolation, which often lead to feelings of neglect in conversations about mental wellness. In this episode, we explore the vital role organizations like senior centers play in combating these issues by providing a place for seniors to socialize, engage in activities, and maintain their mental health. We also discuss the importance of checking in on aging loved ones and offering them meaningful activities to reduce isolation and depression. Tune in to gain insights into the world of mental health for our senior population and discover how we can all contribute to their well-being.

In this episode of "Bring on the Mess," hosts Beth Ann Dorman and Lisa Lee address the crucial and sensitive topic of suicide prevention during Suicide Awareness Month. They emphasize the importance of open conversations and community involvement in raising awareness about this local, national, and global issue. The hosts share alarming statistics, discuss the impact of media on youth, and provide practical advice on approaching conversations about suicide. They highlight the "Ask, Listen, and Share" approach, stressing the need for persistence and empathy when supporting those in need. The episode concludes by underscoring that everyone can play a role in suicide prevention through kindness, understanding, and connecting those in crisis to resources.

Food is one of the most basic necessities for life. Every day we eat several meals, and rarely do we consider anything beyond the taste. Yet the relationship we have with food is unique in its ability to affect how we interact with other people in addition to how we perceive ourselves. Eating habits are one of the most important aspects of physical health in addition to mental health. Many eating disorders today are brought on by feelings of shame related to what foods one eats and how their body looks as a result. With food having a massive impact on both the mental and physical health of people, For All Seasons CEO Beth Anne Dorman and Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Lee dive into the topic of what it means to have a healthy relationship with our food.

For All Seasons Chief Financial Officer Tina Jones joins the podcast to discuss the tough questions surrounding LGBTQA mental health and share personal experiences of what members of the community experience. Tina addresses the rise in mental health issues within the community, the importance of discussing with and listening to children who identify as LGBTQA, and what resources and communities are available to individuals struggling with their identity. Join us for this special episode on acceptance, understanding, and compassion.

For All Seasons CEO Beth Anne Langrell and Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Lee sit down with author Michelle Bolden Hammond to discuss the topic of mental health stigma within the black community, and how organizations work to break down the barriers for people needing help. They address the notion of trust and building trust as it relates to individuals and communities. Hammond elaborates on how it takes time, good faith, and actions to build trust in communities that have often been left without vital health resources.

Dealing with grief is one often of the hardest mental struggles people go through. Reactions to grief can vary wildly, and there is no set time frame for the grieving process making it a unique experience for every person. The need for connection, compassion, and understanding is greater than ever during times of grief, and many people are unprepared for dealing with a traumatic event that causes intense grief. From dealing with the loss of a loved one, explaining a painful situation to a child, to understanding its ok to not be ok, For All Seasons CEO Beth Anne Dorman and Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Lee discuss the difficult process of moving through grief, and the nuances to navigating the emotions that come with it.

During the summertime, kids get to hang out with their friends and enjoy the freedom from structured school hours. However, it's important to maintain a sense of structure during this time. In a conversation with For All Seasons CEO Beth Anne Dorman and Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Lee, they discuss the need for children to have a balanced schedule that includes screen time, socializing, and activities. This ensures they can be their best selves and make the most of their summer.

This special episode of Bring on the Mess features Dr. Dan Hughes discussing his program for treating reactive detachment disorder called Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. Dr. Hughes developed this method of therapy after years of working with young children who experienced trauma and were unable to develop trusting relationships with parents or adults. For All Seasons Chief Clinical Officer Lesa Lee speaks with Dr. Hughes on how the importance of the home being a center of unconditional love and support is necessary to create trust in children which then can lead to helping them understand their emotions. Debunking the notion of raising children with unconditional love turns them soft, this episode touches on how we connect with them is the ultimate determinant of a child’s resilience later in life.

Many people talk about Mental Health and loosely use the term mental illness to define a wide range of negative feelings. Beth Anne Dorman and Lesa Lee discuss how Mental Illness is a clinically defined condition with criteria and how mental health is the general practice of maintaining a balance of well-being characteristics. Tune it to learn what mental health is, how it needs to be exercised every day, and how it differs for each of us in practice.

With beginning, many kids will participate in sports ranging from baseball, soccer, and softball. Diving into the important topic of are sports good for kids, Beth Anne Dorman and Lesa Lee discuss the value of sports in developing our children’s self-reliance, teamwork, and resiliency to challenges. They also cover the reinforcement of values and commitments playing a sport provides, and the crucial role a coach plays in teaching positive messages. Listen to this informative talk about the connection between mental health and physical activity.

For All Seasons CEO, Beth Anne Dorman, and Chief Clinical Officer, Lesa Lee, LCSW-C are exploring the topic of connection in the series – Connection at the Heart of Wellness. In these conversations, Dorman and Lee discuss how connection impacts our mental health and how we can improve our wellness when we become more aware of how we connect or disconnect in our lives. In this first part, they review what connection is, why it is vital to our mental health, and expand on looking inward by discussing vulnerability and its role in connections.

In this episode of Bring on the Mess, Beth Anne and Lesa discuss one of the hardest topics to deal with in both our personal and professional lives: Conflict. Often times when confronted with a conflict we get caught up in the version of events we tell ourselves, we match someone’s intensity in an argument, and we become defensive when we feel like we failed an expectation. To address this, Lesa and Beth Anne review how to approach conflict with a set of skills that emphasize curiosity and compassion, recognizing when to take a break or another person’s limitations, and how oftentimes we must look inward to recognize when we are part of the problem. Join us in this special episode that touches on how to approach a conflict by seeking a resolution, not seeking to win.