Still Becoming with Monica DiCristina

Episode 6: Naming Your Pain as a Practice In this six part series I sit down with my friend, author, and podcast host, Sarah Bragg to discuss my new book!! We will unpack and introduce you to the concepts of Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts. Sarah is funny, relatable, and asks the best questions. This is a sneak peek at the book, the writing of the book, as well as extra commentary. I loved recording these episodes. They will work as a countdown to the book coming out May 13th, or once you get your book a companion series.

Episode 5: Naming Specific Pains In this six part series I sit down with my friend, author, and podcast host, Sarah Bragg to discuss my new book!! We will unpack and introduce you to the concepts of Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts. Sarah is funny, relatable, and asks the best questions. This is a sneak peek at the book, the writing of the book, as well as extra commentary. I loved recording these episodes. They will work as a countdown to the book coming out May 13th, or once you get your book a companion series.

Episode 4: You are Not Your Pain In this six part series I sit down with my friend, author, and podcast host, Sarah Bragg to discuss my new book!! We will unpack and introduce you to the concepts of Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts. Sarah is funny, relatable, and asks the best questions. This is a sneak peek at the book, the writing of the book, as well as extra commentary. I loved recording these episodes. They will work as a countdown to the book coming out May 13th, or once you get your book a companion series.

In this six part series I sit down with my friend, author, and podcast host, Sarah Bragg to discuss my new book!! We will unpack and introduce you to the concepts of Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts. Sarah is funny, relatable, and asks the best questions. This is a sneak peek at the book, the writing of the book, as well as extra commentary. I loved recording these episodes. They will work as a countdown to the book coming out May 13th, or once you get your book a companion series. Episode 3: The Quest to Find Names for Our Pain

In this six part series I sit down with my friend, author, and podcast host, Sarah Bragg to discuss my new book!! We will unpack and introduce you to the concepts of Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts. Sarah is funny, relatable, and asks the best questions. This is a sneak peek at the book, the writing of the book, as well as extra commentary. I loved recording these episodes. They will work as a countdown to the book coming out May 13th, or once you get your book a companion series. Episode 2: Reasons Why We Don't Name Our Pain

SPECIAL SERIES!! In this six part series I sit down with my friend, author, and podcast host, Sarah Bragg to discuss my new book!! We will unpack and introduce you to the concepts of Your Pain Has a Name: A Therapist's Invitation to Understanding Your Story and Sorting Out Who You Are from What Hurts. Sarah is funny, relatable, and asks the best questions. This is a sneak peek at the book, the writing of the book, as well as extra commentary. I loved recording these episodes. They will work as a countdown to the book coming out May 13th, or once you get your book a companion series. Episode 1: Introduction to the Book

I am so excited and honored to have writer, artist, and author Jenai Auman on the Still Becoming Podcast. I enjoyed every minute of speaking with Jenai and instantly wanted to be her friend. Jenai's perspective on topics around church hurt and spiritual abuse were so wise, nuanced, and refreshing. I imagine you, like me, will find yourself thinking, "I never thought of it like that." And I imagine you, like me, will leave this conversation thinking in new ways, changed, and more hopeful. Jenai Auman is a Filipina American writer, artist, and author of Othered: Finding Belonging in the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized. She draws from her years in church leadership as well as her trauma-informed training to write on healing and holistic spiritual formation. She received her bachelor's degree in behavioral health science and is currently pursuing a master's in spiritual formation at Northeastern Seminary. Jenai lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Tyler, and their sons, Quinn and Graham. Instagram: instagram.com/jenaiaumanSubstack: jenaiauman.substack.comPurchase OTHERED: jenaiauman.com/otheredbook (or you can use this Amazon link if you prefer: https://a.co/d/eFyPs2g)

I am so excited and honored to have therapist and author Tasha Hunter back on the Still Becoming podcast. In this conversation we talk about Tasha's most recent book: tell me where it hurts. From Tasha's book, we discuss "excavating the wound," and "healing the wound." Tasha infuses an enormous amount of love in her writing and this book is no exception. Tasha is the author of Liberation: an IFS-Inspired Companion for Psychedelic and Ancestral Medicine Experiences, Tell Me Where It Hurts: Poetry, Meditations, and Divinely Inspired Love Notes, and her memoir What Children Remember. Her writing has been featured in She Lives Her Truth. She hosts the podcast When We Speak and resides in North Carolina, where she also runs a small, mental health private practice. Tasha Hunter (she/her/we) is a Black queer writer, teacher, and deep listener. A liberation-centered mental health therapist, she focuses on serving Black women, femmes, and the LGBTQIA community, believing that healing thrives in spaces where we are fully seen, heard, and valued. For her, personal liberation is inseparable from community and collective freedom. Tasha is a Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems therapist and Certified Consultant, approaching healing through a decolonized, non-pathologizing lens. To learn more about Tasha Hunter and her work visit her website, or subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.tashahunterlcsw.com/about-tasha https://substack.com/@tashathewriter

I am so excited and honored to have Terry Hargrave, Ph.D. and Sharon Hargrave, M.A. on the Still Becoming Podcast. I had the honor of being trained by them in their model: Restoration Therapy. I respect them clinically, and I love them personally. They are wise, experienced, and so relatable. Terry and Sharon take difficult concepts in marriages and break them down into actionable insights and behavior changes. They have a new book out today! Their new book : The Mindful Marriage: Create Your Best Relationship Through Understanding and Managing Yourself. Terry Hargrave, Ph.D. and Sharon Hargrave, M.A. are nationally recognized for their work in founding and developing Restoration Therapy and RelateStrong. Terry has authored over 35 professional articles and sixteen books including 5 Days to a New Self (co-authored with Sharon Hargrave). He is a former professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary and his work has been featured on ABC News 20/20, Good Morning America and CBS Early Morning. Sharon formerly served as Executive Director of Pepperdine University’s Boone Center for the Family, works with program development, and was an affiliate faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. She specialized in working with conflicted couples, leadership relationships and intergenerational issues. Both are licensed marriage and family therapists and have worked with individuals, couples and families for over 35 years. https://www.restorationtherapytraining.com/ SharonHargrave.com The Mindful Marriage- Amazon.com

These short guided meditations are ones I wish existed. They are topical, easy to follow, and made to feel therapeutic. They are short and combined with very calming music. This is a short meditation for the holiday season. Hopefully it can be a quiet moment away for you during this season, however it lands for you. To sign up for Monica's newsletter - go to this link: https://monicadicristina.substack.com For more Still Becoming, follow Monica on Instagram @monicadicristina. Or check out monicadicristina.com for resources, articles, and more.

This week's Mental Health Check-In is about preparing for the holidays from a mental health and emotional health perspective. We often prepare in so many ways for this season, but rarely for our hearts, minds, souls, and frankly our mental health. We will talk about different topics ranging from boundaries to grief. Unfortunately I can't cover every topic is a short episode, but I hope this episode will be validating and start your own conversation with yourself. For more Still Becoming find Monica at ⁠⁠⁠monicadicristina.com⁠⁠⁠, and on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@monicadicristina⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠ too!

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞⁣⁣⁣⁣ Conversation with Sarah E. Westfall The Way of Belonging Episode # 135 I am so excited to have author Sarah E. Westfall on the Still Becoming Podcast. In this interview Sarah invites her into her unique lens on the topic of belonging. We discuss the common longing to belong, the desire for "withness," and my favorite part of her book and this conversation: "Belonging is not something to attain, but someone to become." This is a tender and insightful conversation. We touch faith, grief, God seeing us, and belonging. I can't wait for you to hear this interview! Sarah E. Westfall is a writer, speaker, and host of the Human Together podcast. Her previous work includes serving as director of community for online writing groups and as a student development professional on college campuses. She has been published in RELEVANT, Fathom Mag, and (in)courage. Sarah lives in Indiana with her husband, Ben, and four sons. Visit her website at sarahewestfall.com. Follow her on Twitter: @sarah_westfall Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_westfall For more Still Becoming find Monica at ⁠⁠⁠monicadicristina.com⁠⁠⁠, and on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@monicadicristina⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠ too!

These short guided meditations are ones I wish existed. They are topical, easy to follow, and made to feel therapeutic. They are short and combined with very calming music. In a world that is loud, busy, chaotic, and hurting, it can feel difficult to create a moment of space to breathe. It can also be hard to feel grounded and at home in your body with so much stress surrounding you. This is a meditation I have done in session with clients. I hope it is a calming exhale for your day. To sign up for Monica's newsletter - go to this link: https://monicadicristina.substack.com For more Still Becoming, follow Monica on Instagram @monicadicristina. Or check out monicadicristina.com for resources, articles, and more.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞⁣⁣⁣⁣ Conversation with Drew Jackson Uncertainty, Becoming, and Poetry Episode # 133 ⁣⁣ I am so honored and excited to have poet, speaker, public theologian, and author Drew Jackson on the Still Becoming Podcast. This interview is one of my favorite conversations I've ever had on the podcast. Drew invites us into looking at life, uncertainty, faith, mental health, political acts and more through the lens of poetry. The lens of poetry, as he describes it, is one that we can all practice applying in our own ways to reconnect with where we are, how we feel, what we believe, and what we need. Through this deep and thoughtful conversation Drew shares some of his own journey as well as his own insights through his process of writing and grappling with questions, uncertainty, faith, and his own journey of becoming. Drew's wisdom creates such an expansive space. Finally we talk about Drew's words as a model for living, “When I forget beauty, poetry is there to invite me to slow down and notice the small blossoms of God’s new creation breaking through. When I become numb to heartache, poetry brings me back in touch with the tears of the world.” We begin this interview with Drew reading one of his beautiful new poems. We end this conversation with a moving description of how Drew's mom and his wife have each impacted his own becoming. I can't wait for you to hear this conversation. Drew Jackson is a poet, speaker, and public theologian. He is author of God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming and Touch the Earth: Poems on The Way. His work has appeared in Oneing from the Center for Action and Contemplation, The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad, Made for Pax, The Journal from the Centre for Public Christianity, Fathom Magazine, and other publications. Drew received his B.A. in Political Science from the Univ. of Chicago and his M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He currently works as the Director of Mission Integration for the Center for Action and Contemplation, and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and daughters. Find Drew Here: https://drewejackson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/d.jacksonpoetics

This month's Mental Health Check-In follows along with my current newsletter series called Therapy Notes: Small Bits of Wisdom from Inside the Room. Head over to the link below, or my website, to join in at my newsletter. It's my favorite place to create and connect. About the series : Therapy Notes swill offer insights I wish I could pass out for free (here goes), things that help me in my life, and certainly things I wish I’d known before I became a therapist. Scroll back through all of them if you are new here! Therapy is both an art form and a collection of knowledge. Much of this knowledge is gleaned from the clinical research that informs the science of the field. However, the kitchen table version, simplified down to accessible takeaways, is where I see the most effective help. I hope this series will offer some wisdom from the practice of therapy. My own definition of wisdom is: knowledge you can actually use. For more Still Becoming find Monica at ⁠⁠monicadicristina.com⁠⁠, and on Instagram: ⁠⁠@monicadicristina⁠⁠. Sign up for the ⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠ too!

This is a re-release of a Mental Health Check-In episode for those of us who are ending summer and moving into the business of a new school year, or an approaching Fall with work commitments. We are talking about the myth of balance, and how much shame an unrealistic idea of balance can produce in our lives. In this short episode we will identify why this myth isn't helpful, and how to think about ordering our lives instead. We will explore the ideas of prioritization, values, boundaries, and permission as a replacement for the pressure that "balance" produces. I hope this episode is validating, freeing, and encouraging. For more Still Becoming find Monica at ⁠⁠monicadicristina.com⁠⁠, and on Instagram: ⁠⁠@monicadicristina⁠⁠. Sign up for the ⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠ too!

I am so excited to have author Emily P. Freeman on the podcast. I am such a fan, and I have been for a long time. I appreciate the way Emily shows up in the world and in her work. In a world that is always in a rush to decisions, to certainty, and to judgement, Emily's work is refreshingly curious, patient, and spacious. In this conversation, and in her impactful new book How to Walk Into a Room, Emily invites us to look at endings and decisions in a helpful and wholistic way. We discuss how we moralize decisions, Emily's metaphor of rooms in our lives, and the idea of true peace and decisions. It is such a rich and layered conversation, and I can't wait for you to hear it. Emily P. Freeman is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books, including The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions. As a spiritual director, workshop leader, and host of The Next Right Thing podcast (more than 25 million downloads), her most important work is to help create soul space and offer spiritual companionship and discernment for anyone struggling with decision fatigue. Emily holds a master’s degree in spiritual formation and leadership from Friends University. She lives in North Carolina with her family. https://emilypfreeman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/emilypfreeman/

These short guided meditations are ones I wish existed. They are topical, easy to follow, and made to feel therapeutic. They are short and combined with very calming music. This short meditation can be used to prepare for something that worries or scares you. It can be used to make space for worrying about someone you love. It is also just for the fear of the everyday. Many carry a lot of fear every day, and this short meditation is a chance to process, make space, and find comfort. To sign up for Monica's newsletter - go to this link: https://monicadicristina.substack.com For more Still Becoming, follow Monica on Instagram @monicadicristina. Or check out monicadicristina.com for resources, articles, and more.

I am so honored and happy to have Author and Chaplain J.S. Park back on the Still Becoming podcast. If you have hung out with me for any time, you know my deep admiration of his work, writing, and presence in the world. J.S. Park is an author who refuses to look away from pain, and he invites his readers to both see and feel seen in a way I have never experienced elsewhere. This is a profound and deep conversation, and one I have found myself thinking about long afterwards. That is what J.S. Park's work does - it leaves you reconsidering what you have been through, what you need, what others are facing, and how you can more tenderly show up for all of it. I can't wait for you to listen. Loving CW: We do discuss trauma and loss in this episode. J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, former atheist/agnostic, sixth degree black belt, suicide survivor, Korean-American, and follows Christ. J.S. is author of an upcoming book, As Long As You Need: Permission to Grieve, part hospital chaplain experience and part memoir, published by W Publishing of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. He is also the author The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise, published by Northfield/Moody. J.S. currently serves at a 1000+ bed hospital, one of the top-ranked in the nation, and was also a chaplain for three years at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast.

This week's Mental Health Check-In unpacks the common tendency to compare yourself to others. In this short episode, we will look at it from a different perspective. With a lens of compassion and curiosity, we will explore the hidden "why" under the tendency to compare. Maybe you will find your "why," in this episode, or maybe it will prompt you to discover your own not listed here. Either way, this episode is an opportunity to unpack and get a little more clarity on this common tendency. And clarity, as well as self-awareness, are some of the best places to start with any hope of change. For more Still Becoming find Monica at ⁠monicadicristina.com⁠, and on Instagram: ⁠@monicadicristina⁠. Sign up for the ⁠newsletter⁠ too!